3. Smaran (Remembering Form and Name)
Smaran means naam-smaran which means constantly repeating name of Lord by remembering His form.
Chapter – 27 of Sacred text – Sai Satcharitra says – The efficacy of God’s name is well-known. It saves us from all sins and bad tendencies, frees us from the cycle of births and deaths. There is no easier Sadhana than this. It is the best purifier of our mind. It requires no paraphernalia and no restrictions. Thus in the same chapter it is seen that Baba forced His intimate devotee Shama to accept Ramdasi’s copy of Vishnu Sahastranaam and learn to recite it.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D7WJge6Rb1A/SoakAkYqn7I/AAAAAAAAHpU/cCurFJSXQeU/s400/mar_08.jpg)
Also in chapter – 3 Baba says, “If a man utters My name with love, I shall fulfill as his wishes, increase his devotion. If you always say “Sai, Sai, I shall take you over the seven seas believe in these words, and you will be certainly benefited.” – Chapter 13.
4. Padasevan (Service of Feet)
Padasevan means salutation to the deity of worship or Guru by respectfully touching His feet with both hands and resting one’s head on them or massaging them. Padasevan also includes remembering and meditating.
In connection to this, in Sacred text – Sai Satcharitra it is written as, “He is sitting with His legs folded, the right leg held across the left knee. The fingers of His left hand are spread on the right foot. On the toe are spread His two fingers – the index and middle ones. By this posture Baba seems to say – if you want to see My true form, by egoless and most humble, and meditate on My toe through the opening between – index and middle finger – and then you will be able to see My light”.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D7WJge6Rb1A/SoakyL2t0PI/AAAAAAAAHpc/Sxd2LbydO0E/s400/dwarkamai+orginal+pic.jpg)
Now considering the above oil painting of Sai Baba in Dwarkamai. Therein Baba is sitting with right foot forward.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D7WJge6Rb1A/Soamv35s-SI/AAAAAAAAHps/uUVhP-WvVgE/s400/Shirdi_sai.jpg)
Similarly, in the picture along with Mhalsapati and Shama Baba is sitting with both legs spread out in front, as if making it convenient for devotees to salute or massage them. In short, Baba encouraged the method of Padasevan Bhakti.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D7WJge6Rb1A/SoamAT6sPmI/AAAAAAAAHpk/mG2N0yhh2nU/s400/Dec_06.jpg)
To drink water used for washing the feet of one’s deity or Sadguru or to sprinkle it on one’s head as a symbol of bath is also part of Padasevan. As seen in Chapter 4, under title Das Ganu’s Bath in Prayag, Baba convinced not only Das Ganu but all of us that such water is as holy and meritorious as the waters of Ganga and Yamuna rivers at their confluence at Prayag. (Allahabad) which he proved by miraculously making the streams of water of these rivers flow through His toes. Similarly in Chapter 45 when Kakasaheb Dixit was surrounded by doubts for his own devotion after reading Chapter 2 of Eknath Bhagwat about very tough Bhakti of nine Naths Siddhas of Rishabh family, Sai Baba arranged the narration of Anandrao Pakhade’s dream for convincing Kakasaheb that bowing to the feet of one’s deity or guru is a quite sufficient form of bhakti or devotion.
(http://www.heritageofshirdisai.org/newsletter/News%20113.jpg)
5. Archana (Worship)
Archana means worship of one’s deity or guru in person or through His picture or idol. This includes bathing feet, applying sandalpaste on forehead, decorating with clothes and flowers, waving of lights and offering Naivedya, etc.
in the beginning, Sai Baba did not allow His devotees to perform any such worship. But later on due to the insistence of devotees, He allowed them to do so, and even today Sai Baba’s worship is being carried on in the same manner daily in Samadhi Mandir at Shirdi.