Shri Sai Satcharitra - Chapter 10
Sai Baba's Mode of Life - His Sleeping board - His Stay in Shirdi - His Teachings - His Humility - The Easiest Path.
Remember Him (Sai Baba) always with love, for He was engrossed in doing good to all, and always abided in His Self. To remember Him only is to solve the riddle of life and death. This is the best and easiest of Sadhanas, as it involves no expenditure. A little exertion here brings great rewards. So as long as our senses are sound, we should, minute my minute, practice this Sadhana.
Sai Ram. Though it is described as the easiest of Sadhanas, even that is beyond the reach of a person on whom the Divine Grace has not descended. To remember Him is in a way to join His Durbar. And, one cannot enter His Durbar either in body or mind without His will. Sai Ram.
All other Gods are illusory; Guru is the only God. If we believe in Sadguru's holy feet, He can change our fortune for the better. If we serve Him nicely, we get rid of our Samsar. We need not study any philosophy like the Nyaya and the Mimansa. If we make Him our Helmsman, we can easily cross over the sea of all our pains and sorrows. As we trust the helmsman in crossing rivers and seas, so we have to trust our Sadguru in getting over the ocean of worldly existence. The Sadguru looks to the intense feeling and devotion of His devotees, endows them with knowledge and eternal bliss.
Sai Ram. The first line of the above paragraph may be a little difficult to digest at first reading. In fact, I was quite pained the first few times I read that statement. Then by His grace, the real meaning of what Shri Hemadpant wanted to convey or rather what Sai Sadguru was trying to convey, dawned in my egoistic mind.
Sai Ram. All other Gods are illusory - what a bold and apparently irreverent statement? Especially when Sai Himself did not allow anyone to show disrespect to Gods? So what does Hemadpant mean? That all other Gods or rather, their forms are perceived by our senses, in this case our eyes. If Krishna plays divine music over His flute or Saraswati plays Veena we hear with our ears. If a divine fragrance is emanated when God makes appearance, we perceive with our sense of smell. And if God's prasad tastes wonderful, we again sense that with our tongue. And when God touches us with His divine hand, we sense the love and the affection with our sense of touch. But all these senses are illusory in the sense that they are part of the body-mind complex, which is impermanent. That this is impermanent and our true nature is that of the Atman, Satchindananda is taught by the Guru. So the Guru is real. And since God as Parabrahman is real, Guru is the only God. That is why the sloka goes as, "Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnuh... Guru Sakshat Para Brahman, tasmait Sri Gurave Namah."
Nyaya, Mimansa etc. are adjuncts of Vedas. And even in Vedas, the Karma Kanda parts are considered as the stepping stones and not the goal for a spiritual seeker. To cross the Samsara Sagar, we need a boat and we need a helmsman to steer the boat clear of all our dangers. Our body-mind can be thought of as the boat and the Guru who guides our intellect etc., as helmsman. True surrender is important in getting rid of our ego and once ego is destroyed, bliss results. Sai Ram.
In the last chapter, Baba's mendicancy, and devotees' experiences and other subjects are dealt with. Let the readers now hear, where and how Baba lived, how He slept, and how He taught etc.
Sai Ram. All these leelas of Baba are given here with only one aim and that is to increase our interest in matters spiritual and thus slowly but steadily wean us away from mundane materialistic desires and thus lead us back to our true origin. That is the journey that Hemadpant is talking above. And Sai is helping us by being the helmsman. Even when apparently another human being takes on the role of the Guru, it is Sai who is seated in the heart of each of us, who is using that body as a mere instrument to help us on the journey. Like He is using me as an instrument to bring these spiritual gems up to the surface from the depths of the ocean floor of Satcharitra. Sai Ram.
