Baba’s Pocket

Baba’s pocket was rather small; it could hold about two hundred to three hundred rupees as coins. Yet Baba took out five hundred to one thousand rupees from His pocket. It was Kuber’s treasury. As a rule Baba did not keep money in His hand. Nor did he accept rupee bills, if a devotee wished to give dakshina and it was in the form of bills He asked him to change it or did so Himself. Whatever dakshina He got, He put in His pocket. He would time and again put His hand in His pocket and take out the exact amount mentioned. Daily He distributed about two hundred to three hundred rupees, and did not stop it till His Mahasamadhi.
He gave Bade Baba fifty-five rupees everyday. The villagers got envious, and asked Bade Baba to build a vess (gate) with the money. He refused, so they drove him away to Neemgaon. Baba would go to Lendi Baugh to give him money. This bothered the villagers as Baba had to go to Lendi Baugh and wait there for the Bade Baba.
So they called Bade Baba back, but he spent his money indiscriminately. He also had to pay tax on the income. Two months after Baba’s Mahasamadhi he was begging for a living. Baba often said, “Ha Saicha paisa hey, Thayacha sadd upyog kaara. Naahi thar tumcha sansar rakh rangoli hoyael” [Roughly Translated – “This is Sai’s money use it discriminatively or your life will be reduced to ashes and dust.”] Baba looked at money or Aishwarya (wealth) as a hindrance. Though, He felt it was a necessity, and ought to be used wisely.
In those days the coins were made of silver, and no other alloy was mixed with it. Being pure silver it would retain heat. Thus, when the devotee gave dakshina, the heat from his hands, or himself would be transferred to Baba’s hands, Hence, Baba would take upon Himself the karmic Prarabdha of that person. Baba did not accept money in the form of bills, as paper would burn easily but not silver.
He had a small cloth pouch in which he kept some coins. He tied the pouch tightly so that the coins would not jingle. Then He put the pouch in His pocket. After the noon meal was over, and the devotees had gone home, Baba would take out the pouch, and take out the coin. Then He would rub each coin, saying, “Hey Kaka Cha, Hey Nana Cha”. If anyone entered the Sanctum Sanctorum at that time He hid the pouch. Baba had rubbed the coins so much that
the impressions on them had faded. Thus Baba rubbed off their bad karmas.
The bhaktas that were given ‘the pocket by Baba, were stunned by the outcome. Tatya Kote had no children though he had two wives, after receiving the pockets. He had three sons. In the afternoon when all the devotees had gone home Baba would stitch the torn pocket.

Such was Baba’s Leelas.

(Extract from the Book 'Baba’s Rinanubandh' by Vinny Chitluri published by Sterling Publishers).