SHRI SAI LEELA

DECEMBER    1976

CONTENTS

1.       Editorial       Religion

2.       The Science of Religion            Swami Chinmayananda

3.       Shri Gurucharitra            Shri S.N.Huddar

4.       Saint Gadgemaharaj         Dr.S.D.Parchure

5.       Mystery of Birth    B.Ramanadha Rao

6.       Sai is Our Saviour  Dr.S.D.Parchure

7.       Shri Sai Temple at Phanaswadi

8.       Religion of Love             Prof. M. V. Ramchandran  42

SHRI SAI LEELA

( Official Organ of Shirdi Sansthan )

VOLUME 55

DECEMBER  1976

No. 9

 

Hear the Pain of the Voiceless

Appalling, indeed, is the suffering of these creatures whose helper and guardian man should be, just because man's mind and heart are richer. Yet, alas! we let them suffer, day by day.  We let them go to the slaughter-house. We suffer them to be tortured.  With anguish in my heart, I pray to Him, my Lord and my Master :—"O Thou, who hearest the pain of the weakest and the lowliest of Thy creatures!  Teach our hearts to hear their pain, to hear the voice of tbese voiceless ones, to hear them and to heal them!"

 

Editor :Shri K. S. PATHAK Receiver, Shirdi Sansthan of Shri Sai Baba

Executive Editors:

Dr. S. D. Parchure M. A., Ph. D.

Shri Sadanand Chendwankar B. Sc., S. T. C, R. B. Pravin

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EDITORIAL

Religion

 

Ideas of country, monarchy and religion dawned upon the mankind ages after its birth.  If we try to visualize the man­kind spread all over the world some thousands of year ago, we will find them spread all over the world in  different pockets, segregated from each other, not knowing each other, not knowing each others' language and having no  inter-communication.   It was   much later,  when  they started communicating with each other that they became conscious of their clan, their customs, their ideals as different from   those of the other groups surrounding them.

Long before this awakening dawned upon the mankind, we find that the world was full of thick jungles, infested with wild animals of various odd and formidable sizes, many of whom are now extinct.  The human beings that were existing on this globe at that time were no better than the wild   animals that were dwelling on this earth.  They were mostly staying in caves,   as wild animals do even today and they did not also know the use of clothes.    Due to lack of civilization agriculture was also out of question.  The mankind therefore depended mainly on the flesh of the animals, which they   procured by hunting.  The human beings of those days had constantly to   wage war with wild animals for their existence and for their food.

In the early history of the mankind, therefore, we see that, they had only the instincts like hunger, sleep, fright etc, common to the animals, who were living with them.  Later on when the man became conscious of his intellect,   he starred controlling others.  The feelings of state, country, religion,   morality etc. Dawned  upon the mankind and thus it started having seperate existence by itself.  This sharp line of demarcation between the human beings and  the beasts is clearly drawn in a Sanskrit shloka which reads as follows:

"Need of food, sleep, fright, sexual intercourse, these are the common instincts of the human beings and the beasts; but religion is the special distinguishing mark of the mankind.  The persons who are void of religion are akin to beasts".  This is the meaning of the above shloka and even today we find that religion plays a very important part in the life of the human beings.

The state of a  country and its religion have a very close relation.  Though the problem as to which of them must have come into being first, is a bit puzzling, still it must not be quite unsoluble like the problem of the seed   and the tree or the problem of the hen and the egg.   If we consider closely   the history of  the mankind, we see that after the primary anarchy that   existed in the early life of the mankind, they thought of organizing themselves as one group.   This was necessary in order to fight with other aggressive groups round about.   Naturally the group could not continue to live in peace unless someone governed it and led it in case of an aggression.

In those days when the human beings had to fight with wild beasts and other aggressive groups, the choice of  the leader must have been naturally made on grounds of personal physical strength.  It was therefore no wonder if tall, strong and stout fellows got the leadership of the group.  This helped   to keep down the quarrels among the members of the group and the followers got a leader to lead them when other adjoining groups attacked them for some reason or the other.

Later on the nomadic nature of the mankind left them.  They started farming, rearing the cattle and the fowls and thus settled in a particular part of the world.  The people, who were more or less homogeneous in their habits and customs, confined them­selves to a territory and thus the idea of a country came into existence.  The leader of the clan or the group by and by came to be known as the king.  In the beginning the people, who were the subjects of the king, surrendered a few of their rights to the king, because they wanted security and protection; but later on it so happened that because of his rights and position, the king started behaving immoraly.  He often disregarded the feelings of his subjects.  It was therefore thought that there should be some sort of a moral discipline for the group and this need came to be fulfilled by the institution known as religion.  In observing religion too, the people in general have to surrender some of their social rights and some restrictions are being imposed on the individuals; but the people have gladly accepted this position as the general utility of religion is to bind the people by a common tie and to hold them together.

The religion originally started with this idea of holding the people of a certain community together and binding them together.  Every religion, that sprung up in this world, had this point in view.  It is because of this that the moral principles of all the religions in the world are more or less the same. Sometimes the practices of a religion are disliked by certain sector of a religion and then a prophet comes forward with a new religion.  The Hindu religion for example once got so much entangled in religious practices like sacrifices, in which animals were killed, that as a reaction against that, the idea of Ahimsa came into being and this resulted in the birth of Buddhism and Jainism.  If we see the ethics of these religions, it is not substantially different from the Hindu religion.

Similar is the case with the Christian, Zorastrian and Muslim religions.

Most states in the world have got their state religion.  The king is the defender of that faith.  When the state backed the religion it was natural that some fanatics started creating atrocities under the name of religion.  Even though all religions were meant for the well-being of the mankind in this world as well as in the next, still people resorted to oppression for the spread of their religion.  The Muslims have made a history in this behalf.  They take   pride in stating that they went all over the world with the Quran in one   hand and the sword in the other.  The Christian missionaries also went all   over the world for the spread of their religion.   In most places they have been found to have taken undue advantage of the poverty of the people and have converted them to Christianity by holding some temptations. 

