BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
SRI SHIRDI SAI BABA'S NECTOR WORDS
1.The secret of happiness lies in serving God almighty with joy and abandon.
2.Contentment is the harbinger of mental peace and happiness.
3.Speak with love to everyone, and take great care not to hurt the feelings of others.
4.The true essence of God is bliss. Therefore, by surrendering at His Lotus Feet you too can partake of this supreme anand.
5.True bhakti means intense and self-abnegating love for the divine.
6.A dedication of all your actions to God or Guru is the true essence of devotion.
7.Gnan (Knowledge) which is not tinged with bhakti (Devotion) is bleak and uninspiring.
8.Inflicting pain on others by body, mind and speech is sin; the reverse is merit, good.
9.Welcome whoever comes to your house, give water to the thirsty, cloth to the naked, keep in your house the helpless this will satisfy Sri Hari (God).
25 January 2009
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 39
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
HOW DO MASTERS REDEEM DEVOTEES ?
STEADY UPLIFT ENDING IN FREEDOM FROM CYCLE OF BIRTHS
How do Saints or Samarthas help humanity? This interesting question is answered in the following statement prepared jointly by B. V. Narasimhaswami and Bharatananda.
The Supreme Being is thought of as having five aspects or functions with names appropriate to each :--
Creation : Brahma in conjunction with Saraswathi.
Maintenance:Vishnu or Narayana in conjunction with Laxmi.
Destruction :Rudra in conjunction with Kali.
Iswar :Mahesh in conjunction with Maheswari.
Redemption :Sadashiva in conjuction with Kripa.
There are avatars combining often several of these elements. The life work of a Samartha Sadguru lead one to identify him with the Redemption aspect of the Supreme Being.
Jivas, like ourselves, are going on from birth to birth. They are the Supreme Being, but shot out of Him by an initial act of nescience (Maya). Then the initial ignorance developed by a series of their Karmas, whirls them at a terrific velocity in the circle of Samsara. The Jivas feel powerless to get out of it. They are moved by desire (Vasana) to acts (Karma) which in turn strengthen desire. So the vicious circle of Karma and Vasana catches the Jivas in its powerful grip and unaided they feel they cannot wriggle out. If they try to do so, they only get more and more entangled more and more involved in Samsara. How are these Jivas then to be helped out of this involution in evolution, so that they may evolve themselves back into the state of the Supreme Being?
Avatars to Help:
At special times Avatars of the Supreme Being come down to raise humanity in masses. The Avatars do not as a rule set to themselves the task of caring for particular Jivas spiritual advance. So the work of the Avatars finds its supplement and fulfilment in the work of the Samartha Sadgurus. These with the vast powers, knowledge and bliss of the Supreme proceed to deal with individual Jivas and help them out of their involution to evolve into the Supreme Being. Samarthas like Sri Sai Baba are called Samarthas because of their vast nay unlimited, power, wisdom and bliss and they are called Sadgurus, because they appear in order to act as the Guru for individual Jivas to lead them into the Sat or Supreme. The powers of Samarthas may, to a superficial view, appear like the feats of a thought-reader, magician or necromancer. But there are unmistakable differences between these two sets of powers in respect of their origin, their nature or limits, the manner of exercise and the purpose or motive of such exercise. The magician and others of his like acquire their power and exercise it with great effort and its exercise is within definite limits of time, space, etc. and the purpose of the exercise may be either sordid or at any rate clearly personal. The Samartha, on the other hand, has not to work for the powers , the powers come as pan of his realisation and perfection; and exercise of his powers is not the result of effort. These powers are not limited to any particular sort or class, as even Ashta Siddhis are limited in comparison with the Samarthas.The purpose of the Samarthas, exercise is pure mercy for the Jiva, whose spiritual advance is distinctly furthered thereby.
How They Work :
We may proceed to examine the main feature of the work of the Samartha Sadguru.
The point at which a Jiva's involution or Samsaric life turns to evolution or the Path of Redemption is the appearance of the Sadguru to that Jiva. How did the Jiva start his Jiva hood? By forgetting its original, its real, nature as Brahman and thus disturbing the harmony of the Gunas that prevailed in Brahman till the forgetting. At that moment, a disturbance in the Gunas took place and the Jiva started its samsaric career. The original Brahmic state was the clear unruffled waters of the ocean. The disturbance caused in it a small whirl. This whirl is the Jiva; and it fancied itself (and this is the primary ignorance) different from the waters of the ocean, by reason of its being a whirl. The Sadguru comes and restores the harmony that pravailed before the Jiva started this whirling. The Sadguru shows the whirl that it is water after all this , Jiva realising that truth sinks into peace as part of the ocean and thus primal harmony is restored by the Sadguru. This is the essence of Sadgurus work. But the general lines of his work we shall next consider.
The Initial Help :
First the Jiva is under a heavy load of past Karmas which weighs him down and pins him to Samsara. He has to reap the pains and pleasures he has sown. If he tries to remove one item of load he does two more acts and thereby increases the load. This is because of his weakness, and want of clear vision, and of ability to know and direct himself alright. He requires, therefore, the help of one who knows the situation exactly and what will meet it in the individuals special circumstances. Such a guide and director is the Sadguru. So the Jiva has to go to a Sadguru. But unfortunately even the desire to approach a Sadguru and the idea of how to approach him properly are foreign to the Karma-bound Jiva. So taking advantage of a little punya (merit) acquired by the Jiva by means of previous contact (however remote) with the Sadguru or any other holy person, the Sadguru mercifully makes the approach easier for the Jiva. By his vast powers, the Sadguru helps the poor. Jiva, even temporally in a way under such marvellous circumstances that the Jiva is pulled out of his vicious circle, and roused to a sense of admiration, gratitude and reverence to the Samartha, noting especially how divine the Sadguru is contrasted with the earthly Jiva.
Later Development :
Thus the Jiva gets prepared to and does attach himself by love to the Samartha Sadguru and the latter increases his faith by showing him more and more of his vast knowledge, vast power, vast kindness and love,all exercised on behalf of the devotees out of pure mercy. As part of this same mercy, the Guru directs the devotee to do some acts which will increase the punya or good Karma and reduce the papa or bad Karma of the devotee. The more good Karma is done, the more is the doer reducing his heavy load of past bad Karma, without committing fresh bad Karma. Results of previous Karmas are even advanced and regulated by the Samartha's omniscience and omnipotence to help his dependent reap his harvest more quickly.
But in this process the Jiva is apt to get attached to the doing of punya or meritorious work. Though they enable him to get over Rajas and Tamas, they still bind him through Satva, as they will carry him to repeated births in nice worlds i.e. of the Gods, Even this Satvic bondage must be rent as under.
So the Guru next weans the devotee even from good works. For the purpose, the devotee must have an attachment higher and stronger than good works. That is the attachment to, and love for the Guru, ending in surrender to the Guru. Attachment to the Guru is useful no doubt. But its early stages leave in the mind of the devotee the idea that he is still the person directing his affection to the Guru, and doing the appropriate service therefore and that he is doing something worthy and meritorious. It nearly approaches detachment by reason of absence of personal motive but is still tainted with Egoism, i.e. with the sense of the devotee being an agent, a voluntary performer of action. This sense also must be knocked on the head or banished. Its absence is surrender to or identification with the Guru. Identification and surrender are almost the same, with a slight difference. In surrender, the process is marked by humility and a desire to end the self, which need not be distinctly present in identification with the Guru. Identification may be the result of surrender but is seldom its cause. The fruit of identification is the destruction of the primal Maya or nescience under which the Jiva started its separate existence. Surrender restores the balance (or harmony) of gunas that was upset when the separate existence of the Jiva commenced.
Towards Surrender :
This surrender is brought about when the feeling of the devotee towards his Guru gets intensified. Such intensification is comparable to a huge world-wide dynamo attracting an electrified atom. The devotee, the atom, may however still be feeling or fancying that it is moving of its own accord to the huge dynamo, the Guru and then the devotee may even raise the question how this surrender is to be effected and accelerated.
In this connection, we may consider another line on which the devotee Jiva's progress is proceeding. The devotee starts with devotion to his Guru or God, who is felt to be entirely outside him, i.e. outside the devotee's body. The devotee is then under the influence of Rajas and Tamas and identifies himself almost entirely with the body. But increasing contact with the Sadguru and increasing faith in him, with good works, especially selfless, meritorious works, reduce the Rajasic and Tamasic elements of the devotee and wear off his Deh-atma-buddi, i.e., the idea that he is the body.
His ideas of God get broader and finer and more emphasis is laid on God's and Guru's spiritual nature which bursts the shackless of finite space limits. The Guru God is not confined to the small human body but extends far beyond covering the entire universe on one side, and, on the other, is very subtle and therefore enters as Sarva Antaryami into all hearts. The devotee begins to feel that the Guru,God is his own Antaryami, i.e., he sees him within himself. TheSamartha's vast powers enable the devotee to obtain the finer sight actually to see the Guru within his own heart. The inner presence of God,Guru can never be inactive. His real living presence within asserts itself more and more and swallows up the Jivahood of the Jiva. This is self surrender of the Jiva when viewed from the latter's stand-point. With this swallowing up or surrender, all old Karmas, good and bad, are swallowed up.
The Final Snap :
The Vasanas or tendencies to do fresh Karma have also to be destroyed in the Jiva's progress. Vasanas are desires or desire tendencies directed to lower objects (whether earthly or otherworldly objects). These have to be swallowed up only by a stronger and purer desire or affection, by something more exacting than earthly love. As stated already, such stronger passion is the devotee's love for the Guru, and it is that love that blossoms into complete self-surrender. This surrender alone totally extinguishes Vasanas. Once Vasanas are destroyed, there is no more ego, no more of vicious circle of Samsara, and the Evolution of the Jiva into the Supreme is complete. Then the Jiva sees that the Samartha Sadguru has all along been with him, inside and outside, and that the Jiva , the Sadguru and the Supreme Being are and always have been one and the same Real.
HOW DO MASTERS REDEEM DEVOTEES ?
STEADY UPLIFT ENDING IN FREEDOM FROM CYCLE OF BIRTHS
How do Saints or Samarthas help humanity? This interesting question is answered in the following statement prepared jointly by B. V. Narasimhaswami and Bharatananda.
The Supreme Being is thought of as having five aspects or functions with names appropriate to each :--
Creation : Brahma in conjunction with Saraswathi.
Maintenance:Vishnu or Narayana in conjunction with Laxmi.
Destruction :Rudra in conjunction with Kali.
Iswar :Mahesh in conjunction with Maheswari.
Redemption :Sadashiva in conjuction with Kripa.
There are avatars combining often several of these elements. The life work of a Samartha Sadguru lead one to identify him with the Redemption aspect of the Supreme Being.
Jivas, like ourselves, are going on from birth to birth. They are the Supreme Being, but shot out of Him by an initial act of nescience (Maya). Then the initial ignorance developed by a series of their Karmas, whirls them at a terrific velocity in the circle of Samsara. The Jivas feel powerless to get out of it. They are moved by desire (Vasana) to acts (Karma) which in turn strengthen desire. So the vicious circle of Karma and Vasana catches the Jivas in its powerful grip and unaided they feel they cannot wriggle out. If they try to do so, they only get more and more entangled more and more involved in Samsara. How are these Jivas then to be helped out of this involution in evolution, so that they may evolve themselves back into the state of the Supreme Being?
Avatars to Help:
At special times Avatars of the Supreme Being come down to raise humanity in masses. The Avatars do not as a rule set to themselves the task of caring for particular Jivas spiritual advance. So the work of the Avatars finds its supplement and fulfilment in the work of the Samartha Sadgurus. These with the vast powers, knowledge and bliss of the Supreme proceed to deal with individual Jivas and help them out of their involution to evolve into the Supreme Being. Samarthas like Sri Sai Baba are called Samarthas because of their vast nay unlimited, power, wisdom and bliss and they are called Sadgurus, because they appear in order to act as the Guru for individual Jivas to lead them into the Sat or Supreme. The powers of Samarthas may, to a superficial view, appear like the feats of a thought-reader, magician or necromancer. But there are unmistakable differences between these two sets of powers in respect of their origin, their nature or limits, the manner of exercise and the purpose or motive of such exercise. The magician and others of his like acquire their power and exercise it with great effort and its exercise is within definite limits of time, space, etc. and the purpose of the exercise may be either sordid or at any rate clearly personal. The Samartha, on the other hand, has not to work for the powers , the powers come as pan of his realisation and perfection; and exercise of his powers is not the result of effort. These powers are not limited to any particular sort or class, as even Ashta Siddhis are limited in comparison with the Samarthas.The purpose of the Samarthas, exercise is pure mercy for the Jiva, whose spiritual advance is distinctly furthered thereby.
How They Work :
We may proceed to examine the main feature of the work of the Samartha Sadguru.
The point at which a Jiva's involution or Samsaric life turns to evolution or the Path of Redemption is the appearance of the Sadguru to that Jiva. How did the Jiva start his Jiva hood? By forgetting its original, its real, nature as Brahman and thus disturbing the harmony of the Gunas that prevailed in Brahman till the forgetting. At that moment, a disturbance in the Gunas took place and the Jiva started its samsaric career. The original Brahmic state was the clear unruffled waters of the ocean. The disturbance caused in it a small whirl. This whirl is the Jiva; and it fancied itself (and this is the primary ignorance) different from the waters of the ocean, by reason of its being a whirl. The Sadguru comes and restores the harmony that pravailed before the Jiva started this whirling. The Sadguru shows the whirl that it is water after all this , Jiva realising that truth sinks into peace as part of the ocean and thus primal harmony is restored by the Sadguru. This is the essence of Sadgurus work. But the general lines of his work we shall next consider.
The Initial Help :
First the Jiva is under a heavy load of past Karmas which weighs him down and pins him to Samsara. He has to reap the pains and pleasures he has sown. If he tries to remove one item of load he does two more acts and thereby increases the load. This is because of his weakness, and want of clear vision, and of ability to know and direct himself alright. He requires, therefore, the help of one who knows the situation exactly and what will meet it in the individuals special circumstances. Such a guide and director is the Sadguru. So the Jiva has to go to a Sadguru. But unfortunately even the desire to approach a Sadguru and the idea of how to approach him properly are foreign to the Karma-bound Jiva. So taking advantage of a little punya (merit) acquired by the Jiva by means of previous contact (however remote) with the Sadguru or any other holy person, the Sadguru mercifully makes the approach easier for the Jiva. By his vast powers, the Sadguru helps the poor. Jiva, even temporally in a way under such marvellous circumstances that the Jiva is pulled out of his vicious circle, and roused to a sense of admiration, gratitude and reverence to the Samartha, noting especially how divine the Sadguru is contrasted with the earthly Jiva.
Later Development :
Thus the Jiva gets prepared to and does attach himself by love to the Samartha Sadguru and the latter increases his faith by showing him more and more of his vast knowledge, vast power, vast kindness and love,all exercised on behalf of the devotees out of pure mercy. As part of this same mercy, the Guru directs the devotee to do some acts which will increase the punya or good Karma and reduce the papa or bad Karma of the devotee. The more good Karma is done, the more is the doer reducing his heavy load of past bad Karma, without committing fresh bad Karma. Results of previous Karmas are even advanced and regulated by the Samartha's omniscience and omnipotence to help his dependent reap his harvest more quickly.
But in this process the Jiva is apt to get attached to the doing of punya or meritorious work. Though they enable him to get over Rajas and Tamas, they still bind him through Satva, as they will carry him to repeated births in nice worlds i.e. of the Gods, Even this Satvic bondage must be rent as under.
So the Guru next weans the devotee even from good works. For the purpose, the devotee must have an attachment higher and stronger than good works. That is the attachment to, and love for the Guru, ending in surrender to the Guru. Attachment to the Guru is useful no doubt. But its early stages leave in the mind of the devotee the idea that he is still the person directing his affection to the Guru, and doing the appropriate service therefore and that he is doing something worthy and meritorious. It nearly approaches detachment by reason of absence of personal motive but is still tainted with Egoism, i.e. with the sense of the devotee being an agent, a voluntary performer of action. This sense also must be knocked on the head or banished. Its absence is surrender to or identification with the Guru. Identification and surrender are almost the same, with a slight difference. In surrender, the process is marked by humility and a desire to end the self, which need not be distinctly present in identification with the Guru. Identification may be the result of surrender but is seldom its cause. The fruit of identification is the destruction of the primal Maya or nescience under which the Jiva started its separate existence. Surrender restores the balance (or harmony) of gunas that was upset when the separate existence of the Jiva commenced.
Towards Surrender :
This surrender is brought about when the feeling of the devotee towards his Guru gets intensified. Such intensification is comparable to a huge world-wide dynamo attracting an electrified atom. The devotee, the atom, may however still be feeling or fancying that it is moving of its own accord to the huge dynamo, the Guru and then the devotee may even raise the question how this surrender is to be effected and accelerated.
