Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Shri Sai Satcharitra in English

Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 50

Chapter – 50

Stories of: Kakasaheb Dixit - Shri Tembye Swami – Balaram Dhurandhar

Chapter 50 of the original Shri Sai Satcharita has been incorporated in Chapter 39 as it dealt with the same subject matter. Now Chapter 51 of the Satcharita has been treated here as Chapter 50. This chapter gives the stories of (1) Kakasaheb Dixit (2) Shri Tembye Swami and (3) Balaram Dhurandhar.

Preliminary

Victory be unto Sai who is the main stay of the bhaktas, who is our satguru, who expounds the meaning of the Bhagavad Gita and who showers us with grace. Oh Sai, look favorably on us and bless us all. The sandal wood trees grow on the Malaya Mountains and ward off heat. The clouds pour rain and thereby cool and refresh everyone. The flowers blossom in the spring and remind us to worship God. As such, the stories of Sai Baba come forth in order to give solace and comfort to the readers. Both those who tell, and those who hear the stories of Baba, are blessed and holy.

It is a well established fact that though we try hundreds of means or sadhanas, we do not attain the spiritual goal of life unless a satguru blesses us with His grace. The following story is an illustration of this statement.

Kakasaheb Dixit (1864 - 1926)

Mr. Hari Sitaram, alias Kakasaheb Dixit, was born in 1864 in a Vadnagara Nagar Brahmin family in Khandwa (C.P.). His primary education was in Khandwa, Hinganghat, and his secondary education was in Nagpur. He came to Bombay for higher education and studied first in Wilson College and afterward, in Elphinstone College. After graduation in 1883, he passed his L.L.B. and solicitor’s examinations. First, he served in the firm of the Government Solicitors, Messrs. Little and Col, and some time later, started a solicitors’ firm of his own. Whereas Kakasaheb Dixit later became a great devotee of Sai Baba, before 1909, Sai Baba’s name was not familiar to him. Once, while Dixit was staying at Lonavala, he happened to see his old friend, Nanasaheb Chandorkar. Both spent some time talking about various things. Kakasaheb described how, when he was boarding a train in London, he had an accident, slipped, and injured his foot. Hundreds of remedies gave him no relief. Nanasaheb then told him that if he wished to get rid of the lameness and pain in his leg, he should go to his satguru - Sai Baba. He also gave him all the particulars of Sai Baba and mentioned to him Sai Baba’s dictum, “I draw to Me My man from far off or even across the seven seas, like a sparrow with a string fastened to it’s feet.” Nanasaheb made it clear to Dixit that if he was not Baba’s man, he would not be attracted to Him and be given a darshan. Kakasaheb was pleased to hear Nanasaheb’s words and replied that he would go to see Baba and pray to Him to cure not so much his lame leg, but bring round his lame, fickle mind and give him eternal bliss.

Sometime after this conversation with Nanasaheb, Kakasaheb went to Ahmednagar and stayed with Sirdar Kakasaheb Mirikar in connection with securing votes for a seat in the Bombay Legislative Council. Mr. Balasaheb Mirikar, son of Kakasaheb Mirikar, who was mamlatdar of Kopergaon, came to Ahmednagar at that time as well, in connection with a horse exhibition being held there. After the election business was over, Kakasaheb Dixit wanted to go to Shirdi and both Mirikars, father and son, were thinking about a proper guide who could accompany Dixit.

Meanwhile, Sai Baba was arranging things for Dixit’s reception. Shama received a telegram from his father-in-law at Ahmednagar stating that his wife was seriously ill and that Shama should come with his own wife to see her. Having received Baba’s permission, Shama left for Ahmednagar. When he arrived there, he found his mother-in-law improving and feeling better. Then, Nanasaheb Panshe and Appasaheb Gadre happened to see Shama on their way to the horse exhibition in Ahmednagar and told him to go to Mirikar’s house, meet Kakasaheb Dixit, and take him to Shirdi. Kakasaheb Dixit and the Mirikars were informed of Shama’s arrival. In the evening, Shama went to the Mirikar’s home and introduced himself to Kakasaheb. Then, arrangements were made for Shama to leave for Kopergaon with Kakasaheb on the ten o’clock night train. When all the plans were settled, a curious thing happened. Balasaheb Mirikar threw aside the veil on Baba’s big portrait and showed it to Kakasaheb. He was surprised to see that Baba, whom he was going to meet in Shirdi, was already there in the form of His portrait to greet him at that juncture. He was quite moved and prostrated before the portrait, which belonged to Megha. The glass over the portrait had been broken and had been sent to the Mirikars for repairs. Thus, the necessary repairs had been completed and it was then decided to give the portrait to Kakasaheb, who could return it to Shama.

They booked their passage a little before ten p.m., but when the train arrived, they found the second class to be overcrowded, consequently there was no room for them. Fortunately, the guard on the train happened to be an acquaintance of Kakasaheb and he put them up in first class. Thus, they traveled comfortably and alighted at Kopergaon. Their joy knew no bounds when they saw Nanasaheb Chandorkar there. He, too, was bound for Shirdi. They embraced one another and then bathed in the sacred Godavari River. After bathing, they started out for Shirdi. Upon arrival in Shirdi, Kakasaheb received Baba’s darshan. When Kaka received Baba’s grace, his mind melted, his eyes filled with tears, and his entire being overflowed with joy. Baba told him that He was waiting for him and had sent Shama ahead to receive him.

Kakasaheb decided to stay with Baba in Shirdi and passed many happy years in His company. He built a wada in Shirdi which he made his more or less permanent home. The experiences he had with Baba are so manifold; it is not possible to relate them all here. The readers are advised to read Vol 12, No. 6 - 9 from ‘Shri Sai Leela’ magazine regarding Kakasaheb Dixit’s experiences. Thus, we close this account with the mention of one fact only. Baba had comforted Kakasaheb by telling him that in the end, “He will take him in a balloon,” (i.e. secure for him a happy death). Baba’s words proved true, for on July 5, 1926, Kakasaheb was traveling in a train with Hemadpant and talking about Sai Baba. All of a sudden, he threw his neck on Hemadpant’s shoulder and breathed his last with no trace of pain or uneasiness.

