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"How Baba protected Dapthdar" is the 37th Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates how Saroj Dapthdar developed faith in Baba from a very young age, when she chanted His name while walking to school. Saroj experienced many challenges in her life, and through each of those, she developed a bond with Baba, who helped her whenever she called out to Him.
When her husband had severe chest pain, and the doctor couldn't come home to check him, Saroj applied Baba's Udi on his body and chanted Baba's name, and the severity of the pain reduced, although he was experiencing a heart attack. Baba continued to show His presence in Saroj's life and protected her husband from death, delaying it by another 13 years.
This Leela shows that Baba is all-knowing and is the Nath- the Real Protector of all His children.
Transcript
The seed of faith, however small it may be in the beginning, yields a huge luscious tree in the future. Saroj Dapthdar learned this from her experiences at a tender age, and this is how it came about.
In 1940, when she was 9 years old, she resided in a building in Dadar. Every morning around 6 a.m., she had to go alone to her school in Mahim. Saroj says, “As I walked in the alley alone, the street dogs would bark loudly at me. Then the pack of dogs would follow me till I reached the main road. At that age, I felt that a pride of lions was after me, so in desperation I started saying, ‘Sainath, Sainath’. At that time, I realised that if I chanted Baba’s name, my troubles would flee. After all, ‘nath’ literally means ‘Lord, protector and refuge.’ During the course of my life, I had to face many trials and tribulations, but whenever I called out to Sainath, He came to my aid.
In 1962, I lived in a chawl in Goregaon. My husband worked as a clerk in a government office. I had three children, all below the age of eleven. I could hardly make ends meet, but I was content with my lot. One night around 2 a.m., my husband got severe chest pain and he was drenched in perspiration. I awoke my neighbour and requested her to get a doctor. But the doctor didn’t turn up. I thought that maybe he had abdominal gas and colic, so I gave him some baking powder with a little water. Then I applied a balm on his chest. I gave him some Udi mixed in water, and applied it to his entire body. All the while, I was continuously chanting Baba’s name. Around 5 a.m., the severity of the pain lessened and finally he fell asleep. The next morning, a neighbour was passing by on his way to work, and I stopped him and asked for help. He suspected some serious problem and immediately rushed me and my husband to the hospital. In GT Hospital, my husband was diagnosed to have had a heart attack and was admitted. He stayed in the hospital for 2 months and was treated there.
Finally, he got discharged; so along with my sister and brother-in-law, we went to bring him home. When the ward boy was wheeling him out to the waiting car, a couple stopped me and gave me some Prasad from Shirdi. In my heart, I felt that this was a good omen.
Prior to leaving for the hospital, after locking my house I had left the key with my neighbour. I was in for another surprise, as upon opening the door, I was astounded to see an idol of Baba seated on the table, as if He was waiting for me. Now how did this idol come there? Who could have kept it inside my house? After making a few inquiries, I learned that there was a person in my building who sold idols of Baba. For some reason, on that day he brought that idol and left it on my window sill; my neighbour saw it and placed the idol on my table.
My husband was asked to take rest, so he lay on the bed and listened to the speeches given at that time by Jawaharlal Nehru. Early that morning at 4 a.m., he started shouting in his sleep. Like a man possessed, he made frantic actions with his hands, and yelled in frenzy. I shook him and asked him what had happened. He told me not to worry, and that he had a nightmare. After some time, he fell asleep.
The next morning I asked him about the dream. Vividly, he described his dream, “Yesterday two huge hideous looking black men with bloodshot eyes caught hold of me. This occurred near the gate of the Goregaon cemetery. Then they kicked and beat me mercilessly. I asked them what I had done and why were they beating me? At that moment, a man resembling Nehru wearing a white shirt and white pants, came to my rescue. He said, “Arre, why are you beating this poor man? If his family hears about it, they will severely punish you.” Hearing this, those satanic looking men fled, and at that moment you woke me up.” I pacified him saying, “Yesterday you heard Nehru give his speech and so you had this dream.”
Around 4 p.m. that day, my elder sister Vimlatai came to meet my husband, and enquire about his health. We had a pleasant time chatting over a cup of tea, and I told her about my husband’s dream. Vimlatai is also devoted to Baba, so she said, “Saroj, don’t worry so much; after all Baba sent His Prasad through that couple. I am sure nothing untoward will happen to him.”
At that time, a person from my husband’s office named Joshi came to our house. This gentleman was an ardent devotee of Lord Dattatreya, and he visited the Datta temple atop the Girnar Mountain every year without fail. He was a renowned astrologer, but was quite eccentric by nature, as he hardly spoke to anyone. So I wondered how he came to visit us. Nevertheless, I invited him in. As soon as he sat down, he turned to my husband and said, “Arre Dapthdar, don’t say a word, first tell me, who is devoted to Lord Datta in your home?” My husband said, “Lord Datta? My wife is devoted to Sai Baba of Shirdi.”
Then Joshi said, “Ah, that is why your sudden death was prevented last night. So I came after searching all over for your house to tell you this.” I asked him to explain why he said this. Joshi replied, “Last night at 4 a.m., I dreamt that I was climbing the Girnar Mountain with both my young sons. There, near the entrance gate, I saw two people beating up some man. So leaving my sons there, I went ahead to see what this was all about. There I found two men beating your husband mercilessly. At that very moment, a Brahmin appeared there and said, ‘Arre, why are you beating this poor man? If Lord Datta finds out about this, He will severely punish you and you will regret it forever.’ Hearing this, those two fled from there.”
I was stunned that the same night, at precisely the same time, two different people from different places had the same dream. However, I thanked Baba for saving my husband and giving him a second chance at life. Thus my husband lived for thirteen more years, and passed away in his sleep. With Baba’s grace, my children have grown up and are settled in life. I lead a comfortable life and my entire day is spent with Baba, who came home in the form of an idol.
This Leela is taken from Sai Prasad Magazine, Ram Navami issue, 1994
A special podcast series by Dr. Vinny Chitluri which is on Baba's leelas and life history.