Sai Baba’s Sanction and Promise – Assignment of
Work to Devotees – Baba’s Stories as Beacon Light –
His Motherly Love – Rohila’s Story – His Sweet and
Nectar-like Words
Sai Baba’s Sanction and Promise
As described in the previous chapter, Sai Baba gave His complete
assent to the writing of the Satcharita and said, “I fully agree with you
regarding the writing of Satcharita. You do your duty, don’t be afraid
in the least, steady your mind and have faith in My words. If My Leelas
are written, the Avidya (nescience) will vanish and if they are attentively
and devoutly listened to, the consciousness of the worldly existence
will abate and strong waves of devotion and love will rise up and if one
dives deep into My Leelas, he would get precious jewels of knowledge.”
Hearing this, the author was much pleased, and he, at once,
became fearless and confident, and thought that the work was bound
to be a success. Then, turning to Shama (Madhavrao Deshpande) Sai
Baba said, “If a man utters My name with love, I shall fulfill all his
wishes, increase his devotion. And if he sings earnestly My life and My
deeds, him I shall beset in front and back and on all sides. Those
devotees, who are attached to Me, heart and soul, will naturally feel
happiness, when they hear these stories. Believe Me that, if anybody
sings My Leelas, I will give him infinite joy and ever-lasting
contentment. It is My special characteristic to free any person, who
surrenders completely to Me, and who worships Me faithfully, and
who remembers Me, and meditates on Me constantly. How can they
be conscious of wordly objects and sensations, who utter My name,
who worship Me, who think of My stories and My life, and who thus,
always remember Me! I shall draw out My devotees from the jaws
of death. If My stories are listened to, all the diseases will be got rid
of. So, hear My stories with respect, and think and meditate on them,
assimilate them. This is the way of happiness and contentment. The
pride and egoism of My devotees will vanish, the mind of the hearers
will be set at rest; and if he has wholehearted and complete faith, he
will be one with Supreme Consciousness. The simple remembrance of
My name as “Sai, Sai” will do away with sins of speech and hearing.”
Different Works Assigned to Devotees
The Lord entrusts different works to different devotees. Some are
given the work of building temples and Maths, or Ghats (flight of steps)
on rivers; some are made to sing the glories of God, some are sent on
pilgrimages, but to me was allotted the work of writing the Sai Satcharita.
Being a jack of all trades, but master of none, I was quite unqualified
for this job. Then, why should I undertake such a difficult task? Who
can describe the true life of Sai Baba? Sai Baba’s grace alone can enable
one to accomplish this difficult work. So, when I took the pen in my
hand, Sai Baba took away my egoism and Himself wrote His stories.
The credit of relating these stories, therefore, goes to Him and not to
me. Though, Brahmin by birth, I lacked the two eyes (i.e. the sight or
vision) of Shruti and Smruti and therefore, was not at all capable of
writing the Satcharita, but the grace of the Lord makes a dumb man talk,
enables a lame man to cross a mountain. He alone knows the ways of
getting things done, as He likes. Neither the flute, nor the harmonium
knows, how the sounds are produced. This is the concern of the player.
The oozing of Chandrakant jewel and the surging of the sea are not, due
to the jewel and the sea, but due to the rising of the moon.
Baba’s Stories as Beacon Light
Light-houses are constructed at various places in the sea, to enable
the boatmen to avoid rocks and dangers, and make them sail safely. Sai
Baba’s stories serve a similar purpose in the ocean of worldly existence.
They surpass nectar in sweetness, and make our worldly path smooth
and easy to traverse. Blessed are the stories of the saints. When they
enter our hearts through the ears, the body-consciousness or egoism
and the sense of duality vanish; and when they are stored in the heart,
doubts will evade, pride of the body will fall, and wisdom will be stored
in abundance. The description of Baba’s pure fame, and the hearing
of the same with love, will destroy the sins of the devotee and,
therefore, this is the simple Sadhana for attaining salvation. The
Sadhana for Krita Age was Sama-dama (tranquility of mind and body);
for Treta Age, sacrifice; for Dwapar worship; and for Kali (present) Age,
it is singing of the name and glory of the Lord. This last Sadhana is
open to all the people of the four Varnas (Brahmins, etc.). The other
Sadhanas, viz. Yoga Tyaga (sacrifice), Dhyan (meditation) and Dhyandharana
(concentration) are very difficult to practice, but singing and
hearing the stories and the glory of the Lord (Sai Baba) is very easy. We
have only to turn our attention towards them. The listening to and
singing of the stories will remove the attachment to the senses and their
objects, and will make the devotees dispassionate, and will ultimately
lead them to self-realization. With this end in view, Sai Baba made me
write His stories, as Satcharita. The devotees may now easily read and
hear these stories of Sai Baba and while doing so, meditate on Him, His
form and thus, attain devotion to Guru and God (Sai Baba), get dispassion
and self-realization. In the preparation and writing of this work,
Satcharita, it is Sai Baba’s grace, which has accomplished everything,
making use of me as a mere instrument.