Shri Tembye Swami

The following story shows how saints love each other with fraternal affection. Once, Shri Vasudevanand Saraswati, known as Shri Tembye Swami encamped at Rajamahendri (Andra County) on the banks of the Godavari. He was a devout, orthodox jnani and bhakti yogi of God Dattatreya. Mr. Pundlikrao, a pleader of Nanded (Nizam State), went to see him with some friends. While they were talking with him, the names of Sai Baba and Shirdi were casually mentioned. Hearing Baba’s name, the swami bowed with his hands and, taking a cocoanut, gave it to Pundalikrao saying, “Offer this to my brother, Sai, with my pranam and request Him not to forget me, but ever love me.” He also added that swamis do not generally bow to others, but in this case, an exception had to be made. Mr. Pundalikrao consented to take the fruit and message to Baba. The swami was right in calling Baba a brother, for as he maintained an agnihotra (sacred fire) day and night in his orthodox fashion, Baba, too, kept His agnihotra (dhuni) ever burning in the masjid.

After a month had passed, Pundalikrao and the others left for Shirdi with the special cocoanut. They came to Manmad, felt thirsty, and went to a rivulet to get drinking water. As water should not be drunk on an empty stomach, they took out some refreshments, i.e. chivda (flattened rice mixed with spice). The chivda tasted very pungent, and in order to soften it, someone suggested and broke a cocoanut and mixed the scraping with the chivda. Thus, they made the chivda tastier and palatable. Unfortunately, the fruit broken and eaten turned out to be the same one entrusted to Pundalikrao by the swami. As they neared Shirdi, Pundalikrao remembered the swami’s gift, i.e. the cocoanut, and became quite upset when he realized it was the very same cocoanut which they had broken and utilized for the chivda. Filled with fear and trembling, Pundalikrao arrived in Shirdi and saw Baba. Baba had already received a wireless message regarding the cocoanut from Tembye Swami, so He immediately asked Pundalikrao to give Him the gift sent by His brother. Pundalikrao grasped Baba’s feet, confessed his guilt and negligence, repented, and asked for Baba’s pardon. He offered to give Baba another fruit as a substitute, but Baba refused his offer saying that the worth of that cocoanut was by far many times more valuable than an ordinary one and that it could not be replaced by another. But then Baba added, “Now you need not worry yourself any more about the matter. It was on account of My wish that the cocoanut was entrusted to you and ultimately broken on the way. Why should you take the doership of these actions on yourself? Do not entertain the sense of doership in doing good or bad deeds. Be entirely without pride and without ego in all things and your spiritual progress will be rapid.” Thus, what an exceptional and profound spiritual instruction Baba gave.

Balaram Dhurandhar (1878-1925)

Mr. Balaram Dhurandhar belonged to the Pathare Prabhu community of Santa Cruz, Bombay. He was an advocate of the Bombay High Court and part-time Principal of the Government Law School, Bombay. The whole Dhurandhar family was pious and religious. Mr. Balaram served his community and wrote and published an account of it. He then turned his attention to spiritual and religious matters. He carefully studied the Bhagavad Gita and its commentary, Jnaneshwari, and other philosophical and metaphysical works. He was a devotee of Vithoba of Phandharpur. He came in contact with Sai Baba in 1912. Six months previously, his two brothers, Babulji and Vamanarao, had gone to Shirdi and received Baba’s darshan. They returned home and had mentioned their sweet experiences to Balaram and other family members. Then, everyone decided to go and see Sai Baba.

Before the Dhurandhar brothers went to Shirdi, Baba openly declared, “Today, many of my Darbar people are coming.” The Dhurandhar brothers were astonished to hear that remark from others, as they had not given any previous intimation of their trip. While all the other devotees prostrated themselves before Baba and sat talking with Him, Baba said, “These are my Darbar people to whom I referred before.” He then said to the Dhurandhar brothers, “We are acquainted with each other for the last sixty generations.” All the brothers were meek and modest. They stood with joined hands, staring at Baba’s feet. They experienced all the sattwic emotions, and were quite happy. Then, they went to their lodging, took their meals, and after resting a bit, went to the masjid. Balaram sat near Baba and massaged His legs. Baba, who was smoking the chillim, offered it to Balaram. Balaram was not accustomed to smoking, but he reverently accepted the pipe, smoked it with great difficulty, and returned it with a bow. This was a most auspicious moment for Balaram. He had suffered from asthma for the past six years and this smoke completely cured him of his illness. The disease did not trouble him again until six years later, when he suffered an asthmatic attack at precisely the same time Baba entered mahasamadhi. The day the Dhurandhar brothers visited Shirdi was a Thursday, thus, the brothers had the good fortune of witnessing the Chavadi procession that night. At the arati function in the Chavadi, Balaram saw the luster of Pandurang on Baba’s face and the next morning at the kakad arati, the same phenomenon - the luster of his beloved deity Pandurang - again manifested on Baba’s face.

Mr. Balaram Dhurandhar wrote in Marathi an account of the life of the Maharashtra saint, Tukaram, but he did not survive to see its publication. It was published later on by his brothers in 1928. In a short note on Balaram’s life given in the beginning of the book, the above account of Balaram’s visit has been fully corroborated therein (vide page 6 of the book).

