SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM [26-27]

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Om Sri Sai Ram

SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM

The Life Stories of the Two Avatars of the Age – [26-27]

SHRI SAI SATCHARITA

The Life of the Divine Avatar Sai Baba of Shirdi

By Hemadpant

CHAPTER XXVI

Stories of (1) Bhakata Pant (2) Harishchandra Pitale and (3) Gopal Ambadekar

PRELIMINARY

All the things that we see in the universe are nothing but a play of Maya -- the

creative power of the Lord. These things do not really exist. What really exists

is the Real Absolute. Just as we mistake a rope of a garland or a stick for a

serpent on account of darkness, we always see the phenomena, i.e. things as

they outwardly appear, and not the Noumenon which underlies all the visible

things. It is only the Sad-guru that opens the eyes of our understanding and

enables us to see things in their true light and not as they appear. Let us,

therefore, worship the Sad-guru and pray to him to give us the true vision,

which is nothing but God-vision.

INNER WORSHIP

Hemadpant has given us a novel form of worship. Let us, he says, use hot water

in the form of tears of joy to wash the Sad-guru's feet, let us besmear His

body with sandal-paste of pure love, let us cover His body with the cloth of

true faith, let us offer eight lotuses in the form of our eight Satwic emotions

and fruit in the form of our concentrated mind; let us apply to His head bukka

(black-powder) in the form of devotion and tie the waistband of Bhakti and

place our head on his toes.

After decorating the Sad-guru with all jewelry in this way, let us offer our all

to Him and wave chamar of devotion to ward off heat. After such blissful

worship, let us pray thus: - "Introvert our mind, turn it inward, give us

discrimination between the Unreal and the Real and non-attachment for all

worldly things and thus enable us to get Self-realisation. We surrender

ourselves, body and soul (body-consciousness and ego). Make our eyes Yours, so

that we should never feel pleasure and pain. Control our body and mind as You

will and wish. Let our mind get rest in Your Feet".

Now let us turn to the stories of this Chapter.

BHAKTA PANT

Once it so happened that a devotee by name Pant, a disciple of another Sad-guru

had the good fortune of visiting Shirdi. He had no mind to go to Shirdi, but

man proposes one way and God disposes the other. He was traveling in a B.B. &

C.I. Rly. Train where he met many friends and relations bound for Shirdi. They

all asked him to accompany them and he could not say nay. They alighted at

Bombay while pant got down at Virar. There he took the permission of his

Sadguru for the Shirdi trip and after arranging for the expenses, left with the

party for Shirdi.

They all reached the place in the morning and went to the Masjid at about 11

A.M. Seeing the concourse of the devotees assembled for Baba's worship, they

were all pleased, but Pant suddenly got a fit and fell senseless. They were all

frightened; still they tried their best to bring him to his senses. With Baba's

grace and with pitchers of water, which they poured over his head, he regained

his consciousness and sat upright as if he was just awakened from sleep. The

omniscient Baba knowing that he was a disciple of another Guru, assured him

fearlessness and confirmed his faith in his own Guru, by addressing him as

follows: - "Come what may, leave not, but stick to your Bolster (support, i.e.

Guru) and ever remain steady, always at-one-ment (in union) with him." Pant at

once knew the significance of this remark and thus he was reminded of his

Sad-guru. This kindness of Baba he never forgot in his life.

HARISHCHANDRA PITALE

There was a gentleman by name Harishchandra Pital in Bombay. He had a son, who

suffered from epilepsy. He tried many allopathic and ayurvedic doctors, but

there was no cure. There remained only one way of remedy, viz. resorting to the

saints. It has been stated in Chapter XV that Das Ganu by his inimitable and

splendid Kirtans spread the fame of Sai Baba in the Bombay Presidency. Mr.

Pitale heard some of these Kirtans in 1910 and learnt therefrom and from others

that Baba, by His touch and mere glance, cured many incurable diseases. Then a

desire arose in his mind to see Sai Baba. Making all preparations and taking

presents and fruit-baskets, Mr. Pitale came to Shirdi with family, wife and

children. He then went to the Masjid with them, prostrated before Baba and

placed his sick son on Baba's Feet. No sooner Baba saw the child than an

untoward thing happened. The son immediately revolved his eyes and fell down

senseless. His mouth began to foam and his whole body began to perspire

profusely and it seemed as if he breathed himself out. Seeing this, the parents

became very nervous and excited. The boy used to get such fits very often, but

this fit seemed to persist long. Tears began to flow ceaselessly from the

mother's eyes and she began to wail, crying that her condition was like that of

a person, who being

afraid of the robbers ran into a house which collapsed on him, or like a cow

fearing a tiger, ran into the hands of a butcher, or like a traveler, who being

tormented by the heat of the sun went to take refuge under a tree, which fell

upon him, or like a devout person going for worship into a temple which

collapsed upon him. Then Baba comforted her saying - "Do not wail like this,

wait a bit, have patience, take the boy to your lodging, he will come to his

senses within half an hour." They did as directed by Baba and found that His

words came true. As soon as he was taken into the Wada, the boy recovered and

all the Pitale family, husband, wife and others were very delighted and all

their doubts disappeared. Then Mr. Pitale came with his wife to see Baba and

prostrated himself before Him very humbly and respectfully and sat shampooing

His legs and mentally thanking Baba for His help. Baba then smilingly said -

"Are not all your thoughts, doubts and apprehensions calmed down now?

