SHRI SAI SATCHARITRA - Ch. XXIII and XXIV

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Jiva (human soul) transcends the three qualities, viz. Satwa, Rajas and Tamas,

but being deluded by Maya, he forgets his nature which is

'Existence-knowledge-bliss', and thinks that he is the doer and enjoyer and

thus entangles himself in endless miseries and does not know the way of

deliverance. The only way of deliverance is Loving Devotion towards the Guru's

feet. The great Player or Actor Lord Sai has delighted His Bhaktas and

transformed them into Himself (His nature).

blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">We regard Sai Baba as an incarnation of God for

reasons already stated, but He always said that He was an obedient servant of

God. Though an incarnation He showed the people the way, how to behave

satisfactorily and carry out the duties of their respective stations (Varnas)

in this life. He never emulated others in any way, nor asked others to have

something done for Him. For Him, Who saw the Lord in all movable and immovable

things of this world, humility was the most proper thing. None He disregarded

or disrespected; for He saw Narayana (Lord) in all beings, He never said, "I am

God," but that He was a humble servant and He always remembered Him and always

uttered - "Allah Malik" (God is the sole proprietor or Owner). We do not know

the various kinds of Saints, how they behave, what they do and eat etc. We only

know, that by God's grace they manifest themselves in this world to liberate the

ignorant and bound souls. If there

be any store of merits on our account, we get a desire in listening to the

stories and Leelas of the Saints, otherwise not. Let us now turn to the main

stories of this Chapter. Yoga and Onion Once it so happened, that a Sadhaka

of Yoga came to Shirdi with Nanasaheb Chandorkar. He had studied all the works

on Yoga, including the Yoga-sutras of Patanjali, but had no practical

experience. He could not concentrate his mind and attain Samadhi even for a

short time. He thought that if Sai Baba be pleased with him, He would show him

the way to attain Samadhi for a long time. With this object in view he came to

Shirdi, and when he went to the Masjid he saw Sai Baba eating bread with onion.

On seeing this, a thought arose in his mind - `How can this man, eating stale

bread with raw onion, solve my difficulties and help me?' Sai Baba read his

mind and said to Nanasaheb - "Oh Nana, he, who has the

power to digest onion, should eat it and none else". Hearing this remark, the

yogi was wonder-struck and then he fell at Baba's Feet with complete surrender.

With pure and open mind, he asked his difficulties and got their solution from

Baba. Thus being satisfied and happy, he left Shirdi with Baba's Udi and

blessings. Shama Cured of Snakebite

justify"> Before Hemandpant begins the story, he says about the Jiva that it

can be very well compared with a parrot, and that they both are bound, the one

in the body and the other in a cage. Both think that their present bound state

is good for them. It is only when a Helper, i.e., Guru comes and by God's grace

opens their eyes and liberates them from their bondage, that their eyes are

opened to a greater and larger life, compared to which their former limited

life is nothing.

0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> In the last Chapter, it was shown how Baba