In this connection, we may consider another line on which the devotee Jiva's progress is proceeding. The devotee starts with devotion to his Guru or God, who is felt to be entirely outside him, i.e. outside the devotee's body. The devotee is then under the influence of Rajas and Tamas and identifies himself almost entirely with the body. But increasing contact with the Sadguru and increasing faith in him, with good works, especially selfless, meritorious works, reduce the Rajasic and Tamasic elements of the devotee and wear off his Deh-atma-buddi, i.e., the idea that he is the body.
His ideas of God get broader and finer and more emphasis is laid on God's and Guru's spiritual nature which bursts the shackless of finite space limits. The Guru God is not confined to the small human body but extends far beyond covering the entire universe on one side, and, on the other, is very subtle and therefore enters as Sarva Antaryami into all hearts. The devotee begins to feel that the Guru,God is his own Antaryami, i.e., he sees him within himself. TheSamartha's vast powers enable the devotee to obtain the finer sight actually to see the Guru within his own heart. The inner presence of God,Guru can never be inactive. His real living presence within asserts itself more and more and swallows up the Jivahood of the Jiva. This is self surrender of the Jiva when viewed from the latter's stand-point. With this swallowing up or surrender, all old Karmas, good and bad, are swallowed up.
The Final Snap :
The Vasanas or tendencies to do fresh Karma have also to be destroyed in the Jiva's progress. Vasanas are desires or desire tendencies directed to lower objects (whether earthly or otherworldly objects). These have to be swallowed up only by a stronger and purer desire or affection, by something more exacting than earthly love. As stated already, such stronger passion is the devotee's love for the Guru, and it is that love that blossoms into complete self-surrender. This surrender alone totally extinguishes Vasanas. Once Vasanas are destroyed, there is no more ego, no more of vicious circle of Samsara, and the Evolution of the Jiva into the Supreme is complete. Then the Jiva sees that the Samartha Sadguru has all along been with him, inside and outside, and that the Jiva , the Sadguru and the Supreme Being are and always have been one and the same Real.
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 38
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARDS INSECTS AND REPTILES
CONFLICTING ADVICE
Numerous are the instances when Sri Sai Baba saved his devotees from snakes or death from snake bites. In some instances, he actually foretold the accident and vouched safe protection.
At Shirdi, one day, Nana Saheb Dengle who had acquired considerable proficiency in Astrology, told G. M. Buty, a rich devotee from Nagpur, that there was a "ganda" or danger to Duty's life that day. A little later, both of them went to the masjid and sat near Baba, mentioning nothing of the apprehended danger. But Baba himself broached the subject and addressed Buty.
Baba : What does Nana say? He sees Death coming to you, eh? We have no need to fear. Strike ! Let me see how you strike and kill !
Spared Long :
Later, in the evening, Buty went out to ease himself; and near him was a snake. Both he and his servant saw the snake; and before they could fetch a stick to despatch it, it moved away. The "ganda" or danger had indeed come. But under the eye of Baba, that watches everything everywhere, the danger was averted. Buty had much pious work for Baba yet to do; and Baba shielded his life and limb for years till the arrival of the fated hour in 1921.
While in this case the snake escaped, in all others even in the presence of Baba the snake was clubbed to death. Did Baba approve of it?
The general question of clemency to noxious reptiles and insects bristles with difficulties and conflict of interest:
Tukaram, a great authority in the Maharashtra has said that snakes and scorpions are God (Narayana) and that they should be worshipped of course, at a safe and respectful distance. The Sage of Dakshineswar preached the same doctrine, stressing the precautionary clause at the end, in respect of tigers, etc., but showed by example that bugs and other such vermin may be killed. Srimad Bhagavad Skanda VII says: Even a saint may rejoice at the killing of snakes and scorpions. H. S, Dixit, ex. M.L C. was greatly perplexed by these considerations; and he put the question in his own peculiar way to Baba, "To prevent death from snake bite people kill venomous snakes as soon as they see them. Is that right?"
Baba said "No. A snake will not kill a person, unless so ordered by God (i.e., Destiny). If that is ordered, that person will not succeed in killing the snake and escaping destiny."
Numerous devotees encounter snakes at Shirdi not infrequently and they generally let them pass scout free, treating them as Baba in reptile form.
RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARDS INSECTS AND REPTILES
CONFLICTING ADVICE
Numerous are the instances when Sri Sai Baba saved his devotees from snakes or death from snake bites. In some instances, he actually foretold the accident and vouched safe protection.
At Shirdi, one day, Nana Saheb Dengle who had acquired considerable proficiency in Astrology, told G. M. Buty, a rich devotee from Nagpur, that there was a "ganda" or danger to Duty's life that day. A little later, both of them went to the masjid and sat near Baba, mentioning nothing of the apprehended danger. But Baba himself broached the subject and addressed Buty.
Baba : What does Nana say? He sees Death coming to you, eh? We have no need to fear. Strike ! Let me see how you strike and kill !
Spared Long :
Later, in the evening, Buty went out to ease himself; and near him was a snake. Both he and his servant saw the snake; and before they could fetch a stick to despatch it, it moved away. The "ganda" or danger had indeed come. But under the eye of Baba, that watches everything everywhere, the danger was averted. Buty had much pious work for Baba yet to do; and Baba shielded his life and limb for years till the arrival of the fated hour in 1921.
While in this case the snake escaped, in all others even in the presence of Baba the snake was clubbed to death. Did Baba approve of it?
The general question of clemency to noxious reptiles and insects bristles with difficulties and conflict of interest:
Tukaram, a great authority in the Maharashtra has said that snakes and scorpions are God (Narayana) and that they should be worshipped of course, at a safe and respectful distance. The Sage of Dakshineswar preached the same doctrine, stressing the precautionary clause at the end, in respect of tigers, etc., but showed by example that bugs and other such vermin may be killed. Srimad Bhagavad Skanda VII says: Even a saint may rejoice at the killing of snakes and scorpions. H. S, Dixit, ex. M.L C. was greatly perplexed by these considerations; and he put the question in his own peculiar way to Baba, "To prevent death from snake bite people kill venomous snakes as soon as they see them. Is that right?"
Baba said "No. A snake will not kill a person, unless so ordered by God (i.e., Destiny). If that is ordered, that person will not succeed in killing the snake and escaping destiny."
Numerous devotees encounter snakes at Shirdi not infrequently and they generally let them pass scout free, treating them as Baba in reptile form.
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 37
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
WHEN THE FAITHLESS GROW PENITENT
SRI SAI BABA'S WAY ...
Some 40 years ago, two friends were discussing their prospects for the Law Examination.
One said that he was sure to pass, though he had not prepared for it because Sri Sai Baba had assured him. The other, Sapatnekar, simply laughed at his friend's confidence and jeered at him and at Baba.
When the results came, the friends name was in the pass list. Sapatnekar was surprised, but still, "That must be a fluke", he thought. He had no faith in, nor regard for Baba.
Then Sapatnekar settled at Akkalkot and practised as a lawyer. Ten years passed. And then he lost his only son and it broke his heart. He sought relief and peace of mind by pilgrimage and study of Vedanta. No peace came to him however. Then he remembered that he had treated Sri Sai Baba's name and powers with contempt and feared that perhaps the bereavement was a punishment. Any how it would be good to go and see Baba at Shirdi and he started. When he went and prostrated before Baba, the latter uttered the chilling words "Chal Hat", i.e., "Getaway'. This was repeated a second time arid even a third. He left Shirdi, thoroughly mortified.
A year passed and then he was preparing for a pilgrimage to Kasi. Just then his wife saw a fakir in her dream, who told her: "Come to me. Why do you make vain efforts?" This showed them that Baba had realised and was more favourably disposed. Sapatnekar then came to Shirdi and fell at Baba's feet. His wife who saw Baba then for the first time noticed that Baba's was the exact figure that came to her in the dream. Baba, however, still uttered "Chal Hat" when he fell at His feet. This time he was more penitent and persevering. He admitted to himself that he did not deserve any better treatment and resolved to see Baba later in the day in the absence of a crowd, to beg pardon for his past contempt. This he did and then Baba kindly stroked his head. Baba strengthened his faith by addressing a shepherdess that had come there, in his characteristic fashion. Baba narrated the various vicissitudes of Sapatnekar's life,never mentioning his name however. His heart was heaving with wonder and joy. None else could know all that Sai then knew and spoke out.
Then the Gift :
Then Baba still addressing the shepherdess pointed to Sapatnekar and said, "This man blames me and charges me with killing his son. Now, I will bring that very child back to his wife's womb".
With these words, Baba placed his blessing hand over Sapatnekar's head and added : "Place entire faith in my words. Your object will be quickly attained". Sapatnekar again glowed with joy and his faith grew in intensity.
At parting Baba gave him a coconut and directed him , place it in the fold of his wife's upper cloth and go away rejoicing.
He did so and in 12 month's time, a son was born to him. Baba's words, he then realised, were never nature, never unfulfilled.
WHEN THE FAITHLESS GROW PENITENT
SRI SAI BABA'S WAY ...
Some 40 years ago, two friends were discussing their prospects for the Law Examination.
One said that he was sure to pass, though he had not prepared for it because Sri Sai Baba had assured him. The other, Sapatnekar, simply laughed at his friend's confidence and jeered at him and at Baba.
When the results came, the friends name was in the pass list. Sapatnekar was surprised, but still, "That must be a fluke", he thought. He had no faith in, nor regard for Baba.
Then Sapatnekar settled at Akkalkot and practised as a lawyer. Ten years passed. And then he lost his only son and it broke his heart. He sought relief and peace of mind by pilgrimage and study of Vedanta. No peace came to him however. Then he remembered that he had treated Sri Sai Baba's name and powers with contempt and feared that perhaps the bereavement was a punishment. Any how it would be good to go and see Baba at Shirdi and he started. When he went and prostrated before Baba, the latter uttered the chilling words "Chal Hat", i.e., "Getaway'. This was repeated a second time arid even a third. He left Shirdi, thoroughly mortified.
A year passed and then he was preparing for a pilgrimage to Kasi. Just then his wife saw a fakir in her dream, who told her: "Come to me. Why do you make vain efforts?" This showed them that Baba had realised and was more favourably disposed. Sapatnekar then came to Shirdi and fell at Baba's feet. His wife who saw Baba then for the first time noticed that Baba's was the exact figure that came to her in the dream. Baba, however, still uttered "Chal Hat" when he fell at His feet. This time he was more penitent and persevering. He admitted to himself that he did not deserve any better treatment and resolved to see Baba later in the day in the absence of a crowd, to beg pardon for his past contempt. This he did and then Baba kindly stroked his head. Baba strengthened his faith by addressing a shepherdess that had come there, in his characteristic fashion. Baba narrated the various vicissitudes of Sapatnekar's life,never mentioning his name however. His heart was heaving with wonder and joy. None else could know all that Sai then knew and spoke out.
Then the Gift :
Then Baba still addressing the shepherdess pointed to Sapatnekar and said, "This man blames me and charges me with killing his son. Now, I will bring that very child back to his wife's womb".
With these words, Baba placed his blessing hand over Sapatnekar's head and added : "Place entire faith in my words. Your object will be quickly attained". Sapatnekar again glowed with joy and his faith grew in intensity.
At parting Baba gave him a coconut and directed him , place it in the fold of his wife's upper cloth and go away rejoicing.
He did so and in 12 month's time, a son was born to him. Baba's words, he then realised, were never nature, never unfulfilled.
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 35
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
TEMPLE TRUSTEE PAYS FOR HIS CRIME
Sri Sai Baba occasionally narrated a few reminiscences of his own past births. These were never taken down and most are forgotten. But a few are still fresh in the memory of the hearers. One of these is given below, substantially as given out by Baba. The readers will note how every sentence of his brims with wisdom and virtue and now, for centuries, Baba is the same Samartha carrying on his mission of helping humanity with his superhuman power, lofty principles and benign impartiality.
One morning, Sri Sai Baba strolled along till he came to a river bank. There he sat under a tree, admiring the dense foliage of an alley and lit his pipe with a pair of flints. A wayfarer came up and the hospitable Baba gave him a few puffs out of his pipe. Then a peculiar sound was heard.
Wayfarer: Let us see what the matter is.
Sai Baba: Matter! It is the croaking in pain of a frog seized by a snake. It is reaping the fruit of its own karma. What we have done in the past comes to us now as present suffering. And yet there is an outcry against Fate!
The wayfarer went out to see the frog for himself.
Sai .Baba (without leaving his seat):— The frog is caught by a huge serpent and is crying. But both frog and serpent were wicked in their past birth and have come into their present bodies to reap their reward.
The wayfarer, returning to Baba : Yes, I went and saw. A big frog, it is, in the mouth of a huge black serpent. If it continues for 10 or 20 minutes more, it will be all over with the poor frog!
Sai Baba: No. I am its father and am here. Will I let the snake eat it? Just see how I realise it!
Then Baba walked on to the place where the frog was, The wayfarer who was going in advance suddenly took fright.
Wayfarer: Baba, let us go back. Do not go nearer. The serpant may fly at us.
Sai Baba : Do not fear.
Sai Baba then went near and thus addressed the creatures.
Sai Baba : Hallo! Veerabhadrappa! Even now, you have no pity for your enemy Basappa though he has now taken birth as a frog, just as you have turned into a serpent? Shame! Shame upon your hatred! Get rid of hatred and rest in peace!
These words acted like magic. The snake let go its, prey, dived into the river and was lost to sight. The frog hopped away and hid in some tree.
Wayfarer: What a wonder! I cannot see why the snake dropped its prey at your words. Which of these creatures is Veerabhadrappa, and which Basappa? Give me their full history, please.
Sai Baba resumed his seat, shared a few puffs with his visitor at his pipe and spoke :
Some 6 or 7 miles off my place, there was a village sanctified by a temple of Maheswara. That temple was getting dilapidated. So the villagers began to collect funds for its renovation. The treasurer appointed was a rich miser. He spent but little of the collections on the renovation which consequently made very poor progress and he swallowed much of the public funds. Seeing the work thus hampered, God appeared in a dream and told the wife of the treasurer: "If you spend any money in renovating this temple, Maheswara will give it to you back a hundredfold". On waking, the wife communicated the dream to her husband. But he sniffed "expenditure" as the drift of her dream and this Shylock would launch into no such venture. He replied that this was no business proposition. Was he not the man incharge of funds? If God meant business, would He not have come to him? And how far was he from her?
Another night, God again came to the wife in her dream and said : "Do not bother yourself about your husband and his money. Give, if you like, out of your own". The wife then told her lord that she was going to endow the temple with the value of her own jewels. They were worth Rs. 1000. Then this treasurer, not content with the amounts already embezzled by him, wanted to do Maheswara, even in this transaction. He told the wife that he would take the jewel himself and give God, i e., the temple, his vast stretch of land as its endowment; and the simple woman agreed. But the land was not his. It was the property of one Dubaki, a poor widow, who was just then too poor to redeem it. But there was no period of limitation for exercising the right of redemption. And the present possession of the land was worth nothing. It was barren saline coastland yielding nothing in the best of seasons.
Thus ended this transaction and sometime later there was a terrific storm. Lightning struck down the house of the treasurer. He and his wife died.
That lady was born in the same village, as the daughter of the temple priest, two whom the above land had been given as service inam. And she was named Gauri. She bad come back to enjoy the land and the priest who was very fond of her donated the land to her use. Then he adopted a boy Basappa who was no other than Dubaki, the mortgager of that land in the previous birth. Basappa was to have the riwersion after or a joint right with Gauri. Gauri had to be married and the priest came to his great friend Sri Sai Baba, living in a mosque in that birth also, and asked for advice. Baba told him to wait,for the man destined to marry her would himself soon turn up. Then came a poor boy of their caste named Veerabadrappa, and he married Gauri. Who was Veera-badrappa? That embezzler of public money, and God's money, the treasurer. He had been born of poor parents at Mathura and named Veerabadrappa. Veerabadrappa was at first devoted to Baba as the latter had proposed his marriage to Gauri.
But the old hankering for wealth was still working in Veerabadrappa and he appealed to the Fakir Baba to get him wealth. Baba told him to wait, for the suitable time would be coming soon.
And it came, For that vast stretch of coast land, there was at last a demand and a sudden appreciation of value. It sold for Rs. 1,00,000 (just 100 times the worth of the jewels) a moiety of which was paid down in cash, the rest being payable in twenty-five annual instalments. Now was Veera-badrappa's chance. He tried to clutch at that money. Basappa was naturally hostile to his claims and resisted his efforts.
Baba's intercession was sought and Baba pointed out that Gauri had the right to the entire money and that none else should interfere. Veerabadrappa got angry with Basappa and Baba. He threatened to kill Basappa who, in his cowardice sought refuge from Baba. Baba plighted his word that he would shield him from the wrath of his wicked foe. Then the parties to this feud died. Veerabadrappa was born as the serpent and was still unrelenting in his hatred. The coward Basappa was born as a frog. Veerabadrappa tried even in this birth to kill his enemy.
