BABA'S SIDDHIS, THE ORIGIN AND THE USE - 1

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BABA’S SIDDHIS, THEIR ORIGIN AND THEIR USE - 1.

When Baba first came to Shirdi, he was a totally unrecognized fakir, and when

after some stay he went out for three years and returned with Chand Bhai

Patel’s marriage party, he was still practically in the same condition, though

he was reported to have shown siddhi powers to Chand Bhai Patel in the jungles

and near Aurangabad. When he came into Shirdi on that occasion, he had

evidently in his mind, that Shirdi should be his permanent abode and wished to

find some place to rest his head. The foxes have holes and the birds of the air

have their nest, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head, said Jesus

and the Gita says that the best beloved bhakta is homeless aniketana. It was

the same with Sai. There was no place that he could call his own. Everything

was his and nothing was his. He had perfect vairagya and no attachment to any

person or place, though, especially at Shirdi, there were numerous persons and

places at that time that had relations with him by

reasons of rinanubandha association and the ties arising from such association.

The first place that he came to after parting with Chand Bhai Patel’s marriage

party was the shaded temple of Khandoba, a small mud structure surrounded by

shady trees. It was an ideal spot sufficiently removed from the village with

sufficiently holy association to be selected by any hermit or his place of

meditation. In fact, many decades after Baba came, when Upasani Maharaj came

and wanted a spot for his solitary meditation and hermit life, he hit upon the

identical spot for three years, 1911-14. But when Sai Baba a young fakir

expressed his appreciation of the site the residence of hermit like himself,

Mahlsapathy, the person in charge objected to Baba residing there whom he took

to be a Mohammedan. Hence Baba had to seek some other place. Baba found the

foot of the Margosa tree a suitable place to stay for sometime; a place in

immediate proximity to his former Guru’s tomb. A tree foot being however

a very uncomfortable place for human flesh and blood especially in times of rain

and wind, he had to choose the dilapidated Mosque. While he was staying under

this tree or at the foot of other trees or rambling in the woods, he did not

exhibit any powers but was concentrating all attention on his Guru God. It was

a considerable time before he first exhibited his siddhi power by converting

water into oil. he was provoked into it by the gracelessness of the local vanis

thought him to be a crazy fakir, and wanted to have some fun at his expense.

When Baba wanted the oil badly for lighting up the lamps at the Mosque, which

would be totally dark without it they told him that they had no oil, though it

was a lie. Then he went up to the Mosque and after completely clearing off even

the last drop of oil sticking to the tin or timbre, as he called it, by putting

water into to it and sucking the solution of the mixture of oil and water,

filled his lamps with this water, inserted wicks into

them and lighted up the wicks. To the great surprise of the villagers, the wicks

not only started burning but also kept on burning all night as though they were

fed by a supply of very good oil. Now this is what is called a miracle, a

chamatkar or a siddhi.

What took place was the conversion of water into oil. Somehow oil came into the

lamp in a sufficient quantity to burn all night. Now this is not explicable to

ordinary men with their notions of chemistry and physics. Water is not

converted into oil except through caster plants and other plants, which suck up

the water, mix them with their other ingredients and produce oil in the seeds of

the fruits that they give. Without any such process, Baba was able to fill his

lamps with oil. What is this siddhi called? Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Srimad

Bhagavata amongst other books give a list of siddhis attained by Yatha Sankalpa

Samsiddih and Apratibata Ajna, that is, producing whatever one wants by mere

will power of supreme command. there are so many complicated processes

mentioned in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras show what powers are

obtained in what way. In the Srimad Bhagavata, a similar description is given.

Mantra and Tantra books

show how magicians produce articles. The question naturally would be raised by

the learned as to what process Baba adopted and how he effected his object of

replacing water by oil for his lamps. The one short answer we might give to all

such questions would be that Baba was not a Mantric who got his powers for

specific purposes by adopting specific processes or specific mantras so far as

we know. He seems to have been concentrating his desireless attention on God,

always thinking of Allah and as he put it, constantly saying, Allah Malik or

Hari, Hari, Hari till Hari as last appeared before him. The power he got to

produce what he wanted may be easily classified, if classification is necessary

under the 32nd stanza of the XV Chapter of Srimad Bhagavata. That stanza says:

Jitendriyasya Dantasys

Jitaswasa Atmano muneh

Maddharanam Dharayatah

Ka Sa siddhis sudurlabha

this means, What power is beyond the reach of the sage who has controlled his

mind, senses, nerve currents and disposition and concentrates on Me? Whether it

is the Krishna form or Guru form or any other form. God is one and the same. the

only requisite is that the concentration should be powerful and prolonged so as

to bring on the properties of the contemplated form on the contemplating soul.

So, Yatha Sankalpa samsiddhih that is, Realising whatever one wants and Tasyacha

Ajna yatha mama namely, Getting one’s command obeyed everywhere like God’s

command, are two portions of siddhi chapter in the Srimad Bhagavata which

exhibited by Baba throughout his life. No doubt in some cases, when he was

exercising his will, he was putting it in the form of prayer to God until the

point was reached when he merged in God and his will and God’s will became one

and the same. In such cases, Baba said, ‘I am praying to Allah. He will carry

out the prayer." If this were kept in mind it would be easy to understand the

innumerable chamatkars which are found in the life of Baba as reported by

devotees and as embodied in books like the Gospel of Sai Baba. One thing is

clear, that is, during the early days of his stay at Shirdi he was keen on

concentrating his attention on his Guru God or Allah and did not wish to waste

his efforts by using the siddhis for

obtaining earthly objects which produced distraction, that is, drew one’s mind

away from God. That is the advice given in the Srimad Bhagavata and in

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Therefore, Baba did not repeat his chamatkars. This

display of power was wrung out of him on that occasion by the levity of Vanis.

He reserved all power within himself and held in mind on to God not only from

his natural love of concentration on God but also in obedience to the

well-known dictum of Kabir Jinne Paya Unne Chupaya that is, He who has achieved

something keeps it a secret.

- to be continued.

(by HH Pujyasri B V Narasimha Swamiji in Life of Sai Baba, Vol.4)

 

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