Thursday Message From Shri Sai Satcharitra.

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Thursday Message:

Really this

Jiva (human soul) transcends the three qualities, viz. Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas,

but being deluded by Maya, he forgets his nature which is

'Existence-knowledge-bliss', and thinks that he is the doer and enjoyer and

thus entangles himself in endless miseries and does not know the way of

deliverance. The only way of deliverance is Loving Devotion towards the Guru's

feet. The great Player or Actor Lord Sai has delighted His Bhaktas and transformed

them into Himself (His nature).

We regard Sai Baba as an incarnation of God for reasons already stated, but

He always said that He was an obedient servant of God. Though an incarnation He

showed the people the way, how to behave satisfactorily and carry out the

duties of their respective stations (Varnas) in this life. He never emulated

others in any way, nor asked others to have something done for Him. For Him,

Who saw the Lord in all movable and immovable things of this world, humility

was the most proper thing. None He disregarded or disrespected; for He saw

Narayan (Lord) in all beings, He never said, "I am God," but that He

was a humble servant and He always remembered Him and always uttered -

"Allah Malik" (God is the sole proprietor or Owner).

We do not know the various kinds of Saints, how they behave, what they do

and eat etc. We only know, that by God's grace they manifest themselves in this

world to liberate the ignorant and bound souls. If there be any store of merits

on our account, we get a desire in listening to the stories and Leelas of the

Saints, otherwise not. Let us now turn to the main stories of this Chapter.

Yoga and Onion

Once it so

happened, that a sadhak of Yoga came to Shirdi with Nanasaheb Chandorkar. He

had studied all the works on Yoga, including the Yoga-sutras of Patanjali, but

had no practical experience. He could not concentrate his mind and attain

samadhi even for a short time. He thought that if Sai Baba be pleased with him,

He will show him the way to attain samadhi for a long time. With this object in

view he came to Shirdi, and when he went to the Masjid he saw Sai Baba eating

bread with onion. On seeing this, a thought arose in his mind - `How can this

man, eating stale bread with raw onion, solve my difficulties and help me?' Sai

Baba read his mind and said to Nanasaheb - "Oh Nana, he who has the power

to digest onion, should eat it and none else". Hearing this remark, the

yogi was wonder-struck and then he fell at Baba's Feet with complete surrender.

With pure and open mind, he asked his difficulties and got their solution from

Baba. Thus being satisfied and happy, he left Shirdi with Baba's Udi and

blessings.

Shama Cured of Snake-Bite

Before

Hemadpant begins the story, he says about the Jiva that it can be very well

compared with a parrot, and that they both are bound, the one in the body and

the other in a cage. Both think that their present bound state is good for

them. It is only when a Helper, i.e., Guru comes and by God's grace opens their

eyes and liberates them from their bondage, that their eyes are opened to a

greater and larger life, compared to which their former limited life is

nothing.

In the last Chapter, it was shown how Baba anticipated the calamity, that

was to befall on Mr. Mirikar and rescued him from it. Now let the readers hear

a story grander than that. Once Shama was bitten by a poisonous snake. His

little finger of the hand was stung and the poison began to spread into the

body. The pain was also severe and Shama thought that he would pass off soon.

His friends wanted to take him to the God Viroba, where such cases were often

sent, but Shama ran to the Masjid -- to His Viroba (Sai Baba). When Baba saw

him, He began to scold and abuse. He got enraged and said - "Oh vile

Bhaturdya (Priest) do not climp up. Beware if you do so" and then roared -

"Go, Get away, Come down." Seeing Baba thus red with wrath, Shama was

greatly puzzled and disappointed. He thought that the Masjid was his home and

Sai Baba his sole Refuge, but if he was driven away like this, where should he

go? He lost all hope of life and kept silent. After a time Baba became normal

and calm when Shama went up and sat near. Then Baba said to him - "Don't

be afraid, don't care a jot, the Merciful Fakir will save you, go and sit quiet

at home, don't go out, believe in Me and remain fearless and have no

anxeity". Then he was sent home. Immediately afterwards, Baba sent Tatya

Patil and Kakasaheb Dixit to him with instructions to the effect, that he

should eat what he liked, should move in the home, but should never lie down

and sleep. Needless to say that these instructions were acted upon and Shama

got all-right in a short time. The only thing to be remembered in this

connection is this - the words of Baba (or the five syllabled Mantra, viz, `Go,

Get away, Come down') were not addressed to Shama- as it apparently looked -

but they were a direct order to the snake and its poison not to go up and

circulate through Shama's body. Like others well-versed in Mantrashastra, He

had not to use any incantation, charged rice or water etc. His words only were

most efficacious in saving the life of Shama.

Any one, hearing this story and other similar ones, will beget firm faith in

the Feet of Sai Baba, and the only way to cross the ocean of Maya is to

remember ever the Feet of Baba in the heart.

