Perfect Masters - Meher Baba Of Ahmednager Part 08

[Guest guest]

An explanation about the role and greatness of Shri

Sai of Shirdi would remain incomplete without the

understanding of the life of Kashinath Govind Upasani

Sastri, who later came to be known as ‘Shri Upasani

Maharaj’. Shri Sai’s deeds and life was full of

miracles, but the greatest miracle was His creation of

this once inconsequential person to the status of a

Sadguru within a period of four years! The methods

used by Shri Sai to completely transform Kashinath

Sastri, the pain taken by him to protect the neophyte

and the assurance with which he grew this unsure and

confused disciple to the state of a Perfect Master,

would indicate where in the spiritual hierarchy of

this world Shri Sai remains.

 

Born on 5th may, 1870 at Satana, Maharashtra (in

India), Kashinath did not exhibit traits of a normal

child from the beginning, although his deviations did

not indicate existence of any super-intelligence or

excellence in him. He held extremely strong views

about two vital aspects of life when in his teens.

First, he declared that the formalized educational

learning was only for bread winning and, therefore,

after doing three years in a vernacular elementary

school left it; merciless canning by his teacher

becoming the immediate cause of such realization.

Secondly, he hated and condemned the body (i.e. his

own body) as the creator of limitations and pain in

life. He spent all his time doing in Asans (exercises

as per Yoga), Pranayama (Breath control exercises),

repetition of mantras etc. With such an attitude he

could earn nothing and for his family members he was a

problem child. To make matters worse, he was married

with the hope that his ways would change. Old habits

die hard. Not only did Kashinath not change, but also

a few months after marriage he ran away from home (at

the Dhulia district in Maharashtra) leaving a

departing note and reached Nasik. However, two months

later anxiety about the plight of his parents

compelled him to return home. Shortly thereafter his

wife expired, but before the cup of sorrow could be

emptied, Kashinath, now fifteen was got married second

time. To earn livelihood he went to places like Pune

and could not find a job because of the absence of any

formal education. At times he did menial work for

others and at other times, he took to begging. He was

in a miserable state of life. Sometimes, he even had

to sleep on footpaths (sideways) and live only on

Margosa (Neem) leaves.

 

During this period of trials and tribulations, he met

a saint who impressed upon him the virtues of

Brahmacharya (celibacy). Leaving Pune he went to a

place called Kalyan where he restored to begging as a

means of livelihood, often quenching his hunger only

by drinking water. A few days later, frustrated and

exhausted, he decided to return home moving through

Nasik. He reached home at Satana in July 1890. Soon

after his father passed away. To earn livelihood, he

practiced medicine for some time, followed by a job of

a Malgujari (tax collector for the king or ruler).

However, he failed in all the material ventures he

undertook. His health also deteriorated substantially

due to neglect and lack of comforts. While practicing

Pranayama (Breath control exercises), his breath-cycle

also got disturbed. Even his sleep, digestion and

evacuation systems got difficult. All efforts of

medical and religious having failed, he tried to get

occult help of a Yogi. A Yogi called Yogi Kulkarni

whom he met at Rahuri told him that Kashinath had

entered a high yogic state and therefore, must take

the help of Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi. Presuming Shri

Sai to be a Moslem, Kashinath did not take the advice

seriously. One day when Kashinath was walking in the

streets of Rahuri, an old man approached him to take

hot water as a curative measure and to avoid taking

cold water. Kashinath did not take this unsolicited

advice given by a unknown person but continued his

search for a Hindu Yogi. While on such a move, at a

certain place called Jajuri, he went into a Samadhi

state while sitting in a lonely place surrounded by

prickly-pear bush. When he awoke, he felt very thirsty

and went to the stream nearby to drink water. At that

time the same old man re-appeared from nowhere. He

repeated his advice in an angry tone and disappeared

suddenly. Kashinath took his advice (this time)

seriously and found sudden relief. In a short time his

health became all right by this hot-water therapy.

Then he went to meet Narayan Maharaj of Kedgaon a

famous Saint. On his way back he again met Yogi

Kulkarni at Rahuri who again insisted upon him to meet

Sai Baba, as Shirdi was on the way. Ultimately

Kashinath came to Shirdi and met Shri Sai on 27th June

1911. Little did he realize at that time that he had

met his Sadguru (Master) and that the course of his

life would undergo complete thereafter.

