Who is Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi? - By His Holiness Narasimhaswamiji

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WHO IS SRI SAI BABA OF SHIRDI?

By Shri H.H. NARASIMHASWAMIJI

Founder - All India Sai Samaj (Regd.), Madras - 600 004

SAI BABA of Shirdi is a name to conjure with. In fact, his name is used as a

sacred and powerful mantra by thousands of persons. He is not a non-historic

or remote personality, but one who was with us in the flesh till 1918, moving

familiarly with tens of thousands and that for decades. A short account of Sri

Sai Baba will be interesting and will also prove in many cases the turning point

in the lives of numerous readers, as it has done in the past.

2. Of Sai Baba's birth, parentage, and antecedents, no person that we have met

can give any account. But Baba himself gave some hints which have been

verified and worked upon. He seems to have been born some time between 1820

and 1850 A.D. in the village Pathri, in the Nizam's State. His parents were

Brahmins who handed him over at a tender age to a fakir. After the fakir's

death, some five years later, the child passed in the care of his Guru Deva,

Gopal Rau Deshmukh, a great Bhakta of God Venkateswara of Tirupati. After a

splendid period of ten years of intense love and devotion towards his Guru-God,

the boy obtained the Guru's grace. As directed by the Guru, he went westward

and came to Shirdi in the Bombay Presidency (Ahmednagar District), and after

some wanderings, settled and spent the rest of his life there. He passed away

on the 15th October, 1918 (3 p.m. Vijayadasami Day, after Ekadasi began). The

tomb erected over his remains is now the Sai Mandir attracting the devotion of

persons from all parts of the country.

3. Nobody dies: least of all, a self realized soul like Sai Baba. Atmagnanis or

Jivanmuktas are said to become Vidhehamuktas or nirakara Parabrahmam when the

fleshy sheath is cast off. Exceptions to this rule are mentioned in the Brahma

sutras. Bhrugu, Narada, and other eminent devotee-gnanis have, instead of

merging in the Absolute when they cast off the body, continued to remain in

their subtle body (Sukshma sarira, which however could be rendered gross and

visible or sthula at will) in order to co-operate with divine Leelas, rendering

service to humanity. These are styled apantaratmas. Sai Baba is now an

apantaratma. Before shuffling off his mortal coil, he said that his devotees

need not be sad or frightened at his casting off his fleshy gown (kupni) and

that wherever and whenever any devotee should think of him, he would be present

and attend to him. This has been found indeed to be true by innumerable

persons; and earnest souls can still take Baba at his word and prove its truth

from their own experience.

4. Sai Baba, the soul of truth and reality has never spoken untruth. 'Anrutam

noktapurvam me nacha vakshya kadachana' (Untruth, I have never uttered nor will

I utter it at any time), was the remark of Ayodhya Rama as also of this Shirdi

Rama.

5. The early decades spent by Baba at Shirdi are almost wholly forgotten. He

was first living under a margosa tree leading the life of a perfect ascetic.

Next, he removed to a dilapidated mosque in the village, and resided there to

the end of his life. He had nothing that he could call 'mine'. For thirty

years and more, he was leading the life of holy poverty, and then his devotees

whom he affectionately termed his children, pressed the pomp and show of

royalty upon him. For the last ten years of his life, he appeared as a prince

though he behaved throughout like a poor fakir, who either owned nothing or

everything in the world. His was the life of perfect celibacy (naishtika

rahmacharya with astalitha urdhvarethus), a fact which was beaming out of his

brilliant tiger like eyes. His virtues were numerous - Ananthakalyanaguna -

and would naturally sink into the heart of those coming in contact with him,

and thus raise them gradually on the highest. 'Apana sarika karita tatkal', is

a saying of Tukaram, which means that great souls raise the devotees to their

own level; vide Bhagavata, where Lord Krishna says, 'Though devotees do not

wish to be one with me, I pull them unto myself'.

6. Amongst his qualities, the most notable was, of course, love - uniform, all

embracing, intense love, showered on all and at all times, without any idea of

the extent of sacrifice involved or any idea of recompense - truly maternal

love at its highest. God is love and the means to reach God is also love.

Baba was nothing but the embodiment of love. This love was perpetually

manifesting itself in every act, word, and thought of his, though at times

hidden by his ascetic modes of life. In the beginning he would move and talk

with none except under strict necessity. However, when there was any suffering

in the village, he would run to relieve it and would accept no recompense.