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 49

Chapter – 49

Stories of: Hari Kanoba - Somadev Swami - Nanasaheb Chandorkar

Preliminary

The Vedas and the Puranas cannot sufficiently praise (describe) Brahma or the satguru. How then can we, who are ignorant, describe our satguru, Shri Sai Baba? We think it is better to keep quiet in this matter. In reality, the observance of the vow of silence is the best way of praising the satguru. The good qualities of Sai Baba, however, make us forget our vow of silence and inspire us to speak. Delicious dishes taste flat if there be no company of friends and relations to partake of them with us, but when they join us, the dishes acquire additional flavor. The same is true of the Sai Leelamrit - the nectar in the form of Sai’s leelas. This nectar should be enjoyed in the company of our friends and relations - the more, the better.

It is Sai, Himself, that inspires these stories and gets them written as He desires. Our duty is to surrender completely to Him and meditate on Him. Practicing penance is better than vows, sacrifices, charity, or making pilgrimages, and worshiping the Lord is better than penance. Meditation on the satguru is the best of all. We have, therefore, to chant Sai’s name, ponder His sayings, meditate on His form and feel real love for Him in our heart. All these actions must be done for His sake. There is no better means than this for snapping the bondage of samsar. If we do our duty in accordance to this, Sai is bound to help and liberate us. We now revert to the stories of this chapter.

Hari Kanoba

A gentleman from Bombay named Hari Kanoba heard of Sai Baba’s leelas from his friends and relations. He did not believe in them, as he was a doubting Thomas. Since he wanted to test Baba himself, he went to Shirdi with some of his friends from Bombay. He wore a jari bordered turban on his head and a new pair of sandals on his feet. Seeing Baba from a distance, he thought of going over to Him and prostrating himself before Him, however, he did not know what to do with his new sandals. He decided to place them in a corner of the open courtyard and then return to the masjid to receive Baba’s darshan. Having done so, Hari Kanoba made a reverential bow to Baba, took udi and prasad from Him, and returned to the open courtyard. When Hari reached the corner wherein he had placed his new sandals, he was shocked to find they had disappeared. He searched for them in vain and returned to his lodging very dejected. He bathed, offered worship and naivedya, and sat for meals, but all the while, he was thinking only about his missing sandals. Upon finishing his meal, he went out to wash his hands and saw a Maratha boy coming toward him. The boy had a stick in his hand, on top of which was suspended a new pair of sandals. The youngster told the men who had come out to wash their hands that Baba had sent him with this stick and sandals and had asked him to go about the streets crying, “Hari Ka Beta. Jarika Pheta.” He continued that Baba told him, “If anyone claims these sandals, first assure yourself that his name is Hari and he is the son of Ka, i.e., Kanoba, and that he wears a jari bordered turban. Only then, give the sandals.” Upon hearing this, Hari Kanoba was pleasantly surprised. He went over to the boy, claimed the sandals as his own, explaining that his name was Hari and he was the son of Ka (Kanoba). He then showed the child his jari bordered turban. The boy was satisfied and returned the sandals to him. In rethinking what had happened, Hari Kanoba realized that his jari bordered turban was visible to everyone and Baba might have seen it, but how could He know his name was Hari and that he was the son of Kanoba, as this was his first trip to Shirdi? After all, he came to Shirdi with the sole object in mind of testing Baba, and with no other motive. Thus, he came to know by this incident, that Baba was a great satpurush. Hari Kanoba got exactly the proof he wanted and returned home well pleased with Sai Baba.

Somadeva Swami

Now hear the story of another man who came to test Baba. Bhaiji, brother of Kakasaheb Dixit, was staying in Nagpur. When he had gone to the Himalayas in 1906, he made the acquaintance of Somadeva Swami of Haradwar at Uttarkashi in the Gangotri valley. Both took down each other’s names in their diaries. Five years later, Somadeva Swami came to Nagpur as Bhaiji’s guest. There, he was pleased to hear of Sai Baba’s leelas, and a strong desire arose in his mind to go to Shirdi to see Him. He got a letter of introduction from Bhaiji and left for Shirdi. After passing Manmad and Kopergaon, the swami took a tanga and drove to Shirdi. As he approached Shirdi, he saw two flags waving high up over the masjid. Generally, various paraphernalia are associated with different saints, as well as different modes of behavior and styles of living, but these outward signs should never be a standard with which to judge the worth of a saint. Somadeva Swami, however, was influenced by such. When he saw the flags flying over the masjid, he thought, “Why should a saint take a liking for these flags? Does this denote sainthood? It simply implies the saint’s hankering after fame.” Thinking in this manner, he then wished to cancel his Shirdi trip and told his fellow travelers that he would go back. They immediately replied to him, “Then why did you come so far? If your mind becomes restless at the sight of flags, how much more agitated would you be on seeing the ratha (car), the palanquin, the horse and all the other paraphernalia?” The swami became more confounded and said, “I have seen so many sadhus with horses, palanquins and tom-toms that it is better for me to return than see any more such sadhus.” So saying, he started to leave. The swami’s fellow travelers pressed him not to go back, and urged him to proceed with them. They asked him to stop his crooked way of thinking and told him that the sadhu, i.e., Baba, did not care a bit for flags, fame or paraphernalia. It was the people, His devotees, who displayed all the paraphernalia out of love and devotion to Him. Finally, the swami was persuaded to continue his journey, go to Shirdi, and see Baba. When he went and saw Baba in the courtyard, he melted inside, his eyes filled with tears, his throat constricted and all his evil and crooked thoughts vanished. He remembered his guru’s saying, “Our abode and place of rest is where the mind is most pleased and charmed.” The swami wished to roll himself in the dust of Baba’s feet, but then he approached Baba, he was startled as Baba became wild and cried aloud, “Let all our humbug (paraphernalia) be with us. Go back to your home! Beware if you come back to this masjid! Why take darshan from one who flies flags over His masjid? Is this a sign of sainthood? Do not remain here for even one moment!” The swami was taken aback by surprise. He realized Baba could read his mind. The swami recognized Baba was omniscient, pure and noble and that, he, himself, was least intelligent. The swami looked on as Baba was embracing devotees, touching someone with His hand of grace, comforting others, staring kindly at some, laughing with others, giving udi and prasad and pleasing and satisfying all. The swami wondered why he alone should be dealt with so harshly. Thinking seriously about the matter, he came to realize that Baba’s conduct responded exactly to his inner thoughts and that he should take a lesson from that and improve. The swami realized that Baba’s remote conduct and wrath was a blessing in disguise. It is needless to say that later on his faith in Baba was confirmed and he became a staunch devotee of Baba.

