WHO IS SRI SAI BABA OF SHIRDI? - By Shri H.H.Narasimhaswamiji

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WHO IS SRI SAI BABA OF SHIRDI?

By Shri H.H.NARASIMHASWAMIJI

Founder: All India Sai Samaj (Regd.), Madras - 600 004.

 

1. SAI BABA OF Shirdi is a name to conjure with. In fact, his name is

used as a sacred and powerful mantra by thousands of persons. He is

not a non-historic or remote personality, but one who was with us in

the flesh till 1918, moving familiarly with tens of thousands and

that for decades. A short account of Sri Sai Baba will be interesting

and will also prove in many cases the turning point in the lives of

numerous readers, as it has done in the past.

 

2. Of Sai Baba's birth, parentage, and antecedents, no person that we

have met can give any account. But Baba himself gave some hints,

which have been verified and worked upon. He seems to have been born

some time between 1820 and 1850 A.D. in the village Pathri, in the

Nizam's State. His parents were Brahmins who handed him over at a

tender age to a fakir. After the fakir's death, some five years

later, the child passed in the care of his Guru Deva, Gopal Rau

Deshmukh, a great Bhakta of God Venkateswara of Tirupati. After a

splendid period of ten years of intense love and devotion towards his

Guru-God, the boy obtained the Guru's grace. As directed by the Guru,

he went westward and came to Shirdi in the Bombay Presidency

(Ahmednagar District), and after some wanderings, settled and spent

the rest of his life there. He passed away on the 15th October 1918

(3 p.m. Vijayadasami Day, after Ekadashi began). The tomb erected

over his remains is now the Sai Mandir attracting the devotion of

persons from all parts of the country.

 

3. Nobody dies: least of all, a self realized soul like Sai Baba.

Atmagnanis or Jivanmuktas are said to become Vidhehamuktas or

nirakara Parabrahmam when the fleshy sheath is cast off. Exceptions

to this rule are mentioned in the Brahmasutras. Bhrugu, Narada, and

other eminent devotee-gnanis have, instead of merging in the Absolute

when they cast off the body, continued to remain in their subtle body

(Sukshma sarira, which however could be rendered gross and visible or

sthula at will) in order to co-operate with divine Leelas, rendering

service to humanity. These are styled apantaratmas. Sai Baba is now

an apantaratma. Before shuffling off his mortal coil, he said that

his devotees need not be sad or frightened at his casting off his

fleshy gown (kupni), and that wherever and whenever any devotee

should think of him, he would be present and attend to him. This has

been found indeed to be true by innumerable persons; and earnest

souls can still take Baba at his word and prove its truth from their

own experience.

 

4. Sai Baba, the soul of truth and reality has never spoken

untruth. `Anrutam noktapurvam me nacha vakshya kadachana' (Untruth, I

have never uttered nor will I utter it at any time), was the remark

of Ayodhya Rama as also of this Shirdi Rama.

 

5. The early decades spent by Baba at Shirdi are almost wholly

forgotten. He was first living under a margosa tree leading the life

of a perfect ascetic. Next, he removed to a dilapidated mosque in

the village, and resided there to the end of his life. He had

nothing that he could call `mine'. For thirty years and more, he was

leading the life of holy poverty, and then his devotees whom he

affectionately termed his children, pressed the pomp and show of

royalty upon him. For the last ten years of his life, he appeared as

a prince though he behaved throughout like a poor fakir, who either

owned nothing or everything in the world. His was the life of perfect

celibacy (naishtika rahmacharya with astalitha urdhvarethus), a fact

which was beaming out of his brilliant tiger like eyes. His virtues

were numerous - Ananthakalyanaguna - and would naturally sink into

the heart of those coming in contact with him, and thus raise them

gradually on the highest. `Apana sarika karita tatkal', is a saying

of Tukaram, which means that great souls raise the devotees to their

own level; vide Bhagavata, where Lord Krishna says, `Though devotees

do not wish to be one with me, I pull them unto myself'.

 

6. Amongst his qualities, the most notable was, of course, love -

uniform, all embracing, intense love, showered on all and at all

times, without any idea of the extent of sacrifice involved or any

idea of recompense - truly maternal love at its highest. God is love

and the means to reach God is also love. Baba was nothing but the

embodiment of love. This love was perpetually manifesting itself in

every act, word, and thought of his, though at times hidden by his

ascetic modes of life. In the beginning he would move and talk with

none except under strict necessity. However, when there was any

suffering in the village, he would run to relieve it and would accept

no recompense.

