Prasad Yachana – SHRI SAI SATCHARITA

|| Aum Sai Ram || Aum Sai Para Brahmanaa Namah ||

Prasad-Yachana

We close this with prayer to the Almighty for the following Prasad of favour:

May the readers and devotees have complete and whole-hearted surrender and devotion at Sai’s Feet. May His form be ever fixed in their eyes and may they see Sai (the Lord) in all beings. Amen!

SAI AARATI 

“Shree Sachidananda Sadguru Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai

Aarati Sai Baba Saukya datara jeeva charana rajataali
Dyava dasa visava bhakta visava (Aarati Sai Baba…)

Jaaluni aananga swaswa rooopi rahe danga moo mooksha jana dani
Nija dolaa sri ranga dolaa sri ranga (Aarati Sai Baba…)

Jaya mani jaisa bhava, taya taisa anubhava daavisi daya ghana
Aisi tuji he mava tuji hi mava (Aarti Sai Baba…)

Tumache nama dyata, hari samskruti vyada agaada tavakarani
Maarga davisi anaada davisi anaada (Aarti Sai Baba…)

Kaliyugi avataara saguna para brahma sachara avateerna jalase
Swami dattaa digambara dattaa digambara (Aarti Sai Baba…)

Ata divasa guru vaari bhakta kariti vaari prabhu pada pahavaya
Bhava baya nivaari bayaa nivaari (Aarti Sai Baba…)

Maja nija dravya teva tava charana raja seva
Maagave hechi aata tuma devaadi deva devadi deva (Aarti Sai Baba…)

Ichita dina chaataka nirmala toya nija sooka
Pajave madhavaya sambala apooli baaka apooli baaka (Aarti Sai Baba…)

Saukya dataara jeeva charana rajataali
Dyava dasa visava bhakta visava (Aarati Sai Baba…)”

Aarati to Shri Sai Baba

“Oh Sai Baba, we wave lights before You, the bestower of happiness to the Jivas. Give us – Your servants and devotees rest under the dust of Your feet, burning (destroying) desires. You remain absorbed in Your Self, and show the Lord (God) to the aspirants. As one feels intently for You, You give him experiences or realizations accordingly. Oh kind-hearted, Your power is such! Meditation on Your name removes our fear of the Sansar. Your method of work is really unfathomable as You always help the poor and helpless. In this Kali age, You – the all-pervasive Datta, have Incarnated as Saguna Brahma. Ward off the fear of Sansar of the devotees, who come to You every Thursday, so as to enable them to see the Feet of the Lord. Oh! God of Gods, I pray that, let my treasure be the service of Your Feet. Feed Madhav (the composer of this aarati) with happiness as the cloud feeds the Chatak bird with pure water, and thus keep up Your Word. Amen !”

– SHRI SAI SATCHARITA 

|| Aum Sai Sharnam || May Peace Be To All 🙂 _/\_||

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Epilogue (Fala-Shruti) – Blessed Gyan 241

|| Aum Sai Ram || Aum Sai Para Brahmanaa Namah ||

Fala-Shruti (Reward of Study)

“Now, a few words about the reward you get, from this work. After bathing in the sacred Godavari and after taking the darshan of the Samadhi in the Samadhi Mandir at Shirdi, you should read or hear the Satcharita. If you do this all your threefold afflictions will vanish.

Casually thinking about the stories of Sai, you will get interested in spiritual life, and if you go through it with love and reverance, all your sins will be destroyed. If you wish to get rid of the cycle of births and deaths, read Sai stories and remember Him always; and get yourself devoted to His Feet. If you dive into the sea of Sai’s stories, and then give them out to others, you will get an ever-new flavour of them and save the hearers from future misery. If you go on meditating on Sai’s Form, it will, in course of time, lead you into self-realization.

It is very hard to know or realize the nature of Self or Brahma, but if you approach through the Sagun Brahma (Sai’s Form) your progress will be easy. If the devotee completely surrenders himself to Him, he will lose his individual ego and be merged in Him and be one with Him, as the river becomes one with the sea. If you thus become merged with Him in any of the three states, viz., waking, dream and sleep, you get rid of the bond of Sansar.

