SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM [7]

[Guest guest]

Om Sri Sai Ram

SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM

The Life Stories of the Two Avatars of the Age – [7]

SHRI SAI SATCHARITA

The Life of the Divine Avatar Sai Baba of Shirdi

By Hemadpant

CHAPTER VII

Wonderful Incarnation - Behavior of Sai Baba - His Yoga Practices - His

All-pervasiveness – Leper Devotee’s service - Master Khaparde’s Plague case -

Going to Pandharpur

WONDERFUL INCARNATION

Sai Baba knew all Yogic Practices. He was well versed in the six processes

including Dhauti (Stomach-cleaning by a moistened piece of linen 3" in breadth

and 22 1/2" in length), Khandayoga, i.e., separating His limbs and joining them

again, and Samadhi, etc. If you think that He was a Hindu, He looked like a

Yavan. If you think Him to be a Yavan, He looked like a pious Hindu. No one

definitely knew whether He was a Hindu or a Mohammedan. He celebrated the Hindu

festival of Rama-Navami with all due formalities, and at the same time permitted

the ‘Sandal’ procession of the Mahomedans. He encouraged wrestling bouts in this

festival, and gave good prizes to winners. When the Gokul Ashtami came, He got

the ‘Gopal-Kala’ ceremony duly performed and on Id festivals, He allowed

Mohammedans to say

their prayers (Namaj) in His Masjid. Once in the Moharum festival, some

Mohammedans proposed to construct a Tajiya or Tabut in the Masjid, keep it

there for some days and afterwards take it in procession through the village.

Sai Baba allowed the keeping of the Tabut for four days, and on the fifth day

removed it out of the Masjid without the least compunction. If we say that He

was a Mohammedan, His ears were pierced (i.e. had holes according to Hindu

fashion). If you think that He was a Hindu, He advocated the practice of

circumcision (though according to Mr. Nanasaheb Chandorkar, who observed Him

closely, He was not Himself circumcised. Vide article in Sai Leela on "Baba

Hindu Ki Yavan" by B.V. Deo, page 562). If you call Him Hindu, He always lived

in the Masjid; if Mohammedan, He had always the Dhuni - sacred fire there, and

the following things which are contrary to Mohammedan religion, i.e., grinding

on the hand mill, blowing of the conch and bells, oblation in the fire,

Bhajan, giving of food, and worship of Baba’s Feet by means of ARGHYA (water)

were always allowed there. If you think that He was a Mohammedan, the best of

Brahmins and Agnihotris, leaving aside their orthodox ways fell prostrate at

His Feet. Those who went to make enquiries about his nationality were

dumb-founded and were captured by his Darshan. So none could definitely decide

whether Sai Baba was a Hindu or a Mohammedan*. (See below this paragraph) This

is no wonder; for he who completely surrenders himself to the Lord, by getting

rid of his egoism; and body - consciousness thus becomes one with Him, and has

nothing to do with any questions of caste or nationality. Such a one as Sai

Baba was, saw no difference between caste and caste and even beings and beings.

He took meat and fish with Fakirs, but did not grumble when dogs touched the

dishes with their mouths.

[* Note-- (1) Mhalaspathi, an intimate Shirdi devotee of Baba, who always slept

with Him in the Masjid and Chavadi, said that Sai Baba told him that He was a

Brahmin of Pathri and was handed over to a Fakir in his infancy, and when He

told this, some men from Pathri had come, and Baba was enquiring about some men

from that place. Vide Sai Leela 1924, Page 179. (2) Mrs. Kashibai Kanitkar, the

famous learned woman of Poona says in the experience No.8, published on Page

79, Sai Leela Vol. 11,1934, - "On hearing of Baba’s miracles, we were

discussing according to our theosophical convention and fashion whether Sai

Baba belonged to Black or White Lodge. When once I went to

Shirdi, I was thinking seriously about this in my mind. As soon as I approached

the steps of the Masjid, Baba came to the front and pointing to His chest and

staring at me spoke rather vehemently -"This is a Brahmin, pure Brahmin. He has

nothing to do with black things. No Musalman can dare to step in here. He dare

not." Again pointing to his chest - "This Brahmin can bring lacks of men on the

white path and take them to their destination. This is a Brahmin’s Masjid and I

won’t allow any black Mohammedan to cast his shadow here.”]

Such a unique and wonderful incarnation was Sai Baba. On account of the merits

in my past birth, I had the good fortune to sit at His Feet and enjoy His

blessed company. The joy and delight I derived therefrom was incomparable. In

fact Sai Baba was pure Anand and Consciousness. I cannot sufficiently describe

Him, His greatness and uniqueness. He, who took delight at His Feet, was

established in His own self. Many Sanyasis, Sadhaks and all sorts of men

aspiring for salvation came to Sai Baba. He always walked, talked and laughed

with them and always uttered with His tongue ‘Allah Malik’ (God is the sole

owner). He never liked discussion or arguments. He was always calm and

controlled, though irritable at times, always preached full Vedanta and nobody

knew till the last who was Baba.

Princes and poor people were treated alike by Him. He knew the inmost secrets of

all, and when He gave expression to them, all were surprised. He was the

repository of all knowledge, still He feigned ignorance. He also disliked

honour. Such were the characteristics of Sai Baba. Though, He had a human body,

His deeds testified to HIS Godhood. All people considered Him as the Lord God in

Shirdi.

BEHAVIOR OF SAI BABA

Fool that I am, I cannot describe Baba’s miracles. He got almost all the temples

in Shirdi repaired. Through Tatya Patil, the temples of Shani, Ganapathi,

Shankar-Parvati, Village Deity, and Maruti were put in order. His charity was

also remarkable. The money He used to collect as Dakshina was freely

distributed, Rs.20 to some, Rs.15 or 50, to others everyday. The recipients

thought that this was ‘pure’ charity money, and Baba wished that it should be

usefully employed.

People were immensely benefited by having a Darshan of Baba. Some became hale

and hearty; wicked people were turned into good ones. Kushtha (Leprosy) was

cured in some cases, many got their desires fulfilled, without any drops or

medicine being put in the eyes, some blind men got back their sight and some

lame ones got their legs. Nobody could see the end of His extraordinary

greatness. His fame spread far and wide, and pilgrims from all sides flocked to

Shirdi. Baba sat always near the Dhuni and eased Himself there, and always sat

in meditation; sometimes with and on other times without a bath.

