Scribblings of a Shirdi Sai Devotee

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Scribblings of A Shirdi Sai Devotee

by Suresh Chandra Gupta

An offering at the Lotus Feet of

the Master Shri Sai Baba

of Shirdi

The Apostle of Love & Compassion

The Messiah of the poor & forlorn

The One who

scatters the bread

of His Grace on all

who surrender to

Him, heart and soul.

Dedicated to

Late Shri Kameshwar Nath Yagnik

of Jaipur who showed me the path of Sai Bhakti

&

My wife late Smt Vidya Gupta,

an ardent devotee of Baba,

who helped me at every step,

in treading the path of Sai Bhakti.

Swami Sivananda Saraswad of

Divine Life Society, Rishikesh

- on Baba

"As the most illuminating illustrations of His Omnipresence,

Omnipotence and Omniscience, Sri Sai Baba, the Mahayogin of Mahayogins,

has daily demonstrated numberless proofs and miracles, and has appeared to

Rama bhaktas as Sri Ram, to Krishna bhaktas, he has given darshan as Sri

Krishna. Such is the yogashakti and spiritual eminence of Sai Baba that there is

no greater Avatara among the Dasavatars, which He has not, in this Kaliyuga,

to modern mankind, shown as Himself. He is Sri Krishna, Rama, Siva as

Himself. He is Sri Krishna-Rama-Siva-Marutya-roopa Sai. And, His utterances


and promises are characterised by an extraordinary boldness and power which

can be wielded only by a Puma - Avatara and every assurance of Sai Baba

resembles closely, and is, in fact, a restatement of the assurances that Lord

Krishna has left us. There is hardly any difference between what Sai said and

what Sri Krishna had uttered, nor is there any difference between the Cosmic

and the Infinite light that is expressive in Sai."

(Written by Him on 15th Qct, 1958, in the Foreword, to Sri Sai Geeta, published

bySri Sai Samaj, Calcutta)

Contents

Foreword 4

Introduction

Preface

Chapter -1 11

Sai Baba - The Saint of Shirdi

Chapter – 2 17

Understanding Shirdi Sai through Baba's Own words.

Chapter - 3 23

Sai Baba's coming into my life and

building up of the Lodi Road Temple, New Delhi

My first experience of Baba's Grace - My second experience of Baba's Grace -

My third experience of Baba's Grace - Urge to know Baba - Formation of Delhi

Sri Sai Samaj - Receipt oflshta Mantra from Baba - My first visit to Shirdi - The

Rashtrapati attends Ramnavmi celebrations 1961 - Meeting with Sri Sathya Sai

Baba - Fragrance of bhakti - Paramhamsa Omkara Swamy - Sri Sivanesan

Swamy of Shirdi -Functioning of Delhi Sri Sai Samaj - A parallel organisation

comes up - Building of Lodi Road Temple - Installation ceremony of the Idol.

Chapter - 4 67

Stray thoughts on various aspects of Sai worship.

On Bhakti - On Gurus and the path of Baba - On Building Temples - On Miracles

- Receiving messages from Baba - Foretelling events - New concepts in Sai

bhakti - Literature on Shirdi Sai Baba - Circulation of letters and other such

activities -A thought.


Chapter - 5 93

Offerings at the Lotus Feet of Shri Sai Nath

A Hymn to Sai - Prayer - Ocean of Sai Bliss - The Ego in Me - land Sai - 1 Adore

you Sai - No Desire for Mukti - A Devotee opens his heart - Lack of Faith - The

Awareness - Battle of life - Strength of Sai Noam - An ode to Sai - An Offering of

Love.

Exhibits (due to constrain of space the exhibits could not be

uploaded)


Foreword

'What shall I gain by attaining Mukti

Where you will not be there

Where my soul would have merged in the Supreme.

Where I shall cease to exist as I,

And cease to experience your grace as before'.

This is the supplication of an ardent and staunch devotee, addressed to

Lord Sainath Maharaj, after totally surrendering {saranagathi) to Him. In order

not to miss His Grace, even 'Mukti', the highest of the human goal, is spurned by

Sri Suresh Chandra Gupta, in one of his poems : 'No desire for Mukti". This

clearly indicates the Author's devotion to and love for Shirdi Sai Baba.

Starting with a brief, but informative, life sketch of the Great Master, the Author

lists His assurances, pledges, 'charters and sayings' - which remind a devotee of

the vibhodi yoga in Bhagavat Gita wherein Lord Krishna proclaims His Divine

glories, after asserting "Neither God nor the great sages know the secret of my

truth, for I am the prime cause in all respects of gods as well as the great seers."

Baba similarly declares: "I am not the body or the senses. I am the eternal

'Sakshi'." Just as Lord Krishna is a Poorna Avtar, Sainath is also a Poorna Avtar,

besides Shiva, Rama, Maruthi, Dutta and many others.

The Author explains his three thrilling personal Sai experiences, which

transformed his life, instilling in him staunch faith in Baba, who saved a relative

from the clutches of death, rid his daughter of high fever and brought about a

marriage even after the negotiations had failed.

The unique feature of this highly interesting book is an authentic account

of how Baba came to Delhi, the genesis in I960, of the Delhi Sri Sai Samaj and Sri

Sai Bhakta Samaj, in 1966, through the efforts of Sri Chitnis, and their growth.

Baba was practically unknown in Delhi and the North before 1960. The great

Apostle of Baba, H.H. Sri Narasihma Swamiji, Founder President of All India Sai

Samaj, Madras (now Chennai), who took, Baba's name and fame out of

Maharashtra, had also done stupendous Sai Prachar under trying circumstances

and against all odds. He had succeeded in making Baba known in the then


Madras Presidency and Andhra. He had also visited Calcutta and a few other

places where small sections of people came to know about Baba.

H.H. Sri Saipadananda Radhakrishna Swamiji, Founder-Patron, and chief

disciple, assisted his Master to some extent and carried on Sai prachar in

Karnataka (then Mysore State) coming to Bangalore in 1952, deputed by his

Master.

Sri S.C. Gupta, the author, was the chosen messenger of Baba to carry His

Form and Teachings to the people of Delhi, sweating and toiling, collecting funds

and holding Pujas, attended by Rashtrapathi - Dr. Shri Rajendra Prasad; the

Speaker of Parliament; Central Ministers and M.Ps. The Delhi Sri Sai Samaj, after

doing solid prachar work and turning numerous devotees 'Babaward' and

distributing Sai literature, was subsequently wound up. The author had the good

fortune to be closely associated with all His work, besides taking active part in the

construction and acquiring land for the now very popular, Lodhi Road Sai

Temple, which attracts thousands of devotees these days.

Details of the author's visit to Shirdi and meetings and darshans with

Paramahamsa Omkara Swamy and Sri Sivanesan Swami, who served Baba with

utter devotion and humility for 43 years, helped and blessed thousands of

devotees from India and a few from abroad also, make interesting reading.

There are comments, mildly critical in some cases, on Bhakti, Gurus and

Sadgurus, miracles, building of new temples and new concepts in Sai Bhakti

which are thought provoking.

The poems addressed and offered to Baba are soul-stirring, reflecting the

outpourings of a pining and loving heart.

The book has Hindi section also, on which I have no competence to

comment. Well designed, produced and reasonably priced, it will be a worthwhile

acquisition for Sai devotees.

August 22, 2002 R.SeshadriPresident,

Sri Sai Spiritual Centre

Thyagarajanagar

Bangalore-560028


Introduction

With the Blessings, Mercy and Grace of the Great Saint, Sri Sai Baba of

Shirdi, we venture to pen down a few lines as an introduction to the "Scribbiings

of a Shirdi Sai Devotee" written by the staunch devotee, Shri Suresh Chandra

Gupta of New Delhi.

Till early sixties of the last century, most people in North India had not

heard about this great Saint In an around 1963, on my posting to Delhi, my wife

and I had opportunities to attend Baba's prayer meetings being conducted in

Shan Nagar (now Bharati Nagar). It is here we came in contact with Shri Suresh

Ji, the author of this book. We have been observing for the last four decades, his

ardent and selfless devotion to Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi and total involvement in

establishing Baba's faith. We, like many others in and around Delhi,' are his

admirers.

Most literature available on Baba generally contains Baba's Life Story, His

Leelas and Devotees experiences. The present book, we consider is unique in its

contents. It lays stress on various aspects of Sai Bhakti as also the pitfalls

encountered by devotees. The analysis of Baba's utterances in Chapter Two

provides, in brief, a peep into the ways of working of Baba, and the assurances

given by Him should provide impetus to Devotees to take to the sacred path of Sai

Bhakti.

Chapter Three leads us to an insight into the manner in which the seeds of

Sai Bhakti germinated and blossomed in the heart of the author and provided

him urge, strength and courage in pioneering to initiate Sai doctrines and

teachings amongst citizens of Delhi. At a slow but steady pace, the awareness of

the 'Sat-Chit-Anand Swarup' of Baba gradually grew in Delhi. Soon after the

establishment of Shri Sai Baba Temple on Lodhi Road in New Delhi, there was

unusal awakening amongst citizens of Delhi and surrounding areas about Sai

Bhakti. With Baba's Grace, the fragrance of His Bhakti has spread far and wide in

North India and, today, many temples have come up not only in big towns, but

even in far off and inaccessible places.

In Chapter Four, Shri Gupta has raised pertinent issues, which need

devotees to look deep within the crevices of their own hearts to find answers. The


author is of the view that the path of Bhakti, shown by Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi, is

simple and easy to follow and should remain as such.

Poetic compositions of the author show his complete surrender and

dedication. Every syllable of his in praise of Shri Sai seems to have come out from

author's heart spontaneously. The wordings have moved us emotionally and

produced distinctive vibrations. It is suggested that these poems may also be

published seperately in the form of a pocket size booklet, sutaible for devotees to

carry in their pockets.

Efforts put in by Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta in contemplating the book is

laudable. He has accomplished this task within a very short period due to Shri Sai

Baba's Grace. The contents of this book, we are sure, will inspire the readers and

cement their faith in Shri Sai Baba, which is the aim of the author.

August 21, 2002

Brig. (Retd.) Adi K. Sahukar

Mrs. Nergish Adi Sahukar

F-2/9, Salunke Vihar, Pune


Preface

During the last 20 years or so, as more and more people are being drawn

to the Great Saint of Shirdi, quite a number of devotees of Baba in Delhi have

prevailed upon me to write down, 'How Baba came to Delhi', for the benefit of

present and future devotees. Whenever I sat down to do so and as I proceeded

further with the story, a thought would over-power me, "For whom do you want

to write down this account. The One who should know, is already aware of every

thing and of what use would it be for others to know". On the persistent demand

of some of Baba's devotees and with His Kripa, I have now attempted to narrate

the events. At every step, while doing so, I have been conscious if it was my ego

which was prompting me to do so or was I projecting as true a picture of the

events as possible. I could pray to my Baba not to allow my ego to prevail and

merely make me an instrument to project the facts as truly as possible for an

insignificant devotee of His. If I have failed at any step, I shall hold human

weakness responsible for it and implore Baba's and your forgiveness for it.

It would be highly impertinent to say that the foundation of Baba's work in

Delhi was laid the day Shri Yagnik of Jaipur prompted me to do so and come out

of my house, spread Baba's message and bring Sai devotees on one platform.

Baba was being worshipped by a few of His devotees in Delhi even before and

would continue to be so worshipped when water bubbles of my sort fade into

oblivion. Today, I am fully convinced that Baba does His own work and requires

no agents or gurus for this purpose. In our ignorance we may feel puffed up by

our efforts, but not a blade of grass can move without His command. As Baba had

said in His life time, He draws His devotees to Himself as a bird is drawn with a

string tied to its feet.

When I started on this path, not -many people knew about Baba in North

India. In Delhi, one could not even find a small picture of Baba what to talk of Sai

Satcharita. Today when I see pictures of Baba pasted on two wheelers, cars, buses

and thousands of devotees flocking to Sai Mandirs coming up not only all over

Delhi but the whole of North India, who could be happier than I. It is all His

Grace.


I have perhaps been a littie harsh in my observations on various aspects of

Sai Bhakti in Chapter 4 of the book entitled, 'Stray thoughts on various aspects of

Sai worship.' While expressing my views, I have been fully conscious that a

devotee should shun all criticism. I may assure the readers that whatever I have

scribbled is based on my personal and practical experiences during the course of

my working and has been written solely with the intention to make devotees

conscious that we must all endeavour to adhere to the path shown by Baba in His

life and living and discourage the emerging divergent trends. Unfortunately, no

forum seems to exist for providing guidance to the ever increasing number of Sai

devotees, particularly in the North. A devotee on experiencing the Grace of Baba

in some way or the other, when takes to Him, he/she adopts the approach being

followed by other devotees around him, or else goes to a Guru, who draws him

more to himself rather than to Baba. I have even seen queries from foreigners as

to who Baba was and what He stood for, which have remained unanswered. In

my view there is a definite need for providing proper and organised guidance to

the devotees, not only in India but all over the Globe, for creating awarness in

them about the principles and precepts Baba advocated and lived for.

In prompting me to pen down this story, as also in drawing me out from

my seclusion, which I had taken to, after my resignation from the secretaryship of

the Lodi Road Temple in June 1980, the contribution of my co-devotee Shri

Motilal Gupta, Founder Chairman, Shirdi Sai Baba Temple Society, Sai Dham,

Tigaon Road, Faridabad (Haryana) has been tremendous. In fact, it is his

prompting alone and of course Baba's Grace, that it has been possible for these

compositions to see the light of day. I am also grateful to him for providing all

secretarial help in bringing out this book.

My heartful thanks are also due to Shri Vijay R. Raghavan of Sai Security

Printers Ltd. for having undertaken the task of printing this book.

May Shri Sai's Grace be ever with all who have contributed to the

compilation and publication of this book!

17th August, 2002

Suresh Chandra Gupta

'Sai Sadan'


F-5, Green Park Main New Delhi- 110016 Phone :011 26865450

"They alone who are fortunate and whose sins have been washed away, take to

My worship. If you always utter 'Sai Sai', I shall take you over the seven seas.

Have faith in these words and you will certainly be benefited. I need no

paraphernalia of worship - either eight - fold or sixteen - fold. I dwell where there

is full devotion." – Baba


Chapter 1

Sai Baba -The Saint of Shirdi

"Sri Sai Baba is the master of Existence, the Sat Guru, the bosom of Bliss, the

ocean of Peace, the store-house of Power, the revealer of Truth, the master-

being sporting the hearts of all beings mobile and immobile................ Take

refuge in His oceanic compassion and be at perfect ease, leading care-free life.

Remember the words of Sai who scattered the bread of Grace even to the poor,

the wretched, the lowliest and the lost.

'Why should you fear when l am here. Cast all your burdens upon me and I shall

bear them"'.

- Swami Sivananda Saraswati.

Sai Baba is not a myth or a non-historic personality. The Saint lived with

us in flesh and blood till 15 Oct. 1918 - the Vijai Dashmi Day on which He took

His Mahasamadhi. He has been and still is the all pervading living force that

moulds and transforms the lives of million of His devotees regardless of their

religion-Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Parsees alike.

Who was Sai Baba? What was He? What did He live for?

In fact Baba had no name. Mahalsapati, a devout Brahmin, when first saw

Him, accosted Him as 'Sai' - a name by which he came to be known. His origin is

unknown. As a young man about sixteen, He came to the village of Shirdi in the

Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra near about 1854 and made His abode under

a Neem Tree. Day in and day out people saw Him sitting on a rock talking little,

meditating much. To many of the simple folk who passed that way, He appeared

to be mad. It was not given to them to recognise His greatness, let alone divinity

when they saw it. All the same, in the simple ways of villagers, they tried to give

Him alms; He neither refused nor did He accept them.

He lived within Himself. There was not much give and take between Him

and the villagers. He did go out amongst them to take what was given, but never

asked for more. Many times He came back empty handed. He held communion

only with Himself and with God.


The first realisation that He was something out of the ordinary came when

a miracle was seen. A few shepherd boys were playing near the 'Neem' tree under

which He was sitting, and suddenly they saw a fullgrown cobra with raised hood,

moving from the under-bush towards one of their playmates. There was

pandemonium, each child trying to get away from the danger spot except the one

for whom the cobra was making a bee-line; he was too paralysed with fear to

move or to cry. Shri Sai saw the danger and in a split second before the cobra

could strike, He gently unbraided the snake for trying to harm an innocent child.

"Why do you want to harm an innocent child? Please go back," He told the snake.

Poised to strike, the snake turned in its track and moved to where Shri Sai was

sitting, touched His feet with its head and penitently moved away. These children

and one or two elderly shepherds who had seen the whole incident, quite

naturally went and spread the tale round the village.

While there was no marked change after this in the general attitude

towards Him, the villagers now looked upon Him with new respect, as one who

was somewhat different from them. By ones and twos they came to Him,

sometimes with wonder in their hearts but mostly out of curiosity. The Neem tree

no longer gave Him the seclusion that He wanted and so Shri Sai moved into the

quiet corner of a dilapidated old mosque which He called "Dwarkamai". He lived

amongst its crumbling walls with only snakes, bats and owls as company. From

one of the worm-eaten rafters He suspended a plank six feet above the ground

where He used to sleep.: How He got up on the plank unaided remained a

mystery, as much of a mystery- as how the torn rags with which He suspended it

could hold His weight. But, all the same, He could still be seen sitting under the

'Neem' where-under he said, was enshrined His Guru's place. When dug up, two

rooms with lights burning were found under the tree.

One day, He went into the village and as usual asked for a little oil to burn

lamps at His 'Dwarkamai'. But the shopkeepers had by then got tired of giving oil

free to Him and after conferring with one another finally decided not to oblige

Him any more. Empty handed but quite unperturbed, Sai Baba went back to His

dilapidated old abode, to His snakes, and His owls and His bats, followed at a

respectful distance by a few people of the village. They saw Him put some water


in the lamps, place cotton wicks in them and set aflame and lo, not only were the

lamps lit but they remained alight spreading a heavenly glow throughout the

night.

It was then that realisation dawned on the people that here was not an

ordinary mortal, nor a saint or fakir but some one divine, who had come to

sanctify their village. From then onwards, like the fragrance of spring flowers, His

fame wafted round and spread in the village, in the taluka, in the district and then

in the entire region.

Baba never preached any religion. He never even interfered in the religious

practices of His devotees. Whatever religion they belonged to, it was all the same

to Him. Caste, creed, colour or status of His devotees never mattered to Him, He

only believed in the divine law of love and the attainment of Godliness through

faith and love. He did not, therefore, found a new creed or a new sect. His

'Dwarkamai' was a meeting place of all religions. He gave His blessings in the

form of 'Udi' (ashes) from the Sacred fire burning in the 'Dwarkamai'

accompanied by the vocal blessing 'Allah Bhala Karega'. To Him the rich and

poor, the high and the low, the learned and the ignorant, the Brahmins and the

Sudras, the sick and the healthy were all alike. He was the embodiment of the

concept of universal love of God, given by Bhagwan Krishna in Gita -

(I am the same to all beings. To Me there is none hateful nor dear. But those who

worship Me with devotion, are in Me, and I too am in them.)

Sai Baba was a 'Siddha Purusha'. He had command not only over the

bodies and minds of people but even over the five elements. Once some people

who had come to see Him were prevented from catching the night train for

Bombay by a terrific storm which was raging. Without being told, Baba, who

knew their difficulties, looked up towards the sky and said "Hey : enough of that,

stop it now; My children have to go back". The storm abated.

Sai Baba taught His devotees the value of truth, the value of faith and the

value of love for attaining eternal salvation. He did perform miracles, not because

He wanted to impress the people with His powers, but because He sometimes

found it was the simplest way to lead a non-believer to become a believer in God

and His powers. He showed miracles, so that 'those who came to scoff may


remain to pray". He showed them favours. He fulfilled their desires. He showered

His blessings on all those who came to Him beaten and battered by life's buffets;

so that through Him and His actions they could see the love and mercy of God.

Outwardly Baba bestowed temporal benefits on His devotees but inwardly these

were designed to lead them on to the path of spiritual progress. The sick were

healed, the childless couples were blessed with children, the doubting acquired

faith, the blind got eyes through His Grace.

There was only a single thread running through all His actions, all His

decisions, all His words; His efforts to help His devotees to rise above their

ephemeral lives and to bathe in the immortal consciousness of the Inner Divine.

Sai Baba neither wrote books nor read them. Yet time and again, He was

found giving expositions of the Sanskrit and Arabic verses to His devotees.

Despite this, He expressed His view point that theoretical knowledge did not help

in the understanding of spiritual values. Divine knowledge had to be self-realised

and could not be just imparted. To one of His devotees, He said, "In these books

they want to find 'Brahman' (God). There is, however, only 'bhram' (delusion or

confusion) in them. You are all right as you are. Do not read books but only keep

me in your heart, and if you harmonise the head and the heart, it is enough".

He spoke in parables and His teachings were symbolic. He taught in action

and not in words. There was nothing secret or mysterious in His ways. Once

when a rich man went to Baba and requested Him to give him 'Brahamjnan'

(ultimate realisation of God), Baba spoke a few words to him on the need for god-

realisation and suddenly broke off to call a boy and send him to a local shop-

keeper to borrow five rupees. The boy came back as the shop-keeper was not at

home. Baba sent the boy to another person and yet another, but without success.

Meanwhile the visitor was becoming impatient and asked Baba about

Brahamjnan. Shri Sai said to him, "I have been trying to give you Brahmajnan all

this while, I want five rupees. That means, I want five things to be surrendered -

(a) The five pranas or life forces, (b) The five senses, (c) The mind, (d) The

intellect and (e) The ego. Unless you surrender these five, you cannot tread the

hard road to Brahmjnan. No one who is attached to things earthly can attain

divine knowledge". Shri Sai told him that though he had Rs. 250/- in his pocket


and knew that Baba wanted five rupees, he would not part with this small sum.

He wanted the invaluable gift of Brahmajnan free and gratis. His attachment to

earthly things stood in his way.

Shri Sai would appear to His devotees in the form worshipped by them.

Once a Brahmin doctor, a devotee of Rama, was persuaded to go to Shirdi but he

warned his companions that he would not do obeisance to Shri Sai as the latter

was a Muslim. When he reached 'Dwarkamai' he was surprised to see Hindu

rituals being performed inside. The doctor who had earlier declined to bow to the

'Muslim' was suddenly found rushing in and falling at Baba's feet Asked later to

explain his conduct, he said that he did not see Baba but only the form of Rama.

Baba flouted the accepted concept of a saint and asked for Dakshina from

His devotees. He started as a pauper in the morning. All day long wealth flowed

to Him. But He distributed it all to His devotees and finished up as a pauper

again in the evening. He would go begging for His food every morning and did

not give up His begging bowl even upto the end. Baba accepted Dakshina to teach

His devotees the lesson of charity and to remove their attachment to money and

thus to purify their minds.

Baba had an unaccountable and marvellous knowledge of things and

events far removed from Him in time and space. Equally remarkable was His

power to foretell coming events. He was both Trikal Jnani and Antar Jnani. He

could tell all events of the past, present and future and also read the innermost

secret thoughts of His devotees.

His approach to the Great Reality was simple and unsophisticated. He

preached no rituals in God Realisation. He said, "If you always say 'Sai Sai', I

shall take you over the seven seas; have faith in these words. I do not want any

paraphernalia of worship".

He came to this world to bear the burden of all those whose burdens were

unbearable to them. He was sent to give God Realisation to those that wanted it.

"Why should you fear, when I am here; cast all your burdens upon Me and I shall

bear them." He said.

It is only given to divine Prophets of all ages to pass the supreme test of

divinity- resurrection. In 1886, Sai Baba le the mortal body but He left words


with His pet disciple an friend that His body was not to be buried for three days

He was going to Allah and might return. In spite of th insistence of the officer

holding the inquest, His body not allowed to be interred. On the fourth day the

"corpse"! came back to life. '

Evidently, Sai Baba had returned to fulfil the mission for which He had

been sent to this world. Before His first Samadhi, He preferred seclusion; but

after his resurrection He encouraged disciples to flock round Him and He went

on with His divine mission of spreading the word of God for thirty-two more

years.

Even in death He lives. In His last moments on earth He assured His

devotees, "My Samadhi will answer your prayers when I myself am no more in

flesh and blood." And to-day the ever growing number of millions of His devotees

know and experience the efficacy of His words. He lives with them every moment

as their friend, guide and protector.

On 15th October 1918, He attained Mahasamadhi. Today He is stronger in

Nirvana than He was in mortal life.

Om Tat Sat Bow to Sri Sai Baba - Peace and Plenty be to all

This brief sketch of the life and leelas of Shri Sai Baba was written by the

author and circulated by the then functioning 'Delhi Sri Sai Samaj' on Vijai

Dashmi, 1961, with the object of spreading awareness amongst the public of Delhi

about the Sage of Shirdi.


Chapter 2

Understanding Shirdi Sai in Baba's Own Words

Certain truths were uttered by Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi in His life time

during His talks with various persons on different occasions. These reflect on His

'Sat - Chit - Anand' Swarupa and his omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient

character. These truths apart from revealing different aspects of Baba's

philosophy and method of functioning, also convey the assurances given by Baba

to His devotees: how one should take to Him; what Baba expects from His

devotees and finally how one can merge in Him and become one with Him. A

study of these passages again and again, reflecting on them in calmer moments

and imbibing them in one's own life would certainly help an aspirant onto the

path of Sai bhakti as also remove the doubts lurking in his mind. Selections from

these utterances are reproduced below for the benefit of the aspirants:

1. I am God. I am Mahalaxmi. I speak the truth sitting as I do in this

Dwarkamayee. I amVithoba. I am Ganapati. All offerings made to Ganapati have

reached me. I am Dattatraya. I am Laxmi Narayan. Why go for Ganga elsewhere.

Hold your palm at my feet, Ganga flows here. I am Maruti.

2. I am the attributeless 'Nirguna'. I have no name and no residence.

3. I embroiled myself in 'Karma' and got this body. 'Brahman' is my father

and 'Maya' is my mother. I am formless and in everything. I fill all spaces and

solitary wilderness. I am in the fire and ether.

4. I am not the body or the senses. I am the eternal 'Sakshi'(witness).

5. I require no doors to enter. I have no form nor do I have any limitations. I

am always existent in all animate and inanimate objects. I am the wire puller of

all actions of the man who trusts me and merges in me and ultimately provide

him Liberation.

6. Be wherever you like; do whatever you choose; remember this well that all

what you do is known to me. I am the Inner Ruler of all and am seated in theii

hearts.

7. I need no paraphernalia of worship either eight-fold or sixteen-fold. I

dwell where there is full devotion.


8. Meditate always on my formless nature, which is Existence, Consciousness

and Bliss Absolute. If you cannot do this, meditate on my form, from head to toe,

as you see me here night and day. As you go on doing this, your 'Vrattis'

(thoughts) will become one pointed and the distinction between the 'dhyata'

(meditated upon) 'Dhyari, (meditation) and 'dhaya' (object) will be lost and the

meditator will become one with consciousness and be merged in 'Brahma'.

9. Those who are fortunate and whose sins have been washed away turn to

my worship. If you always utter 'Sai, Sai', I shall lake you beyond the Seven Seas.

10. My master told me to give bounteously to all that ask. People come to me

asking for the petty things of life such as wealth, children, promotion and the like;

but nobody comes to ask for the real treasures, I hold. My treasury is full; take

away cartloads of it. Be the true sons of the Divine Mother and fully stock

yourself. What is to become of us? This body will return to earth and the air we

breathe will melt into air. This opportunity will not return.

11. There shall be no dearth of food and clothing in the houses of my devotees.

It is my special characteristic that I always look and provide for the welfare of

those devotees, who worship me wholeaheartedly. If you want to beg / anything,

beg for the Lord Himself.

12. Howsoever oppressed and troubled one , may be, as soon as he ascends

the steps of the Dwarkamayee, he is on the pathway to happiness. The 'Fakir' here

is very merciful He provides protection to all with love and kindness.

13. The Dwarkamayee' wards off all dangers and anxieties of its children Once

a personas its in its lap all his miseries come to an end. He who rests on its

shade, gets bliss.

14. Let anybody speak hundreds of thingr against you, do not express

resentment by giving a bitter reply. If you always tolerate such things, you will

certainly be happy.

15. I am the bonded slave of My devotee. I Iove devotion. He who withdraws

his heart from the world and loves Me, is My true lover and he merges in Me like

a river in the sea.


16. All creatures (such as; dogs, cats, flies, and pigs) ard My own form. He

who seas Me in them, is My belowed. So abondoning the sense of duality and

distinction, continue to serve Me.

17. If any one does any evil unto you, do not retaliate. If you wish to do

anything, do only good acts unto others.

18. He, who carps and cavils at others, pierces Me in the he st and injures ,%,

but he who suffers and endurer, pleases Me mort.

19. Do not entertain the sense of doer ship in performing good or bad act; be

entirely free from pride and ego in all actions.

20. I feel in debted to him who surrenders himself completely to Me and

always remembers Me. I shall repay his debt by giving him salvation. I belong to

him vho thinks of Me hungers after me and does not do anything without first

offering to Me. Leaving aside pride and egotism completely, you should surrender

to Me - who is seatedahn your heart.

21. Mysterious is the path of action. Though I do nothing, people hold Me

responsible for their actions, which take place on account of destiny. I am merely

an observer. The Lord is the sole doer and inspirer.

22. How can the worldly desire and impure inclinations come near persons

who remember Me in their everyday life, worship Me and lovingly listen to and

brood over My life stories. I shall draw them out from the jaws of death.

23. Keeping your mind steady, continue to do your duty fearlessly and have

faith in My words. If My 'Leelas' (deeds) are written, 'avidya' (nescience/

ignorance) will vanish and if these are attentively and devotedly listened to, the

consciousness of the worldly existence will abate, and strong waves of devotion

will arise. If one dives deep into My 'Leelas', he shall obtain precious jewels of

knowledge.

