THE LEGEND OF SHRI SHIRDI SAI BABA AND HIS TEACHINGS

[SS91]

BABA'S ASSURANCES :

1.         Why do you fear when I am here?

2.         Cast all your burdens on Me and I shall bear them.

3.         If you spread your palms with devotion before Me I am in readily with you day and night.

4.         Offer Me any thing before you eat.

5.         There will never by any dearth or scarcity regarding food and cloths in My devotee's home. It is my special characteristic that I look always to, and provide for the welfare of those devotees.

6.         My treasury is full and ! can give any one what he wants. But I have to see whether he is qualified to receive what I give.

7.         I require no conveyance, carriage, tonga nor train nor aeoroplane. I run and manifest Myself to him who lovingly calls Me.

8.         Worship Me always who is seated in your heart.

9.         I always think of him who remembers Me.

10.       In vision or direct My words are always pregnant with meaning and never hollow.

11.       Donot be anxious that I would be absent from you. You will hear My bones speaking and discussing your welfare. But always remember Me. Believe in Me heart and soul and then you will be most benefited.

12.             In due time your bad actions will be destroyed, your merits and dements will be reduced to ashes and I shall consider you blessed where you will renounce all attachments, conquer lust and palate and getting rid of all impediments, serve God whole-heartedly and resort to the begging "bowl (Sanyasa)

13.       My Sircar's treasury (spiritual wealth) is full. It is overflowing I say "Dig out and take away this wealth in cart loads, the blessed son of a true mother should fill himself with this wealth."

14.       If a man utters My name with love I shall fulfill all his wishes, increase his devotion and if he sings earnestly My deeds, him I shall beset in front and back and on all sides. These devotees who are attached to Me heart and soul, will naturally feel happiness, when they hear these stories. Believe Me that if anybody sings My leelas' I will give him infinite joy and ever-lasting contentment. It is My special characteristic to free any person, who surrenders completely to Me and worships Me faithfully and who remembers Me and meditates on Me constantly.

15.       Who is this Me? You need not go far or anywhere in search of Me. Barring your name and form, there exists in you as well as in all beings, a sense of being or consciousness of existence. That is Myself. Knowing this, you see Me inside yourself as well as in all beings: If you practise this, you will realise all pervasiveness and thus attain one-ness with Me.

16.       I require no door to enter. I have no form nor any extension, I always live every-where. I carry on as a wire puller, all the actions of the man who trusts Me and merges in Me.

17.       Believe Me, though I pass away My bones in my tomb will give you hope and confidence. Not only Myself but My tomb would be speaking, moving and communicating with those who would surrender themselves whole-heartedly to Me.

18.       Be wherever you like, do whatever you choose, remember this well that what all you do is known to Me. l-am the inner ruler of all and seated in their hearts. I envelop all the creatures, the movable and immovable world. I am the controller the wirepuller of the show of this universe. I am the mother-origin of all beings the harmony of the three Gunas, the propeller of all senses. the creator, preserver and Destroyer. Nothing will harm him who turns his attention towards Me, but Maya will lash or whip him Who forgets Me. All the insects' ants, the visible, movable and immovable world is My body or form.

19.       Simple remembrance of My name as 'SAl, SAI' 'will do away all the sins of speech and hearing.

20.       See how I have to suffer for My devotees; their difficulties are Mine.

21.       Leave off all cleverness and remember 'SAI SAI'. If you did that all you shackles would be removed and you world be free.

22.       I rest there where there is full devotion,

23.       However oppressed and troubled one may be, as soon as he steps in the Maszid, he is on the pathway to happiness/ The Fakir here is very kind and He will cure the disease and protect all with love and kindness.

24.       Sweet is Ram in the heart sweet with love. Mite Manme Mitai Ram.

25.       Though I am bodily here, still I know what you do beyond the seven seas. Go wherever you will, over the wide world, I am with you. My abode is in your heart and I am within you. Worship Me always, who is seated in your heart : as well as in the hearts of all beings Blessed and fortunate indeed is he, who knows Me thus.

