Shri Sai Satcharitra - Chapter 4 - I

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Sai Baba's First Advent In Shirdi

Mission of the Saints - Shirdi a Holy Tirth - Personality of Sai Baba - Dictum of Goulibuva - Appearance of Vithal - Kshirsagar's Story - Das Ganu's Bath in Prayag - Immaculate Conception of Sai Baba and His First Advent in Shirdi - Three Wadas.

In the last chapter, I described the circumstances which led me to write Sai-Sat-Charita. Let me now describe the first advent of Sai Baba in Shirdi.

Mission of the Saints

Lord Krishna says in Bhagvadgita (Chapter IV, 7-8) that "Whenever there is a decay of Dharma (righteousness) and an ascendancy of unrighteousness, I manifest Myself; and for the protection of the virtuous, the destruction of the vicious and for the establishment of righteousness, I manifest Myself in age after age".

This is the mission of Lord, and the Sages and Saints, Who are His representatives and Who appear here at proper times, help in their own way to fulfil that mission. For instance, when the twice born, i.e. the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas neglect their duties and when the Shudras try to usurp the rights of the higher classes, when spiritual preceptors are not respected but humiliated, when nobody cares for religious instructions, when every body thinks himself very learned, when people begin to partake of forbidden foods and intoxicating drinks, when under the cloak of religion, people indulge in malpractices, when people belonging to different sects fight amongst themselves, when Brahmins fail to do Sandhya adoration, and the orthodox their religious practices, when Yogis neglect their meditation, when people begin to think that wealth, progeny, wife are their sole concern, and thus turn away from the true path of salvation, then do Saints appear and try to set matters right by their words and action. They serve us as beacon-lights, and show us the right path, and the right way for us to follow. In this way, many saints, viz. Nivritti, Jnanadev, Muktabai, Namdev, Gora, Gonayi, Ekanath, Tukaram, Narahari, Narsi Bhai, Sajan Kasai, Sawata, Ramdas, and various others did appear at various times to show the right path to the people, and so presently came Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi.

Sai Ram. The above gives Shri Hemadpant's understanding of the Mission of the Saints in the light of what Shri Krishna stated in Shri Bhagavad Geeta (Gita). It is to be noted that Shri Hemadpant like all normal people, had certain inherent limitations of perspective due to his family background. Baba, was beyond all these considerations, but He never advocated any of His devotees to transgress their social religious duties. So the writings of Shri Hemadpant are to be understood keeping the social perspective in view.

Shirdi - A Holy Tirth

The banks of the Godavari river, in the Ahmednagar District, are very fortunate for they gave birth and refuge to many a Saint, prominent amongst them being Jnaneshwar. Shirdi also falls in the Kopargaon Taluka of the Ahmednagar District. After crossing the Godavari river at Kopargaon, one gets the way to Shirdi. When you go three Koss (9 miles), you come to Nimgaon, from whence, Shirdi is visible. Shirdi is as famous and well-known as other holy places like Gangapur, Narsinhwadi, Audumbar on the banks of Krishna river. As the devotee Damaji flourished in and blessed Mangalvedha (near Pandharpur) as Samarth Ramdas at Sajjangad, as Shri Narasimha Saraswati at Saraswatiwadi, so Sainath flourished at Shirdi and blessed it.

Personality of Sai Baba

It is on account of Sai Baba that Shirdi grew into importance. Let us see what sort of a personage Sai Baba was. He conquered this Samsar (worldly existence), which is very difficult and hard to cross. Peace or mental calm was His ornament, and He was the repository of wisdom. He was the home of Vaishnava devotees, most liberal (like Karna) amongst liberals, the quint-essence of all essences. He had no love for perishable things, and was always engrossed in self-realization, which was His sole concern.

Sai Ram. It should be our sole concern also. All things are perishable. The One, which has no beginning and hence has no end, is called Self. And to realize it and to abide in it, is the true sign of a Yogi. Intellectual under- standing of this truth is no doubt a step in the right direction, but one can't realize the Self, with one's intellect, which is a part of the mind. Self is beyond the mind.

He felt no pleasure in the things of this world or of the world beyond. His Antarang (heart) was as clear as a mirror, and His speech always rained nectar. The rich or poor people were the same to Him. He did not know or care for honour or dishonour. He was the Lord of all beings. He spoke freely and mixed with all people, saw the actings and dances of Nautchgirls and heard Gajjal songs. Still, He swerved not an inch from Samadhi (mental equilibrium).

Sai Ram. He could do that because he remained unaffected by His senses. Later in Sat Charitra, Chapter 49, Page 252, is the beautiful advice given by Sai to Shri Nanasaheb Chandorkar, when the latter was affected by the sight of the beautiful face of a lady when she removed her veil while taking Baba's darshan. So, intellectual understanding has to be experienced. Baba too gave the same advice to Shri V.H.Thakur (Chapter 21, page 111)- "What Appa told you was all right; but these things have to be practiced and lived. Mere reading won't do. You have to think and carry out, what you read, otherwise, it is of no use. Mere book-learning, without the grace of the Guru, and self-realization is of no avail." Dear Sai Bandhus, the above words of Sai are applicable to all of us, first to this writer. So, let us pray to Sadguru Sai Maharaj for showering His grace on us! Sai Ram.