Personality of SaiBaba

[SS91]

Contact of Sai Baba in Shirdi was like our study of Veda and Tantra; it quieted our Sansar (world consciousness) and rendered self-realization easy.

 The darshan of Shri Sai was our Yoga-sadhana, and talk with Him removed our sins. Shampooing His Legs was our bath in Triveni Prayag, and drinking the holy water of His Feet destroyed our desires.

To us, His commands were Vedas, and accepting (eating) His Udi (sacred ashes) and Prasad was all purifying. He was our Shri Krishna and Shri Ram, Who gave us solace, and He was our Para Brahma (Absolute Reality). He was Himself beyond the pair of Dwandwas (opposite), never dejected nor elated. He was always engrossed in His Self as 'Existence, Knowledge and Bliss.

' Shirdi was His centre; but His field of action extended far wide, to Punjab, Calcutta, North India, Gujarat, Dhakka (now in Bangladesh) and Konkan. Thus the fame of Sai Baba spread, far, and wide, and people from all parts came to take His darshan and be blessed. By mere darshan, minds of people, whether, pure or impure, would become at once quiet. They got here the same sort of unparalleled joy that, devotees get at Pandharpur by seeing Vitthal Rakhurnai. This is not an exaggeration.

 Consider, what a devotee says in this respect.
Dictum of Goulibuva


An old devotee, by name Goulibuva, aged about 95 years, was a Varkari of Pandhari. He stayed 8 months at Pandharpur and four months - Ashadha to Kartik (July - November) on the banks of the Ganges. He had an ass with him for carrying his luggage, and a disciple, as his companion. Every year he made his Van or trip to Pandharpur and came to Shirdi to see Sai Baba, Whom he loved most. He used to stare at Baba and say, "This is Pandharinath Vitthal incarnate, the merciful Lord of the poor and helpless." This Goulibuva was an old devotee of Vitthoba, and had made many a trip to Pandhari; and he testified that, Sai Baba was real Pandharinath.


Vitthal Himself Appeared


Sai Baba was very fond of remembering and singing God's name. He always uttered "Allah Malik" (God is Lord) and in His presence made others sing God's name continuously, day and night, for all 7 days of the week. This is called 'Namasaptah'. Once He asked Das Ganu Maharaj to do the Namasaptah. He replied that, he would do it, provided he was assured that, Vitthal would appear at the end of the 7th day. Then, Baba, placing His hand on his breast, assured him that, certainly Vitthal would appear; but for that the devotee must be 'earnest and devout'. The Dankapuri (Takore) ofDakurnath, the Pandhari of Vitthal, the Dwarka of Ranchhod (Krishna) is here (Shirdi). One need not go far out to see Dwarka. Will Vitthal come here from some outside place? He is here. Only when the devotee is bursting with love and devotion, Vitthal wiBnMuifest Himself here (Shirdi).

After the Saptah was over, Vitthal did manifest Himself in the following manner. Kakasaheb Dixit was, as usual, sitting in meditation after the bath, and he saw Vathal in a vision. When he went, at noon, for Baba's darshan, Baba asked him point-blank, "Did Vitthal Patil come? Did you see Him? He is a very truant fellow, catch Him firmly, otherwise. He will escape, if you are a little inattentive". This happened in the morning and at noon there was another Vitthal darshan. One hawker, from outside, came there for selling 25 or 30 pictures of Vithoba. This picture exactly tallied with the figure, that appeared in Kakasaheb's vision. On seeing this and remembering Baba's words, Kakasaheb Dixit was much surprised and delighted. He bought one picture of Vithoba, and placed it in his shrine for worship.
   


om sai sri sai jaya jaya sai