7. 'Saisangatve nissangatvam' was the other exception to his rule of asceticism.

Where there were saints or holy people, he would be found in their company.

Some of these saints like Janaki Das and Devi Das were the first to discover

his merits; and in the early eighties of the 19th century, some of them

revealed the fact that Baba was like a diamond lying on a dung hill, and that

the world would one day discover what a great Rama Bhakta he was. The world

has since discovered that fact, and more, has identified him with Rama,

Krishna, Maruti, Datta, etc.

8. At the time of his arrival at Shirdi, Baba appears to have been a thorough

adept in the Prema marga, the path of love and evidently possessed of all

power, which naturally issues from such love. He seldom cared to use his

power, but once, a manifestation was wrung out of him. The shopkeepers who

supplied him gratis with oil, one day refused the supply, and gathered in a

scoffing mood to see what the 'mad fakir', as they styled him, would do without

oil for his lamps. Baba simply filled up his empty earthen lamps with water,

and the wicks inserted in the water were burning all night! This gave a rude

shock to the villagers' notion that Baba was negligible and mad fakir.

9. Baba however was never negligible. From the very beginning, he was always

helping humanity at first by dispensing medicines and later by dispensing

'Udhi' i.e., Vibhuthi or ashes from the fire that he always kept burning by

him. Udhi has played a very important part in the grace shown by Baba to

people all these years, and it is still being sought and used by people all

over the country. But, as Baba explained, it is not the Udhi itself that works

the wonder. {"What can the Udhi do? Nevertheless, take the Udhi as it is

wanted", said Baba to G.G.Narke} The devotees' Bhakti (faith and devotion), for

instance, has always to take its part in the good results produced by the Udhi.

The Udhi was generally the material with which His blessings were issued. The

Udhi is the cup enshrining the really valuable blessings of Baba. But these

blessings often came and do come without the Udhi.

10. When people came to him, he would give them the Udhi and say 'Allah bale

karege' (i.e. God will bless) and everything he uttered proved effective. Once

he said 'I go on speaking things here and things happen there.' Baba's words

were words of authority. When he said that there should be water on a

waterless rock, water was found there. {Charter 350}. When he addressed the

elements they obeyed him. Fire, water, and air were seen by several devotees

to obey his orders. He ordered high flames to sink down and they did. He

ordered the rain and storm to cease and they ceased. He willed a cool breeze

to blow near the fire on a blazing summer day and cool breeze blew

there.{Charters 341.4} The dead were revived. The heart of every one present

or absent, he knew without effort and he could control it. He was realized to

be a sarvantharyami. He himself declared,

'Aham Atma hi Chandorkar Sarva bhutasaya sthitah'

i.e. 'O, Chandorkar, I am in the hearts of all creatures'.

11. Of the many 'miracles' performed by Baba and witnessed by many eminently

respectable persons (many of them still living), it is sufficient to give but a

few instances to show how and why they were resorted to. Baba identifying

himself with God and gods declared that there was never any miracle performed

by him. Really, there are no 'miracles' in the universe if 'miracles' mean the

violation of the laws of Nature or of God. People begin to generalize about the

laws of Nature from the few facts known to them and when a strange phenomenon

suddenly appears in apparent contradiction of their artificial 'law of Nature',

it is declared to be 'miracle' - a violation of the so called law. A truly

scientific mind would rather add the new fact to the old facts and try to

remold the old law so as to include the new fact observed. Mankind is not

omniscient. One day, the science of the future will give scientific

explanations for the so-called 'miracles' of all times.

12. But beyond the miracles of Baba, there is one bright, marvelous fact, worthy

of people's adoration and that is, his golden heart of love with its message of

universal love. Baba loved all - Hindus, Moslems, Christians, and Buddhists,

the learned and the illiterate, the poor and the rich, the priest and the

criminal - alike. His message to all his devotees is 'Love ye, one another, as

I love you all'.