anticipated the calamity that was to befall on Mr. Mirikar and rescued him from

it. Now let the readers hear a story grander than that. Once Shama was bitten by

a poisonous snake. His little finger of the hand was stung and the poison began

to spread into the body. The pain was also severe and Shama thought that he

would pass off soon. His friends wanted to take him to the God Vitoba, where

such cases were often sent, but Shama ran to the Masjid -- to His Vithoba (Sai

Baba). When Baba saw him, He began to scold and abuse. He got enraged and said -

"Oh vile Bhaturdya (Priest) do not climb up. Beware if you do so" and then

roared - "Go, Get away, Come down." Seeing Baba thus red with wrath, Shama was

greatly puzzled and disappointed. He thought that the Masjid was his home and

Sai Baba his sole Refuge, but if he was driven away like this, where should he

go? He lost all hope of life and kept silent. After a time Baba became normal

and calm when Shama went up and sat near. Then Baba said to him - "Don't be

afraid, don't care a jot, the Merciful Fakir will save you, go and sit quiet at

home, don't go out, believe in Me and remain fearless and have no anxiety". Then

he was sent home. Immediately afterwards, Baba sent Tatya Patil and Kakasaheb

Dixit to him with instructions to the effect, that he should eat what he liked,

should move in the home, but should never lie down and sleep. Needless to say

that these instructions were acted upon and

Shama got all right in a short time. The only thing to be remembered in this

connection is this - the words of Baba (or the five syllable Mantra, viz., `Go,

Get away, Come down') were not addressed to Shama- as it apparently looked - but

they were a direct order to the snake and its poison not to go up and circulate

through Shama's body. Like others well versed in Mantra shastra, He had not to

use any incantation, charged rice or water etc. His words only were most

efficacious in saving the life of Shama. Any one, hearing this story and

other similar ones, will beget firm faith in the Feet of Sai Baba, and the only

way to cross the ocean of Maya is to remember ever the Feet of Baba in the

heart. Cholera Epidemic

FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Once, Cholera was raging virulently in Shirdi. The

residents were much frightened and they stopped all communication with the

outside people. The panchas of the village assembled together and decided upon

two ordinances as a remedy to check and put down the Epidemic. They were (1) No

fuel-cart should be allowed to come in the village, and (2) No goat should be

killed there. If anybody disobeyed these ordinances, they were to be fined by

the village-authorities and panchas. Baba knew that all this was mere

superstition, and therefore, He cared two pence for the Cholera-ordinances.

While the ordinances were in force, a

fuel-cart came there, and wanted to enter the village. Everybody knew that there

was dearth of fuel in the village; still the people began to drive away the

fuel-cart. Baba came to know of this. He came to the spot and asked the cartman

to take the fuel-cart to the Masjid. None dared to raise his voice against this

action of Baba. He wanted fuel for His Dhuni and so He purchased it. Like an

Agnihotri keeping his sacred fire alive throughout his life, Baba kept His

Dhuni ever burning all day and night; and for this He always stocked fuel.

Baba's home, i.e. the Masjid was free and open to all. It had no lock and key;

and some poor people removed some wood from there for their use. Baba did not

grumble about this. Baba saw that the Almighty pervaded the whole universe, and

so He never bore enmity or ill will to anybody. Though perfectly detached. He

behaved like an ordinary householder to set an example to the people. Ordeal

of Guru-Bhakti

blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Let us now see, how the second Cholera-ordinance fared

with Baba. While it was in force, somebody brought a goat to the Masjid. It was

weak, old and about to die. At this time Fakir Pir Mohammad of Malegaon alias

Bade Baba was near. Sai Baba asked him to behead it with one stroke, and offer

it as an oblation. This Bade Baba was much respected by Sai Baba. He always sat

on the right hand of Sai Baba. After the chillum (pipe) was first smoked by him,

it was then offered to Baba and others. After the dishes were served, at the

time of taking meals at noon, Baba respectfully called Bade Baba and made him

sit on His left side, and then all partook of food. Baba paid him also daily

Rs.50/- out of the amount collected as Dakshina. Baba accompanied him hundred

paces whenever he was going away. Such was his position with Baba. But when

Baba asked him to behead the goat, he flatly refused, saying, "Why it should be

killed for nothing?"

