Shri Sai Satcharita Chapter X

Shri Sai Satcharita Chapter X 

Sai Baba’s Mode of Life - His Sleeping Board - His Stay in Shirdi - His

Teachings - His Humility - The Easiest Path

Remember Sai Baba always, with love, for He was engrossed in doing good to all

and always abided in His Self. To remember Sai Baba only, is to solve the riddle of life

and death. This is the best and easiest of sadhanas, as it involves no expenditure. A little

exertion brings great rewards. So as long as our senses are sound, we should, minute by

minute, practice this sadhana. All other gods are illusory; the satguru is one with God. If

we believe in the satguru’s holy feet, He can change our fortune for the better. If we serve

Him well, we will get rid of our samsar. We need not study any philosophy, like the Nyaya

and the Mimansa. If we make Him our helmsman, we can easily cross the sea of all our

pains and sorrows. As we trust the helmsman in crossing rivers and seas, so we have to

trust our satguru in crossing the ocean of worldly existence. The satguru looks to the

intense feeling and devotion of his devotees and endows them with knowledge and eternal

bliss.

The last chapter described Baba’s mendicancy and the devotees’ experiences. This

chapter will depict where and how Baba lived, how He slept and how He taught etc.

Baba’s Wonderful Bedstead

Let us first see where and how Baba slept. Mr. Nanasaheb Dengale brought a

wooden plank for Sai Baba about 4 cubits in length and only a span in breadth to be used

for sleeping. Instead of keeping the plank on the floor and then sleeping on it, Baba tied it

like a swing to the rafters of the masjid with old shreds of rags and commenced to sleep upon it.

The rags were so thin and worn out, it was astonishing how they could support

the weight of the plank itself, let alone the weight of Baba. But somehow, it was Baba’s

sheer leela that the worn out rags sustained the plank, as well as the weight of Baba. On

the four corners of this plank, Baba lit panatis (earthen lamps), one at each corner, and

kept them burning the whole night. It was a sight to see - Baba sitting or sleeping on this

plank! It was a wonder to all how Baba was able to get up and down on this plank! Baba

had all the eight siddhis (powers) at His command, but He never practiced nor craved

them. They came to Him naturally, as a result of His perfection. Out of curiosity, many

observers kept a watch over the process of mounting and dismounting the plank, but none

succeeded in actually observing this astonishing feat. Crowds began to increase to try to

view this unusual act, so finally, one day, Baba broke the plank into pieces and threw it

away.

Sagun Manifestation of Brahma

Sai Baba may have looked like a man, three cubits and a half in length, but He

dwelt in the hearts of all. Inwardly, He was unattached, indifferent and disinterested, but

outwardly, He looked after the public welfare and He appeared full of desires for the sake

of His devotees. His inner state was an abode of peace, yet outwardly, He appeared

restless. Inwardly, He existed in the state of Brahma and loved adwaita (union or monism),

but outwardly, He appeared entangled with the world and could even act, at times, like a

devil. Sometimes He looked upon everyone with affection, and at other times, He threw

stones at them. Sometimes He scolded them, while at other times, He embraced them

and was calm, composed, tolerant and well balanced. He abided, and was ever engrossed

in the Self, and was well disposed towards His bhaktas. He always sat in one asan and

never traveled. His ‘dand’ was a small stick which He always carried in His hand. He was

calm, being thought free. He never cared for wealth and fame, and lived on begging. Such

was the life He led. He always uttered ‘Allah Malik’ (God is the real owner). Complete and

never ending was His love for the bhaktas. He was a store house for Self-knowledge and

was full of divine bliss. Such was the divine form of Sai Baba, boundless, endless and

undifferentiated. The sole principle which envelopes the whole universe (from a stone

pillar to Brahma) was incarnated in Sai Baba. Fortunate and meritorious people received

this treasure in their hands, while those people who, not knowing the real worth of Sai

Baba, taking Him to be a man, a mere human being, were miserable indeed.

