How Baba alleviated Fear of Death
Ganesh Govind Narke or Prof. G. G. Narke was a staunch devotee of Sai Nath. He studied M.A. in 1905 and was trained by Geological Survey department as a scholar between 1907-09 while he was at Calcutta. In 1909 He was sent as a State Scholar from Govt. of India to Manchester, UK where he secured M.Sc. in Geology and Mining in 1912 and returned to India. He was the son-in-law of Bapusaheb Booty, an ardent devotee of Baba. Narke went to Shirdi for the first time in April 1913. When Shama took Narke and introduced him to Baba, He replied, “You introduce him to me! I have known him for thirty generations“. Once at Arati time, Narke observed that Baba was angry and fumed and was cursing everyone without any apparent reason. So Narke doubted whether Baba was a mad man. On the same day in the afternoon, when Narke was massaging Baba’s legs, Baba gently stroked Narke’s head and said, “I am not mad”. After few such experiences, Narke was convinced about the supernatural powers of Baba and started serving him.
Narrating how Baba completely destroyed his fear of death, Narke states: “In the year 1916, Shirdi was under the grip of severe plague epidemic and was creating a havoc. Everyone was gripped with fear of death and so was Prof.Narke. He was debating in his mind whether it would be wise to stay in Shirdi. It could be fatal, he thought. Baba called Narke and gave him some money and asked to get sweetmeat from Rangarao’s shop for ‘Naivedya’. When Narke reached the shop he found that the shutter of the shop was half closed as Rangarao, the vendor was dead and his body was lying on the floor. Rangrao’s wife Sitabai was crying near her husband’s corpse. Narke was in a dilemma. He didn’t want to disobey Baba’s orders and at the same time didn’t want to appear insensitive. Narke, being highly qualified with high analytical thinking, thought that there must be some special reason in Baba’s sending him to Rangarao’s shop. He picked up courage and asked Rangrao’s wife for the sweetmeat. She pointed to the cupboard and said, “You yourself take sweetmeat from the cupboard” . Narke took the sweetmeat and left the money aside. He returned to the masjid and placed the sweets near Baba’s Holy Feet. Baba distributed the sweetmeat among the devotees present in the masjid. Then Baba said to Narke:
Do you think that by living in Shirdi you will die and if you leave Shirdi you will be saved? This is your delusion. Whosoever is destined to be struck, will be struck. Whosoever is to die will die. Whosoever is to be caressed will be caressed. This masjid will save the one whose death has not come and the one whose death is definite, will die.
Summarizing his experiences and observations Prof.Narke says: “Remarks made by Baba in public would be treated as meaningless ranting by those who did not know him. Baba’s language was highly cryptic, full of symbology, parable, allegory and metaphor. Literal interpretations of those would appear that Baba was a worldly man. He who judged Baba by his outward demeanor alone would be greatly mistaken in his estimate.”
Baba adapated himself to the capacity of the person who resorted to him for help and protection. Most of them were seeking some material gain or advantage; and to them he did not reveal his inner nature. But when anyone capable of diving deeper approached him he revealed more of himself and his innate powers.
“Everything he did or said was full of significance. To one deeply observing him, the startling facts came out in larger prominence that Baba was living and operating in other worlds also, besides this world and in an invisible body.”
Source: Life of Sai Baba by B. V. Narasimha Swami (Vol. 3)