Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 10

Chapter – 10

Sai Baba’s Mode of Life - His Sleeping Board - His Stay in Shirdi – His Teachings - His Humility - The Easiest Path

Remember Sai Baba always, with love, for He was engrossed in doing good to all and always abided in His Self. To remember Sai Baba only, is to solve the riddle of life and death. This is the best and easiest of sadhanas, as it involves no expenditure. A little exertion brings great rewards. So as long as our senses are sound, we should, minute by minute, practice this sadhana. All other gods are illusory; the satguru is one with God. If we believe in the satguru’s holy feet, He can change our fortune for the better. If we serve Him well, we will get rid of our samsar. We need not study any philosophy, like the Nyaya and the Mimansa. If we make Him our helmsman, we can easily cross the sea of all our pains and sorrows. As we trust the helmsman in crossing rivers and seas, so we have to trust our satguru in crossing the ocean of worldly existence. The satguru looks to the intense feeling and devotion of his devotees and endows them with knowledge and eternal bliss.

The last chapter described Baba’s mendicancy and the devotees’ experiences. This chapter will depict where and how Baba lived, how He slept and how He taught etc.

Baba’s Wonderful Bedstead

Let us first see where and how Baba slept. Mr. Nanasaheb Dengale brought a wooden plank for Sai Baba about 4 cubits in length and only a span in breadth to be used for sleeping. Instead of keeping the plank on the floor and then sleeping on it, Baba tied it like a swing to the rafters of the masjid with old shreds of rags and commenced to sleep upon it. The rags were so thin and worn out, it was astonishing how they could support the weight of the plank itself, let alone the weight of Baba. But somehow, it was Baba’s sheer leela that the worn out rags sustained the plank, as well as the weight of Baba. On the four corners of this plank, Baba lit panatis (earthen lamps), one at each corner, and kept them burning the whole night. It was a sight to see - Baba sitting or sleeping on this plank! It was a wonder to all how Baba was able to get up and down on this plank! Baba had all the eight siddhis (powers) at His command, but He never practiced nor craved them. They came to Him naturally, as a result of His perfection. Out of curiosity, many observers kept a watch over the process of mounting and dismounting the plank, but none succeeded in actually observing this astonishing feat. Crowds began to increase to try to view this unusual act, so finally, one-day Baba broke the plank into pieces and threw it away.

Sagun Manifestation of Brahma

Sai Baba may have looked like a man, three cubits and a half in length, but He dwelt in the hearts of all. Inwardly, He was unattached, indifferent and disinterested, but outwardly, He looked after the public welfare and He appeared full of desires for the sake of His devotees. His inner state was an abode of peace, yet outwardly, He appeared restless. Inwardly, He existed in the state of Brahma and loved adwaita (union or monism), but outwardly, He appeared entangled with the world and could even act, at times, like a devil. Sometimes He looked upon everyone with affection, and at other times, He threw stones at them. Sometimes He scolded them, while at other times, He embraced them and was calm, composed, tolerant and well balanced. He abided, and was ever engrossed in the Self, and was well disposed towards His bhaktas. He always sat in one asan and never traveled. His ‘band’ was a small stick which He always carried in His hand. He was calm, being thought free. He never cared for wealth and fame, and lived on begging. Such was the life He led. He always uttered ‘Allah Malik’ (God is the real owner). Complete and never ending was His love for the bhaktas. He was a store house for Self-knowledge and was full of divine bliss. Such was the divine form of Sai Baba, boundless, endless and undifferentiated. The sole principle which envelopes the whole universe (from a stone pillar to Brahma) was incarnated in Sai Baba. Fortunate and meritorious people received this treasure in their hands, while those people who, not knowing the real worth of Sai Baba, taking Him to be a man, a mere human being, were miserable indeed.

