Shri Sai Satcharitra-Chapter- XXIV-Part I

Baba's Wit and Humour - Chanak Leela - (1) Hemadpant (2) Sudama (3) Anna Chinchanikar vs. Mavsibai.

Preliminary

To say that, we shall state such and such in the next or this Chapter, is a sort of egoism. Unless, we surrender our ego to the feet of our Sad-guru, we will not succeed in our undertaking. If we become egoless, then our success is assured.

Sai Ram. While ego has to merge with Sai at the right time, it is the tool for doing one's karma in this world. Thus ego can be used for useful purposes. The important thing to remember is to submit the ego to the wishes of the Guru. Then it is protected from going astray. Sai Ram.

By worshipping Sai Baba, we attain both the objects, worldly and spiritual, and are fixed in our true nature, and get peace and happiness. Therefore, those who want to gain their welfare, should respectfully hear Sai Baba's Leelas or stories and meditate on them. If they do this, they will easily attain the object of their life and bliss.

Sai Ram. Humans have four purusharthas in life - dharma (righteousness),artha (material wealth), kama (fulfillment of desires) and moksha (liberation from desires). Shri Hemadpant affirms with his own experiences that worshipping Guru (Sai) takes care of all purusharthas. Sai Ram.

Then Baba said to Kakaseheb, that He would Himself do the offering and killing business. It was settled that the goat should be disposed of near a place called Takkya, where fakirs used to sit. When the goat was being removed to that place, it fell dead on the way.

Sai Ram. People don't like jokes to be cut at their expense by other people but with Baba it was different since Baba had the power to be one with their mind and open their awareness to a higher level and thus lift them from the shackles of their egos. So, they did not mind the jokes. Here we see a lesson. A man who can laugh at his own folly and a man who can laugh at jokes directed at himself is already relatively free from the shackles of pride and ego. It is our ego that makes us like or dislike something. It is also our ego which makes us enjoy the discomfiture of others (it has to do with our desire to dominate others for our own pleasures. Sai Ram.). However, in the presence of our Sadguru Sai, our egos get refined and learn the lessons from the jokes or humour. That is the effect of a Sadguru's teachings which is of course the result of our merits of this birth or past lives. Sai Ram.

Chanak-Leela

In Shirdi, bazar was held every Sunday, and people from the neighbouring villages came there, erected booths and stalls on the street, and sold their wares and commodities. Every noon, the masjid was crowded more or less; but on Sunday, it was crowded to suffocation. On one such Sunday, Hemadpant sat in front of Baba, shampooing His Legs and muttering God's name. Shama was on Baba's left, Vamanrao to His right - Shriman Booty and Kakasaheb Dixit and others were also present there. Then Shama laughed and said to Annasaheb - "See that some grains seem to have stuck to the sleeve of your coat". So saying he touched the sleeve and found that there were some grains. Hemadpant straightened his left fore-arm to see what the matter was, when to the the surprise of all, some grains of gram come rolling down and were picked up by the people who were sitting there.

Sai Ram. No one knews how the grains got stuck to the coat sleeve of Annasaheb (Hemadpant). However, it was Sai's leela and He used that to give all of us a valuable spiritual lesson. Sai Sadguru is teaching Shri Hemadpant and us a very valuable spiritual lesson. Recall what Shri Hemadpant was doing above. "On one such Sunday, Hemadpant sat in front of Baba, shampooing His Legs and muttering God's name." Since Shri Hemadpant was doing a good seva, Sai wanted to reward him by teaching him a good spiritual lesson. Also, while Shri Hemadpant was shampooing Sai's legs, he was uttering God's name and Baba wanted to confirm that He was one with all the Gods, including the name of the God whom Hemadpant was remembering. Sai Ram. This incident furnished a subject-matter for joke. Everybody present began to wonder and said something or other as to how the grains found their way into the sleeve of the coat and lodged there so long. Hemadpant also could not guess how they found an entrance and stayed there. When nobody could give any satisfactory explanation in this matter, and everybody was wondering about this mystery, Baba said as follows :-

Baba - "This fellow (Annasaheb) has got the bad habit of eating alone. Today is a bazar-day and he was here chewing grams. I know his habit and these grams are a proof of it. What wonder is there is this matter?"

Hemadpant - "Baba, I never know of eating things alone; then why do you thrust this bad habit on me? I have never yet seen Shirdi bazar. I never went to the bazar today, then how could I buy grams, and how could I eat them if I had not bought them? I never eat anything unless I share it with others present near me".

Baba - "It is true that you give to the persons present; but if none be near-by, what could you or I do But do you remember Me before eating? Am I not always with you? Then do you offer Me anything before you eat?"