26.       Do not try to get Mantra or Upadesh from anybody. Make Me the sole object of your thought and actions and you will, no doubt, attain Paramartha,  Look at Me whole heartedly and I, in turn look at your similarly.

27.       Dwarakamai wards off all dangers and anxieties of the children who sit on her lap. This Maszidmai is very merciful. She is the mother of simple devotees, whom she will save in calamities. Once a man sits on her lap. all his troubles are over. He who rests in her shade gets bliss.

YOUR BEHAVIOUR

1.         Always speak the Truth.

2.         Always labour, shun idleness.

3.         "Be content with what God has given you.

4.         In the body (wada) there are many robbers. Bolt your doors. Be very vigilant, the thieves will carry every thing; wealth and prosperity are transient and the body is subject to decay and death.

5.         Let the senses do their allotted works. We should not meddle with their work. God has created this beautiful world and it is our duty to appreciate its beauty. The mind will get steady and calm slowly and gradually. When the front door is open why go by the back door. When the heart is pure, there is no difficulty what so ever. Why should any one be afraid of any one if there be no evil thought in us?

6.         You go on reviling your own brethren to your heart's content. After performing many deeds of merit you are born a man and if you act like this, will Shirdi help you in any way?

TOWARDS FELLOW BEINGS
1.         Help the poor and needy.

2.         You should never speak ill of others on unnecessarily criticise.

3.         Never insult the poor.

4.         Never envy others' richer.

5.         First give bread to the hungry and then eat yourself.

6.         If any one does any evil unto you, do not retaliate.

7.         Nobody should take the labour of others in vain.

8.         A true Ramadasi should have no Mamata but have Samata towards all.

9.         Unless there  is some  relation-shjp or connection, nobody goes anywhere.

10.       If any men or creatures come to you do not discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them with due respect. Shri Hari (God) will be certainly pleased if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked and your verandah to strangers for sitting and resting.

11.       If any body wants any money from you and you are not inclined to give, do not give, but do not bark at him like a dog. Let any body speak hundreds of things against you, do not resent by giving any bitter reply.

12.       He who casps and cavils at others pierces Me in the heart and injures Me, but he that suffers and endures pleases Me most.

TOWARDS ANIMALS ETC AROUND US

1.         He, who feeds the hungry really serves Me with food. The appeasement of dog's hunger is the same as mine. The dog has got a soul. The creatures may be different but the hunger of all is the same though some speak and others are dumb.

2.         God lives in all beings and creatures whether they be serpents, scorpions etc. He is the Great wire-puller of the world and al! beings obey His command. Unless HE will sit no body can do any harm to others. The world is all dependent on HIM and no one is independent. So we should take pity and love all creatures, leave off adventurous fights and killings and be patient. The Lord (God) is the protector of all.

TOWARDS GOD

1.         Always think of God and utter His name.

2.         Chant Rajaram always. If you do this your life's object will be gained, your mind will attain peace and you will be immensely benefited.

3.         Practise meditation thrice a day on the God.

4.         What a man might give does not last long and it is always imperfect. But that My Sircar (God) gives lasts to the end of time.

4.         The giving of Daksh;na advances Vairgya and thereby Bhakti and Jnana. Give Me and receive ten-fold.

5.         What a bout Me? BoHy will mix with earth, breath with air. This time will not come again.

6.         I go some where, sit somewhere, the hard Maya troubles Me much, still I always feel anxiety for men.

6.A.     He who does anything (spiritual endeavour) will reap its fruit and he who remembers these words of Mine will get invaluable happiness.

7.         Be calm and silent. UGE MUGE CHUP KARO. Every thing will come to you by HIS will. God is the master. Allah Mallik.