Then Baba asked Shama to kill it. He went to Radha-Krishna-Mai and brought a

knife from her and placed it before Baba. Knowing the purpose for which the

knife was taken, she recalled it. Then Shama went to bring another knife, but

stayed in the Wada, and did not return soon. Then came the turn of Kakasaheb

Dixit. He was 'good gold' no doubt, but had to be tested. Baba asked him to get

a knife and kill the goat. He went to Sathe's Wada and returned with a knife. He

was ready to kill it at Baba's bidding. He was born in a pure Brahmin family and

never in his life knew killing. Though quite averse to do any act of violence,

he made himself bold to kill the goat. All the people wondered to see that Bade

Baba, a Mohammedan was unwilling to kill it while this pure Brahmin was making

preparations to do so. He tightened his dhotar and with a semicircular motion

raised his hand with the knife and looked at Baba for the final signal. Baba

said - "What are you thinking of? Go on,

strike". Then, when the hand was just about to come down, Baba said - "Stop, how

cruel you are! Being a Brahmin, you are killing a goat?" Kakasaheb obeyed and

kept the knife down and said to Baba - "Your nectar like word is law unto us,

we do not know any other ordinance. We remember You always, meditate on Your

Form and obey You day and night, we do not know or consider whether it is right

or wrong to kill, we do not want to reason or discuss things, but implicit and

prompt compliance with Guru's orders, is our duty and Dharma".

justify">Then Baba said to Kakasaheb, that He would Himself do the offering and

killing business. It was settled that the goat should be disposed of near a

place called Takkya, where fakirs used to sit. When the goat was being removed

to that place, it fell dead on the way. Hemandpant closes the Chapter with a

classification of disciples. He

says that they are of three kinds: (1) First or best (2) Second or middling and

(3) Third or ordinary. The best kind of disciples are those who guess what

their Gurus want and immediately carry it out and serve them without waiting

for an order from them. The average disciples are those who carry out the

orders of their Masters to a letter, without any delay, and the third kind of

disciples are those, who go on postponing the carrying out of their orders and

making mistakes at every step.

10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The disciples should have firm faith,

backed up by intelligence and if they and patience to these, their spiritual

goal will not be distant. Control of breath -- ingoing and outgoing, or

Hath-Yoga or other difficult practices are not at all necessary. When the

disciples get the above-mentioned qualities, they become ready for further

instructions and the Masters then appear and lead them on, in their spiritual

path to perfection.

10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">In the next Chapter we will deal with

Baba's interesting wit and humour. Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

Arial">Chapter XXIV Baba's Wit and Humour - Chanak Leela - (1) Hemandpant (2)

Sudama (3) Anna Chinchanikar vs. Mavsibai Preliminary

TEXT-ALIGN: justify">To say that, we shall state such and such in the next or

this Chapter is a sort of egoism. Unless, we surrender our ego to the feet of

our Sad-guru, we will not succeed in our undertaking. If we become egoless,

then our success is assured. By worshipping Sai Baba, we attain both the

objects, worldly and spiritual, and are

fixed in our true Nature, and get peace and happiness. Therefore, those who want

to gain their welfare should respectfully hear Sai Baba's Leelas or stories and

meditate on them. If they do this, they will easily attain the object of their

life and get Bliss. Generally, all people like wit and humour, but they do

not like those jokes should be cut at their expense. But Baba's method was

peculiar; when it was accompanied with

gestures, it was very interesting and instructive, and the people, therefore,

did not mind, if they were held up to the ridicule. Hemandpant gives his own

instance below. Chanak-Leela In Shirdi, bazaar was held

every Sunday, and people from the neighboring villages came there, erected

booths and stall on the street, and sold their wares and commodities. Every

noon, the Masjid was crowded more or less; but on Sunday, it was crowded to

suffocation. On one such Sunday, Hemandpant sat in front of Baba, shampooing

His Legs and muttering God's name. Shama was on Baba's left, Vamanrao to His

right - Shriman Booty and Kakasaheb Dixit and others were also present there.

Then Shama laughed and said to Annasaheb - "See that some grains seem to have

stuck to the sleeve of your coat". So saying he touched the sleeve and found

that there were some grains. Hemandpant straightened his left forearm to see

what the matter was, when to the surprise of all, some grains of gram come

rolling down and were picked up by the people who were sitting there. This

incident furnished a subject matter for joke. Everybody present began to wonder

and said something or other as to how the grains found their way into the sleeve

of the coat and lodged there so long. Hemandpant also could not guess how they

found an entrance and stayed there. When nobody could give any satisfactory

explanation in this matter, and everybody was wondering about this mystery,

Baba said as follows: - Baba - "This fellow (Annasaheb) has got the bad habit

of eating alone. Today is a bazaar-day and he was here chewing grams. I know his

habit and these grams are a proof of it. What wonder is there is this matter?"

