Shri Sai Satcharita Chapter II

Shri Sai Satcharita Chapter II 

Object of Writing the Work - Incapacity and Boldness in the Undertaking –

Hot Discussion - Conferring Significant and Prophetic Title of Hemadpant -

Necessity of a Guru

Object of writing the work

In the first chapter I described Sai Baba’s miracle of checking and destroying the
epidemic of cholera by grinding wheat and throwing the flour on the outskirts of the village.
I heard other miracles of Sai Baba to my great delight and this enthusiasm burst forth in
this poetic work. I also thought that the description of these grand miracles of Sai Baba
would be interesting and instructiveto His devotees and would remove their sins, so I
began to write the sacred life and teachings of of Sai Baba. The life of a saint is neither

logic nor dialectic. It shows us the true and great path.

Incapacity and boldness in undertaking the work

Hemadpant thought he was not fit to undertake the work. He said, “As I do not know
the life of my intimate friend, nor do I know my own mind, how then can I write about the
life of a saint or describe the nature of incarnations which even the Vedas were unable to
do? One must be a saint himself before he can know other saints. How can I describe
their glory? To write about the life of a saint is most difficult. One may as well measure the
depth of the water in the seven seas or enclose the sky with cloth trappings. I know this
will be a most venturous undertaking which might expose me to ridicule. I, therefore, must
always invoke Sai Baba’s grace.”

The premier poet-saint of Maharashtra, Shri Janeshwar Maharaj, stated that the Lord loves those who write about the lives of saints, and the saints have their own peculiar
method of having the service, which the devotees long for, successfully accomplished.
The saints inspire the work. The devotee becomes only an indirect cause, or instrument, to
achieve the end. For instance, in shaka year 1700, the poet Mahipati aspired to write
about the lives of the saints. The saints inspired him to get the work done, and he wrote
four works: Bhakta Vijaya, Santa Vijaya, Bhakta Leelamrit and Santa Leelamrit. Then
later, in shaka year 1800, Das Ganu’s service was accepted. He wrote two books, Bhakta
Leelamrit and Santa Kathamarit, in which the lives of modern saints are described. In
chapters 31, 32, and 33 of Bhakta Leelamrit and in chapter 57 of Santa Kathamrit, the
sweet life and teachings of Sai Baba are very well depicted. These have been separately
published in ‘Sai Leela’ Magazine, Nos. 11 and 12, in Volume 17. The readers are advised
to read these chapters. Sai Baba’s wonderful leelas are also described in a small spiritual
book named Shri Sainath Bhajana Mala by Mrs. Savitribai Raghunath Tendulkar of
Bandra. Various sweet poems on Sai Baba composed by Das Ganu Maharaj, and also
some by a devotee named Amidas Bhavani Mehta, have been published in ‘Gujarati’.
‘Sainath Prabha’, a magazine published by Dakshina Bhiksha Saunstha of Shirdi, has
published Sai’s leelas as well. The question then arises that while so many works regarding
Sai Baba are extant, why should this Shri Sai Satcharita be written and what is its
necessity?

The answer is quite simple. The life of Sai Baba is as wide and deep as the infinite
ocean, and all can dive deep in and take out precious gems (of knowledge and bhakti) and
distribute them to the aspiring public. The stories, parables, and teachings of Sai Baba are
all quite wonderful and bestow knowledge and wisdom, both in worldly and spiritual
domains.

They give peace and happiness to people who are heavily afflicted with sorrows and
the miseries of worldly existence. If these teachings of Sai Baba, which are as interesting
and instructive as Vedic lore, are listened to and meditated upon, the devotees will get
what they long for, viz., union with Brahma, mastery in eight fold yoga, bliss in meditation
etc.

I thought, therefore, that I should cull these stories together - which would be my
best upasana. The collection would be most delightful to those souls whose eyes were not
blessed with Sai Baba’s darshan. I then set about collecting Sai Baba’s teachings and
expressions - the outcome of His boundless and natural Self-realization. It was Sai Baba
who inspired me in this matter; in fact, I surrendered my ego at His feet and felt my path
was clear.

