Thursday Message From Shri Sai Satcharitra

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Thursday Message

 

Naradiya Kirtan-Paddhati

Generally

our Haridasas, while performing the Kirtan, wear a gala and full dress. They

put on a head-dress, either a pheta or a turban, a long flowing coat with a

shirt inside, an uparane (short dhotar) on the shoulders and the usual long

dhotar from the waist below. Dressed in this fashion for some Kirtan in the

Shirdi village, Dasganu once went to bow to Baba.

 

 

 

Baba asked him - "Well,

bridegroom! where are you going dressed so beautifully like this?" 'For

performing a Kirtan' was the reply. Then Baba said - "Why do you want all

this paraphemalia-coat, uparani and pheta etc, doff all that before Me, why

wear them on the body?" Dasganu immediately took them off and placed them

at the Baba's Feet. From that time Dasganu never wore these things while

performing the Kirtan. He was always bare from waist upwards, a pair of

`chiplis' was in his hand and a garland round his neck.

 

 

 

This is not in

consonance with the practice generally followed by all the Hardidasa, but this

is the best and the purest method. The sage Narada, from whom the

Kirtan-Paddhati originated, wore nothing on his trunk and head. He carried a

'veena' in his hand, and wandered from place to place everywhere singing the

glory of the Lord.

 

 

 

Mr. Cholkar's Sugarless Tea

 

 

Initially,

Baba was known in Poona

and Ahmednagar Districts, but Nanasaheb Chandorkar, by his personal talks and

by Dasganu, by his splendid Kirtans, spread the fame of Baba in the Konkan

(Bombay Presidency). In fact, it was Dasganu - May God bless him-who, by his

beautiful and inimitable Kirtans, made Baba available to so many people there.

 

 

The audience, who come to hear the Kirtans have different tastes. Some like the

erudition of the Haridas; some his gestures, some his singing, some his wit and

humour, some his preliminary dissertation on Vedanta, and some others, his main

stories and so on; but among them, there are very few, who by hearing the

Kirtan get faith and devotion or love for God or saints. The effect of hearing

Dasganu's kirtan on the minds of audience was however electric, as it were. We

give an instance here

 

 

 

Dasganu was once performing his Kirtan and singing the glory of Sai Baba, in

the Koupineshwar temple in Thana.

One Mr. Cholkar, a poor man serving as a candidate in the Civil Courts in Thana, was amongst the

audience. He heard Dasganu's Kirtan most attentively and was much moved. He

there and then mentally bowed and vowed to Baba saying - "Baba, I am a

poor man, unable to support my family.

 

 

 

If by your grace, I pass the

departmental examination, and get a permanent post, I shall go to Shirdi, fall

at Your Feet and distribute sugar-candy in Your name." As good luck would

have it, Mr.Cholkar did pass te examination and did get the permanent post and

now it remained for him to fulfil his vow, the sooner the better. Mr. Cholkar

was a poor man with a large family to support; and he could not afford to pay

for the expenses of a Shirdi trip. As is well said, one can easily cross over

Nahne ghat in Thana District or even the Sahyadri Range;

but it is very difficult for a poor man to cross Umbareghat, i.e., the

threshold of his house.

 

 

 

As Mr. Cholkar was anxious to fulfill his vow as early

as possible, he resolved to economize, cut down his expenses, and save money.

He determined not to use sugar in his diet; and began to take his tea without

it. After he was able to save some money in this way, he came to Shirdi, took

Baba's darshan, fell at His Feet, offered a coconut, distributed it with a

clean conscience along with sugar-candy as per his vow and said to Baba that he

was much pleased with His darshan and that his desires were fulfilled that day.

Mr. Cholkar was in the Masjid with his host Bapusaheb Jog.

 

 

 

When the host and

the guest both got up and were about to leave the Masjid, Baba spoke to Jog as

follows:- "Give him (your guest) cups of tea, fully saturated with

Sugar." Hearing these significant words, Mr. Cholkar was much moved, he

was wonderstruck, his eyes were bedewed with tears, and he fell at Baba's Feet

again. Mr. Jog was also curious about this direction, regarding the tea-cups to

be given to his guest.

 

 

 

Baba wanted by His words to create faith and devotion in

Cholkar's mind. He hinted as it were, that He got the sugar-candy as per his

vow and that He knew full well his secret determination not to use sugar in his

diet. Baba meant to say, "If you spread your palms with devotion before

Me, I am immediately with you, day and night. Though, I am here bodily, still I

know what you do; beyond the saven seas. Go wherever you will, over the wide

world, I am with you. My abode is in your heart and I am within you. Always

worship Me, Who is seated in your heart, as well as, in the hearts of all

beings, Blessed and fortunate, indeed, is he who knows Me thus."

 

What a beautiful and important lesson was thus imparted by Baba to Mr. Chokar !

 

Two Lizards

 

 

 

Now we close

this Chapter, with a story of two little lizards. Once Baba was sitting in the

Masjid. A devotee sat in front of Him, when a lizard tick-ticked. Out of curiosity,

the devotee asked Baba whether this tick-ticking of the lizard signified

anything; was it a good sign or a bad omen? Baba said that the lizard was

overjoyed as her sister from Aurangabad

was coming to see her. The devotee sat silent, not making out the meaning of

Baba's words.

 

 

Immediately, a gentleman from Aurangabad came on horse-back to see Baba. He

wanted to proceed further, but his horse would not go, as it was hungry and

wanted grams. He took out a bag from his shoulders to bring grams and dashed it

on the ground to remove dirt. A lizard came out therefrom and in the presence

of all, climbed up the wall. Baba asked the questioner devotee to mark her

well. She at once went strutting to her sister. Both sisters met each other

after a long time, kissed and embraced each other, whirled round and danced

with love! Where is Shirdi and where is Aurangabad?

 

 

 

How should the man on horse-back come there from Aurangabad with the lizard? And how should

Baba make the prophesy of the meeting of the two sisters? All this is really

very wonderful and proves the omniscience -- the all-knowing nature of Baba.

Post Script

 

 

 

He who respectfully reads this Chapter or studies it daily, will get all his

miseries removed by the grace of the Sadguru Sai Baba, Hence:

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

 

 

 

Sairam Baba Guide us all,At the feet of my Sathguru Sai BabaBaba's blessing are every where Manisha.Rautela.Bisht~Visit Shirdi Sai Baba Blogs~http://www..org http://www.shirdisaibabatemples.org http://www.saibababhajans.com http://shirdisaibabatamilstories.blogspot.com