Sai Miracles with Chandubhai Patel and getting his horse back
Sri Sai Baba was a great mahatma as were Suka, Vasishta and Jaimini. Obeying his Guru's order, he left Selu and journeyed westwards. He journeyed on in stages and reached the Aurangabad area. There he found a place in the forest, which was to his liking and stopped there.
That land was earlier governed by the Yadava kings. It was near Daulatabad (Devgiri) where Janardhana swami, the Guru of Eknath Maharaj, had once lived. Sri Sai Baba was living alone with a feeling of utter dispassion. He was immersed day and night in the enjoyment of the incomparable bliss of constant communion with the Brahman.
While this was so, one day, a Moslem called Chandubhai came to the forest searching for his horse, which was lost. He was startled to see Sri Sai Baba, who is as the mother to orphaned children, staying all-alone under the shade of a tree in that thick forest. He felt in his mind, "This is certainly not a man. He must be a celestial being, or a demon or a devil or worse. Why else will he be staying happily alone, unconcerned, in this thick forest where no man treads and indeed men fear to venture about, unless propelled by dire need? I am able to see him very clearly. What should I do now? Shall I run away? Or shall I search for my horse? What should I do?" All these thoughts flashed through his mind. He thought that discretion was the better part of valour and turned to run. Baba's voice stopped him. "My brother! I am not a devil or a demon nor a celestial being. I am just a poor fakir who lives here in this forest. Do not fear. Have no apprehensions in your mind. Come here and have a puff of this chillim," said Baba.
Chandubhai's mind quietened on hearing Baba speak. He slowly drew near Baba and sat. Baba was readying the chillim for smoking. Chandubhai took the chillim from him and after powdering the tobacco leaf, packed it firmly into the chillim. He said, "Oh Sai! I have filled and readied the chillim. But there is no fire. I have left my flints at home. What are we to do now?" Baba laughed on hearing Chandubhai. He said, "Chandubhai, your eyes and brain are struggling breathlessly entangled in the worldly. Fire is the basis and foundation of the entire world. It is spread all over the universe. Why are you lamenting that there is no fire?" Baba took his satka (stick) which was constantly with him and smote the ground. Instantly the fire was visible on the ground. Baba placed a twig on the fire and lit the chillim with the burning twig. He threw the twig away after the chillim was well lit and drawing satisfactorily. Chandubhai was stunned by this display of Baba's power. He immediately placed his head on Baba's feet in devotion and respect. He said, "Maharaj, your power is great. You are none other than the Paigambar (God). It is the accumulated merit of my past lives which has given me the great good fortune of your darshan. I have been searching without food for the last four days for my horse which was lost. It was a valuable, pedigreed horse from Turkey. It has an excellent gait. It had gone for feeding and lost its way. After I lost that excellent horse I have lost all taste for food. I have searched the whole forest many times but I have not been able to trace it. Even this chillim will not be to my taste, If I cannot find the horse." Sai Baba said, "Why do you worry so for such a small thing? Go and see beside that thicket. You will see your horse feeding on grass there. Do not worry so about the horse. This is manner of all those who constantly think only of the worldly. If the child is missing, they search all over for him weeping and wailing. If the wife leaves them and goes away, they hold their heads, sob, and weep. If the house is burgled, if the house catches fire they beat their breasts and wail saying that they are the most unfortunate beings in this world. What is the use of crying over spilt milk? Oh you madman! Look at the maya which is everywhere. Keep remembering the Allah-I-llahi who protects and nourishes all of us. He is the foundation and basis for the world. He is the repository of all happiness. He is the truth. If you do not seek to find him, pleasure, pain, and profit and loss are inevitable to you. In any case without pain there is no value for pleasure. The idea of rain will be sweet as nectar to the man burning in the heat of midsummer. So, even pain is essential to us to really appreciate pleasure. You are worrying and beating your breast about a mere horse but are not even thinking of the almighty God. Reflect on your conduct a little. How abhorrent it is that you give so little value to God and so much to a horse? Chandubhai heard these words of Sri Sai Baba and hung his head in shame. "Oh able one! You are the embodied form of all the knowledge of the world. How is it possible for me, a poor unlearned man, to know all this?" He saw the horse and ran to catch it. As the husband is happy on hearing of his wife's arrival after a long absence; Chandubhai was ecstatic with happiness seeing his horse again after a long time. He caught the horse with one hand and neared Sri Sai Baba. He said, "Baba! Please sit in my cart and come to my house. My household and I will be blessed by your arrival." Baba smiled, "What am I, a poor fakir, to do with a horse and a cart, my son? I cannot come today to your house in any case. Let us see, I may come either tomorrow or the day after. Do not unnecessarily force me to come today." Chandubhai saluted Baba's feet and riding his horse went home elated at finding his horse again. All his intimate friends were very happy seeing that he had found his horse. They all questioned him as to how he could find the horse again. Chandubhai replied, "I found a great aulia (Moslem saint) in the forest. He has great powers. It is by his kind grace that I could find the horse. He beat the ground with a stick and brought out fire. That mahatma of great merit has promised to come to our house tomorrow. It is by the kindness of Allah that I could have the darshan of that most excellent one!"
