Sri Saibaba Temple of Universal Oneness - Weekly News letter Volume 90

[Sri Saibaba Temple - Nashville]

 Sairam    

 

 

Yadaa yadaa hi dharmasya, glaanir bhavathi bhaaratha
Abyutthaanam adharmasya, tadaatmaanam shrjaamyaham,
Parithraanaaya saadhunaam, vinaasaayacha dushkrthaam,
Dharma samsthaapanaarthaaya, sambhavaami yuge, yuge.

 

This is from the Gita – chapter 4 shloka 7&8 – which means, “whenever righteousness decays and unrighteousness is on an ascendancy, I manifest myself for the protection of the virtuous, the destruction of the vicious and for the establishment of truth and righteousness, age after age”, says Krishna to Arjuna.

This is why great saints and great personalities incarnate again and again either, like the Bhagawath says, they are ‘amsa avatars’  (limited or part manifestations of the Supreme) or‘Purna avatars’ – complete manifestations of the Supreme.

 

  

 Vittal

 

 

 

 There was an old devotee by name Goulibua aged 95 years and he belonged to the Varkari order of Pandarpur. He stayed 8 months at Pandarpur where Panduranga, the dancing Krishna is the main deity and 4 months on the banks of the Ganga. He had a donkey with him, which carried his luggage and a disciple as his companion. Every year he made his vari – vari meaning trip, to Pandarpur, pilgrimage to Pandarpur and came to Shirdi to see Sai Baba whom he really loved from the bottom of his heart. He used to just stare at Sai Baba and say, “This is Pandarinath, Vittala incarnate, the merciful Lord of the poor and the helpless.”

 

This Goulibua was an old devotee of Vithoba and had made many a trip to Pandari and testified that Sai Baba was Pandarinath and nothing less.
Sai Baba was very fond of remembering and singing God’s name. He always uttered, “Allah Malik hai” and in his presence made the others sing God’s name, bhajans and kirtans continuously, day and night, for all 7 days of the week – the naam saptaha. Once he asked Das Ganu Maharaj, one of his close devotees, to do the naam saptaha. Das Ganu replied that he would do it provided he was assured that Vittala would appear at the end of the 7th day. Then Baba placed his hand on his chest and assured him that certainly Vittala would appear but for that, the devotees must be earnest and devout.

“The Dankapuri of Dakurnath, the Pandari of Vittal, the Dwarka of Ranchod is here in Shirdi. One need not go far out to see Dwarka. Will Vittal come here from some outside place? He is here! Only when the devotee is bursting with love and devotion, Vittal will manifest Himself here,” he said. Well, they thought he was speaking philosophically, describing that the Supreme Being is present everywhere and so on. But they were in for a surprise!

  

After the saptaha was over, Vittal did manifest Himself. Kakasaheb Dixit, one of the close associates was, as usual, sitting in meditation after the bath and he suddenly saw Vittala in a vision. When he went at noon for the darshan of his dear Baba, Sai Baba asked him point blank, “Did Vittal Patil come? Did you see Him? He is a very truant fellow. Catch Him firmly, otherwise He will escape if you are a little inattentive”. This happened in the morning. At noon there was another Vittal darshan. One hawker from outside came there selling 25 or 30 pictures of Vithoba. This picture exactly tallied with the figure that appeared in Kakasaheb’s vision. On seeing this and remembering Baba’s words, Kakasaheb Dixit was much surprised and delighted. He bought one picture of Vithoba and placed it in his shrine for worship.

 

True Knowledge

 

 

Divine knowledge is to be realized, not taught. Prostration, enquiry and service are methods by which to obtain the grace of the guru. It is an illusion to suppose that phenomenon is real. That is the screen of ignorance that hides the knowledge. Tear it off and Brahma or knowledge will shine forth. Ignorance is the seed of Samsara. Put the medicine of the guru’s grace on the eye and the screen of maya lifts leaving only jnana. Jnana is not something to be attained. It is eternal and self existent. On the other hand, ignorance has a cause and an end. The root of it is the idea that the devotee is separate from God. Remove this and what remains is jnana.”

And finally Baba added, “Now the question why Krishna referred Arjuna to other gurus instead of giving him jnana Himself? Did Krishna consider other jnanis separate from Himself or their teaching different from His? No. So their teaching is His and there is no difference.”

Then he told Nana Chandorkar to bring the Bhagavad Gita and read a chapter before him each day and he would expound it. He did it. Unfortunately as it happens, no record was kept. No tape recorders then.

Again referring to his birth and parentage, Baba once remarked “My mother was greatly rejoicing that she had got a son – me. I was, for my part wondering at her conduct, when did she beget me, was I begotten at all? Have I not been already in existence? Why is she rejoicing over this?”