If anybody, after bathing, reads this with love and faith, and completes it within a week, his calamities will disappear; or if he hears or reads it daily and regularly, all his dangers will be warded off. He will get the reward according to his faith and devotion. Without these, there will be no experience of any kind. If you read this with reverence, Sai will be pleased, and by removing your ignorance and poverty, will give you knowledge, wealth and prosperity.

With concentrated mind, if you read a Chapter daily, it will give you unbounded happiness. One, who has his own welfare at heart, should study it carefully and then, he will ever remember Sai gratefully and joyfully in birth after birth. This work should be read at home specially on Guru Pournima (Ashadha full-moon day), Gokul Ashtami, Ram Navami and Dasara (Baba’s Punyatithi). If you study this one book carefully, all your desires will be satisfied, and if you always remember Sai’s Feet in your heart, you will easily cross the Bhava (worldly illusions) Sagar. By its study, the diseased and sick will get health, the poor wealth, the mean and afflicted prosperity, and the mind will get rid of all futile ideas and get steadiness.

Dear devoted readers and listeners,

we also bow to you all, and make you a special request. Never forget Him, whose stories you have read day by day or month by month. The more fervently you read or listen to these stories, the more encouragement Sai gives us to serve you and be of use to you. Both the author and the readers must co-operate in this work, help each other and be happy.”

– SHRI SAI SATCHARITRA (Epilogue)

|| Aum Sai Sharnam || May Peace Be To All ||

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Epilogue – Blessed Gyan 240

|| Aum Sai Ram || Aum Sai Para Brahmanaa Namah ||

Epilogue

“We have done with Chapter 51 and now, we come to the last Chapter (No. 52 in the original). In this Hemadpant gave his concluding remarks and promised to give an index, giving the contents of all the Chapters in verse as is given in Marathi sacred books, but unfortunately that index was not found in Hemadpant’s papers. It was therefore, composed and supplied by an able and worthy devotee of Sai Baba, Mr. B.V. Dev (Retired Mamlatdar) of Thana.

As we give in English books an index in the beginning and contents of each Chapter at its top, we need not consider the last Chapter as index here; and so, we consider this Chapter as the Epilogue. Unfortunately, Hemadpant did not survive to revise the manuscript of this Chapter and make it ready for the press. When it was sent to the press Mr. Dev found it to be incomplete and unintelligible in certain places, but it had to be published as it was found. The main topics dealt therein are briefly given below.

Greatness of Sadguru Sai

We prostrate ourselves before and take refuge in that Sai Samarth, Who besets all animate and inanimate things in the universe – Who pervades all creatures equally without any differentiation, to Whom all devotees are alike and Who knows not honour and dishonour, like or dislike. If we remember Him and surrender to Him, He fulfils all our wishes and makes us attain the goal of life.

This ocean of mundane existence is very hard to cross. Waves of attachments beat high against the bank of bad thoughts and break down trees of fortitude. The breeze of egoism blows force and makes the ocean rough and agitated. Crocodiles in the form of anger and hatred move there fearlessly. Eddies in the form of the idea “I and Mine” and other doubts whirl there incessantly, and innumerable fishes in the form of censure, hate and jealousy play there, Though, this ocean is so fierce and terrible, Sadguru Sai is its Agasti (Destroyer) and the devotees of Sai have the least fear of it. Our Sadguru is the boat, which will safely take us across this ocean.

Prayer

Now, we fall before Sai Baba and holding His Feet make the following prayer for the public; Let not our mind wander and desire anything except Thee. Let this work (Satcharita) be in every house and let it be studied daily. Let it ward off the calamities of those, who study it regularly with reverence.”