Nanasaheb Chandorkar

Hemadpant concludes this chapter with a story of Nanasaheb Chandorkar. Once, when Nanasaheb was sitting in the masjid with Mhalasapati and others, a Mohammedan gentleman from Bijapur came with his family to see Baba. When Nanasaheb saw the gosha ladies who accompanied the gentleman, he became anxious and wanted to go away, but Baba prevented him from doing so. The ladies came and received darshan from Baba. When one of the ladies removed her veil before honoring Baba’s feet, Nanasaheb, who saw her face, was so smitten with her rare beauty that he wished to see her face again. Knowing Nana’s restlessness of mind, Baba spoke to him after the lady had gone and said, “Nana, why are you getting agitated in vain? Let the senses do their allotted work. We should not meddle with their work. God has created this beautiful world and it is our duty to appreciate its beauty. The mind will become steady and will gradually calm itself. When the front door is open, why use the back one? When the heart is pure, there is no difficulty whatsoever. Why should one be afraid of anyone, if there be no evil thought in his mind? Let the eyes do their work. Why should you feel shy and tottering?” Shama was present while Baba was speaking to Nana, but he could not follow the meaning of what Baba said, so he asked Nana about it on their way home. Nana told him about his restlessness at the sight of the beautiful lady, how Baba knew it and advised him about it. Nana explained Baba’s meaning as follows, “Our mind is fickle by nature, but it should not be allowed to run wild. The senses may get restless, but the body should be held in check and not be allowed to be impatient. Senses run after objects, but we should not follow them and crave those objects. By slow and gradual practice, restlessness can be conquered. We should not be swayed by the senses, but at the same time, they cannot be completely controlled. We should curb them rightly and properly according to the need of the occasion. Beauty is the subject of sight. We should look fearlessly at the beauty of objects. There is no room for shyness or fear and we should never entertain any evil thoughts. Making the mind desireless, we should observe God’s works of beauty. In this way, the senses will be easily and naturally controlled and even in enjoying objects, you will be reminded of God. If the outer senses are not held in check and if the mind be allowed to run after objects and be attached to them, the cycle of births and deaths will not come to an end. Objects of the senses are harmful and take us away from the spiritual goal of Self-realization. With viveka (discrimination) as our charioteer, we should control the mind and not allow the senses to go astray. With such a charioteer, we reach the Vishnu-pada, the final abode, our real home from which there is no return.”

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all 

Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 48


Chapter – 48

Warding off Devotees’ Calamities, Stories of (1) Shevade and (2) Sapatnekar

Someone asked Hemadpant whether Sai Baba was a guru or a satguru. In order to answer the question, Hemadpant describes the signs of a satguru in this chapter as follows:

Signs which determine a satguru
Hemadpant begins by describing certain characteristics which satgurus may exhibit, but which by themselves individually, do not determine if a holy man is a satguru. He who teaches us Veda and Vedanta or the six Shastra (systems). He who controls the breath, or brands his body with mudras (metallic marks of Vishnu’s weapons), or gives pleasing discourses regarding Brahma. Hemadpant then continues to define characteristics which do not determine a satguru. For example: he who gives mantras (sacred syllables) to the disciples and orders them to chant the same a certain number of times, but does not assure them any result in a definite time; he, who by his spacious worldly knowledge, explains beautifully the Ultimate Principle, but has himself no experience of Self-realization, is not a satguru.

Hemadpant then describes the virtuous characteristics of a satguru: But he, who by his discourse, creates in us a distaste for the enjoyments of this world and the next, and gives us a taste of Self-realization, who is well versed in both theoretical and practical knowledge (Self-realization), deserves to be called a satguru. How can he, who is himself devoid of Self-realization, give it to his disciples? A satguru does not, even in his dream, expect any service or profit from his disciples. On the contrary, he wishes to serve them. He does not think that he is great and the disciple small. Not only does he love the devotee as a son or daughter, but he also regards him as equal to himself or as to Brahma. The main characteristic of a satguru is that he is the abode of peace. He is never restless, nor ruffled. He has no pride of his learning. The poor and the rich, the small and the great, are the same to him. Hemadpant thinks that on account of the store or accumulations of merits in his past births, he had the good fortune of meeting and being blessed by Sai Baba, a great satguru. Even in His youth, Sai Baba hoarded nothing (except perhaps his chillim). He had no family, no friend, no home, nor any support. Since He was eighteen, His control of mind was perfect and extraordinary. He lived in a secluded place, was fearless, and always abided in His Self. Seeing the pure devotion of His devotees, He always acted in their interests and hence, He was, in a way, dependent on them. The experiences he gave His devotees while He was living in the flesh, are even now, after His mahasamadhi, obtained by those who attach themselves to Him. Thus, devotees must do the following: trim their heart lamp of faith and devotion, and burn in it wicks of love, and when this is done, the flame of knowledge (Self-realization) will be lit up and shine brighter. Mere knowledge without love is dry. No one wants such knowledge. Without love, there is no contentment, so we should have unbroken and unbounded love. How can we praise love? Everything is Insignificant before it. Without love, our reading, hearing, and study are of no avail. In the wake of love, follows devotion, dispassion, peace and liberation with all their treasures. We do not develop love for anything unless we feel earnestly about it. So where there is real yearning and feeling permeated with love, God manifests Himself, and this is the means of liberation.