Cholera Epidemic

Once,

Cholera was raging virulently in Shirdi. The residents were much frightened and

they stopped all communication with the outside people. The panchas of the

village assembled together and decided upon two ordinances as a remedy to check

and put down the Epidemic. They were (1) No fuel-cart should be allowed to come

in the village, and (2) No goat should be killed there. If anybody disobeyed

these ordinances, they were to be fined by the village-authorities and panchas.

Baba knew that all this was mere supersition, and therefore, He cared two pence

for the Cholera-ordinances. While the ordinances were in force, a fuel-cart

came there, and wanted to enter the village. Everybody knew that there was

dearth of fuel in the village, still the people began to drive away the

fuel-cart. Baba came to know of this. He came to the spot and asked the cartman

to take the fuel-cart to the Masjid. None dared to raise his voice against this

action of Baba. He wanted fuel for His Dhuni and so He purchased it. Like an

Agnihotri keeping his sacred fire alive throughout his life, Baba kept His

Dhuni ever burning all day and night; and for this He always stocked fuel.

Baba's home, i.e. the Masjid was free and open to all. It had no lock and key;

and some poor people removed some wood from there for their use. Baba did not

grumble about this. Baba saw that the whole universe was pervaded by the

Almighty, and so He never bore enmity or ill-will to anybody. Though perfectly

detached. He behaved like an ordinary house-holder to set an example to the

people.

Ordeal of Guru-Bhakti

Let us now

see, how the second Cholera-ordinance fared with Baba. While it was in force,

somebody brought a goat to the Masjid. It was weak, old and about to die. At

this time Fakir Pir Mohamad of Malegaon

alias Bade Baba was near. Sai Baba asked him to behead it with one stroke, and

offer it as an oblation. This Bade Baba was much respected by Sai Baba. He

always sat on the right hand of Sai Baba. After the chilim (pipe) was first

smoked by him, it was then offered to Baba and others. After the dishes were

served, at the time of taking meals at noon, Baba respectfully called Bade Baba

and made him sit on His left side, and then all partook of food. Baba paid him

also daily Rs.50/- out of the amount collected as Dakshina. Baba accompanied

him hundred paces whenever he was going away. Such was his position with Baba.

But when Baba asked him to behead the goat, he flatly refused, saying "Why

it should be killed for nothing?" Then Baba asked Shama to kill it. He

went to Radha-Krishna-Mai and brought a knife from her and placed it before

Baba. Knowing the purpose for which the knife was taken, she recalled it. Then

Shama went to bring another knife, but stayed in the Wada, and did not return

soon. Then came the turn of Kakasaheb Dixit. He was 'good gold' no doubt, but

had to be tested. Baba asked him to get a knife and kill the goat. He went to

Sathe's Wada and returned with a knife. He was ready to kill it at Baba's

bidding. He was born in a pure Brahmin family and never in his life knew

killing. Though quite averse to do any act of violence, he made himself bold to

kill the goat. All the people wondered to see that Bade Baba, a Mahomedan was

unwilling to kill it while this pure Brahmin was making preparations to do so. He tightened his dhotar and with a semicircular motion raised his hand with the

knife and looked at Baba for the final signal. Baba said - "What are you

thinking of? Go on, strike". Then, when the hand was just about to come

down, Baba said - "Stop, how cruel you are! Being a Brahmin, you are

killing a goat?" Kakasaheb obeyed and kept the knife down and said to baba

- "Your nectarlike word is law unto us, we do not know any other ordinance.

We remember You always, meditate on Your Form and obey You day and night, we do

not know or consider whether it is right or wrong to kill, we do not want to

reason or discuss things, but implicit and prompt compliance with Guru's

orders, is our duty and dharma".

Then Baba said to Kakaseheb, that He would Himself do the offering and

killing business. It was settled that the goat should be disposed of near a

place called Takkya, where fakirs used to sit. When the goat was being removed

to that place, it fell dead on the way.

Hemadpant closes the Chapter with a classification of disciples. He says

that they are of three kinds : (1) First or best (2) Second or middling and (3)

Third or ordinary. The best kind of disciples are those who guess what their

Gurus want and immediately carry it out and serve them without waiting for an

order from them. The average disciples are those who carry out the orders of

their Masters to a letter, without any delay, and the third kind of disciples

are those, who go on postponing the carrying out of their orders and making

mistakes at every step.

The disciples should have firm faith, backed up by intelligence and if they

and patience to these, their spiritual goal will not be distant. Control of

breath -- ingoing and outgoing, or Hath-Yoga or other difficult practices are

not at all necessary. When the disciples get the above-mentioned qualities,

they become ready for further instructions and the Masters then appear and lead

them on, in their spiritual path to perfection.

In the next Chapter we will deal with Baba's interesting wit and humour.

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