He used to tie a white turban on his head; and wear a clean Dhotar round his

waist, and a shirt on his body. This was his dress in the beginning. He started

practicing medicine in the village, examined patients and gave medicines. He was

always successful, and He became famous as a Hakim (Doctor). A curious case may

be narrated here. One devotee got his eyeballs quite red and swollen. No Doctor

was available in Shirdi. The other devotees took him to Baba. Other Doctors

would use ointments, Anjans, cow’s milk and camphorated drugs etc., in such

cases. Baba’s remedy was quite unique. He pounded some ‘BEEBA’ (Some Carpus Ana

Cardium i.e. marking nuts) and made two balls of them, thrust them on in each

eye of the patient and wrapped a cloth-bandage round them (eyes). Next day, the

bandage was

removed and water was poured over them in a stream. The inflammation subsided

and the pupils became white and clear. Though the eyes are very delicate, the

BEEBA caused no smarting; but removed the disease of the eyes. Many such cases

were cured and this is only an instance in point.

BABA’S YOGA PRACTICES

Baba knew all the processes and practices of Yoga. Two of them will be described here:

(1) DHAUTI or CLEANING PROCESS:

Baba went to the well near a Banyan tree at a considerable distance from the

Masjid every third day and washed his mouth and had a bath. On one occasion, He

was seen to vomit out his intestines, clean them inside and outside and place

them on a Jamb tree for drying. There are persons in Shirdi, who have actually

seen this, and who have testified to this fact. Ordinary Dhauti is done by a

moistened piece of linen, 3 inches broad 22 1/2ft. long. This piece is gulped

down the throat and allowed to remain in the stomach for about half an hour for

being reacted there and then taken out. But Baba’s Dhauti was quite unique and

extraordinary.

(2) KHANDA YOGA:

In this practice, Baba extracted the various limbs from His body, and left them

separately at different places in the Masjid. Once, a gentleman went to the

Masjid, and saw the limbs of Baba lying separately at separate places. He was

much terrified; and he first thought of running to the village officers, and

informing them of Baba being hacked to pieces and murdered. He thought that he

would be held responsible, as he was the first informant, and knew something of

the affair. So he kept silent. But next day when he went to the Masjid, he was

very much surprised to see Baba, hale and hearty and sound, as before. He

thought that what he had seen the previous day was only a dream.

Baba practiced Yoga since, His infancy and nobody knew or guessed the

proficiency He attained. He charged no fees for His cures, became renowned and

famous by virtue of His merits, and gave health to many a poor and suffering

person. This famous Doctor of doctors cared not for His interests, but always

worked for the good and welfare of others, Himself suffering unbearable and

terrible pain many a time in the process. One such instance, I give below,

which will show the all-pervasive and most merciful character of Sai Baba.

BABA’S ALL-PERVASIVENESS AND MERCY

In the year 1910 A.D., Baba was sitting near the Dhuni on Divali holiday and

warming Himself. He was pushing firewood into the Dhuni, which was brightly

burning. A little later, instead of pushing logs of woods, Baba pushed His arm

into the Dhuni; the arm was scorched and burnt immediately. This was noticed by

the servant Madhava, and also by Madhavarao Deshpande (Shama). They at once ran

to Baba and Madhavarao clasped Baba by His waist from behind and dragged Him

forcible back ward and asked, "Deva, for what have You done this?" Then Baba

came to His senses and replied, "The wife of a blacksmith at some distant place

was working the bellows of a furnace; her husband called her. Forgetting that

her child was on her waist, she ran hastily and the child slipped into the

furnace. I

immediately thrust My hand into the furnace and saved the child. I do not mind

My arm being burnt, but I am glad that the life of the child is saved."

LEPER DEVOTEE’S SERVICE

On hearing the news of Baba’s hand being burnt from (Shama) Madhavarao

Deshpande, Mr. Nanasaheb Chandorkar, accompanied by the famous Doctor Parmanand

of Bombay with his medical outfit consisting of ointments, lint and bandage etc.

rushed to Shirdi, and requested Baba to allow Dr. Parmanand to examine the arm,

and dress the wound caused by the burn. This was refused. Ever since the burn,

the arm was dressed by the leper devotee, Bhagoji Shinde. His treatment

consisted in massaging the burnt part with ghee and then placing a leaf over it

and bandaging it tightly

with Pattis (bandages). Mr. Nanasaheb Chandorkar solicited Baba many a time to

unfasten the Pattis and get the wound examined and dressed and treated by Dr.

Parmanand, with the object that it may be speedily healed. Dr. Parmanand

himself made similar requests, but Baba postponed saying that Allah was His

Doctor; and did not allow His arm to be examined. Dr. Paramanand’s medicines

were not exposed to their air of Shirdi, as they remained intact, but he had

the good fortune of getting a Darshan of Baba. Bhagoji was allowed to treat the

hand daily. After some days, the arm healed and all were happy. Still, we do not

know whether any trace of pain was left or not. Every morning, Bhagoji went

through his Programme of loosening the Pattis, massaging he arm with ghee and

tightly bandaging it again. This went on till Sai Baba’s Samadhi (death). Sai

Baba, a perfect Siddha, as He was, did not really want this treatment, but out

of love to His devotee, He allowed the ‘Upasana’ - service of

Bhagoji to go on un-interrupted all along. When Baba started for Lendi, Bhagoji

held an umbrella over Him and accompanied Him. Every morning, when Baba sat

near the post close to the Dhuni, Bhagoji was present and started his service.

Bhagoji was a sinner in his past birth. He was suffering from leprosy, his

fingers had shrunk, and his body was full of pus and smelling badly. Though

outwardly he seemed so unfortunate, he was really very lucky and happy, for he

was the premier servant of Baba, and got the benefit of His company.

MASTER KHAPARDE’S PLAGUE-CASE

I shall now relate another instance of Baba’s wonderful Leela. Mrs. Khaparde,

the wife of Mr. Dadasaheb Khaparde of Amraoti, was staying at Shirdi with her

young son for some days. One day the son got high fever, which further

developed into Bubonic plague. The mother was frightened and felt most uneasy.

