PARAM PUJYA GURUDEV, SREE SIVANESAN SWAMIJI - (continuation)

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PARAM PUJYA GURUDEV, SREE SIVANESAN SWAMIJI

(He who dwelt near the Boughs of the Neem tree at Shirdi)

(Continuation from previous part)

‘Satsang’ with various devotees in different languages was carried

out on at all hours, even in the last hours of the night; and sometimes, till

the early morning hours. Sitting in one ultra room, under a staircase of the

Sansthan’s administrative building, opposite the Gurusthan, in the last

few years, Swamiji spread Sainath’s message, throughout the world. He was

Love Incarnate. Like orchids clinging to an oak tree, the devotees received

their sustenance from him; draining him of his strength and energy. They basked

in the sunshine of his love and in the ambrosial gentleness of his cool moonbeam

mien and speech a few soft words from him, here and there, tell like gentle cool

drops of water on their heads and hearts. They were bathed in that nectar. The

hardest hearts were converted to gold by association with him. The alchemy

worked invariably, even in the case of the most sinful ones. He was always

distributing Udi and Tirth, to as many as he could. And he tailored his

teaching to the different devotees, according to their aptitudes. He skillfully

used Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Karma Yoga, as Sainath did.

When devotees left Shirdi, Swamiji invariably presented them with some spiritual

book, or book of bhajans or photos of Baba. There were no empty hands and no

empty hearts. Just a sense of fulfillment and ecstasy!

The practice of doing Akand Nama Japa of Tarak Mantra "Om Sai Sri Sai Jaya Jaya

Sai", by groups of devotees started with his benediction. The group from

Hyderabad has made this into a fine art, carrying the message of Sai to ,many

towns and cities in India. Even in UK and USA, this is a routine practice now.

On one occasion, the Hyderabad group did the Japa continuously for 108 days!

Japa and Anna-dana go hand in hand. This Sadhana is undertaken without

financial arrangements, with the deep and abiding faith that Sainath would

provide; and He has always lived up to their expectations.

‘Pradakshina’ was favourite activity of his – round the

Gurusthan, and round the Nanda Deep and the Dutta Mandir in the Lendi Baugh.

The speed with which he did the ‘Pradakshina’ (circumambulation)

was phenomenal and dizzying. He urged many devotees to follow suit, with many

beneficial efforts, especially vis-a-vis their health.

Swamiji was well versed in herbal medication and would promptly spell out to the

afflicted devotees a course to follow, which would invariably cure them

completely or at least give considerable relief. After all, afflictions come

because of Karma; therefore, sometimes, the complete cure was not possible.

He believed in Dhuni Puja, participation in Satyanarayana Puja and skillfully

advised devotees about them. His teaching method was simple, through allegoric

stories and parables. He strongly advocated ‘Anna-dana’ (food

distribution)as a good charitable deed. He jokingly said that he was only a

kindergarten teacher. Even a question posed by him was, in fact, a lesson in

discrimination.

However, Swamiji never discriminated between the devotees – the rich and

the poor, the educated and the illiterate, men and women, young and old were

part of his fold. Nor did he think about the caste, creed or religion of the

devotees. He was very humane and guided the devotees in their worldly and

spiritual matters. Though those who had the privilege of being taught by him

considered him as their Guru, and he was fondly and reverentially addressed as

‘Gurudev’, ‘Swamiji’ or even ‘Baba’, he

always said that he was a Sai Sevak and never thought of himself as Guru. He

did not generally permit his devotees to worship him or do ‘puja’

to him. Even if he allowed it for sometime, so as not to hurt the sentiments of

the devotees, he put a gentle stop and advised the devotee to do whatever he/she

desired, in the privacy of the home. His birthday also was not allowed to be

observed – there was one exception in the year 1993, due to exceptional

circumstances, when forty years of his stay in Shirdi were commemorated.

The devotees were also told about the greatness of saints like Devi Mayi Amma of

Salem, Videhi Annusaya Mata of Padasinga, ram Reddy Tatha of Kurnool, Nayampalli

Baba of Hyderablad and others. Those who expressed desires to have

'‘darshan'’ of such saints were encouraged to do so. Even visits to

other Kshetra and Tirthas were made possible with his grace; particularly in

areas close to Shirdi, such as Nevasa, Shanisingnapur, Tryambakeshwar. Stays in

Ashrams such as Sivananda Swamiji's Ashram, near Rishikesh, were advocated as

beneficial. Those devotees, who had the urge to write were invariably advised

to go to Baser, for the darshan of Goddess Saraswati.

His life was simple. His clothes consisted of cotton towel wrapped round his

waist (like mundu); a ‘kopri’ or Maharashrian vest, with a pocket

and half sleeves; and an uparna or smaller towel wrapped round his head to

cover his long hair, in an unique turban. In the cold weather, an old, grey,

v-neck sweater was added, as he was always susceptible to chills and wracking

coughs. All items of clothing presented to him, including expensive shawls and

sweaters, dothis etc. Were distributed by him to the poor and needy. Even three

days before he took Mahasamadhi, he ordered such distribution of extra blankets

and bed clothes that had been brought during his short period of illness, which

restricted him to his pallet. He always slept on the floor, spreading a blanket

and thick bedspread on the floor; his ‘asan’ was a gunnysack, with

a paper stuffed pillowcase as a bolster.