Winding up, Baba said. "Hearing the miserable croaking of Basappa, and remembering my pledge to save him, I am here. I have kept my word and saved him".
Baba then changed his expression and said "God saved Basappa, his devotee, by sending me. All this is God's lila or sport".
This may be taken for perfectly true history. For Baba never spoke anything but truth. This anecdote has been embodied in grand sonorous Oviverse in Dabolkar's Sai Sat-charita Ch. 47.
That book is read for daily study, "Parayana" by numerous devotees of Sri Baba. One day, Mr, G. B. Dattar, B.A..LL.B., a pleader of Thana, was reading it. A lady in the bouse was litening to it in a half drowsy condition. She suffered from periodical internal pains as she listened she burst out half involuntarily, in that drowsy condition, and said "Baba, you have such pity for a dumb irrational creature. Have you no pity for me, a human being?"
Then she heard a voice emanating apparently from a peg in the wall saying "Will you give me Rs. 5 dakshina for the Dasstrah?" And she answered she would, if she was cured. At once she woke up from her dozing condition and had the money sent up to Sai Sansthan. She began to improve and in some hours, her agony considerably abated. This was in 1932.
TEMPLE TRUSTEE PAYS FOR HIS CRIME
Sri Sai Baba occasionally narrated a few reminiscences of his own past births. These were never taken down and most are forgotten. But a few are still fresh in the memory of the hearers. One of these is given below, substantially as given out by Baba. The readers will note how every sentence of his brims with wisdom and virtue and now, for centuries, Baba is the same Samartha carrying on his mission of helping humanity with his superhuman power, lofty principles and benign impartiality.
One morning, Sri Sai Baba strolled along till he came to a river bank. There he sat under a tree, admiring the dense foliage of an alley and lit his pipe with a pair of flints. A wayfarer came up and the hospitable Baba gave him a few puffs out of his pipe. Then a peculiar sound was heard.
Wayfarer: Let us see what the matter is.
Sai Baba: Matter! It is the croaking in pain of a frog seized by a snake. It is reaping the fruit of its own karma. What we have done in the past comes to us now as present suffering. And yet there is an outcry against Fate!
The wayfarer went out to see the frog for himself.
Sai .Baba (without leaving his seat):— The frog is caught by a huge serpent and is crying. But both frog and serpent were wicked in their past birth and have come into their present bodies to reap their reward.
The wayfarer, returning to Baba : Yes, I went and saw. A big frog, it is, in the mouth of a huge black serpent. If it continues for 10 or 20 minutes more, it will be all over with the poor frog!
Sai Baba: No. I am its father and am here. Will I let the snake eat it? Just see how I realise it!
Then Baba walked on to the place where the frog was, The wayfarer who was going in advance suddenly took fright.
Wayfarer: Baba, let us go back. Do not go nearer. The serpant may fly at us.
Sai Baba : Do not fear.
Sai Baba then went near and thus addressed the creatures.
Sai Baba : Hallo! Veerabhadrappa! Even now, you have no pity for your enemy Basappa though he has now taken birth as a frog, just as you have turned into a serpent? Shame! Shame upon your hatred! Get rid of hatred and rest in peace!
These words acted like magic. The snake let go its, prey, dived into the river and was lost to sight. The frog hopped away and hid in some tree.
Wayfarer: What a wonder! I cannot see why the snake dropped its prey at your words. Which of these creatures is Veerabhadrappa, and which Basappa? Give me their full history, please.
Sai Baba resumed his seat, shared a few puffs with his visitor at his pipe and spoke :
Some 6 or 7 miles off my place, there was a village sanctified by a temple of Maheswara. That temple was getting dilapidated. So the villagers began to collect funds for its renovation. The treasurer appointed was a rich miser. He spent but little of the collections on the renovation which consequently made very poor progress and he swallowed much of the public funds. Seeing the work thus hampered, God appeared in a dream and told the wife of the treasurer: "If you spend any money in renovating this temple, Maheswara will give it to you back a hundredfold". On waking, the wife communicated the dream to her husband. But he sniffed "expenditure" as the drift of her dream and this Shylock would launch into no such venture. He replied that this was no business proposition. Was he not the man incharge of funds? If God meant business, would He not have come to him? And how far was he from her?
Another night, God again came to the wife in her dream and said : "Do not bother yourself about your husband and his money. Give, if you like, out of your own". The wife then told her lord that she was going to endow the temple with the value of her own jewels. They were worth Rs. 1000. Then this treasurer, not content with the amounts already embezzled by him, wanted to do Maheswara, even in this transaction. He told the wife that he would take the jewel himself and give God, i e., the temple, his vast stretch of land as its endowment; and the simple woman agreed. But the land was not his. It was the property of one Dubaki, a poor widow, who was just then too poor to redeem it. But there was no period of limitation for exercising the right of redemption. And the present possession of the land was worth nothing. It was barren saline coastland yielding nothing in the best of seasons.
Thus ended this transaction and sometime later there was a terrific storm. Lightning struck down the house of the treasurer. He and his wife died.
That lady was born in the same village, as the daughter of the temple priest, two whom the above land had been given as service inam. And she was named Gauri. She bad come back to enjoy the land and the priest who was very fond of her donated the land to her use. Then he adopted a boy Basappa who was no other than Dubaki, the mortgager of that land in the previous birth. Basappa was to have the riwersion after or a joint right with Gauri. Gauri had to be married and the priest came to his great friend Sri Sai Baba, living in a mosque in that birth also, and asked for advice. Baba told him to wait,for the man destined to marry her would himself soon turn up. Then came a poor boy of their caste named Veerabadrappa, and he married Gauri. Who was Veera-badrappa? That embezzler of public money, and God's money, the treasurer. He had been born of poor parents at Mathura and named Veerabadrappa. Veerabadrappa was at first devoted to Baba as the latter had proposed his marriage to Gauri.
But the old hankering for wealth was still working in Veerabadrappa and he appealed to the Fakir Baba to get him wealth. Baba told him to wait, for the suitable time would be coming soon.
And it came, For that vast stretch of coast land, there was at last a demand and a sudden appreciation of value. It sold for Rs. 1,00,000 (just 100 times the worth of the jewels) a moiety of which was paid down in cash, the rest being payable in twenty-five annual instalments. Now was Veera-badrappa's chance. He tried to clutch at that money. Basappa was naturally hostile to his claims and resisted his efforts.
Baba's intercession was sought and Baba pointed out that Gauri had the right to the entire money and that none else should interfere. Veerabadrappa got angry with Basappa and Baba. He threatened to kill Basappa who, in his cowardice sought refuge from Baba. Baba plighted his word that he would shield him from the wrath of his wicked foe. Then the parties to this feud died. Veerabadrappa was born as the serpent and was still unrelenting in his hatred. The coward Basappa was born as a frog. Veerabadrappa tried even in this birth to kill his enemy.
Winding up, Baba said. "Hearing the miserable croaking of Basappa, and remembering my pledge to save him, I am here. I have kept my word and saved him".
Baba then changed his expression and said "God saved Basappa, his devotee, by sending me. All this is God's lila or sport".
This may be taken for perfectly true history. For Baba never spoke anything but truth. This anecdote has been embodied in grand sonorous Oviverse in Dabolkar's Sai Sat-charita Ch. 47.
That book is read for daily study, "Parayana" by numerous devotees of Sri Baba. One day, Mr, G. B. Dattar, B.A..LL.B., a pleader of Thana, was reading it. A lady in the bouse was litening to it in a half drowsy condition. She suffered from periodical internal pains as she listened she burst out half involuntarily, in that drowsy condition, and said "Baba, you have such pity for a dumb irrational creature. Have you no pity for me, a human being?"
Then she heard a voice emanating apparently from a peg in the wall saying "Will you give me Rs. 5 dakshina for the Dasstrah?" And she answered she would, if she was cured. At once she woke up from her dozing condition and had the money sent up to Sai Sansthan. She began to improve and in some hours, her agony considerably abated. This was in 1932.
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 34
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
SRI SAI BABA AND NATIONAL UNITY
The peaceful atmosphere of Sri Sai Baba's sansthan was never disturbed by politics or other controversies. In his own quiet unostentatious way,'Baba was however laying the solid foundations of Indian Unity, and affording both by example and precept valuable suggestions for Indian's welfare. The greatest stumbling block in its way is the difficulty of yoking together the two great communities to the common cause and making them pull in unison and amity. Let us note Baba's contribution to this great task.
While at Bombay and in other places, heads were being broken, temples, mosques and houses were burnt down, at Shirdi each of these groups built or lent a hand in building the others' temples, mosques and houses.
Happy Co-operation :
A Hindu Revenue Inspector gave Baba stones for the reconstruction of His mosque and Baba gifted them all away for the reconstruction of the Hindu temples in the village. The Hindus later collected thousands of rupees and reconstructed His mosque.
A devotee of Sri Sai Baba viz., Sri Upasani Maharaj has put up at Sakori (3 miles off Shirdi) a neat little mosque within twenty yards of the local Siva and Maruti temples, without any disturbance of public or private tranquillity. Hindus and Muslims have always joined together for the processions and celebrations in honour of Sri Sai Baba, and for prayers at the tomb and both partook of the vegetarian offerings (Naivedya) brought by both to Baba, after due pronouncement of Namaz.
Against Coaversion :
Sri Sai Baba symbolised the coming unity of the two creeds in himself and in his abode,Like Kabir.Baba said he was Kabir in a former birth, he combined in himself the Hindu boring of ears with Muslim circumcision. He dressed like a Muslim Fakir, but was painted, garlanded and ornamented like a Hindu image. He spoke to Muslims in their Hindustani and to Hindus in their Marathi and quoted the Koran to the former and the Puran to the latter. He gave advice and help suited to each and was the friend and father of all. He was strictly conservative and kept each group or individual to its or his customary observances and lines of progress. He hated proselytism. Once when Bade Baba, the Malegaon Fakir, brought with him a Hindu recenly converted to Islam, Baba mockingly asked the latter (knowing, offcourse, that the conversion was external and not a change of heart), "Well, have you changed your father?"
Pooja and Koran :
The building In which Baba resided was the 'masjid’ of the Muslims; but it was styled 'Dwarika-Mayi' by Baba himself and the Hindus. It contained the niche in the western wall called 'nimbar' representing the Caaba of Mecca, to which all orthodox Muslims should turn at times of prayer, and also a perpetual fire, with its sacred ashes, a platform round the sacred tulsi for Pradakshina, and a garlanded portrait of Baba for pooja. Hindu scriptures were read there by day and the Koran by night. And at noon, worship of Baba was carried on with Hindu hymns to the accompaniment of deafening music. Fully justified was Baba's remark, "This is Brahmin's mosque."
But this strange, though not unprecedented, assimilation of the two religions into one was not achieved without the exercise of the vast powers, the intense love and watchful zeal of Sri Sai Baba for many decades. And at times, especially at the outset, there were occasions for friction. But under Baba's care, actual friction was averted. These instances were very few not more than 3 or 4 during a period of 3 or 4 decades, and they are the exceptions which prove the rule. We shall notice them very briefly.
Defies a Threat :
Painting Baba with sandal and worshipping him at the mosque was the first and foremost cause of dissatisfaction to Mussalmans. In fact, Baba himself disliked these and was long preventing their performance. But the loving heart of Sai could not long resist the persistent ardour of his Hindu 'children' and he finally yielded his reluctant assent. The Muslims of Shirdi, however, were not at first inclined to yield their assent. On the other hand, they invoked the aid of Sangamner Kazi and held a council of war at which it was resolved that further discreation of the mosque should be stopped by the use of force. They resolved to beat Mahlsapathy—this was probably in ths nineties of the last century, when he was the only regular worshipper of Baba—in case he continued to paint and worship Baba at the mosque. When that feeble-bodied devotee learnt of the mischief that was brewing he stood outside the mosque and carried on his pooja of Baba.But Baba knew his own power, the weakness of the opposition and the vast advantages to the public of the development of his worship. He called Mahlsapathy into the mosque and ordered him to go on with the usual painting and pooja,defying terrorism to lift its head, if it dared. The Moulvi and other present were cowed down by the firmness of this Shirdi Wizard, and gave up all idea of molesting Mahlsapathy or any other worshipper.
Pathan's Terrible Offer :
More than a decade after the above incident, when the worship of Baba had become general, marked and assertive, a few die-hards tried to stem this current and stop the "desecration of the mosque and the transformation of a Muslim fakir into a Hindu Idol". One midnight, in 1915 when Baba was sleeping at the chavadi along with R. A. Tarkhad, some other Hindus and a fierce Pathan, the last got up and telling Baba that the Hindus were "spoiling" and ruining him begged permission to cut all the Hindu throats immediately. R. A. Tarkhad woke up and shuddered at the prospect of being murdered in cold blood. But Baba the watchful mother that he was, came to the rescue. He took the entire responsibility for all the heterodox practices at the mosque on himself, and declared that it was his madness that spoilt the Hindus and that consequently his own throat might be cut, if that was desired. As this zealot for the purity of Islam was not willing to go so far, the matter was dropped.
Punished on the Spot:
A little later, another Pathan who left Police service for a fakir's life, was staying with Baba at Shirdi. His zeal first spent itself in shounting out the 'Kalam", throughout the night of the proximity of Baba. The villagers whose sleep was thus disturbed wished to drive him out. But Baba supported him, fed him and maintained him there. This "Rohilla" (as he was incorrectly named) though convinced by Baba's vast powers and goodness, that Baba was nothing less than Paygambar (i.e. Prophet) felt at the same time that Baba was striking at the root of Muslim orthodox traditions. This feeling gathered strength in a short time and one day this "Rohilla" decided to murder Baba and approached him from behind with a club. But the omniscience of Baba was equal to the occasion. He simply turned back and with a glance and a touch pinned the would-be-murderer to the ground whence he was unable to lift himself without other's help. This was probably the last attempt at interference with the peaceful and united celebration of Baba's worship at Shirdi.
After Death :
When Baba passed away in October 1918, disputes arose as to the disposal of his mortal remains. Some Muslims were anxious to assert their right to this "Muslim” saint's tomb, and to keep it under their own control. The majority of worshippers being Hindus resisted the demand. The ease with which the problem was solved showed how greatly Baba had toned down creed asperities at Shirdi. When the disputes were going on, and the corpse remained unburied, the customary Hindu worship was proceeding. The public authorities that came on the scene took a plebiscite, through mahazars which showed that the majority of devotees were in favour of respecting Baba's own wish to be interred in a recent edifice of his Hindu devotee, G. M. Buty. The Muslims agreed, stipulating only that they should have free access to the tomb and mosque as usual. The utter absence of mutual violence on this occasion speaks volumes for the toleration and co-operation so sedulously cultivated by Baba at Shirdi.
There are numerous saints all over the country, who have a following among both the communities. Is it too much to hope that they also would develop the spirit of toleration and amity as at Shirdi and render real Hindu-Muslim unity an accomplished fact?
SRI SAI BABA AND NATIONAL UNITY
The peaceful atmosphere of Sri Sai Baba's sansthan was never disturbed by politics or other controversies. In his own quiet unostentatious way,'Baba was however laying the solid foundations of Indian Unity, and affording both by example and precept valuable suggestions for Indian's welfare. The greatest stumbling block in its way is the difficulty of yoking together the two great communities to the common cause and making them pull in unison and amity. Let us note Baba's contribution to this great task.
While at Bombay and in other places, heads were being broken, temples, mosques and houses were burnt down, at Shirdi each of these groups built or lent a hand in building the others' temples, mosques and houses.
Happy Co-operation :
A Hindu Revenue Inspector gave Baba stones for the reconstruction of His mosque and Baba gifted them all away for the reconstruction of the Hindu temples in the village. The Hindus later collected thousands of rupees and reconstructed His mosque.
A devotee of Sri Sai Baba viz., Sri Upasani Maharaj has put up at Sakori (3 miles off Shirdi) a neat little mosque within twenty yards of the local Siva and Maruti temples, without any disturbance of public or private tranquillity. Hindus and Muslims have always joined together for the processions and celebrations in honour of Sri Sai Baba, and for prayers at the tomb and both partook of the vegetarian offerings (Naivedya) brought by both to Baba, after due pronouncement of Namaz.
Against Coaversion :
Sri Sai Baba symbolised the coming unity of the two creeds in himself and in his abode,Like Kabir.Baba said he was Kabir in a former birth, he combined in himself the Hindu boring of ears with Muslim circumcision. He dressed like a Muslim Fakir, but was painted, garlanded and ornamented like a Hindu image. He spoke to Muslims in their Hindustani and to Hindus in their Marathi and quoted the Koran to the former and the Puran to the latter. He gave advice and help suited to each and was the friend and father of all. He was strictly conservative and kept each group or individual to its or his customary observances and lines of progress. He hated proselytism. Once when Bade Baba, the Malegaon Fakir, brought with him a Hindu recenly converted to Islam, Baba mockingly asked the latter (knowing, offcourse, that the conversion was external and not a change of heart), "Well, have you changed your father?"