She thought of leaving the place for Amraoti, and went near Baba in the

evening, when He was coming near the Wada (now Samadhi Mandir) in His evening

rounds, for asking His permission. She informed Him in a trembling tone that

her dear young son was down with plague. Baba spoke kindly and softly to her,

saying that the sky is beset with clouds; but they will melt and pass off and

everything will be smooth and clear. So saying, He lifted up His Kafni up to

the waist and showed to all

present, four fully developed bubos, as big as eggs, and added, "See, how I have

to suffer for My devotees; their difficulties are Mine." Seeing this unique and

extraordinary deed (Leela), the people were convinced as to how the Saints

suffer pains for their devotees. The mind of the saints is softer than wax, it

is soft, in and out, as butter. They love their devotees without any idea of

gain, and regard them as their true relatives.

GOING TO PANDHARPUR AND STAYING THERE

I shall now close this Chapter after relating a story illustrating how Sai Baba

loved His devotees and anticipated their wishes and movements. Mr. Nanasaheb

Chandorkar, who was a great devotee of Baba, was Mamalatdar at Nandurbar in

Khandesh. He got an order of transfer to Pandharpur. His devotion to Sai Baba

bore fruit, as he got an order to go and stay at Pandharpur, which is regarded

as the ‘BHUVAIKUNTHA’ - Heaven on earth. Nanasaheb had to take immediate

charge, so he left, immediately, for the place, without even writing or

informing anybody at Shirdi. He wanted to give a surprise visit to Shirdi - his

Pandharpur, see and salute his Vitoba (Baba), and then proceed. Nobody dreamt of

Nanasaheb’s departure for Shirdi, but Sai Baba knew all about this, as His eyes

were everywhere

(omniscient). As soon as Nanasaheb approached Neemgaon, a few miles from Shirdi,

there was stir in the Masjid at Shirdi. Baba was sitting and talking with

Mhalaspathi, Appa Shinde and Kashiram, when He at once said, "Let us all four

do some Bhajan, the doors of Pandhari are open, let us merrily sing." Then

they began to sing in chorus, the burden of the song being "I have to go to

Pandharpur and I have to stay on there, for it is the house of my Lord."

Baba sang and the devotees followed Him. In a short time Nanasaheb came there

with his family, prostrated before Baba and requested Him to accompany them to

Pandharpur and stay with them there. This solicitation was not necessary, as

the devotees told Nanasaheb that Baba was already in the mood of going to

Pandharpur and staying there. Hearing this Nanasaheb was moved and fell at

Baba’s Feet. Then getting Baba’s permission, Udi (sacred ashes) and Blessings,

Nanasaheb left for Pandharpur.

There is no end to Baba’s stories, but let me now make a halt here, reserving

for the next Chapter other topics, such as importance of human life, Baba’s

living on alms, Bayajabai’s service and other stories.

BOW TO SHRI SAI -- PEACE BE TO ALL

*****

SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM - Part I

The Life of the Divine Avatar Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

By N. Kasturi, M.A., B.L.

FROM CAPE TO KILANMARG

The Ninth All-India Divine Life Convention held at Venkatagiri in 1957 was a

landmark in the campaign of Bhagawan who presided over the deliberations and

sounded the clarion call of spiritual regeneration. Swami Satchidananda, the

Organizing Secretary of the Branches of the Divine Life Society, later

confessed that when the news that Baba was to preside reached him at

Thiruvannamali, he was taken aback, for on inquiry there, he had been told that

Baba was versed only in magic and that He was a poor speaker at best. "I soon

discovered that my informant was profoundly ignorant," said Swami

Satchidananda.

On the opening day of the Convention, the town was filled to overflowing with

delegates, visitors, and devotees, including a large number of renunciates from

far away Rishikesh and places such as Rajahmundry, Kalahasthi, and Madras. A

gorgeous flower-bedecked palanquin was placed at the main gate of the

Venkatagiri Palace for Baba to proceed into the theater where the Inaugural

Session was to be held. When He came out and saw this symbol of pomp, He most

politely refused the honor in spite of the entreaties of the Rajah, because, He

said, "There are so many monks here that I would like to walk with them." It was

indeed a distinguished galaxy of monks, including Sadananda, Satchidananda,

Atmaswarupananda, and Srinivasananda.

Swami Satchidananda hoisted the flag of the Divine Life Society and Swami

Sadananda, author of "Sanmarga Deepam,Maha Shakti," and other books,

including a commentary on Patanjali's "Yoga Darsana," inaugurated the

Convention. Some misguided individuals had earlier distributed leaflets in

which they had charged Baba with partiality to the rich and the aristocratic,

little realizing that even while this was being done, Baba had refused the

pageantry of a procession and was walking the very road upon which they were

spreading their nefarious falsehoods. In fact, Swami Sadananda referred to this

leaflet and made plain how absurd it was. He congratulated the delegates and

organizers on their good luck in securing Sai Baba to guide them on the path of

divine life.

In His keynote address Baba said the divine life was the inspiration, the

birthright, the motive force, the be-all and end-all of everything in creation;

from microcosm to the macrocosm. Divine life is the rain that falls from the

clouds of truth, love, and non-injury. It comprises all acts done in pursuit of

Reality. Baba says that the desire to attain Reality or the Divinity behind the

illusiveness of material things is inherent and immanent in every individual as

butter is in milk. Just as one churns milk to separate the butter, man must

churn his mind with good deeds and good company. Between the eternal spirit and

the evanescent world the mind of man oscillates; therefore it is the duty of

societies such as Divine Life Society to fill the minds of its members with

holiness, and help in removing

the dross of passion and lust. For this transformation, everyone is a worthy

candidate, and the taste of that bliss is the same for all. The Society, Baba

said, should endeavor with humility and equal love for all to further this

process of transformation for as many as possible. It should strive to wipe out

the root cause of anxiety, sorrow, and ignorance.

The next morning when the Convention met at the theater, Baba said that Hindu

religion could survive the series of onslaughts, cultural upheavals and foreign

invasion only through the efforts of her spiritual leaders who stood watch over

its treasures and re-established the creative principles of eternal truth in

the hearts of the people. He said that He always wanted to light the lamp of

love in every heart, and He advised everyone to preserve an atmosphere of

reverence and love. Speaking on the three qualities of nature, Baba illustrated

their character by a simple simile. Pointing to a kerosene lamp, He said that

the glass chimney was the Satva guna, the tranquil quality; the soot inside was

the Tamo guna, the quality of sloth; and the dust outside, Rajo guna, the

quality

of passion.

