Maha Samadhi Day - Shirdi is another Thirupathi Temple

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Most of the devotees of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba are reported to have

spiritual experiences, many of which are in the form of miracles,

which not only enhances their faith in Baba but also spiritually

uplifts them. If one goes through such experiences of devotees as

depicted in Shri Sai Satcharitra and other literature on Sai Baba

and compares them with the experiences of the present day devotees

one would find a close similarity pertaining to many of them. Shri

Khaparde, a prominent advocate of Amravati near Nagpur, who used to

visit Shirdi frequently, and Kakasaheb Dixit who devoted the later

part of his life in the services of Baba at Shirdi have recorded

details of such experiences in their diaries. When one hears about

some of the common experiences reported by devotees, one's mind is

transported to Baba's time at Shirdi. Imaginations become vivid, all

worries cease to exist and time seems to stand still. Most devotees

have reported that they used to get spiritually charged at the very

sight of Baba; disturbing and uncontrollable thoughts of their mind

used to vanish, a feeling of purity and love would engulf them. Baba

had a unique way of communicating with his devotees through

language, look and touch besides the extremely strong and vibrant

spiritual thought waves. He used to relate his thought waves even

from afar. These powerful thought waves used to appear in the form

of vivid dreams and ideas in the minds of his devotees to convey

certain impulses, directions, forewarnings, future happenings and

Baba's love. Those who followed these directions with an open mind

benefited amply. While such directions were related by Baba in

dreams, the results were seen taking shape suddenly or in due course

of time in the actual realities of their worldly life. For example,

one devotee saw Baba giving him yellow rice in his dream. When he

got up he found yellow rice sprinkled all over his bed. Similarly

another devotee found a coconut in his bed when awakened from sleep.

 

Another direct experience as depicted in the Shri Sai Satcharitra

was in 1917, when Hemadpant had a dream wherein he saw Baba in the

form of a Sanyasi promising to come to Hemadpant's house for meals

that day. At lunchtime, just as the family was about to begin

eating, two men, Ali Mahomed and Moulana Ismu Mujavar, appeared at

the door and handed over a picture of Sai Baba to Hemadpant.

Hemadpant was much moved at the thought that Baba had indeed blessed

him by gracing his house for lunch.

 

There are numerous experiences about Baba appearing physically in

different and distant places, while he was in his human embodiment

at Shirdi. Devotees have reported that Baba, while sitting in front

of the Dhuni in the morning at the mosque, would often refer to

distant places and other worlds he had visited overnight despite

being physically present at Shirdi. A famous incident is narrated in

Shri Sai Satcharitra in 1910, when Baba, sitting near the Dhuni,

pushing firewood into it, suddenly pushed his arm into the Dhuni

thereby burning his hand. On enquiry by the devotees, he replied

that at some distant place, the wife of a blacksmith was working at

the furnace with her child tied to her waist. When her husband

called her, she suddenly got up and the child slipped into the

furnace. Baba thrust his hand into the Dhuni to save the child from

the furnace. Another devotee, B.V Deo had sent a letter to Bapu

Saheb Jog in Shirdi requesting Baba's presence in a group lunch he

had arranged. Baba promised to attend the lunch with two other

persons and did so by appearing in the form of a Sanyasi with two

followers.

 

The greater miracles of Baba are instances of control of natural

forces like fire, air and water (rain). The Satcharitra narrates of

an evening when torrential rain accompanied by lightning and

thunderstorm hit Shirdi flooding it entirely. This terrified all the

disciples, animals and birds who took refuge at Dwarakamai Masjid

and prayed for help. At their request Baba commanded the cloud in a

thunderous voice to stop its fury and to allow his children to go

their houses. Within minutes the rain stopped and the storm settled

down. Another instance documented was on an afternoon when flames

from Baba's dhuni rose up to the roof of Dwarakamai Masjid

threatening to burn it. Baba took his satka (stick) and hit a pillar

commanding the fire to calm down. At each stroke of the satka the

flames gradually settled to normalcy. Baba gave numerous other types

of experiences to his devotees but it would not be possible to

codify or cite such examples due to lack of space.

 

The more surprising and interesting fact to note is that even after

departure from his bodily abode in 1918 and till the present day,

devotees continue to report similar experiences. Truly speaking,

even on the day Baba left his body and thereafter, devotees have

been experiencing such unexplainable events. Such experiences of

Baba are not limited to the gullible and uneducated rural youth as

is commonly believed to be, but cuts across the 'intelligentsia' of

the society including lawyers, professors, officials, doctors,

scientists and others. It is interesting to observe that even in

this era of esoteric, atomic individualism, with population (the

number of devotees) having increased manifold, where rationality and

objectivity rules the minds of the people, such spiritual

experiences continue to affect millions.

 

Cutting across the man made differentiations of caste, races,

religions, socio-economic diversities, all are making a beeline to

Baba's Samadhi at Shirdi as Baba had once uttered in a state of

spiritual ecstasy. Despite the modern day youth's affinity to

western culture, Baba's message remains ever relevant and appealing.

That is why so many temples have come up across the globe. Sai Baba

not only crossed the boundaries of humanism but gave shelter to all

living creatures. The Sai Satcharitra narrates numerous instances of

his compassion towards dogs, snakes, horses, tigers and even birds.

 

Today on an average 1,25,000 people visit Shirdi every day and on

weekends the numbers go upto a two lakh or more. There has been a

phenomenal growth in the Sai faith as can be seen in the

astronomical growth in the number of temples, literary publications,

devotional music etc. The number of devotees dedicated to spread the

name and message of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba is mind-boggling. Today the

Sai movement is not limited only to Maharashtra as was during the

time of Baba, but within decades of his departure has crossed the

national boundaries to become a global movement. This new era

of 'Saiism' does not touch the religious aspect of the devotee's

life only but affects and permeates all aspects of an individual's

life (family, culture, social behavior etc). For the devotees Shri

Sai Baba is not a part of their life but their life itself in all

its aspects.

 

The spirit of Sai is more active and alive today than perhaps it

ever was. This raises in our mind a fundamental question - 'Who is

Sai Baba?' Some address him as a Sadguru, some as a fakir, some as a

Yogiraj, some as a saint and to most of the devotees he is 'God the

Almighty' Himself. He has been accepted as an incarnation (Saguna

Sakara avatara), which means, God who in human form walked on earth.

History has shown that the expansion of religions and/or faiths

started by the incarnations expanded phenomenally after they left

their human embodiment. This was the case with Jesus Christ, Buddha,

Mohammed and Shri Krishna. The Sai movement is ever on the increase

in a similar manner, which goes to reinforce the faith that Sai Baba

was an incarnation of God (Paramatma). This goes to prove Baba's

promise that after leaving his body he will be ever active from his

tomb to protect and guide his devotees. As Baba had once promised,

He continues to exist in a subtle form (Mahakarana sheath) as a

unifying force, to spread and re-establish compassion, love, truth

and tolerance amongst human beings and among all living entities on

earth.

 

Let us welcome and embrace this age of Sai, who is the panacea for

all the evils of the present world, torn as under by forces of

regionalism, racialism, economic and social differences, religious

bigotry, fanaticism and lack of faith in 'God'. Let us look forward

to a happier tomorrow; let the name of Shri Sai resonate in all

corners of the globe my dear brothers and sisters.