 

Megha real Devotee

 

 

Let us see what Rao Bahadur Hari Vinayak Sathe has to say:

 

“Megha was a very simple yet very devout Brahmin whom I found living at Viramgaon, when I was Deputy Collec­tor there. He would simply repeatNamashivaya always. But he did not know Gayatri, much less the whole Sandhya mantra. I got interested in his welfare, and got him taught Sandhya and Gayatri. I sent him to Broach to worship Siva there, and paid him Rs. 8 for his fare and expenses. He would worship Siva standing on one leg only all the time. Then I told him that Shirdi Sai Baba was in realty the embodied form of God Siva and made him start for Shirdi. At the Broach Railway Station he learnt that Sai Baba was a Muslim and his ex­tremely orthodox and simple mind was highly perturbed at the prospect of bowing to a Moslem and he prayed to me at the station not to send him to Shirdi. I however insisted and gave him a letter to my father-in-law at Shirdi to introduce him to Baba. When he went to Shirdi mosque, Baba was indignant and would not allow him to go into the mosque. ‘Kick out that rascal’, He cried at the very sight of him and He was also angry that I should have sent him a man with such hopelessly crude ideas. Megha then went to Trimbak and worshipped at 'Gangadhwar’ for a year or a year and a half”. He suffered there from severe pains in his abdomen. During that time he got faith in Baba and came back to Shirdi. Dada Kelkar interceded on his behalf and Baba allowed him to stay at Shirdi and worship him at the Mosque.

 

            Sai Baba's help to Megha was not through any oral in­struction. He worked upon Megha internally, that is, mentally. Megha was considerably changed and benefited. When even the very orthodox Megha thus became an ardent devotee of Baba, others followed suit and sooner or later gave up their prejudices against Baba and joined in the congregational worship. All this required time, and obstacles like Megha's sentiments, had to be overcome and made stepping stones for further progress.

 

Megha worshipped Baba at two places. He worshipped Him in person at the masjid and His photo at the Wada. This big picture of Baba was given to him by Nanasaheb Chandorkar. He continued Baba’s worship for twelve months. Happy with his devotion, Baba decided to show His appreciation. Early in the morning, one day, when Megha was still in his bed with his eyes closed, he saw Baba’s form. Baba knew that he was awake. He sprinkled akshata on the bed and said, “Megha, draw a trishul”, and disappeared. Hearing Baba’s voice, Megha got up and searched for Baba but did not find Him. To confirm that Baba had come, there were the rice grains of akshata. He then went to Baba, told Him about the vision and asked His permission to draw the trishul. Baba said, “Did you not hear My words, asking you to draw the trishul? It was not a vision but a direct order. My words are always pregnant with meaning and never hollow.” Megha told about his predicament. He said, “I thought you woke me up, but found that all the doors were closed. So I thought that it was a vision.” Baba said, “I require no doors to open. I have no form. I live everywhere. Like a sutradhar, I carry out all the actions of the one who trusts Me and becomes one with Me.”

 

            Megha went back to Wada and drew a trishul on the wall near Baba’s picture. Next day, a Ramdasi bhakta came from Poona, prostrated at the feet of Baba and offered Him a Shiva Linga. At the same time, Megha also came to the masjid. Baba told him, “See, Shankara has come. Take care of Him now,” and gave the Shiva Linga to him. Megha was surprised to see the Shiva Linga so immediately after he drew the trishul.

 

A very touching reference to the death of Megha, who served Sai Baba faithfully to the end of his days. Khapardhe’s diary says, “This was a very sad day. I got up very early and after finishing my prayer, discovered that yet, there was one hour before daybreak. So I lay down and then was roused by the Kaakad arathi by Babusaheb Jog. Dixit Kaka told me that Megha died about 4 a.m. The Kaakad arathi was done but Sai Maharaj did not show his face clear and did not appear to open his eyes. He didn’t throw his glances around spreading his grace. After we returned, arrangements were made for the cremation of Megha’s body. Sai Baba came just as the body was being brought out and loudly lamented his death. His voice was so touching that it brought tears to every eye. He followed the body upto the bend in the main road, near the village and then went his usual way. Megha’s body was taken under the Badha tree and consigned to flames there. Sai Baba could be distinctly heard lamenting his death even at that distance and he was seen waving his hands and swaying as if in arathi, to say goodbye. There was a good supply of dry fuel, the flames soon rose high. Kaka Dixit, myself, Bapusaheb Jog, Upasani, Dada Kelkar and all else were there and praised Megha that his body was seen and touched by Sai Baba on the head, the heart, the shoulders and feet. I remember how Baba foretold his death 3 days ago.”

 

Editorial Team

Sri Saibaba Temple of Universal Oneness Seva Committee

www.srisaibabatemple.org