The next day at the special gathering of delegates, Baba appealed to them to

cultivate single-minded devotion to their teacher, and to demonstrate in their

lives the divine life to which they had dedicated themselves. When the meeting

was later converted to a public session by the admission of an eager throng of

visitors, Baba spoke for over an hour, exhorting all to lead lives of devotion

and surrender. "What would you like to be in the hands of the Lord?" He asked.

He Himself suggested the answer, "The flute." He wanted everyone to go straight

without any crookedness, without any pride, ego, will, or idea of self; to

inhale only the breath of God; to transmute that breath into melodious music.

Swami Sadananda spoke on "Communion with God." In reality he communed with Baba

and spoke what He prompted him to say, he confessed. Then rose a great pundit,

famed throughout Andhra Pradesh for many Vedantic books. He spoke on the most

abstruse problem in Indian Philosophy, "Who am I?" People say that the

Advaitic, the non-dualistic teaching, makes men otherworldly and dry, but this

scholar was poet enough to appreciate Baba's picturization of the flute on

Krishna's lips. He related with pleasure Baba's ideals and quoted a few

Sanskrit verses on Lord Krishna and the unique good

fortune of that "flute." He began his discourses with a personal statement. "I

came to Venkatagiri for this Convention primarily to meet Sri Sathya Sai Baba,

for I had heard all kinds of versions of His greatness, and I was eager for the

chance to test them. In short, I came to defy! And I am going back 'deified',

made aware of my inner divinity. I apologize to Baba for my error." This is

just another instance of the fog of misunderstanding disappearing before the

warmth of Sai Baba's Presence.

Baba moved freely among the holy men and scholars and gave each a long interview

before departing from Venkatagiri. Swami Satchidananda said, "As soon as I went

in, Baba embraced me and said He was happy to see me. He then spoke of a rare

mystic vision I had the good fortune to experience thirty-seven years ago and

congratulated me on the steady pursuit of the ideal, which culminated in that

vision. But He chided me for squandering my time and energy on efforts toward

collecting funds, meeting people, and discussing plans and institutions. When I

attempted to justify my present activities as contributing ultimately to the

welfare of the world, He laughed and asked, 'Have you not heard that good

thoughts and waves of surcharged wisdom have a way of emanating from a great

soul, and overcoming all

obstacles, shaping and changing the thought currents of others?' He advised me

to retire into solitude and resume my spiritual exploration. He assured me He

would provide me succor and sustenance wherever I chose to be! This point of

view had never been placed before me in such clear and authentic words, and I

was very much touched by His Love and Mercy. I was surprised that He knew of an

intimate secret experience of mine, which dated some years previous to His

birth, and I questioned Him about this. He answered me with the questions: 'Am

I born? Do I die?'

It was indeed a unique experience for all - the interview, the diagnosis of

their deepest doubts, the prescription of appropriate remedies, the assurance

of continued Grace, the weighing of achievement in the balance of progress, and

the revelation of Baba's Omniscience and Omnipresence. When Baba returned to

Puttaparthy, Swami Sadananda and Swami Satchidananda joined him. They were both

eager to spend more time in the Divine Presence.

One evening Baba took Swami Sadananda with a party to a natural spring in the

hills behind the Nilayam. Sitting beside the spring, Baba spoke of the

existence of Chaitanya, [bhajan: Sri Siksastaka] Super consciousness in man,

beast, vegetable and stone. Swami Sadananda quoted passages from the Upanishads

to show that the same ideas were to be found in India's ancient texts. Suddenly

Baba assumed an authoritative tone and declared, "You call them ancient; I know

them all; I am beyond space and time." The discourse then drifted to Saivism,

to the conception of God as Siva and the symbol of Siva known as Linga and its

significance. Swami Sadananda had written a thesis, "The Origin and Early

History of South Indian Saivism," while at Madras University.

It was the Tamil New Year's Day and Baba gave everyone a "poli," a sweet

preparation which every Tamil housewife must prepare on that auspicious day. He

manifested them by a mere Wave of the Hand!

When Baba left after a few days for a short stay at Kodaikanal Hills, Swamis

Sadananda and Satchidananda also joined the party. The six weeks on the Hills

provided a great number of opportunities to the ascetics to receive the Lord's

Grace in ample measure. They were able to catch a glimpse of Baba's unique

divinity.

Swami Satchidananda spoke about this at a meeting at Puttaparthy at the

inauguration of the Meditation Grove on the twenty-ninth of June 1957. He said

that whatever others may take Baba to be, he was convinced from personal

experience that He was Super consciousness itself, Omniscient, the motivation

of beings, the Inner-Resident of all beings. He then described how he became

convinced. He was in Baba's room one afternoon. Baba was reclining on His bed.

Suddenly He stood up and shouted in Telugu, "Don't shoot," and fell upon the

bed in what is called a trance, but is best described as "going on a

trans-corporeal journey." His Body became stiff and remained in that condition

for about an hour. When He returned to His physical frame, He looked at those

around Him and requested a telegram be sent

immediately to an address at Bhopal. He dictated the message and the address. It

stated, "Don't worry; the revolver is with me. Baba." Swami Satchidananda

expressed a doubt whether the postal authorities would accept the message for

transmission, for it spoke of a revolver, which comes under the Arms Act.

Others agreed with him, and there was discussion pro and con. Baba wanted the

telegram to be sent quickly, and alternative words to bypass the rules were

discussed. Satchidananda suggested the word, "instrument," for revolver, and

Baba agreed that it would convey the meaning intended so far as the recipient

was concerned. The wire went quickly to its destination, a thousand miles away.

Everyone was anxious to know what the nature of the averted tragedy was. Baba,

however, put aside all attempts to draw the information from Him. On the fourth

day a letter arrived revealing that Baba had saved an individual in distress.