24. My Guru never taught Me any Mantra, how could I then blow any Mantra

in your ears? Just remember that Guru's tortoise like loving glance gives us

happiness. Do not, therefore, try to get Mantra or sermon (Updesh) from any

body. Make Me the sole object of your thoughts and actions and you will, no

doubt attain 'Parmartha'-the spiritual goal of life. Look at Me whole heartedly

and I, in turn, will look at you similarly.


25 Give (Charity) with faith and magnanimity (liberally); give with modesty,

sympathy and respectfully.

26. He who loves me most, always experiences my presence. The whole world

is desolate to him without Me.

27. If you spread your palms with devotion before Me, I shall immediately be

with you at any time of the day and night. Though I am here physically yet I know

all that happens beyond the seven seas. Seated in your heart, I am in fact your

Inner Self. Always worship Him alone who is seated in your heart as well as in the

hearts of all beings. Blessed and fortunate indeed is he, who is aware of My

omnipresent and omniscient form.

28. If I accept one rupee from anyone as 'dakshina', I have to return many

more times of it. I never accept anything gratis from anybody nor do I ask for

'dakshina' indiscriminately. I only ask and take from him towards whom the

'Fakir' (God) points out. If anyone is indebted in his previous birth to the 'Fakir",

then only 'dakshina' is received from him. The donor gives and sows the seeds to

reap a rich harvest in future. Wealth should only be used to earn 'Dharma'. If it is

used for personal enjoyment, it is wasted. Unless you have given charity before,

you cannot, get it now. So, the best way to receive is to give. The giving

of'dakshina' leads to Vairagya' (non-attachment) and thereby to 'Bhakti and'

Gyan.

29. Why should any fear when I am there. Cast all burdens on Me, I shall bear

them.

30. Have faith in Me. Even though I give up this body, My bones in My

Samadhi will give you hope and confidence. Not only I but My Samadhi would be

speaking, moving and communicating with those who surrender to Me whole

heartedly. Do not feel disappointed that I would be away from you. You will hear

my bones speaking and discussing your welfare. If you remember Me constantly

and have faith in Me, heart and soul, you shall be greatly benefited.

From the assurances and commitments given by Baba the following facts

emerge:-

(a) Baba is an Avtar of Love and Compassion. If one car learn to have

unflinching faith in Him, Baba shal] assume full responsibility to look after him


and provide him succour at every step in his life. In fact, His devotees have

abundant experience of the truth of thij commitment.

(b) He has prescribed a code of conduct for His devotees which is simple and

easy to follow, yet capable of taking one to the supreme goal of 'Parmarth'. He

doesn't want His devotees to take to assiduous practices such as observing fasts,

going on pilgrimages, practising 'Ashtang Yoga' and the like. He lives in Bhakti

alone.

(c) Baba's Samadhi is an ever living phenomenon. Baba may not be there in

His physical form today but His Samadhi actively lives, moves about, and

answers the questions of His devotees. They need not seek answers to they

problems elsewhere.

(d) Baba communicates directly with His devotees who have completely

surrendered to Him. He gives them guidance answers their questions and comes

to their help in times of need in some way or the other, either in their waking or

sleeping state. One surely need not seek Baba's Grace through intermediaries, as

is being claimed and observed all around.

(e) Baba wants His devotees to demolish the wall of discrimination in every

walk of life which would facilitate their becoming one with Him.

(f) Baba has given great stress on 'Shrawari (hearing), and 'Manana'

(contemplation) of his leelas (deeds). He has again and again said that if His

leelas are listened to and meditated upon, purity of head and heart will follow and

the seeker will acquire oneness with Him.

(g) Baba had said, "I give to My devotees what they want, so that they may

learn to want what I want to give to them." Let us, therefore, refrain from asking

from Baba the mundane things of life for which he has already taken

responsibility and develop an urge to ask for a little chunk out of that great and

sacred treasure, which He is holding and wants to share with us.

(h) Let us not allow ourselves to be distracted from the path shown by Baba by

taking to and seeking the help of persons claiming nearness to Him. Baba is

omnipotent and omnipresent and if He can hear the movement of even an ant,

surely He can hear the voice of my and your heart and scatter on us the bread of

His Grace, provided we have taken to Him heart and soul.


Sai Brothers and Sisters! Baba is an ever living phenomenon. Let us learn

to make Baba the focal point of all our thoughts and actions. Baba is our God;

Baba is our Guru. Let us learn to live in Baba, think of Baba, breathe of Baba,

dream of Baba, read of Baba, eat with Baba and become one with Him. Let us

seek His Grace to make every pore of our body emit the fragrance of His love and

bhakti. Whosoever smells it, should feel drawn to Him and in ecstasy exclaim,

"Baba! you are indeed wonderful, great and unique. You are Love and

Compassion Incarnate. It is only because of our 'Prarabdha' and your Grace that

we have come in your Sharan'. Make us, your children surrender whole heartedly

at your lotus feet in this life and in lives hereafter, if any.


Chapter 3

Sai Baba's coming into my life and building up of

Lodi Road Temple, New Delhi

Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi belongs to that category of Sages an Saints who are

born 'Puma Siddha' and who are made t come down on this earth for a specific

purpose. Their descen on earth is not governed by the ordinary rules applicable t

human beings. So also, in the case of Sai Baba of Shirdi, nobody can say with

certainty who his parents were, where He was born, what creed or community he

belonged to, where did he receive his early grooming and who his Guru was. All

such questions Baba allowed to remain buried in the garb of secrecy for reasons

only known to him. But when he told Madhav Rao Deshpande (Nee Shama) that

he had been living with him for 72 lives past, surely he wasn't referring to

ordinary life as we live on earth. This statement had a deep significance. Baba

had made similar such statements in the case of some other devotees also.

During my last forty two years' contact with Baba's name, I too have had a

vivid feeling at times that this self also had some contact or the other with its

Master in earlier births -may be merely as a creature in the dust beneath His feet.

It is my firm belief that on the spiritual path, what we are today is the result of

sadhna in lives past. This is how I establish my relationship with my Baba.

I got the chance of seeing the picture of Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi for the first

time in Nov. 1959, in the bed-room of my mother-in-law at Jaipur (Rajasthan),

where I had gone to, a few weeks after the death of my mother on Vijai Dashmi,

the 4Ih Oct. 1959. Sitting on the rugged stone, wearing a torn kafni, eyes full of

compassion endeavouring to penetrate into the deep within you, Baba seemed to

me the very epitome of Love and Mercy. My mind, however, refused to submit to

him. It was, however, left for January 1960 for me to know more about the great

Saint of Shirdi, who was to play a dominant part in the rest of my life and become

the sheet anchor of my existence thereafter.

In January 1960,1 had again to go to Jaipur on long leave to appear in an

administrative rervice examination. One day while I was passing through the

Chandpol Bazar with my brother-in-law, who was studying medicine at SMS


Medical College, Jaipur, at that time, we stopped at a chemist's shop to purchase

some medicine. As we entered the shop, I found a big picture of Baba hanging in

front. My brother-in-law told me that it was this chemist-Shri Kameshwar Nath

Yagnik, who was instrumental in introducing Baba to their family. As Shri

Yagnik, a short statured, fair complexioned, sombre looking, deep eyed, middle-

aged gentleman, emerged from inside the shop, I asked him a straight question,

"Who is this Saint"? Shri Yagnik looked at me with pensive eyes and quietly went

inside the shop and after disbursing medicines to all the customers present, came

out with a red book in his hand and told me, "You wanted to know who this Saint

is.? Please read this book and you shall know all about him." Returning the book

to Shri Yagnik, I told him that presently I had no time to go through the book.

Hearing my words, Shri Yagnik said, "A time would soon come, when you shall

know all about this Saint".

About 10 days after this incident, one evening at about 10 p.m. when I

returned after a dinner with Professor Dr. Sarnam Singh of Rajasthan University

in that cold winter night of January, I found a black car parked in the compound

of my father-in-law's house. He was then the Registrar of Rajasthan University.

As I entered the verandah of the house, my father-in-law came out and informed

me that Shri Yagnik had been waiting for me since 7 p.m. and was saying that it

was Baba's order that he should talk to Kunwar Sahib (in Rajasthan a son-in-law

is addressed thus) tonight From 10 p.m. to 12 p.m., Shri Yagnik kept on telling

me about the life and leelas of Baba, his omnipotent and omnipresent character

but I refused to accept his words saying that there were already far too many gods

and goddesses in India and that I would not like to add one more name to that

list. While parting, Shri Yagnik gave me a small silver locket of Baba with a small

packet of Udi and told me to remember Him whenever I found myself in some

trouble and that Baba would come to my rescue.

It is a strange co-incidence that my mother died on the Vijay Dashmi Day in

1959 and so did Shri Yagnik on Vijay Dashmi 1962 - the day chosen by Baba

himself for crossing the borders, on Vijay Dashmi, 15th Oct. 1918. When Shri

Yagnik was leaving his mortal coil, we were holding Baba's puja in a Dargah in


New Delhi, which we had by then started performing in Delhi under his

inspiration,

My First Experience of Baba's Grace

A few days after my return to Delhi from Jaipur in Jan. 1960, my mother-

in-law had to come to Delhi to see her ailing brother - Shri Guru Datta Govil of

Khurja (District Bulandshahr), who had come to Delhi for treatment. Shri Govil

was a known person of Khurja town of U.P. He was an M.A.L.L.B.; Head of the

LawDeptt., N.R.E.C. College, Khurja; a land-lord and had also been the Chairman

of the Municipal Committee, Khurja. At about 4 p.m., I along with my wife and

mother-in-law, went to see Shri Govil. When we reached the place where he was

staying, we found Shri Govil writhing in pain and gasping for breath. The whole

atmosphere of the place was very gloomy. All sorts of medicines were being

administered to him with no effect A thought came to my mind that if a person is

to exhaust himself in this manner, what was then the use of living such an

ostentatious life -full of deceit, untruth, acquisition and what not. Suddenly my

eyes fell on my mother-in-law and I was reminded of the words of Shri Yagnik, "if

you remember Baba in Times of need, He shall surely come to your succour”

Within myself, l lmplore Baba that if He existed any where, I shall also accept His

existence, if Shri Govil stopped crying at once. Immediately after, I looked into

the eyes of the patient and found that he was still gasping for breath. Next

moment I reached the conclusion within myself that this whole talk of providing

relief, whenever needed, was merely a tall talk. And within seconds thereafter, I

observed that a rhythmic difference had started in the breathing of the patient In

a couple of minutes, his breathing became regular and he opened his eyes and

exclaimed that he was now all right He asked his son as to what medicine was

administered to him which had acted so well. His son named the medicine but

Shri Govil said that earlier also he had taken this medicine but never got the relief

as he had that day. A few minutes later, he remarked that a miracle had taken

place. All this while, I was sitting quietly contemplating on what all had

happened, completely dazed at the incident Quite some time later, I told Shri

Govil the whole story. Listening to it, Shri Govil also developed faith in Baba and

lived for 4/5 months thereafter.


This incident was the first of its kind experienced by me of Baba's Grace

but, as I found soon, it wasn't enough to develop unflinching faith in me.

My Second Experience of Baba's Grace

My first experience of the presence of Baba completely shook me and subtly

worked on my whole being in a manner that the 'Bhav' (expressions) on my face

started changing. Three to four days after this incident, I again found an occasion

to call Baba. My younger daughter – 11/2 years of age at that time in I960, who

was 121/2 years younger to her elder sister, got fever at night. She was sleeping

with me. Some time in the night, when my sleep broke, I found she was running

high temperature. Immediately, I thought of Baba and entreated Him to give the

child relief. As I fell asleep again, I saw in my dream a tall bearded white

complexioned old man, flying into my room from the sky, and telling me, "Why

have you called me? Only because the child has fever. Lo! the child is all right",

And as I opened my eyes in a huff, I found the child had no fever at all. I did not

at that time have any knowledge about the personality of Baba except that he had

a beard.

This was second experience of my Baba.

My Third Experience of Baba's Grace

Within 4/5 days of the second experience, I had a still more thrilling

experience of Baba. A close friend of mine came to me one day and said that he

wanted me to accompany him to Shahadra (a suburb of Delhi) to see a person

with whose son he had fixed up his sister's marriage. Since this person {whom I

shall call Lala) was asking for more dowry in marriage, he wanted this

relationship to be broken. I told him that normally I did not like to interfere in

matters of this nature but since he had come to me, I shall do as he wanted me to

do. Next day, I along with him and a couple of his other friends reached Shahadra

and kept on trying to persuade the Lala not to insist on more dowry as human

relationships mattered more than money in life. He wouldn't, however,

understand our point of view. The Lala did not even have the courtesy of offering

us a cup of tea even though we had been with him for more than 3 hours. At last,

I lost my calm and shouted at the Lala saying that normally a man of my son

would not even like to talk to a person of his type and that all our pleadings have


had no effect on him as he was devoid of basic human qualities. We decided to

break up the relationship. It was agreed that all of us should proceed to a

common friend's house and there he would bring all that had been given to him

from the bride's side so far and hand it over to us to break the engagement finally.

On our way to that common friend's house, I felt extremely pained in my heart

and prayed to Baba that this sort of world was not a fit place for me to live and

implored His help to do something in the matter. By the time we reached the

house of that person, we all felt very hungry and thirsty apart from feeling

extremely aggrieved. We were offered tea and snacks. The Lala also came there

some time later. Suddenly we found a person in white kurta and cap sneaking

into the room. We told him to keep away for the time being as we were engaged

in some serious matter. The gentleman, however, kept on sitting and asked us the

reason for our being so unhappy. We told him that it wasn't his concern. But on

his repeated requests, I had to tell him in brief the reason for our feeling so

aggrieved. He requested me to allow him to talk to the Lala. He did so and to our

astonishment within 15 minutes, we found that the Lala had not only agreed to

continue the relationship, even the date of marriage was fixed. We all asked this

person who he was and what was it that had brought him to this place. He merely

said that as he was passing that way, he felt like coming to this gentleman's house

whom he knew scantily and when he found us all in an agitated mood, felt

helping us and the result was for us all to see.

By now I was completely aghast on all that was appening in my life, In fact,

Baba was pulling this little bird with a thread tied to its legs, towards Himself.

Urge to Know Baba

The three incidents narrated above which were experience, within a brief

span of about 15 days or so, completely changed the course of my life. A feeling

and a faith grew within me that Sai Baba was a living entity capable of responding

to the call of His devotees, whenever required, as claimed by Shri Yagnik at

Jaipur. Suddenly I found a spiritual upsurge within me. My vibrations changed so

also my body language. All day and night, I thought of Baba and Baba alone.

Incessant tears flowed from my eyes and a peculiar bliss seemed to have

enveloped my whole being. Some time later, I wrote to Shri Yagnik to apprise me


more about the life and teachings of Baba and requested him to come down to

Delhi to make me know who Baba is. The correspondence that followed is my

prized possession. Shri Yagnik sent to me a small black and white passport size

picture of Baba which I have with me even today, though completely worn out.

In his letters, Shri Yagnik exhorted me to come out of my house and

contact Sai devotees wherever they were in Delhi and bring them together and

create a nucleus of Sai devotees for spreading awarness of Baba's teachings, so

that more and more people could be the beneficiaries of His Grace. A peculiar

sort of restlessness overpowered me and beyond my office hours and on holidays,

I would go in quest of Sai devotees all over Delhi without wasting any time on any

other activity of life. Through this process, I came to know of 4/5 persons, who

had known Baba earlier and were His devotees. I now again wrote to Shri Yagnik

to come over to Delhi and guide me in person. He agreed to do so provided I fixed

up a puja of Baba which should be attended by good singers, radio artists, Qawali

walas, Doctors, Engineers, M.Ps and persons of all levels of society. 21st August

1960, was fixed as the date for this puja on the lawns outside my house at C-112,

Laxmibai Nagar, New Delhi.

Earlier in my quest for Sai devotees, I had come into contact with one Shri

C.S. Rao, an employee of the American Embassy. This gentleman was an old and

ardent devotee of Baba. I attended two pujas of Baba in his house, which I found,

as a complete novice on to the path, extremely thrilling. He would first recite

Baba's 108 names, sing a few bhajans and at the end perform a small arti of Baba.

These two pujas gave me a little inkling of how Baba was to be worshipped.

I was making all preparations for the ensuing puja on 21st Aug., 1960 (A

copy of the invitation for this puja is at exhibit-I). Shri Yagnik would give out

directions through his letters and I would run around to find radio artists, qawali

walas and what not. Shri Yagnik sent to me one Baba's bhajan which was to be

sung in the beginning of the puja. In my quest for a person who could render this

bhajan, I went to Birla Mandir and arranged with Shri Man Mohan Pahari, a

regular singer in Birla Mandir, to sing this bhajan, the first stanza of which was as

unden-

Shirdi Kanchan Khan hai, Nijpat Sant Mahan,


Santan me aek Sant hai, Sai jako Nam.

Shirdi mein Sai Nath Maha Sant ho gaey,

Shirdi mein aek niraley hi mastana ho gaey.

On the morning of 21st Aug., 60, when I was leaving for the station to receive

Shri Yagnik, I found the lawns outside my house where a tent was to be pitched

for the puja, full of water due to incessant rains during the preceding three days. 1

felt helpless and worried. Shri Yagnik got down from the train, with a bunch of

pictures of Baba he had brought from Jaipur for the puja, looked at me and told

me, "Kunwar Sahibj you are worried about the havoc done by the rains? Don't

worry; all will be well even though a drizzle will disturb t puja today also." In the

evening, it all happened as told u] Shri Yagnik. The puja was wonderful, the like

of which I have not ever seen thereafter. The quality of bhajans, qawalis, ana all

other renderings was superb. Shri Man Mohan Pahari began the puja with the

singing of the aforesaid bhajan, As the strains of this bhajan fell into my ears

while I was bringing a table for distributing 'Prasad' from somewhere, I was filled

with bliss. If I have learnt of any thing of Baba till today, I can say with

confidence that in this puja there was the divine presence of my Baba which was

felt and experienced in great measure by every one present. Persons of all

description, as desired by Shri Yagnik, including one M.P. from Andhra attended

this puja. Shri Yagnik addressed this gathering of some 150 persons and apprised

them of the life and leelas of Baba.

Formation of Delhi Sri Sai Samaj

Next morning i.e. on 22nd Aug. 1960, Shri Yagnik held a meeting of Baba's

devotees, I had been able to contact till then, and prevailed upon them to try and

find more devotees of Baba and form an organisation to spread His message. It

was in November 1960 that we held the first meeting of this group of devotees,

under the name and banner of the 'Delhi Sri Sai Samaj', in the house of Shri C.S.

Rao at 8, Lady Harding Road, New Delhi. This meeting was attended by nineteen

persons (A photocopy of the minutes of this meeting is at exhibit-ID. By now, I

had started Thursday pujas of Baba at my residence and also kept fast on this

day. Often other devotees also joined my puja.


Soon after, the Vijay Dashmi Puja in 1960 was also held on a small scale at 210,

North Avenue, New Delhi, at the residence of Shri J.M. Gupta.

Shri Yagnik sent me a form of membership of the Shirdi Sansthan and asked

me to become its member by paying Rs. 5/- as the annual fee as also to get a copy

of the Sai Satcharita in Hindi from the Sansthan. I became a member of the

Sansthan in 1960 and also obtained a copy of the Sai Satcharita from there along

with some pictures of Baba which were not then available in Delhi. I also came to

know of another book on Baba in English by Arthur Osborne, entitled 'Incredible

Shri Sai Baba'. This book I obtained from the publishers in New Delhi. I started

distributing copies of this book to new devotees in Delhi along with a picture of

Baba. Soon thereafter, I also came to know of another book on Baba 'Sai Leela

Amrit' in Hindi. This book contained the address of Shri R.S. Chitnis of Delhi

who later became the architect of the Lodhi Road Temple. I immediately went to

see Shri Chitnis on the address given. I met his father who told me that his son

was a devotee of Baba and had recently shifted to 27, Rajpur Road, Delhi. In a

day or two thereafter, I cycled all the way to Rajpur Road to meet Shri Chitnis.

His servant opened the door and told me that his Master wasn't in the house.

When I told the servant about my mission to see him, Mrs. Chitnis rang up Shri

Chitnis to tell him that somebody in Sai Baba's name had come to see him. He

told her to tell me that I should see him later, after taking an appointment. He

later came to our puja in Mar. 1961, attended by the then Rashtrapati - Dr.

Rajendra Prasad, after reading in the newspapers about 't- A detailed account of

this puja will be given later. Ever smce I became 'a devotee of Baba, whenever any

devotee as asked me for time to see me, it has always been my stark reply that for

a Baba devotee, I am always available at time of the day and night. And by Baba's

Kirpa, I have abided by my words in practice also, so far.

Receipt of Ishta Mantra from Baba

Baba's Grace descended on me torrentially. My life, my bearing and even my

facial expressions completely changed. I was completely submerged in Baba's

Bhakti. My eyes were filled with tears on the mere mention of the word 'Sal'.

There was nothing but ecstasy all around me. A strange change was experienced

in the body. As someone touched me, he got electric current and so did I. My


body often emitted electric shocks. There was nobody to explain to me what this

phenomenon was. All spiritual books in my cupboard which had been eating dust

for years, started being dug out. Swami Vivekanand's book on 'Raj Yoga' which I

had acquired as a student gave me lot of insight into what I was experiencing, A

friend of mine, Col. B.S. lyagi, gave me a book entitled 'Dhyan Yoga' by Swami

Sivananda of Rishikesh, bearing Swamiji's signatures on it. As per this book, the

sadhak must have an 'Ishta mantra'. I told Baba that he wasn't physically present

to give me an 'Ishta mantra'. Where and to who should I go to? And believe me, a

wonder of wonders took place. Three days later, I received a packet of Udi from

Shirdi wrapped in a paper containing the mantra, "Om Shri Sai Sharnam Mam".

Never again have I, or anybody known to me, received Udi from Shirdi wrapped

in a paper on which something is written. In fact, there was no occasion

whatsoever for the receipt of this packet of Udi. I was overwhelmed to receive this

Mantra. This incident made me a firm believer that Baba was a living force -

Sadguru or God, call him by any name you like, and that there was absolutely no

need to look for a living guru elsewhere. The copy of this Mantra is reproduced

below, in original, for the benefit of the readers:


"Om Shri Sai Sharnam Mam"

During my last meeting with Sri SivanesanL Swami at Shirdi (who, in my

view followed the principles Baba stood for in letter and spirit), a few months

before he took Samadfc I asked him, "Swamiji it is said that 'Om Sai, Shn Sai, Jai

ai Sai' is the Tarak Mantra of Baba and that every devotee should chant it as

much as possible. Should I take to this Mantra and give up the Mantra so far

being chanted by me? lo mis Swamiji replied, "Guptaji, you are a blessed person.

Baba has Himself given you the Mantra, You should never even think of changing

it."

My First Visit to Shirdi

Baba was calling me to Shirdi and my keenness to do so was increasing

day after day. At last I reached Shirdi on 2nd Dec I960, which happened to be

Dattatreya Jayanti, as I came to know on reaching Shirdi. Till then I did not know

anything about Lord Dattatreya, whose incarnation Baba is said to be. On my way

from Manmad to Shirdi, I came to know in the bus that Shirdi Sansthan had been

taken over by the Government only a couple of days before. As the bus from

Manmad crossed Godavari River, the sight of the river and i little ahead of the

peak of Baba's Samadhi Mandir filled me with abounding pleasure. The dream of

my life was about to be realised.


On reaching Shirdi, I was allotted a room @ 25 paise pe day on the second

floor of the four storied then recently buil building opposite to Shanti Kuteer.

After taking a hurried ho water bath in the common bath rooms (there were no

attached or even separate bath rooms in the building at that time), I rushed to the

Samadhi Mandir to attend the noon arti, with a thali containing flowers and other

puja materials. As I stood face to face with Baba, incessant tears rolled down; my

cheeks. Wasn't it a dream come true? Haven't I reached the end of my tiresome

journey? My whole being seemed to have been swept off my feet Every pore of my

body was emitting the living grace of Baba whose eyes seemed to have penetrated

deep into the crevices of my heart. What a joy; what a bliss it; was! Soon the noon

arti began. There were not more than 20/ 25 participants in it. I could stand

before Baba for hours, looking at Him, experiencing His grace, pouring out my

heart j to Him uninterruptedly. ;

Within minutes of my occupying the room, the Sansthan authorities sent one

gentleman to stay in my room. He left; after the noon arti. Thereafter, they again

sent another person to stay with me, I lost my temper on the Sansthan peon who

had brought him to stay in my room saying that I hadn't come all the way from

Delhi to stay with strangers and that if the Sansthan so wanted, I shall vacate the

room straightaway. Hearing my outburst, the newly arrived gentleman told me

with folded hands that he wouldn't cause me any inconvenience and that if I

didn't like him, he shall immediately vacate the room. I told him that I had

nothing against him as a person, and that my complaint was against the system

followed by the Sansthan. This gentleman was Shri K. Ram Chandra Rao, a

Custom's Superintendent at that time at Karimganar in Andhra Pradesh, who

was visiting Shirdi on his way to Delhi to meet the Central Customs Authorities in

connection with some injustice done to him in the matter of promotion. Shri Rao

stayed with me at Shirdi for six days and came along with me to Delhi to be my

guest for one full month. Since it was winter in Delhi and Rao didn't have woollen

clothes, Baba made me to share my clothes with him. Baba also made me an

instrument to help him in sorting out his matters with the Government through a

devotee friend of mine. This gentleman and his whole family became my life long

friends. He came to Delhi to attend the weddings of both my daughters. His son -


Sai Nath and his doctor wife, were regular visitors to our house while they stayed

in Delhi in the I.I.T. Campus for doing Ph.D. in Engineering. I also had the

privilege to go to Hyderabad along with my wife and enjoy their hospitality for a

few days. Strange are the ways of Baba. Baba had arranged for the stay of this

gentleman with me in my room in Shirdi as He wanted him to be helped in Delhi.

As I entered the portals of the Dwarkamayee in the afternoon, the sight of

the stone on which Baba sat thrilled me and filled my heart with abounding

ecstasy. I placed my head with reverence on the stone on which Baba sat. I kissed

it: I touched it with my eyes; and hugged it all the while, my eyes filled with tears

of love and joy. No words could explain my feeling of joy on ascending the steps

of the Dwarkamayee.

I felt a sort of a "Noor” or call it Grace, raining from the roof and walls of

the then old and dilapidated Dwarkamayee which had been and still is the abode

of my Baba. It was an unforgettable experience which enveloped my 'atma' with

bliss. I found myself sitting before the portrait of Baba sobbing, crying and

unending tears flowing from my eyes, with a choked throat for a pretty long time.

It was an old and decadent Dwarkamayee, not well lighted either and the western

wall of which was inset with 'Chilums' used by Baba. There were not many

visitors to break its holy silence filled with 'Noor'. That night, I along with Shri

Rao, slept on the platform of the Dwarkamayee. It was an experience of sorts. A

rhythmic sound of the tinkling of bells kept on pouring into my ears the whole

night with a feeling of oneness with Baba.

After visiting the Dwarkamayee, I went to Chawdi where Baba slept on

alternate nights and enjoyed its vibrations to my heart's fill.

At about 5.30 AM., I visited the Sarnadhi Mandir again. There I found a

lean and thin Saint with a small beard standing near Baba's samadhi. Suddenly

the sound of 'Om' emnated from the heart of this Saint and as it grew louder, it

charged the whole atmosphere of the temple. I felt drawn towards this Saint not

knowing who He was.

Next morning, we participated in the holy bath giving ceremony to Baba. I

had taken several articles from Delhi for this purpose and participated in the

ceremony to my heart's fill. Again and again I would climb up on the Samadhi


and would rub various ingredients on Baba such as curd, lemon, milk, honey and

scent. Nobody would disturb me in what I was doing. To me it was entirely a new

experience.

After giving bath to Baba, I and Mr. Rao decided to go to the nearby fields

to have a feel of how Baba would have treaded that soil some years before. There

we met a South Indian gentleman, who, we came to know from him, was

accompanying the Swami whom we had seen in the Samadhi Mandir the previous

evening. He offered to take us to the Swami. Soon we were ushered in his

presence in a room opposite to the Gurusthan. This Swami was Paramhamsa

Omkara Swamy from Madras who had come to Shirdi to participate in a

Conference of World Religions on 3rd Dec., 1960. The conference started at 10

a.m. on the open platform in front of the Samadhi Mandir. Swamiji asked me to

occupy a seat on the dais and after finishing with the conference accompanied me

to the Dwarkamayee. In the Dwarkamayee, Paramhamsa Omkara Swamy recited

before Baba the prayers he had composed and made us to repeat the same along

with him. It was indeed a soul stirring experience to hear the deep voice of the

Swamy reverberating in the stillness of the Dwarkamayee. Some items from his

prayers were later incorporated by me in the prayer book printed for Baba's pujas

in Delhi and are even today recited by innumerable devotees not only in Delhi but

the whole of North India. More about this Swamy and the recitation of his

prayers will form part of a chapter later in this book.

In Shirdi, we met Ma Laxmi Bai twice and had a long chat with her about

Baba but unfortunately we could not understand a major portion of what she said

due to her typical Marathi accent and there being nobody to translate it to us. She

gave to us with pride the cloth bag containing nine rupees, Baba had given to her

prior to His taking Samadhi. We handled the rupees for quite a few seconds,

touched them with our forehead and heard and felt the thrill and vibrations of

Baba's presence. We also went to Mahalsapati's house and prayed before his

samadhi along his son. We met Abdul Baba. We roamed about in the

lanes of Shirdi, conjecturing how it would have been like for Baba to ask for

'bhiksha' from a few houses. Even the dust of the lanes gave us the feel of Baba's

presence.


One morning we went to Sakori to visit the Kanya Kumari Sthan of

Upasini Baba and Godavari Mata and spent half, day there.

Every day of our stay, I would attend all the five artis in the temple and in

the process picked up the tunes there of These were later introduced in our pujas

in Delhi.

