Shama, observing that Baba accepted Dakshina from one friend but refused it from another, directly challenged him. As described in Chapter 36, Shama asked, "Baba, why do you do this? ... Why is there such partiality with saints?" He couldn't understand the logic. In response, Baba told two stories. First, he revealed the story of the devotee's debt, explaining the man had vowed his first fifteen-rupee salary to God and forgotten. Baba was merely collecting this old debt. Second, he told a personal story of being robbed of thirty thousand rupees by a Brahmin host. He explained how he recovered the money only after following the advice of a Fakir, which involved surrendering to another saint and renouncing his favorite food. These stories illustrated the inescapable nature of debts and the spiritual means to resolve them.
According to the Satcharitra, how did Shama challenge Sai Baba's actions, and what two stories did Baba use in his response?
📖 Chapter 36