Thus the main purpose of religion was sidetracked in many cases and the followers of the religion, which preached sympathy and kindness to others, created artrocities in the name of that religion itself.  The principle of forbearance which, was preached by Christ throughout his life was flouted most by the followers of his religion.  Thus though the ethics or the basic principles of the religion might be very good, they often remain locked up in religious books and the followers of that religion are turned into cruel fanatics by the priests, taking advantage of the reverence shown to them as the religious heads.

Bharat has looked to all these dangers in the religious field.  Though Hinduism was the original religion of the people in this country and though Buddhism and Jainism started in this country, still.  Bharat has remained   aloof from declaring any of these religions as their state religion, because in addition to the followers of the aforesaid religions, the Jews, Parsees, Muslims and the Chris­tians have also migrated to this country in sufficiently large numbers.  The golden mean of giving equal freedom to all religions is therefore adopted by Bharat by declaring itself as a secular state.  When the state adopts a religion as the state religion, the head of the religion comes   into prominence.   In the western countries where Christianity was the state religion, the Pope and Cardinal and clergy came to have a very great importance.  The religious monarchy also seemed to start a sort of a parallel organisation which used to view even with the state Government on certain issues. 

The separate state of the Pope in Rome is a daring example of the prominence that the religious heads get in a country.  In India also we find that Buddha and his Bhikshus once upon a time came into such prominence that they were virtually controlling the state.  The policies of the state were being guided by them and because of the misconstrued con­ception of Ahimsa and its application to the government rule, the state army became very weak and the enemies of the state overpowered them.   During the time of Chhatrapati Shiwaji Maharaj, the religion was given some importance; but the head of the religion never framed the policy of the government or even influenced it.  The Hindu religion no doubt got protection; but the other religions were never subdued or uprooted.  However during the time of the Peshwas, the Brahmins wielded much influence.  Though they could not much dabble with the politics, still they disturbed the social tranquility to a great extent and created lot of troubles in the private life of the Peshwas, with the result that they were not able to concentrate fully on their work in the political field.

Religion has thus so many facets; but the main function of the religion is to keep together the people of a society.  Shri Sai Baba knew this aspect of the religion very well and He therefore never enquired about the religion of His devotee on never advised him to change his mode of prayer.  The ultimate aim of all religions is the welfare of the people in this world as well as in the next.  Therefore it is no use disuading anybody from the religion that he is following.  Shri Sai Baba therefore selected all important things from the various religions and cultivated them in Shirdi and made them as a routine of the life at Shirdi.  This made the people of all religions to feel affinity for Shirdi and for Shri Sai Baba.  The Parsees, Muslims and Hindus there­fore all feel that Shirdi is a seat of their religion and a place where they can observe their religious practices with full devotion.  Let us all Sai devotees keep this secular spirit alive, which Shri Sai Baba visualized so early and which has raised the image of Bharat in the international field.

THE SCIENCE OF RELIGION

By  Swami Chinmayananda

Help Yourself

In our contacts with the world, we often look to others to help us out of the difficulties which we may now and then run into.  Others can help us, and we too can help others out of their passing troubles.  With a firm understanding built upon these experiences, we confidently believe that others can help us in our inner adjustment too.  Education is not a process of growth accomplished from any sources outside ourselves.  Teachers, books, laboratories, lectures --- these are all perhaps necessary.  For they constitute a conducive environment for the mind to gather knowledge, of schools and colleges could give education, all degree holders would be educated people! Alas, we know that how often they are not! They may all be literate, but not all educated.

So for self-development each one must independently strive in himself and by himself.  Externals such,as a Guru, the temple or church or mosque, the great scriptures, study, penance, rituals, rules of conduct etc, are all useful. But the essential factor is our own individual anxiety to improve, our sincerity in self-application for bringing about our own inner transformation. External assets may help in a transfusion of ideas, but transfor­mation is the final stage.  This can only be achieved by the individual himself,

Lord Krishna minces no matters when he says, (VI-5) "Man must lift himself by himself; and having lifted himself let him not allow himself to be dragged down. For, this Self alone is your friend, and indeed, this Self alone is your enemy".

Man should not look up to someone else to help him out of his mental distractions. He must himself, alone, all by himself, learn to give up his attachments to objects and actions, and end his mental habits of wool-gathering (sankalpa-power).  No one can directly help another in the path of self-evolution. "Lift yourself by yourself".

At certain moments in life, we suddenly get a clear picture of our own disgusting existence as hapless victims of habits and inhibitions, passions and lusts, prejudices and rivalries.  The abominable vision gives us an instant spurt of enthusiasm to improve ourselves and grow out of them all. So we behave as better men for a few days or weeks.  Then under the usual enchantments of life's cheaper thrills, we come to compromise our higher accepted values and soon we are back to our former level of existence.

          Krishna here warns us against our tendency to slip back into our former ways of living - -- our self -insulting habits of thinking and acting. "Let him not allow himself to be dragged down".

In this slow but sure climb to perfection in ourselves, in this cultural growth through self-education and self- discipline, the Geeta Acharya is particular to point out that "your own self (ego) is your own friend" and again "your own self (ego) is your own enemy". To recog­nise fully this subtle truth of life is to end all our dependence upon our outer conditions, environments and circumstances. Whatever they be, they can neither be our true friends nor our real foes.  The only friend with us, on our path to self-education; is the self.  We are ourselves both friend and foe to ourselves.  No one else can either help us or harm us.

How can one be oneself, one's own friend and enemy? This is a legitimate doubt in the mind of the serious students of the Geeta.  So Lord Krishna says, (VI-6) For him who has con­quered the self by the self, to him this self is a friend. .....but to the unconquered self, the self itself is inimical and behaves as an outside foe ".  One who has conquered his ego (self) by his own intellect (self), to him his intellectual personality is ever a friend. The unconquered intellect indeed, behaves in our inner life as an invincible foe working against ourselves.

There are neither friends nor foes for us outside: they are both really within us.  When we have an ego-personality that refuses to obey the disciplines and follow the guidance of our own intellectual personality, that ego becomes an inner saboteur of all our spiritual aspirations. If, on the other hand, our ego-personality is readily amenable to the benevolent dictates and kind guidance of our intellect, then that personality is a friend, helping us greatly in our spiritual unfoldment.  Hence the stress on meditation.

