Baba’s Passing Away (continued)
Preparation – Samadhi-Mandir – Breaking of the
Brick – 72 Hours’ Samadhi – Jog’s Sanyaas – Baba’s
Nectar-like Words
Chapters 43 and 44 continue the story of Baba’s passing away,
and therefore, they are taken together.
Previous Preparation
It is the general practice amongst the Hindus that, when a man
is about to die, some good religious scripture is read out to him with
the object that, his mind should be withdrawn from wordly things and
fixed in spiritual matters, so that his future progress should be natural
and easy. Everybody knows that, when king Parikshit was cursed by
the son of a Brahmin Rishi, and was to die after a week, the great sage
Shukadev expounded to him the famous Bhagwat Puran in that week.
This practice is followed even now, and the Gita, Bhagwat and other
sacred books are read out to dying persons. Baba being an Incarnation
of God needed no such help, but just to set an example to the people,
He followed this practice. When He knew that, He was to pass away
soon, He asked one Mr. Vaze to read Ramvijay to Him. Mr. Vaze read
the book once in the week. Then, Baba asked him to read the same again
day and night, and he finished the second reading in three days. Thus
eleven days passed. Then again he read for three days and was
exhausted. So Baba let him go and kept Himself quiet. He abided in His
Self and was waiting for the last moment.
Two or three days earlier, Baba had stopped His morning
peregrinations (going out) and begging rounds, and sat quietly in the
Masjid. He was conscious till the last and was advising the devotees
not to lose heart. He let nobody know the exact time of His departure.
Kakasaheb Dixit and Shriman Buti were dining daily with Him in the
Masjid. That day (15th October) after the Arati, He asked them to go to
their residence for dining. Still a few, viz. Laxmibai Shinde, Bhagoji
Shinde, Bayaji, Laxman Bala Shimpi and Nanasaheb Nimonkar
remained there, Shama was sitting down on the steps. After giving Rs.
9/- to Laxmibai Shinde, Baba said that, He did not feel well there (in
the Masjid) and that, He should be taken to the Dagadi (stone) Wada
of Buti, where He would be all right. While saying these last words, He
leaned on Bayaji’s body and breathed His last. Bhagoji noticed that His
breathing had stopped, and he immediately told this to Nanasaheb
Nimonkar, who was sitting near. Nanasaheb brought some water and
poured it in Baba’s mouth. It came out. Then, he cried out loudly ‘Oh
Deva!’ Baba seemed to open His eyes and say ‘Ah,’ in a low tone. But
it soon became evident that, Baba had left His mortal body for good.
The news of Baba’s passing away spread like wildfire in the
village of Shirdi and all people, men, women and children ran to the
Masjid, and began to mourn this loss in various ways. Some cried out
loudly, some wallowed on and some fell down senseless in the streets.
Tears ran down from the eyes of all and every one was filled with
sorrow.
Some people started remembering the words of Sai Baba. Somebody
said that Maharaj (Sai Baba) told His devotees that in time to come, He
would appear as a lad of eight years. In the Krishna Avatar, Chakrapani
(Lord Vishnu) performed this very deed. Krishna appeared before Devaki
in the prison as a lad of eight years, Who had bright complexion and
Who wielded weapons in His four arms. In that Incarnation He (Lord
Krishna) lightened the burden of the earth. This Incarnation (Sai Baba)
was for the uplift of His devotees. Then, where is the reason for doubt?
The ways of the saints are really inscrutable. This contact of Sai Baba
with His devotees is not only for one generation, but it is there for the
last seventy-two generations. Generating such ties of love, it appears
that, Maharaj (Sai Baba) has gone for tour and the devotees had a firm
belief that, He will return soon.
Then, the question arose – How to lay Baba’s body to rest? Some
(Mohammedens) said that the body should be interred in an open space
and a tomb built over it. Even Khushalchand and Amir Shakkar shared
this opinion. But, Ramachandra Patil, the village officer said to the
villagers with a firm and determined voice, “Your thought is not
acceptable to us. Baba’s body should be placed nowhere, except in the
Wada.” Thus, people were divided on this point, and discussion
regarding this went on for 36 hours.