When we went to the Samadhi Mandir to offer our parting 'Pranams' to

Baba before leaving for Delhi, the Pujari exhorted me to climb up on the Samadhi

and bow at thfe lotus feet of Baba, which has now become an almosl impossible

task.

My first visit to Shirdi was an extremely thrilling and satisfying experience.

Even today when I recall this visit, feel emotionally charged.

The Rashtrapati Attends "Ramnavmi Celebrations 1961"

After the formation of the Delhi Sri Sai Samaj, we were assiduously

endeavouring to increase its membership either by enrolling the old devotees of

Baba as members or initiating new devotees. Most devotees were South Indians.

At this stage in Jan/Feb, 1961, we decided to celebrate the ensuing Ramnavmi

Utsav of Baba on 25th March with a lot of gusto on the lawns opposite 210, North

Avenue. In association with Dr. Ganga Dhar Siva, a M.P. from Andhra, we invited

the Rashtrapati, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, along with other leaders to attend this

function. We also decided to collect, for the first time, some money for the

function. With all our efforts, we were then able to raise Rs.110/- only.

We sent invitations for this function to various Ministers of the Central Govt. as

also to some other dignitaries. Our main stress was on the Rashtrapati attending

the puja. Invitation cards were printed and sent. On each card3, 1 had written in

my own handwriting that the President would be attending the function. Posters

were printed and pasted by us at important points in the city at night. The then

Speaker of the Parliament, Shri Anantha Sayanam lyengar, the then Deputy

Home Minister, Shri B.N. Datar and some other dignitaries accepted our

invitation. Just a few days before the function, we received a letter from the

Rashtrapati Bhawan intimating that Dr. Rajendra Prasad had agreed to attend

our function for about 20 minutes. Shri Yagnik from Jaipur was coming to attend

the function and deliver a talk on Baba.


After a lot of discussions between ourselves and careful thought, we

decided to receive the President in the manner of a devotee and to offer him a

seat on the floor, on a platform made of Dunlop beds with two round pillows

placed on the back. We also decided to present to the Rashtrapati a mounted

picture of Baba with a copy of the Sai Satcharita in Hindi.

The puja started at the appointed time, at 7:30 a.m. with Guru Mahima

Sloka followed by Ashtotra - 108 names of Baba. The Rashtrapati, Dr. Rajendra

Prasad, the Speaker of Parliament - Shri Anantha Shayam lyenger, the Home

Minister - Shri B.N. Datar and a few M.P.s. arrived at the fixed time. It was our

endeavour that the arrival of the Rashtrapati should cause as little commotion in

the ongoing ua as possible. Shri Yagnik gave a talk on Baba in Hindi. gst the

guests, Shri Anantha Sayanam Lyengar and Shri also gave talks. The Rashtrapati

was scheduled to stay in the puja for 20 minutes but he continued to sit for about

1 l/2 hours. There were frenzied calls from the Rashtrapati Bhawan reminding the

Rashtrapati about his other engagements, but he continued to ignore these calls.

Before departing he, in his speech, said that he had heard a lot about Shri Sai

Baba of Shirdi and was looking for an opportunity to know more about him,

which he had found that day. There was a lunch break, and the puja continued in

the afternoon.

A few important points emerging from this puja were as under:-

(a) Having come to know about a few Maharashtrian devotees, I had met Shri

A.K. Gavaskar, Manager, Photo Litho Wing, Govt of India Press, on the night of

24th March and invited him to attend the puja on the following morning. So far,

only South Indian devotees were coming to attend our pujas. Shri Gavaskar

attended the puja and, thereafter, became instrumental in introducing a large

number of Maharashtrian devotees to our pujas. Shri Gavaskar, thereafter,

became an active participant in our pujas. He would also come to attend the

Thursday pujas at my house accompanied by his wife. He could sing very well.

Later, his residence, 40 Shan Nagar (later renamed Bharati Nagar) New Delhi,

became the centre of Thursday pujas, monthly pujas and special pujas of Baba on

Ramnavmi, Vijay Dashmi and Guru Poornima.


(b) In the evening puja, Shri R.S. Chitnis came to our puja having read about it hi

the engagement columns of newspapers. He did not, however, alight from his car

and sent his Manager to see what all we were doing in the name of Baba. I

accompanied his Manager to request him to join us in the puja but he did not

oblige us on the plea that he was short of time. Later, this very Shri Chitnis played

the most significant role in the coming up of the Lodi Road Temple, New Delhi-

The Ramnavmi celebrations on 25th March 1961, were a landmark in

Baba's work not only in Delhi but the whole of North India. Many more devotees

of Baba came into contact vrith us. Our pujas on Thursdays became popular and

so did the monthly pujas. We also started holding pujas in the houses of devotees,

on their request, all over Delhi. After my Shirdi visit, the Arti pattern of Shirdi

had been adopted. Bhajans / Kirtans would be sung by devotees and their

families and not by any professionals as of today. Along with this, a negative

factor also cropped up. Shri C.S. Rao and Shri R.S. Sharma, two of our important

members did not like the interference of Shri Yagnik in the affairs Delhi of Sri Sai

Samaj. Our pujas continued but the seeds of discord had started sprouting.

In May 1961, Shri Yagnik fell ill and I along with Shri R.S. Sharma, Shri

J.M. Gupta and Shri A.K. Gavaskar went to Jaipur to see him and stayed with

him in his newly built house. Shri Yagnik held a big puja in a hall in Jaipur in our

honour. He introduced us to those assembled and asked me to deliver a talk

about my experiences of Baba to the audience. I, merely a child of Baba, who had

never even thought of facing an audience in Baba's name, imploring Baba's help,

spoke for 20 minutes. I did not know what all Baba was making me to say but

everyone appreciated the talk. During this visit, Shri Sharma's attitude towards

Shri Yagnik was not very complimentary as the subsequent events also showed.

Meeting with Sri Satya Sai Baba

It was in June 1961, that I got a ring from one Shri N.G.K.Murthy, an

Executive Engineer in CPWD and a devotee of Baba, asking me if I knew that Shri

Satya Sai Baba was in the town. I told him that I had no knowledge of it, but if he

was in Delhi, I shall soon find out After making a number of fphone calls to

various persons, I came to know that Shri Satyaa Sai Baba had come to Delhi

along with Shri B.Ramakrishna Rao, the then Governor of U.P, on his way back


from Badrinath and was staying with Shri Venugopal, then Chairman, Railway

Board in Canning Lane, New Delhi rang up my friends Shri C.S. Rao, Shri A.K.

Gavaskar and Shri J.M. Gupta and all of us reached Canning Lane in at about

11.30 a.m. We found Shri Satya Sai Baba sitting on a chair in the main hall of the

house singing bhajans before a gathering of some 30 / 35 persons, squatting on

the floor In our presence, he sang two bhajans in a melodious voice one of which

was as under: -

Radhey Radhey, Radhey Radhey, Radhey Govinda,

Vrindavana Chanda,

Anatha Natha Deen Bandhu, Radhey Govinda....

After the bhajans, the gathering was asked to disperse and to return in the

evening at 5.30 p.m. when Baba would again give darshan and hold bhajans. All

present left the room. Outside in the verandah, I found Shri Ramakrishana Rao

sitting. I ventured to approach him and told him that we were doing Sai Baba's

work in Delhi and if we could meet Shri Satya Sai Baba. He asked his ADC to go

to Baba and ask him if he would like to meet us. The ADC came back in no time

and told us to accompany him to the room of Baba who was waiting to meet us.

Shri Satya Sai Baba came to the door to receive us. Three of my friends who

entered the room ahead of me were given Udi, materialised by Baba, on their

palms. When my turn came, Baba chose to apply Udi on my forehead as also

tapped my forehead thrice. It was an experience of sorts for me. As we sat down

on the carpet. Baba wanted to know in which language should he talk to us. It was

agreed that he would talk in Telugu and our frient Shri Rao, would translate it

into English for our benefit. For 20 minutes or so, Baba gave us a discourse in an

ecstatic and beautiful language. After the talk, I requested Baba to undertake a

trip to Delhi some time to bless the Sai devotees here. Making a count on his

fingers, he told us that it would be possible for him to visit Delhi after 9 months

and that I should write to him well in time to enable him to plan his visit While

parting also, he gave us Udi. All of us prostrated before him. In the evening, I

again went to attend his bhajans and felt tremendous impact of his personality.

Soon after Shri Satya Sai Baba left, I acquired a then recently published

book on his leelas entitled 'Satyam, Shivam, Sundararri. I was thrilled to read it. I


started thinking of arrangements for his forthcoming visit to Delhi nine months

later. In Baba's name, I had by then acquired friendship with a Maharaja who was

staying in a big bungalow in Friends Colony. I put to him the proposal to agree to

Shri Satya Sai Baba staying with him. He not only accepted my request but also

agreed to meet all expenses of his visit. Within 21/2 months of Shri Satya Sai

Baba's leaving Delhi, it dawned somehow on me that I was a devotee of my Baba

who lived like a Fakir amongst the poorest of the poor, wore a torn kafni, slept

with a brick under his head and spent all His life in a dilapidated mosque. Why

shall I now change my faith and take to a Baba, who wore silken clothes, rode

limousines and gave preference to the rich and the high. I suddenly decided to let

my father remain my father and not to change him by another one for whatever

worth it was. I gave up the idea of inviting Shri Satya Sai Baba to Delhi. I

understand that later when some devotees from Delhi met him, he told them that

somebody in Delhi had met him and invited him to visit Delhi but hadn't written

to him. It was several years later that Shri Satya Sai Baba visited Delhi.

Some months later I also had the chance to meet one Shri Neel Kantha

Baba who also claimed to be an Avtar' of our Baba. I don't know what happened

to him later, but did not hear any news about him.

Fragrance of Bhakti

I had by now fully dedicated myself to Baba and it seemed that I had

surrendered to Him heart and soul. At all hours of the day and night, I had a

strange feeling of ecstasy engulfing my soul. Incessant tears of love and joy

flowed from my eyes. Even the mention of the word 'Sai' was enough to fill my

eyes with tears. I started thinking that Baba's bhakti was extremely easy and

blissful. I lived every moment of my life with Baba. As mentioned earlier, my

body emitted electricity currents, whenever anybody touched it. Every night, in

my dream, I would be taken to one temple or the other, be in the presence of

some God or the other of our pantheon, and made to visit hills, forests and rivers.

On seeing these sites, I would often cry in ecstasy. Where these sites exist, I do

not know even today. Even now when I recall these dreams, I feel thrilled. In my

dreams, I have been to two Mother temples. In the first case, Mother emerged out

of the idol wearing a white Saree and lifting a handful of rose flowers lying in


front of the statue, handed over, the flowers to me. In the second case, Mother

threw the 'Palloo' of her Saree to cover my head while I was standing with other

devotees on; the lower platform of a peculiar shaped temple. Surely, these; were

Baba's blessings, in the form of Mother, on a child.

The strangest dream that I saw was when on a cloudy day, I was taken to a

hill. On this hill a few soldiers were camping, wearing steel helmets with spears in

their hands; along with their mounted horses. Suddenly from some where the

sound of the ringing of bells was heard. Every one including the soldiers ran

towards an old stone building where an arti was being performed. After the arti

was over, I asked the priest performing the arti as to whose puja was being held

as I could see no idol there. Pointing to a big stone fish on the top of a niche in the

wall, he told me that it was the Matsya Avtar of Vishnu which was being

worshipped. Till then I was not aware of the fact that there had been a Matsya

Avtar of Lord Vishnu.

In another dream, travelling in a bus, after a long journey, I was taken to a

town where there was a unique temple of Lord Siva and Parvati. On reaching the

temple, I found that the idols of Siva and Parvati were in a reclining posture.

Parvati was on the right and Siva to Her left and water was oozing out from the

mouths of both. Before leaving the temple, I was given the 'Prasad' of Misri

(Sweet) and Makkhan (White Butter). I went seeking for a place to stay over night

in this town. In the process I reached a huge Dharmshala, on the first floor of

which, I found a large number of people engaged in chanting the name of Lord

Krishna before a picture of Lord Krishna, in standing pose with a cow on the

back. Just then I saw a person standing before me with a dark complexioned

beautiful child of about 4 years of age in His lap. The child was so charming that I

felt like taking him into my lap. Suddenly the child started laughing with a full

open mouth wherein I saw a big blue ball inside. I came to know later that Lord

Krishna had shown His 'Vishva Swaroop' in His childhood.

In another dream, I saw two sadhus coming from the opposite direction in

a jungle. The short statured sadhu was in the front and the tall one, who seemed

to be the disciple of the sadhu in the front, on his back. The Guru told his disciple


"You see this person coming from the opposite direction. He is always in 'Bhav

Samadhi/ Much later, I came to know what 'Bhav Samadhi' meant.

In one dream, I saw a big procession of sages and saints along with

caparisoned elephants, decorated horses, chariots and lots of people in front.

Some of them were carrying big Plaques of gold, silver and copper in their hands

on long sticks with Sanskrit shlokas inscribed on them. I tried to remember two

of the smaller inscriptions by heart but by morning, I had forgotten the same.

An extremely thrilling dream, I saw in Oct. 1964, on the day on which

ladies keep fast for the longevity of life of their husband. I had shifted to my

present newly built residence (F-5, Green Park) on 7th March 1964. The 'Grah

Pravesh' of this house was performed by a Sidhha Saint of about 150 years of age

known as 'Maharaj Ji'. While the house was under construction, an opening had

been left on the back of the house which opened on a vacant plot where

construction material was stored. On completion of the house this opening had

been closed. On 4th Oct. 1964,1 had fallen asleep with the newly acquired book

'Gospels of Rama Krishna' on my chest In the dream, I saw that it was a cloudy

morning. I was in the bath room when I heard the voice of a Fakir asking for alms

in the back lane of the house. I felt attracted towards this voice and had a feeling

that if I were outside, I would have given some money to this Fakir. I decided

within me that if by the time I came out of the bath-room, this Fakir was

available, I shall certainly give him some money.

As I came out of the bath room, I found this Fakir passing from in front of

the corner of the vacant plot on the back. I rushed out and shouted for him. He

came back to the vacant plot. As I looked up at the face of this fakir, I cried in

ecstasy, "Oh Baba, it is you who has come today". In that ecstatic state, I laid

down with my back on the floor and my hands and feet extending up like a dog

which lies down on his back before its master, with love. Baba was wrapped in a

white single piece cloth. He was having penetrating eyes and a white beard. He

commanded me to get up and pick up a stone and write on the wall what he

dictated. It was a sort of a couplet, which He asked me to write with the stone on

the wall and instructed me to keep on reciting it, whenever I found time. I wrote

down the couplet as He told me to do.


Baba went away. I got up from my sleep immediately and tried to jot down

what Baba had dictated but unfortunately, I forgot the first few words. A few days

later, Baba again appeared in the dream and completed the couplet.

Almost every night for 2/3 years, I kept on experiencing this sleeping state.

Innumerable dreams, I saw but a few of those which have left a deep impression

on my mind have been recounted here.

At this stage of my spiritual journey, I read a few books of some saints.

Ramakrishna Paramhamsa has said that a person who develops a deep yearning

for God can realise Him merely in three days' time. I had a strong feeling that, by

my Baba's Grace, I could realise Him only in three hours, if I could sit down in a

quiet corner to do so. Shri Yagnik had entrusted to me the sacred work of

spreading Baba's name and leelas. Where was the time available to me for this

self seeking? Moreover, I had family commitments to fulfill. Ramakrishna has

also said that once God is realised, it becomes difficult for the seeker to remain in

this world to fulfil family commitments.

I developed a strong feeling at this stage by personal experience that Baba

does confer supernatural powers on His devotees. I, however, begged Him of two

boons, as under:

(a) Never to confer supernatural powers on me because if I misused them even

once, the shame that would accrue to me will be too much to bear and at the same

time be unworthy of a devotee.

b) Never to test me, for I am a weak person and would surely fail in that test.

Baba seems to have accepted both of my prayers. But, and again, whenever

there has been a need for me to seek His mercy, He has never faltered. Many a

time when of my own or for the benefit of a troubled devotee, I have been forced

to seek His Grace, it seems to have descended in torrents.

As the number of devotees thronging for Baba's Pujas kept on increasing,

my activities and responsibilities as a devotee also increased. In this process, I

took the following steps :-

1. Started writing to Shirdi Sansthan off and on to send to me copies of the Sai

Satcharita and other books as also pictures of Baba for distribution to devotees in

the North.


2. Write to different Sai Samajams such as All India Sai Samaj, Madras; Sri Sai

Samaj, Calcutta and other institutions, connected with Baba's name and for

copies of Souvenirs issued by different Samajams, at some time or other. A copy

of a letter received from the Secretary All India Sai Samaj Madras in March 1961

is at exhibit-IV

3. Became a member of Sai Leela magazine brought out by Shirdi Sansthan and

Sai Sudha by All India Sai Samaj, Madras.

4. Publish the following books / articles on the platform of Delhi Sri Sai

Samaj:-

(a) First Puja book printed in 1961, alongwith the English synopsis of the verses.

(b) An Article in English on the life and teachings of Baba. This article entiled as

'Sai Baba - the Saint of Shirdi' is reproduced as Chapter-I of this book.

(c) Issue the reprint of an article entitled, "Shirdi -Ka -Sai Durbar" in Hindi. This

is reproduced as Chapter VI (III)

Paramhamsa Omkara Swamy

During the description of my first visit to Shirdi, I have already stated that when I

visited the Samadhi Mandir at 5.30 pm on 2nd December I960, a saint was seen

standing near Baba's Samadhi in contemplation. He was a slightly built person

with a small beard. Suddenly the vibrant sound of 'Om’ oozed out of his being and

engulfed the whole atmosphere. I felt drawn to this simple looking Fakir with

only one cloth wrapped around his body. To me he appeared different from the

large number of Fakirs asking for alms on the streets of Shirdi. The Pujaris asked

him to climb up on the Samadhi to pay his respects to Baba. In the evening, I

expressed a desire to my newly acquired friend - Shri Rao, that I would love to

meet this Saint.

The next morning, after giving a bath to Baba and as we were roaming in

the fields of Shirdi to have a feel as to how Baba would have looked when he

roamed about that place in flesh and blood, a South Indian gentleman met us and

told us that he was accompanying the Saint referred to above. He offered to take

us to him, to which we gladly agreed. He took us to the room just opposite the

Gurusthan, where we found this saint sitting on a bed spread on the ground. On

talking to him, we found that he had come from Madras and was on that day


holding a 'Conference of world Religions' to which he invited us also to attend. He

stayed in Shirdi for two days more and during this period, I went to see him

several times. He made me occupy a chair on the dais in the Conference. After the

Conference, I took him round to show other places in Shirdi connected with

Baba. In this process, as we reached the Dwarkamayee, the Saint sat down in

meditation on the floor, eyes closed, and also asked us to do the same- After a few

seconds the chant of 'Om' again came out from his being and left us in an ecstatic

state. Thereafter, he chanted the prayers he had composed in Sanskrit / Telugu

languages in an extremely melodious voice. Some of these were later adopted by

me for Baba's puja in Delhi deluded in our Puja books and are even today being

sung by thousands of devotees all over not only the Northern part of India but

also in foreign lands. It may be of interest to devotees of today to know as to how

these compositions came to be included in our Puja book. I reproduce below

these renderings for the benefit of readers:


(The word 'Sai’ has been added, where necessary. A few other changes have also

been made in the original).

Certain other renderings of this Saint which could not find place in our Arti Book

have remained unsung till today. These are also heart touching renderings and I

am reproducing these below for the benefit of devotees.


Shri Omkara Swamy was only of about 50 years of age, with an emaciated

body but a glowing face. Seeing the glow on his face, I asked him one day,

"Swamiji do you apply oil on your face?" Guptaji this Sthula Sharir has not

touched oil for the last 30 years" was his reply


The Swamy never used the word I for his own self. He would refer to it as

Sthula Sharir. He would not touch food or money. An old lady by the name of

'Annapoornima Ma' always accompanied him and fed him like a child. He could

sit for hours and hours on Siddhasan. When not in company of others, he would

be lost in meditation. One night at about 2 a.m., when I woke up to meet the call

of nature, I found him lying down on his back in Siddhasan.

In Oct. 1962, on the occasion of Vijai Dashmi, he came to stay with me at

Delhi with eight of his followers including an American lady journalist, who had

funded his visit to Delhi and had accepted him as her Guru. They stayed in my

small Government flat and ate with me whatever my wife could cook. I took him

round to various places in Delhi where Baba's pujas would be held and he would

be required to share his compositions with the public. Because of his simple and

unassuming nature, he became very popular with the devotees. He was easily

accessible to each and every devotee and shared their happiness and misery in an

equal measure. The American lady also became very popular as she would serve

her Guru as best as she could and had completely taken to Indian food and

Indian way of living. I arranged for the Swamy to go on a sightseeing tour of

Delhi in a taxi. A devotee who had promised to send his car for the purpose did

not do so. The party left after eight days stay and left an indelible mark on my

bhakti towards Baba.

The Swamy would write to me letters, mostly postcards, always starting

with "Blessings for a healthy life ..........". A couple of his letters are reproduced as

exhibit V of this book.

Paramhamsa Omkara Swamy paid another visit to Delhi 1966, again on

the occasion of Vijai Dashmi. This he was accompanied by only 6 persons. I had

by then shifted to my own house - F-5, Green Park, New Delhi. This he attended

many functions of Baba but was not shown the same respect by some particular

devotees of Baba. One evening, I begged his pardon for this. His reply was,

"Guptaji respect or no respect what does it matter to this Sthula Sharir. Baba will

forgive them for they know not, what they do". I shall never forget these words.

While leaving Delhi, I took him to the station. This time he was travelling 3rd

class.



He was sitting on the platform on a box waiting for the arrival of the train

and I was standing beside him. He asked me to sit down. I sat down on my legs.

He then told me, " Guptaji, you have served this Sthula Sharir very well. It cannot

give you anything but remember, Baba will give you everything."

These were his last words to me. The train arrived. The compartment was

already full. I virtually lifted him bodily and made him to enter through the

window. I then realized that his body was emitting heat.

On about 15/16th January 1967,1 received a letter from the secretary of his

ashram that the Swamy had given up his physical body on January 11th night and

had appointed me to the Managing Committee of his organisation, an

appointment which I never assumed.

In Baba's name, I have come across a large number of sages and saints. In

fact from 1961 to 1965, whenever any known saint came to Delhi, I was taken to

meet him. But the deep impress of saindiness left on me by Paramhamsa Omkara

Swamy has been unique. After my retirement from service in 1982, when I visited

my daughter in Madras, I had been to his Ashram twice but even here the same

simplicity of the Swamy as was discernable in his life time, reigns the place.

Kindly permit me to recount one more incident in my relationship with the

Swamy. In his second visit to Delhi, one night he told me to keep a puja thali

ready for the next morning with full puja ingredients therein. I told him, "Swami

Ji, to me my Baba is my God and my Guru, I don't intend to adopt another Guru."

He replied that it was not his intention make me his disciple. Sitting on my back,

he would merely pray for my spiritual emancipation. This he did and even today

after 35 years of his leaving the mortal coil, I feel indebted for his blessings.

Other Sages and Saints - Contact with Sri Sivanesan Swamy of Shirdi

While recalling Baba's kripa on me, through Shri Parmahamsa Omkara

Swamy, I would also like to mention a few more names of sages and saints. I was

told by a young saint Krishnaji, who had stayed in Mehr Baba's Ashram for seven

years and to whom Mehr Baba had given his Kafni, that I must visit Swami

Sivananda at Rishikesh and Swami Ram Das at Kanhangad in Kerala before it

was too late to do so. Unfortunately, for me I couldn't visit any of these saints due

to some reason or other. Both took Samadhi round about that period. It so


happened that by Baba's kripa, I would be taken to meet all sages and saints who

visited Delhi at that point of time. In this process, I met Swami Chidanand of

Rishikesh; the Swami sitting on the Gaddi of Manik Prabhu; Ma Nirmala Devi,

proponent of Sahaj Yog; Narayan Baba of Panvel, Swami Muktanand, Neel

Kantha Baba and many others. When I first came into contact with Narayan

Baba, he was still in service and the 'Bhiksha' pose of Baba' that he gave to me

during our first meeting, is still with me. I also exchanged several letters with

him. There was another saint devotee of Baba, known as Doctor Baba who visited

my house in 1964 and later started sending to me a large number of postcards

with Baba's name and message artistically written on them. Later, I don't know

what happened to Doctor Baba, as I lost all contact with him. Two letters received

from this saint are reproduced as exhibit VI of this book.

During my second visit to Shirdi, I was made to stay in Samadhi Mandir

itself, in the room on the first floor on the left side of Baba's idol. I spent two

memorable nights in this room. I would sit in the verandah outside the room

overlooking Baba's mosquito-net and spend quite some time, remembering Him

and shedding tears of love. After two days stay in this room, we were shifted, on

our request, to Room No. 1 behind the Gurusthan. Swami Sai Sharnanandji and

his wife were occupying Room No.2, wherein the PRO's office was located till

recently. It was my ill-luck that I did not utilise this opportunity to know more

about the Swami and through him about Baba. We would merely offer our

Namaskars to him.

This visit was also significant for another reason. I met Sri Sivanesan

Swamy for the first time. He was then doing seva in the Dwarkamayee. Somehow

he took a liking for me and vice versa in our first meeting. We would sit together

in the Dwarkamayee and talk about Baba, share coffee in a restaurant and roam

about in the nearby fields. He would make me do Dhuni puja and would often

purchase all ingredients for the purpose including ghee from out of his own

pocket. When I visited Shirdi with my children in 1970, he would take us round

the village of Shirdi and make us do Baba's puja in the way he thought fit. In this

process he introduced me to some people in Shkdi who had lived with Baba. He

would send to me at Delhi rare pictures of Baba and books on him through Delhi


devotees visiting Shirdi. On one occasion, he sent to me a 'flag’ of Baba, which is

still with me.

I always looked forward to my visits to Shirdi where I would spend quite

some time in the company of Swamiji. I would seek from him answers to all my

questions on the path of Sai Bhakti. I never knew till the last years of his life that

he had been taken as a Guru by quite a sizeable number of devotees. During my

last meeting with the Swami about a year before his leaving the mortal coil, I

asked him answers to six questions agitating my mind. A whole crowd of people

waiting outside his room in a queue to meet him but he wouldn't allow anybody

to enter. One South Indian young man made several attempts to meet him. Every

time, he would tell him that he was busy talking to his friend and that he should

not be disturbed. When again and again, he tried to force his entry into the room,

Swamiji lost his temper on him and asked him to leave the room.

As earlier mentioned, I had asked Swamiji a question: "Swamiji, you say

that 'Om Sai, Shri Sai, Jai Jai Sai' is the Tarak Mantra' of Baba. This mantra has

come up during the last 10 years or so only. Earlier nobody knew this Mantra. I

had been reciting a particular Mantra of Baba since 1960. Should I give up this

Mantra and take to the new Mantra." Swamiji looked at me and said, "The

Mantra you chant has been given to you by Baba Himself. You should never even

think in terms of leaving it." What a sound advice he gave me ! In fact, this

particular event has already been mentioned in this write-up earlier.

I had undergone open heart surgery on November 16th , 1995. A friend of

mine from Delhi went to see Swamiji just when he was leaving his room to go to

the hospital never to return. Swamiji looked up at him and asked him as to how I

was after my surgery on 16th November 1995. He remembered the exact date of

my operation. How much concerned would he have remained, when I was being

operated? Is it not Baba's kirpa' on me? Baba was Love and Compassion

Incarnate and so are His devotees like Swamiji, who have surrendered to Baba

heart and soul. My friend told him that I was all right. Swamiji told him to convey

to me his blessings. Saying so, he left the room, never to return.

During myy last 42 years of life connected with Baba's I have done a lot of

thinking about Baba's work. In this process, I have often jotted down some


thoughts relating Baba's work. In 1991, I had thought of a plan to hold a Seminar

on Sai Baba of Shirdi in Delhi for three days and reduced in writing complete

details as to how it should be conducted; what subjects should be discussed in it,

whol should read the paper on a particular subject, where it will be held and who

all should participate in it. As I was financially not in a position to handle such a

big project sent all my papers to Sri Sivanesan Swamy asking for help and

guidance in the matter. He immensely liked this idea and passed on the papers to

Smt. Zarine Taraporevala of Bombay to extend her help and cooperation to me in

holding the Seminar. Mrs. Taraporevala wrote to me in the matter but it was only

in 1997 that this idea could be translated into action in the form of an

'International Convention of Shirdi Sai Devotees', held in the premises of the

newly built temple of Baba by Shri Motilal Gupta at Sai Dham, Faridabad (Near

Delhi). The Convention was held from 19 October to 21 October 97 and was a

unique event of its own kind, the like of which had not been held so far. This

Convention was inaugurated by Shri Justice S.P. Kurdukar, then a presiding

Judge of the Supreme Court of India.

Sri Sivanesan Swami took Samadhi on 12, February 1996. In him, the Sai

devotees visiting Shirdi have lost a friend, philosopher and guide, who led

innumerable devotees on to , the path of Sai Bhakti and inspired them to come

nearer Baba. Through his inspiration, many devotees took to various activities

concerning Baba such as writing books on Baba, compose bhajans, carry out

group chantings, and construct Baba's temples in their own towns. Once he

entered the precincts of Shirdi, never left it till his passing away. In fact, the

Swami has become immortal as a devotee of Baba and shall be remembered for

all times to come.

The Samadhi Sthal along with a memorial of Sri Sivanesan Sawami has

come up as a monument in Shirdi under the dedicated guidance of Smt. Zarine

Taraporevala-

Functioning of Delhi Sri Sai Samaj

The activities of Shri Sai Samaj Delhi kept on increasing. After 1962,

weekly pujas of Baba started being held at the houses of different devotees, who

would also offer food to all the participants. Monthly pujas were held at the house


of Shri A.K. Gawaskar in Bharti Nagar, New Delhi, who had a big hall in his house

to accommodate more people. The three special pujas on Ram Navmi,

Gurupoornima and Vijay Dashmi were held in Shamianas on the lawns of

Gavaskar's house. All our pujas were held in an extremely peaceful atmosphere

and singing and chanting were done in low voices. These became popular with all

people participating in them as they experienced peace and comfort in these

pujas. Parties of Qwaliwalas and good singers were invited to perform in the

special pujas.