Baba's Wonderful Bedstead
Let us first see where and how Baba slept. Mr. Nanasaheb Dengale brought, for Sai Baba, a wooden plank, amount 4 cubits in length and only a span in breath, for sleeping upon. Instead of keeping the plank on the floor and then sleeping on it, Baba tied it like a swing to the rafters of the Masjid with old shreds or rags and commenced to sleep upon it. The rags were so thin and worn out that it was a problem how they could bear or support even the weight of the plank itself, let alone the weight of Baba. But somehow or other-it was Baba's sheer Leela that the worn out rags did sustain the plank, with the weight of Baba on it. On the four corners of this plank, Baba lighted panatis (earthen lamps), one at each corner, and kept them burning the whole night. It was a sight for the Gods to see Baba sitting or sleeping on this plank! It was a wonder to all, how Baba got up and down the plank. Out of curiosity, many careful observers kept watching the process of mounting and dismounting, but none succeeded. As crowds began to swell to detect this wonderful feat, Baba one day broke the plank into pieces and threw it away. Baba had all the eight Siddhis (powers) at His command. He never practiced nor craved for them. They came to Him naturally, as a result of His perfection.
Sai Ram. We see similar incongruities in our Puranas where Ganesha is seen riding a mouse, Skanda a peacock and Vishnu an Eagle. Actually there is a lot of esoteric significance in these symbols. The mouse, the Peacock and the Eagle are actually empowered by the Gods who ride them. Without the Divine Grace, they can't support even themselves let alone the Gods. Sai also conveyed a similar meaning when He suspended the heavy wooden plank- using flimsy, worn out clothes. The clothes bore the weight of the plank by Sai's grace. Similarly when He lay upon the plank too, it was His will and Grace that supported the plank.
Sai Ram. Why did Baba allow even this hint of His miraculous powers to be seen? Just to generate curiosity in the onlookers so that they get attracted like bees to the honey in the flowers. So that when they come to Him in search of His powers, He can use that same great mystic power to refine their egos. Baba generated curiosity in the minds of His devotees, by allowing them to have a peep into the spiritual realms, where tremendous powers ruled. He also showed through example that any power should be under our control and not the other way around. "Baba had all the eight Siddhis (powers) at His command. He never practiced nor craved for them. They came to Him naturally, as a result of His perfection." That is the secret of Satvik Siddhis. Sai Ram.
Sagun Manifestation of Brahman
Though Sai Baba looked like a man, three cubits and a half in length, still He dwelt in the hearts of all.
Sai Ram. He dwelt in the hearts of all. That is the meaning of Spirit. And that is what the "Narayana Suktam' or 'Mantra Pushpam' , the offering of prayers, a Vedic Hymn, proclaimed. He is there in the hearts of all, as Narayana, the Chaitanyam or spark, which gives life. Sai Ram.
Inwardly, He was unattached and indifferent, but outwardly, He longed for public welfare. Inwardly most disinterested, He looked outwardly full of desires, for the sake of His devotees. Inwardly an abode of peace, He looked outwardly restless. Inwardly He had the state of Brahman, outwardly He acted like a devil.
Sai Ram. Hemadpant is trying to describe the state of opposites (duality) and then show that Sai is beyond the opposites. All the arguments about the nature of Brahman are futile. Like a coin has two sides, Brahman, too manifests as Nirgun and Sagun. Nirgun is so abstract a concept that ordinary Sadhakas like us can't really appreciate it let alone use it. Like no amount of philosophy is useful to a man to fill the stomach when he is hungry. At that time, food is what is needed. Similarly when a man is ill, medicine is needed. But when man is continually troubled by the disease of delusion, delusion that he is separate from the rest of the people, Brahma Jnan is needed to remove the delusion. In almost all the Vedic Hymns, this duality is recognized and respected. And all the prayers, rituals etc., are designed to help the person deal with the daily needs. Performing of one's karma or duty is the first step. Expecting a reward is natural. However, slowly but steadily a stage is reached where the faith of the person is built to a stage where he or she no longer expects a reward for the action performed and starts really offering the fruits of the actions at the Feet of Narayana, the Supreme. Sai Ram.
Inwardly He loved Adwaita (union or monism), outwardly He got entangled with the world.
Sai Ram. In the case of Siva, Adi Sankara, Ramana Maharshi or Sai and all other great Jnanis who are fully liberated souls, their enlightenment did not mean that they detached themselves from the day-to-day worldly activities. It just meant that they did what was needed to be done without any expectation of a personal reward. Sai Ram.
