Shri Sai Satcharitra - Chapter 8 - VII

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Sai Ram. Again by His conduct, He showed that He is one with all animate and inanimate, sentient and insentient beings. Doing good acts consciously is different from doing it automatically as True Real Nature. That is why Shri Hemadpant says there, even in dreams never warded off, a very significant statement! In dreams, the hidden side of the mind comes to the forefront. So all negative emotions, which might have been suppressed in conscious state come up, since the control of the mind is relaxed in sleep and in dreams. So, Sai did not have a harsh word for anyone else even in dream. Since Sai is one with everyone and there is no one else. Once that state is realized by the individual ego, it no longer exists separately and is no longer troubled by Maya, Illusion, and sense of separation. Sai Ram.

People in Shirdi took Him in the beginning for a mad Fakir. He was known in the village by this name.

Sai Ram. Sai was so liberal of mind and heart that He was One with all living and non-living beings. He was therefore, not minding cats and dogs from eating food from the same pot as He. Blessed indeed is the life of such a Noble Person. Indeed. But such behavior will be considered 'mad' by so called 'normal' society. People in Shirdi took Him in the beginning for a mad Fakir. He was known in the village by this name. And of course He did not bother.

How could one, who lived on alms by begging a few crumbs of bread, be revered and respected? But this Fakir was very liberal of heart and hand, disinterested and charitable. Though He looked fickle and restless from outside, He was firm and steady inside. His way was inscrutable. Still even in that small village, there were a few kind and blessed people who recognized and regarded Him as a Great Soul. One such instance is given below.

Sai Ram. To recognize the greatness of some one else, we need a minimum greatness ourselves. At another place, Shri Hemadpant writes that only a Saint can recognize another Saint. We may not be Saints, but we should have some merit (poorva janma punyam). Thus, a few kind and blessed people recognized Him. Here, kind also means type. Like a lion recognizes another lion. And yes, they were blessed to play their part in the drama set up by Sadguru Sai. For ordinary people, whose senses were covered by the veil of Maya, it is not possible to recognize the greatness of a Saint. The few souls who recognised Him were capable since they too were advanced and took birth to play their part in that wonderful drama, just like Vasudeva and Devaki, Nanda and Yasoda took birth to play their parts when Krishna decided to take birth in Brindavan. And King Dasaratha, Kausalya, Vasishtha and Viswamitra etc. took birth when Rama took birth in Ayodhya. Sai Ram.

Bayajabai's Brilliant Service

Tatya Kote's mother, Bayajabai, used to go to the woods every noon with a basket on her head containing bread and vegetables. She roamed in the jungles koss (about 3 miles) after koss, trampling over bushes and shrubs in search of the mad Fakir, and after hunting Him out, fell at His feet. The Fakir sat calm and motionless in meditation, while she placed a leaf before Him, spread the eatables, bread, vegetables etc. thereon and fed Him forcibly. Wonderful was her faith and service. Every day she roamed at noon in the jungles and forced Baba to partake lunch. Her service, Upasana or Penance, by whatever name we call it, was never forgotten by Baba till His Maha Samadhi. Remembering fully what service she rendered, Baba benefited her son magnificently. Both the son and the mother had great faith in the Fakir, Who was their God. Baba often said to them "Fakir (Mendicacy) was the real Lordship as it was everlasting, and the so called Lordship (riches) was transient". After some years, Baba left off going into the woods, began to live in the village and take His food in the Masjid. From that time Bayajabai's troubles of roaming in the jungles ended.