12.0pt"> Hemandpant - "Baba, I never know of eating things alone; then why do

you thrust this bad habit on me? I have never yet seen Shirdi bazaar. I never

went to the bazaar today, then how could I buy grams, and how could I eat them

if I had not bought them? I never eat anything unless I share it with others

present near me". Baba - "It is true that you give to the

persons present; but if none be near-by, what could you or I do but do you

remember Me before eating? Am I not always with you? Then do you offer Me

anything before you eat?" Moral Let us mark and note carefully,

what Baba has taught us, by this incident. He has advised us that before the

senses, mind and intellect enjoy their objects, he should first be remembered,

and if this be done, it is in a way an offering to Him. The senses etc. can

never remain without their objects, but if those objects are first offered to

the Guru, the attachment for them will naturally vanish. In this way, all the

Vrittis (thoughts) regarding Desire, Anger, Avarice etc. should first be

offered and directed to the Guru and if this practice be followed, the Lord

will help you in eradicating all the Vrittis. When before enjoyment of the

objects, you think that Baba is close by, the question whether the object is

fit to be enjoyed or not will at once arise. Then the object that is not fit to

be enjoyed will be shunned and in this way our vicious habits or vices will

disappear and our character will improve. Then love for the Guru will grow and

pure knowledge will sprout up. When this knowledge grows, the

bondage of body - consciousness (we are the body) will snap and our intellect

will be merged in spirit-consciousness (we are the spirits). Then we shall get

Bliss and contentment. There is no difference between Guru and God. He, who

sees any difference in them, sees God nowhere. So leaving aside all ideas of

difference, we should regard Guru and God as one, and if we serve our Guru as

stated above, Lord (God) will be certainly pleased and purifying our minds He

will give us self-realization. To put the matter in a nutshell, we should not

enjoy any object with our senses etc. without first remembering our Guru. When

the mind is trained in this way, we will be always reminded of Baba, and our

meditation on Baba will grow apace. The Sagun Form of Baba will ever be before

our eyes and then devotion, non-attachment and salvation will all be ours. When

Baba's Form is thus fixed before our mental vision, we forget hunger, thirst,

and this Samsara; the consciousness of worldly

pleasures will disappear and our mind shall attain peace and happiness.

Sudama's Story When the above story was being narrated, Hemandpant was

reminded of similar story of Sudama, which illustrates the same

principle and, therefore, it is given here. Shri Krishna and His elder

brother, Balarama, were living with a co-student, named Sudama, in the ashram

of their Guru, Sandipani. Once Krishna and Balarama were sent to the forest for

bringing fuel. Then the wife of Sandipani sent also Sudama for the same purpose

with some quantity of grams for the three. When Krishna met Sudama in the

forest, he said to him - "Dada, I want water as I am

thirsty". Sudama replied - "No water should be drunk on an empty stomach, so it

is better to rest a while". He did not say that he had got grams with him and

that He should take some. As Krishna was tired, He lay down for rest on the lap

of Sudama and was snoring. Seeing this, Sudama took out the grams and began to

eat. Then Krishna suddenly asked him - "Dada, what are you eating, whence is

the sound?” He replied - "What is there to eat? I am shivering with cold and my

teeth are chattering. I can't even repeat distinctly Vishnu Sahasranama".