Through meditation alone an ordinary university boy, Narendra of Bengal, exploded to express himself in his life as Swami Vivekananda!

Through meditation alone Jesus emerged, from his twenty unknown years, as a resplendent God-man!

Through meditation alone did an over-dandled prince of Kapilavastu, Siddhartha, rise to the eminence of a prince of peace and compassion, Buddha!

Meditation kindles life.  It fills the personality with new vitality, strength and dash to achieve and to rebuild.  Meditation rehabilitates man's broken, tired, weary, inner personality and makes him a master of his destiny, an authority who commands the world of happenings around him.

Meditate! Meditate!! Meditate!!! This is the highest vocation in life - - - and man alone is capable of it.  You try please.  Let our arguments stop.  Let us meditate and discover for ourselves its benefits and blessings.  And in this we must help ourselves ---no one else can ever help us.

The Fully Integrated

So far we have seen that we must through an intelligent readjustment of our relationships with the outer world of objects and with the inner world of passions, come to rediscover in our­selves, all by ourselves, the power of concentration.

When this power is gained, the mind becomes rapidly avail­able for meditation.  So far so good.  But what do we gain through meditation? Is that gain, whatever it be, worth all this trouble?  Where do we reach through regular meditation?

The Lord answering this possible doubt in the mind of the student very vehemently asserts, (V-7) "To one who has con­trolled his sense and grown serene in mind, the Supreme Self is the object of his constant relation ---in heat and cold, pleasure and pain, as well as in honour and dishonour". God is not beyond our intimate experience, although He is not avail­able for us to embrace physically, to hug emotionally, or to conceive intellectually - - - as He is the very Vitality, the Essence, the life in our body, mind and intellect.  But on transcending these equipments we can live in Him, the Experience Divine.

Hence Krishna says that to one who has (1) controlled his senses (2) grown serene in mind the Supreme Self is in his constant realization.  By these two adjustments, we regulate the extrovertedness of the sense-organs and the outgoing tendencies of our inner-equipments, the mind and the intellect.  To drive home that the adjustments are to be it all three personality levels --- physical, mental and intellectual --- Vyasa uses his favourite idioms: "In cold and heat" standing for all comfortable and uncomfortable experiences at the body level; "in pleasure and pain" indicating all happy and unhappy experiences at the mental level and "in honour and dishonour" representing all pleasant and unpleasant types of intellectual experiences.

In short, this Experience Divine is not an accidental flash happening momentarily during meditation, but it is, when once gained, a constant State of Consciousness, undisturbed even when our equipments go through their varied experiences in the outer world-

Defining' and distinguishing one who has fully integrated all his personality layers, the Lord declares, (VI-8) *'He who is filled with a sense of satisfaction in his knowledge and reali­sation, who is changeless, who has conque ed his senses — -and he to whom a lump of earth, a precious stone, a bar of gold are all the same — he is said to be a fully integrated one, a Yogi". Mere knowledge can only provide intellectual joy but not full satisfaction. It is only when theoretical knowledge becomes our own experience that true wisdom dawns.  Hence Krishna describes a fully integrated person as a "one satisfied in his knowledge and in his realisation".

Such an entity remains firm as a mountain, under all cir­cumstances, established permanently in his experience Divine and hence he is the one who is "changeless." This term is a metaphorical phrase.  Literally it means one who remains like an anvil.  On the anvil the blacksmith hammers out his pieces of iron into various required shapes. The anvil changes not - - - but the iron-pieces hammered on it change their shapes.  A fully integrated man is one who lives without himself changing even though others around him may change in contact with him.  Hence, in the context, the term "changeless" means, "one who is incorruptible in his infinite experience; one who cannot be cheated by the temptations around him" so he is described as "one who has conquered his senses"

Such a personality --- (1) who is satisfied in his knowledge and an experience of the Self (2) who is incorruptible and (3) who has conquered his senses - - - is, declares the Lord, "a fully in­tegrated one, a true Yogi". What exactly is the sign of one who has attained this State? He will not be tempted ever again by the glittering world of objects; to him a clod of earth, a precious jewel, a bar of gold, are all of the same value!  He no more seeks his joys and satisfactions, comforts and fulfilments in the world-of-objects outside him.  He has discovered in himself the Source of all Bliss, the Self.

Lord Krishna   elaborates   upon   the   theme   when   he   says, ''He attains  excellence   (among  the   Yogis)  who has an equal vision for well-wishers and friends,  for foes and neutrals and arbiters, for the kith and   kin and the hateful, and for the saint and the sinner".  We, in our different relationships with different people, maintain different attitudes towards them.  These differences are only at the level of our matter vestures: in our physical looks, in our emotional natures and in our own intellec­tual values.  But deep down, we are all one, in the pure Self.  The Life-Spark that glows in all bosoms is one and the same, One who has contacted this Self in himself, and has recognised that the Self in him is the Self in all, thereafter he can maintain no relationships without recognising  this ultimate Oneness under­lying all things and beings.

Self-realisation is not a mere awakening to a higher plane of Consciousness, but the kindling of a fresh  Light to illumine the world around us.  Our entire view of life becomes transformed.  No more is there an egocentric view of life.  There is a universal sense of belonging and oneness - - - an expansion within, sufficient to embrace the whole cosmos and wrap it up with  Love.    This discovery of Oneness is the Cathedral of Joy, the Dome of Peace, the Temple of Contentment!

 

(Courtesy : Geeta Office, Powai)

SHRI GURUCHARITRA

By:- Shri S. N. Huddar

(Continued from  'November   1976 issue) CHAPTER-45

Poet Narhari Becomes a Disciple of Shri Guru

Once some disciples took Shri Guru to their town Hipperge.  This is a holy place of Kalleshwar.  A Brahmin Narhari lived there.  He was a great devotee of God Kalleshwar.  He daily composed five new stanzas in praise of Kalleshwar and worshipped him devotedly.

People told him the greatness of Shri Guru and requested him to compose poems in his praise.  But Narhari said, 'I have sold my tongue to Kalleshwar and I shall not compose poems in praise of a human being'.

