Significance of Sai Babas Mahasamdhi- 4 By B.V.narasimha Swamy

[Guest guest]

"Sunset and Evening Star,

And one clear call for me

And may there be no moaning of the bar

When I put to sea."

The English poet who wrote the above lines was a true mystic, that is. a

realiser of the innermost essence of reality, thoroughly and perpetually

immersed in the Real. Death that terrifies the ignorant mass had no terrors

for him. Every one of us who constantly dives below surface appearances and

seeks to contact the blissful reality underneath will be equally bold and

cheerful when the body undergoes the process called Death. The material

constituents of the body aie returned to their respective sources.

Earth goes back to earth, water to water, air to air, light and heat to

light and heat. The soul that realises the Self as above and beyond these

is always in its real condition unaffected by their return. If an

English Mystic Poet and ordinary Sadhaka can achieve this eqanimity and

retain perfect Shanti when the mortal coil is shuffled off, it is patent

that such a supreme Siddha, such a perfect Jnani as Buddha, Sri Sai

Baba should have faced his so-called death, in 1918, with

perfect equanimity and cheerfulness. Ho was always realising the true

nature of the Jivas and constantly imparting instruction and encouragement

to person perturbed by the approach or occurrence of death. When,

for instance, Appa Kulkarni's wife, a fairly aged lady, ran up to Baba

crying that her husband was in the jaws of death and begged for some UDHI to

save her husband's life, Baba quieted her and asked her calmly to face the

coming separation. He pointed out that death and life are equally

manifestations of God's activity and are inseparable. Bodies when worn

out are cast away like worn-out clothes. "Appa wants to change his

dress (Kupni) before ! do. Let Appa go. Do not stop him, Do not

ask for Udhi. When death arrives, do not be grieved. The wise ones

grieve not for death; the fools do. The five pranas were lent for use

during life. Now the lender claims back His own and they are returned

Air goes back to Air, Fire to Fire, Every one of the five elements

thus goes back to its place. The body is made of earth. Its return to

earth is not a thing to bemoan." So said the Sage Sai. The truth that fell

from Baba's lips in these words is unquestionable and the position

taken cannot be comoated. There are however pandits who can preach such

truths most eloquently, and most of them fail in any attempt to realise and

practise such truths in their own lives. PAROPADESE PAND1TYAM SWASYA-CHARENA

DRISYATHE" is the lemark that will apply to them. That is, they are good at

preaching to others what they themselves cannot and do not practise.

Baba was not of this class. He never preached what he did not practise. He

fully realised the nature of death especially when critical cases like Appa

Kulkarni's came up for his notice—and they came up for his notice pretty

frequently. Baba encouraged alike the dying person and the survivors. With

his wonderful love and power he stood besides the dying person even though

he might die thousands of miles away from Shirdi, and helped him on to move

into a new sphere. Baba being a guide in this world and beyond. To the

survivors who mainly thought of the worldly disadvantages entailed by their

bereavement, he gave assurance that he would look after them and their

interests. He was always as good as his word. To Balakram Mankar's

relations, he had given the assurance that he (Baba) would look after

Mankar's sons. Balakram Mankar died shortly after the assurance was given

and his four sons appeared to be in a terribly bad plight without funds and

without powerful supporters, but the unseen hand of Baba has really

supported them all and they are now and have been for some time enjoying

affluence and prosperity-filling high posts in business and Society.

Baba's Mahasamadhi is not a matter for regret from his own standpoint or

from his bhakta’s. His (Baba's) own point of view always was that he was

Naiayana, that he was Kabir, etc.—always spending out His energy for

promoting the best interests of others, "ParopakarayaSatham Vibuthayah". It

is for blessing others that Saints live or take birth after birth especially

as a guru—Sadguru. He declared himself bound to look after the spiritual

interests of his devotees in their birth after birth until he could take

them on to their goal, i.e., to the feet of the Almighty "Thadvishnoh

Paramam Padam Sada Pasyanthi Suryayah."

Alike from Baba's standpoint and that of the devotee, his altruistic

activities constitute the real essence of his personality and these still

continue. Before casting off his fleshy cloak, he assured the devotees that

he was deathless and that after his so-called death, he would be as vigorous

and helpful as ever. Thousands of devotees since 19J8 have experienced the

truth of his statement. Apart from the worldly help he has rendered, he has

still been rendering spiritual help, not the least of which is his standing

at the deathbed, and guiding the devotee's soul in the after life.

Rao Sahib Papiah Chettiars wife is one of the latest instances of such help.

She was not very old at the time of her passing away and her demise broke

her husband's heart. Yet she had smiling face when the breath was parting

from her body. The assuage her husband's sorrow, she subsquently gave her

message to him, informing him chiefly of the facts that at her death Baba

was by her side and that he took her and placed her in a heavenly sphere,

where she is still continuing happily under his guidance.