 

After staying at Shirdi for about two or three days,

Kashinath wanted to leave for home. Obviously he had

been wishing for a happy union with his family members

and to live with them happily ever after. However, Sai

would not agree. Everyone in Shirdi knew that if Shri

Sai did not permit one to leave Shirdi, there must be

something more to it. Those who disobeyed faced

problems, which could have been avoided, had they

heeded to the words of Shri Sai. When Kashinath

pleaded vehemently, Shri Sai ultimately permitted him

on the condition that he (Kashinath) should return to

Shirdi in eight days. Kashinath, at that time, not

having full faith in Sai, started worrying and

fretting as eight days was too short a time. Sai

knowing his mental state told him “well, go if you

like, I will see what can I do.” Very happy at the

prospect of going home he made a quick departure.

However, strangely enough, moving from place to place,

he reached Kopergaon (a village 8 miles away from

Shirdi) on the eighth day. He was utterly confused and

did not know that as to how in eight days of

continuous walking he could only cover eight miles.

Willy-nilly from Kopergaon, he came to Shirdi with a

group of pilgrims and met Shri Sai again.

 

When he bowed before Shri Sai, the latter asked him

 

Sai : “So You have come, when did you leave this

place?”

 

Kashinath : “Thursday”

 

Sai : “ At what time?”

 

Kashinath : “At Three”

 

Sai : “What day of the week is this?”

 

Kashinath : “Thursday.”

 

Sai : “How long since you left?”

 

Kashinath : “A week. To-day is the eighth day”.

 

Sai : “That’s it. When you left, you protested that

you could not return within eight days!”

 

Kashinath : “I do not know how this has happened. It

is all your doing”.

 

Sai : “Man, I was behind you all these eight days. Now

go and stay in that wada” (i.e. Kaka Saheb’s, where

visitors of Shri Sai usually stayed. ‘Wada’ means a

building within a compound)

 

From that day onwards Kashinath was put on probation

by Shri Sai who asked him to stay in the wada (a place

where the other pilgrims were put up). Kashinath

attempted to understand Sai by starting to enquire

from other devotees and observation of His daily

activities. On one day, Sai as usual narrated a

peculiar story in the form of a self-experience to the

assembled devotees. He said that once he met an

emaciated and pregnant woman whom he advised to take

only hot water and avoid cold-water, so that the child

could be delivered early. She did not heed His advice

but went on to drink cold water. He again came and

advised the lady not to take cold water but to take

hot water only. When she started to take hot water,

she delivered the child. While narrating the story

Shri Sai pointed frequently at Kashinath, who was

convinced that it was Shri Sai who had appeared at two

places to save him. Love and gratitude engulfed him so

much that he started crying. Sai told him clearly that

he and Kashinath had Rinanubandha (Karmic obligations

of the past, including the previous births) for many

centuries.

 

To protect Kashinath from all external factors that

effect spiritual growth, Sai asked him to go and sit

in Khandoba Temple and do nothing so that Sai would be

able to do whatever he wills to do i.e. to work within

Kashinath and evolve him. Sai told Kashinath that

Khandoba’s (Lord Shiva) full grace will come on him

after a period of four years.

 

Like a mother protecting its child from the

on-slaughts of nature and people around even at the

cost of her own life, Shri Sai protected Kashinath

whole-heartedly and openly. Before the assemblage of

jealous devotees who asked about the reason of His

extreme grace He said, “yes, yes, everything has been

given, whatever he is, good or bad, he is mine. There

is no distinction between him and me. Now, the whole

responsibility for him rests with me.” Kashinath still

could not understand the import of the words of Shri

Sai. To further indicate his future, Sai said

“wherever you are, you are God – You will realize

everything.”

 

The grace of the Sadguru is immeasurable. It is said

that whereas a touch stone can change a stone to gold

by mere touch, the Sadguru (Perfect Master) is such a

touch-stone who can convert a stone (disciple) to a

touch-stone i.e. to His own state (Perfect Master).