Sometimes He looked on all with affection, and at times He threw stones at them; sometimes He scolded them, while at times He embraced them and was calm, composed, tolerant and well-balanced. He always abided and was engrossed in the Self and was well-disposed towards His Bhaktas. He always sat on one Asan and never travelled. His 'band' was a small stick, which He always carried in His hand. He was calm, being thought-free. He never cared for wealth and fame and lived on begging. Such a life He led. He always uttered 'Allah Malik' (God the real owner).
Sai Ram. Not surprisingly, this is the same message that is also given in the first Upanishad, Isa Upansihad, about which we have a beautiful story in one of the later chapters. Since the whole world or Universe is pervaded by Isa, Lord, there is nothing that is not owned by Him. Allah Malik is the cryptic remark of Sai to remind us that the Lord owns everything. Sai Ram.
Entire and unbroken was His love for the Bhaktas. He was the mine or store-house for self-knowledge and full of Divine Bliss. Such was the Divine Form of Sai Baba, boundless, endless and undifferentiated One principle which envelops the whole universe, (from a stone pillar to Brahma) incarnated in Sai Baba. The really meritorious and fortunate people got this treasure-trove in their hands, while those people who not knowing the real worth of Sai Baba took or take Him to be a man, a mere human being, were and are indeed miserable.
Sai Ram. This is the most important recurring theme. SAI is not limited to a specific form, shape or location. All the stories, miracles etc., that He showed, had just one purpose, viz., to inculcate the sense of unity in diversity in the devotees, whose thinking is so conditioned by duality that only extraordinary events, which could not be explained by known laws of science, could shock them into breaking out of those thought patterns, which have a great grip on them and thus bind them. It is the mind which binds and it is the same mind that is exposed to radically new concepts that breaks out of the previous thought patterns and is now free. And when it is bound by those concepts, yet newer concepts or the same concept explained in a new way breaks that hold of habit on the thinking mind. Whether we worship Rama, Krishna, Sai or Siva, if we worship a Deity with the idea that this Deity is different from the other Deity and is more powerful, etc., and is thus to be preferred to be worshipped, we are exhibiting a form of ignorance difficult to beat. All Gods are One and all pujas, worship reach the same. In fact, the worshipper, the God worshipped and the act of worship, all are same (Pl. see Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra)! Whether it is the conflict between Hindus and Muslims , or between Vaishnavites and Saivites earlier, society always suffered from these artificial divisions due to the ingrained duality, the sense of separation which is so ancient that it keeps clouding our vision again and again. Sai came to Shirdi with the aim of uniting these divisive fragments and to show us our real nature. To show us that the forest is built of the trees. To show us the unity in the diversity. To show us the unifying principle behind the duality or plurality. Sai Ram.
His Stay in Shirdi and Probable Birth-date
None knew or knows the parents and exact birth-date of Sai Baba; but it can be approximately determined by His stay in Shirdi. Baba first came to Shirdi, when he was a young lad of sixteen and stayed there for three years. Then all of a sudden He disappeared for some time. After some time, He reappeared in the Nizam state near Aurangabad, and again came to Shirdi with the marriage-party of Chand Patil, when He was twenty years old. Since then, He stayed in Shirdi continuously for a period of sixty years, after which Baba took His Maha-Samadhi in the year 1918. From this we can say that the year of Baba's birth is approximately 1838 A.D.
Sai Ram. Baba kept His life's origins a deliberate mystery to reflect the mystery of each of us. Do we really know when we were born, from where we came, who our real parents were etc.? And do we really know what we were in our previous births and what is going to happen in our next births, unless of course we get liberated from the cycle of birth and death by cutting the knot of our desires? And what is more important, what our history is or what we are doing now with what is given to us?
As already mentioned, Baba represents the core Spirit in each of us, animal or human, animate or inanimate. He represents the Unity in Diversity, the one common to many. So, He deliberately kept the details of His birth and His early childhood a mystery. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna compares the manifest universe to an inverted Banyan (Aswattha) Tree, with its branches spreading down from a root somewhere up. If we assume that we are on one of the twigs of a branch, can we simply trace the origin, i.e. the root? Similarly when Lord Brahma first became conscious in this Cycle, He found Himself seated on a lotus. He did not know from where the lotus originated. So, He investigated and found that He originated from the navel of Vishnu. Vishnu literally means one who is everywhere. Of course, Lord Vishnu materialized Himself into some form so that Brahma can see Him and understand from Him the secret of Creation represented by Vedas.