Now let us revert to the main story of this chapter. Let a man go to a true saint with a pure mind, and hold his feet; ultimately he is sure to be saved. This is illustrated by the following stories:

Mr. Shevade

Mr. Sapatnekar of Akkalkot (Sholapur District) was studying law. A co-student, Mr. Shevade, met him. Other fellow students also gathered together and compared notes regarding their studies. It was found by the questions and answers amongst themselves, that Mr. Shevade was the least prepared of all for the examination, and therefore, all the students derided him. But Mr. Shevade said that although he was not prepared, he was sure to pass the examination, as his Sai Baba was there to get him through it successfully. Mr. Sapatnekar was surprised at this remark. He took Mr. Shevade aside and asked him who this Sai Baba was, whom he extolled so highly. Shevade replied, “There lives in a masjid in Shirdi (Ahmednagar District), a fakir. He is a great satpurush. There may be other saints, but this one is unique. Unless there is a great store of merit in one’s account, one can’t see Him. I fully believe in Him, and what He says will never be untrue. He has assured me that I will definitely pass next year and I am confident that I will get through the final examination with His grace.” Mr. Sapatnekar laughed at his friend’s confidence and jeered at him and Baba.

Sapatnekar

Mr. Sapatnekar passed his examination, settled at Akkalkot, and practiced as a pleader there. Ten years after that, i.e., in 1913, he lost his only son due to a throat disease. He was broken-hearted. He sought relief by making a pilgrimage to Pandharpur, Ganagapur, and other holy places, but he found no peace of mind. He then read Vedanta, which also did not help him. In the meanwhile, he remembered Mr. Shevade’s remarks and his faith in Baba, and so Sapatnekar thought he, too, should go to Shirdi and see Baba. Sapatnekar then went to Shirdi with his younger brother, Panditrao, and was very pleased to see Baba from a distance. When he was able to get near Baba, he prostrated himself and placed a cocoanut before Baba with pure feeling and devotion. Baba immediately cried out, “Go away!” Sapatnekar hung down his head, moved back, and sat to the side. He wanted to consult someone who could advise him as to how to proceed. Someone then mentioned Bala Shimpi’s name. Sapatnekar searched and found him and sought his help. They bought some pictures of Baba and brought them to the masjid. Bala Shimpi took a photo in his hand, gave it to Baba, and asked Him whose photo it was. Baba said that the photo was the ‘yara’ (lover) of Him, pointing to Sapatnekar. Saying this, Baba laughed and all the others joined. Bala asked Baba the significance of the laugh and then beckoned Sapatnekar to come forward and take darshan. When Sapatnekar began to prostrate himself, Baba again cried out, “Get out!” Sapatnekar did not know what to do.

Then he and Bala Shimpi joined hands and sat before Baba praying, but Baba ordered Sapatnekar to clear out immediately. Both men were sad and dejected, but as Baba’s order had to be obeyed, Sapatnekar left Shirdi with a heavy heart, praying he should be allowed to take darshan next time.

Mrs. Sapatnekar
One year elapsed. Still, Sapatnekar’s mind was not at peace. He went to Ganagapur where he felt even more restless. He then went to Madhegaon for rest and finally decided to go to Kashi. Two days before starting, his wife had a vision. In her dream, she was carrying a pitcher to Lakadsha’s well. There, a fakir with a piece of cloth around his head, who was sitting at the foot of a neem tree, came close to her and said, “My dear lassie, why get exhausted needlessly? I’ll get your pitcher filled with pure water for you.” She was afraid of the fakir and hastened back with the empty pitcher. The fakir followed her. Just then she awoke from the dream. When she told her husband about the vision, they both thought the dream was an auspicious sign and decided to go to Shirdi. When they reached the masjid, Baba was not there. He had gone to Lendi. Both husband and wife decided to wait until He returned. When Baba returned, Mrs. Sapatnekar was surprised to see that He resembled exactly the fakir seen in her vision. She reverently prostrated before Baba and sat gazing at him. Seeing her humility, Baba was very pleased and began to tell a story in His peculiar characteristic fashion as a third party. He said, “My arms, abdomen and waist are causing Me pain for a long time. I took various types of medicine, but the pain did not abate. I became dissatisfied with all the medicine, as everything was ineffective, but now I am surprised to see how all the pain disappeared at once.” Though no name was actually mentioned, it was the very story of Mrs. Sapatnekar. Her pain, as described by Baba, soon left her and she was very happy. Then Mr. Sapatnekar went ahead to take darshan. He was, once again, welcomed with the former, “Get out!” This time, however, Mr. Sapatnekar was more penitent and persevering, for he acknowledged that Baba’s displeasure was due to his past deeds. He then resolved to make amends for such. He determined to see Baba alone and ask His pardon for his past actions. As he did this, he placed his head on Baba’s feet and Baba placed His hand on his head. Sapatnekar then began to massage and stroke Baba’s leg.

A shepherdess came along, sat down, and began to massage Baba’s waist. Baba, in his characteristic way, then began to tell the story of a bania. He related the various vicissitudes of Sapatnekar’s entire life, including the death of his only son. Sapatnekar was quite surprised that Baba’s story was exactly that of his very own life and he wondered how Baba knew every detail. Thus, Sapatnekar learned that Baba was omniscient and knew the hearts of all. Just as that thought crossed his mind, Baba, while still addressing the shepherdess, pointed to Sapatnekar and said, “This fellow blames Me and charges Me with killing his son. Do I kill people’s children? Why does this fellow come to the masjid and cry? Now then, this is what I will do. I will bring that very child who died back into his wife’s womb.” With these words, He placed His blessing hand on Sapatnekar’s head and comforted him saying, “These feet are old and holy. You are care free now. Place your entire faith in Me and you will soon receive that which you wish.” Sapatnekar was extremely moved with emotion. He bathed Baba’s feet with his tears and then returned to his residence.