– SHRI SAI SATCHARITRA (Epilogue)

|| Aum Sai Sharnam || May Peace Be To All ||

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Baba’s Darbar People – Blessed Gyan 239

|| Aum Sai Ram || Aum Sai Para Brahmanaa Namah ||

Balaram Dhurandhar (1878-1925)

“Mr. Balaram Dhurandhar, belonged to the Pathare Prabhu community, of Santacruz, Mumbai. He was an advocate of the Mumbai High Court and sometime Principal of the Government Law School, Mumbai. The whole Dhurandhar family was pious and religious. Mr. Balaram served his community and wrote and published an account of it. He then turned his attention to spiritual and religious matters. He studied Gita carefully, and its commentary Dnyaneshwari and other philosophical and metaphysical works. He was a devotee of Vithoba of Pandharpur. He came in contact with Sai Baba in 1912. Six months earlier, his brothers Babulji and Vamanrao came to Shirdi and took Baba’s darshan. They returned home, and mentioned their sweet experiences to Balaram and other members. Then, they all decided to see Sai Baba. Before they came to Shirdi, Baba declared openly that, “Today many of my Darbar-people are coming.” The Dhurandhar brothers were astonished to hear this remark of Baba, from others, as they had not given any previous intimation of their trip. All the other people prostrated themselves before Baba, and sat talking to Him. Baba said to them, “These are my Darbar-people, whom I referred to before” and said to the Dhurandhar brothers, “We have been with each other for the last sixty generations.” All the brothers were gentle and modest, they stood with joined hands, looking at Baba’s Feet.

All the Sattwic emotions, such as tears, choking, etc., moved them and they were all happy. Then, they went to their lodging, took their meals and after taking a little rest again came back to the Masjid. Balaram sat near Baba, massaging His Legs. Baba, Who was smoking a Chillim, advanced it towards him and beckoned him to smoke it. Balaram was not accustomed to smoking, still he accepted the pipe, smoked it with great difficulty, and returned it reverentially. This was the most auspicious moment for Balaram. He was suffering from Asthma for six years. This smoke completely cured him of the disease, which never troubled him again. Some six years later, on a particular day, he again got an attack of Asthma. This was precisely the time, when Baba took His Mahasamadhi.

The day of this visit was a Thursday, and the Dhurandhar brothers had the good fortune of witnessing the Chavadi procession that night. At the Arati-function in the Chavadi, Balaram saw the glow of Pandurang on Baba’s face and next morning at the Kakad-Arati time, the same phenomenon – the same lustre of the Beloved Deity – Pandurang was visible again on Baba’s face.

Mr. Balaram Dhurandhar wrote, in Marathi, the life of the Maharashtra Saint Tukaram, but did not survive to see its publication. It was published, later on by his brothers in 1928. In a short note on Balaram’s life given in the beginning of the book, the above account of Balaram’s visit has been fully corroborated (Vide page 6 of the book).”

– SHRI SAI SATCHARITRA (Chapter L)

|| Aum Sai Sharnam || May Peace Be To All ||

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On doership, pride & ego – Blessed Gyan 238

|| Aum Sai Ram || Aum Sai Para Brahmanaa Namah ||

Shri Tembe Swami

“We come to the next story, which shows, how Saints love each other with fraternal affection. Once Shri Vasudevanand Saraswati, known as Shri Tembe Swami encamped, at Rajamahendri (Andhra Country), on the banks of the Godavari. He was a devout, orthodox, Dnyani and Yogi Bhakta of the Dattatreya. One, Mr. Pundalikrao, pleader of Nanded (Nizam State) went to see him, with some friends. While they were talking with him, the names of Shirdi and Sai Baba were casually mentioned. Hearing Baba’s name, the Swami joined hands with reverence and taking a coconut gave it to Pundalikrao, and said to him, “Offer this to my brother Sai, with my Pranam and request Him not to forget me, but ever love me.” He also added that, Swamis do not generally bow to others, but in this case an exception had to be made. Mr. Pundalikrao consented to take the coconut and his message to Baba. The Swami was right in calling Baba a brother, for as he maintained an Agnihotra (sacred fire) day and night, in his orthodox fashion, Baba too kept His Agnihotra, i.e., Dhuni ever burning in the Masjid.

