LIFE OF SAI BABA
VOLUME II
PART II
V Anna Saheb Dabolkar
(Hemadpant)
BY
Sri B.N. Da tar. Home Minister, Govt. of India
H.H.B.V.
Narsimha Swamiji, the Founder-President of the All India Sai Samaj, Madras, has
requested me to write a foreword to this very interesting publication on Shri
Sai Baba's Apostles and Mission. I gladly do so in my personal capacity for a
variety of reasons.
In the first
place, I myself have been under the guidance of the Saint of Shirdi for the
last 18 years. In a way, Swamiji has been responsible for rousing in me a
desire to know Shri Sai Baba and to seek His Grace. It was in or about 1937
while both of us had been at the Ramanashrama at Tiruvannamalai that I came to
know that Swamiji had visited Shirdi and had been trying hard to collect
material for a detailed study of the mysteries of the manifold life of this
great saint. It was my conversation with him that enkindled in me a great
curiosity to visit Shirdi and to seek His Blessings. I did so early in 1938,
and have since then been visiting it off and on.
I have read,
amongst others, all the publications of Swamiji on Shri Sai Baba and the
experiences of His direct disciples.
To my good
fortune, we have ever been in touch with each other. I have learnt not merely
to respect but to revere Swamiji for the selfless and enthusiastic manner in
which he has been working day and night during the last 20 years over the
spread of the Divine Message of Shri Sai Baba. His missionary zeal in this
cause has been to me a matter of deep spiritual gratification.
Swamiji has been ever in
communion with the Saint and Mystic that Shri Sai Baba was, and, if I were to
say so, Swamiji has been growing young in his advancing years, because of his
complete dedication to the cause of Shri Sai Baba.
His writings
are marked by a great critical and rational spirit that goes to the core of
things without disturbing one's faith in and reverence for the things of the
spirit. In fact, these feelings are strengthened thereby. That has always to be
so if one were to know correctly and adequately the purpose behind the lives
and the mission of such Avatars.
In an earlier
publication on the life of Shri §ai Baba, Swamiji has, in a very erudite but
entertaining manner, placed before us the fundamentals of our faith and
spiritual traditions. One knows by his writings not only the salient features
of the lives of great saints like Shri Ramana Maharshi and Shri Sai Baba, but
also realises, as if by a God-given glimpse, the great purpose or purposes for
which these high Souls descended to the earth and fulfilled in their own ways
the Divine promise of maintaining righteousness in and uprooting wickedness
from society.
During the last 20 years, thanks to
Swamiji's energetic propaganda and publicity, Shri Sai Baba has attracted
devotees from far and near, as also from all sects, communities and religions.
They come from all sections of the society and, in particular, from its
intelligentsia. In the case of the latter, one has to carry them across the
fields of doubt and scepticism before they reach the other shore of spiritual
enlightenment, and are safely and for ever established on the bedrock of faith
in and devotion to the Divinity that Shri Sai Baba was and is.
The present
volume gives us a glimpse into the lives of the immediate and illustrious
devotees and followers of Shri Sai Baba. They came from all faiths and while
achieving blessedness and maintaining complete devotion to the Saint, ever
remained enlightened members of their religions. Almost all of them had the good
fortune of having known the Saint, at close quarters while He was living on
this earth in flesh and blood.
It is to me, as
it will be to other readers, a matter of great spiritual satisfaction to know
how these direct disciples of the Saint came under His influence and protection
and achieved blessedness.
Shri Sai Baba
never believed in what can be called a formal initiation, I know, however, from
the experiences of many including that of my humble self, that, in fact, there
is such an initiation, though of an imperceptible but highly effective type.
The moment you go under His influence you become a changed man and are ever
convinced that all your burdens are borne by him, that you feel so light on
account of His guidance, and that, at the same time, so purposefully united
with Him, and through Him, with the Higher Forces that are working in the
universe for the uplift of mankind.
I deem it a
privilege to confess that I have learnt many new and stimulating things from a
perusal of this great publication. It has in a way strengthened the impressions
that I have formed from Gandhiji's writings on spiritual matters.
I, therefore,
very gladly recommend this book to all those that seek Divine Light and
guidance.
Om Tat Sat.
B.N. Datar.
Bihar
Governor's Camp
To
B.V.N. Swami
Dear Friend,
I have your two
letters from Madras and also the second volume of the Life of Sai Baba.
It is only recently that hagiology is being studied rationally and scientifically. Otherwise it was a matter of 'take it or leave it'. Those who had faith believed everything blindly. Those who were sceptic scoffed both at the faith and the object of faith.
Today, I think
it would be unscientific to reject anything simply because it has not yet been
explained or it is not obvious. Books such as 'Man the Unknown' by Dr. Alexis
Carrel have opened the eyes even of the most critical people to the unknown
powers that lie behind man's apparent consciousness.
From that point
of view the publication of authentic lives and incidents that have taken place in
connection with saints is a first step towards trying to understand the sources
of saintly power and saintly achievement. The two volumes, therefore, on Shri
Sai Baba should be welcomed by all those who are interested in "man the
unknown".
Yours sincerely
R.R. Diwakar
Sai Baba
is indeed an ocean unfathomable and illimitable. One can pick up any direction
and go as far as one likes and yet not exhaust Sai. As for the depth, human
beings cannot get to the bottom of Sai either as to the number of his acts or
to the extent to which they can be interpreted as benefiting humanity. Even the
surface of the field or sea of Baba is absolutely uncharted. The human
combination with the divine is unlimited and defies definition and description.
No one is yet able to say what exactly are the origins of Baba, the early
environment, and the early and later forces moulding the entity called Baba and
resulting in the ultimate product now known to us as Sai Baba. An attempt has
been made previously to describe his earlier origins and early influences, but
such attempts must always remain very imperfect and superficial. Something has
been said or written but when one goes through all the matter till now written,
one still feels dissatisfaction because from any point of view, the matter
given is certainly not sufficient and certainly not satisfactory. An attempt
has however to be made to understand what we can pick out from what is
available.
Baba's entire
life, to say nothing of the beginnings, is shrouded in mystery. Nobody knew his
father or grandfather or family or even to what community by birth he belonged.
Some were so much staggered at this difficulty that they propounded a theory
that Baba was "Ayonija" (not born of woman), that is as much as to
say he was produced like Minerva from the head of Jupiter. But in modern days,
people are not always prepared to accept "Ayonijatva" for any
person they have seen. Baba himself has furnished particulars enough to explode
the Ayonija theory, and hence an actual attempt has been made to explain
what the heredity of Baba was and what the earliest environment and forces
acting upon him were. In spite of the scarcity of material, an explanation has
been given of how Baba grew up to be what he became in the strangest possible
manner. Born of Brahmin parents of a very poor and pious sort, and having been
handed over to a fakir for his sustenance and care at the very early age of one
year or so, Baba seems to have been fitted by Providence to overcome all
differences, especially differences of race, religion, creed, etc. The fakir
who took charge of him and kept him for five years seems to have been a very
pious, real and loving fakir, and the impress of that fakir left on Baba is to
further purify, and deify the pre-existing elements which may be supposed to be
inherent in him, as a result of age-long growth (Bahunam Janmanaam ante,
Jnaanavan maam Prapadyate). Differences between God and God, caste and
caste, race and race could not possibly exist in that fakir's ideas and
upbringing. But the essence of the fakir's training seems to have been the
immersing entirely of the little Baba into the loving care of the fakir. To
Baba, "that fakir" meant always the living God that looks after every
one of us with equal mercy. That evidently represents or sums up the earliest
span of life that Baba had. Providential arrangement for Baba has always been
to promote the divine aim of his life, namely, the realisation that God is Love
and Love is God, the unification of the different trends of Indian thought and
life in matters of religion, etc. The fakir, who died when Baba was aged about
five, directed his wife to take Baba to a great and pious Brahmin saint who was
also a Prince, namely, Gopal Rao Deshmukh, Prince of Selu, who was at the same
time a Prince of piety, a master of devotion, and "infused
contemplation", one who had thoroughly identified himself with God in the
form of Tirupati Venkatesa. This Gopal Rao, known as "Venkusa",
because he was identified with Tirupati Venkatesa whom he worshipped, became
the all-in-all of Sai Baba, the food giver, the soul giver, the Guru, the
protector, the friend, and everything to Baba. Baba loved him with ananya
prema, as the only thing he cared for and that love was fully responded to.
'Tvameva Sarvam Mamadeva deva'. Such a person who was very broad and
universal in his views, while deeply feeling the essence of God or religion
within himself, naturally promoted Baba's peculiar way of looking at God as the
one great beneficial, powerful loving father supporting all people equally with
equal kindness. This was his Guru.
Providence
again directing Baba's life cut short his novitiate under this princely Guru
when he was just getting to be a man or major according to Indian ideas, that
is, arriving at the age of 16. Baba had to part with him under peculiar
circumstances. The parting was indeed painful, but it was a necessary part of
divine ordinance for Baba and for the country. Before parting, Baba was vested
with all the powers as well as the piety of the Guru, and Baba thereafter
passed into obscurity, became a fakir among fakirs, and had the apparently
severe trial of having nothing to feed upon with no one to care for him. But
really that was never the case. There was always God to look after him, and God
always provided for all his needs, temporal and spiritual, both for body and
soul. Vairagya and contentment, trust and calm, were the food for the soul;
Baba got on and felt nothing was wanting. This training was a continuation of
the two previous novitiates in order to ripen Baba for the great and grand work
he had. We have faintly described this in previous publications. What now
required to be done further about Baba to enable persons to understand Baba
more fully is to set out his task of dealing with the world. For a fakir who
was resting on God's care and getting on whether he got or did not get food or
places for rest, no work or duty, according to ordinary spectators, existed or
belonged to him. Yet the ways of providence are strange. It is this unconcerned
fakir that must become the all-in-all of the entire world, certainly of the
entire millions that came into contact and are coming into contact with him.
How that happened or could happen is itself a very interesting chapter of
Baba's biography.
Baba who did
not care for anything had to be brought into contact with the devout and
religious. There must be some devout and religious person first to pick him
out, discover his inner worth and start his worship. Hence the development of
Baba's work must start of with an account of how his worship started and later
on how it spread, and still later what the mysterious ramifications and
implications of this worship were. The person worshipped must be really
God-like. Many a person is worshipped on account of certain social or other
position or level but is unable to exert any divine influence upon the
worshipper. In Baba's case, Providence ordained that the worship should be real
and effective. The worshipper, if he intends to attract to himself the entire
force and personality of the object worshipped, must be pure, sincere and
earnest, must reach great heights of faith and surrender, and must lose
himself, his individuality in the object of worship, till ultimately he becomes
that. Brahmavit Brahmaiva Bhavati (that is, the worshipper becomes the
object of worship) is the aphorism that applies to the case. Such a worshipper
was needed to draw Baba out of his cocoon.
Baba had by his
previous training fully developed himself in self-realisation and God-realisation.
His Guru had blotted out (see BCS 72A) his ideas that he was the body and made
him realise that he was nothing but the soul, Paramatma or Parameswar. In Baba,
this Parameswar essence of his began to beam out with increasing effulgence.
The more he was worshipped, the more the divine in him beamed out, asserted
itself and proved itself to be really divine. And the proof is still going on.
So the next process or stage of Baba's biography must be the sketching of how
the poor beginnings of worship by some one's lucky discovery of his merit let
others to copy that example, and how, by observing the increased benefits
flowing from such worship millions adopted that worship and began to yield
themselves completely to the divine influence of the object worshipped so as to
become not merely successful and happy in the world but also to become
themselves expressions of love, the power of the inner Being of the entire
Universe. Baba's nature or influence is simply indescribable, its extent and
nature cannot easily be sketched out and the number of persons carrying on his
worship now is beyond calculation. But in the beginning they were few and some
of them could be called apostles. Therefore the stage has now been reached in
Baba's biography for piecing out a few and terming them apostles of Baba and
describing their work and also for describing the mission which Baba has and
which Baba is increasingly manifesting. It is difficult to stop the sketching
out of lives at any particular set of facts. But that difficulty has to be
faced. So only just enough of the innumerable facets of Baba's life are pieced
out here to present a rough outline or broad idea of Baba's apostles carrying
out his mission, carrying on the work that Baba was intent upon. That being the
object of this present volume, readers are requested to overlook the numerous
defects in the presentation or other defects and to make the best of what is
presented and putting their hearts into it, derive as much benefit as they can
or as they care to.
A word or two
will not be amiss here about the object of this work and the manner of
approach. Previous works on Sai Baba have sometimes been taken up by readers or
reviewers and approached in a spirit that might be considered natural but
cannot be considered by the author as being the most proper or appropriate
approach. A book on Sai Baba written by one who has drunk deep from the
fountain of Sai's grace, wisdom and life must naturally have an abundant
recognition of the place Sai fills up in one's life. Sai completely envelops
the devoted sadhaka and leaves no part of him unaffected or uncovered.
Therefore one might be under the impression that the life of Sai should deal
with every possible point of view for a serious minded sadhaka. The fact
however remains that many of our readers are not sadhakas at all nor sadhakas
of the most earnest type. Some wish to get a cursory knowledge of a great saint
whose name is heard here, there, and everywhere in this country especially. A
sort of genteel curiosity, a desire to be acquainted with grand things, just to
be acquainted, without any particular idea of being influenced thereby, is the
outlook of many a reader. There is nothing to be said against that sort of
approach, but a person who is in dead earnest about life, who has tasted the
power of Sai to deal with the profoundest and deepest of life's problems cannot
rest satisfied with that approach. A serious reader treats Sai as the Guru
primarily and next as the all-in-all of himself and of every one who is prepared
to surrender to him. Dealing with a Guru naturally necessitates the examination
of the general principles governing gurus and Sai Baba, and the attempt at
defining what the gurus and sishyas are and what their mutual relations should
be. This naturally entails an examination of accepted authorities on this
subject and free quotation from their dicta. Such quotations have not been
particularly pleasing to certain readers, and one review pointed out that the
interest in the book (meaning the story interest) was lost by what was
considered to be an unnecessary intrusion of extraneous or foreign matter. But
one, who resorts to a thorough study of a saint for the most complete
assimilation of his (saint's) influence for the best effects in one's own life,
would welcome such so-called digressions and episodes. A serious minded author
has to keep in view all sets of readers, especially the more serious readers
who wish to get the greatest benefit out of the book.
A saint's life
is the milk of ocean from which a few interesting bits of saintly biography, a
collection of apothegms, counsels, reflections and other miscellaneous items
might be extracted. But the main interest is still the milk of ocean which will
yield an infinite and inexhaustible supply of divine nectar. One important
truth that has been gaining strength in the author's mind, as he studied more
and more of Baba and came more and more fully into contact with him, is the
fact that entire portions of serious scriptures already studied by him or are
still being studied by him are covered up by the saint's life, his
leelas, his sayings, etc. The essentials of the Bhagavad Gita for instance,
which has always been regarded as a valuable religious mine, were and are found
to be nothing but the embodiment of what is contained in Sri Sai's life. Sri
Krishna and Jesus Christ are better understood after studying Sai Baba's life
than without such study. Interpretations of what is found in the Bible and in
the Gita occur to one as one deals with Sai Baba and as one goes on
surrendering to Sai Baba's influence and seeing what happens. It is no
exaggeration to say that without the fleshy embodiment of religion in the life
and activities of Sai and kindred saints, religion would be a dead mass of
writings or thoughts and would leave humanity cold and helplessly struggling in
the mire of darkness and ignorance. Sri Krishna is not usually understood by a
person who merely reads the Gita, Mahabharata, or the Bhagavata. What Sri
Krishna was and what he said puzzled this author and puzzled so many other
persons, and, after seeing what Sai Baba said and did, all these puzzles
disappeared, and clear light dawned upon everyone. When Sai said, 'I am Sri
Krishna, I am Lakshminarayan, I am Vittal, I am Allah, I am God', etc., a moslem
reader of Sai Baba's Gospel declared Baba a madman, but to the author and
kindred spirits, dicta like these found in our ancient scriptures began to
produce a clearer impression on the hearts. 'Aham Brahmasmi' sounds most
queer at first. But Sai's life shows what 'Aham Brahmasmi' or 'Maim
Allah hum' means and how one can have that feeling and yet live amongst
fellow creatures. The description given of a perfectly realised Brahma Jnani or
Iswara Bhakta found in the Bhagavad Gita and other sources is found to apply
word for word, letter for letter, to the case of Sri Sai and get a meaning only
when we see how Sai Baba (or for that matter any other great soul like Him)
acted. 'Sarva bhuta Hite ratah' (interested in the welfare of every
creature) is given as the description of a perfect realiser or perfect devotee.
One must actually see or feel what Sai did and said to get an idea of 'Sarva
bhuta Hite ratah' or Sarvabhutatma bhutatma. God's omnipotence and
omniscience and equal mercy towards all and immanence in all creatures (Aham
Atma) are well known to the intellect of religious students, but for
realising them at heart, one must devote one's deepest attention to what Sai
said and did. A person like Sri H. S. Dixit. who noted almost every minute of
his life after he approached Sai Baba, that Sai knew everything and looked
after everything connected with himself, whether he was at Bombav or Shirdi or
elsewhere, and controlled events for securing the greatest happiness of
himself or other devotees and their families, would at once form the conclusion
that Sai was divine, and could say with perfect sincerity as H, S. Dixit did
when Sai Baba asked a question as to what took place in the wada, 'Baba, you
knew it all.' There was nothing unknown to Baba whether as to the contents of
any book or as to the contents of the minds of persons near or remote or as to
the events that happened in any place at any time. The distant past, the
present, and the remote future or the near place and the remote were all one.
This we find is the description given of a divine personality in the Gita—(7)
26.
Vedaham
samatitaani vartamanani cha arjuna,
Bhavishyaani
cha bhutaani maam tu veda nakaschana.
This means, (Krishna said) 'I know the
past, the present, and the future. But no one knows Me'. The same has been said
by Sai and the same has been proved by him in innumerable instances. This is as
to knowledge. Similarly as to power, equality of vision, kindness, etc., Sri
Upasani Maharaj correctly summed up the way in which people derived the notion
that Baba was God in these words of 'Sai Mahimna Stotra' composed by him in
1912—
Aneka aascruta aatarkya leela vilaasaih
Samaavishkrita iscana bhaasvatprabhaavam Ahambhaavaheenam prasanna aatmabhaavam
Namaami iswaram sadgurum sainatham.
This means, 'I
bow to Sadguru Sainath who is God, who manifested or betrayed his divinity by
many inscrutable, unheard of, miraculous leelas, who yet has no egotism
(ahambhava) and who is benignly gracious'. This Upasani's process of arriving
at and appreciating Sai's divinity is adopted almost unconsciously by hundreds
of persons in their every day life, after Baba left the flesh. All of them with
one voice acclaim Sai as Divine, and that is the same as saying that He is Sri
Krishna or Sri Rama or any other name or form that one has been applying or
adopting to denote divinity, c.f. Sairupadhara Raaghavotamam Bhakta kama
kalpatamtn. There are numerous, or one might say innumerable, instances of
Baba's conduct and mode of life running on exactly similar lines to those of
Sri Krishna or Sri Rama in respect of their divinity. It is thus that the
conviction gained greater strength and depth in the mind of this author that,
apart from name and form, Divinity is the same, whether manifested in Sai Baba
or in Sri Krishna or for that matter in Jesus Christ etc. Thou art human and
divine' is a statement that can be applied to all these. The divine portion
within the human frame has so powerfully radiated its light as to throw out or
drown out the human side and impress on us that we are dealing with the divine
when dealing with Sai Baba as with the other great names mentioned above. The
divine and the human blend together and are both necessary to make up the
entity that gives human beings their impression of God. Without the human
element, no approach is possible, and without the divine element, the approach
is worthless, for we do not wish to approach mere finite entities like human
beings but rather wish to approach the divine, though the divine may be
enshrouded for the time being in a human casing.
Therefore, the
author has felt that if any work is written about such a divine person and if
the author is able to express or shadow forth what is really divine in him,
then the work should be considered to be highly imperfect or useless if the
reader is not impressed in the same way as the author has been with the
divinity of the subject and the reader is not enabled to derive at least as
much benefit from a study of Baba and contact with him as the author has had. A
properly written life of Sai (like all saintly biography c.f. Sant toch Dev,
i.e. Saint is himself God) would therefore be a scripture in itself. One
should rise from that study with the feeling that he has been through scripture
and mentally keep in touch with God and derive all benefit necessarily flowing
from such contact. The benefits are temporal, intellectual, moral, spiritual,
etc. There is no limit to the benefit one can derive from such contact.
Therefore one would expect that a proper book on such a subject as Sai should
attract the earnest soul to read it over and over again, may be scores of
times, without exciting any feeling of tiredness or disgust. One ought, on the
other hand, to experience increasing delight and increasing joy at noting that
new readings open up new lights and vistas before the mind's eye and that
benefits are derived over and over again. Even in respect of poetic classics,
e.g. Hamlet or Sakuntala, such experiences are derived by enthusiastic souls. A
study of holy lives properly written must have at least a similar effect. It is
the ambitious aim of this writer to put forward as perfect a study as is
possible of this great and wonderful Being that is the subject of this volume.
To some it may
be surprising that an account of the universalistic Sai movement and its
leaders should begin with Mahlsapathy, an uncultured poor village goldsmith.
But that fits in with the movement starting from the obscure wretchedly poor
hamlet of Shirdi in a nook of a nookshotten Kopergaon taluk (Kopergaon means
corner village) and also with the lodestar or dynamo of the movement being Sri
Sai, an unknown" and supposedly crazy fakir as he was taken to be at
first. If absence of literary culture were an objection to Mahlsapathy being
the leader of the army of Sai bhaktas, it must be applicable equally to Sai
himself, the centre or pole star of the Sai movement. Sai who knew everything
had no school or book education; no University conferred its diplomas on him.
The man who began his worship (M) had only the elementary education which the
village veranda schools impart. He would however read his castemen's Bible,
namely, Mahlsapathy Purana, and would carry on the traditional worship of
Mahlsapathy at home and abroad. In one respect, it is a fact of happy augury
that the person who started Sai worship was a pious and orthodox Hindu, who
first raised the orthodox objection to Baba's stepping into and residing at the
Khandoba temple in his charge, but soon developed into the most zealous admirer
and ardent worshipper of Baba. It is this zealous admiration and ardour of the
highly virtuous goldsmith that forced Baba to reverence him in turn and to
accept the flowers, sandal, and other things placed on his feet by way of
homage. His self dedication and great attachment to Sai Baba were irresistible
for a large-hearted soul like Sai, and so he (Mahlsapathy) was the first and
only person allowed for a long time to worship Sai. The worship no doubt was
hardly worship at the beginning. It is difficult to distinguish worship from
regard, reverence, and honour evidenced by offer of flowers, sandal, and
eatables. Worship has grown throughout the world out of regard, reverence, and
a desire to placate. All these were in Mahlsapathy, and his placing flowers and
sandal at the feet of Baba and offering him milk were obviously marks of
respect. Sai Baba the fakir could not object to them even though these were
offered in the Mosque. When these grew definitely more and more like worship,
then Baba himself felt how incongruous Hindu worship of himself was in the
Mosque, though it had to grow and develop from there. Its growth in the Mosque
turning it finally into a "Dwarka-mayee" controlled entirely
by a Hindu Board reminds us of a small shoot of a banyan creeping through the
cleft of a rock, which a plant cannot easily go through; but yet the banyan
grows through it and pushes the pieces of rock aside and grows into huge
dimensions. Such was the growth and development of the Hindu puja of Baba.
Mahlsapathy the weak Bhikshuk was pre-eminently fitted to be the person who
should play the part of the banyan seed. Hence it is not inappropriate to begin
the account of Sai history and Sai movement and its leaders with an account of
Mahlsapathy.
Mahlsapathy
was, as already stated, a hereditary goldsmith (sonar) of the village of
Shirdi- The sonars vie with Brahmins and others in their social and religious
observances and sometimes style themselves Brahmins and wear the sacred
thread. Even in that community, he was noted for his fervent devotion to his
tutelary deity Khandoba (known also as Mahlsapathy). Mahlsapathy Purana was his
Bible or Ramayana for daily study and for sacred reading at the periodical
gatherings of sonars and at the temple (family temple). Every year he went on a
pilgrimage of 150 miles to distant Jejoori carrying a Kavadi or palki along with a band to worship at the
great temple of that deity. Full fruition of Mahlsa bhakti resulted in his
getting that god's obsession in trance (Avesa); and oracular utterances came
from that god through his lips. He was Khandoba. He was perfectly pure,
straightforward, righteous, and truthful, for only such a guileless person can
be favoured by the god coming on his body (Avesa). He was fairly free from
worldly desires. The family had a scanty income from the voluntary offerings at
their temple which went to the temple maintenance; and all that he owned was a
mud house in the village for residence, yielding no income, and 71/2 acres of land
evidently barren land without water supply, which also yielded practically
nothing. The very old building outside the village, the Mahlsapathy temple, a poor mud structure, was dedicated
to the public or to God. To eke
out his living therefore he had the hereditary profession of a
goldsmith. But in a
poor village with very few houses
and very few visitors,
even this brought very little income.
Mahlsapathy was not much perturbed about it, being absorbed in his
religious ideas and practices. He had
frequent Avesa, i. e.,
visions and trances with
obsession; and his goal in life
like that of most pious Hindus, was to get free from
the cycle of rebirths
(Samsara) and attain
Liberation (Moksha) through
the grace of Khandoba. Khandoba is an Avatar of Siva
and thus the
Grantor of liberation. 'Moksham Ichchet
Maheswarat' {which means, 'If you want liberation, go to
Maheswara—Rudra or Siva), is the popular Neeti
sloka. To achieve
this goal, Mahlsapathy, besides having a satvic temperament, had the great help of Sat Sangha, i.e.,
contact with holy men (Sadhus, Saints, etc.) (Cf.B.S- XI (II)
25). Though conservative he was
not fanatical; he had
no hatred of Moslems of men of other faiths. On the other hand, he and other friends of his own temperament, viz., Kasiram Simpi and Appa
Bhil, used to receive and help not only Hindu saints
such as Devidas, Janakidas, etc., but
also fakirs when these visited
the village or stayed there.
Kasiram and Appa had some
means, but poor Mahlsapathy offered his
services and zeal, and
these three worked
together. It was
Mahlsapathy's good
fortune, due perhaps to
Rinanubandha, that he had very close contact with Sri
Sai Baba for a very long
period-over 40 (nearly 50) years. It
was about 1872 perhaps that
Sai Baba entered the
village along with a "Barat", i.e. a bridegroom's party of Moslems headed by Chand Bhai, Patel of Dhupkeda (in the "Nizam's
State"). Then Sai Baba separated from the marriage group very near
Khandoba temple at the outskirts of Shirdi and sauntered along almost till the
threshold of Khandoba temple. Mahlsapathy, who was inside worshipping Khandoba,
noticed Baba's presence and, with usual civility and regard, invited him to
sit. After a few minutes, the fakir Baba remarked- "How secluded and quiet
a place is the Khandoba temple, best fitted for a Fakir to be in". Then it
was that Mahlsapathy put his conservative back up and protested against the
proposal that a Moslem should reside in Khandoba temple which in his opinion
was unthinkable. Most Moslems are iconoclasts, (i.e. breakers of images) and,
therefore, Mahlsapathy prevented Baba from entering the temple which contained
the images of Khandoba etc. Finding Mahlsapathy's objection to be natural, Baba
said, 'God is one for Hindus, Moslems, and all, but, as you object to my entry,
I shall go'. So saying Baba went away.
Baba in his
earliest days was acting in ways wholly unintelligible to the villagers, and
even Mahlsapathy considered that he behaved at times like a mad man (See M's
reminiscences). But while others lost their respect for Baba on that account,
Mahlsapathy always had great regard for Baba, perhaps remembering, as many
Hindus do, that there is always a class of saints known as the Unmattha
siddhas, crazy saints. Anyhow, the occasional crazy conduct of Baba at least in
the view of Mahlsapathy and some others did not bulk large enough to prevent
the great esteem which the general conduct of Baba evoked in serious and
thoughtful minds, Baba was an absolute
"Vairagya Purusha'' and never cared
for wealth or women.
Mahlsapalhy, being himself highly
detached i.e. of a vairagya
temperament and not being overned by
lust or other low urges, could easily appreciate Baba who
had the same virtues of purity
and non-attachment in a higher degree and therefore,
from the very beginning was drawn to
baba. Other people began to
worship Baba only
when they saw Baba's
psychic powers e. g. when he turned
water into oil to feed his lamps, and then they regarded him as God. But
Mahlsapathy esteemed Baba
for his good qualities of purna
satva and vairagya, that is, purity and
non-attachment; and he found that compared
even with Devidas, Janakidas,
and other saints with whom Baba
was often keeping company; Baba shone
brilliantly, and that
even those saints,
highly regarded Baba.
So, Mahlsapathy and his friends
considered Baba as well fitted to be a Guru for themselves. Mahlsapathy in that group was the first to
honour and then to worship Baba. He went
to Baba's Mosque and
placed flowers and sandal on Baba's feet or neck and offered him milk. Baba would not allow
others to do even this; only Mahlsapathy was allowed to do it. This developed later into regular puja by the use of sandal paste and flowers on
Baba's feet, neck, and finally on his forehead also. Even after that, local magnates like Nana Saheb
Dengle, who wanted to do Baba's puja,
were not allowed to do it. Baba
would tell them: 'There
is the pillar in this Dwarakamayi
(Mosque). Do puja to the
pillar”. That of course, they did not care to do. Nana Saheb Dengle later requested the
intersession of Dagdubhai, a constant companion of Baba and, encouraged
by his words, did puja and
became Baba's second
worshipper, Baba gradually
allowed others to do his puja, and then Baba's puja became general. Few
realised the part played by Mahlsapathy as the pioneer of Sai puja and the Sai
movement.
Mahlsapathy's
contact with Baba was on very close terms. By reason of the
death of his only son (in the eighties
of the last century
perhaps) and his
having only three daughters, he
was disgusted with life. His land
yielded nothing, and
the goldsmith's profession
yielded also practically nothing.
So, he was ready for the orders
of his own
Ishta Devata, Khandoba. Khandoba came upon him,
that is, possessed his
body, and gave him Drishtanta, that
is, visions. In the
first vision, he was told that
he was to take Khandoba (i.e.
movable images) from the Khandoba
temple to his own
house,
and worship him there with concentration. In another vision, Khandoba appeared as an old Brahmin and said to him, “What? Can
you not get your bread without your profession
of goldsmith?[1]” Then
Mahlsa-
pathy
answered the vision.
'Yes. I shall give
up'. Then the vision said,
'Touch my feet, and hold
to my feet This
meant evidently,
'Hereafter, regard your subsistence as being dependent purely
upon your holding to my feet and not upon your doing goldsmith's work*.
From that time forwards, he gave up
goldsmith's work in perfect trust (NISHTA AND SRADDHA) and lived by begging,
that is, he became really a Sanyasi
"Monk" or Bhikshaikari, though living with a family of a wife and
three daughters. Being disgusted with
life, he did not care to sleep
at home for that
would develop his family cares
and burdens, i.e. Samsara, still further. He enjoyed Baba's Company day and night and was greatly benefitted thereby.
At the Mosque and at the chavadi, Baba slept on alternate nights and to
both places Mahlsapathy went and had his
bed along with Baba.[2]
Mahlspathy's main work
was to be
with Baba. and he never failed
to be with and sleep with Baba. But
on one occasion, early in
life, about 1896,
Baba himself said, “Arre Baagat,
listen to my fakiri words, which are always true. You are coming and sleeping here and not with
your wife. But you have got only
daughter (the only son he had
must have died
before 1896.) Daughters are
like tamarind fruit but a
son is like a mango fruit. You go and take bed in your house, and you
will then get a son," In spite of
Baba's pressure, he declined to go
home as he did not want his
family (samsara) to increase.
But his friend Kasiram Simpi compelled him and took him home and left him there. Thereafter
he took his bed in his house. He started it on the Janmashtami of 1896, and on
the next Janmash-tami (1897) a son was born to him. Baba's words are ever true
and never false. But, having got a son, he resumed his old vow of not
developing Samsara and ever afterwards slept only with Baba, in the Mosque, and
at the chavadi. Mahlsapathy would spread his own cloth and on that Baba (when
not lying on the plank) would lie on one half, and he would lie on the other.
Baba also gave him very hard duties which others could not possibly undertake.
Baba would tell Mahlsapathy, "You had better sit up. Do not go to sleep.
Place your hand on my heart. I will be going on with remembrance of Allah, Nama
Smaran, that is, a half conscious trance, and during that Nama Smaran, the
heart beat would clearly show you that I am still having Nama Smaran. If that
suddenly goes away and natural sleep supervenes, wake me up." The heart
beat during natural sleep would be evidently different from the heart beat of
the contemplative trance. Thus neither Baba nor Mahlsapathy would sleep at
night. Both would keep awake, Baba for directly communing with God, and by that
means doing service to numerous devotees in various places, and Mahlsapathy for
sharing the merit (punya) by keeping the vigil with Baba and benefiting
himself morally and spirtually by his pious service. His tapas was the
same practically as the tapas of Baba, that is, vigil for holy purposes. He
also had great control over all his senses (Indriyas), not merely over the sex
urge but also over hunger and other urges and cravings, though he was not able
to overcome sleep always. At times for a fortnight he would go without food,
purely by the power of his will, and sometimes his family also would suffer as
shortage of food was the consequent of Mahlsapathy's having no profession and
no earning and his rejection of offers of money and goods. This is a very important
point to note about Mahlsapathy. His attitude towards acceptance of alms is one
which very orthodox Hindus would understand. He regarded all acceptance of alms
from others as a direct interference with his own perfection of power. (See SB
XI (17) 41). Pratigraham manyamanah Tapas tejo Yesconudam i. e. "accepting
gifts as destructive of austerities, power, and fame". His ‘’Apoorva’’
i e. stored up merit was heightened by lasting, vigils, and other
"punya karma,'' such as reading of sacred literature, etc., and if he
accepted gifts (dana) from others, he believed (as many other orthodox Hindus
believe) that his merit or Apoorva would be lost, "diminished, or
transferred at least to some extent to the donor whose gift he accepted.
Therefore he was strongly opposed to accepting any gifts (except Biksha food)
even though he and his family might be starving. His family also completely
accepted that axiom and they also would generally reject offers of help in
money, materials, etc.[3]
Baba himself several times tried to press him to accept money. When Baba was
getting large incomes, (1880-1918) he was daily showering
Rs. 30 on one, Rs. 15 on another, Rs. 10 on a third, and so on. Baba
told Mahlsapathy several times;-'Take this Rs. 3. Go on taking it'. Mahlsapathy
invariably refused. Baba even added. 'Go on receiving Rs. 3. I will make you
well-to-do, and other people will come to you and depend on you and look to
your favour; make your life comfortable." Mahlsapathy invariably replied:
'I do not want all that. I want only to worship your feet.' He counted his
avoidance of gifts and contentment with his lot as far above his attaining or
retaining material wealth. He (M) would not sleep on cots. He would not care to
have comforts of any other sort, even though these were available or offered to
him. He strongly reminds us of the holy poverty of St. Francis of Assissi, the
Akinchanya, which is so highly praised in scripture (see especially M. B.
Moksha Dharma Scanti P. ch. 165 Samyaka upadesa. 5-11, 16 & 22). Baba had
to offer inducements of "Abhaya" and support, etc. to various
people to raise them to high spiritual effort. But in tha case of Mahlsapathy,
no inducements and assurances were required, as Mahlsapathy had already
achieved the high, water mark of purity, viitue, austerity (tapas), and wisdom
(Jnana), so far as that was possible in his circumstances.
An important
event in Mahlsapathy's life that he was connected with was Baba's trying to
leave his body about 1886 and returning to it three days later. Baba had made
him the guardian of his body and told him, *Arre Bhagat, look after this body
for three days. I am going to Allah. If I do not return, then get it buried in
due course at that place, (that is, near the sacred gode neem tree).'
Mahlsapathy
supported Baba's body on his own knee, and when officers, including the village
headman karnam, etc., held an inquest over the body, declared it dead, and
wanted it to be buried he with the help of others stoutly opposed their
proposal and saved Baba from losing his body, as Sankaracharya's is said to
have been lost (See Sankara Vjaya) when he tried a similar attempt to leave and
re-enter his body in order to enter a grihasta royal body by parakaya
pravesa. Thus, he rendered a valuable service in 1886, after which Baba lived
for 32 years to create this huge Sai movement that has covered this land. If
Mahlsapathy had failed in his duty, and Baba had been buried perhaps the course
of history might have been different.
One incident we
may mention as to bow he (M) served Baba and carried out his pious efforts. As
usual, he had spread his cloth and Baba was lying on one half of that cloth,
and he was lying on the other. Then Baba told him. 'I say, come on. To-day we
shall be on the watch. The rude Rohilla (death from plague) is wanting to take
away the wife of the Nigoj Patil. I am praying to Allah to prevent that by Nama
Smaran. You had better see that no one comes and disturbs me in my Nama
Smaran.'
Accordingly
Mahlsapathy kept awake to try and see that no disturbance took place. But,
unfortunately, in the middle of the night the Nivas Mamlatdar had come. He and
his peons took a fancy to take Baba's darsan, which could be had for nothing,
so, at midnight, the peon of the Mamlatdar came and stating that Darsan was
wanted and udhi was wanted, made a noise. Mahlsapathy tried to prevent it but
who could prevent official hauteur or jabardas ? Mahlsapathy was
trying to oblige the poen by getting down the steps to give him some udhi, but
the noise made disturbed Baba's trance (contemplation), and Baba sat up, and
hurled foul curses and told Mahlsapathy. 'Arre Bhagat, you are a man with
family! And don't you know what is taking place at Nigoj? This disturbance has
caused a failure in my efforts. That Patil's wife is dead. Let that go. What
has happened is for the best'. In his anger, Baba threw away Mahlsa-pathy's
cloth on him, telling him that he should not allow disturbance like that to
Baba's holy work of contemplation and prayer.