 

7. `Saisangatve nissangatvam' was the other exception to his rule of

asceticism. Where there were saints or holy people, he would be found

in their company. Some of these saints like Janaki Das and Devi Das

were the first to discover his merits; and in the early eighties of

the 19th century, some of them revealed the fact that Baba was like

a diamond lying on a dung hill, and that the world would one day

discover what a great Rama Bhakta he was. The world has since

discovered that fact, and more, has identified him with Rama,

Krishna, Maruthi, Datta, etc.

 

8. At the time of his arrival at Shirdi, Baba appears to have been a

thorough adept in the prema marga, the path of love and evidently

possessed of all power, which naturally issues from such love. He

seldom cared to use his power, but once, a manifestation was wrung

out of him. The shopkeepers who supplied him gratis with oil, one day

refused the supply, and gathered in a scoffing mood to see what

the `mad fakir', as they styled him, would do without oil for his

lamps. Baba simply filled up his empty earthen lamps with water, and

the wicks inserted in the water were burning all night! This gave a

rude shock to the villagers' notion that Baba was negligible and mad

fakir.

 

9. Baba however was never negligible. From the very beginning, he

was always helping humanity at first by dispensing medicines and

later by dispensing `udi' i.e., Vibuthi or ashes from the fire that

he always kept burning by him. Udi has played a very important part

in the grace shown by Baba to people all these years, and it is still

being sought and used by people all over the country. But, as Baba

explained, it is not the Udi itself that works the wonder. {"What can

the udi do? Nevertheless, take the udi as it is wanted", said Baba to

G.G.Narke} The devotees' Bhakti (faith and devotion), for instance,

has always to take its part in the good results produced by the udi.

The udi was generally the material with which His blessings were

issued. The udi is the cup enshrining the really valuable blessings

of Baba. But these blessings often came and do come without the udi.

 

10. When people came to him, he would give them the udi and

say `Allah bale karege' (God will bless) and everything he uttered

proved effective. Once he said `I go on speaking things here, and

things happen there.' Baba's words were words of authority. When he

said that there should be water on a waterless rock, water was found

there.{Charter 350}. When he addressed the elements they obeyed him.

Fire, water, and air were seen by several devotees to obey his

orders. He ordered high flames to sink down and they did. He

ordered the rain and storm to cease and they ceased. He willed a cool

breeze to blow near the fire on a blazing summer day and cool breeze

blew there.{Charters 341.4} The dead were revived. The heart of every

one present or absent, he knew without effort and he could control

it. He was realized to be a sarvantharyami. He himself declared,

 

`Aham Atma hi Chandorkar Sarva bhutasaya sthitah'

`O, Chandorkar, I am in the hearts of all creatures'

 

11. Of the many `miracles' performed by Baba and witnessed by many

eminently respectable persons (many of them still living), it is

sufficient to give but a few instances to show how and why they were

resorted to. Baba identifying himself with God and gods declared that

there was never any miracle performed by him. Really, there are

no `miracles' in the universe if `miracles' mean the violation of the

laws of Nature or of God. People begin to generalize about the laws

of Nature from the few facts known to them and when a strange

phenomenon suddenly appears in apparent contradiction of their

artificial `law of Nature', it is declared to be `miracle' - a

violation of the so called law. A truly scientific mind would rather

add the new fact to the old facts and try to remold the old law so as

to include the new fact observed. Mankind is not omniscient. One

day, the science of the future will give scientific explanations for

the so-called `miracles' of all times.

 

12. But beyond the miracles of Baba, there is one bright, marvelous

fact, worthy of people's adoration and that is, his golden heart of

love with its message of universal love. Baba loved all - Hindus,

Moslems, Christians, and Buddhists, the learned and the illiterate,

the poor and the rich, the priest and the criminal - alike. His

message to all his devotees is `Love ye, one another, as I love you

all'.