The writer of the letter had served in the Second World War and was high in

Government Service. He was very much upset by the administrative arrangements

following Reorganization of States, for persons far junior in service were

promoted over him. He had no one nearby to assuage or comfort him or even to

listen to his tale of woe. His wife was at her parents' village. Distracted by

the unlucky turn in his career, he decided to end his humiliation by means of

the revolver. There was one handy. He tried one shot just to see whether his

hand would be steady for the fatal

second. But before he could shoot again, Baba had shouted, "Don't shoot!" There

was a loud bang at the door! Baba had come! Not as Baba, but as an old

college-mate accompanied by his wife and a porter with a trunk and a

"carry-all," to make the scene authentic in every detail! The officer ran into

the bedroom, placed the revolver on the bed, threw a sheet over it, hurried

back into the front hall and opened the door! There were the three forms of

Baba ready to play their parts. The college chum was very boisterous and

demonstrative. Baba had become by instantaneous materialization a friend who

had just the qualities that would remove melancholy and could give the officer

the tonic that would cure him of despair. He responded to the treatment and

became normal very soon. He even smiled and laughed at the jokes of his old

friend, and as the conversation proceeded, his thoughts of suicide melted away.

The lady also joined in the talk; but when they discovered that the mistress of

the

house was away, the visitor put on an air of profound disappointment and said

that he would prefer to stay with another friend. In spite of the appeals of

the person whom he had saved, the friend departed forty-five minutes after he

materialized, with the lady, the porter, the trunk, and the "carry-all," thus

drawing the curtain on a superb dramatic performance!

After seeing them off, the officer hurried into the bedroom; he was perplexed to

find that the revolver was not there or anywhere in the house! Who could have

removed it? He had gone to Puttaparthy once with his wife, who was an ardent

devotee. Could it be ... Baba? Ah! It must be He! He locked his house and ran

in haste to the address to which the college chum said he would be going. His

doubt was confirmed; there was no one there. The three visitors had "melted

into thin air" with the trunk and the "carry-all!" On returning home, he was

reflecting on the stunning events that had happened that day when all of a

sudden he was startled by another knock on the door! It was the telegraph

messenger with the wire from Kodaikanal: "Don't worry, the instrument is with

me.

Baba."

Swami Satchidananda said that this incident is much stranger than the

"Parakayapravesam" extolled in Puranik texts of ancient India, which is the

entering into the body of some person. But this was the creation at the very

moment of the willing of three bodies and making them act their roles; the

impersonation of existing individuals, correct to the minutest detail in voice

and inflection, gait and gesture, idiom. and idiosyncrasy, and the recitation

of incidents and anecdotes relating to past decades when they were both

students at the same

college! "This," said Satchidananda, "is possible only for an Incarnation of the Lord."

No wonder that he and Swami Sadananda wrote to their Guru, Swami Sivananda

Saraswati of Rishikesh, about Baba and His divine attributes. The two Swamis

also accompanied Baba to Cape Comorin from Kodaikanal. They had a glimpse of

Baba's universal message when they saw Him creating a rosary with the Holy

Cross and the figure of Jesus Christ in order to bless a Christian. When Sai

Baba walked along the sands of the seashore at Kanyakumari, crystal beads

formed themselves at each step; these were collected by the devotees and kept

in a sandalwood receptacle; there were 84 of them. Baba said that

there must be 108 in all, and when they were counted again, there were 108! A

rosary was made out of these miraculously formed beads, and Baba gave it to

Swami Sadananda.

After visiting the Periyar Dam and the Wild Life Sanctuary there, Baba proceeded

to Madurai and Mayuram, and returned to Puttaparthy via Salem where Swami

Satchidananda had stayed for some years. Thus it came about that Baba had soon

to reply to a letter of invitation from Swami Sivananda Saraswati, President of

the Divine Life Society,

Rishikesh. This was vigorously followed up by many reminders and telegrams in

quick succession, and Baba agreed at last to proceed to North India.

Baba is not enamored by tours to see places or admire scenery nor has He the

urge to go on pilgrimages, for He is the goal of all pilgrimages! When a mother

once complained to Him that her son would not accompany her to Puttaparthy, but

had instead left for Tirupati, the famous Hill Shrine of India, He said, "That

too is coming to Me, for I am not different from the One who is on that Hill."

By mere willing, Baba can be at the farthest corner of the world, for He is

beyond space and time. Baba said, "I am not moved by the craving for a change,

or for

recreation, or travel. Where there is a desire for mental tranquility, I hurry

to grant it; where there is melancholy, I hasten to lift the drooping heart;

where there is no mutual trust, I restore it; I am ever on the move to fulfill

the mission for which I have come."

Swami Satchidananda left before Baba for Rishikesh, because misconceptions about

Sai Baba had to be corrected and brother monks apprised of the divinity of Baba.

Baba started from Puttaparthy by car on the fourteenth of July 1957. He halted

at Medkurthi, sixty-seven miles away, in order to install the silver image of

Sai Baba of Shirdi at the Ayodhya Ashram. A large group of village folk had

been waiting there since noon, and Baba addressed the assembly. He said that

any work, such as the building of the hermitage, should be carried out in a

spirit of devotion, without conceit and with no desire for profit other than

the work well done. Baba condemned the studied neglect of the body as a means

of realizing God. "It is the tabernacle

of the Lord; it is the boat with which one has to cross the ocean of birth and

death with the twin oars of discrimination and detachment; and so it has to be

kept in perfect trim." Turning to the women who had assembled, He spoke of the

need to infuse devotion, courage, self-respect, and the habit of truth in the

children. "No one need go anywhere in search of bliss," He said. "It is there

as a spark; it has only to be fanned into a big flame and fire." He declared

that although He can transform the earth into sky and sky into earth, people

who come to Him get only what they ask and choose. He said that discrimination

and detachment can come about by the relentless examination of every thought on

the touchstone of goodness and truth. "The true devotee must conquer emotion;

the tree recluse must cultivate intellectual sharpness; the true helper or

server must develop strength of mind," He said.

The party reached Madras on the fifteenth of July. Four days later Baba and the

devotees whom He had chosen for the tour emplaned to Delhi. He was very much

amused when He found His name entered on the ticket as Mr. S. S. Baba! He had a

hearty laugh over the "Mr.!" Baba moved about inside the plane, dividing His

time among the

passengers so that everyone could have the privilege of His Grace. He even

granted an interview over the Vindhya Mountain Range to a passenger who prayed

for the chance because he knew who Baba really was. The man was quite surprised

when Baba advised him to marry the school teacher whom he loved, for no one, he

thought, knew of this chapter of his life! Baba promised to make his parents

agree to the match and to give up their unrelenting opposition!