On Wednesday morning Baba appeared to Laxman Mama Joshi
in his dream and drawing him by His hand said, “Get up soon,
Bapusaheb thinks that, I am dead and so he won’t come, you do the
worship and the Kakad (morning) Arati!” Laxman Mama was the
village astrologer and the maternal uncle of Shama. He was an orthodox
Brahmin, and daily worshipped Baba first in the morning and then all
the village Deities. He had full faith in Baba. After the vision he came
with all the puja materials, and not minding the protests of the Moulvis,
did the Puja and the Kakad Arati with all due formalities and went
away. Then, at noon Bapusaheb Jog came with all others, and went
through the noon-Arati ceremony as usual. After paying due respect to
Baba’s words the people decided to place His body in the Wada and
started digging the central portion there. In the evening of Tuesday, the
sub-inspector came from Rahata and others turned up from other places
and they all agreed to the proposal. Next morning, Amirbhai came from
Mumbai and the Mamalatdar from Kopergaon. The people seemed
divided in their opinion. Some insisted on interring His body in the
open field. The Mamalatdar, therefore, took a general plebiscite and
found that, the proposal to use the Wada secured double the number
of votes. He however, wanted to refer the matter to the collector, and
Kakasaheb Dixit got himself ready to go to Ahmednagar. Meanwhile,
by Baba’s inspiration there was a change in the opinion of the other
people, and all unanimously voted for the proposal. On Wednesday
evening, Baba’s body was taken in procession and brought to the Wada
and was interred there with due formalities in the Garbha, i.e., the
central portion, reserved for Murlidhar. In fact Baba became the
Murlidhar, and the Wada became a temple and a holy shrine, where so
many devotees, since then, have been going to find rest and peace. All
the obsequies of Baba were duly performed by Balasaheb Bhate and
Upasani, a great devotee of Baba.
It may be noted here that, as observed by Professor Narke, Baba’s
body did not get stiff, though it was exposed for 36 hours and that, all
the limbs were elastic and that His Kafni could be taken out without
being torn to pieces.
Breaking of the Brick
Some days before Baba’s departure, there occured an ominous
sign foreboding the event. There was, in the Masjid, an old brick on
which Baba rested His hand and sat. At night time He leaned againt
it and had His Asan. This went on for many years. One day, during
Baba’s absence a boy who was sweeping the floor, took it up in his
hand, and unfortunately it slipped and fell down and got broken into
two pieces. When Baba came to know about this, He bemoaned its loss,
saying : “It is not the brick, but My fate, that has been broken into pieces.
It was my life-long companion, with it I always meditated on the Self,
it was as dear to Me as My life, it has left Me today”. Some may raise
here a question, “Why should Baba express this sorrow for such an
inanimate thing as a brick?” To this, Hemadpant replies that, saints
incarnate in this world with the express mission of saving the poor
helpless people, and when they embody themselves and act with the
people, they act like them, i.e., outwardly they laugh, play and cry, like
all other people, but inwardly they are wide awake to their duties and
mission.
72 Hours’ Samadhi
Thirty-two years before this, i.e. in 1886 Baba made an attempt to
cross the border line. On a Margashirsha Pournima (Full moon) day,
Baba suffered from a severe attack of Asthma. To get rid of it, Baba
decided to take His Pran high up and go into Samadhi. He said to
Bhagat Mhalsapati, “Protect My body for three days! If I return, it will
be all right, if I do not, bury My body in that open land (pointing to it)
and fix two flags there as a mark!” After saying this, Baba fell down
at about 10 p.m. His breathing stopped as well as His pulse. It seemed
as if His Pran left the body. All the people, including the villagers came
there and wanted to hold an inquest and bury the body in the place,
pointed by Baba. But, Mhalsapati prevented this. With Baba’s body on
his lap, he sat full three days guarding it. After three days passed, Baba
showed signs of life at 3 a.m., His breathing commenced, the abdomen
began to move. His eyes opened and stretching His limbs, Baba returned
to consciousness (life) again.
From this and other accounts, let the readers consider, whether Sai
Baba was the three and a half cubits’ body that He occupied for some
years, and that He left thereafter or He was the Self inside. The body,
composed of the five elements, is perishable and transient but the Self
within is the thing – Absolute Reality; which is immortal and intransient.
