Shirdi Sai BABA, is a God, who walked on earth and runs to the rescue of the devotees who think of Him in earnest. One may think him to be a saint, servant of God, Fakir, a mad person, but to those whose lives have been touched by this loving grace - for them Shirdi Sai BABA is the ultimate God. In present circumstances, many external forces disturb man, be it at work, home or country, but still he carries on unperturbed because he lives in "HOPE". As BABA assured His devotees "Believe Me, though I pass away, My bones in My tomb will give you HOPE and CONFIDENCE. Not only Myself but My tomb would be speaking, moving and communicating with those who would surrender themselves whole-heartedly to Me. Do not be anxious that I would be absent from you. You will hear My bones speaking and discussing your welfare. But remember Me always, believe in Me heart and soul and then you will be most benefited". Surprisingly enough people seem to be seeking comfort in Sai philosophies. Hence when visiting Sai temples in India especially on a Thursday one finds serpentine lines of people waiting to have a glimpse of merciful face of BABA impervious to the weather and physical conditions. A number of Sai temples have sprung everywhere, and one hears of Sai Satsangs and Utsavs. Social Psychologists would have classed this act as Mob Hysteria, where one sheep follows the other sheep. Well, for me the simple explanation would be - if noble and literate persons, scientists, laureates, gnanis, and other pious men follow Sai, then there ought to be something special about HIM. And with the divine experiences that showed His presence in my life, I would not care less what others think of me, I am delighted and consider it an honour to be included in that group which considers SAI as ULTIMATE.
I always did pray to God because my grandmother believed and worshiped god twice a day, so did my parents and hence I developed the HABIT of believing in GOD, as was expected of me. I did not like to disappoint anybody. But my HABIT converted to belief gradually as Sai BABA came into my life in 1989; I went to Shirdi for the first time, accompanied by my brothers, mother, aunt and her daughter. This was a first visit for all of us. There were two incidents that happened that were explained to me later by my father that made me tremble with untold emotions.
1. After attending kakad aarti, I was waiting in front of Gurusthan to burn incense, so I asked my brother to buy the incense for me, while I said I would wait there. As there was nobody around, I sat on the bench opposite the Gurusthan. After few minutes, I saw this well dressed man, in Pants and Shirt tucked in and big mustache and a briefcase in his hand, singing some song (probably a bhajan), come towards me. He opened his briefcase and took something out in his hand, and extended the same towards me and said "ye lo, BABA ko Chadda dho" (here, take this and offer to BABA), I took it from him saw that it was incense (sambrani) and burnt it in the bowl. The coincidence did not seem significant to me. The man went round the Gurusthan and was not seen again.
2. Later in the day all of us went around Shirdi, my dad who had been there before told us about the important things to be seen. I was looking for this masjid, which he asked me not to miss seeing. I assumed it would be away from the samadhi mandir and set about looking for it. Then we gave up and were walking towards the hotel and passing through Gurusthan, when a small boy came and said "masjid nahi dhekey, peechey hain naa. Jakey dheko". HE was clearly addressing us, I was too arrogant and though what audacity, this urchin tells me what to see! And of course, we ignored him and walked on our way.
After returning home I explained to my dad, how there was no masjid and no idol of the lion. And I told him about two incidents; it was then that my dad explained the significance of incidents. Well, can you imagine what went through my mind? I was overwhelmed with emotions, I was touched that GOD came to make our Shirdi trip a memorable one, and in my ignorance I have failed to recognize Him. Mind you I have never before worshiped Him. My father asked me to read Sai Satcharita, which describes the life and teachings of Sai BABA. I read Sai Satcharita for the first time. Needless to say I loved reading the book and came to know about the power of this simple Fakir.
I started worshiping Shirdi Sai BABA. I needed His HELP, quite desperately to pass my PG, find a good husband, so every Thursday evening I made it a point to ask my younger brother to take me to Sai BABA temple in Ranigunj, on the way to Airport. I can recall my brothers anger for making him do this, he would stay outside the temple while I went in and did my pleadings and read the list of my wishes to BABA, lest should HE forget me, in the chaos of so many devotees thronging to Him. Surprisingly HE DID FULFILL ALL MY WISHES! Well this isn't like normal God. Like out of 10 items in my wish list I thought probably 1 or if I were lucky 2 would be fulfilled. But HE is amazing! HE did fulfill all my wishes!
I had many instances of His presence in my life, but still out of ignorance I always TOLD Him WHAT HE SHOULD DO FOR ME. After all I thought I knew what is best for me, and what my needs are. But BABA as always the merciful, gave me more than I asked for and always KNEW what was best for me and decided accordingly. It is BABA always holding our hand and guiding us when we are so distant and away from our relatives. At times I panic thinking what would my condition be, if BABA were not there for me? But BABA the kind mother is always there at every turn of my life and has kept his promise to his devotees when he said "Those who are fortunate and whose demerits have vanished; take to My worship. If you always say 'Sai, Sai' I shall take you over the seven seas; believe in these words, and you will be certainly benefited. I do not need any paraphernalia of worship - either eight-fold or sixteen-fold. I rest there where there is full devotion"(13th Chapter).
