The Narrow Footpath near Barvi Well!

[Dipika]

The Narrow Footpath near Barvi Well!

When the merciful father is the wrath incarnate, it will be for a purpose. When Sapatnekar sought Baba after losing his only son to throat disease, Baba tested him for a long time before giving him the best comfort of his life, His Company! Had Sapatnekar known earlier about the omniscience of Baba, perhaps he would not have belittled his friend's faith in Baba during his younger days. When Haji Siddiq Falke, proud of his pilgrimage to Mecca did not recognize the Supreme in Baba, he was made to realize his mistakes soon. Completely grounded by Baba's impossible questions, Haji opened his eyes, realized his misconceptions about his own spiritual experiences and was enlisted in Sai's darbar.

Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari said, "When intelligence matures and lodges securely in the mind, it becomes wisdom. When wisdom is integrated with life and sprouts in action, it becomes bhakthi. Knowledge when it becomes fully mature is bhakthi. If it doesn't get transformed into bhakthi, such knowledge is useless tinsel. To believe that knowledge and bhakthi are different from each other is ignorance". Bhakthi or devotion is the ultimate and perhaps the only means of realizing Baba completely.

Thus, when knowledge leads to wisdom, the wisdom must lead to devotion. Mere assimilation of facts is purposeless unless they are used to realize the truth, by Sadguru's grace. The intellects of Sapatnekar and the spiritual superiority of Haji were mere collection of facts and once they realized the wisdom of truth by Baba's grace, their transformation was swift and complete.

Sustaining faith in Sadguru, nurturing the thoughts of surrendering to Sadguru, and fostering devotion as the utmost virtue to realize Sadguru is a challenge amidst pursuit of knowledge and the intellect. The narrow footpath near Barvi well that Baba wanted Haji to tread refers to the same challenge Logic, synthesis and analysis, may help one in securing the knowledge but it is the devotion that helps one truthfully realize Sadguru in all His magnificence.  

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



dipika duggal