8.         HARI ; HARI ; ALLAH MALLIK.

9.         Allah Acha Karega.

10.       Hari will protect him who has got faith and patience.

11.       The Lord is the sole doer and inspirer HE is also more merciful Neither I am God not Lord. I am his obedient servant and remember HIM often. He who casts aside his egoism, thanks HIM and he who trusts HIM entirely will have his shackles removed and will obtain liberation.

12.       Our karma is the cause of our happiness and sorrow. Therefore, put up with what ever comes to you. Allah (God), is the sole dispenser and protector, always think of HIM. He will take care of you. Surrender to HIS feet with body, mind, wealth and speech, and then see what HE does.

RESULT OF YOUR PAST ACTIONS:

1.         You must enjoy the fruit good of bad of your past actions; If the enjoyment be incomplete, suicide will not help you. You have to take another birth and suffer again. So instead of killing yourself, why not suffer for some time and finish up your store of the fruit of your past deeds and be (done) with it once and for all?

2.         Debt, enmity and murder have to be atoned for there is not escape.

OUR HAPPINESS :

1.         Poverty is better than Kingship, far better than Lordship. The Lord is always brother of the poor.

2.         Fakiri (mendicancy) is the real Lordship as it is ever-lasting and the so called Lordship (riches) is evanescent.

MAYA

1.         As I have become a Fakir, I have no house of wife, and though leaving of all cares, I have stayed at one place, the inevitable Maya teases me often Though I forgot myself, I cannot forget her. She always envelops Me. This Maya (illusive power) of the Lord (Sri Hari) teases God, Brahma and others, then what to speak of a poor Fakir like me? Those who take refuge in the Lord will be freed form Her clutches with HIS grace.

to be contd..............

[SS91]

SELF REALISATION:

1.         That is our above and place of rest where the mind is most pleased and charmed.

2.         As  one  feels  intently,  so  he   realises accordingly.

3.         To get the knowledge (realisation) of the self 'DHYANA' (meditation) is necessary. If you practise continuously the British (thoughts) will be pacified. Being quite desireless, you should meditate on the Lord who is in all the creatures, and when the mind is concentrated, the goal will be achieved. Meditate always on My formless nature which is knowledge incarnate, consciousness and bliss. If you cannot do this, meditate on My form top to toe as you see here night and day. As you go on doing this, your vritties will concentrate at one point and the distinction between the Dyatha (meditator) Dhyana (act of meditation) Dhyeya (thing meditated upon) will be lost and the mediator will be one with the consciousness and be merged in the Brahman.

4.         The path of Brahma Jnana of self-realisation is as hard as to tread on the edge of a razor.

5.         In this spiritual path you have to put in your best exertion as it is very difficult. Mere reading will not do. You have to think and carry out what you read, otherwise, it is of no use. These things have to be practised and lived.

6.         Do not entertain the sense of doership in doing good as well as bad deeds, be entirely prideless and egoless in all things and thus your spiritual progress will be rapid.

7.         He who loves Me most, always sees Me. The whole world is desolate to him without Me, he tells no stories but Mine. He ceaselessly meditates upon Me and always chants My name. I feel indebted to him who surrenders himself completely to Me and ever remembers Me. He. I shall repay his debt by giving him salvation {self realisation) I am dependent on him who thinks and hungers after Me and who does not eat any thing with out first offering it to Me'. He who thus comes to Me becomes one with Me, just as a river gets to the sea.

OMINIPOTENT SAI BABA

Oh Baba, you were called a mad Fakir by the shop-keepers at Shirdi and at one time they refused to give you oil. At that stage you showed your supernatural power by lighting the lamps in Dwarkamai with mere water. From that time the people came to know that you are Omnipotent.