Motherly Love of Sai Baba
Everybody knows, how a cow loves her infant calf. Her udder is
always full and when the calf wants milk and dashes at the udder, out
comes the milk in an unceasing flow. Similarly, a human mother knows
the wants of her child before-hand and feeds him, at her breast in time.
In case of dressing and adorning the child, the mother takes particular
care to see that, this is well done. The child knows or cares nothing
about this, but the mother’s joy knows no bounds, when she sees her
child well dressed and adorned. The love of the mother is peculiar,
extraordinary and disinterested, and has no parallel. Sadgurus feel this
motherly love towards their disciples. Sai Baba had the same love
towards me, and I give an instance of it below :
In 1916 I retired from Government service. The pension, that was
settled in my case, was not sufficient to maintain my family decently.
On Guru Pournima (15th of Ashadha) day of that year, I went to Shirdi
with other devotees. There, Mr. Anna Chinchanikar, of his own accord,
prayed to Baba for me as follows : “Please, look kindly at him, the
pension he gets is quite insufficient, his family is growing. Give him
some other appointment, remove his anxiety and make him happy!”
Baba replied, “He will get some other job, but now, he should serve Me
and be happy! His plates will be ever full and never empty. He should
turn all his attention towards Me and avoid the company of atheists,
irreligious and wicked people. He should be modest and humble
towards all, and worship Me with heart and soul. If he does this, he
will get eternal happiness.”
The question, who is this He, Whose worship is advocated, is
already answered in a note on “Who is Sai Baba” in the prologue, at
the beginning of this work.
Rohila’s Story
The story of the Rohila illustrates Sai Baba’s all embracing love.
One Rohila, tall and well-built, strong as a bull, came to Shirdi, wearing
a long Kafni (robe) and was enamored of the Sai, Who stayed there. Day
and night, he used to recite, in a loud and harsh tone the Kalma (verses
from Holy Quran) and shout “ALLAH HO AKBAR” (God is Great).
Most people of Shirdi, were working in their fields during the day and
when they returned to their homes at night, they were welcomed with
Rohila’s harsh cries and shouts. They could get no sleep and felt much
trouble and inconvenience. They suffered this nuisance for some days
in silence, and when they could stand it no longer, they approached
Baba and requested Him to check the Rohila and stop the nuisance.
Baba did not attend to their complaint. On the contrary, Baba took the
villagers to task and asked them to mind their own business. He said
to them that the Rohila had got a very bad wife, who tried to trouble
the Rohila and Himself; but hearing the Rohila’s prayers, she dare not
enter and they were at peace. In fact, the Rohila had no wife and by his
wife Baba meant Durbuddhi, i.e. evil thoughts. As Baba liked prayers
and cries to God better than anything else, He took the side of the
Rohila, and asked the villagers to wait and bear with the nuisance,
which would abate in due course.
Baba’s Sweet and Nectar-like Words
One day at noon, after Arati, devotees were returning to their
lodgings, when Baba gave the following beautiful advice :
“Be wherever you like, do whatever you choose, remember this
well that, all what you do is known to Me. I am the Inner Ruler of all
and seated in your hearts. I envelope all the creatures, the movable
and immovable world. I am the Controller – the Wire-puller of the
show of this universe. I am the Mother – origin of all beings – the
Harmony of three Gunas, the Propeller of all senses, the Creator, Preserver
and Destroyer. Nothing will harm him, who turns his attention towards
Me, but Maya will lash or whip him, who forgets Me. All the insects,
ants, the visible, movable and immovable world, is My body or form”.
Hearing these beautiful and precious words, I, at once, decided in
my mind to serve no man henceforth but my Guru only; but the reply
of Baba to Anna Chinchanikar’s query (which was really mine) that I
would get some job, began to revolve in my mind, and I began to think,
whether it would come to happen. As future events showed, Baba’s
words came true and I got a Government job, but that was of short
duration. Then, I became free and devoted myself solely to the service
of my Guru Sai Baba.
Before concluding this chapter, I request the readers to leave out
the various hindrances, viz., indolence, sleep, wandering of mind,
attachments to senses etc. and turn their whole and undivided attention
to these stories of Sai Baba. Let their love be natural, let them know the
secret of devotion, let them not exhaust themselves by other Sadhanas,
let them stick to this simple remedy i.e. listening to Sai Baba’s stories.
This will destroy their ignorance and will secure for them salvation. A
miser may stay at various places, but he constantly thinks of his buried
treasure. So, let Sai Baba be enthroned in the hearts of all.
In the next chapter, I shall speak of Sai Baba’s advent in Shirdi.