Pooja and Koran :
The building In which Baba resided was the 'masjid’ of the Muslims; but it was styled 'Dwarika-Mayi' by Baba himself and the Hindus. It contained the niche in the western wall called 'nimbar' representing the Caaba of Mecca, to which all orthodox Muslims should turn at times of prayer, and also a perpetual fire, with its sacred ashes, a platform round the sacred tulsi for Pradakshina, and a garlanded portrait of Baba for pooja. Hindu scriptures were read there by day and the Koran by night. And at noon, worship of Baba was carried on with Hindu hymns to the accompaniment of deafening music. Fully justified was Baba's remark, "This is Brahmin's mosque."
But this strange, though not unprecedented, assimilation of the two religions into one was not achieved without the exercise of the vast powers, the intense love and watchful zeal of Sri Sai Baba for many decades. And at times, especially at the outset, there were occasions for friction. But under Baba's care, actual friction was averted. These instances were very few not more than 3 or 4 during a period of 3 or 4 decades, and they are the exceptions which prove the rule. We shall notice them very briefly.
Defies a Threat :
Painting Baba with sandal and worshipping him at the mosque was the first and foremost cause of dissatisfaction to Mussalmans. In fact, Baba himself disliked these and was long preventing their performance. But the loving heart of Sai could not long resist the persistent ardour of his Hindu 'children' and he finally yielded his reluctant assent. The Muslims of Shirdi, however, were not at first inclined to yield their assent. On the other hand, they invoked the aid of Sangamner Kazi and held a council of war at which it was resolved that further discreation of the mosque should be stopped by the use of force. They resolved to beat Mahlsapathy—this was probably in ths nineties of the last century, when he was the only regular worshipper of Baba—in case he continued to paint and worship Baba at the mosque. When that feeble-bodied devotee learnt of the mischief that was brewing he stood outside the mosque and carried on his pooja of Baba.But Baba knew his own power, the weakness of the opposition and the vast advantages to the public of the development of his worship. He called Mahlsapathy into the mosque and ordered him to go on with the usual painting and pooja,defying terrorism to lift its head, if it dared. The Moulvi and other present were cowed down by the firmness of this Shirdi Wizard, and gave up all idea of molesting Mahlsapathy or any other worshipper.
Pathan's Terrible Offer :
More than a decade after the above incident, when the worship of Baba had become general, marked and assertive, a few die-hards tried to stem this current and stop the "desecration of the mosque and the transformation of a Muslim fakir into a Hindu Idol". One midnight, in 1915 when Baba was sleeping at the chavadi along with R. A. Tarkhad, some other Hindus and a fierce Pathan, the last got up and telling Baba that the Hindus were "spoiling" and ruining him begged permission to cut all the Hindu throats immediately. R. A. Tarkhad woke up and shuddered at the prospect of being murdered in cold blood. But Baba the watchful mother that he was, came to the rescue. He took the entire responsibility for all the heterodox practices at the mosque on himself, and declared that it was his madness that spoilt the Hindus and that consequently his own throat might be cut, if that was desired. As this zealot for the purity of Islam was not willing to go so far, the matter was dropped.
Punished on the Spot:
A little later, another Pathan who left Police service for a fakir's life, was staying with Baba at Shirdi. His zeal first spent itself in shounting out the 'Kalam", throughout the night of the proximity of Baba. The villagers whose sleep was thus disturbed wished to drive him out. But Baba supported him, fed him and maintained him there. This "Rohilla" (as he was incorrectly named) though convinced by Baba's vast powers and goodness, that Baba was nothing less than Paygambar (i.e. Prophet) felt at the same time that Baba was striking at the root of Muslim orthodox traditions. This feeling gathered strength in a short time and one day this "Rohilla" decided to murder Baba and approached him from behind with a club. But the omniscience of Baba was equal to the occasion. He simply turned back and with a glance and a touch pinned the would-be-murderer to the ground whence he was unable to lift himself without other's help. This was probably the last attempt at interference with the peaceful and united celebration of Baba's worship at Shirdi.
After Death :
When Baba passed away in October 1918, disputes arose as to the disposal of his mortal remains. Some Muslims were anxious to assert their right to this "Muslim” saint's tomb, and to keep it under their own control. The majority of worshippers being Hindus resisted the demand. The ease with which the problem was solved showed how greatly Baba had toned down creed asperities at Shirdi. When the disputes were going on, and the corpse remained unburied, the customary Hindu worship was proceeding. The public authorities that came on the scene took a plebiscite, through mahazars which showed that the majority of devotees were in favour of respecting Baba's own wish to be interred in a recent edifice of his Hindu devotee, G. M. Buty. The Muslims agreed, stipulating only that they should have free access to the tomb and mosque as usual. The utter absence of mutual violence on this occasion speaks volumes for the toleration and co-operation so sedulously cultivated by Baba at Shirdi.
There are numerous saints all over the country, who have a following among both the communities. Is it too much to hope that they also would develop the spirit of toleration and amity as at Shirdi and render real Hindu-Muslim unity an accomplished fact?
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 36
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
WHEN GIFTS ARE PROMISED AND FORGOTTEN
More than thirty years ago, as Sri Sai Baba was seated at this mosque, two Deccan Brahmins came and prostrated before him. Baba asked Shama to ask one of them to pay Rs. 15 as dakshina. Shama asked and the money was paid readily. The other man found that Baba did not ask him for anything. Yet as he felt strongly in the matter, he voluntarily paid Rs. 35. Baba just handled the amount and promptly returned it. Shama was surprised and spoke to Baba.
Shama : Lord! I have never seen the like of this! The thirty-five rupees voluntarily paid, you refuse to accept. The other and smaller sum, fifteen rupees you beg for and accept. What is the discrimination !
Baba: Shama, you do not know. I receive nothing from anybody. This Rs. 35 is not ours. But the Rs. 15 is Datta's and he has made it over to "Masjid Ayi" (a phrase denoting Baba's personality as functioning at masjid).
Baba paused a while and further explained his statements in his characteristic indirect way which none but the concerned parties could follows.
Baba: He was first poor and earned nothing. He then made a vow to Datta, that if he should secure employment by Datta's grace, the first month's salary should be made over to that God. He did secure employment on Rs. 15. That was long, long ago. Then there was steady increase in his salary which went up by leaps and bounds to Rs. 700 aid over. In the full tide of prosperity, the old vow was clean forgotten and Datta's debt remained unpaid. The force of this Karma drove him here. So I asked him to give my fifteen rupees as a dakshina.
Then was there another incident. I was going on by the seaside. There was a huge and beautiful house there ,owned by a rich Brahmin, of good family. The Brahmin gave me my night meal. There was a clean and neat place, near the cupboard. He pointed out that place, as good for me to sleep in. I slept there. When I was sound asleep, that man used his skill in the grafter's art and quietly removing a stone slab in the wall, gained acces to me. He gently cut off an entire roll of note,thirty notes, each of the face value of Rs. 1000. I woke up in the morning and was aghast at the loss of my fortune. I was greatly upset and did not know what to do. That Brahmin must have done it. I felt sure. But where was the proof? I lost all interest in food and drink and sat on the verandah of that house moaning over my fate. A passing fakir noticed my evident dejection and made kind enquiries to its cause. I unburdened myself of the tale of my woe. Thee said he "Do act up to my directions, and you will recover yours. There is the fakir that I shall mention to you. Make a vow that you will go and see him if the money is recovered. Meanwhile give up yaur favourite dish of food, and do not taste it till the money is recovered". I followed the fakir's directions and recovered the money. I left that house. Again I went by the sea. There was a steamer I wanted to get into. But the master of the boat would not allow me to get in as the boat was already full. Then a belted peon said: "These are our men". On that peon's intercession, I got in. Then I took train and came to Masjid Ayi.
As Baba was speaking, Shama was much mystified. But the two visitors were deeply impressed and were shedding tears.
Then at Baba's bidding, Shama took the visitors home and fed them. There Shama observed that Baba's talk was quite mystifying, since Baba never went to the seaside, never had 30,000 rupee, never lost money, and never recovered them as was just stated. But the visitors said that every word that Baba spoke was the truth about them.
The first visitor had indeed made a vow to Datta dedicating the first month's salary to God, and said that having risen from Rs. 15 to over Rs. 700 he had forgotten all about his vow, and that Baba who was undoubtedly God was very kind to him in calling up that amount and releasing him from the obligation under the vow.
The second visitor also confirmed the account given by Baba about Rs. 30,000. When Baba said "I", that only denoted this visitor who was the person despoiled of thirty notes, each a thousand in value. The "Brahmin", i.e., cook who had served him for 30 years, one night removed a slab in the wall and approaching this visitor purloined the entire sum. A report to the police was fruitless. So he was sitting with a long and down cast face at his verandah, when a fakir told him that if a vow be made to Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi (to go there if the money is recovered) the money would be surely recovered; and that meanwhile, he should fore go the use of his favourite dish.
"I like rice best and I vowed not to taste it and I made the other vow also", said he "In 15 days the cook came to me of his own accord and returned the entire amount stolen by him. I then was tossing between Bombay and Goa by sea. Baba again appeared in my dream, to remind me of the unfulfilled vow. At Goa we made up our minds to start for Shirdi i.e., to go by boat to Bombay and thence to take train. But the boat at Goa was full and space was refused. Suddenly there was on board a belted peon totally unknown to us and he said, "Please let them come in; they are our men". So we were admitted.
The visitor added; "What vast knowledge is Babas! What vast control over every thing and person is His! But for Him, how would the thief return such a large sum and how would we even get a place in the steamer! Baba is Sarva Antaryami. He lives inside each heart, knows its secrets and controls it".
WHEN GIFTS ARE PROMISED AND FORGOTTEN
More than thirty years ago, as Sri Sai Baba was seated at this mosque, two Deccan Brahmins came and prostrated before him. Baba asked Shama to ask one of them to pay Rs. 15 as dakshina. Shama asked and the money was paid readily. The other man found that Baba did not ask him for anything. Yet as he felt strongly in the matter, he voluntarily paid Rs. 35. Baba just handled the amount and promptly returned it. Shama was surprised and spoke to Baba.
Shama : Lord! I have never seen the like of this! The thirty-five rupees voluntarily paid, you refuse to accept. The other and smaller sum, fifteen rupees you beg for and accept. What is the discrimination !
Baba: Shama, you do not know. I receive nothing from anybody. This Rs. 35 is not ours. But the Rs. 15 is Datta's and he has made it over to "Masjid Ayi" (a phrase denoting Baba's personality as functioning at masjid).
Baba paused a while and further explained his statements in his characteristic indirect way which none but the concerned parties could follows.
Baba: He was first poor and earned nothing. He then made a vow to Datta, that if he should secure employment by Datta's grace, the first month's salary should be made over to that God. He did secure employment on Rs. 15. That was long, long ago. Then there was steady increase in his salary which went up by leaps and bounds to Rs. 700 aid over. In the full tide of prosperity, the old vow was clean forgotten and Datta's debt remained unpaid. The force of this Karma drove him here. So I asked him to give my fifteen rupees as a dakshina.
Then was there another incident. I was going on by the seaside. There was a huge and beautiful house there ,owned by a rich Brahmin, of good family. The Brahmin gave me my night meal. There was a clean and neat place, near the cupboard. He pointed out that place, as good for me to sleep in. I slept there. When I was sound asleep, that man used his skill in the grafter's art and quietly removing a stone slab in the wall, gained acces to me. He gently cut off an entire roll of note,thirty notes, each of the face value of Rs. 1000. I woke up in the morning and was aghast at the loss of my fortune. I was greatly upset and did not know what to do. That Brahmin must have done it. I felt sure. But where was the proof? I lost all interest in food and drink and sat on the verandah of that house moaning over my fate. A passing fakir noticed my evident dejection and made kind enquiries to its cause. I unburdened myself of the tale of my woe. Thee said he "Do act up to my directions, and you will recover yours. There is the fakir that I shall mention to you. Make a vow that you will go and see him if the money is recovered. Meanwhile give up yaur favourite dish of food, and do not taste it till the money is recovered". I followed the fakir's directions and recovered the money. I left that house. Again I went by the sea. There was a steamer I wanted to get into. But the master of the boat would not allow me to get in as the boat was already full. Then a belted peon said: "These are our men". On that peon's intercession, I got in. Then I took train and came to Masjid Ayi.
As Baba was speaking, Shama was much mystified. But the two visitors were deeply impressed and were shedding tears.
Then at Baba's bidding, Shama took the visitors home and fed them. There Shama observed that Baba's talk was quite mystifying, since Baba never went to the seaside, never had 30,000 rupee, never lost money, and never recovered them as was just stated. But the visitors said that every word that Baba spoke was the truth about them.
The first visitor had indeed made a vow to Datta dedicating the first month's salary to God, and said that having risen from Rs. 15 to over Rs. 700 he had forgotten all about his vow, and that Baba who was undoubtedly God was very kind to him in calling up that amount and releasing him from the obligation under the vow.
The second visitor also confirmed the account given by Baba about Rs. 30,000. When Baba said "I", that only denoted this visitor who was the person despoiled of thirty notes, each a thousand in value. The "Brahmin", i.e., cook who had served him for 30 years, one night removed a slab in the wall and approaching this visitor purloined the entire sum. A report to the police was fruitless. So he was sitting with a long and down cast face at his verandah, when a fakir told him that if a vow be made to Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi (to go there if the money is recovered) the money would be surely recovered; and that meanwhile, he should fore go the use of his favourite dish.
"I like rice best and I vowed not to taste it and I made the other vow also", said he "In 15 days the cook came to me of his own accord and returned the entire amount stolen by him. I then was tossing between Bombay and Goa by sea. Baba again appeared in my dream, to remind me of the unfulfilled vow. At Goa we made up our minds to start for Shirdi i.e., to go by boat to Bombay and thence to take train. But the boat at Goa was full and space was refused. Suddenly there was on board a belted peon totally unknown to us and he said, "Please let them come in; they are our men". So we were admitted.
The visitor added; "What vast knowledge is Babas! What vast control over every thing and person is His! But for Him, how would the thief return such a large sum and how would we even get a place in the steamer! Baba is Sarva Antaryami. He lives inside each heart, knows its secrets and controls it".
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 33
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
THE MYSTIC BLISS OF BABA
Baba gave all things to his devotees and filled them with all sorts of joys , 'enjoyment of worldly objects, comforts of domestic life riches, honour, success in one's efforts, security from danger, release from disease and troubles of various sorts. It is not to these joys that this article is devoted, nor even to the joys be gave them of overcoming defects and vices. The new life of virtue and power, with the joyous sense of achievement not only increased the quantum but also the tone and scale of their happiness; lifting it from the animal level of selfish sense gratification to the angelic level of selfless spiritual joy, the joy of life that is grounded in love. But there are special grades of joy including the "Mystic Bliss" that Baba favoured some devotees with and it is that bliss that will be now described.
First it is necessary to define the term used. 'Mystic' is a very elastic, very popular, and therefore much abused, term so much abused in fact as to deter some from using it in serious works. Such vagueness and the resulting confusion and abuse can, however, be easily avoided by starting with a definition and strictly adhering to it. This writer uses the word Mysticism to denote the blissful direct immediate contact by intuition, or attempt at such contact by any person, with the Real or what stands to him as the ultimate that lies beyond the universe of phenomena, subjective and objective.
This Real or Ultimate is God to most persons and in their case, mystic bliss is the same as or a part of and preparation for perfect Divine Bliss. But even among religious minded people, the Real that the touch in such experience may not be distinctly identified with God. For instance, Tennyson even as a boy began to dive into himself, by pronouncing his own Christian name and ridding it of its finite association, with the result that he was lost in a trance, in which the consciousness of his little ego perished or rather expanded infinitely into an unlimited illuminating Light of Self, full of joy and life, where in death was an unimaginable or laughable absurdity. This was clear mysticism of the self without distinct reference to a personal or impersonal God, though few would hesitate to give that name to the limitable Deathless state of enlightenment.
Joy Alone Left :
This mystic bliss comes to Buddhists in attaining "Nirvana", in "extinguishing" their little self but as they do not recognise or ascribe their joy to God, such blus cannot be described as Divine Bliss by them, though a student of religious psychology may have good grounds for identifying the Buddhistic Joy of Nirvana with the Vedantic Bliss of the Atman, Brahmananda.
Sri Sai Baba was (and even now is) shedding or showering joy upon his devotees, occasionally when they were away, but frequently when they were in his presence. Anna Saheb Dabolkar in his monumental Marathi biography of Baba,
Sai Satcharita, has thus described it:
"When one gazes and gazes upon Baba's fact, all hunger and thirst are gone , what other joy can compare with thou? One forgets all miseries of earthly exitence".
