Shri Sai Satcharitra - Chapter 6 - Part III

Add as a preferred source on Google

From next year (1913), the items in the programme of Rama-Navami began to increase. Radha-Krishna Mai started a 'Nama-Saptah' (singing the glory of God's name continuously day and night for seven days), from 1st of Chaitra, For this, all devotees took part by turns, and she also joined it, sometimes early in the morning. As Rama-Navami Festival is celebrated in many places all over the country, the difficulty of getting a Haridas was felt again. But 5 or 6 days before the festival , Mahajani met accidentally Balabuva Mali, who was known as modern Tukaram, and got him to do the 'Kirtan' that year. The next year (1914), another Balabuva Satarkar of Brihadsiddha Kavate, District Satara, could not act as a Haridas in his own town, as plague was prevailing in his town, and so he came to Shirdi; With Baba's permission, which was secured through Kakasaheb Dixit, he did the Kirtan; and was sufficiently recompensed for his labour. The difficulty of getting a new Haridas every year was finally solved from 1914 by Sai Baba, as He entrusted this function to Das Ganu Maharaj permanently, and since that time, he has been successfully and creditably conducting that function up till now.

Since 1912, this festival began to grow gradually year-by-year. From the 8th to 12th of Chaitra, Shirdi looked like a beehive of men. Shops began to increase. Celebrated wrestlers took part in wrestling bouts. Feeding of the poor was done on a grander scale. Hard work and sincere efforts of Radha-Krishna Mai turned Shirdi into a Sansthan (State). Paraphernalia increased. A beautiful horse, a palanquin, chariot and many silver things, pots, buckets, pictures, mirrors etc. were presented. Elephants were also sent for the procession. Though all this paraphernalia increased enormously, Sai Baba ignored all these things, and maintained His simplicity as before. It is to be noted that both the Hindus and Mahomedans have been working in unison in both the processions, and during the entire festival, there has been no hitch or quarrel between them at all so far. First about 5000-7000 people used to collect, but that figure went up to 75000 in some years; still there was no outbreak of any epidemic or any riots worth the name during so many past years.

Sai Ram. It was Sai Baba's intention to bring communal harmony in Shirdi and nearby areas and the above shows that He succeeded to a great extent. Even now, people of all religions visit Shirdi and receive the blessings of Baba. Sai Ram.

Repairs to the Masjid

Another important idea occured to Gopal Gund. Just as he started the Urus or fair, he thought that he should put the Masjid in order. So in order to carry out the repairs, he collected stones and got them dressed. But this work was not assigned to him. This was reserved for Nanasaheb Chandorkar, and the pavement -work for Kakasaheb Dixit.

Sai Ram. Just as Hemadpant was assigned the work of writing Sai Satcharitra, the work of repairing the masjid was assigned to these two devotees. In Sai's darbar, each has a role to play. We may think we are doing this or that. But it is Baba, the inner dweller, the invisible wirepuller, who gets these things done through us using us as mere instruments. He, of course approached everything in the same spirit of surrender.

First, Baba was unwilling to allow them to have these works done, but with the intervention of Mhalsapati, a local devotee of Baba, His permission was secured. When the pavement was completed in one night in the Masjid, Baba took a small Gadi for His seat, discarding the usual piece of sack - cloth used till then. In 1911, the Sabha - Mandap (court - yard) was also put in order with great labour and effort. The open space in front of the Masjid was very small and inconvenient. Kakasaheb Dixit wanted to extend it and put on it roofing. At great expense, he got iron-posts, and pillars and trusses and started the work. At night, all the devotees worked hard and fixed the posts; but Baba, when he returned from Chavadi next morning, uprooted them all and threw them out.

