Experiences of the Tarkhad Family with Shirdi Sai Baba 09 of 21 - Resurrection of a dead body
Author: Virendra Jyotindra Tarkhad
Resurrection of a dead body
I am very certain that many of Sai Baba's devotees must have come across such spiritual experiences and as a result Baba's name & fame spread all over the continents. I came across one Ms. Bhakuni who was attached to Shri Sai Mandir at Chattarpur near New Delhi. She was doing her Ph D in literature and the subject she had selected was Sai Baba. She has done a lot of research work on Baba. Their trust is publishing a quarterly magazine in Hindi and it is quite educative. Of course during Baba's lifetime his message was spread over Mumbai and Maharashtra by mainly none other than Dasganu Maharaj. Baba used to address him as "Ganya". Dasganu Maharaj used to perform "Kirtans" through which he used to impress upon people the Leela's of Baba and also used to spread his message to the masses.
Once during Dasganu's stay in Shirdi he was called upon to give a performance in a village near Shirdi. Dasganu Maharaj used to keep Baba's Photo on a stool and used to garland the same before he began his Kirtan. Of course when conducted near Shirdi he used to take Baba's Blessings before proceeding. One afternoon he came to Dwarkamai and informed Baba that in the evening he would proceed to perform the Kirtan in a nearby village and hence he needed Baba's blessings. Baba told him that he was free to go but requested him to take Bhau (my father) along with him.
Dasganu said that he had no objection in taking along my father but he would not like to deprive him of his ritual of lighting lamps in Dwakamai in the evening. Hearing this Baba said that he need not worry about Dwakamai Lamps as somebody else would attend to that task, but insisted that Dasganu should take Bhau along with him. Both Dasganu and my father (who was present there) understood that this was Baba's order. Then as per the agreed time they left in the evening for that village, which was around 7 to 8 km away. In those days there was no transportation facility like today so they had to go by walking. By the time they reached the village the sun had already set they unfolded the mats on the ground, kept the stool with Baba's photograph on it and garlanded the same. They lighted the Petromax lamps & hung at Four Comers. Villagers had gathered and Dasganu Maharaj began his Kirtan. After about an hour when night had already set in they encountered trouble.
Around 7 to 8 people who were very dark complexioned possible from Bhil tribe came over there. They were carrying a dead body over their shoulders and were on the way to cemetery to perform the last rights. Their leader straight came to Dasganu Maharaj and threatened him. He inquired about the photograph on the stool. Dasganu explained politely stating that the photograph is of Sai Baba: who was stationed at Shirdi and he worshiped him as his Guru as well as his Deity. He went on to state that Sai Baba gave medicines to poor people and relieves them from their agony. He was performing the Kirtan, which would bring happiness to the villagers. Then that Bhil leader told his people to keep the bier down and he addressed Dasganu stating that if his Deity is mighty, then it should be possible for the Deity to bring back life into that dead body. He challenged him to do so otherwise he would kill him and his troupe. Dasganu was very scared and he approached my father seeking for his advice.
My father had realized that this could be probably Baba's creation and they should plead to him only and invoke his mercy to come to their rescue. He suggested to Dasganu to perform his famous Kirtan "SAI RAHAM NAZAR KARNA BACHHON KA PALAN KARANA" and leave it to Sai to decide the rest. Then Dasganu began his popular Kirtan and he got so much engrossed in it that my father had never seen him in that state ever before. He was literally dancing and all the villagers were positively responding to him. My father was rather keeping a watch on that dead body. About an hour must have passed and something unprecedented happened. The life had returned to the dead body. It broke open all the strings tied around him and sat on the bier and started clapping and joined the Kirtan along with the rest. My father was overjoyed to see that He got up from his place and went to Dasganu who was no more himself because he was in a trance. My father caught him with his both hands and told him to stop the Kirtan. Baba had saved them from fear of loosing their own lives. The Kirtan stopped. Those Bhils got up. They helped that dead body (which was no more dead then) to stand on his own feet. They told him to bow to Dasganu and then made all detailed inquiry about Baba and promised to visit Shirdi for his Darshan.
Next day when Dasganu and my father went to Dwarkamai Baba said, Hey Ganya, good that my Bhau was there with you yesterday, otherwise who would have saved you from the wrath of the Bhils?" and hearing this both of them told Baba that it was all his creation and they are totally dependant on him in situations like that and he should continue to shower his mercy and blessings upon them.
Dear readers here you may have all kinds of doubts. I can only plead you to please believe this. What is important is Baba knew in advance what is going to happen during the Kirtan or may be it was all his creation to imbibe confidence in Dasganu. Baba knows best how to pull people towards him and this will continue to happen. We must keep our strong faith in him.
