A very important aspect of discipline is keeping one's plighted word. The importance of this is illustrated by an incident in the life on Shirdi Baba. There was a sheristadhaar by name Tharkad. His wife and 16-year-old son were ardent devotees of Shirdi Baba. Tharkad did not object to their worship of Baba. One day when they wanted to go to Shirdi, he gave them his consent. But Tharkad himself did not go to any shrine as he was a Brahmo Samajist. He did not go to Shirdi despite many appeals from his wife.
Tharkad's son told his father that he would not go to Shirdi because he was performing regular worship to Shirdi Baba in their house. This worship would be affected if he went to Shirdi. The lad told his father that every day he was making an offering of sugar candy to Baba and he was partaking part of the candy as prasaadh (blessed offering) out of the conviction that Baba was receiving the candy. He declared: "I do not want any break in this practice. Hence I do not want to go to Shirdi." The father had great affection for the son. He told the son: "Babu, I shall perform that duty. You better go to Shirdi." The boy wanted an assurance from the father that he would carry out the promise. "Will you offer worship to Baba as I have been doing? Will you offer candy to him and later eat part of it as prasaadh?" The father was moved by his son's determination and gave him the promise to carry on the worship during his absence. The mother and son left for Shirdi. The father kept the word given to his son and performed the worship in the manner of the son for a few days. Offering candy to Baba, he took a part of it after the worship before taking his meal. On a Thursday, Tharkad had some urgent business in the court and left the house in a hurry after performing Pooja. Returning for his meal, he asked the cook to bring the prasaadh. The cook informed him that he had not offered any offering of candy that day. Tharkad felt very sad over his lapse in failing to keep the promise he had given to his son. He was sorry that he had failed to make the offering to Baba. At Shirdi, when the mother and son went to see Baba on the following Friday, Baba told the son:"Babu, yesterday I had been to Bangra, but no one gave me any food. Even the candy which you used to offer daily was not available. I have come back very hungry. Will you give me something to eat?" The boy was shocked on listening to Baba's words. He returned home and wept over his mother's lap. "Father gave me a promise, but he has not kept it and Baba was disappointed. I cannot stay here any longer. I must adhere to my daily routine. I shall go back to our place." At that time, Baba sent a chit to the boy through one dog. In his message, Baba said: "There is no need for you to go now. Your father failed to keep his word, but you have not failed in your duty. You have all my Grace. You can stay here as long as you wish." The boy stayed on for a few more days feeling very depressed and frustrated. When the boy returned home, the father rushed towards him and begged his pardon. He said, "You. are young and I am old. But I am seeking your pardon because I failed to keep my promise." The boy said: "You must seek pardon not from me but from Baba. Whatever the Samaaj (society) to which you may belong, whatever your beliefs, the promised word must be kept. Truth is one. You must adhere to truth. This is your duty as a lawyer. You have studied the law. You know very well how Emperor Manu upheld Dharma. If you do not adhere to Truth, you are violating the law." If discipline is observed in this manner, one can experience the Divine directly. - taken from Swami's Discourse in Sai Kulwant Hall on 19-6-1996. Sai Ram