Baba, for about
40 years must have benefited Mahlsapathy in innumerable ways the details of
which are not available, and above all kept him to the high water mark of
devotion, surrender and self abnegation. As usual, Baba used his wonderful
Supranormal powers and knowledge e.g. His knowledge of the present in all
distant places, which is called "clairvoyance" and knowledge of the
future, immediate or remote, to benefit Mahlspathy. He used also his control
over minds and matter (including human bodies) for his devotee's benefit and
kept watching him to secure his welfare whether he was near or far, even 150
miles off and gave him warning and afforded relief where necessary.
Baba's
"eye of vigilant supervision is ever on those who love him". Baba's
watch over Mahlsa saved him from shipwreck in his food problems. At times, for
long periods the starvation of the devotee and his family came perilously-near
the danger point. Then Baba suddenly made the devotee relax his vow. On one
such occasion, H. S. Dixit was somehow made aware of the danger. He wished to
send up a ten rupee note to Mahlsapathy- To make sure that it should not be
rejected, he enclosed it in an envelope and took it to Baba and without any
other words asked Baba "Shall I send this"? Baba Said "Yes"
He sent it, and it was accepted. Baba had his Antarjnan of the gift and had
told Mahala's wife some hours earlier: "Tell your husband, Baba is coming
to the house, and he should not reject Baba". So when the envelope with
the 10 rupee note came, Mahlsapathy was sure that Baba's message referred to
the envelope and he accepted it.
The snake infested Shirdi
was full of danger to its inhabitants. One evening as Mahlsapathy was leaving
Eaba's Mosque, Baba told him that he was likely to meet two thieves (snakes) on
the way, and accordingly Mahlsapathy found one at his doorsteps and the other
at the neighbouring house. One day Baba told him. 'When you return, come with
a lamp, for you will find a thief at the gate'. Accordingly, Mahlsapathy came with a lamp in his hand, and
found a snake at the gate, and cried out 'snake, snake'. The neighbours
gathered and killed it.
Baba once
warned him in general words, 'Don't put your back against the earth'. Not
remembering this advice, and in his usual slovenly way, Mahlsapathy, having
consumed too much of Burfi got giddy, sat on the floor, and losing his
consciousness, glided down. He then was with his bare back on the ground He was
dreaming or delirious and talking in his dream, keeping his legs stretched on
the bare earth all the time. When he returned to consciousness and sat awake,
he found he could not bend his leg. His daughters had to massage his knees and
legs, and thereafter he was able to walk upto Baba. When he arrived there, Baba
told him, 'Did I not tell you not to put your back against earth?’ On one occasion,
Baba gave him warning that something wrong would happen at Khandoba's, and
that, however, he need not be afraid as Baba would do the needful. Then very
soon, his wife and daughter fell ill and soon after, the other members of his
family also fell ill. This was after 1908, after which date the number of
Shridi visitors increased including many doctors. Meanwhile Baba told
Mahlsapathy, 'Let the sick people keep to bed', and walking round his Mosque
with a short stick in hand Baba was waving his short stick and using
threatening words :—'Come, whatever may be your power, let us see! I shall show
you what I can do with my chota stick, if you come out and face me'. This was
Baba's treatment of the disease. However, amongst the numerous visitors, there
were doctors who gave medicines to Mahlsapathy to be given to his sick family.
Mahlsapathy consulted Baba regarding the medicines, but Baba dissuaded him from
administering the medicines to the sick at home. In the result, all got well
without medicine. Baba's way of fighting disease is not the modern way of
medicine, but it was unmistakably effective.
Baba's watching
was often of great benefit to Mahlsapathy in other domestic matters also. Once
M's wife had gone to her mother's house at a distant village. When she was
there, she developed a painful tumour near her- neck, but she did not
communicate that to her husband. But Baba’s watching eye of supervision, which
rests on all those relying on him with loving trust, noted this fact. He told
Mahlsapathy at Shirdi : 'Your wife has a tumour in the throat. None can cure it
except myself, and I shall cure it'. Mahlsapathy knowing nothing about his
wife's health simply said 'Yes, Baba'. Later he received a letter mentioning
the painful tumour, and adding that it had been cured.
Baba used his
knowledge of coming events for "Bhagat" as Baba called this bhakta
Mahlsapathy, and revealed them to him when necessary. He was a poor man,
whose three daughters were married to people at various villages. His Sambandis
(i.e. fathers-in-law of those daughters) had no regard for him. The reader may
remember Lamb's essay on "A Poor Relation". On one occasion, one of
the Sambandis at a distant village invited him to dine with him, and
Mahlsapathy went to take Baba's leave. When granting leave. Baba said,
"You are going to be insulted there'. Mahlsapathy went along with his
friend, but when he went to his Sambandi's house, he found the Sambandi's
people had already finished their meal and were washing their hands without
caring to wait for the arrival of their poor relation Mahlsapathy. This was an
obvious insult and he returned refusing to take his meal. He returned to Baba
and told him all the facts.
On another
occasion, one Ram Bhav Harde, a Sai Baba bhakta, invited Mahlsapathy to go to his
village 'Astinagram' some six or ten miles away from Shirdi. There was to be a
Mahlsapathy Purana reading by Mahhapathy to be followed by a dinner. So it was
an interesting occasion, and Mahlsapathy went to take leave of Baba. Baba said,
'Do not go. There will be a fight there'. Yet having been invited, he could not
avoid goiiig, and he went to that village. He sat and read Mahlsapathy puraram
there, and while that was going on the host's graceless, sturdy and rowdy boys
with other boys sat for their meal and began to exchange hot words. From words
they quickly came to blows with sticks, and on account of the free use of the
cudgels, the audience that was present for the Purana reading fled in fright
and Mahlsapathy also had to pack up his purana and follow their wise
example. He returned to Shirdi and
told Baba, 'Your words have proved true to the letter'.
Long before N.
G. Chandorkar and others arrived, i.e. in the eighties of the last Century,
Baba spoke of the future of Shirdi. Baba told Bhagat and others who were with
him at the chavadi, 'In this place (Shirdi) there will be huge storeyed
buildings rising, big fairs will be held, and big men, Subedars, and others
will be coming. My Brahmins will gather and elephants, horses and Shankar Nana
will also come’ Guns will be fired (Dhadanga Dishe Udenga)'. People hearing
this began to smile. They thought, 'What, all this for this worthless nook of
an insignificani hamlet’. But some decades later, every one of Baba's
statements came true, and that nook of an insignificant village has already
become a small town with big storoyed buildings, sugar factories with
machinery, annual fairs, festivals, etc., and the daily puja of Baba attracts
thousands including ladies and gentlemen of the highest position from all parts
of India.
Baba knew the
future of this devotee but gave him only hints. When Mahlsapathy got a male
child in 1897 and took him to Baba and talked of Namakarana, i.e. the name to
be given to the child, Baba, evidently to prevent his being too much attached
to the son, told him "Look after the child for 25 years and that
would be sufficient". The father's business is only to look after this
new arrival in a detached spirit, knowing that the connection is only for a
fixed time. Mahlsa did not understand all this, or that 25 years period
indicated the length of his life which was to end in 1922; but with true
humility and submission he told Baba that "looking after" the child
was not in his power-but only in Baba's power. Baba's reply was still more significant.
"Be thou, the Nimitta" i.e. the apparent instrument, said Baba,
reminding us of Sri Krishna's direction to Arjuna to fight the MahaBharata
battles as a mere instrument in His hands "Nimittamatram Bhava
Savyasachin". Mahlsapathy though a surrendered soul could not have
banished his ego and risen then to the full height indicaled above i.e. to
treat all acts done by his body as the acts of the Supreme. Baba was leading
him on to that height on the above and other occasions.
But more
interesting to common folk than this is Baba's keeping watch over him night and
day. When Mahlsapathy often obtained leave of Baba to go for his night meal,
Baba used to say, 'Go. I am with you." No harm then befell M. Though Baba
was not physically accomponying M, his invisible guardianship was evident.
Baba's watch
over Mahlsapaty was also for his moral benefit. Though Mahlsapathy was
generally of a pious disposition, sometimes he committed mistakes. Every night
he used to feed a crippled bitch, and one day, having fed it, he said, 'Go',
But the creature did not stir. He took a stick and gave it a beating,and then
it howled with pain and ran away. That right when Mahlsapathy went to the
Mosque and shampooed Baba's legs, Bapu Saheb, Dada Kelkar and others were with
him. Baba said, 'Arre, there is a bitch, sickly like me, in the village.
Everybody is beating it'. Then at once Mahlsapathy, remembering his behaviour
repented his mistake. This is not trivial, as we shall see further on.
Baba's company,
Seva, example and help kept Mahlsapathy very high up in his spiritual level. He
bore great love to Baba. When Baba passed away in 1918, he, on account of his
attachment, declined all food and fasted for 13 days. Probably to prevent a
shock, Baba had given him hints of his (Baba's) impending final departure. It
was Mahlsapathy's custom to spend all his time with Baba except when he went
for his meal, etc Later Baba would send some one or other to fetch him from his
house. Then he would light up chilm (i.e. smoking pipe), do odd jobs for
Baba, and prepare Baba's bed, which was a very peculiar arrangement. Baba
always kept his head on an old brick (which is believed to be the brick given
to him by Venkusa with a torn cloth). Madhav Fasle, a servant of Baba used to
hand over that brick to Mahlsapathy every night and along with it, a tattered
cloth (believed to be Venkusa's gift) to be placed over it and other cloths to
be spread on the ground as bed for Baba. Mahlsapathy would first place the
brick and then the tattered cloth, and then spread the other cloth or cloths.
Ten or twelve days before 1918, Dassara, Madhav False, in handing over the
brick, allowed it to slip down to the ground, and it broke into two Then the
broken pieces were placed as pillows for Baba. Baba asked 'Who broke the brick?
Mahlsapathy mentioned that Madhav False broke the brick. Baba got very angry
with Madhav and placed his hands on his own head and felt extremely sad. Baba
said 'Sopat tutali’ i.e , the companion is broken. Next day, Kala (HS. Dixit)
came and said there was no need to deplore the breaking, as he would join the
pieces with silver joints. Baba said: "Even if you join them with gold,
what is the use? This brick is my Sobatya (companion) (evidently from
his Selu days) and its breakage betokens evil." From that time onwards
Baba was disspiritod. At least Mahlsapathy thought so. Baba, even before this,
had given Mahlsapathy a hint. He told him once when he (Mahlsapathy) was
preparing to light a lamp and fill up Baba's pipe, (Arre Bhagat, in
a few days from this, I will be going somewhere. After that, you come at night
for 2 or 4 years'; This was not understood by Mahlsapathy. But Baba's spirit
passed beyond our ken into AVYAKTA on 15th October 1918, and Mahlsapathy was
able to do his nightly usual puja to Baba only for 2 or 4 years, for he passed
away on 11—9—1922.
Baba'g help to
Mahlsapathy in his religious efforts and in securing a good end may be noted,
because dying on on Ekadasi day is conducive to or indicative of Sadgati.
Mahlsapathy passed away, in circumstances to be described more fully later, on
an Ekadasi day in 1922 after a life of religious striving. In the case of
Mahlsapathy, his firm faith was in Khandoba, and Baba treated Khandoba,
Vittoba, and Allah as the same c. f. BGIV 11 & VIII 21-All worship is God's
worship. God reaches us in the form we choose.' Khandoba's grace to
Mahlsapathy was manifested several times, and whenever there was a difficulty
for Mahlsapathy, Khandoba gave him visions. In one of those visions, Khandoba
asked him to go and see Vittal at Pandharpur, and in the case of such a poor
man like Mahlsapathy, who had to beg his bread for himself and family, a
pilgrimage to Pandharpur was no joke. But by Khandoba's grace, he got some
pecuniary help for the journey, and a well-to-do family as his companions. With
them he reached Pandhari. At Pandharpur, the crowds were always unmanageably
large, and it was not easy for one to cut his way through the mass to Vittal.
Then there were the professional priests demanding coins to take a man to the
Vittal image. But Mahlsapathy had no coins, and so specfal interference on his behalf by Khandoba was
necessary. As he was moving with the crowd nearer and nearer to Vittoba,
suddenly people began to note that Mahlsapathy's face was exactly like Khaidoba's
and said that Khandoba had actually come to take darsan of Vittoba and cleared
a way for him The Pandas also must have been similarly impressed. That made
Vittal darsan easy for Mahlsapathy.
Similar
instances of help for himself and party were manifested at his pilgrimage to
Jejuri. Once when they were going on their horses, the police intercepted them
on the way and examined their passes. Finding one having no pass, they stopped
him and put him into the police station; and the procession could not start
from the village. That man had to go and get a pass from the Kulkarni. That
Kulkarni showed his talent for taking work gratis from all persons. A Niti
sloka says rightly :—Makshiko Maruto vescya yachako mushakas tatha
gramanirganakas chaiva saptaiate para badhakah''. i.e gnats, winds, courtesans,
beggers, rats, village headmen and karnams (i.e. kulkarnis) these seven are
pestering parasites. He delayed the issue of a pass and said 'You go on
splitting fuel for me'. He gave Mahlsapathy's man an axe to split fuel i.e. to
do work gratis. Then the man took up the axe and after a few strokes, the
handle was broken. Then the Kulkarni gave him a second handle. The second
handle also broke. Then a third handle was given, and that also shared the same
fate. Then the Kulkarni said, 'God does not allow you to work', and gave him
the pass.
Baba's watch
over the pilgrimages of Mahlsapathy and his other movements shows Baba's great
and mysterious power and His wonderful love and guardian-stip of the bhaktas.
These are well illustrated in many instances of which a few more may be
mentioned, On one occasion when Mahlsapathy and party reached Jejuri,
150 miles from Shirdi, plague was raging there, and Mahlsapathy sat down
dejected leaning against his palki (Kavadi), not knowing what to do. Suddenly
he saw Baba behind him; and Baba vanished. Then he got embolde-and told his
companions : 'Baba is with us and we need not worry'. Accordingly the
pilgrimage was satisfactorily over, and there was no loss of life. When he returned
to Shirdi, Baba told him, 'I found you leaning against the Palki at JeJuri'.
Mahlsapathy was convinced that his eyes did not deceive him at Jejuri and that
Baba was everywhere guarding his bhaktas.
On another
occasion when Mahlsapathy and his group had gone for an annual Jejuri
pilgrimage, they were returning followed by another group i.e. Malam Bhagat
Pilki. Then they met thieves who were armed with axes and who wore masks or
were covering their faces with thick blankets. As they approched the Palki to
rob it, Mahlsapthy courageously took out a handful of Bhandar, i.e. coloured
rice and sandal and threw it at them as prasad. Then they quietly retreated to
an adjoining wood. Then Mahlsapathy and his friends went on followed by Malam
Bhagat palki, and they noted that there was no image in their own palki. All
the party looked into it (i.e., Mahlsapathy's palki) to see whether all their
images were there. They found none. Then some one said. 'Are we to carry an
empty palki to Shirdi?. That day was a Sunday, which is Khandoba's day. At the
very outset. M said, 'No pilgrimage on Sunday' But the others had disagreed,
and now Mahlspathy told the others, 'This is the evil of doing pilgrimage on
Sunday’. Suddenly Mahlspathy got in .to a trance, and Khandoba talking through
him said, ‘Arre, what day is this? Is it not my day? Why are you
carrying palki? To-day I am busy hunting out on a hill. After hunting is over,
I will come to Shirdi. You had better go now'. Then he woke up from trance, and
the palki went on and came to Kandoba's temple at Shirdi. People at Shirdi, for
instance, Shakaram Kandukar and others came to the palki to take Darsan.
Shakaram looked into the palki and found all the images ' there. 'What is the
talk of all the images missing?' he asked the people. He showed them, and said
'Here are alt the images'.
Mahlsapathy's
case is an excellent instance of Baba's method of unifying religion and creeds
successfully. Mahlsapathy was only an ordinary, conservative, orthodox
worshipper of Khandoba. Sai Baba, he considered a Muslim and even objected to
his entry into Khandoba's temple when Sai Baba came to Shirdi with Chan Bhai
Patel's party. This same man became Baba's ardent devotee and worshipped him.
In fact not only was he the first in point of time amongst the worshippers, but
he was also the foremost in excellence. Mahlsapathy felt that Baba was God.
Whatever may be the difference in name and form, Scanker, Scani, Ganapati, and
Khandoba are all one, and Baba with divine power was the same. M also went to
Pandharpur to worship Vittal (a form of Maha Vishnu and had no sectarian i.e.
(Siva Vishnu) prejudices. He and his group honoured all saints, Hindu and
Muslim, and they applied Tukaram's famous saying 'Jo Sant, Toch Dev! o Dev,
Toch Sant', meaning 'God is the same as the Saint and the Saint is the same as
God' to fakirs as well as Hindu saints. He was the first to do puja to Baba and
even apply sandal to him. Baba's objection to his being worshipped in that
fashion melted away under the keen sense of Mahlsapathy's love and devotion. As
Mahlsapathy made no difference between Khandoba and Baba, and as all thoughts
of men were known to Baba, Baba could not object to any of the ways adopted for
worship at the Khandoba temple being applied to him. Baba's divine heart of
love responded to the outpourings of Mahlsapathy's love; and so, Mahhapthy
became Baba's ANKITA SISHYA. Baba said (if not expressly at least by unmistakable
utterance and conduct). 'He is mine'. The Arati song says.
Jo Sanduchya ankita
Jiva Jhala,
Tyacha Ase
Bhara niranjanala.
This means, the
devotee who is stamped as mine by a Sadhu, has no more burden or responsibility
to bear, as all his burdens and responsibilities rest on the Saint (or the Guru
God). Baba showed his assumption of responsibility in innumerable ways.
Especially when he sent him in the evenings away from the Mosque, he would be
saying 'Go, I am with you' i.e. *I will protect you.' And he did. Baba's cure
of Mahlsapathy's wife's tumour at a distant place far off from Siiirdi, and the
cure of her children of their disease at other times are excellent instances of
Baba's protection and love. When the bhakta had no son, and yet refused to go
and live with his family, it was Baba's repeated assurance that he would get a
male child that induced him to go and sleep at home and thus get a son. This
son is named Martanda and is still living and worshipping at his father's tomb.
This is considered important, as dying without a son will take a man to Hell
(Put Naraka). Mahlsapathy's response to Baba's love was evidenced by M’s
dedication of himself to Baba's service. Mahlsapathy not only shared his cloth
bed with Baba every night at the Mosque and chavadi, but also shared his night
vigil. Mahlsapathy's help to rouse Baba when the vigil stopped and gave way to
natural sleep was a specal help to Baba, and through Baba to everybody.
Mahlsapathy's effort to keep the Baba body for three days in 1886 against the
mischance of being buried on the compulsion of the officers was a signal
service not only to Baba but to the entire Sai bhaktas and the public at large.
Baba's recognition of this attachment closely resembling Hanuman's attachment
to Rama was expressed by Baba's calling him Bhagat i.e. Bhakta. B. V- Dev calls
Ma Bhakta Manickya and a Mahatma in his preface to M's reminiscences. Both
epithets are apt and just.
The end of such
a soul when life passes away must necessarily be a good end, (sadgati). Baba
made this assurance doubly sure and granted him the merit of dying on an
Ekadasi day (with God in his mind and on his lips) just as he did this for
several other bhaktas of his. Dying on an Ekadasi day is conducive to departure
in a holy mood from this life (through the bright and smokeless path). B, Gita
VIII 6 says.
Yam yam vapi
Smaran Bhavam
Tyajati ante
kalebaram
Tarn tam eva
eti kounteya
Sada tad bhava
bhavitah
That is 'Whatever a person thinks of
(being in constant touch with it) at the time of death he reaches'. When
Mahlsapathy's death was approaching, he retained full-consciousness and control
of his mind. That was on 11th Sep. 1922 Monday (in the month of Badrapada,
Ekadasi Somavara, sacred to Shiva and Khandoba) Having finished all his puja,
he said to his family, ‘To-day is my father's Shraddha day. Finish cooking
soon. To-day I close my earthly life and go to Heaven'. So, Laxman, the
Brahmin, came and finished the Sraddha at once and finished the gift of balis
to crows, cows, etc, and guests were fed. Then the family meals were finished.
Mahlsapathy took betel and nuts after his meal. After chewing a bit, he put on
a kupni. Having near him, Bala Gurav, Ramachandra Kothe, etc., he told
them ;all to do Ramachandrajapa Japa went on. His son was there, and he
gave him his stick. Muhlsapaty said to his son, 'Spend time piously in Uttama Bhakti
Marga i.e. in holy devotion. All that I told you will happen." Then
Mahlsapathy uttered the word 'Ram’ and breathed his last. Thus he passed
away in calm faith and cheerfuhess on the 11th September 1922. This death was a
fitting termination to a pure, lofty and dedicated life—a life of Love, faith
and total surrender— a death that may be envied by many who may not be prepared
to adopt the rigorous course that led up to it and ensured it. His remains are
interred in a tomb at Shirdi which is still worshipped by many.
Some may fancy
that merely rebuking Mahlsapathy for mercilessly hitting a bitch for not moving
out when told to go is a mere ordinary lesson in Ahimsa or fair
treatment of brutes. But from the standpoint of Baba's development of pupils,
it is much more. Any one who is capable of hitting a bitch naturally thinks
poorly of a bitch and highly of himself, and does not hesitate to injure a
"lower creature". This is not merely a vice but evidence of Rajasic
Tamasa obscuring the soul's light-a very serious obstacle to the attainment of
equal vision, c.f. (I) Somatvam yogauchyate (2) Nirdosan hi samam Brahman
Tasmat Brahmani te sthilah BGV. 19 to the attainment of 'Sarvabhutatma
bhutatmatvam', that is, realising God or the Self in every creature and paying
reverence to it. BVG. 7. First, about equal vision, it will be noted that alike
In the B Gita and Krishnoddhava Samvada, (SBXI) samatva of Equal View is
repeatedly stressed as a qualification for and a mark of the Jnani. If a man
has realised Brahman (i e. got Jnana), then all creatures are alike Brahman,
and he treats them all equally and makes no invidious distinctions between
them, worshipping one, beating another, etc. Vidya Vinaya sampannc Brahmane
Gavi hastini Scuni chaiva Scvapakecha Panditah Samadarscinah. BGV. 18. The want
of samatva denotes a failure to rise above vulgar mediocrity; and
beating shows the need for a great deal of effort to rise to heights of equal
vision. Equal vision is sometimes considered a mere poetical ideal which is not
practical-Many may think it not worthwhile, when they are in active life, when
still living in the family, to aim at equal, vision-samatva. But Baba did not
take that view. Mahlsapathy was a family man, 'grihasta' living with his
family up to the last and died in the midst of his relations, Yet Baba raised
him nearer and nearer to the level of equal vision, and the first step in that
effort is to stop cruelty to animals. So his warning against the beating of the
bitch must be viewed in the light of the need for achieving equal vision.
Higher steps are not achieved merely by stopping the beating of animals. Higher
steps are accelerated by Baba's highest plank, namely, seeing of Himself or God
in all creatures: Saravabhutatma bhutatmatvam. That is Baba wanted his
highest bhaktas to feel strong enough about his (Baba's) being God. They should
feel his being in all animals and consequently God being in all animals, a
result which should be manifested by either mental or even actual physical
worship offered to some animals at any rate. Namdev's recognition of Vittal in
a dog, after he had been trained by the Guru Visoba Kesar in equal vision and
in the treatment of all objects as manifestation of God, has already been
mentioned in the previous volume, Mahlsapathy was the best fitted to gain that
faculty of seeing (Sai) God in a creatures or to sing or feel with Kabir
"Sabghata Atma Rama Govinda-Hari Bole Hari Bole Bhai". In the
Bhagavata recognising the difficulty of actual physical worship being offered
to all creatures, the advice is given that the worship may be mental, and the
stanza runs—
Manasaiva etani
bhutani
Pranamet
Bahumanayan
Iswaro Jiva
kalayo
Pravishto
Bhagavaniti
This means,
'Remembering the fact that all these creatures have an Atma or Soul and that
the Soul is but the reflection or part of God, one should feel that God is in
all these creatures, esteem them and worship them only mentally'. It is
not known whether Mahlsapathy, Chandokar, or any other devotee actually did
this worship as a sadhana when he met creature after creature or any creature
or succeeded in feeling that God's reflection, that is, God Himself in another
form was in every creature. But this was evidently Baba's intention, and one
might presume that some of the bhaktas of Baba did achieve a fairly high degree
of progress in this sadhana. One Lakshmi going to Baba's tomb, shortly after He
passed away, was bemoaning his loss and prayed to him to show his form to her.
As she was moving out, she met a serpent on her way. At once she cried out,
'Baba, if you show me your form in this serpent shape, how am I to get on?'
This is an interesting instance. If even a rustic woman, not presumed to know
anything about higher culture or the higher sadhanas in the Sastras was able to
recognise or treat Baba as being in a snake, surely other bhaktas of Baba may
be presumed to have made some advance in this all important matter. The great
importance of this step of recognising God in all creatures can be inferred
from the fact that the lesson is repeated more than a dozen times in the
Bhagavata Gita and in the Ekadasa Skanda of Bhagavata i.e. Uddhava Gita.
Naturally the utterance in the Upanishad 'Sarvam kaluidam Brahma’, that is,
'All this manifested Universe is God' cannot be achieved by one who fails to go
even through the first step, namely, treating the living creatures in the
Universe as manifestations of God. God is power plus mercy, plus sameness, or
equality and omniscience and omnipresence. One can magnify the bits of these
qualities found in animals and treat them as potentially infinite or as tiny
reflections of Godhead. So one
ought to first view the creatures around him as manifestations of God, and
their bodies as temples (Deho Devalayah Proktah Sivo Jivah Sanatanah) and
mentally reverence them. The practical difficulties of reverencing all
creatures and observing equality of vision have been referred to by great
saints like Sri Ramakrishna and solutions have been given by them for practice
to overcome such difficulties. If a tiger is to be treated as God, when it is
coming to attack one, It will be over with the man, and there is no further
sadhana practicable for him. So one has to keep the tiger or lion
(Mriga-namcha mrigendroaham BGX, 30-) at a distance and mentally reverence it,
overcoming one's fear as part of one's sadhana, no doubt taking good care to
see to one's safety. The same applies to snakes and other destructive
creatures. Amongst human beings also there are unfortunate specimens of
uttermost heights of vice and cruelty and other and unsociable features, and
these cannot be approached by any ordinary sadhaka. A Chaitanya may no doubt go
out and beard the lion in his den and meet the murderous robber in his own
haunt and may come off victorious, but that, however, cannot be copied safely
by ordinary sadhakas. Hence, one may stress the word 'Mansaiva' in the
above quotation from the Bhagavata with reference to this practice.
After reverence
is achieved, then comes the question of identity. Sri Sai Baba, the highest
realiser and teacher of Brahma Nishta, viewed everything as Brahman. 'I am
Brahman; all this is Brahman; I am all' said Sai, as a great realiser that he
was might be expected to say. As a stepping stone to that position, reverence
to all is an important achievement and that reverence is made possible by the
Ahimsa lesson taught by Baba to Mahlsapathy, This is the chief recorded lesson
in Mahlsapathy's memoirs taken down by his son to his dictation, but one may be
sure that when Mahlsapathy lived for four or five decades at least along with
Baba, day and night, in the Masudi and Chavadi, up to the last moment of Baba's
earthly life, numerous other instances of ahimsa and view of creatures as
manifestations of God and identification of oneself with all that is, must have
occurred and must have been noticed by Mahlsapathy to his great advantage.
Mahlsapathy however was not a cultured man and the few memoirs that he dictated
at the
fag end of his life to his less cultured son show that he had no neat power
even of recalling, arranging, and narrating-all his experiences. Taking, for
example, the account he gives of Baba's Svecha marana and return to the
body in 1886, we see how poor his powers of narration are and perhaps also his
powers of observation understanding and remembering incidents after 36 years
passed. Anyhow, Mahlsapathy, after so many decades of his living with Baba.
would surely have imbibed Baba's ahimsa and Baba's regard for life in every
form. Incidentally one may note that it is not merely worship of creatures that
is required for ore's equal vision and rising' to the 'Sarvam kaluidam
Brahma’ plane. The inanimate world also including the mineral world must be
treated as Brahman e, g. the earth, mountains, etc, B G. VII-47, Here comes the
difficulty. How is one to treat a clod of earth as Brahman. One may retort,
'Are not persons worshipping a handful of clay moulded into the shape of an
elephant faced Ganapati or of Kali for days and days, (though after Prana
Pratishta cermony) and feeling the presence of God in that object every year.
If one can feel God in clay in a particular form, one may next proceed to view
the same clay with-out that form us still being God, even when the clay has
been thrown into the Ganges. It must be recalled that earth, air, fire, water,
and ether, (which are parts of God's Apara Prakriti. B. G, VII 4 & 5) are
all full of life, in some form or other, Life grades down from the human to the
animal, thence into the vegetable, thence into the mineral life, and finally
into the siderial life. It is easy for one acquainted with animal life, (from
the science of physiology or Biology) to note vegetable life dealt with by the
science of Botany. In studying these sciences, one notes that there are hybrid
or indeterminable entities which one finds it difficult to bring under either
of the heads specifically. There are some cells or objects which look like
vegetables in one respect and animals in another; for instance, the fly eating
flower, which catches at the fly as soon as it sits on it, dissolves it in its
acid secretion and digests it exactly like an animal. Yet all the while it is
only a plant, a vegetable. When vegetables eat animals, just as animals eat
vegetables, it is difficult to say that there is not the same life in both.
Taking up cell and crystal life, it is very diffcult to distinguish the
mineral, the animal, and the human. Man is supposed to be able to draw
geometrical figures, but the crystals beat man in their aesthetic perception
and their unerring geometrical faculty of building up correct crystals even
when intercepted. And beyond all mineral, there is the siderial life on which
light is thrown by the recent ray research and atomic or nuclear fission. All
objects known to us are : supposed to consist of atoms. ‘A' (not), 'tomas' (to
cut) is the derivation of the word 'atom', and the older chemists believed that
matter goes down to a stage where it cannot be further cut, and that, they
called the atom, But that atom has now been cut and nuclear fission reveals to
us that inside a cell of an atom, what is contained is a Universe, protons and
electrons of various sorts gyrating round and round and producing different
results by their varieties of combination or position. The power generated by
cutting an atom of uranium or hydrogen now threatens the peace and safety of
the world and the gamma rays produced in the operation are the biggest Yama
that science has revealed, more terrific than the Yama of Hindu mythology. The
world's end, Pralaya, which is merely poetically described in Puranic Mythology
is now an actual terrible spectre across the path of scientists and statesmen.
Anyhow it is now scientifically proved that there is life in even the least bit
of the Universe and, if power and intelligence be regarded as basic elements in
God. worship of plant or the mineral is quite as easy as worship of the animal
or the human being,
It is unsafe to
generalise from a few facts of science and draw conclusions in the field of
religion, but on the whole following Baba's guidance, one is safe in drawing
the conclusion that, the Upanishidic declaration 'Sarvam kaluidam Brahma, and
the Puranic direction that all creatures ought to be worshipped, are perfectly
safe and legitimate for one to follow, under proper guidance. Mahlsapathy had
the immense advantage of the company and guidance of Sai Baba and that was more
than a University training for him, for it enabled him to rest securely on
Baba's help and support for all his religious strivings and for life in
general. When he died with "Ram" on his lips, it is quite clear that
Mahlsapathy had conquered his baser nature and advanced very far in his
spiritual welfare under the guidance of Baba. Who has achievd more ?
While closing
this chapter, we may stress certain points once again. An account of
Mahlsapathys training under Sai Baba may serve other purposes while noting the
grand truths just stated. Some very orthodox people think that either it is
impossible for them to use Sai Baba for their religious advancement as he was
so heterodox and apparently a Muslim or that, in any case, there is no
particular benefit to be gained by contact with him (Sai Baba) for the highly
orthodox people to whom the Supreme Authority the Vedas, the Agamas, and the
methods mentioned therin serve all the purposes that they can think of. With their sanctimony of acharas, pujas, and
dhyana. they think that nothing more is left for them to do. Several orthodox
gentlemen have asserted that Sai Baba cannot be of any use to them at all. Mahlspathy's life and development under Sai
Baba serve to prove the contrary. Those who are highly content with the steps
they are taking in the orthodox direction with the use of their ancestral
methods, images, etc., will find that Mahlsapathy also was a person of the same
sort. If Mahlsapathy could
derive very high benefit from Baba, others also can. Mahlsapathy had his
Khandoba worship and Khandoba image inherited
from his parents. Khandoba is an
Avatar of Siva, and he had implicit faith in Khandoba and his religious practice
was strict. His observance of
fasts, feasts, and ceremonies
was almost perfect. He had developed
some powers such as leading the Khandoba
purana and with
its help informing people of
Khandoba's message or reading for the future. He felt fully convinced
that Khandoba was protecting him in everything. In short he had such intense faith in
Khandoba that really Khandoba developed into a fairly perfect idea of God for
him. As the Vedas point out, and as
Baba also frequently pointed out, any name or form of God would become the
perfect God that one needs.
''Namaste Vayo.'' 'Tvameva Pratyaksham Brah-masi" is what the Vedic worshipper of Vayu
said to Vayu. i. e. Obeisance to Thee, Wind-God!
You alone are the Visible
embodiment of Divinity (to me)." He found that the worship of Vayu, which
is only one of the Forces of Nature, if
carried on long enough and with
sufficient intensity, served his
purpose, Similarly worshippers of
Ganapati and other forms also thought that each form could be developed into full God under proper circumstances when the fullest blaze of
devotion, faith and receptivity ensouled the devotee. In Mahlsapathy's case
this was very well illustrated. He up to the last stuck to Khandoba and Khandoba
protected him. Baba used the term Khandoba to mean God. For instance when
addressing Upasani Baba, who was living in Khandoba temple, Baba said, 'After
four years' service, Khandoba will give all his powers and make you perfect'.
In the case of Mahlsapashy, his increased perfection was getting more and more
patent to those associated with him. The heights of self-sacrifice that he
reached were most astounding. His selflessness, which was copied by his wife
and daughters, resulted in their being left them without the barest necessities, in some cases such as a
woollen cover (Kambli). Yet he kept cheerful, contented and ready to crush out
self-interest to protect others even if they should viciously work against his
interest. Here is an instance reminding us of the Palestine Samartha's advice
to do good to those who do evil and to give the person robbing you of a coat
your cloak also.
When M lost his
kambli and that was traced to a receiver of stolen property in another village
where his daughter, who was there, traced it, that receiver swore that it was
hers and not Mahlsapathy's. The Village Munsif said that she ought to be jailed
and the property recovered. Mahlsapathy was shocked at the idea of seeing a
woman jailed and tormented for the sake of recovering his ''kambli'', and so
said he would not claim the property or say it was his—just as the saintly
Bishop refused to claim the silver candle stick stolen by Jean Val Jean in Les
Miserables.
Some people may
fancy that self-abnegation carried to such severe extent may ruin the physical
and material well being of the devotee and those depending on him. But here
come s the service of Baba. Baba,
the watchful the all knowing Providence who was always with him wherever he
went, made sure that he and his dependants should not be irreparably damaged by
his development of virtues, and therefore in every incident he came off safe.
This will suffice to show that even for very orthodox people great
help is derived
in proceeding on
their accustomed lires of religious development by being
in contact with or under the protection of the guardian angel Baba or
rather of Sai Krishna who undertook to
provide everything needed "Yoga
Kshemam (B.G, IX 22). Even very
orthodox and very devout persons would note how useful it is to have all one's
affairs about body and family looked after by an omniscient, omnipresent and kind guardian. Several orthodox
people fancy that God is looking after them and their families
but are disappointed to note the absence
of any provision in several cases. Such persons would
gladly note that by resorting to Sai
they find the same God that they have
been appealing to comes under a
new name ready to serve
them and their purposes. God
fulfils Himself in many ways.
YE yatha Maam
Prapadyante.tams tathaiva bhajamyaham
Mama vartma
Anuvartante manushyam partha sarvascha
Yo yo yam yam
tanum bhaktam
Labhata cha
tatah Kaman Mayaiva vihitan
BG VII(7)21-2
is what Sri
Krishna said in the
Gita. This means, In whatever from people surrender to
Me, in that very form, I serve
them. Every one following his own form of worship is really following My
worship’. God can be approached under any name and in any manner, and
Mahlsapathy, though sticking to the idea that Khandoba was his God, derived the
advantage of getting all his other needs safeguarded and provided as far as
possible by Baba acting as his Providence. Other bhaktas also who have their
own particular forms, who however note the need or importance of food, shelter
and other things for themselves and their familes being provided by Baba, would
be thus encouraged by Mahlsapathy's example to seek Baba and place themselves
under his protection. Baba never interfered with anybody's orthodoxy or
religious worship, and the orthodox now in various places need not have any
fears about the loss of their existing spiritual position by contacting Baba.
All the while, they would get unconscious expansion and refinement of their
idea of God and gods, and become ready for reaching the "Ekam Sat".
