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Friday 31 December 2010

DAS GANU MAHARAJ - GOD-REALISATION SAKSHATKARA

We have heard about Das Ganu Maharaj a lot. He is one of the apostles of Baba. Baba has chosen His apostles who will go and do the prachar work of Baba.

Das Ganu was the orderly of Nana Saheb Chandorkar. He was in the police service and Das Ganu had lots of experience of Baba, we will recollect such experiences in some future posts, but at present we will restrict ourself at the misfortune of Das Ganu who could not see Baba as a god. He never considered Baba as a god. Years later Das Ganu went to meet a great saint and sought his appointment. The appointment was not given initially as the Saint clearly said “You call yourself a Kirtankar, why then have you ahamkar, The saint further said, “Shall I tell you what kind of Ahamkar you have ? Is not Sai Baba your guru and shall I say what you have done to Him? Did you Sai Baba produce water from his feet and what did you do with it? You sprinkled it on your head but would not drink it because you were a Brahmin and the Ganga was coming from the feet of Baba who is staying in a Masjid. Is this is not Ahamkar. Ganu felt Ashamed.

We can list out a few miracles Baba performed for Das Ganu

1) He thought him the essence of Upanishad through the maid servant of Kaka Saheb Dixit.

2) He made Ganga flow at His feet for the sake of Das Ganu,

3) He got him saved from his fellow constables who were jealous of Das Ganu.

4) He was saved from the clutches of Appa Bhil a dread dacoit

5) He was again saved by Baba in a theft embezzlement case.

We can write many such leelas Baba has done for Das Ganu. This Leela which we are going to see is very important, cus Baba knows the heart of His devotees and never goes out of the way to force a devotee and respects the wishes of His devotees.

Das Ganu wanted a Sakshatkar (Divine Vision) of His Chosen devotee Vithoba of Pandarpur. Das Ganu Maharaj. He is a varkhari of Pandharpur and the idea of Pandarinath, standing on bricks with arms is the idea of God, which is uppermost in his mind.

So Das Ganu requested Baba to give Him Sakshatkar of Vittobha. Baba has asked him to do a seven day reading of Bhagavata, and Das Ganu was ready to do a seven day reading of the book provided Baba assured him of a divine vision or Sakshatkar .

Baba assured Das Ganu that Vittal will appear, but Das Ganu should have intense devotion. Das Ganu read his saptha of Bhagavata; but failed to get sakshatkar.

Das Ganu Maharaj was disappointed and said to Baba that He promised Sakshatkar but He did not get it. Baba advised Him patience. [Baba was evidently waiting for development of the requisite faith and earnestness in D.G.]

In 1916, Bhadrapad, Das Ganu was keen on going to Pandharpur; but Nana Saheb Chandorkar took him to Shirdi and made him perform keertans and was for detaining him there even for Asvin, evidently with Baba’s assent. Das Ganu then taught within himself without saying “How is He a Guru who blocks my way to my God at Pandharpur” (Das Ganu had a Brahmin Guru. He did not deem Baba as his guru)

Baba said to Nana : Nana do not stop him from going to Pandharpur. And Baba gave permission to Das Ganu to go to Pandarpur.

So Das Ganu gladly went to Pandharpur for asvin, as Vittal of Pandaripur alone was God to him and not Baba. Later he returned to Shirdi.

Das Ganu again said to Baba, you have been long putting off request of Sakshatkar. When will you give me sakshatkar? Baba then said I am that Vittal of Pandarpur please see me. I am God. Das Ganu was not satisfied cuz he never considered Baba as Guru or God and said to Baba “I expected you would say so. But I am not satisfied with that.

Das Ganu considered that it was not in his destiny (Prarabdha) to have sakshatkar of God Vittal, as that was what he evidently wanted.

So what do we learn from this. We can learn that Baba was a unique God or Saint who walked on earth. The other previous incarnations of God in this earth left behind books or teachings and requested their followers to follow them. But Baba was a God who never left any teachings encouraged devotees to follow their own gods and religious practices, and never came in the way of his devotees who wanted to follow their own chosen way.

Jai Sri Sai.