 

13. Baba declared that if people hated one another, his heart was

smarting with pain and sorrow and if persons forgave enemies and

endured the ill treatment, he was highly please. This is the most

valuable lesson for this day and for all time. A story is told in

Bhagavatha of the world going as a cow to Brahma, groaning under the

weight of the cruel Asuras harassing innocent people. That is just

the spectacle all over the world to day. Hatred, destruction,

plunder, and absolute disregard for truth and virtue, are the

predominant features in the daily history of the world to-day. Man's

claws and teeth are red with the gore of brother man; and the

criminal is not apologetic but blatant. Civilization is in imminent

danger of being submerged in pools of human blood and devastating

fire leaving the human form a fossil to be discovered within some

rocks by some later race. The only thing that can avert this doom is

love, a revival of the very ancient message to Asuras from

God `Dayadhwam' i.e., `Be merciful'.

 

14. Baba's whole life was an illustration of how this divine message

could be carried out in life, and the more Baba's message is heeded,

circulated, and preached, the greater is the hope for humanity

avoiding the threatened catastrophe. Incidentally, it may be noted

that while the Kshtriyabalam of Akbar failed, the Brahmatejobalam of

Baba is steadily achieving the benefit of the people. `Dikbalam

Kshatriyabalam Brahmatejobalam balam' - Fie upon Kshatriya's power,

Spiritual power alone is power', was said by the Kind Viswamitra when

he found that all the arrows showered by him upon Vasishta were of no

avail, by reason of the Brahmadanda which Vasishta had placed by his

side as a protection. 'Ekena brahmadandena astrah sarvah vinishkrtah'.

 

15. One species of miraculous achievements wrought by Baba for the

benefit of his devotees is the blessing given for issue. Whenever

Baba blessed anybody and said that there would be issue, invariably

the lady brought forth the child, either male or female, in twelve

months, exactly as stated by Baba. Here are a few examples: Damodar

S. Rasane had two wives, but no issue. His horoscope showed a papi or

cruel planet in the putrasthana and astrologers declared that he

would have no issue in this birth. But Baba gave him four mango

fruits and directed him to give them to his junior wife. Baba assured

him that he was going to have eight children through that wife, the

first two being males. The lady ate the fruits and had just eight

children, with their sexes as mentioned by Baba. This would remind

one of the issues less monarch Dasaratha, consulting his Kulaguru

Vasishta. According to the directions of this Guru, Aswamedha and

Puthrakameshti yagas were celebrated on a grand scale (even though it

was not stated that there was any papi in the putrasthana of

Dasaratha) and his queens brought four sons forth. In Rasane's case,

there was no Vasishta nor were any yagas. Evidently, Vasishta,

Vamadeva, Risyasringa, Bhrugu, Puthrakameshti and Aswamedha were all

inside Sai Baba who declared that the devotee would have eight

children.

 

16. Another case is more interesting. One Scindhe had seven daughters

and no sons. He went up to the temple of Dattatreya at Gangapur, 200

miles away from Shirdi, and prayed there for male issue. He vowed

that if he were granted a son within twelve months, he would bring

the child to Gangapur and make his offerings. He had his prayers

answered and obtained a son in twelve months. But, for about six

years, he did not go to Gangapur at all. Then he came to Shirdi.

Baba looked at him and spoke fiercely, `Are you so conceited and

stiff-necked? Where was there any male progeny in your

prarabdhakarma? I tore up this body (pointing to his own body) and

gave you a male child in answer to your prayer'. This was not only

occasion when Baba declared that he had overridden the workings of

prarabdhakarma. A third case is interesting from another standpoint.

A pleader of Akkalkote had reviled and mocked at Baba in his student

days and had subsequently lost his only son. Fancying that the loss

was the result of his irreverence towards Baba, he came to Shirdi.

Baba blessed him and declared that he (Baba) himself would fetch the

soul of the deceased son and place him within the womb of the Vakil's

wife. In twelve months thereafter, she was delivered of a male child.

 

17. Incidentally, it may be mentioned that it was the blessings for

issue more than anything else that made the educated, especially from

towns, to go to Baba. One Gopal Rao Gundu, A Revenue Inspector, who

had two wives but no issue, sought and obtained Baba's blessings and

the fruit of those blessings, a son. He broadcast the kindness of

Baba and his wonderful powers abroad, and a large number of educated

people including Deputy Collectors, Collectors, and political leaders

like Lokamanya Tilak, flocked to Shirdi.

 

18. In 1886, Baba died his first death. One day when sitting along

with his devotee Mahalsapathi in the Dwaraka Mayi (as his mosque was

named by him), Baba said that he was going to Allah and that

consequently for three days his body was to be looked after for,

after that period, he might return to the body, and that in case he

did not do so, the body should be interred near the mosque.