Hari (Lord) will protect him, who has got faith and patience".

Mr. Pitale was a rich and well-to-do gentleman. He distributed sweetmeat on a

large scale and gave Baba excellent fruits and pan (betel-leaves). Mrs. Pitale

was a very Satwic lady, simple, loving and faithful. She used to sit near the

post staring at Baba with tears of joy flowing down from her eyes. Seeing her

of an amicable and loving nature, Baba was much pleased with her. Like Gods,

Saints are always dependent on their devotees who surrender and worship them

with their heart and soul. After passing some happy days in Baba's company, the

Pitale family came to the Masjid to take Baba's leave to depart. Baba gave them

Udi and blessings and called Mr. Pitale close by and said to him - "Bapu, I had

given you before, Rs. two, now I give you Rs. three; keep these in your shrine

for worship

and you will be benefited." Mr. Pitale accepted these as Prasadam prostrated

himself again before Baba and prayed for His blessings. A thought arose in his

mind, that as that was his first trip to Shirdi, he could not understand what

Baba meant, when He said that He had given Rs. two previously. He was curious

to have this mystery solves, but Baba kept silent. When Mr. Pitale returned to

Bombay, he narrated to his old mother all that had happened at Shirdi and the

mystery about Baba's giving him Rs. two formerly. The mother also did not

understand the mystery, but, thinking seriously about that, she was reminded of

an old incident, which solved the mystery. She said to her son - "As you now

went to Sai Baba with your son, so had your father done when he took you to

Akkalkot, for the Darshan of the Maharaj there many years ago. That Maharaj was

also a Siddha, Perfect Yogi, omniscient and liberal. Your father was pure,

devout and his worship was accepted. He then gave your father Rs.

two for being kept in the shrine and worshipped. Your father worshipped them

accordingly till his death, but thereafter the worship was neglected and the

rupees were lost. After some years the memory of these two rupees also

disappeared and now, as you are very fortunate, the Akkalkotkar Maharaj has

appeared to you in the form of Sai Baba just to remind you to your duties and

worship, and to ward off all dangers. Now beware henceforth, leave off all

doubts and bad thoughts, follow your ancestors and behave well; go on

worshipping the family gods and the rupees, appraise properly and take pride in

the blessing of the Saints. Sai Samartha has kindly revived the spirit of Bhakti

in you, cultivate it your benefit." Hearing the remarks of the mother, Mr.

Pitale was very much delighted. He came to know, and was convinced about the

all-pervasiveness of Baba and the significance of His Darshan. From that time

he became very careful about his behavior.

MR. AMBADEKAR

Mr. Gopal Narayan Ambadekar of Poona was a devotee of Baba. He served for ten

years in the Abkari department in the Thana District and in Javhar State

normal">, He tried to get some other job, but he did not succeed. He was

overtaken by other calamities and his condition grew from bad to worse. He

passed 7 years in this condition, visiting Shirdi every year and placing his

grievance before Baba. In 1916 his plight became worst and he decided to commit

suicide in Shirdi. So he came there with his wife and stayed for two months. One

night while sitting in a bullock cart in front of Dixit's Wada, he resolved to

end his life by throwing himself into a well close by. He proposed to do one

way but Baba wished to do something else. A few paces from this place, there

was a hotel and its proprietor Mr. Sagun, a devotee of Baba, came out and

accosted him thus - "Did you ever read this Akkalkotkar Maharaja's life?"

Ambadekar took that book from Sagun and began to read it. Casually, or we may

say providentially he came across a story which was to this effect. - During

the life time of Akkalkotkar

Maharaj a certain devotee suffered very much from an incurable disease and when

he could endure the agony and pain no longer, be became desperate and to end

his miseries threw himself one night into a well. Immediately the Maharaj came

there and took him out with his own hands and advised him thus - "You must

enjoy the fruit - good or bad – of your past actions; if the enjoyment be

incomplete, suicide won't help you. You have to take another birth and suffer

again; so instead of killing yourself, why not suffer for some time and finish

up your store of the fruit of your past deeds and be done with it once and for

all?"

Reading this appropriate and timely story, Ambadekar was much surprised, and

moved. Had he not got Baba's hint through the story, he would have been no

more. On seeing Baba's all-pervasiveness and benevolence, his faith in Him was

confirmed, and he became a staunch devotee. His father was a devotee of

Akkalkotkar Maharaj and Sai Baba wanted him to walk into his father's footsteps

and continue his devotion to Him. He then got Sai Baba's blessings and his

prospects began to improve. He studied astrology and gained proficiency in it

and thereby improved his lot. He was able to earn sufficient money and passed

his after-life in ease and comfort.

BOW TO SHRI SAI - PEACE BE TO ALL

CHAPTER XXVII

Favour Shown by Giving Bhagwat and Vishnu-Sahasra Nam - Dixit's Vitthal Vision –

Gita Rahasya - Khapardes

This Chapter describes how Sai Baba favoured His devotees by granting them

religious books after he had touched and consecrated them, for parayana

(reading regularly) and certain other matters.