The Sadguru, at this stage is responsible for

everything, good or evil, done by the pupil. At this

stage, the Sadguru virtually remains at the mercy of

the disciple. By this total sacrifice of Himself, the

Sadguru evolves the disciple to a state of perfection

i.e. His own state. Shri Sai, once told one of His

close-associates that the endeavor should be to create

these perfect men so that they can, in turn,

spiritually uplift thousands and millions of other

souls from the state of Jivatma (bonded souls) to the

state of Shivatma (Perfect souls). To evolve Kashinath

was no easy task for Shri Sai. It is said that the

difference in the state of consciousness between a

stone and an ordinary man is what is the difference

between an ordinary man and a Sadguru. Like a man

turning a piece of stone by the use of hammer, chisel

to a beautiful piece of sculpture, the Sadguru can

change a gross individual to that of a perfect soul.

This is what Shri Sai was trying to do on Kashinath.

The methods he used were, sometimes, harsh from the

point of view of Kashinath, but, none the less were

meant for his evolution to that perfect state only.

 

To begin his work Sai told Kashinath “Sit quiet,

somehow. Have nothing to do with anyone”. Sai wanted

Kashinath not to create further ‘Samskaras’ or

impressions for himself in attachment with other

people but to draw his mind inwards. As he followed

the master, a series of mystic reactions happened in

Kashinath and around him.

 

To make Kashinath realize that, his Guru (Shri Sai)

was present in every living being irrespective of the

species, He once told Kashinath that he would one day

visit Khandoba temple (where Kashinath used to stay).

He further said that would Kashinath recognize Him, He

would have chillum (earthen pipe for smoking) with

him. About two or three months later Kashinath was

taking some food to his Guru (Sai, who was sitting at

the DwarkaMai mosque). A black dog who had been

watching Kashinath while cooking, followed him.

Without giving any food to the dog, Kashinath went

straight to Sai, who said, “why did you take the

trouble to bring the food here, in this hot sun. I was

sitting there (i.e. near the temple)”. Kashinath was

shocked to hear that his Guru was at the temple and he

did not know. He told Sai that there was none in the

temple except a black dog. At that, Sai said ‘yes,

yes, I was that dog”. Hearing this Kashinath could not

stop crying and resolved never again to commit such a

blunder. On the next day, while cooking, he watched

around cautiously lest the dog would come again. The

dog was no where to be seen. A shudra (lower-caste)

beggar was found leaning against a wall and watching

him cook. Kashinath the Brahmin (Uppermost-caste)

grown in the orthodox tradition, immediately asked him

to go away. Later when he approached Sai, the latter

asked him “yesterday you did not give me food and

today you also ordered me not to stand there and drove

me away. Do not bring food for me hereafter”. Again

Kashinath was surprised and again he was told that

‘shudra’ was Sai Himself. These two lessons taught

Kashinath that God and Shri Sai are in everything, and

that the essence of God pervades everyone and

everything.

 

On the Gurupurnima day (Ashadha full moon day) of

1913, Shri Sai asked a devotee Chandrabai, a strong

willed lady to worship Kashinath the way Sai was being

worshipped. This lady approached Kashinath in

Khandoba temple with the Puja (worship) material for

his worship. Kashinath refused to be worshipped and,

even, threatened her for her audacious act. But

Chandrabai told him (the language of Sai said through

her) that even his body, which he thought was being

worshipped, did not belong to him. From this day

onwards Kashinath was called as Upasani Maharaj as

officially Sai installed him as a Guru even in his

probation period. After this incident, he started

losing the sense of his body (Dehabhava).

 

Now Upasani Maharaj started having visions and

feelings of a highly psychic and spiritual nature.

For example, he lost his normal vision by looking at

the sun constantly. The sun and other light sources

looked dark to him. When in this state, one day, he

suddenly started seeing circles of light, which

expanded and then came near him. These circular

specks of light would disappear coming near his body.

Now he started seeing spiritual visions inside these

circles of light. One day he saw himself standing at

some place in the space and saw the whole cosmos

including the sun, moon, sky revolving. The whirling

cosmos slowly became smaller and smaller, came towards

him, and vanished near him or into him. Upasani

Maharaj now experienced that the whole world was

illusory and revolving and that he, as a soul, was

outside it. This was a higher stage in his spiritual

growth.