The plane landed at Palam at 4:30 in the afternoon. Within an hour of His

arrival at the Sundarnagar bungalow, which had been prepared for His stay, Baba

had a "call" from a devotee at Bangalore. He "left" His Body and hastened to

relieve the person from what He afterwards described as a dangerous paralytic

stroke! The Bhajan Hour,

"singing of songs of love to God," twice a day attracted the devotees of Delhi

as well as friends and their relatives who had heard of Baba's glory.

On the twenty-second of July Baba left New Delhi by car for Rishikesh. Swami

Sivananda's monastic disciples escorted Him from Hardwar. When He reached

Sivananda Nagar at 6:30 that evening, Swami Sivananda called a special

gathering of the disciples at the Ashram and offered Baba a hearty welcome.

While Sivananda greeted Baba with folded hands, as was his custom, Baba

acknowledged the greeting with His posture of the Hand, which means, "Do not

fear," a sign that has given peace to thousands of troubled souls.

Sivananda Nagar nestles on the lap of the evergreen mountains, banked lovingly

by the kindly right arm of Mother Ganges. The left bank of the river, when it

comes into view occasionally as the curtain of mist is wafted away, is

resplendent with a line of temples and edifices housing the hermitages: Gita,

Bhavan, and the Swargashram. More impressive than these are the forest-clad

mountains on every side that seem like superhuman sages lost in silent

contemplation of the Infinite. They have turned their eyes inward and are

blissfully unaware of history.

The Ganges, daughter of earth and sky, famed in lore and legend, sought after by

devotees in every Hindu home for thousands of years to sanctify every ritual, to

purify every rite, to exorcise every evil, to cleanse every sin, immortalized in

poetry, symbolized in art, embedded in architecture, idealized in sculpture,

humanized in painting, extolled in music, revered as the vehicle of bliss,

tells a scintillating story which is related by a million mothers every

nightfall to the toddlers on their laps. Ganges rolls majestically by,

reminding everyone of India

10pt">'s message and India's grandeur. When the students of the hermitage

arranged a gathering of devotees the next day, and requested Baba to give them

a message, He referred to the Ganges, comparing it to a sincere seeker of God

speeding to the sea. He said that every river knows that it has come from the

sea and it is prompted by that knowledge to hurry toward the sea, irrespective

of all obstacles of the earthy terrain. He commended the quietness of Sivananda

Nagar, the Ashram of Swami Sivananda, and said that it

was also a good place to acquire spiritual quietness. Referring to the

appellation of "Bhagawan" which was used while introducing Him to the

gathering, He said that Bha meant "creation," Ga meant "protection" and Va

meant "change" or "transformation.Bhagawan is capable of all three. That is

My secret," He announced.

Speaking of the things that He is accustomed to make and give, He discounted all

spurious explanations and said that His Will is immediately fulfilled. He

materializes things to give joy to His devotees, just as a father gives sweets

to his little ones, not to advertise his generosity or parenthood. He gives

them to save people worry or anxiety, to ensure peace of mind, help develop

spiritual concentration, and in many cases to keep up His own "contact" with

the careers of the recipients. They are not intended to attract anyone; they

are the products neither of rites nor ritual. They are produced the same way

all articles are produced, except instantaneously. They last as long as all

material objects. "My best gift is love; devotees should strive to acquire

that, as well as discrimination and

detachment which only the Guru can give," said Baba.

He then materialized by the mere Wave of His Hand a magnificent Rudraksha

garland of 108 beads, a rosary made from a berry. It was of exquisite

workmanship, each bead encased in gold, and all were strung in gold with a

five-faced king-bead in the center. He presented it to Swami Sivananda

Saraswati. He also manifested a large quantity of Sacred Ash and applied it to

the sage's forehead. That evening when the Swami entered the Satsang Hall

wearing the unique garland, everyone was awed by its luster and workmanship and

the miracle that brought it forth. Swami Sivananda spoke of Bhagawan and His

message. He expounded on the efficacy of Namasmarana, the remembering of the

Name of God, and appealed as a medical practitioner for a daily dose of

dispassion to be taken by every person

along with the regular diet of the Lord's Name. The Ganges was mentioned in the

talk Baba gave that evening. He began by saying that Naram meant "water"; the

Ganges rolling majestically along was God, Narayana Himself, "God in man."

Indeed the hills and dales, the sky overhead, the forests, the rocks, all

things everywhere were but manifestations of the One. God willed, "I am One,

let Me become many," and He became the world and all the beings therein. The

one sun is reflected in the water of faith. Faith itself leads one to wisdom.

The man with

steady faith quickly and easily realizes the Lord is immanent in everything, and

that He is the One and Only.

Baba's speeches and conversation were so full of rare and deep wisdom that the

next day a number of senior monks and neophytes came to see Baba and plied Him

with questions designed to clarify their doubts. Swami Sivananda also had

hour-long discussions with Baba every evening and was given fruits and Holy Ash

materialized specially for improving his health. Day by day the Swami became

better and better. One day Baba took Ganges water in His Hand, and lo, it

became sweet and fragrant nectar. He gave it to the Swami to be taken as a

cure. It came as a pleasant surprise to many in the Ashram

when they saw, on the day Baba departed, Swami Sivananda enthusiastically taking

Baba around his hermitage, for on the day Baba reached the Ashram, and for a

number of days thereafter, the Swami had been pushed around in a wheel chair!

The twenty-sixth of July, 1957, was full of pleasant memories for the devotees

and the residents of the Sivananda-ashram, for Baba boarded a bus and proceeded

along the bank of the Ganges to a palace of the Rani of Garhwal for a quiet

morning.

The scenery all along the way was very elevating. Here and there among the

mountains one could discern a lonely hut with the Gerua Flag of a monk

indicating a battle with the lower self. Suddenly the road turned and the side

of the Ganges halted the bus in front of an artistic little bungalow set like a

gem in the center of a well-kept garden. Baba saw a jambu tree full of fruits;

He plucked and distributed them to the members of the party, then sat under a

tree on the riverbank. Some asked Him questions that were troubling them,

including those about the nature of the scriptural texts

and their value to modern times. He said they were like sign posts indicating

the road; the road has to be traversed in order to experience the joy of

reaching the goal. There was one question on heaven and hell both of which,

Baba said, do exist here in this world. Monks inquired about the realization of

the universal and the melting away of the delusion attached to the individual at

that time.