PRELIMINARY

When a man takes a plunge into the sea, he gets the merit of bathing in all the

Tirthas and sacred rivers. Similarly when a man takes refuge at the feet of the

Sad-guru, he gets the merit of bowing to the Trinity, i.e. Brahma, Vishnu and

Mahesh and also Para-Brahma. Victory be unto Shri Sai the wish-fulfilling tree

and the ocean of knowledge, who gives us self-realisation. Oh Sai, create in us

regard for Your stories. Let the readers and audience devour them with the same

relish with which the chatak bird drinks the water from the clouds and becomes

happy. While listening to Your stories, let them and their families get all the

Satwic emotions, viz. let their bodies perspire, let their eyes be full of

tears, let their prana be steady, let their minds be composed, let their hair

stand on

end, let them cry, sob and shake, let their hostilities and their distinctions,

great and small vanish. If these things happen, that is a sign of the grace of

the Guru dawning upon them. When these emotions develop in you, the Guru is

most pleased and will certainly lead you on to the goal of self-realisation.

The best way, therefore, to get free from the shackles of Maya is our complete

and whole-hearted surrender to Baba. The Vedas cannot take you across the ocean

of Maya. It is only the Sad-guru, who can do so and make you, see

the Lord in all creatures.

GRANTING CONSECRATED BOOK

The variety of imparting instructions followed by Baba has already been noticed

in the previous Chapters. In this, we shall deal with one aspect of it. It was

the habit of some devotees to take some religious books, of which they wanted

to make a special study, to Baba and to receive the same back from Him, after

they were touched and consecrated by Him. While reading daily such books, they

felt that Baba was with them. Once, Kaka Mahajani came to Shirdi with a copy of

Ekanathi Bhagwat. Shama took that book to read and taking it with him went to

the Masjid. There Baba took it from him; touched it and turning some pages here

and there gave it back to Shama and asked him to keep it with him. When Shama

said that it belonged to Kaka and had to be returned to him. "No, no", said

Baba. "As I

have given it to you, better keep it with you for safe custody; it will be of

use to you." In this way many books were entrusted to Shama. Kaka Mahajani

after some days came again with another copy of the same Bhagwat and gave it in

Baba's hand. Then Baba gave it back as Prasadam and asked him to preserve it

well and assured him that it would stand him in good stead. Kaka accepted it

with a bow.

SHAMA AND VISHNU SAHASRANAM

Shama was a very intimate devotee of Baba and Baba wanted to favour him in a

particular way by giving

him a copy of Vishnu Sahasranam as Prasadam. This was done in the following way.

Once a Ramadasi (follower of Saint Ramdas) came to Shirdi and stayed for some

time. The routine he followed daily was as follows: He got up early in the

morning, washed his face, bathed and then after wearing saffron-colored clothes

and besmearing himself with sacred ashes, read Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam (a book giving

a thousand names in praise of Vishnu, and held second in importance to Bhagawat

Gita) and Adhyatma-Ramayana (Esoteric version of Rama's story) with faith. He

read these books often and often and then after some days Baba thought of

favoring and initiating Shama with Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam. He, therefore, called

the Ramadasi to Him and said to him that, He was suffering from intense

stomach-pain, and

unless He took Senna-pods (Sona-mukhi, a mild purgative drug) the pain would not

stop; so he should please go to the bazaar and bring the drug. The Ramadasi

closed his reading and went to the bazaar. Then Baba descended from His seat,

came to the Ramadasi's place of reading, took out the copy of

Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam, and coming to His seat said to Shama- "Oh Shama, this book

is very valuable and efficacious, so I present it to you, you read it. Once I

suffered intensely and My heart began to palpitate and My life was in danger.

At that critical time, I hugged this book to My heart and then, Shama, what a

relief it gave me! I thought that Allah Himself came down and saved Me. So I

give this to you, read it slowly, little by little, read daily one name at

least and it will do you good." Shama replied that he did not want it, and that

the owner of it, the Ramadasi who was a mad, obstinate and irritable fellow

would certainly pick up a quarrel with him, besides, being a rustic himself, he

could not read distinctly the Sanskrit (Devanagari) letters of the book.

Shama thought that Baba wanted to set him up against the Ramadasi by this act of

His, but he had no idea of what Baba felt for him. Baba must have thought to tie

this necklace of Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam round the neck of Shama, as he was an

intimate devotee, though a rustic, and thus save him from the miseries of the

worldly existence. The efficacy of God's Name is well known. It saves us from

all sins and bad tendencies, frees us from the cycle of births and deaths.

There is no easier Sadhana than this. It is the best purifier of our mind. It

requires no paraphernalia and no restrictions. It is so easy and so effective.

This Sadhana, Baba wanted Shama to practice, though he did not crave for it. So

Baba forced this on him. It is also reported that long ago, Ekanath Maharaj,

similarly, forced

this Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam on a poor Brahmin neighbour, and thus saved him. The

reading and study of this Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam is a broad open way of purifying

the mind, and hence Baba thrust this on His Shama.

