Shri Sai Sat Charitra-Chapter XXVII-Part II

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Shama was a very intimate devotee of Baba and Baba wanted to favour him in a particular way by giving him a copy of Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam as Prasad. This was done in the following way. Once a Ramadasi (follower of Saint Ramadas) came to Shirdi and stayed for some time.

The routine that the Ramadasi followed daily was as follows : He got up early in the morning, washed his face, bathed and then after wearing saffron-coloured clothes and besmearing himself with sacred ashes, read Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam (a book giving a thousand names in praise of Vishnu, and held second in importance to Bhagwad Geeta) and Adhyatma-Ramayana (Esoteric version of Rama's story) with faith. He read these books often and often and then after some days Baba thought of favouring and initiating Shama with Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam.

Sai Ram. We will shortly see that Baba favored not only Shama but also the Ramadasi by giving him some valuable spiritual lessons. Sai Ram.

He (Sai) therefore, called the Ramadasi to Him and said to him that, He was suffering from intense stomach-pain, and unless He took Senna-pods (Sona-mukhi, a mild purgative drug) the pain would not stop; so he should please go to the bazar and bring the drug. The Ramadasi closed his reading and went to the bazar.

Baba then descended from His seat, came to the Ramadasi's place of reading, took out the copy of Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam, and coming to His seat said to Shama- "Oh Shama, this book is very valuable and efficacious, so I present it to you, you read it. Once I suffered intensely and my heart began to palpitate and My life was in danger. At that critical time, I hugged this book to my heart and then, Shama, what a relief it gave me! I thought that Allah Himself came down and saved Me. So I give this to you, read it slowly, little by little, read daily one name at least and it will do you good."

Sai Ram. When one's physical life or spiritual life is in danger, one has to seek God and surrender to Him. That is what Baba conveyed by saying that He hugged the book to His heart. Intellectual reading is necessary but what is read has to be absorbed into the heart, i.e. one's whole heart and mind has to be imbued by the divinity. Then only one reaches the true state of spirit and is free from the chain of birth and death and is free from the danger of falling back into the old ways of ignorance.

Read more on the Next Page about Shama and the gift of Vishnu Sahasranam