Presently Baba's body became a corpse. An inquest was held over the

same and the officer holding the inquest insisted on Mahalsapathi

burying the body. But Mahalsapathi vehemently opposed the proposal

and succeeded in preventing the internment. On the fourth day, Baba's

body revived and for thirty-two years thereafter, Baba worked through

that living fleshy case and finally left it on the 15th October,

1981, with the same prescience and clear control over all the

circumstances which he showed in 1886. This leaving of the body at

will and returning to it at pleasure is an art, a siddhi, described

in the Yoga Sastras; and Baba's exercise of such powers convinced and

would convince many of the truth of the

sastras. `Dharmasamsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge' (i.e. `I am

born in each age for establishing Dharma') said Krishna of Dwapara

Yuga to Arjuna. And this divinity of the twentieth century A.D. in

Kaliyuga, like other men of God (Devatmas) of the same period, has

frequently by his conduct proved the truth of, and confirmed, the

belief in Dharma and Sastras.

 

19. One noticeable feature of Baba's life after his return to the

body was that he began to encourage the arrival of Bhaktas to his

feet. Evidently the object of his return to his body was to carry

out his mission more fully and for a longer period on earth,

especially with reference to the devotees and others bound to him by

former ties, rinanubandha. This is well illustrated by his call to

Narayana Govind Chandorkar, B.A., Personal Assistant to the Collector

of Ahmednagar, to come to his feet.

 

20. When N.G.Chandorkar or `Nana' as Baba affectionately called him,

was halting at Kopergaon, Baba sent word to him repeatedly to come to

Shirdi for a visit. Nana after much hesitation came up to Shirdi and

asked Baba why he was sent for. Baba replied that for four previous

births, Nana had been intimate with Baba and that therefore in this

life also, he should get into similar close contact. Again Nana

hesitated. But Baba, by the exercise of his wonderful powers and his

kindness especially, filled Nana's heart with faith and gratitude for

numerous miraculous favors showered upon him. On one occasion when

Chandorkar was stranded on a hot day on a waterless hill (Harischndra

Hill) unable to climb up or get down, he suddenly exclaimed; `If Baba

were here, he would give me water'. Baba who was then at Shirdi,

forty miles away, mentioned to the people there that Nana was thirsty

and should be provided with a palmful of water. At that time, a Bhil

appeared on that hill and pointed out a palmful of water to

Chandorkar, under the very rock over which the latter was seated.

Later when Nana visited Shirdi, Baba informed him that it was; he who

provided water on the waterless rock. Similarly, on another occasion,

when the thirsty Chandorkar prayed to Baba in the midst of a forest

for tea being given him after he should emerge from the forest, tea

was suddenly provided in the middle of the night in a forlorn place.

Again when Nana's daughter was undergoing the tortures of prolonged

parturition, Baba sent a gosavi from Shirdi with udhi to be used for

easing the parturition. The gosavi wanted to know how he could go to

Jamnere, which was N.G.C's camp, across thirty miles of country road

from the railway without funds, Baba simply answered that everything

would be provided. At the station, the gosavi found a Tonga and a

liveried peon waiting for him, professing to have been sent by Sri

Chandorkar. When the gosavi went up in that Tonga and delivered the

udi, its use was quickly followed by safe and comfortable delivery.

Then he mentioned the Tonga, the horse and the liveried peon to

Chandorkar, who wondered, as he had not sent any of these and nobody

else could have sent these. Both the gosavi and NGC wondered at

Baba's power to provide everything he wanted at any place and at any

time and at the depth of Baba's love for his devotees.

 

21. Nana had innumerable proofs of Baba's vast, nay, unlimited

powers, his perpetual watch over his beloved devotees, his invariable

kindness towards all that approached him, and summed them all up in

the phrase that Baba was omnipotent, omniscient and universally

kind. No word aptly expresses the sum total of these attributes

except `God'. Chandorkar was convinced that Baba was God and

worshipped him as God; and by reason of Chandorkar's vast influence,

Baba's greatness and glory became known to all in various parts of

Maharashtra.

 

22. One Ganpat Rao Sahasrabuddhe, a constable attending on NGC was

similarly turned in to a devout Bhakta and made to quit Government

service (in 1905) substituting therefore the service of God or Baba.

