Shri Sai Satcharitra - Chapter 6 - I

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By: Swarna.Venkateswara Swamy

Rama-Navami Festival And Masjid Repairs

Efficacy of the Touch of Guru's Hand - Rama-Navami Festival - Its Origin, Transformation, Repairs to the Masjid.

Before describing Rama-Navami Festival and Masjid Repairs, the author makes some preliminary remarks about Sad-Guru as follows:

Efficacy of the Touch of Guru's Hand

Where Real or Sad-Guru is the helmsman, he is sure to carry us safely and easily beyond the worldly ocean. The word Sadguru brings to mind Sai Baba.

Sai Ram. Sad-Guru means true teacher. There are many Sad-Gurus at any given time, but each lock has only one key. Later in Sat Charitra, the author Shri Hemadpant gives the signs by which a Sad-Guru can be recognized by the disciple. He said that where the mind becomes calm without any effort on the part of the Sadhaka, he should realize that he is in the presence of the Sad-Guru. That is because the Sadguru is able to tune into the disciple's mind and restore harmony in the mind. Pujya Sri B.V.Narasimha Swamyji (Who was Sai's chosen instrument to spread Sai's name and fame all over South India), found His Sad-Guru through a long journey which took Him to Ramanachala and many other places ending at Sakori where the great Upasani Baba, told Him "Go to Shirdi, your Sad-Guru is waiting for you there." And all this happened after had Baba left His physical body. I too feel so much peace when I look at Sai's portrait or just remember His name. I find a great benefit from His Udhi. Sai Ram.

He appears to me, as if standing before me, and applying Udi (scared ashes) to my fore-head and placing his hand of blessing on my head. Then joy fills my heart and love overflows through my eyes. Wonderful is the power of the touch of Guru's hand.

Sai Ram. There are different ways by which a Guru may transfer spiritual power to the disciple. Placing His hand of blessing over the disciple's head is one of them and is called Hasta-Mastaka Samyoga (the good union of Hand and Head),blowing of breath over the head or face of the disciple, a mantra given to the disciple, eye-to-eye contact etc. Baba Himself described, how He was blessed by His Guru after being taken out of the well, in a later chapter of Sat Charitra. Sai Ram.

The subtle-body (consisting of thoughts and desires) is destroyed by the mere touch of the Guru's hand, and the sins of many past births are cleaned and washed away. Even the speech of those, whose heads feel annoyed when they hear religious and Godly talks, attains calmness. The seeing of Sai Baba's handsome form, chokes our throat with joy, makes the eyes overflow with tears, and overwhelms the heart with emotions. It awakens in us 'I am He (Brahman)' consciousness, manifests the joy of self-realization, and dissolving the distinction of Thou, and I then and there and makes us one with the Supreme (One Reality).

Sai Ram. This is the beneficial effect of Mantra. Mantra literally means Crossing of the Mind. Guru's touch destroys the turbulence in the mind, which gets stilled. Once the mind is stilled, the great Truth, that we are not our mind, but Self (of the same nature as God, Guru), that it was only our illusion that we are different, unworthy, separate from God, that caused all the problems, dawns on us. After that, even if we occasionally forget the lesson, it keeps coming back, since the Guru never leaves a disciple halfway in the journey. Sai Ram.

When I begin to read the scriptures, at every step I am reminded of my Sadguru, and Sai Baba, assumes the form of Rama or Krishna and makes me listen to his Life. For instance when I sit to listen to Bhagwat, Sai becomes Krishna from top to toe, and I think he sings the Bhagwat or Uddhava Gita (song of teachings by Lord Shri Krishna to His disciple, Uddhava) for the welfare of the devotees. When I begin to chitchat, I am at once put in mind of Sai's stories for enabling me to give suitable illustrations. When I myself start to write anything, I cannot compose a few words or sentences, but when He of his own accord makes me write, I go on writing and writing and there is no end to it.

Sai Ram. Needless to say, it is as if Hemadpant is speaking not only for himself but also on behalf of all who write about Sai. It is as if we are possessed by Sai's spirit, when we start writing. It is so, since it is Sai who makes us writre. Sai Ram. "

When the disciple's egoism props up, He presses it down with His hand, and giving him His own power, makes him gain His object, and thus satisfies and blesses him. If any one prostrates before Sai and surrenders heart and soul to Him, then unsolicited, all the chief objects of life viz. Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (Desire) and Moksha (Deliverance), are easily attained. Four paths, viz., of Karma, Jnana, Yoga and Bhakti lead us separately to God. Of these, the path of Bhakti is thorny and full of pits and ditches, and thus difficult to traverse, but if you, relying on your Sadguru, avoid the pits and thorns and walk straight, it will take you to the destination (God). So says definitely, Sai Baba.

