Why Shirdi Sai Baba motivated His Devotees to do
Parayan
of Holy Books …
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“Every Scripture is inspired by God, and is useful for teaching, for convincing, for correction of error, and for instruction in righteousness.”
Religious Texts, also known as Scripture or Holy Books, are the Texts which various religious traditions consider to be Sacred, or of central importance to their religious tradition. Many religions and spiritual movements believe that their Sacred Texts are divinely or supernaturally inspired.
There used to stay a great Sanyasi in Benares (Varanasi) by the name Shantashram Swami. Hailing from Karad in Maharashtra, he had performed weekly Parayan (revisions) of the Shrimad Bhgwat Puran continuously for 40 years in Kashi. By his constant austerities and the devoted study of the Bhgwat, he had attained communion with the God. It is said when on occasions he overslept and did not wake up at the usual hour of 4 a.m. in the morning, the Lord of Kashi Himself used to knock at his door to wake him up !
Shirdi Sai Baba encouraged His devotees to pray, chant God’s Name, and make Parayan (reading) of Holy Scriptures.
Reciting the Name of the Lord and doing Parayan (reading) of Holy Books can not be copyrighted or trademarked by people of one religion alone.
Baba would often persuade the devotees to recite the Holy Books and would plead with them out of compassion to do so, for their own good. Incomprehensible is Baba’s skill of teaching !
He pushed the Muslims to study the Holy Qur’an, and the Hindus to study Texts such as the Ramayan, the Vishnu Sahasranam, the Bhagvad Gita, the Guru Charitra, the Eknathi Bhagwat, the Bhavartha Ramayan, the Harivarda, the Dasbodh, the Dnyaneshwari and the Yoga Vasishtha.
The story of one Rohilla illustrates Sai Baba’s approval of the all-embracing recitation of the Holy Qur’an. This Rohilla came to Shirdi, and was enamoured of Sai. Day and night he used to recite in a loud, harsh and dissonant tone Kalma (verses from Holy Qur’an) and shout Allah-Ho-Akbar (God is Great). Most people of Shirdi were working in their fields by day, and when they returned to their homes at night, they were welcomed with the Rohilla’s harsh cries and raucous shouts. They could get no sleep, and felt much trouble and inconvenience. They suffered in silence this nuisance for some days, and when they could stand it no longer, they approached Baba, and requested Him to check the Rohilla and stop the irritant. Baba did not attend to their complaint. On the contrary, Baba took the villagers to task, and asked them to mind their own business, and not the Rohilla. As Baba liked the recitation of the Holy Qur’an and cries to God better than anything else, He took the side of the Rohilla.
Baba used to ask educated devotees like Kakasaheb Dixit and Bapusaheb Jog to read out Dnyaneshwari, Eknathi Bhagwat and Bhavartha Ramayan to others regularly and send other devotees to hear them.
The Dnyaneshwari is the commentary on the Bhagvad Gita written by the Marathi saint and poet Dnyaneshwar during the 13th century at age of 16. The original name of the work is Bhavartha Deepika.
The contents of the Dnyaneshwari reflect a detailed knowledge of Kundalini, metaphysics and astrology. The commentary lays importance on God as energy. It emphasizes that although there may be many different living forms, they all breathe oxygen (even fishes under water and reptiles deep inside the earth) and have the same life force within them, which is a part of God, Who is energy and intelligence. It states that people can use energy and intelligence to connect with the Supreme and provides methodologies to achieve the same.
B. V. Dev, an ardent devotee of Sai Baba, had a desire to read Dnyaneshwari. But, whenever Dev started to do Parayan, some obstacles crept in and he had to abandon the Parayan. The main reason for this was that he could not fully comprehend the inner meanings. He went to Shirdi with unyielding and firm determination and perseverance, without any mental reservation or doubts to complete the Parayan; and no sooner did he sit before Baba than he started reading the Dnyaneshwari and completed the Parayan without any obstacles.
Sant Eknath is one of the greatest saints of Maharashtra. His most important work is the Eknathi Bhagwat. It is his commentary on canto XI of the Bhagwat Mahapuran - the dialogue between Lord Krishna and Uddhava. Composed between 1570 and 1573, it was begun in Paithan and completed in Varanasi.