Hearing this, the Omniscient Krishna said - "I just dreamt a dream, in which I

saw a man, eating things of another, and when asked about this, he said - "What

earth (dust) should he eat?", meaning thereby that he had nothing to eat? The

other man said - "Let it be so". Dada, this is only a dream. I know that you

won't eat anything without Me; under the influence of the dream I asked you

what you were eating?" If Sudama had known a bit

of the Omniscient, Shri Krishna and His Leelas, he would not have acted, as he

did. Therefore, he had to suffer for what he did. Though he was a chum of Shri

Krishna he had to pass his later life in utter poverty. But when he later

offered Krishna a handful of parched rice, earned by his wife with her own

labour, Krishna was pleased and gave him a golden city to enjoy. Those who have

the habit of eating things alone without partaking them with others should

remember this story.

blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The Shruti also emphasizes this lesson, and asks us to

offer things first to God and then enjoy them after he renounces them. Baba also

has taught us the same lesson in His inimitable and humorous way. Anna

Chinchanikar vs. Mavsibai Hemandpant now describes another witty incident, in

which Baba played a peacemaker's part. There was one devotee by name Damodar

Ghanashyama Babare alias Anna Chinchanikar. He was simple, rough and

straightforward. He cared for nobody, always spoke plainly and carried all

dealings in cash. Though he looked outwardly harsh and uncompromising, he was

good natured and guileless. So Sai Baba loved him. One day, like others serving

Baba in their own way, this Anna was, one noon standing prone and was shampooing

the left arm of Baba, which rested on the kathada (railing). On the right side,

one old widow named Venubai Koujalgi whom Baba called mother and all others

Mavsibai was serving Baba in her own way. This Mavsibai was an elderly woman of

pure heart. She clasped the fingers of both her hands round the trunk of Baba

and was at this time kneading Baba's abdomen. She did this so forcibly that

Baba's

back and abdomen became flat (one) and Baba moved from side to side. Anna on the

other side was steady, but Mavsibai's face moved up and down with her strokes.

Once it so happened that her face came very close to Anna's. Being of a witty

disposition she remarked - "Oh, this Anna is a lewd (bad) fellow, he wants to

kiss me. Even being so old with grey hair he feels no shame in kissing me."

These words enraged Anna and he pulled up his sleeves and said - "You say that

I am an old bad fellow, am I quite a fool? It is you that have picked up a

quarrel and are quarreling with me". All the persons, present there were

enjoying this encounter between them. Baba, Who loved both of them equally and

wanted to pacify them, managed the affair very skillfully. Lovingly He said -

"Oh Anna, why are you unnecessarily raising this hue and cry? I do not

understand what harm or impropriety is there, when the mother is kissed?"

Hearing these words of Baba, both of them were satisfied and all

the persons laughed merrily and enjoyed Baba's wit to their heart's content.

Baba's Characteristics -- His Dependency on Bhaktas Baba allowed His devotees

to serve Him in their own way, and did not like any other

persons interfering in this. To quote an instance, the same Mavsibai was on

another occasion, kneading Baba's abdomen. Seeing the fury and force used by

her, all the other devotees felt nervous and anxious. They said, "Oh mother, be

more considerate and moderate, otherwise you will break Baba's arteries and

nerves". At this Baba got up at once from His seat, dashed His Satka on the

ground. He got enraged and His eyes became red like a live charcoal. None dared

to stand before or face Baba. Then He took hold of one end of the Satka with

both hands and pressed it in the hollow of his abdomen. The other end He fixed

to the post and began to press His abdomen against it. The Satka, which was

about two or three feet in length seemed all to go into the abdomen and the

people, feared that the abdomen would be ruptured in a short time. The post was

fixed and immovable and Baba began to go closer and closer to it and clasped the

post firmly. Every moment the rupture was expected,

and they were all dismayed, did not know what to do, and stood dumb with wonder

and fear. Baba suffered this ordeal for the sake of His Bhakta. The other

devotees wanted only to give a hint to the Mavsibai to be moderate in her

service and not cause any trouble or pain to Baba. This they did with good

intention, but Baba did not brook even this. They were surprised to see that

their well-intentioned effort had resulted in this catastrophe; and they could

do nothing but to wait and see. Fortunately, Baba's rage soon cooled down. He

left the Satka and resumed His seat. From this time onward, the devotees took

the lesson that they should not meddle with anybody but allow him to serve Baba

as the chooses, as He was capable to gauge the merits and worth of the service

rendered unto Him. Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all TO BE CONTINUED… With

Sai love from Sai brothers – ‘’

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