And again!
"Gazing into his eyes, loses one's sense of individuality; Bliss gushes out from within and the mind sink into an expanse of sweetness".
Care Vanish :
And he further adds that the Vedic description of Brahman is mere bookish knowledge to most, while at Shirdi, it was the common and daily experience of devotees. That Sri Dabolkar has not overstated fact is borne out by reliable testimony. The Hon. Mr. G. S. Khaparde, the Pepys of Shirdi, has noted the same in his daily dairy during his seven months, stay with Baba in 1910, 1911 and 1912 and in his preface to a biography of Baba. In the latter, he says: "From the moment I approached him, all the load of my worldly cares disappeared, though only a few minutes before, it was felt to be exceedingly oppressive and such as to excite disgust of life".
It is needless to quote from the numerous other devotees who have spoken out their experience in similar terms; but we may first refer to those of a Marathi lady Mrs. Manager, and of a Parsi, Mr. Jahangir of Bombay.
A Paradise :
Mrs. Manager says:— "His (i.e., Baba's) loving care combined with those powers made Shirdi a veritable paradise. Directly we went there, we felt safe, that nothing could harm us. When I went and sat in his presence, I always forgot my pain—nay the body itself with all mundane concerns and anxieties. Hours would pass and I would be in blissful unconsciousness of their passing. That was a unique experience shared I believe, by all his real devotees".
Says Mr. Jehangir, "My experience with Baba was very happy. Whenever I went into his presence I forget everything. I had no trouble, no anxiety, no Care, no fear. Everything was blotted out and I passed a blissful time in his company. That was most wonderful. Even now, if he comes in dream vision, that effect is reproduced".
We shall next proceed to consider the instances of mystic bliss he granted through Sakshatkara or vision of divine forms.
A Brahmin doctor who was a devout Ramabhakta was persuaded to go to thee , Sri Sai Baba despite his strong antipathy to bow at the feet of a Muslim, as Baba was taken to be. But Baba's grace evidently in consideration of his devotion to Rama was shown to him from the time of his entry into the mosque compound. When he saw Baba there, he hurried up and fell at his feet, and later explained his sudden change of attitude to his friends. What he beheld in Baba's seat as soon as he approached it, was not the human figure of Baba, but the divine glory of Sri Rama. Having found God in the flesh, he determined to get the highest out of Him,viz. Brahmananda. As Baba did not grant it at once this petulant child started satyagraha. He resolved to fast and not to visit Baba at the Mosque unless he should be given the bliss he sought, or be sent for by Baba.
So he fasted three days. Baba, the kind mother that he was, knew of course how the wind blew and sterred his own course. On the fourth day of the fast, an intimate friend of the doctor, not seen for many long years turned up at Shirdi ,accidentally one might say, if one did not know Sri Sai Baba's vast powers of control. Overflowing with the joy of the friend's arrival, the doctor forgot his fast and his vow and accompanied him to the mosque. Baba asked him, 'Doctor, did any one send for you?" The doctor saw that nothing was or could be concealed from this powerful Sai, and he mentally pressed his quest. That midnight, Baba's grace vouch-safed a response, and the doctor was filled with a strange ecstasy for which there was no physical or physiological explanation and which was clearly a glimpse of Paramananda or Siva Ananda granted by Baba's will. But what he experienced was short lived. In response to his prayer after he went home, he again experienced this joy for a full fortnight. But after that, it ceased. The doctor was not yet qualified to get the perpetual Ananda that becomes part of one's nature or rather becomes one's self, i.e., the Jivan Mukta state. Baba gave him just an appetizer to make him work up to the goal.
A Yogic Doctor :
We may close this article with an experience of greater permanence than those above recited. Sri Sai Baba though invested with the nature and powers of a Yogasiddha, was never known to practice Ashtanga Yoga and sometime warned his devotees agaist the snares of the mystic powers for which parts of the yoga course are gone through. If, however, any one who had difficulties or had come to ruin in yogabhyasa sought relief at his feet, relief was afforded. The best instance known to this writer of such help was that given to Sri Upasani Maharaj. In the course of his hata yogic efforts at suspension of breath, his respiration became fitful and evidently on account of a paralytic attack on some of the respiratory organs, respiration would now and then suddenly threaten to collapse, filling him with the fear, thus, of sudden death. No doctors and no yogis could help him. But Sri Sai Baba appeared to him at Rahuri 30 miles of Shirdi and gave him a very simple recipe which almost completely cured him.
Stream of Sweetness :
Sri Sai Baba further drew him to Shirdi arid there taught him the secret of the Yogic Ecstasy (as practised by Sufis).
Before he went to Shirdi, Sri Upasani Baba easily attained the. Samadhi state and remained in it even for days. But it was a Sushka Samadhi. It was no doubt free from the cares and sorrows of the world but there was no positive element of joy in it. Sri Sai Baba showed him how to turn his dry Samadhi into a joyous experience. He was made to retain a thin trace of his personality and with it draw in an inexhaustible stream of sweetness from Iswara, the Ocean of Sweetness (Rasa).
And this was a permanent gift. Sri Upasani Maharaj has ever since resorted to this form of ecstasy in preference to his former method. But even this ecstasy is but a preparation for the highest goal, the Jivan Mukta state in which one's personality merges for ever in Sat-Chit-Ananda from which there is no return.
THE MYSTIC BLISS OF BABA
Baba gave all things to his devotees and filled them with all sorts of joys , 'enjoyment of worldly objects, comforts of domestic life riches, honour, success in one's efforts, security from danger, release from disease and troubles of various sorts. It is not to these joys that this article is devoted, nor even to the joys be gave them of overcoming defects and vices. The new life of virtue and power, with the joyous sense of achievement not only increased the quantum but also the tone and scale of their happiness; lifting it from the animal level of selfish sense gratification to the angelic level of selfless spiritual joy, the joy of life that is grounded in love. But there are special grades of joy including the "Mystic Bliss" that Baba favoured some devotees with and it is that bliss that will be now described.
First it is necessary to define the term used. 'Mystic' is a very elastic, very popular, and therefore much abused, term so much abused in fact as to deter some from using it in serious works. Such vagueness and the resulting confusion and abuse can, however, be easily avoided by starting with a definition and strictly adhering to it. This writer uses the word Mysticism to denote the blissful direct immediate contact by intuition, or attempt at such contact by any person, with the Real or what stands to him as the ultimate that lies beyond the universe of phenomena, subjective and objective.
This Real or Ultimate is God to most persons and in their case, mystic bliss is the same as or a part of and preparation for perfect Divine Bliss. But even among religious minded people, the Real that the touch in such experience may not be distinctly identified with God. For instance, Tennyson even as a boy began to dive into himself, by pronouncing his own Christian name and ridding it of its finite association, with the result that he was lost in a trance, in which the consciousness of his little ego perished or rather expanded infinitely into an unlimited illuminating Light of Self, full of joy and life, where in death was an unimaginable or laughable absurdity. This was clear mysticism of the self without distinct reference to a personal or impersonal God, though few would hesitate to give that name to the limitable Deathless state of enlightenment.
Joy Alone Left :
This mystic bliss comes to Buddhists in attaining "Nirvana", in "extinguishing" their little self but as they do not recognise or ascribe their joy to God, such blus cannot be described as Divine Bliss by them, though a student of religious psychology may have good grounds for identifying the Buddhistic Joy of Nirvana with the Vedantic Bliss of the Atman, Brahmananda.
Sri Sai Baba was (and even now is) shedding or showering joy upon his devotees, occasionally when they were away, but frequently when they were in his presence. Anna Saheb Dabolkar in his monumental Marathi biography of Baba,
Sai Satcharita, has thus described it:
"When one gazes and gazes upon Baba's fact, all hunger and thirst are gone , what other joy can compare with thou? One forgets all miseries of earthly exitence".
And again!
"Gazing into his eyes, loses one's sense of individuality; Bliss gushes out from within and the mind sink into an expanse of sweetness".
Care Vanish :
And he further adds that the Vedic description of Brahman is mere bookish knowledge to most, while at Shirdi, it was the common and daily experience of devotees. That Sri Dabolkar has not overstated fact is borne out by reliable testimony. The Hon. Mr. G. S. Khaparde, the Pepys of Shirdi, has noted the same in his daily dairy during his seven months, stay with Baba in 1910, 1911 and 1912 and in his preface to a biography of Baba. In the latter, he says: "From the moment I approached him, all the load of my worldly cares disappeared, though only a few minutes before, it was felt to be exceedingly oppressive and such as to excite disgust of life".
It is needless to quote from the numerous other devotees who have spoken out their experience in similar terms; but we may first refer to those of a Marathi lady Mrs. Manager, and of a Parsi, Mr. Jahangir of Bombay.
A Paradise :
Mrs. Manager says:— "His (i.e., Baba's) loving care combined with those powers made Shirdi a veritable paradise. Directly we went there, we felt safe, that nothing could harm us. When I went and sat in his presence, I always forgot my pain—nay the body itself with all mundane concerns and anxieties. Hours would pass and I would be in blissful unconsciousness of their passing. That was a unique experience shared I believe, by all his real devotees".
Says Mr. Jehangir, "My experience with Baba was very happy. Whenever I went into his presence I forget everything. I had no trouble, no anxiety, no Care, no fear. Everything was blotted out and I passed a blissful time in his company. That was most wonderful. Even now, if he comes in dream vision, that effect is reproduced".
We shall next proceed to consider the instances of mystic bliss he granted through Sakshatkara or vision of divine forms.
A Brahmin doctor who was a devout Ramabhakta was persuaded to go to thee , Sri Sai Baba despite his strong antipathy to bow at the feet of a Muslim, as Baba was taken to be. But Baba's grace evidently in consideration of his devotion to Rama was shown to him from the time of his entry into the mosque compound. When he saw Baba there, he hurried up and fell at his feet, and later explained his sudden change of attitude to his friends. What he beheld in Baba's seat as soon as he approached it, was not the human figure of Baba, but the divine glory of Sri Rama. Having found God in the flesh, he determined to get the highest out of Him,viz. Brahmananda. As Baba did not grant it at once this petulant child started satyagraha. He resolved to fast and not to visit Baba at the Mosque unless he should be given the bliss he sought, or be sent for by Baba.
So he fasted three days. Baba, the kind mother that he was, knew of course how the wind blew and sterred his own course. On the fourth day of the fast, an intimate friend of the doctor, not seen for many long years turned up at Shirdi ,accidentally one might say, if one did not know Sri Sai Baba's vast powers of control. Overflowing with the joy of the friend's arrival, the doctor forgot his fast and his vow and accompanied him to the mosque. Baba asked him, 'Doctor, did any one send for you?" The doctor saw that nothing was or could be concealed from this powerful Sai, and he mentally pressed his quest. That midnight, Baba's grace vouch-safed a response, and the doctor was filled with a strange ecstasy for which there was no physical or physiological explanation and which was clearly a glimpse of Paramananda or Siva Ananda granted by Baba's will. But what he experienced was short lived. In response to his prayer after he went home, he again experienced this joy for a full fortnight. But after that, it ceased. The doctor was not yet qualified to get the perpetual Ananda that becomes part of one's nature or rather becomes one's self, i.e., the Jivan Mukta state. Baba gave him just an appetizer to make him work up to the goal.
A Yogic Doctor :
We may close this article with an experience of greater permanence than those above recited. Sri Sai Baba though invested with the nature and powers of a Yogasiddha, was never known to practice Ashtanga Yoga and sometime warned his devotees agaist the snares of the mystic powers for which parts of the yoga course are gone through. If, however, any one who had difficulties or had come to ruin in yogabhyasa sought relief at his feet, relief was afforded. The best instance known to this writer of such help was that given to Sri Upasani Maharaj. In the course of his hata yogic efforts at suspension of breath, his respiration became fitful and evidently on account of a paralytic attack on some of the respiratory organs, respiration would now and then suddenly threaten to collapse, filling him with the fear, thus, of sudden death. No doctors and no yogis could help him. But Sri Sai Baba appeared to him at Rahuri 30 miles of Shirdi and gave him a very simple recipe which almost completely cured him.
Stream of Sweetness :
Sri Sai Baba further drew him to Shirdi arid there taught him the secret of the Yogic Ecstasy (as practised by Sufis).
Before he went to Shirdi, Sri Upasani Baba easily attained the. Samadhi state and remained in it even for days. But it was a Sushka Samadhi. It was no doubt free from the cares and sorrows of the world but there was no positive element of joy in it. Sri Sai Baba showed him how to turn his dry Samadhi into a joyous experience. He was made to retain a thin trace of his personality and with it draw in an inexhaustible stream of sweetness from Iswara, the Ocean of Sweetness (Rasa).
And this was a permanent gift. Sri Upasani Maharaj has ever since resorted to this form of ecstasy in preference to his former method. But even this ecstasy is but a preparation for the highest goal, the Jivan Mukta state in which one's personality merges for ever in Sat-Chit-Ananda from which there is no return.
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 32
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
AS IF TO STRIKE BUT REALLY TO BLISS
SRI SAI BABA'S WAY
There was often at times a certain mystery and dignity about Sri Sai Baba's direction or order when he favoured his devotees. He would not condescend to explain or give reasons. What was a real and great favour came with the harsh appearance of heartless cruelty. Thus when Mr. Manager of Poona had lost his employment and went to Shirdi in the hope that Baba would help him to get employed, Baba ordered him, at once, to start back to Poona via Ahmednagar, with Tatya Patel and others who were going there for fun and no business of their own. Mr. Manager's plea that he had no business at Ahmednagar or Poona was unheeded. But the benefit of implicit obedience to Baba's order was immediately felt. When he reached Poona, there was a strike of mill hands and the Directors were waiting for him, to take charge of the Managership. Baba lifts his hand as though to strike, but the uplifted hand showers blessings.
The Dakshina :
Once D. H. Lele, Inspector of Land Records, Nasik was going to Shirdi to see Baba. En route, at Kopergaon, he visited the Library and saw from the Official Gazette that he had been promoted from Rs. 125 to Rs. 150. When he reached Shirdi and bowed at Baba's feet, the latter asked him for Rs. 15 Mr. Lele pleaded that he had not so much money with him. Baba retorted "It is only yesterday, I gave you Rs. 25. Go and fetch fifteen". The money was then borrowed from Mr. H. V. Sathe (to whom the facts were narrated) and paid to Baba.
Mr. Somnath Shankar Deshpande Nimonkar, Inspector of Police, Poona says that when he was a Sub-Inspector at Kopergaon, he visited Baba at Shirdi and the latter asked for a dakshina of Rs. 10. That was paid and it then seemed to have no particular significance. But about 6 months later, be got an order for increasing his salary by Rs. 10 from the date of his paying that dakshina.
AS IF TO STRIKE BUT REALLY TO BLISS
SRI SAI BABA'S WAY
There was often at times a certain mystery and dignity about Sri Sai Baba's direction or order when he favoured his devotees. He would not condescend to explain or give reasons. What was a real and great favour came with the harsh appearance of heartless cruelty. Thus when Mr. Manager of Poona had lost his employment and went to Shirdi in the hope that Baba would help him to get employed, Baba ordered him, at once, to start back to Poona via Ahmednagar, with Tatya Patel and others who were going there for fun and no business of their own. Mr. Manager's plea that he had no business at Ahmednagar or Poona was unheeded. But the benefit of implicit obedience to Baba's order was immediately felt. When he reached Poona, there was a strike of mill hands and the Directors were waiting for him, to take charge of the Managership. Baba lifts his hand as though to strike, but the uplifted hand showers blessings.
The Dakshina :
Once D. H. Lele, Inspector of Land Records, Nasik was going to Shirdi to see Baba. En route, at Kopergaon, he visited the Library and saw from the Official Gazette that he had been promoted from Rs. 125 to Rs. 150. When he reached Shirdi and bowed at Baba's feet, the latter asked him for Rs. 15 Mr. Lele pleaded that he had not so much money with him. Baba retorted "It is only yesterday, I gave you Rs. 25. Go and fetch fifteen". The money was then borrowed from Mr. H. V. Sathe (to whom the facts were narrated) and paid to Baba.
Mr. Somnath Shankar Deshpande Nimonkar, Inspector of Police, Poona says that when he was a Sub-Inspector at Kopergaon, he visited Baba at Shirdi and the latter asked for a dakshina of Rs. 10. That was paid and it then seemed to have no particular significance. But about 6 months later, be got an order for increasing his salary by Rs. 10 from the date of his paying that dakshina.
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 31
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
BABA'S HELP TO BOYS IN INFANCY
STRANGE ADVICE: BUT RIGHT
Sri Sai Baba had no school education. He never wrote or read anything written. He never even signed his name—if he had any name except the general name Sri Sai Baba i.e. Saintly Father which is applicable to any holy fakir. Yet he knew all about school and college studies and examinations and helped people to attain success in these. The first incidence is mentioned by H. S. Dixit, Ex. M.L.C., in his notes about Sri Sai Baba published by him in Vols. I and II of Sai Lila Masik.
