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There
is an interesting story of one of
Baba’s many miracles. Chandpatil
was once riding through the forest
when suddenly he felt an acute urge to
smoke. To his great dismay he found
that he did not have the wherewithal
to ignite a fire to light his Chelum
with. Seeing Sai Baba seated under a
tree, the rider approached him for a
match. Baba had no matches, but just
for thrusting the tongs nearly, he
produced a flame. The rider witnessing
the miracle, realizes and recongnises
Baba’s divine stature and kneels to
the Saint in humble gratitude. |
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Within a very short
time of Sai Baba’s arrival at
Shirdi, the villagers pointing ot him
called him ‘Sa’ – which being
interpreted in ‘God with us”.
These simple folk also hailed him as
an Avatar of the age. Thus, in a
moment was resurrected the immortal
Saint of Shirdi – Shri Sai Baba, the
great apostle of love
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The
hunger of a Guru’s heart for the
love of his bhaktas is not
sufficiently recognized. Here is one
such instance of a devotee’s burning
love for the master. Baijabai daily
sought out Baba in the forest where he
lived in the early days, in order to
bring him food which she lovingly
prepared for him. Baba raises his hand
in a gesture of blessing and his eyes
light up with gratitude. The Guru has
his needs and longings too, and this
is an alluring facet of the Guru
Bhakta relationship.
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In the
very beginning, Sai Baba was in the
habit of going to a few houses in the
neighbourhood to beg for food. At
times Baba would scold a grudging
housewife by saying – “Mother you
have so many Chapaties, so much rice
and this or that vegetable in your
pots, why refuse a bit of food to a
fakir”! This gentle chastisement and
the accuracy of the strange fakir’s
prouncement would remove the veil of
maya from these women who would then
rush to put their all at his feet, as
an offering of love.
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Sai
Baba often cooked a hotch-potch of
vegetables, rice and spices all mixed
together in this ‘magic’ earthern
pot. The food that Baba made seemed to
grow in abudncance and there was
always enough for everyone. Verily,
the touch of a sat-purusha unlocks the
storehouse of the Goddess
Annapoorna’s unlimited resources.
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Sai
Baba abandons himself to the mood of
divine ecstasy through music. Like the
lord of dancers Nataraja, Baba too
loses himself in the Cosmic dance,
symbolizing the primal rhythmic energy
of life.
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| Baba
explaing Geeta |
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| SAI BABA IN DARBAR IN DWARKAMAI |
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“They
that are whole need not a physician,
but they that are sick” Sai Baba’s
profound love and compassion for
suffering humanity are manifested
here, as he gently tends a lepers
sores.
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Sai
Baba distributing the holy ‘udhi’
– the panacea for all troubles –
to his bhaktas. ‘Udhi’ is the ash
that drops from the holy fire kindled
by Baba a hundred years ago. The great
master was wont to use this ash for
healing the sick, thus investing the
udhi with great power by this gesture.
Even now the sick and the unhappy
alike are healed if they take this
divine medicine with faith.
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Shri
Sai Baba was very found of children.
He used to spend part of his day in
playing, chit chatting or humouring
with them.
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Sai
Baba is going inprocession from the
Dwarka Mayee to the Chavadi, according
by this veteran devotees, Bhaktas thus
escorted Baba to his destination with
all the ceremonial honours due to a
king – for, was he not in fact the
king of kings?
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Here
Sai Baba is seen sitting on the steps
of the famous Dwara Mayee mosque at
Shirdi, absorbed in the divine
thraldom of music. Baba’s
appreciation of talent, and the warm
encouragement he gave to those who had
talent were priceless gifts from his
immeasurable divinity.
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The
Saint of Shirdi had ‘green’
fingers, for all that he sowed and
planted would blossom forth into fruit
and flower. Here the divine gardener
is seen tending and watering the
plants in the Lendi Gardens.
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Service
is te badge of God’s kingdom. Radha
Krishna Mai, a lady of good family
voluntarily assumed the duty of
sweeping the ashram compound daily. This was her way of showing her adoration for her Master Sai
Baba.
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The
15th of October 1918
was a sorrowful and fateful day
for the little village of
Shirdi, for in the heavy hours
of the noon, the beloved Master
suddenly breathed his last.
Quietly and unobtrusively, Baba,
gave up his body, and let his
head fall gently on the
shoulders of a near disciple.
The great “Avtar’s”
glorious period of Messiahship,
his self attotted labour of
love, came to an abrupt end. All
the magic light seemed to have
died out that erstwhile had
given to thousands of seekers
courage and hpe and inspiration
in a moment all the chambers of
the ashram seemed emptied of
delight and a stranger
desolation filled each heart.
But not for long for,
resurrection ever keeps pace
with and outlives the foreces of
death and destruction. The great
Avtar of Love and Compassion
gave up his body so that his
spirit may be resurrected in the
hearts of thousands of his ever
growing bhaktas.
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| Samadhi
Mandir |
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