Some of the
readers of this sketch of Mahlsapathy may envy him in respect of his holy
service to tie Guru & the resultant benefits both temporal and spiritual,
and exclaim almost in the words of Thyagaraja,
(Mukhan-Rupaka)
Ehtanine Varnimtunu Sabari Bhagvamu
(or Bhakta Bhagyamu)
(i.e. How can I describe how great was
the good fortune of Sabari, a hunter class hill tribe woman, who served and
gave offerings to Sri Rama and thereby attained Moksha?)
But such envy
and despair of emulating this Bhakta ought to be more usefully diverted into
active channels of service of Sai Baba, who is still with us and
carrying on his divine plan of helping people to attain virtue and Moksha. This
book would be written in vain, if even a handful of readers or listeners are
not hereby inspired to rise high in their devotion and service (to sai in any
form, or he has all forms of Krishna, Rama Siva Marutyadi c.f. Ashtottara
Namavali)
In concluding
this chapter one more observation may be made throwing some light upon Baba's
methods and ways. Mahlsapathy undoubtedly made a good end. In fact, he was
fully conscious and knew when death was approaching, and told his friends 'I am
going to Heaven'. He was fully conscious of the merit he had stored up as a
Khandoba bnakta who had read Khandoba purana times without number, and made
numerous pilgrimages to Jejuri, etc. What did Mahlsapathy mean when he said
that he was going to Heaven at death? Readers will remember that when any pious
man's death is announced, it is said that he has become a Kailasavasi if he is
a Saivaite or Vaikuntavasi if he is a Vaishnavaite, that is, he has gone to the
feet of the particular god whom he worshipped, which god is dwelling in Heaven,
each god having his own Heaven. Siva has Kailas for His Heaven and Vishnu has
Vaikunta. Jehova would have his own and other gods would have their own. In
experience, the difference between these may be practically nothing, but yet
most people believe that each Heaven is a place, separate from other Heavens,
The Gita refers to these ideas and ideal; in Chapter VII, verses 20 to
23, which are worth deep study and cogitation at the hands of every serious
reader. First we shall mention what Mahlsapathy's ideas were as to his god and
his Heaven, Mahlsapathy unwaveringly believed in the supremacy and power of his
Ishta Devata,
namely, Khandoba, who was a particular god in a
particular place with a particular Form
of bliss. When he tried to propitiate
Khandoba by carrying his image in a
palki with others, 150 miles to Jejuri and back, on a Sunday, he declared
'Our Khandoba does not want procession, he is out
to-day being a Sunday
enjoying himself with hunting
on some hills', Therefore, his notion of Khandoba, in whome his soul was concentrated,
was a god that delighted
in hunting and
wanted a particular hill on a
particular day and so had a particular locality or Heaven in
which he would be rejoicing and his bhaktas would
rejoice with him. This is more or less the outline or rough explanation of what
Mahlsapathy meant by saying that he
would go to
Heaven on the day of his
death. No doubt
he worshipped Vittal,
Scani, Ganapati, and Baba- But none of them deeply entered into his soul and captured him like Khandoba.
They were all fit to be worshipped
or respected like the relations of a husband whom a woman respects
though it is
only the husband whom
she embraces. The exact connection
between one god and another, the exact definition of our divine ideas, is not
possible at least to most persons in ordinary circumtances. Accepting,
current Hindu, Christian and
other ideas, we might state that Khardoba was Mahlsapathy's
chief God though
in a way, he recognised that
Sankar, Scani, etc., were also
Gods and should be respected. Adopting current ideas we would be entitled
to say that perhaps Khandoba was Mahlsapathy's God in the sense in which Bhagavad
Gita uses the term 'god' in verses 20 to 23 of Chapter
VII. In verse 20 the Giia points cut how by strong desire
based perhaps upon innumerable repetitions
or habit, one's ideas are pulled
away in the direction of worshipping one
particular god other than Lord Krishna or the Supreme. The Prakriti or Nature (formed by habit)
compels these persons to be at their particular god other than Krishra. In verse 21 Lord Krishna says, far from objecting to this, he
approves and seals this attitude.
Whichever Murti (all Murtis are -but forms of the Supreme) a
devotee wishes to worship with faith
in it, the Lord develops
his faith therein. Verse 22 adds
'with that faith that devotee pleases that god and obtains particular gains or
desires of his, and these are according to the order of the Supreme.' Verse 23
adds 'At death, those who worship particular gods go unto them, and those who
worship the Supreme in the form of Krishna go unto Him.' We may infer from the above that so long as
a man makes a difference between the
Supreme and his Ishta Murthi and
insists upon following the
particular form suited to gain his Ista Murti's favour, he goes in
the end to the feet of his Ishta Murti
which, of course, is Heaven,
Heaven being a relative term which would apply to the position or level occupied by any of the gods. Therefore when Mahlsapathy said that he was going to Heaven, he had undoubtedly Khandoba at the back of his mind
and was reaching Khandoba. After all,
as Baba made no difference between
Khandoba and the Supreme and
also added. 'I am
God,' i.e. Aham Brahmasmi', Baba is the same as Khandoba. When a man goes on unconciously differentiating between one form
of God and another, whether that is harmful or less advantageous is not a question that
need be discussed here. As stated in the Gita, when a man starts
all right, he goes ultimately to the Supreme.
From the Upanishads one sees that those who go according to the lines of
Kramamukti go on from
loka to loka till they gain Brahman or
Brahma loka that is, till they reach the Supreme. Tai U II (8) Brih U ch. VI
(2) 13-16. These are highly abstract and metaphysical or theological
distinctions and discussions. Some readers may not like to have any of such
discussions while others may want them very much. That is why the matter is
raised at all and why it is left not fully discussed in this paragraph. To
understand Sai Baba aright, we have to study all phases of the bhakta at all
his stages and even his final stage. The end reached by Mahlsapathy and that
reached by H.S.Dixit and some others are briefly set fourth in this volume.
Some readers might try to analyse these and see what Baba's methods are in
developing a devotee and leading him on to the supreme end. It is not necessary
now to decide whether Mahlsapathy reached the Supreme end in 1922 or at any any
later date.
Nahi
Kalyanakrit kaschit Durgatim Tata Gachchati
That is, 'No
one following the right path need fear that he would attain-a bad end. There is
God, Lord Krishna or Lord Sai to see to it that everyone reaches the right
end'. We are sure of that, and this analysis only helps those who wish to have
some more light or religious speculation or discussion to satisfy themselves. We
should never dogmatise on these matters—especially when the account given of
the various lokas in the above and other Upanishads and the Itihasas and
puranas are so puzzling and apparently irreconcilable.
Nana Saheb Chandorkar
is the next of the most prominent amongst Baba's bhaktas, not merely because he
was sent for, and the only one openly sent for, by Baba and specially trained
and prepared for his mission, but also because of his magnificent work and
grand personality. He was the first and foremost of Baba's apostles whose
labour was the basis of the spread of Sai faith for many decades. If
Mahlsapathy was the seed, Chandorkar was the stem and trunk of the spreading
Banyan of Baba, i.e. Baba's St. Paul. A study of his relations with Baba, and
the way in which Baba moulded him is a typical and highly useful study of
Baba's methods for advancing educated disciples and of Baba's work for society.
Chandorkar was born of highly respected
parents, who were good and pious Hindus, held in high esteem in their social
circles and following the sastras to the best of their ability. They did their
daily Vaiswadeva and fed Atithis, i.e. kept open house; and visitors to Kalyan
expected to be and were actually welcomed
and fed by them as guests. His father was
a retired Government officer, and had
built a decent storeyed building there,
the Chandorkar Wada, which became, and which still continues to be, the family
mansion for so many generations. Chandorkar's capacity and talents can be seen
from the fact that by twenty he
was already a graduate, and that entering
Government service at once he rose to
the position of a Gazetted officer, a Deputy Collector, in seven years, which
was in those days considered (and must be considered even now) to be an
exceptional or marvellous feat. His
conduct, character, and spiritual fitness were
those of a good Hindu. He had taken up
Philosophy for his special subject for the B. A. degree and supplemented his
college study by careful attention to the Bhagvad Gita with Sankara Bhashya.
In these and
other ways, he was anxious to get the best out of the Hindu sastras for his own
moral and spiritual equipment and progress. His basic equipment being so good,
what was wanted was only the-hand of a perfect master to turn him into a
brilliant apostle, one high up in the spiritual ladder. Even under ordinary
circumstances he would have shone well in life but with Baba for his Guru and
guide, he shone resplendently well, and he was known throughout the Bombay
Presidency as a gentleman of an excellent and noble character and of great
attainments, and was revered as a Guru by eminent devotees like Sri B.V. Dev
and others. His case illustrates the truth of the saying that it is not the
sishya that seeks the Guru but very often the reverse. It was the Guru who
sought him out. He had no idea of his previous births. But his Guru Sri Sai
Baba was full of jnana. That is, he had Rnambhara Prajna or Pratibha.
The present, past and future floated before Sai Baba's mind's eye, if we
may so term it, as one moment, and he could see every bit of it clearly. He
remembered that in the past four janmas N G Chandorkar was his sishya; and so
he was determined to make the pupil continue the contact and derive further
benefit till he achieved life's goal. That is why he sent for him even though
he (Baba) did not care ordinarily to meet persons in high official position
which, in his eyes, counted for nothing at all. The details of Baba's
invitation and its fate are fully set out in Part 1. But as each part may be
studied independently of the others, we may summarise the facts about that
invitation.
The karnam or
Kulkarni of Shirdi, Appa Kulkarni, went to take leave of Baba before leaving
Shirdi for Kopergaon where Nana Chandorkar, the Collector's chitnis, was
camping for jamabandi. The diffident karnam finally undertook the task of
inviting his big officer to his hamlet. When he actually mentioned the matter
to the officer, the latter could not believe that a fakir would invite a DC or
chitnis and declined to visit Shirdi. Nothing daunted by the rebuff, Baba
repeated the invitation a second time, and when it failed, even for a third
time. At last, Nana agreed to see Baba at Shirdi, came up and inquired why he
was sent for. Baba's answer was that for four janmas he had been connected with
Baba, and Baba desired that he should renew the contact. As Nana still
hesitated to renew his contact, Baba revealed to Nana his watch over his
interests using his pranbha and other powers to foresee or control the
future. The Collector was pressing Nana to inoculate himself with a new serum
against Plague that was playing havoc with public health. Nana feared the
inoculation and hastened to Baba to get his assurance about the safety of the
operation; and Baba gave it. Again his father's objections to a Moslem's
connection with any one in his family was an apparently insurmountable
obstacle. But it was overcome by Baba's power to control the father's mind.
Baba made the latter approve of Nana's acceptance of Baba (apparently a Moslem,
for he lived in the Masjid) for his Guru.
Having sent for
Nana, Baba did everything to see that the course was properly begun. The first
essential of progress under a Guru is faith. We need not go into Dasabodha or
other standard works to define or describe the sishyas' (the disciples')
qualifications. It is enough for us to note what Baba himself has declared and
stressed as the important qualifications. The first and foremost is complete
faith (Nishta) and the second is Saburi i.e. patient, cheerful
awaiting the future with self-possession. One must get to believe that the Guru
is full of all divine power, divine mercy and love, directed especially towards
the pupil. So Nana had to be impressed with Baba's divine nature and Baba's
personal interest in him or attachment to him. As for nature, Baba declared
time and again that He is God, that is, that he has completely realised God or
merged his identity with not merely the Impersonal Brahman but also the
Personal God known under various names and forms such as Lakshminarayan, Hari,
etc. Baba has used the terms, 'Maim Ailah hun’ and I am Lakshminarayan' etc. as
synonymous. To Baba, God is the same under or without any name and form (most
of us firmly believe in differences of personality in God according to Name and
Form). What are the nature and powers, etc. of Lakshminarayan? Every one knows
Lakshminarayan is a form or name of "Maha Vishnu", the supreme
Iswara's Protecting Aspect though it is inseparable from creation and salvation,
which are the other aspects. So, Baba's mission and work, as Lakshminarayan,
were and are to protect devotees anywhere and everywhere and under all
conditions. Baba declared (see Baba's Charters & Sayings)—
'My
eye (of vigilant supervision) is ever on those who love me.
Whatever you do, wherever you may be, ever bear this in mind that I am always aware of everything you do.
If one ever
meditates on me, repeats my name, sings my deeds, and is thus transformed
into me, one's karma is destroyed, I stand by his side always'.
[What is this but Divinity?—Divine
Omnipresence, Omniscience, Omnipotence and Mercy.]
Thus, it was Baba's lookout to see that
his nature and attitude towards his devotees should be thoroughly well
impressed upon Nana's mind- Baba was watching over not merely Nana but numerous
others and looking after their welfare. But we shall just now note first how he
dealt with Nana so as impress him deeply with this divine (Gurudeva) function
of his.
Baba's work
(like most divine work) is subtle (sukshma), unseen, easily forgotten, and not
properly interpreted. See Kena Upa 9, 14—26 where gods fail to see God's
working through them to attain victory or to make out God's manifestation in a
particular form. Note also how few realised God in Rama Avatar during his life
time. So Baba had to repeat his efforts to ensure the thorough fixing of these
valuable truths and impressions in Chandorkar's mind. The most common and
trifling things one would suppose in the list of an ordinary man's needs are
water to drink and food to eat. Yet at times these assume extraordinary
importance, and provisions of drink or food under extremely difficult
circumstances becomes clearly a kind act of Divine Providence. This was done
for Nana Saheb Chandorkar by Baba under very peculiar circumstances.
Chandorkar was
an orthodox Hindu, and, in spite of his corpulence, anxious to visit hill tops
where there were temples. Harischandra Hill, forty miles away from Shirdi, was
a noted hill with a Devi's shrine at the top. But the long stretch of barren
rock between that temple and the bottom of the hill was one vast treeless,
wild, rocky waste, where there was neither water to drink nor any shelter to
hide in. Over that hill, Nana was climbing on a hot, summer day, and, after he
had gone some distance, the heat of the sun and the toil of the journey told
upon him. He felt very thirsty and asked the Sheristadar friend by his side for
water.
The latter
replied that there was none and that it was a barren rock. Nana felt the
fatigue of climbing also greatly and said he could not climb. The Sheristadar
asked him to climb down. But Nana was unable to do that either and quietly sat
on a huge slab and exclaimed 'if Baba were here, he would surely give me water
to slake my thirst'. The Sherishtadar, who was by his side, remarked that such
observations about 'ifs' were useless. He added 'Baba is not here. What is the
good of thinking what would happen if he were here?' The Sherishtadar had only
fleshy eyes and matter-bound brains. He could not see with the eye of faith. If
he had such an eye, he could have noted the presence of Baba not only on
Harischandra hill but in every other place also. Chandorkar was in a slightly
better position than the Sherishtadar. It is because of his faith in Baba that the
thought occurred to him that Baba could save him even on that barren rock. But
he did not feel certain that Baba was there and that water would be provided.
Anyhow his thought of Baba was the tiny hairspring or switch working the magic,
the turn that saved the situation.
Prayer
saves. But what are prayers but thoughts? Many a person fancies that he must
put forward a definite demand in prayer to the 'highest' powers and get it
granted by force of prayer. There is some truth in this mixed up with much error
and confusion. What comes often after prayer and is supposed to be the result
of prayer, is very often something fixed up by a higher power which, as part of
its plan, produces the thought of prayer first. Prayer often proves to be the
immediate predecessor, but not the efficient and direct cause of the result. 'Post
hoc, ergo propter hoc' (i.e. 'After that; therefore due to that') is what
we frequently say and believe. Many a man says 'I prayed; I got it. So it is
prayer that got it'. But this is neither logically nor theologically sound. The
fact is that prayer is a means of placing one in contact with higher beneficent
powers and there it serves its primary purpose. Incidentally when a devout soul
is deeply concentrating on God, what happens is that the soul gets so
thoroughly saturated with the divine that divine power infiltrates into the
Jiva and the combined power or the higher power (both are the same, despite
difference in names) produces certain results. It is the man of prayer that
draws down divinity, i,e. turns divine at the moment of intense prayer and is
responsible for certain results (Etad hyeva aksharam jnaatwa yo yad ichchati
tasya tatKhat U.I (2) 16) 16, i.e. Having realised the Imperishable, if one
has desire, that is fulfilled, even when the results have not been previously
fixed up, as the result of previous karma. Anyhow, Chandorkar's thought and
longing constituted a good prayer on account of its earnest faith and contact
with Supreme Power and Mercy.
It is always
good to pray, because it brings one in contact with God. The prayer, however,
that is found most common in society is occasional prayer for a definite
material object, and there it stops. It is always advisable to avoid the
commercial spirit when dealing with God. We should not bargain with God. Nor
should we say, 'I will pray to you only
for such and such an object being gained'. The thought of God purifies the
soul, and the purified soul gets power to draw God more and more into it. The
commercialised soul, if too much oppressed with the contemplation of the worldy benefit is
handicapping itself and preventing its purification, that is, saturation with
God idea (purity means having God-idea and impurity is lack of God or
God-idea). The very idea of material objects may so obsess a mind as
practically to obliterate the thought of God. God then becomes only a secondary
consideration, a sort of side element, a weak coloration when the main object
before the mind's eye is worldly gain. Such approaches are deplorable, however
attractive the object to be gained by prayer may be. One ought to have prayer
without concentrating too much on worldly gains. Concentration on God alone is
purity. Purity means power, and when a soul is thoroughly pure, then the
objects entertained in the mind of the prayerful soul some time previously,
that is even before the prayer began, remain in the subconscious, i.e. at the
back of the praying party's mind and may come to fruition by the power of the
purified and strengthened soul. This is an incidental benefit which ought not
to turn the scales when one considers how he should pray. Prayer is primarily
and essentially only an affair of the soul with God. All intervention of
outside objects is an interference with the soul's concentration on God. Prayer
must be purified by very keen practice—i.e, it must be shorn of all undesirable
gross elements just as we keep off the floating moss repeatedly when we
bathe in a tank. In cases where however one is in dire extremity and prayer comes out
from him for a much needed object, in spite of oneself, as was the case with
Chandorkar on the Harischandra hill, then prayer cannot be condemned at all.
Prayer is a natural vent for the heart. We leap out at what we want on the
wings of prayer. It is God Himself that has implanted this tendency to seek
God's help to attain objects of great importance to one's material or spiritual
life and each time we so seek, we should stress in our mind that God is our
first and final object and that other objects form a temporary and partial
diversion or screen.
Let us see, how the thought of Chandorkar on the Harischandra hill intensified by his dire thirst operated. His thought was very intense and even if it had been less intense, when it was directed to Sai, it must have had immediate effect. That could not be seen by the Sherishtadar or by Chandorkar himself on the hill. Let us see what took place at Shirdi where the body of Sai Baba was physically situated. Sai Baba spoke out immediately in the presence of some devotees, 'Hallo, Nana is very thirsty. Should we not give him a handful of water?' To Baba all places and all times were open before his vision, and he could see and hear everything. But the persons around him, who had not the benefit of such a vision, were wondering why Baba should talk of Nana's thirst. Nana the Deputy Collector was not there, and if the Deputy Collector was in thirst, why a palmful, gallons of water would be quickly brought to him by number of persons. Why did Baba talk like that? People round about Baba could not make it out. Nor did Baba care to explain. But what followed on the hill gives the explanation. A little time after Nana made his exclamation about Baba, a Bhil, that is, a hill tribesman, was seen coming down the hill towards the party, that is, Chandorkar and his friends. Chandorkar accosted him and said 'Hallo! I am thirsty; can I get some water to drink?' People wondered that this Brahmin Deputy Collector should accost a Bhil, who his considered an untouchable or a low-caste man, and ask him for water. But necessity knows no law, and the Bhil's reply was most surprising. He said, 'What! You ask for water! Under the very slab or rock on which you are seated, there is water'. So saying, he moved away and disappeared from view. Nana's subordinates and friends who were with him immediately set about lifting up the slab after Nana moved aside, and lo.and behold! There was just palmful of water on that rock, attractive and cool, just the quantity that is necessary to save a man from fiery thirst. Nana took that water, his thirst was gone; and he was able to march higher up and complete his pilgrimage.
After the hill
ascent, the goddess' darsan at the temple and descent were over, some days
later, Nana had occasion to go to Shirdi and as he stepped into Baba's
Dwarakamayee the very first words that Baba uttered to him before anybody could
inform him about Nana's experience on the hill, were these, 'Nana, you were
thirsty; I gave you water; did you drink?' Nana's eyes opened with joyous
wonder. He felt that his very thought of Baba had worked as a prayer and the
appearance of the Bhil and his pointing out where the water was and the
appearance of the water there on a waterless rock must all have been due to
Baba. How Baba managed it, Baba only knew. And to confirm Nana in his view,
devotees at Shirdi mentioned to him that on the memorable day and hour when he
was on the Harischandra hill, with burning thirst, Baba spoke the above words.
Nana was convinced more than ever that Baba was God omnipresent, merciful and
omnipotent, for he had the power to bring water under a rock and a man to show
it just at the exact psychological moment. This conclusion of his might perhaps
appear to be too weak for a logician versed in inductive logic to accept. 'An
individual instance does not prove a rule and guarantee the validity of a
universal proposition' is what the logician would remark. But Nana was not
pestered by doubts of Tarka sastra or logic. In the circumstances of Nana,
there could be no room for doubting that Baba did respond to his very thought,
which was an appeal for aid and did provide him with the water which was a
necessity to save his life at that perilous juncture. His faith was confirmed
and grew stronger and stronger.
The unfortunate
fact about most of us is that as most educated minds are fed on the Cartesian
principle of doubting everything, the logician's axiom about insufficiency of
individual cases to prove universal propositions and other similar doubts crop
up over and over again. When 150 experiences of Baba's help had been derived by
a man, on the occurrence of the 151st case of help, even a well-known devotee
asked himself the question, 'Is this chance or is this Baba's help?' This
wretched idea of 'chance helping' does not easily leave us. Luckily most of us
by Baba's favour have some grounding in faith, and we gradually shake off the
tendency to go on doubting and doubting for ever. Except for that, we would
become "Samscayatmas", that is, persons in whose nature, doubt
becomes a fixed trait, a part of their second nature. The Gita (BG IV 40) says,
Samscayatma Vinascyati, that is. The man who goes on doubting and
doubting ad infinitum will perish'. 'Perish' does not necessarily mean
'die', so far as the physical body is concerned. He is dead already whose faith
is dead. A man that has no faith is a breathing corpse. Even in ordinary
worldly matters, we find what an important part is played by our ability to
believe what is reported to us. If in a new place before reaching the railway
station, we have to ask for the road to the station at half a dozen places and
answers are given, if at each answer we think that the answer may be false and
hesitate, we should never reach the station in time to catch our train. This is
the meaning of Samscayatma Vinascyati. Luckily in the case of Nana, far
from his being a 'Samscayatma', he was a Shraddhatma.
Shraddhaavan labhate jnaanam tatparah
samyata indriyah
Jnaanam labdhva paraam scaantim achirena
adhigachchati.
This means, The man of faith obtains
knowledge and wisdom. Being a person who controls his senses and thereby
effectively fixes his mind on that jnana, treating it as the goal of his life,
he obtains Jnana; and having obtained it he soon reaches scanti, Supreme
Peace.' This has an obvious application to Nana's case, and Nana, with very
little of doubting nature, advanced in the strength of his faith, obtained more
and more of wisdom (Jnana) by the grace of Baba and was progressing rapidly
towards that scanti or Peace, which is the goal of all spiritual life
and endeavour.
Thus
Nana was convinced that Baba had superhuman power, superhuman love, and made
superhuman provision of needs for those who were attached to him and whom he
loved. So, he found that Baba was really a Deva (God), and that Baba was
preeminently fitted to take charge now of Nana's life, of his comfort, and of
all his concerns, temporal and spiritual. Thus convinced, Nana was perfectly
prepared to take the plunge of Prapatti to the Gurudeva, to surrender
himself unhesitatingly to the directions of Baba, being perfectly assured that
no harm would result thereby, and on the other hand much good—nay every
good—would result therefrom.
Having provided
for the thirst of Nana in one place, Baba marvellously provided for his hunger in another place.
In Padmalaya forest, there is a Ganapati temple. It is ten miles away
from the nearest Railway Station and the access to it is through ten miles of
forest. Nana had made arrangements for all this, but trains have got a queer
way of being late, and in this case, his train being many hours late, all
arrangements were upset and there was no conveyance and no assistance
forthcoming. Nana's arrival at the railway station was evening time, very near
dusk. But he would not be thwarted. He determined to push along with his
companions to the temple, come what may. In the absence of any conveyance, Nana
had to dare and dared the risk and trouble of walking ten miles to reach the
Ganapati temple. So he trudged on. But when he was about half way or more than
half way, it was already 9 p.m. and the pujari of the temple would usually lock
it up by 9 or 10 p.m. and retire to his cottage at some distance for his
night's rest. So, Nana doubted whether he would get into the temple at all.
Further, having walked wearily six or seven miles, he felt the pangs of hunger.
Naturally he remembered Baba. He prayed, 'Baba, I am not asking for much. I am
not overgreedy. I will be quite satisfied if, at the close of this journey, I
can get one cup of tea to quench my hunger'. Then he and his companions trudged
on. It was nearly 11 p.m. when they reached the temple. Instead of the temple
being closed (as it would usually be) the pujari was on the watch, and on
seeing persons at a great distance (that is, Nana's party) coming, shouted. 'Is
Nana coming?' It would be highly impertinent on the part of any priest to call
a Deputy Collector by his pet name, as though he was his chum. But here there
was no feeling of resentment, but one of gratification on the part of Nana and his
friends when they heard the voice, 'Is Nana coming?' They approached and said,
'Yes. How do you know that Nana is coming?' Then the priest said, "I had
an ethereal message from Sri Sai Baba in which he said, 'My Nana is coming
weary, thirsty, and hungry. Keep for him one cup of tea'. Here is tea ready for
you all." He then gave Nana his cup. This again proved that Baba's eye of
supervision was not merely on hills but also in forests to look after the
safety, comfort and health of his beloved devotee. Alike from danger of thirst
and hunger, Baba had saved him.
What was it that saved Nana? The Sanskrit
stanza says—
Vane rane
scatru jalaagnimadhye
Mahaarnave,
parvata mastakevaa
Suptam
pramattam vishama sthitamvaa
Rakshanti
punyani puraakritaani
This means, whether it is in the forests
or in the battle field or amidst foes or in the ocean, or on hill tops, the
merit acquired in former times or janmas saves a person even though he may be
sleeping, disordered in mind or unbalanced. This is an abstract statement,
which is very true. But abstractions do not save any one. It is the concrete
person called Sai that actually saved Nana both on hill top and in the thick
forests and not abstract poorva punya. After all, it is poorva punya (former
merit) that had taken shape as Sai's body, which had undertaken the
responsibilities of a Gurudeva and which therefore saved Nana. So it is alike
poorva punya and also Gurudeva that saved Nana.
While
on this subject we may point out the conclusions into which people fall when
dealing with questions where the abstract and the concrete or the particular
and the universal or the part and the whole blend as they invariably and
necessarily do. I may say that I stir the milk with my right hand, emphasizing
'right' or I may say with equal truth that I stir the milk with a spoon in my
right hand. Both are the same and not conflicting, and similarly a particular
person protecting a devotee is not inconsistent with his poorva punya
protecting him. Forgetting this obvious truth, recently at the Thotapalli hills
(Visakhapatnam District) there was a confused distinction without difference. A
lady, who was proceeding at dusk from Sri Omkar Swami's chambers to her own
room, trod on a snake, and cried out "Om Sai". The snake did not
strike her, but bent its head and went away quietly. Some said, This is Sai's
protection'. Others said 'This is poorva punyam protection'. The obvious truth
is that the poorva punyam of the lady taking the shape of her contact with Sai,
saved her. Similarly in the above two cases of Chandorkar's troubles in forest
and hill, it is his poorva punyam that saved him, in accordance with the above
stanza. The poorva punyam in Chandorkar's case was continuous punyam, a punyam
which tended to perpetuate itself because it consisted of a surrender to a most
loving and beloved Guru, janma after janma, who took it on himself to protect
his disciple right through in every detail, and that too life after life.
We shall see
how the loving Guru's supervision and watch helped Nana Chandorkar in his
latest birth (which is the one janma known to us) in matter after matter
essential for his temporal and spiritual safety. Baba having implanted in
Chandorkar sufficiently strong faith in and reliance on the Guru was constantly
watering this plant with fresh instances of his loving watch and care. Even in
apparently trivial matters such as catching trains and meeting official
superiors, Baba (as was usual with him) showed his concern for the disciple and
helped him as also so many devotees. It is this enduring and endless concern of
the Guru that grips the disciple, and makes him understand God.
Nana Chandorkar
and Haridas, a Kirtankar, were both at Shirdi, and both had to be at Ahmednagar
the next day, and so had to catch a train, the scheduled time of which required
their immediate leaving of Shirdi. So they went to take leave of Baba. Baba
quietly told them both, 'You had better take your meal and then go for your
train' Nana, having implicit reliance on his Guru did so, though it took some time
for him to take his meal. Haridas did not wish to risk the loss of money which
he would get at the next day's engagement, and so, remembering the scheduled
time and not Baba's words (on which he did not place much reliance), started
off immediately without food and reached Kopergaon station and waited there for
some hours, for the train was late by some hours. Baba knowing the lateness by
his Antarjnana (or Ritambhara Prajna) gave the benefit of his knowledge to Nana
who went up leisurely after meal, and found Haridas waiting at the station with
a hungry stomach, for the late train. Nana was in time to catch the train, and
Haridas learnt a lesson, which he no doubt would preach to others but did not
practise himself, namely, that one must put implicit faith in Great Souls like
the Guru Sai Deva, and not throw aside their words and rely upon one's own
wisdom. This is the correct interpretation of the last line of the Niti sloka:-Ushas
Sasamsca Gargyastu, Sakunamtu Brihaspatih, Manojayamtu Maandavyo,
Vipravakyam Janardhanah, which means
:—
(When one wishes to consult augury of
success before starting on any action) Gargya praised starting at dawn;
Brihaspati held omens e.g. flight of birds etc. to be the best guide; Mandavya
held one's own's optimism and powerful determination were the best guides;
Janardhana (Sri Krishna) viewed the words of the Vipra or holy ones as
the best [Baba was a Vipra in the best and every sense of the term].
Baba also taught Nana incidentally another lesson before he left Shirdi
(saying), 'Look at this Haridas. He comes with you. He leaves you behind and
runs away for his own (fancied) advantage. You must always have friends who
will not desert you in the middle like this'.
Another incident also may be quoted here.
Nana was staying with Baba at Shirdi and wanted to start one morning to go to
Kopergaon, where he had an appointment to meet the Collector. When he went to
take leave of Baba in proper time, Baba simply said, 'Go tomorrow'. That meant,
leave was denied. Others with less faith than Nana would have simply brushed
aside Baba's advice and started off. But Nana had full faith in Baba, and
consequently the advantage of staying one more day with Baba. Having been
stopped for that day, he took leave of Baba the next day. Baba then said, 'You
now go and meet the Collector' When Nana went to Kopergaon and enquired of the
office staff there as to what happened the previous day, they said that the
Collector had sent a telegram that he was not coming that day but only on the
following day. Baba did not receive a copy of the telegram, but by his own
Antarjnana knew of the postponement of the appointment and gave Nana the
benefit of it with the resulting further benefit of an extra day's stay with
his Guru. Thus even in the most important official matters, Nana's faith made
him follow Baba's words with great advantage to himself, temporally and
spiritually.
Nana's benefit
in temporal matters from Baba was not merely for himself but also for persons
connected with him. Baba who saved Nana from the pangs of hunger and thirst in
hill and forest would certainly not leave his disciple when his life was in
danger. See the Bhagavata verse below that "He is no Guru who does not
save one's life".
Gurur na sasyat
svajano na sasyat
Pita na sasyat
janani na sasyat
svapatir na
sasyat Na mochayet
yas samupeta mrityum
which means, "If a person does not
save one's life, when it is threatened by Death, that person is not a Guru, a
kinsman, a father, a mother, a god or a husband".
Such a juncture
arrived one day when Nana and Lele Sastri were starting from Poona in a tonga.
They had gone a few miles when suddenly the horse reared, and the carriage
capsized. That was a perilous moment. Both the occupants of the carriage were
corpulent elderly people who would in such an accident ordinarily suffer
serious damage to life and limb. Sai Baba, however, who was watching over Nana
wherever he went, at that very moment blew what is called 'Bum-Bum', (the Conch
sound—for at death people biow on the conch), keeping his hands in front of his
mouth as though the hands were a conch. This is a signal of danger and
distress. We shall give the account as it appears in the Gospel of Baba (See B.
C. & S. 535-A).
535-A. One day at Shirdi, Baba made the
dolorous Sankha sound (indicative of coming death) and said "Hallo, Nana
is about to die! But, will I let him die?" At that time, N.G. Chandorkar
and Lele Sastri were near Poona. They were in a tonga the horse of which reared
and overturned the tonga. N.G.C. and Sastri were in peril of their life. But
they picked themselves up and found that they had suffered no injury. When they
reached Shirdi, they found that Baba had made the above declaration and had
saved their lives.
Thus Baba saved
Nana's life, just as Baba's Guru saved Baba's life. There is a saying that the
string of a flower garland borrows its scent. Similarly Lele Sastri, who was
not himself a staunch bhakta of Baba, derived his safety from his company with
Nana Chandorkar. Baba on this occasion proved the truth of his statement (see
B. C. S. 35 & 301) "If a devotee is about to fall, I stretch out my
hands, and thus with four outstretched hands at a time, support him. I will not
let him fall*. This is Karavalambha.
(1) Na me bhaktah pranascyati, i.e. My devotee shall not
perish (BG IX-31).
(2) Tan Vddharishyeham achirat
Apatbhyo nowriva arnavat i.e. I quickly save them as a boat saves in the
ocean. SB XI (17)
It
is not merely the friend of a devotee that Baba saves. Baba's interest is in
every one in whom a devotee is interested. Nana was deeply interested in the
fate, health, and life of his daughter Minatai. About 1904 or so, Nana
Chandorkar was Deputy Collector at Jamner (then unconnected by train with
Jalgaon). He was at Jamner along with his pregnant daughter, whose pregnancy
was in a very advanced state. Unexpectedly the delivery, being the first
delivery, proved troublesome and risky. The pains were prolonged for many long
hours, and the poor young lady suffered torture. What could poor Nana do? He
knew that Baba was aware of everything, and that there was no necessity to send
a telegram or letter to him. So, he must do what he could in his own place.
Being a very orthodox and pious Brahmin, he started a Kashtanivaarana Homa with
the help of his Sastri. Still no relief was obtained. All the while, Baba was
fully aware of what was going on at Jamner. At evening time, he called Ramgir
Bua, a Gosavi, whom he used to call 'Babugir'. That Babugir was about to start
away from there but Baba commissioned him to go to Jamner first ,in order to
deliver to Nana Chandorkar a packet of udhi and a set of papers containing
Bhishma's Aratis for the puja of Baba, modelled on the Pandharpur Aratis. Some
one present handed over Rs. 2/- to the Gosavi to enable him to perform this journey.
That Gosavi complained that the rail portion of his journey, namely, Kopergaon
to Jalgaon, itself would take up Rs. 1-14-0 leaving only a balance of 2 annas
to cover the ordinary road journey of 30 miles. Baba simply told him, 'Babugir,
go, everything will be provided'. (See B.C.&S.31&535 C). Accordingly
the Gosavi started. He got down at Jalgaon and was in a quandary. Railway
officials were troubling visitors coming by train from infected areas, with a
view to enforce quarantine rules, and there was no method by which he could
escape them and go to Jamner. Suddenly he found a liveried peon bawling out,
"Who is Babugir from Shirdi?" Then this Bua said, "I am Ramgir
Bua whom Baba used to call 'Babugir'. And
I am from Shirdi". Then that peon
said that he had been sent by his "master" with a tonga and a horse
to fetch him to Jamner. He gave him a meal also. Babugir fancied that Baba had
sent word or wired to Chandorkar, and thus provided conveyance and meal for
him. The distance of 30 miles was soon covered up by the tonga, and when very
near Nana's quarters the carriage stopped, the peon told Bua, "There is
the master's house; you had better go". Babugir got down for a natural
1urpose and when he turned back and looked, therd was no peon, n/ horse, no
carr(age, nothing at!all. How they cnuld disappear oo a clearly visi"le
road, he cou,d not understan%. But anyhow ri&ht in front of iim was the
Depu5y Collector's hnuse. So he went there and found the Deputy Colldctor and
his wige waiting. They`had heard the r4mble of a horseaand carriage and were
anxiously!waiting. Babugi2 handed over toaNana the udhi s`ying, 'This is
aba's udhi sent to you for youradaughter's sake&. At once
the u%hi was applied to Minatai, and thereafter it war no longer Mina4ai that
was cry(ng but her new bora child, for 2he had easy delhvery. The arati paper
also was handed over to N`na for his appr/val, so that itamight be used at
Baba's puja at`Shirdi, When Bu thanked
the De1uty Collector for his timely sending of the can!and food, Nana vas taken
aback.`He said he was oot aware of any#ody coming from!Shirdi and so h d not
sent anyt)ing. Then it was that both Bua !nd the Deputy Cnllector understnod
what Baba me`nt when he saidm 'Go, Babugir, everything will "e provided'.
It was Baba's extr!ordinary powers that provided t(e carriage, the horse, the
live2ied peon and thd meal, without Chandorkar knowiog anything abou5 them.
