 |
| BHAGOJI SHINDE |
(He was giving Baba’s udhi to the
devotees visiting Shirdi and was also putting the udhi in the mouths of
some of the devotees. Though he was doing all these things on the orders
of Baba, none suffered any ailment due to his handling of the udhi. It was Baba's protection that saved all).
Bhagoji Shinde was a
resident of Shirdi from the beginning. Bhagoji Shinde
was a leper and stayed with Baba. Bhagoji was related to
Laxmibai Shinde. He was suffering from leprosy. He was losing
the fingers of
his hands and toes in the legs. But with all these problems,
Bhagoji served Baba throughout his
life and made his life memorable.
After Baba arrived in Shirdi, in the initial period, Baba distributed medicines to the poor and needy. When Bhagoji’s illness reached serious proportions, all his relatives gave up the hope about his survival. At that time, Baba went to Bhagoji’s house and gave him some medicines. Further, he branded Bhagoji with hot iron rod on his back and on both ears. He took Baba’s teerth which cured his disease, though he remained partially disfigured by that time. But, Baba did not allow his disease to become worse. He was a sort of attendant to Baba and was one among the closet to Baba. He was always engaged in the regular service to Baba.
As regards daily routine of Baba, he would get up before the dawn and
meditate while sitting leaning on the pillar by the side of the dhuni (holy fire) and then used to sit before the dhuni. No one was allowed to see what he was doing at that time. While
sitting before the dhuni, he would perform some mystic signs with hands
and chant words like, "Yaade Haq," "Allah Vali Hai," and "Allah Maalik
Hai". Only Abdul Baba and Madhav Fasle would then enter the mosque
and do the normal housekeeping work, such as sweeping the floor of the
mosque, trimming the wicks of the lamps and refilling them with oil, and
placing the firewood near the dhuni. As the day broke, Bhagoji was the first to enter the mosque in the early morning, every day. Bagoji used to fill up the chillum (smoking
pipe) and light it. Then Baba would smoke and pass it on to Bhagoji. He
used to smoke and return it to Baba. After few such exchanges, Bhagoji
would go back to his home after massaging Baba’s hands and feet. Baba
used to smoke the chillum given by Bhagoji with great love and
affection. By about 7-30 A.M. or so, this routine would be over and by
that time the devotees were ready to enter the mosque for the darshan of
Baba. Baba would describe to them how he had protected his devotees
who were far away from any harm during the previous night, and how he
had conveyed those who died during the night, safely to heaven. The
devotees would later learn that whatever Baba had stated was true when
the devotees from distant places came to Shirdi to thank Baba for his
help and narrate their experiences.
Bhagoji's house, known as Shindewada, is just behind Laxmibai Shinde’s house and is also near the Chavadi. The compound of Shindewada is adjacent to a pharmacy run by a relative of Bhagoji. He accompanied Baba to Lendibagh and had the privilege of carrying an umbrella over Baba’s head to give him shade, on all occasions.
Once Baba saved a child from falling into a burning furnace by
putting his own hand in the dhuni in the masjid and getting it burnt and
saved the life of a child. This happened in 1910 on a Diwali day when Baba was sitting before the dhuni and pushing faggots into the burning dhuni and suddenly put his hand and got it burnt. Seeing this, Shama dragged Baba back and enquired why he did like this. Baba
immediately said that the wife of a blacksmith while working on the
bellows of a furnace at a far off place in a hurry slipped her child
into the burning furnace and that to protect the child from falling into
the furnace Baba put his hand in the dhuni and got it burnt and saved the life of the child. Instead of the child being burnt, he got his hand burnt and Baba thus took over on him the death-risk of the child.
Nanasaheb Chandorkar brought a famous doctor by the name, Dr.Paramanand from Bombay to Shirdi for Baba’s treatment. But, Baba did not allow the doctor to examine his hand.
Instead, he asked Bhagoji to apply ghee to the burnt portion of his
hand, place the leaf of a tree on it and then bandage it very tightly.
Nanasaheb Chandorkar solicited Baba many a time to unfasten the bandage
and get the wound examined and dressed and treated by Dr. Parmanand,
with the object that it might be healed quickly. Dr. Parmanand himself made similar requests, but Baba declined, saying that Allah was his Doctor;
and did not allow his arm to be examined by Dr. Paramanand. But the
doctor had the good fortune of having a darshan of Baba. With the
passage of time, the hand got cured of the burns. Even then, every day
in early morning, Bhagoji used to remove the old bandage, massage the
portion of hand, then once again apply ghee and tie a fresh bandage and
this process continued for eight years, even after Baba’s hand was cured
and this continued till Baba’s Mahasamadhi. Baba, being a perfect
Siddha, did not really want this treatment, but out of love to his
devotee, he allowed Bhagoji to continue to do this service
uninterruptedly all along. Baba perhaps wanted Bhagoji to do this work uninterruptedly till his Masamadhi, only to bless him because of his past karmas
(misdeeds in earlier lives). In the early mornings. this was the work
Bhagoji did to Baba every day, besides other items of service.
During 1916 on the Vijayadasami day, Baba all of a sudden in a fit of anger, removed his head dress, kafni and also langota, tore them into pieces and threw all of them into the dhuni. And then Baba
shouted in high pitch and in anger, asking all the people present there
in the masjid to have a close look at his body and find out whether he
was a Muslim or a Hindu. Every one in the masjid was shocked and
trembled in fear. But Bhagoji who was there in the masjid at that time,
came to Baba and tied a langoti to Baba who became cool and calm in that night. Even otherwise, many devotees knew that Baba was a Hindu and his bodily signs confirmed that position.
Though he was suffering from leprosy, his fingers had shrunk, his body
was full of pus and was emanating stench badly, he was really very lucky
and fortunate, for he was the prominent servant of Baba, and got the
benefit of his company continuously. Bagoji, at the instance of Baba, was also giving Baba’s udhi (holy ash) to the devotees visiting Shirdi and was also putting the udhi
in the mouths of some of the devotees. Though he was doing all these
things on the orders of Baba, none suffered any ailment due to his
handling of the udhi. Bhagoji continued this service till
Baba’s Mahasamadhi. Really, Bhagoji was very fortunate to have the
honour of being in the close company of Baba.
At the time of Baba’s Mahasamadhi, there were seven devotees in the masjid and Bhagoji Shinde was one among them. Then
Baba gave Rs.9/- to Laxmibai Shinde. Then Baba said that he did not
feel well in the masjid and that he should be taken to the Dagadiwada
(stone building) of Booty where he would be alright and with these
words, Baba leaned on Bayaji's body and went into Mahasamadhi. Bhagoji
observed that his breathing had stopped and he immediately told about
this to Nanasaheb Nimonkar who was sitting below. Thus he was one of the few devotees who served Baba till his Mahasamadhi. His was indeed a blessed soul.
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Om Sai Ram...
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