Since I personally could not ask Sai Baba to give me permission for the work, I
requested Madhavrao Deshpande, alias Shama, Baba’s most intimate devotee, to speak
for me. He pleaded my cause and said to Sai Baba, “This Annasaheb wishes to write
about your life. Don’t say You are a poor begging fakir and there is no necessity to write of
Your life, but if You agree and help him, he will write, or rather Your grace, will accomplish
the work. Without Your consent and blessing, nothing can be done successfully.” When
Sai Baba heard this request, He was moved and blessed me by giving me His udi (sacred
ashes). He then placed His boon-bestowing hand on my head and said, “Let him make a
collection of stories and experiences and keep notes and memos. I will help him. He is
only an outward instrument. I, Myself, will write My life and satisfy the wishes of My
devotees. He should get rid of his ego. Let him surrender it at My feet. He who acts like
this in life, him I help most. What of My life stories? I shall serve him in his house in all
possible ways. When his ego is completely annihilated and there is no trace left, then I,
Myself, shall enter into him and shall write My life’s story. Hearing My stories and
teachings will create faith in devotees’ hearts and they will easily get Self-realization and
bliss. Let there be no insistence on establishing one’s own view, no attempt to refute
other’s opinions, and no discussion of pros and cons of any subject.”

The word discussion reminded me of my promise to explain the story of my getting
the title of Hemadpant, and now I will begin to relate such. I was on close friendly terms
withKakasaheb Dixit and Nanasaheb Chandorkar. They urged me to go to Shirdi and have
Baba’sdarshan and I promised them to do so, but something in the interval turned up which
prevented me from going. The son of a friend of mine at Lonavala fell ill. My friend tried all
possible means, physical and spiritual, but the fever would not abate. At last he got his
guru to sit by the bedside of his son, but this, too, was of no avail. Hearing this, I thought,
‘What was the necessity of a guru, if he could not save my friend’s son? If the guru can’t
do anything for us, why should I go to Shirdi at all?’ Thinking this way, I postponed my
Shirdi trip, but the inevitable must happen, and it happened in my case as follows:
Nanasaheb Chandorkar, who was a Prant officer, was going on tour to Bassein. He came
from Thana and arrived in Dadar and was presently waiting for a train bound for Bassein.
In the meanwhile, a Bandra local train arrived. Nana boarded it, went to Bandra, and then
sent for me. He took me to task for putting off my Shirdi trip. Nana’s argument for my
Shirdi trip was convincing and inspiring, and so I decided to start for Shirdi the same night.
I packed my luggage and started for Shirdi. I planned to go to Dadar to catch the train for
Manmad there, so I booked myself for Dadar and got in the train.

Just as the train was about to start, a Mohammedan came hastily into my
compartment and, seeing all my paraphernalia, asked me where I was bound. I told him my plan. He suggested that I go straight to Boribunder and not stop at Dadar because the
Manmad Mail did not stop at Dadar at all. If this little miracle or leela had not happened, I
would not have reached Shirdi the next day and many doubts would have assailed me.
But that was not to be.

As fortune favored me, I reached Shirdi the next day before 9 or 10 a.m. and met
Mr. Bausaheb (Kaka) Dixit who was awaiting my arrival. (This was in 1910, when there
was only one place viz. Sathe’s Wada for lodging pilgrim devotees.) After alighting from
the tonga, I was anxious to have darshan, when Tatyasaheb Noolkar, a great devotee of
Baba who was returning from the masjid said, “Sai Baba is at the corner of the wada.
First, get the preliminary darshan, and then after your bath, see Him at your leisure.”
Hearing this, I ran and prostrated before Baba and then my joy knew no bounds. I felt
more than what Nana Chandorkar had described. All my senses were satisfied and I forgot
thirst and hunger. The moment I touched Sai Baba’s feet, I began a new lease on life. I
felt myself much obliged to those who spurred and helped me to get the darshan and I
considered them as my real relatives. I cannot repay their debt. I only remember them
and prostrate (mentally) before them. The peculiarity of Sai Baba’s darshan, as I found it,
is that by His darshan our thoughts are changed, the force of previous actions is
abated, and gradually, non-attachment or dispassion towards worldly objects
develops. It is by merit of actions in many past births that such darshan is received, and if
you see Sai Baba, all the world becomes or assumes the form of Sai Baba.

