Translator: Rachel Toren and Shani Evenstain

Indeed, Sai Baba grew to be exactly that, and became a great Yoga master. One night, he was talking with one of his female disciple. With heart-warming, moving words he told her about his own master, guru Vankusha - "I had a teacher who was a holly compassionate man. I have served him for a long time. And even though he did not whisper any mantra in my ears, I still had the urge to stay with him forever, to serve him under any circumstances and to get his guidance. I have stayed with my master for twelve years. No beautiful clothes or special food were there, but the master was all love, he was the embodiment of love. How can I even describe him? When I was looking at him it looked as if he was in a deep meditation and both of us would have the feeling of divine bliss all over us. I used to look at him day and night with not even one thought of hunger or thirst in my mind. When I was not close to him I would feel restless. He was the only object for my meditations, and there was nothing else my heart would turn to. He had never rejected me, and was my constant guardian. Sometimes I would live close to him, sometimes I would live far, but I have always felt his presence and never felt lack of his love”.
Since Sai Baba was guru Vankusha’s favorite disciple, the other disciples were quite jealous of him. One day, when his master sent him to the forest to collect certain leaves, his fellow disciples attacked him. After that incident, guru Vankusha advised him to leave the ashram, and while sending him with warm blessing, he guided him to the river Gudhavari. After a few days he had arrived to Shirdi. An old woman of Shirdi, who saw the sixteen year old boy, described him - "I saw a young, handsome and smart boy who was first seen under the Nim tree sitting on his asana. The villagers were surprised to see such a young man doing such a hard spiritual work, ignoring hot and cold weather. During the days he would not make friends with anybody, and during the nights he would fear nothing. He looked young by appearance, but by his deeds there was no doubt a great soul was dwelling in him. He was the embodiment of self-control and was a mystery to all…”
He had disappeared after a few months and wandered from one place to another. After four years he came back to Shirdi, appearing one morning at the local temple. Priest Melhapathi had welcome him with the words ‘Ya Sai’ (come Sai), and since than he was known by the name Sai Baba of Shirdi. He made Shirdi his permanent dwelling place and never moved more than five miles away from it.
 
The curious villagers had gradually offered food to the man who had never asked them for anything. Occasionally he had shared his food with animals. Sai Baba had soon started to express his spiritual view while talking to the old villagers. His simple clear language which was understandable to all and his great ability to solve problems for the poor and needy turned him from an unknown man to the famous Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi. People came to know that he was an extraordinary man with an enormous supernatural ability. Sai Baba had spread among all his disciples the principles of love and belief in mankind. He always felt sorry for those how came to him in order to solve their own personal problems and not in order to reach the final goal – unity with God, which, he believed, could be attained only by true service to humanity.

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