After one month Pundalikrao and others left for Shirdi with the coconut, and reached Manmad, and as they felt thirsty they went to a rivulet for drinking water. As water should not be drunk on an empty stomach, they took out some refreshments, i.e., Chivda (flattened rice mixed with spice). The Chivda tasted most pungent and in order to soften it, as someone suggested, broke the coconut and mixed its scrapings with it. Thus, they made the Chivda mare tasty and palatable. Unfortunately the coconut, turned out to be the same, that was entrusted to Pundalikrao. As they neared Shirdi, Pundalikrao remembered the trust, i.e., the coconut and was very sorry to learn that it was broken and consumed.

He came to Shirdi and saw Baba. Baba had already received a wireless message, regarding the coconut, from Tembe Swami, and Himself asked Pundalikrao first to give the thing sent by His brother. He held fast Baba’s Feet, confessed his guilt and negligence, repented and asked for Baba’s pardon. He offered to give another fruit as a substitute, but Baba refused to accept it, saying that the worth of that coconut was far more than that of an ordinary one, and that it could not be replaced by another. Baba also added, “Now, you need not worry yourself any more about the matter. It was on account of my wish that the coconut was entrusted to you, and ultimately broken on the way; why should you take the responsibility of the actions on you? Do not entertain the sense of doership in doing good, as well as for bad deeds; be entirely prideless and egoless in all things and thus your spiritual progress will be rapid.” What a beautiful spiritual instruction Baba gave!”

– SHRI SAI SATCHARITRA (Chapter L)

|| Aum Sai Sharnam || May Peace Be To All ||

|| Happy and Blessed Baba’s Day To All  🙂 _/\_ ||

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When you are Baba’s man – Blessed Gyan 237

|| Aum Sai Ram || Aum Sai Para Brahmanaa Namah ||

“It is a well-established fact that, though we try hundreds of means or Sadhanas, we do not attain the spiritual goal of life, unless a Sadguru blesses us with his grace. Hear the following story in illustration of this statement:

Kakasaheb Dixit (1864-1926)

Mr. Hari Sitaram alias Kakasaheb Dixit was born in 1864, in a Vadnagara Nagar in a Brahmin-family, at Khandwa (Central Province). His primary education was done at Khandwa, Hinganghat, and secondary education at Nagpur. He came to Mumbai for higher education and studied first in the Wilson College and then in the Elphinstone College. After graduation in 1883, he passed his LL.B. and solicitor’s examinations; and then served in the firm of the Govt. Solicitors, Messrs Little and Co., and then after sometime started a solicitors’ firm of his own.

Before 1909, Sai Baba’s name was not familiar to Kakasaheb, but after that he soon became His great devotee. While he was staying at Lonavla, he happened to see his old friend. Mr. Nanasaheb Chandorkar. Both spent some time, in talking about many things. Kakasaheb described to him, how while he was boarding a train in London, he met with an accident, in which his foot slipped and was injured. Hundreds of remedies gave him no relief. Nanasaheb then told him that if he wished to get rid of the pain and lameness of his leg, he should go to his Sadguru – Sai Baba. He also gave him all the particulars of Sai Baba and mentioned to him Sai Baba’s dictum, “I draw to Me My man from far off, or even across the seven seas, like a sparrow with a string fastened to its feet.” He also made it clear to him that if he was not Baba’s man, he would not be attracted to Him and given a darshan. Kakasaheb was pleased to hear all this and said to Nanasaheb that he would go to Baba, see Him and pray to Him to cure not so much his lame leg, but bring round his lame, fickle mind and give him eternal Bliss.

Some time after, Kakasaheb went to Ahmednagar, and stayed with Sirdar Kakasaheb Mirikar in connection with securing votes for a seat in the Mumbai Legislative Council. Mr. Balasaheb Mirikar, son of Kakasaheb Mirikar, who was a Mamalatdar of Kopergaon, also came at that time to Ahmednagar in connection with a horse-exhibition there. After the election business was over, Kakasaheb Dixit wanted to go to Shirdi and both the Mirikars, father and son were also thinking about a fit and proper person, as a guide, with whom he should be sent there. There Sai Baba was arranging things for his reception. Shama got a telegram from his father-in-law at Ahmednagar stating that, his wife was seriously ill, and that, he should come to see her with his wife. Shama with Baba’s permission went there, and saw his mother-in-law and found her improving and better. Nanasaheb Panse and Appasaheb Gadre happened to see Shama, on their way to the exhibition and they told him to go to Mirikar’s house, see Kakasaheb Dixit there and take him to Shirdi along with him. Kakasaheb Dixit and the Mirikars were also informed of Shama’s arrival. In the evening, Shama came to Mirikars, who introduced him to Kakasaheb. They arranged that Shama should leave for Kopergaon with Kakasaheb by the 10 O’Clock night train.