As usual he went to the temple to worship Kalleshwar.  While worshipping, he had a nap and he got asleep.  He saw a dream that Shri Guru was sitting on the Shiva Lingua and that he was worshipping Shri Guru.  Later the Linga disappeared and Shri Guru only was seen.  Shri Guru smiled and asked him 'You do not believe in a human being and then why are you worshipping me?'

Narhari awoke and wondered about the dream.  He repented for underestimating Shri Guru Narsimha Saraswati, who was an incarnation of Shri Shiva. Immediately he went to see Shri Guru, bowed to him and said, 'Kindly forgive me.  Without knowing your greatness I under estimated you, but now I know that you are Kalleshwar himself.

When Kamdhenu is at home, why should one be anxious?  Kindly let me have your blessings.  I wish to serve you hereafter.  Saying this he began to praise Him.

Shri Guru was pleased.  He gave clothes to Narhari and accepted him as his disciple.  Shri Guru said to him, 'Kalleshwar is great.  You continue to worship him.  Narhari said, 'When you yourself are Kalleshwar, why should I worship other Kalleshwar?  I shall not go away leaving thy feet now.  In this way, Narhari poet also became a great devotee of Shri Guru.

CHAPTER-46

Shri Guru Visits Eight Places at One Time

At the time of Diwali festival, seven devotees of Shri Guru came to Ganagapur Math and requested Shri Guru to come to their places for Diwali. As Shri Guru loved them all alike, it was a problem before him as to whose invitation should be accepted, Shri Guru said to them, 'You decide among yourselves as to whom I should go first.’

Each devotee wished that Shri Guru should come to him first.  So they could not decide and began to quarrel, Shri Guru called the devotees one by one and told each to them 'I shall come to you, but do not disclose this to anyone.’ All the seven devotees thereafter went back to their respective places.

When the devotees of Ganagapur knew this, they requested Shri Guru, ‘You should not go out of Ganagapur for Diwali.'  Shri Guru promised them also that he would be there, and that they need not worry.

In the morning of Narak Chaturdashi day, Shri Guru took eight forms and went to 7 places of 7 devotees and also stayed at Gangapur Math.  He accepted Puja in all the places.

Later the devotees gathered at Ganagapur for Deeparadhan on the Kartik pournima.  Each one told that Shri Guru had been to him in Diwali and showed the cloth presented to him by Shri Guru.  The people of Ganagapur said, 'Shri Guru was here in the Math during Diwali.'  But on seeing the articles presented by Shri Guru all realised that Shri Guru had taken 8 forms in Diwali and they all were amazed.  The conviction that Shri Guru is the incarnation of Trimurties became more firm and they adored him with greater devotion.

CHAPTER. 47

Parbati had Bumper Crops even in Scarcity

There lived a pious farmer, named Parbati, in Ganagapur.  He used to bow to Shri Guru when he went to Sangam in the morning and again at midday when Shri Guru returned.  His field was on the way to the Sangam.  Once Shri Guru asked himr "Why do you take this trouble daily? What is your desire?"

Parbati said, "I wish that my field yields a good crop."

Shri Guru, "what have you sown?"

Parbati said that jawar was sown in his field.  He further added, "It is due to your favour that this year the crop is good.  I wish that you should kindly come to my field and have a look at the crop by your sight which showers nectar.'

Shri Guru went to the field, looked at the crop and said, 'If you have faith in me, do as I bid you.'

Parbati said, 'I shall obey you from the bottom of my heart.'

Shri Guru - 'Till I return at midday, cut off this crop.’  Saying so, Shri Guru went to the Sangam.

Parbati approached the Revenue Officer and asked him to permit him to reap the crop on the rent as per the previous year.

The Officer said, 'This year the crop is good, hence the old rent will not suffice.'

Parbati said, 'I shall pay double the rent.  So please give me permission.'  The Officer agreed and granted the permission.

Parbati took some men with him, went to the field and reaped the crop.  His wife and children tried to prohibit him; but he did not listen to them.  The wife then complained to the Officer, 'The crop is good this year; but before the harvest, my husband is reaping the field on the advice of a Sanyasi and is depriving us of food.  Kindly prohibit him to cut the crop.'

The Officer sent his men to ask Parbati why he was reaping the field before the harvest.  Parbati said, 'If the Officer has doubt of getting the rent; I shall pay the corn from the reserve and keep my cattle at his door.'

Parbati reaped all the crop.  Seeing that Shri Guru was returning from the Sangam, he bowed to Him and reported that he had cut the crop as instructed.

Shri Guru - 'You have reaped in vain!'

Parbati - 'I have reaped the crop as advised by you.  I have full faith in you.'

Shri Guru - 'You will have the fruit of your devotion.  The wife and children of Parbati said that they have lost their food.  Parbati consoled them by saying, 'Shri Guru is Shri Shiva incarnate.  With his blessing, we shall have no loss.  He told us to do this due to some unforeseen reason.'

In about a week, there was a severe cold and all the crops in the country were lost.  Then on Mul Nakshatra, there was heavy rain, which was also harmful to the crops; but Parbati's field yielded hundred times more crop of good quality.  All wondered to see this.  The wife and children of Parbati also rejoiced.  They begged apology of Parbati and repented for underestimating Shri Guru.

Worshipping the field crop, Parbati and his wife went to Shri Guru and worshipped Him devotedly.

Shri Guru inquired about their welfare and blessed them.  Parbati informed the Officer that he had 100 times more crop and so he was ready to give the half of it by way of rent as all the crops in the country had failed.

The Officer said, 'Give only that much which has been agreed.  We can't accept more.  You enjoy the fruit of your devotion.  Parbati paid the Government rent, distributed some corn to the Brahmins and to the poor and took the rest to his home.

(to be continued)

PUBLICATION  OF A NEW SERIES

The publication of Shri Gurucharitra, part of which is appearing in every issue of this magazine, will get over by March 1977.  If any of our readers has got a similar book in view in any of the 'fourteen national languages, he may forward its English translation to us for publication.  While selecting the book, care should be taken to see that its English version has not been published anywhere so far.  The script may please be typed on one side of the page and the matter, which would cover round about fifteen pages of this magazine, may please be forwarded to us before the end of February 1977 at the latest. — Editor.