On the way back Baba stopped the bus at a place where a thin little iron post

carried a half-distinct nameplate reading, "The Cave of Vasishtha." He

descended the rather precipitous incline to the riverbank as if He had been

there often before, and as if He were aware of a prearranged engagement with

the occupant of the cave. The

Ganges curves widely near the cave, and so the scenery was doubly attractive.

The cave bears a hallowed name; it has been sanctified by the austerities

performed therein by many great recluses and monks in the past. Swami

Purushotamananda, a disciple of Swami Brahamananda of the Ramakrishna Order,

had been initiated into monastic life by Mahapurushji, another direct disciple

of Sri Ramakrishna. The Swami had been in the cave for thirty years. He

welcomed Baba as if expecting Him. He was more than seventy years old and had

spent the major part of his life in asceticism of a most rigorous kind and in

the study of scriptures. His face had the genuine glow of spiritual joy and the

slightest mention of the glory of the Godhead sent him into Samadhi, the depths

of inner

bliss. When a young man of twenty-seven, Brahamanandaji had read his palm at

Kanyakumari and predicted that he would go into a cave for continuous

meditation.

Baba reminded the Swami of the travails he had endured when he first came into

the cave, the struggles with leopards and cobras, a three-day trek to

Rishikesh, and the desperate search for salt and matches! He spoke of the help

that came to him through sheer divine intervention!

Baba repeated the visit the next evening in spite of a thunderous sky and the

grumbling of those who accompanied Him, but both ceased by His Grace. Baba sang

a number of songs while at the cave, and when one of the Swamis attending Swami

Purushotamananda requested Him to sing a devotional song, Swami Kalikananda

said he was longing to hear "Sri Raghuvara Sugunalaya." Baba sang the song to

make him happy. No one had heard Him sing it before; so this was an unexpected

surprise for which they thanked Swami Kalikananda. Hearing that Swami had been

suffering from chronic stomachache for many years, Baba "took" some candy from

nowhere and gave it to him with instructions about diet. He also gave Swami

Purushotamananda a rosary of shining beads which He

manifested.

More mysterious and significant was the Vision that He gave to Swami

Purushotamananda that evening. As early as 1918, the Swami had written to his

Master, "All is false and I cannot rest satisfied until and unless I come face

to face with Truth!" After sending everyone outside the cave, Baba and the sage

went into the inner room. Sri Subbaramiah, President of the Divine Life Society

at Venkatagiri, describes what he was able to see from outside the cave: "Even

now that picture is imprinted in my memory. I was standing near the entrance to

the cave. I could see what was happening through a chink in the door. Baba

placed His Head on the lap of Swami Purushotamananda and lay Himself down.

Suddenly His entire Body was bathed in divine brilliance. His Head and Face

appeared to me to have increased very much

in size. Rays of splendor emanated from His Face. I was overwhelmed with a

strange inexplicable joy. The time was about 10:00 p.m." When later asked to

divulge the nature of the Vision, Baba informed us that it was a Vision of the

glory of the Lord.

While returning from the cave, Baba "left" His Body for a short while. When

asked later, He told where He had been. He had gone to save a great Yogi from a

watery grave. This aroused the curiosity of everyone around Him and they

gathered closer to hear further details. He brushed their questions aside and

said that Subrahmanyam would be able to say who it was! Later Subrahmanyam, a

member of the party, was asked by Baba what he had seen that evening while at

the cave. He begged pardon for not informing Baba immediately about it, for he

had seen a corpse floating down the Ganges; but

being a thing of evil omen, he refrained from mentioning it in the holy

atmosphere of the cave. Baba laughed and said it was not a corpse at all,

though the Yogi who was floating down the flood was so dead to all external

appearances that he did not even cognize his plight. He was being swept down by

the torrent. It seems he was seated on a rock by the side of the river, lost in

meditation. The current, meanwhile, was fast eating into the mud underneath the

rock, which tilted over, throwing him into the flood. "It was all like a dream

for him at first," said Baba. Later when he found he was being carried away by

the Ganges, he began to pray to the Lord. Baba heard his call; He slowly led

the floating "corpse" to the bank, a few miles above Sivananda Nagar where

there

was a homestead available to give him warmth and comfort.

Raja Reddy, who was at Rishikesh, writes, "We heard Him narrating the incident.

During the 'trance' He had His Palms one over the other, as if enclosing

something. It was to protect the Sanyasin's heart that Baba had kept His Palms

closed. The Sadhu was saved after a thirty-mile float! But one or more of the

following three conditions must be fulfilled before the S.O.S. of the person

draws Baba's attention. He must either have something from Baba in the form of

a materialized article of Grace for protection, or he should call on the Lord,

heart and soul, whenever danger threatens him. In case the person in distress

fails to qualify himself in either of these ways, he should at least be a man

of truth and sincerity. It does not matter if he is not a devotee. In calling

upon Baba, no particular Name is

essential - Rama, Krishna, Jesus, Allah, Sai, be it any. All Names and Forms

being His and His alone, He is only too ready to answer the cry of the one in

distress and to avert it. The Yogi was not a devotee of Baba, nor had he ever

seen Him. But his life was saved." This incident of the unknown Yogi was a

great revelation to many of Baba's Universal Love and Presence.

Baba's cottage at Rishikesh was a busy place during His stay. Inmates of the

Ashram and the students of the Academy gathered there and plied Rim with

questions on the various steps in spiritual discipline. There was also an

unceasing train of pilgrims who discovered that Rishikesh had acquired another

focus of holiness. The scholar-saint Sri Shad-darsan-acharya Swami, whose name

means "Master of the Six Schools of Philosophy, " came twice with his disciples

and students. Swamis Sadananda and Satchidananda found themselves surrounded by

eager inquirers wanting more and more information about Baba, His life, His

glory, and His Prashanthi Nilayam at Puttaparthy. Swami Sadananda told a young

Brahmachari that Baba can roam at will through the regions of the soul, the

super soul, and the oversoul, and

can reveal whatever happens anywhere at any time. He also said He is

all-powerful and had seen Baba converting a grain of rice into a grain of ivory

and transforming that grain of ivory into a hundred and eight elephant

figurines, each one finely carved and clearly recognizable by means of a

magnifying glass!

