ShirdiSaiBaba

All this pomp Baba despised. Abundance of wealth also could never captivate him but he could use it without being tainted^. It served a purpose, namely, the widening of Baba worship, which had a great purpose behind it. That is why Baba allowed all this to develop his worship.

Accumulation of wealth and a royal durbar at Baba’s Dwarakamayee was misunderstood by some; it is necessary to stress and clarify that Baba was a Saint and continued to be a Divine Sadgurau carrying on the noble work referred to already.

Baba had no attachment and so could handle wealth and helped the poor without using a single paisa for his personal benefit. He was a perfectly realized soul in the perfect laya. For such a person, danger of attachment does not arise. Baba told the Sadhu Devadas that fakirs and hermits must avoid Moha and pomp. But in Baba’s case, at the latter end of his life, pomp was thrust upon him and had a useful purpose to serve. Till then Baba avoided pomp. He would not even sit on a chair or lie on a cot, but sat and slept upon a sack or gunny mattress placed on the floor. He would not put on his head the crown or regal dress when the devotees wanting him to look like a Maharaja. Nor would he accept or allow other royal insignia. When a silver-plated palanquin was brought to him with its small silver horses as appurtenances, he refused to receive it. The devotees then said that he need not sit in it, but his picture would be placed in it, and that it will be used for procession. Even then he would not allow the palanquin into the Dwarakamayee, and so they had to leave the palanquin in the open yard in front of his Mosque.