In all our pujas, high Government officials and known dignitaries of Delhi

started participating. The participants in monthly and special pujas were

required to leave their names and addresses on sheets of paper provided for the

purpose. Going through these sheets now, it is seen that well-known persons of

the country have participated in these pujas. To name a few, Justic J.R.

Madholkar of the Supreme Court; Shri Nath Pai, MP., Shri O. Pulla Reddy,

Defence Secretary, Shri B. Gopala Reddy, Information Minister, are some such

persons whose signatures are available in the sheets in my possession.

Nobody was, however, given a seat on a higher pedestal in our pujas.

Everybody took his seat as he came.

Two of our inaugural members Shri C. S. Rao and Snri R. s. Sharma,

however, did not agree with our working mainly on the plea that Shri K. N.

Yagnik of Jaipur should not be given a place in our organisation being an outsider

and the affairs of the Samaj should be guided by C. S. Rao who was an old and

mature devotee of Baba.

Since Shri Yagnik was the person who had inspired us to . up Baba's work

in Delhi and since I owed all my devotion Baba to him, I and all other devotees

did not agree with t view. The result was that in 1964 or so, both of them stopp

attending the pujas. We did not like it, but it could not helped.

The idea of building a temple of Baba was uppermost in our minds but we

did not have the means of achieving our aim. Moreover, I was a complete novice

in this regard without any experience of this scheming world. I was duped of my

hard earned money on more than one occasion on the plea of procuring a good

piece of land for the purpose of construction of Baba's temple. We were offered


places in the existing temples where Baba's picture could be placed for regular

worship. One such temple was the Hanuman Mandir near Ashoka Hotel in

Chankyapuri. But we did not accept such offers, as also a few other offers to build

a Baba temple on Government land in an unauthorised manner.

A Parallel Organisation Comes Up

It has already been stated earlier that Shri R.S. Chitnis, Proprietor of two

cinema houses in Delhi, had come to the site of Baba's puja held on the lawns

outside 210, North Avenue, on the evening of 25 March 1961, in which the

Rashtrapati also participated, but he had not found it convenient to come inside

the pandal. Shri Chitnis was an old devotee of Baba and had also got some

literature on Baba printed. He founded another organisation of Baba in Delhi

under the name and banner of, "Shri Sai Bhakta Samaj, Delhi" on the Vijai

Dashmi day in 1966, with employees of his two Cinema houses and his personal

friends as members. This organisation was initially holding two Sai Darbars in

Delhi -on Ram Navmi and Vijai Dashmi, every year in some community hall. The

employees of Shri Chitnis had formed a Qawali Group and they would sing

Qawalis and gazals. No ritualistic puja as such was performed. On November

5,1968, this organisation got a constitution of the Samaj registered as a society

with the idea of obtaining a piece of land from the Government for building a

temple of Baba.

Shri C. S. Rao and Shri R. S. Sharma who had left our organisation along

with Shri K. C. Dhawan, a businessman, joined Shri Chitnis. The first meeting of

Shri Sai Bhakti Samaj along with the new entrants, was held at the residence of

Shri Chitnis one morning in 1968 to which I was also invited. The Managing

Committee of the Samaj was constituted that day with Shri R. S. Chitnis as the

President, Shri C. S. Rao as the Vice President amd Shri K. B. Grover (the

Manager of Shri Chitnis 'Cinema Halls') as the General Secretary. Shri Rao told

me after the meeting that my name had not been proposed for the Managing

Committee as I was running the other Samaj. I did not at all feel bad about it as I

thought that some of these people who were rich, might help in raising a temple

of Baba which was the need of the day and for which I too had a deep yearning.

The new Managing Committee applied to the Government of India for the


allotment of a plot of land for the temple and Shri Chitnis started collections for

the purpose from distributors of pictures shown in his cinema houses, which

were located in the heart of the city.

Within a few months, 17, Institutional Area, Lodi Road, the land on which

the temple now stands, was allotted to the Shri Sai Bhakt Samaj by the

Government. The plot allotted, however, belonged to two different authorities of

the Government - a part of it to the Defence and the other Part to the Central

Public Works Department. The Managing Committee of the Samaj did its utmost

to obtain the Possession of the land without any success. Months passed by but

the possession was not forthcoming.

One evening, Shri Chitnis came to my house, with lots of gifts of Baba, a

day after Deepavali of 1971, and told me that all his efforts to get the possession of

land had failed and he had reached the conclusion that even if he tried whole of

his life, he would not be able to bring the different authorities of the Government

together and obtain, possession of the land. He sought my help in the matter, I

was completely bewildered. How could a petty man of my stature help in

obtaining the possession of the land? I told Shri Chitnis so, but he insisted that he

was sure that with my efforts, the possession of the land could be obtained.

In right earnest, I started my humble efforts to this end next morning,

after seeking Baba's blessings. And lo ! the marvel of marvels, by Baba's Grace,

my 21/2 months' incessant efforts succeeded in bringing six different Government

authorities together at the site of the temple land one morning. These authorities

were Headquarters Delhi area, MES, Station HQ Delhi; QM.G's Branch, Army

HQ; Lands and Cantonments Directorate and Central Public Works Department.

All the formalities were completed on the site and a final report submitted to the

C.P.W.D. The plot was finally allotted to Shri Sai Bhakta Samaj soon and its

possession obtained. On this occasion, Shri Chitnis did not come to the site

personally but deputed his Manager, Shri Bhatnagar, to look after the guests

assembling at the site. Shri Bhatnagar took all present to Khan Market to offer

them a cup of tea with snacks.

Shri Chitnis was extremely pleased with this achievement. He rang me up

to say that he would soon visit my house again to thank me and now seek my


active participation in the project. He did come but my participation was not

sought, as perhaps a couple of my friends did not like the idea of my association

with this sacred work.

The foundation laying ceremony of the temple took place in August 1972. I

was also invited to this function and had the opportunity to place some earth in

its foundation. Two more years rolled by. The temple was slowly coming but my

services were not required by Baba. In the meantime, we were carrying on Baba's

Pujas in all parts of Delhi and more and more people were coming to attend

these. At times we found that Baba's devotees from other parts of the country,

coming to Delhi for some work, would also attend our Pujas.

It was in 1964 or so, that we also had the privilege of performing a puja in

the house of Shri M. Rangachari who later shifted to Hyderabad after retirement.

Many Sai devotees may remember that this same Shri Rangachari became a

known figure in Baba's affairs later. It is only recently that Shri Rangachari has

cast off his physical body and merged in Baba.

Building of Lodi Road Temple in New Delhi

Soon after the Bhoomi Puja, the construction work on the site started. Shri

Chitnis had already been raising funds for the same and was carrying on the

preliminary work pertaining to the construction of the temple with immense

dedication and in a systematic manner. At that time, there was no proper road in

front of the temple and beyond the temple site there was nothing but a jungle, in

which a small establishment of the Army was located. Baba had chosen to sit in a

secluded place then, knowing full well that it would soon become the nerve centre

of Delhi and Sai devotees from far and near would flock to it for His 'darshan' and

to find solace at His feet.

It was in October / November 1973, while returning from Allahabad I told

my brother-in-law, who was accompanying jne in the train that I did not know

why it was so but Baba had chosen to keep me away from the construction of the

temple for which I had been yearning for a long time and the dream of which was

about to materialise. My brother-iip law also had been a devotee of Baba for years

and knew well how much I had been yearning for a temple of Baba in Delhi and

how I had been duped at times in the matter. Later this gentleman also became a


member of the managing committee of the temple and was instrumental in

bringing out the first collection of Sai Bhajans, having himself compiled, typed

and brought out the booklet.

Baba heard my words uttered while in the train. When I reached my house

at night, my wife told me that Shri Chitnis had come to our house that evening to

meet me and since I was not available, he would again come on the following day.

Shri Chitnis came the next day again with a lot of presents in Baba's name. He

told me that the ground and mezzanine floors of the temple had already come up

and the second floor was yet to be completed as also the flooring was still to be

done. All their resources to collect funds had exhausted and that he wanted my

help to complete the project. I told him that I was a petty person to whom nobody

would give money enough to complete the project. Shri Chitnis told me the same

thing as he had said earlier that he was sure that with my help the project would

soon be completed. He left a receipt book with me. Next morning, I started my

efforts in right earnest to collect funds. I still recollect that the first receipt issued

by me was for Rs.151/-in the name of my above mentioned, brother-in-law. The

second receipt was in the name of Shri S.D. Midha, owner of-Lex Drycleaners in

Defence Colony Market. Shri Midha told; me to fill in any amount in the receipt

that I thought was his capacity to pay in the name of Baba and that he would pay

the same. Hesitatingly and not knowing as to what would be the correct thing to

do, I filled in Rs 251/- in the receipt which was a huge amount those days. He

paid the money immediately. Let me state here that this gentleman died in

Rishikesh many years later, while feeding the poor with his own hands.

In one week, by Baba's kripa, I had collected a sum of approximately

Rs. 5000/-. This gave me the confidence that it was Baba who was helping me in

my efforts. Every third day or so, Shri Chitnis would come to my house after

covering more than some 20 kms distance from his house and collect the amount.

He would issue monthly statements of collections made and my name a few

months later came up to the second position in the list, the first being of Shri

Chitnis himself.

This was the first time, I have had some experience of collecting funds for

a cause. Money flowed in, Baba alone knows where from. I have both good and


bad experiences of this work. One morning, at about 7a.m. a car stopped outside

my house. A young man came in and handed over to me eight cheques amounting

to Rs. 20,000/-. Could one imagine the happiness this provided to me and the

support to the construction activities. Such a huge amount in one lot. I wouldn't

name the person who came, suffice to say that he is a Member of Parliament

presently and the son of an Ex - Chief Minister. At that point of time, he was

serving in a Government organisation.

Another incident of a similar nature also comes to my mind. The temple

was just ready. I received a telephone call from a friend who was an industrialist

and a devotee of Baba, that a certain gentleman who had been the Chief Minister

of a big State wanted to meet me. He asked me whether they should come to my

house or would I agree to go to his house, where he was staying. I was baffled; an

Ex - Chief Minister wanting to meet me.? I agreed to go to his house to meet him

after knowing the purpose of our meeting. I had made a request to this gentleman

about two years back for his help in raising funds for the temple since we were

finding it extremely difficult to complete the project. He had asked me to write to

him I did so, but didn't receive a reply. I sent to him another letter but even then I

did not receive a reply. I then gave the effort, thinking it was Baba's will that it be

so.

Later, I came to know that some time earlier this gentleman had visited

Shirdi and in the lanes of Shird whenever a particular fakir came in front of him,

he would abuse him at his face, and say ‘Rascals make promises but do not fulfil

the same’ This happened several times. He was then reminded of the promise

made to me years back and had now come to the same.

I reached the house of my friend one morning along with Shri Chitnis. The

particular gentleman referred to above came out with five bundles of Rs. 100/-

notes, took off his shoes, lighted two agarbattis before the idol of Baba in the

drawing room, and came to hand over the money to me. I told him that since I

had ceased to be the secretary of t temple, I wouldn't touch this money and that it

should handed over to the President of the temple - Shri Chitnis who was

accompanying me. The gentleman replied that the promise was made to me and


that I should accept the mone to absolve him of the promise. I took the money

from him and passed it on to Shri Chitnis.

The top floor of the temple, Shri Chitnis told me later had come up from

the funds collected by me. Even this exercise of fund raising had been a very

sacred errand for me. I would never mix Baba's money with my own. I would not

even change the notes received in donation. Even today; I carry this trait of

character but the devotees of today do no agree with my view. To me even five

paisa collected in Baba's name has been a very precious and a sacred trust and I

have maintained the view that this collection should be spent very judiciously.

In my collection campaign, there had been occasion when to get a

donation of rupees eleven, I had to traverse a distance of 11 k.m. I shall narrate an

interesting incident in this regard. One day, a devotee of Baba, a serving Major

General, fixed up with me the time to take him to the temple under construction

at 3.30 pm. The distance to his residence from my house was about 7 km and it

would have taken me only 15/20 minutes to reach. At about 3.10 p.m., it started

raining heavily. I thought Baba was putting me to test. I picked up my scooter,

put on my old rain coat, and reached the residence of the General exactly at 3.30

p.m., completely drenched. Looking at me he exclaimed, "Why have you come in

this heavy rain"? I told him that I was performing Baba's duty which knew of no

limitations. I took him to the temple to see what all we were doing. On return, the

General gave me Rs. 11/- as his donation, which I very gladly accepted as the

prasad of Baba. I would like to pen down my another experience in the collection

of funds. One gentleman serving as an officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs,

who was also a devotee of Baba, asked me to give him a Receipt book to enable

him to collect funds from his office people. He collected some 250/- rupees and

returned to me the used receipt book. He kept on making false promises with

regard to the payment of the money received. Some six or seven months passed

and the money was not forthcoming. Shri Chitnis was pressing me for the

payment. I agreed to make the payment from my pocket and gave to him one

instalment of it. Two days later the gentleman came running to me with the

payment. I asked him as to how was it that he now had decided to make the

payment. He said that Baba had the previous night, in his dream, climbed up on


his chest and giving him a lot of thrashing, told him not to cheat me and to make

the payment immediately. Look at our Baba ! how much concerned is He for His

devotees. Can any one doubt His omnipresence and omnipotence?.

Commencement of Puja at the Temple and placement of order for the

Marble Idol

The pujas of Baba started being performed in the basement of the building

with a painting of Baba, presented by Shrj Chitnis and which is at present kept in

the balcony of the temple on the first floor. Later, this very picture was moved to

the Prayer Hall upstairs, while still under construction, and placed on the

platform presently housing the statue of Baba. It remained there till the

installation of the idol on 2nd October 1976.

For quite sometime, I was not in any way connected with the management

of the temple. One day, Mr Chitnis invited me, in writing, to attend a meeting of

the managing committee as a guest. I told Mr. Chitnis that I would never like to

be a part of the organisation and that I was happy and contented to remain a

mere servant of Baba. He told me that I was invited to attend the meeting merely

as a guest without any commitment to join the organisation. In the meeting, Shri

Chitnis prevailed upon me to join the Managing Committee. I turned down the

offer with all humility saying that I had already had the experience of the working

of such a body having worked in Delhi Sri Sai Samaj, for about 12 years and that I

wouldn't like to be a part of any organisation again as it affected my bhakti. All

the members of the Managing Committee got up and requested me to reconsider

my decision as they wanted me to play an active role in the affairs of the temple.

With folded hands, the then Vice-President of the Samaj, Shri K. C. Dhawan,

requested me to accept the offer. Considering my refusal as imprudence on my

part, I yielded to their request saying that if I were left out, I could be of greater

service to them later. These were prophetic words as the subsequent events in the

Samaj showed. Had I remained away from the management committee of the

Samaj, I might have been of greater service to Baba. The samaj might not have, in

that event, been riddled with unworthy politics and dissentions and Baba's work

would have progressed much better, not only for the improvement of the temple

but towards the coming up and spread of Baba's work in the whole of Northern


India. Let me hasten to add that I am no angel in Baba's name but, knowing as we

all do, when three persons meet on a platform, politics starts and, at that time an

impartial entity is needed to sort out the affairs. Shri Chitnis was an extremely

nice and a dedicated person but every man has his weaknesses. He was a

doubting general who would easily lend his ears to what others said about their

colleagues. And unfortunately, human nature as it is, we always have someone

amongst us who is a past master in this act. Even today, I carry the conviction

that a devotee should never actively entangle himself with the management work.

Baba has created a cadre of administrators who are only suitable for the

management of the place after it has come up and the management work should

be left to them.

Soon the question of carving out an idol of Baba at Jaipur for installation in the

temple came up. I had some experience in this regard. In 1972, one Shri J.R.

Muthialiah from Visakhapatnam, on the advice of one Shri A.N. Rao, Chief of

Accounts in the Ministry of External Affairs, had approached me to accompany

them to Jaipur to place an order for Baba's statue to be installed at a temple in

the Port area of Visakhapatnam. I along with Shri Muthialiah and Shri Rao went

to Jaipur for the purpose. At that time the sculptors of Jaipur did not have any

experience of chiselling idols of Baba. After roaming about the whole market and

seeing the work most sculptors, we selected the 'Rajasthan Moorti Kala Kendra>

for the purpose and placed with them an order for ' Baba's idol at a cost of Rs. 24,

000. For this propose I had to undertake several trips to Jaipur and also seek the

help of my father-in-law, to prevail upon the sculptor to get a nice job done.

This idol is installed in the temple at Visakhapatnam port though Shri

Muthialiah, an excellent devotee of Bab who merged in Him within a few years of

the temple comij up. I understand Mrs. Muthialiah is still there to look the

temple.

For placing an order for the idol of Lodi Road Temple, I along with Shri

Chitnis and a few others went to Jaipur one morning in Shri Chitnis' car. We

went through the whole market to see the work of almost all sculptors but

ultimately again selected Rajasthan Moorty Kala Kendra for doing the job. This

firm was being run by two brothers - Shri Manohar Lal Pandey and Shri


Rameshwar Lal Pandey by name and had been responsible to do all sculpturing

work for the Birlas all over India and their temple's coming up overseas. Since I

already knew the proprietors, we had long discussions with them as to how a

unique and a life-like idol of Baba resembling the one at Shirdi could be carved

out. It was agreed that Shri Rameshwar Lal Pandey would visit Shirdi and stay

there, for as long as he desired, till he was satisfied that he was able to make a

ditto copy of the Shirdi idol in clay. He brought a clay bust model after spending

eight days in Shirdi but we did not find it anywhere near the Shirdi Idol. Shri

Pandey told us that the Shirdi Idol was not made as per the specifications laid

down in the 'Shastras'. And how could it be? It was in fact Baba's own guidance to

Shri Talim which had made him to bring out that effect in the Shirdi idol which is

unique. Baba's compassionate eyes looking at every one with love and smile and

providing them solace in their life full of vicissitudes. He, however, put in his best

efforts to create a mud prototype of the idol as nearer to Shirdi as possible. We

haggled and bargained with him to provide us a idol 5ft 4 in height, without any

marks or blemishes in the front for a sum not more than Rs. 48,000/-, as far as I

can recollect now.

Some 14/15 trips to Jaipur had to be undertaken in the process of

approving the finished work - first in clay, then in piaster of Paris and finally in

stone. Many of the trips to Jaipur by road were memorable. In one trip

undertaken in the rainy season, we were stranded some 65 km before Jaipur. The

road was completely submerged in water and there was nothing but water as far

as we could see. Truckloads of boulders were brought from Jaipur and the road

made worthy of crossing the broken portion. We had to wait on this spot for over

three hours.

Even today, it gives me comfort and a sense of pride to recall the sincere,

earnest and deep efforts made to analyse each and every part of the idol and put

in our very best efforts to see that Baba's face and eyes reflected the effect which

is His hallmark. We would insist on Shri Rameshwar Lal Pandey who had by now

become a close friend, to put his heart and soul in the idol and instil life in Baba

to make it look as if He would open his lips any moment It has been a very

thrilling experience of life, the like of which I have never had again. A lot of effort,


labour and time were put in to achieve our objective but the Shirdi effect could

not be brought into the idol. What could be brought out is for all to see and judge

in the idol installed at the Lodi Road Temple. It can, however, be said with

certainty that this idol has provided inspiration and comfort to a very large

number of devotees and drawn them towards Baba.

Installation Ceremony of the Idol

The idol was brought in a truck from Jaipur and placed on the pedestal,

covered with a white sheet. Earlier we had been debating as to who should be

invited to perform the mstallation ceremony of the Idol. It was suggested that

Smt.Indira Gandhi or Shri Y. B. Chauan should be requested to do the job; I was,

however, of the opinion that each and every devotee entering the portals of the

temple was a very important person to us and that we should engage everybody

in the installation ceremony. All the devotees should carry a pitcher full of

Ganges water on their heads shouting Baba's Jai and enter the temple. This

suggestion was accepted and implemented.

The unveiling ceremony of the idol was fixed for VijaiDashmi, 2nd October

1976. For three days prior to the installation ceremony, South Indian Pandits

were carrying out Havan and Puja in the temple premises. The unveiling was

done in the afternoon. As the 'Kalash' reached the pedestal, the cloth wrapped

around Baba removed, and holy water poured on the idol, the divine sight of

Baba filled

everybody with ecstasy. I cried out full throatedly in ecstasy, tears flowing from

my eyes. At long last, my dream of a Baba's place of worship in Delhi had

materialised. Shri Chitnis and other members of the Managing Committee

thought that I had lost my calm perhaps due to somebody saying something

unpalatable to me. Every body ran towards me to calm me down little realising

that it was the outburst of a heart full of ecstasy and gratitude to Baba which had

made me cry out in this manner.

After the installation ceremony, it was felt that the pedestal of Baba had

been raised too high and Baba looked above the heads of devotees standing

before him. Shri Chitnis decided to cut down the height of the pedestal. A few

days after the installation ceremony, I got a ring from Shri Chitnis one morning


to reach the temple premises immediately. On arrival at the temple, I found that

the idol was bound in chains and raised from its pedestal by pully brought for the

purpose. While this work was going on, Baba provided me an opportunity to hold

Him in my arms for about two hours, till the job finished. I placed with my own

hands beneath the seat of Baba, a few pieces of stone brought by me from Shirdi

after the old Dwarkamayee redone in 1962.

The first puja to the idol was performed by us based on the arti book

compiled and published by the old Sai Samaj, Delhi. After the coming up of the

Lodi Road temple, there seemed to be no need left for a separate organisation for

Baba's work in Delhi. Shri A. K. Gawaskar, in whose house we were conducting

Baba's pujas, had also by then left Delhi after his retirement from service and all

puja articles alongwith Baba's picture had been shifted to my house. Sri Sai Samaj

Delhi, some time thereafter, stopped functioning under that name and banner.

At this point of time, there were already quite a large number of devotees

of Baba in Delhi but they were scattered all over Delhi. With the coming up of the

temple, when people actually started experiencing Baba's Grace, there was a

steady growth in the number of devotees and after the screening of the picture,

'Shirdi Ke Sai Baba' in 1983, there was a sudden spurt in the number of devotees.

Even before the installation of Baba's idol, devotees from neighbouring towns

such as Aligarh, Meerut and Ghaziabad, had started visiting the temple. Later,

Baba's influence spread to the whole of North India. The situation as it stands

today, there are many temples of Baba not only in Delhi but the whole of North

India-even in far-flung and inaccessible places, and new and new temples are

coming up every day. The Saint of Shirdi is today moulding and guiding the lives

of millions of His devotees and providing them hope, cheer and impetus to live a

purposeful life. He is redeeming His Pledge at every step, "Why should you fear,

when I am there. Cast all your burdens on me and I shall bear them". Baba seems

to be more alive today than while He was in flesh blood.

Shri Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai.


Chapter Four

Stray Thought! on Various Aspects of Sai Worship

On Bhakti

In pure 'Satvik' bhakti, there is no place for desires. When desires end, real

bhakti starts. The desire to multiply temples; erect monuments in the chosen

deity's name; count the holding of 'Nam Saptahs' and the number of idols

installed; and the like, may form part of 'Rajsik’ bhakti but surely not of pure and

unadulterated 'Satvik’ bhakti.

*******

Pure bhakti generates absolute faith and faith leads to complete surrender.

The joy of surrender is unique. It can only be experienced and not talked about.

Blessed is the devotee who has acquired it through the grace of Baba. No treasure

in the world, not even knowledge, can match it. If one is a bhakta and some

unpleasant happening takes place in life which he attributes to Baba saying that

while Baba was there, how could such a thing happen to him and consequently

gives up his devotion to Baba, take it for certain that this person is not a true

bhakta. He was merely bartering his bhakti with Baba's Grace. A true devotee will

not, even in his dream, attribute this happening to Baba, what to talk of giving up

his faith in Him. He would accept it a result of his 'Prarabdha'. This reminds me

of a devotee of Baba who gave up his worship of Baba after his wife died of

Cancer, saying that how could he have faith in Baba who could not save his wife

who had served Him heart and soul. In His life time, when a lady told Baba as to

how her son could die when He was there, Baba told her, "Mother ! please do not

come to me if you feel there should be no deaths in your family. I cannot change

the Prarabdha."

*******

Baba prescribed the simple path of bhakti to His devotees. It is also laid

down in our scriptures that in 'Kaliyug' God can be realised by doing mere 'Naam

Japa'. Baba would tell His devotees that there was no need for them to indulge in

other hard spiritual practices, such as Ashtang Yoga, Jap, Tap and sixteen fold


Bhakti. He lived in Bhakti alone. If they called Him even once whole heartedly,

He would come running to their help even from beyond the seven seas.

*******

Again and again in the Sai Satcharita, Baba has exhorted His devotees to

listen to His life story and leelas. By merely doing so, devotees 'avidya' will vanish

and pure Satvik bhakti would start flowing in their hearts.

*******

In Bhakti, there is no giving or taking. The bhakta becomes one with his

deity and exuberates His grace in every thought and action of His. Baba had said,

"I give to my devotees, what they want so that they may learn to want, what I

want to give to them". What was it that He wanted to give to His devotees? Pure

Satvik Bhakti and the resultant love which could engulf the devotees' whole

being.

*******

If you come across a Guru who is arrogant and exhibits partiality towards

some of His devotees, know for certain that this Guru is a mere show-piece and

incapable of leading you on to the path of God Realisation. In Bhakti, love

encompasses the whole being and every pore of the body of such a person should

emit love and compassion. How could he display differentiation in the

distribution of limitless love within him?

*******

As per our scriptures, there are four paths to spirituality i.e Gyan, Yoga,

Karma and Bhakti. Each path, in its own right is capable of taking the aspirant to

the ultimate. In Sai Temples however, it has been observed that often the

organisers mix up one path with the other, such as performing yagnas and

practising Yoga. While each path has its own efficacy, the organisers should

understand that on to the path of bhakti there is no need for adulteration or

deviation. The path of bhakti is self sufficient.

On Gurus and the Path of Baba

All His life, Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi lived a most frugal, unassuming and

simple life. He lived in a dilapidated mosque, wore a torn Kami, slept with a brick

under His head, begged His food from a few houses every day and shared it with


the poorest of the poor and animals alike. All those claiming to be His Avtar or

Guru / Sadguru in His name but who live a life absolutely contradictory to the life

of Baba, could they be deemed to be near about Baba? These Avtars and Gurus

ride big limousines, wear silken robes; live in splendour in big palatial buildings,

remain inaccessible to an ordinary poor devotee and at every step differentiate

between the rich and poor, the high and the low. Are they really espousing the

principles Baba stood for? Let both the Gurus and the devotees ponder calmly on

what they are doing. No aspersion or denigration of anybody is intended but

doesn't it provide food for thought?

*******

Towards the later part of His earthly life, Baba accepted Dakshina from

devotees coming for His darshan. Large sums of money were thus collected. Baba

distributed this money amongst those around Him and whatever was left, He

would empty His pocket before going to sleep saying "Enough of it; go and bury

yourself." The Gurus of today as also those running temples in Baba's name, are

all collecting huge amounts of money from the public and in most cases piling

these up in banks or spending them on adding more glamour to their temples /

ashrams, to keep their name and fame going. They spend little, if any, on

humanitarian activities for the upliftment of the poor and the needy who were so

dear to Baba. Let us ponder calmly if this is the path shown by Baba? Moreover,

the money so accumulated, becomes the cause of infighting amongst the

management in temples and ashrams and an ordinary devotee who visits these

places to find solace at the feet of Baba or to pray to Him and seek from Him

answers to his problems of life, fails to experience the peace and serenity which

such a place should exude, if there were no conflicts in the minds of the

management. Surely even mental reservations pollute the atmosphere and affect

the vibrations of the place.

A thought has always agitated my mind as to how a Guru or Sadguru could

bring himself round to accept the situation in which his own picture is kept and

worshipped on the same pedestal as that of Baba? One must have taken to the

path of Baba by becoming a devotee initially and later elevated himself to the

stature of Guru / Sadguru. It is unimaginable and beyond comprehension that a


pure devotee would ever allow his own picture to be kept and worshipped on the

same platform along with that of his Aradhya'. There has been a large galaxy of

sages and saints in India who in their own life time reached godhood, for

example; Ramana Maharishi, Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Nam Deo, Tukaram,

Eknath Maharaj, and many others. In their life time they did rot allow their own

picture to be worshipped along with that of their chosen deity.

According to our scriptures (in this case Sai Satcharita) only the one who is

capable of making us dwell in the self and taking us beyond the ocean of wordly

existence, is in fact capable of being our sadguru. Have the gurus of today

reached this stage?

Baba had, in His lifetime, stated that His Guru had not given Him any

Guru Mantra. How could then He be expected to give one to any devotee. The

gurus of today many a time give Guru Mantra to their followers. Are they

following Baba in thought and deeds?

I sometimes wonder if Baba's own way of living and functioning has lost

relevance today or I, an ordinary person striving to be His bhakta, is unable to

understand the purport of His life and living. I shall be extremely grateful if

somebody could throw some light on this subject.

My experience onto the path of Sai bhakti has instilled in me a feeling that

it is easier to be a Guru but extremely difficult to be a Bhakta. I wish, I am wrong.

This feeling of mine has been corroborated by a remark made by Shri

Ramakrishna Paramhamsa and which has recently come to my notice: "Gurus

can be had by the thousands, but rare is a disciple."

In some temples, it has been seen that the Guru has a separate chamber

furnished with relish, where he receives his disciples. While Baba in the same

temple sits on a rugged stone, the Guru in his chamber sits on thick mattresses.

What a splendid display of bhakti?

*******

I have read in a book recently that a known Guru within no time of his

accepting Baba in his life and experiencing His grace, turned into a Guru himself

and many devotees started seeking his guidance. If a bull can be made to recite

the Vedas through the Grace of God, surely a man could reach any heights in no


time on account of his 'Prarabdha'. But in such a case, the change should be total

and not partial.

