Sri Sai Baba and the Geeta, A Surprising Exposition

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XVII. SRI SAI BABA AND THE GEETA A SURPRISING EXPOSITION

 

Though a great Saint, Sri Sal Baba was generally believed to be

unacquainted with Hindu Sastras until he one day began to give an

exposition of the Gita.

Nana Saheb had studied Bhagavad Q-ita along with several Sanskrit

commentaries including Sri Sankaracharya's. He piqued himself on

his grasp of the Gita. One day as he was massaging Baba's feet at

the Shirdi mosque, he was muttering something.

Baba : Nana, what are yon muttering? Nana : A sloka in

Sanskrit.

Baba : What sloka?

Nana : From the Bhagavad Gita.

Baba: Utter it audibly.

Nana then recited Bhagavad Gita Chapter IV, 34, i.e., Thadvidtihi,

Pmnipatena etc.

Baba : Nana, do you understand? Nana : Yes.

Baba : Then tell me.

Nana: It means "By making prostration at full length, by

questioning the Guru and rendering service, learn what this

Jnanais. Then the Jnanis who have realised the Real or Sadvastu

will give you instruction in Jnana" .

Baba: Nana, I do not want the general purport. Explain it word by

word, with strict reference to grammar.

Then- Nana gave such an explanation.

Baba: Is it enough that the prostration should be "fall Length."

or Saahtanga?

Nane: I cannot see what more is implied in the word

"Pranipriha".

Baba : What is Pariprasna? Questioning.

What is Prasna? Questioning.

Baba : Nana

Baba: If both words mean the same, was Vyasa off bis head to use

two unnecessary syllables, viz, Pari?

Nana: I cannot see what more it means.

Baba: By Seva, what is the service denoted?

Nana: The service we usually render.

Baba: Like massaging? Nothing more?

Nana: I do not sea what further meaning the word

Seva-caa have.

Baba : In the next line, you say Jnana is to be imparted to

Arjuna by means of instruction. Was not Arjuna a Jiva?

Nana: Yes.

Baba : How then is Jnana to be imparted to that which is Jnana

already?

Nana : I do not know.

Baba : Can you read an extra syllable in the second half of the

stanza?

Nana: Yes.

Baba: How?

Nana : Read a before Jnanam by using an Avagraha.

Baba : Then what is the meaning?

Nana: None. Sri Sankaracharya's Bashya does not give such a

reading.

Baba : What if? If the word Ajnana gives a better sense, is there

any objection?

Nana: No. But I do not find how to deduce any sense with that word

in it.

Baba: Well, you will. First can you say why Sri Krishna refers

Arjuna to others to obtain light? Was not Krishna a Jnani and why

did he not give him light.

Nana: I cannot say why.

Then Baba began to explain; and he quoted from Jnaneswari passages

to explain his answers. The explanations may be briefly summed up

thus:

1. Mere prostration is not enough. It must be accompanied by a

thorough and complete surrender of oneself (body, mind and soul)

and one's possessions.

2. Mere questioning is not sufficient. It must not be out of idle

curiosity or with any improper motive or attitude e.g. to catch at

mistake in the answer or to trap the Guru. The object must be pure

desire to attain progress and liberation.

3. Seva is not any service. To be effective, there must be no

lingering idea that one is free to yield service or refuse it. One

must feel that one is not the master of one's body-which is the

Guru's and exists merely to render Him service.

4. Jnana is Realisation, i.e.. Sad Vastu itself and cannot be

imparted by Upadesa i.e., instruction. Everything except Jnana or

Sad Vastu is Ajnana or Ignorance including the instruction given

by the guru. It is, however, a species of Ajnana that removes all

other ignorance and reveals to the self of the pupil that he is

the Self and not a creature with limitations. The pupil is sunk in

that sort of ignorance; and he is to be raised out of it by

constantly rubbing instruction into him, (birth after birth, it

may be) by numerous teachers. All these teachers, the earnest

pupil views as God. The Guru Jnani is not distinct from Krishna,

as He has expressly declared in the Gita. Krishna thus honours all

teachers who are Jnanis.

Thereafter, Baba went on day after day teaching Gita to Nana

Saheb. What a rare good fortune! Very soon thereafter, crowds

began to flock to Baba. There was no more free and clear teaching.

Baba thereafter taught in parable by symbology and indirect ways

which, however, were very telling and never forgotten by those who

caught their meaning.

 

 

(This is from the book"The Wonderous Saint Sai Baba"

written by Pujyasri B.V.Narasimaswami,founder President of All

India Sai

Samaj, Chennai...........This book can be read from

www.saileelas.org)