Thus Sai, by keeping His birth details a mystery, is conveying several important messages. One, that unless we overcome our Maya, we cannot realize our true origin. Second, to whom we were born etc., is not as important as what we have done with that gift of human birth. And if we really trace our birth to the real roots, we find that though we all look so different, we all share one common source, thus eliminating the need for conflict.
The same idea is expanded by Shri Hemadpant in the following paragraph. Sai Ram.
Saint Ramadas (1608-1681) flourished in the 17th century, and fulfilled to a great extent his mission of protecting cows and Brahmins against the Yavanas (Mahomedans). But within two centuries after him, the split between the two communities -- Hindus and Mahomedans widened again, and Sai Baba came to bridge the gulf.
Sai Ram. He used different methods at different times. For example as Sri Datta, He preached the unity of the Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara, thus uniting to a large extent the different sects who were quarrelling among themselves. In Kali Yug, the same task was admirably carried out by Sri Sankara, and later by Sri Vidyaranya. Sri Vidyranya not only wrote scholarly commentaries on Vedanta (His Panchadasi is considered as a monumental treatise on Vedanta and is referred to in Sri Sai Satcharitra), but also helped in establishment of the Vijayanagar Empire to protect the Arsha Dharma from aggression of Mohammedans. Sri Datta Himself took birth as Sripada Srivallabha and in that Avatar, came to Kurupuram. When a washerman served Him well but was momentarily attracted to the worldly pleasures being enjoyed by a Yavana King, He gave a boon to that washerman that he will be born in his next birth as a Mohammedan King, but on his plea, assured him that he will continue to receive His grace then too.
In another wonderful book that I had the good fortune to read a few months ago, it was mentioned that Sripada Vallabha (who is one with Datta and thus with Sri Rama etc.) wished that Sri Anjaneya should take birth as Sri Sai and help both the communities come together. Pl. read Sripada Srivallabha Charitamrutam, which is in Telugu and in English too. That may be the reason for Sri Sai to always repeat Allah Malik (God is the real owner), referring to His Lord, Sri Ram. Sai Ram.
His constant advice to all was to this effect. "Rama (the God of the Hindus) and Rahim (the God of the Mahomedans) were one and the same; there was not the slightest difference between them; then why should their devotees fight and quarrel among themselves? You ignorant folk, children, join hands and bring both the communities together, act sanely and thus you will gain your object of national unity. It is not good to dispute and argue. So don't argue, don't emulate others. Always consider your interest and welfare. The Lord will protect you. Yoga, sacrifice, penance, and knowledge are the means to attain God. If you do not succeed in this by any means, vain is your birth. If any one does any evil unto you, do not retaliate. If you can do anything, do some good unto other." This in short was Sai Baba's advice to all; and this will stand in good stead both in material and spiritual matters.
Sai Ram. "Ahimsa Paramo Dharmah". When someone does good, we do good. That is nothing great, though good. When someone does some harm to us, we tend to retaliate. Though we get momentary satisfaction, we continue to be trapped by the action-reaction cycle. It is like the tree, seed and a new tree... If we need to get out of the cycle of birth and death, we need to cut the tree down to the roots and burn the seeds so that fresh trees don't sprout. So, it is in our real self-interest to stop this retaliation, and to stop it not only in action, but also in thought and speech. Yes, if we remember Sai's advice and follow it, we will do well in spiritual matters. In material matters too it will hold good if we leave all the perceived injustices to Him, who is seated in the hearts of all, including our enemy. By not retaliating, we raise the conscience in the other person. He will realize his mistake. Sai Ram.
