Shirdi Sai Thought!

[Dipika]

Cup of Butter-Milk


Once Hemadpant had eaten his full in this company, when Baba offered him a cup of buttermilk. Its white appearance pleased him, but he was afraid that there was no space inside for it. He, however, took a sip, which proved very tasty. Seeing his faltering attitude, Baba said – "Drink it all, you won't get any such opportunity hereafter." He drank it off then, but found that Baba's words were prophetic, for He passed away soon.


Now, readers, we have certainly to thank Hemadpant. He drank the cup of buttermilk, but has supplied us with sufficient quantity of nectar in the form of Baba's Leelas. Let us drink cups and cups of this nectar and be satisfied and happy.


JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal

[Dipika]

Baba said as follows :-


Baba - "This fellow (Annasaheb) has got the bad habit of eating alone. Today is a bazar-day and he was here chewing grams. I know his habit and these grams are a proof of it. What wonder is there is this matter?"
Hemadpant - "Baba, I never know of eating things alone; then why do you thrust this bad habit on me? I have never yet seen Shirdi bazar. I never went to the bazar today, then how could I buy grams, and how could I eat them if I had not bought them? I never eat anything unless I share it with others present near me".

Baba - "It is true that you give to the persons present; but if none be near-by, what could you or I do But do you remember Me before eating? Am I not always with you? Then do you offer Me anything before you eat?"

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal

[Dipika]

"He kicked out Maya and Mukti was serving at His feet" - Sri Hemadpanth in Sri Sai Satcharita

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal

[Dipika]

We prostrate ourselves before and take refuge in that Sai Samarth Who besets all animate and inanimate things in the universe-from a post to God Brahma, pots, houses, mansions and even sky, Who pervades all creatures equally without any differentiation, to Whom all devotees are alike; and Who knows not honour and dishonour, like or dislike. If we remember Him and surrender to Him, He fulfills all our desires and makes us attain the goal of life.

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal

[Dipika]

The life of this Saint is naturally sweet in and out. His various doings, eating, walking and His natural sayings are also sweet. His life is Bliss incarnate. Sai gave it out as a means of His devotee's remembrance to Him. He gave them various stories of duty and action, which ultimately led them to true religion. His object may be that people should live happily in this world, but they should be ever cautious and gain the object of their life, viz. self-realization. We get human body as a result of merits in past births and it is worth-while that with its aid, we should attain devotion and liberation in this life. So we should never be lazy, but always be on the alert to gain our end and aim of life.

If you daily hear the Leelas (stories) of Sai, you will always see Him. Day and night you will remember Him in your mind, When you assimilate Sai in this way, your mind will lose its fickleness and if you go on in this manner, it will finally be merged in pure Consciousness.

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal

[Dipika]

"Baba did not ask Dakshina from all. If some gave Dakshina without being asked, He sometimes accepted it; and at other times He refused it. He asked it from certain devotees only. He never demanded it, from those devotees, who thought in their minds that Baba should ask them for it, and then they should pay it. If anybody offered it against His wish, He never touched it, and if he kept it there, He asked him to take it away. He asked for small or big amounts from devotees, according to their wish, devotion and convenience. He asked it, even from women and children. He never asked all the rich for it, nor from all the poor."

"Baba never got angry with those from whom He asked Dakshina, and who did not give it. If any Dakshina was sent, through some friend, who forgot to hand over the same to Baba, He reminded him somehow of it and made him pay it. On some occasons, Baba used to return some sum from the amount tendered as Dakshina, and ask the donor to guard it or keep it in his shrine for worship. This procedure benefited the donor or devotee immensely. If anybody offered more than he originally intended to give, He returned the extra amount. Sometimes, He asked more Dakshina from some, than what they originally intended to give and, if they had no money, asked them to get or borrow from others. From some, He demanded Dakshina three or four times a day."

"Out of the amount collected as Dakshina, Baba spent very little for His own sake, viz., for buying Chilim (clay pipe) and fuel for His Dhuni (sacred fire), and all the rest, He distributed as charity in varying proportions to various persons. All the paraphenalia of the Shirdi Sansthan was brought, by various rich devotees at the instance and suggestion of Radha-Krishna-Mai. Baba always used to get wild and scolded those, who brought costly and rich articles. He said to Mr. Nanasaheb Chandorkar, that all His property consisted of one koupin (codpiece), one stray piece of cloth, one Kafni and a tumrel (tinpot), and that all the people troubled Him by bringing all these unnecessary, useless and costly articles."