SAINT GADGEMAHARAJ

By Dr. S. D. Parchure M, A,, Ph. D. '(Continued from November 1976 issu)

The episode in which Dhebuji came into the clutches of the Sawkar (money lender) of Dapuri is very instructive and interesting and it was because of that personal experience that Dhebuji came to have so very strong reaction against money lenders and loans.  It is therefore necessary to know the full details of the incident.

In the east side of Dapuri on the bank of the Poorna river there was a big   piece of land belonging to the Sawkar of the village.  The land was quite fertile; but proper care of it was not being taken and hence it was not   yielding good  income.   Chandrabhanji, the maternal uncle of Dhebuji, thought of purchasing that land.  He therefore negotiated with the Sawkar for that land.   The Sawkar was a very cunning fellow.   He always used to take «uch opportunity to catch such simpletons like Chandrabhanji in his net.    He was a Villain  through and through.   He was like the person described   in the Sanskrit Shloka

which means that he was a person whose tongue was very sweet, though he was having strong prison in his heart.

When Chandrabhanji approached the Sawkar for the purchase of the abdve land, he said, "Well, Chandrabhanji,  why have you taken the trouble of visiting a poor man's humble residence?'

A simpleton like Chandrabhanji was completely overpowered by such sweet introduction.  He told the Sawkar his intension to purchase the fanti belonging to him, provided he was willing to sell it.

After hearing this Sawkar smiled and said,-"Chandrabhanji, you are the farmer who toils and moils in the field. I am not a farmer..   I have got to till and plant my fields by hired labour.  You will make proper use of my land.   I will therefore be glad to sell the land to you.    What will you give me as the price of my land?"

The Sawkar quoted in the beginning a very high figure as the cost of his land, so that Chandrabhanji should not get the land for a low price.  After great higgling and haggling, the price was fixed, and the Sawkar asked Chandrabhanji purposely, "Chandrabhan, have you brought the money with you?" When Chandrabhan answered in the negative, the Sawkar was glad from within, because he knew that this was an opportunity to deceive one more poor soul and to add to his fortune.  Ultimately what­ever money was brought by Chandrabhan with him was paid to the Sawkar and it was agreed that the rest of the amount would be paid within the next two years with interest.

Chandrabhanji remained true to his words and paid the balance amount to the Sawkar within the period of two years as per his agreement; but the transaction of purchase was not purposely completed by the Sawkar. Chandrabhanji approached the Sawkar several times with a request to complete the transaction of sale; but every time the Sawkar would give him some excuse or the other and thus postpone the completion of the sale transaction.  The Sawkar was a money lender for Dapuri and other fifty villages round about.  He was an influential person even with the Government officials.  It was therefore not possible for a meek and straightforward person like Chandrabhanji to bring him round.  Not knowing the real inner motive of the Sawkar, Chandrabhanji relied on his outer sweet talk and kept quiet.

Chandrabhanji now had a sufficiently big farm.  He was getting good produce from the fields and was therefore able to live with a pretty good status.  He commanded respect in the village.  His son and two daughters had attained the marriagable age according to the custom of the time.  He therefore thought of marrying them.  He searched for suitable matches and within a period of three to four years, he celebrated the marriages of his son Baliram, and his two daughters Kamalja and fiati.   In those days, the people in the villages had a peculiar idea about their prestige.  They always thought that a marriage must be celebrated with a certain pomp and show, whether it suited their pocket or not. In order to be able to make that pomp and show, their only source was loan and it was freely taken without thinking of the consequences. Chandrabhanji also fell a prey to these ideas of his time and went to the Sawkar for loan for the celebration of the marriages in his house.

          This unscrupulous Sawkar, who was too willing to entangle such customers like Chandrabhanji said to him, with an artificial smile on his face, when he went to the Sawkar for loan, "Oh; Chandrabhanji, you are a big land­lord of your village.  We people must be at your service and we should always help you in your need.  If you wanted money for the weddings in your house, you should have simply sent me a word.  I would have immediately arranged for the money.  Why did you take the trouble of coming so far?"

These sweet words of the Sawkar pleased Chandrabhanji to a great extent and he took the loan from him.  The Sawkar was laughing in his sleeves with the satisfaction that the fish was now fully caught in his net.  Chandrabhanji was at the helm of all affairs.  His father Hambirrao was pretty aged and he did not now take interest in the household affairs so Chandrabhanji did all these things at the back of the old man and without consulting anybody in the house.

Years were thus rolling on.   Chandrabhanji was getting good produce in his fields and a part of it was always going to the Sawkar towards repayment of the loan and interest Chandrabhanji had full faith, in the sweet talk of the Sawkar and therefore he never worried, even though the Sawkar did not pass any receipts for the grain paid to him, even after requesting him to do so. Year after year Chandrabhanji thus went on paying the produce out of his fields to the Sawkar, who did not pass him any receipt.  On the other hand because of his blind faith in the Sawkar, he went on giving thumb impressions whenever requested by the Sawkar.  The result of all this was that no repayment of the loan was recorded in the account books of the Sawkar, but the interest went no mounting by leaps and bounds.

After some time the Sawkar decided to stage the last scene of the drama. When he had some spare time, he sent for Chandrabhanji, who thought that the Sawkar honoured him by giving this invitation.   On his arrival at the Sawkar's house, he received Chandrabhanji with a smile and stood him a good feast.   After the feast was over, when they were relaxing a little, the Sawkar called his clerk and asked him to furnish the amount outstanding against Chandrabhanji.   The clerk was trained well in maintaining false accounts and he accordingly quoted a big amount as the loan and interest due from Chandrabhanji.   On hearing that figure, Chandrabhan almost collapsed.   He knew for certain that he had been paying so much of his produce to the Sawkar every year and therefore the loan taken by him must have been wiped out by now or at the most some one or two hundred rupees might be outstanding, which he might pay during the next harvest season.

The Sawkar exactly wanted this thing to happen.   He then tried to pacify Chandrabhanji and said, '-Chandrabhanji, Don't you worry in the least.  You are an honest man, whom I do not want to deceive.   I am not hankering after money or land; but you will agree that all accounts should be cleared once for all.  So you can arrange to pay my amount in a day or two."