Blessed are the people of Shirdi, who worshipped Sai as their God. While eating, drinking, working in their backyards and fields and doing various household works, they always remembered Sai and sang His glory. They knew no other God except Sai. What to speak of the love, the sweetness of the love, of the women of Shirdi! They were quite ignorant, but their pure love inspired them to compose poems or songs in their simple rural language. Letters or learning they had none, still one can discern real poetry in their simple songs. It is not intelligence, but love, that inspires real poetry as such. Real poetry is the manifestation of true love; and this can be seen and appreciated by intelligent listeners. Collection of these folk songs is desirable and Baba willing, some fortunate devotee may undertake the task of collecting and publishing these folk songs, either in the Sai Leela magazine or separately in a book-form.
Sai Ram. At one level, it is the same 'single reality' that played this beautiful drama, leela as it has played in Ayodhya, in Brindavan and many other places. True love communicates from the heart level and poetry is one of the expressions of a loving heart. Just as the Gopikas had tremendous love for Sri Krishna and sang and played with Him, the women of Shirdi too had a great love for their Krishna, their Muralidhar, who came there as a handsome youth and stayed there for 60 years as a member of their village. Sai stayed in their hearts too! Sai Ram.
Baba's Humility
Lord or Bhagwan is said to have six qualities, viz. (1) Fame, (2) Wealth, (3) Non-attachment, (4) Knowledge, (5) Grandeur, and (6) Generosity. Baba had all these in Him. He incarnated in flesh for the sake of the Bhaktas. Wonderful was His grace and kindness! He drew the devotees to Him, or how else one could have known Him!
Sai Ram. As mentioned above, Sai was a Sadguru and Guru draws the disciples to Him. We can't reach Baba physically or mentally unless we had some Poorva Janma Punyam and anubandham (relationship) with Him. Baba Himself confirmed this in another chapter when He described how He pulls his devotees or disciples to him like a sparrow with a thread tied to its legs. And knowing His true nature... how is it possible unless He wills it? Namameeswaram Sadgurum Sainatham...Sai Ram.
For the sake of His Bhaktas Baba spoke such words, as the Goddness of Speech dare not utter. Here is a specimen. Baba spoke very humbly as follows:- "Slave of slaves I am your debtor, I am satisfied at your darshan. It is a great favor that I saw your feet. I am an insect in your excreta. I consider Myself blessed thereby". What humility is this? If anybody would think that by publishing this, any disrespect is shown to Sai, we beg His pardon and to atone for this we sing and chant Baba's name.
Sai Ram. Baba was demonstrating the Abheda Bhava and also the concept of mirroring here. He puts Himself in His devotee's position and says things, which a devotee is expected to say. Thus showing his utter nature devoid of the taint of ego. And He also shows His oneness with all beings, including us and the insects inside our intestines. Sai Ram.
Though Baba seemed outwardly to enjoy sense-objects, he had not the least flavour in them, nor even the consciousness of enjoying them. Though He ate, he had no taste and though He saw, He never felt any interest in what He saw. Regarding passion, He was as perfect a celibate as Hanuman. He was not attached to anything. He was pure consciousness, the resting place of desire, anger, and other feelings. In short, He was disinterested, free and perfect. A striking instance may be cited in illustration of this statement.
Sai Ram. We already mentioned that Sri Sai in fact was an incarnation of that greatest devotee of Sri Ram (Atma Ram), namely Sri Hanuman. Sri Hanuman was a monkey by birth but by His conduct, He showed that He was the lord of all monkeys including that greatest monkey without a tail, namely our mind! And Sri Sai too showed His total command over His mind. Let us remember Him and prostrate to Him and offer our egos at His feet so that we too may attain mastery over our minds. Sai Ram.
There was in Shirdi, a very quaint and queer fellow, by name Nanavalli. He looked to Baba's work and affairs. He once approached Baba who was seated on His Gadi (seat) and asked Him to get up, as he wanted to occupy the same. Baba at once got up and left the seat, which he occupied. After sitting there awhile Nanavalli got up, and asked Baba to take His seat. Then Baba sat on the seat and Nanavalli fell at His feet, and then went away. Baba did not show the slightest displeasure in being dictated to and ousted.
This Nanavalli loved Baba so much that he breathed his last, on the thirteenth day of Baba's taking Maha-Samadhi.
Sai Ram. When Jawahar Ali proclaimed that Sai was his chela, Sai did not object and in fact set a worthy example to all of us by serving the false Guru in many ways and similarly He did not mind Nanavalli's apparent show of disrespect, which was actually a demonstration of Sai's detachment. Sai Ram.