For more literature on Sai Baba Please visit www.saileelas.org

Thursday 30 December 2010

Babas advise to His devotee.

Baba has given 11 assurances and the 10th assurance is “If you seek my advice and help, it shall be given to you at once.”

We all know Baba was a Guru, God par excellent. He always cared for His Devotees welfare only. He never expected any thing from His devotees and infact He went out of the way to help His devotees. And the advice He gives to His devotees is for the overall welfare of His devotees.

Once Kavle Patil with his Mamladdar, B.V. Dev went to Baba and through Shama and Kavle Patil wanted to know from Baba whether in a temple newly built by Kavle he should reinstall the old image or bring in a new image from Vani, as directed by his own Guru.

Shama intervened and asked Baba that Kavle Patil wants to know what he is to install in his newly built temple. Baba replied “Let him place only the ancient stones that his family has been worshipping from old time and no new image.”

Shama then asked What objection is there to a new image from Vani? Baba got annoyed and said, “Act as you please, Shama. Install it or don’t.” As we know that Shama gave up so easily and again he pestered Baba for a definite answer

Baba then “If he wants that image, let him break off its arms and legs and then install and worship it. Do not question me again and again. I once went with a companion from village to village. He wanted to buy a cow. I said, “Don’t”. But he did buy it and brought it to a village. There an epidemic broke out and many died.” Later in the day Shama again asked , what harm will arise if the image is brought? Baba never gave any reply and again reiterated that the old stone be worshipped and not to introduce anything new.

Kavle Patil had no faith in Baba, but great faith in his own guru and so brought the Vani image to the guru’s village. There plague broke out and many died. The guru who had already received Rs.300 or Rs.400 from Kavle Patil more over sent a message to the Patil that unless he gave a registered gift of his land to the guru, the latter would curse him to immediate death. The Patil woke up, discovered the unselfishness and wisdom of Baba and wickedness of his own guru and installed only his own hereditary images.

So from the above we know what a great guru Baba was who never cared for His own and for Him the welfare of His devotees is of paramount importance. And as per the 11 assurances of Baba, when His advice was sought, He gave a good advise.


Bow to Sai Peace to All.
www.saileelas.org

Wednesday 29 December 2010

Sai Baba and other Saints

Continuing with yesterdays post, today let us see how Sai Baba identified himself with other saints. Baba was universal soul. He respected all religions, He received devotees from all religions. We can read umpteen number of Stories in Sai Satcharitra about Babas Muslim, Hindu, Parsi and Christian devotees.

Baba never disrespected any religion or religious practices. He always encouraged His devotees to practice their age old traditions but at the same time he was against ritualism. Baba also identified himself Gajanan Maharaj of Shegaon, Tajuddin Baba of Nagpur and a host of other saints.

His proof of identify with Gajanan Maharaj was when Gajanan Maharaj passed away at Shegaon, Baba said at Shirdi: My Gajanan is gone.

And when the devotees made enquiries, it was found that Gajanan Maharaj passed away on the same day when Baba made this remark.


We also read in the Sai Satcharitra how saints respect other saints, Here we can take the example of Vasudevanand Saraswathi (Chapter 51 of Shri Sai Satcharitra).



Let us see this leela of Baba, where Baba identified himself with Akkalkot Maharaj

When Akkalkot Maharaj was passing away (about 1878) Keshav Naik of Tardev, thus addressed him: Maharaj, if you go away, what support have we?

Akkalkote Maharaj (giving his shoes to be worshipped) My Avatar (spirit) will be at Shirdi in Ahmadnagar District. Go there always. Be devoted there. If you do so, you will not remember me. And you will be happy

Keshav Naik and his son Ramachandra Naik, accompanied by two orthodox Brahmins went to Sai Baba at Shirdi. On the way the Brahmins referred to Baba as a mad moslem fakir to whom no Brahmins could bow. When all four reached Baba. Baba said to Keshav Naik You and your son may come and visit me, if you like and pointing to the other two said they are These are Karmata Brahmins.

