Shirdi Sai Baba was a famous saint who lived in Shirdi and is popularly worshipped by Hindus and Muslims across India. He lived a simple life and taught his devotees the twin concepts of Faith (shraddha) and Patience (saburi). According to Him, a true devotee who lived his life by these tenets would never face any insurmountable sorrow or difficulties. Sai Baba was known for the miracles he performed; both while he was alive and when he had passed away. He always told his devotees that even after he no longer inhabited a physical form, his blessings and presence would be with his devotees for all time to come. One such example is given below.
There was once a two-year old boy, Aarav. He was very fond of running around everywhere. His parents would laugh and say that he had wheels on his feet. One day, suddenly, Aarav fell sick and couldn’t walk. He had lost all sensation and movement in his legs and feet. He needed to be hospitalised. It was discovered that Aarav had a post-Covid spinal clot that had caused the partial paralysis waist downwards. He needed to have urgent spine surgery. The surgery went well but due to some complications, his lungs collapsed and he needed to be put on the ventilator.
The situation was serious and Aarav’s doctors had no answers. They did all possible tests and investigations but they couldn’t understand what was making the little boy so sick. Aarav’s mother was a staunch devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba. When medicine and science failed to give answers, she turned to prayer. She would sit by Aarav’s bedside for hours, chanting and praying to Sai Baba. There came one moment when Aarav became critical. The doctors told his parents to be prepared for the worst. Aarav’s mother held his tiny hand, closed her eyes and meditated upon Sai Baba. She knew that there is nothing that was impossible with absolute faith. For hours she sat and prayed, almost in a trance. And a miracle happened. Aarav started getting better. His statistics improved, he was taken off the ventilator and within 10 days he was able to return home.
Aarav’s mother’s faith was further enforced because the day Aarav was taken off the ventilator was a Thursday-Sai Baba’s Day. Similarly, the day Aarav was discharged from the hospital was also a Thursday. Aarav’s mother took these things to be a sign from Sai Baba to hold onto her faith and continue praying to Him.
Faith is one of the most powerful weapons given to us by Sai Baba, to deal with obstacles that life throws us. There are many occasions when we find ourselves wavering and our faith getting tested. Sai Baba said that a devotee who held firm to his faith in a higher power was the one who managed to sail across the stormy seas of existence. The above story shows how, when all else failed, it was true faith that helped Aarav recover.