Shri Sai Satcharitra-Chapter 38-Part IV

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Continued From The Third Part

In order to see how any disciple has imbibed this principle, Shirdi Saibaba at times proposed tests. For instance, on an Ekadashi day He gave some rupees to Dada Kelkar and asked him to go in person to Koralha to get mutton from there. This Dada Kelkar was an orthodox Brahmin and kept all orthodox manners in his life. He knew that offering wealth, grain and clothes etc., to a Sad-guru was not enough but that implicit obedience to and prompt compliance with His order was the real Dakshina that pleased Him most. So Dada Kelkar dressed himself and started for the place. Then Baba called him back and said, "Don't go yourself, but send somebody." Then Dada sent servant Pandu for the purpose. Seeing him starting, Baba asked Dada to call him back and cancelled that programme.

Sai Ram. Baba was testing whether the disciple is ready to go beyond caste, creed etc. A good lesson in real worship of Guru. The 9 types of bhakti, devotion mentioned else where in scriptures and in Sri Sai Satcharitra end with Atma Nivedanam - offering of oneself, the highest sacrifice.

Sri Arjuna was at the eighth stage of Sakhya, friendship and Lord Krishna was asking him to move on to the highest stage, the 9th. In numerology too, 8 represents the bound ego and 9 represents the Master! It is not a coincidence that Gita has 18 Adhyayas, 18 adding up to 9 and this profound advice or prescription of Sri Krishna occurring in the last chapter, the 18th, adding to 9. Even the sloka number adds to 3 (66 adds to 12 and reduces to 3), a subset of 9! Once the "I" is surrendered, the Third Eye, the real Eye to the vision of the real "I" opens! The One who has His Third Eye open is Siva! Sai Ram.

On another occasion Baba asked Dada just to see how the saltish Pulav' (mutton dish) was done. The latter said casually and formally that it was alright. Then Baba said to him - "Neither you have seen it with your eyes, nor tasted in with your tongue, then how could you say that it was good? Just take out the lid and see." Saying this Baba caught his arm and thrust it into the pot and added, "Draw out your arm and taking a ladle, put some quantity in the dish without caring for your orthodoxy and without blustering." When a wave of real love rises in a mother's mind, she pinches her child with her hand and when it begins to cry and shout, she hugs it close to her bosom. Similarly Baba, in a true motherly way pinched Dada Kelkar in this fashion. Really no saint or guru will ever force his orthodox disciple to eat forbidden food and defile himself thereby.

Sai Ram. Here is an important principle. Obey the Guru implicitly but don't cross the limits of dharma on your own! With Guru, one always maintains a dualistic perspective till the real enlightenment takes place and in samadhi, one sees that he is one with the Guru. In normal planes of consciousness, both Guru and sishya maintain the dualistic dharma. This is required for social order. Lord Krishna also tells Sri Arjuna that though He is beyond all Karma, He does them (appears to do them) for the sake of society. There is an interesting episode in Sri Datta Charitra of Sri Vihnu Sarma advising an avadhuta son of a brahmin couple to maintain the social decorum for the sake of the parents. Sai Ram.

The Handi business went on for some time till 1910 and was stopped thereafter. As stated before, Das Ganu spread the fame of Baba by his kirtans far and wide in the Bombay Presidency and people from that part of the country began to flock to Shirdi, which became in a few days a place of pilgrimage. The devotees brought with them various articles for presentation and offered various dishes of food as naivedya. The quantity of naivedya offered by them was so much that the fakirs and paupers could feed themselves to their hearts' content, leaving some surplus behind. Before stating how naivedya was distributed, we shall refer to Nanasaheb Chandorkar's story showing Baba's regard and respect for local Shrines and deities.

About the author

S.V. Swamy

Swarna.Venkateswara Swamy, (also known as Venkateswara Swamy Swarna, S.V.Swamy or simply Swamy) is a physicist and a metallurgist by education. He considers Sai Baba of Shirdi as his Sadguru but respects all Gurus. He is an avid reader, a book reviewer and an editor. He has an abiding interest in holistic health systems..