Shri Sai Satcharitra - Chapter 4 - II

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Dear Sai Bandhus, you have noticed a small deviation in this article from the previous ones, in that quotations and incidents from the later chapters of Sai Satcharitra are coming up now, apparently out of their ordered sequence. I submit that what is being presented here is His grace and He knows best what is due where. Also kindly remember Shri Hemadpant's words: The life of the Saint is neither logical nor dialectical. Elsewhere, Shri Hemadpants too confesses: I don't know which one to write and which one to omit, I write as the spirit taht Sai moves.

The name of Allah was always on His lips. While the world awoke, He slept; and while the world slept, He was vigilant. His abdomen (Inside) was as calm as the deep sea. His Ashram could not be determined, nor His actions could be definitely determined, and though He sat (lived) in one place, He knew all the transactions of the world. His Darbar was imposing. He told daily hundreds of stories, still He swerved not an inch from His vow of silence. He always leaned against the wall in the Masjid or walked morning, noon and evening towards Lendi (Nala) and Chavadi; still He at all times abided in the Self. Though a Siddha, He acted like a Sadhaka.

Sai Ram. So, Sai is showing us through His conduct that a Sadhaka should not act like a Siddha. Of course, such tests do come in the path to test the Sadhaka. If he passes the tests, he progresses further. If he fails, he has to renew the struggle. Not that his sadhana is in vain. Sri Krishna clearly gives an assurance in Gita that an Yogabrashta (the one who has failed to complete the journey in one life) is born with appropriate circumstances in his next life so that his progress is faster. All Sai devotees also, need have no fear. Our sadhana is never wasted. Sadguru Sai calls us to Him in whatever form and wherever we are (Story of goats, story of Veerbhadrappa and Chenbasappa and the story of Khaparde's wife are wonderful examples). Sai Ram.

He was meek, humble and egoless, and pleased all. Such was Sai Baba, and as the soil of Shirdi was trodden by Sai Baba's Feet, it attained extraordinary importance. As jnaneshwar elevated Alandi, Ekanath did to Paithan, so Sai Baba raised Shirdi. Blessed are the grass-leaves and stones of Shirdi, for they could easily kiss the Holy Feet of Sai Baba, and take their dust on their head. Shirdi became to us, devotees, another Pandharpur, Jagannath, Dwarka, Banaras (Kashi) and Rameshwar, Badrikedar, Nasik, Tryambakeshwar, Ujjain, and Maha Kaleshwar or Mahabaleshwar Gokarn. Contact of Sai Baba in Shirdi was like our Veda and Tantra; it quieted our Samsara (world consciousness) and rendered self-realization easy. The darshana of shri Sai was our Yoga-Sadhana, and talk with Him removed our sins. Shampooing His Legs was our bath in Triveni Prayag, and drinking the holy water of His Feet destroyed our desires. To us, His commands were Vedas, and accepting (eating) His Udi (sacred ashes) and Prasad was all purifying. He was our Shri Krishna and Shri Rama who gave us solace and He was our Para Brahma (Absolute Reality). He was Himself beyond the Pair of dwandwas (opposite), never dejected nor elated. He was always engrossed in His Self as 'Existence, Knowledge and Bliss.' Shirdi was His centre; but His field of action extended far and wide, to Punjab, Calcutta, North India, Gujarat, Dacca (Now in Bangladesh) and Konkan. Thus the fame of Sai Baba spread, far, and wide, and people from all parts came to take His darshana and be blessed. By mere darshan, minds of people, whether, pure or impure, would become at once quiet.

Sai Ram. True. Like in Sri Maha Bharat, the great epic, the Ashram of Sage Kanwa is described (the story of Shakuntala and Dushyant, the story of the birth of Bharata, later beautifully dramatised by great Kalidasa in Abhijnana Shakuntalam), wherein it was mentioned that cows, tigers etc., which are elsewhere enemies were living in perfect friendship. Similarly in Kailas, the abode of Sri Siva, snakes and peacocks, rat, bull and lion all live in peace. He (Somadev Swami) remembered his Guru's saying that:"That is our abode and place of rest, where the mind is most pleased and charmed."- See Chapter 49. So, whether pure or impure, all minds were at rest in Sai's presence. But those who were pure, continued to be at rest even after leaving His physical presence, whereas in the case of the impure, materialistic desires used to crop up like boils, once they left His physical presence, since they forgot Him afterwards. Sai, is the wire-puller and slowly but steadily, He works on their minds, pulls out all the weeds, and plants the seeds of bhakti. His name is the balm for all Bhava-roga generated boils and skin rashes!!! Sai Ram.

They got here the same sort of unparalleled joy that devotees get at Pandharpur by seeing Vithal Rakhumai. This is not an exaggeration. Consider what a devotee says in this respect.

Dictum of Goulibuva

An old devotee by name Goulibuva, aged about 95 years, was a Varkari of Pandhari. He stayed 8 months at Pandharpur and four months - Ashadha to Kartik (July - November) on the banks of the Ganges. He had an ass with him for carrying his luggage, and a disciple, as his companion. Every year he made his Vari or trip to Pandharpur and came to Shirdi to see Sai Baba, Whom he loved most. He used to stare at Baba and say, "This is Pandharinath Vithal incarnate, the merciful Lord of the poor and helpless." This Goulibuva was an old devotee of Vithoba, and had made many a trip to Pandhari; and he testified that Sai Baba was real Pandharinath.

Vithal Himself Appeared

Sai Baba was very fond of remembering and singing God's name. He always uttered Allah Malik(God is Lord) and in His presence made others sing God's name continuously, day and night, for 7 days. This is called Namasaptaha. Once He asked Das Ganu Maharaj to do the Namasaptaha. He replied that he would do it, provided he was assured that Vithal would appear at the end of the 7th day. Then Baba, placing His hand on his breast assured him that certainly Vithal would appear, but that the devotee must be 'earnest and devout'. The Dankapuri (Takore) of Takurnath, the Pandhari of Vithal, the Dwarka of Ranchhod (Krishna) is here (Shirdi). One need not go far out to see Dwarka. Will Vithal come here from some outside place? He is here. Only when the devotee is bursting with love and devotion, Vithal will manifest Himself here (Shirdi).

Sai Ram. One has to turn around and has to go far in, cross the sea of the mind, which is full of crocodiles of desire, whales of anger etc., before reaching the Heart, where Vitthal is seated. Sai Ram. Love is different from lust, desire. Devotion is the means of getting rid of the ego. Ego is the biggest barrier in spiritual progress. One may be able to cross Himalayas but one can't cross the ego-mountain. The story of Vindhya Mountain and the sage Agastya is very relevant here. Sai Ram.