MEETING WITH SRI M.B. REGE

Sai’s Ankita Child!

In January 1968, I had the rare chance of accompanying the pilgrimage party organised by All India Sai Samaj, which was bound for Shirdi, en-route, I had the good luck and unique experience of visiting Bhadrachalam, Mantralayam and Pandarpur.

At Shirdi, my meeting with Sri M.B. Rege of Indore was memorable. He was an amiable, kind hearted, soft spoken gentleman who was then though eighty plus, beamed with the enthusiasm of a youth, while narrating his memories of his Master and Mentor, Sri Sadguru Maharaj. He was one of the chosen few who sat at the feet of the Saint of Shirdi and bathed in His Divine Grace and drank the ‘amrit’ of His benign blessings in plenty.

I had two sessions of intimate and fruitful talks with him during which I imbibed his inspiration born out of his experiences with the holy presence of Sri Sainath, which enabled me to have a glimpse of the ineffable range and depth of the Sidda Purusha’s Life and Mission.

The words which flowed from the pure and sincere heart of Sri Rege, had such a magical potency and power of Sathya that I almost had Baba’s darshan for a fleeting second and invoking His blessings, could present a convincing and cogent pen picture of the Great Master, in my serial entitled ‘Aalaya Darisanam’ which I subsequently wrote in Ananta Vikatan week after week. Sri Rege’s immense capacity to recall the many incidents in vivid details, and narrate them with an undercurrent of emotional involvement, and spiritual commitment, completely surrendering his ego at the feet of the Master, influenced me deeply and as though transformed to those enviable days, I could record with unmistakable authenticity, Sri Baba’s daily routine, His endearing mannerisms, the soothing manner of His comments, the sweetness of His words, the charm of His smile, and the grace of His eyes.

What all I read about Sri Baba, what all I saw and heard at Shirdi, were enriched by my personal conversations with this staunch and uncompromising Sai devotee. But certain doubts still lingered and certain gaps remained unfilled in my mind and I took the liberty of writing to Sri M.B. Rege after I returned to Madras, filling them with numerous queries. Inspite of his age, failing health, family mishaps, and domestic preoccupations he was kind and patient enough to reply to me in great detail, because he must have been convinced that I am very anxious to be authentic and factual as far as possible, in my writings.

In his letters Sri Rege opened the windows of his mind and heart, sometimes also anticipating my unexpressed doubts. In a later meeting between us in Madras, he mentioned that some unseen power was compelling him to confide everything to me -–even incidents and feelings that were locked up in his mind all these years. He was convinced that it was the Will of his Master that they must see the light of day and get recorded in black and white through me.

Such a conviction of his was very much in evidence while he revealed to me certain incidents hitherto unknown in the life of Radhakrishna Ayee who, according to Sri Rege, was the very embodiment of ‘Madhura Bakthi’ of the Gopis and whom Baba referred to as His Mother.

I am happy I have been given this opportunity by the Sai Samaj organisers to acknowledge with gratitude the great help rendered by Sri Rege in my humble contribution to Sai literature. It is my great pleasure and privilege to publish two valuable letters out of four or five written to me by Sri Rege for the benefit and enlightenment of Sai devotees and also for serving as authentic record for future Sai biographers and research scholars.

BHARANIDHARAN

(SRIDHAR)

Chennai-600 017.