BABA'S HELP FOR SADGATI - 2

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HELP FOR SADGATI - 2

Reaching God should only mean reaching that Supreme Being Who is the Creator,

Controller, and Withdrawer of all living beings – that Being Who is referred to

as ‘Brahman’ in the Upanishads and as Supreme God in other Sastras. As the

Sastras also declare ‘Brahmavit Brahmaiva Bhavati’, i.e., any individual soul

that has transcended its idea that it is the physical body and transcended also

other limitations and delusions characteristic of human beings and thus

surrender itself and merged in the Supreme, is the "Supreme" or becomes

"Supreme". The God realiser is ‘God’. A Weird saint like Sai Baba, who is

perpetually dwelling at heart on the Supreme becomes one with Him and says

‘Maim Allah Hum’, and he dwells upon various phases or facets of the Supreme

just as ‘Maha Vishnu’ (Angani Anya Devatah – Taitriya Upanishad – all other

Gods are but parts of God).

Baba said, ‘I am Laxminarayan, I am Ganapati’, etc. When intense devotion is

concentrated on Baba or Ganapati, the result is the same, namely absorption in

Sai or Ganapati. By usage of language the two appear to be different but in

substance these are the same. So, where any one thinks intensely of Baba with

the idea of his divinity prominently in his or her mind, he reaches Sai

Ganapati or Sai Krishna, etc. And this is Sadgati. For instance, Upasani

Maharaj’s third wife died in January 1912 at Satana thinking of Sai and her

husband at the latter’s feet and (evidently with Baba’s help) kept the thought

of Sai Baba prominently in her mind at the last moment with the result that she

reached Baba (God) as stated by Baba himself (B.C.&S.). Similarly Mrs. S.B.

Dhumal, who died in or before 1909, was offered Masik aradhana performed at

Shirdi, on the advice of Baba, and her spirit must have come to Shirdi at that

time, as Baba said that he would give Sadgati.

More such interesting cases of Sadgati have been reported. Let us take Lakshman

Rao K. Noolkar, Sub Judge at Pandharpur, in 1909. He was greatly weakened by

diabetes, but had improved somewhat. N. G. Chandorkar who was Mamlatdar at

Pandharpur, prevailed upon L.K. Noolkar (familiarly known as Tatya) to go to

Sai Baba, primarily with the idea of having darshan of the saint, though

originally Noolkar did not think highly of saints. Noolkar raised several

practical difficulties and objections to proceeding immediately to Shirdi which

were (1) the absence of a cook to go with him to Shirdi and (2) the absence of

Nagpur oranges in the market which are the proper present to be made to saints

at the first meeting. Chandorkar hoped that Baba would provide these. Within a

few hours of Noolkar’s raising these objections, a cook offered his services to

Chandorkar, and when sent by the latter to Noolkar, Noolkar engaged him. The

same night a basket of Nagpur oranges was found at

the door of Mr. Noolkar, and no information could be got as to who had placed

the basket at his door. The overcoming of his two obstacles in a sudden and

mysterious way created some faith in Noolkar towards Baba, and he came along

with Chandorkar to Shirdi. At his first approach with Chandorkar Baba asked,

‘Who is this notoriously crazy fellow whom you have brought?’ Anyhow Noolkar’s

piety and faith developed, and Baba bade him stay on at Shirdi, and there was

sufficient accommodation for him and Chandorkar at Sathe wada. But in a day or

two, he had another test or trial. When he entered the Dwarakamayee, Baba was

in one of his fiery moods. Baba seizing his (Noolkar’s) head knocked it against

a pillar, uttering the words ‘Tuja Satya Nas Hoyil’. This like the Delphic

oracle could bear two or three meanings opposite to each other as (1) ‘Your

unreality will vanish’, (2) ‘ your reality of existence will be destroyed’, (3)

‘Your untruth, i.e., your delusion or ignorance, will vanish’.

