Shri Sai Satcharitra [Ch. XLVI]

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Shri Sai Satcharitra [Ch. XLVI]

Sat, 11 May 2002 22:36:03 +0530

Om Sri Sai Ram

We want to make a request to our beloved members. We have many photos of Shirdi

Sai Baba and ALL the places, dieties, temples, etc., in Shirdi. If any of our

members come forward and make them as a slide presentation for sending to our

members on the conclusion of the last chapter (50th) of 'Shri Sai Satcharitra'

to give a feeling to our members like having gone on a piligrimage to Shirdi, we

will be thankful and grateful to them. This will also be a monumental work

treasured and preserved by all Sai devotees. We will send all the photos to

such a volunteer. We do not have expertise in this aspect. Hence this request.

Hope some Sai brothers and sisters will participate in this spiritual sadhana

and service.

One more good news! In order to spread Sai messages to everybody in the world,

we have now arranged that even non-members can view the 'MESSAGES' in our Home

page:

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PRAYER

Yogiraja Yugapurusha Bhaktakoti Vanditham

Kripanidhim Tapodhanim Sainatha Pahimaam

Divyateja Bhavyamoorthi Punyacharita Poojitam Shri Sai Satcharitra

Chapter XLVI

Baba's Gaya Trip - Story of Goats.

This Chapter describes Shama's strip to Kashi, Prayag and Gaya and how Baba (in

the Form of His portrait) was there ahead of him; it also describes Baba's

reminiscences of the past birth of two goats.

Preliminary

Blessed, Oh Sai, are Your Feet, blessed is Your remembrance and blessed is Your

Darshan which frees us from the bond of Karma. Though Your Form is invisible to

us now, still if the devotees believe in You, they get living experiences from

You. By an invisible and subtle thread You draw Your devotees from far and near

to Your Feet and embrace them like a kind and loving mother. The devotees do not

know where You are, but You so skillfully pull the wires that they ultimately

realize that You are at their back to help and support them. The intelligent,

wise and learned folk fall into the pit of the samsar on account of their

egoism, but You save, by Your power, the poor, simple and devout persons.

Inwardly and invisibly you play all the game, but show that you are not

concerned with it. You do things and pose yourself as a non-doer. Nobody ever

knows Your life. The best course therefore for us is to surrender our body,

speech and mind to Your Feet and always chant Your name for destroying our

sins. You fulfill the wishes of the devotees and to those who are without any

desire You give bliss supreme. Chanting Your sweet name is the easiest sadhana

for devotees. By this sadhana (means), our sins, Rajas and Tamas qualities will

vanish, the Satwa qualities and righteousness will gain predominance and along

with this, discrimination, dispassion and knowledge will follow. Then we shall

abide in our Self and our Guru (who are one and the same). This is what is

called complete surrender to the Guru. The only sure sign of this is that our

mind gets calm and peaceful. The greatness of this surrender, devotion and

knowledge is unique; for peace, non-attachment, fame and salvation etc., come

in its train.

If Baba accepts a devotee, He follows him and stands by him, day and night, at

his home or abroad. Let the devotee go anywhere he likes, Baba is there ahead

of him in some form in an inconceivable manner. The following story illustrates

this.

Sometime after Kakasaheb Dixit was introduced to Sai Baba, he decided to perform

the thread (Upanayan) ceremony of his eldest son Babu at Nagpur. At about the

same time Nanasaheb Chandorkar decided to perform the marriage ceremony of his

eldest son at Gwalior. Both Dixit and Chandorkar came to Shirdi and lovingly

invited Baba for these functions. Baba asked them to take Shama as His

representative. When He was pressed to come in person. Baba told them to take

Shama with them and that "after doing Banares and Prayag He would be ahead of

Shama." Now mark these words for they show Baba's all-pervasiveness.

Taking the permission of Baba, Shama decided to go to Nagpur and Gwalior for

these functions and ceremonies and thence to Kashi, Prayag and Gaya. Appa Kote

made up his mind to accompany him. They both went first to Nagpur for the

thread ceremony. Kakasaheb Dixit gave Shama Rs.200/- for his expenses. Then

they went to Gwalior for the marriage ceremony. There Nanasaheb Chandorkar gave

Shama Rs.100/- and his Vyahi (relation) Mr. Jather gave him also Rs.100/-. Then

Shama went to Kashi, and then to Ayodhya where he was well received in Jather's

beautiful temple of Laxmi-Narayan at Kashi (Varanasi or Banares) and in the Rama

Mandir at Ayodhya by Jathar's manager. They (Shama and Kote) stayed for 21 days

in Ayodhya and two months in Kashi (Banares). Then they left for Gaya. In the

train they felt a little uneasy on hearing that plague was prevailing in Gaya.