Bow to Shri Sai – Peace be to all
Work to Devotees – Baba’s Stories as Beacon Light –
His Motherly Love – Rohila’s Story – His Sweet and
Nectar-like Words
Sai Baba’s Sanction and Promise
As described in the previous chapter, Sai Baba gave His complete
assent to the writing of the Satcharita and said, “I fully agree with you
regarding the writing of Satcharita. You do your duty, don’t be afraid
in the least, steady your mind and have faith in My words. If My Leelas
are written, the Avidya (nescience) will vanish and if they are attentively
and devoutly listened to, the consciousness of the worldly existence
will abate and strong waves of devotion and love will rise up and if one
dives deep into My Leelas, he would get precious jewels of knowledge.”
Hearing this, the author was much pleased, and he, at once,
became fearless and confident, and thought that the work was bound
to be a success. Then, turning to Shama (Madhavrao Deshpande) Sai
Baba said, “If a man utters My name with love, I shall fulfill all his
wishes, increase his devotion. And if he sings earnestly My life and My
deeds, him I shall beset in front and back and on all sides. Those
devotees, who are attached to Me, heart and soul, will naturally feel
happiness, when they hear these stories. Believe Me that, if anybody
sings My Leelas, I will give him infinite joy and ever-lasting
contentment. It is My special characteristic to free any person, who
surrenders completely to Me, and who worships Me faithfully, and
who remembers Me, and meditates on Me constantly. How can they
be conscious of wordly objects and sensations, who utter My name,
who worship Me, who think of My stories and My life, and who thus,
always remember Me! I shall draw out My devotees from the jaws
of death. If My stories are listened to, all the diseases will be got rid
of. So, hear My stories with respect, and think and meditate on them,
assimilate them. This is the way of happiness and contentment. The
pride and egoism of My devotees will vanish, the mind of the hearers
will be set at rest; and if he has wholehearted and complete faith, he
will be one with Supreme Consciousness. The simple remembrance of
My name as “Sai, Sai” will do away with sins of speech and hearing.”
Different Works Assigned to Devotees
The Lord entrusts different works to different devotees. Some are
given the work of building temples and Maths, or Ghats (flight of steps)
on rivers; some are made to sing the glories of God, some are sent on
pilgrimages, but to me was allotted the work of writing the Sai Satcharita.
Being a jack of all trades, but master of none, I was quite unqualified
for this job. Then, why should I undertake such a difficult task? Who
can describe the true life of Sai Baba? Sai Baba’s grace alone can enable
one to accomplish this difficult work. So, when I took the pen in my
hand, Sai Baba took away my egoism and Himself wrote His stories.
The credit of relating these stories, therefore, goes to Him and not to
me. Though, Brahmin by birth, I lacked the two eyes (i.e. the sight or
vision) of Shruti and Smruti and therefore, was not at all capable of
writing the Satcharita, but the grace of the Lord makes a dumb man talk,
enables a lame man to cross a mountain. He alone knows the ways of
getting things done, as He likes. Neither the flute, nor the harmonium
knows, how the sounds are produced. This is the concern of the player.
The oozing of Chandrakant jewel and the surging of the sea are not, due
to the jewel and the sea, but due to the rising of the moon.
Baba’s Stories as Beacon Light
Light-houses are constructed at various places in the sea, to enable
the boatmen to avoid rocks and dangers, and make them sail safely. Sai
Baba’s stories serve a similar purpose in the ocean of worldly existence.
They surpass nectar in sweetness, and make our worldly path smooth
and easy to traverse. Blessed are the stories of the saints. When they
enter our hearts through the ears, the body-consciousness or egoism
and the sense of duality vanish; and when they are stored in the heart,
doubts will evade, pride of the body will fall, and wisdom will be stored
in abundance. The description of Baba’s pure fame, and the hearing
of the same with love, will destroy the sins of the devotee and,
therefore, this is the simple Sadhana for attaining salvation. The
Sadhana for Krita Age was Sama-dama (tranquility of mind and body);
for Treta Age, sacrifice; for Dwapar worship; and for Kali (present) Age,
it is singing of the name and glory of the Lord. This last Sadhana is
open to all the people of the four Varnas (Brahmins, etc.). The other
Sadhanas, viz. Yoga Tyaga (sacrifice), Dhyan (meditation) and Dhyandharana
(concentration) are very difficult to practice, but singing and
hearing the stories and the glory of the Lord (Sai Baba) is very easy. We
have only to turn our attention towards them. The listening to and
singing of the stories will remove the attachment to the senses and their
objects, and will make the devotees dispassionate, and will ultimately
lead them to self-realization. With this end in view, Sai Baba made me
write His stories, as Satcharita. The devotees may now easily read and
hear these stories of Sai Baba and while doing so, meditate on Him, His
form and thus, attain devotion to Guru and God (Sai Baba), get dispassion
and self-realization. In the preparation and writing of this work,
Satcharita, it is Sai Baba’s grace, which has accomplished everything,
making use of me as a mere instrument.