Baba then asked Ramachandra Naik to fetch Margosa leaves. Ramachandra Naik brought some leaves and gave to Baba and Baba distributed the leaves to the four. Baba asked all the four to eat the leaves and asked them How do they taste? The Brahmins replied that the leaves were very bitter, and the Naiks replied that the leaves were sweet. Thus Baba parted his sheep from the goats, and confirmed the statement of Akkalkote Maharaj.

We might have read the story of Ratanji Shapurji Wadia of Nanded, in Chapter 14 of Sai Satcharitra, let us recall the store, Ratanji had no son and he great regard for Das Ganu Maharaj and so he sought the advice of Das Ganu Maharaj. Das Ganu Maharaj advised him to go to Shirdi and meet the God who walked on earth, Sri Sai Baba. So Ratanji went to Shirdi, had a darshan of Baba and prayed to Baba saying "Many persons who find themselves in difficult situations come to You, and You relieve them immediately. Hearting this, I have sought anxiously Your Feet; please, therefore, do not disappoint me." Sai Baba then asked him for Dakshina of Rs. five which Ruttonji intended to give, but added, that He has already received Rs. 3-14-0 from him, and that he should pay the balance only. He went back to Nanded and met Das Ganu Maharaj and told him all that has happened in Shirdi and he was not able to understand how Baba already received Rs.3-14-0 from him. It was a surprise for Das Ganu also and they raked their brain, and after deep thinking they recollected that Ratanji has honoured a saint of Nanded, Mahomedan Saint, by name Moulisaheb.

Two more story of how Baba recalled the story when the devotees visited Baba.

S. B. Nachne’s brother and family were anxious about a very serious operation, which was just being performed at Bombay on his brother. Then a Sadhu appeared at Dahanu and was given food by Nachne’s sister-in-law. They kept aside Bendi Baji (lady’s fingers’ dish) as not fit for presentation; but the Sadhu himself called for it and it was then served. The Sadhu then went away blessing them and telling them that the operation at Bombay was safe and successful. They quite forgot this incident and three years later, Nachne went to Baba. then, Baba then pointing to S.B. Nachne “I had been to this man’s house for a meal. He did not give me Bendi Baji” . Thus from this story we also learn that Baba always protects His devotees and cares for their welfare. He can take any form and visit the devotees and bless them.

When Chandrabai R. Borkar was at Kopergaon during sravana or chaturmasya of 1908, an unknown fakir appeared before her and wanted Garlic chatni and bread. She said that she did not take garlic in chaturmasya and the fakir disappeared. Having heard of Sai Baba and his taking onion everyday, she thought that fakir might be Sai Baba. So she went to Shirdi for the first time and bowed before Sai Baba. Baba told her, “You have not given garlic chatni and bread! Any why have you come here?” This confirmed her idea that the fakir who come to her was Baba and she answered “Yes, I have come to give garlic chatni and bread”. Baba then said that she was his sister for seven generations and had always sought him out

Thus we can conclude that all Saints work together. For the saints the welfare of the devotees are paramount. The saints take care of their devotees life after life. They take any form to protect their devotees. As Baba has clearly said He takes care of His devotees life after life. So Dear devotees we are lucky to have come under the influence of Baba and let us follow His teachings and try to lead a life as ordained by Baba.


Bow to Sri Sai Peace be to all.

www.saileelas.org

Sai Baba in various forms

Sai Baba said “I am formless and everywhere, I am in everything, I am in everything and beyond, I fill all space. All that you see taken together is Myself. I do not shake or move. All that is seen is my form; ant, fly, prince, pauper. I am in the water, in dry places, in woods, amidst crowds, and in the solitary wilderness. I am in the fire and in ether. I am not limited to any place.
So what does this mean, this means that Baba is the Universal Soul and He is there in every thing. What is the Moral of this, Baba wants us His devotees to identify Baba in every thing and respect every being, love every being. To drive home this point very clearly Baba taught many devotees by Example.
Once Baba said to Laxmi Bai Shinde that He is very Hungry, Laxmi Bai ran post haste and prepared food and brought and gave it to Baba with full of love. Baba immediately feed the food to a Hungry dog. Laxmi Bai got upset and said Baba I prepared the food for you and you feed the dog. Baba then said that the dog was hungry and to feed the dog so He asked Laxmi Bai to go and prepare food. Baba identified Himself with the dog.