Sri Sahasrabuddhe has thence forward been known as Dass Ganu Maharaj

and as a Kirtankar-devotee of Baba all through these forty years. By

his powerful Harikathas and his talents, he has carried Baba to the

homes of tens of thousands in Maharashtra. His works on Baba are the

earliest authorities on the life of Baba. The above-mentioned two

gentlemen with others like H.S.Dixit and Anna Dabolkar, may be

regarded as Baba's apostles who carried the faith in Baba to the

length and breadth of Maharashtra.

 

23. Baba's own miraculous personality surviving his release from his

physical body has however been the principal reason for the success

of all this propaganda. His power is still working and by reason of

that along, myriads in Madras and other Presidencies have become firm

adherents to, and worshippers of, Baba. The faith is well grounded in

the experience showered upon them now as liberally and miraculously,

as they were showered before Baba's passing away. Baba's figure is

occasionally seen by, and his wondrous powers are manifested to,

those that have the necessary faith, at any place, as Baba has no

partiality and his grace cannot be the monopoly of any person or

place. He is working wonders today at various places and therefore

Sai Mandirs have sprung up in many of them.

 

24. Baba, however, is not a mere worker of miracles. He is a Samartha

Sadguru. He applies miracles or miraculous means to fill with faith

and gratitude the hearts of devotees. Gratitude soon turns into love

and then Baba's real work is seen. Baba purifies the hearts of all

of the dross of low attachments and their consequences, and gradually

raises the devotees' souls to loftier and still loftier states of

being, till they finally merge into himself. People begin with the

notion that Baba is a kind provider of all that they need and in fact

resort to him to have their temporal needs satisfied. But they

discover (at least many do) that Baba is after all their Ishtamurthi,

their own Rama or Siva, the God of their fathers who has now taken a

new shape to carry out the ancient divine plan of the Universe, and

that `God fulfils himself in many ways lest one good custom should

corrupt the world'.

 

25. The question is often asked whether Baba was a Hindu or Moslem.

The first remark to make about this question is that the cause for

this question should be looked into before it is answered. There is a

strong feeling on the part of the Hindus that they should not go near

a Moslem whose views run counter to their cherished ideas, and who

would destroy their religious emblems and idols. Similar is the

repugnance on the part of the Moslems to accept purely Hindu

traditions, which they consider too idolatrous and unholy. When we

come to take an impartial view, we find, whether we are Hindus or

Moslems, that the above question is irrelevant or of very little

importance. First about the irrelevancy. The Sufi and the Orthodox

Hindu, both agree that when a person has reached perfection, i.e.,

the level of Brahman, the question of caste does not arise at all.

Caste (or `Jathi' as it is called in vernacular) refers to that which

has born and that which has `janma'. The self-realiser who is

identical with God is not born though his body was born. But the body

is not `he' and there is no need to go into the question as to

whether the body arose from parents who were Hindus or Moslems, or

was trained and brought up among 3ither of them. Sri Sankara's well-

known phrase about the realized soul is `Jati Niti Kula Gotra

duuragam' - that it is far above questions of caste, family clan,

etc., and Sankara's Manisha Panchaka repeatedly closes with the

line, `Chandaalostu Dwijostu sadgururityeshau manaishaa mama' - `Let

him be a chandala or Brahmin, he (the realized soul) is my Guru'.

What does it matter whether the Kohinoor is lying on a dung hill or

in a palace! The Sufis too have exactly the same view as regards

these distinctions. However, the reason for raising the question is

a strong feeling regarding the necessity of protecting one's own

religious sentiments adequately from being harassed violently by a

person of an opposite sect. On this matter, it may be pointed out

that whether Baba was a Hindu or a Moslem, he allowed every sect to

keep to its own method of approaching God. To Hindus, he

said: `Continue your Rama worship, and worship the stones which your

forefathers worshipped'. He even presented some lingams, silver

padukas, pictures and coins for worship by Hindus. To Moslems, he

never gave any of these but allowed them to follow their nirakara

(formless) form of worship as far as it is possible. So the real

cause for raising the question about one being a Hindu or Moslem does

not arise in this case on account of the extreme catholicity of

Baba's views and practice. But prejudices die-hard and in spite of

all that is said, persons still hanker to know whether Baba was a

Hindu or a Moslem. It may be pointed out that though his original

antecedents were unknown, his continued residence for about 50 years

in a mosque was considered a sufficient reason for most people to

consider him to be a Moslem. There is a Tamil proverb that if one

drinks anything, even milk, under a Palmyra tree, he will be taken to

have drunk toddy.