Sai Ram. Bhakti is normally considered to be an easy path, but here Hemadpant says it is thorny and full of pits. Initially my egoism propped up and I was unwilling to accept this statement. Later, however, I realized by Sai's grace that even Bhakti could give rise to egoism. Many times Bhakti gives us a lot of power, and with power comes forth egoism. So, unless the Guru showers His grace and gives us true Jnana, we will fall into the pit of our own ego. Unlike Bhasmasura, whose hand is destructive, Guru's hand is beneficial to our true Self.. it destructs our ego without doubt. It is like Bhasmasura Hastam or Siva's Third eye. Sai Ram. The combination of Bhakti and Jnana is like a good railroad track, on which our vehicle of spiritual seeking travels safely with the Guru as the Driver, Navigator and Guard. We should be just like a good passenger, who boards a train with full faith that it takes him to his destination. Sai Ram.

After philosophizing about the Self-Existent Brahman, His Power (Maya) to create this world ,the world created, and stating that all these three are ultimately one and the same, the author quotes Sai Baba's words guaranteeing the welfare of the Bhaktas:

Sai Ram. The Creator, the act of creation and the created are the same. Creation can be considered to be a Yagna (sacrificial offering). The Yagna Karta, the Yagna offering and the Yagna Bhokta are all Vishnu (See Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram, the importance of which was extolled by Baba in a later chapter). Similarly God, devotee and devotion are same. However, since Maya clouds the divine vision from the devotee's mind, the devotee has to pray to God/Guru. Philosophizing may be intellectually satisfying and may help us maintain our equanimity in the face of adversity, but when the obstacles become too difficult to surmount, when the burdens become too heavy to carry, the same Self (Brahman), who manifested Himself as God, Guru and devotee, takes the role of a God/Guru/Guide/Helper and assists the devotee to overcome the obstacles. That is why Guru is considered to be the real benefactor. And that is what Baba is explaining in the next paragraph.

"There will never be any dearth or scarcity, regarding food and clothes, in any devotees' homes. It is my special characteristic, that I always look to, and provide, for the welfare of those devotees, who worship Me whole-heartedly with their minds ever fixed on Me. Lord Krishna has also said the same in the Gita. Therefore, strive not much for food and clothes. If you want anything, beg of the Lord, leave worldly honours, try to get Lord's grace and blessings, and be honored in His Court. Do not be deluded by worldly honor. The form of the Deity should be firmly fixed in the mind. Let all the senses and mind be ever devoted to the worship of the Lord, let there be no attraction for any other thing; fix the mind in remembering Me always, so that it will not wander elsewhere, towards body, wealth and home. Then it will be calm, peaceful and carefree. This is the sign of the mind, being well engaged in good company. If the mind is vagrant, it cannot be called well-merged."

Sai Ram. Here Baba gives the secret of surrender to Him and thus the secret of happiness. As long as we strive for food, clothing, etc., with our efforts, Baba doesn't interfere. But once we get engrossed in remembering Baba and so forget to take care of our food, and other needs (not wants), Baba takes care. Just as a mother always has the welfare of the child in her mind and allows the child to play and amuse itself, while always keeping an eye on it, Baba has His devotees under a benevolent surveillance. An example of this surveillance is given in a later chapter, where Baba saves a child from falling into fire from its mother's lap, by putting His own hand into the fire. That divine Leela has a lot of esoteric and spiritual significance. It is just one of many examples of Baba's mercy. Even if our biological parents forget to protect us (because of the limitations of the human senses), Baba never forgets His devotees. Since Baba has assured that He takes care of us, we, the devotees are free to think about Him. Self-inquiry (inquiry into our real nature) is the highest devotion to Him, Who is not really different from us. This theme is further explained in one of the later Chapters, in the form of Baba's upadesh to Nanasaheb Chandorkar.
What Baba is advising us is to push aside the veil that Maya has drawn over our vision and to realize the sameness of our true nature with that of the Brahman, like the drops and the water body, waves and the sea, sun-beam and the sun, golden ornaments and the gold etc. All such analogy has one objective in common, to dispel the Avidya or ignorance. Sai Ram.