Sapatnekar made preparations of worship and naivedya and then he and his wife went to the masjid. He offered everything to Baba every day and accepted prasad from Him. There was a crowd in the masjid, but Sapatnekar went there again and again. Seeing heads clashing against heads, Baba said to Sapatnekar, “Oh, why do you prostrate yourself again and again? One namaskar offered with love and humility is enough.” That night, Sapatnekar witnessed the Chavadi procession (described in a previous chapter). In the procession, Baba looked like a veritable Pandurang (Vitthal).

The following day, before Sapatnekar left to go back home, he thought he should pay one rupee as dakshina to Baba, and, if He asked again, instead of saying no, he should pay one more, reserving for himself sufficient money to cover the expenses of the journey back home. Thus, when he went to the masjid and offered one rupee, Baba, being omniscient, asked for another as per his intention, and when it was paid, Baba blessed him saying, “Take the cocoanut, put it in your wife’s oti (upper fold of her sari) and be at ease, with no anxiety.” Sapatnekar did as he was told and within a year, a son was born to him, whom they named Murlidhar. When the infant was eight months old, they went back to Shirdi and placed the infant at Baba’s feet, praying, “Oh Sainath, we do not know how to redeem Your obligations, therefore we prostrate ourselves before You. Bless us, please, we who are helpless. Henceforth, let Your holy feet be our sole refuge. Please turn our thoughts away from worry and troubled ideas, that our minds may dwell only on Your bhajan and the great absolute. Please bless us, Baba.” Baba blessed them. In time, the Sapatnekars had two more sons, Bhaskar and Dinkar. Thus, they realized that Sai Baba’s words were always true and brought fulfillment.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 47

Chapter – 47

Baba’s Reminiscences - Story of Veerbhadrappa and Chenbassappa (snake and frog)
The last chapter described Baba’s reminiscences about two goats. This chapter depicts more recollections and relates the story of Veerbhadrappa and Chenbassappa.

Preliminary

Blessed is the face of Sai. If we cast a glance at Him for even a moment, He destroys the sorrow of many past births and confers great bliss on us. If He looks at us with grace, our bondage of karma is immediately snapped away and we are led to happiness. The river Ganges washes away the dirt and sins of all the people who go to her for a bath, but she longs intently for saints to come to her and bless her with their holy feet, thereby removing all the dirt (sins) accumulated in her. She knows with certainty that this accumulation can be removed only in this way. Sai is the crest jewel of the saints. Baba tells the following purifying story.

The snake and the frog

Sai Baba told a story about a snake and a frog in this manner: “One morning after taking My breakfast, I strolled along until I came to a small river bank. As I was tired, I rested there, washed My hands and feet, had a bath, and felt refreshed. The breeze was blowing gently. I noticed a foot path and cart track sheltered by shady trees. I sat down and as I was preparing to smoke chillim (pipe), I heard the croaking of a frog. As I was striking a flint to light a fire, a traveler turned up, sat by My side, bowed to Me and politely invited Me to his house for meals and rest. He lit his pipe and handed it to Me. Just then, the croaking was heard again and the traveler wanted to know what it was. I told him that a frog was in trouble and was tasting the bitter fruit of its own karma. We have to reap the fruit of what we sow (do) in our past life, and there is no use crying about it. He then smoked and handed the pipe to Me and said he would go in person and see for himself what was the matter. I told him that a frog was caught by a big snake and was crying. Both were very wicked in their past life and were now reaping the fruit of their actions in these bodies. The traveler went off and found that a huge black serpent was holding a big frog in its mouth.

He returned to Me and said that in about ten or twelve minutes, the frog would be eaten up by the snake. I said, “No, this cannot be allowed to happen. I am its father (protector) and I am here now. I will not allow the snake to eat the frog. Just see how I release it.” After smoking again, we walked back to where the helpless frog was meeting his fate. The traveler was afraid and asked Me not to proceed further as the snake might attack us. Not minding him, I went ahead and addressed the creatures thus, “Oh Veerbhadrappa, has your enemy, Chenbassappa, still not repented even though he has been born as a frog? And you, too, though born as a serpent, still maintain bitter enmity against him? Fie upon you! Be ashamed! Give up your hatred now and rest in peace.” Hearing these words, the snake dropped the frog quickly and dove into the river and disappeared. The frog also jumped away and hid in the bushes. The traveler was very surprised to hear this story. He said he could not understand how the snake dropped the frog and disappeared when I uttered those words. Who was Veerbhadrappa and who was Chenbassappa? What was the cause of their enmity? The traveler was perplexed. I then returned with him to the foot of the tree where we originally met and after sharing a few puffs of smoke with him, I explained the whole mystery as follows:

There was an ancient holy place sanctified by a temple of Mahadev about four or five miles from My place. The temple was old and dilapidated. The residents of the place collected funds for its repair. After a large amount was collected, arrangements for worship were made and plans with estimates for repairs were prepared. A rich local man was appointed the treasurer and the whole work was entrusted to him. He was to keep regular accounts and be honest in all his dealings. He was, however, a first class miser, and spent very little for the repairs, which, consequently, made very little progress. He spent all the funds, swallowed some amount himself, and spent nothing from his own pocket. He had a sweet tongue and was very clever in offering plausible explanations regarding the poor and tardy progress of the work.

The people went to him again and said that unless he lent his helping hand and tried his best, the work would not be complete. They requested him to work out the plans, and again, collected subscriptions and sent the amount to him. He received it, but acted as before. Thus, no progress was made on the temple repairs. After a few days, God (Mahadev) appeared in his wife’s dream and said to her, “You must get up and have the dome of the temple built. I will give you a hundred fold of what you spend.” She related the vision to her husband. He was afraid it would involve him in some expenses and therefore laughed about it saying it was a mere dream, something not to be relied and acted upon. After all, why didn’t God appear to him and tell him? Was he far off from her? He continued that it all appears to have been a bad dream, having for its object the creation of ill feeling between husband and wife. Hearing this, the wife remained quiet.”

