Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 16 -17-Part I

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These two Chapters relate the story of a rich gentleman, who wanted Brahma-Jnana, quickly from Sai Baba.

Preliminary

The last Chapter described how Mr. Cholkar's vow of small offering was completed and accepted. In that story, Sai Baba showed that He would accept with appreciation any small thing offered with love and devotion, but if the same thing was offered with pride and haughtiness, He would reject it. Being Himself full of Sat-Chit-Anand (Existence, Knowledge and Bliss) He did not care much for more outward formalities but if an offering was made in meek and humble spirit, the same was welcome and He accepted it with pleasure and avidity.

In fact there is no person more liberal and benevolent than a Sadguru, like Sai Baba. He cannot be compared to the Chintamani jewel (the Philosopher's stone which satisfies desires), the Kalpataru (the Celestial Tree which fulfills our desires) or the Kamadhenu (the Celestial Cow which yields what we desire), for they give us only what we desire; but the Sadguru gives us the most precious thing that is inconceivable and inscrutable (The reality). Now let us hear, how Sai Baba disposed of a rich man, who came to Him and implored Him to give him Brahma-Jnana.

Sai Ram. Shri Hemadpant makes an excellent distinction between Kamadhenu etc., and the Sadguru (literally meaning One who teaches the truth). Kamadhenu etc., give us what we desire and thus get us more attached to desires. We get more entangled with the materialistic desires and become prisoners of our own desires.

Only a Sadguru, who Himself has realised the futility of trying to fuflfill all the desires can show us the truth and liberate us from our self-imposed prison. Brahma Jnan is all about enlightenment and we are indeed blessed to be taking up this chapter just after the Guru Purnima, which fell on Sunday, the 29th July, 2007 this year. May Sadguru bless all of us His children! Sai Ram.

There was a rich gentleman (unfortunately his name and whereabouts are not mentioned) who was very prosperous in his life. He had amassed a large quantity of wealth, houses, field and lands, and had many servants and dependents. When Baba's fame reached his ears, he said to a friend of his, that he was not in want of anything, and so he would go to Shirdi and ask Baba to give him Brahma-Jnana which, if he got, would certainly make him more happy. His friend dissuaded him, saying, "it is not easy to know Brahman, and especially so for an avaricious man like you, who is always engrossed in wealth, wife and children. Who will, in your quest for Brahma-Jnana, satisfy you who won't give away even a pice in charity?"

Sai Ram. It is not necessary to know that rich man's name since most of the rich men (or for that matter even ordinary people who have a few possessions and have desire for materialistic things) fall into the same category. Since that man had some previous connection with Sai Baba, He pulled him to Shirdi and used him to teach all of us, His chidren, some great spiritual truths. Sai Ram.