It is difficult for human beings to remain away from the snare of Maya.

Human brain easily succumbs to the pleasantries of the make believe world of its

own creation and falls prey to all that sounds pleasant to the ears. The path to

godliness is very thorny and is difficult to tread without the Sadguru's Kripa. To

quote a passage from my diary: "Beautiful words, shining ideas, attractive dreams

and fine images are the golden lid which keep the face of Truth covered from our

sight. Ifs this veil woven of the golden threads of human imagination and its fond

hopes that hides the Sun of Truth from our view." The same way the Gurus of

today get lost in Maya when their henchman talk of experiencing their potential

in some way or the other. In actual fact, it is a mere camouflage of the reflection

of guru's own ego. Let us give this matter a deep thought.

Kindly allow me to recite a true story in this connection. A certain person,

who had been selected to head an Ashram after the demise of its existing

incumbent, was studying in Allahabad University. He was living in the hostel.

Lots of pure ghee, dry fruits and other varieties of rich foodstuff were sent to him

for his consumption by the Ashram. This young man would however, distribute

all this stuff amongst his fellow hosteliers and himself ate very little out of it.

When his friends asked him as to why he did so, his reply was that his guru had

taught him to eat only a little and that too only satvik food, and since these

eatables, were tamsik in nature, he was shunning their use.

Later on when after the death of his Guru, this person took over that

ashram, the first thing he did was to get the door of his room removed. According

to him, this he did so, the reason that there should be absolutely nothing in the

Iife of a person who led others, which should remain concealed from the public

gaze. In fact, Sai Baba's life was also an open book for anybody to read.

The predecessor of this young Guru ate food sitting on a high pedestal

along with other ashramites sitting on the floor and in gold and silver utensils. He

gave up this practice. He would take his food in ordinary utensils sitting along

with the ashramites as also serve them with his own hands. Later he consolidated


all the funds of the Ashram and spent these on opening 30 schools where the

poor children received free education.

On Building Temples

Very often, news is received that at such and such place a very big temple

of Baba is coming up. Even those connected with the construction of such a

temple do not hesitate to say, again and again, that their's would be the biggest

temple in the whole of a particular region or even in the whole of India. A thought

has often arisen in my mind, "Will Baba sitting in a huge temple shower greater

largesse on His devotees and be more effective than the one sitting in a small

temple or even under a tree?" "Will His devotees experience more grace from a

bigger place than a small one.?" Some are building temples on a few yards of land

while others talk of many acres of land, sometimes extending to more than 100

acres for the construction of the temple along with its ancilliaries. People seem to

be engaged in a rat race. In my view, Baba's idol installed in a thatched hut by one

person or a group of persons who have dedicated themselves to Baba heart and

soul, may generate much better vibrations than the one built on a huge plot of

land by an individual or a group of persons with a lot of money power at their

command.

Baba spent His whole life in a dilapidated mosque. To me it seems a little

incongruous to make Him sit in a huge awe-inspiring building totally covered by

marble and granite, with a gold canopy over His head, and wearing a diamond-

studded gold crown on His head. An explanation to this flashy mode of Baba's

worship is given that it is the devotees wish to see Him being worshipped as a

'Raja Dhiraj'. They contend that huge temples of other Gods/Goddesses have also

similarly come up. But Baba is supposed to be an Avtar of Lord Siva, whose

temples are generally small and unostentatious. Has Lord Siva lost his glamour

by being worshipped in small temples? Should we not encourage building similar

small temples of our Baba and the money thus saved on the construction of lofty

buildings becoming available to serve the poor and needy, who were so dear to

Baba? I would humbly, request my worthy fellow devotees/ Gurus/ Avtars to give

the matter a thought and throw more light on this subject.


In the North, a tendency has been witnessed to erect more and more

temples of Baba or to instal Baba's idol in the temples already functioning. As an

humble devotee of Baba, I consider it my sacred duty to discourage such a

tendency on the part of my fellow devotees which would result in a haphazard

growth of Sai temples. A Baba temple should only be constructed by people who

can ensure the spirit of Baba to flow in abundance in such a temple after it has

been erected. During my visit to Jabalpur in September 2001, I was taken to a

Baba temple where, in my humble view, things appeared appalling. The face of

Baba seemed to be mutilated. Again and again stretching my eyes, it was found

that the idol had a black scar on its nose. Hundreds of flies and ants were found

on the 'Charan Padukas', on which prasad was scattered in abundance. The shawl

wrapped around Baba was unclean. Only one young boy was sitting in a corner of

the temple awaiting the arrival of somebody who would give Baba bath and clean

the place. There seems to a definite need to avoid such situations.

The decision to build a Baba temple should only taken-up by a devotee

after deep and careful thought, take into account his own potentiality to take up

and maintai such a project. If one looks into the history of spirituality, would be

seen that great devotees of God, who have left mark of their spirituality, did not

build a temple. They on occupied a particular place of God from where their

spirituality developed and flowed. In my humble view, the building of a temple is

not the only appropriate reflection of one's devotion to Baba, as seems to be the

case today, when a large number of devotees all over are aspiring to build

temples. Every heart is a temple of God. A small picture or idol of Baba placed in

a corner of the house, where the devotee cries out his heart and soul to Baba, is a

much better temple of Baba than an elegant building housing an image of Baba,

where the organisers indulge in cut-throat competition to occupy the high seats

in the management and which has become a hotbed of politics. The vibrations

emanating from that secluded corner of the house could be much more powerful

and effective, than the temple which vibrates with jealousy, hatred and political

pranks of its constituents. Building a temple to show one's gratitude to Baba, who

has bestowed His Grace on him, may thus not be the only and appropriate way

for a devotee.


Early in my journey on Baba's path, I had read in a book written by a saint

of Shri Ramakrishna order, "The success of a religious body depends, not on its

external achievements, its efficient organisation, its buildings, the size of its

membership or its philanthropic activities but upon the inner life of each of its

members and the measure of their progress towards devotion and knowledge of

God." These words have left an indelible mark on my mind. Before taking up a

project for the building of a temple a lot of thought, planning, availability of funds

for the running of the temple and most importantly, the constitution of the

organisation have to be given a deep thought. Nothing should be done in haste,

based on emotions. It is difficult to plan and build a temple but it is much more

difficult to ensure its smooth, flawless functioning and to generate vibrations in

the temple wherein even a non-believer should feel the presence of Baba. When a

person or a group of persons decide to build a temple, more often-they have no

previous experience of the task. They associate whosoever comes their way and

who either seems to be a devotee or who is capable of generating funds. When the

temple gets ready, invariably the administrators out of this crowd come up to

administer the temple, making those who had given their life and blood to this

work but who are sincere devotees and would not like to indulge in dirty politics,

run away from the temple. From the experience gained, I would suggest that the

following areas in building a temple should be given deep thought: 1. The temple

does not mean merely the installation of an idol and ensuring its regular worship.

It encompasses a whole lot of things, other than worship, such as: creating an

atmosphere laden with Baba's way of life and leelas, the principles Baba

cherished and lived for, regular reading of Sai Satcharita; delivering talks on Baba

and revealing that which was peculiar in Baba; devise programmes for the service

of the poor and needy; and the like. Baba's emphasis, all through His life, was on

the following three aspects of humanity;

i) Oneness of man irrespective of caste, creed, religion, or geographical

boundaries. ii) God is one and dwells in all living beings, iii) Service to the poor

and needy.

2. Personal life of those associated with Baba's work, at every step, should reflect

these strains and the temples built for Baba should vibrate with these feelings.


3. The constitution of the society should be drafted taking into account the need

for its smooth functioning for at least the next 30 years. Generally people with

feeling initially build a temple and once it starts functioning, the administrators

come and ease them out. This aspect should be taken care of while drafting the

constitution and it should be ensured that all those who have initiated the

proposal or those who have translated their thoughts into action in the initial

stages are not ignored or removed from the centre stage for quite some years to

come. So also, the membership of the society has to be taken care of. Most

founder members should not all be old, as in that event they would create a

vacuum in the organisation within the next few years. There should be a judicious

mixture of the old and the young in the society.

4. It has been observed that Baba's temples gather a lot of funds. The piling up of

these funds is likely to provide an impetus to wrong persons to grab the seat of

power in these temples. To curb this desire, huge amounts of money flowing to

Baba's funds should be diverted at the earliest towards philanthropic activities of

a permanent nature which can help in the improvement of the lot of the poor and

needy people, who were dear to Baba. Also, great care should be taken in

inducting new members in the institution and self-seekers should be eliminated

to get an entry into the organisation. The form of membership should be drafted

in such a manner that no non-devotee finds a place in the organisation. The

following suggestions could be considered:-

a) The form should include a column in which the applicant should be asked to

write 10 lines on Baba. This would show the depth of his devotion.

b) The applicant should be asked to state the reason for which he is seeking the

membership of the institution along with information as to which field of

functioning in the temple, he would be able to make his contribution.

c) The form should be scrutinised by a committee of experienced members who

should endeavour to find out the real motto of the person to seek membership

and ultimately, the applicant interviewed to ensure his meaningful contribution

to the institution.

On Miracles


Most devotees of Baba and almost every one who has known Baba

from a distance, consider Him a Miracle Man. It hurts me to portray Baba

as such. Calling Baba a Miracle Man is like calling the Sun, a Deepak.

For a God-realised soul, all barriers of Time and Space come to an

end. Even the elements of Nature accept its command. This has amply

been demonstrated, time and again, by events in Baba's life as well as in

the lives of all great Saints.

Miracles take place in the following circumstances in a saint's life:-

a) According to Ramana Maharishi, "It is enough for the thoughts

of a Gyani to be turned in any direction and the automatic divine activity

begins", and seems to have caused a miracle.

b) As stated above, all forces of Nature are at the command of the

saint and whatever he utters becomes a reality. He need not employ any

medium to achieve his purpose.

c) When a devotee recites to a saint his tale of woe, its mere

narration creates a feeling of compassion in him, resultantiy the devotee

may be relieved of his misery.

d) The Saint performs a miracle for a purpose. This may be to

provide an impetus to the devotee to continue tread the path of godliness

still more steadfastly or to draw a person towards God.

Generally a sage or saint does not show a miracle just with the

swing of his hand or merely for the purpose of impressing the onlookers.

Rather they have decried the use of miracles on the path of divinity.

Of course, sages and saints have shown miracles but always for a

purpose. This is true of our Baba also. Baba used the vehicle of miracles

always for some specific purpose.

When a person starts treading the path of Sadhana as he reaches

the fourth chakra, the 'Riddhies' and 'Sidhhies' come to him and confer on

him the particular boon asked for by him. Some ask for wealth, some for

power to cure diseases, some for writing books on spirituality, some for

foretelling events in life, some for 'Vaksiddhi' and the like. On attainment

of any such power, they use it indiscriminately and get lost in its charm


and make it a means to attract people to themselves and earn name, fame

and wealth in life. Their further progress on the spiritual path comes to an

end. Those Sadhaks who do not fall a prey to such an attainment and

continue to tread the path of spirituality steadfastly and assiduously

continue to make progress for the attainment of the Truth.

There are two schools of thought according to our scriptures with

regard to whether one can create something out of nothing or merely use

occult powers to materialize a thing which has existed somewhere. Most

thinkers have supported the latter theory. According to it, some unseen

power, at his command, is employed by the media to bring a thing which

has existed somewhere. Two such experiences of my life are narrated in

the succeeding paragraphs.

I was a student of class X in Gwalior in the year 1940. My friends

asked me to join them at a particular place where a person was to

demonstrate that he could produce whatever one desired. Some six to

seven students collected at that place in the afternoon, where a rustic was

sitting wrapped in a sheet of cloth. All of us sat on either side of him on

the floor. This gentleman told us that he could produce whatever we

desired to eat. After deliberations amongst us, we asked him to produce

'Pedas' (a particular sweet) of Mathura. Let me clarify that this particular

sweet made in Mathura is of a smaller size and has a different taste than

the one made by the sweet-sellers of Gwalior which is much' bigger in size

and is wrapped in sugar. The gentleman brought out two packets - one in

each hand, containing Mathura Pedas. We ate them to our satisfaction. We

were amazed at his skill. Next we asked him to produce two orange like

fruits, which I had seen in the garden on the dam built on a local river, a

day before. He produced them - one in each hand. All of us decided to ask

him for something unique. We told him to show us the gold coins of

Emperor Ashoka's time. He said that we should refrain from insisting on

him to do so as if he produced them and we touched the coins, we would

start bleeding. We did not, however, yield to his pressure. He attempted to

do so but could not produce any gold coins. He merely made us to hear the


tinkering sound of gold coins. Whatever he predicted about us was all

totally incorrect.

The other incident is of January 1983, after I had retired from

service and had gone to stay for a few days at Ajmer with my brother-in-

law, a doctor in the railways. One morning when I was having a walk on

the lawns of his bungalow along with my father-in-law, he told me that he

would have liked to show me the skills of one Nanaji who could produce

anything desired from nowhere. I had already heard the story that when

one of our relation's marriage was to be settled, this very Nanaji got both

the boy and the girl garlanded from the space, which helped the boy and

his father to accept this match. While we were still walking, I saw a lean

and thin old man, wearing a 'dhoti' and a coat over it, walking into the

house. My father-in-law accosted him saying that only a few minutes

earlier he had been talking to me about him and requested him to show his

skills to me. I found that Nanaji had met almost all V.I.Ps of the day and

was carrying in his pocket the testimonials given to him by them. He also

showed to me the paper cuttings from the then popular Journal 'Blitz' of

articles written by its Editor, Shri Karanjia, about the miracles shown by

Nanaji.

Nanaji made us all sit on the carpet and chant a particular kirtan.

He first produced two garlands, one for me and the other for my wife.

These, he said, had been procured from the local Govindji Temple. Since

we were eight persons sitting in the room, he next produced eight bananas

for us to eat. He then asked me to name anything and that he would

produce the same but suggested that it may not be costly since somebody

has to pay for it. He then produced a big lock, which we still have in our

possession.

The two incidents narrated above amply prove that the adepts of

occultism who perform miracles merely utilize laws which are not known

to common people.

I shall end this narration by quoting a story from Shri Ramakrishna

Paramhamsa's Gospels. A youngman from a village left his house to


become a sanyasi. He returned to his village after doing sadhana for twelve

years. The villagers asked him as to what he had achieved after doing

Tapasya for twelve long years. He invited them all to come to the local

river bank the next morning when he would show to them his attainments.

People gathered on the river bank next morning. This Sanyasi came with

his wooden slippers on and walked over the waters of the river as if he was

walking on the road. Another Sadhak who was watching the scene came

there and calling the boat-man crossed the river, paying one anna coin to

the boat-man. He told the Sanyasi that it a pity that he had taken twelve

long years to learn an art worth one anna only.

The miracles performed by Baba were of a different type and

reflected his omnipotent omnipresent and omniscient nature which a

Brahm Gyani possesses. The miracles performed by Him fall in the

following categories:-

a) Reflect His command over the elements of Nature.

b) Sitting in the Dwarkamayee, He could appear in some form or the other

whenever and wherever a devotee was in trouble and needed His help.

c) Baba knew the past, present and future of all living beings and His

approach towards a devotee was based on this knowledge.

d) A few instances also exist in which He would use His powers to show

some pranks to His devotees to provide them humour and make them

laugh.

Baba's devotees must not, therefore, encourage the projection of

Baba's leelas as miracles as it will be far away from His true nature.

No instance has come to notice in which Baba produced something

with the wave of His hands. Baba was a Tatva-Gyani. Although apparently

He did produce some miracles, behind every action of His there was a

deeper purpose and a significance which became visible as the subsequent

events unfolded.

Some excerpts from my diary on the subject of miracles are

reproduced below which may help the reader to make a correct appraisal

of this phenomenon :-


What is a miracle? Certain actions produce effects that are not

rationally readily accountable because they do not fall into the usual

pattern.

2. On the path of Gyan, preoccupation and practice acquiring psychic

powers are not favoured by true masters.

3. During Sadhana psychic powers may manifest spontaneously as a

result of practice performed previous lives but care should be taken not to

them to impress an audience.

4. Sri Ramana Maharishi: Self Realization may or not be accompanied

by occult powers depending whether the person concerned had sought

these power before realization. They may also be sought and gaina after

realization for a definite purpose, if called for by circumstances.

5. The greatest miracle is brought about when throug sadhana we

conquer all desires including those for siddhis and endeavour to get pure

consciousness which is the sub-stratum of the eternal miracle of creation.

6. Sri Ramana Maharishi: The spiritual force is far more powerful than

the use of all occult powers.

7. Realization comprises everything and a realized will not waste a

thought on powers.

8. What is acquired is also lost in due course.

9. A genuine devotee wants nothing else except His feet.

10. The greatest attainment is pure Existence, Knowledge and Bliss.

11. Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa had said that a man cannot realize God

if he possesses one of the eight occult powers. Bhagwad Gita says: "Occult

power is sure beget pride and pride makes one forget God".

12. What greater siddhi is there than that of the sage, who merely sitting

on his couch, attracts thousands from four corners of the earth, hundreds

of whom change their old mode of life and some even attain Godhood.

13. In these days of scientific inquiry and rationalism, God has'to be

proved. "Except ye signs and wonders, ye will not believe", said Christ.


This is what Siddha Prushas occasionally do. Through such deeds, they

inspire the sceptics and scoffers with faith in God.

14. Performance of miracles should not be questioned as the display of

miracles is meant to create and does create faith in the faithless. The faith,

if thus created, would not be long lasting.

15. Psychic powers are obstcles to Samadhi, but these are powers in the

worldly state.

Receiving Messages from Baba

Recently I have come across two books in which messages purported to

have been received from Baba, have been reproduced. These are as under: -

a) 'How I found God - The life story of Yogi M.K. Spencer compiled and edited

by Dr. S.P. Rauhela.

b) 'Sri Sai Sandesh' by Shri Uma Maheshwar Rao.

Some time back, I was taken to a centre in a Sai temple, where, it was

stated that Baba would descend on a medium after burning a lot of incense, who

would then answer questions put to him. Much earlier, in my life as a Sai devotee,

had met one Shri Bhagwat, a Maharashtrian gentleman, who would similarly

answer devotees' questions after the presence of Baba.

While I am not qualified, in any way, to comment on the Phenomenon, I may

kindly be permitted to give vent to my Personal experiences on the subject

As a young man also, I have had some experience this phenomenon. A

childhood friend of mine would write to me about his spiritual pursuits. Later, he

wrote that a friend of his had started receiving messages in spiritual matter from

some spirit which called itself Babaji while sitting in Sadhana, and that spirit

would also provide guidance as i how to proceed further. This continued for many

years.' Babaji would fix a particular date when they would profound spiritual

experiences. But not much spiritual progress was discerned. Years later I was told

that the guiding spirit was of an eight hundred years old saint. My friend st

continues his way of worship even though he is above eight, years of age. His

friend who was receiving messages from that spirit has since died of cancer in

December 2000.


I can recollect another such incident. I was instrument in getting a person

recruited in the Army as Education Havildar. This person had a Master's Degree

and wrote regularly write to me letters often enclosing poems written by him in

Hindi. Suddenly he stopped writing to me. Later when he came to see me, he told

me that suddenly Lord Hanuman had come into his life. In the beginning

Hanumanji would appear to him in dreams and later he coould see Hanumanji

and His retinue with open eyes also as his own assertion. The expressions on his

face and eyes had also changed. Now this person has retired from the Army but I

can say that he is no where near having achieved spiritual heights.

So far as my knowledge goes there are innumerable spirits hovering all

around us in the universe. A particular spirit chooses a particular person as its

medium and acts through it. Sometimes these spirits could be of highly evolved

souls while at other times, of souls of a lower denomination They may appear to

the medium in the form of their choice. Certainly, these are not of Lord Hanuman

or any other deity. This could also be the halucination of the individiual

This is how I look at this phenomenon. May be, I am far away from truth.

In 1964 or so, I had seen an illiterate young man who would lie flat on his

back and cover himself with a sheet of cloth and within no time a spirit would

enter his body and make him recite Sanskrit verses in the voice of some .

particular Rishi and in another voice some one else would ask him questions.

This process would last for full one hour, at the end of which this fellow would

regain his consciousness and return to his original self - a complete illiterate.

Researchers from U. K., USA, Japan and other countries came to see this person

and would record whatever he said. I understand that slokas and verses recited

by him could not be found in any of our written scriptures. I don't know what

happened to this person later or to the research carried out on him. In my view

the antenna of the brain of this person had caught the spirit of this Rishi and

through this medium his voice was being reproduced. I understand that the voice

never dies.

The aforesaid experiences have convinced me that it is generally some

spirit which gives messages or provides guidance in such cases. It is neither Baba

nor Hanumanji or any other deity. It is unthinkable to me that Baba who is


omnipotent and omnipresent would come down to answer questions at such

gatherings or provide messages pertaining to worldly matters of life. To me, my

Baba is 'Parabrahma' and far above, from such mundane exhibits.

I reiterate that I am not a 'Gyani' and whatever I have written is based on

my personal experiences and limited knowledge. I would love to be enlightened

on this aspect of spirituality. Moreover, to me such episodes are experiences of a

much lower plane.

Another such experience which has come to my knowledge and which I

had forgotten to narrate earlier is of a lady disciple of a Saint in Allahabad. This

lady would fill a plate with powdered 'Misri', (a product of sugar) and on surface

of this 'Misri' would appear some writings, which were only visible to her and she

would read them and scribble them on a piece of paper. Later, she stopped

receiving these messages.

On to the path of Bhakti, I am convinced that such diversions should not

be allowed to disturb a devotee's 'Sadhna'. I would, however, not deny the fact

that to His devotees Baba does provide guidance at the appropriate time, both in

dreams or in the waking state.

Foretelling Events

In my quest as a devotee of Sai Baba, I have come across several devotees,

who predict foretell the fortunes of other persons. This is not a new phenomenon,

which has started after the name and fame of Baba has spread all over the

country. I had come across such persons as early as in 1960. I remember having

visited a place in Delhi where a lady on Thursdays was supposed to call the spirit

of Baba and make predictions. Later, I have come across others also doing the

same. Whenever I have seen this phenomenon being performed, I have felt

pained. Will it be correct to bring down our Baba from the high pedestal of being

God Incarnate and Parabrahama, on the plane of total worldliness with the sole

object of impressing others? Let us give this matter a thought. And today, we find

a whole lot of people indulging in this practice. There is another class of people

very often seen loitering on the streets of Delhi and foretelling the fortunes of

people in the name of our Baba and collecting money. As true devotees of Baba,

we should not encourage such practices.


Of course, on the path of Bhakti, as a devotee advances in his Sadhana, he

becomes clairvoyant but when this stage is reached, he wouldn't even think of

using the powers received at that stage, to make a demonstration of the same .

public. When a devotee engages in such pranks, it hurts me for the reasons:

a) Even if one predication of such a devotee goes awery, will it not be a reflection

on my Baba in whose name the prediction is being made? As a devotee, I have

always maintained that one should never do anything which brings bad name to

Baba.

b) When a devotee invokes Baba's help in making the predictions, will it not

cause inconvenience to Baba? Will a devotee ever do anything to cause

inconvenience to his 'aradhya'?

c) If on the path of bhakti, we have learnt to surrender to Him, why should one,

as a devotee, be worried about his future. Is Baba not capable of changing the fate

of His devotees? Moreover, if our Prarabdha is to happen, of what use would it be

for a devotee to know his future and for the fortuneteller to make a prediction.?

Surely it shows lack of faith in both.

Baba in His life time had often given to His devotees an indication of the

coming events. Evolved beings such as our Baba do know the past, present and

future of every soul coming into their contact but they use this power sparingly

and only when considered necessary or for the welfare of the devotee. All through

the ages, the sages and saints have done so. But for ordinary devotees such as we

are, it may not be Proper to do so nor should we encourage others to do so,

otherwise there shall be no difference between them and the so called Muslim

Fakirs who print Baba's pictures on the leaflets distributed by them soliciting

clientage on the promise that they can get them anything desired by them in their

lives. If they have such immense powers, why should they seek money from

others and not become rich themselves.

On the path of Sadhana, as a Sadhak reaches the fourth chakra, 'Riddhis'

and 'Siddhis' come to him and if the accepts these and uses these for either

personal gain or for displaying his powers, he ceases to make further progress

Most Gurus/Bhagwans of today are a living example of this, who have become a

prey to this temptation. In our scriptures the use of these powers is forbidden but


if the Sadhak reaches the peak, he becomes clairvoyant and may sometimes make

use of this for the benefit of the suffering humanity out of compassion. In the case

of, devotees of Baba, it has been seen that some devotees do acquire supernatural

powers earlier because of Baba's Grace and their own Prarabdha They must not

make a show of these as this would hinder their further progress on the path of

spirituality. On this path, no generalisation is possible. Every individual carries

his own Prarabdha with him.

New Concepts in Sai Bhakti

Till about 1980, Baba's way of worship and many other things associated

with Baba, Shirdi, and the places now being visited by the devotees, were not

what these are today. Some changes discernable are stated below:

1. 'Sai Ram' as a way of salutation

The salutation 'Sai Ram' was first heard amongst the devotees of Shri

Satya Sai Baba in the late seventies. Some years later, a few devotees of Shri Sai

Baba of Shirdi also started using this salutation. And today most devotees of our

Baba have adopted this mode of salutation for greeting each other. The old

devotees of Baba still find it difficult to use this salutation which has become so

common now that even they cannot do without using it. It is difficult to

appreciate as to why Baba has been associated with Bhagwan Ram only? Shri

Ram is one cf the ten incarnations of Vishnu. If we consider Baba as an

incarnation of God, why should His name be added to another Avtar's name?

Then why should it be prefixed to the name of Ram alone? Why not Lord

Krishna, Siva, or any other incarnation? In fact Baba's way of life and mode of

working is more akin to Lord Siva. Till now the name of any other God, Avtar,

sage or saint is not known to have become prefix or suffix to any other Supreme

Entity. While there may be no harm in doing so, there seems to be a definite need

to give this whole matter a thought. We must not adopt blindly what others do.

Simply "Om Sai' or "Jai Sai' could also have served the purpose.

2. Om Sai, Shri Sai, Jai Jai Sai.

This Mantra has been coined on the basis of the Mahamantra of Lord Ram

- 'Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram' which is a Siddha Mantra adopted by many

sages and saints in -the ages past. It seems Revered' Shri Sivanesan Swamy of


Shirdi is the person who has made this Mantra popular and contributed

immensely to its chanting far and wide. Today this Mantra is chanted by Sai

devotees not only in India but all over the world. In this Mantra, Baba's name is

repeated thrice.

Some twenty years back, nobody knew of this Mantra as the Tarak Mantra

of Baba but some devotees had already coined it and they were chanting it along

with other mantras in their pujas.

Baba had said that if one merely chanted 'Sai, Sai', from the core of his

heart, He shall come running even from across the Seven Seas. From this it

follows, that in a Mantra what is more important is the name of Baba and the

devotion with which it is chanted, and not the Prefixes and suffixes added to it,

which seem to be aimed at making the Mantra melodious. As a particular Mantra

is chanted by more and more people with devotion, it acquires more and more

potentiality. I might venture to suggest that the choice of a Mantra (if given by a

self-realised Guru) should be left to the devotee himself who may acquire one in a

natural and according to his own temperament. It is experience that the chanting

of mere Sai, Sai or ever 'Baba, Baba' putting heart and soul in the words, is much

more blissful which no amount of melodious singing with accompanying musical

instruments, is capable of providing. The 'Bhav' in chanting is more important

than the words.

3. Associating a visit to 'Shani' temple with visit to Snirdl

Till about 1980, a visit to Shirdi was incomplete if the devotee did not pay

a visit to Sakori - the Kanya Kumaii Sthan of Sri Upasani Baba. The devotees then

also included sometimes a visit to Gangapur and Pandharpui in their itinery. I am

not aware of any at that time visiting the Shani Mandir. How a visit to Shani

Temple became all important, is not known.

Likewise some other aspects have been added to worship during the last

twenty years or so, such as making parikarmas of the Neem tree; burning candles

and diyas in the Dwarkamayee and so on. It is an accepted fact that the devotees

do seek newer avenues of showing their devotion to Baba. Whereas the addition

of aforesaid deviations or additions may seem to harmless, the adoption of extra


rituals may, in the long run, become cumbersome to a simple devotee. Baba's is a

very simple way of worship and it may not prudent to make it complex.

4. Pictures of Baba.

Earlier pictures depicting Baba only in the undermentioned poses were

available:

a) Baba sitting on stone

b) The Dwarkamayee pose

c) The Bhiksha pose

d) The Samadhi picture

Pictures such as money coming out of Baba's hands and rays of light flowing from

His hands, were then not available. Now pictures of Baba's idol are being used

more often. Most of the new pictures seem to be the figment of imagination of the

artists and in my view, do not covey the true splendour of Baba. I also fail to

appreciate the need to use the idol picture of Baba more often when his actual

real life pictures are available in abundance.

5. ‘Sab ka Malik Ek’.

This slogan was also not known earlier and seems to have been adopted

later.

Literature on Shirdi Sai Baba

Till about fifteen years back, there was not much literature available on

Baba, particularly in languages other than Marathi. Whatever available, was

based on Sri Sai Satcharita or on the personal experiences of devotees, either on

their contact with Baba in their life time or on the testimony given by devotees

who had experienced Baba's Grace in some form or the other after Baba had

taken Mahasamadhi.

During the last few years, as more and more people are being drawn to the

Sage of Shirdi, the demand for Sai literature has grown immensely. Whatever has

been printed, has found a market instantaneously. The publishers who fought out

books on Baba became rich overnight as many editions of their book were sold in

no time. A stage has now come, when anything and everything written on Baba

has a publisher. Some writers have made book writing on profession and found

this an easy way to earn name, fame and money. Writing on Baba without caring


the truths or the sentiments of Baba's devotees, has become a way of life with

some publishers and writers, their quest for easy money. A number of so called

research have sprung up who have earned name and fame for writing on Baba

after presenting truths and half truths and even heresys and stories. They have

proved beyond doubt Baba sacred words,"If you shall look for Brahm (God) in

books you shall only find 'Bhram" (Delusion).