13. Baba declared that if people hated one another, his heart was smarting with

pain and sorrow and if persons forgave enemies and endured the ill-treatment,

he was highly please. This is the most valuable lesson for this day and for

all time. A story is told in Bhagavatham of the world going as a cow to

Brahma, groaning under the weight of the cruel Asuras harassing innocent

people. That is just the spectacle all over the world to day. Hatred,

destruction, plunder, and absolute disregard for truth and virtue, are the

predominant features in the daily history of the world to-day. Man's claws and

teeth are red with the gore of brother man; and the criminal is not apologetic

but blatant. Civilisation is in imminent danger of being submerged in pools of

human blood and devastating fire leaving the human form a fossil to be

discovered within some rocks by some later race. The only thing that can avert

this doom is love, a revival of the very ancient message to Asuras from God

'Dayadhwam' i.e., 'Be merciful'.

14. Baba's whole life was an illustration of how this divine message could be

carried out in life, and the more Baba's message is heeded, circulated, and

preached, the greater is the hope for humanity avoiding the threatened

catastrophe. Incidentally, it may be noted that while the Kshtriyabalam of

Akbar failed, the Brahmatejobalam of Baba is steadily achieving the benefit of

the people. 'Dikbalam Kshatriyabalam Brahmatejobalam balam' - Fie upon

Kshatriya's power, Spiritual power alone is power', was said by the Kind

Visvamitra when he found that all the arrows showered by him upon Vasishtha

were of no avail, by reason of the Brahmadanda which Vasishtha had placed by

his side as a protection. 'Ekena brahmadandena astrah sarvah vinishkrtah'.

15. One species of miraculous achievements wrought by Baba for the benefit of

his devotees is the blessing given for issue. Whenever Baba blessed anybody

and said that there would be issue, invariably the lady brought forth the

child, either male or female, in twelve months, exactly as stated by Baba.

Here are a few examples: Damodar S. Rasane had two wives, but no issue. His

horoscope showed a papi or cruel planet in the putrasthana and astrologers

declared that he would have no issue in this birth. But Baba gave him four

mango fruits and directed him to give them to his junior wife. Baba assured

him that he was going to have eight children through that wife, the first two

being males. The lady ate the fruits and had just eight children, with their

sexes as mentioned by Baba. This would remind one of the issue less monarch

Dasaratha, consulting his Kulaguru Vasishtha. According to the directions of

this Guru, Aswamedha and Puthrakameshti yagas were celebrated on a grand scale

(even though it was not stated that there was any papi in the putrasthana of

Dasaratha) and four sons were brought forth by his queens. In Rasane's case,

there was no Vasishtha nor were any yagas. Evidently, Vasishta, Vamadeva,

Risyasringa, Bhrugu, Puthrakameshti and Aswamedha were all inside Sai Baba who

declared that the devotee would have eight children.

16. Another case is more interesting. One Scindhe had seven daughters and no

sons. He went up to the temple of Dattatreya at Gangapur, 200 miles away from

Shirdi, and prayed there for male issue. He vowed that if he were granted a

son within twelve months, he would bring the child to Gangapur and make his

offerings. He had his prayers answered and obtained a son in twelve months.

But, for about six years, he did not go to Gangapur at all. Then he came to

Shirdi. Baba looked at him and spoke fiercely, 'Are you so conceited and

stiff-necked? Where was there any male progeny in your Prarabhda karma? I

tore up this body (pointing to his own body) and gave you a male child in

answer to your prayer'. This was not only occasion when Baba declared that he

had overridden the workings of Prarabhda karma. A third case is interesting

from another standpoint. A pleader of Akkalkote had reviled and mocked at Baba

in his student days and had subsequently lost his only son. Fancying that the

loss was the result of his irreverence towards Baba, he came to Shirdi. Baba

blessed him and declared that he (Baba) himself would fetch the soul of the

deceased son and place him within the womb of the Vakil's wife. In twelve

months thereafter, she was delivered of a male child.

17. Incidentally, it may be mentioned that it was the blessings for issue more

than anything else that made the educated, especially from towns, to go to

Baba. One Gopal Rao Gundu, A Revenue Inspector, who had two wives but no

issue, sought and obtained Baba's blessings and the fruit of those blessings, a

son. He broadcast the kindness of Baba and his wonderful powers abroad, and a

large number of educated people including Deputy Collectors, Collectors, and

political leaders like Lokamanya Tilak, flocked to Shirdi.

18. In 1886, Baba died his first death. One day when sitting along with his

devotee Mhalaspathi in the Dwarakamayi (as his mosque was named by him), Baba

said that he was going to Allah and that consequently for three days his body

was to be looked after for, after that period, he might return to the body, and

that in case he did not do so, the body should be interred near the mosque.