The Ramadasi returned soon with the Seena-pods. Anna Chinchanikar, who was then

present and who wanted to play the part of Narada (the Celestial Rishi who was

well known for setting up quarrels between Gods and demons and vice versa),

informed him of what had happened. The Ramadasi at once flared up. He came down

at once on Shama with all fury. He said that it was Shama who set Baba to send

him away under the pretext of stomachache for bringing the medicine and thus

got the book. He began to scold and abuse Shama and remarked that if the book

be not returned, he would dash his head before him. Shama calmly remonstrated

with him, but in vain. Then Baba spoke kindly to him as follows - "Oh Ramadasi,

what is the matter with you? Why are you so turbulent? Is not Shama our boy? Why

do you

scold him unnecessarily? How is it that you are so quarrelsome? Can you not

speak soft and sweet words? You read daily these sacred books and still your

mind is impure and your passions uncontrolled. What sort of a Ramadasi you are!

You ought to be indifferent to all things. Is it not strange that you should

covet this book so strongly? A true Ramadasi should have no 'mamata'

(attachment) but have 'samata' (equality) towards all. You are now quarrelling

with the boy Shama for a mere book. Go, take your seat, books can be had in

plenty for money, but not men; think well and be considerate. What worth is

your book? Shama had no concern with it. I took it up Myself and gave it to

him. You know it by heart. I thought Shama might read it and profit thereby,

and so I gave to it him."

How sweet were these words of Baba, soft, tender and nectar-like! Their effect

was wonderful. The Ramadasi calmed down and said to Shama that he would take

'Panch-ratni' Geeta in return. Shama was much pleased and said - "Why one, I

shall give ten copies in return". So the matter was ultimately compromised.

The question for consideration is "Why should the Ramadasi press for

Pancha-ratni Geeta, the God in which he never cared to know, and why should he,

who daily read religious books in the Masjid in front of Baba, quarrel with

Shama before Him?" We do not know how to apportion the blame and whom to blame.

We only say that, had this procedure been not gone through, the importance of

the subject, the efficacy of God's name and the study of

Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam would not have been brought home to Shama. So we see that

Baba's method, of teaching and initiating was unique. In this cases Shama did

gradually study the book and mastered its contents to such an extent, that he

was able

to explain it to Professor G.G. Narke, M.A. of the College of Engineering,

Poona, the son-in-law of Shriman Booty and a devotee of Baba.

VITHAL-VISION

One day, while Kakasaheb Dixit was in mediation after his morning bath in his

Wada at Shirdi he saw a vision of Vithal. When he went to see Baba afterwards,

Baba asked him - "Did Vithal Patil come? Did you not see Him? He is very

elusive, hold Him fast, otherwise He will give you the slip and run away". Then

at noon a certain hawker came there, with 20 or 25 pictures of Vithal of

Pandharpur for sale. Mr. Dixit was surprised to see that the form of Vithal he

saw in his mediation exactly tallied with that in the picture and he was also

reminded of Baba's words. He

therefore, bought one picture most willingly and kept it in his shrine for worship.

GEETA-RAHASYA

Baba always loved those who studied Brahma-Vidhya (metaphysics) and encouraged

them. To give an instance - Once Bapusaheb Jog received a post-parcel. It

contained a copy of Geeta-Rahasya by Lokamanya Tilak. Taking it under his

armpit he came to the Masjid and prostrated himself before Baba, when the

parcel fell at Baba's Feet. Baba enquired what it was. It was opened then and

there and the book was placed in Baba's hand. He turned some pages here and

there for a few minutes and took out a rupee from His pocket placed it on the

book and handed the same with the rupee to Jog and said to him - "Read this

completely and you will be benefited".

MR. AND MRS. KHAPARDE

Let us close this Chapter with a description of the Khaparde’s. Once Dadasaheb

Khaparde came with his family and lived in Shirdi for some months. (The diary

of his stay has been published in English in the Shri Sai Leela Magazine first

Volume.) Dadasaheb was not an ordinary man. He was the richest and the most

famous advocate of Amraoti (Berar) and was a member of the Council of State,

Delhi. He was very intelligent and a very good speaker. Still he dared not open

his mouth before Baba. Most devotees spoke and argued with Baba off and on, but

only three, viz. Khaparde, Noolkar and Booty kept always silent. They were

meek, modest, humble and good-natured. Dadasaheb, who was able to expound

Panchadashi (A well-known Sanskrit treatise on the Adwaita Philosophy by the

famous Vidyaranya) to others, said nothing or uttered no word when he came to

the Masjid before Baba. Really a man, however learned he may be even in Vedas,

fades away before one, who was realised Brahman and become one with it.

Learning cannot shine before Self-realisation. Dadasaheb stayed for four

months, but Mrs. Khaparde stayed for seven. Both were highly pleased with their

Shirdi stay. Mrs. Khaparde was faithful and devout, and loved Baba deeply. Every

 

FONT-SIZE: 10pt">noon she brought naiveidya herself to the Masjid, and after it

was accepted by Baba, she used to return and take her meals. Seeing her steady

and firm devotion, Baba wanted to exhibit it to others. One noon she brought a

dish containing Sanza (wheat-pudding), purees, rice, soup, and kheer (sweet

rice) and other sundry articles to the Masjid. Baba, who usually waited for

hours, got up at once, went up to His dining seat and removing the outer

covering from the dish, began to partake of the things zealously. Shama then

asked Him - "Why this partiality? You throw away dishes of others and do not

care to look at them, but this You draw to

You earnestly and do justice to it. Why is the dish of this woman so sweet? This

is a problem to us." Baba then explained - "This food is really extra-ordinary.

In former birth this lady was a merchant's fat cow yielding much milk. Then she

disappeared and took birth in a gardener's family, then in a Kshatriya family,

and married a merchant. Then she was born in a Brahmin family. I saw her after

a very long time; let Me take some sweet morsels of love from her dish." Saying

this, Baba did full justice to her dish, washed his mouth and hands, gave out

some belches as a mark of satisfaction, and resumed His seat. Then she made a

bow and began to shampoo Baba's legs and Baba began to talk with her and knead

her arms, which were shampooing His Legs. On seeing this reciprocal service

Shama began to joke and said - "It is going on well, it is a wonderful sight to

see God and His Bhakta serving each other. "After being pleased with her sincere

service, Baba asked her in low and fascinating

tone to chant 'Rajarama, Rajarama' then and always, and said - "If you do this,

your life's object will be gained, your mind will attain peace and you will be

immensely benefited." To persons unfamiliar with spiritual matters, this might

appear as affair, but really it was not so. It was a case of, what in

technically called, 'Shakti-pat', i.e. transference of power from the Guru to

the disciple. How forcible and effective were Baba's words! In an instant, they

pierced her heart and found lodgment there.

This case illustrates the nature of the relations that should subsist between

the Guru and the disciple. Both should love and serve each other as One. There

is neither distinction nor any difference between them. Both are One, and one

cannot live without the other. The disciple placing his head on the Guru's feet

is a gross or outward vision; really and internally they are both one and the

same. Those who see any difference between them are yet unripe and not perfect.

 

BOW TO SHRI SAI - PEACE BE TO ALL

*****

SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM - Part II

The Life of the Divine Avatar Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

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

GIFTS OF GRACE

At Shirdi, Baba gave the Divine Panacea, the Ash, contacted by His Divine Hand,

from the Dhuni or Fire that was always lit and active in the Masjid room where

He spent His days. Now, the Dhuni is in His own Hand, ever ready to yield the

precious gift; He has only to will and wave. Nor is it essential that the ash

or Vibhuthi as it is called in Sanskrit should be so created. Baba wills, but,

does not wave His Hand. Yet, the Vibhuthi flows, as the stream of Grace, where

He wills, when He wills. This is the greatest of contemporary miracles, this

overflowing shower of Divine Vibhuthi Grace!

The showers came, silent and unannounced, like dew before the dawn on blossoms

in the fields. An anxious parent inquired whether the appearance of ash

clusters on the picture of Baba that he was worshipping boded ill: for, he had

met Baba a few weeks previously about a missing son, and the ash for him was a

reminder of cremation and death. Baba directed me to write to the correspondent

that Vibhuthi on and from His picture and the pictures of other forms of God can

never be so interpreted; it is a sign of Grace! This happened in Tanjore

District.

At Parmathi, in Salem District, a person who had visited Prashanthi Nilayam and

who had not met Baba in person had a picture of Baba in his shrine. He writes,

"Since the 2nd of last month, Ash as well as Amrit are falling in showers from

Baba's picture! I am collecting them and giving them to the people who come.

But I have extra stock with me, which is daily accumulating. Advise me what I

should do with these? Can I put them into the holy Kaveri

10pt">River that is near my place?" Another correspondent from Cochin wrote

about the same time, to the Editor of the Sanathana Sarathi. "A few days back,

I found that an oily fluid was flowing from one side of the glass of the framed

picture of Bhagawan. There are red dots of Kumkum and white dots of Vibhuthi

that have appeared on the glass. As I am not quite sure what the above things

relate to, I have not given any publicity to this. I shall be highly grateful,

if you can kindly enlighten me". What could the puzzled editor, that is, what

could I do, except congratulating him on the unique proof he had before his

eyes of the

majestic glory of Baba?

Or, I shall quote from a letter about a happening in Calcutta. "I am a devotee

of Baba for several years; but, my brother's sons at Calcutta have not seen

Baba. So they are naturally upset. Vibhuthi appears and can be collected not

only from Baba's picture, but, from all the other ten pictures of Hindu Gods!

Vibhuthi is also originating from

the photograph of my brother, who died some 8 years ago! Of course, he was a

very pious and simple man, with a large heart. On the Ashtami Day, when our

family deity at Vaikom is taken out the Annual Procession, the Vibhuthi that

showered from Baba's Picture was the same, in texture, colour, taste, and

density, as the Ash given at Vaikom as Prasadam; Please find out the

significance of all this and let me know what I should do".

K. Rajarama Rao from Konaje, near Vital, in South Kanara District, Mysore was

afflicted with doubt. He wrote to the Editor, "My youngest sister noted the

Vibhuthi at about 9.30 A.M. Immediately, a piece of paper was kept beneath the

photo and the showers were collected on it. Please write to me, how we should

use the Vibhuthi that has fallen and

is falling". The chief Chemist of an Explosives factory at Poona did not waste

time in asking questions and waiting for answers. He was too full of chemistry

for that. He examined the frame, the glass, the cardboard placed behind, and

wiped and turned it upside down; but, he could not discover wherefrom and why

fore the ash emanated! He came to Baba at Prashanthi Nilayam. Baba called him

in and after the interview, when he left, He said: "I am giving you Udi at

home, at Poona, not here. Go". That was the confirmation, the

benediction, and the revelation!