This sho7s how deeply Baba was interested in the welfare`of Nana's famil9, and
how he to/k upon himself !nd used his mys4erious powers t/ help him in su#h
extremities ar a difficult pa3turition in a far off place lik% Jamner at a tile
when no prope2 medical aid war available. Thu3 Baba saved not merely
Chandork`r's life but al3o the life of tiose connected w)th or dependent!on
him, by the tse of all his s5perhuman powers.
Baba helped
Chandorkar in othe2 matters also. s even many pre3ent day devoteer know, Baba
tak%s charge of allaaffairs (including the apparent-y trivial affai2s) of those
who surrender to hi- and depend ent(rely on him. That watch, care a.d provision
by Baba form not me3ely the cause og surrender but
`lso a very esse/tial factor in keeping
up surreoder and leadingaone to Laya. But we shall not enter into these minor
details.
We shall take
up the larger question of how Baba helped Nana in his spiritual course. Merely
saving the physical life of Nana and those dependent on him would not suffice.
Baba's work was to save his soul and train it to enable it to reach its goal.
We shall see how Baba used every little occasion to help him. Even in temporal
matters Baba's interference and help had a very good spiritual effect. Nana who
noted how Baba's powers were vast, how he was watching him and his people from
enormous distances and provided the necessary help in mysterious and apparently
superhuman ways, soon began to get deeper and deeper realisation of Baba's
divine nature. Baba's powers were far above the human level or limit just as
Baba's love and supervision of many were far above the human level. None of us
can take interest in even a dozen at a time and look after their affairs. Baba,
however, was looking after the interests of hundreds or thousands of devotees,
disciples and bhaktas and keeping watch over them all at all times and in
distant and different quarters that they occupied. (See B.C.S. 479, saving 4000
persons & 35). This sort of power to know and power to protect can only be
called divine. No other term would fit (for this omnipotence, omniscience and
ubiquity). Thus, while Nana was getting temporal help, he was also at the same
time getting spiritual help, as he derived a very strong impression that Baba
was nothing but God, that God in the abstract (Brahman) dealt with in the
Upanishads (Kend) is not really accessible or available to people, even
if they worshipped Him in the form of images, and that unless and until God
took the rupam or form of a Gurudeva like Sai Baba, God was a remote
unrecognizable or practically unfelt object. Nana noted how his poorva punya
had crystallised itself into the very powerful (B C S 90-99) and highly loving
Sai Baba. So we shall proceed to consider further how and in what other ways
this all loving and all watching Baba promoted the spiritual and temporal
welfare of Nana.*
"The
feeling that one is always under the watching eye and protection of a Divine
power that looks after the trival and the important concerns of one alike and
makes him successful and happy in everything has come to many Sai Bhaktas and
they are constantly reporting it to Sai Sudha and the author. Has this
protection and guidance and grant of success anything to explain it? Is there
any parallel to it in our
The most essential part of man's nature
is the ego. But in his endeavour to derive the best out of his physical life, a
man's ego ordinarily runs riot and manifests itself in anti-social and
anti-moral ways. Lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride, and jealousy, are all the
various manifestations of this ego, and each of these has to be put down, and
the danger of allowing free scope to these must be rubbed into the soul of the
disciple so that he may become a fit person to attain life's goal.
Regarding this,
much instruction has been imparted openly and in hidden or mysterious ways by
Sai Baba to devotees like Nana Chandorkar, and we shall do well to study the
way in which the lessons were taught while benefiting by the lessons
themselves. But before proceeding to deal with each of them, we must remember
that we are dealing with human nature, and that the so-called Shadripus, (i.e.
Six Enemies)[4] namely, Kama
or Lust, Krodha or Anger, Lobha or Greed, Moha or
Delusion, Mada or Pride, and Matsarya or Jealousy are evils
mostly from the standpoint of the sadhaka aiming at crossing samsara and
reaching a perpetual state of perfect bliss. But to ordinary men who have very
little hope or chance of attaining the high goal, namely, perfect Scanti and
Mukti, complete freedom from all these six enemies is an impracticable
ideal. And perhaps for the continuance of society and the species, absolute
freedom from the first two or even the first three is not desirable. Kama and
Lobha are desires for external objects which are generally needed by an
individual in the circumstances in which he is placed and, therefore, it is wrong to
totally suppress attachment to external objects so long as a person wants to
retain a body and live in the world. Attachment is called Kama when it
is directed to the satisfaction of the sex urge, but the satisfaction of that
urge is ordained by God as part of the work of created beings to continue the
species, Hence Lord Krishna says in the Gita that the attachment to the
opposite sex for purposes of sex gratification, if
limited to those lines which Dharma draws, is divine; and God himself is that
love, sex-love.
Dharma aviruddho bhuteshu kaamosmi
bharatarshabha.
This means, 'O Bull amongst the Bharata
clan, I am the sex urge when it does not conflict with Dharma'. The royal Raghu
line is praised thus "Prajayai Griha medhinam" i.e, having sex
relations to continue the lineage. Readers will note that a total exclusion of
sex contact or sex urge for all is not proper and will do no good. On the other
hand, an attempt to achieve what is in the circumstances impossible or
impracticable will result in numerous evils.
Similarly about
Krodha. Krodha is the manifestation of the excessive vigour of the ego
when it tries to assert itself against obstacles to the gaining of desired
objects, services, etc. As objects are desired and have to be acquired in
worldly life, Krodha or a resolve to overcome obstacles must be there
for the temporal welfare of beings. See Gospel i.e. B.C.S. 313.
313. Baba said:—'Yama Niyama : Restrain
lust— wholly in respect of others' wives, and partly in respect of your own.
Enjoyment of marital pleasure is permissible. But be not enslaved by it. Mukti
is impossible to persons addicted to lust. Lust ruins mental balance and
strength or firmness. It affects the learned also. Unruly buffaloes are
controlled by tying a log to their neck as a clog to their movements. Viveka
(i.e. prudence or discrimination) must be tied to one's mind when sex
attracts. Desires must be controlled. You must master them and not be their
slave (Vijitatma, Jitendriyah).
'Yet you can (and must) use them, the
inner enemies, within limits :—e.g. Besides Kama for the wife, have Krodha
(anger) against unrighteousness, Lobha (greed) for Harinama,
uttering God's name, Moha (fondness) for Mukti (salvation), and Matsarya
(hatred) for evil action. Have no Mada (pride)'.
So long however as the sex urge and the anger urge are pulling at a person, there is no Scanti or perfect poise, no buddhi or perfect satvic understanding of things as they are, including the Self, and they are therefore obstacles to his spiritual advance.
No
self-realisation is possible when sex urge. Self-urge, and other urges are
ruining the equilibrium of the Self. As for Lobha etc., they are obviously
violations of social rules and common wisdom. It is good to desire well-being
but bad to he greedy. Hence Lobha (greed) is bad. To desire under wrong
ideas is Moha (Delusion). This is bad. Mada is pride, conceit,
vanity, or other kindred states and obviously implies very wrong and improper
valuation of oneself and consequent wrong behaviour towards others. Matsarya
(jealousy) is the worst of these six mental upsets, and the reasons are
those which are set out in BCS 225.
With these
prefatory remarks, we shall begin with lust, and see how Baba inculcated truths
about lust, and made Nana Chandorkar absorb them. Nana was a very respectable,
married gentleman, having children and having family traditions and a position
to maintain. Further, his training had given him excellent qualities of
self-restraint and propriety of behaviour. So, he was not ordinarily what one
would call a lustful, lewd, or lecherous person. He was on the other hand a
very properly behaved, and excellent head of a family. Yet, the saying goes
'Even an elephant may slip'. Baba, who was watching Nana wherever he was, and
at every moment, noticed that he needed to be taught and trained in the matter
of lust also. On one occasion when Nana was sitting next to Baba at the
Dwarakamayee, two Muslim ladies were standing for a time at a distance,
evidently waiting to see when this Hindu (Nana) would go away. They had to
remove their veils at the time of taking darsan, which meant, putting their
bare foreheads on Baba's feet; and being gosha ladies, they did not wish a
Hindu to see their faces. When Nana tried to get up on this account and go
away, Baba pulled him down and said, 'Let these people come if they care'. So,
the ladies had to approach Baba and take darsan with Nana by his side. Nothing
happened when the elderly lady removed her veil and took her darsan. But when
the younger did the same, her face struck Nana as remarkably beautiful. The sheen
of the eyes, the brilliance of the countenance, the perfect proportion of the
features, and the indescribable charm of the whole person, were such that Nana
was at once smitten with her beauty. When his mind was thus occupied, the lady
finished her darsan and resumed her veil. Then the thought struck Nana, 'Shall
I have another opportunity of seeing this angelic face?1 Baba at
once slapped him on the thigh. Then the ladies departed. Baba asked him, 'Do
you know why I slapped you?' Nana admitted that his thoughts were low and unfit
for one in Baba's company. He asked, 'How is it that even when I am next to
you, such low thoughts sway my mind?' (B.C.&S: 205). Baba replied, 'You are
a man after all, and the body being full of desires, these spring up as sense
objects approach.' Then Baba asked, 'Are there not lovely temples with well
coloured exterior? When we go there, do we admire the exterior beauty or the
God within? When you are seeing God within, do you ever care for the outside
beauty of the building? Similarly, remember God is not only in temples. He is
found in every creature.[5]
"Therefore
when you see a beautiful face, remember that it is a temple and the image of
the God within is the Jiva, a preeminent part of the Universal Soul. So, think
at once of God—or the Universal Soul in every object, whether beauteous or
ugly. These forms reveal the God within. There is nothing wrong in admiring
beauty, but the thought must follow at once, "If this object is so
beautiful, how much more beautiful and powerful must be the God who made this
object and inhabits it? Thinking thus, you will not get smitten by a Muslin
beauteous face hereafter". This was the upadesa given to Nana. Baba had
not to go further and stop him from any sinful acts due to lust, as he had to
do in another's case. (See B. C. & S. 206)
H. V. Sathe,
when once staying at Shirdi, was in danger of being dragged by lust into the
mire of sin. Baba, when he saw him, asked him whether he had been to the
"Sala." Sala means school, but it was the local name of the house in
which a young lady with considerable beauty (and bad reputation) lived.-Later
in the day, H. V. Sathe went to that lady's lodgings (Sala). He carried on
conversation with her behind closed doors, and there was imminent danger of a terrible
and runious fall. Just at the nick of the moment, the door was flung open. Baba
stood on the threshold and made signs to Sathe signifying, 'What! You have come
all this distance to your Guru, and are you now descending to hell? Oh! What an
excellent course!' Sathe was shocked and quietly went away and never again
visited her house. In the case of Nana, there was no chance of his going to
such extremes. On the other hand, he was naturally self-controlled, and with
Baba's guidance, he developed so much of reverence for the female form that
even when alone in a sequestered chamber, within closed doors with a young,
beautiful person, he still would retain reverence for the lady and not have
thoughts of sex. This was demonstrated in the case of Bannu Mai.
Bannu Mai (a
young Muslim girl of 20) lived in a village, Bodegaon, 50 miles away from
Ahmednagar, and she had the local reputation of being a mad girl. She was
possessed of great beauty. She behaved most erratically and wandered anywhere
and everywhere without dress amidst bushes and thorns and did not show the
least sign of observing the rules of propriety demanded of women. Her mother
thought she was hopelessly mad. So also thought most of the villagers. But a
few had noted that her conduct showed that she was highly inspired and that she
was a saint. Nana wanted to take darsan of her and asked Baba for permission.
Baba, though he first objected, finally granted the permission saying, 'Go, you
will have darsan'. That darsan was no easy joke. Nana went with plenty of
preparations, taking a tent, bathing materials, ornaments, food, Sari (dress)
etc., and setting these up, was waiting for her. He could not find out where
she was, and nobody could tell him anything about her. Some people even got
angry at Nana, a young officer questioning about the whereabouts of a lady who
mostly went naked. Then finally, worried in his mind, Nana thought of Baba and
prayed to him. When he opened his eyes, Bannu Mai was right in front of him on
the road. He made his prostration (namaskar) with a feeling of reverence and
without the least touch of the sexual urge. He began to take out the thorns
that were found on her feet, but in a second, the saint, who did not care for
such good offices, got up and went away. Again Nana was in great difficulties.
He wanted that she should come, have a bath, wear the cloth and the ornaments
he had brought for her, and should taste the naivedya which he had placed
inside the tent. He waited and waited, and at last prayed to Baba. Suddenly Bannu
Mayi appeared, entered the tent, had her bath, put on new clothes, the
ornaments and the tali or token of Saumangalya (as Goddess
Parvati must wear a tali) specially prepared for her, and ate some of the
naivedya. Nana fell at her feet, treating her as Mother Goddess, and at once
she disappeared. Nana spent the night in a temple within closed doors, and
early morning, before starting to go away, he just thought that it would be a
special blessing if Bannu Mai should give him one more darsan before he departed.
In a second, Bannu Mai was somehow there within closed doors right in front of
him. Nana fell at her feet. Obviously Bannu Mai was a highly advanced Siddha
and perfectly pure, and Nana with perfect purity, thought only of falling at
her feet, and had not the least touch of sex urge at the presence of a young
and beautiful lady in solitude within closed doors. Thus, Bannu Mai's case is a
fairly good proof that Nana had conquered his sex urge at least to the extent
possible.
Krodha
means anger. It would include hatred, disgust, and kindred feelings. In the
usual sense, anger is that which tends to vent one's full force against the
adverse creature or person. Therefore, it is extremely unsocial. All the same
it is a necessity. Creatures are together in this world, and there is the
struggle for the survival of the fittest, and creatures have to obtain objects
coveted for by more than one and, therefore, the obtaining of an object
requires the venting of one's full force against adversaries or adverse forces.
Hence, anger is sometimes treated as a virtue, and, in any case, a necessity of
the situation in the worid as it goes (especially in war). Therefore, for a
virtuous person like Rama, the epithet applied is 'Jitakrodhah', Anger-controller,
that is, not that he had no anger, but that he had conquered it. For Shirdi
Rama (that is Sri Sai Baba) also, we can use the same epithet) namely, 'Jitakrodhah'.
'When the anger was on, Rama is described by Valmiki as 'Kalagni
Sadruscah Krodhah'. That is, 'When in anger, he (Rama) resembled the
terrific fire that devours the world at its end'- Rama put on this anger for
purposes of battle when he went to meet Ravana. He checked it when he found
that Ravana had been beaten to the ground. He told him then, 'You had better go
home. Come tomorrow again for battle' showing that Rama was a Jitakrodha, that
is he could rouse anger up at one time and stop it at the proper time and
place. Baba also had need for anger, a physico-psychical need that could be
understood only by persons who thoroughly studied Baba's physico-psychical
organism. Anyhow, it has been noticed that Baba himself was in towering rage at
times, and this appeared to be an ungovernable rage to people. They would
regard Baba at those times as mad with rage. G. G. Narke once saw Baba in such
a condition, and thought for the moment that Baba was a mad man. Mahlsapathy
also had similar impressions. Baba corrected G. G. Narke when he came to bow to
him, and said, 'Narke, I am not a mad man', knowing his momentary thought. That
is, even when he was in a towering rage, he could read Narke's mind. Now
reading another's mind is the result of the clairvoyant power which requires a
considerable degree of placidity, satva guna, clear buddhi, and scaanti.
So, Baba had all these even when he was in a towering rage. Similarly on
several other occasions, of which examples are given in B.C.&S. paras 212,
213 to 218, Baba, when apparently under a wave of anger, was really placid
enough to note with calmness who had come, what for, and how they required to
be accommodated immediately e.g. Uddhavesa Bua, Police Sub-Inspector Samant,
and Pleader Joshi of Thana each separately; and each on a separate occasion
noted that Baba suddenly stopped his rage, carried out their wishes, gave them
calm and cool replies and udhi. This is "Jitakrodhah." Rouse
up your anger, use it for a time, and when you do not want it, put it back into
its scabbard; this is the proper use of anger. But people do not always
understand it, and may plead Baba's anger as an excuse for their own. If they
really wish to have anger like Baba, they must be able to shut it up at will;
but that ability they have not.
Baba however
put down anger as the staunch enemy of all equanimity so absolutely essential
for one's upward march in realising the final state of life called saanti (Om
santih, santih, santih). So he told a Ramdasi, who was overpowered by anger
when he learnt that his Vishnu Sahasranama had been taken away without his
permission or knowledge and given away to Shama.
When Jog got
angry with Baba who asked him for dakshina, Baba told him not to give way to
anger. Some devotees are generally short tempered, and to such devotees Baba
gave the special advice that they should not yield to that weakness. R. B.
Purandhare and Mrs. Pradhan were two such persons. Baba said to Purandhare
(B.C. & S. para 210), 'If any body comes and abuses you or punishes you, do
not quarrel with him. If you cannot endure it, speak a simple word or two or
else leave the place. But do not battle with him and give tit for tat. I feel
sick and disgusted when you quarrel with others'. He told Mrs. Pradhan, 'If any
one talks ten words at us, let us answer with one word, if we reply at all. Do
not battle with any one'. On another occasion, Baba said (B.C. & S. 208),
'If any one is angry with another, he wounds me to the quick. If any one abuses
another, I feel pain. If any one bravely endures the abuse, I feel highly
pleased.'
Baba's
self-controi and carrying out this same advice has been noticed at times. A
half-crazy sadhu called Nana Wali, on one occasion came to Baba and, standing
before him, said, 'Baba, get up, I want to sit in your seat'. Any other person
would have kicked Nanawali out, but Baba quietly vacated his seat and the
impertinent Nana Wali occupied it. After sitting on it a few moments, the crazy
man thought he had done too much. So, he got up, requested Baba to resume his
seat, and fell at his feet, and Baba was calm throughout. This shows to what
extent Baba could control his anger. In paragraph 215, Baba has said, 'I get
angry with none. Will a mother harm her little ones? I love devotion. I am the
bondslave of my devotees'. He also told Nana on one occasion, 'I an not angry
with you'. Baba told Mrs. Pradhan, 'You see I did not get angry with any one
today.' On one occasion, when he was uttering words in a towering rage, he
uttered in the middle, 'Let blessings be to all', [BCS 218] c.f. "sarve
janah sukhino bhavantu". This blessing cannot coexist with anger. It
is characteristic of a peaceful and loving frame of mind. Baba, therefore,
might be considered during his towering rage to be driving away spells of
thought or other ethereal waves which might be coming to harm his devotees or
the public and the anger might be necessary to quench and beat back those
waves. Two such instances of useful anger may be pointed out here.
When B.V.Dev wanted Baba to overcome
some wretched force of
destiny which prevented him from completing his study or pothi or
parayan of Jnaneswari whenever he started
it, Baba first repeatedly took large dakshinas from him. finally fell foul of
him, got suddenly angry, and used these
words, 'Why are you stealing my rag?
Is it your way to steal and that
despite your grey hairs? I will kill you with a hatchet’. This might be a
special shock treatment needed for Dev's
mental state. Dev wondered what this thunder of anger
meant. Then Baba cooled down and said.
'Does not matter. Give me Rs. 12
dakshina', Dev gave the dakshina. Then Baba said, 'Go on reading pothi’. Dev then started reading pothi, namely.
Jnaneswari. Till that time, his pothi reading was ending in failure. After
Baba's anger directed evidently against adverse forces, there was no more
obstacle, A very similar incident took
place when Gadgi Bua (who
was building a big dharmasala at Nasik for which funds first came in
lakhs and later no money was forthcoming), approached Baba in order to overcome
the unseen unlucky (duradrishta) forces. As soon as he came near, Baba
used angry and bad words and curses and abused him. The Bua laughed out, Baba
also laughed out. Gadgi Bua went away. Baba had driven away the adverse forces,
and Gadgi Bua again got plenty of funds,
and the dharmasala was completed. Thus Baba's anger is not to be understood literally. It is evidently directed
against unseen forces. Similarly when Baba came as a young fakir and stayed in
some lonely place, he used to shout with anger, laugh, or do other things. He
was evidently always dealing from the
beginning with unseen forces and
directing his anger, laughter, etc. at them. G.S. Khaparde
notes several times in his diary that Baba used "hard words" meaning
foul and angry abuse, the cause of which the persons present could not
understand.
Before leaving
the subject of anger, we may also refer to other instances of Baba's outbursts
of anger which had special purpose, and which were not mystic processes like
the above. Sometimes they were cases of "double entendre." One
instance may be immediately given. Shama, that is Madhav Rao Deshpande, was
bitten by a snake, and his life was in danger. People are accustomed to take
such patients immediately to a particular temple. In Shama's case, however,
Baba was all the God he knew, and he wanted to go to the Masjid straight away
and he accordingly went there. Baba, instead of treating him civilly, flew into
a furious rage, and said, 'Do not climb up Bamnia. If you do, take care. Get
down. Get down, Hat Mage Hat Mage, Bamnia. Var Mar Jav, Hat Mage, Hal
Mage". Shama thought that his refuge was gone, that Baba was not
protecting, but driving him away. Just one minute later, Baba coolly and
quietly said, 'Shama, come up' and gave him directions to be observed by
cobra-bitten patients, and asked him to go home, and there observe the usual directions
of keeping awake and moving about and not going to sleep for 24 hours. Shama
was thus saved, and he survived the cobra venom. Then what did the words mean? 'Hat
Mage, Ha! Mage' did not mean that Shama was to go down but only the poison
should go down from his system. "Bamnia Var Mat Jav" should
not be construed as addressed to the Bamnia Brahmin, namely Shama, and as
asking him not to come up. But they were addressed to the poison. The poison
was not to go up, but it should go down the Brahmin Shama.
Another
instance of a similar sort was where Baba's outburst of anger was merely a
device to enable a diarrhoea patient to get groundnuts. Kaka Mahajani had
diarrhoea, and he carried a (chombu) vessel of water with him, and was
in front of the Dwarakamayee. Baba was inside, and there were plenty of persons
outside. Suddenly Baba burst out into violent rage and people fled in all
directions. See B. C. & S. 392. People took to their heels and cleared the
premises, Kaka Mahajani also was slowly moving towards his "chombu"
and wanted to go out. Baba suddenly came and stopped him and sat next to him.
There was a packet of groundnuts left by some one who was eating them, and who
in his hurry to escape safe, left the groundnuts behind. Baba took up the
groundnuts and shared it with Kaka Mahajani saying, 'Let us eat groundnuts'.
They both ate the groundnuts, and Baba asked Kaka Mahajani to drink water on
top of it. This is not exactly the treatment for diarrhoea which any doctor
would dare to give, for that would aggravate it. But Baba said ‘Your anal
sphincter is now tightly closed'. This cured Kaka Mahajani of his diarrhoea.
Now
we shall take up the remaining
"shadripus" and see how Baba coached his dear devotee Nana in respect
of these matters also.'So far as Lobha is concerned, it is excessive greed and
is looked down upon even in an ordinary person, and much more in a person who
aims at spiritual uplift. But so far as Nana was concerned, Lobha does not
appear to have been a defect in his character. In any case, Lobha is only an
exaggeration of one's attachment to moneys and goods. Baba took very good care
to see that Nana's attachment did not reach excessive heights. Baba adopted his
usual methods for this purpose. It is 'Dana' that is the exact opposite of,
and, therefore, the antitode for, the venom called attachment or greed. This
truth comes from even the date of the Brihadaranyaka (V.2). Prajapati was
approached by his three sets of children, the Devas, the Naras, and the Asuras.
Each of these came and said, 'Please give us instruction as to what we should
do'. Prajapati answered. 'Da, Da, Da,' to each of these. In the case of
the gods, the 'Da' required for them was Dama, that is,
self-control, moderation. In the case of the Asuras, the 'Da' required was Daya,
i.e.. Mercy. Their excessive cruel nature had to be met by the spirit of
compassion, which was the antidote for their cruelty. In the case of men, the 'Da'
was 'Daana' i.e,, charity. Man's natural instinct is to grasp, to be
greedy, and to get more and more, and the best way of checking this greed is by
making man give up all that he has got. Daana forces a man to part with
his money, etc. and by constant parting, he will get accustomed to feel quite
nonchalant, quite unaffected while parting with moneys or when moneys are lost.
Thus 'Da' (Daana) is the recipe given to men as the rule of their life
by Prajapati.
The importance
of eradicating greed from one's nature may be seen from the simplest and one of
the best of all the 108 Upanishads—viz., Isavasya Upantshad, so much
praised by Mahatma Gandhi. In the very first verse of this Upanishad, the order
is given, 'Ma Gridhah Kasyasvid Danam'. That is, 'Covet not wealth
whosesoever it may be.' Or it may be translated thus, 'Covet not; Whose is
wealth?’ This means, What is your wealth today is mine tomorrow and somebody
else's on the third day. So there is nothing fixed about wealth, and one need
not concern oneself so much about this fleeting possession. Therefore, Daana
has been specially insited upon not only in the Vedas and Upanishads (dakshina
is prescribed for all the rituals) but also by Baba in his daily practice.
Baba the Soul of Vairagya never cared to ask for moneys in the beginning. But
when visitors began to rush upon him in crowds, in hundreds, he began to ask
for dakshina, which had various meanings and explanations. One way of keeping
out undesirable people, the over-greedy people who think of nothing except
money is to ask for dakshina. A lawyer, who went to see Baba when alive, noted
that he, a lawyer, accustomed to get money from others, was being asked to pay
money to Baba. So he felt repelled and never again visited Baba during his life
time. That is evidently one of the ideas underlying Baba's demand in some
cases. In many other cases also, the demand of dakshina serves the purpose of
reducing attachment. In the case of Nana, Baba used to demand off and on
various sums, and so Nana was accustomed to take with him large sums like
Rs. 300 or Rs. 400 whenever he visited Shirdi. Whenever Baba asked for money,
Nana would give him money. This constant giving of money to Baba would
naturally reduce his attachment to wealth. Baba, however, used this demand on
one occasion for another purpose, which deals with the next subject.
"MOHA"
i. e. DELUSION
Nana
was under the delusion that he was the great supplier of Baba, and that Baba
had to depend upon him for moneys. Nana had to be disabused of that idea. So,
Baba made use of Sri M. B. Rege on one occasion, and exhausted all the funds he
had by taking them out as dakshina, and when M. B. Rege said that he had no
more money, Baba said, 'Borrow'. 'From whom' asked Mr. Rege. Baba sent him
first to Shama who had no money at all, and who was a very poor man. Shama's
explanation of Baba's demand was that Baba wanted him and not his cash,
and, therefore, he (Baba) wanted him to feel the want of cash was nothing. So
saying, he sent his namaskars through Rege to Baba. Then Baba sent Mr. Rege to
H. S. Dixit who also had not the money with him at that time. He explained
Baba's demand to Mr. Rege thus: 'You must not feel begging at all to be a
shame, much less begging for the sake of your master'. Then Baba sent him to
Nana Chandorkar. Nana Chandorkar then explained to M.B. Rege his policy. He
used to leave one half of his money at Kopergaon and come with the balance to
Shirdi, and when this was exhausted, he would send for the reserve at
Kopergaon. When Mr. Rege reported this, Baba sent for Nana Chandorkar and took
from him (by repeatedly asking for dakshina) all the money he had in his
possession. Then he again asked him for dakshina, before the reserve from
Kopergaron arrived. Nana felt humiliated. His moha received a blow. The
subjects of moha and dakshina are closely connected with daana.
Charity or
alms-giving is stressed in every religion as also in the Hindu scriptures as
stated already. Yet as very few understand and practise it correctly, Baba had
to give Nana instructions on Daana to reduce lobha, moha and mada especially
through increasing contact with God. Baba's instructions to Nana are found in
the Gospel 306-309. The first advice was that alms giving, should be
straightforward. No one when asked for alms should utter falsehood and say 'I
have not got it' (the money or other things prayed for), when he has got it,
but only decline to give it in polite terms and say that circumstances do not
allow the giving. No crooked ways should be adopted. Yet after this advice was
given, some time later, Nana, who had promised to pay Rs. 300 for charity to be
done at the Kopergaon Datta temple, did not bring the money and therefore
avoided a visit to the temple, which was on his way to Shirdi. He, with the
approval of his friend, took a detour through a very thorny path, as a result
of which he and his friend ran thorns in their bodies. When they reached
Shirdi, Baba would not talk to them.
C:— Why don't you talk to me?
B:—Nana, when a man says he will remember
the lessons I taught him but really does not, how can I talk to him?
C:—Baba I remember all your lessons.
B:—You gentleman, you evade seeing
'Sircar' (God Datta) and take a detour. Why? Because the sadhu will ask you for
Rs. 300. Is this the way to remember my lesson? If you have not the money, if
it was not easy to arrange to get it. you have only to tell him the fact. Will
that saint eat you? But what device is this to avoid the temple of God for fear
of the saint demanding money? Well then, have not thorns pierced your feet and
body and the posterior part of your sapient friend? How can I talk to such a
person?
Again Baba
advised Nana to give his alms without any arrogance or anger and that if any
beggar was not pleased and wanted more, then the beggar should be answered
suavely. Wrath and official authority should not be flung at him. Nana thought
this quite easy. But on one occasion when his wife was being pestered at Kalyan
by a Brahmin beggar woman, who was not content with one-eighth of a measure,
one-fourth of a measure, one-half of a measure, or one measure, or even 2
measures, of Bhajani (Poriarisi porikollit) i.e. fried and seasoned
rice, and who threatened not to leave the house (at all) till the whole stock
of four measures in the possession of the lady was handed over to her, Nana's
wife lost patience and sent for her husband. Nana came and gave it hot to the
beggar woman. 'Either you take what is given or the peon will neck you out', he
stiffly remarked. Then the beggar woman left. When later Nana went to Baba,
Baba again refused to talk to him. "Mitra Dandam Abhashanam" is
the wellknown saying. That means, The way to punish a friend is by refusing to
talk to him.' When Nana asked for an explanation, Baba said, 'You forgot the
lesson I gave. When that beggar woman was importuning you for more and more bhajani,
why did you show your anger and official authority, and threaten to neck
her out? What mattered it if you suavely refused to give more? The woman would
have remained for some time longer and left of her own accord'. Nana recognised
that this mysteriously overwatching guardian angel of his was watching him
every moment and anticipating the temptations and evils that would befall him,
and that he should be more careful in carrying out his (Baba's) instructions,
Thus, Lobha by leading to arrogance, insolence etc. in Nana was put down
by Baba, and Nana recognised more and more what true daana was. True daana
is thus described in Bhagavad Gita.
Daatavyam ity
vat daanam. diyale anupakarine.
Dese kalecha
patrecha tad daanam saatvikam smritam,
The beggar is not to be treated as a nuisance or as a contemptible individual. According to Hindu religion, the beggar is God himself. You have to treat him as Narayana, coming to you to give you an opportunity to serve him. So. the gift to the beggar must be with due respect and not with contempt or insolence. The above stanza means: 'The gift must be at the proper place, at the proper time, and to the proper person. It must be given with the idea. It is my duty to give this. I claim no particular merit in giving it", The gift must not be for a consideration or with a view to reward or recompense. This is satvic daana".
One more
instance of Baba's reducing "moha" of 'mineness' is this: We
might mention also what Baba taught Nana as to Karma to weaken moha on
the same occasion. The moha that sways practically everyone of us is the
attachment we feel to our children and to other members of our family and the
feeling that we cannot be happy unless they are always with us. Birth and death
are serious things which condition our happiness. (See B. C. and S. 371). We
have already referred to Baba's help in the case of Minatai's difficult labour.
Unfortunately within a few months after its birth, her child died. A short time
before delivery, the husband of Minatai also had died. Minatai was very young.
The whole family was in gloom. They went to Shirdi and sat in sullen silence
before Baba. Baba asked, 'Why are you so sullen?'. Then Nana said, 'Baba, you
know everything. While we are under your care, these calamities have befallen
us. We are bereft of child and son-in-law'. Baba answered, "If you care
for child and son-in-law and come to me for that, you are mistaken. You should
not come to me for these. These are not in my power. The birth of a child and
the death of relatives are dependent on poorva karma. Even Parameswar, the
Great God, who has created this world, cannot alter this. Do you think he can
tell the Sun or the Moon, 'Rise some two yards farther away from your usual or
appointed place?' No, He cannot and will not do that. That would produce
disorder and chaos". Nana asked 'if that is so, Baba, how is it that you
tell someone, "You will have a son" and he gets a son, and you tell
another "You will get employment" and he gets it? Are these not
chamatkars of yours?' Baba answered, 'No, Nana. I do not do any chamatkars. You
have your village astrologers. They work at three or four days ahead and give
out their predictions, some of which come true. I look just further ahead. What
I say happens. My art also is a sort of astrology.
But you do not
understand this. To you, my words look like chamatkars, because you do not know
the future. So, you regard events as proofs of my miracle working power, and
you turn your reverence on to me. I in my turn turn your reverence on to God
and see that you are really benefited'. Baba thus weakened his moha or
unconditional and excessive attachment to relations. Baba's further advice in
this matter is given elsewhere.
Thus far we
have dealt with Lobha and Moha. We shall next proceed to see how
Baba dealt with the other two items, namely, Mada and Maatsarya. Mada is
pride, conceit, vanity, or display of one's ill-conceived high opinion of
oneself in a way displeasing and disgusting to others. That pride may be based
upon either caste or wealth or learning or physical strength, etc. In the case
of Nana, pride of learning and caste was in him, and it had to be duly toned
down. That which is the hardest to conquer is pride of learning. This
over-attachment to learning is called 'Vidya Vasana'. When we have to
shake off vasana (tendency) after vasana to get into pure Satva
of Brahman, one serious obstacle is this Vidya vasana, the idea 'I am a learned
man', ‘I know all the Vedas', 'I must consider everything in my own style and
cannot accept somebody else's dictum.' These are all vidya vasana traces, and
all of them are fatal to one's chance of attaining Mukti. So, Baba had to put
down this pride of learning in Nana. Nana was not very offensively parading his
learning, but still had an idea that his knowledge of Sanskrit and the Gita
with Sankara Bhashya placed him high above the ordinary run of men in
knowledge. Baba wanted at one stroke to pull him by the heels and show him how
dangerous his conceit was and at the same time teach him the duties of a
(sishya) pupil and lay the foundation for Brahma-realisation (which cannot
coexist with Ego and Egotism). One day when Nana was massaging Baba's feet, he
was mumbling something to himself. Baba asked him what it was. Nana said that
it was a Sanskrit verse.
Baba : What verse?
Nana : A Gita verse.
Baba
: Recite it audibly.
Then Nana gave out Bhagavad Gita, Chapter
IV, verse 34, dealing with Sishya and Guru relation. Baba knew exactly what he
was mumbling and caught him exactly at the point wanted. It dealt with the
Guru's teaching the sishyas, and that is what Baba wanted—to disabuse him of
his conceit and pride based on an ego which barred God-realisation or jiva
brahma-aikya. The stanza runs as follows :
Tadviddhi
pranipaatenaa pariprascnena sevaya,
Upadekshyanti
lejnaanatn jnaamnah tatvadarscinah,
Baba asked Nana whether he knew the
meaning and, if so, to give it. When Nana gave the general purport, Baba
ordered him to give a word for word translation with strict reference to
number, gender, case, tense, rnood, and other parts of grammar. Nana wondered
how the intricacies of Sanskrit grammar could be understood by Baba who showed
no trace of linguistic, literary or any other education. Anyhow he went on
giving the word for word meaning. Then Baba began a cross-examination of the
severest sort.
Baba : Well, what does 'Ta?
refer to?
Nana: Jnana.
Baba: Which Jnana?
Nana : Jnana referred to in the previous
verse.
Baba : What does pranipata mean?
Nana : It means prostration or bowing
down.
Baba : What does 'Pata' mean?
Nana: The same.
Then Baba asked :—If 'Pranipata' and
'Pata' meant the same thing, would the author (Vyasa) have used two
extra needless syllables? Similarly about 'Pariprasna', Nana said, 'Pariprasna'
means questioning, and 'Prasna' also meant the same. When asked
whether the author was again needlessly adding two syllables, Nana could not
explain the difference. Similarly about Seva. Nana said that it was
merely service like massaging, which he was doing.
Baba : Nothing else?
Nana : Nothing else so far as I can see.
In
that way Baba puzzled him word after word and phrase after phrase and puzzled
him also with the general question, why Krishna, a Jnani, should refer Arjuna
to other Jnanis instead of himself giving him Jnana. Again he asked, 'Is not
Arjuna a soul of the nature of Chaitanya, i.e., knowledge?' Then, when this was
answered in the affirmative, he asked 'How can (or why should) knowledge be
given to that which is already knowledge?’. Chandorkar was simply dumbstruck.
After putting several other questions like this, Baba finally asked, 'By a
difference in syllabification, can you read one extra syllable (without
damaging the metre or verse)?' 'Yes' answered Nana 'We can say Upadekshyanti
Te {a) jnanam. Then Nana added, 'What! this reading of the Guru giving Ajnanam
is not in Sankara Bhashya.' Baba said. "That does not matter, if that
makes a better meaning'. Nana could not understand how the Guru's giving Ajnanam
could make a better meaning. Then Nana Chandorkar was thoroughly humbled.
He felt that he was before a giant who knew Sanskrit, who knew the Upanishads,
and who knew everything. He then asked Baba himself to explain, and Baba's
answers to his own questions revealed a wealth of knowledge of Upanishadic
material and a cleverness in twisting the words into a new meaning. So far as
the word 'Jnanam' is concerned, Baba quoted Upanishads and said 'Is not Jnana
that which is beyond Mind and Speech (quoting Yatovacho Nivartante) ? Is
not Jnana, Avang Manasa Gocharam, i.e. beyond Vak and Manas?' Nana had
to say 'yes'. Then Baba said, 'Therefore, what the Guru says through his mouth
is not Jnana, and what is not Jnana is Ajnana\ So
thoroughly humiliated, Nana wondered what it all led to. Baba, however,
explained, 'Just as one thorn removes another, the Guru's teaching which is
verbal begins as Ajnana and removes the Ajnana of the sishya
which is but a cover over the sishya's knowledge, and the result is Jnana. Therefore
what the Guru teaches is primarily Ajnana which tends to result in Jnana.