Presently Baba's body became a corpse. An inquest was held over the same and

the officer holding the inquest insisted on Mhalaspathi burying the body. But

Mhalaspathi vehemently opposed the proposal and succeeded in preventing the

internment. On the fourth day, Baba's body revived and for thirty-two years

thereafter, Baba worked through that living fleshy case and finally left it on

the 15th October, 1981, with the same prescience and clear control over all the

circumstances which he showed in 1886. This leaving of the body at will and

returning to it at pleasure is an art, a Siddhi, described in the Yoga

Sasthras; and Baba's exercise of such powers convinced and would convince many

of the truth of the Sasthras. 'Dharmasamsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge'

(i.e. 'I am born in each age for establishing Dharma') said Krishna of Dwapara

Yuga to Arjuna. And this divinity of the twentieth century A.D. in Kaliyuga,

like other men of God (Devatmas) of the same period, has frequently by his

conduct proved the truth of, and confirmed, the belief in Dharma and Sasthras.

19. One noticeable feature of Baba's life after his return to the body was that

he began to encourage the arrival of Bhaktas to his feet. Evidently the object

of his return to his body was to carry out his mission more fully and for a

longer period on earth, especially with reference to the devotees and others

bound to him by former ties, rinanubandha. This is well illustrated by his

call to Narayana Govind Chandorkar, B.A., Personal Assistant to the Collector

of Ahmednagar, to come to his feet.

20. When N.G. Chandorkar or 'Nana' as Baba affectionately called him, was

halting at Kopargaon, Baba sent word to him repeatedly to come to Shirdi for a

visit. Nana after much hesitation came up to Shirdi and asked Baba why he was

sent for. Baba replied that for four previous births, Nana had been intimate

with Baba and that therefore in this life also, he should get into similar

close contact. Again Nana hesitated. But Baba, by the exercise of his

wonderful powers and his kindness especially, filled Nana's heart with faith

and gratitude for numerous miraculous favors showered upon him. On one

occasion when Chandorkar was stranded on a hot day on a waterless hill

(Harischandra Hill) unable to climb up or get down, he suddenly exclaimed; 'If

Baba were here, he would give me water'. Baba who was then at Shirdi, forty

miles away, mentioned to the people there that Nana was thirsty and should be

provided with a palmful of water. At that time, a Bhil appeared on that hill

and pointed out a palmful of water to Chandorkar, under the very rock over

which the latter was seated. Later when Nana visited Shirdi, Baba informed him

that it was ;he who provided water on the waterless rock. Similarly, on another

occasion, when the thirsty Chandorkar prayed to Baba in the midst of a forest

for tea being given him after he should emerge from the forest, tea was

suddenly provided in the middle of the night in a forlorn place. Again when

Nana's daughter was undergoing the tortures of prolonged parturition, Baba sent

a gosavi from Shirdi with Udhi to be used for easing the parturition. The

gosavi wanted to know how he could go to Jamnere, which was N.C.C's camp,

across thirty miles of country road from the railway without funds, Baba simply

answered that everything would be provided. At the station, the gosavi found a

Tonga and a liveried peon waiting for him, professing to have been sent by Sri

Chandorkar. When the gosavi went up in that Tonga and delivered the Udhi, its

use was quickly followed by safe and comfortable delivery. Then he mentioned

the Tonga, the horse and the liveried peon to Chandorkar, who wondered, as he

had not sent any of these and nobody else could have sent these. Both the

gosavi and NGC wondered at Baba's power to provide everything he wanted at any

place and at any time and at the depth of Baba's love for his devotees.

21. Nana had innumerable proofs of Baba's vast, nay, unlimited powers, his

perpetual watch over his beloved devotees, his invariable kindness towards all

that approached him, and summed them all up in the phrase that Baba was

omnipotent, omniscient and universally kind. No word aptly expresses the sum

total of these attributes except 'God'. Chandorkar was convinced that Baba

was God and worshipped him as God; and by reason of Chandorkar's vast

influence, Baba's greatness and glory became known to all in various parts of

Maharashtra.

22. One Ganpat Rao Sahasrabuddhe, a constable attending on NGC was similarly

turned in to a devout Bhakta and made to quit Government service (in 1905)

substituting therefore the service of God or Baba. Sri Sahasrabuddhe has

thence forward been known as Dass Ganu Maharaj and as a Kirtankar-devotee of

Baba all through these forty years. By his powerful Harikathas and his

talents, he has carried Baba to the homes of tens of thousands in Maharashtra.