 

26. Let us examine the real facts. Baba's antecedents as mentioned

already were revealed by himself. Even after they are fully

considered, still the question must be deemed doubtful whether he was

a Hindu or a Moslem. But (Janma or Jathi) by actual birth, he was of

Brahmin parents, and hence by a very large number of persons, he is

considered to be a Brahmin. But according to Baba's own statement, he

was handed over in his very infancy to a fakir who brought him up for

about five years according to Islamic faith. After the death of the

fakir, Baba was handed over to a Brahmin Guru by name Sri Gopal Rao

Deshmukh of `Venkusa'. The stay of ten years under this Guru and the

marvelous initiation into divinity by the Guru's purna kripa, ought

to clear all doubts, and establish that Baba was Brahmin or at least

a Brahmin. But as fate would have it, the Guru after conferring upon

Baba his purnakripa and raising him to divinity, directed him to go

westwards and Baba had to spend the rest of his life in a mosque

moving with all alike as an ativarnasrami, i.e., one beyond all caste

rules. We do not know what an expert lawyer would conclude as to

Baba's caste in these circumstances. But whatever that may be, to

those who considered him a Moslem, he responded as a Moslem and to

those who cared to treat him as a Hindu, he responded as a Hindu; and

he expounded the Koran to the former and the Sastras to the latter.

The Hindus have worshiped him worshipped as Ramavatara or Sriman

Narayana for so many decades while others treated him as merely

human. This reminds us of an incident about Krishna. When Sri

Krishna went with Balarama and others to a yagasala and wanted food,

the Brahmins were wondering whether they could offer the food

prepared for gods to Krishna, who appeared to have been born in a

Kshatriya family but brought up among (Vysias) cowherds. Many

regarded him as God, but the Brahmins were doubtful about his caste.

By reason of their ignorance (ajanna) they offered no food at all to

Krishna. Then Sri Krishna sent word to the ladies, who ran up all at

once with great devotion and gave up all that they had prepared for

the Gods to him whom they considered as the God of Gods. Exactly the

same thing happens now. Persons whose pious leanings render they

easily attracted to such great souls as Baba run up to Baba and never

bother their heads over questions of his Jathi or caste, and like the

Brahmin ladies, deserved and obtain the highest blessings while many

doubting Thomasses (samscyatmas) even of the highest castes, go on

debating endlessly about the question of the caste to which a holy

man belongs and lose their chance of benefiting themselves here and

hereafter. It depends a great deal upon once's poorva sambanda or

rinanubhanda whether one is attracted by Sri Krishna or Sri Sai; it

may be noted that persons wish to discuss this question of caste only

when their feelings have not been roused. But when one is in intense

pain or great trouble, his heart leaps out with the request, `Baba,

help me', never minding a brass pin as to where Baba was born or how

he was brought up; and once he receives innumerable and miraculous

benefits, he gets perfectly convinced that Baba is God to him,

whatever he may be to others and he cares not for discussions as to

the legal position regarding Baba's caste. Baba himself used to say

at times to such Hindus as considered him a Moslem: "I am a Moslem,

don't come to me" and to persons who regarded him as Sad Guru or Guru-

God: `I am a Brahmin. Give me Dakshina. This place wherein I am

sitting is not a mosque; it is a Brahmin's mosque; it is Dwaraka

Mayee'. He was everything to everyone.{Ye yatha maam prapadyante,

thaamsthathaiva bhajaamyaham' - Gita}.

 

27. Apart from Baba's caste, some persons raise the question whether

he was a Brahmagnani and if so how he happened to perform miracles.

Persons who raise such curious doubts would do well to analyse their

own question and find out its implications. Can it be very seriously

contended that he who performs miracles must be an agnani? Will Sri

Krishna and Sankara be labeled agnanis by these people? If these

people analyse their own minds, they will discover the reason fro

their doubts. Spiritual aspirants (sadhakas) are often decidedly to

lose by attending to the thaumaturgic powers or siddhis derived from

their sadhana and many Gurus have warned their devotees from

hankering after siddhis. It is also pointed out by such gurus that

there is a waste of accumulated powers in the exhibition of siddhis

and the performance of siddhis is generally attended with the danger

of increasing one's passions especially the rajas and tamas, which

are embedded in one's nature. But can these objections ever arise in

the case of one like Sai Baba? The differences between miracle-

mongers and souls like Sri Krishna and Sai Baba are these. Firstly,

in the case of the latter, power arises not by the repetition of

mantras or by the adoption of tantras, but simply as part and parcel

of their divine nature. Secondly, these high souls have no hankering

for the results of the siddhis. They do not ask for recompense, nor

do they try to attain ulterior aims of their by having recourse to

siddhis. Thirdly, the siddhi power, being part of their nature, does

not exhaust itself by any number of miracles. Fourthly, they are

prompted by pure love, karuna and their employment of powers is a

means for achieving the highest temporal or spiritual ends for

themselves and others. None of these statements will apply to miracle

mongers.