Hot Discussion

On the first day of my arrival in Shirdi, there was a discussion between me and
Balasaheb Bhate regarding the necessity of a guru. I contended, “Why should we lose our
freedom and submit to others?” When we have to do our duty, why is a guru necessary?
One must try his best and save himself. What can the guru do to a man who does nothing
but sleeps indolently?”

Thus, I pleaded freewill, while Mr. Bhate took up the other side, viz. destiny, and
said, “Whatever is bound to happen must happen; even great men have failed. Man
proposes one way, but God disposes the other (contrary) way. Brush aside your
cleverness. Pride or egoism won’t help you.” This discussion, with all its pros and cons
went on for an hour or so and, as usual, no decision was arrived at. We had ultimately to
stop the discussion as we were exhausted. The net result of this was that I lost peace of
mind and realized that if there were no strong body consciousness and egoism, there
would be no discussion.

Then, when we went to the masjid with others, Baba asked Kakasaheb Dixit the
following:

“What was going on in Sathe’s Wada? What was the discussion about?” and
staring at me, Baba further added, “what did this Hemadpant say?”

Hearing these words, I was quite surprised. The masjid was at a considerable
distance from Sathe’s Wada where I was staying and where the discussion was going on.

How could Baba know our discussion unless He be omniscient and Inner Ruler of us all?

Significant and Prophetic Title


I began to think why Sai Baba should call me by the name Hemadpant. This word is
a corrupt form of Hemadripant. This Hemadripant was a well known minister of the kings
Mahadev and Ramadev of Devgiri of the Yadav dynasty. He was very learned, goodnatured,
and the author of good works, such as Chaturvarga Chintamani (dealing with
spiritual subjects) and Rajprashasti. He invented and started new methods of accounts
and was the originator of the Modi (Marathi shorthand) script. But as I was quite the
opposite, an ignoramus, and of dull, mediocre intellect, I could not understand why the
name or title was conferred upon me. Thinking seriously about it, however, I thought the
title was a dart to destroy my ego, so that I should always remain meek and humble. It
was also a compliment paid to me for my cleverness in the discussion.

In retrospect, we think that Baba’s word (calling Mr. Dabholkar as Hemadpant) was
significant and prophetic, as we find that he looked after the management of Sai Sansthan
very intelligently, kept all the accounts nicely, and was the author of the fine work, Shri Sai
Satcharita, which deals with such important and spiritual subjects as jnana, bhakti
dispassion, self-surrender and Self-realization.

About the necessity of a guru

Hemadpant has left no note or memo about what Baba said regarding this subject,

but Kakasaheb Dixit has published his notes regarding this matter. The next day after

Hemadpant’s meeting with Sai Baba, Kakasaheb went to Baba and asked whether he

should leave Shirdi.Baba said yes. Then someone asked, “Baba, where should one go?”

Baba said, “High up.” Then the man said, “Which way?” Baba said, “There are many ways

leading there. There is also one way from here (Shirdi). The way is difficult. There are tigers and wolves in the jungles on the way.”

Kakasaheb asked, “But Baba, what if we take a guide with us?” Baba answered, “Then

there is no difficulty. The guide will take you straight to your destination, avoiding wolves,

tigers and ditches etc. on the way. If there be no guide, there is the danger of your being

lost in the jungles or falling into ditches.” Mr. Dabholkar (Hemadpant) was present on this

occasion and he considered this Baba’s answer to the question regarding whether a guru

was a necessity. (vide ‘Sai Leela’ vol.I, no.5, page 47). Hemadpant thereupon took the hint

that no discussion of the problem, whether man is free or bound, is of any use in spiritual

matters, but on the contrary, real paramartha is possible only as the result of the teachings

of the guru. This is illustrated in the chapter of the original work describing great avatars,

like Rama and Krishna, who had to submit themselves to their gurus, Vasistha and

Sandipani respectively, to achieve Self-realization. The only virtues necessary for such

progress are faith and patience. (nishta and saburi) - (vide Sai Satcharita, ch. II pp.191-

192.)

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all