You have achieved many more things, which an ordinary person would not have been able to accomplish. You suffered for your devotees. You took on yourselves the Bubonic plague, from which the son of Shri Deadsaheb Khaparde, was suffering. Due to your favour Shri Rattanji Shapurji Wadia, Mrs. Aurangabadkar, Mrs. Saptnekar and Shri Damuanna Rasane got sones. Similarly you cured so many persons of their ailments, you cured your devotees Shama of snake bite, Shriman Bapusaheb Booty, a Swami from Alandi, Kaka Mahajani, Dattopant of Harda, Madhavrao Deshpande, Gangadharpatn, Shri Nanasaheb Chandorkar and many others of their small and severe disorders. When you wanted to give holy bath of Ganga and Jamuna to your devotees, streames of those rivers started flowing from your toes. By thrusting your prong in the ground, you brought out live burning coal. You achieved these and many other things, which manifested your supernatural power. You are even now running to the rescue of your sincere devotees, when they are in trouble and when they request you to come for their help. Will you therefore not run for my help, whenever I may need it? I am sure that I will get from you whatever help, that I need in the nick of time. I, however, pray to you for giving it to me whenever needed.

OMNIPRESENT SAI BABA

God pervades every nook and corner of the world. He is present everywhere. He is a witness to all the things that are happening all over the world. Oh! Sai Baba, though you appeared to be staying all along at Shirdi for over sixty years and though you appeared to be staying all along at Shirdi for over sixty years and though it was said that you occasionally went out of Shirdi upto Rahata on one side and upto Nimgaon on the other, still the incidents recorded in your biography go to prove that, you were moving out of Shirdi (may be by assuming an invisible form due to your yogic power) on several occasions according to the wishes of your devotees. You could know the discussion that took place at Sathe's Wada, without remaining physically present there. You visited Shri Tarkhad's house at Bandra and the Udyapan ceremony at Dahanu. You could know the discussion that took place in the Bar-Room at Pundharpur, though you were apparently present at Shirdi. You could know about the cocoanut sent to you by Shri Tembye Swami through Shri Pundalikrao. How could you have known that the child of a blacksmith was falling in the furnace, which was far away from Shirdi unless you were Omnipresent? You saved the child from the fire by inserting your hands in the Dhuni in front of you.

Thus you burnt your hand and suffered for your devotee.

Mrs. Tarkhad offered food to a dog, but being Omnipresent you could see that offer made by Mrs. Tarkhad and you told her that you got the food, which she offered to the dog. You could see the buffalo-ride of Shri Thakur in Lane Ghat, which is at considerable distance from Shirdi and you told Shri Thakur about that ride. Was it possible for you to make a mention of this ride without being Omnipresent? You had promised Shri Hemadpant to come to his house for the Holi Festival. You fulfilled it by appearing in his house in the form of your portrait. Many more examples could be quoted to prove your Omnipresence. We Sai devotees must therefore bear in mind that being Omnipresent, you are always very near us. Only we should remember you and not do any wrongful deed as due to your Omnipresence nothing will escape from your ken.