The whole of His life after the age of adolescence, Baba spent in a small

village named 'Shirdi', amongst the poor and illiterate villagers. He followed a

peculiar technique to convey to His devotees the deep and hidden truths of

'Brahma Gyan' (knowledge of the Supreme) in a simple and easy to understand

language and by living in practice a life symbolising what He preached. He never

employed the medium of lectures, discussions and discourses for this purpose.

The result was that beyond Sai Satcharitra (which was also published after Baba

took Mahasamadi), and Das Ganu's renderings, almost no other authentic

literatuii became available in His life-time. Of course after His leaving His mortal

coil, some of His devotees, prominent amonst them being Shri B.V Narasimha

Swamy and Swami Sharananand, wrote down about His life and times. Shri B.V

Narasimha Swamy spent quite a few years of his life in contacting Baba's

devotees, visiting the places associated wit His name, and collecting the devotees'

experiences first hand The efforts made by Shri Narasimha Swamy, the labour

put in by him and Sai literature produced as a result thereof will ever remain a

land-mark in the history of Baba and Sai literature.

During the last ten years or so, some good literature come out on Baba,

such as

a) The God who walked on Earth by Shri Rangaswami Parthasarathy.

b) Shirdi Sai Baba by Shri Basavaraj Gunaki.

c) Shirdi Sai Baba by Shri M. V. Kamath and Shri B. V. Kher.

Of course the book written by Arthur Osborne earlier entitled 'The

Incredible Sai Baba' was a great work on Baba. In a few pages, this author has

presented a synopsis of Baba's life and teachings admirably well, particularly for

the Western world. Some other writers have also put in commendable efforts,

such as Shri E. Bharadwaj, Shri M.V. Pradhan and Mrs Mani Sahukar. Some


Western writers have also produced treatises on Baba based on their research

work but because of their different background, they do not seem to have caught

the depth of Baba's teachings and way of life.

But along with these serious minded writers, a number of guileless

mushroom writers have also come up who have made writing on Baba by

presenting facts or fiction, on His life and leelas, their profession and producing

books on Baba and getting these published by cheap publishers their mode of

sustenance. It is a well known fact that Baba did not reveal certain truths about

His coming into the world, such as who His parents were, where and when He

was born, what His caste or religion was and how and where He spent His

childhood, and the like. He allowed them to remain hidden in the veil of secrecy.

He did not even encourage people to talk about them. Surely there must have

been a purpose rather some spiritual need for Him to do so, unknown to us and

which we are refusing to accept today. Did Baba know better what and when to

reveal or are these modern researchers more knowledgeable than Baba Himself.

One who was aware of the past, present and future of all living beings, would He

not know what was necessary to reveal and what was not? I fail to understand

what useful purpose served by excavating or bringing out these facts or fiction

into the open? Will the knowledge of these facts in any measure add to the

number of devotees of Baba or make them better devotees and make them

experience His Grace in greater measure? Do these so called researchers have a

greater understanding of Baba and His leelas, which Baba was Himself unable to

understand and appreciate? Will such knowledgeable person make an ordinary

devotee like me, understand the logic behind such actions and the purpose these

seek to serve? I have a definite feeling that these researchers have only succeeded

in creating confusion in the minds of devotees. In times to come their so called

researches and the literature produced by them will become the subject of

controversy for future generations, far from doing any creative work.

I have come across four different dates on which Baba is supposed to have

been born. These are: 1828, 1835,1831 and 1838. Every writer has claimed

authenticity for the date of birth brought out by him. How shall a devotee

determine which date he should accept and which to reject? I have also come


across the horoscopes of Baba. Based on what fact the date of birth and the life

story of Baba and the new facts brought out by the researchers should be

accepted by an ordinary devotee? With my limited knowledge and vision, I fail to

appreciate these stories (even if these are facts) which are capable of distracting

the minds of a sincere and ardent devotee.

Most present day literature on Baba, particularly in Hindi, which has come

to my notice, is based on facts narrated in Sai Satcharit and other available books.

To date no literature has come to my notice, which reveals the philosophy behind

Baba's actions and words; His way of and living; and their analysis. Certainly

there is a need for writers, philosophers and researchers to delve deep into life

and leelas of Baba; the experiencing of Baba's Grace by unkown persons all over

the world; and the like. A mere narration of the miracles of Baba and and the

experiences devotees will not suffice.

I am certain, in time to come, the devotees will take to serious and deeper

study of Baba and His leelas and produce literature giving deeper significance of

His actions and words.

Circulation of letters and other such activities

During the last many years, a number of letters written in Baba's name,

asking the recipient to circulate a particular number of its copies to other

persons, have come to my notice. In these letters, the benefits accruing to persons

who have maintained the chain and the tribulations suffered by those who have

broken the chain, are mentioned. As and when I have received such a letter, I

have never responded to it and have invariably placed it in the bucket containing

already offered flowers to Baba for being thrown into the river Yamuna. I have

never found myself weak enough to continue the chain and succumb to the

pressures brought out in such letters. No damage seems to have come my way by

Baba's kripa. I am of the firm view that Baba is our merciful mother who is

always worried about the welfare of its child and can never even think of doing

him any harm. The floating of such a chain of letters is the handiwork of some

petty minded, ignorant and unscrupulous persons.

A devotee must not encourage such acts in Baba's name. It should be our

endeavour to curb these practices as and when these come to our notice.


Enquiries have also been made to me by a few devotees regard to the

circulation of a bread received by them from some fellow devotee. They say that

they have received half a piece of bread in Baba's name which when placed in

water becomes double its size and they are supposed to send half a piece of this

bread to each of two devotees. The taking up of this chain is supposed to bring ill-

luck to theperson breaking it. My advice to these persons has been to throw away

the bread in some river or well.

In this context, I would also like to state that I have also seen Baba's

pictures being used in their advertisements by Muslim, so called Sufi Saints, to

seek clientage to their astrological predictions or in using Yantra and Tantra,

Devotees must see to it that these unscrupulous persons are not allowed to use

Baba's pictures for such cheap gimmicks.

A Thought

A good act done provides satisfaction to the soul and envelops it with bliss.

The soul of the person feels grateful to Bal who has provided him the capacity and

the will to do act. The admiration by others of this act, works on the ego the man

and provides him impetus to do similar or still more purposeful acts in life. This

could also act on his ego in the other way i.e. give him a feeling that Baba has

given him something more than others, who mostly want to 'take' from him

rather than 'give' in their life.

A thought is hammered into the mind of the 'Sadhak’ that a bhakta should

give up his ego and the feeling doership. There can be no two opinions in the

matter. But a bhakta becomes completely devoid of ego and the feel of doership,

how shall he be able to make a distinc between the good and bad - the thoughts

which motivate the act of doing good. There are examples of sages and who have

raised themselves completely above the self, thus become incapable of

determining the good and bad, so much so that they eat their own excreta.

Ramakrishna Paramhansa has said again and again that if one gives up his ego

completely, he cannot remain alive for more than 2' days and, therefore, it is

necessary for the body to retain a little ego.

Our Baba had an extremely practical view in such matters. When Nana

Chandorkar desired to have another look at that young and pretty Muslim lady


who had come to Dwarkamayee for Baba's darshan alongwith an elderly lady,

Baba although made Nana aware of his impure feelings, did not rebuke him, but

told him that it was the act of'indriyas' to appreciate beauty but the thought

arising out of doing so should be diverted towards Him. By doing so, there shall

be no harm in allowing indriyas to play their part. From what has been stated

above, the following thoughts emerge:

a) When a satisfying act is performed, it cleanses the 'atma' and provides it

impetus to do still better.

b) When a bhakta has surrendered himself to his deity and even then baser

thoughts arise in his mind, he should not feel guilty of them but divert them to

his God. He may even ascribe such a thought to his deity who hasn't been able to

take him beyond such thoughts. Let him surrender this thought to Him and not

bother about it being good or bad. He should not then be guilty of the effects of

this thought and in course of time such thoughts, would cease bothering him.

c) If a thought is allowed to be suppressed, will it not do more harm to the

bhakta for he shall not then be able to concentrate on the higher things of life.

Was not Acharya Rajneesh advocating this theory in what he preached and asked

his devotees to live down such thoughts and emerge calm and cool, so that these

may cease to affect their Sadhana adversely?

If and when the soul becomes completely devoid of ego, how shall it then

be able to differentiate between good and bad? It shall then be beyond this

concept and there shall remain no question of its doing good or bad. Even to

imagine reaching such a state seems difficult to attain while living and moving in

the world.

Often I have wondered, if the soul can ever give up the 'ego' which is its

sheath. If so, why indulge in its meaning analysis. Let a 'Bhakta' continue to tread

the path of Baba unmindful of the thoughts of vice and virtue good or bad. When

the Bhakta has surrendered himself 'Him', how can the effect of such thoughts

remain his own

The following utterances of Baba may be relevant in appreciating this thought:

a) "Do not entertain the sense of doership in perfor good or bad act; be entirely

free from pride and ego in all actions".


b) "How can the worldly desires and impure inclinations come near persons

who remember me in their ever life, worship me and lovingly listen to and brood

over My life stories. I shall draw them out from the jaws of death.

Shri Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai.

*****


Chapter Five

Offerings at the Lotus Feet of Shri Sai Nath

A Hymn to Sai

Why offer flowers to thee,

Who art the creator of flowers.

Why burn incense

Why perform rituals

And lie prostrate before thee.

Why offer to thee food which is thy own creation

What is this mockery of chanting hymns and mantras

Is not, the light that flickers in thee

Part of my own being

Then why make thy own self prostrate before thee.

1. Prayer

0' bounteous Sai!

You are my Father,

You are my Mother,

Bestow your grace on me.

I may not be your worthy child,

I may not have surrendered to you heart and soul,

So what?

I have certainly made you

The sheet anchor of my life,

I beseech your Grace

Have mercy on me

Lift me up to your bosom

And make me one with you.

2. Ocean of Sai Bliss

Come one, come all!

And bathe in the ocean of Sai bliss.


The world has done you down,

The worries of life stare you in the face,

You have suffered patiently all along,

But now you feel your back is broken,

Life seems to be ebbing out of you!

And you are left forlorn.

Shake off your worries of life,

-Shake off yo ur burdens,

And listen!

The Lord of Shirdi beacons you

" Why should any fear, when I am there.

Cast your burdens onto me, and I shall bear them."

Have faith in these words,

Sai will take you beyond the portals of pain and pleasure

And make you bask in the sunshine of His Grace.

3. The Ego in Me

The pigeon came and dipped its beak in water

I was filled with joy

I had kept that water for the birds to drink.

What a foolish egoist feeling, O' Baba

Could I who depends on Your mercy for every little thing

Ever be the provider of water to the birds.

You made the birds

It is through your mercy water oozes out of the earth

and springs,

You not only made me but also made me

The instrument of thy will in placing water

It is merely through your grace

The three combined to give the feeling of joy.

And I, in my ignorance,

Take the credit for providing water to the birds

0' Baba! I am your child!


Why should the thoughts of this nature cross my mind

Lift me up and take me up to the pedestal

When the thoughts of I and You stop tormenting the mind

Make me an instrument of thy will

So that whenever I act

The echo of thy name

Should vibrate from every pore of my body.

4.1 And Sai

Sai! You are my very own

Baba! You are my very own.

I am yours, you are mine

I am in you and you are in me

Our relationship extends to lives past.

Sai! You are my very own.

Baba! You are my very own.

Let you no longer remain 'You'

And I no longer remain I'

Let the distinction between us cease to exist

For, I am your very own Sai

And you are my very own.

The fragrance emanating from you

Should also become a part of my body

Sai, you are my very own.

Baba, you are my very own.

Whether my belief is true or a mere delusion

Even if it be a delusion I beseech you Sai

To let it remain as such.

Sai you are my very own ,

Baba you are my very own.

5. I Adore you Sai

Sai I adore you from the core of my heart.

Sitting in the Dwarkamayee,


You cast a benevolent smile

On me your devotee,

Knowing full well

Not only of my skin deep devotion

But even of all my previous births .

Sai! I adore you from the core of my heart.....

I wash my body every day

But never do I wipe off the dirt of my heart.

Covered my body with a dirty sheet

I come to you to seek your Grace.

Sai! I adore you from the core of my heart.

The dirt of my body I wash with water

That of my heart with 'Sai kripa'

Taking me as your ignorant child

You rush to my help whenever needed.


I implore you to give me a luscious charming body

And immeasurable wealth with all luxuries of life

But never do I ask from you

A chunk from that great treasury

You hold and wish to share with me.


6. No Desire for Mukti

Sai!

Ever since you have held my hand in your own

Miseries of life seem to have forsaken me.

And my life has acquired a new meaning,

Hitherto unknown to me.

You have become the be all and end all of my life.

Sai, you are the destination of my life

You are the beginning, as also the end of my life

I am your child.


Oh! what a bliss, you have bestowed on me!

I often find it difficult to live in this world

And yet I do not want to leave it

The desire to experience more and more of your Grace

Still lurks in me.

I know full well

Onto the path ofbhakti

Desirelessness is a pre-requisite

But tell me

What shall I gain by attaining Mukti

Where You shall not be there

Where my soul would have merged in the Supreme.

Where I shall cease to exist as I,

And cease to experience Your Grace as before.

7. A Devotee Opens His Heart

Sai!

Whether you are a saint or Bhagwan, Avtar or 'Parabrahm'

Whatever you are,

You are unique

And my own.

But if I say something to you

Kindly do not take it amiss.

You do discriminate between your devotees.

On some you have bestowed the power of “Vaksiddhata”

On some capacity to foretell events,

Many you have turned into Gurus and Sadgurus in no time

On others you have bestowed immeasurable wealth

and luxuries of life

But on me,your humble devotee

Who has endeavoured to serve you heart and soul.

You have bestowed no such favours

Neither do I have the capacity to see the future,


Nor do I possess wisdom

Nor even wealth.

If nothing else,

You could have given me your pure unadulterated devotion

Even that you have not given me

If I had even pure devotion

I would have had the satisfaction,

That pure Satvik Bhakti flows within my veins

And encompasses my whole being.

Even that I do not possess.

Sai, I know

That by attributing the charge of discrimination

against you.

I am committing a sin.

I do accept, however,

I have never asked you for all this

But haven't you said,

"Everyone asks from me wealth, progeny and

luxuries of life,

But nobody asks from me?

A chunk from the great treasure, I hold

And which I want to share with him."

If having taken your words as a gospel truth

I did not beg from you the objects of pleasure,

Did I commit a sin?

O' my Baba!

I implore you not to mind my words

I am a petty human being

Who hasn't risen above the limitations of

the physical frame.

I am your child

Ignorant and uncouth,


DO pardon me.

You have given me something unique

Filled my heart with abounding love and compassion

Sai, I need nothing more

I beseech you,

Bestow'on me the unique honour

That when I leave this transitory world,

You shall take me in your own arms

And merge me in your bosom,

So that for all times to come,

I become your own.

8. Lack of Faith1

Today is Vijay Dashmi

The day chosen by you for crossing the barriers of

this physical frame.

On this day Shri Ram killed Ravan

On this day Goddess Kali won over Bhasmasura

Goodness triumphed over evil.

The day has a unique significance for Sai devotees What a coincidence

It was on this day that my mother merged in the Supreme And Shri Yagnik who

brought you in my life took samadhi.

Will i too, 0'Baba Merge in you on this day?

should this thought torment me?

should the worry of morrow bother your child?

Is it not my lack of faith?

Pardon me Baba

I know for certain

The day I leave this mortal coil

You shall take me in your arms

And make me merge in you

• 1 whatever said comes out true.


And become one with you.

9. The Awareness

Baba!

Bestow on me the awareness of the truth

Behind my own existence

And make me a fit instrument of thy Grace.

Every person merely asks from you something or the other

If I also seek from you the very same

I shall have not known you at all, Baba!

Good or bad,

Whatever I am

I am yours

When you have accepted me as yours,

How could I be bad, Baba!

Lift me above the barriers of good and bad

I am yours

Let me remain yours

And finally make me merge in thee, Baba!

10. Battle of life

Sai! You make me to lose the battle of life

But make me to win

The battle of humanly qualities.

Who won and who lost,

Who shall decide?

Do one thing in your court Baba,

Neither should I win nor lose

/ was yours, I am yours and I should remain yours,

Bestow the feeling of conquest on him who needs it

Defeat, nobody wants in life.

To me, Baba!

Give your pure unadulterated love,

Feeling of nearness to you,


Strength to chant your name,

And abounding capacity to bring cheer

Into the lives of the suffering and neglected

11. Strength of Sai Naam

Sai! If I call thee,

And you do not respond

Could that be possible?

If you do not respond to my call,

It means,

My call has no strength.

How could I blame you for not responding.

Baba! Fill my voice with firmness

Hearing which the whole universe should tremble

And when with perfect quietttude

I utter the word 'SAI'

The fire raging in burning hearts

Should extinguish.

The walls of discrimination all around should tumble down

Religious strifes should end

Man may understand man

And absolute peace reigns all around.

12. An Ode to Sai

Sai

You are Love and Compassion Incarnate. While still in flesh and blood, You

assured your devotees,

"Even though I give up this physical frame

My bones will always worry for you

And my Samadhi shall answer all your questions"

Millions of devotees all over the world

Experience the truth of your assurance

And feel drawn to you.


What a torture it must be for you

To run to the help of innumerable seekers

Whenever and wherever prayed for.

Even the thought baffles me

Little realising Sai is not the 31/2 cubic feet physical frame,

But a 'Tatva', we your children, fail to perceive

Dormant in everything existent and non- existent,

Conscious and unconscious.

Baba you are the Messiah of 'Kaliyug',

Your treasury is full of priceless possessions

Yet we ignorant humans

Seek your help and blessings

For providing mundane things of life,

Glory, wealth, children, position, success in business

And carnal comforts of life.

Never wanting what you wish to give to us

A place in the kingdom of God

Where nothing but peace eternal reigns.

Big and spacious temples

Laden with marble and granite

Come up in your name everyday

Giving joy and name to the rich

Many a time, I wonder

What for the creator of the universe

Needs a marvelous place

To install Himself into

Baba! Should we not your devotees

Take a cue from your own life?

The giver of solace to millions

Spent His life in a dilapidated mosque

Wearing a torn kafni.

Begging His food


And sharing it with men and animals alike

Sleeping with a brick under his head

And making no discrimination between the rich and poor,

High and low.

Would someone answer the question

Often agitating my mind

Which God realised sage or saint

To name a few

Kabir, Nanak, Gyaneshwar, Ramana Maharishi,

Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Tukaram, Namdev,

Built an ashram for himself

And enjoyed the comforts of life

Unlike the so-called gurus of today.

Permit me to recite a tale of saintly splendour

Swami Ramdas of Kanhangad, Kerela,

Who took samadhi not long ago.

While on a 'Deshatan' with his disciple Ramcharan,

Walking in a jungle,

Had nothing to eat for days

Nobody offered them 'Bhiksha'.

Feeling exhausted

Ramcharan's patience broke down

With capacity to walk no more

He sat down under a tree.

"Ramcharan, Is your hunger overpowering you?

Wait! Ram shall surely send you something to eat",

Thus said Swami Ramdas.

And lo! minutes later :

A woman appears from nowhere

With a plate full of delicious eatables in her hands

To offer food to both to their heart's content.

Unnoticed by his Guru,


Ramcharan packs up the left over

And slips into his bag to eat for the morrow.

Soon both again started on their arduous journey.

Swami Ramdas soon realized

His legs would move no further

"Ramcharan I find it difficult to walk further

What could be the possible cause.

Wonder! if you have done something

Against the will of Ram".

"Dev! I am carrying the left over food with me".

Exclaimed Ramcharan.

"Have you no faith in Ram

If he could provide food today

Shall he not provide food tomorrow?

Throw it away and nave faith in him".

Ramcharan threw away the packet

And both walked ahead happily.

Such is the power of faith and surrender.

An example of a worthy Guru

Taking his disciple onto the path ofgodhood.

Unlike most Gurus of today

Basking in the sunshine of comfort and luxury

Proclaiming their gurudom on every available occasion.

Let we Baba, devotees,

In word and deed,

Follow our master's illustrious example

And learn to be unostentatious

Humble, modest, sacrificing

And render service to the needy and the poor

So dear to Baba

And make ourselves worthy of His Grace.

****


13. An Offering of Love

(Composed on the occasion of 66th Birthday on llth Dec. 1999 of Shri Moti Lal

Gupta, Founder Chairman, Shirdi Sai Baba Temple Society, Sai Dham, Tigaon

Road, Faridabad)

On the threshold of sixtysixth year of your life,

As you stand and look back

You feel thrilled with the joy of living a meaningful life.

You recollect that fateful day in 1986,

When as you passed from infront of the Lodi Road

Temple,

A deep penetrating voice calling you

'Moti! I had been waiting for long

Wouldn't you come to me ?'

Fascinated by the sweetness of that melodious voice,

Oblivious of what you were doing,

You moved towards the Lodi Road Temple,

And found yourself standing face to face with Baba.

Not knowing who He was.

A chill ran through your veins

You felt you had been with Him in lives past

And instantaneously surrendered to Him heart and soul,

And made Him the object of your life thereafter.

Your flourishing business, the glitter of gold, the comfort

of life.

Had lost all meaning to you.

What was it that made your life take a sudden turn,

Was it the compassionate gaze in Baba's eyes ?

Or was it His sitting on a rugged stone wearing a torn

kafni ?

Or was it His concern for the suffering humanity ?

Whatever it is.

Moti you are the blessed child of Sai,


How otherwise could you be instrumental in raising

this beautiful edifice in His name

Where from the Ganges of Sai bhakti will flow,

And drown many a seekers in the Ocean of Bliss.

Keep up your devotion to Baba,

Keep up your monumental efforts to serve Him,

Keep up your service to humanity.

But be vigilant of the pitfalls on the path of bhakti

Which have taken the toll of many a budding devotee

all through the ages

Beware of the I in you,

And the anger born out of it

Beware of the lust for name and fame.

Beware of the charm for donning the robe of Guru

And be content to be a servant of Him,

In word, deed and thought.

And be sure, He shall take you further and further on to

the path.

Into the realm ofSai bliss

Where everything merges in Him.

And from 'Moti'you shall turn into 'Heera'.

Today as we gather to felicitate you,

In this beautiful mansion, the abode of the Lord of

Shirdi,

We all pray to Him in unison,

To turn you into His Ankita Bhakta,

So that the fragrance emanating from your body,

Could attract thousands to bask in the sunshine of

Baba's Grace

****************


Chapter 6

Beads from the necklace of Sai Bhakti

1. Bhakti is not something to be exhibited. It needs to eb cultivated, nurtured

and absorbed within and assiduously taken deeper and deeper into the

crevices of the heart. In course of time, every pore of the body of the

‘Sadhak’ would start emitting the fragrance of bhakti.

2. I am merly a blade of straw which the wind may blog aways into oblivion

any moment. What is signifact, of abiding valued, is my Baba who saves

many a straw from being blown away and yet never let the straw know the

secret of its existence.

3. Sai is Compassion Incarnate. He is Love Incarnate. He is the Slpendour of

the Soul, the Distiny of His Bhakta. He is the glorious and ecstatic chant

that emgerges from the heart of His devotee. Merge the Self in Him, live in

Him and become one with Him.

4. By living a life of austerity upto the endo fHis life on earth when He could

have lived a highly obstenatious life, Baba set an example of supremse

simplicity. Aren’t we His followers making it complex at every step by

adding luster to everything connected with Baba? Let us ponder!

5. the Parbrahm standing bare footed, with a begging bowl, outside the

houses of the poor village folk of Shirdi asking for a piece of bread or two –

the very epitome of the poorest of the poor – should we not visualize His

picture in our minds and imbibe a little of what Baba lived for, in our own

lives and in all that we do in Baba’s name.

6. The path of pure Satvik Bhakti, Baba showed to us should become the

sheet anchor of our lives and inspire us to share the pleasures of life with

our fellow beings, men and animals alike.

7. blessed is the devotee who has endeavored to m ake Baba the beall and

end all of his life, who lives in Baba, thinks of Baba, dreams of Baba, whose

every thought and deed is propelled by the desire to imbibe more of Baba

in himself, whose eyes get streams of tears, whose hairs on the body stand


erect and whose throat gets choked with emotion on the very utterance of

the word ‘Sai’.

8. Even the thought of rendering self-less service is a ‘Karma’ which binds

one to his prarasdha. O’mind! Give up this thought also, howsoever

pleasant and peace giving it may appear to be and become submerged in

the Self which is pure ‘Sat-Chit-Anand’ – beyond desire, pleasure and

pain.

As we close our eyes and withdraw ourselves into nothingness, a strange

quitemenss enwraps out being. Our thoughts become still, the soul

experiences a supreme bliss and in that state we get nearer to our Sai and

feel Him within us and outside us. Even the longing to reamin in that

ecstatic state ceases to arise.

9. The truth we are trying to seek is within us. If we constantly endeavor to

turn over mind and sense inward and close the portals of our mind to

thoughts flowing in from outside, we might perhaps get a glimpse of the

Truth, if not immediately, with constant effort, in course of time.

10. The fragrance of Baba’s love is flowing all round us. Let us feel it,

experience it and learn to live in it. Baba is ‘Love Incarnate’. While we are

blessed to receive His Divine love, why should we then seek from Him the

material comforts of life which might give us momentary pleasures but are

certainly not going to add to our progress on the spiritual path, which shall

provide us eternal happiness. When diamonds are lying scattered a little

ahead of us, why then settle for pebbles, immediately available us. Let us

generate love and scatter its fragrance all round us. The bliss that shall

emanate from it is waiting to fill our being with love, abounding love, all

emcompassing love.

11. ‘Dasya Bhav’ or ‘Service to God’ is one of the nine paths of Bhakti. But this

‘Seva’ has to be selfless without any expectation in return. The use of the

word ‘Sai Seva’ is being made in common parlance all around us today.

Many a devotee has assumed the prefix of ‘Sai Sewak’. But let us look

within ourselves and ponder, whether our seva being vendered to Baba is

selfless or are we simply seeking a platform to project our ego, to earn


name, fame or even the Grace of Baba. If we go deeper and deeper within

ourselves and analyse, we might find that even our use of this title is

redundant. A real sewak would perhaps not even know that he was serving

his Lord. He would be completely lost in his Master and might not even be

aware of what he was doing. At that stage perhaps even the ‘Dasya Bhav’

will cease to exist which is a constituent Nava Vidha Bhakti.

12. It is a common practice in temples and at public functions organized in

Baba’s name to offer a garland, a shawl and a coconut to a devotee as a

mark of respect to him and perhaps rightly so. The devotee being

honoured feels happy and elated on receiving such an honour. But does he

realize that it is his body which is being garlanded and offered shawl and

not his bhakti which is beyond all this. A bhakta needs no outside

paraphernalia of show. When a devotee is placed in such a situation, it

might perhaps be appropriate for him to remember Baba at this moment

and pass on the honour to Him, who has bestowed on him the capability or

even provided the occasion to receive this external honour.

13. A devotee should never succumb to the temptation of holding an office in

His diety's name. The paths of devotion and office are poles apart and

should never be mixed up. If a devotee wishes to render service to his

deity, it should be selfless and devoid of any office. He should consistantly

strive to get out of all his involvements rather than get into more.

14. Devotion does not mean non action. A devotee has merely to perform the

action without any attachment. He should never shun his responsibilities.

15. Devotion has a language of itself, not of words but of 'Bhav'. As one

proceeds on the path of devotion, his whole physical frame, his eyes, his

face assume a glow making him behave child-like inwords, deeds, and

thoughts. His whole being exhudes vibrations of peace and tranquility.

16. A devotee's heart has of necessity to overflow with love and compassion,

not only towards all living beings around him but even in all situations

around him. His whole being-should exhude rays of love andcompassion

which would touch the heart of every person coming into contact with him


and create ripples of joy in them. The ego in him would turn godward and

gradually and gradually dissolve itself in nothingness.

17. Any action, howsoever, good and noble it may seem, performed in the

service of the Lord cannot be called 'Satvik' if it is smeared with even the

slightest ego in the doer. Service should be rendered with humility,

selflessly and with total dedication. Even the thought of getting something

in return will pollute it and should be shunned.

18. All through our lives, it has been hammered into our minds that 'love

begets love'. Then why do we carry hatred for any one? Are we not

polluting our own minds? Aren't. we acting against the dictates of our

Master, Sai? We must put in our best endeavors to imbibe the feeling of

love towards all beings, men and animals alike, even flora and fauna.

Experience has shown that even trees and animals respond to thefeeling of

love towards them. If we find some people slipping down the ladder in our

estimate we must not nurse hatred for them. Rather we should pity there

for having been deprived of opportunities of doing the correct actions and

thereby sharing the joys born out of them. Just ascompassion is an

integral part of a good human being, so is forgiveness.

19. The Gurus in our country, all through ages, haven been held in high

veneration. Sages and saints have all through the ages sung songs of the

glory of their Gurus. As per their diction, a bhakta cannot attain liberation

without being under the loving care of a Guru who guides him on the path

of spirituality, after himself having gone through the process and

overcoming all pitfalls on the path. Blessed is the devotee who has found

aGuru capable of leading the bhakta on the path of spirituality.

Unfortunately in the present day world, gurudom seems to have become a

profession. We have to learn to sift the chaff from the rice.

20. "Do good and throw it into the river," is an ancient saying. But how many

of us are able to follow this advice? Never m1nd. Do not bother if you have

not been able to follow th1s golden rule of living. Continue to do good acts

- the performance of which gives you inner joy, may be for a few seconds

only. Gradually the support, the encouragement and the happiness it gives


to your 'Atma' will provide the self in you an ecstatic pleasure, on

experiencing which the earlier pleasures of life experienced by your ego,

will fade into oblivion and you shall be lost in the 'atmic anand'. At that

time, you shall have afeeling of gratitude to the person who provided you

the opportunity to serve him and lead you on to this realm of 'atmic

anand', rather than ascribe the merit of doing so to your own self.