There is an interesting story behind the Eknathi Bhagwat. After the first five preliminary chapters had been completed, one of his disciples took them to Varanasi and recited them on the banks of the Ganges river. The Pundits of Varanasi took umbrage at what they called the ‘pollution’ of the Holy Text in the language of the Shudras (the lowest caste). Eknath was summoned to Varanasi and asked for an explanation. He requested that he be given an opportunity to present his work before judgment was passed. This was given reluctantly. In fact, the chief Pundit even kept a curtain between himself and Eknath, so that he would not be polluted. Then Eknath started reciting his poem. So beautiful was the melody, so profound the philosophy and so moving the mystical imageries created by him, that the audience of learned Pundits became ecstatic. The chief Pundit tore down the curtain and requested him to complete the work in Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges. After completion, the work was paraded on the back of an elephant, through the streets of Varanasi.
Once, in the Dixit Wada, Kakasaheb Dixit and Balasaheb Bhate were reading the Eknathi Bhagwat as instructed by Baba. At that time, Bapusaheb Buti arrived and said, “Baba has sent me with the instructions, ‘Go and sit near Kaka ! Listen what he says and bring sixteen and a half rupees from him. They must be exactly sixteen and a half rupees and not sixteen.’ ’’
Kakasaheb replied to Buti, “At this moment, I only have the one rupee, given to me by Baba. However, He has sent you to be with me when I am reading the Eknathi Bhagwat. Therefore, His intention must be that you should listen to what I am reading.”
The reading was resumed by Kakasaheb and he arrived at the Shloka “Kayen Wacha.....” Kakasaheb felt that the ‘sixteen and a half rupees’ must have some relation with the Shloka. He realized that Kaya (body) = 1, Wacha (speech) = 1, Mana (mind) = 1, Indriya (senses) = 10, Buddhi (wisdom) = 1, Ahankar (ego) = 1, Prakriti (nature) = 1/2 make up fifteen and a half.
After further study of the Pothi, Kakasaheb realized that elsewhere in the same Pothi, Chitta is mentioned though not in the same Shloka. These make total of sixteen and a half.
On another occasion, while chitchatting with Kelkar, Baba casually said, “This Vaze (a devotee) reads only one chapter. I have been telling him to read the Pothi (Eknathi Bhagwat) through out the night.”
These words were heard by Vaze and he enquired, “Baba, should I really read the Pothi through out the night ?” Baba replied, “Yes !” From that day, Vaze started reading the Pothi every night from 10 p.m. to 4-5 a.m. Even though Vaze did not sleep during night, he did not feel tired.
Once, Sai Baba made Kakasaheb Dixit sit in his own Wada for a period of nine months. His intention was to provide him solitude, and thus give an impetus to his spiritual studies. Dixit got ample time to read religious books. He completed reading of Krishnadayarnav Swami’s Harivarada.
A brief introduction to the Harivarada will certainly stimulate the imagination of the readers of this article and delight devotees of Lord Sai.
Krishnadayarnav (1674-1740 A.D.) is famous saint poet of Marathi literature. His major work is titled as Harivarada (Bestower of Lord Hari’s grace). This is a monumental Marathi commentary on the 10th canto of Bhagwat with 42000 couplets (Ovis) and 90 chapters (Adhyayas) in two parts (Purvardh and Uttarardh) originally. It is very famous in Maharashtra and is recited in many houses regularly. It is also studied for specific contribution for Marathi literature in terms of poetry, coining of new words, spiritualism, description of the socio-economic conditions in ancient times and in the lifetime of the poet, description of Shivaji’s battle with Moghuls indirectly in the form of battle of Krishna with Kansa, etc.
After completing Parayan (reading) of the Harivarada, Kakasaheb Dixit enquired with Baba, “Baba, what shall I read next ? Or, should I continue reading the same book once again ?” Baba replied, “Now read Eknath’s Vrindavana’s Pothi.” Dixit had never heard of any book by that name. So, he got confused to hear this instruction. He felt that Baba might be referring to the Eknathi Bhagwat, and decided to leave it to his Lord Sai Baba to solve this problem. Therefore, he took a copy of Krishnadayarnav Swami’s Harivarada and went to the Dwarkamai-Masjid. Baba scanned through the book and returned it back to Dixit saying - “Yes ! This is the book. Read it !”
Dixit was still confused as to why Baba called it Vrindavana’s Pothi. It was because the name was more appropriate for Harivarada which narrated various childhood acts of Lord Krishna.
As Dixit began reading and suddenly he came to an Ovi which referred to ‘Ektisa Khananche Vrindavan’. This explained the whole matter.