Jnana is not created, but is always there, and is not uttered. The uttered
word, like an optician's instrument, simply removes the cataract from the eye
of the pupil who, thereafter, sees and recognizes himself in a state of pure
knowledge'. Thus Baba went on explaining the whole stanza and insisted upon the
sishya's duties. Baba said, ‘Seva is not any ordinary massage. You must
surrender Tan Man Dhan, body, mind and possessions. You must not feel
that you are rendering service to the master. Your body already surrendered is
the master's property, and you must feel "No merit is in me. I am merely
making the body, which is yours, serve you". That is "Seva." Pariprasna
and pranipata were similarly explained to show how thorough must be the
spirit of surrender and the spirit of earnestness. 'Pranipata' must be 'Sashtanga
dandavat like a stick falling down. You must feel that you are nothing. You
are only a zero. The Guru is everything, and, therefore, thorough humility is
involved in pranipata. Pariprasna means an earnest questioning and
repeated questioning, i.e. questioning carried on up to the point of getting
full and complete enlightenment impressed upon you. This is pariprasna. It
is not merely putting questions with a view to trapping up the master, and
catching him at some mistake or simply asking for the fun of it, (like Pilate
who asked Jesus "What is Truth", and did not wait for an answer but
went away.)
We shall
narrate another instance where Nana's pride of learning received a good shock.
Nana was observing the vedic injunction that at every meal he should prepare
the Vaisvadeva food and, after offering it to God, wait for an Atithi, i.e.
guest, before he should eat it. Nana was in so many camps and waiting, and yet
he never found an Atithi or guest. So, one day he thought, "How
could Vedas give such a nugatory or infructuous injunction?" With that
thought uppermost in his mind, he went to Baba. Though he did not utter it,
Baba himself started the subject. Baba said, 'Yes, The Devil, they will come.
You think that Atithis will come wherever you go. But you do not look at
the Atithis when they do come.' ‘Yes, Baba. I want to know how that is',
said Nana. Then Baba answered. 'The mistake is not in the Vedas. The mistake is
in your interpretation of the Vedas. An 'Atithi' is not necessarily a
person who is a Brahmin by birth, and who would come to your quarters to sit at
meal with you. After your puja is over, take some food out in your hand and
leave it in some corner, and thousands of Atithis will be coming one
after another, each in its own due course, and partake of it. They are the
asses, the dogs, the flies, the ants, etc. To you they do not look like Atithis[6].
But they are Atithis, for God is in them all’. If you do
this, the Vedic injunction is satisfied and you will obtain the required punya".
Nana felt duly humbled by seeing that Baba gave an interpretation which
made the Vedas sensible, whereas his own interpretation made the Vedas absurd
and infructuous. Baba also asked Nana to leave the food outside without crying
out or calling for anyone or anything. This is set out in the Gospel (BCS 309).
See also B Gita XV 14. Lord Krishna says 'Aham Vaisvaanaro Bhutva Praaninam
deham ascritah Praana apaana-samayukto Pachamyannam chaturvidham', i.e.,
'as the Vaisvanara (fire) I enter the bodies of creatures, and in union
with Prana and Apana digest and use up food of all the four sorts
(solid, very solid, semisolid, and liquid).' Thus, Nana not only got a valuable
addition to his knowledge of sastraic duty but also got more humble in finding
that Baba could give an interpretation which made the Vedas sensible and not
nugatory nor infructuous.
Nana was very
far advanced amongst the disciples of Baba. But human nature is hard to subdue.
Familiarity, if it does not breed contempt, at least breeds liberty-taking, and
Nana was the only one or one of the very few who hobnobbed with Baba. All the
hundreds of males and females that went to Baba at puja or Arti time would
invariably stand up, and no one would sit. Upasani Maharaj had to stand and so
had others to stand. The pujari Bapu Saheb Jog had to stand. Every person, male
or female whatever his or her position may be, had to stand before Baba. Nana,
however, used to sit next to Baba, even at Arti. Having studied Baba's nature,
Nana began to get rather weak in his humility and reverence. For instance, the
vessel of water held near Baba's lips at the close of the puja, would be
distributed to all as tirtha, and they would all drink it. But Nana and
Das Ganu would not take it. Therefore, familiarity had its adverse effect in
the case of Nana also. Tirtha taking is after all a minor matter. The
more important matter is that Baba's presence, which was magnetic, lost a great
deal of its magnetic spell in Nana's case by his repeated contact. The highest
lessons one has to learn from a Moksha Guru are first to realise that in a
particular person or object there is God, and next that He is in all. That
means that one must first have realisation of one's own nature and of God's
nature; and God should not be merely that which you worship with flowers. God
should not be that which you feel to be only in one place and at one time. Gita
says, 'A person who understands Iswara properly must feel awe and bliss from
the presence of Iswara in everything,' Baba, being the Guru Deva, had to teach
his beloved pupil this truth and make him realise God in all things and feel
awe, love, etc. Baba is treated as God on account of his wonderful power and
knowledge and is held in awe by others. But Nana seeing Baba constantly at the Mosque
or in particular places naturally developed sakhya more than daasya and
insisted on particularising and humanising or fraternising with Baba and not
universalising him, as he ought to have done. Baba had to overcome this
difficulty.
So, Baba wanted
to make him feel (firstly) divinity more and more in Baba and (secondly) the
fact that Baba's divinity is not confined to the Baba body but extends to all
creatures as Baba is their Antaryami or soul or self. These two are closely
connected. Baba said, 'I am not at Shirdi alone. I am in all creatures, in the
ant, etc’. Intellectually this was understood, but at heart, Nana did not
realise it. Baba wanted him to realise it more vividly, as that was very
important for higher spiritual progress. So on one occasion, when Nana came up,
Baba told him to prepare 8 pooran polis (cakes) for naivedya and then take his
food. When Nana placed before Baba eight pooran polis, Baba did not touch them,
but flies sat on them. Then Baba asked Nana to take away the prasad (i.e.
remnant of food which Guru had first tasted). Nana insisted that Baba should
eat some. Baba said that he had eaten. 'When?' asked Nana. Nana said, 'All the
eight polis are there'. Baba said he had eaten it at some time. Then Nana got
vexed and went away to the chavadi. When Baba sent for him, the same
conversation was repeated. Finally Baba told Nana, 'I say you have been living
with me for 18 years now. Is this all your appraisal of me? Does Baba mean to
you only the 3'/2 cubits height of this body? Am I not in the fly and the ant
that settled upon the polis?' Nana said that he knew that, but could not
realise it. If Baba could make him realise it, Nana said, he would take and eat
the polis as prasad. Then Baba lifted his hand and made a gesture. He thereby
revealed a secret which Nana was hiding very deep in his heart; and Nana
discovered that Baba knew the secret. How? The only explanation was that Baba
was the antaryami or the inmost soul in his heart. If Baba was his antaryami,
he must be the antaryami of the fly and the ant also. So he agreed
to take the pooran poli as prasad, and was satisfied. Then Baba told him, 'As
you see the gesture I make, you must remember that I am in all creatures'. Thus
Baba gave him a very valuable lesson and took him up one very important rung of
the ladder, that is, realising God in one form after another and not confining
Him to the object worshipped at home or in a temple.[7]
Baba had to
teach several other valuable lessons, most of which are embodied in the Gita.
When Nana was cross-examined about the Gita sloka, he finally prayed that Baba
should teach him the gist of the Gita. Baba told him to come up everyday, after
going through part of the Gita, and to sit at his feet. Then when Nana did so,
all that he had read in the Gita flashed as realisation in his heart. This is
what is mentioned by the Svetasvataropanishad, last stanza, namely,—
yasya deve para
bhaktih, yata deve talha gurow
tasyaite
kathifa hyarthaah prakaascante mahaatmanah
This means, 'To him who has intense faith
in God and equally intense faith in his Guru, (to that Great Soul), these
truths of the Upanishads (about realisation of Brahman) will shine forth'. Nana
had full faith in Baba, and, as he sat before Baba, the full gist of the Gita,
chapter by chapter, flashed before his heart and helped him to realisation.
This method of
direct illumination in the heart of the pupil without utterance of any speech
by the Guru is called Mouna Vyakhya and the Dakshinamurthi method, which
must be more fully described in a later chapter, as this one is already too
long. For the same reason, other truths taught to Nana Saheb Chandorkar have to
be described in chapters dealing with other devotees, who were taught the same
truths.
Eknath
Bhagavata XI was prescribed by Sai Baba for study (Parayana) by so many of his
bhaktas including H.S. Dixit, Uddhavesa Bua, etc., It was also recommended (and
made frequent use of) by Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and other saints and
gurus.
In closing this
chapter, one naturally feels the importance of taking up the two great
highlights of the Sai movement, its pioneers and, by a careful, humble, and
observant comparison and contrast of the two, noting what can be derived as
conclusions about their individual natures, the way in which they approached
Baba and Baba approached and benefited them. Comparisons are said to be odious,
but comparison and contrast is the very life breath of a proper study of human
beings and the way in which they progress. If one avoids captious criticism,
irresponsible remarks, superficial admiration, and prejudiced views, one may
arrive at various valuable truths by comparing and contrasting bhaktas. Thereby
one begins to understand much better the way in which Sai Baba was approached
and He operated upon those contacting him. The study might prove interesting in
any case for a student of religion and should prove particularly valuable to
those bhaktas who are anxious to approach Sai Baba now to determine for
themselves in what way they ought to approach him, what preparations, if any,
they ought to make, and how Baba is likely to benefit them. These first views
may not be exhaustive or perfectly accurate, but they may form the basis for
one's earnest effort to get the best out of Sai's contact. They certainly will
help any one to understand Sai better. When we note the innumerable ways in
which Baba was approached by persons of various levels and grades and how Baba
responded in each case, we are struck with wonder and delight. It is like
noting the rays of the Sun which shoot out in all directions and operate in
innumerably different ways on different objects or matters at various levels.
At the very outset, this author bows down with utter humility before these two
great saintly personages, namely, Mahlsapathy and Chandorkar, whose height he
can never hope to reach, and about whom he cannot have the least irreverence,
jealousy, envy, cavilling tendency or any other improper attitude. Following
Baba's directions to Annasaheb Dabolkar (Hemadpant), the study has been undertaken
here also of great worthies who contacted Baba, partly with a view to
understand and appreciate Baba's workings and partly to present Baba's lilas
with as much fairness, fullness and clearness as possible. When there is this
sincerity, humility, and desire for truth, Baba declared that jnana and
vairagya would be the results of the study of bhaktas' experiences, that is,
bhaktas' experiences contained in the biography. Therefore, this author has
ventured to study among others these huge giants, who acted as pioneers in the
Sai movement, to present as attractive and useful a picture as possible.
Both
Mahlsapathy and Chandorkar were pioneers, but they strike one as being in the
opposite poles in social, intellectual, and other matters. Mahlsapathy was a
humble, poor goldsmith in an obscure village. Chandorkar, on the other hand,
was a scion of a well known reputed Brahmin family, the heads of which held
high positions in the State, owned considerable property, and led lives highly
praised by their community and were well known to fame. Both Mahlsapathy and
Chandorkar had from the beginning pious surroundings and early orthodox
training. Both adhered to sadachara and worshipped God in accordance
with family customs and adopted family traditions. But these traditions were
different in the case of these two families. The humble goldsmith could only
worship his tutelary deity Khandoba not known at all even to Hindus outside
Maharashtra and get ideas of God to be found in Mahlsapathy purana, and
progressed only on lines indicated therein and followed the footsteps of his
father. In Chandorkar's case, he had the entire Sanskrit religious literature
before him and the worship of the far-famed Vedic deities of the Trinity - Siva
and Vishnu alike - and he followed Sankara Acharya in matters of doctrine. To
Mahlsapathy, education was practically a sealed book. To Chandorkar's eyes,
literature spread a vast panorama, and he was prepared to advance as far as his
powers would permit, alike in secular and religious education. Mahlsapathy
could not get beyond his pial school. But Chandorkar as already noted rapidly
advanced from his elementary to secondary and from secondary to high school and
then to collegiate education, and, by the age of 20, obtained a degree from the
University, and entered service, wherein also he rose by his ability in seven
years to the position of a Deputy Collector.
Equally rapid
and notable was his march in his studies. He read up not merely Western
philosophy, but also Sankara's philosophy as contained in the Gita Bhashya and
other sacred works. He read up books not merely in Sanskrit but also in
English, and could widen his views in both spiritual and temporal matters to an
extent which would be impossible for Mahlsapathy. Naturally the consequence of
such progress and position would be to develop self-assurance and even egotism
in Chandorkar, and he would be apt to assume, as so many educated orthodox
persons assume, that Moksha is merely a matter of conquest over the self as
described in Vivekachudamani and other works by bringing their teachings into
practice as early as possible in one's life. In Mahlsapathy's case, there was
no question of extra studies. The four corners of Mahlsapathy Purana formed the
horizon of his view. He had to pick up his religious and other knowledge only
from what is contained in a few elementary books and from family traditions and
the contacts he had with sadhus and saints. Several people would fancy that,
from this contrast, the position of Chandorkar was far superior to that of
Mahlsapathy. But such people are ignoring the very important fact that both
these went to Sai Baba, the All Knowing Samartha Sadguru, whose methods of
imparting culture, wisdom, and excellence to his devotees were so unique, so
different, nay wholly different, from those adopted in ordinary religious
education from religious gurus.
In the case of
Baba, it is not the study that one has of Vivekachudamani or Bhagavata that
counts. On the other hand, one totally devoid of any book study, but possessed
of perfect self-surrender, humility, trust, and love towards the Guru Baba, was
and is the person who could derive the fullest benefits from Baba. Chandorkar's
vast learning should all be unlearnt before Baba could impart anything to him.
The idea that one has understood all about Jiva and Paramatma and the methods
by which Paramatma could be reached by a Jiva forms the greatest obstacle to
one's progress. It is not the intellect, the keenness of intellect, that is
wanted from a person approaching Baba. (Naayam atma pravachanena labhyah
namedhaya na bahuna scrutena). It is humility, receptivity, and a readiness
to receive all that Baba gives, that counts. Mahlsapathy, therefore, was really
not at a disadvantage in the above respect. Perhaps he had more receptivity and
humility than Chandorkar. For instance, Chandorkar thought that Baba could not
understand Gita and could not possibly throw light on Chapter IV, verse 34, of
the Bhagavad Gita being presumably ignorant of the Gita or its source, namely, the
Upanishads. So long as these false ideas remained in his mind, his progress was
doomed to failure. That is why Baba knocked off that conceit by a severe
cross-examination on the Gita and by quotation of Upanishadic authorities which
stunned Chandorkar and made him perceive that knowledge was not to be had by
study of books alone but by openness of mind and approach to the source of all
light. Chandorkar was by no means the exception amongst the educated people in
this respect. Sri Upasani Maharaj had a similar obsession of his own learning
and understanding of God and the methods by which alone he fancied he had to
reach God, namely, mantras, japa, etc., which he had picked up at the feet of
his grandfather. Baba had to disabuse Upasani Maharaj and others of their wrong
notions before he could benefit them. As Baba pointed out to the Valambi
Station Master, persons (evidently with much conceit of learning etc.) came to
him like vessels the mouth of which was kept inverted and were therefore
incapable of receiving any benefits from him. Before one learns what is
valuable, one must unlearn what is harmful and even though we should not call
Chandorkar and others conceited, yet from the standpoint of Baba, there was
enough conceit in them to prevent their deriving benefit until and unless
sufficient humility and receptivity were implanted in them. Vasanas including
Vidya Vasana form Ahamkar and shut out the Supreme Light, Therefore the
contrast between Mahlsapathy and Chandorkar in respect of education is apt to be
misleading. Even in Mahlsapathy's case a certain amount of conceit and
sufficiency of Khandoba puja for one's spiritual and temporal welfare is sure
to have been lodged in him by family traditions and otherwise. Even this had to
be knocked off. Baba's.miraculous power, wonderful knowledge, and mysterious
supervision for the benefit of devotees would naturally knock off any improper
assumptions or conceit on the part of devotees like Mahlsapathy and keep them
at the proper level of receptivity. This remark applies also to Chandorkar.
The comparison and contrast between Mahlsapathy and Chandorkar in respect of social matters -was glaring and most marked. One was a wretchedly poor goldsmith begging his bread and starving for days after days. The other was a rich Deputy Collector with immovable properties, with a bank balance perhaps, feeding guests at his house, and looked up to as a Lord or a big man by innumerable people and not without reason. Yet the difference in this respect counts for nothing so far as fitness for receiving benefits from Sai Baba is concerned. The manner of contacting Baba by both may also be contrasted. Mahlsapathy, who first kept Baba out of his temple on account of his being a Muslim, was still able to perceive his spiritual greatness by his frequent contact and conversation with local saints like Devidas who could and did appreciate the worth of Baba. And being struck with Baba's greatness, Mahlsapathy fell at Baba's feet and determined to become his sishya. In the case of Chandorkar, he was too high a person to think of falling at the feet of a fakir, especially when his father was opposed to Muslims having anything to do with members of his family. Baba had to send for him before Chandorkar could think of going to Shirdi. Even after his first visit to Shirdi, Chandorkar could not make up his mind to be with Baba. Baba had to reveal his wonderful knowledge of what passed at Ahmednagar between him and the Collector and reveal his foreknowledge of a new serum to be tried on Chandorkar's system, assuring him that no harm would befall him by undergoing the inoculation. This gradual perception of Baba's wondrous psychic powers, and his interest in Chandorkar inducing him to use all these powers for his benefit, conquered Chandorkar. His intellect surrendered and his love responded to Baba's call. Still as he came at a pretty late stage of his development, it was no joke for him to adapt himself to Baba's ways; and however much he might try, he could never get the fullest benefit of Baba's contact. In the case of Mahlsapathy, it was just the other way. There was a complete surrender by Mahlsapathy, who was very humble, and very poor, and had to depend entirely upon Baba for guidance, guardianship and all that he wanted. Mahlsapathy, therefore, quickly regarded Baba as being on the same level as Khandoba. Mahlsapathy could never think of philosophical or scientific explanations for Baba's lilas and would never trouble himself about them. But on the other hand some people who derived the fullest benefit by contact with Baba like Chandorkar (and the other educated set with him) were constantly trying to find out how Baba worked, what the meaning of Baba's lilas and words was, and whether Baba's siddhis fitted in with the previous religious ideas that they already had. Baba dissuaded the educated set at Shirdi from going into these disquisitions and told the n that there would be no use in doing so. But nature is hard to conquer and evidently up to the last, they had their wobbling and never attained that complete surrender which Mahlsapathy got so easily.
Baba's
dealings with Nana Chandorkar bring out one clear fact into prominence. Baba
was not thought to be a teacher by many who contacted him and by others also
who thought about him after his Mahasamadhi. It is now increasingly realised
that Baba was a teacher. But even that is a misstatement. He was not a mere
teacher. He was a trainer and still more, one who undertook to mould the
personality of the approaching devotee. He was still more than that. He was
Providence providing everything needed, temporal or spiritual, for the
advancement of the persons surrendering to him; and still more than that, we
find that Baba was not merely a teacher or trainer, but a school or a college
in himself, nay a University in himself with postgraduate courses and research
courses leading ad infinitum to unknown horizons. Baba's methods are so
very strange and infinite in variety. He suited and suits himself to each pupil
and provides special courses peculiar to each pupil, and that is why he has
been compared to a University with research courses. This is very well
illustrated in Nana Chandorkar's case. Baba had achieved the highest pinnacle
of spiritual greatness, and he developed incidentally powers of every sort that
we read of in Vibhuti Pada i.e.. Part III 16-55 of Patanjali's Yoga
Sutras (dealing with all siddhis ending with Moksha Siddhi) or Chapter XV of
Srimad Bhagavata, Skanda XI, relating to yoga siddhis. He never seems to have
practised yoga for itself, but his intense concentration on his Guru with white
heat of love banishing everything else but the Guru from his mind was the
highest yoga that could be thought of as described in the above mentioned
Skanda XI. As stated in chapter 15, verse 32, what is there impossible for one
who concentrates upon Iswara with great intensity? All the siddhis were at his
control and he utilised these siddhis as and when occasion required for every
purpose that came to his view. He had to draw thousands to himself by reason of
rinanubandha or for other reasons. By drawing them and subsequently making them
hold on to him and draw more and more benefit from him, Baba had to confer
various benefits by the use of his extraordinary powers. The display of his
weird knowledge and weird powers was the best means for drawing people and
holding them on to him and lifting them step by step, up the ladder of
spirituality. Amongst the thousands that he drew, it will be difficult to find
how many classes there were. If in a University there are a hundred classes, in
Baba's University there must have been more, and, as for students, if a
University here can boast of a strength of a few thousands, Baba's University
boasts of many thousands. The peculiar power of apparently one (Baba) playing the
part of the teacher, the trainer, tutor, proctor, and feeder of so many
thousands even in distant places, is something unseen and unheard of.
Baba had to
draw Chandorkar first by reason of his previous rinanubandha and make him the
most prominent and notable amongst his (earlier) apostles. He has done that,
and this learned and high-placed apostle, working together with his orderly
Constable (Das Ganu) has been responsible for building up a vast mass of
bhaktas that constituted the nucleus of the world of Sai bhaktas that we see
today and the bigger world of Sai bhaktas that is yet to be. But this apostle
was not necessarily the recipient of everything that Baba could give. He did
not attain to anything like Baba's position. He was given a very good modicum
of Baba's gifts and he made enormous strides in his temporal and spiritual
position. But he did not go through all courses of Baba's University.
Bahunam janmanamante jnanavan maam
prapadyate
Kalena attnani vindati
He did not reach perfect or all-round development
and perhaps it is not reached usually in one life. B.C. VII. 19, IV. 38. In
this same volume, we find devotees with merits and excellences perceived even
by Chandorkar himself as those that he had not attained to. As we have seen
from the first chapter Mahlsapathy the uneducated Bhikshuka, reached very great
heights of self-sacrifice and constant service to Baba which far exceeded what
Chandorkar could reach or render. The absolute Saint Francis-like
self-abnegation and perpetual service of Mahlsapathy, was impossible in Nana
Chandorkar's condition with his family, position, office and reputation to keep
up.
Chandorkar had
been deeply ingrained in traditions of orthodox Hindu piety. Therefore, as
already stated, he was a great believer in one's own efforts and the absolute
importance and sufficiency of Vedic learning, mastery of works like Sankara
Bhashya of Gita and Viveka Chudamani, for one's spiritual success. Many a
reader of this book would share his views and find it hard at first to understand
the difficulty which we are mentioning now as standing in Nana's way. Ninety
per cent of educated people believe that a mere following of the sastras and
the traditional methods of puja, dhyana, and study with meditation would
suffice for one's achievement of moksha and for a thorough grasp of both Atman
and Brahman. Therefore most are for self development relying upon oneself to
grow step by step. (This is termed the Markata Sisu Marga] believing
that every step upwards is achieved by one's own activity. But in Baba's
method, (which may be termed Marjara Sisu marga) the exact opposite is
the truth, (See Gospel 176). Baba achieved the highest Jiva-Brahma Aikya which
he expressed by the aphorism Maim Allah hum (Aham Brahma Asmi). Numerous
powers and benefits followed it. What was his sadhana that led to this? Was he
working up text book after text book and resolving doubt after doubt by
approaching masters, book in hand? Exactly the opposite. He told Radhabai
Deshmukhin, 'I know one thing, the truth taught me by my Guru. It is not the
various sadhanas and books that are necessary. A study of the sastras is not
necessary. What is necessary is absolute surrender to, and love of, the guru',
(cf also BCS. 191) This, Baba declared, he had adopted, and the result was that
by the Guru's grace, he was raised to the highest pinnacle. He attained to laya
in his Guru. That was bhakti. It was also jnana, what is called jnana in our
text books i.e. a realisation that follows as a part of the experience of one
who has merged himself by surrender and love in the Guru. So, to progress on
the lines on which Baba progressed, one must completely surrender oneself.
As will be seen in a later chapter dealing with Upasani Baba, the efforts of the orthodox and the learned to master one truth after another or one mantra after another with the feeling 'I have mastered this', is the greatest obstacle to progress in Baba's line.
The 'Vidya
Vasana ego' is an almost insuperable barrier standing in the way of the
educated, the cultured, and the intellectual set that approached and still
approach Baba. Nana was the first and foremost of these intellectuals. His
Vidya vasana was very powerful. He believed that he could understand and by his
understanding reach Moksha. This, being a very powerful obstacle, had to be
overcome, and the first step or mark of overcoming is humility and preparedness
to surrender the ego or egotism.
For instance in
understanding Gita, which Nana thought was a great feat achieved by himself, he
could not see that his egotism barred him from really understanding Brahman
or "Tat" for, where Ego is, 'Tat' or Brahman is not, Baba, in
order to enable him to come nearer to "Tat", had to knock off
his self-sufficiency, egotism, and conceit, and stretch him on the floor in the
mood of 'I am nothing; let the ego go; let the Guru's grace come with its
enlightenment to revive the self with as little ego as possible,' and the
teaching on BG IV 34-35 was the first stroke, which though powerful was not
sufficient. By reason of this handicap, Nana got a certain advance in
his spirituality through his understanding assisted by a certain
amount of humility. But old habits will not die. As Kirtankars says, Prakriti
(nature) dies hard and the mouse, with its rodent nature, that was offered
the chance of marrying the Sun, the Clouds, the Winds and the Mountain declined
all of them and ended only by marrying a rat. This is no depreciation of the
great achievements of Nana Chandorkar or of Baba's undoubted ability to train
him. But Baba himself recognised that there were certain barriers and limits
which could be overcome only to a certain extent at a time in the circumstances
of each case. That shows the need for and advantage of studying Baba's dealing
with as many Bhaktas as possible. Ultimately the full course may be achieved
for each as for Nana, by Baba, but that was not to be in this birth. That is
what one notes, viz, that Baba trained Nana more or less in accordance with his
(Nana's) own ideas. Baba is no destructive revolutionist but usually builds on
old foundations. So, as Nana's opinion was that he should proceed onwards from vairagya
and viveka through Samadhi shatka and mumukshutva he
was given a certain advance in each of these and had to stop there for this
birth (with incomplete success as he must have done in the four previous lives
in which he contacted Baba). The tendencies of the animal and the tendencies of
the human self built up by one laboriously birth after birth give one a
particular bent or bents and have all to be taken into consideration; and the
advance that Nana made in view of all these has been described in this chapter.
Here,
however, (for purpose of studying Baba's methods and enabling devotees or
readers to study him with reference to their own condition) we may amplify the
summary given above and note some portions which Nana did not go through in
this life or practically failed to achieve and which other bhaktas of Baba not
so highly placed nor so brilliantly equipped did achieve. Taking the case of Kaka
Dixit (Hari Sitaram Dixit), his apparent disadvantages, compared with Nana
Chandorkar, proved real advantages. As stated already, for the best results
according to Baba's system for one who approached Baba in accordance with
Baba's traditions, the first requisite was humility and receptivity and not
much learning. In Baba's system, it is the Guru that pours into the sishya
virtue after virtue by training him step after step to secure the virtues and
the knowledge that he (the Guru) wishes to equip the pupil with, just as the
cat carries its kittens to safe and good places. In the case of Nana, his very
high learning and great ability in official and other matters were naturally
accompanied by a high degree to self-assertion and egotism, which make for success
in literary study, official matters, and to a certain extent even in spiritual
matters. But for the highest results, it is just the opposite, namely, want of
egotism, utter reduction of egotism, the power to relax the Ego and keep it
relaxed for long periods, that is essential. That is why the drinking of the
water washing the feet of the Guru and taking his Uchchishta tirtha are
insisted upon in the Guru Gita for a pupil's advance, for they create and
develop thorough annihilation of Ahamkara or Ego through towering reverence to
the Guru ending in Love. In the case of Kaka Dixit, these disabilities of Nana
Chandorkar were not present. Though high up in public life even as M.L.C. and
highly successful at the Bombay Bar, he had developed humility and an equal
vision by his varied experiences in India and England. A travel by sea and a
visit to Britain have the remarkable effect of subduing pride and prejudice. We
find in Britain the biggest men hobnobbing with common men in trains and other
places and that sense of equality is very high and there people seem to feel
the truth of what Burns sang—
"Man's a man for a'that".
"The rank is but the guinea stamp.
The man's the good for a'that".
On board the
steamer, the Muhammadan boys who give you tea and bread, Brahmin leader though
you are, feel that they are your equals, and all caste pride and peculiarities
of orthodox life including the revulsion from Moslem touch disappear even in
the early days of your steamer life. Kaka Dixit therefore could view Hindus, Muslims,
and Christians with equal vision (which Nana could not command) and could feel
himself thoroughly humble and ready to receive any Upadesa coming from Baba as
something high over his head, whereas Nana, with all his mastery of Gita and
other scripture, could not so completely forget that he was a Brahmin Hindu
already having a high stand. Moreover the accident to Dixit's leg, leading to a
loss of its free use and inducing an inferiority complex or sense of
irreparable loss and disgust with life was just the upward push that was
needed.
In this samatva
with humility, prapatti towards Baba is easier; and in all this,
Chandorkar must be considered inferior to H. S. Dixit. Dixit could forget the
difference between Hindu and Muslim and feel no repulsion to Moslem contact.
When Baba's teertham was offered, Dixit and others would gladly take it,
but not Chandorkar nor Das Ganu. When Bade Baba, a Muslim fakir, wanted a
residence at Shirdi, to be near Baba or his tomb, no villager there would
tolerate a Muslim within his small house. Dixit alone had the courage to offer
a portion of his wada to Bade Baba. But many fell foul of Dixit for that
provision, and even Nana Chandorkar was in the opposition and represented to
Dixit the impropriety of housing a Muhammadan in "Dixit wada" (used
as a travellers' bungalow for devotees at Shirdi) as that would repel so many
Hindu devotees who would otherwise go there and use it. These are given only as
a sample to show that Nana had not the fullest benefit of Baba contact. One's
previous course of life hampers one considerably in making advance even under
the powerful influence of Baba. Baba no doubt achieved very great success in
inducing Chandorkar, the son of a violently anti-Muslim gentleman, to accept
him for a Guru and then enabling him dimly to perceive the greatness of Baba as
far as circumstances would permit. For further progress, there were serious
handicaps. Kaka Dixit could make very rapid advance under Baba, especially
during his Vanaprastha probation, that is, a period of 10 or 12 months which he
spent at Shirdi away from wife and children under Baba's care. Nana also took
leave and spent some time with Baba at Shirdi, may be a year or so. But still
there was the difference in their outlook. Naturally therefore a comparatively
greater rate of progress and greater amount of profit were derived by Kaka
Dixit by reason of his greater receptivity and humility. We see, however, all
this and more of Kaka Dixit, from his diary that he kept and also from his
experiences published by his friends in the Sai Lila Masik. By reason of Nana's
not having kept a diary of his experiences, we do not know so much of him and
there is the danger of our underrating Nana's progress. But still, as
practically everything noteworthy in his advance was communicated by him to Sri
B.V. Dev, Kaka Dixit, Dabolkar, etc., and as all these have been published in
the Sai Lila Masik, we have to take it that the published matter roughly
represents Nana's progress. It is on that assumption the observations in this
chapter are based. There is a chance of error, no doubt, but the chance is but
small, and risks of error have to be incurred in any biography.
Taking other prominent devotees who approached Baba, such as Sri Upasani Maharaj, Kusa Bhav, and Balakram Manker, we notice how they were able to give up everything, family, property, dignity, etc., and simply dedicate themselves to Baba's service, and managed to stay on for years with Sri Sai Baba. The consequent advance such a person derives must naturally be greater than any that one can derive when one pays only occasional though frequent visits to Baba as Nana did. Sri Upasani Maharaj stayed away from all contact with family, and Baba intended definitely to cut him off from family connections, and he stayed at the Khandoba temple at Shirdi for 3 years waiting for Baba to work upon him. In the Chapter on Upasani Maharaj, we may notice the consequent notable advance in various directions. Such advance is not to be found in the case of Nana Chandorkar who was a grihasta to the end of his life with innumerable worldly thoughts dominating him. Even though Upasani Maharaj withdrew himself from Baba before the period prescribed for tutelage was over, still the progress he made at Shirdi was continued at Kharagpur, Nagpur, and Sakori. Powers, which may be called siddhis, were off and on shooting out of him, and even Nana Chandorkar, when calling upon Upasani Maharaj at the Khandoba temple, felt the higher position which the Pravrajita Upasani occupied as a pupil under Baba (and as his probable or possible successor in the view of several), and showed him great respect or reverence. Kusa Bhav, though not spiritually so high, was living without any family connection for years and years under Baba, and Baba blessed him with the power to produce Sai Udhi at will and give it to all as a cure for all ills which raised him in the eyes of his numerous sishyas or followers. Balakram Manker was similarly able to dissociate himself from family, to give up highly lucrative position in business, and even lead a life in solitude on Machendragad Hill by Baba's order, and was deriving great benefit from Baba's contact and guidance. In fact, many hoped that he would be Baba's successor on Baba's gadi. But his premature death in 1913 destroyed that hope. These three are mentioned to show that a certain dissociation from family, official position, and even property, which was possible for Kusa Bhav, Upasani, B. Manker, etc., was not possible for Chandorkar and that consequently the benefits he derived were different from those that totally (or almost totally) dissociated people derived. [This, however, is not a slur upon Nana Chandorkar.] The lines of advance for these three, namely, Upasani, Kusa Bhav, and Balakram Manker, seem so different from the lines of advance of Nana Chandorkar.
Again there
seems to be some constitutional difference between some bhaktas and others.
Some seem to have a special facility for having visions, trances and similar
states. A Brahmin doctor, who went to South Africa and returned, had this
special peculiarity, and, by gazing at Baba, he could see in Baba the form of
Sri Rama and by intense prayer he derived for over a fortnight, what he calls Pararna
Ananda i.e. the highest bliss he knew. It is not the same as Brahmananda
evidently, which Ananda is not given but must exist inherently and be
perceived by one after getting over all obstacles to one's vision of the self
as Brahman. Even G. S. Khaparde, owing perhaps to the peculiarity of his
smoking and other habits, if not his constitution, derived spells of what may
be termed Parama Ananda. Frequently in G.S. Khaparde's diary, we find
mention made that Baba cast some yogic glances, as a result of which for hours
G. S. Khaparde was drowned in bliss. Even Mrs. Manager (i.e. Mrs. Tarabai S.
Tarkhad of Poona) could derive this sort of Ananda. But we do not find anything
like these spells of being drowned in bliss described as part of Nana
Chandorkar's experiences. Perhaps constitutionally some do not and cannot get this
experience. Emotional susceptibility seems to be an important factor in
perceiving this Ananda, and intellectual vigour like Nana's seems to keep it
out. The absence of these spells of bliss may not be a serious loss to one
proceeding on Nana's lines of advance. Absence of Yoga siddhis is no loss but a
gain to such.
Again some
devotees have a childlike faith, so very childike that others do not reach it,
being afraid at heart that that extent of credulity is either unbecoming or
dangerous. 'You cannot enter the Kingdom of God unless you become as little
children', said Jesus. This seems to have a strange application to the closing
scene of this earthly life of devotees. Mahlsapathy had childike faith and his
end was most charming. At the close of life, he knew, though in ordinary
health, that the moment of death was coming and he welcomed it, and his friends
sat by his side and carried on bhajan till his last moment. And assuring all
that he was going to Heaven on that day, and finishing his meal and betelnut
chewing, he calmly and cheerfully passed away with Rama nama on his lips.
Dixit's faith in Baba as his Sathi Akaraka (the last moment's companion)
was firm—as Baba (who was the soul of truth, that never gave out false
promises) had declared "I will carry my Kaka (HSD) in a Vimana".
Dixit had a very happy (totally painless) death in the train when thinking of
his Guru-God Baba and gladly thanking him for securing the train for him though
he came late. The Gita verse declares that what we think of in our last moment
that we become (VIII-6).
Again, there was perhaps some constitutional help for many a devotee who under Baba's influence began to realise the great truth which our scriptures proclaim, namely, that God is in everything and that the advanced sadhaka sees God in everything and sees everything as God. These are the very words of the Gita, (e.g. V 29-31, VII 19, X 20-39). But hardly ten in ten thousand amongst those that read the Gita daily as Parayana would have any experience of seeing either God in the things they behold or seeing everything that they see as God. But under Baba, a poor woman of Shirdi began to feel that a snake was really Baba. Some others developed the feeling that the dog or the beggar that approached them was really Baba. If the dog and the beggar excite in them feelings of reverence (for which purpose Baba tried to make his devotees avoid cruelty and irreverence to dogs and beggars), this is a stepping stone to the achievement of the above mentioned goal of the scriptures. One step in this advance is to see Baba or God first and oneself next in all creatures and all creatures in oneself.
/.
Sarvabhuteshu chatmanam
sarvabhutanicha atmani
ikshate yoga
yuktatma sarvatra samadarscanah
(VI 29)
2. Yo
maam pascyati sarvatra sarvam cha mayi pascyati
Tasyaaham na
pranascyaami sa cha me na pranascyati
(VI 30)
3 Bhuteshu
Bhuteshu Vichitya Dheerah
Pretya Asman
Lokat Amrita bhavanti.