21. Let us endeavor to see the unseen hand behind every action of ours -good

or bad, and analyse what was it in us which propelled us to do so, and who

was it in us which guided us to do so, who made us to classify this act into

good or bad, what was it in us which gave thefeeling of the act being good

or bad? We have been taught again and again to offer all our actions, good

or bad, to Him.

22. Life is a beautiful phenomena, provided we learn to live it in a natural way,

away from all ambiguities. Man is the highest evolved living being on

earth. What a splendid treasure of good attributes, God has given to Man.

Thefeeling of abounding love, compassion and noble thoughts that we

carry in our bosom, the consciousness of time, space and all that which is

around us, the capacity to think and act -who else has been bestowed these

virtues? Think deep and live life like a child, guileless and absorbed in the

'Sat-Chit-Anand'. Let us learn to stand aloof from the din and noise of life

and watch this wonderful phenomena from afar, merely as on observer.

23. The name and fame of any individual are his own enemies, Our whole life

is spent in seeking avenues to provide gratification to both these foes. And

this never ending quest and hunger takes within. And thus our whole life is

wasted without our goal being near about our reach. If and when by the

grace of Baba and our own efforts, we give up this sense of hunger, we

might find the God within our own selves.

24. Blessed is the devotee who'surrenders his heart and soul to his Lord. The

atmic anand which his soul experiences is beyond words to describe. But

unfortunate is the devotee who having tasted the fruit of unswerving

bhakti, turns himself into a guru and starts donning the robe of gurudom

for he then ceases to experience the joy and the freedom of a bhakta. The


ego in him may then feel gratified but the burden of his new role should be

enough to break his back and even annihilate his good 'karmas', earned

earlier as a devotee. Our sages and saints were not fools who always

discarded the garb of gurudom but devoted their lives in teaching the

secrets of Truth to the seekers. History is full of examples of such sages

and saints-Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Ramana Maharishi, Sant

Gyaneshwar, Eknath Maharaj and our own Sai who did not make any

disciples but whose name and fame shines in the hearts of innumerable of

their devotees.

25. I am not only a 'Das' of Sai, I am also a 'das' of His bhaktas who have taken

to Him heart and soul and learned to live in Him and experience His

Grace.

26. My basic approach to life all through has been child - like. But I have been

forced to put on the mask of a grown up adult in order to be able to live in

this world. Today, when I have reached almost the dead end of my

journey, I do see clearly that I took to Baba like a child, I have lived in

Baba child like and might soon merge in Him as the darkness merges into

light. As a child is possessive of its mother, so am I possessive of my Baba.

I can brook no nonsense in His name. And looking back, it seems that all

my miseries on the path of Baba, all my faults and appreciations have been

caused by no one else except my own self and my possessiveness of my

Master. I often wonder why should He have kept me a merechild - a

roddler on the path, who shall probably never be able to stand on its own

legs. And would I like to do so for the remaining period of my life? Never,

never, not at all. It is a great bliss; it is a great joy and a great virtue, Baba

has bestowed on me. Would I like to give it up? What a pleasure it is to

bechild -like. May be it has not made me to get so called success in

satisfaction, the enobbling thoughts, this soul experiences, may be for a

few moments, is all a splendid gift of Baba. Should i like to barter it with

worldly name, fame, status and appreciation. No, No, No. O' my Baba ! Let

your hand ofgrace ever remain on the head of your child! May be your


child is unworthy of this Grace. So what? Aren't you its Mother, Father and

its All?

27. Even in dream, do not allow the thought to enter your mind that you can

make the life of someone, do good to him. If you have been able to be of

service to someone, and have helped him him in some other way, have a

definite feeling in yourheart that by providing you that opportunity, that

person has done you a favour. When you are incapable of doing good even

to yourself, how on earth could you do good to him? It is Sai who has done

him good and by providing you an opportunity to be a partner in this deed,

Baba and that person have both done you a favour.

28. If we have chosen the path of Sai Bhakti, we shall have to develop the habit

of looking within ourselves constantly, to keep on analyzing whether the

thought arising within our mind is 'Satvik', 'Rajsik' or 'Tamsic'? Gradually

and gradually, as within our mind the arising of Satvik thoughts increases,

our path of reaching our Baba will become easier.

29. Sai is a deep ocean in which even if one keeps on diving thousands of times

may not be able to pick up the real gems lying on its bed. Many a time

mistaking the pebbles found in the endeavor as gems, one gets lost in their

glitter. But if one attempts to understand the real Sai with all love and

humility, total dedication and absolute surrender-devoid of even an iota of

ego, one might reach near about his goal and pick up a few sparkling gems

from the treasury of Baba but at that stage, one may become totally dumb

and give up the attempt to know Him, what to talk of describing Him.

30. O' you the self in me! Give up your ego and surrender to him like a child.

Mother Sai will come in person and lift you up to its bosom.

31. Sai! The better part of my life lived on this earth, in an attempt to know

you, has taken me nowhere. What to talk of knowing you, I do not seem

even to have near about you. Let that be so, if it be your will! I have surely

acquired the confidence with yourGrace alone, to keep on striving to a

hieve my goal, even if it means taking birth after birth. I do, however,

beseech you to keep on shedding yourgrace on me, every time I take

rebirth.


32. Baba! When iron comes into contact with 'Paras' (Touch Stone) it is

transformed into gold. I have been in contact with you, the creator of

'Paras' stone, for over four and a half decades. How can it be that you

haven't transformed me into something worthwhile? but my Baba! there

are certain secrets, which it is better if allowed to remain secret. I implore

you, my Baba! to let me remain a mere bhakta of yours.

33. The pious thoughts that are emanating in our mind, where is the source of

these? Is their source somewhere other than that of impure thoughts? At

this time of sublime dawn, who sit that whioch is filling your mind with

these thoughts? Is it not your own inner self? Neither yesterday nor today

there was someone else to propel your thoughts. Give it a deep thought.

Never before their source was elsewhere. Ponder deeply. It is not the

consciousness of your own mind? Recognise this consciousness and hold it

tightly within yourheart so that it manifests the pure divine light of your

inner self.

Every thing is within us, there is nothing outside, howsoever one may keep

on wandering in its quest for ages. Merely to recognise it difficult.

34. In the creation of God, the animals came into existence first and the man

subsequently. In the world of today, both are available in large numbers.

In case we get rid of our animal instinct, we shall emerge as pure human

beings.

35. Ever since our birth, it is hammered into our mind, "Do not commit sins".

After all, what is 'Paap' (sin) and what is 'Puniya' (good deads) and who

has created these? What was a sin till yesterday, has it not turned into

'Puniya' today. When the man loitered in the jungles and his development

had not taken roots, he was not bound by the limitations of Father,

Mother, Brother and Sister - condition which is discernable amongst

animals and birds even today. Shall we not then say an act which was not

paap till yesterday has changed into 'Puniya' today? Has this condition not

been given to it by man itself! Even a thought of it, creates havoc in the

mind. Does the definition of 'Paap' and 'Puniya' keep on changing? And


then, doesn't Bhagwad Gita say that all our actions should be surrendered

to God? Shall we not then come out of the limitations of 'Paap' and

'Puniya'? Why should we not then extricate ourselves from the web of

'Paap' and establish ourselves in the 'Self'. These distortions shall not then

be able to effect us.

36. Sai! What are you and what not, I do not know. I only know this much that

ever since you have held my hand in yours, life has become easier to live

for me. In needs, small and big, or even without any need, whenever or

where ever, I have remembered you, you have come running to my help.

Today, a stage has come, when the needs have almost ceased to arise.

Slowly and slowly yourgrace has lead to a situation when arising of needs

has almost stopped. Baba! whatever I say, I say from the core of my heart .

Life has assumed a new meaning and living has become a pleasure. You

are gradually taking me away from the limitations of 'Pleasure' and 'Pain'.

Now I am sitting ready to merge in you. I hope you do remember that you

had sent a 'Viman' to bring Kaka Dixit. I am also sitting in the expectation

for the same. I am fully confident that you shall fulfill my this desire, for I

am your child.

37. Only the one who himself possesses can give you something. The one who

himself has nothing, how could he give you anything? Therefore, when you

do good to someone, never expect anything in return. If you do so, you

shall only, get disappointment. You are extremely fortunate for God has

given you the capacity to do good to someone and be of use to him.

Everyone does not possess this capacity? Why then do you harbour the

desire to get something in return? Whatever you have done was through

God's Grace. If you are the doer, why don't you do good to the whole

world? Remove this feeling of ego from your mind and proceed ahead.

Pray to Lord Sai that He should provide you more and more capacity to do

good to others and that you may be able to wipe off the tears of the

wretched and the forlorn.

38. Never forget where you started your life from and how following zigzag

paths, you have reached the present spot. The invisible hand which has


helped you to find your way, must always be remembered. Pray to God

that your own body should likewise be of use to someone, Weaknesses are

there in every person. Never see their weakness. Appreciate their good

qualities and try to recognize the 'Aatma' full of divine virtues, which has

provided him the inclination to do good.

39. Whatever exists in this world is sure to end. It is there today but could

cease to exist tomorrow. The pleasure and pain which you experience

today would also not remain tomorrow. Why do you then unnecessarily

feel disturbed by these? Never aspire to have momentary pleasures. Be

always in the look out for permanent pleasures which may provide peace

of your soul and not to your body. Even emperors, around whom pleasures

danced about, have faded away from this world, what to talk of you.

40. Baba had once said, "Only those fortunate one whose sins have been

washed away, are drawn to me and take to my worship." We must develop

an unflinching and absolute faith in these words and make them an

integral part of our life. Our pleasures and pains, good or bad acts, infact

all our burdens, we must learn to dedicate to Baba. We shall then find that

our life has become extremely easy, simple and happy to live.

41. Money has a lot of value in life, but always keep in mind that money alone

is not everything. Innumerable instances are there around you in which

money could not be of any use and the man cast off his body in terrific

agony. Money has immense value but one must have its proper valuation.

One must not engage in earning money by any means fair or foul. Always

remember that money is your servant and not master.

42. Your inner self is full of immeasurable energy. Limitless divine light

resides within you. Recognise this strength, and endeavor toshape yourself

according to the light within you. There is surely something within you

which has drawn the abounding affection of many a people towards you.

Try to discover this trait within you, dive deep and illumine your inside

and outside with that light. There is nothing impossible. Only a firm

determination to achieve your goal and to be of service to someone is

needed.


43. The pleasure, which one experiences in 'giving' is not there in 'taking'.

Wealth shared with others with discrimination can never get exhausted.

Experience of my own life shows that when we share our food, our clothes,

our wealth with needy persons, the 'Atmic Ananad' experienced is much

more deeper than what one would have experienced by using it personally.

The feeling to be of use to someone, the pleasure experienced by wiping off

the tears of the suffering humanity, the sens of satisfaction it gives, makes

one experience a divine ecstasy, which in itself is superior. Even the

animals fill their belly. If you have only cared in life to fill your own belly

and of those who depend on you, what is then the difference between you

and the animals? Therefore, be always prepared to share your earnings

with others. If you keep on doing so, have full faith that it shall be your

Guru's Grace on you. Baba would surely be pleased with you and living life

thus, you shall certainly be proceeding towards the goal of your life.

44. If we make it a habit of our thinking that this calamity, which has presently

come in our ife, is due to our won 'Prarabdh' and when we have caught

hold of Sai's hand firmly, it can do us no harm, we shall then imbibe within

us a divine power to face this calamity and to fight it out. We must

appreciate that this situation which is before us shall have to be faced by

us alone - whether we learn to live with it gladly or grudgingly. Why then

waste our energy in crying and getting worried about it? Accepting it as a

gift from Baba, we should find the way to face it boldly.

45. Being a devotee of Baba, we shall have to learn the art of living life like a

child. Whenever hunger strikes the child, it weeps and the mother knows

immediately that the child is hungry. In the same way, when a Sai devotee

feels any difficulty in life and cries his heart out for help to Baba, He comes

running to his help to Baba, He comes running to help and removes the

cause of his discomfort, otherwise provides him the strength to face that

difficulty boldly. If you have ever endeavoured to live life childlike you

must have surely experienced the peculiar happiness and the feeling of

fearlessness it provides. Living life guilelessly provides peace and bliss to

the inner self and make life sublime.


46. Always remember that time waits for nobody. What was yesterday, is not

today and what is today shall not remain tomorrow. We need to be

extremely conscious of the value of time. One must live in today but should

not forget yesterday, which has been instrumental in making us reach

where we stand today. Yesterday, when you were a mere toddler, there was

nothing else in your life except the affection of your father and mother,

brother and sister. As you grew in years, your world got widened to some

extent. The School, your friends, the glitter of the world all started

influencing you. As you grew young, the worries of future, the desire to

acquire some status in life, the scramble to attain a place in a society, the

worry to forge ahead in the mad race of the world leaving behind others,

started tormenting you. You did attain a lot in the world but today when

you are sitting in the percipice of life, all these attainments in life seem to

be meaningless. You have started thinking that you haven't been able to do

anything worthwhile except to fill your belly. You need not feel

disappointed. Whatever time is left at your disposal, conlusived in that try

to live our life the way you would now like to live and whatever seems to

have been awaste in your life leave to live and whatever seems to have

been a waste in your life leave it and try to live the life which can provide

your soul peace and the sense of fulfillment. Whatever has happened till

now, surrender it to Sai; whatever is happening today take it as His Kripa;

and whatever will happen tomorrow should also be attributed to Him.

Make it the goal of your goal of your life and learn to live in it and feel His

grace at every step.

47. Many saints and sages, kings and emperors, worthy men came into this

world who left their name in the pages of history. Their names remained

confined to the history books only. But persons who left their eternal mark

on the sands of Time are only those who dedicated their whole life to

others; who never kept anything for themselves whatever they received

distributed it amongst their fellow beings. And when they left the world,

they left their mark on the minds of every person coming into contact with

them. Even today innumerable persons bow to them with reverence and


find relief from them in their lives. Our Sai also lived such a life on earth.

When He left His mortal coil, He had nothing worthwhile on His person. If

He left anything, it is a legacy which has become the prized possession on

innumerable persons and to share which they are drawn to that Fakir.

Remember that life is not in hoarding, it is in giving up. When you shall

learn to give up worldly attainments, these shall come running after you. If

without getting attracted from their glitter, you continue to keep on

moving forward, you shall certainly reach your destination. But do

remember that if you get attracted towards these, you shall never be able

to reach your goal. True pleasure lies in the giving up and not acquiring.

48. While treading the path shown by Baba, at every step you feel that you

shall be left behind in this fast moving world. If you do not try to follow the

world, you find yourself deceived and ignored at every step. You are

tempted to change yourself to be able to keep pace with the world. But

inspite of your continuous efforts, your own beliefs, your thinking, your

virtuous inheritances, come in your way and act as a stumbling bloc. If you

care to learn from my experience, remember that you must continue to

stick to your own paths. Do not even a for a moment think that you have to

change. You are extremely fortunate whom your Sai has provided the

impetus to continue treading the path shown by Him. Why on earth do

you wish to ape the people, virtuallyliving in hell?

49. If someone accepts our service in any form - mentally, physically or

through your wealth, he renders you a favour. By accepting yourself as the

doer in the performance of that act of generosity, you shall merely be

adding to your ego. The power which is providing you the capacity to do

that act, is it not making you instrumental in serving him? Think it over!

And become careful about your ego.

50. Why do we not try to learn from the street light on the road? It keeps

standing firmly, braving the onslaughts of wind, water and tempest but

does not waiver in performing its task and providing lighton the road.

51. In those tranquil moments, when my mind, heart and body are in rhythm

with each other, my soul experiences an abounding ecstasy. At that


moment, the whole universe appears to be submerged in the currents of

the motion. In those moments of 'Atmanand' O'my Baba! When you

stealthily enter the portals of my heart, it seems to have become one with

you and the soul then experiences bliss.

52. 'As you think, so you become', is an age old saying. If we constantly and all

the time keep on feeling Baba's kripa within ourselves, Baba shall then

have to come and shower His Grace on us and we shall experience divine

bliss every moment. Just think! how easy, smooth and blissful our life will

then become!!!

53. 'Satsang' has an important place in 'Sadhna'. One must, therefore, be

always in the look out of such friends as are your fellow travellers on the

path of bhakti. All your vacant time should be spend with them. But if you

are unable to find such friends do not feel disheartened. Books are easily

available all around us. Make them your friends.

54. Whatever you have attained in life, take it as your Master's Grace. Never

forget Baba and His Kripa. But you must at the same time, carry the

feeling of gratitude towards the person who has beeninstrumental in

helping you in all your attainments. Many a person came into your life and

went away. Most of them could not give you anything except criticizing

you. This person who has come into your life and helped you, has been

chosen by your Baba alone for you and he must have had some

relationship with you in your previous births.

55. If we have taken to the bhakti of Sai, we shall have to bring simplicity and

guilelessness in our lives. The urge to get ahead of our others, the habit of

telling lies, speaking ill and cheating others, etc. shall have to be eschewed

from our nature. I know that you would say that by resorting to such

practices, it shall become difficult for you to co-exist in this world. May be

you are correct! There seems to be some depth in your point of view but

but while thinking thus you forget that when you have caught hold of Sai's

hand, you have experienced His limitless Grace, you claim to be His

devotee, will He then allow you to be cheated? Will He allow you to be left

behind in the ongoing faith within our hearts, we shall be able to proceed


ahead in our lives on the path of Bhakti without difficulty, after getting

over all hurdles. If we are unable to do so, our claim to be called Baba's

devotee will remain hollow and there shall be no difference between us

and others.

56. You better first take a firm decision in your mind to leave the path of

untruth and having full faith in Baba, start a new chapter in life.

Automatically all obstacles on your way will be cleared. May be for some

time, you feel that you are left behind in the blind mad race of the present

joy your 'Atma' will then experience will compensate for all worldly

attainments. Baba is a witness to what i say. It is on the basis of my own

experience of life and from the core of my heart that i write these words.

This is the sum substance of my own life. You bring ti into practice and

then watch. Of course you must remember hat a true devotee who carries

with him the grace of his God, will never experience affluence of any kind

in life, which becomes the cause of misery. Havefaith that by adopting this

path, the fragrance emanating from your body will be helped in spreading

peace and happiness all around you.

57. Experience shows that wealth is the root cause of most of our ailments.

But, it is also a fact that not much can be achieved without money. On the

path of bhakti we must endeavor to remain away from money as far as

possible. My personal experience shows that a devotee must necessarily

develop faith, which cannot be had with money, by offering rich 'Prasad' to

ones deity, or making Baba sit on a high pedestal, decorated with flowers.

In sadhna, simplicity has its own place.

58. If we merely wish that Baba should keep on fulfilling our materialistic

desires – the path which most Sai devotees have chosen on date, lest us

then let things remains as these are today. Let us dive deep into our heart

and see whether we have taken to the bhakti of Sai, merely for the purpose

of seeking worldly pleasures and accumulating more wealth or have we

taken to pleasures and accumulating more wealth or have we taken to His

worship to remain absorbed in him and become entitled to a little bit from


the treasury of Baba full of valuables (spiritual values) which He has kept

reserved for His devotees. The choice is our own.

59. Standing in front of me, the coming moment is inviting me, "I am about to

come, if you can live in me, do it, otherwise i shall pass off leaving you

bewildered. " Countless moments like this have been wasted by us without

having been properly lived and more are passing off thus, even thought we

know full well that one day our life will come to an end and our intentions,

our determinations, our desire to live life full well, our hunger to leave our

foot-prints on the sand of time, shall remain unfulfilled and we shall

continue to live in the cycle of life and death. Our goal shall remain

unachieved.

60. Baba was a mere Fakir (Mendicant). For giving music performances in His

darbar are required singers imbibed with feelings of 'Seva' and not

'Samrats'. Who are we attempting to deceive? Give it a thought. We must

first ourselves know the Truth and then teach others. When we shall

ourselves come to know the Truth, the desire to teach others shall cease.

There is a limitless pleasure in being a 'Das'. Why do we purposelessly

hanker to be called 'Emperors (Samrats) and over burden our heads

unnecessarily.

61. Everyday the Sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening. The moon,

the stars, the earth, the air, all maintain the regular flow of their existence

and achieve the purpose for which intended. It is only the man, whom God

had endowed with power to think rationally and understand, power to

maintain its hold to an extent over natural resources, the independence to

act, who many a time makes himself helpless. Neither he lives himself, nor

allows others to live. What a great fallacy it is!

62. Baba! When some people in your name request me to bestow my blessings

on them, i do not know what to do. When you have not bestowed anything

more than others on me, how on earth can i share a little bit out of it with

them? Yes, one thing, that i have now started doing is to tell them, that my

Baba, sitting infront of me is listening to your request; when He showers

His Grace on everyone, surely He will do so on you also. Have firm faith in


Him and hold on to Him steadfastly. "Baba! Kindly tell me truly that i am

not doing anything wrong? When i do no possess anything in particular

and am myself seeking your Grace in an attempt to attain your devotion,

what can i give to others?

63. Baba! My thinking has been that one could not attain much only by

reciting your name from the tip of the tongue like a parrot. But yesterday

in the quielitude of night, when your 'Naam Jaap" was going on, i had a

wonderful feeling and automatically i too started chanting your name

loudly and participate in the 'Sankirtan'. At that point of time, i

experienced that 'Naam Jaap' touches the chords of heart, the body feels

its vibration, the eyes become moist and the soul experiences immense joy.

64. All around us is spread the light of God's Grace which provides bliss to the

soul. We have merely to develop the power to see through this light after

delving deep within our heart, so that the wall of differentiation standing

before us, gets demolished.

65. Bhakti is, neither something to be shown off nor the subject of

competition. We must not, therefore, allow ourself to get entangled in the

web being woven by an ever increasing number of Baba's devotees around

themselves and pollute the path shown by Baba. We must keep ourselves

under control and deal with our fellow devotees with humility and share

our bhakti with others as much as is necessary. The amount of bhakti we

share with others without ego, more than that shall be added to our own.

We are nobody to assess or measure the bhakti of others. We should not

even attempt to do so. Every man has to complete his own journey.

66. On the path of Sadhna, we must never harbour the desire to acquire

supernatural powers. If we do so, it shall become the cause of our own

downfall. The ego born out of their acquisition shall eat away even the

principal amount of our own earning. Baba has limitless powers. He is

Parbrahma Manifest. We must not try to bring Him down from His high

pedestal by associating His name with small small every day situations,

calling Him a Miracle Man or spreading stories of His Grace experienced

in our everyday life. Recognizing His Parbrahma Swaroop, we must


develop the habit of seeing His hand in everything around us and in every

situation. We shall then surely progress in our journey towards Baba.

67. A bhakta must develop the desire in him to give rather than to take. By

virtue of your holding an office in your deity's name, you may come across

occasions when you command immense powers to give. At that time, you

must not allow the greed to take root with you to enjoy any privilege but

allow it to be passed on to the organisation, you represent.

68. A Persian proverb says, "one who knows, does not speak". This is an

absolute truth. Try to speak as little as possible and preserve your energies

within. Never allow yourself to be attracted towards people who claim

nearness to Baba, who claim to know Him more and have attained

supernatural powers. Words are not required to express one's attainments.

The whole exterior of a person reveals the man in him.

69. Easier it is to dye our clothes in ochre colour (ochre colour signifies

renunuciation) but almost impossible it is to dye our heart and mind into

that colour. Just give it a thought. Who we are trying to befool by wearing

ochre robes? When we shall have dyed our heart into that colour, the need

to dye the robes shall cease.


Chapter 7 :

In Moments of Tranquility

1. I Sing For You Alone O’ Sai

I sing my songs

For you alone, O’ Sai

Whether someone else likes these or not,

Is not my concern.

I endeavor merely to dress up

My feelings with the clothes of words

And when my songs emanate

From the core of my heart

And provide bliss to my soul.

How could it then be that my Sai remains

Unaffected by their joyous strains?

It my firm belief

My Sai likes my songs

How otherwise could He

Keep on listening to the out-pouring of my heart

Day in and day out

How otherwise could He keep in bearing the burden

Of my tuneless strains.

And the perennial flow of blissful tears from my eyes.

I, a mere ignorant child,

What do I know of the intricacies of music.

But who could prevent me

From crying?

From the cries of its child

The mother knows what it needs


How on earth then my Sai

Whouldn’t know the cravings of my heart?

My songs provide me joy

Whether these contain “Sur”, “Taal” or “Laiy”

Is immeateril

These can surely remain not

Without providing joy to my Sai.

2. The Struggling Soul

All my life was spent

I n seeking the pleasures of life

The desires chasing me

Right and left

Within me and outside me.

A moment came

When all seemed to have been transformed

As Sai entered the portals of my head and heart

All my desires, all my thoughts, all my yearnings

Evaporated iinto thin air

And what was left was a soul sstruggling

To make Sai the be all and end all of my life.

3. The Truth of Life

I haven’t seen uou, O’ Sai!

By these external eyes

But the divine light emerging from you

Hasa percolated deep into

The crevices of my heart

And provide me the consciousness

To seek the Self in me.

Today ,a stage has come


When at every turn of life

An unseen hand appears from nowhere

Provides me inspiration and guidance

To live life with full gusto

Without any fear, rencour or remorse.

The “I” in me is not yet dead

But seems to have been lost

I n the wilderness of your thoughts

And looks all around for its Sai

Of whom, it loves to be called.

4. Sai Woke Me Up

I was lying fast asleep

Sai came and woke me up

Regaining consciousness

As I got up

My world had changed

My heart was wrapped

In a thick blanket of bliss

Every part of my body

Was emitting a sweet fragrance

My goals in life

My desires, my ambitions,my expectations

Me view of looking at things

The feelings of my heart

Had all changed

I felt as though

I had been reborn

Not from the womb of my physical mother

But by the grace of my unseen mother-Sai.

I have reached this stage in life today


Walking and wandering

At times tumbling down and then getting up again

Getting kicks here and there.an invisible hand comes

Life me up affectionately

Removes the dust from my body

And providing me inspiration to move ahead

Disappears into oblivion.

Wqhaat I have gained in life and what lost

Neither do I know nor wish to know

Me heart, me mind

Seems to be filled with a strange tranquility

It appears

All my wishes, all my desires

Have got lost somewhere far behind

And the “I” sitting idle within me

Seem to have reached its destination

Where it seeks neither happinwess nor misery

Nor death nor eternity

Heaven or hell nobody appears to hve seen

If any wish is keft as such

It merely is

To remain lost in the self

With an extreme tranquil mind

And in that desire-less state

To merge in the infinite “I”,

Leaving behind no trace of my existence

Without name, without form

The “I”, in me may disappear

In the vast, infinite, whole “I”.

5. What A Fallacy It Is?


Standing afar, Sai is calling me

Says he:

“I am hungry O’ my child!

Could you put two ‘chappatis’ in my ‘jholi’

If available, pour some ‘dal’ too in my ‘tumrel’

Eating rich foods of different varieties

In utensils of gold and silver

I am fed up

I haven’t forgetten the taste of those plain ‘Chappatis’

Which the poor women fold of Shirdi

Would put in my ‘Jholi’

The sweet taste of those ‘Chappatis’

Mixed with their affection

Is still lingering within me

And I am yearning for the same.

The devotees of today have snatched away

Even my ‘Jholi and tumrel’ from Me,

And have wrapped Me in clothes

Laden with gold and silver.

I am unable tobear this burden

I, an unassuming Fakir,

Used to waring a torn ‘Kafni’

Have been fastened in chains of Gold and Silver,

I narrate to you My tale of woe today

Couldn’t I avail of these luxuries in My lifetime?

I didn’t even cast a glance at these

And these persons claim to be my devotees

Of knowing me full well

What all dramas do they not enact in my name?

And adopt high sounding tiltes for themselves

Little realizing that Sai is watching all their actions.


Big palatial buildings

Smeared with the blood and toil of the pooor

Are being raised all around

For installing My Idol sitting on a rugged stone

In the hope that by doing so

They shall please Me

And I shall fill their coffers

With still more wealths

And satisfy their never ending desire to acquire more.

I too often meet their demands

Knowing full well that by doing so,

They shall sink deeper in the abysmal pit

In the hope that some day

They shall raise themselves

To the stature of a true devotee

And ask from me that

Which I want to give to them

A little bit from the ‘Tresury’ I hold

Whosoever experiences an iota of My Grace

Towards whom in my generosity

I throw even a few glittering stones

Taking them as diamonds

They start commercialising in My name

Engaging themselves in trades of sorts

Some get themselves installed

On the throne of gurudom

Some assume the role of literatures

Some others assume the title of Sangeet Samrats

By singing a few songs

And thatg too for money’s sake


Forgetting how could a person calling himself

The devotee of a Fakir

Ever become an emperor in His name

If he could be a mere Fakir

Who in actual fact is

The empror of ermprors

The ‘Shahanshah of Shahanshahs’

Today’s man has forgotten

His Sai

Who always lived in poverty

But who in every possible way

Endeavored to wipe off the tears

Of the hapless and the poor.

Watching the man of today

Engaged in the rat race of making a show of his ‘Bhakti’

In words and deeds

I feel a deep agony within me

Peole call me Sai Samarth

But are not prepared to take a lesson

From my life lived on earth,

What a fallacy it is !!

I merely yearn for the affection of my devotees

And wish to share with them

The great treasures I hold

But these fools have got lost in the dazzle of name and fame

Having themselves lost the way

Mislead others

Just think of those devotees of mine

Who have surrendered their heart and soul to me,

On my assurance

What shall their feelings be?


I have no objection whatsoever

To somebody calling himself a Guru

To their becoming literateurs, songsters, masters’ of temples

I would, however, like

That they should raise themselves about all such temptations

First know my real swaroop

And then only make others know Me

Collect the gems hidden therin

And then only start distributing them to others.

If remaining half baked themselves

They assume these high sounding titles

People will only give me a bad name

Saying that devotees of Sai take to him

To obtain merely material benefits of life.