It is true that one need not do penance, yoga, yagna to worship BABA. I never followed any rules in worshiping Him; I do parayana when I feel like doing it. I do not wait to start it on a Thursday. For instance, in February 2001, I was not keeping well, so I resolved that I would do Sai Satcharita Parayana, for as times as I could possibly do, so I started it on Tuesday. I kept reading it continuously every week. I started to feel better. While doing parayana I happened to attend Eshwaramba day Ceremony, celebrated on 6th June, I was mentally disturbed and sought BABA's guidance, I asked Him "please give me a message, on mothers day, you are my mother, take care of me, give me peace". With this thought in mind I went forward to take vibhudhi, I saw Satcharita placed near Footstool of BABA. Isn't this a magnificent coincidence, I understood by this gesture that He wanted me to continue Parayana of Sai Satcharita. Well, I haven't stopped reading Satcharita since then.
Benefits of reading Sai Satcharita are many. I will give you my personal instances. I am very short tempered, arrogant person. I am bluntly frank and outright, to the point of hurting people. I go through a roller coaster of emotions, I am easily elated and on the high and the next moment, I am hurt with some casual remark. I envied those people who were indifferent to things around them, were always balanced and did not show any emotions (though they wanted to stick a knife into me, never once showed that feeling). Had I written a book on "HOW TO MAKE ENEMIES IN 5 MINUTES", it would have been a best seller. But from the time I have started parayana, I can notice the changes in me. Now I have become, quite tolerable to be around. I do not retaliate and surprisingly, my anger seems to have been suppressed. I respect others opinion. I do not jump to conclusions. In short I have attained a sense of balance, now I do not go through the roller coaster anymore. I have become assertive, without hurting others, to the surprise of my friends!
There are many instances where I have proposed tests to BABA, yes, what an audacity! On Guru poornima, 5th July 2001, I wanted BABA to give me Udhi, I did not care how He did it, but I said, "if you love me as your daughter, I want you to give me Udhi'. We finished bhajans and aarthi, and I was looking at BABA's picture accusingly as He did not keep His end of bargain. As this thought crossed my mind, one of the devotees, came forward and gave me a packet of Udhi, he said, He had been to Shirdi when he went to India, and returned on Sunday, and he picked up the packet on his way to Bhajan! Recently during Christmas break we were holidaying when BABA saved us from a major accident. There are many stories of His presence in my life; there is no end to it. But I would like to share something with you all that has touched me dearly - I was looking for Telugu lunar calendar which has all the festivals marked on it. I was browsing the net in second week of December, when I came across this beautiful calendar with BABA's pictures in http://www.saibaba.org/ I was totally taken with the calendar, as it was just what I was looking for. But as it had only till December 2001, I thought I would wait till New Year when they would have for 2002 and then print it off. I thought it would be a blessing to begin New Year with BABA. On the eve of New Year we were having a party, and one of the families, whom I have seen only on one occasion earlier at community functions, had come to attend. He gave me folded papers in my hand, and said he got it from Shirdi when he went to India and wanted to give it to me. It was a Telugu lunar Calendar with BABA's beautiful pictures on it for every month. Now tell me, what can I ask from My Almighty, who knows and anticipates all my needs and subtly pulls me deeper into the whirlpool filled with HIS divine love.
Another thing that I discovered was that when one seeks for HIS guidance with sincerity, HE delivers it in some form or the other through our peers, colleagues, friends and strangers, through Sai Satcharita, and He leaves it to our discretion to recognize Him and His work. I am sure you would all identify with this. BABA said "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 seated in their hearts. I envelope all the creatures, the movable and immovable world" (3rd Chapter). Any thought I had regarding BABA, is known to Him, otherwise how would He confirm my faith in Him, by arranging the incidents confirming His presence in my life. Every incident that BABA provided in my life taught me a lesson, about humility, tolerance, and universal love. I strongly believe that what ever in happening in my life is destined and ordained by him.
Like most of the Sai Devotees, for me, Satcharita is a Bible, Quran, Geeta, essence of all the scriptures, and teachings of all the Gods. It describes in very simple terms the conduct of a man, who is to achieve God realization, with appropriate examples and parables. It is very easy to understand as we can liken those examples to the every day incidents in our life. It was not just Das Ganu who received the practical demonstration of the Isha Upanishad as described in 20th Chapter, but each one of us gets such experiences when we ask with sincerity. As BABA said "If you spread your palms with devotion before Me, I am immediately with you, day and night. Though, I am here bodily, still I know what you do beyond the seven seas. Go wherever you will, over the wide world, I am with you. My abode is in your heart and I am within you. Always worship Me, Who is seated in your heart, as well as, in the hearts of all beings, Blessed and fortunate, indeed, is he who knows Me thus" (15th Chapter).
Well BABA did teach me a lot; I have made some mistakes in my life. But they were lessons, which BABA provided for me, He wanted me to learn from my mistakes, to avoid making further mistakes in my life. Boy! Did I learn from them, you bet, now I think twice before I act? I have also learnt to be content with what BABA has given me. I follow and accept BABA's dictum "What is ours (whether good or bad) is with us, and what is another's is with him". For I always feel that when I ask BABA for things that others have, I will also be asking their problems and misfortunes too. No thank you, I am content with what He has provided for me, I have enough problems of my own consequence of previous deeds, and would not like to add what others have to my list of problems!
In short Sai Satcharita is my book of rules. I find solution to my problems and guidance through Sai Satcharita. In fact I feel BABA has instructed Anna Saheb, to write this holy book which would hold the answers to everything that Sai devotees are looking for. All we have to do is read it with our heart rather than mind, we will find meaning of our life and reason why we are born and all solutions to our problems. May BABA protect and guide us all through this life and be with us all the time.
Sairam
Saibandhu Anitha
Back to Home page
Sai Sandesh
Details of Next Bhajan
Stotras And Slokams
Articles on Sai Philosophy
