Spiritual Gems from Sri Sai Satcharita - Chapter 2

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Om Sri Ganesaya Namah. Om Namo Venkatesaya. Om Sri Matre Namah. Sai Ram. We have seen how Guru's grace can give us so many Spiritual Gems from an apparently simple story. With the grace of Sri Sai, let us continue with the diving into the ocean of His life and see what priceless pearls and other gems, He gives. After the article regarding Chapter 1 of Sri Sai Satchartita was posted, He gave insight into one more interesting aspect.

Please recall what He did before He started the preparations for grinding wheat. "After washing His mouth and face, Sai Baba began to make preparations for grinding wheat." (Page 2 of Sri Satcharita, English translation by Sri Gunaji). A few days after that (in 2003), I was reciting Aditya Hridayam (a Stotra in praise of Sri Sun God, Aditya, also called Surya, also called popularly as Suryanarayana, signifying His oneness with Narayana, the Para Brahma, the origin of this whole Universe). This particular Stotra is a part of Sri Ramayana, composed by that great Sage, Sri Valmiki, who was a hunter earlier. His transformation was effected through the great Ram Nam. Sage Agastya, gives the physical Rama, son of Dasaradha, who was engaged in a fierce battle with Ravana, the Hridayam (the inner core, the heart) of Aditya (Sun) (the Atma Ram, the True Self) and assures him that if he worships Sun God, i.e. understands the true nature of Atma, Self, he will be sure to conquer Ravana, the Ten-headed Rakshasa (our five body organs and five sense organs). Sri Rama too, worships Aditya after doing Achamanam three times (Trirachamya Suchirbhutva. says Aditya Hridayam, which can also be interpreted as cleaning body, mind and intellect). It is a common feature in all Hindu rituals to start any Puja with Achamanam, i.e. cleaning oneself physically, mentally and spiritually by washing one's hands and sipping water three times. For the first sip, we use Om Kesavaya Swaha, for the second sip, Om Narayanaya Swaha and for the third sip, we recite Om Madhavaya Swaha. there is a lot of esoteric signficance in those three Mantras. At the appropriate time, by Sai's grace, we will discuss that too. So, Sri Sai also did Achamanam before His yogic ritual of grinding wheat, before His fight against the Cholera! Sai Ram.

Sai Ram. Now, let us take up Chapter 2 of Sai Satcharita. "In the last chapter, the author mentioned in the original Marathi book that he would state the reason, that led him to undertake the work, and about the persons qualified to read the same and such other points." Yes, just as to write Satcharita, Hemadpant had to seek the blessings of Sri Sai Baba, and to translate the same into english, Shri Gunaji got permission from Sai, (as nicely narrated by him in his introduction, which was so kindly presented in the First issue of the beautiful ezine 'Glory of Shirdi Sai'), to read too, we need some minimum qualification, some merit, some poorva janma punyam, i.e. merits done in the previous birth. Sai Ram.

In a later chapter of Sri Sai Satcharitra, nine types of devotion have been mentioned, and the Sloka goes like this: Sravanam, Kirtanam, Vishnoh, Smaranam, Padasevanam, Archanam, Vandanam, Dasyam, Sakhyam, Atma nivedanam. The meaning of the Sloka can be approximately given as: Hearing, loudly reciting and praising Vishnu (God), remembering Him, worshipping His feet, doing formal Puja, doing namaskar, i.e. bowing, serving, friendship and self-surrender are the nine modes of devotion, Bhakti. So, reading Sri Sai Satcharita comes under kirtanam category. Or when someone reads aloud, we may hear and that comes under sravanam, i.e. hearing. As we keep reading or hearing, we do remember Him and His leelas often, so smaranam, remembering takes place. We develop love to Him and worship Him, so Sakhyam and archanam also happens. Finally our ego gets sufficiently purified and we surrender to Him completely, Atma nivedanam. Thus reading Sai Satcharita and reading these Spiritual Gems is also qualifying as Bhakti. Sai Ram.

"In the first chapter, I described Sai Baba's miracle of checking and destroying the cholera epidemic by grinding wheat and throwing the flour, on the outskirts of the village." (Page 5). Sri Sai is showing us the power or efficacy of true detachment. After assiduously grinding the wheat (putting so much effort), He asked that it be thrown on the village boundary) without any attachment, True Nishkama karma. It is thus a true Bali, sacrifice (Atma nivedanam, the last and highest Bhakti). Sai always used to utter "Allah Malik" (God is the proprietor). And yes, it is a fortunate coincidence that this is being keyed in on the day of Bakrid, a holy festival of our Muslim brothers. (This article in its original form was keyed in on Bakrid Day in the year 2003). As all of you know, God asks the father to offer his own son as sacrifice. The father doesn't hesitate. At the last second, Allah substitutes a goat for the child. This story is also present in The Bible. The story of Bhakta Siriyala is the Hindu equivalent of the same story. Thus, sacrifice of one self is praised in all religions. Sri Sai reinforced the same message through the grinding of wheat, which apparently looked like a miracle.

"I also thought that, the description of these grand miracles of Sai Baba would be interesting, and instructive to His devotees; and would remove their sins." Miracles are the means of attracting the devotees by Sai so that they come nearer to Him, physically, mentally and spiritually. Faith improves and His grace starts flowing better through them. It is like tilling and watering a field, where the seeds of Bhakti are lying dormant. With the right inputs, Bhakti sprouts up and the field gets fulfilled. We are the Kshetra (Field) and He is the Ksetrajna (Knower of the field) as given in Srimad Bhagavat Gita. In a later chapter, we shall see how Baba tilled the flower garden where the present Samadhi Mandir stands! Sai Ram.

Hemadpant thought that, he was not a fit person to undertake the work. The irony is that, if he thought he was fit, he would simply and certainly have been unfit. In my childish enthusiasm, I (the present writer of these series of articles) thought that I was very spiritual and so on and wanted to expound the great spiritual truths uncovered by my great intellect. Sai, the kind master that He is, removed such illusions and made me go through the Satcharita several times before He started giving out the spiritual gems. He only knows who is fit for what seva. Shri Hemadpant thought that "One must be a saint himself, before he could know other saints, otherwise, how can I describe their glory?" This statement is no doubt true to a certain extent. But even sinners were drawn to Him because of the merits in their present or previous births. To know a saint or jnani, one has to be a saint or jnani himself, because if one were not, one's ego blocks one from fully knowing and experiencing the saint's and thus God's grace. But even through a cloud, we perceive Sunlight, thus, even with our ego-limited perception, we are able to realize the true greatness of Saints like Sai. So, unless we are totally blind, i.e. totally unfit, we do realize. As already stated above, we do have some merit and that is why, we are brought into His fold."

Lord loves those, who write the lives of saints; and the saints also have a peculiar method of their own of getting the service, which the devotees long for, successfully accomplished." (pages 5 and 6). Many times, we are not aware of our own mission in life, but Sai knows and He gets the service and gives us the results, which we need, so that we can proceed further.

"I could not myself ask Sai Baba to give me permission for this work; so I requested Mr.Madhavrao Deshpande alias Shama, Baba's most intimate devotee, to speak to Him for me." (page 7) - This writer, too, could not bring himself to ask Baba directly and so approached Baba through Shri Ravada Gopala Rao, Saibanisa. "He is only an outward instrument. I should write Myself My Autobiography and satisfy the wishes of My devotees." (page 7) - That applies to this work also. "He should get rid of his ego, place (or surrender) it at My feet." (page 7). So, Sai Ram, I place my head at your lotus feet. Please bless me and the readers.