Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 45

Chapter – 45

Kakasaheb’s Doubt and Anandrao’s Vision - Wooden Plank - Baba’s Bedsted and Bhagat Mhalasapati

Preliminary

In the last three chapters, we have described Baba’s passing away. No doubt, His physical, or finite form, has disappeared from our view, but His infinite, or spiritual form, which is immortal, lives on. The leelas which occurred during His lifetime in the physical body have been described in detail throughout the preceding chapters of this book, but ever since His passing, new leelas continue to occur, showing clearly that Baba is ever present and continues to help His devotees as before. Those devotees who had the grace to be with Him while he lived in His physical form were greatly blessed, but if any of them did not develop a dispassion for sense enjoyments and material things of this world, it was their sheer bad fortune. What was wanted then, and is wanted now, is wholehearted devotion to Baba. All our senses, body and mind, should cooperate in worshiping and serving Baba. It is not beneficial to engage in only some aspects of worship and practice.

Meditation and worship should be done wholeheartedly with all of the mind and body and soul. The love of a disciple has for his guru is incomparable. No one, whether he be father, mother, brother or any other relation, comes to our aid in attaining the goal of life, which is Self-realization. One has to chalk out, or traverse, the path of Self-realization oneself, discriminating between the real and the unreal, renouncing desires, controlling the senses and mind, and aspiring for liberation. Instead of depending on others, one must have full faith in the God within, remembering that God and guru are one.

With the practice of discrimination, the consciousness changes and the world is perceived as transient and unreal. Passion for worldly enticements gradually lessens and ultimately, dispassion, or non-attachment for things of the world, develops. When a solid understanding that the Self-realized guru is one with God, Brahma, and is in all, of all and through all, a reverence for all creatures develops and with this, worship of the God within them. Thus, with the wholehearted worship of Brahma, or guru, the devotee becomes one   with Him and attains Self-realization. By always chanting the name of the guru and meditating on Him, one is enabled to see Him in all beings and, in turn, eternal bliss is conferred.

Kakasaheb’s Doubt and Anandrao’s Vision

It is well known that Sai Baba had enjoined Kakasaheb Dixit to read two works of Shri Ekanath daily: (1) Bhagawat and (2) Bhawartha Ramayan. Kakasaheb read these daily while Baba was living and he followed the practice even after Baba’s passing away. One morning, while Kakasaheb was in Kaka Mahajani’s house in Choupati, Bombay, he was performing his daily reading of Ekanathi Bhagawat. Madhavarao Deshpande, alias Shama, and Kaka Mahajani were present and listened attentively to the portion read, viz. the 2nd chapter of the 11th skandha of the book. Therein, the nine nathas or siddhas of the Rishabha family, viz. Kavi, Hari, Antariksha, Prabhuddha, Pippalayan, Avirhotra, Drumil, Chamas and Karabhajan expounded the principles of the Bhagawat dharma to King Janak. The king asked all nine nathas most important questions and each of them answered satisfactorily. The first, i.e. Kavi, explained what is Bhagawat Dharma. The next, Hari, the characteristics of a bhakta (devotee). The third, Antariksha, described maya. Prabuddha answered how to cross maya and Pippalayan described what is Para-Brahma. The sixth natha, Avirhotra, responded with a description of karma. The seventh natha, Drumil, described the incarnations of God and their deeds. Chamas, the eighth natha, related how a non-devotee fares after death and lastly, Karabhajan, the ninth natha, spoke of the different modes of worship of God in different ages. The crux of all the commentaries was that in this Kali age, the only means of liberation is the remembrance of Hari’s (Lord’s) name and guru’s feet.

After the reading was over, Kakasaheb said in a despondent tone to Madhavarao and others, “This discourse of the nine nathas on bhakti (devotion) is wonderful, but at the same time, how difficult to put it into practice! The nathas were perfect, but is it possible for fools like us to attain the devotion as delineated by them? We won’t get it straight even after several births, so how then will we get salvation? It seems there is no hope for us.” Madhavarao (Shama) did not like this pessimistic attitude of Kakasaheb and retorted, “It is a pity that one, who by his good fortune has such a jewel as Baba, should cry out so disparagingly. If he has unwavering faith in Baba, why should he feel restless? The bhakti of the nathas may be strong and powerful, but isn’t ours loving and affectionate too? Hasn’t Baba told us authoritatively that remembering and chanting Hari’s and guru’s name confers salvation? What then is the cause for fear and anxiety? Kakasaheb was not satisfied with Madhavarao’s explanation. He continued to be anxious and restless the entire day, thinking and brooding over how to develop the powerful bhakti of the nathas. The next morning, the following miracle took place.

A gentleman named Anandrao Pakhade came to Shirdi in search of Madhavarao (Shama). The reading of the Bhagawat was going on then. Mr. Pakhade sat near Shama and began to whisper to him in a low tone about his dream vision. As the hushed voice caused disruption, Kakasaheb stopped the reading and asked Shama what was the matter. Shama replied, “Yesterday you expressed your doubts as to whether we could attain devotion like the nathas, but Mr. Pakhade had a vision in which he was shown that worship of the guru’s feet is sufficient.” Everyone then became quite anxious to hear about the vision, especially Kakasaheb, so they invited Mr. Pakhade to relate all the details.

Mr. Pakhade began: “I was standing in a deep sea, in waist deep water. There, I suddenly saw Sai Baba. He was sitting on a beautiful throne, studded with diamonds, with His feet in the water. I was enormously pleased to see this vision of Baba, which was so realistic, I scarcely thought it was a dream. Interestingly, Madhavarao (Shama) was also standing there. He said to me with great feeling, “Anandrao, fall at Baba’s feet.” I responded, “I wish to do so, but His feet are under water. How can I place my head on them? I am helpless.” Upon hearing this, Shama spoke out to Baba, “Oh Deva, take Your feet out of the water.” Baba immediately lifted His feet out of the water. I quickly caught them and bowed to them. Seeing all this, Baba blessed me saying, “Go now. You will attain your welfare. There is no cause for fear and anxiety.” He then added, “Give a silk bordered dhotar to My Shama. You will profit thereby.”

In compliance with Baba’s order, Mr. Pakhade bought a dhotar and brought it with him to Shirdi, requesting Kakasaheb to give it to Shama (Madhavarao). Shama, however, refused to accept it, saying he would not accept it unless Baba gave His approval. Following a discussion, Kakasaheb decided to cast lots. It was the invariable practice of Kakasaheb to cast lots in all dubious matters and to abide by the decision as shown by the picked up chit or lot. In this particular case, two chits, on one of which was written “to accept” and on the other “to reject” were placed at the feet of Baba’s picture and an infant was asked to pick one of them. The “accept” chit was picked and so the dhotar was handed to, and accepted by, Madhavarao (Shama). In this way, both Anandrao and Madhavarao were satisfied and Kakasaheb’s difficulty was solved. This story exhorts us to respect the words of other saints, but at the same time, asks us to have full faith in our guru and abide by His instructions, for the guru knows our welfare better than any other person. Imprint the following words of Baba in your heart: There are innumerable saints in this world, but our father (guru) is God the Father (real guru). Whereas we may hear good words from others, we should NEVER FORGET OUR GURU’S WORDS. In short, LOVE YOUR GURU WHOLEHEARTEDLY. SURRENDER TO HIM COMPLETELY AND PROSTRATE YOURSELVES BEFORE HIM REVERENTIALLY. Then you will see there is no sea of the mundane existence for you to cross, as there is no darkness before the sun.

Wooden Plank - Baba’s Bedstead and Bhagat Mhalasapati

In His earlier days, Baba slept on a wooden plank, 4 cubits in length and only a span in breadth with panatis (earthen lamps) burning at the four corners. Later on, He broke the plank into pieces and threw it away (vide Chapter X). Once, Baba was describing the greatness and importance of that plank to Kakasaheb. Hearing that, the latter said to Baba, “If you still love the wooden plank, I will suspend another one in the masjid for You, so You may sleep at ease.” Baba then replied, “I would not want to sleep up high, leaving Mhalasapati down on the ground.” Hearing this, Kakasaheb responded, “Then I will provide another plank for Mhalasapati.” Baba immediately replied, “How can he sleep on the plank? It is not easy to sleep high up on the plank. He, who has many good qualities in him, can do so. Only He, who can sleep ‘with his eyes wide open’, can affect that. When I go to sleep, I often ask Mhalasapati to sit by My side, place his hand on My heart, and watch the chanting of the Lord’s name there, and if he finds Me sleepy, to wake Me up. He can’t even do this. He gets drowsy and begins to nod his head. When I feel his hand heavy as a stone on My heart and cry out, “Oh Bhagat,” he moves and opens his eyes. How can he, who can’t sit and whose asan (posture) is not steady and who is a slave to sleep, sleep high up on a plank?”

On many other occasions Baba said out of love for His devotees, “What is ours, whether good or bad, is with us, and what is another’s, is with him.”

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all