His Stay in Shirdi and Probable Birth Date

None knew or know the parents and exact birth date of Sai Baba, but it can be

approximately determined by His stay in Shirdi. Baba first came to Shirdi when he was 

a young lad of sixteen and stayed there for three years. Then He suddenly disappeared, and

after some time, appeared in the state of Nizam near Aurangabad when, at the age of

twenty, He returned to Shirdi with the marriage party of Chand Patil.

Since then, He stayed in Shirdi continuously for a period of sixty years, after which,

Baba took His mahasamadhi in the year 1918. From this we can say that the year of

Baba’s birth is approximately 1838 A.D.

Baba’s Mission and Advice

Saint Ramadas (1608-1681) flourished in the 17th century and fulfilled, to a great

extent, his mission of protecting cows and Brahmins from the tortures of the Yavanas

(Mohammedans), but within the next two centuries, the split between the two communities

- Hindus and Mohammedans - widened again and Sai Baba came to bridge the gulf. His

constant advice to all was to this effect. “Rama (the God of the Hindus) and Rahim (the

God of the Mohammedans) are one and the same. There was not the slightest difference

between them. Why, then, should their devotees quarrel among themselves? Let all the

people, both ignorant and wise, as well as children, join hands and bring both these

communities together. May they act sanely and thus create national unity. As it is not

good to dispute and argue, may everyone live harmoniously together, never emulating bad

actions, but rather, practicing consideration for the welfare of all. The Lord will bestow His

divine protection. Yoga, sacrifice, penance, and knowledge are the means to attain God.

If you do not succeed in this by any of these means, vain is your birth. If anyone does any

evil unto you, DO NOT RETALIATE. If you can do anything, DO SOME GOOD UNTO

OTHERS.” This, in short, was Sai Baba’s advice to all and this will stand in good stead

both in material and spiritual matters.

Sai Baba as Satguru

There are gurus and gurus. There are many so called gurus who go about from

house to house with symbols and veena in their hands, making a show of their spirituality.

They blow mantras into the ears of their disciples and extract money from them. They

profess to teach piety and religion to their disciples, but are themselves impious and

irreligious. Sai Baba never thought of making the least show of his worth (piety). Body

consciousness He had none, but He had great love for the disciples. There are two kinds

of gurus (1) ‘niyat’ (appointed or fixed) and (2) ‘aniyat’ (unappointed or general). The

aniyat guru’s advice develops good qualities in us, purifies our hearts and sets us on the

path of salvation, but contact with a niyat guru, dispels our sense of difference and

establishes us in unity by making us realize “Thou are that”. There are various gurus who

impart to us various kinds of worldly knowledge, but he who fixes us in our true nature

(Self) and carries us beyond the ocean of worldly existence, is the satguru. Sai Baba was

such a satguru. His greatness is indescribable. If anyone went to take His darshan, He,

without being asked, would give every detail of that person’s past, present and future life.

Baba saw divinity in all beings. Friends and foes were alike to Him. Disinterested and

equal balanced, He obliged the evil doers. He was the same in prosperity and adversity.

No doubt ever touched Him. Though He possessed a human body, He was not in the least

attached to His body. Though He looked embodied, He was really disembodied, i.e. free in

this very life.

Blessed are the people of Shirdi who worshiped Sai as their God. While eating,

drinking, working in their backyards and fields, and doing various household work, they

always remembered Sai and sang His glory. They knew no other God but Sai. How to

speak of the love, and the sweet- ness of the love, of the women of Shirdi? They were

quite ignorant, but their pure love inspired them to compose poems or songs in their simple

language. Letters or learning - had they none, still, one can discern real poetry in their

simple songs. It is not intelligence, but LOVE that inspires real poetry as such. Real

poetry is the manifestation of true love, and this can be seen and appreciated by sensitive,

intelligent listeners.

Baba’s Humility

The Lord, or Bhagavan, is said to have six qualities, viz. 1) fame, 2) wealth, 3)

non-attachment, 4) knowledge, 5) grandeur, and 6) generosity. Baba had all these in

Him. He incarnated in flesh for the sake of bhaktas. How wonderful was His grace and

kindness! He drew the devotees to Him, for how else could one have known Him! For the

sake of His bhaktas, Baba spoke such words as the Goddess of Speech dare not utter.

