Sri Saibaba Temple , Nashville , TN Weekly News Letter Volume 79

[Sri Saibaba Temple - Nashville]

 

Baba is born

Gangabhavadya and Devagiriamma were living in Pathri village, they were worshipers of Iswara and Parvathi. They had no offspring for a long time. They intensified their prayers. Gangabhavadya used to ply boats near the village for a living. One night, when it was raining heavily, Gangabhavadya left his house to take care of the boats, telling his wife that he would not be returning in the night. After the husband had an early meal and left, Devagiriamma ate and went to bed.

At 9 p.m. there was a knock at the door. Devagiriamma opened the door, wondering if her husband had returned. A very old man entered the house. He pleaded, "It is very cold outside. Please permit me, mother, to stay inside." As a pious woman, she allowed him to stay in the inside verandah and went in after bolting the inner door. She opened the door. The old man said, "I am feeling hungry; give me some food." Finding that there was no food, the woman mixed some flour with curd and gave it to him. Another knock sounded after some time. When she opened the door, the old man said, "My legs are aching, Mother, will you massage them?"

Devagiriamma went inside, sat in the prayer room and prayed, "O Mother! Why are you testing me like this? What should I do? Should I serve him or refuse?"

Going out of the house by the backdoor, she went in search of someone who could be engaged to render this service. No one was available. Again there was a knock by the old man. At the same time, a woman knocked at the backdoor. She said, "It appears you came to my house and sought some help? I was away at the time. Please let me know what service I should render you?"

Feeling happy that Goddess Parvathi herself had [come to her rescue and] sent the woman in response to her prayers, Devagiriamma sent the newcomer to the verandah to serve the old man and closed the door. The old man and the new woman were none other than Parameswara (Shiva) and Parvathi, the Divine couple.

Parameswara told Parvathi, "Fulfill the cherished desires of this lady." Parvathi Iswara replied, "You are Supreme. Please shower your Grace on her Yourself." Iswara [another name for Shiva] said, "I came to test her. You came in answer to her prayers. Hence You must bless her."

There was a knock at the door again. This time Devagiriamma promptly opened the door because of the presence of another woman. Parvathi and Parameswara appeared before her in their divine form. Unable to contain her joy, Devagiriamma fell at their feet. Parvathi then blessed her, "I grant you a son to maintain the lineage and a daughter for kanyadan (a girl to be offered in marriage)." Devagiriamma fell at the feet of Iswara (Shiva). Iswara said, "I am immensely pleased with your devotion. I shall take birth as your third child." When Devagiriamma got up, the Divine couple had vanished. Feeling ecstatic by this experience, Devagiriamma eagerly awaited the return of her husband in the morning to relate to him the whole story.

When the husband came home in the morning she related to him all that had happened during the previous night. The husband said, "Devagiri! What is this fanciful tale! It is all a dream. Parvathi and Parameswara appearing before you and giving Darshan! It is pure fantasy!" Gangabhavadya dismissed the whole episode as incredible and fanciful.

As the years passed, Devagiriamma became pregnant and a son was born. A year later a daughter was born. Gangabhavadya was now convinced that the birth of the two children was the result of the blessings conferred by Parvathi and Parameswara. He told his wife, "You had the good fortune (to be blessed by the Divine couple). I did not have that luck."

When Devagiriamma conceived again, Gangabhavadya began to feel an urge to give up hearth and home and go in search of the Divine couple. He announced to his wife that he was leaving for the forest to do penance. The devoted wife that she was, Devagiriamma decided to follow him, though she was in the ninth month of her pregnancy. After proceeding some distance, she developed labor pains. She delivered a boy. Wrapping the babe in a piece of cloth, she left the child by the roadside and followed her husband.

Because of these circumstances, no one knew who the parents of the child were. The Fakir who found the child brought him home and took care of him. Baba's life-story is known only from the time of his arrival in Shirdi.

 

Baba Childhood

There was in the same village a Sufifakir. As he was also childless, he took charge of this childand brought him up in his home. The boy stayed in the Fakir's home for four years (1835 to1839). The Fakir passed away in the tide of time. The Fakir's wife, who had lavished great affection on the child, was grief-stricken. To add to her worries, the boy was behaving in a troublesome manner. In those days, Hindu-Muslim differences in that area were growing alarmingly. There was considerable bitterness between members of the two communities. What the boy used to do was to visit a Hindu temple and sing songs in praise of Allah. "Mein Allah hoo!" ("I am God"). "Allah Malik hai!" ("Allah is the Supreme Lord"). He used to declaim in this manner in the temple. The Hindus used to chastise the boy in various ways for his misbehaviour. Nor was that all. He would enter a mosque and declare: "Rama is God", "Siva is Allah." His behaviour in singing about Allah in a Hindu temple and about Rama and Siva in amosque was a puzzle to the public. Members belonging to both the communities went to the Fakir's wife and complained about the boy's behaviour. Unable to deal with this situation the Fakir's wife handed over the boy to a high-souled, pious scholar named Venkusa, who was living near her house. The boy stayed in Venkusa's ashram for 12 years from 1839 to 1851.