In 1913 when Mr. and Mrs. Dixit were living at Shirdi they sent a son of theirs for his education to stay at Bandra with a friend. About a month before the examination, the boy was seriously ill and Mr. Dixit was asked to go over and see the boy. Sri Sai Baba to whom the letter was shown, detained Mr. Dixit and wanted that the boy should be sent up to Shirdi. In spite of his illness, and near approach of the examinations and the unsuitability of that village for study or medical treatment, the boy was brought to Shirdi. There he soon regained his health. Yet, Baba did not send him back, not even on the date fixed for examination, viz., 2-11-1913. The Bandra friend was surprised at the detention. But the examination, he discovered, was postponed to 6-11-1913. That friend wrote again to get the boy in time for 6-11-1913. But Baba detained him once more having foreknowledge that it would be postponed further to 13-11-1913. Baba finally sent the boy in time to attend examination. Despite such long absence the boy passed the examination.
BABA'S HELP TO BOYS IN INFANCY
STRANGE ADVICE: BUT RIGHT
Sri Sai Baba had no school education. He never wrote or read anything written. He never even signed his name—if he had any name except the general name Sri Sai Baba i.e. Saintly Father which is applicable to any holy fakir. Yet he knew all about school and college studies and examinations and helped people to attain success in these. The first incidence is mentioned by H. S. Dixit, Ex. M.L.C., in his notes about Sri Sai Baba published by him in Vols. I and II of Sai Lila Masik.
In 1913 when Mr. and Mrs. Dixit were living at Shirdi they sent a son of theirs for his education to stay at Bandra with a friend. About a month before the examination, the boy was seriously ill and Mr. Dixit was asked to go over and see the boy. Sri Sai Baba to whom the letter was shown, detained Mr. Dixit and wanted that the boy should be sent up to Shirdi. In spite of his illness, and near approach of the examinations and the unsuitability of that village for study or medical treatment, the boy was brought to Shirdi. There he soon regained his health. Yet, Baba did not send him back, not even on the date fixed for examination, viz., 2-11-1913. The Bandra friend was surprised at the detention. But the examination, he discovered, was postponed to 6-11-1913. That friend wrote again to get the boy in time for 6-11-1913. But Baba detained him once more having foreknowledge that it would be postponed further to 13-11-1913. Baba finally sent the boy in time to attend examination. Despite such long absence the boy passed the examination.
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 30
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
TRANSFORMS A PRIESTLY BIGOT
SRI SAI BABA'S CARE FOR CHILDREN
Babu, the little pet of Sri Sai Baba whose rebirth as the son of Rao Bahadur M. W. Pradhan has already been described, was the instrument for the conversion of an orthodox Telugu priest, who had bean carrying on extensive pooja's etc. for the benefit to the Pradhan family. When Babu once fell ill, the priest look the view that the sickness was due to the family worship of Baba, (whom he took to be) a Muslim neglecting ,"Datta". One night when the child was lying very ill upstairs, its mother thought of sending for the priest Meanwhile the priest himself climbed upstairs and mentioned remarkable vision. He saw a figure, like that of Sri Sai Baba, sitting on top of the staircase, holding a baton in one hand. That figure told him "What do you mean? I am the Lord of this house". The priest was so much influenced by the sight that he began to pray to Baba and said that in case the child should be able to swallow milk within five minutes and recover health from the next day, he would recognise Baba to be Datta, go to Shirdi and pay him a dakshina of Rs. 120. The child took milk within five minutes and began to play some hours later. The priest was converted into a devotee of Baba and fulfilled his vow.
A Timely Warning :
A child of Mr. Pradhan was getting occasional fits which caused considerable anxiety while they stayed. One night at 11 p.m. Mrs. Chotubai Pradhan was thus addressed by Baba in her sleep : "Are you sleeping? Get up. Your boy will have convulsions". At once she woke up with a start and looked at her boy. He was alright then. But Baba's kind warning should not be ignored. So she set about getting all the accessories needed for treatment of 'fits' ready. For e.g a charcoal fire, hot water, Eau-de-cologne, etc., and kept watch. At 2 a.m. the boy awoke with convulsion and all the family were roused. The presence of everything needed helped to combat the disease and in half an hour it passed off. How kind of Baba to give such timely warning of an impending danger!
Even in little matters Baba used his omniscience. Ant-tir-jnana as the Bombay devotees term it, for their benefit. Mrs.Chotubai was once worshipping Baba at the mosque. He suddenly stopped her and bade her go back to her lodgings. Going there she found that her little baby was crying, and she put it to sleep and came back. ''Now do your pooja" remarked Baba on her return to the masjid. What vast concern for a crying baby! The masjid was too far off from her lodgings to let her hear the baby's cries. But Baba heard all cries anywhere and he came to the rescue.
At Danger Points :
Baba's care was not confined to children born with a silver spoon in their mouth. There was a humble family of Babu Kirwanaikar at Shirdi with a little daughter aged 3 and named Shanti. She used to say that she was Baba's sister. Baba was fond of her. One day she slipped into a well and it might have proved fatal, as the neighbours thought. But going up to the well they found that the child was floating above water holding on to a ledge. "Baba held me up" said the child. There was no other explanation for her safe escape. The fall had not injured her in the least.
A child ran one day along a water-covered lane of Shirdi. By the side of the lane, a very deep trench had been cut for building the foundation of a house.The trench was full of storm water and was about 5 feet deep. The child walking in full dress with a cap and umbrella slipped into the trench, unnoticed by anyone but somehow it came out of the trench, without knowing even how to swim. "Baba showed me that there were steps to climb up and I walked up those steps" said the child.
TRANSFORMS A PRIESTLY BIGOT
SRI SAI BABA'S CARE FOR CHILDREN
Babu, the little pet of Sri Sai Baba whose rebirth as the son of Rao Bahadur M. W. Pradhan has already been described, was the instrument for the conversion of an orthodox Telugu priest, who had bean carrying on extensive pooja's etc. for the benefit to the Pradhan family. When Babu once fell ill, the priest look the view that the sickness was due to the family worship of Baba, (whom he took to be) a Muslim neglecting ,"Datta". One night when the child was lying very ill upstairs, its mother thought of sending for the priest Meanwhile the priest himself climbed upstairs and mentioned remarkable vision. He saw a figure, like that of Sri Sai Baba, sitting on top of the staircase, holding a baton in one hand. That figure told him "What do you mean? I am the Lord of this house". The priest was so much influenced by the sight that he began to pray to Baba and said that in case the child should be able to swallow milk within five minutes and recover health from the next day, he would recognise Baba to be Datta, go to Shirdi and pay him a dakshina of Rs. 120. The child took milk within five minutes and began to play some hours later. The priest was converted into a devotee of Baba and fulfilled his vow.
A Timely Warning :
A child of Mr. Pradhan was getting occasional fits which caused considerable anxiety while they stayed. One night at 11 p.m. Mrs. Chotubai Pradhan was thus addressed by Baba in her sleep : "Are you sleeping? Get up. Your boy will have convulsions". At once she woke up with a start and looked at her boy. He was alright then. But Baba's kind warning should not be ignored. So she set about getting all the accessories needed for treatment of 'fits' ready. For e.g a charcoal fire, hot water, Eau-de-cologne, etc., and kept watch. At 2 a.m. the boy awoke with convulsion and all the family were roused. The presence of everything needed helped to combat the disease and in half an hour it passed off. How kind of Baba to give such timely warning of an impending danger!
Even in little matters Baba used his omniscience. Ant-tir-jnana as the Bombay devotees term it, for their benefit. Mrs.Chotubai was once worshipping Baba at the mosque. He suddenly stopped her and bade her go back to her lodgings. Going there she found that her little baby was crying, and she put it to sleep and came back. ''Now do your pooja" remarked Baba on her return to the masjid. What vast concern for a crying baby! The masjid was too far off from her lodgings to let her hear the baby's cries. But Baba heard all cries anywhere and he came to the rescue.
At Danger Points :
Baba's care was not confined to children born with a silver spoon in their mouth. There was a humble family of Babu Kirwanaikar at Shirdi with a little daughter aged 3 and named Shanti. She used to say that she was Baba's sister. Baba was fond of her. One day she slipped into a well and it might have proved fatal, as the neighbours thought. But going up to the well they found that the child was floating above water holding on to a ledge. "Baba held me up" said the child. There was no other explanation for her safe escape. The fall had not injured her in the least.
A child ran one day along a water-covered lane of Shirdi. By the side of the lane, a very deep trench had been cut for building the foundation of a house.The trench was full of storm water and was about 5 feet deep. The child walking in full dress with a cap and umbrella slipped into the trench, unnoticed by anyone but somehow it came out of the trench, without knowing even how to swim. "Baba showed me that there were steps to climb up and I walked up those steps" said the child.
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 26
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
GIFTS OF SRI SAI BABA
MOST VARIED AND UNIQUE PEARLS AND SWANS
Newton's dog, his fellowmen and Newton all looked at Nature and saw apples fall. The first looked on and derived no benefit. The second ran up and ate the fruits. Newton alone discovered the Law of Gravitation which has served mankind, as a useful theory or hypothesis to explain many facts of Nature.
All sorts of men and women have approached Sri Sai Baba. Some have returned without any benefit. Some received much of temporal goods with just a taste of the spiritual others, higher and higher spiritual goods. Every one received what he was fitted to receive. Baba, the Universal mother that he was, impartially offered his gifts, nay, scattered them before his visitors, but the crows picked up the offal and the swans, the pearls.
It was in accordance with the capacity, the receptivity and the circumstances of each visitor due to his Karma Rinanubanda, i.e., prenatal merits and ties, that Baba's gifts were effective; and hence spiritual benefits received from him are of a very varied description. Anything like an exhaustive statement of them being impossible, we may content ourselves here with a set or samples.
That Boundless Love :
When people talk of God, to most He is a word and nothing more. They know how to use it for their worldly purposes, nothing what effect it has on the hearer. Convention and current feeling invests its use with a certain dignity and telling force, specially in oaths and curses. But how few have felt at all or in any appreciable degree the sacred awe, the first basis of the idea of the Holy or that for higher feeling of all-Consuming all-sacrificing bundles of Love! For too many have been begotten or brought up in godless families amidst cheerless, cramped and darkened surroundings where the words and conduct of the parents, relations and friends are really a stifling negation of God, conscience and the moral principal, sometimes nominally veiled by an occasional observance of forms of worship or reference to God. Some of these are at times candid enough to admit and sometimes to bemoan the fact that they could never conceive of, much less experience God in their lives.
Spiritual Rebirth, First step in God-Realisation :
The greatest service Sri Sai rendered and renders to mankind is to save such souls from their utter darkness, to show them the existence in himself and elsewhere, of vast power, vast knowledge, vast goodness and self-forgetting Love which blesses him that gives and him that receives and to make them float on waves of joy and happiness, hitherto inexperienced. Rudely shaken from or terrified out of their prolonged stupor and indifference they just receive a few gleams of light into their sin soiled eyes, feel a glow of gratitude, love and other noble emotions in their chilled hearts, begin their spiritual birth and see or feel their God in Sai, their real Saviour. For the first time, they get a rudimentary idea of Sri Sai-and know God. He is the giver of the God-idea to them and is God, in their view and it may be their only God.
The benefit is by no means confined to the class just described. Persons, who start life better, fall into evil ways, gets tainted by wicked company, sunk in voice and sin from drama and cinema songs and street talk, lose their early innocence and receptivity, become thoroughly care-hardened, sneer at purity and piety and blatantly proclaim their imperviousness to godly influence. To such Sai has many times restored, in some degree, their lost innocence by making them feel that they see God in him and in his devotees. Some cultured and English educated persons that this writer met have confessed to him that Baba, who has restored their faiths, is God to them, that in their present life of holiness the foreground is fully occupied by Baba, and that Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Sri Siva, Sri Datta and Sri Pandarinath get their halo of glory through Baba. One lady said "Krishna no doubt appeals to me and attracts me. But Baba who often appears and instructs me in visions is a hundred times more powerful".
The need for a noble "Superman" that leads one to God is at its height in the case of advanced spiritual aspirants who style him their Samartha Sadguru and derive from him the maximum benefit that a human being can enjoy. Realisation of the Ishtadevata, perpetual enjoyment of heaven at His feet, attainment of Adwaitic Bliss or Nirvana Sukha can alike be had at the guru's feet and there alone.
A Warning :
Sri Sai Baba showered his benefits on thousands in a variety of ways. Some only of these have been revealed to this writer and these may be a sample of his gift to others. But one cannot be sure that the highest have been yet made public. However that may be, before proceeding to give a very brief sketch of these, the writer has one request to make or a warning to give. Person who are great admirers of particular saints, like Krishna Chaitanya, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Samartha Ramdas, Haranath or Thayumanavar, should not judge others exclusively by the life, teachings and methods of their saint or hero. Let not Sri Sai Baba be measured on the Procrustes bed of any particular saint. Sri Sai is a rare phenomenon by himself and his services to Humanity, if judged calmly, would be found great enough to require a special corner in our pantheon and a readjustment of our ideas based wholly on a few past examples. In the words of Browing (as adapted) we must insist,
Our times are in his hand,
Who said "A whole I planned,
Past shows but half; Trust God, see all, nor be afraid"
Add this to the rest,
Take it and try its worth.
GIFTS OF SRI SAI BABA
MOST VARIED AND UNIQUE PEARLS AND SWANS
Newton's dog, his fellowmen and Newton all looked at Nature and saw apples fall. The first looked on and derived no benefit. The second ran up and ate the fruits. Newton alone discovered the Law of Gravitation which has served mankind, as a useful theory or hypothesis to explain many facts of Nature.
All sorts of men and women have approached Sri Sai Baba. Some have returned without any benefit. Some received much of temporal goods with just a taste of the spiritual others, higher and higher spiritual goods. Every one received what he was fitted to receive. Baba, the Universal mother that he was, impartially offered his gifts, nay, scattered them before his visitors, but the crows picked up the offal and the swans, the pearls.
It was in accordance with the capacity, the receptivity and the circumstances of each visitor due to his Karma Rinanubanda, i.e., prenatal merits and ties, that Baba's gifts were effective; and hence spiritual benefits received from him are of a very varied description. Anything like an exhaustive statement of them being impossible, we may content ourselves here with a set or samples.
That Boundless Love :
When people talk of God, to most He is a word and nothing more. They know how to use it for their worldly purposes, nothing what effect it has on the hearer. Convention and current feeling invests its use with a certain dignity and telling force, specially in oaths and curses. But how few have felt at all or in any appreciable degree the sacred awe, the first basis of the idea of the Holy or that for higher feeling of all-Consuming all-sacrificing bundles of Love! For too many have been begotten or brought up in godless families amidst cheerless, cramped and darkened surroundings where the words and conduct of the parents, relations and friends are really a stifling negation of God, conscience and the moral principal, sometimes nominally veiled by an occasional observance of forms of worship or reference to God. Some of these are at times candid enough to admit and sometimes to bemoan the fact that they could never conceive of, much less experience God in their lives.
Spiritual Rebirth, First step in God-Realisation :
The greatest service Sri Sai rendered and renders to mankind is to save such souls from their utter darkness, to show them the existence in himself and elsewhere, of vast power, vast knowledge, vast goodness and self-forgetting Love which blesses him that gives and him that receives and to make them float on waves of joy and happiness, hitherto inexperienced. Rudely shaken from or terrified out of their prolonged stupor and indifference they just receive a few gleams of light into their sin soiled eyes, feel a glow of gratitude, love and other noble emotions in their chilled hearts, begin their spiritual birth and see or feel their God in Sai, their real Saviour. For the first time, they get a rudimentary idea of Sri Sai-and know God. He is the giver of the God-idea to them and is God, in their view and it may be their only God.
The benefit is by no means confined to the class just described. Persons, who start life better, fall into evil ways, gets tainted by wicked company, sunk in voice and sin from drama and cinema songs and street talk, lose their early innocence and receptivity, become thoroughly care-hardened, sneer at purity and piety and blatantly proclaim their imperviousness to godly influence. To such Sai has many times restored, in some degree, their lost innocence by making them feel that they see God in him and in his devotees. Some cultured and English educated persons that this writer met have confessed to him that Baba, who has restored their faiths, is God to them, that in their present life of holiness the foreground is fully occupied by Baba, and that Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Sri Siva, Sri Datta and Sri Pandarinath get their halo of glory through Baba. One lady said "Krishna no doubt appeals to me and attracts me. But Baba who often appears and instructs me in visions is a hundred times more powerful".
The need for a noble "Superman" that leads one to God is at its height in the case of advanced spiritual aspirants who style him their Samartha Sadguru and derive from him the maximum benefit that a human being can enjoy. Realisation of the Ishtadevata, perpetual enjoyment of heaven at His feet, attainment of Adwaitic Bliss or Nirvana Sukha can alike be had at the guru's feet and there alone.