Baba left Swami Sivananda on the twenty-eighth of July and went to New Delhi. On

the thirtieth He proceeded by car to Mathura-Brindavan, the scene of His past

Divine Career. The devotees were eagerly looking forward to seeing Him in that

background and to being with Him in that atmosphere charged with the fragrance

of the Maha-Bhagavatha, the epic of that Incarnation. The devotees left New

Delhi in a bus, which made a detour via Aligarh and broke down near a small

hamlet some twenty miles beyond Aligarh! Another bus had to be requisitioned,

and by the time it arrived and Mathura was reached, it was nearly

3:30 p.m. The party was exhausted, hungry and depressed. Baba, kinder than any

mother, welcomed and consoled them so tenderly and lovingly, that to many in

the party, the breakdown seemed positively worthwhile! He comforted them with

His own characteristically sweet words of solace. "Come nearer the fan,"

"Stretch yourselves a little,Do not stand up when I come,Here! I have

prepared this cool drink specially for you,Take this, you are awfully

tired," He said while tending them. In a trice, they were restored to their

former energy.

Baba led them all to the bank of the Yamuna, as if He knew every inch of the

place, and pointed out the hallowed localities. Who can say what reminiscences

were activating the Consciousness of Baba as He showed the places where the

serpent was humbled, the Gopis were chided, the cart was overturned, the twin

trees were plucked. Every little wave of the Yamuna seemed to dance to the

music of His Voice; every cow that was seen seemed to be seeking the warm touch

of His Divine Hand!

While returning to Mathura, Baba casually walked into a Radha-Shyam Temple where

Krishna and the Gopis were worshiped. Arrangements were being made in front of

the Temple for a Rasaleela Show, a play on the "Dance of Krishna among the

Gopis," in which He appeared as many Krishnas. When He went and stood in front

of the shrine, suddenly the lights went off; everyone wondered why! Baba said,

"Don't worry; we shall take this idol of Krishna to Delhi and you can perform

your adoration to it there!" He waved His Hand across the door of the shrine

where one could see the lovely marble image of Krishna in the dim light - in

His Palm there materialized an idol, the exact replica of the one installed

inside!

On the second day of August 1957, Baba left for Srinagar by plane and reached the Kashmir Valley at

noon. From the air one could see the complicated network of canals that feed the

Punjab plains, the Golden Temple of Amritsar, and the rugged approaches to the

Banihal Pass and the Kashmir

normal"> Valley. Once the pass is crossed, the enchanting loveliness of the

valley that has aroused the covetousness of monarchs from as far as Macedonia

and Mongolia spreads itself before the eye. The gurgling

waters, the long rows of pine trees, the luscious greenness of the grass, the

signs of quiet toil, fill the mind with joy. Though the Head of the

Sankaracharya Monastery of Srinagar pressed Baba to accept his hospitality and

take up residence there, Baba preferred to stay in a houseboat named Alexandra

Palace

FONT-SIZE: 10pt">. His party occupied two neighboring boats known as the Prince

of Kashmir and the King's Roses.

Baba encourages everyone to appreciate the beauties of nature. He directs

attention to the charm of a flower, the colorful magnificence of a sunrise or

sunset, the grim grandeur of an overcast sky, the timorous twinkling of the

stars in the midnight sky or the quick-moving jasmine-garland of cranes in

flight. He took the party to the Shalimar and Nishat Bagh Gardens in the

evening, but as He remarked while returning to the houseboat, the snow-covered

Himalayas in the far distance were a far lovelier garden designed by the Lord

to draw men's eyes away from the valleys in which

they wallowed.

On the third of August Baba departed for Gulmarg and Kilanmarg to show His

party, which consisted of merchants and businessmen, lawyers and professors,

writers, poets and musicians, administrators and agriculturists, the snows of

the Himalayan Ranges. Horses were engaged at Tanmarg, and during the long and

arduous climb of over twelve miles to approximately 14.000 feet above sea

level, Baba kept the party lively by His quips, jokes, occasional gifts, or

Ash. He rode His horse, Raja, the tallest and most impressive of all, with ease

and dexterity. Never once did He get down to rest. The winding road over the

hills was full of pebbles, broken cobblestones and the tangle of pine tree

roots, but the horses cleverly picked their way along until the snow line was

reached.

Baba, barefoot, played in the snow, rolling snow balls and throwing them at the

party, laughing at the frightened faces of those who slid down the snow banks

in makeshift toboggans and chiding those who complained of the chilling wind.

Everyone was tired and complained of aches and blisters, but Baba was fresh as

a rose when they returned to the houseboats about 10:30 that night.

The Alexandra Palace became very soon a replica of Prashanthi Nilayam; many from

Srinagar came to pay

homage to Baba and receive His blessings. There was an old lady who said she had

been directed to go to that very boat by some messenger in a dream she had the

previous night. Baba accepted the invitation of a few families in Srinagar to

visit them in their homes. At one such home He placed a garland around the neck

of a baby, saying, "He will become a great Yogi!" Strange to say, the

grandfather of the child declared, "That was exactly what the astrologer who

prepared the horoscope of this child predicted when he was born!" He said so

only after Baba asked him, "You have already been told so, isn't it?" That was

the house of the secretary of the travel agency, which had made arrangements

for Baba's tour of Kashmir. Baba gave him a ring, set with gemstones, which He

materialized on the spot. During the conversation, when someone asked Him at

what age He had "given up hearth and home," He said, "How can I, whose home is

the world, give up hearth and home?"

The stream of questioning pilgrims to Alexandra Palace continued unabated for

two full days. Baba's answers illumined the Divinity of His Being. Leave-taking

was naturally a prolonged and painful affair for the large throng of devotees

who had come to the airport on the sixth of August. The plane finally departed

for

Delhi. Next Baba flew to Madras for a short stay and reached Puttaparthy on the

fourteenth of August.

CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brother M. Palaniswamy

/

 

Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard.