SHRI SAI SATCHARITA - Ch. I and II

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roman">Total Surrender Baba has carved a golden path to blessedness for

humanity; a sublime culture which is a sure path to blessedness. He has planted

the banner of Truth, the banner of Divine Peace and Universal Love, the banner

of Righteousness and True Dharma. When mind and body are offered at the Lotus

Feet of the beloved Sadguru Sai they are purified. With body attired in His

identity, in His proud uniform and with mind rolling at His Holy Feet, the

Divine controls both mind and body. The mind remains dyed with the Nectar of

the Divine Name and the body performs only pure and heroic

deeds. This in itself is indicative of a total surrender, a total sacrifice as

the foremost essential prerequisites for earning and attaining His Grace

Eternal. We have to offer our head at His Holy Feet. Thereafter, with headless

(egoless) existence, having died while living, be blessed with Nectar of

Immortality from the Holy Hands of our beloved Divine Sadguru, Father and

Mother Sai. With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of the Divine Mother Sai

10pt; COLOR: blue">Sai brother, M. Palaniswamy – ‘’ SHRI

SAI SATCHARITA Chapter I PRAYER SHREE GANESH VANDANA SHASHI VARNAM

CHATURBHUJAM PRASANNA VADANAM DHYAYETH SARVA VIGHNOPA SHANTAYE AGAJANANA

PADMASANAM GAJANANA

MAHIRSHAM ANEKA DANTAM EKA DANTAM UPASMAYEM BHAKTANAM Mushikavaahana Modaka

Hastha, Chaamara Karna Vilambitha

Sutra, Vaamana Rupa Maheshwara Putra, Vighna Vianayaka Paada Namasthe GANESHA

GAYATHRI Thath Purushaya Vidhmahe Vakrathundaaya Dheemahee Danno Ganesha

Prachothayad Sainatha Sainatha Sainatha Sadgurum Yogiraja Yugapurusha

Bhaktakoti Vanditham Kripanidhim Tapodhanim Sainatha

Pahimaam Divyateja Bhavyamoorthi Punyacharita Poojitam ***** OUR BELOVED LORD,

Hands that reach to touch Your Feet, You turn them toward work for the world;

Eyes that gaze and yearn to simply soak up for Your Darshan, You turn them

toward files filled with ways of serving others; Ears that

want only to listen to You sing, You fill them with instructions on how to

complete the projects for the poor; Mouths that want only to say, "We love

You", You give us mantras to chant ceaselessly, endlessly, only God’s name;

Minds that want only to think about You, You fill them to overflow with lists

and tasks and jobs to benefit others; Hearts

filled with nothing other than love for You, "Let it beat only for God," You

say; Wallets that want to empty themselves into Your hands, You turn them away,

accepting nothing; Bodies which want nothing more than to serve You day and

night, You put them to use in the service of the poor, the sick and the

children; Lives that want to lay themselves down

at Your Holy Feet, "Use it in the service of the world," You say. What is there

then for us to give You? The birds sing a new song, written freshly just for

You each morning. The flowers open their petals at first glimpse of Your

Darshan, unveiling their splendor first unto You. The sun shines through the

trees, dancing off the leaves, landing gently on Your face. All Holy rivers on

earth flow to wash Your feet…closer and closer they moves to where You

stand. The knowledge of the universe is stored in a treasure chest; the key

rests softly in Your hands. The ocean of wisdom is but a pool for You to swim

in. The world is unfolding as a drama, written by You, for You, known only to

You. What is there then for us to give You? FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS, WE

THANK YOU FOR TAKING BIRTH AND BLESSING US WITH YOUR DIVINE PRESENCE. MAY WE BE

FOREVER BLESSED WITH THE SHELTER OF YOUR HOLY FEET PLEASE ACCEPT DEEPEST

PRANAMS FROM ALL OF US AROUND THE GLOBE ***** ELEVEN DECLARATIONS OF SAI BABA

1. Whoever puts his feet on Shirdi soil, his sufferings would come to an end.

2. The wretched and miserable would rise into plenty of joy and happiness, as

soon as they climb the steps of my Samadhi. 3. I shall be ever active and

vigorous even after leaving this earthly body. 4. My tomb shall bless and

speak to the needs of my devotees.

10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">5. I shall be active and vigorous even

from the tomb. 6. My mortal remains would speak from the tomb. 7. I am ever

living to help and guide all who come to me, who surrender to me and who seek

refuge in me. 8. If you look to me, I look to you. 9. If you cast your burden

on me, I shall surely bear it. 10. If you seek my advice and help, it shall be

given to you at once. 11. There shall be no want in the house of my devotees.

Shri Sai

Satcharita Chapter I Salutations -- The Story of Grinding Wheat and Its

Philosophical Significance According to the ancient and revered custom,

Hemandpant begins the work, Sai Satcharita, with various salutations.

FONT-FAMILY: Arial">First, he makes obeisance to the God Ganesha to remove all

obstacles and make the work a success and says that Shri Sai is the God

Ganesha. Then, to the Goddess Saraswathi to inspire him to write out the work

and says that Shri Sai is one with this Goddess and that He is Himself singing

His own life. Then, to the Gods; Brahma, Vishnu and Shankara - the Creating,

Preserving and Destroying Deities respectively; and says that Sainath is one

with them and He as the great Teacher, will carry us across the River of

Worldly

Existence. Then, to his tutelary Deity Narayan Adinath who manifested himself

in Konkan - the land reclaimed by Parashurama, (Rama in the Hindi version) from

the sea; and to the Adi (Original) Purusha of the family. Then, to the

Bharadwaja Muni, into whose gotra (clan) he was born and also to various

Rishis, Yagyavalakya, Bhrigu, Parashara, Narad, Veda Vyasa, Sanak, Sanandan,

Sanatkumar, Shuka, Shounak, Vishwamitra, Vasistha, Valmiki, Vamadeva, Jaimini,

Vaishampayan, Nava Yogindra etc, and also modern Saints such as Nivritti,

Jnanadev, Sopan, Muktabai, Janardan, Ekanath, Namdev,

Tukaram, Kanha, and Narahari etc. Then, to his grandfather Sadashiv, father

Raghunath, his mother, who left him in his infancy, to his paternal aunt, who

brought him up, and to his loving elder brother. Then, to the readers and

prays them to give their whole and undivided attention to his work. And

lastly, to his Guru Shri Sainath - an Incarnation of Shri Dattatreya, Who is

his sole

Refuge and Who will make him realize that Brahman is the Reality and the world

an illusion; and incidentally, to all the Beings in whom the Lord God dwells.

After describing in brief the various modes of devotion according to Parashara,

Vyasa and Shandilya etc., the author goes on to relate the following story: "It

was sometime after 1910 AD that I went, one fine morning, to the Masjid in

Shirdi for getting a Darshan of Sai Baba. I was wonder-struck to see the

following phenomenon. After washing His mouth and face, Sai Baba began to make

preparations for grinding wheat. He spread

a sack on the floor; and thereon set a hand-mill. He took some quantity of wheat

in a winnowing fan, and then drawing up the sleeves of His Kafni (robe); and

taking hold of the peg of the hand-mill, started grinding the wheat by putting

a few handfuls of wheat in the upper opening of the mill and rotated it. I

thought ‘What business Baba had with the grinding of wheat, when He possessed

nothing and stored nothing, and as He lived on alms!’ Some people who had come

there thought likewise, but none had the courage to ask Baba what He was doing.

Immediately, this news of Baba's grinding wheat spread into the village, and at

once men and women ran to the Masjid and flocked there to see Baba's act. Four

bold women, from the crowd, forced their way up and pushing Baba aside, took

forcibly the peg or handle into their hands, and, singing Baba's Leelas,

started grinding. At first Baba was enraged, but on seeing the women's love and

devotion, He was much pleased and began to smile.

While they were grinding, they began to think that Baba had no house, no

property, no children, none to look after, and He lived on alms, He did not

require any wheat-flour for making bread or roti, what will He do with this big

quantity of flour? Perhaps as Baba is very kind, He will distribute the flour

amongst us. Thinking in this way while singing, they finished the grinding and

after putting the hand-mill aside, they divided the flour into four portions

and began to remove them one per head. Baba, Who was calm and quiet up till

now, got wild and started abusing them saying, "Ladies, are you gone mad? Whose

father's property are you looting away? Have I borrowed any wheat from you, so

that you can safely take the flour? Now please do this. Take the flour and

throw it on the village border limits." On hearing this, the women felt abashed

and whispering amongst themselves, went away to the outskirts of the village and

spread the flour as directed by Baba.

I asked the Shirdi people - "What was this that Baba did?" They replied that as

the Cholera Epidemic was spreading in the village and this was Baba's remedy

against the same; it was not wheat that was ground but the Cholera itself was

ground to pieces and pushed out of the village. From this time onward, the

Cholera Epidemic subsided and the people of the village were happy. I was much

pleased to know all this; but at the same time my curiosity was also aroused. I

began to ask myself - What earthly connection was there between wheat flour and

Cholera? What was the casual relation between the two and how to reconcile

them? The incident seems to be inexplicable. I should write something on this

and sing to my heart's content Baba's sweet Leelas. Thinking in this way about

this

Leela, my heart was filled with joy and I was thus inspired to write Baba's Life

- The Satcharita. And as we know, with Baba's grace and blessing this work was

successfully accomplished. Philosophical Significance of Grinding Apart from

the meaning, which the people of Shirdi put on this incident of grinding wheat,

there is, we think, a philosophical significance too. Sai Baba lived

in Shirdi for about sixty years and during this long period; He did the business

of grinding almost every day - not, however, the wheat alone; but the sins, the

mental and physical afflictions and the miseries of His innumerable devotees.

The two stones of His mill consisted of Karma and Bhakti, the former being the

lower and the latter the upper one. The handle with which Baba worked the mill

consisted of Jnana. It was the firm conviction of Baba that Knowledge or

Self-realization is not possible, unless there is the prior act of grinding of

all our impulses, desires, sins; and of the three Gunas, viz. Sattva, Raja and

Tama; and the Ahamkara, which is so subtle and therefore so difficult to be got

rid of. This reminds us of a similar story of Kabir who seeing a woman grinding

corn said to his Guru, Nipathiranjana, "I am weeping because I feel the agony of

being crushed in this wheel of worldly existence like the corn in the

hand-mill." Nipathiranjana replied, "Do not be afraid; hold fast to the handle

of knowledge of this mill, as I do, and do not wander far away from the same

but turn inward to the Centre, and you are sure to be saved." Bow to Shri Sai

-- Peace be to all Chapter II

6pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="center">Object of Writing the Work - Incapacity

and Boldness in the Undertaking - Hot Discussion – Conferring Significant and

Prophetic Title of Hemadpant - Necessity of a Guru. In the last Chapter, the

author mentioned in the original Marathi book that he would state the reason

that led him to undertake the work, and the persons qualified to read the same

and such other points. Now in this chapter, he starts to tell the same.

COLOR: fuchsia; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Object of Writing the Work In the first

chapter, I described Sai Baba’s miracle of checking and destroying the epidemic

of Cholera by grinding wheat and throwing the flour, on the outskirts of the

village. I heard other miracles of Sai Baba to my great delight, and this

delight burst forth into this poetic work. I also thought, that the description

of these grand miracles of Sai Baba would be interesting, and instructive to His

devotees; and would remove their sins, and so I began to write the sacred life

and teachings of Sai Baba. The life of the saint is neither logical nor

dialectical. It shows us the true and great path.

Incapacity and Boldness in Undertaking the Work Hemadpant thought that he was

not a fit person to undertake the work. He said, "I do not know the life of my

intimate friend nor do I know my own mind, then how can I write the life of a

saint or describe the nature of Incarnations, which even the Vedas were unable

to do? One must be a saint himself, before he could know other saints, then how

can I describe their glory? To write the

life of a saint is the most difficult, though one may as well measure the depth

of the water of the seven seas or enclose the sky with cloth-trappings. I knew

that this was the most venturous undertaking, which might expose me to

ridicule. I, therefore, invoked Sai Baba’s grace. The premier poet-saint of

Maharashtra, Shri Jnaneshwar Maharaj, has stated that the Lord loves those who

write the lives of saints; and the saints also have a peculiar method of their

own of getting the service, which the devotees long for, successfully

accomplished. The saints inspire the work; the devotee becomes only an indirect

cause or instrument to achieve the end. For instance, in 1700 Shaka year, the

poet Mahipati

aspired to write the lives of saints. Saints inspired him, and got the work

done; so also in 1800 Shaka year, Das Ganu’s service was accepted. The former

wrote 4 works-Bhakta Vijaya, Santa Vijaya, Bhakta Leelamrit and Santa

Kathamrit, while the latter wrote two - "Bhakta Leelamrit and Santa Kathamrit",

in which the lives of modern Saints were described. In chapters 31,32,33 of

Bhakta Leelamrit and in chapter 57 of Santa Kathamrit, the sweet life and

teachings of Sai Baba are very well depicted. These have been separately

published in Sai Leela Magazine, Nos. 11 and 12, Vol. 17; the readers are

advised to read these chapters. So also Sai Baba’s wonderful Leelas are

described in a small decent book named Shri Sainath Bhajana Mala by Mrs.

Savitribai Raghunath Tendulkar of Bandra. Das-Ganu Maharaj also has composed

various sweet poems on Sai Baba. A devotee named Amidas Bhavani Mehta has also

published some stories of Sri Baba in Gujarathi; some Nos. of Sainath Prabha, a

magazine published by Dakshina Bhiksha Sanstha of Shirdi, is also published.

Then the question of objection comes in, that while so many works regarding Sai

Baba are extant, why should this (Satcharita) be written and where is its

necessity? The answer is plain and simple. The life of Sai Baba is as wide and

deep as the infinite ocean; and all can dive deep into the same and take out

precious gems (of knowledge and Bhakti), and distribute them to the aspiring

public. The stories, parables, and teachings of Sai Baba are very wonderful.

They will give peace and happiness to the people, who are afflicted with

sorrows and heavily loaded with miseries of this worldly existence, and also

bestow knowledge

and wisdom, both in the worldly and in spiritual domains. If these teachings of

Sai Baba, which are as interesting and instructive as the Vedic lore, are

listened to and meditated upon, the devotees will get, what they long for,

viz., union with Brahman, mastery in eight-fold Yoga, Bliss of meditation etc.

So I thought, that I should call these stories together that would be my best

Upasana. This collection would be most delightful to those simple souls, whose

eyes were not blessed with Sai Baba’s Darshan. So, I set about collecting Sai

Baba’s teachings and expressions - the outcome of His boundless and natural

self-realization. It was Sai Baba, who inspired me in this matter; in fact, I

surrendered my ego at His feet, and thought that my path was clear; and that He

would make me quite happy here, and in the next world.

TEXT-ALIGN: justify">I could not myself ask Sai Baba to give me permission for

this work; so I requested Mr. Madhav Rao Deshpande alias Shama, Baba’s most

intimate devotee, to speak to Him for me. He pleaded for my cause and said to

Sai Baba, "This Annasaheb wishes to write Your biography, don’t say that You

are a poor begging Fakir, and there is no necessity to write it, but if You

agree and help him, he will write or rather, Your feet (grace) will accomplish

the work. Without Your consent and blessing, nothing can be done successfully."

When Sai Baba heard this request, He was moved and blessed me by giving me His

Udi (sacred ashes) and placing His boon-bestowing hand on my head said: - "Let

him make a collection of stories and experiences, keep notes and

memos; I will help him. He is only an outward instrument. I should write Myself

My autobiography and satisfy the wishes of My devotees. He should get rid of

his ego, place (or surrender) it at My feet. He who acts like this in life, him

I help the most. What of My life-stories? I serve him in his house in all

possible ways. When his ego is completely annihilated and there is left no

trace of it, I Myself shall enter into him and shall Myself write My own life.

Hearing my stories and teachings will create faith in devotees’ hearts and they

will easily get self - realization and Bliss; let there be no insistence on

establishing one’s own view, no attempt to refute other’s opinions, no

discussions of pros and cons of any subject."

COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The word ‘discussion’ put me in mind of my

promise to explain the story of my getting the title of Hemadpant and now I

begin to relate the same. I was on close friendly terms with Kakasaheb Dixit

and Nanasaheb Chandorkar. They pressed me to go to Shirdi and have Baba’s

Darshan, and I promised them to do so. But something in the interval turned up,

which prevented me from going to Shirdi. The son of a friend of mine at Lonavala

fell ill. My friend tried all possible means, physical and spiritual, but the

fever would not abate. At length he got his Guru to sit by the bedside of his

son, but this too was of no avail. Hearing this, I thought ‘what was the

utility of the Guru, if he could not save my friend’s son? If the Guru can’t do

anything for us, why should I go to Shirdi at all?’ Thinking in this way, I

postponed my Shirdi-trip; but the inevitable must happen and it happened in my

case as follows: - Mr. Nanasaheb Chandorkar, who was a

Prant Officer, was going on tour to Bassein. From Thana he came to Dadar and was

waiting for a train bound for Bassein. In the meanwhile, a Bandra Local turned

up. He sat in it and came to Bandra; and sent for me and took me to task for

putting off my Shirdi trip. Nana’s argument for my Shirdi trip was convincing

and delightful, and so I decided to start for Shirdi, the same night. I packed

up my luggage and started for Shirdi. I planned to go to Dadar and there to

catch the train for Manmad, and so I booked myself for Dadar and sat in the

train. While the train was to start, a Mohammedan came hastily to my

compartment and seeing all my paraphernalia, asked me where I was bound to. I

told him my plan. He then suggested that I should straight go to Boribunder,

and not get down at Dadar, for the Manmad Mail did not get down at Dadar at

all. If this little miracle or Leela had not happened, I would not have reached

Shirdi next day as settled, and many doubts would have

assailed me. But that was not to be. As fortune favoured me, I reached Shirdi

the next day before 9 or 10 A.M. Mr. Bhausaheb (Kaka) Dixit was waiting for me

there. This was in 1910 AD, when there was only one place, viz., Sathe’s Wada

for lodging pilgrim devotees. After alighting from the Tonga, I was anxious to

have Darshan, when the great devotee, Tatyasaheb Noolkar returned from the

Masjid and said that Sai Baba was at the corner of the Wada, and that I should

first get the preliminary Darshan and then, after bath, see Him at leisure.

Hearing this I ran and prostrated before Baba and then my joy knew no bounds. I

found more than what Nana Chandorkar had told me. All my senses were satisfied

and I forgot thirst and hunger. The moment I touched Sai Baba’s feet, I began a

new lease of life. I felt myself much obliged to those who spurred and helped me

to get the Darshan; and I considered them as my real relatives, and I cannot

repay their debt. I only remember them and

prostrate (mentally) before them. The peculiarity of Sai Baba’s Darshan, as I

found it is that by His Darshan our thoughts are changed, the force of previous

actions is abated and gradually non-attachment of dispassion towards worldly

objects grows up. It is by the merit of actions in many past births that such

Darshan is got, and if only you see Sai Baba, really all the world becomes or

assumes the form of Sai Baba. Hot Discussion

FONT-FAMILY: Arial">On the first day of my arrival in Shirdi, there was a

discussion between me and Balasaheb Bhate regarding the necessity of a Guru. I

contended, "Why should we lose our freedom and submit to others? When we have

to do our duty, why a Guru is necessary? One must try his best and save

himself. What can the Guru do to a man who does nothing but sleeps indolently?"

Thus I pleaded freewill, while Mr. Bhate took up the other side, viz., Destiny,

and said, "Whatever is bound to happen must happen; even great men have failed,

man proposes one way, but God disposes the other (contrary) way. Brush aside

your cleverness; pride or egoism won’t help you." This discussion, with all its

pros and cons went on for an hour or so, and as usual no decision was arrived

at. We had to stop the discussion ultimately, as we were exhausted. The net

result of this was that I lost my peace of mind and found that unless there is

strong body-consciousness and egoism, there would be

no discussion; in other words, it is egoism, which breeds discussion. Then when

we went to the Masjid with others, Baba asked Kakasaheb Dixit the following: -

"What was going on in the (Sathe’s) Wada? What was the discussion about?" and

staring at me, Baba further added, "What did this Hemadpant say?" Hearing

these words, I was much surprised. The Masjid was at a considerable distance

from Sathe’s Wad a where I was staying and where the discussion was going on.

How could Baba know our discussion unless He is omniscient and Inner Ruler of

us all? Significant and Prophetic Title

FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I began to think why Sai Baba should call me by the name

Hemadpant. This word is a corrupt form of Hemadripant. This Hemadripant was a

well-known Minister of the kings Mahadev and Ramadev of Devgiri of the Yadav

dynasty. He was very learned, good-natured and the author of good works, such

as Chaturvarga Chintamani (dealing with spiritual subjects) and Rajprashasti.

He invented and started new methods of accounts and was the originator of the

Modi (Marathi Shorthand) script. But I was quite the opposite, an ignoramus,

and of dull, mediocre intellect. So I could not understand why the name or

title was conferred upon me, but thinking seriously upon it, I thought that the

title was a dart to destroy my ego, so that, I should always remain meek and

humble. It was also a compliment paid to me for the cleverness in the

discussion. Looking to the future history, we think that Baba’s word (calling

Mr. Dabholkar by the name Hemadpant) was significant and prophetic, as we find

that he looked after the management of Sai Sansthan very intelligently, kept

nicely all the accounts and was also the author of such a good work "Sai

Satcharita", which deals with such important and spiritual subjects as Jnana,

Bhakti and dispassion, self-surrender and self-realization. About the

Necessity of a Guru

Arial"> Hemadpant has left no note, no memo about what Baba said regarding this

subject, but Kakasaheb Dixit has published his notes regarding this matter.

Next day after Hemadpant’s meeting with Sai Baba, Kakasaheb went to Baba and

asked whether he should leave Shirdi. Baba Said, "Yes". Then someone asked -

"Baba, where to go?" Baba said, "High up." Then the man said, "How is the way?"

Baba said, "There are many ways leading there; there is one way also from here

(Shirdi). The way is difficult. There are tigers and wolves in the jungles on

the way." I (Kakasaheb) asked - "But Baba, what if we take a guide with us?"

Baba answered, - "Then there is no difficulty. The guide will take you straight

to your destination, avoiding wolves, tigers and ditches etc. on the way. If

there be no

guide, there is the danger of your being lost in the jungles or falling into

ditches." Mr. Dabholkar was present on this occasion and he thought that this

was the answer Baba gave to the question whether Guru was a necessity (Vide Sai

Leela Vol. I, No.5, Page 47); and he thereupon took the hint that no discussion

of the problem, whether man is free or bound, is of any use in spiritual

matters, but that on the contrary real Pramartha is possible only as the result

of the teachings of the Guru, as is illustrated in this chapter of the original

work in the instances of great Avatars like Rama and Krishna, who had to submit

themselves to their Gurus, Vasishta and Sandipani respectively, for getting

self- realization and that the only virtues necessary for such progress are

faith and patience. (Vide Sai Satcharita, Ch. II, 191-92).

6pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center">Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all TO BE

CONTINUED... With Sai love from Sai brothers – ‘’

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