A Circle Inspector of Police (Retd.) quite accidentally came by two photograph

portraits of Baba on 27-11-65, had them framed and kept in his shrine. He and

his wife were inspired to hurry up to Prashanthi Nilayam which they reached on

the 28th; they were called in and blessed by Baba on the 29th itself. When they

left, Baba patted him on the shoulder and said, "I shall come there". How? When?

....He could not ask. Baba demonstrated to him His arrival and Presence by

showering Vibhuthi from His portraits. That was fulfillment enough. And, to

demonstrate that He was

all the manifestations of God known and unknown, it fell in continuous showers

from the portraits of all the manifestations, Krishna, Rama, Siva, Muruga,

Krishna (as installed at Guruvayoor) and Christ. Perhaps Baba had a special

reason for willing that the picture of Jesus shower the amazing new sign of

Grace. For, on the 24th day of February, a Christian who had gone for astray

was brought to this house of wonder. He heard the Bhajan from the verandah, he

peeped in through the window. He saw the picture of Christ. He trembled before

a vision of Sathya Sai Baba in awe and penitence (as he related later) and he

burst into a declaration, "I will correct myself; I shall not drink any more."

He has been saved and accepted as a child Baba's abundant love.

That picture of the shrine at Guruvayoor too has a special importance. At

Guruvayoor, there are big brass lamps fed on oil placed in the shrine; every

picture of the shrine has two of these depicted, on either side of the idol.

The shrine has been immortalized by the great poet-saint Narayana

Bhattathiripad, who cured himself of chronic rheumatism by worshipping the idol

through his inimitable rendering of the glory of Krishna, the Narayaneeyam.

Therefore, people from all parts of the land hold the oil from the lamps inside

the shrine as a specific for rheumatism,; they take it reverentially

and use it with enormous faith. Baba is the Form that is in the innermost shrine

of all temples; so, He willed that oil be given from the lamps in the pictures

of that shrine! This resulted in drops of oil falling from the edges of the

painted lamps in the printed picture of the Lord of Guruvayoor, in the shrine

room of the Circle Inspector of Police! It was collected and used for the same

curative purpose; it was seen and examined by priests associated long with that

temple, they declared that the oil was indisputably genuine, identical with that

available at the original shrine!

And, not in the homes of individual Bhaktas only, Baba wills that His Grace be

showered in this Form in prayer halls too! A. Nataraja Pillai of Muvattupuzha

in Kerala writes, "Vibhuthi and Kumkum are to be seen on all the pictures of

the Gods placed in the Bhajan Hall. To our extreme joy, it is very interesting

to note that butter has emanated and is found in heaps, in the palm of baby

Krishna, pictured on a calendar hung on the wall. The picture depicts Yasoda,

the mother, threatening her Divine Child with a stick, for stealing butter.

Baba characterizes the miracle of creating Vibhuthi in the palm of the hand as

'My visiting card'; He has visiting cards of various types and sizes revealing

more and more facets of His Personality. They serve to announce the arrival of

the Avatar, the glad tidings of the advent of the savior of civilization, from

being degraded into a death trap for humanity. The showers of auspicious

articles from the portraits of Baba and His manifold forms are only streamers,

banners, headlines, that serve to announce the same comforting news. No

consecrated image has so far given such patent proof that it is saturated with

Divinity, such daily dramatic evidence that One Universal Will does direct the

multifarious forces in the world!

In the Bhagavad Gita, after awarding Arjuna a vision of Himself as that

Universal Will that is motivating all creation, Krishna says, "Arjuna! This is

but a fraction of My Vibhuthi; My Vibhuthi is endless! "Vibhuthi means power,

might, splendor, glory, majesty". In the case of Baba, the Vibhuthi (ash) that

Baba gives, either Himself directly, or through His portraits indirectly, or

through the portraits of His other Forms that are revered by man, is endless in

its Vibhuthi (splendor).

P.V. Natarajan from Kugalur wrote to the Editor "Vibhuthi is showered from the

raised palm of Baba in the picture; this assures me that He is ever with me and

that I need never be afraid". In the village of Samphgaon, Dharwar Dt., vibuthi

is falling from Baba's photograph in the houses of many devotees. Sri. S.B.

Kadakola wrote, "Seeing all this

excitement, Dandayyaswami Rachayyaswami Salamath spoke challengingly 'All this

must be false and faked. How can bhasma or Vibhuthi fall like this of its own

accord? I too have a photo of Baba in my shrine room. Why does this Vibhuthi

not fall from that?' And, the same day, vibuthi was found all over that photo,

sticking to it and showering from it! This continued for 3 days. A friend of

Salamath came to his house during that period and said, "How can vibuthi be

produced on this glass? The whole village is being misled by some type of

mischief". He wiped the glass clean with a wet towel, and squatted before it,

declaring, "Now, let me see what you call the Mahima (glory) of this Baba of

yours. Let the shower of Vibhuthi fall". Within 15 minutes, the shower

reappeared; the quantity sticking to the glass was the double the previous

quantity! The critic fell prostrate before the picture.