At night they alighted at Gaya station and stayed in the Dharmashala. In the

morning the Gayawala (the Priest who arranges and provides for the lodging and

boarding of the pilgrims) came there and said – “The pilgrims have

already started, you better make haste." Shama casually asked him whether there

was plague in Gaya. “No" said the Gayawala. “Please come without any

fear or anxiety and see yourself." Then they went with him and stayed in his

house, which was a big and commodious Wada. Shama was pleased with the

accommodation provided for him, but what pleased him most, was the beautiful

big portrait of Baba fixed in the central and front portion of the building.

Seeing this portrait Shama was overwhelmed with emotion. He remembered Baba's

words, viz., "After doing Kashi and Prayag He would be ahead of Shama" and

burst into tears. His hairs stood on end, his throat was choked and he began to

sob. The Gayawala thought that he was afraid of plague prevailing there and

therefore was crying. But Shama enquired of him whence he got Baba's portrait

there. He replied that he had 200 or 300 agents working at Manmad and Punatambe

for looking to the convenience of the pilgrims to Gaya and from them he heard

about Baba's fame. Then about 12 years ago he went to Shirdi and took Baba's

Darshan. There he wanted Baba's portrait hung in Shama's house and with Baba's

permission Shama gave it to him. This was the same portrait. Shama then

remembered this former incident. The Gayawalas's joy knew no bounds when he

learnt that the same Shama, who obliged him before, was his guest then. Then

they both exchanged love and service and were most delighted and happy. The

Gayawala gave him a right royal welcome. He was a very rich man. He sat in a

palanquin and made Shama ride an elephant and attended to all his comforts and

conveniences.

The moral of the story is this: - That Baba's words came out true to the letter

and unbounded was His love towards the devotees. But leave this aside. He also

loved all creatures equally, for He felt that He was one with them. The

following story will illustrate this.

Two Goats

Baba was once returning from Lendi, when He saw a flock of goats. Two of them

attracted His attention. He went to them, caressed and fondled them and bought

them for Rs.32/-. The devotees were surprised at this conduct of Baba. They

thought that Baba was duped in this bargain, as the goats would fetch Rs. two

each, at the most Rs.3/- or 4/- each, i.e., Rs.8/- for both. They began to take

Baba to task for this, but Baba kept calm and cool. Shama and Tatya Kote asked

Baba for an explanation. He said He should not store money as He had no home,

and any family to look after. He asked them to purchase at His cost 4 seers of

'dal' (lentil) and feed the goats. After this was done, Baba returned the goats

to the owner of the flock and gave out of the following reminiscences and story

of the goats. “Oh, Shama and Tatya, you think that I have been deceived

in this bargain. No. Listen to their story. In their former birth they were

human beings and had the good fortune to be My companions and sit by My side.

They were uterine brothers, loving each other at first, but later on, they

became enemies. The elder brother was an idle fellow while the younger one was

an active chap and earned a lot of money. The former became greedy and jealous

and wanted to kill his brother and take away his money. They forgot their

fraternal relations and began to quarrel with each other. The elder brother

resorted to many devices to kill his younger brother, but all of his attempts

failed. Thus they became deadly enemies and finally on one occasion the elder

gave a deadly blow with a big stick on the latter's head while the latter

struck the former with an axe, with the result that both fell dead on the spot.

As the result of their actions, they were both born as goats. As they passed by

me, I at once recognized them. I remembered their past history. Taking pity on

them I wanted to feed them and give them rest and comfort and for this reason I

spent all the money for which you reprove me. As you did not like My bargain I

sent them back to their shepherd." Such was Sai's love for the goats!

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

Attachment: (image/jpeg) Original photo of Sai Baba [1915] sitting in Chawdi.jpg [not stored]

Attachment: (image/jpeg) Dwarkamai Temple.jpg [not stored]