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'How Baba Protected Ambakar' is the 44th story in this series.
'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba.
Transcript
A.G. Ambakar, a resident of Dombivali, Mumbai, is devoted to Baba. He strongly feels that this Universe cannot function without Baba’s grace. That you are able to breathe is due to His benevolence. Each breath that you take is because of Him. Yet we are filled with false arrogance. When we are unable to fully know ourselves, then how can we comprehend the greatness of Baba? Just hand over your life to Baba and then you will realise what He will do for you.
On Bhau Beej (two days after Deepavali) in 1995, terrorists had planted a bomb in one of the bogies of the Mumbai-Ambarnath train that exploded at Kalyan Station. On that day, Ambakar was working the night shift at the S.T. Depot (State Transportation Department) which was close to the railway station. That night around 11p.m., his friend and colleague suggested that they go out and have a meal. Thus, they went to a restaurant, and Baba saved them from injury and death. They had hardly started their meal when they heard the loud, earth shattering sound of the explosion. Shortly after that, they heard the sirens of the police vans and the fire brigade. It was then that Ambakar realised that there was an explosion in the Ambarnath train.
The impact of the explosion had not spared the building where he worked, although it was quite some distance away. The glass panes of the windows were shattered and there was debris all around. But by Baba’s grace, no one was hurt in his building. Upon completing his night shift, while returning home, he saw the devastation caused by the explosion. The bogie was a mangled mass of soot-covered steel.
The next evening, he was apprehensive of travelling by train. Ambakar’s mind was in turmoil as he had seen the devastation caused by the explosion. Nevertheless, he lit an incense stick in front of Baba, applied Udi to his forehead and set out. On the way, Ambakar decided that he would board the train to Kalyan and avoid the Ambarnath train. He reached the Dombivali station and the Kalyan train arrived, but he was still a bit frightened. He finally boarded the train and it so happened that the bogie was empty. Ambakar looked around and on the rack opposite him, he saw bundles that were tied in a cotton sheet. His heart skipped a beat as he thought, “If those two bundles are filled with explosives, I won’t reach Kalyan as I will be blown to smithereens.” So he decided to go to the rear end of the bogie.
At that very moment, he heard Baba’s voice loud and clear, “Arre vedya, marnala bheetos. Wah re! Kuthe bhe gelyas tari, theye yenarach! Tithes ubhe raha.” Roughly translated, it means: “Oh, you fool, you are afraid of death. No matter where you go, death will definitely come. Just stay where you are.”
Hearing Baba say this, Ambakar was overwhelmed. He thought of how much concern Baba had for him, and his mind lost its fear. Ambakar said to himself, “Fool, death is waiting behind your back. Death is inevitable no matter where you are. But Baba is in front of you, so chant His name. Baba will help you cross this ocean of material life and will give you the strength to walk on the path to salvation.”
In chapter 27 of the Shri Sai Satcharitra, Baba himself extols the power and significance of chanting his name (Naam Jap) and it is given below as He said it to Shama:
“Naam can smash mountains of sins. Naam can sever the bondage of the physical body. Naam can eradicate and destroy millions of evil passions. Chanting the Naam can break the neck of death itself; it avoids the pull of the birth-death cycle. Naam, when chanted with conscious effort, is excellent. Chanted without conscious effort is not bad either. Even if it comes to the lips unexpectedly, it will reveal its power. There is no other means easier than the Naam to purify the heart. It is the adornment of the tongue. Naam nourishes the spiritual life.”
This Leela was taken from the Shri Sai Sagar magazine, Ramnavami edition, March–April 2000.
A special podcast series by Dr. Vinny Chitluri which is on Baba's leelas and life history.