These mean, respectively,—
1. The
Yogi whose self has been tacked on (to Brahman), with his equal vision towards
all sees the one Supreme Atman in all creatures and all creatures in the Self.
2. He
who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, to him I do not perish, and
he never perisheth, but is always with Me.
3. The
sages or wise ones find in every creature the Supreme Self and casting off
their bodies become immortal.
This higher
stage of advanced bhaktas is thus described in the sastras; and Baba's
disciples and pupils having the perfect God-realiser Baba for their guidance
should naturally be expected to reach it. Some must have reached it.
From
the reminiscences of Chandorkar that are now left to us, we are unable to
perceive that he reached it or was nearing it. Baba however trained several
people including Nana Chandorkar in the steps necessary to enable one to
consider every creature God. It is easy for us to read "Bhuteshu
Bhuteshu Vichitya Dheerah" or "Sarva Bhuteshucha Atmanam"
or 'Atmowpamyena sarvatra samam pascyati' - B. G. IV.32. But in
practice, it is indeed the hardest to look upon even one creature or one object
as God. Why even to get the state of mind of dealing with perfect God when
dealing with Baba, was and is impossible to most people. How can such persons
treat a dog or a cat, a beggar or a snake, as God? In order to overcome the
almost insuperable objections to treat everything as God or as Baba, he coached
up his devotees and showed them the basis for such an advance. In the case of
Nana Chandorkar, he enabled him to take the first step in this direction by
convincing him that the poli placed before him (Baba) and eaten by the fly was
really eaten by Baba, because He was Nana's inmost soul or antaryami (as
demonstrated by a chamatkar of his), and therefore, the fly's inmost soul. He
could similarly show Hansraj that the cat that stole or ate away his curds was
himself (Baba), because the blow given to the cat by Hansraj produced a weal on
Baba in the very place of the- stroke on the cat's shoulder. But how many steps
can a man be pushed up a palmyra tree by one standing on the ground? One must
climb up oneself. So, many persons made very slow advance in this matter.
Nana's advance in this direction also appears not to have been marked by any
remarkable strides of success. This power to see Baba or God in everything is
said to be best achieved by putting the collyrium of love on one's eyes. A Gopi
in her intense love to Sri Krishna began to see every thing dark as Krishna,
such as Tamala trees or clouds just as a thief sees a police man in every bush.
A lover sees his beloved's face in the moon and in everything that is
beautiful. This is a peculiarity of the way in which the highly emotional mind
works, and this psychological truth is pressed home in Srimad Bhagavata, Skanda
XI. If you wish to have thorough absorption in God or anything else, the course
for it is that the Dharan, Dhyana and Samadhi should be perfect,
that is, the most intense that the constitution is capable of. The dhyana may
be due not necessarily to devotion or love, but may be due to lower
psychological states such as hatred or fear. Hiranyakasipu hated the Lord and
saw him everywhere and Ravana, in his fear of Rama, began to fear that every
sound beginning with 'Ra' would denote Rama.
Yatra yatra
mano dehi dhaarayet sakalam dhiya
Snehat dveshat
bhayat vaapi yaati tattat sarupatam.
This means, 'Whenever one concentrates
oneself completely, heart and soul, on any object, whether by reason of love or
hatred or fear, one reaches sarupya of that, that is, becomes of the
same form as that'. This is common experience, for, if you are thinking only of
your favourite object, all vague sounds take the name of your favoured object.
A man sat in church hearing some French or Latin ritual and when asked what it
was, said, 'All my eye and Betty Martin'. A Gopi, who went out selling
curds, instead of saying 'Curds for sale', said, 'Krishna for sale' This,
therefore, shows the advantage of those who are capable of such intense
emotional heights. They get to sarupya losing themselves. No doubt these
would be put down as mad people by the mass, and surely they would mostly be
unfit for the ordinary work-a-day life. But they succeed in their aim, namely,
reaching the Supreme goal.
Keeping these observations in mind, we should note if there is any such line of advance, at least to a noticeable extent in Nana's case. His faith in Baba was undoubtedly very great, but still his constitution, or the degree of progress made by him, prevented him from losing himself in Baba. His faith was great enough as shown in the following case. One day, when he was going along the road in company with his wife, some person came and said that his own wife had evil possession or some trouble for which Baba's udhi was wanted as a remedy. Nana, finding no udhi at hand, picked up some earth from the road, and, remembering Baba, applied it, not to the visitor's wife, but to his own wife's forehead, and told the visitor that the remedy had been applied. This shows remarkable faith of Nana in Baba. But still it does not seem to have gone up to the degree of self-annihilation by a process of emotional intensification, In BG. 9-22 Sri Krishna said—
Ananvah
chintayanto maam ye janaah pari upasate
Teshaam
nityaabhiyuktaanaam yogakshemam
vahaamyaham.
(IX 22)
This means,
Krishna says to Arjuna, 'if men think exclusively of Me (or identify themselves
with Me) and serve Me completely, and perpetually contact Me, the acquisition
and safeguarding of good for such people is burden borne by Me'. In the case of
Baba, who is no other than Krishna, he was looking after the welfare and
providing goods and safety (Yoga Kshema) to such Ankita devotees or
children, even though they fell short of the perfect ananya chinta, pari
upasana and nitya abhtyukti ideal. He, however, helped people to increase
the contact with him by decreasing their external contacts and activities so as
to march on to the ideal. Nana marched on fairly successfully in his course
—though he did not attain the required self-annihilation that some devotees of
Baba achieved.
With these
comparisons we should stop this chapter for several reasons: (1) Superficial
readers may lay to their hearts these points on which Nana did not achieve
complete success and fancy that his life was a failure. They may consequently
lose their reverence for him and that would be a great mistake. The author bows
down to Sri Nana Chandorkar for the marvellous progress he made and the very
great good he has achieved for us all—in fact he was responsible for our Sai
faith and is our God-father or God-grandfather, our spiritual atavus. (2)
Comparisons with all devotees is neither possible nor desirable. (3) The
comparison and contrast provided here will suffice to guide us in our attempt
to get fuller ideas of the unthinkably (Achintya) perfect Sai Baba.
Critical and analytical studies or moral and spiritual states, and steps useful for achieving and causes of failure lo achieve the same have been made or noted in this chapter at great length. It is best to set out as much of these as possible and as early as possible in the book and hence these have been applied to Nana Saheb Chandorkar. But what has been said about him applies to many other devotees whose progress is described later, though there is no express reference to that fact in later chapters. Careful readers who go through this book with a view to get a full grasp of the subject of religious progress, especially for the purpose of helping on their own development would note this application of the studies to other devotees—and, may be, to themselves. We are not the guardians or judges of other souls. Only our own is committed to our care.
Das Ganu
Maharaj
After Nana
Chandorkar, the logical, chronological, and the appropriate name to deal with
is that of Ganpat Rao Dattatreya Sahasrabuddhe, popularly known as Das Ganu
Maharaj. His importance for the Sai movement consists in the fact that the
rapid spread of Baba's name in Maharashtra was due very largely to his efforts.
Baba fully well foresaw or ordained it. In 1890 Das Ganu was a Constable and
play actor of village plays of an obscene character. Baba drew him to himself
for the double purpose of improving his (Ganus) own spiritual condition and
thereafter rendering signal service to the public for the spread of Sai faith.
When first he came to Shirdi, he came as the "orderly" of (i.e.
constable attending on) Nana Saheb Chandorkar, and whenever Chandorkar visited
Shirdi, Ganpat Rao followed him as his Constable, not at all out of faith in,
or love for, Sai, but because the master compelled him to—very much like the
Harijans (to whom Nandanar preached the value of Siva's nama japa) who
said (Alas! perforce we have to say,
SIVA, SIVA). For a very long time, Das Ganu could not appreciate Baba. Up to
the end, he could not realise Baba as really Deva i.e. God or as his Guru-Deva,
though he had high regard for him and his powers and wrote or sang of him with
poetic skill describing Baba as Ramaavara i.e. God, doing lip service.
That was why he went to one Islampurkar, a Brahmin Guru, to get his initiation
long after he met and dealt with Baba (a step which Baba naturally did not
object to when D. G. reported the fact to Baba). Anyhow Baba made a remarkable
change in the personality of Das Ganu, and Das Ganu also realised how powerful
Baba's influence on him was.
It has been mostly an unwilling submission on the part of Das Ganu to Sai Baba's yoke. At his earliest advent to Shirdi, Baba noted the nature of Ganpat Rao, and determined that his nature, calling and work should all be totally changed. His nature then was just that of a Police Constable who had hardly any education, but who was very clever in composing Lavani metre songs in Mahratti impromptu and in taking a female's part in lewd village dramas. He would put on female dress and dance about in the village and take great pleasure in that achievement. His great ambition was to rise in his profession. The Police Department by itself was not a particularly moral department, and for one who was ambitious to rise in it, one's regard for truth, righteouness, fair dealing, etc. would practically be nil, and scruples, conscience, and character were unwanted hindrances to efficiency. Knowing all their dangers and the real dormant capacity of the man, Baba, from the very beginning, told Das Ganu to give up both his attachments, namely, (1) attachment to the village dance and drama and (2) attachment to the police profession. Chandorkar also pressed this upon Ganpat Rao. With great difficulty Ganpat Rao was weaned away from drama. But as for the profession, he would not give it up. The charm of holding the position of Sub Inspector (Foujdar) and lording it over people was too powerful for him to resist. When Baba said, 'Ganu, you had better give up your police service', Das Ganu replied, 'Baba, let me become a Sub Inspector (for which position I have passed the departmental examination) and hold the appointment for only one year, and thereafter, I will give it up'. Baba replied that he was not going to get the Sub Inspectorship, and that He would see to it that he did not get it. So, Baba's work was to bring in difficulty after difficulty, pressure after pressure to bear upon Ganpat Rao; and Ganpat Rao had innumerable difficulties even without Baba adding to them.
For instance,
he was fond of touring to distant places of pilgrimage outside his official
limits, and he would go without taking the permission of his superiors, which
would not be easily granted. On one such occasion, he had gone to a shrine in
the "Nizam's State" and was returning. His fellow constables were
highly envious of him, and they wanted to pluck his feathers. So, when he was
returning to his place, and when he was still on the Nizam's side of the river
Godavari, the envious constables were on the other side watching to catch him.
He noted this fact and felt that he would surely be dismissed. So, he took up
the Godavari water in both of his palms and swore by that "Ganga"
water, (as it is called) "Baba, let me escape this time I shall
certainly give up my police service". Then he went back into the Nizam's
State just a short distance, when lo! and behold, there was proof of Baba's
Grace! A village Munsif came to him and told him that certain dacoits were
dividing their booty secretly and all that the Village Munsif wanted was a
police gentleman with authority to arrest them. So Ganpat Rao went, seized the
dacoits and the booty, and proudly returned to his own station on the other
side of the Godavari. When questioned how he went out without permission, his
reply was that he had gone there for the seizure of dacoits and property—no
doubt a falsehood. Thus he not only escaped punishment, but he thought he had a
very good chance of rising in his profession. With that thought uppermost in
his mind, he was riding past Shirdi to go somewhere. Just as his horse came to
Shirdi, and when he did not want to alight there but to pass on without seeing
Baba, Baba was on the road and made him alight. Then Baba asked, 'Arre, who is
it that swore with a palmful of water in his hand, man?' Then Das Ganu's
unabashed reply was, 'What of that? Baba, I am going to resign after all, after
I get the Fouzdarship'. Baba said that he would see to it that he resigned, and
added 'Until a peg is driven into you, (i.e. pressure becomes painful), you
will not obey'.
Das Ganu thought there was no further pressure. But pressure came. He along with three other Constables was told off to the duty of capturing a notorious dacoit, who was a terror to the whole countryside, and whose organisation was so vast and wonderful that even the Police Department was in his pay, that is, several of the Police Department were in his pay and he could checkmate their movements. Das Ganu went off to Lonivarni, a place which that famous dacoit, Khana Bhil by name, was visiting. But Khana Bhil was a man of extraordinary abilities. He had shot the other three persons nominated along with Ganpat Rao to catch him, and was determined to deal with Ganpat Rao in the same way. Ganpat Rao disguising himself as a Ramdasi was making use of the village children, learnt from them details about the visits of these robbers, and communicated their movements to the police head-quarters. Suddenly one day Khana Bhil turned up, seized Ganpat Rao by his neck, and said, 'You fellow, you are going to catch me! Do you know that it is Khana Bhil that has now caught you? Now I am going to shoot you, as I have already shot your three companions.' Ganpat Rao was in terror. He was close to Sri Rama's image. He suddenly fell at its feet and, thinking of Sai, said 'Save me. Save me. I will give up all my police efforts'. Khana Bhil was softened. Instead of shooting at both Ganpat Rao and the image, he said, 'I let you off this time. But if you again interfere in my affairs, you are a dead man. Remember.' But the ambition of Ganpat Rao was not to be quenched. Again he got information about Khana Bhil's movements and communicated it to the authorities, with the result that a police force armed with carbines, etc., was sent to surround the hillock on which Khana Bhil and his men had pitched their camp. A fierce battle was fought between the dacoit gang and the police, and Khana Bhil effected his escape. Ganpat Rao knew that his life was doomed. So he went up to Nana Chandorkar, and with his good offices secured a medical certificate and got relieved of his detective duties. Thus for a second time his prayer to Baba to save his life was effectual. Again for a second time he refused to resign. Having so far successfully duped Baba, he thought he was safe. But he hardly knew how many strings Baba had to his bow.
The third
occasion came and then Das Ganu was in a tight fix. When he was the second in
command at the Station, the station Officer left him in charge. And Das Ganu in
a lordly way wanted to enjoy his time, and went home leaving a constable in
charge of the station. Just at that time, a village munsif had sent up a thoti
with a fine collected from some person against whom a warrant had been sent
for collection. That money, Rs. 32/-, was left by the thoti with the constable
there in charge, without any person to witness. The constable told the thoti
that the Station Officer was on leave, that no receipt would be granted then,
that he might go away, and that the receipt would be sent to the village in due
course. So, the poor thoti went away, and the constable swallowed up the money.
Ganpat Rao knew nothing of it. However, the authorities finding that Rs. 32 had
not been collected, sent up a second warrant for the collection of the fine.
The party showed the receipt from the Village Munsif. The Village Munsif, when
asked, said that he had sent the money to Ganpat Rao's Station, and so the
enquiring officer came to the Station and asked the Station Officer who pointed
out that at the particular time and date when the money came, he was on leave.
Then who was in charge? Ganpat Rao was in charge. Ganpat Rao was the man who
swallowed that (fine) amount of Rs. 32 was the conclusion arrived at by the
enquiring officer. Ganpat Rao was asked for an explanation. He said he knew
nothing. But there was no escaping the fact that money had been sent that day,
and was paid at the station as the thoti testified. Then Ganpat Rao, finding
that there was not only no chance of his getting the Sub Inspectorship but a
good chance of his getting into the jail, solemnly swore to Baba that this time
he would positively quit service. He went further and mentioned his willingness
to resign to the enquiry officer who, thereupon, made him pay up Rs. 32, and
then discharged him, taking of course his resignation also. Thus Baba succeeded
in making Ganpat Rao quit that service, a service, which would prevent Ganpat
Rao from becoming the high spiritual personage that he was subsequently to
develop into.
Baba
used to call him 'Ganu'. When Ganpat Rao came and said, 'I have now left my
service; I and my wife have to stand in the streets, as we have no property or
income', Baba said, Ganu, I shall provide for you and your family'. (Compare
Krishna's promise "Yoga Kshemam Vahami aham" BG IX 22). Baba
then asked him to go on with his Brahminical duties, puranic studies, and
kirtans at which he was excellent, From the day of his loss of service, i.e.
1903, up to this time, Ganpat Rao was never in want either for food or for
clothing, and has even become the owner of some lands yielding him sufficient
support. And in 1919 his wife died issue less, leaving him without any
encumbrances. Baba told him to attend to his kirtans. Das Ganu was specially
good at kirtans. He had a fine metallic voice, and he was a vary able performer
of kirtans. He would hold an audience of 2,000 people spell-bound in rapt
attention listening to him for six or eight hours, and as he never asked for
even one pie and made no collections, his kirtans were popular, and in all his
kirtans, he would place Baba's picture next to him and even though his katha
was about Tukaram or Namdev or Jnanadev, yet he would always refer to Sai Baba
as the living Sam or Satpurusha, i.e. as the present Great Saint, whom it would
be a great blessing for people to have darsan of, as the very darsan would purify
and benefit the visitor. As soon as his kirtans ended, people started in
numbers to go to Shirdi and see Sai Baba. These numbers included high officials
of good and great position, as also the poor. Thus he has been the means of
sending some tens of thousands of people to Baba. He is still living (1955) and
justly styled Hari Bhakta Parayana Kirtankar. Baba developed his nature and
purified it by making him spend his time whenever he went to Shirdi in reading
Vishnu Sahasranama at a temple there. Das Ganu Maharaj thus got highly purified
and was highly devoted to Baba. His purification and development are marked in
various ways, and Baba's favour to him on the spiritual side is so vast and
varied that it is impossible to sketch them out, especially as Das Ganu Maharaj
is still living and we have no right to vivisect that Maharaj. We shall
mention, however, a few facts showing how Sai Baba favoured him in addition to
relieving him of the two great hampering curses upon him, namely, the dance
mania and the Foujdar mania. Baba gave him a special capacity to understand
things which others could not ordinarily understand. Baba gave him special
hints on special occasions. We shall instance two of these below.
Das Ganu
Maharaj wished to write a Mahratti commentary upon Amritanubhava, a famous
Mahratti religious treatise, and that was considered to be impossible. A pandit
told him that he could not possibly catch all the meaning of Jnana Dev, the
author, end express it in his work. Das Ganu went to Baba, prayed for and
immediately got his blessing. Then, he began to write his explanations of the
riddles, seeming contradictions and apparently meaningless dicta of
Amritanubhava. He found the heart of the author and brought it out by a number
of illustrations. The illustrations he mostly drew from Baba's talk which he
heard at Shirdi. So he succeeded in presenting Amritanubhava in such a way as
to satisfy even keen critics; and the pandit who first considered it impossible
was satisfied that Das Ganu's work was a success.
Next Das Ganu
was anxious to render even a Sanskrit Upanishad, namely, Isavasya Upanishad,
into Mahratti. This famous Upanishad consists of only 18 verses. It is full of
great thoughts and has been considered by Mahatma Gandhi to be peculiarly
important. Mahatma Gandhi said that if the whole of Hindu spiritual literature
were gone leaving only this Isa Upanishad, the whole of Hindu dharma could be
reconstructed with this alone. Though the Upanishad has received such high
encomia, it is a very difficult and tough Upanishad even for separation of
sentences and phrases in it, and much more for the interpretation of the same.
Different writers have adopted widely different courses. Taking even the very
first verse, the punctuation varies. Having so many difficulties in the way of
his ambition, Das Ganu Maharaj went to Baba. Baba said, 'What difficulty is
there in this? You had better go, as usual, to Kaka Dixit's bungalow in Ville
Parle. And there that (cooly girl) Malkarni, will give you the meaning'. People
would laugh at a great pandit like Das Ganu getting interpretation of an
Upanishad from a cooly girl. But all the same Das Ganu went to Kaka's bungalow.
He slept there. When he woke up in the morning, he heard a girl (it must be the
Malkarni mentioned by Baba, he thought) singing songs in great joy. She was
praising some orange coloured silk sari, wondering at its fineness and the
beauty of its borders, and the floral embroidery on it. Then he just peeped to
see who the songster was. The songster had no sari. She wore a rag which was
not silk, nor orange coloured, had no borders and no embroidery. He pitied the
girl and got a friend to give her a sari—a small cheap sari. She wore it just
one day, and went about enjoying it. But the very following day, she cast it
aside, again wore her tatters and again began to sing joyously the song about
the orange coloured sari and its beauty. Then Das Ganu understood the
Upanishad. He found out that the girl's happiness lay not in the external sari
which she had 'thrown away' (tena tyaktena, which means, that being
thrown away) but in herself. And Isavasya Upanishad says the same thing. 'All
this world', says the first verse, 'is covered by the Maya of Iswara. So enjoy
bliss, not by having the externals, but by rejecting the externals (Tenatyaktena)'.
'Tena Tyaktena' might mean being content with what God gives you. The girl
was happy as she was contented. Thus Baba taught Isa Upanishad to Ganu through
a cooly girl. Baba's ways of teaching were and are peculiar and different in
the case of different individuals.
Das
Ganu has been helped in numerous other ways, but it is sufficient here to note
that Baba gave him the assurance that he would provide for his temporal welfare
(Yogakshema) so that he might bravely and calmly start his spiritual
career. And Baba kept his word, Baba always keeps his word. Baba thus provided
completely for the temporal welfare of a man without any employment and any
property. When he thought there was nothing for him to depend upon, Baba
provided everything, and Das Ganu had always been very well off temporally.
Even now he has got properties though he has transferred them to his adopted
son. As for the spiritual uplift, it is impossible to conceive of any greater
benefit than wrenching one away from the two great ropes that were dragging
Ganpat Rao downwards, namely, the lewd village dramas which Ganpat Rao was
playing in and the soul-destroying police work, the wickedness of which would
be heightened by the ambition to rise to Sub Inspectorship in double quick
time. The way in which Baba responded to prayers and saved him, time and again,
from dismissal of punishment would quite suffice to impress the mind of Ganpat
Rao with the fact that Baba is omnipotent, is everywhere, watching and
attending to his prayers, and is ever looking after him. Baba watched him at
every place to which he went and took the appropriate measure that was urgently
needed for his welfare. What else can be God except that which watches us
everywhere and further takes adequate steps to see that harm does not befall us
but real benefit is conferred on us? What is God except that which hears and
grants prayer?
Baba naturally
did his very best for this Das Ganu but, unfortunately, (as we see in the cases
of most devotees contacting Baba) there are obstacles due perhaps to poorva
karma which prevent one responding in the correct way to such high influence as
Baba's. Even after so much of proof of Baba's omnipotence, omnipresence,
omniscience, and miraculous help for Ganu's benefit, Ganu did not fully derive
the idea that Baba was God. So many others for whom Baba did even less were
full of the faith that Baba was God. No doubt Ganu sang of Baba that he was God
in fine terms set to music. But Ganu's conviction was superficial and not deep.
Das Ganu's faith being very poor and very weak in Baba's divinity, Baba desired
to impress on Ganu, His (Baba's) Godhead and to make him and his other
disciples realise him (Baba) properly. For that purpose, he exhibited
chamatkars, one of which is as follows.
On a certain
occasion, Das Ganu wanted to go for a bath to the Godavari river which in
ordinary parlance is termed 'Ganga' (the Ganges, the most sacred river). That
river is four or five miles away from Shirdi, and when Ganu asked for
permission to go to "Ganga", Baba answered, 'Why go there? Is not
Ganga here?' Ganu fell very much dissatisfied. Ganu was the author of the Arti
song which runs as follows and which was even being sung at Baba's puja.
Shirdi Maje Pandharipura Sai Baba
Ramaavara
This means 'My Pandharpur or place of
pilgrimage is Shirdi, and the God that sanctifies that place (Vittal) is Sai
Baba'; that is, Sai is Mahavishnu from whose feet Ganges is perennially
flowing. This song is sung by many and at least a few really think in their hearts
that Sai Baba is really Maha Vishnu. For, what is Mahavishnu? Maha Vishnu is
the protecting form of God. God has three functions, namely, creation,
protection, and final withdrawal, which also is a form of protection. The
protecting aspect of God is called Maha Vishnu. So Sai Baba, the person who has
protected Das Ganu and innumerable others, and who is doing it even today on a
vast scale from one end of the country to the other, is certainly exercising
the functions of Maha Vishnu[8].
All Divinity is one. Call it or Him by any name and carry on your worship
according to any religion and adopt any set of doctrines or metaphysical or
philosophical basis for your ideas and actions, the end reached is the same,
the one pure and perfect Bliss. When the goal is reached by the most advanced
souls of any country or sect, the experience is the same. But before the end is
reached, the modes adopted and the explanations given by sets differ so greatly
sometimes as to cause religious differences of a bitter sort — and quarrels,
battles or wars are waged on account of religious or sectarian zeal. The common
run of men look to externals alone and the inner kernel of all religion is
beyond their grasp. Sri Das Ganu on account of his poorva karma of former
births and even the karma of his present earlier life could not rise to this
view. Baba had to refine his nature and wash away the effects of birth,
breeding and past habits. There are many methods that are adopted for this
purpose. Pilgrimages, and visits to saints at those places (for many holy
persons visit such places) have their use.
Amongst the
important lessons to be derived from Baba's dealing with and teaching Das Ganu
is the following matter of the utmost importance in the daily life of thousands
of our readers. The state in which Das Ganu was in 1890 or 1892 when he
approached Baba was very grave, and in the view of ordinary persons absolutely
hopeless. No one would think that a man with a hoard of past karma and vicious
tendencies which had struck deep root could possibly be saved from them in one
life, more especially when his tastes had attracted him to a profession and to
activities which gave ample scope for such tendencies. Any other person would
have abandoned the task as hopeless, but Sai, like Chaitanya, i.e. Lord
Gauranga, did not despair of redeeming such a soul. There are several votaries
unfortunately singing the song—
Na madida karma
baiavanta vaagidare
Neemaaduvadu
Eno Hariye.
This means, 'O God, if the sins I have
committed are so powerful, what can you do?' This despair is properly met in
the Bhagavata:
NAMASMARANA
Naamno asti
yaavati scaktih paapa nirharane hareh
Taavat kartum
nascaknoti paatakam paataki janah
This means, "No sinner can commit so
many or so heinous sins as to make it impossible for God's name to redeem
him." It is folly and ignorance of a highly self-destructive sort on the
part of a sinner to limit the power of God to redeem him. Hence neither Sai nor
Chaitanya despaired of redeeming desperate characters. Just as Chaitanya drew
Madho and Jagai from the depths of an almost bottomless pit to the heights of
saintliness, so Baba has done in the case of Das Ganu.
The words used
in the first stanza ahove quoted show the power of God's name. It is just as
well to point out that practically God's name and God are not different. The
name has a power because it is God's name. If it is the name of the devil or
any other person, it would not have such power. But the name is so closely
intertwined with the object that even philosophers confound the two. There is a
school of nominalist philosophers who say that everything is only name and that
there is nothing beyond. Commonsense rebels against this view and most people
join the conceptualist or realist school saying that objects exist apart from
names and we have a conception of an object to which name is applied as a
handle. No doubt the cleverness of songsters and poets makes them attach undue
importance to the bare fact of the name as in the following stanza:—
Ninyaako ranga
ninhang yako
Nee naama bala
ondu iddare sako
This means, 'O, Ranga (or God), what is
the use of your prowess or anything else except your name? The power of your
name is sufficient'. The songster begins to instance the cases of Draupadi,
Gajendra, Ajamila, etc., to prove that the name was sufficient in all these
cases to save them and that God himself was not wanted for the purpose of
saving. This is obviously absurd in the case of Draupadi and Gajendra where God
himself took action or appeared and saved the devotees. Only in the case of
Ajamila, there is some degree of justification for the poetic flair, and
perhaps some basis for it in the Bhagavata stanza which runs as follows:—
Etavata alam
agha nirharanaya pumsam
sankritanam
bhagavato gunakarma namnam
Aakruscya
putram aghavan yat Ajamilo apt
Naarayana iti
Mriyamanaiyaya muktim.
This
means. To wipe off sins of men, it is enough if they go on with sankirtanam,
that is, good singing or recital of God's gunas, (qualities), karma
(deeds), and nama (names). (For example) Ajamila, though a great
sinner, by barely calling out the name of his child Narayana at the moment of
death obtained mukti. This seems a basis for saying that the bare utterance of
God's name, even though the utterance was only of the name of the child bearing
God's name, at the moment of death, would have the effect of saving a man. The
proposition thus stated seems too wide and too wild. In the case of Ajamila,
however, the man had been formerly a great bhakta leading a very pure life and
would have constantly used the term Narayana with very holy associations. Some
of those associations might have dawned upon his mind when he uttered that name
with reference to his child Narayana and therefore made Lord Narayana send his
angels to save Ajamila who was just about to be dragged away by the myrmidons
of Yama to Hell for punishment for his numerous sins. No doubt Vyasa adds a
general statement—
Sanketyam
parihasyam va sthobham helanam eva va
Vaikunta naama
grahanam ascesha agha haram viduh.
This means, '(Even) where God's name
happens to be used merely as a token or symbol agreed upon by people to
represent something worldly or is uttered in jest or by way of ridicule, still
the utterance of God's name removes every sin.' Using God's name in jest or
ridicule is known to many. People swear by God for purposes of emphasis without
thinking of holiness. All the same, if they have been listening to bhajans,
kirtans, sacred reading, etc., in which these names of God have been associated
with things holy, the effect of ridicule or jest may not completely wipe off
the holy associations of those names. As for Sanketyam, an instance may
be given. Amongst a South Indian community, the name Govinda or "Midasannam
Govindappa" (i.e. the narrow necked Govinda) is used to denote the
drink bottle. Even for that purpose, if the name is constantly used, the
utterance of Govinda's name will have some merit and may help in salvation.
Anyhow, apart from all the above and apart from the school of nominalism, the
value of God's name consists in the fact that people have very little knowledge
of what the substance of God is, and they have to handle God only through the
name. Therefore, as stated in Sainatha Manana, 62 'Abhinnatvar Naama
Naaminoh i.e. there is no difference between name and the possessor of the
name (in effect.) This may remind us of modern philosophies which doubt whether
in every object there is any "substance" behind attributes, or
appearances and whether the attributes or appearances are anything more than
mere names or ideas.
Coming
back to the question of the use of God's name for eradicating sins from one's
nature, we find that Valmiki and other authors of great works on ethics,
ancient and modern, stress the importance of the constant recall to the mind of
God and his qualities, especially through japa, japa being so holy as to make
the mind get drowned in God so as to justify the remark of Lord Krishna— Yajnaanaam
Japa Yajno Asmi, that is, "Of all yajnas, I am the yajna consisting of
Japa". Japa is the sankirtanam above referred to. When the name is
uttered, the guna and karma above referred to follow immediately into the mind
of the japa karta by the law of association of ideas. That is why people are
content to begin with a repetition of the holy names even when not attended
with perfect realisation of the holiness of the name as in the case of the
hunter who repeated "Mara, Mara" and became the Rishi Valmiki.
Many a man goes on repeating like a parrot the names he finds either in a book
or uttered by some other persons. But gradually as the repetition goes on, the
sacred influence pours in especially if he has the good fortune of having the
company of the other person or persons who are inspired by that holy influence
and if the surroundings as in a temple or bhajan hall are specially favourable.
That is why Baba asked Das Ganu to take up Vishnu Sahasranama and retreat from
the crowds of the Dwarakamayee and go to a sequestered temple like the Vittal
temple in the village and go on there with his frequent recitals or repetitions
of Sahasranama. Baba's advice in this matter was not confined to Das Ganu. He
gave similar advice to Shama and in fact took away a Ramadasis's Sahasranama
and handed it over to him so that he may have the advantage of the Sahasranama
japa, though poor Shama did not know how to read Sanskrit, the conjunct
consonants of which defy the poor skill of villagers like Shama to read or make
them out. The Vishnu Sahasranama is so vast and the import of the thousands of
Names ,is so great that any one who goes through them carefully with the help
of Sankara or other Bhashya thereon must be struck by the fact that powerful
material imbedded in Vishnu Sahasranamam must suffice for the purification of
any soul. The experience of thousands justifies them in the belief that what is
claimed in the Vishnu Sahasranama stotra itself is right. That stotra says at
the end that a person making a parayana thereof will obtain issue if he is
issueless, wealth if he has no wealth, power, fame, glory and success if he is
without these and, it adds that sins of ages would be washed off. In order to
give the benefit of the Sahasranama to those who have unfortunately not the
time nor the opportunity to repeat, the bare repetition of one name contained
therein, namely, the name 'Ram' would be equivalent to the merit of repeating
all the thousand names.
Sri Raama Raama
Raameti
Rame Raame
Manorame
Sahasranaama
tattulyam
Raamanaama
Varaanane.
That is, 'One who repeats only the name
of Rama will obtain the merit of repeating the Sahasranama itself.' We must
note also that Sankaracharya gives the advice.
Gey am Geeta
Naama Sahasram
Dhyeyam Srtpati
Rupam Ajasram.
This means, 'What you have to recite is
(1) the Gita and (2) the Vishnu Sahasranama, and what you have to think of in
your mind all the time is the form of the Lord'. That is, the repetition of
Sahasranama or Rama nama is best, if it is accompanied by a mental
figure of the Lord, as no doubt the mental figure of the Lord helps in removing
all sin and raising one to the heights of spirituality or Godhead. That may
explain why Baba advised so many of his bhaktas to repeat Sahasranama or Rama nama.
For example he gave the advice to Mrs. G. S. Khaparde, who was massaging
him and whom he massaged in turn, "Say, 'Rajaram, Rajaram,' constantly;
that would remove all troubles and take you to the Lord." Baba also told
N.R. Sahasrabuddhe that he was to repeat Ram Nam into which he had already been
initiated. Also he told M. W. Pradhan. that he must repeat the 13 lettered
mantra into which he had already been initiated, namely, 'Sri Rama Jaya Rama,
Jaya Jaya Rama'.
Baba was not content with merely giving advice. He preached only what he himself practised, and he told H.S. Dixit (Gospel 195) that he had been going on with Hari Nama Japa constantly as a result of which Hari (God) appeared before him, and that thereafter his giving of medicines was needless, for his bare giving of udhi with remembrance of Hari would suffice to cure all ills. He also said (Gospel 198) that he had heart disease (literal or metaphorical) and that he kept Vishnu Sahasranama close to the heart and that Hari descended from the Sahasranama and cured the trouble.
But whatever
Baba did, Das Ganu stuck mostly to his old set of ideas which formed the
foundation for his spiritual progress. He could not get rid of the idea that
the great thing for him to do was to get to Pandharpur, the Bhooloka Vaikuntam
as it is called, in Asvin and Kartik months and see the holy image of Vittal
there and worship it. That Vittal was God. It alone was God. And if he was to
get vision of God it must be by that form appearing before him in a vision.
Das Ganu was
told by Baba to go through Bhagavata reading in 7 days (this is called Saptaha)
and he then told Baba that he would go on with Saptaha and Baba must
see to it that he (Das Ganu) got sakshatkar as the result. 'If there is intense
(Bhav) concentration, then Sakshatkar can be had' was what Baba gave as
answer. Ganu went through Saptaha. But there was no sakshatkara for the obvious
reason that Ganu's mind could not attain the needed intensity of concentration.
When
he was in this mentality, NGC, his former master (for this was in 1912 or so
when Ganu had retired from service) was asking him to stay on for Asvin at
Shirdi and do his kathas there. At once Das Ganu thought that Baba was
compelling him through N G C to keep off from Vittal at Pandharpur. His thought
then was "How is he (Baba) God, who keeps me away from God (Vittal) at
Pandharpur?" Baba noting his thought told Nana Chandorkar to send him away
to Pandharpur, and so he went and returned later on to Shirdi. Then he came to
Baba and said, 'When will you give me Sakshatkar?' (Paragraph 129 of B.C. &
S.). Baba said, 'You see Me. This is Sakshatkar. I am God'. Then Das Ganu said,
'I expected you would say so. But I am not satisfied with it'. Das Ganu
considered that Vittal of Pandharpur alone was God, and not the Sai form that
he saw at Shirdi. He concluded that it was not in his destiny to have
Sakshatkara of Vittal. But to understand Baba's answer, we might refer to a
parallel passage in St. John's Gospel, Chapter XIV, verses 8 to 14. There,
Phillip, the follower of Jesus said, 'Lord, show us the Father. And it suffices
us". Jesus says to him, "Have I been so long a time with you, and yet
hast thou not known me? The Father that dwelleth in Me. He doeth the works
(i.e. miracles or chamatkars). Believe me that I am in the Father and He is
in Me, or else believe me for the very works' sake. If Ye shall ask anything in
my name, I will do it. I am in my Father and you in Me and I in you.[9]
This peculiar
lack of faith of Das Ganu was not noticed by himself till after Baba left the
body. In 1919. that is, a year after Baba shed his mortal coil, Das Ganu was at
his usual place, Handed, where there was a saint, with wonderful spirituality,
on a rock. When others went to see that saint, he received them. But whenever
Das Ganu tried to see him, he evaded him. But on one occasion in 1919, when his
wife died, he sent some food to that saint and saw him later. Das Ganu wanted
to know why the saint was evading him. Then the saint answered, 'You call
yourself a Kirtankar. Why then have you "Ahamkar" (Egotism)?' Das
Ganu pleaded that every one had Ahamkar, and that it was impossible to avoid
it. Then that saint said, 'Shall I tell you what sort of Ahamkar you have? Is
not Sai Baba your Guru? And shall I say what you have done with him?' Das Ganu
said, 'Yes'. The saint asked, 'Did not Baba produce water from his feel, and
what did you do with it? You sprinkled it on your head, but would not put it
into your mouth, because you are a Brahmin and the Ganga was coming from the
feet of the mosque dwelling Baba. Is it not Ahamkara of yours?' Das Ganu felt
the force of the saint's observations. Das Ganu's inability to think of Baba as
pure Vittal or God is an instance where a person gets very great benefits from
Baba but something or other hinders his deriving the fullest benefit as
prejudices die hard and old habits cannot be easily erased.