God does not like big subscriptions and donations collected against the wishes of the donors, but He likes even trifling amounts given with love, devotion and appreciation. Some days after, God again appeared in the wife’s dream and said, “Do not concern yourself with your husband’s attitude and the collections he manages. Do not press him to spend any money for the temple. What I want is feeling and devotion. So give, if you like, anything of your own.” She consulted her husband about the vision and decided to give God the jewelry her father had given her. The miser felt disconcerted by this and decided to cheat even God. He undervalued the ornaments at Rs. 1,000/ and bought them himself, but in lieu of money, he gave a field to God as an endowment (security). His wife agreed to this. The field (land), however, did not belong to the miser. Rather, it belonged to a poor woman named Dubaki, who mortgaged it to him for Rs. 200/. Thus, the cunning miser cheated every one - his wife, Dubaki and even God! The land was sterile, uncultivated and yielded nothing, even in the best seasons. It was virtually worthless, but the transaction was completed and the land was given to a poor priest who was pleased with the endowment.

Sometime later, strange things happened. There was a terrific storm with a heavy down pour of rain. Lightening struck the miser’s house, killing both he and his wife. Dubaki also passed away. In the next life, the rich miser was born in a Brahmin family in Mathura and was named Veerbhadrappa. His devout wife of his past life was born as the daughter of the priest of the temple and was named Gouri. Dubaki, the mortgagor of the barren land, was born as a male in the family of the temple’s gurav, and was named Chenbassappa. The priest was a friend of Mine. He often came to chat and have a smoke with Me. His daughter, Gouri, was also devoted to Me. She was growing fast and her father was seeking a good husband for her. I told him not to worry about that as the bridegroom himself would come seeking her.

In time, a poor boy named Veerbhadrappa, of their caste, came wandering to the priest’s home, begging for bread. With My consent, Gouri was given to him in marriage. At first, the young man was devoted to Me, as I recommended his marriage with Gouri. Yet even in this new life, he was hankering after money and asked Me to help him get some, as he was leading a married man’s life. Then, strange things happened. There was a sudden rise in prices. By Gouri’s good luck, there was a great demand for land and the endowment land was sold for one lac of rupees (one hundred times the worth of her jewelry). Half the amount was paid in cash and the remaining was to be paid in twenty-five installments of Rs. 2,000/ each. Although all agreed to this transaction, they began to quarrel over the money. They came to Me for consultation. I told them that the property belonged to God and was vested in the priest, and Gouri was his sole heiress and proprietress. I said no amount of money should be spent without her consent and that her husband had no right whatsoever to the amount.

Hearing My opinion, Veerbhadrappa was wroth with Me and said that I wanted to establish Gouri’s claim and embezzle her property. Hearing his words, I remembered God and kept quiet. Veerbhadrappa scolded his wife (Gouri) and she came to Me at noon requesting Me not to mind the words of others and not to discard her, as she was My daughter. As she thus sought My protection, I gave her a pledge that I would cross seven seas to help her. Then, that night, Gouri had a vision. Mahadev appeared in her dream and said, “The whole amount of the money is yours. Do not give anything to anyone. Spend some of it for temple purposes in consultation with Chenbassappa, and if you want to use it for some other purpose, consult Baba in the masjid (Myself).” Gouri described her dream to Me and I gave her the proper advice in the matter. I told her to take the principal, or capital, amount for herself and to give half the amount of the interest to Chenbassappa. Veerbhadrappa should have nothing to do in the matter whatsoever. While I was thus talking, both Veerbhadrappa and Chenbassappa, who were quarreling with each other, came in. Veerbhadrappa became angry and wild and threatened to kill Chenbassappa by cutting him to pieces. The latter was timid. He caught My feet and sought My refuge. I then pledged Myself to save him from the wrath of his foe.

Then, after some time, Veerbhadrappa died and was born as a snake and Chenbassappa died and, according to his karma, was born as a frog. Hearing the croaking of Chenbassappa and remembering My pledge, I came here, saved him, and kept My word. God runs to His devotees to help in times of danger. He saved Chenbassappa (the frog) by sending Me here. All this is God’s leela or sport.”

The Moral

The moral of this story is that one has to reap what one sows, and there is no escape unless one suffers and squares up one’s old debts and dealings with others. Greed for money drags the greedy man to the lowest level and ultimately brings destruction on him and others.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 46

Chapter – 46

Baba’s Gaya Trip - Story of Two Goat

This chapter describes Shama’s trip to Kashi, Prayag and Gaya and how Baba, in the form of His portrait, was there ahead of him. It also describes Baba’s reminiscences of the past birth of two goats.

Preliminary

Blessed, Oh Sai, are Your feet. Blessed is Your remembrance and blessed is Your darshan, which frees us from the bond of karma. Though Your form is invisible to us now, still, devotees who believe in You get living experiences from You. By an invisible and subtle thread, You draw Your devotees from far and near to Your feet and embrace them. The devotees do not know where You are, but You so skillfully pull the wires, that they ultimately realize You are very close to them and support them. The intelligent, wise and learned folk fall into the pit of samsar on account of their egoism, but You save the poor, simple and devout people with Your power. You play the game inwardly and invisibly, but at the same time, demonstrate that you are not concerned with it. You do things, but pose as a nondoer. No one ever knows or understands Your life. The best course for us is to surrender our body, speech, and mind to Your feet and always chant Your name for destroying our sins. You fulfill the wishes of the devotees and to those who are without any desire, You give supreme bliss. Chanting Your sweet name is the easiest sadhana for devotees. By this sadhana, our sins, rajas and tamas, will vanish. The sattwic qualities and righteousness will gain predominance and along with that, discrimination, dispassion and knowledge will follow. Then, we shall abide in our Self and our guru, who are one and the same. This is what is called complete surrender to the guru. The only sure sign of this is the mind becoming peaceful and calm. The greatness of this surrender, devotion and knowledge is unique, for peace, non-attachment, fame and salvation etc. come in its train.