 

28. In this short introduction we cannot possibly give even a very

rough outline of the various activities of Baba. It is enough to say

that he was a Pramagnani and Samartha sadguru. A guru is one that

teaches; a Sadguru is one that teaches and draws one to God; a

samartha Sadguru is one who draws people to God employing all his

siddhis and other high powers for the purpose. It is not all gnanis

who have realized God that perform these miracles or chamatkars. It

is not the dehaprarabdha of several gnanis to exhibit any such power

or to assume the role of samartha sadguru, while it is the

dehaprarabdha of others to serve humanity as such samartha sadgurus

and exhibit such powers. No comparison ought to be made about these

two sets of gnanis. Baba ought not to be compared with any other

guru. Comparisons are always odious and hardly necessary for the

benefit of any aspirant. If any person feels drawn to Baba by

learning about Baba's qualities and activities either from one's own

experience or of others well -known to him, he may at once proceed to

have further contact with Baba and get the fullest benefit of such

contact. There is no need for him to worry as to how Baba is to be

classed - as an Avatar or Avalia, Devatatma or Alwar, etc. One may

simply feel the taste of sugar and use it without raising the

questions to whether it is derived from beetroot, sugarcane or

Palmyra juice. No wise men ever worry about such matters. They do not

attempt to classify various gnanis. We must all be always humble in

our approach to God and divine persons. Any other attitude will

simply thwart our endeavors to reach divinity or to attain the

highest benefit by spiritual exercise.

 

29. We may very well close this short pamphlet with the practical

question (1) what are the benefits that Baba can confer? And (2) what

has one to do in order to obtain these benefits? The first may be met

by a counter question. What benefits does one expect when he is

approaching Baba? Are they temporal or spiritual? Whatever they may

be, there is no benefit that is beyond the power of Baba to confer.

He is worshipped every day with phrases like `All-powerful' (sarva

sakthi murthaye namah) etc., and the experience of devotees proves

that he is able to confer benefits of every sort - curing disease,

both physical and mental, giving relief to departing and departed

spirits and to those who are suffering from obsessions or

infirmities, removing domestic troubles, etc.

 

30. One more word about these labels and comparisons. People are

sometimes unconsciously assuming to themselves ability to judge of

all grades of spiritual nature and power and say that Krishna is

superior to Rama, Buddha is superior to Chaitanya, etc., and cause

irritation to others and confusion in their own minds. If we find

the water in one creek or bay saltish, should we say this creek or

bay is superior or inferior to the ocean? God is one. Divinity

manifests itself in innumerable places and ways and according to the

needs of the times, and each god-man does the work of alleviating

man's miseries and raising him upward. When the question is asked,

why should one give up his Siva or Rama worship and go to Sai, the

answer is that there is no need. If one feels Sai is different from

Rama or other Ishta Devata and that the latter serves all the

purposes of the Devotees, if one is thus satisfied and contented, Sai

Baba has never asked and does not ask such a person to change his

position. Baba is highly conservative and wants each man to stick to

his religion, caste, Guru. Ishta Devata, Idol, mantras and

sampradaya. It is only if one feels that he is still left with a

desire for further benefits which his customary contact with his

Ishtamurthi, guru, mantras, etc., does not acquire for him, and if he

is disposed to place faith in Baba's powers to grant these or other

benefits, that Baba allows or directs him to come to his feet. Baba

does not interfere with his loyalties. Faith in Baba is added on to

the old loyalties. That faith works miraculous benefits and tends to

strengthen itself. Gratitude and love follow faith and the resultant

benefits. Through these, Baba purifies the heart and draws the

devotee higher and higher up the spiritual ladder. That man who came

for worldly goods finds his desires purified, his mentality changed

and thinks more and better of Baba till at last, finding that Baba is

only one of the numerous names and forms assumed by God, resigns

himself to Baba. He then realizes the absurdity of instituting

comparisons between Sai and other names or forms and of asking why

one should go to Sai. It is only those who are specially blessed by

poorvakarma that can be drawn by each of these personalities, and

when so drawn no question arises, and all doubts are driven off. One

huge wave of faith, love and knowledge drowns the soul and draws it

to the feet of God, in Sai form and in all forms.