A mechanic in a sugar factory found that the Vibhuthi that showered from about

four or five pictures of Baba in his house was extraordinarily sweet, because

he found the ants swarmed to eat it! He hastened to Baba to pray that the

sweetness might be taken away; but, Baba assured him that the ants will be kept

away... and, from the next day, the ants stayed away! There are some houses

where the pictures shower Vibhuthi on Thursday only, some where more is

showered on Festival days when there are more to share it; some where the

Vibhuthi that is granted from each picture is different in taste and texture

from that granted from the rest. If it is rather dark grey and grainy, they

call it Shirdi Vibhuthi; if it is soft and fragrant, they call it Parthi

Vibhuthi and so on. So too, the Kumkum can be of

varied hues, the Amrit of different consistencies, taste and fragrance. A

Saurashtra devotee wrote that the liquid that the portrait (or rather Baba in

the portrait) granted on the last day of Sravan, when they finished their

month-long vow of abstinence from salt, was (strange, indeed, are His ways)

salt water (!) with which they could resume their pre-vow life.

Thus shines this saga of the Sovereignty of Baba over Time and Space, over Matter and Spirit.

At Akola, from the photograph of Sri Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba, in our house,

Vibuthi, Kumkum and Haldi powder (turmeric powder, considered as auspicious)

have been showering since two months", writes an advocate. At Rajkot, on

Vaikunda Ekadasi Day, Vibhuthi appeared. At Jamnagar, on Maha Shivarathri, "to

our great surprise, we saw

'Om' and 'Sri' written on the glasses of four big portraits hung in the hall. It

was written in some oily liquid, which we could smell as Amrit". A doctor from

Palghat writes, "I prescribed the Vibhuthi of Baba more than drugs; Baba is

giving me a regular supply from the pictures in my house". Dr. Bailur in Santa

Cruz is also in that happy situation. Advocate Saxena of Rampur gets Vibhuthi

like this; many devotees in Kharagpur, Jamshedpur, Calcutta, Trivandrum,

Madras, Trichinapalli and other towns and villages between the Himalayas and

the

Cape are granted these auspicious signs of Grace in this amazingly convincing manner, by Baba.

When I prayed to Baba for permission to publish some of these incidents

illustrating His Majesty and Glory, He remarked that it may be misinterpreted

easily as 'propaganda'! But, the miracle is so widespread, so obvious, so

easily liable to be examined and confirmed, that the critics will quickly

acknowledge the misinterpretation as due to ignorance. At Salem, the Vibhuthi

is falling from the pictures in the house of the Professor of Physics of the

local College! When he shows the pictures to visitors, he cannot be accused of

propaganda. I myself have sat on the floor of

the house of Vimalananda in Shimoga, watching the piling up of Vibhuthi, grain

by grain, second by second, dropping from the picture-frame's edge. I have seen

at Mangalore, Vibhuthi grains dropping from the left foot of Shirdi Baba's idol

(the foot that is kept on the left knee) and forming a pile underneath! I have

been most pleasantly surprised when hundreds of Amrit drops appeared suddenly

over the big portrait of Baba at Devi Vilas, College Road, Palghat, just when I

finished Aarti, after a talk on Baba's Glory, on the holy day of Sravan

celebrated throughout Kerala, as 'Onam.'

The second objection that Baba raised when such incidents were to be published

was, that it will make the person so blessed very 'conceited', and lead to his

spiritual ruin. This is the reason why Baba is against undue publicity being

given to any Grace that one receives from Him; it is a gift that one should

hold dear in the recesses of ones heart that one should ruminate over, in the

silence of one's own deepest meditation. It is a secret sign of Love from one's

dearest beloved. Some have been led astray, however, for the ego raises its

poisonous hood; they start advertising their spiritual superiority, they

challenge others in the village to win such Grace from Baba; they compare and

cavil, they compete and condemn! They inaugurate a chain of evil, which robs

them of their blessedness! Anxious to

establish that they too are devotees of equal intensity, weak men fake and all

are tarred by the same brush, when the trick is laid bare, for, Truth must

triumph and quickly.

Let us leave such tricksters to the retribution in store for them and pay

attention to the genuine votaries on whom Baba has conferred these and other

signs of His incredible Mahima. The Nadaswaram Vidwan who used to come every

Dasara and Shivarathri to play music at the Nilayam had an uncle of his as an

accompanist, on the drum. His name is Ganesh. He writes, "When I took leave of

Baba after the Birthday Festival (1965), He graciously assured me, 'You will

have no trouble any more; I am by your side, always'. I went with my nephew to

Thiruvannamali

Temple and after playing the music there for the Ten-day Festival, returned home

to find showers of Vibhuthi falling profusely from the pictures of Baba and Shri

Krishna, kept for worship in my house. I am overcome with joy. I pray to Baba

that the showers may increase, so that I can give it to all who come."

As a matter of fact, Baba has given an 'inexhaustible receptacle' of Vibhuthi to

devotees who will not misuse the gift for their own aggrandizement. You have

only to shake it with the name of Baba on your tongue and it fills itself!

