The All-Pervading Savior
Mrs. Tarabai Sadasiva Tarkhad of Poona, was a devotee of Baba, who came to know about him through her brother-in-law Sri. R. Tarkhad of Bombay. Mr. Tarkhad had visited Shirdi and had a very high regard for Baba’s power and personality. When Mrs. Tarkhad heard about Baba’s leelas, naturally she became curious about him. During that period her fifteen months old daughter suddenly fell ill. Mrs. Tarkhad was perplexed. Remembering Baba’s fame, she thought, “If Baba is the wonderful Saint that my brother-in-law stated he is, then he should make the child recover, and if he makes the child recover, my whole family with the child will visit Shirdi and pay obeisance to Baba”. Shortly after she took the vow, the child did recover, and her entire family visited Shirdi. On her first contact with Baba, she found the most prominent feature about Baba was his eyes. She has described her experience as below:
There was such power and penetration in the glance that none could continue to look at his eyes. One felt that Sai Baba was reading him or her through and through. Soon one lowered one’s eyes and bowed down. One felt that he was not only in one’s heart but in every atom of one’s body. A few words, a gesture would reveal to one that Sai Baba knew all about the past and the present and even the future and everything else. There was nothing else to do for one, except to submit trustfully and to surrender oneself to him. And there He was to look after every minute detail and guide one safely through every turn and every vicissitude of life. He was the Antaryami – call him God or Satpurusha In Sahajasthithi or whatever you like. But the overpowering personality was there, and, in his presence no doubts, no fears, no questionings had any place and one resigned oneself and found that He was the only path, the safest and the best path.
From her first contact, she experienced Baba’s power, his All-knowing and All-pervasive personality, his protecting care shielding her wherever she went. Shirdi was notorious for being infested with snakes. When Mrs.Tarkhad first visited Shirdi there was no street lights. During one night She was crossing a street when it suddenly occurred to her that she should stop. There was no sight, no sound, no visible object which made her stop. But somehow she felt she must and in a very short time, a light was brought. Then she found that if she had taken a single step, she would have stepped over a serpent quietly lying on the ground. What made her stop, and how the light came, were never explained to her. It was all Baba’s grace, his protection and his ever watchful eye over his children. She says that, like this, ‘Baba saved her life again and again on several occasion, both before and after his Mahasamadhi.
On another instance, their servant was suffering from pain in the waist. As there was no hospital at Shirdi, Her husband went to Baba to seek his help. At once Baba said, ‘My whole leg is having severe pain’. Someone suggested, ‘Why not do something to relieve the pain.’ ‘Yes’ said Baba ‘if green leaves are heated and applied over it, the pain will go away.’ ‘What leaves, Baba?’ someone asked. Baba said, ‘ The green leaves near Lendi.’ ‘Is it korphad (Aloe Vera)?’ somebody asked, ‘Yes’ said Baba, and added, if the leave is split into two, warmed over the fire and applied, it will reduce the pain. Her husband knew at once that it was Baba’s prescription for their servant and he took few korphad (Aloe Vera) leaves, warmed it over the fire, and applied to his servant’s waist. He was cured.
Sometime in 1915, Mrs. Tarkhad had a splitting neuralgic headache for over one month. A number of remedies were tried in vain. She felt she must die, and that would be the relief she thought. Later, she thought, “Why not visit Shirdi and and breathe her last (breath) at Baba’s feet? That would be a privilege.” With these thoughts she began her journey with her husband and arrived at Kopergaon from Panchgani where they went to spend the summer. They had to cross river Godavari at Kopergoan. Then it struck her, ‘Anyway I am going to die soon. So, why not earn the Punya (merit) of bath in Godavari before death?’ So, without much consideration of the consequence, she took a bath in the cold waters of Godavari. Normally such action would intensify headache and accelerate death. But on this occasion, when she came out of the water, the neuralgic headache ceased and thereafter ceased for ever. This is surely the invisible hands of Sai Nath.
Source: Life of Sai Baba by Shri Narasimha Swami ji