Importance of Baba's Punya Tithi

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Importance of Baba's Punya Tithi

 

 

Sai Ram. The following is an adaptation of a speech delivered at the

behest of Baba at His Temple, Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad, on 30th

September, 2008. The original speech was delivered in Telugu and an

English adaptation is presented here for the benefit of Sai devotees

across the world. Sai Ram.

 

Sai Ram. I offer my prostrations to Sai Devotees, Sai Bandhus and to

Sai Himself, Who is using me as a mere instrument to deliver this

speech. Shri Hemadpant (Shri Annasaheb Dabholkar), the author of Shri

Sai Satchrita, also wrote that it is Sai, Who inspired him to write

about Himself. In my case too, it is Sai, Who inspired me to accept

this assignment today and it is Sai, Who is speaking and Who is

listening. While it is Sai, Who is inspiring me to speak, mistakes if

any are due to the defects in my ego. Sai Ram.

 

October 18, 1918, lunar tithi - Vijaya Dasami – Dasara, 1918 is

marked in golden letters. Shri Shirdi Sai BABA, our Master, Father,

Mother & God, whatever name we revere HIM has left HIS mortal coil on

the soil of Shirdi. He left behind a rich heritage of human values,

showed us the path to love; be loved & to live harmoniously in a

diverse community.

 

Before we take up the main topic, let us understand a little about

the importance of human birth and importance of Sadguru. In chapter 8

of Sri Sai Satcharitra, Shri Hemadpant explains the purpose of human

birth. Humans have been endowed with a special faculty of Jnana,

Knowledge and using that faculty; one should try to attain Moksha

(Liberation) from the cycle of births and deaths, which is the result

of Karma, one's deeds. Till one realizes the impermanence of this

universe and realizes the permanence of Paramatma and one's inherent

identity with Paramatma (just as a drop of water is identical with

all the water of the universe), one is bound to the wheel of Samsara,

the worldly existence. This Moksha is easily obtained by worship of

Guru. Sri Guru, imparts true knowledge and removes the illusions

arising out of false knowledge (Avidya). That is why, He is called

Sadguru (True Guru). Sat means Existence, Truth and hence good. Sai

Ram.

 

The importance of Guru has been stressed in many scriptures and Guru

Gita (told by Lord Siva to Goddess Parvati in Skanda Puran) and Sri

Guru Charitra are excellent sources in addition to Sri Sai

Satcharitra. Guru means One, Who dispels ignorance, Avidya and gives

us the light of true knowledge, knowledge of our true nature. Sai Ram.

 

Sai showed us through several instances that He was not limited to

His physical body. In Chapter 3 of Sri Sai Satcharitra, Sai tells His

devotees: " Be wherever you like, do whatever you choose, remember

this well that all what you do is known to Me. I am the Inner Ruler

of all and seated in their hearts. I envelop all the creatures, the

movable and immovable world. I am the Controller - the wirepuller of

the show of this Universe. I am the mother - origin of all beings -

the Harmony of three Gunas, the propeller of all senses, the Creator,

Preserver and Destroyer. Nothing will harm him, who turns his

attention towards Me, but Maya will lash or whip him who forgets Me.

All the insects, ants, the visible, movable and immovable world, are

My Body or Form " .

 

In Chapter 7, we have this incident to show us that Sai Baba was not

limited to His physical body: " In the year 1910 A.D., Baba was

sitting near the Dhuni on Divali holiday and warming Himself. He was

pushing firewood into the Dhuni, which was brightly burning. A little

later, instead of pushing logs of woods, Baba pushed His arm into the

Dhuni; the arm was scorched and burnt immediately. This was noticed

by the servant Madhav, and also by Madhavarao Deshpande (Shama). They

at once ran to Baba and Madhavarao clasped Baba by His waist from

behind and dragged Him forcibly back ward and asked, " Deva, for what

have You done this? " Then Baba came to His senses and replied, " The

wife of a blacksmith at some distant place was working the bellows of

a furnace; her husband called her. Forgetting that her child was on

her waist, she ran hastily and the child slipped into the furnace. I

immediately thrust My hand into the furnace and saved the child. I do

not mind My arm being burnt, but I am glad that the life of the child

is saved. "

 

In Chapter 9, we have this beautiful story of Mrs. Tarkhad, where

Baba tells her: " The dog, which you saw before meals and to which you

gave the piece of bread, is, one with Me, so also other creatures

(cats, pigs, flies, cows etc.) are one with Me. I am roaming in their

forms. He, who sees Me in all these creatures, is My beloved. So

abandon the sense of duality and distinction, and serve Me, as you

did today. "

 

Sai showed His Oneness with all Gods and Gurus. In Chapter 11 of Sri

Sai Satcharitra, we have the beautiful story of Dr. Pandit from whom

Baba accepted the Tripundra with sandal paste and showed His unity

with Dr.Pandit's Guru Kaka Puranik and we have in Chapter 12, the

story of Mulay Shastri, an orthodox Agnihotri Brahmin, to whom Baba

gave darshan as his Guru, Guru Gholap (a great disciple of Shri

Akkalkot Maharaj, also known as Swami Samartha) and in the same

chapter, we have the wonderful story of Baba's identity with Sri Ram

as seen by a Rama bhakta (Doctor's story). Sai Ram.

