Significance of Babas Mahasamadhi by B.V.Narasimha Swamy - II

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Mahasamadhi is the casting off of the fleshy sheath. In the case of ordinary

men, such a day is called the date of death or the anniversary of death. For

recently departed souls, it is a day of mourning. But when time breaks off

the edge of sorrow, pious and loving memories are recalled that day, and

lead to acts that would please and benefit the departed souls. In the case

of saints, the anniversary of their escape from the flesh is a day of

rejoicing. From beyond the veil they are more clearly discerned as God or

fragments of God that will continue to guard, guide and save their loving

devotees and answer prayers. It is best to spend this day, the Dasara

Ekadasi day, on which Sri Sai Baba attained his Mahasamadhi with thoughts

and actions that he would commend.

Let us remember what Sai Baba is and what he wants us to become. As a man,

he was bold, fearless, truthful, loving and self-sacrificing. As a saint he

had realised his true nature, i.e., identity or union with the Supreme. In

both respects, he wanted his devotees to reach perfection by becoming what

he was. We should attain, first, his grand qualities, and next, reach the

Supreme in life and for ever, as he did. Take his fearlessness first.

Abhayam is the foremost virtue in Sri Krishna's and Sai Krishna's list of

virtues — "Daha Sampath". A life of constant fear, the life of a slave

dreading now this, now that and again some other thing or event is a worm's

life not befitting a man. Baba had no fears. We should have none. He feared

neither man nor the devil—and fully relied on his own power and the kind

protection of his loving Guru-God. We should do the same. Death had no

terrors for him, nor the vicissitudes of life. If we frequently recall his

words and example, neither death nor vicissitudes will terrify us. What is

death? It is a mere change. Neither the Death crisis nor the life thereafter

has caused Baba any pain or harm. If we but live the life of his true

devotee, neither of them will pain or harm us. Death, in his case, is a real

blessing. He declared his divine nature, while he was in the flesh, the

limitations of which however hid that nature oftentimes from almost every

one. With the casting off of the fleshy cloak, his nature is now more easily

discerned as Divine. What difference is there between Sai, that answers our

prayers and receives our praise, and God? Absolutely none. God, in

experience, is known only through his blessings such as answers to prayer.

And persons derive correct ideas of God by their experiences of prayers to

Sri Sai being answered. He was showering blessings and responses, when he

was more visibly with us. When Scindhe prayed for a son at the Datta temple

of Gangapur, Sai, supposed to live at Shirdi alone, granted the prayer (even

despite the absence of any provision therefor, in Scindhe's Prarabdha Karma)

and the devotee obtained a son within the time fixed in the prayer.

Innumerable people even now pray to Sri Sai Baba and get their prayers

answered. Surely this power that answers prayers is God. Well tben, if that

is God, can God have a Mahasamadhi day or Srarddha? Can God die? Yes. God

always lives and always dies. He is present in all creatures and at all

moments including the moment of "Death" and moments of subsequent life. As

we have frequently been told "Death"—if it means extinction, is a lie.

Nothing is destroyed. Death is only a change from the "seen" to what is

"unseen" (by us now). Such change God undergoes in all creatures. What dies

or he cast off Is one vesture and not the inner life which alone deserves to

be called God. The inner life is called The Jivatma. These Jivas go on

casting off sheath after sheath in life after life, till they realise their

inmost core of Reality—and that is God, Sat Chit Ananda. Truly, it is God

that lives and changes as a Jiva till its real nature is realised. None need

be frightened at these changes called Death.

Death is the kind provision of God to mark the link or boundary line between

one life and another. It has a very great use, viz. to ennoble life. He who

faces death is a hero and is better fitted to understand that he is not the

body but something beyond, which is using the body. Sometimes, it happens,

that the best use we can make of a body is to throw it off consciously,

voluntarily and gladly and at the proper moment. Benefits temporal and

spiritual flow from this clear and bold outlook and consequent conduct. He

who faces Death gains gold (i.e., wealth) is an old and true adage. He gains

glory and joy also. For a warrior, says Sri Krishna, nothing more beneficial

can be offered than a brave fight and if need be a brave death.

Hato vaa prapsyasi swargam jitva ta

bhokshyase Mahim !

Tasmaadutishta kaunteya udyapa krita

nishchayah

i.e., If you die in battle, you reach Heaven. If you are the victor, you

will enjoy the world (by conquest of a kingdom). Hence resolve to fight c.f.

the well known aphorism.

Dwaavimow purushav lokesuryamandala medina!

Aatmasakshat krito yogi yah cha veero rane hatah

i.e., There are in this world two persons who reach Heaven"(by passing

through the core of the Sun). One is the perfect Yogi thai has realised his

identity with the Supreme and the other is the hero dying in battle.

Arjuna responds boldly to the call of Sri Krishna [roused also by Sri

Krishna's taunts Klaivam maasma gamahpaartha i.e., Do not behave like a

eunuch. Bhayat ranaaduparantam mamsyunte tvaam maharatah: i.e., the great

warriors will think you a coward flying in fear from the battle] and says

Gato mohahkarishijate bachanamtavai.e., "My delusion is gone. I will do as

you bid" and later on So aham krishna ranotsavah: i.e., "O Krishna, Battle

is my delight."

Few devotees know that Sai Krishna also was a warrior. He himself declared

that he was in the army when the Queen of Jhansi was playing her noble part

as Commander. Sai, by his example, shows that Sri Krishna's advice to a

warrior to do his duty of fighting and facing death without the least fear,

is the correct advice and the gist of the whole Bhagavad Gita, while the

advice of Ahimsa also is given there, as an independent advice to be

followed in other cases, where the warrior is not called upon to perform his

duty. The warrior's facing death is a thorough renunciation of the highest

kind. A nation that has such warriors in abundance will be safe, free and

happy. A nation without such warriors wilt be always unsafe, a nation of

serfs and slaves and always unhappy.

Let us close the chapter with a brief reference to Baba's Love and its

relation to his Mahasamadhi. It is easier, at one moment, to cast off one's

life in the field of battle than to go through long years of life, enduring

sufferings and attending lovingly to the need of thousands that seek one's

aid. Baba's aid was daily sought by so many hundreds during his life. He

said to Sri G. S. Khaparde that constant attention to the thousands that

sought his aid ruined his system and would continue to ruin it till

the fleshy tabernacle should break, and that he did not mind the trouble and

loss, as he cared more for his children, the devotees, than for his own

life or comfort. This is the cross he bore for decades—the cross he was

nailed to. From that cross, his soul has ascended and regained its

spiritual perfection and is blessing all devotees. Let us remember on this

day of his Ascension, this central truth of his life, viz, that A LIFF

SPENT IN SACRIFICE

AND LOVING SERVICE IS LIFE; AND THAT A LIFE SPENT IN INDULGENCE AND OTHER

WAYS IS DEATH, i.e.

"Paropakaraartham idam shareeram paropakaaraya sataam vibhootayah. Yate

satpurushaah paraartha yhatakaah, swaarthaan parityajya yeheh." If all of us

do but strive to reach this ideal, our individual and national goals are

sure to be achieved. "DESERVE

AND YOU WILL GET IT," So Said SAI.