The Sawkar knew very well that it was next to impossible for Chandrabhanji to pay the amount in cash and hence he would himself request him to suggest some other way out of the situation and then he would get the proper opportunity for which he had been waiting all these days Chandrabhanji accordingly expressed his inability to pay the amount and requested the Sawkar to find some way out of it.   So ultimately in order to favour Chandra­bhanji, the Sawkar suggested that Chandrbhanji should mortgage some of his land with him so as to settle the account.

It now dawned upon Chandrabhanji why the Sawkar was so hospitable to him; but he had no other go than to submit to the proposal of the Sawkar. Though he had been paying the corn to the Sawkar out of the produce of his fields, he was simply aghast to know the outstandings in his name. Chandrabhanji had failed to get the receipts from the Sawkar in respect of the corn he was paying and therefore he had no proof to show that he had paid at least a part of the loan.  He had ultimately to agree to the proposal of the Sawkar and to mortgage fiftysix acres of his land to the Sawkar in lieu of a loan of Rs. One thousand six hundred and twentyfive for a period of three years.  This shock was too much for Chandrabhanji.  He had done this transaction as the head of the family, without taking any member of the family into confidence, so his heart broke and he started going down every day.  This shock ultimately resulted in his untimely death, leaving his old father Hambirrao, his wife Kautikabai, his son and his nephew Dhebuji in great grief and distress.

The stream of life is such that it may be hampered for a while with such shocks and disturbances, but it can never stop altogether.  It has got to move ahead.  Though Dhebuji was comparatively young when his uncle Chandrabhanji passed away, still he tightened up his lions knowing fully well that his grand­father Hambirrao was now too old to face any odds.  So long as Dhebuji was doing the work in the fields of his uncle with zest and by the grace of god and his toil the fields nourished and gave them good produce; but Dhebuji had so far not taken any interest in the financial matters of his uncle.   In fact he knew that he was subsisting on the benevolent attitude of his uncle and he was under his obligations.   It was therefore proper for him to remain out of the financial affairs of the family; but the changed situation could not now allow him to remain neutral.  The mort­gage of the land to the Sawkar, the passing away of his uncle Chandrabhanji and the young age of his cousin Baliram, the son of Chandrabhanji, made him take up the family affairs fully in his hand.

The whole family of his uncle, was honest in all their dealings.  As Dhebuji was brought up in that house from his childhood, he also was a very honest and straightforward man,  though he suspected some foul play at the end of the Sawkar, still he decided to fight with the situation as it was.   He knew that, the mortgage of the land was for a period of three years.   Because of the fertile nature of the land, he was sure that during this period he would pay off the loan.   He therefore started working still more hard in the field, so that the fields should give the maximum return.   At the same time the whole family decided to observe utmost economy in their expenditure. Because of the mortgage, the Sawkar used to take away most of the corn from the field towards repayment of the loan and interest.   The family therefore could get hardly anything to eat.   The habit of eating rough food and observing utmost economy was infused into the blood of Dhebuji during this period and it helped him a lot in his future life.

(to be continued)

THIRD GATHERING AT SHIRDI

The Third Gathering of the contributors to Shri Sai Leela magazine is proposed to be held at Shirdi in the last week of January 1977. Complete programme of the gathering will be published in issue for the month of January 1977. — Editor.

MYSTERY   OF   BIRTH

1.       Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi helps those who help themselves with faith in HIM independently surrender, dedicate and meditate on HIM with purified devotion.

2.       Every one knows that a man or woman, born or dropped into this universe, is from an atom of Brahman, the GREATER.  But what for? You should know it is only to think of HIM, meditate on HIM and surrender to HIM with purified devotion, so that you can go back to HIM.  Yes, to go back and rejoin HIM is the purpose for which you have come into this mundane world.  To pray HIM and reach HIM back, you should pray.  To pray, you should possess sufficient physical energy, strength and concentration to meditate and dedicate and thus surrender at HIS LOTUS FEET.  To obtain this strength, you should eat but not live to eat.  To eat you should have food and to get food you should earn.  To earn you should toil hard honestly.

3.       Thus you have been given a test in the world to see how far you are firm and faithful to Brahman, and to see how you stand the vigour of test-an acid test - indeed and how you can attain the goal by vanishing or killing temptation for material benefit without any attachment to the mundane objects.  That is the cause of your birth but not to forget this purpose and get lost in the mundane world, manifest with the illusion shadowing around with a veil, challenging you with all wicked forces dragging and drifting you away from good.  Thus make a victim of situation, circumstances and environments in the filthy atmosphere for worldly desires of amassing illgottom wealth.   Power, pomp, false glory and lust with an ego, which is transient are mainfest in man.

4.       Man least realises, though he is endowed with the power of realisation and discretion that the mundane objects and acquire­ments are illusion and that the body decays and dies (the Atom leaves) or the Atom casts off its Kavacba or covering and takes a new form or creation according to its past Karma.   Your possessions and your self perish but not the INNER SOUL, THE ATHMAN, which is ever glowing Sacred, sublime and supreme light, since the Athman is from Brahman, which is ever existing and never ending; and so, the Athman seeks to go back and join the Brahman, when its mission is finally over in the world.  Like the water of the sacred rivers, where much of impurity is mixed, but their water remains pure.

5.       What is the mistery behind the man's birth - everyone knows, but no one realises - just imagine that out of a drop of Dhatu Bindnu, a liquid fluid drop - a figure is carved out of a human feminine body as also other creatures in the universe with different shapes, description - all but a mass of flesh with bones and nerves, suiting different climates, food and conditions in water, land and air. The figure of a man is shaped and set with different organs, each to function its duty independently with nine outlets.  Each organ is endowed with separate exclusive power to function on its own without any inter-linking or inter-dependence between them.  What one organ does, the other cannot.  They are of course connected to each other by instinct to one central box - the brain, which is endowed with the power of thinking, discriminating and directing.

6.       Who on earth can tell, may not even the latest advanced modern Scientist, with all his exhaustive research for space and atom, what this miracle is. Take the organ "THE EYE" which is also out of the same dhatu bindhu - has the power to see - only good things - but not bad ones-so is the case with every other organ.

