26. THE LIGHT FROM THE PICTURE

 

Shri P.K. Sawant, an ardent devotee of Shirdi Sai, had been for some time the Chairman of Shirdi Samsthan Trust Committee. He heard from Shri M.S. Dixit and other friends about their personal experiences establishing the fact that Sri Sathya Sai is the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai. Shri Sawant naturally became curi­ous on hearing this exciting piece of news. He then visited a friend in Bombay at whose house Parthi Baba had stayed for three days in May 1960. After the bhajans there in which he had participated, he saw an album of Baba's photographs and also witnessed a strip of film which showed Bhagavan' s visit to Badrinath and the Yajna at Prasanthi Nilayam. Thereafter Shri Sawant was taken into the very room which had been graced by Baba's stay. Dr. D.J. Gadhia there offered him the customary vibhuti prasad. This set forth in the mind of Shri Sawant a conflict of doubt, hesitation and uncertainty as to what exactly is there to prove that the two Babas are one and the same in reality. Con­comitant with these ripples of dubious thoughts and as if to assure convincingly beyond any shadow of doubt, the following miraculous pheno­menon took place. From the raised right hand of Sri Sathya Sai in a picture hanging in that room opposite to where Shri Sawantwas standing, there issued forth a beam of resplendent light. Seeing this Divine, beautiful and panoramic marvelous flash of light, all the cob-webs of doubt disappeared in a trice. The earlier hesitancy vanished and Shri Sawant then accepted the vibhuti prasad. After few months when Shri Sawant was visiting Prasanthi Nilayam, Sri Sathya Sai declared, "The depth of the devotion of Sawant to that body and this body of the same Sai is known only to him and Me." After some time when Baba visited Bombay, Shri Sawant had this to say, "Baba blessed Maharashtra while in His previous body at Shirdi and it is Maharashtra's good fortune this His Dharmakshetra has been established here again." On another occasion Shri Sawant said, "Bhagavan is the Avatar of Sai Baba of Shirdi to whom millions look for strength and solace. Baba belongs to Maharashtra in a special sense, though He has come for all humanity".