Motherly Love of Sai Baba
Everybody knows, how a cow loves her infant calf. Her udder is
always full and when the calf wants milk and dashes at the udder, out
comes the milk in an unceasing flow. Similarly, a human mother knows
the wants of her child before-hand and feeds him, at her breast in time.
In case of dressing and adorning the child, the mother takes particular
care to see that, this is well done. The child knows or cares nothing
about this, but the mother’s joy knows no bounds, when she sees her
child well dressed and adorned. The love of the mother is peculiar,
extraordinary and disinterested, and has no parallel. Sadgurus feel this
motherly love towards their disciples. Sai Baba had the same love
towards me, and I give an instance of it below :
In 1916 I retired from Government service. The pension, that was
settled in my case, was not sufficient to maintain my family decently.
On Guru Pournima (15th of Ashadha) day of that year, I went to Shirdi
with other devotees. There, Mr. Anna Chinchanikar, of his own accord,
prayed to Baba for me as follows : “Please, look kindly at him, the
pension he gets is quite insufficient, his family is growing. Give him
some other appointment, remove his anxiety and make him happy!”
Baba replied, “He will get some other job, but now, he should serve Me
and be happy! His plates will be ever full and never empty. He should
turn all his attention towards Me and avoid the company of atheists,
irreligious and wicked people. He should be modest and humble
towards all, and worship Me with heart and soul. If he does this, he
will get eternal happiness.”
The question, who is this He, Whose worship is advocated, is
already answered in a note on “Who is Sai Baba” in the prologue, at
the beginning of this work.
Rohila’s Story
The story of the Rohila illustrates Sai Baba’s all embracing love.
One Rohila, tall and well-built, strong as a bull, came to Shirdi, wearing
a long Kafni (robe) and was enamored of the Sai, Who stayed there. Day
and night, he used to recite, in a loud and harsh tone the Kalma (verses
from Holy Quran) and shout “ALLAH HO AKBAR” (God is Great).
Most people of Shirdi, were working in their fields during the day and
when they returned to their homes at night, they were welcomed with
Rohila’s harsh cries and shouts. They could get no sleep and felt much
trouble and inconvenience. They suffered this nuisance for some days
in silence, and when they could stand it no longer, they approached
Baba and requested Him to check the Rohila and stop the nuisance.
Baba did not attend to their complaint. On the contrary, Baba took the
villagers to task and asked them to mind their own business. He said
to them that the Rohila had got a very bad wife, who tried to trouble
the Rohila and Himself; but hearing the Rohila’s prayers, she dare not
enter and they were at peace. In fact, the Rohila had no wife and by his
wife Baba meant Durbuddhi, i.e. evil thoughts. As Baba liked prayers
and cries to God better than anything else, He took the side of the
Rohila, and asked the villagers to wait and bear with the nuisance,
which would abate in due course.
Baba’s Sweet and Nectar-like Words
One day at noon, after Arati, devotees were returning to their
lodgings, when Baba gave the following beautiful advice :
“Be wherever you like, do whatever you choose, remember this
well that, all what you do is known to Me. I am the Inner Ruler of all
and seated in your hearts. I envelope all the creatures, the movable
and immovable world. I am the Controller – the Wire-puller of the
show of this universe. I am the Mother – origin of all beings – the
Harmony of three Gunas, the Propeller of all senses, the Creator, Preserver
and Destroyer. Nothing will harm him, who turns his attention towards
Me, but Maya will lash or whip him, who forgets Me. All the insects,
ants, the visible, movable and immovable world, is My body or form”.
Hearing these beautiful and precious words, I, at once, decided in
my mind to serve no man henceforth but my Guru only; but the reply
of Baba to Anna Chinchanikar’s query (which was really mine) that I
would get some job, began to revolve in my mind, and I began to think,
whether it would come to happen. As future events showed, Baba’s
words came true and I got a Government job, but that was of short
duration. Then, I became free and devoted myself solely to the service
of my Guru Sai Baba.
Before concluding this chapter, I request the readers to leave out
the various hindrances, viz., indolence, sleep, wandering of mind,
attachments to senses etc. and turn their whole and undivided attention
to these stories of Sai Baba. Let their love be natural, let them know the
secret of devotion, let them not exhaust themselves by other Sadhanas,
let them stick to this simple remedy i.e. listening to Sai Baba’s stories.
This will destroy their ignorance and will secure for them salvation. A
miser may stay at various places, but he constantly thinks of his buried
treasure. So, let Sai Baba be enthroned in the hearts of all.
In the next chapter, I shall speak of Sai Baba’s advent in Shirdi.
Bow to Shri Sai – Peace be to all
No comments:
Post a Comment