 

Venkusa was extremely fond of the boy. In every matter, he used to give priority to the young Baba's views. Seeing this, in course of time, members of the ashram developed envy towards the boy

 

 

    

         Nana                             Mhasalapathi            Das Ganu                    Shama

In 1917, Baba once called Abdul Baba, Nana Chandorkar, Mahalasapati, Dasganu and others and started asking each of them, "Do you know who you are?" Each of them replied, "I am your sishya(disciple)." Baba said, "Nonsense! Don’t use that term any longer. I have no disciples in this world. I have countless devotees. You do not recognize the distinction between a disciple and a devotee. Anyone can be a devotee. But that is not the case with the disciple. A disciple is one who carries implicitly the commands of the guru (the preceptor). The mark of the sishya is total devotion to the preceptor. Only the man who says, 'I have none in the world other than the preceptor,' is a disciple. How far have you respected my injunctions? How are you entitled to claim that you are my disciples? Only the one who follows me like my shadow can claim to be my disciple. The devotee is one who prays to the Lord wherever he may be. Hence, there is a big difference between a disciple and a devotee. The disciple and the preceptor are like two bodies with one spirit. The disciple should have no sense of separateness from the preceptor. He should feel, 'I and you are one.' There are no such disciples to be found in the world. There are millions of devotees, but no disciples."

On hearing this, Shyam was in deep pain. He felt within himself, "Apart from serving at your feet, I have no other concern." Baba then went into another room and called Shyam inside. "In this entire world, for me you are the only disciple. All others are only devotees." At that moment, Shyam fell at the feet of Baba, and cried out, "You alone, you alone (are my refuge)!" and breathed his last.

In all his life of over 82 years, Baba had never shed a tear in the presence of devotees. When Shyam passed away, he shed three drops of tears. The devotees present there said, "Swami! Why do you feel so grieved? All are in your hands." Baba replied, "Dear boys! I am not grieving at all. Almost all his sins had been wiped out already. By the three drops I shed, the remaining of sins (of Shyam) have been washed away."

 Abdul Baba

 

All that Baba said or did was for the good of the devotees alone. Towards the end, Abdul Baba came to Baba. Baba told him, "I shall appear again and give you Darshan."

"When will that be?" asked Abdul. Baba told him, "It will be after eight years. The first advent of Sai was in Maharashtra. The second advent will be in Madras," Baba said. It should be noted that when this form (Sathya Sai) made its advent, Andhra Pradesh was part of Madras Presidency.

When he was asked, in what form the next advent would take place, Shirdi Baba told Abdul Baba alone, "I will give Darshan in the name of Sathya Sai for upholding Truth." That is the present advent.

The two bodies are different, but the Divinity is one. The first advent was for revealing Divinity. The second advent is to awaken the Divinity (in human beings). The next advent is for propagating Divinity. The three Sai's are Shirdi Sai, Sathya Sai, and Prema Sai.

The reason for relating all this is that last saturday happened to be the birthday of Shirdi Baba (September 28, 1835). Baba attained Samadhi in 1918. Bodies are transient. These vestures are assumed only for the sake of devotees. Unless the divine comes with a form, no one can develop faith in the Formless. The Divine in human form is the preparation for comprehending the Formless Absolute.

The truth about God cannot be understood by anyone. He is infinitely vast. He is minuter than the atom. No one can know what is the macrocosm and what is the microcosm. Because of this mystery, one devotee sang:

Can anyone unravel your mystery, O Krishna!

You are vaster than the vastest; you are subtler than the atom.

Al the countless beings in the world cannot grasp your baffling mystery.

How can anyone know your Infinite Cosmic form, O Krishna!

Nor is that all. Among the great thieves, you are the greatest.

How can anyone know you, O Krishna!

Editorial Team

Sri Saibaba Temple of Universal Oneness

Nashville , TN

www.srisaibabatemple.org

615 346 9381