Shri Sai Sat Charitra-Chapter 31-Part 1

By Super

Wednesday, March 20, 2013, 14:44

The Passing Away In Baba's Presence of - (1) Sannyasi Vijayanand - (2) Balaram Mankar - (3) Noolkar - (4) Megha - and (5) The Tiger.

In this Chapter Hemadpant describes the passing away of certain persons and a tiger in Baba's presence.

Preliminary

The last wish or thought that a man has at the hour of death, determines his future course. Shri Krishna has said in Gita (VIII-5-6) that "he who remembers Me in his last moments, comes verily to Me, and he that meditates otherwise at that time goes to what he looks for." We cannot be certain that we can entertain a particular good thought at our last moment, for, more often than not, we are more likely to be frightened and terrified by many causes.

Hence constant practice is necessary for enabling us to fix our mind on any desired good thought at any or the last moment. All Saints, therefore, recommended us to always remember God and chant His name always, so that we may not be puzzled when the time for departure comes. The devotees on their part surrender themselves completely to the Saints, fully believing that the all-knowing Saints would guide and help them in their last moments. A few such cases will be noted here.

Sai Ram. Remembering God's name or Saint's name (God and Saint is same, there is no difference between Sant and Anant as Shri Hemadpant tells usin the previous chapter and elsewhere) also needs lot of sadhana and getting a taste for the name needs some merit on our part either in this or in some previous birth. Similarly, reading these articles or writing also needs His grace! Thus remembering Sant or Anant anyone is as effective as remembering the other. In fact, God is more pleased with those who remember His faithful devotees (God is Bhakta Sulabh and Bhakta Paradheen). Sai Ram has the double advantage of making us remember Sai and Ram.

Vijayanand

A Madrasi Sannyasi named Vijayanand started on a pilgrimage to Manasa-Sarovar. En route, hearing Baba's fame, he halted at Shirdi. There he met one Somadevaji Swami of Haridwar and enquired of him about the particulars of the Manasa-Sarovar trip. The Swami told him that the Sarovar was 500 miles above the Gangotri and described to him the difficulties of the journey, viz. plenty of snow and the change of dialect every 50 koss and the suspicious nature of the people of Bhutan who give a lost of trouble to the pilgrims on the way.

We read about this Swami in another chapter of Sri Sai Satcharitra, where he gets his doubts about yoga cleared from Sri Sai (Yoga and Onion is the title of that story). From this story, it appears as if Sri Somdev Swami visited Shirdi more than once. I will share more about him if I get some more details some where else. Sai Ram.

Hearing this, the Sannyasi was dejected and cancelled the trip. Then when he went to Baba and prostrated himself before Him, Baba got enraged and said, "Drive out this useless Sannyasi, his company is of no use". The Sannyasi did not know Baba's nature. He felt discomforted, but sat there watching things that were going on. It was the morning Darbar and the Masjid was overcrowded. Baba was being worshipped in various ways. Some were washing His Feet, some taking the Tirth (holy water) from His toe and drinking it heartily and some touching their eyes with it, some were applying sandal-paste, and some scents to His body. And all were doing these things forgetting the distinction of caste and creed. Though Baba got enraged with him, the sannyasi was filled with affection for Baba and he did not like to leave the place.