7.       Could the modern advanced Scientist, a Research Scholar, a Moon goer or an atom blaster make a human form with the functioning of the organ from any other material, chemical liquid or fluids?  He must be first born, created by God and by accident of birth as ordained by the Lord, man can then become a Scientist and carry on research on the Moon, Star or any planet or even go nearer to Sun, blast an atom or a Hydrogen bomb and destroy the world, but can he win God? Become God himself? That is the divine Supreme and super-power the creator - the Brahman - a mystery - since one cannot see or know where and how it is.

8.       A man of flesh developed into a body with bones, ner­ves, lungs, heart etc. etc. with joints to facilitate movement as desired and this structure covered to shape the body with skin with no fire or grinder inside; but the food, solid or liquid, you take is ground and some part of it is changed into blood and marrow, to give strength to the body and thus automatically pump it with its own mysterious God made mechanism - a wonder - but once it stops functioning no one can revive it and that is the end of a human being.  Even the body does not retain any excess food but rejects the same as excreta and water (urine).

9.       The Supreme Power - the universal Divine Power - God has not made the human being only from the sexual mating or by congugal bliss, but has also made several millions of creatures on the earth, in different ways even under water and air by His Supreme power of creation, with conditions suited to their areas.

10.     Now it should be accepted without dispute, by common sense that God is above man.  It may be noted here, as you all know, that a frog lives within a solid rock - how it breathes -where is the air, water and food for this creature - particularly a creature mostly inclined to live in water.  Can man make such creations?  Is it possible for our revered and learned scientists to do such things?  No - it is impossible. Apart from such living creatures, there are forests, vegetation, plants, food products for human beings and other creatures to exist, in addition to water, air and heat the necessities without which no living being can or will survive.  If it is not God - the Omnipotent, the Omnipresent -who can do these miracles?

11.     Here lies the hidden Secret - the mystery - the miracle of man's birth, which we should ponder over, since this cannot be realised, known or revealed by any one.  It is only here that one should realise the existence of God - the Unseen Power.  It is sheer accident of birth ordained by the Lord according to one's past Karma that we are born in different environments, society and status and as such are we not bound to be indebted, to be grateful to realise and repay our gratitude to that Almighty – God - Omnipotent and Omnipresent  The Brahman? Should we not therefore struggle, strain, exert and endeavour to get back to HIM our father - from where we came humans endowed with sense organs, with discretionary powers, as loyal and dutiful children of God the Universal Father?

12.     The Law of evolution and revolution is a fundamental principle in anything and everything.   Any object, creature or man that moves from one particular place, should in the natural routine course go back, rejoin, or reach the starting point or place.  That is the law of nature.  To quote a simple   example - a man goes out on work from his house, a bird from its nest, a beast or an animal from its dwelling place for food etc. will naturally return to its dwelling place by night.   Even the planets, the Sun, Moon and Stars   appear according to their set times disappear and reappear.  Similarly in our   birth, we came from Brahman and we should go to HIM.   Unless and until   one knows and realises  this theory he cannot understand the purpose of his existence or the goal of his life and birth-

13.     Are the   mundane, materialistic and artificial objects   illgot wealth, power, prompts ego-and status eternal and permanent? No, not at al.l   In your existence in the world, eternal or the mundane objects, you love, adore and admire do not come with you, when you leave this world. Those are materially acquired, artificially got by wicked and foul means by egoism, selfishness, hatred, pride and threat by brutal and barbaric acts of violences as a wild and ferocious beast pouncing on an innocent weak creature for its prey.  Man is endowed with some sense of understanding and discretory realising and feeling capacity.  He is not supposed to resort to   such acts for acquiring temporary glory, pomp, power and status - which is nothing but ego.

14.     Granting that a man has acquired all, is he to enjoy, possess them eternally and do they accompany him when he dies? Why should they be acquired at all? How far and what for is this temporary desire? It is on the contrary. The more one possesses, the more worries, anxiety, mental agony, bodily ills will haunt him. So that is not worth possessing. Why should one possess that and what for?

15.     To quote an example - take the case of a materialistic, great, big or rich man and a spiritually disposed great   saint   or seer.    Both are men.  Both   live - the former in a mansion with all luxuries, the latter all alone, solitary, secluded and isolated in an Ashram - a hut - with no  luxuries or men to attend on him -all % self help - self served.  The former wades through in the storm of wicked world with all vicious surroundings, thoughts, desires, deeds with no goal in sight for salvation or God realisation - for Moksham or Mukti.    Only this man's name and fame will echo in public, only for a temporary period so long he is in lime light with some position or status.    The moment he is pulled down from his position or status, none will recognise or even look at him.  He dies a miserable death with all wicked   ideas, thoughts and deeds of past, surrounding him.  Some may die in harness.   Although they might have  lived a luxurious life with pomp and power and some even a most exciting life still what a contrast?  The same man if he were a saint, a seer, spiritually devoted, dedicated, living and meditating in an ashram (hermitage) away and unconcerned of the wicked and vicious world, detached from the mundane objects, surrendered to the LOTUS FEET of the ALMIGHTY for God realisation,   salvation,   Mukti   or   Moksha contented  and satisfied,   with his hermitage life,   he is loved and revered and  respected by  all.    This saint or seer is enemy to none.    He is striving to guide the people and steering them to the path of divinity.    This saint or seer has no anxieties, worries or ambitions.  His food even is restricted.  His only aim in life or the goal is to reach Brahman from where he came.  To that place he seeks to go back.  That should be the aim of a man.  Only such soul finally reaches the goal by rejoining Brahman and gets rid of the wretched birth in the world again, not to live a tempting, dodging, deceitful, purposeless and vicious worldly life.

16.     History repeats itself.  Great men come and go.  Their greatness is inscribed on their epitaphs - none to read - men who conquered the world materially for pomp and power and there is none among them who conquered HIM - the Almighty.  But those saints, sages and seers with no pomp or power, left behind them, the Vedic rituals, philosophy religious and scientific teaching for people, to attain Moksha, Mukti or salvation to spread in the world are remembered.  A sacred task, for man's salvation is performed by them for which we have to express gratitude, feel grateful and bow to such seers in reverence.