His Stay in Shirdi and Probable Birth Date

None knew or know the parents and exact birth date of Sai Baba, but it can be approximately determined by His stay in Shirdi. Baba first came to Shirdi when he was a young lad of sixteen and stayed there for three years. Then He suddenly disappeared, and after some time, appeared in the state of Nizam near Aurangabad when, at the age of twenty, He returned to Shirdi with the marriage party of Chand Patil. Since then, He stayed in Shirdi continuously for a period of sixty years, after which, Baba took His mahasamadhi in the year 1918. From this we can say that the year of Baba’s birth is approximately 1838 A.D.

Baba’s Mission and Advice

Saint Ramadas (1608-1681) flourished in the 17th century and fulfilled, to a great extent, his mission of protecting cows and Brahmins from the tortures of the Yavanas (Mohammedans), but within the next two centuries, the split between the two communities - Hindus and Mohammedans - widened again and Sai Baba came to bridge the gulf. His constant advice to all was to this effect. “Rama (the God of the Hindus) and Rahim (the God of the Mohammedans) are one and the same. There was not the slightest difference between them. Why, then, should their devotees quarrel among themselves? Let all the people, both ignorant and wise, as well as children, join hands and bring both these communities together. May they act sanely and thus create national unity. As it is not good to dispute and argue, may everyone live harmoniously together, never emulating bad actions, but rather, practicing consideration for the welfare of all. The Lord will bestow His divine protection. Yoga, sacrifice, penance, and knowledge are the means to attain God. If you do not succeed in this by any of these means, vain is your birth. If anyone does any evil unto you, DO NOT RETALIATE. If you can do anything, DO SOME GOOD UNTO OTHERS.” This, in short, was Sai Baba’s advice to all and this will stand in good stead both in material and spiritual matters.

Sai Baba as Satguru

There are gurus and gurus. There are many so called gurus who go about from house to house with symbols and veena in their hands, making a show of their spirituality. They blow mantras into the ears of their disciples and extract money from them. They profess to teach piety and religion to their disciples, but are themselves impious and irreligious. Sai Baba never thought of making the least show of his worth (piety). Body consciousness He had none, but He had great love for the disciples. There are two kinds of gurus (1) ‘niyat’ (appointed or fixed) and (2) ‘aniyat’ (unappointed or general). The aniyat guru’s advice develops good qualities in us, purifies our hearts and sets us on the path of salvation, but contact with a niyat guru, dispels our sense of difference and establishes us in unity by making us realize “Thou are that”. There are various gurus who impart to us various kinds of worldly knowledge, but he who fixes us in our true nature (Self) and carries us beyond the ocean of worldly existence, is the satguru. Sai Baba was such a satguru. His greatness is indescribable. If anyone went to take His darshan, He, without being asked, would give every detail of that person’s past, present and future life. Baba saw divinity in all beings. Friends and foes were alike to Him. Disinterested and equal balanced, He obliged the evil doers. He was the same in prosperity and adversity.

No doubt ever touched Him. Though He possessed a human body, He was not in the least attached to His body. Though He looked embodied, He was really disembodied, i.e. free in this very life. Blessed are the people of Shirdi who worshiped Sai as their God. While eating, drinking, working in their backyards and fields, and doing various household work, they always remembered Sai and sang His glory. They knew no other God but Sai. How to speak of the love, and the sweetness of the love, of the women of Shirdi? They were quite ignorant, but their pure love inspired them to compose poems or songs in their simple language. Letters or learning - had they none, still, one can discern real poetry in their simple songs. It is not intelligence, but LOVE that inspires real poetry as such. Real poetry is the manifestation of true love, and this can be seen and appreciated by sensitive, intelligent listeners.