Baba: Is not the bitch also a Jiva? We talk, dogs do not. She is hungry; she and I are one and the same. It is the same if I eat or she eats.
Baba sometimes also took various forms to test His Devotees, sometimes as pig, cat, or dogs.

Once he went in the form of a pig to Kasinath Govind Upasani Maharaj who lived at Shirdi in 1911-4, Upasani Maharaj prepared food and wanted to offer it to Baba. So he took the food and was walking to the Masjid and saw a black dog was watching. Offering nothing to the dog Upasani Maharaj went to the masjid and offered it to Baba. Baba asked Upsani Maharaj Why did you bring it here. I was there. Upasani Maharaj said that He did not find Baba, Baba said, I was that black dog. So the message Upasani Maharaj learnt was He has to recognize Baba in each form.
Baba also took various forms to help His devotees,
Let us look at this story. Hansraj, an Asthma patient: He was not supposed to take curds or taste sour things. But Hansraj was daily preparing curds overnight to drink it at the noon meal. Daily a cat drank it off Hansraj, decided to punish the cat and one day he beat the cat.
“Baba : to others, in the presence of Hansraj. "There is an Urphatia. a cussed, cross grained man. I told him not to take curds. But he daily prepared it. Daily I went as a cat and drank it off, to save his life. Today 1 went again. Do you know what he did? He beat me over the shoulder. See here. (Hansraj looked and found a fresh weal on Baba's shoulder, though it was a cat he beat with a stick on the shoulder)”
There are many such stories, we can recollect innumerable of such stories. Sai Satcharitra is full of such stories, we have also read about experiences of various devotees about Baba coming in various forms. If we keep our mind and eyes open we can see and feel Baba in various forms.
From the above stories we learn that Baba is a guru who is different from others. He was a full avatar. He set examples, He never teached any thing new, he teached what was already written in Bhagavat Gita, Koran, Bible and he teached by examples and he lived that way so that His devotees follow that example and live by it. If we want the grace of Baba we have to identify Baba in every living being and love them and respect them, then Babas grace will be on us.

Sunday 26 December 2010

Joys and Sorrows of Samsara

Question by N G Chandorkar: Joys and sorrows of samsara disturb one so much. Should we not renounce samsara therefore?
Answer by Baba: Joy and sorrow are mere delusion. Mere appearance of worldly joy is not true happiness. The worldly man is forcibly drawn to it, as he believes it to be true happiness. According to the Prarabdha of each, one gets delicacies (Panchamrita), one, stale crumbs, and one, mere bran-gruel. the latter fancy themselves unhappy at that, and the former fancies he lacks nothing. But the result of eating any of these is merely the satisfaction of hunger. some cover themselves with laced shawls, others with barks. Both serve only one purpose, covering the body. This joy and this sorrow is due to opinion, which is mere illusion and is ruinous. Whenever any idea of joy or sorrow arises in your mind, resist it. Do not give room to it. It is pure delusion.
The ‘Shadripus’ i.e., Lust, Anger, Covetousness, Delusion, Pride and Jealousy) are all delusive. they make the unreal appear as real. if a rich man wears a gold ornament, the poor man gets jealous, and thinks he must have one. This is Lobha.
All are like this. so one must conquer the six enemies. if they are conquered, waves of passion will not arise. Else they will enslave you. If they are sub-ordinated and reason made the commandant, then the delusive pressures and pains will no longer hold sway over you.
(Source Charters and SAyings by Narasimha Swamy)

Wednesday 22 December 2010

Think Who You are?