We shall give a
few examples of how Baba helped Das Ganu temporally and spiritually. Once when
Das Ganu and Bere, an agricultural inspector, were to leave Shirdi for
Kopergaon to catch a train for which there was plenty of time, they went to
take Baba's leave. Baba in giving the leave, said "Start at once, don't
stop but go straight to Kopergaon." They acted on his advice. Other
tongawallahas told them to wait and go with them on that dangerous road to have
the benefit of their company. They however followed Baba's advice and drove
straight on and arrived safe at the Kopergaon station. The other tongawallahs
who came up later were in time to catch the train but they were waylaid by
highway robbers. Baba's advice had saved Bere and Ganu from that mishap.
Baba similarly
tried to save Das Ganu from being attacked by the inner enemies (Kama,
Krodha) also. Baba set before him the ideal of being totally free from
those six enemies. That, however, was no joke. Like so many other devotees,
this apostle also had his slips. But Baba very kindly pulled him up and
corrected him off and on. For instance, on one occasion there was a feast at
Shirdi where sira was prepared and distributed. Baba asked Ganu, "Did you
get sira at that person's house?" "No, Baba" said Ganu,
"that man is my enemy and did not invite me." Baba, at once rebuked
him and said, " What is this sira and who eats it? Do not say of anyone
that he is your enemy". Baba wanted to point out to him that he is the
soul which neither eats nor has any other physical function and that all souls
are in essence one and the same, viz., Paramatma. To one who has realised
himself as Paramatma, there can be no enemy at all.
Compare Shri Sankara's saying in Charpata
Panjarika stotra.
Sarvasmin api
pascya aafmaanam
Sarvatra
utsrija bheda ajnaanam
Tvayi mayi cha
anyatra eko Vishnuh
Vyartham
kupyasi sarva sahishnuh
which means, "The one Vishnu (God) is in you, in me and others; all he endures. Your anger is senseless. See the (same) Atman in every one. Differentiation (or discrimination) is ignorance. Avoid it everywhere." Sai Baba has stressed the same truth of identity of all souls not merely on Das Ganu but also on R. B. Purandhare, Narayan Ashram, etc. It goes without saying that Das Ganu could not possibly rise to the desired height of realizations of unity of all souls, or the perception of God in all or any creatures.
The truths taught by Baba are so peculiar to
each and applicable and intelligible
only in special circumstances. Hence, we must content ourselves with only one
more illustration and stop. Das Ganu Maharaj was a very severe critic and
occasionally uttered words that wounded the hearts of others and produced other
evil effects. On one occasion, he had used hard words and defamatory language
against a devotee living at Shirdi, who had done splendid work to make Sai
Samsthan highly attractive and who drew numerous influential and other people
to Baba's feet. When Das Ganu vented one of his frequent abuses against that
devotee, Baba sent for him and pointed out that the work of attracting devotees
to Baba's feet was rightly prized and practised by Das Ganu himself on a vast
scale and yet he was defaming a person who carried on the same work and he
thereby hindered that work. Baba thus made him acknowledge his error and
insisted on his prostrating himself before that devotee and begging pardon. So
Das Ganu adopted that advice and prostrated himself before that devotee and
prayed for pardon. He thus gained more self-control and more humility, and also
noted with appreciation the value of the lesson taught in Bhagavata llth
Skanda.
Na stuvita na
nindeta kurvatah saadhu asaadhu vaa
Vadato guna
doshaabbyam varjitah samadrik munih"
which means, 'the sage must have equal
vision and should neither eulogise the doers or utterers of good nor decry the
doers or utterers of evil.'
Before closing
this chapter, it is our duty to draw prominent attention to the chief merits
and excellences of Das Ganu Maharaj. He is well known not merely as a performer
of Kirtanas (Harikathas) with great ability for about fifty years, but also as
a composer and writer of saintly lives. Even before 1903, his literary skill
made him produce fine verses on Sivaji, the national hero, for use at the
Ganapati utsava in Maharashtra. As verses on Sivaji rouse up patriotism and the
National spirit, which the foreign rulers then in power dreaded, he was called
on by his Inspector to explain how he, a Government servant, took this
prominent part in helping on a national movement. His answer was that he was an
"Asukavr, that verses in Lavani metre flowed out of him at the
barest request of anybody and that the request of some one made him sing
impromptu the song or verses on Sivaji. As a proof he offered to compose
impromptu verses on the officer himself at once. The officer wished to test the
truth of the statement and asked him for verses on himself (the officer).
Ganu's Asukavitva or poetic genius was equal to the occasion. At once,
he sang up the high qualities (real or fancied) of the officer, in lavani metre
and in a few minutes there were numerous verses on the excellences of the
officer who was greatly pleased and dropped the charge against Ganu then known
merely by his police No (e.g. 808). Ganu could say with Alexander Pope that he
"lisped in numbers for the numbers came." We need not draw the
inference that his works were without depth of thought or other poetic
attractions. By steady practice, he acquired considerable mastery of Mahrathi,
his mother tongue. Some of his works were prescribed as text books once by the
Bombay University. All his works are on noble topics. Mostly it is biography of
the saints that he wrote. His command of Ovi, Dindi and other metres was
excellent. An abundant use of alliteration and other figures of speech adorned
his sonorous writings. Kirtankars who wished and wish to deliver kathas on
famous saints could and can easily pick up one of his innumerable stories and
please their audiences with parrot-like repetition of it. Even now, any one
anxious to spend his time over saintly biography cannot do better than going
through the following works (which have earned for him the title, the modern
Mahipati, as Mahipati was the famous composer of the works dealing with ancient
or medieval saints, in his works Santalilamrita etc.)
(1) Santakathamrita
(2) Arvachina Bhaktalilamrita
(3) Bhakta Saramrita
He began these works almost from 1903 when he quit service. And in these he incorporated the seven chapters (or kathas) which embodied Sai Baba's lilas or life and teachings. He is responsible for the discovery and publication of Sai Baba's early life and tutelage at Selu under Venkusa, which he found to be another name for Gopal Rao Deshmukh, ruler of Selu in Jintur Parganna. Baba had said that he had been delivered by his fakir foster mother to the Selu ruler, who became his master, Guru and all-in-all. Freed from service shackles, Ganu started his research, ran upto Selu and discovered from Srinivas Rao, the Subedar of Selu in 1903, the ballads and family papers referring to his grandfather's grandfather, viz Gopal Rao Desmukh, the wonders his Bhakti performed, the conquests his military prowess achieved and the Moslem woman's child that became his devoted attendant and disciple to whom he, Gopal Rao (Venkatesa), gave initiation and the fact that at his (Gopal Rao's) grand passing away or Ascension (similar to Parikshit's passing away), the remains had to be interred and that they were interred in the garba gruha of Venkatesa temple that was erected thereon (as Gopal Rao was identified with Venkatesa or "Venkusa") and that it still stands and attracts the devotees of the surrounding places.
As this early
history is very highly prized by Sai devotees and is essential for a proper
understanding of Baba, their obligation to Das Ganu Maharaj is very deep. The
earliest books on Sai Baba were the three chapters that Ganu produced and
published in 1906 with the aid of funds contributed by H. V. Sathe.
Even during
Baba's life in the flesh, Ganu was the person to deliver the annual harikathas
(from 1914) at Shirdi at Baba's urus, the Ramanavami Utsava; and he has been
keeping up the tradition of conducting that utsava for the last forty years.
Das Ganu
Maharaja's frequent kirtans throughout Mahrashtra have raised him in the
estimation of all whether they are devoted to Sai Baba or not. His eminence may
be seen from the fact that he was the President of the All India Sai Devotees'
Conference held at Coimbatore in 1948.
He is the one
surviving link with the nineteenth century amongst Baba's followers. He is
ranked first among Baba's apostles, if we go by the number of devotees drawn to
Baba. So many thousands learnt of Baba from him and have subsequently visited
Baba or Shirdi and made Baba their own life long possession. Such a towering
personality he is, despite his shortcomings. He had no English education, no
contact with western culture and has no idea of the present day advance of
modern civilization.
This eminent
person however had his faults and foibles. Which human being is there free from
these? Some have been noted in this sketch. Some others exposed him to attack
from others. Even the Sansthan authorities had occasion to find fault with him.
But after all is said and done. Das Ganu is a great soul, the living monument
of Baba's might and kindness.
The chief
lesson devotees learn from a .study of his life is that Baba, the wondrous
God-realiser can, turn the most hopeless material into saintly grandeur. What
was Ganu's condition as a Rs 11 constable in 1890 or 1892 and what is his state
now? This spiritual alchemist that turns baser nature into the gold of
saintliness, that could turn a petty minded lewd constable into the moulder of
spiritual destinies of tens of thousands, this Sai Baba,— what can he not
accomplish for each of us? "Kshipram Bhavati Dharmatma, Scascvat
Scantim nigachchati" i.e. "Quickly he becomes virtuous and
attains permanent peace" is what Sri Krishna promised in the Gita for even
sinners that approached Him. That he, as Sri Sai Baba, has performed and proved
true in many a case, including the case of Das Ganu Maharaj.
Apart from the
thousands of pages that Das Ganu's big works cover, there are several minor
pieces by which he will ever be remembered. The Shirdi Arti includes several of
these bits, which have sunk deep into the hearts of devotees and which will
continue as long as the Shirdi Shrine and Artis last. For instance:
Shirdi Maajhe
Pandharipura Sai Baba Ramaa Vara,
Suddha Bhakti
Chandra Bhaaga Bhaava Pundalika jaga,
Yaho yaho
avaghe Jana Kara Babasi Vandana,
Ganu Mhane Baba
Sayee Dhamva Pava Majhe Ayi
which means "Shirdi is my Pandharpur (the most holy shrine for Vaisnavites) and God worshipped there is Sai Baba (i.e. Sai is Vittal or Narayana). The holy river called Chandrabhaga found at Pandharpur is represented at Shirdi by pure devotion, and in that river the holiest spot, viz. Pundalika Temple is represented at Shirdi, by intense concentration. All you people, come up, come up and do reverence to Sai Baba. Ganu says. Oh Sai Baba Mother mine, run up and catching me in your arms, caress me." This intense appeal has caught the fancy of lakhs of people and this song is sung at Pooja and Bhajan all over India.
Two brilliant
prayers of Garni in Hindi are also embodied in the Shirdi Arti and are very
popular.
Pada (41)
Sai
rahama najara karanaa,
bachchomka paalana karana
(Burden)
Jaanaa thumane jagat pasaara sabahi jhuta
jamaana
(Sai)
/
My andhaa hoom bandaa aapaka, mujhako
prabhu dikhalaana (Sai)
2
Daasa garni kahe aba kyaa bolum, thaka gayee
merirasana (Sai) 3
which means
O Sai show your mercy, protect this
little baby (Burden)
1.
The expansive Universe, you know is a mass of deception
(Burden)
2. I your slave am blind. Reveal the Lord
to me (Burden)
3. Says Ganu, How can I say aught more?
Exhausted is my tongue. (Burden)
Pada
(12)
Rahama najara karo aba more Sai, thuma bina
Nahi mujhe maabaapabhayi (Burden)
My andhaahoom bandhaa thumaara
Mynaajanoo Alla-ilahi I
Khalii jamaanaa myne gamaaya
Sathi aakharakaa, kiya na koyi
(Burden) 2
Apane masidakaa jhaadoo ganoo hai
malils hamaare, thuma Baaba Saayi
(Burden) 3
which means,
Show unto me, Now thy mercy
For excepting thee I have nobody.
No father, mother, brother (Burden)
1. Your
slave am I, Sightless is my eye
I do not now
descry, Aught of the Deity (Burden)
2.
Down have I fallen to the
earth.
For my last
moment, no friend I made (Burden)
3. Ganu
is (but) the broomstick of your mosque.
You are our
Lord and Master O Sai Baba (Burden)
The above named pieces which have already
attracted Sai devotees have been included in the Nandaneep Picture Shirdiche
Sri Sai Baba, the new Sai film exhibited at the Majestic Theatre at Bombay.
These will serve to attract thousands of others to Sai Bhakti and Das Ganu will
be endeared to the heart of new devotees as he is to the old; both will
pray:—May Hari Bhakta Parayana Das Ganu Maharaj be spared to us for a long time
to carry on his Sai service and service to Mankind.
P. S :—The original verses giving the
phalasruti of Vishnu sahasranama have not been quoted above because they are
too long and also because editions differ in the wording and numbering of the
verses. But in this note we might as well give some of them as they might
strike some readers as worthy of their attention. They are numbered 130, 142,
and 152 in one of the editions.
130 Vasudevascrayo Martyo Vasudevaparayanah
Sarvapapa Viscuddhatma Yaati Brahma
sanaatanam
i.e. One who makes Vasudeva (i. e. Maha
Vishnu) his goal and refuge is purified of all sins and reaches the Eternal
Brahman.
142 Namnaam
sahasram yo adhite Dwadasvam Mama sannidhow
Sa nirdahati
paapaani Kalpakoti scatani cha
i.e. He who repeats this sahasranama in
my presence, on a Dwadasi day will have his sins (i.e. sinful Karma) burnt out—
even sins numbering trillions. (The mention of the special excellence of the
Dwadasi day does not affect the merit of the repetition on other days).
And
152 Aarta
Vishanna scithilascha bheetah
ghoresha
cha Vyadhishu vartamanah
Sankeertya
Naarayana scabda maatram;
Vimukta dhukha
sukhino bhavantu
which means: —
Those in trouble, dejected, shattered,
the terror stricken, and those suffering from loathsome diseases, let them
repeatedly utter the name Narayana, be freed from grief and become happy.
H.S. Dixit
The next person
of whom an account should be given in Sai history is H.S. Dixit (Hari Sitaram
Dixit), a well known solicitor of Bombay. The reasons for giving him prominent
mention so early in Baba's history is that he was very largely responsible for
the establishment and progress of Shirdi Sai Sansthan, the affairs of which
were managed by him as Hony. Secretary very ably and enthusiastically up to the
time of his death, i.e., 5-7-1926. He was also responsible for drawing large
numbers to Shirdi and filling them with admiration and enthusiasm for Sai Baba.
The 'Sai Lila Masik', the Mahratti monthly organ of the Sai Sansthan, which had
the same result, was mainly his work, up to July 1926, most of his experiences
and those of his friends (numbering 151 and more) swelling the first four
volumes of that journal, and still giving excellent guidance to devotees.
H. S. Dixit was born in 1864 of high caste Nagari Brahmin parents enjoying a high position and affluence at Khandwa. His scholastic career was bright as he secured a first class in Matric and good marks in F.A., B.A, and LL.B. He very soon settled himself as a leading solicitor at Bombay, and his name frequently appeared in the Law Reports and in the press as distinguishing himself as an able advocate in sensational cases, e.g. Bhavnagar Exposures, Sedition trials against Poona Vaibhava, Lok B.C. Tilak and Globe and Times of India, etc. He attained great fame and wide popularity and commanded high esteem both with the people and the Government. He had numerous public activities, political, social, municipal, etc., by means of which he was rendering good and valuable service to the public. In politics, he was in the Indian National Congress, and he was the redoubtable follower of Sir Pherozesha Mehta. He was an elected member of the Bombay Legislative Council from 1901 till he gave it up to devote himself to spiritual progress under Sai Baba. He was also an elected fellow of the Bombay University, a Notary public, and Justice of the Peace. He achieved great fame by his bold speeches (e.g. by being the sole protestor against Valedictory address to H. E. Lord Sandhurst who prosecuted Tilak) and action in the Councils. He helped bodies by serving on Committees with his keen intellect and strenuous observation and study. He was Secretary of the Indian National Congress of 1904 at Bombay wherein D. Nowrojee stated its goal to be attainment of Swarajya. He rapidly rose by his influence and ability to greater and greater positions of honour and, had he continued in that line, he would surely have achieved a Knighthood, membership of the Executive Council and appointment as Commissioner of some Province with ample emoluments and gunfire salutes. But his destiny and rinanubandha drew him to other lines, and the turning point was what looked like a mischance. He was in the Bombay Corporation also as a Councillor; and he frequently served on other public bodies. He was a patriotic and self-sacrificing man, and for the sake of principle and public good, he readily resigned his position in the Corporation, and worked hard for national welfare. About 1906 he went to England. There he had some accident in which his leg was injured. In spite of repeated efforts, the injury could not be cured. The limping impeded free movement, as there was pain if he walked a few furlongs. Not only did it make him look awkward, but also it made him less fit for his numerous activities, personal, domestic, political, legal and public, and thus had the double effect of giving him an inferiority complex and a disgust for these aspects of life, thus preparing him for the nobler and holier life. About 1909, Nana Saheb Chandorkar advised him to go and see Sai Baba, the wonderful personality at Shirdi, who might cure his lameness, the same year he went to Ahamadnagar in connection with some Council election business to the house of Sardar Kaka Saheb Mirikar, who was a Sai bhakta, and who had with him a huge picture of Sai Baba. Dixit saw the picture and his reverence was heightened.
Learning of
Dixit's desire to go to Baba, he (Sardar) sent for Madhava Rao Deshpande
otherwise known as Shama, Baba's constant attendant, who had gone to
Ahamadnagar, and asked him to take Dixit to Baba. Accordingly, Shama took him
to Baba in 1909. This very first experience which Dixit had in connection with
Baba strengthened his attachment to and admiration for Baba, especially because
he had from infancy a great desire to be with sadhus and saints. He repeated
his visits to Shirdi frequently, and in 1910 resolved to have a building of his
own there. So the foundation stone was laid for a wada there in December 1910,
popularly known afterwards as Kakawada or Dixit wada. The work was pushed through
and completed in five months (i.e.) in April 1911. From the very beginning Kaka
wanted only a small room for himself upstairs for Ekanta Dhyana (solitude and
meditation). The rest of the building was used by pilgrims i.e., the public.
Baba's kindness
towards him was manifested from the very beginning, and Baba expressed this to
others also. He told Anna Saheb Dabolkar 'Kaka Saheb is a good man. Be guided
by what he says'. He told R.B. Purandhare to be with Kaka Saheb and assist him.
The greatest interest in a saint for any serious minded person is, and ought to
be, spiritual interest. So, though originally Dixit's idea was to go to Baba
for the cure of his lameness, he soon gave up that idea and said 'Lameness of
the body does not matter much’, and wanted Sai to cure the lameness
of his soul. Sai made distinct promises to Dixit, whom he always called 'Kaka',
meaning uncle. As many persons called him 'Kaka', Sai Baba also called him
'Kaka'. One of the early notable statements of Baba was "I will take my
'Kaka' in a vimana" (B.C.S.,100) meaning thereby that he would give Kaka a
happy end— Anaayaasa Marana and Sadgati. Baba did give him both
as will appear from what follows.
Dixit in
1909 was a leading solicitor with a highly lucrative practice and had made his
name in notable trials. He had abundance of social contact and great influence
in social and political matters. In 1909 he was only 45 years old, and he had a
very good prospect of amassing much wealth and achieving many honours in social
and political matters also. Perhaps due to early contact with saints, such as
Datta Maharaja, his mind, however, was drawn away from worldly attractions, and
the meeting with such a wonderful personality as Baba gave a powerful impetus.
On account of rinanubandha Baba drew him (see B.C.S. 502). Almost from the
beginning of his contact with Baba he resolved to have Satsanga with Baba, and
to embark on a spiritual career under Sai's guidance, whatever may be its
consequence on his worldly affairs. Though his income was ample, his generosity
and liberality left very little fluid resources remaining with him and, barring
his three bungalows at Bombay, Ville Parle, and Lonavla, which did not yield
any income, he had no other property. Yet Sai's attraction being strong, his visits
to Shirdi were more and more frequent and his attention to practice was greatly
diminished. One consequence of this diminution was that his partners in the
solicitor business, viz., Rao Bahadur S. Narayandas and Dhanji Shah, broke up
their partnership with him, and he had to form a new firm with a newly enrolled
advocate Purushotham Rai Markhad for his partner. That gentleman also, on
account of Dixit's frequent absence and lack of interest, withdrew from his
partnership. Other partners also, Maneklal, etc., very soon left him alone or
rather he left them very soon, and his income from law became very little. From
1911 onwards, his practice may be said to have been nil, though Baba asked him
to go to Bombay to practise. He obeyed Baba and went to Bombay, but returned
soon as his heart was at Shirdi and not at Bombay. All his friends,
acquaintances, and admirers were astonished when he closed his lucrative
practice in 1912, and several people were saying that 'A Fakir called Sai Baba
had cast a fascination on him that pushed him to Shirdi and made him crazy'.
Sai Baba distinctly undertook the full
care of Dixit and his family to enable him to carry out his spiritual work.
Baba's express words to Kaka were 'Kakatula Kalji Kazli Mala sara Kalji
Ahe'. That is, 'Kaka, why should you have any anxiety or care? All care and
responsibilities are mine'. (B C.S. 29). On the first occasion when he said
this, Baba gave him indisputable proof that the undertaking, though vast and
unlimited by time and circumstances, was real. No ordinary man with human
powers will or can give such an undertaking. But it was Baba, possessed of
divine powers, that gave it. When at Shirdi Baba gave this undertaking, Kaka's
daughter, aged about eight, was in his bungalow at Ville Parle, and was playing
close to a huge almirah with a large number of big dolls in it. She climbed up
the almirah, and the same (with all the dolls) fell upon her, but strangely
enough, no dolls fell upon her; and no damage was done to her by the fall
except the breaking of her bangles and the consequent scratch. Kaka learnt of
this incident only later, and understood what divine power and kindness were in
Sai (his Gurudeva) when he gave the undertaking, which he fulfilled thus
at once at Ville Parle.
Dixit could
never forget that Sai's powers and nature were divine, and that all
responsibility for him and his family rested on Baba's divine shoulders, and
that there was no need to apprehend any harm. His heart was free from anxiety,
fear or worry though lucrative practice, with high social and political
position and prospects, was lost by his clinging to Sai at Shirdi ignoring his
worldly affairs. Ordinarily the change from affluence to lack of funds would be
painful. But in the case of Kaka Saheb, his habits were very simple. He reduced
his needs to the minimum, and avoided every sort of luxury or unnecessary
expenditure. The loss of income or wealth would be considered a great evil by
others; but he, as the "Ankita" or earmarked child of Baba (who
undertook all responsibilities), and as a student of the spiritual life and a
special student of Bhagavata, remembered what Lord Krishna says in Skanda 10,
Adhyaya 27. Tarn Bhramscayaami sampatbhyo yasya cha ichchaami anugraham i.e.
'I deprive him of all wealth, whom I wish to bless'. His keeping away from
courts, society, and public work might make life dull and insipid to him but he
realised that he was being trained by the Sadguru for something higher, i.e.,
Sadgati, by shedding the popular confusion of wealth with welfare and of
enjoyments with happiness.
For a person steeped in worldliness and spending 95 per cent of his time in worldly company, all chances of spiritual progress depend upon sequestration and solitude and entire absorption in holy company amidst holy surroundings. Therefore it is that our sacred books prescribe that after Grihasthasrama has been enjoyed to a certain extent, we should retire and live in the forest, i.e.. in Vanaprastha Asrama (SB XI(18) 1-11). Kaka Saheb had already 25 years of practice and worldly Grihasthasrama and was ripe therefore for Vanaprasthasrama. In his case, however, he had no necessity to go to a reserved forest. His life at Shirdi from 1912 onwards (i.e. from his fortyeighth year) may be considered to be his Vanaprasthasrama. To make that effective, i.e., to give him Vanaprastha Asrama. Baba told him. 'Kaka, remain in your wada upstairs. Do not go here or there. Do not come here (even to the Dwarakamayi)' which was crowded and distracting. Kaka obeyed this injunction strictly. Then he found his absence at the darsan of Baba for 2 O' Clock Arti very painful. Through Shama he prayed and obtained permission to attend it and the Arti at Chavadi. Thus Baba kept him for nine months in solitude. This is strict Vanaprastha or Vanavasa. Alarmed by the change, his wife at Ville Parle tried to give him her company and came to Shirdi. At Kaka wada, ladies should not go upstairs; that was the rule. When Shama broached the question to Baba whether during his wife's stay downstairs, Kaka should go down for sleep or sleep upstairs only, Baba emphatically said that Kaka must sleep upstairs. Thus Kaka's Brahmacharya and rigorous tapas were maintained, and his wife returned quickly to Ville Parle. One the occasion of her departure, Sai Baba repeated his assurance that he was entirely responsible for Kaka Dixit. He told her 'Have no fears at all about Kaka, / will took after him myself.
The regular study by Kaka (prescribed by Baba) when he was upstairs was an excellent purificatory preparation for self-realisation and God-realisation through bhakti and jnana. Kaka had gone through Harivarada, i.e., a Maharatti commentary on the 10th Skanda of Bhagavata. Then Kaka went to Baba and asked him, 'This is finished. Should I read this again or read any other pothi?' Baba said, 'Go on with the parayana of Eknath Brindavan pothi'. Amongst the numerous works of Eknath, none is named 'Brindavan Pothi'. So Kaka Saheb took Eknath's Bhagavata, llth Skanda, and asked Baba whether that was Brindavan Pothi. Baba said 'Yes'. Kaka did not understand, and others also did not understand why Baba called Eknath Bhagavata 'Brindavan Pothi'. But when Kaka came to the end of the book, he found the last stanza of the last, i.e., 31st, Chapter in which the author Eknath says.
Haa Ekaadasca navhe Jann
Eka tisaam Khanache Brindavama
Etha nitya base Sri Krishna
Swananda puma nijasatla
which means—'know this (book) is not
Eleventh. It is the 31st storeyed Brindavan. Here Sri Krishna always
resides, in his own essence, full of his own bliss'. Kaka and all wondered how thoroughly familiar Sai Baba
was with Eknath Bhagavata by seeing that he referred to what was stated in its
last stanza (in the 31st Chapter). When Dixit's daughter Vatsali died, that day
a copy of Bhavartha Ramayan came to Dixit by post. He gave it into Baba's
hands. Baba holding it up side down dipped his hand in it and took up the
passage where Rama condoles Tara after Vali was slain and asked Dixit to read
it. What is there that Baba did not know? When Bhagavata was over, Kaka Saheb
asked Baba, if he should study Bhagavad Gita with commentaries. Baba ordered
him to go on with concentrated study of only two works, Bhagavata and Bhavartha
Ramayana. He had not merely to study but also do Mananam (meditation)
and observe Acharanam (to have his conduct based on the scriptures).
After the nine months were over, Baba stopped his severe practice of seclusion,
and Dixit was permitted to go and visit Bombay also.
Dixit's vairagya developed steadily along with his love of the Guru. His Guru both by example and precept showed him the absurdity of the worldly man's desire for much wealth and how little was necessary even to an ordinary sadhaka. Especially after Baba had assumed all his responsibilities, he noted how needless it was for him to spend attention and time or energy as before to acquire or preserve wealth. Two instances may be cited as typical of this teaching of Baba. In the early years of Kaka Saheb's contact with Baba, he earned large fees. On one occasion when he came to Shirdi, he came along with a trunkful of rupees (may be Rs. 1000), which he earned in a Native State. He came to Baba, placed the trunk before him, showed him the rupees, and said, 'Baba, all this is yours'. Baba at once said, 'Is that so?' and plunged both his hands in the box full of rupees and gave away heaps of rupees to the people that crowded round him like bees for honey. In a few moments, the trunk became empty. This incident is narrated by Garde, a Sub Judge friend of H. S. Dixit, who was watching all the time the face of Dixit to study the reaction on his face to the rapid scattering of his hard earned money by Baba. Though any other person in his position would have felt the loss of money very bitter. Kaka Saheb was unmoved. That showed how he had hardened in his vairagya at the feet of Baba. He learnt again that the silver so highly valued by the world was but mud to the Sadguru, who was a "Sama loshta asma Kaanchanah" i.e. one to whom a clod, a stone and gold were equally indifferent. B.C. (6) 8, (14) 24
On another
occasion, when Dixit got a cow, Baba said, 'This cow was formerly a Jalna
man's, before that an Aurangabad man's, before that, Mahlsapathy's; God knows
whose property it is'. Baba's statement was an exposition of the Isavasya Upanishad,
which says,
havasyam lda(g)m sarvam Yatkincha
Jagalyaam jagat
Tena tyaktena bhunjithah Ma gridah, Kasya
Sviri dhanam
which means, 'Whatever thing is in the
world is covered by God. Renounce that and be happy, Covet not. Whose is
property? or covet not any one's wealth, yours or others. Property is always
changing hands and changing shapes. It is not perpetual. So it must be kept
away (from the soul) to attain happiness.' Thus we have to regard all property
as coming and going "Agamaapayinah" B G(2) 14 and should avoid
getting attached to it. Baba's undertaking responsibilities for Dixit and
family was so wide that Dixit felt himself always under Baba's care and had no
need to fear. Baba's words to Khaparde, Dixit, and others were, 'Why fear when
I am here?' Baba gave ample proof to Dixit of his thorough knowledge of all
events, past, present and future, taking place here, there, and everywhere, and
his power to see to the exact fulfillment of his promise or prediction.
By constantly
staying with Baba, Dixit noticed that Baba had this Antarjnan" or Chittasamvit
or Ritambhara Prajna, and that he had also vast control over men,
creatures, and inanimate things of Nature. For instance in 1917, Kaka Mahajani,
who was at Bombay, was requested by the son of his master Thakersey Sail to go
to Shirdi and take Baba's advice as to what would be the best course for his
master's health. Mahajani said that as Dixit was at Shirdi, it would be
sufficient to write to him. But the master's son said that Mahajani should actually
go to Shirdi as nothing else would satisfy his father. When this conversation
was going on at Bombay, Baba told Dixit at Shirdi, "What deliberations and
consultations are going on there!" The next day when Mahajani turned up at
Shirdi and mentioned about his master's health, Baba told Dixit. This is the
matter we were talking about yesterday. Is it not?' Dixit compared notes with
Mahajani and found that while Mahajani and his master's son were talking at
Bombay, Sai at Shirdi was fully aware of that fact. On one occasion,
immediately after Arati. Sai Baba told his devotees. (B.C.S. 406,) 'Be wherever
you may, say whatever you may, and do whatever you may, be sure, I am aware of
what you say or do'. This is Ritambharaprajna, which only perfectly
realised souls like Sai have. Some others may through yogic practices, mantras,
or by the use of spirits, acquire mind-reading, clairvoyance, and, within
limits, may even be able to say what some persons at some places do or say. But
ordinarily such yogis cannot always and without effort, be all-knowing at all
places like Baba. Thus Dixit was convinced that Baba had these divine qualities
(far superior to magical feats) and also the divine power to know or control
the future and protect him.
A well-known story says that even the
great Vyasa who codified the Vedas could not get definite knowledge of the
future. When Dasa asked his Guru Vyasa when the former's death would take
place, Vyasa did not know it, and therefore went with his pupil to Yama, who
also did not know it. Vyasa then went with the other two to Mrutyu (Death). He
also did not know, and all the four went to Kala's (TIME'S) place, and there at
the place of Kala, the pupil died, and Kala's register showed the stanza.
Yada Vyasaschcha Dasaha Yamena Mrityuna saha
Kaalasya griham Aayanti Tadaa daso marishyati
which means:— "Dasa will die, when Dasa goes to Kala's place with Vyasa, Yama, and Mrutyu".
Let
us now contrast this with Baba's knowledge of the future. On one occasion, Kaka
at Shirdi got fever, and then when he went to Baba, Baba told him, 'You better
get away to your bungalow at Ville Parle. This fever will last only
"four" i.e. a few days. But have no fears. It will pass away, and you
will get all right. Do not allow yourself to be bedridden. You can go on eating
sira (semolina pudding), as usual'. Kaka Saheb accordingly went away to Ville
Parle. There his fever was increasing. Dr. Demonte was called and he diagnosed
the fever as Navajvara and he directed the patient to remain in bed and take
the prescribed medicine. Baba had told him, 'Padighevum Nakos’ that is,
'Avoid lying in bed'. So, Kaka sat up on a swing (Palang) and he went on eating
sira, a dish full of ghee and semolina, which fever patients are medically
advised to avoid. The fever steadily increased, and the doctor was aghast at
Kaka's throwing his instructions to the winds. He called on a fellow doctor to
diagnose, and both of them said that things would take a very serious turn, if
Kaka Saheb kept on violating medical advice. But Kaka told his doctor Demonte
that he had sent for him to have friendly and cheerful company and that he was
sure, as Baba said 'This fever would pass away in a few days" and that the
doctor would not be blamed as he (Kaka) was sure to recover. Dr. Demonte thought
that Kaka was being fooled by some fakir. But to his surprise and that of
others, Kaka's health, though it went on from bad to worse, suddenly regained
normality on the ninth day.
Thus Kaka Saheb
was confirmed in his absolute belief in the divine protection of Sai Baba, and
the absolute truth of every word that Baba uttered. This faith is called 'Nishta',
one of the two coins which Baba insisted on being given by the disciple as
Dakshina to the Guru (namely, 'Nishta and Saburi'. Saburi means
patience, courageous, cheerful and persevering).
These qualities
were steadily developing in Dixit, and these two coins (Nishta and Saburi) he
gave to Sai Baba, his Gurudeva. There were frequent occasions to revive and
strengthen these qualities in Kaka. For instance, on one occasion, Kaka went to
Baba thinking he should present him a garland and Rs. 25. But he first
presented only the garland. Then Baba said 'This garland calls for Rs. 25'.
Kaka gladly noted Baba's Antaryamitva i.e. knowledge of all minds. On another occasion,
he had gone on with his puja to Sai Baba in his quarters but he forgot to offer
the usual betel and nut after naivedya. When later he went to Baba, Baba asked
for the betel and nut. This convinced Dixit that Baba was watching him every
moment of his life and his every act. Again Dixit was a perfect gentleman with
excellent manners and a very good heart. Dixit would not scandalise any one.
But on one occasion, it so happened that he joined in scandalising Lord Christ.
A little while after, he went to Baba for massaging him. Baba was angry and
said, 'Do not massage'. At once Dixit remembered that he had scandalised Lord
Christ, and that Baba was therefore
angry. He repented his mistake and resolved never to commit such mistakes
again. Kaka had the immense advantage of what Roman Catholics call
"practising the presence of God." They deal with an unseen God and
take immense pains to realise his presence before them at every moment and few
of them succeed in this herculean effort. In Kaka's case, the presence of the
divine watching him and directing him every instant of his life was evident,
too patent for him to ignore and the consequent elevation and freedom from fear
and care, quite easy and natural for him. Whether he was talking ill of Christ
or resolving to fast or whether he failed to offer betelnut to Baba at his
private puja to Baba's photo, Baba was on the watch, and when Kaka went to Baba
later, there was the appropriate rebuke or demand.
Once Kaka
resolved to observe fasting for the night. But as Baba did not encourage
unnecessary observances, he repeatedly told Dixit to take his night meal. So
Dixit gave up his idea of fasting. This reminds us of St Mark II 18-21 wherein
Jesus informed people that his disciples were not fasting as other devout people
did, as the children of the bride chamber would not fast so long as the
bridegroom was with them. As long as Jesus watched over his disciples and kept
them pure, fasts and vigils were unnecessary. When Baba was there to keep Kaka
free from lascivious thoughts and tamasic disposition, there was no need to
fast. Even after 1918 Kaka was feeling Baba to be the God within. He struggled
against evil thoughts and tendency to idle gossip or acceptance of low levels
of thought and action. He prayed within himself to Baba to correct him and
guide him. Even if his thoughts strayed, he would pray Baba to forgive him and
strengthen him in his avoidance of the same or similar falls.
Baba was watching not only over Kaka, but over all his relatives also. One day Kaka received a letter that his younger brother at Nagpur was ill. Then he said to Baba, 'I have received this letter and I am of no service to him.' Baba said, 'I am of service'. Kaka could not make out why Baba said so. But at that very moment, at Nagpur, a sadhu came to attend upon his brother, and cured him of his illness, and used the very words of Baba, namely, 'I am of service'. Kaka thus found that across 1,000 miles, Baba could see what went on and could carry out what was necessary for his sishya's relatives.
Dixit had such
perfect reliance on Baba that before taking any step in any important matter,
he would go to Baba and get his orders and follow the same to the very letter,
even though the course was running counter to his own judgment and feelings or
those of his friends and relations. Baba once tested and proved his implicit
obedience while enjoying the fun of the test. B.C.S. 619 gives the account
which shows that Bade Baba, Shama, and Ayi all shrank from assisting Baba or
carrying out his order that a goat thoroughly weak and about to die should be
slaughtered with a knife at the mosque—while Kaka Dixit alone stood the test
and was bringing down a knife over the neck of the creature in implicit
obedience to an apparently horrid command. B.C.S. 619 gives the account thus—
619. Once a goat entered the mosque, old, famished and just
about to die.
Baba (to Bade Baba):—Cut that goat with one stroke. Bade
Baba—(Looking at it with pity) How are we to kill this?
Ayi So saying, he went away from the mosque.
Baba:—Shama, you cut it. Fetch a knife,from Radhakrishna
(Ayi sent a knife; but learning the purpose, recalled it.)
Shama:—I will go
home to fetch a knife.
Shama went home and stayed away there.
Then Baba to H.S.D.— 'You fetch a knife and kill it.'
H.S.D. went and fetched a knife.
H.S.D.—Baba, shall I kill it ?
Baba— Yes.
H.S.D. lifted up the knife and held it up in hesitation.
Baba—What are you thinking of? Strike.
Dixit obeyed and was bringing the knife down.
Baba—Stop. Let the creature remain. I will kill it myself
but not at the mosque.
Then Baba carried the creature a few yards, after which it
fell dead.