People within your own self and feel

Shall they be away from truth?

O’ my devotees!

Before assuming the mantle of being called my ‘Bhakta’

Look within your own self, and determine

Is it not merely your thus claiming?

Have you been able to surrender to me

Your Heart and soul?

If not, your claim to be a devotee

Is merely an hollow assertion

Neither shall you be able to attain God nor Godhood.

Arise, awake and fasten your belts

There still is time left

Surrender to me your heart and soul

Your knowledge, your intellect and all your actions


And call your Sai with a loving heart

He shall come running to you.

6. Realm of Ecstasy

When my physical frame is at complete rest

And the mind tranquil

The soul within experiences

A celestial bliss

And exuberates abounding love

Capable of engulfing the whole universe.

In those moments of ecstasy,

You ‘O’ my Baba!

Stealthily enter the portals of my heart

And provide it an immortal joy

The feeling of oneness with you.

In those blissful moments

Nothing but ‘I’ and ‘You’ remains

And share the bliss within.

‘O’ my Baba!

Take me more often to this realm of ecstasy

So that the ‘I’ in me stops bothering me

Leaving me unaffected

By all that is happening outside me

Good or bad

And I remain in this world

Yet away from it

Totally immersed in you.

7. Loneliness

In the silent valley of my heart

Where peace eternal prevails

Birds sing celestial songs


Cool bliss laden breezes blow

The soul within O’ Sai

Experiences your gracious presence

And yearns to merge in thee

In this vast arena of the universe

Where innumerable claim to experience your grace

In the quiet crevices of my heart

I feel forlorn

Not a soul to share with

Your all encompassing love.

Tales of complete surrender

Experiencing your grace at every step

Total dedication to your lotus feet

My ears hear every day

My heart feels enthralled

For a moment only

The reality dawns soon

And once again

The feeling of loneliness overpowers me.

How come every one be wrong

The heart within feels guilty

The soul endeavours to look deeper still

Experiences a void

Unsurmountable.

Sanity returns soon,

Why look outside

When nothing exists

Beyond the Self

Realize it

Dive deep into it


And become one

With the eternal self within

Which is Sai

The ‘Parabrahm’.

8. The Eternal Self

O’ mind

I command thee to be subservient to me.

Do not attempt to be my master

Thou hast already played enough mischief with me.

Suddenly a thought flashes

Who is this ‘I’ commanding the mind?

Where does it reside?

Where is the mind I command?

The I is within me

The body being its dwelling place.

Can I see it?

Can I identify it?

And suddenly a vacuum is flet

But who does this vacuum experience

In the physical frame exists

Neither the ‘I’ nor the mind, I adore

But then who am ‘I’

And what is my existence?

O’ my Baba

Where are you?

To whom the ‘I’ in me sems to have belonged whole life.

I am your child

Do come, guide me and show me the path

The ‘I’ in me seems to have been lost

In the wilderness of ‘Nothingness’

I seem to exist no where


And so do you

Then what is this existence?

And what is your position vis-à-vis my existence

A mere ‘Maya’ or a mirage?

Where does it exist?

What is the purpose of its creation?

Suddenly a thought overpowers the ‘I’ in me

The whole is one

A big zero, a shuniya

Which itself exists no where

Suddenly the chant of ‘Sai Mahadeva’

Vibrates within me from nowhere

The faith strikes

The ‘I’ in me feels surcharged

How could my Sai be nowhere?

He is the eternal self within me

Whom the ‘I’ in me has loved and belonged to

He is here, there and everywhere

Let the ‘I’ in me

Dwell in Him,

Become one with Him

Is it again the mind,

Playing mischief with me?

The light that flickers in me

Has been bestowed by ‘Sai’ alone

Enlightening the self

And becoming one with Him.

I am absolute Existence

I am absolute Consciousness

I am absolute Bliss

I am the Truth Eternal

I am the Light


I am the Love

Purity Incarnate

I am Omnipresent

I am Omnipotent

I am Omniscient

I am beyond Life and Death

I am Satyam, Sivam, Sundram

The self eternal

And so are you

O’ my Baba!

9. Your Glory O’ Baba

How can I sing your glory, O’ Baba ! !

Is body is full of filth

I am afraid

When your name emanates from the core of my heart

And reaches my lips

It may get smeared

With the foul smell of my breath

Which may pollute it.

But haven’t it been said throught the ages,

The name of God sheds its eternal fragrance

All around

And purifies all that comes into its spere.

Why should then even the thought of pollution

Enter my mind

And waste the precious moments

Which shall never return.

10. A Visit to the Hills

Basking in the cool comfort of the hills

Amidst peaceful surroundings


All to myself

In the deep crevices of my heart

I adore you, O’ Baba!

How merciful and benevolent are you

To me

Bent down by age and physical infirmities

And yet the ‘I’ within

Enjoying the bounties of Nature

And thy abounding grace

Withi nothing in between,

I and you and the Mother Nature.

Could one crave for higher joys of life?

The supreme bliss overflowing

Both inside and outside me.

Why lament for the wasted days of life!

Those were yours and so is today.

O’ the Self live in the present.

As wasted moments shall return

Never again.

And feel His love and grace.

11. No Trace of ‘I’

The light that flickers in me

Make it brighter and brighter, O’ my Baba!

Till it consumes my whole being

And merges in you

Becoming one with you.

And then

There shall be no trace

Of the ‘I’ in me

The zero will become the whole

Shedding celestial light.


Neither then there shall remain Sai

The form these eyes adore

Nor the devotee in me

All will become the whole.

12. Divine Songs

Baba!

Kabir, Rahim, Tulsi, Tukaram

Mira, Surdas, Milton, Gyaneshwar

Sankaracharya,

And innumerable others,

All apperared on the sands of time

And disappearted

Leaving behind the echo of their songs

Which create ripples in human heart

Even today

And shall continue to do so

For all times to come

Inspire man to move on and on

On the path of divinity

Toproduce their own divine music

Which may act as fule to the soul

Of their own and of generations to come

And goad them to move towards You – The Parabrahm

I pray to you, O’ Baba!

The songs that emanate from my soul

May produce music in many a heart

And draw them to experience your grace

Till time stops moving.

13. The Ultimate Reality

The Ultimate Reality is without a form,

So the seers prolclaim.


What they say,

Must surely be true.

But Baba!

May I ask You a simple question?

To this moment

My eyes have carried your image alone

The heart has sang your praises

The soul has experienced celestial bliss

All out of your manifested form.

Have I to give it all up

In quest of what I haven’t seen

Nor anyone else seems to have seen.

May be this thought is a mere hallucination of the mind

Which keeps on playing mischief?

Shall I not be a fool

If I give up what I see

And my soul experiences

Entrapped in this physical frame?

Baba! I beseech you!

Not to allow such thoughts enter my mind

Let the ignorant fool within me

Remain content with what it experiences

Rather than make it run after the mirage

Of a make believe unsubstatatiated Truth.

Allow me to remain

The servant of a perfect Master,

You are !

14. Sai – the Ever Livng Master

O’ my Baba!


You attained Mahasamadhi on Oct. 15, 1918

Surrounded by a host of devotees

After offering the dakshina of rupees nice,

To Ma Laxmibai.

All present witnessed

Life ebbing out of the Body.

How deftly you enacted that scene!

For you became more active thereafter,

Than while in flesh and blood.

Countless experience your presence

At every turn of life

In ways innumerable.

Baba! What is this game,

You keep on playing?

Why do you wish to keep

Your devotees wrapped in the sheath of delusion,

When you are with them

At every step of their life.

Remove this veil of delusion

Take them into your ‘Sharan’

Bestow on them the virtues

Of love, compassion and fellow feeling

So that they stop quarreling amongst themselves,

And peace starts reigning on Mother Earth.

15. Come Baba Come

Come, Come, Baba Come!

The gates of my heart

Are lying wide open


Waioting for you to enter its portals

The soul within is craving

Since ages past

For your benign presence

It seems, now ready

To receive you

And merge in you.


My surrender to you

May not have been complete

Even if so,

Ignore it

For I am your child.


You are the apostle of love and compassion

So the seers say

Tehn why not take pity on me

Lift me up

And make me become one with you

So that I too may exhuberate

A bit of your love and compassion

Enabling me to render

Seva to those fortunate ones

Who have placed

Complete faith in you


I know full well

Iam asking for the moon

Without deserving what I yearn for


But let the waters of your Mercy

Purify my soul

Make it capable of receiving

And distributing your grace.

With abounding munificence

On those who seek it from you

But get lost,

In the labyrinth of worldliness,


16. Sai in Procession

Suddenly the, gonds started ringing

Full throated ‘Jay Jay Kars’ arose

The scramble to occupy positions of vanage started

Lo!

The saint of Shirdi-Sai

Emerges from the Dwarkamayee

Shama holding His right arm

Buty, His left,

Baba’s left hand holding His torn ‘Kafni’

Right hand His ‘Satka’

He stops while walking

Bare footed

But his face wears a divine glow

Eyes an intoxicated look

As if drums of wine have gone down his throat

Shyam Sunder at the back

Accompanies His Master

A celestial sight indeed!

The procession stops in front of mud-house gate.


Radha Krishna Mai emerges

Her hands holding the puja thali

With coconut, kumkum, Haldi, betelnuts and rice seeds

The ghee Deepak spreading a dim glow

She waves the thali in fornt of Sai

The face of the Master of Eternity glows further.

A voice roars suddenly

Where are you hiding Ma Luxmibai,

Come out

Your Sai is standing before your door

Disappoint Him not

Come out with your Thali

And waive it

The procession moves on and on.

17. Sai’s Ankita Child

I implored Sai,

To save me from the vicissitudes of life

To give me more and more

To make my life comfortblae, respectable and easy

With a place of dignity in society.

Sai smiled and said:

The other day you asked Me

Th give you my ‘ananya bhakti’

To fill your heart with love and compassion,

To enable you become My ‘Ankita’ Child

Do you know?

One cannot be a bhakta

Unless he imbibes all virtues in life.

One cannot be a rich man

It his heart if filled with love and compassion


For he shall then learn

To share his wealth with others

And never be able to accumulate

If one is compassionate

He would not care for his own comforts

The concern of the less fortunate, the neglected and the poor

Will become his own.

I leave the choice to you

To decide what you wish to ask from me

My bhakti, my love, my compassion

Or the pleasures and comforts of life

The choice is yours

But do not try to rid

Both horses together

And deceive your own self

Let me assure you

If you choose the path of bhakti

You shall have to make sacrifices

At every step of life

But then,

The responsibility for your well being

Shall entirely become mine

And you might then, become entitled

To call yourself my ‘Ankita’ Child.

18. Make Me to Fade as a Child

I came into this wide world

Like a child.

During the whole of my life


I might have endeavoured to play

Some child like pranks here and there

But as the child soon returns to its natural Self

Make me to return to my original state of a child

I implore you, O’ My Baba.

Very man y years spent on this Mother Earth

Seem to have taken me nowhere.

Oh! What a bliss it is

To live like a child

And leave all one’s burdens on Him

Who has undertaken to bear them

The one who has experienced

The divine ecstasy the surrender bestows

Knows the sublime heights

It takes one to.

I pray to you my Baba

To let this physical frame

Face into oblivion,

Like a child

As it came.

19. The Burden of Your Grace

The one who has experienced

The grace of Shri Sai Nath,

Needs no fear

He can ramble into this wide world

Like a crazy elephant,

Feel smothered at times

But ultimately

Return to his own self


Under the benign protection

Of His Master

The Great Saint of Shirdi

Fear not O’man!

Surrender yourself

And march ahead

You shall certainly reach

The lofty heights of Joy and Divinity

Sai will take you to.

Let your surrender be perfect

Sublimity will kiss your feet

You need only have

Faith, absolute faith, unsagging faith

And the Lord of the Universe – your Sai

Who is within you, outside you

And all around you

Shall assume full burden

Of your care and well being

20. Sai’s Grace

Sai,

Let the waves of your grace,

Life me up from my feet

And throw me into the ‘ocean of bliss’

The shore should not even be visible

Lest I endeavour to swim ashore

And the ‘Parmanand’ of your grace

Be lost to me.

21. Fill My Jholi With Love


Fill my ‘Jholi’ with your abounding love, O Sai!

Which may draw out the sublime in me.

When my lips move, let torrents of love flow

In the sweet nectar of which

Every one be drowned

Forgetting his miseries, his sorrows and his fears,

The chant of which may engulf the whole universe

Bringing hope, love and feelings of oneness

Between man and man

And provide human relationships new dignity.

22. Fragrance of Bliss

Sai! You are in me

Yet far away from e

What an irony of fate it is?

The kasturin lies buried

In the belly of the musk deer

Yet the deer runs about

In quest of it

Not knowing

That it itself is the source of its fragrance.

Let the ‘I’ in me sitting in the crevices of my heart

Realize your ‘Sat Chit Anand Swaroop’

And get lost in itself

To enjoy the everlasting fragrance of bliss

Emanating from it.

O’ My Master!

Bestow on me the priviledge of your seva

While doing your ‘Pad Puja’


I may inhale the fragrance

Of bliss overflowing from your divine form

And imbibe a little bit of it.

23. I And You are One

Baba!

I often say that you are my Master!

If it is so

Does it not mean?

I and you are separate entities.

Is it correct to think thus?

Immediately on entering my life

You occupied the inner chambers of my heart

Driving the ‘I’ almost out of me

But do you not remember

It is you alone who told me

To complete the discharge of my respolnsibilities

Before you allow my ‘I’ to leave the body

And clever as you are

You slowly showed me the beautiful garden

Of rendering organizational seva of your

And the flowers of various hues sporuting therein

Name, fame and position.

Exceedingly charming to look at

It I got involved in their beauty

Leaving you on the back buster

How can you blame me for it

For it was your own doing.

Let be gones be bye gones

Why shall I talk of the past?


You are now firmly enthroned in my heart

Make me lose my sepearat identity

So that eternity may sing songs

Of your pure Divinity

And call you

The Bestower of Grace of your bhaktas

Making them one with you

Shedding away the distinction

Of Master and servant

24. When the World Sleeps

When the world sleeps

You O’ my Baba!

Keep wide awake.

Your watchful eyes

Keep a vigil on your bhaktas

To rid them of their miseries.

Day in and day out

At all times of the day and night

Unmindful of the calamities of Nature

During winter, summer and rains

You remain constantly absorbed in your task

Don’t you ever feel bored?

O’ my Baba.

And what you normally get from those

Whom you protect with all your abounding love?

Mouthful boasts of their own prowess

Of their capacity to achieve, their intelligence to plan and what not

Why don’t you share with them

Your patience, your coolness, your dedication


O’ my Baba!

You are great and wonderful.

25. The Song I Sing

My songs may not contain

High sounding words and phrases

But these certainly are the outpourings

Of a longing heart

Fascinated by the love

Of its Master –

Sai the unique Saint of Shirdi

How else

Could the strains of these songs

Touch the cords of my heart

And fill my eyes with tears

Of love and joy

Make the hairs on my body

Stand erect

And shed the splendour of Sai

From its every pore

Come, Come! O” my fellow devotees

Let us all join together

In singing the praises of His

Who danced on

The pot-holed floor

Of Dwarkamayee in flesh and blood

Shedding celestial bliss

Which still pervades its air

And draws innumerable

To experience its vibrations.


26. Installation of Baba’s Idol at Lodi Road Temple

The day was Wednesday

The month was October

The year was Neneteen seventy six

The ‘tithi’ was Vijai Dashmi

The time was around Twelve forenoon

The mother nature was at its pleasant best

Sweet breeze was blowing

The sun was shinning in full splendour

All the Gods in Heaven had condescended to be present

On the most auspicious occasion

Of the unveiling of the idol

Of Him whom even the God sing praises,

The Saint of Shirdi

Samarth Sadguru Satchitanand

Shir Sai Baba

Who in His Benign Magnificent Mercy

Had agreed to descend on earth

In the newly built temple

At Lodi Road, New Delhi

At the appointed time

A few scores of His devotees

Assembled outside the temple premises

With an earthern pitcher full of waters

From several sacred rivers

And each lending his hand to the pitcher

His lips chanting full throatedly in chorus

“Sat-chitanand Sadguru Shree Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai”

Ascending the steps into the temple hall the pitcher was carried

Up to the rostrum

On which sat Sai in Marble


Wrapped in a white sheet.

Is the picher was emptied on its head

And as the cloth removed

Many a heart throbbed

The pure white shinning marble idol

Became the wonderous living saint of Shirdi

The Glorious Benevolent Self that He was

While in flesh and blood

Full of compassion in His eyes

And a benign sweet simle of concern

For devotees on His lips

A celestial sight indeed

Baba’s ‘Jay Jay Kars’ rented the air.

Suddenly a heart piercing shriek arose from the crowd

All eyes turned, towards it

To find a devotees heart over flowing with bliss

Unable to contain the glorious divine sight infront

And the ‘Kripa’ of His Baba

And bursted into an incessant flow of tears

Rolling down profusely from his eyes

The dream of many yester years

Stood materialized

‘Sai – The Samartha’ had come to North

From His abode beyond the Vindhyas

A celestial sight indeed!

27. Have You Changed O’ Baba

Baba! You were born in poverty

And when your physical frame left the world

You were poor.

Why then these huge mansions

Coming up all around in your name


The precious robes and ornaments being offered to you

Do you really have anything to do with these?

I wonder!

If in consonance with the modern day world

You too have changed.

And leaving behind your old and worn out ‘Kafni’

Have taken to gold and silver studded robes.

Giving up that old and dilapidated ‘Dwarkamayee’

Where snakes and scorpions lived along with you

And tormented you,

Have decided to make

These palatial mansions

Your abode.

Baba! If with my incomplete and meager bhakti

I have known you even a little

Have come even a bit near about you

Even the harbouring of such a thought

Shall be entirely away from the truth.

According to what I have understood

Your recognition as Sai

Iis your old and torn Kafni

Sitting on a hilly rock wearing which

Looking at your devotees with eyes full of compassion

Is your real Swaroop.

Haven’t we changed this too?

And annihilated your real Swaroop?

But you had stated.

“I am the all powerful entity

Living in every atom of existence”.

Then is this drama being enacted

Without your will?


I am not criticizing anybody

In a child like manner

I am merely asking you

I seek pardon from you and your devotees.

Either you chane my view of looking at facts

Or else stop this drama being played

Baba!

Whether you have changed or not

You alone know

But with folded hands I implore you

To let your image sitting on stone

Remain ingrained on the tablet of my guileless heart

Which has become the most precious acquisition

Of my life.

28. My First Visit to Shirdi

What a wonderful experience was it this morning

When I relieved my first journey to Shirdi.

Getting down at Manmad Junction

On a pleasant Sun bathed winter morning

The porter taking me railway overbridge

To catch the bus for Shirdi.

In the buspeople talked

Of sansthan having been taken over by the government

For irregularities in management of funds.

A big jolt my devotee heart got

Could any defalcate with Baba’s funds?

It was beyond my imagination

The crossing of Godavari River.

I vividly remember the scene

Still fresh and vibrant in my mind


My alighting from the bus just opposite to Sansthan’s office

Allotment of the roon on the Second floor

Of the newly constructed building

Taking bath in the public bathrooms

With unbearable hot water

And finally entering the portals of the temple with puja thali in hands

O’ what a bliss, what a joy, what a soul stirring experience it was!

As if all the joys of heavne had descended on earth

Torrential tears of joy raining from eyes.

I was face to face with the one

Whom the soul has been seeking from birth to birth

No words, no thoughts, no amount of descriptive power.

Can portray Him who provided the joy sublime to my soul.

Noon arti started soon

If these eyes have ever seen bliss

Raining from the Heavens

It was here, it was here, it was here

And my whole being was submerged in it.

29. The Companion of My Solitude

Sai! Today

Neither do I have my mother, nor father

Niether brother, nor wife

If there is any of my own left

It is you and you alone.

When I am sitting alone with a heavy heart

Tormented by my own thoughts

You come to me

And provide me the feeling of your closeness


Fill my heart with the sweetness

Of your abounding affection

And I feel I have no need

To look for any other support.

The mere thought of your proximity

Provides my heart the feeling of celestial bliss

Which drowns in itself

All my sorrows, feelings of loneliness

The infirmitiesof my physical frame

And that that point of time

The sweet feeling of completeness it generates

Is beyond any words to describe.

In those moments of ecstasy

My heart starts vibrating my own words

“Sai you are my very own”

30. The Ignornat ‘I’

Sai!

What an ignorant child am i

Who keeps on searching for you in his own words.

Certainly you must be laughing at my ignorance

But what should I do with these thoughts

Which keep on hovering in my mind

And when fail to find a place within

Start flowing in the form of words

The tongue starts singing

The song of its Sai

But tell me O’Baba!

What else has a man to offer


Except words

Which he can share with others

If those words can provide relief to even one devotee of yours

And if he starts treading the path of Sai bhakti

Even for a few moments

My thoughts have been achieved

Their objective

And provide peace

To my own joyful heart?

O’ Sai! Fill my whole existence

With the fine colours of words

Which I may scatter

And provide relief to the hearts of seekers

So that one day my own self

May fly away assuming various hues

And get lost in the eyes of your devotees.

31. Sai You are Naughty Indeed

Sai! You are naughty indeed

You keep on playing pranks on your devotees

And enjoy the fun out of it,

This was your habit

While you moved on earth in flesh and blood

Haven’t you given up yet?

Your first provide to your devotees

Beautiful toys to play with.

By fulfilling their worldly demands

You fill their hearts with gratitude

And when they feel attracted towards you

You inspire them to build a temple of your


Make them move heaven and earth

To achieve their aim.

When the temple gets ready

The bhakta feels extremely blissful

Looking at your idol installed in the temple

And then witin no time

You create a situation for him

When he is forced to quit the temple.

You do not want your true bhaktas

To remain involved in the affair of the temple

And making him to leave the temple

Inspire him to proceed ahead

On the path of bhakti

Of love, of sacrifice, of faith and renuniciation

But leave within him pangs

Of being forced to leave the temple

Slowly but steadily

He treads the path of bhakti

In an endeavour

To become your ‘ankita’ child

What is this game you play?

And what do you gain by it?

Sai! You are naughty indeed.

32. The Straying Mind

Sai! Why do you keep on peeping

Into my inner self every moment

And control the process of my thinking.


I came into your ‘Sharan’

To enjoy the pleasure of life

Shouldn’t you sometimes leave me alone

To act according to my wishes.

All the while you keep on putting checks on me

Is this any life?

Sai! I know

The moment you let loose your control

The vagabond mind will go stray

You know full well

This nature of the mind.

I had taken to you

With the intention of earning

Name, fame, wealth and respect

I never knew

You shall become the stumbling stone of my path

Why should you be so harsh on your devotees

You must sometimes allow your children

To do what they wish.

I am, however, conscious

You are deeply concerned about my welfare

When I have caught hold of your hand

How on earth would you allow me

To slip out of your control

All the time you remain worried

For my welfare

But what shall I do with this mind

Which keeps on seeking ways to stray


But Baba I implore you

To stop this tendency of the mind to stray

Then,

The very cause to grumble

Shall cease to exist.


Chapter 8

Random Reflections

1. To Baba

O’ My Baba! The Purest of the Pure, the Knower of the Absolute Truth, the

‘Tatwa Gyani’. You have in your magnanimity, mercy and compassion

accepted me, an absolutely ignorant child, the receptical of your Grace.

Neither have I the purity of heart, nor of thought and action, nor humility and

meekness, nor unflinching faith, nor patience, nor sense of exaltation for your

inconceivable greatness, nor abounding love, nor burning desire to listen to

the stories of your leelas, nor have I been able to surrender to you heart and

soul, nor acquire discrimination and understanding of your ‘Sat-Chit-Anand

Swaroopa’, nor have I been able to still my thoughts and ‘vasnas’; nor do I

have a burning desire for ‘Moksha’, nore have I so far been able to control my

‘Indrias’.

I am full of ego, no virtues do I have, nore renownced ‘Maya’ and ‘Moh’, nor

have I imbibed the virtues of love, compassion and truth.

Neither have I sought the company of saints and seers and received their

grace, nor have I studied the scriptures and known the hidden truths

contained therein.

I have wasted my life in acquiring and enjoying comforts and worldly

pleasures.

You O’ my Baba – Mercy Incarnate, the Messiah of the Fallen and Forlorn, life

me up and make me to swim ashore the ocean of ‘Samsar’.

I prostrate again and again at your lotus feet and implore you to bestow on me

your perfect devotion in thought, word and deed, since I am your child.


2. Intoxication of Bhakti

Intoxication is bad but to forget ones own self, after getting intoxicated, is still

worse. There is, however, one type of intoxication on experiencing which all

pleasures of the world, all its materialistic achievements, all its joys and sorrows,

lose their luster and seem lifeless. This intoxication is the intoxication of bhakti.

Blessed are the people who have experienced the taste of this intoxication. At that

level, the difference between the devotee and the God ceases to exist. Every

moment of the devotee’s life is spent in his completely getting lost in his Lord. No

pleasure or pain of the world can bring him down from this high pedestal. The

devotee continuously and at all times and in all situations keeps on experiencing

a limitless divine bliss. His eyes continuously keep on shedding tears of

abounding love. While eating and drinking, sitting and standing, sleeping or in

waking state – in all situations, he keeps on experiencing the grace of his God and

the vibrations of abounding love arising from his heart. Every pore of his body

emits the fragrance of bhakti. The atmic anand which he experiences is supreme.

In dreams he is taken to visit mountains, jungles and riviers of which it is not

known as to where these exist. In this state of his mind, no power on earth can

make him afraid of anything. He stands before a tiger, like a child, fearless and

before his inner power, the tiger experiencing his love, starts licking his feet.

Wickedness, deceitfulness, desperation, differentiation and the like tendencines

cannot dare to reach near about him. And in that state of elevation of soul, his

tongue starts singing the vibrant feelings lying dormant within him for his deity.

He starts dancing, weeping, laughing and he gets an entrance into the galaxy of

sages and saints like Mira, Dhurav, Ram Dass, Kabir, who having left a mark on

the horizon of time, got lost in the Infinite but who are remembered with

veneration even today and who shall continue to be so remembered in future.


Such a devotee also earns the extreme affection of his deity and he gets His

protection at every step. The cup full of poison sent by Ranaji to Meera had also

turned into elixir and when Harnyakashyap tied Prahalad to a pole and an

infuriated elephant was left to crample him that elephant kept on staring at

Prahalad rather than doing him any harm. All this sounds strange but these are

the true examples of God’s Grace.

Come on! Let us also surrender ourselves at the lotus feet of our Sai. He shall

have to bestow on us His Kripa some day and then we shall be able to experience

eternal bliss. Within us lies buried a whole treasure of infinite bliss. We only need

to develop a feeling to live in it continuously.

3. Nine ‘Mantras’ for Joyous Living

1. Learn to live in God, for it shall provide you a support to ascribe your joys

and sorrows to in life, and a source of strength.

2. Learn to live for others for the joy it provides to your soul will make your

own life worth living.

3. Live a simple, natural, guileless, unpretentious and unostentatious life for

it will help you to keep your needs under control and thus occasions to

make you feel the need to give up your path to enable you to keep pace

with the world, shall minimize.

4. Learn to withdraw yourself occasionally inward, for your shall then be able

to control the wastage of your own energies, make a correct assessment of

your own self, control your emotions and mind and not allow them to

stray.

5. Accept responsibility gladly and try to discharge it to your capacity, for the

sense of satisfaction it shall provide you will give you ‘Atmic Anand’.

6. Trace out the beauty in each soul, you come into contact with, appreciate it

for it shall make your own life happy, easy and smooth at every step.


7. Learn to ignore the faults of others and speaking ill of them, for it takes

you nowhere. Thoughts have wings. Bad thoughts react, making you and

the other person, both unhappy.

8. recognize truth, adopt it, live in it, spread it, for the fragrance emanating

from your body will then make the inner in you and the outside of you

cool, calm, peaceful and joyful.

9. Learn to share your joys with others, for they are no other than your

ownself. It will add to the sublimity of your own life and make your living

joyous.

4. Devotional Couplets

• To the one whose name is Sai

And whose abode is Shirdi

To such an all pervading Sai

I offer my salutations again and again.

• The one in whose heart dwells Sai

And whose body is engaged in His service

To such a great devotee

I offer my salutations again and again.

• Many claim to be Sai’s form

But Sai is one and one alone

To my Master Sai Nath

I bow my head in revereance

• I pray to my Baba Sai

To give me the boon of Bhakti

To bestow on me the purity of heart and mind

And lift me up to His bosom


• Indulge not in hard penances needlessly

Causing discomfort to your body

Having complete faith in Baba

Cross the ocean of life.

• While living in this world

Ask not from Sai wealth, progeny and position

Ask from Him only that supreme wealth

Which Sai wishes to bestow on you.

• O’ my mind grieve not unnecessarily

Giving up all hopes and aspirations

When Sai is with you

Why frustrations should affect you.

• The body shall perish tomorrow

Know it as an eternal truth

Do not feel proud of it

Surrender yourself to Sai

• When you came into this world

You came empty handed

When you leave this world

Take Sai’s ‘Kripa’ with you.

• It is Baba’s promise to you

Have complete faith in it

“One who gets lost in Me

All his difficiulties end”

• Sai you are my master

I am Your ‘Das’


Life after life I may remain Your ‘Das’

It is my request to You

Thus says ‘Das Suresh’, O Baba! Confer on me this boon. From every pore of my

body should emnate your name. wherever I move in this wide world, with your

name on the lips, the fragrance of your Bhakti should engulf the whole

atmosphere.

Whosover inhales that fragrance, should start chanting your name. that Sai is a

great Saint, should start flowing incessantly from His being.

Sai! You are unique indeed, since you make the dumb to speak, I am a mere fool

who is not aware of your infinite powers.

Taking me as an ignorant child provide me ‘Sharan’ at your lotus feet. Life after

life I may remain your ‘Das’, is my request to you.

‘Satchitanand Sadguru Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai’

Scribblings of a Shirdi Sai Devotee

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