His works on Baba are the earliest authorities on the life of Baba. The above

mentioned two gentlemen with others like H.S. Dixit and Anna Dabolkar, may be

regarded as Baba's apostles who carried the faith in Baba to the length and

breadth of Maharashtra.

23. Baba's own miraculous personality surviving his release from his physical

body has however been the principal reason for the success of all this

propaganda. His power is still working and by reason of that along, myriads in

Madras and other Presidencies have become firm adherents to, and worshippers of,

Baba. The faith is well grounded in the experience showered upon them now as

liberally and miraculously, as they were showered before Baba's passing away.

Baba's figure is occasionally seen by, and his wondrous powers are manifested

to, those that have the necessary faith, at any place, as Baba has no

partiality and his grace cannot be the monopoly of any person or place.

Wonders are being worked by him today at various places and therefore Sai

Mandirs have sprung up in many of them.

24. Baba, however, is not a mere worker of miracles. He is a Samartha Sadguru.

He applies miracles or miraculous means to fill with faith and gratitude the

hearts of devotees. Gratitude soon turns into love and then Baba's real work

is seen. Baba purifies the hearts of all of the dross of low attachments and

their consequences, and gradually raises the devotees' souls to loftier and

still loftier states of being, till they finally merge into himself. People

begin with the notion that Baba is a kind provider of all that they need and in

fact resort to him to have their temporal needs satisfied. But they discover

(at least many do) that Baba is after all their Ishtamurthi, their own Rama or

Siva, the God of their fathers who has now taken a new shape to carry out the

ancient divine plan of the Universe, and that 'God fulfils himself in many ways

lest one good custom should corrupt the world'.

25. The question is often asked whether Baba was a Hindu or Moslem. The first

remark to make about this question is that the cause for this question should

be looked into before it is answered. There is a strong feeling on the part of

the Hindus that they should not go near a Moslem whose views run counter to

their cherished ideas, and who would destroy their religious emblems and idols.

Similar is the repugnance on the part of the Moslems to accept purely Hindu

traditions which they consider too idolatrous and unholy. When we come to take

an impartial view, we find, whether we are Hindus or Moslems, that the above

question is irrelevant or of very little importance. First about the

irrelevancy. The Sufi and the Orthodox Hindu, both agree that when a person

has reached perfection, i.e., the level of Brahman, the question of caste does

not arise at all. Caste (or 'Jathi' as it is called in vernacular) refers to

that which has born and that which has 'janma'. The self-realiser who is

identical with God is not born though his body was born. But the body is not

'he' and there is no need to go into the question as to whether the body arose

from parents who were Hindus or Moslems, or was trained and brought up among

3ither of them. Sri Sankara's well-known phrase about the realized soul is

'Jati Niti Kula Gotra duuragam' - that it is far above questions of caste,

family clan, etc., and Sankara's Manisha Panchaka repeatedly closes with the

line, 'Chandaalostu Dwijostu sadgururityeshau manaishaa mama' - 'Let him be a

chandala or Brahmin; he (the realized soul) is my Guru'. What does it matter

whether the Kohinoor is lying on a dung hill or in a palace! The Sufis too

have exactly the same view as regards these distinctions. However, the reason

for raising the question is a strong feeling regarding the necessity of

protecting one's own religious sentiments adequately from being harassed

violently by a person of an opposite sect. On this matter, it may be pointed

out that whether Baba was a Hindu or a Moslem, he allowed every sect to keep to

its own method of approaching God. To Hindus, he said: 'Continue your Rama

worship, and worship the stones which your forefathers worshipped'. He even

presented some lingams, silver padukas, pictures and coins for worship by

Hindus. To Moslems, he never gave any of these but allowed them to follow

their nirakara (formless) form of worship as far as it is possible. So the

real cause for raising the question about one being a Hindu or Moslem does not

arise in this case on account of the extreme catholicity of Baba's views and

practice. But prejudices die hard and in spite of all that is said, persons

still hanker to know whether Baba was a Hindu or a Moslem. It may be pointed

out that though his original antecedents were unknown; his continued residence

for about 50 years in a mosque was considered a sufficient reason for most

people to consider him to be a Moslem. There is a Tamil proverb that if one

drinks anything, even milk, under a Palmyra tree, he will be taken to have

drunk toddy.