Some might
suppose that such intimate relation and dependence of the disciple might snap
if the Guru left the body. But that was not so. After Baba left the body,
Dixit, like several other staunch devotees, intently concentrated on Sai Baba,
and after prayer cast chits before Baba, and asked some child to pick up a chit
at random, and the directions of the chit were Baba's orders and were safe to
follow always. One instance may be cited of Dixit's trust in consulting Baba
through chits and its proving a reliable method and Baba's proving a reliable
helper of himself and his relations. After Baba's samadhi Dixit tried to revive
his practice especially for the sake of others. His brother Sadashiv Dixit,
BA,, LLB., tried to practise at Nagpur, etc., and failed to secure any practice
or appointment. Dixit then consulted Baba through chits and acting on the
chit-accrued order brought Sadashiv over to Bombay. But even at Bombay,
Sadashiv failed to secure any success. Kaka wondered how Baba's order of advice
should prove so useless. He was thinking of sending his brother away from
Bombay, but as Deepawali festival came in, the brother was detained for that festival.
Just at that time, leading persons from the Cutch Samsthan came to consult Kaka
Dixit as to which person should be selected as a sufficiently reliable officer
on a high pay of Rs. 1000. When Kaka suggested Sadasiva's name, that was
readily accepted, and he became Dewan of that State. Baba springs his surprise
at the last moment when he gives his blessing and justifies the fullest
confidence reposed in him by Dixit, etc. Damodar Rasane employed a similar
practice, and says in his experiences (Vide Devotees' Experiences, Volume II)
that Baba's answer on chits to him were always found to be correct (N.
B.—Powerful faith alone can elicit a reply).
About Sai Baba's nature, H.S. Dixit entertained no doubt. He was "simply God; especially after he shed his body. He was God—whether in the flesh or out of it, i.e. in Samadhi" B.C.S. 49, 51, 52 62-89 58, & 149. (Baba heard and hears the prayers and troubles of all at all times and places and answered and answers their prayers. What is more, he deeply loved and loves his devotees as his own children and babies (BCS 42). Once pointing to a baby, Baba said, 'When this child sleeps, we have to be awake and guarding (B.C. & S. 34). Baba was and is always doing this for his devotees. Kaka Dixit ever felt that Baba was always behind him and supporting him B.C,S. 24-30, 32—42. His mind was thus freed from fear, anxiety or care, and could happily allow itself to concentrate on and lose itself in the lilas of Sri Krishna and Rama in Bhagavat and Ramayana or of Sai. He was fond of puja as also of parayana. His parayana consisted of Bhavartha Ramayana and Eknath Bhagavata. He was fond of Bhajan, especially Sai Bhajan, and was singing to himself 8 or 9 songs of Baba, especially at evening time, when he would be pacing up and down his terrace. He had a good knowledge of music, and could even compose songs. When he composed a song, Kaka Mahajani asked him to compose more songs. But Dixit's reply was that there were many classic songs and it would be absurd on his part, when these with their holy associations were available, to add his own songs of inferior merit. But the more important objection was according to Dixit that such composition would strengthern egotism in him, and make him feel 'I am a composer: I have done such and such a thing'. Such abhimana, he was killing out of himself, and his humility and simplicity were marked features in his character.
When he found
that Baba was perfectly reliable in providing him with everything that was
necessary for his temporal and spiritual welfare, he might ask what made Baba
attract him (Kaka) to his feet in 1909, and thus undertake all responsibility
for him. The obvious answer is, 'Rinanubandha'. We find in G.S. Khaparde's
diary written at Shirdi that (B.C & S. 502) Baba said to Khaparde, 'You, I,
Kaka (H.S. Dixit), Shama, Bapu Saheb Jog, and Dada Kelkar, were living together
with our Guru in a blind alley in our former birth, and I have, therefore,
drawn all of you together in this birth'. Baba avowed in vary general terms
(B.C.S. 56) that all the devotees who came to him were drawn by him to himself;
and they were not voluntary visitors. When a boy ties one end of a string to a
bird's foot and pulls it, the bird must come to him. So, these devotees must
come to him. though they were not aware of either the fact of his pulling or
the reasons for his pull. The reasons for approaching Sai Baba as for
approaching God. so far as they were known to the devotees, were always
worldly. Damia once objected (B.C. & S. 56) to devotees coming to Baba with
worldly objects, and said they should be driven away. But Baba answered him
that he should not say so. He said that he himself drew the devotees to him for
one object or another, and after the devotees were satisfied, they stayed on
with him. It is the aarlha (sufferer) who goes to God and not the man
without troubles.
B Gita VII 16 ;—
Chaturvidhaa bhajante inaam Janas
sukrutino Arjuna
Aartho jijnaasurarthaarthi Jnaani Cha
bharatarshabha
Krishna says:- 'Four classes of men come to Me, O Arjuna — those in distress, those who desire to know, those seeking wealth and the Jnanis or fully realised men'.
Persons
who approach God or Gurudeva are mostly persons who have worldly troubles
seeking worldly relief. It was the lameness of H.S.Dixit that made him think,
at the suggestion of Chandorkar, of approaching Baba, He did not come with a
view to get a Guru when first approaching Baba; but on account of Baba's
wonderful powers and nature, and on account of Dixit's contact with a sadhu
named Datta Maharaj in his earlier life, he noted at once that Baba was
preeminently fitted to be a Samartha Sadguru for himself. Baba's wonderful
powers over men. and things, and also wonderful love, operating to benefit
thousands if not myriads of persons in all sorts of places and conditions
greatly impressed Dixit. Baba was obviously, like Sivaji's Guru Ramdasv
preeminently a Samartha Sadguru, i.e., one to whom any one desirous of
achieving both temporal and spiritual welfare should resort and stick, life
after life. To most people however Baba did not appear to be a Guru at all and
he seldom declared himself to be a Guru. But on one occasion he quaintly or
silently admitted or avowed his Gurudom and its wonderful nature. It was once
the lot of H. S. Dixit to elicit this avowal from Baba. It came in connection
with a commonplace request for leave from Baba for Dixit and others to go to
Bombay. When Baba said, 'You may go' (B.C. & S. 176), some one asked
Baba, 'where to go?' Baba gave that a spiritual turn and said 'Up', meaning evidently
"to Heaven or God". The question was asked 'What is the way?' Baba answered, "Many ways there are
from many places." Baba added,
"From this place (meaning Shirdi or Baba's Masjid) also there is a way.
But the way is full of obstacles. There are tigers and bears on the way. If one
is careless, there is a deep pit into which one may fall". Then Dixit
asked Baba, 'if there is a guide?' Baba answered, 'In that case, there is no
danger or difficulty. The bears and tigers will move aside'. This was a clear
statement that persons wishing to reach the goal, viz., God, could do so even
from Shirdi. Kabir's song "Guruvina
Kona balhave Vat". If there is no Guru, who will show the way? If they
have the help of a Guru (guide), they will have no difficulty, and they can
safely reach their goal. Of course, the sishya must have ntshta (faith)
and saburi (courage and perseverance). Unless he gets out of worldly
attachment, lust, anger, etc., he can never be attached to his Guru or God;
and, therefore, the complete, unconditional and perfect surrender of "Tan,
Man, Dhan", i.e., mind, body, and possessions by the sishya, at the
feet of the Guru is very necessary. Confidence in the Guru is a necessary
prerequisite for getting the help of the Guru. Dixit offered his Tan, Man,
and Dhan, at his Guru's feet with perfect confidence. He gave up practice.
He gave up society, politics, social esteem, etc., which were dear to him in
former days, and stuck to Shirdi to render service to Baba and the bhaktas,
both before and after 1918 upto the very end of his life. One may ask, as many
of Kaka's relatives asked, "What is to happen to the relatives and
dependants of Kaka, if Kaka gets vairagya and stops earning?" A similar
question was asked about Balakram Manker, who was the chief earning member of
his family, and who was suddenly attracted to Baba, and gave up his earning
activity by staying with Baba or alone on Machendragad Hills under his
directions. When the relatives asked Baba 'What is to become of Manker's sons
if he ceases to earn?' Baba's answer was, 'I will provide for Manker's sons'
(B.C.S. 31). Baba has really provided for them, for they are all occupying high
and enviable financial positions now.
About Kaka
Dixit. at the very outset, Baba had answered this question by saying, 'Kaka
Tula Kaiji Kasli; Mala Sara Kalji Ahe', i.e.. 'Dixit. why should you have
any care? All care is mine'. Baba, having said this, would be the last person
to break his promise of bearing the entire responsibility for Kaka and his
relatives. Several incidents would be mentioned to show that before the
Mahasamadhi of Baba in 1918 and after, Baba did bear all that responsibility.
First we shall
take Dixit's sons and narrate an incident or two. In 1913 Kaka Dixit's boy was
reading at Bombay at Ville Parle, and Kaka was with Baba at Shirdi. Just a
month or two before the examination, the boy had continuous fever. So Kaka's
brother wrote to him to come up and look after the boy, but when the letter was
shown to Baba, he told Kaka not to go, but, on the other hand to send for his
son to Shirdi, where there was neither doctor nor medicine available. So, the
boy's uncle sent him up to Shirdi unwillingly, and strange to say, without
hospital, doctor, and medicine, the boy improved in health and got alright at
Shirdi. Then the uncle wrote that the examination was on 2-11-1913, and the boy
must be sent up for studies. But Baba did not allow it, not even for attending
the examination on 2-11-1913, though the boy's uncle wrote that the boy should
be sent up. Kaka asked for leave. But Baba did not allow him to start. It
looked as though Baba was seriously injuring the boy's prospects. But what
happened at Bombay? The examination to be held on 2-11-1913 had to be postponed
to 6-11-1913 as a plague rat was found in the examination hall. Again for the
6th, the boy was requisitioned. Again Baba forbade the boy's departure. The boy
did not go up. The explanation appeared soon. Again there was a plague rat in
the examination hall, and the examination had to be postponed to the 13th. Baba
ordered the boy to be sent up for that date, and he attended the examination
and passed. (B.C. &S. 375)
We have already seen how Baba looked after Kaka'a daughter Vatsali when an almirah tumbled down upon her. How did the fall of the almirah, with the heavy articles inside, not hurt the girl? In B.C. & S. 35, Baba says, 'I will not allow my devotees to come to harm. I have to take thought for my devotees. I stretch out my hands, four, four hands, at a time to support them. There were some cases, however, in which Baba finds himself prevented from doing anything, and that is what happened finally in the case of Vatsali. When she was in Shirdi, she got fever and Dixit was simply trusting to Baba. But this time instead of saving her, when the fever had far advanced, Baba appeared to her in her dream, and said. 'Why should you be down here? Come and be lying under the margosa tree'. This was ominous, and the very next morning, Baba asked Shama,'Is Kaka's girl dead?' Shama replied, 'O, Deva, why are you speaking so inauspiciously?' Then Baba replied, 'She will die in the afternoon'. She died accordingly at that time. To enable Dixit to bear the blow Baba gave him a prescription. Kaka took in his hands Bhavartha Ramayana and handed it over to Baba. Baba then dipped his hands into the book, and opening it, at the page in Kishkinda Kanda, where Rama kills Vali and consoles his widow, asked Kaka to read and digest the same. When death is inevitable, Baba wants his devotees to be strong-minded enough to recognise the fact of its inevitability[10]* and bear the separation. Death is not always an evil. Baba conveyed this truth to Kaka at least on one other occasion. An old woman with her only son was at Shirdi, and a cobra bit that boy. The old woman ran to Baba, and asked for udhi to save the life of her son. Baba did not give any udhi. Then the woman went out. But soon she returned beating her breast wailing aloud that her son was dead. She implored Baba to revive her son. Baba gave neither udhi, nor other help, and said nothing. But Dixit was there. His sympathy was very much excited, and he requested Baba to help her, The woman's plight is heartrending. Please revive her dead son for my sake'. Baba replied, 'Bhav, do not get entangled in this. What has happened is for good. He has entered a new body. In that body, he will do specially good work which cannot be accomplished in this body, which is seen here. If I draw him back into this body, then the new body he has taken will die, and this body will live. I will do this for your sake. Have you considered the consequences? Have you any idea of the responsibility, and are you prepared to take it up?' H.S. Dixit desisted from pressing his request. The current idea of the worldly man that death is always evil is incorrect and the wise man is he who cares for life only as long as it lasts and meets death without fear when it comes (B.C.S. 314).
In the case
mentioned in B.C.&S.362 (of which probably Dixit was aware), Baba mentioned
to S. B. Mohile, who took his daughter to Baba for the cure of her split upper
lip in 1913, 'I can cure her. But it will be of no use. The girl is of divine
sort, and her life, consequently, will be very short, and she will die in March
1914'. That was just what happened. Similarly, Vatsali was also of divine sort.
She was one whose prarabdha karma ended with her infancy, and,
therefore, she would have a good end. The death from her point of view would be
an advantage.
As for Dixit's
own financial position, there was, for a long time, a period of depression, but
there was no positive distress. Contentment was ingrained in Dixit, and he was
always saying to himself.
Tevile Anante, Tase
Rahave,
which is the same as
Alia Rakhega Vysa Rahena Mania Rakhega Vysa Rahena
This means, 'We must be content with the lot assigned to us by God'. So, he was generally contented and retained his mental peace in the midst of lack of funds and income. However, special occasions arose and his faith in Baba was tested and confirmed. Some time after Baba passed away, Kaka had to meet a heavy obligation of Rs. 30,000 to be paid to a Marwadi. The day for payment was drawing near, and Kaka could not see how to get funds for meeting this large demand. One night, as he was sleeping, he had a dream, and in his dream, his creditor was pressing him for payment. In the dream, he assured the creditor, 'Oh, don't you fear. I have my friend Sir Chunnilal, Sir Chimanlal etc. all of them knights, and they will provide the money'. Suddenly, he woke up and remembering the dream, he bitterly repented his stupid folly in relying upon 'Sir' this and 'Sir' that who are just the persons who will fail to help at the crucial moment. He felt that the only person on whom he could rely for getting help was Baba, and cursed his folly in relying upon such useless human help. He resolved not to think of these 'Sirs' at all, and to rely confidently and boldly upon Sai Baba alone to furnish him with the funds and that too in time. His views are thus expressed in stanza 343 in Sai Natha Mananam:
Nathe nah pitrushotlame trijagahtcim
ekadhipe chetasaam
Sevye xwaxya paadasya darari vihhow
sayeexware tishtate
Yam kamchil purushaadhanmm laghubalam
sarakhyam alpartadam Sahyaarthum inrigayamahe naram aho mudha varakaa vayam.
which means— "While there is our supporter Purushottama, i.e., the supreme person, that Lord of the three worlds, worthy of the soul's worship, the omnipotent Sayeeswara, we (i.e. I) turn to some weak and low person with the title "Sir" who gives little, for help! Alas what folly is this!"
He sat up in his office room on a chair
and was waiting and waiting till the actual date of payment came. Till the last
date and last moment, no money was forthcoming. But at the last moment, a young
man, the son of a rich friend of his, came asking for his advice. He said that
after his father's death, he was managing his property, and had to find an
investment for his money. He said, just then he had brought with him
Rs.30,000/- and wanted to know from Dixit what would be the best investment.
Kaka, after explaining the pros and cons of other investments, finally told him
that he himself was in urgent need of Rs. 30,000/- and he would be glad to have
it on any reasonable terms, but that it was his duty to explain to the lender
that his practice had gone down, that his income was very low, though his
properties in the shape of bungalows were there, and that it was his duty to
point out the danger and disadvantage of lending to such a person. The young
man, however, made up his mind to lend the money to him on account of his need
and on account of his being his father's friend, and thus the creditor of Dixit
was paid in time. But who could know that the sum of Rs. 30,000 was with a
person with a mind to be influenced to lend it to Dixit? Baba alone could know.
Baba alone could influence the possessor of the funds. It is just like this
that at the crucial moment Baba acts often! For instance Baba operated on the
minds of Brahmins to come to do Pitru Sraddha for Jog just at the nick
of time (B C. S. 377-8). He influenced the appellate Magistrate's mind to deal
summary justice to his convicted servant Raghu. He influenced the minds of
Government members to refrain from granting sanction against Khaparde for
prosecution (BCS 402-5). He influenced the minds of all and sundry to turn
Upasani Maharaj back to Shirdi in June 1911 (BCS 635). It is this Baba who
knows all facts and grips all minds who brought Kaka's friend's son in time
with Rs. 30,000 to clear off Kaka's debt, and Kaka had many instances like this
confirming him in his attitude of utter childlike reliance on his Guru even in
financial matters.
But financial
matters are not the most important. It is the ripening of the soul, the getting
rid of past vasanas, the building up of strength and the perfecting of peace on
the basis of perfect nishta and saburi that do matter; these are
higher, far higher than mere finance. Baba undertook the responsibility for
Dixit in these matters also. He expressly stated that he would take his Kaka in
Vimana. What did that mean? Taking in a vimana is what occurs in puranas. When
holy persons like Tukaram die, their souls go to Heaven in Vimana. So, Baba's
words were understood to mean that Kaka would have excellent Sadgati. Kaka was
assured of his future and also that his death would be happy and peaceful. Many
pray for it thus-
Anaayaasena maranam vinaa dainyena
jeevanam
Dehi me kripaya sayin raksha raksha
maheswara
The prayer constantly on the lips of Dixit in the nine padas
he repeated was for unshaken faith (Achanchala bhakti).
"My last prayer is: May my prema
(loving devotion) at your feet increase! God, may my prema increase at your
feet. Baba, may my prema at your feet increase!" According to the main
mass of the followers of Bhakti marga, the goal or the highest point reached by
the bhakta is perpetually staying at the feet of God with firm unwavering achanchala
bhakti, and, if one is not able to reach permanent stay at the feet of God
in this very life, he prays for perpetual contact (birth after birth) with his
Guru Deva who would secure that goal for him. In the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 8,
Verse 6, it is said
Yam yam vapi smaran bkaavam tyajati ante kalebaram
Tain tarn eva eti koimteya sada tad bhaava bhavitah
It is pointed out, 'Whatever a person thinks of at the time of his death, so becomes he in his next life.' So the advice given by Lord Krishna is —
Tasmaat sarveshu kaaleshu maam anusmara
yudhya cha
Mayyarpita manobuddhih maam eva eshyast
asamscayam
This means, 'Think of me always with mind and intellect surrendered to me. You will surely come to me'. So, many people try to think of God at the last moment of death. But it is by no means easy to persons, who have spent most of their time in worldly attachments, to think of God when life is parting. We shall describe fully later on how Dixit was able to think of Baba always and therefore at the time of death, the manner of which must be fully set out at the close of this chapter.
It may be noted
that the chapter on H.S. Dixit might be of greater help to most readers than
chapters on devotees like Upasani Maharaj, Kusa Bhav, etc. Dixit was a worldly
solicitor or businessman and was not marked out for any extraordinary spiritual
career like that of a Sadguru. What is important in Dixit's life is that from
his ordinary level of a businessman, he made the very best use of his life
alter 45 years of it were over, and by the kindness of Baba, he was able to
surrender himself more and more to his Sadguru and to attain, as a result
thereof, perfect reliance on Baba's assurance that every responsibility of his
would be borne by Baba, and the consequent fullness of peace and calmness. He
could and did carry on his affairs, spiritual and temporal, with poorna nishta
and saburi in his Master, being assured of getting the best out of
his life, i.e., the position for reaching the goal of life. This is all that
most of our readers can aim at. They can see that Kaka had first a brilliant
worldly life and an equally brilliant or even more brilliant success in the
spiritual line, and that he died a happy death, 'being taken in a Vimana' by
the Guru. Every one of us, though we are not face to face with Sai Baba as
Dixit was between 1902 and 1918, can still have even now the same faith, the
same surrender and the same assurance from Sadguru Sai that he will look after
all our concerns and the consequent fearlessness and calm with the certainty of
happy death like Kaka's. Sai Baba is not dead. He is God, and cannot die. When
his body was lying in the Dwarakamayee, he appeared to and told Lakshman, 'Jog
thinks I am dead; no, I am alive. Therefore do pooja and arati'. He has
repeatedly said that his tomb, (i.e., He as Apantaratma or ishtamurthi
or Perfect Avalia) will speak and move with those who make him their
sole refuge. Baba said, 'I shall be active and vigorous from the tomb also.
Even after my Mahasamadhi, I shall be with you, the moment you think of me at
any place. As soon as a devotee calls unto me with love, I will appear. I
require no train to travel' (BCS.47-52).
Some
readers may think that H. S, Dixit had the advantage of constantly meeting and
hearing Sai Baba and getting strengthened thereby which they, the readers, do
not have. But, if one is earnest in his desire to concentrate on Sai, one can
hear and move with Sai now, not through any extraordinary chamatkars (though
these do take place even now - for typical instances see September 1953 and
June 1955 'Sai Sudha'), but through very ordinary means available to all, such
as getting the vast literature on Sai Baba in various languages, and having sravana,
manana, nidhidyasana, etc. of the same. One can get the same pooja, bhajan,
harikatha, meditation or concentration on Sai as H. S. Dixit had. No doubt,
Kaka Dixit had the opportunity and power to serve Sai Baba and his Sansthan for
14 years at great self-sacrifice, but similar service is open now to many of
us, each according to his own opportunities and abilities. Sai Seva and Sai
dhyana, the two main factors that built him up under Sai are still available to
all of us. Dixit had the sadhana prescribed by Baba of nine months of solitude
and seclusion (Vanaprastha Asrama) to concentrate effectively and exclusively
on Baba, Who prevents any of us from trying to get similar seclusion and
concentration? Some may think that Sai Baba when he was in the flesh,
undertaking all responsibilities, could afford Dixit better protection in all
affairs than Sai could afford to give us now; but this view is wrong. Dixit
from 1918 to 1926, when Baba was not in the flesh, was enjoying Baba's protection,
see, for example, the provision of Rs. 30,000/- to meet his debts. It is only
the fainthearted and ill-informed people that will doubt whether Baba will
afford them protection now, and that from hour to hour. But if the readers were
to take pains and read and zealously absorb the experiences of devotees after
1918, they will feel assured that Baba's protection is as sure today as it was
before 1918. To doubt it will only mean lack of faith in Baba and in his
utterances, (see B.C.& S. 51} where Baba says 'Even after Mahasamadhi, the
moment you think of me, I will be with you at any place', and also lack of
belief in such great personalities, like D.D.
Rasane,
S.B.Dhumal, M.B.Rege, and so many others. There are many amongst us now who
experience the benefits of the kind and constant attention of this guardian
angel Sai in daily affairs, assuring us that we are His men (Saduchya
Ankita), and that he bears our burdens as promised, of Yoga kshemam
Vahaamyaham. It is only a question of faith. If faith is strong, the
response is quick, and the feeling of enjoying His superhuman protection gets
established and makes the mind peaceful and happy. Hence even the careful study
of this one chapter on Dixit's life or any other chapter might enable several
readers to lead their own life exactly on the lines of Dixit's life, developing
their faith and their patience more and more every day. Their patience may be
based on the principle of contentment emphasised by Dixit's Slogan: Tevile
Anante Taisech Rahave.
This means that
we should be content with the lot assigned to us by God. Faith is best and
perfect when it recognises that Sai is God, and that Sai's utterances are never
wrong or false[11]*. Such a
faith can conquer mountains and that is what we should have. We should be strong
minded enough to brush aside contemptuous remarks of people (ignorant though
well meaning people who refer to our faith as blind faith). For instance, when
Kaka Saheb lost his practice and when under the very nose of Baba his daughter
died people could not appreciate his Sai bhakti. Even Anna Saheb Dabolkar
thought first 'If Sai Baba could not save Dixit's daughter at Shirdi, what is
the good of a Guru?' One might as well say, 'When my dear ones die, what is the
good of God?' Faith is not a guarantee that there will be no death evil in the
world, nor pains in life. But as in the above case, intense faith makes the
devotee brace himself up against all inevitable calamities, and learn more and
more of God's scheme for our life, that life is not intended to be a bed of
roses and a treasure house of wealth or total avoidance of poverty. Faith
enables the devotee to see what life is and what God's plan is, and improve
one's own attitude to life. We are God's slaves and surrendered instruments.
God (Guru-God) is doing the best for us in the circumstances, and we should
never murmur, but maintain peace of mind. The numerous ways in which the soul
and its faculties expand are outlined in Dixit's life and other devotees'
lives. We should recommend our readers to start by perfect surrender and
perfect faith in Baba's assurances to the surrendered. Dixit always felt that
Baba, as assured by Him, was supporting him, was behind him always and was
looking after all\his concerns, and hence he avoided fear and anxiety. We
recommend the same attitude to our readers. Who will surrender and believe? Who
will surrender his Tan, Man, Dhan, i.e., body, soul and possessions, and
believe in Baba's assurances of complete protection and also in Baba's
perpetual presence, and his watching and guiding us and being ever ready to
appear before us, if necessary? These assurances of Baba, our Gurudeva, are the
same as the assurances given in Dwapara Yuga through the mouth of Lord Krishna—
Ananyaas chintayanto maam ye janaah
paryupaasate
Teshaam nityaabhi yuktaanaam yogakshemam
vahaamyaham
That is, 'if you completely surrender yourself and concentrate on Me and Me alone, if you are ever intent on Me, then I shall guard what you have and give what you require' (See B. C. & S. 20). Baba says, 'If one devotes his entire mind to Me and rests in Me, he need fear nothing for body and soul. If one sees Me and Me alone and listens to talk about Me and is devoted to Me alone, he will reach God (Chaitanya)'.
Reader, have you noticed that a classic work like Shakespeare's Hamlet or Kalidasa's Sakuntala, when read over and over again, reveals new meanings, and new beauties, say, "ven after the thirtieth reading? If you have developed faith, your reading of Baba's Gospel, Baba's life, Baba's acts and words would reveal to you new meanings, new applications, and new opportunities for you to serve Him and mould yourself. That perpetual freshness of Sai's love and His sayings is the test of the strength of your faith. Age does not wither Sai, nor custom stale His infinite variety. May Baba give you all full faith, and with it ample support for faith!
Once Baba told
Kaka Saheb, 'If you talk ill or find fault with any one, that moment
(immediately), I feel that pain'. Thereafter Dixit, who used to be short tempered,
conquered his temper, and became completely suave, humble, self-controlled, and
agreeable. This illustrates how Baba builds us up and saves us.
When Baba's life left his body in October
1918, that was a great blow to all his bhaktas. But there was further danger of
confusion and conflict about the disposal of Sai's body. The proper disposal of
the Sai body was essential for the carrying out of his mission, because Baba
had said, 'Even from the tomb, I will be active'. Where was this tomb to be?
Who was to build it? In whose charge was it to be? The almost universal belief
of people (Hindus and Muslims alike), when Baba passed away was that Sai Baba,
living in the Mosque, was a Muslim, and so the Muslims including Bade Baba
gathered the body, and they wished to be in charge of his tomb. Baba was a
famous Avalia. His tomb would be visited by innumerable people, and miracles
would be performed there. The offerings by the visiting pilgrims would be
abundant. The tomb would be a very important place. Hence the Muslims thought
and said that they should be in charge of the tomb. Unfortunately, they were
few in numbers, and they had not the influence or the means to erect a suitable
tomb for the Avalia. The Hindus stressed the fact of custom (mamul) that
the vast mass of peoploe that worshipped Baba were Hindus, and, therefore, they
were the proper persons to arrange for the tomb to be worshipped. The Kopergaon
Mamlatdar arrived on the scene and asked each party to put forward its
representation with largely signed mahazars. The Hindus were in larger number,
and their mahazars also were numerous, the Muslim signatories to the Musim
Mahazar were very few. As for Baba's own wishes in the matter that was not well
known. He never tallked about it. But during his last illness he said 'Carry me
to the Wada', (i.e. Buty wada). Buty was quite willing that his building
should become the tomb of Baba. The Mamlatdar pointed out his difficulties. He
said that if all parties agreed, he could give directions for the disposal of the
body in accordance with the terms of the agreement. If they did not, he said,
they should go to Ahamadnagar, and get the District Magistrate's decree, and he
(Mamlatdar) would have to act upon that decree. Then Dixit was ready to go to
Ahamadnagar. As he was a solicitor of high repute, the Muslims thought that if
he went to Ahamadnagar, he would get the District Magistrate's order in his own
favour, and they would be nowhere. So, they came to an agreement with the
Hindus that Baba's body should be in Buty wada, and, as usually the management
of the tomb, etc., should also be with the Hindus, but Muslims should be
allowed free access even though it was in a Hindu gentleman's house, and that
Mamul should continue. So, the Mamlatdar himself passed an order, and Baba's
body was buried without any difficulty at Buty wada. where it still remains.
That was only a temporary settlement. The more important matter was as to the
guidance of the future. That should be a scheme sanctioned by the District
Court of Ahamadnagar. H.S. Dixit with his remarkable legal ability, his worldly
wisdom, and great bhakti, drew up a Scheme and presented it with the signatures
of number of influential devotees. That was sanctioned by the District Court in
1922 and that governs the Shirdi Sai Sansthan and Baba's tomb and other
affairs. The property of the Sansthan vested in a body of trustees with
managing committee of fifteen. Dixit contented himself with being the Honorary
Secretary, and his able management pleased all parties. H.S. Dixit thus laid
firm foundation for the success of the Shirdi Sai Sansthan, and he must be
given the credit for its present position. This may be ranked as one of his
great services to Sai and to the public or to humanity.
Baba
was looking after the spiritual welfare of Kaka Dixit in a way which is fairly
understandable, whereas Baba's dealing with Upasani Maharaj was highly
unintelligible and mysterious even to Maharaj. In the case of Dixit, there does
not seem to be anything mysterious, though the inside mysterious working so
characteristic of Baba must have benefited Dixit also. But Baba did not direct
him to sit quiet and do nothing uge tnuge as Upasani was asked to. On
the other hand, the method adopted in his case was just the usual methods
adopted by all Gurus, viz., scriptural study, bhajan, puja and a general
enforcement of faith in the Guru. No doubt the development of faith in Kaka by
Baba was peculiarly good and strong by reason of (1) Baba's definite assurance
that he undertook all responsibility for him, temporal and spiritual, and (2)
by Baba's showing unmitigatedly that he was all-knowing and all-controlling
even in respect of future events. Dixit's summons in the will case and nine
days' fever were two excellent illustrations to show how definitely Baba saw or
controlled the future, and how firm and fully justified Dixit's faith was in
Baba. There were hundreds more of such experiences of Dixit.
As for upadesa,
Baba gave no upadesa mantra but every word, act, and omission of Baba was full
of instruction and inspiration. For 10 years, i.e., 1909-1918, Dixit studied
every word, every act, and every deed of Baba. This study itself was Satsang,
apart from the personal contact which Dixit had with Baba.
Santapasci sadaa jave tyanche javali
baisave
upades te na deti tari aikavya tya goshti
techi upadesa hoti tyachi kashta nashta
hoti
Vasudeva hmane santa sange kariti pasanta
This means, 'Let us go to saints and stay by their side. If they do not give any upadesa, let us listen to whatever falls from their lips. Every such word is upadesa. By their force all our troubles vanish. Vasudeva (the author) says, 'Bliss comes from Satsang'. This was the experience of Kaka Dixit and of every devout person that went to Shirdi to see Baba.
Kaka Saheb
treasured these utterances, deeds, etc., of Baba, and his notes of them have
been compressed into articles in the Sai Lila Masik which Kaka Saheb started
about 1923, and they are found under the headings 'Maharaj's Anubhav',
'Bodha paddhati' and 'Bol'. Almost every serious devotee going to
Shirdi contacted Kaka Saheb, and communicated his experiences to him. Kaka's
services through starting Sai Lila Masik. and recording the experiences are
undoubtedly great and valuable service to Sai and the Sai movement.
We may give a
few points in the general improvement made by Kaka and the successive points in
his life, that is, spiritual life and the goal of life. The most important item
for any progress is the suppression and practical annihilation of all worldly
desires (sarva sankalpa sanyasa). That is the first step. Love of the
world (wife, wealth, etc.) prevents love of God. The more we forget and depress
worldly love, the better our chances of increasing our love of God. That is
just what took place in Kaka Saheb's case. His increasing attachment to Baba
resulted in increasing visits to Shirdi and in greater contact with
Baba. That is one side of the shield. The other side of it was the decreasing
contact with family, friends, political and social contacts, clients and cases.
This resulted in the lowering of his income and loss of practice and prestige.
If this produces sorrow or pain, the spiritual progress will be slow. But under
Baba's care, decrease of income and decrease of contact with former friends led
to an increase of vairagya and indifference. Dixit's vairagya was
greatly strengthened by nine months' solitude (solitary confinement in his
room) at Shirdi. Baba was proving an all round guardian angel, and Dixit's
progress in moral and spiritual fields developed steadily. We shall note just a
few points indicative of that progress.
When
Bapu Saheb Jog, who acted as honorary pujari of Baba, asked Sai Baba, 'I have
served you with sincerity and earnestness: in what form will I have the benefit
thereof and when?' the answer was, 'Your perfection will be when you give up
all worldly attachments, wear kupni (as sanyasi) like me, and beg your food
(having nothing else to care for).' Such perfection did not come to Jog during
Baba's life time. A few years thereafter, Jog became the pujari of Upasani
Baba, took sanyas and died. His tomb is there at Sakori. As Kaka's services to
Baba were quite as good as Jog's, nay far superior, Kaka hoped that he could
become a sanyasi too. Even before that, seeing that there was a special set of
people dining with Baba in the same pankti (row), Kaka hoped to be in
the pankti to sit along with Baba like Fakir Baba (called also Bade
Baba). Baba first gave only prasad to Kaka Saheb, but soon Kaka began to dine
at Baba's Masjid, and finally Baba allowed him to sit along with him in the
same pankti for meals. Baba also gave him a kupni to wear. Kupni is for
fakirs and sanyasis. When G.G. Narke wished to have one, Baba declined to give
the gift—as Narke was not to be a Sanyasi.
Kaka Saheb wore
the kupni at Shirdi. but was not wearing it in his journeys or at
Bombay. The dining along with the Guru is not merely an honour. It gives a
special spiritual bent, and removes even the faintest traces of the feeling of
(Brahmin) caste superiority or habitual aversion that feven Nana Chandorkar,
etc. could not obliterate.
One is possibly
reminded of other bhaktas who had also great bhakti and did great service to
Baba, but who would never bring their minds to Kaka's level so as to forget the
difference of caste and position, and remember only that Sai was God and accept
his prasad and Pankti Bhojan as specially holy. One other bhakta seeing
Ganga flowing from Baba's feet could not make up his mind to drink the holy
Ganga water from Baba's feet but merely sprinkled the water on his head.
With Kaka Saheb
(who had the benefit of being in England for some time) differences of Hindu
and Muslim did not count. One instance of this may be cited here. After Baba's
passing away, Bade Baba, or Fakir Baba, wished to live at Shirdi, but the
houses being mostly Hindu houses, there was no one to rent a room to him.
Strong was the prejudice to allow a Muslim into a Hindu house. Then Kaka
determined that he should give and did give Fakir Baba accommodation in his
wada in spite of the protests of the Hindu pilgrims. Even N. G. Chandorkar
protested against the accommodation being given to Fakir Baba. Kaka brushed
aside even that objection, and he gave Fakir Baba accommodation at his wada.
Dixit's samatva
was of a very high order and was based upon the high principles, which he
imbibed from Baba, that he should see God in all creatures and things. Readers
would note how Chandorkar and Upasani Maharaj were taught this by Baba.
To Dixit's mind
nothing was low or bad, and if there was any trouble in any creature or person,
his sympathy was excited. He was known from very early days as a very liberal
host inviting all people to his table and even at Shirdi at his wada, a mess
was run and many people including Upasani Maharaj were fed free at Kaka's
expense. At Ville Parle as at Lonavla, he would daily invite all persons, not
merely friends but also fresh acquaintances to dine with him. His bungalow was
described aptly as Annadana or Darmadana Hindu hotel; and this prevented many
from starting a hotel business at Lonavla during Dixit's lifetime. But apart
from human feeding, Kaka had his atithis (guests) in cats, dogs, ants,
flies, etc. Readers may remember Baba's instruction to Chandorkar in regard to Atithis,
that atithi feeding is best done by taking some food and throwing it
out where cattle, ants, dogs, etc., will come at their own time and eat the
food. These are the real atithis.
Kaka Saheb at Ville Parle had a number of cats and dogs feeding with him, and his bungalow was always full of these cats and dogs. Even at Shirdi when he sat for his meal, cats would come, and he would offer them rice with ghee with the fullest feeling that God was inside them (Iswaro Jivakalaya Pravishto Bhagavan Iti). Readers would remember (1) how Nana was instructed by Baba that inside each body Nana should see and revere the soul within, which is but a part of the Universal soul, and (2) how Namdev ran to offer ghee to a dog that had picked up a slice of roti, i.e. dry flat bread, from his plate (thereby polluting the plate) and was running away. Kaka Saheb's sympathies were powerfully attracted to all creatures. This is a highly important step for expanding one's sympathies to all (Sarva bhuta hite rafah){E.G.5 (25), 12 (4)} thus overcoming mamata and ahankar (and without the conquest of these two, Siddhi or achievement of the goal, i.e. identification of self with Paramatma is an impossibility). Once indeed, he yielded to the common frailty of thinking that serpents were the cause of many human deaths and. therefore, at the sight of serpents, one must kill them (an advice found in books and pamphlets issued by Government). He asked Baba whether people should not kill serpents to save themselves from snake bite (and death) (See B. C. and S. 298). Baba's answer was, 'No, you should not kill it. The serpent will not kill us unless it is ordered by God; and if God so orders, we cannot escape it.' But this doubt was at Kaka's ear