If Baba accepts a devotee, He follows him and stands by him day and night, at his home and abroad. Let the devotee go anywhere he likes, Baba is there ahead of him in some form in an inconceivable manner. The following story illustrates this.

Gaya Trip

Sometime after Kakasaheb Dixit was introduced to Sai Baba, he decided to perform the thread (Upanayan) ceremony of his eldest son, Bapu, at Nagpur. At about the same time, Nanasaheb Chandorkar decided to perform the marriage ceremony of his eldest son at Gwalior. Both Dixit and Chandorkar came to Shirdi and lovingly invited Baba to these functions, but Baba asked them to take Shama as His representative. When they persisted and begged Him to come in person, Baba again told them to take Shama and added, “after doing Banares and Prayag, I will be ahead of Shama.” Now mark these words for they show Baba’s all pervasiveness. Having received Baba’s permission, Shama planned to go to Nagpur for the Upanayan and then to Gwalior for the marriage ceremony, after which, he planned to travel to Kashi, Prayag and Gaya. Appa Kote made up his mind to accompany Shama and so they both went first to Nagpur for the thread ceremony. Kakasaheb Dixit gave Shama Rs. 200/ for his expenses. They then went to Gwalior for the marriage ceremony. There, Nanasaheb Chandorkar gave Shama Rs.100/ and his vyahih (relation), Mr. Jathar, gave him Rs. 100/ as well.

After the marriage ceremony at Gwalior, Shama went to Kashi, (Banares) where he stayed for two months. He was well received there by Jathar’s manager in Jathar’s beautiful temple of Laxmi-Naraya. Following this, they visited the Rama Mandir at Ayodhya. Shama and Kote stayed in Ayodhya for twenty-one days and then left for Gaya by train. During the train ride, they felt a little uneasy on hearing that plague was prevailing in Gaya. When they reached Gaya station it was night time, so they stayed in the Dharmashala. In the morning, the gayawala (the priest who arranges and provides for the lodging and boarding of the pilgrims) came and told them, “The pilgrims have already started, you better make haste.” Shama casually asked whether there was plague in Gaya. The gayawala responded, “No” and continued, “Please come without any fear or anxiety and see for yourself.” Shama and Kote went with the priest and stayed in his house, which was a large and commodious wada. Shama was pleased with the accommodation provided for him, but what pleased him most, was the beautiful big portrait of Baba hanging in the central front portion of the building. He then remembered Baba’s words: “After doing Kashi and Prayag, I will be ahead of Shama,” and burst into tears. His hairs stood on end, his throat was choked, and he began to sob. The gayawala thought Shama was crying because he was afraid the plague might be prevailing there, but just then, Shama inquired where he had gotten Baba’s portrait. The priest replied he had two or three hundred agents working at Manmad and Punatambe who were looking after the comforts of the pilgrims going to Gaya and that he heard of Baba’s fame from them. He continued, saying that about twelve years ago, he went to Shirdi and took Baba’s darshan. There, in Shama’s house, he saw a portrait of Baba which he wanted. Having received Baba’s permission, Shama gave him the portrait. This was that very portrait. Shama then remembered the incident and the gayawala’s joy knew no bounds when he learnt that the same Shama who obliged him before, was now his guest. Both Shama and the priest were delighted and amazed.

The gayawala, who was a very rich man, gave Shama a royal welcome. He saw to it that all Shama’s comforts and conveniences were provided for. The gayawala sat in a palanquin and gave Shama a fine elephant to ride. The moral of the story is that Baba’s words came out true to the letter and He has unbounded love towards His devotees. Beyond this, Baba loves all creatures equally, for being in all, of all and through all, He is one with them. The following story will illustrate this.

Two Goats

Once, as Baba was returning from Lendi, He saw a flock of goats. Two of them attracted His attention. Baba went over to them, caressed and fondled them, and bought them for Rs. 32/. The devotees were surprised at this conduct of Baba. They felt Baba was duped in such a bargain, as the goats would fetch Rs. 2/ each, at the most Rs. 3/ or Rs. 4/ each, i.e., Rs. 8/ for both. They began to take Baba to task for that, but Baba kept calm and cool. Shama and Tatya Kote asked Baba for an explanation and He told them that as He had no home nor family to look after, He should not store money. He asked them to purchase at His own expense, 4 seers of ‘dal’ (lentil), and to feed the goats. After that was done, Baba returned the goats to the owner of the flock and described the following reminiscences and story of the goats. “Oh Shama and Tatya, you think I have been deceived in this bargain. Now Listen to their story. In their former birth, they were human beings and had the good fortune to be My companions and sit by My side. They were brothers, loving each other at first, but later on, they became enemies. The elder brother was an idle fellow, while the younger one was always active and earned a lot of money. The elder brother became greedy and jealous and wanted to kill his brother and take his money. They forgot their fraternal relations and began to quarrel with each other. The elder brother resorted to many devices to kill his younger brother, but all his attempts failed. Thus, they became deadly enemies and finally, on one occasion, the elder struck the younger on the head with a deadly blow with a big stick, while the latter struck the former with an ax. As a result, both brothers died of the injuries they each had sustained and, because of their evil actions, both were re-born as goats. As they passed by Me, I recognized them at once and remembered their past history. Taking pity on them, I wanted to feed them and give them rest and comfort and for this reason, I spent all the money for which you reprove me. As you did not like My bargain, I sent them back to their shepherd.” Such was Sai’s love for the goats.


Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

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