The Easiest Path - Hearing the stories of the Saints and Being in their Company
Though Sai Baba acted outwardly like an ordinary man, His actions showed extraordinary intelligence and skill. Whatever He did, was done for the good of His devotees. He never prescribed any asan, regulation of breathing or any rites to His Bhaktas, nor did He blow any mantra into their ears. He told them to leave off all cleverness and always remember "Sai" "Sai".
Sai Ram. Cleverness is an aspect of the intellectual part of the ego. And is a shackle for liberation, just as desire for sensual enjoyment. Sai Ram.
"If you did that" He said, "all your shackles would be removed and you would be free". Sitting between five fires, sacrifices, chantings, eight-fold Yoga are possible for the Brahmins only. They are of no use to the other classes.
Sai Ram. Here, Shri Hemadpant uses the word Brahmin in a very restrictive sense of the word as those who were performing all the rites prescribed for them, not to those who took birth in that caste. And Sai, the benevolent Master did not forsake those who could not perform the prescribed rites because of their Poorva Janma Sanskaras or Vasanas. Remembering Him is the key to liberation. When the mind is absorbed into the Universal Consciousness represented by Sai, the individual ego dissolves and liberation results. Sai Ram.
The function of the mind is to think; it cannot remain for a minute without thinking. If you give it a Sense-object, it will think about it. If you give it to a Guru, it will think about Guru. You have heard most attentively the greatness, grandeur of Sai. This is the natural remembrance, worship and Kirtan of Sai. Hearing the stories of the Saints is not so difficult, as the other Sadhanas mentioned above. They (stories) remove all fear of this Samsar (worldly existence), and take you on to the spiritual path. So listen to these stories, meditate on them, and assimilate them. If this is done, not only the Brahmins, but also women and lower clases will get pure and holy.
You may do or attend to your worldy duties, but give your mind to Sai and His stories, and then, He is sure to bless you. This is the easiest path, but why do not all take to it? The reason is that without God's grace, we do not get the desire to listen to the stories of Saints. With God's grace everything is smooth and easy.
Hearing the stories of the Saints is, in a way, keeping their company. The importance of the company of Saints is very great. It removes our body-consciousness and egoism, destroys completely the chain of our birth and death, cuts asunder all the knots of the heart, and takes us to God, Who is pure consciousness. It certainly increases our non-attachment to sense-objects, and makes us quite indifferent to pleasures and pains, and leads us on the spiritual path.
If you have no other Sadhana, such as uttering God's name, worship or devotion etc., but if you take refuge in them (Saints) whole-heartedly, they will carry you off safety across the ocean of worldly existence. It is for this reason that the saints manifest themselves in this world. Even sacred rivers such as the Ganges, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri etc., which wash away the sins of the world, desire that the Saints should come to them, for a bath and purify them. Such is the grandeur of the Saints. It is on account of the store of merit in past births that we have attained the feet of Sai Baba.
Sai Ram. The contact with Sants, and Sadgurus is never wasted. Just as a piece of iron brought into contact with a magnet does retain a small amount at least, Guru, does slowly but steadily brings the disciple close to Himself, may be over a few hundred births as given in a later chapter when Sai kindly explains Gita Sloka to Shri Nanasaheb Chandorkar. It is said that God's grace brings the disciple into contact with the Guru and Guru's grace helps the disciple to realize his own divinity. That is why Guru is worshipped as Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara and as Para Brahma. Sai Ram.
We conclude this chapter with meditation on Sai's Form. He, the beautiful and handsome Sai, standing on the edge of the Masjid and distributing Udi to each and every Bhakta, with a view of his welfare. He who thinks the world as naught and Who is ever engrossed in Supreme Bliss -- before Him -- we humbly prostrate ourselves.
Sai Ram. With the grace of Sai, we have now completed the exploration, atleast for the time, of this great chapter of Sai Satcharitra. We too, offer our salutations to Sai and to Shri Hemadpant and Gunaji for giving us this nectar. Sai Ram.
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With Sai's blessings, His servant Swamy
