He who feeds the distressed in hunger really serves Me…

Shirdi Sai’s sojourn on Earth was most incomprehensible for the normal ones, His ways being supra-mysterious. Baba, in fact, lived His life teaching His followers at every step, guiding them to higher levels of consciousness, evolution. How Bhagawan sent across the poignant, powerful message of the absolute need to see Madhava in every being? …an interesting story from the illustrious Sai Samartha Satcharita.

One evening, Baba was sitting against the wall, leaning His chest against the banisters, engaged in lovable talk, when Lakshmi arrived there.

Tatya Patil was nearby and there were others also. Lakshmi made her obeisance to Baba, when Baba said to her:

“Lakshmi, I Am hungry.” “Baba, I will go and bring bhakri (a round flat unleavened bread often used in the cuisine, in Maharashtra, India). No sooner than I go that I shall return with it.”

Saying this she left immediately. She baked some bhakris and returned without loss of time, along with some vegetables and chutney, and placed this snack before Baba.

Baba picked up the plate and put it before the dog as it was. “Baba, what have You done?”, Lakshmi asked promptly.

“In spite of my having gone so swiftly and baked the bhakris quickly, You offered them to the dog! What is this novel way of Yours! You said You were hungry. What kind of marvelous hunger is this? You have not even had one small morsel of it! You have unnecessarily troubled me.”

Then Baba said to her: “Why do you fret unnecessarily? Satisfying the same hunger of this dog is the same as giving Me appeasement. Bear this in mind. Isn’t this dog a living creature? All beings experience the same hunger. Though it is dumb and I can speak, is there any difference in the hunger that both experience? “He who feeds those distressed by hunger really serves Me with food. Know this and regard it as an axiomatic truth.”

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II