Dakshina and Sai

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Dakshina and Sai

 

" Do not bother yourself about your husband and the

collections with him. Don't press him to spend any

amount for the temple. What I want is feeling and

devotion. So give, if you like, anything of your own. "

Chapter 47 Sri Sai Satcharita

 

 

Balance in all aspects of life is one of the main

principles for spiritual progression in life. Major

hindrance in spiritual path is

desire/greed/attachment. When we crave for something,

our thoughts are filled with the object of our desire

and our actions are oriented more towards fulfilling

that desire irrespective of the consequences. In the

process of fulfilling our desire we hurt people and

act in a manner, which is contrary to the path of

spirituality. Hence in order to control our mind and

tune our actions towards godliness, Holy Scriptures

and saints have advocated the fact of detachment. One

may raise a question " Detachment from what " ? While

entangled in the worldly affairs man tends to be

emotionally and physically attached to people and

materialistic things. Often this kind of emotional and

physical attachment restricts spiritual growth.

 

Baba taught the lessons of renunciation and

purification of mind to devotees who came to see Him.

One of the things that people tend to be attached is

money. If money is used for personal and selfish needs

or for destruction of community it surely is evil. On

the other hand if it is used for fulfilling

responsibilities, helping people and serving the

community then it is good. Baba wanted to teach the

lessons of contentment, renunciation and detachment.

As a result Baba asked for dakshina from devotees who

flocked around Him.

 

Baba asked for money from people repeatedly, even when

they had run out of money. Devotees would beg or

borrow from others to give the amount to Baba. Here

people were taught the lessons of humility and

detachment. Charity is good, but what is more

important is the attitude and personal agenda

underlying the action of charity. If one gives money

to earn name and fame in the community or to show

power or status or to fan the egos, then it is not

called charity. As mentioned in Upanishads charity

that is done with faith, liberally, with modesty, awe

and sympathy, is true charity and one reaps spiritual

benefits through such actions. Borrowing money in

order to give dakshina to Baba, annihilates the ego

and teaches humility. One also learns that money comes

and goes and there is no point in developing

detachment towards the same.

 

Shri Sai Satcharita mentions the fact that Baba

demanded dakshina from all age groups. Sometimes Baba

would distribute the money collected as dakshina to

people for safe keeping, and this would benefit the

devotees in hard times. Baba also said that He had to

give back hundred times more than what He received.

One of the best examples was that of Mr. Ganpatrao

Bodas, who emptied his moneybag before Baba. The

result of this was that he never lacked money later in

life as it came to him abundantly.

 

Sometimes Baba asked for Dakshina in terms of learning

certain chapters from holy books and lodging them in

the hearts where Baba resides. Or parting with their

vices or surrendering their senses to Him. Baba also

taught lessons of Brahma Gyan to haughty and arrogant

devotees by subtly asking for loan. There were

instances where people scoffed and refused to give

money as dakshina before seeing Baba and later

succumbed to Baba's divinity, charm and His teachings

thus voluntarily giving money out of their pockets and

placing it at Baba's feet.

 

One characteristic feature of Baba's teaching is that

He never asked all the rich people and sometimes if

they placed money in front of Him, and Baba did not

ask for it, He did not touch it. Shama once questioned

Baba about this kind of discrimination. Baba replied,

" Shama, you know nothing. I take nothing from anybody.

The Masjidmayi (the presiding Deity of the Masjid)

calls for the debt; the donor pays it and becomes

free. Have I any home, property or family to look

after? I require nothing. I am ever free. Debt, enmity

and murder have to be atoned for, there is no escape " .

 

Coming to present times, how do devotees offer

Dakshina to Baba when He is physically no more?

Devotees often forget that to serve the needy is to

serve Baba. Baba may not be physically present, but if

one made an effort to put aside some money every week,

however small the amount may be, for the community

development through non-profit organisations that

provide employment, free medical facilities,

education, poor feeding and shelter to the less

fortunate, aged, young and little orphans, such acts

constitute Dakshina. Dakshina is not restricted to

giving money alone, it means " offering " in any form or

manner.

 

One of the best forms of Dakshina is kar seva, which

is popular in Sikhism. Often people give away money

rather than giving 2 hours from their life in doing

service. Offering some amount of time from our life

towards the service of God is the best kind of

Dakshina. How fortunate were, Abdul Baba,

Radhakrishnamai, Bala Patil Newaskar the prominent

servants of Baba, who rendered service not just to

Baba alone but also for people of Shirdi as well by

keep roads on which Baba walked clean and tidy.

 

As devotees of Baba, let us stop and reflect on these

points: have we kept a rupee away from our wages for

the poor? Have we taken 10 minutes out of our time to

serve others, or share a new skill with needy, help

make somebody's life easier? What is our behaviour and

attitude, when people come to us asking for help? What

feelings do we have when we give charity? Constant

reflection of our own behaviour when we engage in acts

as taught by Baba will help us suppress our unwanted

characteristics and help us evolve as better humans.

Dakshina/Charity or helping others is a way of

cleansing our internal self, which paves way to reach

the final goal - Vishnu padaa.