Shirdhi Sai Baba Sat Charitra

Kirtans attract many people. During those days, it was one of the very few sources of entertainment mixed with education.

The story was always from mythology, glorifying God. Some came for the music; some came for the erudition with which the Haridas spoke and many came just to spend time. Very few came for getting benefited from the moral of the kirtans. Dasganu was one of the best Haridasas of that time and attracted huge crowds wherever he performed. And the topic was invariably about Baba.

The effect of listening to Dasganu was electrifying. Spectators were simply spellbound. In one of the performances, among the spectators, there was an ardent listener called Cholkar.

Dasganu Maharaj was once performing in Koupineshwar temple in Thana. The topic was, as it always happened, the glory of Baba. Cholkar was listening with rapt attention. He was a temporary employee in the Civil Court. His job would become permanent only if he passed the departmental examination. He had already made an attempt and failed. Supporting his large family was proving to be beyond his means. Dasganu’s kirtan was so effective on Cholkar’s mind that he vowed then and there that if he passed the examination and became permanent, he would go to Shirdi, fall at the feet of Baba and distribute sugarcandy.

With Baba’s grace and blessing, he passed the examination and became a permanent employee. Cholkar was happy and wanted, more than ever, to go to Shirdi and fall at the divine feet of Baba and to fulfill the vow at the earliest. Even in those days making a trip to Shirdi, with a family as big as Cholkar’s, was a heavy burden for anyone. But Cholkar had made up his mind. As far as he was concerned, there was no alternative.

He decided that he had to cut down his expenses and save money.

So he thought of a plan to save enough money to take his family to Shirdi. He decided not to use any sugar in his daily consumption and take tea without sugar. It was a self-imposed punishment for the delay in meeting his benefactor.

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