Baba's Advice to Nana

[Guest guest]

Baba's Advice to Nana

Nanabhai Chandorkar found that though he waited for Athithies " (guests)

for a few minutes after daily VAISWADEVA, none ever turned up. He ended

to ask Baba if the Vedic instruction to wait guests before food was

worthless and impracticable. When he went to Baba for this query, Baba,

even before Nana would ask him, spoke thus:

" Nana, the SASTRAS are neither in fault nor are the MANTRAS wrong. But

you have not caught their true import. You get into your head a

worthless interpretation and then stand waiting for guests. They will

not turn up. The term " ATHITHI " does not denote man alone. ATHITHI is

whatever creature is hungry and comes on to you, at that time, whether

human, insect, bird or beast, seeking food. The real ATHITHI that you

get, you do not regard as such. These creatures seek food and come to

you. Nana, give up this wrong interpretation. At " KAKABAU " home take

plenty of boiled rice outside the house and leave it there. Do not shout

or call for any and do not drive any away. Whatever the creature that

comes to eat, let not that disturb your mind. You get thus the merit of

feeding lakhs of guests. "

(An Anthology compiled from Sri Sai Baba's Charters & Sayings)