Sai Ram. Initially this story made no sense to my intellectual mind. And some of the people at that time would have no doubt thought that Baba was mad - in another great book, Devotees's experiences by Pujya Sri B.V.Narasimha Swamyji, a few episodes are given where the onlookers got such an impression - Baba, of course was not mad but was driving away the madness in His devotees. In true Dattatreya tradition, He was resorting to various gimmicks to keep insincere devotees away. A few, whose poorva janma punyam was great, did succeed in entering His darbar after initial rebuffs. Megha, Tatyasaheb Noolkar, Sapatnekar, the Yogi Somadeva Swami etc.

Later as I went on rereading Satcharitra, Sai took pity on me and gave me the inner meaning of this story. It is my good fortune that I am now able to share it with Sai's devoted and thus blessed readers. Sai Ram.

The posts fixed in the night represent our desires and attachments. Baba's uprooting them in the day represents the uprooting of deep-seated, deep-rooted desires by Guru's hand. What so many devotees laboured so much in the night was so easily uprooted by Baba. Thus the Sadguru, is able to bring so many disciples to the path of liberation - liberation from attachments and desires. See the further Leela of Baba, below.

Once it so happened that Baba got very excited, caught a pole with one hand, and began to shake and uproot it, and with the other hand caught the neck of Tatya Patil. He took by force Tatya's Pheta, struck a match, set it on fire and threw it in a pit. At that time, Baba's eyes flashed like burning embers. None dared to look at Him. All got terribly frightened. Baba took out a rupee from his pocket and threw it there, as if it were an offering on an auspicious occasion. Tatya also was much frightened. None knew what was going to happen to Tatya, and none dared to interfere. Bhagoji Shinde, the leper devotee of Baba, made a little boldly advance, but he was pushed out by Baba. Madhavrao was also similarly treated, he being pelted with brick pieces. So all those, who went to intercede, were similarly dealt with. But after some time, Baba's anger cooled down. He sent for a shopkeeper, got from him an embroidered Pheta and Himself tied it on Tatya's head, as if he was being given a special honour. All the people were wonderstruck to see this strange behavior of Baba. They were at a loss to know, what enraged Baba so suddenly and what led Him to assault Tatya Patil, and why His anger cooled down, the next moment. Baba was sometimes very calm and quiet and talked sweet things with love, but soon after, with or without any pretext, got enraged. Many such incidents may be related; but I do not know which to choose and which to omit. I, therefore, refer them as they occur to me.

Sai Ram. Baba's Leela did not end with the uprooting of the posts. Desires once uprooted, will sprout again if left like that. Weeds must not only be uprooted but also burnt so that they can't reroot. That is what Baba demonstrated by the above strange behaviour. Tatya was so much attached to Baba, and called Him Mama, uncle. Attachment to good things is no doubt good, but any attachment is a hindrance. A golden cage is after all a cage. So, Baba wanted to show that all relationships are ephemeral. And He chose Tatya, one of the closest of His devotees for this demonstration. He took off Tatya's old turban and set it on fire and threw it. He offered the attachments to Agni, Who is the destroyer of all attachments. Guru means one who burns ignorance. Attachment is due to ignorance of one's true nature. Baba burnt Tatya's attachment - may be Tatya was feeling a little proud of his special relationship with Baba? Who knows? Anyway He offered Dakshina to Agni God, since Baba believed in getting any job done only with suitable payment. So, He didn't even accept this service from Agni God without Dakshina. Sai Ram.

Did He stop there after that? No. He gave a new turban to Tatya - a spiritual rebirth. And thus showed that His relationship with His devotees is indeed special. This attachment is not ego-tainted. This attachment is that of a God and devotee - both love each other and depend on each other. Because both are of the same origin, both are parts of the true Self.

Sai Ram. We have now completed Chapter 6. Six by the way represents the six internal enemies, of Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya. Baba's offering of Tatya's turban to Agni represents the burning of the six internal enemies. Sai Ram.

In the next Chapter the question whether Baba was a Hindu or a Mohammedan will be taken up; and His Yogic practices and powers, and other matters will be dealt with.