 

From his childhood Upasani Maharaj had identified the

body as the cause of all evils in life and had made

conscious attempts to punish it. For a spiritual

aspirant identifying the body with the self is a big

limitation. How Shri Sai removed it is an interesting

story. One day Upasani Maharaj saw a vision that in

an old building he (Upasani) and Sai were there. Shri

Sai beckoned him to bring his ear close to his (Sai)

mouth so that he could give a mantra. When Upasani

Maharaj tried to do so, a shabby figure, which looked

exactly like him tried to pull Maharaj away from Sai.

Then Sai beat-up that shabby figure carried him out

and burnt him in a pyre. Identifying himself with

this figure when Upasani complained about this action

(of burning). Shri Sai told him that it was his

(Maharaj’s) evil form, which has been burnt. Little

later, he saw an illuminated figure of himself. Again

on being asked, Sai said that it was his (Maharaj’s)

virtuous form. Maharaj was surprised and asked if he

had an evil form and also a virtuous form who was he!

Shri Sai told him that he was beyond both these forms

and was the pure soul the element with which Shri Sai

himself was made of.

 

As Upasani Maharaj proceeded from the stage of

illumination to self-realization occult powers and

‘siddhis’ came to him. When an aspirant evolves in

the spiritual path higher psychic and occult powers

gradually grow in him. He could read the minds of

everyone – his past, present and future. People

started surrounding him and he had some following.

 

Often, when he would be worshipped by a few persons, a

crazy ascetic called Nanavali, who stayed at Shirdi,

would come and pull out his cloth and talk with him

with disrespect and contempt. Once he tied him up and

beat him up. As Nanavali was a tough and dangerous

person, no one could protect Upasani Maharaj. His cup

of sorrow was full but inwardly his Godly qualities

were evolving to perfection. He was getting ready for

his new and bigger role. Every time he faced a

problem, Sai assured him by saying that He (Sai) was

always with him and that the more he suffered at

present, better it would be for his future.

 

One night in July 1914 Upasani Maharaj left Shirdi

quietly taking mental permission from his Guru for a

role he was destined to play elsewhere. First he went

to a place called Shindi, then to Nagpur where he

stayed for about a month and finally Kharagpur. At

all these places, people started worshipping him even

when he tried fervently to run-away from such

situations. He tried to remain incognito but people

would not leave him in peace. At Kharagpur, he

deliberately stayed in a dirty condition and used

filthy articles and even abused people in most

unparliamentary language that he could. People

followed him everywhere and conducted his Puja

(worship) and demanded advice out of him. When a

flower blooms and its aroma spreads, butterflies and

insects naturally get drawn towards it.

 

Same was the case with Upasanji Maharaj. Since he had

become a ‘Satpurush’ (Perfect one) people naturally

flocked to him whether he liked it or not. All

persons coming in contact with a Satpurush get

purified. His following increased everyday and his

surroundings became a place of activities like poor

feeding, kirtan and ‘Naamjap’ remembrance of the name

etc. Although Upasani Maharaj would not agree to be

the creator, but a number of miracles started

happening around him. After staying for about a year

in Kharagpur, when people tried to build a permanent

abode for him, he quickly left the place. Soon he

reached Nagpur, where also, people surrounded to have

his darshan. After two months of stay at Nagpur, he

visited places like Poona and also his home at Satana.

As his four-year period was over, he returned to

Shridi and stayed at Khandoba temple for about seven

months. Thereafter, he left for a place called

Rahata where he conducted naam japs, poor feeding etc.

From there he went to Ahmedabad for some time.

Returning to Shirdi, a third time he stayed near to

his Guru for about two to three months. In 1917, he

finally shifted to Sakori and started functioning as a

spiritual master (Sadguru).

 

This child of Shri Sai served thousands and thousands

of people, day in and day out with least regard for

his personal comforts and finally left his gross body

in the early hours of the 24th day of December, in the

year 1941. Like his Guru, Upasani Baba had given

enough indications about his final departure earlier.

 

 

Upasani Baba was Shri Sai’s loftiest creation a stone

turned into a touchstone.