After completing reading of the ‘Vrindavana’s Pothi’, Kaksaheb took a massive religious book (given to him by a friend of his) to Baba. But, Baba said, “Kaka, our two books (Eknathi Bhagwat and Bhavartha Ramayan) are sufficient for us.” Abiding by the directive of his Sadguru Sai, Kakasaheb did not hold any other religious book in his hands till the end of his life. During the day, he used to read one chapter of Eknathi Bhagwat and during the night of Bhavartha Ramayan. He never discontinued this practice.
Hemadpant says - “In the company of Dixit, I also developed a liking for these two books. He used to be the speaker and I used to be his listener. This speaker - listener relationship continued for a couple of years. I consider myself very lucky indeed !”
The construction work of Dixit Wada was complete at Shirdi in the year 1912. Kakasaheb shifted his family from Vile Parle (Mumbai) to Shirdi. His wife and two children (Ramkrishna alias Babu and little Vatsala) were getting adjusted to their new habitat. However, Vatsala suddenly fell ill and soon succumbed to her ailment at the tender age of 8 years. This was a grievous shock to the parents. Nonetheless, Kakasaheb maintained stoic expressions on his face. In the afternoon on the same day, a copy of Sant Eknath’s Bhavartha Ramayan arrived by post, which Kakasaheb had ordered earlier. As per his usual practice, he placed the book in the hands of Baba, begging His permission to start its Parayan (reading). Surprisingly Baba held the book upside down. He then scanned through it and, took out a specific chapter, which read :
‘‘It is necessary to remember that the death is constantly near us. And even then, one has to use his mortal body - though it is despicable - as a tool and reach the destination of immortality. Therefore, one should not get involved with attachment to his body.’’
Baba asked Kakasaheb to go through it. It was the best piece of advice Lord Ram had given to Tara, the widowed queen of the monkey king Bali. This was Baba’s consolation therapy in disguise needed by the grief-stricken Kakasaheb.
Once, Kaka Mahajani came to Shirdi with a copy of the Eknathi Bhagwat. Shama took that book to read, and taking it with him went to the Masjid. There Baba took it from Shama; touched it and turning some pages here and there gave it back to Shama with the instructions to keep it with him. Even on Shama telling Baba that the book actually belonged to Kaka and had to be returned it to him, Baba didn’t relent. “No, no”, said Sai, “As I have given it to you, better keep it with you for safe custody; it will be of use to you.” In this way many books were entrusted to Shama. After some days Kaka Mahajani came again with another copy of the same Bhagwat and placed it in Baba’s hands. This time Baba returned it to Kaka Mahajani as Prasad and commanded him to preserve it well, assuring that it would stand him in good stead. Kaka accepted it with a bow. (Shri Sai Sat Charita, Chapter 27)
Once, Baba asked 15 as Dakshina from Professor G. G. Narke. Narke replied that he did not have even a pie. Then Baba said, “I know you have no money; but you make Parayan of the Yoga Vasishtha. Give me Dakshina from that Scripture.’’ Giving Dakshina in this case meant – ‘Deriving lessons from the book and lodging them in the heart where Baba resides’.
Yoga Vasishtha, also known as Vasishtha’s Yoga, is a Hindu Spiritual Text, traditionally attributed to Valmiki. It recounts a discourse of the sage Vasishtha to a young prince Ram, during a period when the latter is in a dejected state. The content of Vasishtha’s teaching to Ram is associated with Advaita Vedanta, the illusory nature of the manifest world and the principle of non-duality. The Book has been dated between 11th and 14th century A.D., and is generally regarded as one of the longest Texts in Sanskrit, after the Mahabharat and an important Text of the Yoga. The Book consists of around 32,000 Shlokas including numerous short stories and anecdotes used to help illustrate the content. In terms of Hindu mythology, the conversation in the Yoga Vasishtha takes place chronologically before Ramayan.
Sai Baba knew that the Yoga Vasishtha dispels delusion and enables one to realize that (when one rests inwardly in the infinite consciousness) ordinary life itself is the Supreme State. The Yoga Vasishtha offers clarity to the disillusioned, and for rigorous thinkers. That’s why Baba impressed upon Narke, who was a Professor of Earth Science [Geology] in Poona Engineering College, to study at least a small part of the Yoga Vasishtha daily for the purpose of bringing reconciliation of spirituality and science in his thoughts.