OMNISCIENT SAI BABA

Oh Baba, You foretold the meeting of the two lizards on the wall of the Masjid. How could you do it without being Omniscient? God Himself and afl his incarnations had the power to pervade a!! the universe and to know all the things that are happening all over the world. Throughout your stay at Shirdi, several incidents, that took place there, proved that your were Omniscient. You knew the worship of Vithoba in the family of Shri Bhagwantrao Kshirasagar and you told him to start it. Chand Patil had only to ask You about his waylaid mare and You immediately located her. You foretold the visit of Shri Nanasaheb Chandorkar to Shirdi. You reminded Shri Goving Mankar about the pedha, given by Mrs. Tarkhad, for offering it to you. You knew in advance that the Munim of the firm of Kaka Mahajani would become sick and therefore your ordered Shri Kaka Mahajani to return to Bombay on the very next day. You knew that the court case of Shri Bhausaheb Dhumal in the court at Nipani would be postponed and therefore your did not permit Shri dhumal to leave Shirdi for a week in spite of his request to that effect. Though Shri Cholkar took a vow to drink sugarless tea, in order to save money and though he kept it as a secret, still due to Your Omniscience You could know it and you directed Shri Bapusaheb Jog to give Shri Cholkar cups of tea saturated with sugar. The danger to Shri Babasaheb Mirikar form a snake was foretoled by you and You could warn him in advnace. Though a great astrologer like Shri Nanasaheb Dengle had predicted the danger to the life of Shri Bapusaheb Booty from a snake, You told him that it would be averted and it was actually averted accordingly. Oh Baba, You save Shri Damuanna on two occasions from suffering losses in cotton and grain speculations, because of Your power to probe into the future. You gave three rupees to Shri Harischandra Pitale and reminded him of the two rupees given to his father by Shri Akkalkotkar Maharaj. What eise, Oh Baba, was this except your Omniscience? You could tell Shri Laxmichand from Santacruz all the things that had happened en route from his house to Shirdi. You also knew Laxmichand's desire to eat sanza. You knew that acrow would peck at Dr. Pillay's ailing leg and that he would be cured and You therefore told Him this thing in advance. You knew the story of the previous lives of Veerbhadrappa and Chenbasappa. You recognised Hari Kanoba and returned to him his sandals though You had never seen him before that time. Though Shri Nanasaheb Dixit had not informed your about his intention to come to Shirdi, still you could know about it due to your power to pervade the universe. You knew that Shri kaka Mahajani's friend did not want to give you Dakshina and therefore you did not ask for Dakshina from him as you used to ask from other devotees.

Oh Baba, all these things were possible for your because you had the supernatural power to pervade the universe and know all things, though you were stationed at Shirdi. Under such circumstances is it necessary for me to tell you my difficulties and short comings? You are fully aware of them and according to your pledge, You will automatically help me to get out of them. I will t therefore not venture to place before You may difficulties and bother You unnecessarily as that would be expressing doubt about your greatness.

UDI
Oh Baba, your Udi is a panacea for all human bodily ailments. During your lifetime only you started the Dhuni at Shrdi and kept it burning all your life. Your tradition has been maintained and the Dhuni has been kept buring even after your Samadhi, in 1918. You never considered the Udi as mere ashes, neither your devotees did. you v/ere originally giving some medicines, but when Your felt that Your Udi will achieve the same results, which the medicines would do, You discontinued giving medicines, but instead you started giving Udi and wonder of wonders it was that it cured Your devotees of snake-bite, plague and many diseases. You once said that even when you will not exist in flesh and body, Your bones will speak through Your tomb and show the way to Your devotees. Your words are manifesting themselves, as it will be seen from the experiences of your devotees spread far and vide. We apply Your Udi, with full faith, to our foreheads and we bow down before You for currying Your favour, which we are sure You are always ready to shower on us.

As in other Stotras, the fruit of reading this Sai Mahimnastotra every day need not be elaborated. Shri Sai Baba has promised that there will be no dearth of anything in the house of His devotees.

Hence if any devotee wants to reap the fruit of chanting the 108 names and reading this Stotra daily, he should try to become a sincere devotee of Shri Sai Baba and then all wordly pleasures and Moksha will follow automatically.

Jaisairam!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SS91]

UDI



Oh Baba, your Udi is a panacea for all human bodily ailments. During your lifetime only you started the Dhuni at Shrdi and kept it burning all your life. Your tradition has been maintained and the Dhuni has been kept buring even after your Samadhi, in 1918. You never considered the Udi as mere ashes, neither your devotees did. you v/ere originally giving some medicines, but when Your felt that Your Udi will achieve the same results, which the medicines would do, You discontinued giving medicines, but instead you started giving Udi and wonder of wonders it was that it cured Your devotees of snake-bite, plague and many diseases. You once said that even when you will not exist in flesh and body, Your bones will speak through Your tomb and show the way to Your devotees. Your words are manifesting themselves, as it will be seen from the experiences of your devotees spread far and vide. We apply Your Udi, with full faith, to our foreheads and we bow down before You for currying Your favour, which we are sure You are always ready to shower on us.