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal

[Dipika]

It is a general rule, that it is our good luck in the form of accumulation of merits in past births, that enables us to seek the company of Saints and profit thereby. In illustration of this rule, Hemadpant gives his own instance. He was a resident Magistrate of Bandra, A suburb of Bombay, for many years. A famour Mahomedan Saint named Pir Moulana was living there and many Hindus, Parsis and many others who followed different religion used to go to him and take his darshan. His Mujavar (priest) by name Inus pressed Hemadpant many a time, night and day, for going to see him, but for some reason or other he was not able to see him. After many years his turn came and he was called to Shirdi where he was permanently enlisted in Sai Baba's Darbar. Unfortunate fellows do not get this contact of the Saints. It is only the fortunate ones that get it.

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal

[Dipika]

There was nothing secret or veiled from Him. Everything, far or near, was plain and clear to Him as broad as daylight. Let a man be far or near, he cannot avoid the all-pervading gaze of Sai Baba. From this incident, the pleader took the lesson that he should never speak ill of others, nor unnecessarily criticize them. This his evil tendency was completely got rid of, and he was set on the right path.

Though the story refers to a pleader, still it is applicable to all.

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal

[Dipika]

The Ganges on its way to the sea, cools and refreshes the creatures affected with heat, gives life to the crops and trees, and quenches the thirst of many. Similarly Saints (Souls) like Sai, while they live their own life, give solace and comfort to all. Lord Krishna has said that 'the Saint is My soul, My living image, I am He or He is My pure form (Being).' This in-describable Shakti or Power of God, known as Pure Existence, Knowledge and Bliss, incarnated in the form of Sai in Shirdi. The Shruti (Taitiriya Upanishad) describes Brahman as Bliss. This we read or hear daily in the books, but the devout people experienced this Brahman or Bliss in Shirdi. Baba, the support of all, required no prop or support (Asan) from anybody. He always used a piece of sack-cloth for His seat, which was covered with a small beautiful bed by His bhaktas and has a bolster placed by them, as a rest to His back. Baba respected the feelings of His devotees and allowed them to worship Him as they liked. Some waved Chamara or fans before Him, some played on musical instruments, some washed His hands and Feet, some others applied scent and chandan, some gave betel nut with leaves and other things, and some others offered naivedya. Though He looked like living in Shirdi, He was present everywhere. This all-pervasiveness of His way daily experienced by His devotees. Our humble prostration to this all-pervasive Sadguru.

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal

[Dipika]

Though Baba allowed the devotees to worship Him as they pleased, still sometimes, He acted in a strange way. Sometimes, He threw away the Puja-dish and was wrath Incarnate, then who could approach Him? Sometimes, He scolded the devotees, at times, He looked softer than wax, a statue of peace and forgiveness. Though He seemed to shake with anger and His red eyes rolled round and round, still, He was internally a stream of affection and motherly love. Immediately, He called out His devotees and said, that He ever angry with His devotees; that if mothers kicked their children and if the sea turned back the rivers, He would neglect the devotees' welfare: that He, the slave of His devotees, always stood by them, and responded to them, whenever they called upon Him, and that He always longed for their love.

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal

[Dipika]

This is our Sai, an Incarnation of God. He will bless any man who will prostrate and surrender himself to Him.


JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal

[Dipika]

From this time onward, the devotees took the lesson that they should not meddle with anybody but allow him to serve Baba as the chooses, as He was capable to gauge the merits and worth of the service rendered unto Him.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal

[Dipika]

One special peculiarity of Shirdi-pilgrimage was this, that none could leave Shirdi, without Baba's permission; and if he did, he invited untold sufferings, but if any one was asked to quit Shirdi, he could stay there no longer. Baba gave certain suggestions or hints, when Bhaktas went to bid good-bye and take leave. These suggestions had to be followed. If they were not followed or were departed from, accidents were sure to befall them, who acted contrary to Baba's directions.

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal

[Dipika]

A Sad-guru does not, even in his dream, expect any service or profit from his disciples. On the contrary he wishes to serve them. He does not think that he is great and the disciple small. Not only he loves him as his son but regards him as equal to himself or as Brahma. The main characteristic of a Sad-guru is that he is the abode of peace. He is never restless nor ruffled. He has no pride of his learning. The poor and the rich, the small and the great, are the same to him.

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM



dipika duggal

[Dipika]

It is a general rule, that it is our good luck in the form of accumulation of merits in past births, that enables us to seek the company of Saints and profit thereby. In illustration of this rule, Hemadpant gives his own instance. He was a resident Magistrate of Bandra, A suburb of Bombay, for many years. A famour Mahomedan Saint named Pir Moulana was living there and many Hindus, Parsis and many others who followed different religion used to go to him and take his darshan. His Mujavar (priest) by name Inus pressed Hemadpant many a time, night and day, for going to see him, but for some reason or other he was not able to see him. After many years his turn came and he was called to Shirdi where he was permanently enlisted in Sai Baba's Darbar. Unfortunate fellows do not get this contact of the Saints. It is only the fortunate ones that get it.

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!

Sai baba let holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal