Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 39

Chapter – 39

Baba’s Knowledge of Sanskrit, His Interpretation of a Verse from the Bhagavad Gita - Construction of the Samadhi Mandir

This chapter (39) deals with Baba’s interpretation of a verse from the Bhagavad Gita. As some people objected that Baba did not know Sanskrit and the interpretation was Nanasaheb Chandorkar’s, Hemadpant wrote another chapter (No. 50 in the original Marathi book) refuting that objection. The subject matter in that chapter 50, written in Marathi, is included here.

Preliminary

Blessed is Shirdi and blessed is Dwarkamai where Shri Sai lived and moved until He took mahasamadhi. Blessed are the people of Shirdi whom He obliged and for whom He came such a long distance. Shirdi was a small village at first, but it attained great importance because of its contact with Baba, thus becoming a tirtha (holy place of pilgrimage). Equally blessed are the women of Shirdi and blessed is their whole and undivided faith in Sai Baba. They sang the glories of Baba while bathing, grinding, pounding corn and doing other household work. Blessed is their love, for they sang sweet songs which calmed and pacified the minds of the singers and listeners.

Baba’s Interpretation

No one believed that Baba knew Sanskrit. One day He surprised everyone by giving a fine interpretation of a verse from the Bhagavad Gita to Nanasaheb Chandorkar. A brief account about this matter was written by Mr. B.V. Deo, retired mamlatdar, and this was published in Marathi in ‘Shri Sai Leela’ magazine, Volume IV, Sphuta Vishaya, page 563. Short accounts of the same are also published in Sai Baba’s Charters and Sayings page 61, and in The Wondrous Saint Sai Baba, page 36, both of which were written by B.V. Narshimhaswami. Mr. B.V. Deo has also given an English version of this in his statement dated September 27, 1936 which was published on page 66 of Devotee’s Experiences, Part III. This was also published by Narsimhaswami. As Mr. Deo received first hand information about this subject from Nanasaheb Chandorkar himself, that version will now be recounted.

Nanasaheb Chandorkar was a good student of Vedanta. He had read the Bhagavad Gita with commentaries and was proud of his knowledge of such. He fancied Baba knew nothing of Sanskrit and all of these matters. So one day Baba pricked his bubble. These were the days before crowds flocked to Baba, when Baba had solitary talks at the masjid with such devotees.

On one occasion, Nana was sitting near Baba massaging His legs and muttering something.

Baba: “Nana, what are you mumbling to yourself?”Nana: “I am reciting a shloka in Sanskrit.”

Baba: “What shloka?”

Nana: “From the Bhagavad Gita.”

Baba: “Utter it loudly.”

Nana then recited Bhagavad Gita IV-34 which is as follows:

Tadviddhi Pranipatena Pariprashnena Sevaya,

Upadekshyanti Te Jnanam Jnaninastattwadarshinah

Baba: “Nana, do you understand it?”

Nana: “Yes.”

Baba: “If you do, then tell me.”

Nana: “It means this: “By making sashtanga namaskar, i.e. prostration, questioning the guru, and serving him, one will learn about jnana. Then, those jnanis who have attained real knowledge of the Sadvastu (Brahma) will give you upadesh (instruction) in jnana.”

Baba: “Nana, I do not want this sort of collected purport of the whole stanza. Give me each word, its grammatical force and meaning.” Then Nana explained it word by word.

Baba: “Nana, is it enough merely to make prostration?”

Nana: “I do not know any other meaning for the word ‘pranipata’ then making prostration.”

Baba: “What is pariprashna?”

Nana: “Asking questions.”

Baba: “What does ‘prashna’ mean?”

Nana : “The same (questioning).”

Baba: “If ‘pariprashna’ means the same as prashna (question), why did Vyasa add the prefix ‘pari’? Was Vyasa off his head?”

Nana: “I do not know of any other meaning for the word ‘pariprashna’.”

Baba: “Seva, what sort of ‘seva’ is meant?”

Nana: “Just what we are always doing.”

Baba: “Is it enough to render such service?”

Nana: “I do not know what more is signified by the word ‘seva’.”

Baba: “In the next line - “upadekshyanti te jnanam” - can you read it so as to substitute any other word in lieu of jnanam?”

Nana: “Yes”.

Baba: “What word?”

Nana: “Ajnanam”.

Baba: “Taking that word (instead of jnana) - is any meaning made out of the verse?”

Nana: “No, Shankara Bhashya gives no such construction.”

Baba: “Never mind if he does not. Is there any objection to using the word ‘ajnana’ if it gives a better sense?”

Nana: “I do not understand how to construe the sentence by placing ‘ajnana’ in it.”

Baba: “And why does Krishna refer Arjuna to Jnanis or Tattwadarshis to do his prostration, interrogation and service? Was not Krishna a Tattwadarshi, in fact, jnana itself?”

Nana: “Yes, He was, but I do not understand why he referred Arjuna to Jnanis.”

Baba: “Have you not understood this?”

Nana was humiliated. His pride was knocked on the head. Then Baba began to explain:

(1) It is not enough merely to prostrate before the Jnanis. We must make SARVASWA SHARANAGATI (complete surrender) to the satguru.

(2) Prashna means questioning and pariprashna denotes proper questioning. Mere questioning (prashna) is not enough. The question must not be asked with any improper motive to trap the guru and catch mistakes in the answer, or out of idle curiosity. Pariprashna, i.e. (proper questioning) out of a real quest for knowledge to destroy doubt and ignorance, must be made with devotion, sincerity, humility and with a serious view to achieve spiritual progress and moksha.

(3) Seva is not rendering service while still retaining the feeling that one is free to offer or refuse service. One must feel that he is not the master of the body. The body is the guru’s and exists merely to render service to him. If this is done, the satguru will then show the disciple what the jnana referred to in the previous stanza is.*

Nana: “But what is meant by saying that a guru teaches ajnana?”

Baba: “How is jnana upadesh (i.e. imparting of realization) to be effected? Destroying ignorance is jnana. (Cf.verse - ovi 1396 of Jnaneshwari commenting on Bhagavad Gita 18- 66 says, “Removal of ignorance is like this, Oh Arjuna, if dream and sleep disappear, you are yourself. It is like that.” Also ovi 83 on Bhagavad Gita V - 16 says, “Is there anything different or independent in jnana besides the destruction of ignorance?” Expelling darkness means creating light. Destroying duality (dwaita) means nonduality (adwaita). Whenever we speak of destroying dwaita, we speak of adwaita. Whenever we talk of destroying darkness, we talk of creating light. If we are to realize the adwaita state, the feeling of dwaita in ourselves has to be removed. That is the realization of the adwaita state. Who can speak of adwaita, while remaining in dwaita? One must enter into the state of adwaita, to know it and realize it. Again, the shishya (disciple), like the satguru, is really the embodiment of jnana. The difference between them lies in the level of consciousness, Self-realization, sattva (beingness) and aishwarya yoga (divine powers). The satguru is nirguna, sat-chit-ananda.

Although he has indeed taken human form to elevate mankind and raise the world, his real

nirguna nature is not destroyed thereby even a little bit. His beingness (or reality), divine power and wisdom remain undiminished. The disciple, too, is in fact, of the same swarupa. But his true nature is overlaid by the effect of the samskaras of innumerable births in the shape of ignorance, which hides from his view that he is Shuddha Chaitanya (see Bhagavad Gita Chapter V - 150). As stated therein, the disciple has the impression, “I am a jiva, a creature, humble and poor”. The guru has to root out these offshoots of ignorance and has to give upadesh or instructions. To the disciple, held spell bound for endless generations by the ideas of his being a creature, humble and poor, the guru imparts in hundreds of births and teachings, “You are God. You are mighty and opulent.” The disciple then begins to realize a bit that he is one with God. The perpetual delusion under which the disciple is laboring, that he is the body, that he is a creature (jiva) or ego, that God (Paramatma) and the world are different from him, is an error inherited from innumerable past births. From actions based on these incorrect beliefs, the disciple has derived his joy, sorrows, and mixtures of both. To remove this delusion, this error, this root ignorance, he must start the inquiry shown him through the guru’s upadesh. How did the ignorance arise? Where is it?

The following are instances of ajnana:

1 - I am a jiva (creature).

2 - The body is the soul (I am the body).

3 - God, world and jiva are different.

4 - I am not God.

5 - Not knowing that the body is not the soul.

6 - Not knowing that God, world and jiva are one.

Unless these errors in comprehension are exposed to his view, the disciple cannot learn the reality of what is God, jiva, the world, and the body, how they are inter-related, and whether they are different from each other, or are one and the same. To teach him the correct understanding and destroy his ignorance, the satguru imparts jnana or ajnana. Why should jnana be imparted to the jiva, (who is) a jnanamurti? Upadesh is merely to show him his error and destroy his ignorance.

Baba added: (1) Pranipata implies surrender. (2) Surrender must be of body, mind, and wealth. (3) Why should Krishna refer Arjuna to other jnanis? Satbhakta takes everything to be Vasudev (Bhagavad Gita VII - 19, i.e. any guru will be Krishna to the devotee) and the guru takes the disciple to be Vasudev. Krishna treats both as His prana and atma (Bhagavad Gita 7 - 18, commentary of Jnanadev on this). As Sri Krishna knows that there are such bhaktas and gurus, he refers Arjuna to them so that their greatness may increase and be known.

Construction of the Samadhi Mandir

Baba never talked, nor ever made any fuss about the things which He wanted to accomplish, but He so skillfully arranged the circumstances and surroundings, that the people were surprised at the slow, but sure result attained. The construction of the samadhi mandir is an instance in point. Shriman Bapusaheb Booty, the famous multimillionaire of Nagpur, lived in Shirdi with his family. Once, an idea arose in his mind that he should have a building of his own there. Sometime after this, while he was sleeping in Dixit’s Wada, he had a vision. Baba appeared in his dream and ordered him to build a wada of his own with a temple. Shama, who was sleeping there, had a similar vision. When Bapusaheb awoke, he saw Shama crying and asked him why he was crying. The latter replied that in his vision, Baba came close to him and ordered distinctly, “Build the wada with the temple. I shall fulfill the desires of all.” Shama continued that upon hearing the sweet, loving words of Baba, he was over-powered with emotion. His throat was choked, his eyes were brimming with tears and he began to cry. Bapusaheb was surprised to see that both their visions tallied. Being a rich and capable man, he decided to build a wada there and drew up a plan with Madhavarao Deshpande (Shama). Kakasaheb Dixit also approved of it. When it was placed before Baba, He, too, sanctioned it immediately.

The construction work was then duly started and under the supervision of Shama, the ground floor, the cellar and the well were completed. Baba, on his way to and from Lendi, also suggested certain improvements. Further work was entrusted to Bapusaheb Jog, and while it was going on, an idea struck Bapusaheb Booty’s mind that there should be an open room, or platform, in the center of which, the image of Murlidhar (Lord Krishna with flute) should be installed. Booty asked Shama to refer the matter to Baba and get His consent. Shama then asked Baba about the matter just as He was passing by the wada.

Upon hearing Shama, Baba gave His consent saying, “After the temple is complete, I will come there to stay,” and staring at the wada, He added, “After the wada is complete, we shall use it ourselves. We shall live, move and play there, embrace each other, and be very happy.” Then Shama asked Baba whether this was the auspicious time to begin the foundation work of the central room of the shrine. Baba answered in the affirmative. Shama then got a cocoanut, broke it, and started the work. In due time, the work was completed and an order was given for making a good image of Murlidhar. But before it was ready, a new thing turned up. Baba became seriously ill and was about to pass away. Bapusaheb became very sad and dejected, thinking that if Baba passed away, his wada would not be consecrated by the holy touch of Baba’s feet and all his money (about a lac of rupees) would be wasted. But the words, “Place Me in the wada,” which Baba uttered just before His passing away, consoled not only Bapusaheb, but one and all.

In due time Baba’s holy body was placed and preserved in the central shrine meant or designed for Murlidhar and Baba Himself became Murlidhar. The wada thus became the samadhi mandir of Sai Baba. His wonderful life is unfathomable. Blessed and fortunate is Bapusaheb Booty in whose wada lays the holy and pure body of Shri Sai Baba.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all