Shri Sai Satcharitra - Chapter 10 - Part V

Add as a preferred source on Google

There was in Shirdi, a very quaint and queer fellow, by name Nanavalli. He looked to Baba's work and affairs. He once approached Baba who was seated on His Gadi (seat) and asked Him to get up, as he wanted to occupy the same. Baba at once got up and left the seat, which he occupied. After sitting there awhile Nanavalli got up, and asked Baba to take His seat. Then Baba sat on the seat and Nanavalli fell at His feet, and then went away. Baba did not show the slightest displeasure in being dictated to and ousted.

Sai Ram. Similarly when Jawahar Ali proclaimed that Sai was his chela, Sai did not object and in fact set a worthy example to all of us by serving the false Guru in many ways and similarly He did not mind Nanavalli's apparent show of disrespect, which was actually a demonstration of Sai's detachment. Sai Ram.

This Nanavalli loved Baba so much that he breathed his last, on the thirteenth day of Baba's taking Maha-Samadhi.

The Easiest Path
Hearing the stories of the Saints and Being in their Company:

Though Sai Baba acted outwardly like an ordinary man, His actions showed extraordinary intelligence and skill. Whatever He did, was done for the good of His devotees. He never prescribed any asan, regulation of breathing or any rites to His Bhaktas, nor did He blow any mantra into their ears. He told them to leave off all cleverness and always remember "Sai" "Sai".

Sai Ram. Cleverness is an aspect of the intellectual part of the ego. And is a shackle for liberation, just as desire for sensual enjoyment.

"If you did that" He said, "all your shackles would be removed and you would be free". Sitting between five fires, sacrifices, chantings, eight-fold Yoga are possible for the Brahmins only. They are of no use to the other classes.

Here, Shri Hemadpant uses the word Brahmin in a very restrictive sense of the word as those who were performing all the rites prescribed for them, not to those who took birth in that caste. And Sai, the benevolent Master did not forsake those who could not perform the prescribed rites because of their Poorva Janma Sanskaras or Vasanas. Remembering Him is the key to liberation. When the mind is absorbed into the Universal Consciousness represented by Sai, the individual ego dissolves and liberation results. Sai Ram.

The function of the mind is to think; it cannot remain for a minute without thinking. If you give it a Sense-object, it will think about it. If you give it to a Guru, it will think about Guru. You have heard most attentively the greatness, grandeur of Sai. This is the natural remembrance, worship and Kirtan of Sai. Hearing the stories of the Saints is not so difficult, as the other Sadhanas mentioned above. They (stories) remove all fear of this Samsar (worldly existence), and take you on to the spiritual path. So listen to these stories, meditate on them, and assimilate them. If this is done, not only the Brahmins, but also women and lower clases will get pure and holy.

You may do or attend to your worldy duties, but give your mind to Sai and His stories, and then, He is sure to bless you. This is the easiest path, but why do not all take to it? The reason is that without God's grace, we do not get the desire to listen to the stories of Saints. With God's grace everything is smooth and easy.

Hearing the stories of the Saints is, in a way, keeping their company. The importance of the company of Saints is very great. It removes our body-consciousness and egoism, destroys completely the chain of our birth and death, cuts asunder all the knots of the heart, and takes us to God, Who is pure consciousness. It certainly increases our non-attachment to sense-objects, and makes us quite indifferent to pleasures and pains, and leads us on the spiritual path.

If you have no other Sadhana, such as uttering God's name, worship or devotion etc., but if you take refuge in them (Saints) whole-heartedly, they will carry you off safety across the ocean of worldly existence. It is for this reason that the saints manifest themselves in this world. Even sacred rivers such as the Ganges, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri etc., which wash away the sins of the world, desire that the Saints should come to them, for a bath and purify them. Such is the grandeur of the Saints. It is on account of the store of merit in past births that we have attained the feet of Sai Baba.

Sai Ram. The contact with Sants, and Sadgurus is never wasted. Just as a piece of iron brought into contact with a magnet does retain a small amount at least, Guru, does slowly but steadily brings the disciple close to Himslef, may be over a few hundred births as given in a later chapter when Sai kindly explains Gita Sloka to Shri Nanasaheb Chandorkar. It is said that God's grace brings the disciple into contact with the Guru and Guru's grace helps the disciple to realize his own divinity. That is why Guru is worshipped as Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara and as Para Brahma. Sai Ram.

We conclude this chapter with meditation on Sai's Form. He, the beautiful and handsome Sai, standing on the edge of the Masjid and distributing Udi to each and every Bhakta, with a view of his welfare. He who thinks the world as naught and Who is ever engrossed in Supreme Bliss -- before Him -- we humbly prostrate ourselves.

Sai Ram. With the grace of Sai, we have now completed the exploration, atleast for the time, of this great chapter of Sai Satcharitra. We too, offer our salutations to Sai and to Shri Hemadpant and Gunaji for giving us this nectar. Sai Ram.