 

In Chapter 28, Baba tells Megha, His great devotee, to whom He gave

darshan in a closed room: Baba rejoined - " I require no door to

enter. I have neither form nor any extension; I always live

everywhere. I carry on, as a wire puller, all the actions of the man

who trusts Me and merges in Me. " In this connection, a similar

wonderful story is narrated by Shri Paramahansa Yogananda in His

book, Autobiography of a Yogi, in connection with Mahavatar Babaji,

the founder of Yogananda's lineage of Gurus. Similar incidents are

experienced by many devotees of Shri Guru Raghavendra Swami of

Mantralayam. In Chapter 31, we have this wonderful story of Balaram

Mankar, to whom Baba gave darshan at Machindragarh and to whom, Baba

told: " In Shirdi many thoughts and ideas began to rise in your mind

and I sent you here to rest your unsteady mind. You thought that I

was in Shirdi with a body composed of the five elements and three and

a half cubits in length, and not outside of it. Now you see and

determine for yourself whether the person you see here now is the

same you saw at Shirdi. It is for this reason that I sent you here. "

Sai Ram.

 

Sai Ram. Thus it is clear that Sai was One with all Gods and Gurus

and thus One with the Nirgun Para Brahma. Then, why did He take birth

and why did He live in Shirdi for more than 60 years and why did He

suffer from asthma, cough etc. and why did He pass away after

suffering from fever for a few days? These questions are bound to

arise in the minds of people like us, who are bound by the physical

senses. Sai Ram.

 

Sai Ram. The answer to the above questions is simple: Since the

Nirgun form of God (Para Brahma, Guru) is difficult to be meditated

upon, the Guru takes the Sagun form as a human being and goes through

the motions of eating, suffering and all aspects of life attached to

a mortal body like us. But He is all the time aware of His true

nature, that He is not His body, mind, ego etc., as beautifully

expressed by Sri Adi Shankara in His Nirvana Shatkam: " Mano

Buddhyahamkara Chittani Naaham,…. Chidananda Rupa, Sivoham, Sivoham.

Baba also gave several instances of His true nature but lived and

played with His devotees so that they get the benefit of His physical

presence. Here we are reminded of the Bhramara – Keeta Nyaya – The

Honey bee goes on buzzing around the cocoon of the Pupa and thus

converts the Pupa into a honeybee itself – indicating that the

disciple becomes one with the Guru by constant remembrance and

association. We are reminded of the Bhaja Govinda Stotram, again

bestowed lovingly to us by Sri Adi Sankara: " Satsangatve

Nissangatvam, Nissangatve Nirmohatvam, Nirmohatve Nischala Tatvam,

Nischala Tatve, Jeevan Muktih, Bhaja Govindam…. " Company of Saints is

the best route to get detachment and get liberated. Sai Ram.

 

Sai Ram. In chapter 44, the author of Sri Sai Satcharitra says: " From

this and other accounts, let the readers consider whether Sai Baba

was the three and a half cubits' body that He occupied for some years

and that He left thereafter or He was the Self inside. The body,

composed of the five elements is perishable and transient, but the

Self within is the thing - Absolute Reality which is immortal and

intransient. The pure Being, Consciousness or Brahma, the Ruler and

Controller of the senses and mind is the thing Sai. This pervades all

things in the universe and there is no space without it. For

fulfilling His mission He assumed the body and after it was

fulfilled, He threw away the body (the finite aspect), and assumed

His infinite aspect. Sai ever lives, as also the previous Incarnation

of God Datta, Shri Narasimha Saraswati of Ganagapur. His passing away

is only an outward aspect, but really He pervades all animate and

inanimate things and is their Inner Controller and Ruler. This can

be, and is even now experienced by many who surrender themselves

completely to Him and worship Him with whole-hearted devotion.

 

Though it is not possible for us to see Baba's form now, still if we

go to Shirdi, we shall find His beautiful life-like portrait adorning

the Masjid. This has been drawn by Shamrao Jayakar, a famous artist

and well-known devotee of Baba. To an imaginative and devout

spectator this portrait can give even to-day the satisfaction of

taking Baba's darshan. Though Baba has no body now, He lives there

and everywhere, and will effect the welfare of the devotees even now

as He was doing before when He was embodied. Saints like Baba never

die, though they look like men, they are in reality God Himself. " And

in addition to that beautiful portrait, Sai allowed His idols to be

installed in many places (including the Samadhi Mandir at Shirdi) for

the benefit of the devotees like us. Sai Ram.

 

Sai showered His grace on His devotees when He was in His body and

continues to shower His grace and blessings even after His leaving

behind His physical body. His Eleven Assurances (scattered throughout

Sri Sai Satcharitra) are His gift to His devotees. Let us remember

the eleven assurances:

 

1. Whoever puts his feet on Shirdi soil, his sufferings would

come to an end.

2. The wretched and miserable would rise into plenty of joy and

happiness, as soon as they climb the steps of my Samadhi.

3. I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this

earthly body.

4. My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees.

5. I shall be active and vigorous even from the tomb.

6. My mortal remains would speak from the tomb.

7. I am ever living to help and guide all who come to me, who

surrender to me and who seek refuge in me.

8. If you look to me, I look to you.

9. If you cast your burden on me, I shall surely bear it.

10. If you seek my advice and help, it shall be given to you at

once.

11. There shall be no want in the house of my devotees.

 

Sai Ram. Readers of this article may be wondering at the motive

behind the author's attempt of writing this long dissertation. It is

humbly submitted that it is Sai, Who is the wirepuller and it is He,

Who is getting it written and it is He, Who is enjoying through the

readers, the babbling of His child, this writer. Also, just as

Dasganu's Harikatha at Koupeeneshwar Mandir brought one Cholkar to

Shirdi (Chapter 15), if this article brings even one reader closer to

Sai in body, mind and spirit, the author would feel blessed. In any

case, Sarvam Sri Sainatharpanamastu – every thing is offered to Sri

Sai. Sai Ram.