After this was settled, a curious thing happened. Balasaheb Mirikar threw aside the veil or covering on Baba’s big portrait and showed the same to Kakasaheb. He was surprised to see that, He, Whom he was going to meet at Shirdi, was already there in the form of His portrait to greet him, at this juncture. He was much moved and made his prostration before the portrait. This portrait belonged to Megha. The glass over it was broken and it was sent to Mirikars for repairs. The necessary repairs had been already made; and it was decided to return the portrait with Kakasaheb and Shama.

Before ten O’Clock, they went to the station and booked their passage; but when the train arrived, they found that the second class was overcrowded; and then there was no room for them. Fortunately, the guard of the train turned out to be an acquaintance of Kakasaheb; and he put them up in the first class. Thus, they travelled comfortably and alighted at Kopergaon. Their joy knew no bounds, when they saw there Nanasaheb Chandorkar, who was also bound for Shirdi. Kakasaheb and Nanasaheb embraced each other, and then after bathing in the sacred Godavari river they started for Shirdi. After coming there and getting Baba’s darshan, Kakasaheb’s mind was melted, his eyes were full of tears and he was overflowing with joy. Baba said to him, that He also was waiting for him, and had sent Shama ahead to receive him.

Kakasaheb then passed many happy years in Baba’s company. He built a Wada in Shirdi which he made as his, more or less, the permanent home. The experiences, he got from Baba, are so manifold, that it is not possible to relate them all here. The readers are advised to read a Special (Kakasaheb Dixit) No. of ‘Shri Sai Leela’ magazine, Vol 12, No. 6-9.

We close this account with the mention of one fact only. Baba had comforted him by saying that in the end, “He will take him in air coach (Viman)”, (i.e., secure him a happy death). This came out true. On the 5th of July 1926, he was travelling in the train with Hemadpant and talking about Sai Baba. He seemed deeply engrossed in Sai Baba. All of a sudden he threw his neck on Hemadpant’s shoulder, and breathed his last with no trace of pain and uneasiness.”

– SHRI SAI SATCHARITRA (Chapter L)

|| Aum Sai Sharnam || May Peace Be To All ||

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The stories of Sai Baba – Blessed Gyan 236

|| Aum Sai Ram || Aum Sai Para Brahmanaa Namah ||

“Chapter 50 of the original Satcharita has been incorporated in Chapter 39, as it dealt with the same subject matter. Now, Chapter 51 of the Satcharita has been treated here as Chapter 50. This Chapter gives the stories of (1) Kakasaheb Dixit (2) Shri Tembe Swami (3) Balaram Dhurandhar.

Chapter L – Preliminary

Victory be unto Sai, Who is the main-stay of the Bhaktas, Who is our Sadguru, Who expounds the meaning of the Gita and Who gives us all powers. Oh Sai, look favourably on us and bless us all.

The sandal-wood trees, grow on the Malaya mountains and ward off heat. The clouds, pour their rain-water and thereby, cool and refresh all the people. The flowers, blossom in the spring and, enable us to worship God, therewith. So, the stories of Sai Baba come forth, in order to give solace and comfort to the readers. Both, those who tell and those, who hear the stories of Baba, are blessed and holy.

It is a well-established fact that, though we try hundreds of means or Sadhanas, we do not attain the spiritual goal of life, unless a Sadguru blesses us with his grace.”