As in other Stotras, the fruit of reading this Sai Mahimnastotra every day need not be elaborated. Shri Sai Baba has promised that there will be no dearth of anything in the house of His devotees.

Hence if any devotee wants to reap the fruit of chanting the 108 names and reading this Stotra daily, he should try to become a sincere devotee of Shri Sai Baba and then all wordly pleasures and Moksha will follow automatically.


JaiSaiRam Thanks Baba for everything....

[SS91]

Om Sai Ram!!!


Inevitable Maya~~~

The world is an illusion is what the spiritual masters have been emphasizing time and again. People pursuing the path of spirituality too have realized and accepted the fact that the world is enveloped by Maya, which is the root cause of all unhappiness in the world. Still most of us are trapped and the tentacles of Maya spread far and wide that we find it difficult to extricate ourselves from its ugly clutches. When our Sadguru Shri Sainath Maharaj himself said that the Maya continues to tease Him, then what about the normal beings like us. But the moot point is that, is there any way we come out of it and live in peace? Revered Guruji Shri Satpathyji has said that,



"MAATI KE YE RISTHE SAARE, SABH CHOOT JAYENGE,
NAAM, DHAN, GHAR SARE PEECHE REH JAYENGE,
TERE JANMONKE SAATHI GURU KO PUKAR RE"


It is clear from these verses that all the relations with people break off, and the name, fame, money and the worldly acquisitions are left behind. So this being the truth, He said that from the moment one takes birth, one should look for Guru and seek His companionship. Though we know this truth, we continue to be entangled in the web of this mundane world. As a result, we end up having umpteen desires, unfulfilled wishes and for their fulfillment, we constantly pray to God. This is a continuous process and there is no end to it as some thing or other keeps cropping up and we keep looking at the Lord for His intervention, to help us tide over various situations. Since none of us knows really the actual required things, we go by our intellect and invoke the blessings of Lord to have things happening in desired direction. By this act, we are actually limiting the grace of the God to some specific things only. When we realize that it is the play of Maya that forces us to seek for specific things in life, then we would blindly leave everything at the feet of the Master and just look at Him to guide us the way He thinks appropriate.



We the devotees of Shri Sainath, try to follow his teachings as described in Shri Sai Satcharitra. In spite of the fact that we read and analyze Satcharitra and try hard to internalize the essence of Sai's teachings, still we become victims of Maya. In the very first chapter in Shri Sai Satcharitra it is clearly said that, " the firm conviction of Baba is that the knowledge or Self- realization is not possible, unless there is prior act of grinding of all our impulses, desires, sins, three gunas and the Ahamkara, which is so subtle and difficult to get rid of". But most of us knowingly or unknowingly fail to take cognizance of this strong conviction of Shri Sai and as a result experience the difficulties while traversing the spiritual path.



When the realization dawns on us that it is difficult to get away from the effects of Maya which is nothing but the divine esoteric play of the Lord, our only option is to pray to the Lord fervently to save us from Maya and its effects. Here I am reminded once again the beautiful verses of Guruji Shri Satpathiji,



"BAHUT KUCH MAI SAMAJANA PAAVU, APNI LEELA SAMJHA DONA,
KRIPA KARO ES MOORAKH DAS KO, APNE CHARNOME RAKH LONA


Oh, Sai, I am not able to understand anything, please make me understand your divine play and shower mercy on this ignorant servant and keep me at your lotus feet. The irony here is that a great realized soul like Satpathyji, composed these verses, then what about we the ignorant lot. Perhaps to overcome that inevitable maya, we need to utter these verses thinking of our Sadguru



Shri Sainath Maharaj always. Guru alone is our true companion and He is the one who walks with us in this world and the world beyond. So let us offer our humble salutations to Him and pray for His continuous presence.



"Aum Shri Sai, Peace be to all"



(Contributed by P.Raghunadha Reddy, Tirupati, India)


Jai Sai Ram!!!