26. Let us examine the real facts. Baba's antecedents as mentioned already were

revealed by himself. Even after they are fully considered, still the question

must be deemed doubtful whether he was a Hindu or a Moslem. But (Janma or

Jathi) by actual birth, he was of Brahmin parents, and hence by a very large

number of persons, he is considered to be a Brahmin. But according to Baba's

own statement, he was handed over in his very infancy to a fakir who brought

him up for about five years according to Islamic faith. After the death of the

fakir, Baba was handed over to a Brahmin Guru by name Sri Gopal Rao Deshmukh of

'Venkusa'. The stay of ten years under this Guru and the marvelous initiation

into divinity by the Guru's purna kripa, ought to clear all doubts, and

establish that Baba was Brahmin or at least a Brahmin. But as fate would have

it, the Guru after conferring upon Baba his purnakripa and raising him to

divinity, directed him to go westwards and Baba had to spend the rest of his

life in a mosque moving with all alike as an ativarnasrami, i.e., one beyond

all caste rules. We do not know what an expert lawyer would conclude as to

Baba's caste in these circumstances. But whatever that may be, to those who

considered him a Moslem, he responded as a Moslem and to those who cared to

treat him as a Hindu, he responded as a Hindu; and he expounded the Koran to

the former and the Sasthras to the latter. By the Hindus, he has been

worshipped as Ramavatara or Sriman Narayana for so many decades while others

treated him as merely human. This reminds us of an incident about Krishna.

When Sri Krishna went with Balarama and others to a yagasala and wanted food,

the Brahmins were wondering whether they could offer the food prepared for gods

to Krishna, who appeared to have been born in a Kshatriya family but brought up

among (Vysias) cowherds. He was regarded as God by many, but the Brahmins were

doubtful about his caste. By reason of their ignorance (ajanna) they offered no

food at all to Krishna. Then Sri Krishna sent word to the ladies, who ran up

all at once with great devotion and gave up all that they had prepared for the

Gods to him whom they considered as the God of Gods. Exactly the same thing

happens now. Persons whose pious leanings render they easily attracted to such

great souls as Baba run up to Baba and never bother their heads over questions

of his Jathi or caste, and like the Brahmin ladies, deserved and obtain the

highest blessings while many doubting Thomasses (samscyatmas) even of the

highest castes, go on debating endlessly about the question of the caste to

which a holy man belongs and lose their chance of benefiting themselves here

and hereafter. It depends a great deal upon once's poorva sambanda or

rinanubhanda whether one is attracted by Sri Krishna or Sri Sai; it may be

noted that persons wish to discuss this question of caste only when their

feelings have not been roused. But when one is in intense pain or great

trouble, his heart leaps out with the request, 'Baba, help me', never minding a

brass pin as to where Baba was born or how he was brought up; and once he

receives innumerable and miraculous benefits, he gets perfectly convinced that

Baba is God to him, whatever he may be to others and he cares not for

discussions as to the legal position regarding Baba's caste. Baba himself used

to say at times to such Hindus as considered him a Moslem: "I am a Moslem, don't

come to me" and to persons who regarded him as Sad Guru or Guru-God: 'I am a

Brahmin. Give me dakshina. This place wherein I am sitting is not a mosque;

it is a Brahmin's mosque; it is Dwaraka Mayee'. He was everything to everyone.

{Ye yatha maam prapadyante, thaamsthathaiva bhajaamyaham' - Gita}.

27. Apart from Baba's caste, some persons raise the question whether he was a

Brahmagnani and if so how he happened to perform miracles. Persons who raise

such curious doubts would do well to analyze their own question and find out

its implications. Can it be very seriously contended that he who performs

miracles must be an agnani? Will Sri Krishna and Shankara be labeled agnanis

by these people? If these people analyse their own minds, they will discover

the reason fro their doubts. Spiritual aspirants (Sadhaks) are often decidedly

to lose by attending to the thaumaturgic powers or Siddhis derived from their

Sadhana and many Gurus have warned their devotees from hankering after Siddhis.