This pure Being, Consciousness or Brahma, the Ruler and Controller of
the senses and mind is Sai. This pervades all things in the universe and
there is no space without it. For fulfilling His mission He assumed the
body, and after it was fulfilled He threw away the body (the finite
aspect), and assumed His infinite aspect. Sai ever lives, as also the
previous Incarnation of god Dattatreya, Shri Narsimha Saraswati of
Gangapur. His passing away is only an outward aspect, but in reality
He pervades all animate and inanimate things and is their Inner
Controller and Ruler. This can be, and is even now experienced by
many, who surrender themselves completely to Him and worship Him
with whole-hearted devotion.
Though, it is not possible for us to see Baba’s Form now onwards,
but, if we go to Shirdi, we shall find His beautiful life-like portrait
adorning the Masjid. This has been drawn by Shamrao Jaykar, a famous
artist and well-known devotee of Baba. To an imaginative and devout
spectator this portrait can give even to-day the satisfaction of taking
Baba’s darshan. Though Baba has no gross body now, He lives there
and everywhere, and will effect the welfare of the devotees even now,
as He was doing before, when He was embodied. Saints like Baba never
die, though they look like men, they are in reality God Himself.
Bapusaheb Jog’s Sanyaas
Hemadpant closes this chapter with the account of Jog’s Sanyaas.
Sakharam Hari alias Bapusaheb Jog was the uncle of the famous Varkari
Vishnubua Jog of Poona. He had no issue. After his retirement from
Govt. service (He was a supervisor in the P.W.D.) in 1909, he came and
lived in Shirdi with his wife. Both husband and wife loved Baba and
spent all their time in worshipping and serving Baba. After Megha’s
death, Bapusaheb daily did the Arati ceremony in the Masjid and
Chavadi till Baba’s Maha-Samadhi. He was also entrusted with the
work of reading and explaining Dnyaneshwari and Eknathi Bhagwat
in Sathe’s Wada to the audience. After serving for many years, Jog
asked Baba, “I have served you so long, my mind is not yet calm and
composed, how is it that, my contact with saints has not improved me?
When will You bless me?” Hearing the Bhakta’s prayer Baba replied,
“In due time your bad actions (their fruit or result) will be destroyed,
your merits and demerits will be reduced to ashes, and I shall consider
you blessed, when you will renounce all attachments, conquer lust and
sense of taste, and getting rid of all impediments, serve God wholeheartedly
and resort to the begging bowl (accept Sanyaas)”. After some
time, Baba’s Words came true. His wife predeceased him; and as he had
no other attachment, he became free and accepted Sanyaas before his
death, and realized the goal of his life.
Baba’s Nectar-like Words
The kind and merciful Sai Baba said many a time the following
sweet words in the Masjid : “He who loves Me most, always sees Me.
The whole world is desolate to him without Me, he who tells no
stories but Mine; he ceaselessly meditates upon Me and always chants
My name. I feel indebted to him who surrenders himself completely
to Me, and ever remembers Me. I shall repay his debt by giving him
salvation (self-realization). I am dependent on him, who thinks and
hungers after Me and who does not eat anythig, without first offering
it to Me. He who thus comes to Me, becomes one with Me, just as a
river gets to the sea and becomes merged (one) with it. So, leaving out
pride and egoism and with no trace of them, you should surrender
yourself to Me, Who is seated in your heart.”
Who is this ME?
Sai Baba expounded many a time Who this ME (or I) is. He said,
“You need not go far in search of Me. Barring your name and form,
there exists in you as well as in all beings, a sense of Being or
Consciousness of Existence. That is Myself. Knowing this, you see Me
inside yourself, as well as in all beings. If you practise this, you will
realize all-pervasiveness, and thus attain oneness with Me.”
Hemadpant, therefore, requests the readers humbly and lovingly
that, they should love and respect all gods, saints and devotees. Has not
Baba often said, “He, who carps and cavils at others, pierces Me in the
heart and injures Me, but he that suffers and endures, pleases Me
most.” Baba thus pervades all beings and creatures. He likes nothing
but love to all beings. Such nectar, pure auspicious ambrosia always
flowed from Baba’s lips, He, therefore, concludes – those who lovingly
sing Baba’s fame and those who hear the same with devotion, both
become one with Sai.
Bow to Shri Sai – Peace be to all
