Shri Sai Satcharita
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
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).
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
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