Think who you are

In October 1917 ? Baba spoke to a Bombay Lady.
Baba : Mother, what do you want? Ask for it.
Lady: Let me be free from the whirl of births and deaths.
Baba (laughing): Is this all you want? What! have you come to die?
Lady (shocked): Baba, I do not at all understand you
Baba: Think who you are.
Lady: I do not understand.
Baba (pointing to her husband): He will tell you.
Then the lady went with her husband to her lodgings and asked him what Baba meant.
Husband: Baba's words are mysterious. I cannot be sure I have made out his meaning. Probably he means something like this. The Jiva goes on reincarnating any number of times till it gets Sakshatkar i.e., sees or realises God. Baba is God. But people seing him do not get full faith and do not see him i.e., feel him to be God; and hence they do not get Mukti.
One must learn from the sastras, that essentially Jiva and Siva are one. You think yourself to be a Jiva is it not?
Lady: Yes.
Husband: Baba and the Sastras want you to regard youself as Siva or God.
Lady: No. No. I am a petty sinner-a Jiva and not the great God Siva.
Husband: No doubt that is your feeling. But Baba means that by constantly regarding youself as God, your deeply ingrained belief that you are only a finite Jiva will be removed. This process continued, may be through numerous births and strengthened and helped by contact with saints will give you the firm belief that you are Brahman. That must be Baba’s meaning.
(The pair agian returned to Dwaraka Mai)
Baba: Mother, I have listened (from here) to all that your husband told you. Keep that in mind.
Charters and Sayings by Narasimha Swami

Tuesday 21 December 2010

BABA’S NATURE - I am Krishna

BABA’S NATURE - I am Krishna

Baba (seated in Dwaraka Mayi) to Uddhavesa Bua(UB): “Give me Rs.11 dakshina”.
U.B: I have given my ten Indriyas and mind.
S.B: No. Who are you to give them? They are mine already. Read Pothi i.e., do Parayana.
U.B: Of what Purana?
S.B: Of that in which I have spoken to you, and in which I still speak to you?
UB: Is it Gita? Jnaneswari?
SB: Go and fetch what Bapu Saheb Jog is reading Uddhavesa brought XI skanda of Srimad Bhagavatha from Jog.
SB: (slipped his finger into the book suddenly and said) Read this. [It opened at Krishna Uddhava samvada] Daily read this, and sit at my feet and meditate on it.
[N.B: That meditation is the gift of 11 Rs. eleventh (Skanda) to Baba, Sai Krishna, seated in the heart.]
Sai Baba Charters and Savings by Narasimha Swami

Monday 20 December 2010

Baba as a cat is beaten.

Baba as a cat is beaten.

Baba to Hansraj, an Asthma patient: Do not take curds or taste sour things. But Hansraj was daily preparing curds overnight to drink it at the noon meal. Daily a cat drank it off and one day he beat the cat.
Baba : to others, in the presence of Hansraj. "There is an Urphatia. a cussed, crossgrained man. I told him not to take curds. But he daily prepared it. Daily I went as a cat and drank it off, to save his life. Today 1 went again. Do you know what he did? He beat me over the shoulder. See here. (Hansraj looked and found a fresh weal on Baba's shoulder, though it was a cat he beat with a stick on the shoulder)
Sai Baba Charters and Sayings by Narasimha Swami

Thursday 16 December 2010

Who am I? Who are We?

Who am I? Who are We?
Baba often said, "Who are we? Night and day think on this."
About 1915 R.A Tarkhad, Managing Director of a mill, got into a compartment at Manmad in the dark and was fighting for a seat with a police constable, who was there. When R.A Tarkhad arrived at Shirdi.
Baba: With whom were you persisting in contest this morning? Bhav (brother), we should not engage in contest with such people! "Who are We?" This we must enquire into.
R.A Tarkhad saw first, Baba's reference to the social inequality of the disputing parties, and later on, the Vedantic meaning of the words, i.e., the unity of those parties in Brahman.
Charters and Sayings by Narasimha Swami

Tuesday 14 December 2010

ATMA VICHARA (i.e. JNANA)

(Q): Baba, who are you? Whence?

A.: (Sai Baba in the mood of Absolute). I have no residence. I am the attributeless Absolute-Nirguna, (again, in the mood of Duality). By the action of Karma I got embroiled and came to a body. My name is "The embodied-Dehi". The world is my abode. Brahman is my father, and Maya my mother. By their interlocking I got this body. The world is mutable, evanescent.

(To Appa Kulkarni) Allah or The Nirguna (Parabrahma) became Saguna Parabrahma (known as) Mohiniraja at Nivas. Go and bow before him. God manifests all his powers for the benefit of his devotees, (cf.145)

Sri Sai Babas Charters and Sayings by Narasimha Swami