– SHRI SAI SATCHARITRA (Chapter L)

|| Aum Sai Sharnam || May Peace Be To All ||

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On controlling our senses – Blessed Gyan 235

|| Aum Sai Ram || Aum Sai Para Brahmanaa Namah ||

Nanasaheb Chandorkar

“Hemadpant concludes this chapter, with a story of Nanasaheb Chandorkar. When Nanasaheb was once sitting in the Masjid with Mhalasapati and others, a Mohammeden gentlemen from Bijapur came, with his family, to see Baba. On seeing veiled ladies with him, Nanasaheb wanted to go away, but Baba prevented him from doing so. The ladies came and took the darshan of Baba. When one of the ladies removed her veil for saluting Baba’s Feet, Nanasaheb, who had a glimpse of her face, was so much smitten with her beauty that he wished to see her face again. Knowing Nana’s restlessness of mind, Baba spoke to him after the lady had left the place, “Nana, why are you getting agitated in vain? Let the senses do their allotted work or duty, we should not meddle with their work. God had created this beautiful world, and it is our duty to appreciate its beauty. The mind will get steady and calm slowly and gradually. When the front door was open, why go by the back one? When the heart is pure, there is no difficulty, whatsoever. Why should one be afraid of anyone, if there be no evil thought in us? The eyes may do their work, why should you feel shy and tottering?”

Shama was there, and he could not follow the meaning of what Baba said. So, he asked Nana about this on their way home. Nana told him about his restlessness at the sight of the beautiful lady, how Baba knew it and advised him about it. Nana explained Baba’s meaning as follows, “That our mind is fickle by nature, it should not be allowed to get wild. The senses may get restless, the body, however, should be held in check, and not allowed to be impatient. Senses run after objects of desire but we should not follow them and crave for them. By slow and gradual practice restlessness can be conquered. We should not be swayed by the senses, though they cannot be completely controlled. We should curb them rightly and properly, according to the need of the occasion. Beauty is the subject of sight, we may fearlessly look at the beauty of objects. There is no room for shyness or fear. Only, we should never entertain evil thoughts. Making the mind desireless, observe God’s works of beauty. In this way, the senses will be easily and naturally controlled, and even in enjoying objects you will be reminded of God. If the outer senses are not held in check, and if the mind be allowed to run after objects and be attached to them, our cycle of births and deaths will not come to an end. With Vivek (discrimination) as our charioteer, we will control the mind, and shall not allow the senses to go astray. With such a charioteer, we reach the Vishnu-pada, the final abode, our real Home, from where there is no return.” ”

– SHRI SAI SATCHARITRA (Chapter XLIX)

|| Aum Sai Sharnam || May Peace Be To All ||

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On judging Saints – Blessed Gyan 234

|| Aum Sai Ram || Aum Sai Para Brahmanaa Namah ||

Somadev Swami

“Now, hear the story of another man, who came to try Baba. Bhaiji, brother of Kakasaheb Dixit was staying at Nagpur. When he had gone to the Himalayas in 1906, he made an acquaintance with one Somadev Swami of Hardwar at Uttar Kashi, down the Gangotri valley. Both took down each other’s names in their diaries. Five years later Somadev Swami came to Nagpur and was Bhaiji’s guest. There, he was pleased to hear the Leelas of Baba, and a strong desire arose in his mind to go to Shirdi and see Him.

He got a letter of introduction from Bhaiji and left for Shirdi. After passing Manmad and Kopergaon, he took a Tonga and drove to Shirdi. As he came near Shirdi, he saw two flags floating high over the Masjid in Shirdi. Generally, we find different behaviour, different mode of living and different outward paraphernalia with different saints. But, these outward signs should never be our standards to judge the worth of a saint. But, with Somadev Swami it was different. As soon as, he saw the flags flying, he thought, “Why should a saint take a liking for the flags? Does this denote saint-hood? It implies the saint’s hankering after fame.” Thinking thus, he wished to cancel his Shirdi trip and said to his fellow travellers that he would go back. They said to him, “Then, why did you come so far? If your mind became restless by the mere sight of the flags, how much more agitated would you be on seeing the Ratha, the palanquin, the horse and all other paraphernalia in Shirdi?” The Swami got more confounded and said, “Not Sadhus, with horses, palanquins and tom-toms have I seen, and it is better for me to return than visit such a Sadhu.” After saying this he started to return.