Baba’s Humility

The Lord, or Bhagavan, is said to have six qualities, viz. 1) fame, 2) wealth, 3) non-attachment, 4) knowledge, 5) grandeur, and 6) generosity. Baba had all these in Him. He incarnated in flesh for the sake of bhaktas. How wonderful was His grace and kindness! He drew the devotees to Him, for how else could one have known Him! For the sake of His bhaktas, Baba spoke such words as the Goddess of Speech dare not utter. Here is an example. Baba spoke very humbly as follows, “Slaves of slaves, I am your debtor. I am satisfied at your darshan. It is a great favor that I saw your feet. I am an insect in your excreta. I consider myself blessed thereby.” What humility is this? If anyone would think that by publishing this, any disrespect is shown to Sai, we beg His pardon and to atone for such, we sing and chant Baba’s name.

Though Baba seemed outwardly to enjoy sense objects, He had not the least interest in them, nor even the consciousness of enjoying them. Though He ate, He had no reaction to taste, and though He had sight, He never felt any interest in what He saw. Regarding passion, He was as perfect a celibate as Hanuman. He was not attached to anything. He was pure consciousness. In short, He was disinterested, free and perfect. A striking instance may be cited in illustration of this statement.

Nanavalli

There was in Shirdi, a very quaint and queer fellow named Nanavalli. He looked after Baba’s work and affairs. He once approached Baba, who was seated on His gadi (seat) and asked Him to get up, as he wanted to occupy the same. Baba at once got up and left the seat which He had occupied. After sitting there awhile, Nanavalli got up and asked Baba to take back His seat. Baba then took back His seat and Nanavalli fell at His feet and then went away. Baba did not show the slightest displeasure in being dictated to and ousted. This Nanavalli loved Baba so much that he breathed his last on the thirteenth day of Baba’s mahasamadhi.

The Easiest Path: Hearing the Stories of the Saints and Being in Their Company

Though Sai Baba acted outwardly like an ordinary man, His actions showed extraordinary intelligence and skill. Whatever He did, was done for the good of His devotees. He never prescribed any asan, regulation of breathing, or any rites to His bhaktas, nor did He blow any mantra into their ears. He told them to leave off all cleverness and always remember “Sai” “Sai”. “If you did that,” He said, “all your shackles would be removed and you would be free.” Sitting between five fires, sacrifices, chanting, and eight fold yoga are possible for Brahmins only. They are of no use to other classes.

The function of the mind is to think; it cannot remain without thinking for even a minute. If you give it a sense object, it will think about the sense object. If you give it guru, it will think about guru. As one listens attentively to the leelas revealing the greatness and grandeur of Sai, it becomes quite natural to remember Sai and perform worship and kirtan. Hearing the stories of the saints is not as difficult as the other sadhanas mentioned above. These stories remove all fear of this samsar (worldly existence) and take us on the spiritual path. So listen to these stories, meditate on them, and assimilate them. If this is done, one will become pure and holy. You may attend to your worldly duties, but give your mind to Sai and His stories, and then He is sure to bless you. This is the easiest path, but why don’t all take it? The reason is that without God’s grace we do not get the desire to listen to the stories of saints. With God’s grace, everything is smooth and easy, so pray to be given that grace.

Hearing the stories of the saints is, in a way, keeping their company. The importance of the company of saints is indeed very great. It removes our body consciousness and egoism, destroys completely the chain of our birth and death, cuts asunder all the knots of the heart, and takes us to God, who is pure consciousness. It certainly increases our non-attachment to sense objects and makes us quite indifferent to pleasure and pain, and leads us on the spiritual path. If you have no other sadhana, such as chanting God’s name, worship or devotion, etc., but if you take refuge in the saints wholeheartedly, they will carry you safely across the ocean of worldly existence. It is for this reason that saints manifest themselves in this world. Even sacred rivers, such as the Ganges, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri etc. which wash away the sins of the world, desire the saints to purify them by coming to them for a bath. Such is the grandeur of the saints. It is on account of the store of merits in past births that we have attained the feet of Sai Baba.

We conclude this chapter with meditation on Sai’s form. He, the beautiful and handsome Sai, standing on the edge of the masjid and distributing udi to all the bhaktas for their welfare, thinks the world as naught. He is ever engrossed in supreme bliss. Before Him, we humbly prostrate ourselves.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all