Here is an example. Baba spoke very humbly as follows, “Slaves of slaves, I am you

debtor. I am satisfied at your darshan. It is a great favor that I saw your feet. I am an

insect in your excreta. I consider myself blessed thereby.” What humility is this? If anyone

would think that by publishing this, any disrespect is shown to Sai, we beg His pardon and

to atone for such, we sing and chant Baba’s name.

Though Baba seemed outwardly to enjoy sense objects, He had not the least

interest in them, nor even the consciousness of enjoying them. Though He ate, He had no

reaction to taste, and though He had sight, He never felt any interest in what He saw.

Regarding passion, He was as perfect a celibate as Hanuman. He was not attached to

anything. He was pure consciousness. In short, He was disinterested, free and perfect. 

A striking instance may be cited in illustration of this statement.

Nanavalli

There was in Shirdi, a very quaint and queer fellow named Nanavalli. He looked

after Baba’s work and affairs. He once approached Baba, who was seated on His gadi

(seat) and asked Him to get up, as he wanted to occupy the same. Baba at once got up

and left the seat which He had occupied. After sitting there awhile, Nanavalli got up and

asked Baba to take back His seat. Baba then took back His seat and Nanavalli fell at His

feet and then went away. Baba did not show the slightest displeasure in being dictated to

and ousted.

This Nanavalli loved Baba so much that he breathed his last on the thirteenth day of

Baba’s mahasamadhi.

The Easiest Path: Hearing the Stories of the Saints and Being in Their Company

Though Sai Baba acted outwardly like an ordinary man, His actions showed

extraordinary intelligence and skill. Whatever He did, was done for the good of His

devotees. He never prescribed any asan, regulation of breathing, or any rites to His

bhaktas, nor did He blow any mantra into their ears. He told them to leave off all

cleverness and always remember “Sai” “Sai”. “If you did that,” He said, “all your shackles

would be removed and you would be free.” Sitting between five fires, sacrifices, chantings,

and eight fold yoga are possible for Brahmins only. They are of no use to other classes.

The function of the mind is to think; it cannot remain without thinking for even a

minute. If you give it a sense object, it will think about the sense object.

If you give it guru, it will think about guru.

As one listens attentively to the leelas revealing the greatness and grandeur of Sai,

it becomes quite natural to remember Sai and perform worship and kirtan. Hearing the

stories of the saints is not as difficult as the other sadhanas mentioned above. These

stories remove all fear of this samsar (worldly existence) and take us on the spiritual path.

So listen to these stories, meditate on them, and assimilate them. If this is done, one

will become pure and holy. You may attend to your worldly duties, but give your

mind to Sai and His stories, and then He is sure to bless you. This is the easiest

path, but why don’t all take it? The reason is that without God’s grace we do not get

the desire to listen to the stories of saints. With God’s grace, everything is smooth and easy, 

so pray to be given that grace.

Hearing the stories of the saints is, in a way, keeping their company. The

importance of the company of saints is indeed very great. It removes our body

consciousness and egoism, destroys completely the chain of our birth and death, cuts

asunder all the knots of the heart, and takes us to God, who is pure consciousness. It

certainly increases our non-attachment to sense objects and makes us quite indifferent to

pleasure and pain, and leads us on the spiritual path. If you have no other sadhana, such

as chanting God’s name, worship or devotion, etc., but if you take refuge in the saints

wholeheartedly, they will carry you safely across the ocean of worldly existence. It is for

this reason that saints manifest themselves in this world. Even sacred rivers, such as the

Ganges, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri etc. which wash away the sins of the world, desire

the saints to purify them by coming to them for a bath. Such is the grandeur of the saints.

It is on account of the store of merits in past births that we have attained the feet of Sai

Baba.

We conclude this chapter with meditation on Sai’s form. He, the beautfiul and

handsome Sai, standing on the edge of the masjid and distributing udi to all the bhaktas for

their welfare, thinks the world as naught. He is ever engrossed in supreme bliss. Before

Him, we humbly prostrate ourselves.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all