SAI BABA'S MISSION by Sri Narasimha Swamiji

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sai baba's mission

by Sri Narasimha Swamiji

The SECRET OF GOD-REALISATION

The Lord's blessings are ever with His devotees whoever chants His sweet

names and who work in the world as His instruments, enthrone Him in your

heart merge yourself in Him. Continuous remembrance of the Lord is the

secret of success in life and God realization.

- swami sivananda.

His death was considered a sacrifice on behalf of entire humanity.

Others' mission, for example, Moses, was to lead the Jews from captivity

in Egypt on towards the Promised Land and also to make Laws that the

Jews should submit to and so he proclaimed Laws of the 12 tables. The

idea of a missionary is practically that of an agent. In the case of Sai

Baba, he declared " God has agents everywhere. They have great powers " .

Baba added, 'I also have great powers' implying thereby that he also was

an agent of God. He also expressly told D.S. Rasane 'I can do nothing

except what God orders.' He did not give a kupni to G.G. Narke saying,

'The Fakir' (God) has not permitted me to give you kupni, i.e., the robe

of the sanyasi or begging fakir - as G. G. Narke was to be a family man,

an earning Grihastha, according to God's plan - and not a beggar. As an

agent he said that he had vast powers, that is, divine powers.

 

The powers and the mission have a close relation. The mission has to be

worked through the powers given and the powers are given only for

carrying out the mission. Baba had by concentration on God practically

every siddhi that one can think of, and Srimad Bhagavatha XI (15) 32

says " What power is there that cannot be got by concentration on God

with conquest or control of mind and senses and breath? "

 

So his possession of vast powers (both acknowledged and proved), was

always utilized for the benefit of mankind, promoting individual

benefits that were obvious, seen and well understood, and general

benefits which were not so equally obvious or well seen and understood.

In Sai Baba's life we see one marked difference between his life before

1886 and the life thereafter. Before 1886, the main stress of his

activities and views appears to be on doing good to those who were near

him and connected by rinanubandha (prenatal obligations). But

rinanubandha cannot stop within definite geographical limits.

 

By reason of that principle, people from a far had to benefit, and in

working it out, he achieved other things also than doing good to the

immediate comers. The benefits derived by others consist in {1)the

development and spread of the Sai faith intensively and extensively i.e.

all over the country (thus arresting the spread of Atheism and Agnostic

ism) and (2)the unification thereby of dharma and religion regardless of

existing diversification and divisions of religion, caste, creed etc.

 

The main benefit is the unification of the Hindu faith within itself and

of Islam within itself, and, by purification and refinement of both, the

building up of one common central religion or faith that is fitted to be

the world faith also (3) Incidentally India's National problem of

unifying conflicting groups is helped to near its solution.

 

The essential part of Baba's life is that which comes after 1886,

(perhaps that which is yet taking shape) though this is grounded upon

the earlier part, especially upon the training he had and the work he

went through in the earlier stages. The Guru's training and the further

concentration of his entire soul upon the Guru in solitude, etc., all

ripened this plant called Sai Baba so that it might produce an

exuberance of flower and fruit. We shall point out. The first prominent

flower or fruit that the Sai tree (Kalpataru) produced. That first

flower or fruit is Narayan Govind Chandorkar. He may be termed

appropriately the first apostle or Saint Peter of Baba. We shall see how

Baba sent for him.

 

Sri N.G. Chandorkar was Deputy Collector of Ahmednagar, and was camping

at Kopergaon for " Jamabandi " i.e., Land Revenue Settlement work. All

Karnams of the taluk had to attend at the Jamabandi, and the Shirdi

karnam also had to attend. No one left Shirdi without permission of

Baba, as the experience of everyone was that by leaving with Baba's

permission he was safe, and leaving without permission he ran many

dangers. So the Shirdi karnam Appa Kulkarni, went to Baba and asked him

for leave to go to Kopergaon for jamabandi work, as the Deputy Collector

(Narayan Govind Chandorkar was there. Baba gave him leave, and added,

'tell your Nana (that is Narayan Govind Chandorkar), to come here,' With

great diffidence the karnam at the close of the day approached the

Deputy Collector and told him that Sai Baba, a fakir of Shirdi, invited

him to come to Shirdi. Chandorkar was astounded. He thought that it

could not possibly be, and told the Karnam that he was a stranger to the

fakir and the fakir was a stranger to him, and that he (the karnam) must

have some purpose of his own to invite him to his village, in spite of

the Karnams protests Chandorkar would not believe him and sent him away.

 

When the Karnam reported his failure to Baba, Baba repeated the

invitation; and again the Karnam with considerable diffidence approached

the Deputy Collector the second day and repeated the invitation. The

second invitation had the same fate and for the same reason as the

first. That again was reported to Baba and like the Prophetess Sibyl of

Rome, Baba tried a third time and with success. Baba pressed the

hesitating karnam to repeat the invitation for the third time.

 

This time the invitation told, Nana Chandorkar thought that there must

be something in it, and so he told the Karnam that he would visit Shirdi

but not immediately. Chandorkar did keep his promise. Sometime after

going to Ahmednagar, he did go and pay a visit to Shirdi.

 

After making a present of sugar candy and almond with some reverence to

Baba, Chandorkar asked Baba whether it was true that he sent for him,

and when that was admitted, why he had sent for him. Baba said, there

are thousands of persons in this world, and do I send for them all?

'Should there not be some special reason why you alone should be sent

for?' Chandorkar said that he was unable to see any special reason. Then

Baba made the solemn statement. 'You and I have been connected with each

other in four former births.

 

I now invite you to come and again have your contact. When leisure

serves, you may come. Chandorkar was surprised by this statement, and in

any case was not fully impressed. He left the place with the impression

that he need not return to Shirdi. But he did come and began his grand

work of carrying on propaganda for Baba. With that Baba's mission and

life, and personality enter on a new stage.

 

The Illuminated Teacher, the great poet and mystic of Iran, Jala lal-Din

Rumi, rightly said, I am neither Christian nor Jew, Neither Gabir nor

Turk, I am not of the East, I am not of the West, Nor of the Land, Nor

of the Sea Ami!

I belong to the Soul of the Beloved!

I have seen that the two are one!

And one I seek, and one I know!

One I see!

One I adore!

He is the First!

And He is the Last!

He is the Outward!

As He is the Inward, too!

 

(Source Shri Sai Padananda July 1998)