There was also a man who prayed to Baba that the Vibhuthi showers may stop! He

did not have the patience that a poor goldsmith in Bombay (Santa Cruz) has;

for, the said smith whose work spot is under a staircase on the ground floor

has Vibhuthi falling from a picture of Baba; he interrupts his work, to receive

the stream of visitors who come to see this most 'unscientific phenomenon', of

ash turning out paper! This other person lives in a single room, with his wife

and three children, in a chawl [tenement] in

normal">Bombay. He writes, "Baba has granted me the Grace of Vibhuthi showers

from His portraits in my house or rather, room. As a result, hundreds from all

the chawls around stream into my room, from dawn to dusk and even far into the

night. It has become difficult for me to live in this place. Please ask Baba to

stop this Vibhuthi"! This is a most pathetic letter, which no devotee will ever

make, unless his distress is unbearable. One can see that the Vibhuthi is as

genuine as his grief at the publicity that it got.

Sri Vaidya of Navsari came to me at Prashanthi Nilayam and gave me a report of

the activities of the Bhajan Society, which he has built up. I found there an

item, "Visits to places of Sai Leela", which drew my attention. He explained to

me that in the village of Chinam, there was a devotee in whose house Vibhuthi

and Kumkum were showering from

Baba's pictures. "At Supa, when the Bhajans started, Vibhuthi showers started",

he said. (This reminded me of an experience I had. In the shrine of an old

Brahmin lady, at Kalpathi there was a row of glass-framed pictures of Baba.

When Bhajan began, one of the pictures began swinging from right to left, slow

and quick, according to the slowness of the beats. When the song ended, the

picture came to a halt!) Water that was kept before the picture of Baba as an

offering to slake His thirst turned in a moment into a fragrant flavoured

drink, which Bhaktas termed Amrit. (This happens in a number of places all over

India.) Moreover, Amrit flowed in a gush from the Divine Mouth in the picture!

(This reminds me of a certain Vaikunda Ekadasi

Day, when Baba sitting in the midst of a few hundred devotees signed for a

tumbler and poured Amrit into it - a glass full - from His Divine Mouth!) "At

Markapur, ten miles off, the party saw the same evidence of Baba's omnipresence

and overflowing Grace."

Baba grants Grace but never allows it to foster the ego in man. The Vibhuthi

stops or some other harsh reminder is given when the ego raises its ugly head.

Hysteria - Baba calls it, when a person gets intoxicated with pride or envy, as

a result of this shower. One has to be constantly aware of one's weakness and

one has to be praying every moment for the faith necessary to receive the

Grace. Or else, one has no right to claim kinship with the Sai Family.

Baba does not encourage any one to demand or receive special reverence, as a

sign that He has bestowed upon a person some signal proof of His Grace. But,

people find it difficult to resist the temptation of offering and accepting the

reverence that will harm both receiver and giver. They slide down the ego way

into spiritual nihilism.

Baba told the gathering at Kakinada, "There are some who came to you and say,

"Sathya Sai Baba likes me much; He has given me this, a thing which He seldom

gives except to those who are nearest to Him". And, then, they beg for help or

crave special attention, which is an insult to the Divine Principle itself!"

"To receive a mark of Grace from Me is a great responsibility; it is a reminder

that you should be humble, sweet in speech, truthful, detached and ever aware of

the Sai in all." But, there are some who celebrate the anniversary of the first

appearance of Vibhuthi in

a grand manner, collecting donations for the same; yet others who dispatch

Vibhuthi or Amrit by post to correspondents and collect donations - little

knowing the injury they are causing to their own progress!

There is another series of happenings too, of which mention can be made here.

Little children or some times, even feeble-minded adults growing up in the

atmosphere of the unreasoning external worship are prone to suffer from

visions, to imagine that they hear voices, and to believe that they are able to

read messages that He writes or otherwise communicate with Baba! When such cases

are known to exist in one house, the neighbor's child is most likely to be

affected too. Thus, a regular mass hysteria developed recently in Madras City,

in East Godavari District and in South Kanara District, as well as in Ceylon.

Baba condemned this in strong terms. At Amalapuram, on the 29th March, 1965, He

said, "This has become quite an infection. I am not laughing at any one or

blaming any one. But, the truth must be made known. There

are quite a few around Amalapuram who declare that I am coming upon them,

possessing them, and speaking through them. They wave their hands and sway and

shake and shiver, and people sitting around them assert that they are under My

influence! They answer questions and, their agents and brokers claim that they

are granting 'interviews', as I do! This deceitful disease is spreading among

simple people through schemers and cheats. Whenever you see of hear about

people suffering from this disease, nip it in the bud; scotch the agents first;

then, teach the child or the feeble-minded adult to shut up and be normal. I

never speak through another. I never use another or possess another physical

vehicle to express Myself. I am not a ghost or spirit to do so, to need some

medium. I come direct, I speak direct, I come as I am or as I will to come in

fresh created Forms. I do not use weak vacillating human vehicles; I confer

boons straight and without any intermediary". At Yelamanchili, He

said, "Persons who claim to be possessed by Me have appeared recently; order

them out, wherever you meet them. Do not yield to such morons and fakes, and

lower your own dignity as devotees". Devotees of Baba are advised by Him to be

ever vigilant against the subtle pulls of the sinister and the secret; when the

Avatar has come and is so accessible and free with Grace, it is sheer stupidity

to say the least to lionize the diseased and the deliberate crooks.

CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brother M. Palaniswamy

/

 

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