Badrinath is Sainath and Sainath is Badrinath

[Guest guest]

Badrinath is Sainath and Sainath is Badrinath

 

When I stepped for the first time in Bombay on 6th June 1926 in search of

service, I was not aware of the name of Shirdi Sai Baba. By my good luck I

got service in a good institution. During the period of my service, I used

to hear often the words from the lips of my friends and others about Shri

Sai Baba of Shirdi, myself not knowing where Shirdi was and the route that

led to Shirdi. After the passage of some time, I came in contact with Shri

Gopal Ganesh Shriyan, whom I knew well, as a staunch devotee and also a

regular r to " Shri Sai Leela " magazine. He used to receive the

copies of the said magazine -with a small packet of ‘Udi’. I was fortunate

to have the said magazines from him, which gave me immense pleasure and

peace of mind to go through the subsequent copies and thereby I came to know

the greatness of Shri Sai Baba and had a desire to go to Shirdi. Years

rolled on with this desire, but the opportune time did not come. Now, I am

turning to another story which has its link to the following narration.

 

Somewhere in March 1948, an impulse entered my mind to go on a pilgrimage to

Badrinath in the Himalayas; but I was all the while thinking whether I could

venture in such a hard task all alone without having a companion, who knew

the route and bad the experience of the route and the location of the

Shrine, to accompany me to make the journey comfortable. One day a close

neighbour of mine, staying in the adjacent building, came to know about my

intension to go to Badrinath. He told me that he had already gone to

Badrinath twice a few years ago and that he was thinking again to visit

Badri, if circumstances permitted. I thought it would be a pleasurable

journey to me also to accompany him, if God wills. On hearing this from him,

I thought it to be a good chance for me and I decided to accompany him. A

week's time was left for us to leave Bombay for Badri. Hence, I was

preparing myself with my bag and baggage. In the meanwhile

my companion, whom I had to accompany, got a telegram from his

daughter, in Delhi, stating that she was ill and that she expected his (her

father's) presence by her side. As a result of this my companion left Bombay

in haste for Delhi, of which I was not aware. A day prior to our fixed day

to start, I went as usual to his house to make sure of the day of our

starting from Bombay, I was told by his wife about the telegram

he received from his daughter, and he left Bombay for Delhi in a haste

and he had given his Delhi address for me to meet him at Delhi. At

this, I got disheartened as I did not know where I

have to contact him at Delhi, as I would be a stranger to that place. I.

reluctantly had to cancel my going to Delhi. So I was feeling

restless at heart. By this time, it was about 8 p. m. With these

disappointing thoughts alone, as there was no other alternative, I went

to sleep. At about 3 A.M., I had a dream in which, I saw that I was

walking on a jungle route of about two to two-and-a-half feet wide. It

was circuitous, full of thorns, pebbles and bushes on either side. On this

route leading to the Badrinath Shrine through the dense forest, I

and my companion were walking with a baggage hanging on

our shoulders. To my utter surprise, a big and horrible tiger suddenly

appeared before me at a distance of 10 to 12 feet from me, with its

terror-stricken mouth wide open, staring at me, I was aghast with full

perspiration and horrification all over the body. I knew not what to

do at this juncture; but remembered the life saving Holy names of Badrinath

and Sainath simultaneously. Lo, within a moment I perceived such a

horrible tiger being reduced gradually from its fearful form to that of a

cat and it jumped out of my way making it clear! No sooner this

happened, than I saw before me an old man having resemblance of Shri Sainath

staring at me. He reprimanded me thus:-

'You entertain difference between Badrinath and Sainath! What Badrinath

is, is Sainath and what Sainath is, is Badrinath Know

this well and do five thousand japa of my name " . Telling me this He

disappeared. Accordingly I carried out His order, the next morning. It was

my good fortune to go to Shirdi for His darshan in January 1949.

 

Shri R. D. Nayak

Bombay

 

(Source Shri Sai Leela Magazine Sep 1978)

this magazine can be read at www.saileelas.org