When Noolkar was greatly shocked by this treatment, Chandorkar soothed him by

his encouragement and explanations. To further strengthen his faith, Baba

himself evidently caused some incident to take place. Noolkar was not a regular

betel chewer. But suddenly one night he got up at midnight, and told Chandorkar

that he badly wanted to chew bidas (i.e) betels rolled up enclosing betel nut.

This unusual demand puzzled Chandorkar, but in a few minutes the wada door was

knocked and a man coming from Baba stood there with bidas conveyed Baba’s

instructions, ‘Take these four bidas to an old man in the wada who wants them’.

Noolkar was at once convinced that Baba must be his Antaryami to know his sudden

wish and powerful enough to provide four bidas in a village like Shirdi, where

no night shops provide bidas as in cities. It was lucky that faith was

implanted and grew so quickly and developed. For diabetes again afflicted him

seriously and hastened his death. He was passing his time in

studying scriptures in a holy mood with thoughts of Sai Baba as his Divine

guardian, and the last thing he did was to receive and take Baba’s Pada Tirta

with great reverence. Thus thinking of his Gurudeva, Sai Baba, he suddenly left

his mortal coil and thus, according to Bhagavad Gita, he must have attained God.

Baba also spoke thus: "Tatya (Noolkar) has gone in advance (of us) He stayed

here as directed. His life’s goal has been reached. He will be born no more."

That is why we find in Sai Sahasranama, ‘Noolkara Vijayananda Mahishan Datha

Sadgati’. So, we shall proceed to Viyayananda Swami next.

In 1911 Vijayananda Swami started from the South i.e., Madras, for a pilgrimage

to Manasarovar. On his way he heard about the fame of Sai Baba and, therefore,

visited Shirdi. When he reached Shirdi and alighted at the Dixit’s Wada, there

was one Haridwar Sanyasi who mentioned him the difficulties of the pilgrimage

to Manasarovar. He mentioned first the heavy snow of the Himalayas and next the

change of language every fifty or sixty miles and last but not least the

suspicious and hostile nature of the Bhutanese on the way. Hearing all this

Vijayananda Swami was much upset, and gave up his idea of the pilgrimage. Then

he went to Dwarakamayee to see Baba. As soon as he stepped into the Masjid,

Baba said, ‘Turn out this worthless Sanyasi.’ Baba knew not only Vijayanand’s

exact mentality but also his past and immediate future life. The Sanyasi

climbed down Masjid but stud at the Sathe Mantap watching how Baba treated the

numerous visitors that crowded at his feet. He was

greatly impressed with Baba’s Mahima, and wanted to stay on at Shirdi. When he

came again, Baba told him to stay on at Shirdi. But in a couple of days, he

received a letter that his mother at home was sick. So wishing to go home he

went to Baba to take leave, but Baba knew better than Sanyasi the length of the

life of the mother and of the Sanyasi, and told him, "If you are so fond of your

mother, why did you put on the garb of a Sanyasi? Khashayam and Mamata

(attachment) are opposed to each other. Go and sit at your quarters. Wait for a

few days courageously. We shall see then about the future. In your wada, there

are many thieves. Bolt your doors and be on your guard. They will carry away

everything. Wealth, kith, kin, etc are all transient attended with fear. Utter

renunciation alone leads to Bliss. Begin "Sapthaha" of Bhagavata from

to-morrow. Do these Sapthahas, devoting body, speech and mind to it; meditate

on it. That will quench all vasanas, all illusion will end."

Vijayananda Swami started his Bhagavata parayana Saptaha from the next day right

earnestly. After two Saptahas, i.e., 14 days, he was too much exhausted and

weak, and so spent two days at his quarters. The third day, he breathed his

last on Bade Baba’s lap. This is how Sai Baba assured his Sadgati foreseeing

his end.

(by HH Pujyasri B V Narasimha Swamiji in ‘Baba’s Help’ Published by AISS, Chennai)

 

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