The fellow-travellers pressed him not to do so but to proceed. They asked him to stop his inconsistent way of thinking and told him that the Sadhu, i.e., Baba did not care a bit for the flags and other paraphernalia, nor for the name. It was the people, His devotees who, kept up all this paraphernalia out of love and devotion to Him. Finally, he was persuaded to continue his journey, go to Shirdi and see Baba.

When he went and saw Baba from the courtyard, he was melted inside, his eyes were full of tears, his throat was choked, and all his evil and crooked thoughts vanished. He remembered his Guru’s saying that, “That is our abode and place of rest, where the mind is most pleased and settled.” He wished to roll himself in the dust at Baba’s Feet and when he approached Baba, the latter got wild and cried aloud, “Let all our humbug (paraphernalia) be with us, you go back to your home, beware! if you come back to this Masjid. Why take the darshan of One, Who flies a flag over His Masjid? Is this a sign of sainthood? Remain here not a moment.” The Swami was taken aback by surprise. He realised that, Baba read his heart and spoke it out. How Omniscient He was! He knew that, he was least intelligent, and that, Baba was noble and pure. He saw Baba embracing somebody, touching someone with his hand, comforting others, staring kindly at some, laughing at others, giving Udi-Prasad to some, and thus pleasing and satisfying all. Why should he alone be dealt with so harshly? After thinking seriously, he came to realise that, Baba’s conduct responded exactly to his inner thought; and that, he should take a lesson from this and improve; and that Baba’s wrath was a blessing in disguise. It is needless to say that later on, his faith in Baba was confirmed, and he became a staunch devotee of Baba.”

– SHRI SAI SATCHARITRA (Chapter XLIX)

|| Aum Sai Sharnam || May Peace Be To All ||

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Baba answers doubting mind – Blessed Gyan 233

|| Aum Sai Ram || Aum Sai Para Brahmanaa Namah ||

“Now we revert to the stories of this chapter.

Hari Kanoba

A gentleman of Mumbai named Hari Kanoba heard from his friends and relations many Leelas of Baba. He did not believe in them as he had a doubting mind. He wanted to see Baba himself. So, he came to Shirdi with some Mumbai friends. He wore a lace-bordered turban on his head and a new pair of sandals on his feet. On seeing Baba, from a distance he thought of going to Him and prostrating himself before Him. He did not know what to do with his new sandals. After going to one corner in the open courtyard, he placed them there and went in the Masjid and had Baba’s darshan. He made a reverential bow to Baba, took Udi and Prasad from Baba and returned. When he reached the corner he found to his utter dismay, that his sandals had disappeared. He searched for them in vain; and returned to his lodging very much dejected.

He bathed, offered worship and Naivaidya and sat for his meal, but all the while he was thinking about nothing but his sandals. After finishing his meals, he came out to wash his hands when he saw a Maratha boy coming towards him. He held in his hand a stick, at the end of which were hanging a pair of new sandals. He said to the men, who had come out to wash their hands that Baba sent him with this stick in hand and asked him to go on the streets crying, “Hari Ka Beta. Jari Ka Pheta” and that, “If anybody claims these sandals, first assure yourself that, his name is Hari and that he is the son of ‘Ka’, i.e., Kanoba; and that he wears a lace-bordered turban; and then give them over to him.”

On hearing this, Hari Kanoba was pleasantly surprised. He went ahead to the boy and claimed the sandals as his own. He said to the boy that his name was Hari, and that, he was the son of Ka (Kanoba); and showed him his lace-bordered turban. The boy was satisfied and returned the sandals to him. Hari Kanoba wondered in his mind saying that his lace-bordered turban was visible to all, and Baba might have seen it, but how could he know his name Hari and that he was the son of Kanoba, as this was his first trip to Shirdi. He came there with the sole object of testing Baba and with no other motive. He came to know by this incident that, Baba was a great Satpurush. He got what he wanted and returned home well-pleased.”

– SHRI SAI SATCHARITRA (Chapter XLIX)

|| Aum Sai Sharnam || May Peace Be To All ||

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