SHRI SAI BABA

A UNIQUE JEWEL

– M. Krishna Kumar

Each Saint or Prophet during His lifetime has manifested some aspect of Godliness. But, hardly has there been one so richly endowed as Shri Sai Baba in presenting to the world of human consciousness, the versatility of God. Shri Sai Baba is a Unique Jewel on the horizon of spirituality. Sitting on a rugged stone with an innocent face, eyes full of compassion and deeply concerned for the sufferings of the humanity, with a torn kafni on His body. He is a Unique Saint who had descended on this holy earth to shoulder the burdens and sufferings and answer the calls of His innumerable devotees irrespective of their caste, creed or religion.

Shri Sai Baba manifested first under a neem tree in Shirdi as a young lad of 16 years and stayed for 3 years and thereafter disappeared all of a sudden for some time. He returned to Shirdi with the marriage party of Chand Patil when He was about 20 years old. He stayed in Shirdi for an uninterrupted period of 60 years in flesh and blood, after which He took Mahasamadhi on the Vijayadashmi day (15th October), 1918 and continues to reside on this holy earth, midst of everyone i.e., with both human beings and animals. Baba loved and took care of animals since He treated animals on par with human beings without any distinction.

Nobody knew about the parentage and birth of Shri Sai Baba. Many quires were put to Him; but none got a satisfactory reply or answer. Those who tried were dumb founded and were captured by His unique and splendid personality. Nobody could get or gather any authentic information as to the caste, creed or religion to which He belonged. It is no wonder that He who had completely surrendered Himself to the Lord by getting rid of His egotism and thus became one with Him had nothing to do with the question of caste, creed or religion. For His food, He begged only from a few houses and shared it with both human beings and animals without any difference.

Shri Sai Baba preached and practiced harmony, love and universal brotherhood. He had descended on this earth to bridge the gap between the various communities. He preached that God in whatever form worshipped was one and the same. When it is so then why should we quarrel among ourselves ? He celebrated the festivals of the Hindus and Muslims alike.

The life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba is wide and deep as the infinite ocean in which all can dive deep into it and take out precious gems of knowledge and bhakti. The teaching of Shri Sai Baba gives peace and happiness to the people who are afflicted with sorrows and miseries. If these interesting teachings and leelas of Shri Sai Baba, which are instructive as the Vedic lore, when listened and meditated upon, the devotees shall get what they long for i.e., bliss supreme, peace and eternal union with the Brahman.

Impact

People who saw Him were immensely benefited both spiritually and temporal. He is known for answering to the prayers of His devotees by granting them boons and satisfying their wishes. He comes to the aid of His sorrowing and distressed devotees when in dire need and call Him through pure devotion and saves them from all impending calamities or difficulties like Draupadi praying Shri Krishna when the Kuaravas were disrobing her. By His mere looks and blessings incurable diseases were cured. For some leprosy was cured, the blind got their vision and the lame his legs. Many got their desires fulfilled by worshipping His Holy Feet for mercy and benevolence. Sadguru looks only to the intense feeling and devotion of His devotees who endows them with knowledge and eternal bliss. The easiest way to solve the riddle of life and death is the complete surrender to the Holy Feet of Shri Sai Baba and chant His name instead of filling the devils brain with evil thoughts.

For this Kaliyuga Shri Sai Baba’s name should be recited by every religious minded persons for salvation from the impending perils which is causing great concern for our very survival and resulting in the destruction of our very existence before time on this holy earth sanctified by the Saints like Shri Sai Baba who had tread on it. Shri Sai Baba is a guide to all religious and God-fearing people and was considered as God-incarnate while in flesh and blood. Shri Sai Baba crossed the border of physical world by Seemollanghan and took Mahasamadhi on the Vijayadashmi day in 1918 only to remain midst of His devotees. Though He took Mahasamadhi, He transcends this universe and is fully aware of the wants of His devotees. His Bones are protecting, blessing and answering to the calls of His innumerable devotees today.

His Healing Touch

Shri Sai Baba always sat near the Dhuni – Sacred Fire that was lit when He was in flesh and blood and continues to burn even to this day and shall continue to burn till such time He wants it. The Dhuni yields the sacred ash – Udi/Vibhuti which is all ‘powerful’ due to the grace and omnipresence of Shri Sai Baba. In the first, as a Hakim He prescribed herbs and later dispensed with this and instead gave every one the sacred and blessed Udi with His hands at the time of the devotee’s departure from Shirdi. Udi which cured many physical and mental maladies shall work only when the devotees have explicit bhakti and surrender completely onto His Holy Feet. In short Udi is panacea for all the problems, which the devotees shall face in this Kaliyuga.

Why Shirdi is so sacred?

In our land there are many holy places, which were treaded by Saints during their lifetime. But, all these holy places do not get sanctified even if the Lord wants it; because only a few such Saints get the land in which they treaded and sanctified one such is Shirdi and its Presiding Yogi Raja Shri Sai Baba.

The earth on which a Saint treads gets sanctified and the mother earth feels happy; because He is walking upon it. The dust on which a Saint sets His foot is just sacred. When such a Saint walks in the street Lord Vishnu Himself follows Him closely behind. Do you know why ? The dust, that flies up from the tread of the Saint’s feet to fall on His holy body and purify Him. Therefore, the land of Shirdi is sacred as Shri Sai Baba has set His Foot here. Today thousands visit Shirdi daily shows how sanctified is the soil of Shirdi for which we are fortunate to visit His Samadhi. Shri Sai Baba drags all His devotees into His fold and later makes all arrangements to visit Him at Shirdi and welcomes us from the Samadhi in order to solve our problems and remain with His devotees forever.

Shri Sai Baba is the God-incarnate for this Kaliyuga and He shall protect all His devotees from the Samadhi through His Bones who earnestly surrender to His Holy Feet and sing the wonderful glory and leelas and thus He shall draw out all His devotees from the impending calamities. All our relatives and friends shall forsake us at some point of the time or the other, specially when calamities have knocked or knocking at our doorstep which is sure to be a passing phase in one’s life and also which is inevitable; but never shall Shri Sai Baba forsake us. Shri Sai Baba shall test us as how much Shraddha and Saburi have we attained during adverse times by chanting and reciting His name and singing His glory. How much ever difficulties one may undergo if we surrender to His Feet; He shall only lead us to shubhra marg for us to a happy life later. Bhagawan ke ghar me der hai, par andher nahi hai.

We should remember Sai’s commitment and promise to His devotees “Why fear when I am Here” and lead a life by surrendering ourselves to His Holy Feet as Shri Sai Baba is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient.

March-April 2005

URL:http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org

E-mail : saibaba_anr@sancharnet.in

E-mail : saidadar@bom3.vsnl.net.in

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