He braved the sun and the rain, and gave away the umbrellas also. Of course, he

never wore any footwear from his early years. He wandered also with bare feet.

He was strongly averse to doing ‘hatya’, or killing even of

cockroaches, bugs and rats. All these creatures thrived in his room. He died

not seem to notice them. But, it he saw the repugnance of the devotees for

them, he would skillfully and swiftly scoop them up in his bare hands and

release them a few yards away, in the open.

Whereas he had starved in his early days at Shirdi, there was an abundance of

‘naivedya’ food offered to him latterly. But he rarely ate a morsel

or two, mostly from the food provided by the Sansthan. He distributed the food

to all the visitors who savoured it as ‘prasad’, or gave it to his

devotees who were residing in Shirdi and were dependent on him, or to the poor.

He was very abstemious and knew no pleasure of the palate. But, when a devotee

innocently made an offering of a food item, which he had savoured in his

childhood, especially at his grandmother’s home, he grew nostalgic and

set it aside. A bread stick was one such item, which he set aside, not to

savour it, but as a souvenir! Fruits, dry-fruits, sweetmeats came in abundance,

but he quickly distributed everything, walking in the footsteps of the Master,

Sai Baba.

Lots of fruits and sweetmeats were distributed after the bhajans he conducted in

the Chavadi every day, after the evening arati, for about one hour. He sang in

an incredibly sweet voice; and knew hundreds of bhajans by heart, some of which

he may have composed himself. The devotees got some of these bhajans printed in

little booklets. At one time, there were a number of resident devotees who

participated in the singing with different instruments; and a variety of

bhajans were sung. There was joy and devotion in all hearts as they sat before

Swamiji, who gave the ‘tal’ (beats) with his rod of guarus (bells)

that he beat on a coiled mound of cloth, set upon a small tripod. He led the

bhajan, with correct words from memory. This practice was carried on for more

than twenty years till his last and terrible illness, which took its toll in

less than three weeks after it was diagnosed. When many of the skilled singers

left Shirdi, the repertoire of the bhajans became limited, and Swamiji carried

on his public ‘Satsang’ with a fixed sequence and a daily

repetition of the same bhajans. The ‘Sai-Bhavani’ written by Vasant

Ranpise, was a great favourite and was invariably sung to a simple tune. Today,

the Chavadi is silent in the evenings, and his absence from the scene is

poignantly felt.

During the four and a half decades, approximately, that Swamiji spent in Shirdi,

he became the best apostle of Sai Baba. His ‘seva’ to Baba and

Baba’s devotees was sincere, whole-hearted and selfless. He served

‘Baba Malik’ and his life was an example to all.

He breathed his last at 0.10 hrs on Monday, 12th February 1996, at Shirdi and

merged in to the Divine Light of Sai Baba. Sivanesan, the Jnanadeepam of

Shirdi, was no more in body. Many believe that the swinging of the

‘kandil’ in Dwarakamayi portended this event. Swamiji’s

Mahasamadhi has been built in Shirdi, off Pimpalwadi Road, two and a half

kilometers away from the Sansthan’s Prasadalaya, by his devotees on the

land of Meher Dhun Endowment. This land had been purchased by a couple of years

before Swamiji’s Mahasamadhi, to establish an Ashram for Sainath’s

and Swamiji’s devotees; and a Gurukulam. But, destiny had snatched away

Swamiji’s bodily presence. Nevertheless, the devotees will be raising a

suitable memorial there, after the requisite permissions are received from the

Government of Maharashtra and various local authorities. They are eagerly

awaited.

Sivanesan Swamiji believed in the well-known lines of a bhajan, he often sang: -

Haridwar, Mathura, Kashi

Shirdi mein saba thirtha samaye hai

Sai Baba ke charano mein

Charo dhama hamare hai

Shirdi is a pilgrimage place in which Haridwar, Madhura and Kashi are all

embraced and encompassed. All our four great places of worship are found at Sai

Baba’s Holy Feet.

Pujya Swamiji’s bodily presence is acutely missed by all those who come in

close touch with him. Many have not been able to visit Shirdi after his

Mahasamadhi. A light has gone from Shirdi; and those whose lives were illumined

by it, feel they are in deep darkness. May Sainath’s and Swamiji’s

blessings be showered on them, so that they may unitedly, co-operatively,

harmoniously, joyously and lovingly serve the ideals which were assiduously

inculcated in them by Swamiji.

Offered with many reverential bows at Pujya Gurudev’s Feet.

Zarine (Uma)

Source: Shri Sai Leela, July-August 1998)

Author: Zarine (Uma), Shirdi and Mumbai

Our thanks to: Sairam MSR Jagadesan, West Mambalam, Chennai 600 033

(To read more articles on Shirdi Sai Baba, please visit http:/shirdisaibaba.blogspot.com)