Guru is God

What are the qualification of a shishya? It is said in the scriptures that upadesa or instruction should not be given to the
1) The Covetus
2) The Mislery
3 The Fickle-Minded.
4) A person without devotion fo faith
5) One who does not care to render service to guru.
There are incidents in Baba's life to show how he adopted disciples. On one ocassion a rich man with Rs.250 in his pocket had heard that Baba could impart Brahmajana to any one he chose and would not demand payment for the upadesa. He engaged a carriage from the railway station to shirdi and back. On arrival at shirdi he told the carriage driver he would be back in few hours and went into the mosque and saw Baba . He told Baba he had come for Brahmajana and wanted it immediately as though it was a parcel to be handed over across a counter in a shop. Baba told him he understood his need and asked a boy who was near him to get a loan of Rs. 5 from a moneylender on his behalf. The boy returned after a few minutes saying that the moneylender was not to be found. The boy was again sent with a similar demand to some other moneylenders and he came back with the same reply - not to be found. In this way half an hour had elapsed and the rich visitor was getting impatient and afraid that the carriage driver would not demand for the delay. He thought of lending the money Baba wanted but was not sure if it could be recovered and so he gave up that idea. He then asked Baba why he was delaying giving him UPadesa. Baba asked him :'' Have you understood nothing? I have been all the while trying to impress you with Brahmajana.You see, i want five things surrendered to me. The five are manas (mind) buddhi( reason), ahankar (ego), chitta (thought) and will. unless a man thoroughly surrenders himself and is free from the love of money and love of worldly things he cannot attain Brahmajnana. When the dawn comes there will be light and not earlier. The visitor then realised that Baba had read his mind and that he was to avaricious ever to get Brahmajnana.
For Baba , two things necessary for a good shishya were " Nishta" (faith) and "Saburi "(patience). Baba said his guru asked him for dakshina of two paise and when he gave the coin to him he was satisfied. Explaining nishta Baba said no progress could be made by any shishya who had no faith in his guru or in the scriptures, vedic mantras, etc. No guru would accept a sishya eho lacked the proper attitude and spirit and betrayed lack of faith. Unless a man had the necessary humility he could not approach the guru. A guru had to test a newcomer to make sure that he had or would soon have sufficient humility and respectivity. If one did not have sufficient faith in his guru he would not accept the guru said. It has been said that mantras do not bear fruit unless the one who chants them has faith in him.

Harishchandra Pitale's son

Pitale was a resident of Bombay . His son was suffering from fits. He was given all types of medicines without any relief. After hearing the Hari Katha of Baba remembered by Das Ganu, he came to shirdi in 1910 with his son. He visited Baba in the Mosque and prostrated before him. He put his son near Baba's feet. Baba looked for sometime with concentration at the boy. The boy lost consciousness and fell on the floor. Foam began to come out of his mouth and he perspired profusely, with the temperature of the body going below normal. On seeing the condition of the boy, the parents were very much worried. The boy's mother started weeping . Then Baba told her not to weep but to take the boy to the room and he would be all right in half an hour. After taking the boy to the Wada the boy regained consciousness, from that day onwards the boy did not get fits. While leaving shirdi, pitale went to see Baba who told him " Brother, I had given you two rupees on a previous ocassion and now I am giving you three rupees. Keep them in your puja room and worship them. " since pitale had come to shirdi for the first time, he could not understand how Baba could have given him two rupees earlier. After he reached home, whne he narrated this to his old mother, she told him that in the same manner as he had taken his son to shirdi , His( Pitale's ) father had taken him to akalkot Mahraj. He had given him two rupees and asked him to keep them in the puja room and worship them. His father had worshipped them till his death and the worship had stopped after that. from this story it is clear that sai Baba was Akalkot Maharaj.

Mahlsapathy

Baba protected Mahlsapathy in many ways and always kept a watch on his life and doings. He warned him even of small trifling things in time to save him from harm. Shirdi was infested with snakes and one vening as mahlsapathy was leaving the mosque Baba told him he was likely to meet two " thieves" on the way. Mahlsapathy indeed found one snake at his doorstep and the other at the neigbour's house. On another day Baba told him: " When you return come with a lamp for you will find a thief at the gate . Mahlsapathy who came with lamp found a snake as foretold by Baba and it was killed with the help of neighbours. On eday Baba warned him: " Don't put your back against the earth." Ignoring the advice Mahlsapathy who had too much drink slumped to the ground losing consciousness. His back was on the ground. When he became conscious Mahlsapathy found he could not bend his legs and his daughter had to massage his knees and legs.Thereafter he was able to walk and when he met Baba he asked him: " Did I not tell you not to put your back against the earth? " Once mahlsapathy 's wife and children fell ill and othere relatives also followed suit. Baba said to Mahlsapathy : " Let the sick people keep to bed." And walking round the mosque with a short stick in hand Baba waved it and threatened someone. " Come, whatever your power may be, let us ee. I shall show you what I can do with my chota stick if you come out and face me. " He warned some unknownobject. It was Baba's way of treating a disease. Meanwhile a doctor gave medicines to Mahlsapathy to be given to his family members who were ill. Mahlsapathy consulted Baba who asked him not to give the medicine. As a result all the members of the family got well without the medicines.

Government official

A Government official in Delhi and his wife had purchased tickets to and from to shirdi. When they alighted at kopargaon they went to the station master for reservation of berths for the return journey. The station master said the position was difficult and asked them to complete the visit and come back and he would see what could be done. While returning to kopargaon afetr visiting shirdi the husband lost his purse in which he had kept the tickets while travelling in the bus. He reported the matter to the station master and requested him to give duplicate tickets and reservation . The station master regretted his inabilityto do as the rules did not permit it. But seeing their plight he offered to purchase the tickets for them spending from his own pocket and they could repay him after returning to delhi. How ever the couple manage to recollect enough money for the fare on their own and reached delhi safely. The official wrote a letter to the railway authorities describing the loss of the tickets on the return journey and his purchase of new ones. He asked for the refund journey since the tickets had not been produced. This was in july. To his great astonishment five months later he received a letter from the railway authorities stating that after examining the case they had decided to give him a refund as claimed by him. curiously enough there was no refernce in the letter to their previous rejection of his request. Baba's lilas are truly strange and unpredictable.