Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar would frequently travel to different cities in Maharashtra, including Kolhapur. While in Kolhapur, he often stayed with one of his disciples, Shri Bhaskar Pandurang Deshpande, who Baba affectionately called, Anna.
Mr. Deshpande himself was a lawyer in Kolhapur who had long suffered from a chronic gastrointestinal illness, which flared up at least a few times a month. The impact was compounded because he constantly needed to travel for work, and there was no guarantee of having access to clean and safe drinking water and sanitation. Inherently, this meant that his travels also included frequent flare ups.
Once, Anna was lying down downstairs in pain, despite his bedroom being upstairs. When Baba came to Anna’s place in Kolhapur, he noticed this, and realized that he was likely in pain. So, the first thing Baba did was ask about Anna’s health. He then walked up to Anna and said, “Don’t be scared or ashamed.”
Baba ran a hand over his body and then said, “Digestive illnesses can happen to anyone. Don’t worry about it. Today, just eat rice and buttermilk. Don’t eat anything else.”
After this interaction, Baba went upstairs.
Everyone ate their dinner. Then around 4pm, Baba got diarrhea, enduring it for the next 24 hours. But, after those 24 hours, not only did Baba get better, but Anna never had another gastrointestinal flare up ever again for the rest of his life. Isn’t it astounding that someone who used to have these flare ups at least twice a month, every month so far, never had any more for the rest of his life?
The law of karma states that the fruits of all actions must be borne. As all great saints have expressed, there is no exception to this law. At the same time, on the path of devotion (bhakti), sadgurus are so compassionate and loving that they use their own powers as supreme yogis to take on and suffer the fruits of their disciples' karmas. Although they may not experience the same degree of suffering as we would, at the end of the day, it must be borne by someone.
Hence, there is a responsibility in the use of these powers. Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar says, “Individuals with god-given gifts do have powers, but those powers are only meant to be used for the growth and purification of human souls.”
For their beloved bhaktas, those who dedicate their love to the divine, the gods are willing to do absolutely anything for them, including taking on their suffering.
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