It is also pointed out by such gurus that there is a waste of accumulated

powers in the exhibition of Siddhis and the performance of Siddhis is generally

attended with the danger of increasing one's passions especially the rajas and

Tamas, which are embedded in one's nature. But can these objections ever arise

in the case of one like Sai Baba? The differences between miracle-mongers and

souls like Sri Krishna and Sai Baba are these. Firstly, in the case of the

latter, power arises not by the repetition of mantras or by the adoption of

tantras, but simply as part and parcel of their divine nature. Secondly, these

high souls have no hankering for the results of the Siddhis. They do not ask

for recompense, nor do they try to attain ulterior aims of their by having

recourse to Siddhis. Thirdly, the Siddhi power, being part of their nature,

does not exhaust itself by any number of miracles. Fourthly, they are prompted

by pure love, Karuna and their employment of powers is a means for achieving the

highest temporal or spiritual ends for themselves and others. None of these

statements will apply to miracle mongers.

28. In this short introduction we cannot possibly give even a very rough outline

of the various activities of Baba. It is enough to say that he was a Pramagnani

and Samartha Sadguru. A guru is one that teaches; a Sadguru is one that teaches

and draws one to God; a samartha Sadguru is one who draws people to God

employing all his Siddhis and other high powers for the purpose. It is not all

gnanis who have realized God that perform these miracles or chamatkars. It is

not the dehaprarabdha of several gnanis to exhibit any such power or to assume

the role of samartha sadguru, while it is the dehaprarabdha of others to serve

humanity as such samartha sadgurus and exhibit such powers. No comparison

ought to be made about these two sets of gnanis. Baba ought not to be compared

with any other guru. Comparisons are always odious and hardly necessary for the

benefit of any aspirant. If any person feels drawn to Baba by learning about

Baba's qualities and activities either from one's own experience or of others

well -known to him, he may at once proceed to have further contact with Baba

and get the fullest benefit of such contact. There is no need for him to worry

as to how Baba is to be classed - as an Avatar or Avalia, Devatatma or Alwar,

etc. One may simply feel the taste of sugar and use it without raising the

questions to whether it is derived from beetroot, sugarcane or Palmyra juice.

No wise men ever worry about such matters. They do not attempt to classify

various gnanis. We must all be always humble in our approach to God and divine

persons. Any other attitude will simply thwart our endeavors to reach divinity

or to attain the highest benefit by spiritual exercise.

29. We may very well close this short pamphlet with the practical question (1)

what are the benefits that Baba can confer? And (2) what has one to do in order

to obtain these benefits? The first may be met by a counter question. What

benefits does one expect when he is approaching Baba? Are they temporal or

spiritual? Whatever they may be, there is no benefit that is beyond the power

of Baba to confer. He is worshipped every day with phrases like 'All-powerful'

(sarva sakthi murthaye namah) etc., and the experience of devotees proves that

he is able to confer benefits of every sort - curing disease, both physical and

mental, giving relief to departing and departed spirits and to those who are

suffering from obsessions or infirmities, removing domestic troubles, etc.

30. One more word about these labels and comparisons. People are sometimes

unconsciously assuming to themselves ability to judge of all grades of

spiritual nature and power and say that Krishna is superior to Rama, Buddha is

superior to Chaitanya, etc., and cause irritation to others and confusion in

their own minds. If we find the water in one creek or bay saltish, should we

say this creek or bay is superior or inferior to the ocean? God is one.

Divinity manifests itself in innumerable places and ways and according to the

needs of the times, and each god-man does the work of alleviating man's

miseries and raising him upward. When the question is asked, why should one

give up his Siva or Rama worship and go to Sai, the answer is that there is no

need. If one feels Sai is different from Rama or other Ishta Devata and that

the latter serves all the purposes of the Devotees, if one is thus satisfied

and contented, Sai Baba has never asked and does not ask such a person to

change his position. Baba is highly conservative and wants each man to stick

to his religion, caste, guru. Ishta Devata, Idol, mantras and sampradaya. It

is only if one feels that he is still left with a desire for further benefits

which his customary contact with his Ishtamurthi, guru, mantras, etc., does not

acquire for him, and if he is disposed to place faith in Baba's powers to grant

these or other benefits, that Baba allows or directs him to come to his feet.

Baba does not interfere with his loyalties. Faith in Baba is added on to the

old loyalties. That faith works miraculous benefits and tends to strengthen

itself. Gratitude and love follow faith and the resultant benefits. Through

these, Baba purifies the heart and draws the devotee higher and higher up the

spiritual ladder. That man who came for worldly goods finds his desires

purified, his mentality changed and thinks more and better of Baba till at

last, finding that Baba is only one of the numerous names and forms assumed by

God, resigns himself to Baba. He then realizes the absurdity of instituting

comparisons between Sai and other names or forms and of asking why one should

go to Sai. It is only those who are specially blessed by poorvakarma that can

be drawn by each of these personalities, and when so drawn no question arises,

and all doubts are driven off. One huge wave of faith, love and knowledge

drowns the soul and draws it to the feet of God, in Sai form and in all forms.