17.     Should every one observe or follow this path or principle? This world will not be as wicked as existing. That depends on them - as a test by the Creator - of course all cannot acquire and pass as in the School examination - some fail and some pass.

(to be continued)

 

B.  Ramanadha Rao

Sri Saikutir,  

Madras,

SHRI SAI TEMPLES

We have to remind our readers and contributors to forward their articles describing the Sai temples in their vicinity - Editor

SAI IS OUR SAVIOUR

I was born in a village in the Ratnagiri District and I spent my young age upto fifteen years in that village.  Worship of God, visiting the temple, observance of religious festivals these were the practices that we followed there, as was being commonly done in other villages in India.  Because of this religious oriented atmosphere that prevailed around me in my childhood, I was an idol worshiper in my early life; but later on as I became acquain­ted with the other schools of Indian philosophy, I started thinking independently and I came to the conclusion that god, the almighty, pervades everywhere and He is therefore called Omnipresent.  He is therefore present not only in the idol; but He is present everywhere.  In addition to the idol of God, I there­fore started looking upon every object in this world us a place of abode of God.

This channel of thought did not reduce my respect for idols, but it also created a respect in my mind for all other objects created by God.

Because of the aforesaid religious background of my mind, I had reverence for all Gods and all great saints.  I had heard about Shri Sai Baba from some of my friends, connected with the film industry.  Many of them used to say that before starting the shooting of a new film, they must go to Shirdi and fall at Shri Baba's feet.  Though I used to listen to these talks about Shri Sai Baba with interest, I never thought of going to Shirdi.  Of course as Shri Sai Baba used to say, perhaps the time for my visit was not ripe and therefore Shri Sai did not attract me to His feet.

Recently it so happened that my elder brother late Prof. D. D. Parchure was attracted by Shri Baba to Him.  He took keen interest in the Sai Leela magazine and the biography of Shri Sai Baba.  He first of all composed a small book on the life of Shri Sai Baba in Marathi for the children.  This book has become very popular among the children and the Shirdi Sansthan has already published editions of the same in English and Gujrati.  Similar editions in other languages are qn their way. Prof. D. O. Parchure also composed a series of eight keertans on the various incidents in the life qn Shri Baba, in which he explained the whole philosophy of Shri Sai Baba. These keerta.as in Marathi are also published by Shirdi Sansthan. The present get up of the Sai Leela magazine and the idea of separating the English version from the Marathi one are the fruits of his, ingenuity and his, keen interest in spreading Shri Baba's teachings and philosophy.  While Prof. Parchure was working as the Editor of this magazine, he told me to contribute some articles to Shri Sai Leela, as he knew that I used to contribute to some Marathi magazines; but some­how this also did not materialize.  Though I was writing articles, on some other subjects, I was a bit diffident whether I would be able to do proper justice to the philosophical subject; but apart from my diffidence, I feel that Shri Sai Baba did not still consider me fit to be admitted to His fold.

Time was rolling on in this fashion and I was not coming close to Shri Sai Baba; but ultimately, though under very sad circumstances, my contact with the Shirdi Sansthan was established.  Prof. D. D. Parchure got a, sudden heart attack on 1-6-73 and he succumbed to it.  Shri Pathaksaheb, the Court Receiver got non - plussed at the loss of a close friend like Prof Parchure.  He could not think of anyone, who would ably shoulder the responsibilities of the editorial job, of this magazine and as ill-luck would have it, the first article that I wrote in this magazine was about the sad demise of my brother Prof. Parchure! It was really an irony of fate that as per the request of my brother, instead of writing an article on some philosophical subject, I had to contribute an article on his demise; but perhaps this led Shri Pa,thaksaheb to request me to take up the editorship of this magazine. Luckily I was due to retire from service from July and I agreed to take up the job as, a sort of a   pastime.

Since that time I am doing this work, I can't say that I am an able substitute for my brother; but I feel that I have been able to keep the wagons moving for the last three years.

After joining the Shirdi Sansthan as an editor of Shri Sai Leela, I studied the various books that have been written on the life of Shri Sai Baba and reverence and devotion were cultivated in my mind.  In the early months of 1974. a gathering of the contributors to Shri Sai Leela was held at Shirdi and that was my first visit to Shirdi. T he stately statue of Shri Sai Baba impressed me much and the whole atmosphere in the Samadhi Mandir made me feel the presence of Shri Sai Baba in every nook and corner of Shirdi. The gathering made me a confirmed devotee of Shri Sai Baba and I came into contact at that time with many other sincere devotees of Shri Baba.  I also had the occasion to listen to the favours showered on the devotees by Shri Sai Baba from time to time.

Some people, who had the experience of Shri Sai's favours, now started asking me whether 1 had at any time to request Shri Baba to relieve me from the clutches of any calamity and my reply used be, 'Shri Sai Baba is always showering His favours on me and He does not allow calamities to befall on me, so that I, may be required to call for His help to get me out of the difficulties; but because of this extra favour Shri Sai Baba thought that I might get puffed up and my devotion may be loosened a little.  Hence recently He showed to me His Leela and putting me in apparent difficult situation, He then showered upon me His divine favour, which I intend to narrate here.

Some time before, I have joined a Co-operative Housing Society.  I paid some two instalments towards the cost of my block and the third had become due.  I got a letter from the Secretary of the society, in the last week of September, 1976 informing me to pay the next instalment of Rs. 7,000/- by the 1st of October 1976.  As I knew the secretary very well, I went to him for requesting him to give me some more time.  As somepeople, from whom I was to receive some money, had promisedme to repay my money latest by the 5th of October 1976, I passed on a cheque for Rs. 7.000/- to the secretary, but I dated it as 15th October 1976, bearing in my mind the promises from my friends regarding the repayment of money.  Day after day was passing by, but the promises regarding repayment were not materializing  as expected.   Some money did come; but I could hardly collect five thousand rupees upto the morning of the 14th October 1976.   On   the  morning  of  that day, I  prayed to Shri Sai Baba and told Him that my prestige was at stake.    "I   have tried my best to collect the money from my friends as per their promises; but they have not been able to keep up their promises.