A Warning :
Sri Sai Baba showered his benefits on thousands in a variety of ways. Some only of these have been revealed to this writer and these may be a sample of his gift to others. But one cannot be sure that the highest have been yet made public. However that may be, before proceeding to give a very brief sketch of these, the writer has one request to make or a warning to give. Person who are great admirers of particular saints, like Krishna Chaitanya, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Samartha Ramdas, Haranath or Thayumanavar, should not judge others exclusively by the life, teachings and methods of their saint or hero. Let not Sri Sai Baba be measured on the Procrustes bed of any particular saint. Sri Sai is a rare phenomenon by himself and his services to Humanity, if judged calmly, would be found great enough to require a special corner in our pantheon and a readjustment of our ideas based wholly on a few past examples. In the words of Browing (as adapted) we must insist,
Our times are in his hand,
Who said "A whole I planned,
Past shows but half; Trust God, see all, nor be afraid"
Add this to the rest,
Take it and try its worth.
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 27
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
SRI SAI BABA'S TOUCH
EXPERIENCES OF A SANYASIN
Sri Narayan Asram , of Vaman Mutt Gangapuri (Wai) , is a cultured sanyasi who says that a considerable and momentous advance in his spiritual condition was due to , "Sri Sai Baba". While serving in the Customs Department in 1910, he approached Baba. But within a few years, Baba noted that he was after higher things than worldly welfare and "graciously conveyed'' to him without any words, the feeling that differences between souls, nay all differences, were unreal, that the one Real Thing is that which underlies all. Baba did not speak out and express this in words. In fact Baba spoke to him very little.
Baba's influence, he says was mostly silent. Baba's touch was a potent factor in moulding those who came to him- "Baba had a way of touching (with his palm) the head of the devotee who went to him. His touch conveyed certain impulses, forces, ideas etc. Sometimes he pressed his hand heavily on the head, as though he was crushing out some of the lower impulses of the devotee. Sometimes he tapped, sometimes he made a pass with the palm over the head etc. Each had its own effect-making remarkable difference in the sensations or feelings of the devotee".
The Spiritual Push :
"Baba's touch was one means. Apart from that he would invisibly operate on the nature of the devotee and effect a great change in him". For this, immediate proximity was not necessary, Sri N. Asram (then Mr. Toser) would go and sit even there, he was under Baba's direct influence.
Unfortunately, almost the whole lot that went to Baba wanted worldly benefit and had only poor, if any spiritual ambition. Hardly any was competent to receive the highest teachings. He evidently found none to receive all that he could confer, and so none has succeeded to his position at Shirdi.
In the case of Sri Narayan Asram, Baba gave the first great push in Pararaartha about 1914 and left him in charge of the departed, yet living soul of Vasudevananda Saraswati (as all great souls are one) who is responsible for his present condition.
"Baba was pre eminently practical", says Sri N. Asram. "He just gave people a push to carry them a few steps beyond the level at the time of approaching him". Others will be there at the exact psychological moment to give the needed help and guidance at each level and stage.
SRI SAI BABA'S TOUCH
EXPERIENCES OF A SANYASIN
Sri Narayan Asram , of Vaman Mutt Gangapuri (Wai) , is a cultured sanyasi who says that a considerable and momentous advance in his spiritual condition was due to , "Sri Sai Baba". While serving in the Customs Department in 1910, he approached Baba. But within a few years, Baba noted that he was after higher things than worldly welfare and "graciously conveyed'' to him without any words, the feeling that differences between souls, nay all differences, were unreal, that the one Real Thing is that which underlies all. Baba did not speak out and express this in words. In fact Baba spoke to him very little.
Baba's influence, he says was mostly silent. Baba's touch was a potent factor in moulding those who came to him- "Baba had a way of touching (with his palm) the head of the devotee who went to him. His touch conveyed certain impulses, forces, ideas etc. Sometimes he pressed his hand heavily on the head, as though he was crushing out some of the lower impulses of the devotee. Sometimes he tapped, sometimes he made a pass with the palm over the head etc. Each had its own effect-making remarkable difference in the sensations or feelings of the devotee".
The Spiritual Push :
"Baba's touch was one means. Apart from that he would invisibly operate on the nature of the devotee and effect a great change in him". For this, immediate proximity was not necessary, Sri N. Asram (then Mr. Toser) would go and sit even there, he was under Baba's direct influence.
Unfortunately, almost the whole lot that went to Baba wanted worldly benefit and had only poor, if any spiritual ambition. Hardly any was competent to receive the highest teachings. He evidently found none to receive all that he could confer, and so none has succeeded to his position at Shirdi.
In the case of Sri Narayan Asram, Baba gave the first great push in Pararaartha about 1914 and left him in charge of the departed, yet living soul of Vasudevananda Saraswati (as all great souls are one) who is responsible for his present condition.
"Baba was pre eminently practical", says Sri N. Asram. "He just gave people a push to carry them a few steps beyond the level at the time of approaching him". Others will be there at the exact psychological moment to give the needed help and guidance at each level and stage.
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 28
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
SPIRITUAL GAINS AND WORLDLY HELP
IS IT OBJECTIONABLE?
Some who learnt of Baba's miraculous help to his devotees have been oppressed by doubts and objections. What trivial work is done by the saint! If he be a great saint, could he or should he attend to such trifles, or to any worldly work at all? If not exactly infra dignitatem, does it not prove that he is not a Jnani in Sat Chit-Ananda, i.e., perpetual absorption in Supreme Bliss of God or the Atman? Can an Atmanishtha or Jivan Mukta afford to fritter away his moments in concern for worldly gains and losses, comforts and discomforts, even though they are not his but others. Have not saints themselves decried the working of miracles, and is not such working prima facie proof of the absence of Jnana or Realisation?
A close examination of these objection is not possible hare. But a single circumstance that constitute a complete reply may now be mentioned. Is not a fact that Sri Krishna, Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ, Sri Sankaracharya, Lord Gauranga and a host of other 'Great Ones" have rendered temporal help, even in small matters, to many even by miracles. Are these to be labelled Ajnanis?
Not His , But God's :
What applies to them applies to Baba. The reader will find the truth declared often by Baba that what are called 'his' actions are really 'His'. Baba repeatedly stated that he did nothing, that God did everything, that God is the Master (Allah Malik), and that he, Baba. performed no miracles and indeed did not do anything unless permitted or made to do it. Ample proof will be found even in these pages of his complete self-surrender, his merger in or identification with God. Meanwhile the reader is requested, in the words of Baba, to have faith and patience (Nishtha and Saburi), to wait and watch. He will soon find that the apparently trivial is at times an important link in momentous affairs, that Baba's 'worldly' works In unworldly, that his efforts and care are consistent with-nay the expressions of his supreme love and bliss.
Baba's care for children began even before they were born. The devotees that successfully prayed to Baba for securing matches for their daughters and progeny have urged their prayers on all occasions, great and small. Pregnancy is sometimes the occasion of great anxiety and Baba has not failed to help his devotees in such critical.moments. Here is a typical instance.
Presence Unnecessary:
The daughter-in-law of Nana Saheb Nimonkar( an Hony. Magistrate of Nimon), was on the family way and in September-October, 1916, her accouchement was expected Mr & Mrs. N. Nimonkar started for Poona to help in the accouchement and called en route at Shirdi. When they wanted leave to go to Poona, Baba refused. He told N. N. on the other hand that the latter should stay by Baba's side, bury him and then leave Shirdi. Asked about the accouchement, Baba replied, "Why are you anxious? God will help". That meant of course that Baba undertook the safe delivery of the child and that Nimonkars stayed on.
At Poona, no preparations for helping the lady were made and when the pains began, she was taken about 10 p.m. to a hospital and there within an hour, in the total absence of help when even the attendant nurse was absent, a male child was born in good health. At about that time, Baba told Nana Saheb Nimonkar at Shirdi, "There was woman. She was taken to a place. There she was delivered safe of a male child". Here again as promised, God did help through Baba of course.
SPIRITUAL GAINS AND WORLDLY HELP
IS IT OBJECTIONABLE?
Some who learnt of Baba's miraculous help to his devotees have been oppressed by doubts and objections. What trivial work is done by the saint! If he be a great saint, could he or should he attend to such trifles, or to any worldly work at all? If not exactly infra dignitatem, does it not prove that he is not a Jnani in Sat Chit-Ananda, i.e., perpetual absorption in Supreme Bliss of God or the Atman? Can an Atmanishtha or Jivan Mukta afford to fritter away his moments in concern for worldly gains and losses, comforts and discomforts, even though they are not his but others. Have not saints themselves decried the working of miracles, and is not such working prima facie proof of the absence of Jnana or Realisation?
A close examination of these objection is not possible hare. But a single circumstance that constitute a complete reply may now be mentioned. Is not a fact that Sri Krishna, Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ, Sri Sankaracharya, Lord Gauranga and a host of other 'Great Ones" have rendered temporal help, even in small matters, to many even by miracles. Are these to be labelled Ajnanis?
Not His , But God's :
What applies to them applies to Baba. The reader will find the truth declared often by Baba that what are called 'his' actions are really 'His'. Baba repeatedly stated that he did nothing, that God did everything, that God is the Master (Allah Malik), and that he, Baba. performed no miracles and indeed did not do anything unless permitted or made to do it. Ample proof will be found even in these pages of his complete self-surrender, his merger in or identification with God. Meanwhile the reader is requested, in the words of Baba, to have faith and patience (Nishtha and Saburi), to wait and watch. He will soon find that the apparently trivial is at times an important link in momentous affairs, that Baba's 'worldly' works In unworldly, that his efforts and care are consistent with-nay the expressions of his supreme love and bliss.
Baba's care for children began even before they were born. The devotees that successfully prayed to Baba for securing matches for their daughters and progeny have urged their prayers on all occasions, great and small. Pregnancy is sometimes the occasion of great anxiety and Baba has not failed to help his devotees in such critical.moments. Here is a typical instance.
Presence Unnecessary:
The daughter-in-law of Nana Saheb Nimonkar( an Hony. Magistrate of Nimon), was on the family way and in September-October, 1916, her accouchement was expected Mr & Mrs. N. Nimonkar started for Poona to help in the accouchement and called en route at Shirdi. When they wanted leave to go to Poona, Baba refused. He told N. N. on the other hand that the latter should stay by Baba's side, bury him and then leave Shirdi. Asked about the accouchement, Baba replied, "Why are you anxious? God will help". That meant of course that Baba undertook the safe delivery of the child and that Nimonkars stayed on.
At Poona, no preparations for helping the lady were made and when the pains began, she was taken about 10 p.m. to a hospital and there within an hour, in the total absence of help when even the attendant nurse was absent, a male child was born in good health. At about that time, Baba told Nana Saheb Nimonkar at Shirdi, "There was woman. She was taken to a place. There she was delivered safe of a male child". Here again as promised, God did help through Baba of course.
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 29
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
SRI SAI BABA'S HELP
IN ALL STAGES
Sri Sai Baba's care for his devotees and their families and their number is legion-extended and still extends from the cradle to the grave, from one end of the country to the other, from sunrise, and from the most trivial to the most momentous of their affairs. A few grains are generally taken out of a boiling pot to see if the whole is boiled. A very few reported instances given hereunder will similarly serve to show the excellent help Baba has rendered in innumerable unreported cases. Baba has proclaimed such help in general terms to all devotees and in some cases avowed or alluded to the particular relief given. We shall select a few of to the latter class.
Mr. Somnath Shankar Deshpande, (C.I.D. Inspector at Poona), son of Nana Saheb Nimonkar, relates that in December 1917 he started to go to Nimon, his ancestral home where his brother's wife had been recently delivered of a child. En route, he called at Shirdi and paid his respect to Baba. In sending him away, Baba gave him udhi as usual, but added the significant words "Porala Jiva Love" i.e., "Save the child". Mr. Somnath taking this to refer to his own healthy three years boy travelling with him, gave him the udhi and left for Nimon. Soon after he reached that place, his brother's new born baby was found to be in extremis; and all hope of its life was given up. Then it struck him that Baba's parting words referred to this child and he looked for the udhi. But it was not to be found. Then taking the baby on his own lap, he intently prayed to Baba. In 15 minutes, the child began to revive and was at last restored to health. How kind of Baba to think of a devotee's child some 30 miles away from Shirdi and to take steps to save its life.
Had Sitaram Dixit, a well-known solicitor of Bombay and an ex. M.L.C., gave up all his public and professional activities and surrendered himself entirely to Baba, and made Shirdi his own abode. One morning when he bowed at Baba's feet at the mosque, the later told him "Arre Kaka tula kalji Kasuli? Sagoli Kalji Mala ahe" i.e., Why should you have any anxiety or care? All the responsibility is mine. Mr. Dixit felt that Baba was extending his all powerful wings to protect him and his, and expressed assent saying, "True, Baba. All care is yours". He had no inkling then that there was any particular incident or circumstance which called for Baba's help at that time. But going to Ville Parle, his own home, soon after, he discovered what took place on the very day that Baba spoke to him the above words. His little daughter was playing in the ball. In a corner was an almirah with glass shutters.That fell upon the child. Glass articles and metallic toys were inside the cupboard. But what was the result of that fall? All these articles appeared to have been lifted up and placed by the side of the child. Nothing hurt her. She merely broke her own glass bangles and had a slight scratch in consequence!
SRI SAI BABA'S HELP
IN ALL STAGES
Sri Sai Baba's care for his devotees and their families and their number is legion-extended and still extends from the cradle to the grave, from one end of the country to the other, from sunrise, and from the most trivial to the most momentous of their affairs. A few grains are generally taken out of a boiling pot to see if the whole is boiled. A very few reported instances given hereunder will similarly serve to show the excellent help Baba has rendered in innumerable unreported cases. Baba has proclaimed such help in general terms to all devotees and in some cases avowed or alluded to the particular relief given. We shall select a few of to the latter class.
Mr. Somnath Shankar Deshpande, (C.I.D. Inspector at Poona), son of Nana Saheb Nimonkar, relates that in December 1917 he started to go to Nimon, his ancestral home where his brother's wife had been recently delivered of a child. En route, he called at Shirdi and paid his respect to Baba. In sending him away, Baba gave him udhi as usual, but added the significant words "Porala Jiva Love" i.e., "Save the child". Mr. Somnath taking this to refer to his own healthy three years boy travelling with him, gave him the udhi and left for Nimon. Soon after he reached that place, his brother's new born baby was found to be in extremis; and all hope of its life was given up. Then it struck him that Baba's parting words referred to this child and he looked for the udhi. But it was not to be found. Then taking the baby on his own lap, he intently prayed to Baba. In 15 minutes, the child began to revive and was at last restored to health. How kind of Baba to think of a devotee's child some 30 miles away from Shirdi and to take steps to save its life.
Had Sitaram Dixit, a well-known solicitor of Bombay and an ex. M.L.C., gave up all his public and professional activities and surrendered himself entirely to Baba, and made Shirdi his own abode. One morning when he bowed at Baba's feet at the mosque, the later told him "Arre Kaka tula kalji Kasuli? Sagoli Kalji Mala ahe" i.e., Why should you have any anxiety or care? All the responsibility is mine. Mr. Dixit felt that Baba was extending his all powerful wings to protect him and his, and expressed assent saying, "True, Baba. All care is yours". He had no inkling then that there was any particular incident or circumstance which called for Baba's help at that time. But going to Ville Parle, his own home, soon after, he discovered what took place on the very day that Baba spoke to him the above words. His little daughter was playing in the ball. In a corner was an almirah with glass shutters.That fell upon the child. Glass articles and metallic toys were inside the cupboard. But what was the result of that fall? All these articles appeared to have been lifted up and placed by the side of the child. Nothing hurt her. She merely broke her own glass bangles and had a slight scratch in consequence!
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 25
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
DESERVE IT AND YOU WILL HAVE IT
ADHIKARI WHO?
COURSE AND SURRENDER:
Once a rich man went to Sri Baba and asked him for Brahmajnan. "Show me God i.e., Brahma, Baba. I have come a long distance to see you, as people report that you reveal Brahmajnan very quickly".
Baba: Oh, Do not fear. I shall show you Brahmajnan at once, and that very clearly. Numerous are the seekers after wealth, power, honour, health, but seekers after Brahma are rare .
Baba then spoke a few words about Brahma being the root cause of the Universe, about the necessity for realising it to escape rebirth, about the need of a Guru, etc. Then he turned to a boy and told him: "Five rupees I urgently require. Go to Marwadi Nandlal and ask him for a band loan of Rs. 5".
