DEVOTEES' EXPERIENCES OF SRI SAI BABA BY H.H. NARASIMHA SWAMIJI - PART II

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Sairam,

 

Devotees Experiences - C.G.Narke

 

UPADESA, MANTRA, TANTRA, ETC.

Sai Baba never gave me any mantra, tantra or Upadesa - and so far as

I know, he gave these to none. Madhavarao Deshpande has told me of

the following incident,

Radhabai Desmukhin was at Shirdi waiting for a time on Baba and she

wanted Upadesa. Finding that He gave her none, she started

Satyagraha. She stopped taking food and was determined to be without

food until Sai Baba should give her Upadesa. On the fourth day of the

fast, Madhavarao taking pity on her condition went and told Sai Baba

of it and requested Him to pronounce the name of some God, so that

she might take it as the mantropadesa for Japa. Baba then sent for

her and told her that giving Upadesa was not in His line, that He

following His Guru had different traditions, that His Guru was so

powerful that He trembled to go and stand before him, and that the

help given by the Guru was invisible and secret and not by oral

instruction.

/ do not instruct through the ear.

Our traditions are different was what He said.

Sai Baba never lectured, nor discoursed systemati¬cally as others

do. He gave hints - very pregnant hints. A word or a sentence or two

at a time was all He cared to utter. But from them an observant

devotee could build up his own system, lecture or philosophy. It is

difficult therefore to be dogmatic if one is asked what are Sai

Baba's aims, methods etc.? But stray hints were forthcoming.

AIM IN LIFE OR PURUSHARTHA

Did Sai Baba ask people to aim at Moksha? Did He advocate Viveka and

Vairagya? Never have I heard that from His lips.

Reaching God is the aim. That was the way He put

i.e.. Reaching God, Crossing or traversing all the Oceans and Worlds

Getting beyond chains (or limits).

He never (so far as I know) spoke of Maya (or the theory that all

existence in the sublunary sphere is mere illusion) to my knowledge.

He took the commonsense view that this world and the worlds beyond

are real, and that we have to make the best of them, here and

hereafter.

KARMA AND REINCARNATION

These were frequently referred to by Him. "We must sow good (results)

in this life and the next" was the truth that underlay many of the

stories He told. He frequently referred to past lives of others and

occasionally referred to the future life of some. No one moving with

Him could have even a momentary doubt about post mo; iem existence

and the exis¬tence of other worlds than this, wherein rewards and

punish¬ments for acts done here would be reaped. These are Hindu

doctrines and beliefs. Coming to the question of Baba's Hin¬duism or

other religion - Baba never declared (so far as I know) whether He

belongs to any religion, caste, creed, etc. He was above all. But He

has mentioned and done several things showing His relation to

Hinduism.

I have heard Sai Baba say My Guru is a Brahmin.

BABA'S ATTITUDE TO HINDUISM AND BRAHMINS

Baba had a great regard for the B.Gito, Bhawartha Ramayana, Eknath

Bhagwata* Panchadashl Yoga Vasishta, the Puranas, etc. His talks had

reference to the contents of these often. When Jnanadeva's Arati was

begun, He would sit up, fold His hands joining His palms in front of

His chest in token of reverence and close His eyes. About

Panchadashi, He said to Mr.Khaparde (as I hear) This is our treasury,

i.e., it contains whatever is valuable for our spiritual welfare. I

know personally His reverence for Yoga Vasishta. One day, in my early

days (1914), Baba asked me several times to give Him Rs.15 as

Dakshina. I had no money and He knew that fully well. So when I was

alone with Him, I said "Baba, you know, I have no money and why do

You ask me for Rs.15 Dakshina?" Baba answered that He knew my

impe¬cunious condition well enough. "But" He added "you are reading

Yoga Vasishta now. The part you are now reading is specially

important. Get Me Rs.15 Dakshina from thtf. I was reading Yoga

Vasishta. Getting money out of it was deriving valuable lessons

therefrom; and giving the money to Baba meant of course lodging the

lessons in my heart, where He stayed as my Antaryaml I also know that

He held Rama and Krishna in great reverence,

BABA AND MAHARASHTRA SATPURUSHAS

Baba had great reverence for Saints like Jnanaeshwar, Tukaram. What

were the aims, and the virtues needed for achieving them, in Sai

Baba's view and what sadhanas did He favour?

OF THE FOUR MARGAS

I. Yoga Marga

Regarding this as chiefly based on (1) Asana (2) Pranayama (3)

Concentration (4) Rousing the Kundalini and (5) Achieving higher

powers thereby, en route, Sai Baba did not care for these. These were

not the steps He recommended to any so far as I know. On the other

hand, He said (I know personally), "Those who proceed by the method

of Pranayama must come to Me ultimately for further progress.

II. Karma Marga

Baba set the example of living amidst society and labouring to

produce goods. He ground grain into flour. He was not for ascetic

desertion of society, nor for begging. Though He Himself begged

within limits (prescribed by His Rinanubandha perhaps) it was for a

little food only and when He demanded Dakshina that was for a number

of reasons, chiefly clearing off Rinanubandha, He wanted the general

run of visitors to continue their grihasta lives and did not

advo¬cate Sanyas,i.e., that they should renounce society or go to

beg. He made me and Vamanrao Beg, not for ourselves but only for the

Guru - as humble service to the Guru. Though Baba did not say so, I

think He realised the evil of begging, i.e., indiscriminate begging,

to be the loss of one's stored up merit, i.e., "Apurva". Sai Baba's

demand for Dakshina was explained by Him, when some one asked Him why

He asked for Dakshina "Hello, do I ask Dakshina of every one? I

de¬mand only from those whom the Fakir (God) points out to Me". He

demanded only particular sums, and would not accept anything more.

None refused Dakshina, when He wanted it. Sometimes the demand had

other meaning, e.g.,(I) get away, (2) get into contact with X,Y,Z etc.

III. Jnana Marga

If this is taken as something confined to inquiry into the

Self and an effort to understand the Upanishads and Brahmasutras to

get light on that inquiry that was not Baba's method and aim. His

wish was not expressed. But by His example, His devotees should infer

that He wanted them to become like Himself. His knowledge and

experience were, so far as I could see, real and realistic. His

awareness ex¬ceeded the bounds of our space and time - extended over

all the worlds and embraced the distant past and future as well as

the present. He knew, therefore, what existence in any of the worlds

and at any time had to offer for the soul's enjoy¬ment and with such

knowledge He renounced all attachment. He was perfectly detached

amidst numerous attractions. His life was, therefore, real Vairagya

and real Nishkamya Karma which would lead one to God.

IV. Bhakti Marga

This is, of course, the main plank of most saints - as it is, of Sai

Baba. Obeying, serving and loving God are its chief features. The

peculiar feature stressed by Sai's example and words is the vast

Importance of developing this devotion on the basis of devotion to

one's guru or teacher. It is seeing God in, through and as the Guru,

identifying the Guru with God.

 

 

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