"This world and it's constituents are made of a high energy complex system
and the glow of life in the heart of you and I, everybody descends from an
extra terrestrial world and so goes ---
"Sab Ka Malik Ek Hai"
(God is one for all)" --SAIBABA
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SHRI SAI SATHCHARITHA
"Sada Nimbarvrikshasya mooladhiwasat,
Sudhasravinam tiktamapi-apriyam tam,
Tarum Kalpavrikshadhikam sadhayantam
Namameeshwaram Sadgurum Sai Natham"
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Chapter 49
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Stories of (1) Hari Kanoba - (2) Somadeva Swami - (3)
Nanasaheb Chandorkar.
Preliminary
The Vedas and the Puranas cannot sufficiently praise
(describe) Brahma or Sad-guru; then how can we, who are ignorant, describe our
Sad-guru Shri Sai Baba? We think that it is better for us to keep quiet in this
matter. In reality the observance of the vow of silence is the best way of
praising the Sad-guru; but the good qualities of Sai Baba make us forget our vow
of silence and inspire us to open our mouth. Good dishes taste flat if there be
no company of friends and relations to partake of the dishes with us, but when
they join us, the dishes acquire additional flavour. The same is the case with
the Sai Leelamrit - the nectar in the form of Sai's leelas. This nectar we
cannot partake alone. Friends and brothers have to join us - the more the
better.
It is Sai Baba Himself that inspires these stories and gets them written as
He desires. Our duty is to surrender completely to Him and meditate on Him.
Practising penance is better than pilgrimage, vow, sacrifice, and charity.
Worshipping Hari (Lord) is better than penance, and meditation on the Sad-guru
is the best of all. We have, therefore, to chant Sai's name by mouth, think over
His sayings in our mind, meditate on His form, feel real love for Him in our
heart and do all our actions for His sake. There is no better means than this
for snapping the bondage of samsar. If we can do our duty on our part as stated
above, Sai is bound to help and liberate us. Now we revert to the stories of
this chapter.
Hari Kanoba
A gentleman of Bombay named Hari Kanoba heard from his
friends and relations many Leelas of Baba. He did not believe in them as he was
a doutbing Thomas. He wanted to test Baba himself. So he came to Shirdi with
some Bombay friends. He wore a lace-bordered turban on his head and a new pair
of sandals on his feet. Seeing Baba from a distance he thought of going to Him
and prostrating himself before Him. He did not know what to do with his new
sandals. Still going to some corner outside in the open courtyard, he placed
them there and went in the Masjid and took Baba's darshan. He made a reverential
bow to Baba, took udi and prasad from Baba and returned. When he reached the
corner he found that his sandals had disappeared. He searched for them in vain
and returned to his lodging very much dejected.
He bathed, offered worship and naivedya and sat for meals, but all the while
he was thinking about nothing but his sandals. After finishing his meals, he
came out to wash his hands when he saw a Maratha boy coming towards him. He had
in his hand a stick, on the top of which was suspended a pair of new sandals. He
said to the men who had come out to wash their hands that Baba sent him with
this stick in hand and asked him to go on the streets crying - "Hari Ka Beta.
Jari Ka Pheta" and told him that "If anybody claims these sandals, first assure
yourself that his name is Hari and that he is the son of Ka, i.e., Kanoba, and
that he wears a lace-bordered turban and then give them to him." Hearing this,
Hari Kanoba was pleasantly surprised. He went ahead to the boy and claimed the
sandals as his own. He said to the boy that his name was Hari and that he was
the son of Ka (Kanoba) and showed him his lace-bordered turban. The boy was
satisfied and returned the sandals to him. Hari Kanoba wondered in his mind
saying that his lace-bordered turban was visible to all and Baba might have seen
it, but how could he know his name Hari and that he was the son of Kanoba, as
this was his first trip to Shirdi. He came there with the sole object of testing
Baba and with no other motive. He came to know by this incident that Baba was a
great Satpurush. He got what he wanted and returned home well-pleased.
Somadeva Swami
Now hear the story of another man who came to try Baba.