31. What are we to do to obtain our desired ends with the help of Baba? There

are some who raise questions even preliminary to this. Is it not better not to

desire at all? Is it not degrading to go on praying or asking for this or that?

To persons who really care for nothing i.e., to advanced Viraktas, this

question really will not arise. They are not compelled or induced to go to Sai

Baba. See Bhagavatha - 'Nirgrantinopi.. Iththam bhutha guno Harih' - i.e.,

viraktas are attracted by the nishkamya leelas of the Lord. Sai Baba's leelas

were purely unmotivated by desire. His whole life in the flesh was one

continuous self-sacrifice for the sake of humanity. In serving Man, he was

serving God; and he advised his devotees to do the same.

32. Undoubtedly it is better not to desire than to have desires and to seek

their gratification through the help of Sai Baba etc. But how many are there

who can calmly reason thus and find power to crush the roots of desire in their

hearts? If there are any such among the readers, they are not asked to seek

Baba's help or God's help, if that is different, to attain any objects. Even

the desire for Mukti - liberation - is a desire; and even to attain that,

people pray and seek the aid of experts, i.e., sages who know the way to

liberation and who are gracious enough to extend their help to those who seek

help.

33. The vast majority want benefits, temporal and spiritual, temporal first and

then spiritual. The body and its adjuncts, a family. Etc., have to be

maintained with sufficient prouision for health and some degree of comfort

before people can think of spiritual things. Sai Baba may be approached by all

who feel the need for this urgent help. The more impassioned their appeal, the

more faith they have in Baba, the quicker will be the results, other things

being the same. To these we may suggest the ways and means of contacting Baba.

34. There are no special ways for approaching Baba, i.e., ways different from

those adopted for approaching other high and noble personalities. How do we

approach our mother? It looks ridiculous for us to ask such a question. The

mother has showered her love on the child long before it is aware of such love.

Thus Baba has similarly played the part of an unseen mother showering benefits

on her children, the devotees, even from their previous births. But how are

they to approach Baba now? Let them sincerely wish to do so. At once the

approach has been started. They are improved from that very instant. They get

more and more enthusiastic and get more and more benefits. These produce

gratitude first and finally strong love. Let the reader daily think of Baba,

seeing his figure in the medals, pictures etc. he keeps with himself and let

him read about Baba's great deeds more strong than ll poetic thought. Baba's

108 Namavalis is a mnemonic device for forcefully recalling these qualities.

Let him attend Bhajans and Pooja where sincere devotees gather. One song from

a sincere devotee, one artless song, will thrill the hearer and fill him with

awe, joy, piety and lofty sentiments that will last a long time. Le one always

go in for service to humanity or to lower creatures for the sake of Baba i.e.,

viewing Baba as existing in each individual person or creature that he sees.

Baba himself will direct the further steps of the earnest enquirer. Ways and

means for further contact and further growth will be disclosed by Baba himself

in innumerable ways to each ardent devotee. The manner in which he imparts

these varies. Some of highly emotional nature see him at times even today and

some talk with him during waking hours. Others get such contact in their

dreams. Still others earnestly wanting some response and piously opening some

book with a prayer, find their response in that book. Others resort to chits.

Others simply rely on the correctness of their intuition that the though

suggested to them at a particular time is the thought given by Him. In these

and other ways, people get their contact and benefits from Sai. Sai is not

different from God. Are not all these ways adopted by devotees in various

religions to get access to and a response from their God or Ishta Devata? The

same applies to Sai Baba. There are numerous Sai Bhaktas who have such intense

faith in Him as their God and who get their response and benefits from hi. If

any reader is very earnest and wishes to pursue this matter further, it must be

very easy for him or her to ascertain who are the Sai Bhaktas in their district

or province with such Bhakti and, if these are noted for their pure and lofty

nature, they can and might be approached with perfect safety and advantage.

"BOW TO SAI PEACE TO ALL"

Source:

http://www.saileelas.org/books/issaibaba.doc