 

31. What are we to do to obtain our desired ends with the help of

Baba? There are some who raise questions even preliminary to this.

Is it not better not to desire at all? Is it not degrading to go on

praying or asking for this or that? To persons who really care for

nothing i.e., to advanced Viraktas, this question really will not

arise. They are not compelled or induced to go to Sai Baba. See

Bhagavatha - `Nirgrantinopi.. Iththam bhutha guno Harih' - i.e.,

viraktas are attracted by the nishkamya Leelas of the Lord. Sai

Baba's Leelas were purely unmotivated by desire. His whole life in

the flesh was one continuous self-sacrifice for the sake of humanity.

In serving Man, he was serving God; and he advised his devotees to do

the same.

 

32. Undoubtedly it is better not to desire than to have desires and

to seek their gratification through the help of Sai Baba etc. But

how many are there who can calmly reason thus and find power to crush

the roots of desire in their hearts? If there are any such among the

readers, they are not asked to seek Baba's help or God's help, if

that is different, to attain any objects. Even the desire for Mukti -

liberation - is a desire; and even to attain that, people pray and

seek the aid of experts, i.e., sages who know the way to liberation

and who are gracious enough to extend their help to those who seek

help.

 

33. The vast majority wants benefits, temporal and spiritual,

temporal first and then spiritual. The body and its adjuncts, a

family. Etc., have to be maintained with sufficient provision for

health and some degree of comfort before people can think of

spiritual things. All who feel the need for this urgent help may

approach Sai Baba. The more impassioned their appeal, the more faith

they have in Baba, the quicker will be the results, other things

being the same. To these we may suggest the ways and means of

contacting Baba.

 

34. There are no special ways for approaching Baba, i.e., ways

different from those adopted for approaching other high and noble

personalities. How do we approach our mother? It looks ridiculous

for us to ask such a question. The mother has showered her love on

the child long before it is aware of such love. Thus Baba has

similarly played the part of an unseen mother showering benefits on

her children, the devotees, even from their previous births. But how

are they to approach Baba now? Let them sincerely wish to do so. At

once the approach has been started. They are improved from that very

instant. They get more and more enthusiastic and get more and more

benefits. These produce gratitude first and finally strong love. Let

the reader daily think of Baba, seeing his figure in the medals,

pictures etc. he keeps with himself and let him read about Baba's

great deeds more strong than ll poetic thought. Baba's 108 Namavalis

is a mnemonic device for forcefully recalling these qualities. Let

him attend Bhajans and poojas where sincere devotees gather. One song

from a sincere devotee, one artless song, will thrill the hearer and

fill him with awe, joy, piety and lofty sentiments that will last a

long time. Le one always go in for service to humanity or to lower

creatures for the sake of Baba i.e., viewing Baba as existing in each

individual person or creature that he sees. Baba himself will direct

the further steps of the earnest enquirer. Ways and means for further

contact and further growth will be disclosed by Baba himself in

innumerable ways to each ardent devotee. The manner in which he

imparts these varies. Some of highly emotional nature see him at

times even today and some talk with him during waking hours. Others

get such contact in their dreams. Still others earnestly wanting

some response and piously opening some book with a prayer, find their

response in that book. Others resort to chits. Others simply rely on

the correctness of their intuition that the though suggested to them

at a particular time is the thought given by Him. In these and other

ways, people get their contact and benefits from Sai. Sai is not

different from God. Do devotees in various religions to get access to

and a response from their God or Ishta Devata adopt not all these

ways? The same applies to Sai Baba. There are numerous Sai Bhaktas

who have such intense faith in Him as their God and who get their

response and benefits from hi. If any reader is very earnest and

wishes to pursue this matter further, it must be very easy for him or

her to ascertain who are the Sai Bhaktas in their district or

province with such Bhakti and, if these are noted for their pure and

lofty nature, they can and might be approached with perfect safety

and advantage.

 

Courtesy: http://www.saileelas.org/

With Sai love from Sai brothers – `'