Bhaiji, brother of Kakasaheb Dixit was staying at Nagpur. When he had gone to
the Himalayas in 1906 A.D., he made an acquaintance with one Somadeva Swami of
Haradwar at Uttarkashi down the Gangotri valley. Both took down each other's
names in their diaries. Five years afterwards Somadeva Swami came to Nagpur and
was Bhaiji's guest. There he was pleased to hear the Leelas of Baba and a strong
desire arose in his mind to go to Shirdi and see Him. He got a letter of
introduction from Bhaiji and left for Shirdi. After passing Manmad and
Kopergaon, he took a tanga and drove to Shirdi. As he came near Shirdi he saw
two high flags floating over the Masjid in Shirdi. Generally we find different
ways of behaviour, different modes of living and different outward paraphernalia
with different saints. But these outward signs should never be our standards to
judge the worth of the saints. But with Somadeva Swami it was different. As soon
as he saw the flags flying, he thought - "Why should a saint take a liking for
the flags, does this denote sainthood? It implies the saint's hankering after
fame." Thinking thus he wished to cancel his Shirdi trip and said to his fellow
travellers that he would go back. They said to him - "Then why did you come so
long? If your mind gets restless by the sight of the flags, how much more
agitated would you be on seeing in Shirdi the Ratha (car), the palanquin, the
horse and all other paraphernalia?" The Swami got more confounded and said -
"Not a few such Sadhus, with horses, palanquins and tom-toms have I seen and it
is better for me to return than see such Sadhus." Saying this he started to
return. The fellow-travellers pressed him not to do so, but to proceed. They
asked him to stop his crooked way of thinking and told him that the
Sadhu, i.e., Baba did not care a bit for the flags and other paraphernalia, nor
for fame. It was the people, His devotees that kept up all this paraphernalia
out of love and devotion to Him. Finally he was persuaded to continue his
journey, go to Shirdi and see Baba. When he went and saw Baba from the
courtyard, he was melted inside, his eyes were full of tears, his throat was
choked and all his evil and crooked thoughts vanished. He remembered his Guru's
saying that - 'that is our abode and place of rest where the mind is most
pleased and charmed.' He wished to roll himself in the dust of Baba's Feet and
when he approached Baba, the latter got wild and cried aloud - "Let all our
humbug (paraphernalia) be with us, you go back to your home, beware if you come
back to this Masjid. Why take the darshan of one who flies a flag over his
Masjid? Is this a sign of sainthood? Remain here not a moment." The Swami was
taken aback by surprise. He realized that Baba read his heart and spoke it out.
How omniscient He was! He knew that he was least intelligent and that Baba was
noble and pure. He saw Baba embracing somebody, touching someone with his hand,
comforting others, staring kindly at some, laughing at others, giving udi prasad
to some and thus pleasing and satisfying all. Why should he alone be dealt with
so harshly? Thinking seriously he came to realize that Baba's conduct responded
exactly to his inner thought and that he should take a lesson from this and
improve; and that Baba's wrath was a blessing in disguise. It is needless to say
that later on, his faith in Baba was confirmed and he became a staunch devotee
of Baba.
Nanasaheb Chandorkar
Hemadpant concludes this chapter with a story of
Nanasaheb Chandorkar. When Nanasaheb was once sitting in the Masjid with
Mhalasapati and others, a Mahomedan gentlemen from Bijapur came with his family
to see Baba. Seeing gosha (veiled) ladies with him, Nanasaheb wanted to go away,
but Baba prevented him from doing so. The ladies came and took the darshan of
Baba. When one of the ladies removed her veil in saluting Baba's feet and then
resumed it again, Nanasaheb, who saw her face, was so much smitten with her rare
beauty that he wished to see her face again. Knowing Nana's restlessness of
mind, Baba spoke to him after the lady had left the place as follows - "Nana,
why are you getting agitated in vain? Let the senses do their allotted work, or
duty, we should not meddle with their work. God has created this beautiful world
and it is our duty to appreciate its beauty. The mind will get steady and calm
slowly and gradually. When the front door was open, why go by the back one? When
the heart is pure, there is no difficulty, whatsoever. Why should one be afraid
of any one if there be no evil thought in us? The eyes may do their work, why
should you feel shy and tottering?"
Shama was there and he could not follow the meaning of what Baba said. So he
asked Nana about this on their way home. Nana told him about his restlessness at
the sight of the beautiful lady, how Baba knew it and advised him about it. Nana
explained Baba's meaning as follows - "That our mind is fickle by nature, it
should not be allowed to get wild. The senses may get restless, the body,
however, should be held in check and not allowed to be impatient. Senses run
after objects, but we should not follow them and crave for their objects. By
slow and gradual practice retlessness can be conquered. We should not be swayed
by the senses, but they cannot be completely controlled. We should curb them
rightly and properly according to the need of the occasion. Beauty is the
subject of sight; we should fearlessly look at the beauty of objects. There is
no room for shyness or fear. Only we should never entertain evil thoughts.
Making the mind desireless, observe God's works of beauty. In this way the
senses will be easily and naturally controlled and even in enjoying objects you
will be reminded of God. If the outer senses are not held in check and if the
mind be allowed to run after objects and be attached to them, our cycle of
births and deaths will not come to an end. Objects of sense are things harmful.
With Viveka (discrimination) as our charioteer, we will control the mind and
will not allow the senses to go astray. With such a charioteer we reach the
Vishnu-pada, the final abode, our real Home from which there is no return."
Bow to Shri Sai -- Peace be to all