By Mrs. Chandrika Girinathan
Around 10 days back on one Tuesday evening around 7 p.m. an old lady came
to the Anna Baba Mandir. She looked very poor and carried a bag with her. She
sat in the mandir for some time, went out and then returned. She repeated doing this two to three times.
Sreemati, wife of Shri Kumar Baba saw her and she asked her where she
was from. If she needed any assistance to go home as it was already dark.
She came to the office room and said she came from Adyar and asked Sreemati
whether she will accept a gift from her. Sreemati refused. The old lady took out a cover and gave it to Sreemati as
donation for the Mandir.
Sreemati told her that the office was closed and that she could come the next
day and hand over the money at the office and get a receipt for the donation.
Sreemati requested her to go home early. She even offered the old
lady to send her by auto. But she angrily told her that she knew her way and she wanted to meditate for some more time.
She then asked if she could distribute some prasad for Anantha Padmanabha
Swamy temple to which Sreemati agreed. The old lady distributed kumkum, manjal and some butter to all including
Sri Kumar Baba.
Sreemati went home to bring naivedyam for Anna Baba for the night. At home
she just thought, “ Baba, if it is you who had come as this lady, please leave the temple when I
bring you naivedhyam” Sreemati made chapatis and returned to the mandir. The old lady was not there.
Before the lady left she had given Sri Kumar Baba a small parcel which
looked like a packet of incense sticks. Kumar Baba told her that they had lots of incense sticks but she said
that it was some reading material. Kumar Baba accepted it. She told Kumar Baba "Don't forget Venkatesan"
Kumar Baba did not understand what she meant.
They closed the mandir after aarthi. Later after dinner, Kumar Baba remembered
the parcel. He was curious to know what the reading material was all about. He
opened the parcel. It was an old issue of 'India Today'.
When he opened it, the first page contained a 500 rupees note neatly stapled.
After a few more pages, there was a photo of Ganesha and behind that was a gold coin. The last page contained a cover with
aksadai and vibuti. Everyone present were surprised. Sreemati prayed to Sai to give her some clue. Did He make His appearance
as an old lady?
They turned the plastic paper which contained the vibuti. To their surprise they found it to be an old milk
cover of SAI MILK, a milk available in Rajamundry with the photo of Sai. They
again saw the gold coin. This gold coin was minted in the year 1917 and had the head of George V with the wording George V.
The gold coin given to Sri Kumar Baba
They were sure that Sai had given the cover and felt sorry for failing to
recognize Him. They narrated this incident the following Thursday and showed all the things to the devotees. Sri Arunachalam,
the grandson of Bagoji Shinde, who lived with Shirdi Sai, was also present.
That night Sri Arunachlam had a dream in which Sai told him that He had sent
Lakshmi Bai Shinde to the mandir to see Him in his Dwarakamaye posture and also
repay the money which she had promised to offer Lord Balaji of Tirupathi. LakshmiBai
Shinde had not fulfilled the prayer request to Lord Balaji. Since she saw the Moorthy of Lord Balaji in the temple
, she remembered the dues and repaid it.
Five Hundred Rupee Note and the Gold Coin
He also said the Sai made her give the gold coin to Shri Kumar Baba like the way He had given to her at Shirdi . This coin as I said earlier was minted in the year
1917, a year before Baba’s Mahasamadhi. Baba has said ,“ I shall be ever active and vigorous
even after leaving this earthly body.” He has proven it many times before and has done it again! Emphasizing
that God dwells in the hearts of all and we should learn to see God in everybody.
Jai Sai Ram
"Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to All"