The boy returned and reported that the Marwadi was absent. Baba again sent him to other rich villagers with the same result. This took about 15 or 20 minutes. Meanwhile the rich questioner was getting impatient that he was not taught further and shown Brahman. He could avoid the wastage of further time but he doubted if he advanced the Rs. 5 loan himself whether there was much hope of recovering it from Baba. He had besides, engaged a Tonga to and from Shirdi and he was afraid that the Tonga man would press him to start quickly.
Not Grasped :
So, impatient of delay he asked Baba :"Baba, will you help me to grasp Brahma?"
Baba: What I have been doing all this while is just for that purpose to make you see God even now while you ate seated here. Have you not grasped anything?
Visitor: No, Baba.
Baba : I want to get at 5 rupees. Actually I want five things surrendered (a) The five Pranas - life forces, (b) The five senses, (c) Mind, (d) intellect and (e) Ego. The road to Brahmajnan is hard to tread. All cannot tread it. There must be no clogs of attachment to wealth, honour or position. In that case, light will dawn.
Baba pointed out that the man had Rs. 250 in his pocket ready with him and yet he would not part with Rs. 5 to help a guru from whom he wanted the invaluable Brahmajnan as a free gift.
Another Demand :
Baba was similarly pressed to impart Brahmajnan by a man who had made no attempt to lesson his love of the world and its enjoyments. Baba told him to wait and then sent a messenger to a Marwadi for a loan of a good sum, say Rs. 200, The Marwadi sent a reply that the money was not available. The messenger was sent to other well-to-do residents of the village, equally infructuously. Finally, he sent word to Nana Saheb G. Chandorkar and asked him for that amount. N. G. Chandorkar then sent a chit to the first mentioned Marwadi for the identical amount as a loan and the money was immediately forthcoming.
Meanwhile Baba's questioner who could not see why Baba was putting off his request for illumination, asked him again to enable to realise Brahma. Baba replied that it was just for that purpose he had been busy all the time trying to borrow the sum.
"You see", said Baba, "it is just like this in the world". When Baba wanted money from the Marwadi, it is not to be bad. When Nana tried, he got it at once. It is only those who are fit to receive It, that will receive It".
DESERVE IT AND YOU WILL HAVE IT
ADHIKARI WHO?
COURSE AND SURRENDER:
Once a rich man went to Sri Baba and asked him for Brahmajnan. "Show me God i.e., Brahma, Baba. I have come a long distance to see you, as people report that you reveal Brahmajnan very quickly".
Baba: Oh, Do not fear. I shall show you Brahmajnan at once, and that very clearly. Numerous are the seekers after wealth, power, honour, health, but seekers after Brahma are rare .
Baba then spoke a few words about Brahma being the root cause of the Universe, about the necessity for realising it to escape rebirth, about the need of a Guru, etc. Then he turned to a boy and told him: "Five rupees I urgently require. Go to Marwadi Nandlal and ask him for a band loan of Rs. 5".
The boy returned and reported that the Marwadi was absent. Baba again sent him to other rich villagers with the same result. This took about 15 or 20 minutes. Meanwhile the rich questioner was getting impatient that he was not taught further and shown Brahman. He could avoid the wastage of further time but he doubted if he advanced the Rs. 5 loan himself whether there was much hope of recovering it from Baba. He had besides, engaged a Tonga to and from Shirdi and he was afraid that the Tonga man would press him to start quickly.
Not Grasped :
So, impatient of delay he asked Baba :"Baba, will you help me to grasp Brahma?"
Baba: What I have been doing all this while is just for that purpose to make you see God even now while you ate seated here. Have you not grasped anything?
Visitor: No, Baba.
Baba : I want to get at 5 rupees. Actually I want five things surrendered (a) The five Pranas - life forces, (b) The five senses, (c) Mind, (d) intellect and (e) Ego. The road to Brahmajnan is hard to tread. All cannot tread it. There must be no clogs of attachment to wealth, honour or position. In that case, light will dawn.
Baba pointed out that the man had Rs. 250 in his pocket ready with him and yet he would not part with Rs. 5 to help a guru from whom he wanted the invaluable Brahmajnan as a free gift.
Another Demand :
Baba was similarly pressed to impart Brahmajnan by a man who had made no attempt to lesson his love of the world and its enjoyments. Baba told him to wait and then sent a messenger to a Marwadi for a loan of a good sum, say Rs. 200, The Marwadi sent a reply that the money was not available. The messenger was sent to other well-to-do residents of the village, equally infructuously. Finally, he sent word to Nana Saheb G. Chandorkar and asked him for that amount. N. G. Chandorkar then sent a chit to the first mentioned Marwadi for the identical amount as a loan and the money was immediately forthcoming.
Meanwhile Baba's questioner who could not see why Baba was putting off his request for illumination, asked him again to enable to realise Brahma. Baba replied that it was just for that purpose he had been busy all the time trying to borrow the sum.
"You see", said Baba, "it is just like this in the world". When Baba wanted money from the Marwadi, it is not to be bad. When Nana tried, he got it at once. It is only those who are fit to receive It, that will receive It".
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 24
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
GAVE SON FROM HIS OWN BODY
SRI SAI BABA'S REBUKE
We shall close this Santchamatkareka aspect of Sri Sai Baba's life with two more instances:
A lady from Sholapur had lived with her husband, Sikharam Aurangabadkar, for 27 years and never conceived even once. She came to Shirdi and requested Madhav Rao Deshpande, the familiar attendant on Baba to intercede with him to give her his blessing to "shake off the sterile curse". Madhav Rao waited for an opportunity when Baba would be in a highly pleased mood.One day after dinner, as Madhav Rao washed Baba's food-soiled hand, the latter pinched his cheek. Madhav at once feigned anger and said :
M : Baba! Is it proper for you to pinch me?
Baba : Arre! Shama! During the 72 generations that you were with me I never pinched you till now and yet you resent my touching you!
M : Baba, we want a God to give us only good and sweet things, Paradise, etc.
Baba : Yes, Indeed, I have come for that purpose, Loose and rolling :
Baba took his seat. Seeing him in such a pleased mood' M. introduced the lady to him and she gave Baba a coconut and scented sticks.
M: Baba, this lady has no issue. Bless her and give her the coconut.
Baba took up the coconut and shook it. It was dry. The kernel was loose and rolling inside.
B : Shama! This is rolling.She what it says.
M : The woman prays that a child should be similarly quickening and rolling within her womb. Pray bless her and give her the coconut.
B: Will the coconut (if given to her) turn into a baby? How silly of people to fancy such things!
M: Never mind. I know the virtue of the gift. Give her the coconut.
B : Shama, break the coconut,
M : No. Give it to her entire.
The parley went on for a while, Baba repeatedly ordering the breaking, and Madhav Rao pleading for the gift entire. Finally Baba yielded and gave her the coconut and said : "She will have issue in 12 months". And she had it within twelve months,
Delay in a Vow :
One Narayan Govind Schindhe of Harda had seven daughters but no son. He went to the Datta Temple at Gangapur and vowed that if he should be blessed with a son in the course of one year, he would bring over the child to Datta's feet. A son was born to him and that within the prescribed one year. He delayed fulfilment of his vow from year to year. In 1911, i.e., after seven years of such delay, he came before Baba, who took him to task in rather remarkable language.
Baba looked fiercely at Schindhe and said: What! Are you puffed up? Where was there any male issue in your destined lot? I have given you a son, extracting a son from this body".
Not a Miracle:
Here Sri Sai Baba pointed to his own body. What is one to infer from it? That the male issue of Schindhe was the direct result of Datta's blessing in answer to his prayer; that Sri Sai Baba being one with God or Datta, answered the prayer addressed expressly to God Datta and that though certain predestined conditions in Schindhe's life made no provision for male issue, still Sai through his superhuman powers took out of his own destined (future) lot, a son and transferred that blessing or gift to Schindhe !
What becomes of the earlier answer by Baba to Nana Saheb, that the promise of children was only astrological reading and not a miracle? Are the two statement inconsistent or are they reconcilable. The reader may think it out or wait for an answer.
GAVE SON FROM HIS OWN BODY
SRI SAI BABA'S REBUKE
We shall close this Santchamatkareka aspect of Sri Sai Baba's life with two more instances:
A lady from Sholapur had lived with her husband, Sikharam Aurangabadkar, for 27 years and never conceived even once. She came to Shirdi and requested Madhav Rao Deshpande, the familiar attendant on Baba to intercede with him to give her his blessing to "shake off the sterile curse". Madhav Rao waited for an opportunity when Baba would be in a highly pleased mood.One day after dinner, as Madhav Rao washed Baba's food-soiled hand, the latter pinched his cheek. Madhav at once feigned anger and said :
M : Baba! Is it proper for you to pinch me?
Baba : Arre! Shama! During the 72 generations that you were with me I never pinched you till now and yet you resent my touching you!
M : Baba, we want a God to give us only good and sweet things, Paradise, etc.
Baba : Yes, Indeed, I have come for that purpose, Loose and rolling :
Baba took his seat. Seeing him in such a pleased mood' M. introduced the lady to him and she gave Baba a coconut and scented sticks.
M: Baba, this lady has no issue. Bless her and give her the coconut.
Baba took up the coconut and shook it. It was dry. The kernel was loose and rolling inside.
B : Shama! This is rolling.She what it says.
M : The woman prays that a child should be similarly quickening and rolling within her womb. Pray bless her and give her the coconut.
B: Will the coconut (if given to her) turn into a baby? How silly of people to fancy such things!
M: Never mind. I know the virtue of the gift. Give her the coconut.
B : Shama, break the coconut,
M : No. Give it to her entire.
The parley went on for a while, Baba repeatedly ordering the breaking, and Madhav Rao pleading for the gift entire. Finally Baba yielded and gave her the coconut and said : "She will have issue in 12 months". And she had it within twelve months,
Delay in a Vow :
One Narayan Govind Schindhe of Harda had seven daughters but no son. He went to the Datta Temple at Gangapur and vowed that if he should be blessed with a son in the course of one year, he would bring over the child to Datta's feet. A son was born to him and that within the prescribed one year. He delayed fulfilment of his vow from year to year. In 1911, i.e., after seven years of such delay, he came before Baba, who took him to task in rather remarkable language.
Baba looked fiercely at Schindhe and said: What! Are you puffed up? Where was there any male issue in your destined lot? I have given you a son, extracting a son from this body".
Not a Miracle:
Here Sri Sai Baba pointed to his own body. What is one to infer from it? That the male issue of Schindhe was the direct result of Datta's blessing in answer to his prayer; that Sri Sai Baba being one with God or Datta, answered the prayer addressed expressly to God Datta and that though certain predestined conditions in Schindhe's life made no provision for male issue, still Sai through his superhuman powers took out of his own destined (future) lot, a son and transferred that blessing or gift to Schindhe !
What becomes of the earlier answer by Baba to Nana Saheb, that the promise of children was only astrological reading and not a miracle? Are the two statement inconsistent or are they reconcilable. The reader may think it out or wait for an answer.
WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 23
BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI
SRI SAI BABA'S GIFT WITH TEARS
A CHILD PRODIGY
When applicants for Santan became numerous, Sri Sai Baba adopted a peculiar procedure in conferring this blessing. Every lady longing for issue brought with her an entire coconut and presented it to Baba. If Baba re-presented the coconut to her-and she would usually receive it in one end of her flowing upper cloth-she would beget a child in about a year's time. If the coconut was other wise disposed of, that would signify that a blessing was refused.
Mr. Santaram Balwant Nachne went with his wife to Baba about 1918. The children born till them of this wife died at a very tender age. In taking the coconut from lady and representing it to her, Baba showed strange agitation. His eyes brimmed with tears as he dropped the coconut into the end of her robe.
Yogi at Five :
In a year's time, she gave birth to a son. This was a matter for great rejoicing, though the joy was very much damped by the child being born under the constellation Moola , which forebodes evil to the parents. The mother died eighteen months thereafter. That might be one reason why Baba was shedding tears as he gave her the blessing. Anyhow the child (born after Baba's samadhi) was named Kalu Ram, and he proved an infant phenomenon. Before he was five, he would sit up in a corner during the stillness of the dawn, cover his face, and with eyeballs upturned, practise Yoga Samadhi. He would constantly repeat 'Ram Hari Ram' and write the same sacred name on slips of paper, and he did it a lakh of times or more. Worship of Sri Sai Baba's portrait at home with hymns (arati), etc., listening to holy works, e.g., Hari Vijaya, etc., were the other tasks he set himself to; and he would narrate how Sri Krishna appeared before him and played with him.
INSTRUCTIONS TO FATHER
Eminent people like Sri Gadge Baba came to see him. One day, he called his father and admonished him about the need for concentration on Baba. Taking up the well-known picture "His Master's Voice", Kalu Ram said;
Kalu: What is this?
S. B. Nachne : It is the advertisement of a phonograph.
Kalu : It is a special message of Krishna.
S. B. Nachne : What is the special message?
Kalu : What is the dog tearing?
S B. Nachne : The music played by the plate.
Kalu: The dog hears his Master's voice. See the dog-so steady from held to tail, listening so attentively! We must be equally firm and steady. See how it sit.
You also should sit liks this and listen, and then you will hear Baba's voice!
S. B. Nachne : How do you know Baba's voice?
Kalu : I know I will not tell you. Experience it yourself.
The Last Days :
In 1926, this prodigy passed away. Even though he had dropsy and fever he kept cheerful to the last. Taking a locket with Baba's picture from his breast, he gave it to his father saying that he had no more use for it, as he was going away. Later, he called for Jnaneswari (a very erudite commentary on Gita, found in many parts to be above the level of the ordinary graduate) and asked his father to read it. The father was choking with grief at the approaching end. Kalu, however, told him that none need grieve at such parting and asked him to read out the 13th chapter. The father could not. The son kept the book in front of himself. After doing arati to Baba and singing hymns, the boy passed away in peace. The slips he had written holy names, on Upasani Baba took away as a memento. Such early death for such a holy life roust have been foreseen by Sri Sai Baba and formed an additional reason for his tears.
SRI SAI BABA'S GIFT WITH TEARS
A CHILD PRODIGY
When applicants for Santan became numerous, Sri Sai Baba adopted a peculiar procedure in conferring this blessing. Every lady longing for issue brought with her an entire coconut and presented it to Baba. If Baba re-presented the coconut to her-and she would usually receive it in one end of her flowing upper cloth-she would beget a child in about a year's time. If the coconut was other wise disposed of, that would signify that a blessing was refused.
Mr. Santaram Balwant Nachne went with his wife to Baba about 1918. The children born till them of this wife died at a very tender age. In taking the coconut from lady and representing it to her, Baba showed strange agitation. His eyes brimmed with tears as he dropped the coconut into the end of her robe.
Yogi at Five :
In a year's time, she gave birth to a son. This was a matter for great rejoicing, though the joy was very much damped by the child being born under the constellation Moola , which forebodes evil to the parents. The mother died eighteen months thereafter. That might be one reason why Baba was shedding tears as he gave her the blessing. Anyhow the child (born after Baba's samadhi) was named Kalu Ram, and he proved an infant phenomenon. Before he was five, he would sit up in a corner during the stillness of the dawn, cover his face, and with eyeballs upturned, practise Yoga Samadhi. He would constantly repeat 'Ram Hari Ram' and write the same sacred name on slips of paper, and he did it a lakh of times or more. Worship of Sri Sai Baba's portrait at home with hymns (arati), etc., listening to holy works, e.g., Hari Vijaya, etc., were the other tasks he set himself to; and he would narrate how Sri Krishna appeared before him and played with him.
INSTRUCTIONS TO FATHER
Eminent people like Sri Gadge Baba came to see him. One day, he called his father and admonished him about the need for concentration on Baba. Taking up the well-known picture "His Master's Voice", Kalu Ram said;
Kalu: What is this?
S. B. Nachne : It is the advertisement of a phonograph.
Kalu : It is a special message of Krishna.
S. B. Nachne : What is the special message?
Kalu : What is the dog tearing?
S B. Nachne : The music played by the plate.
Kalu: The dog hears his Master's voice. See the dog-so steady from held to tail, listening so attentively! We must be equally firm and steady. See how it sit.
You also should sit liks this and listen, and then you will hear Baba's voice!
S. B. Nachne : How do you know Baba's voice?
Kalu : I know I will not tell you. Experience it yourself.
The Last Days :
In 1926, this prodigy passed away. Even though he had dropsy and fever he kept cheerful to the last. Taking a locket with Baba's picture from his breast, he gave it to his father saying that he had no more use for it, as he was going away. Later, he called for Jnaneswari (a very erudite commentary on Gita, found in many parts to be above the level of the ordinary graduate) and asked his father to read it. The father was choking with grief at the approaching end. Kalu, however, told him that none need grieve at such parting and asked him to read out the 13th chapter. The father could not. The son kept the book in front of himself. After doing arati to Baba and singing hymns, the boy passed away in peace. The slips he had written holy names, on Upasani Baba took away as a memento. Such early death for such a holy life roust have been foreseen by Sri Sai Baba and formed an additional reason for his tears.
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