Category: Company of saints

Satsang — the company of holy ones — is one of Baba’s most emphasised practices. Explore the lives of saints who walked alongside Baba, and the transformative power of holy association.

  • Sai Baba as Sadguru

    There are many so-called Gurus, who go about from house to house with cymbals and veena in their hands, and make a show of their spirtituality. They blow mantras into the ears of their disciples and extract money from them. They profess to teach piety and religion to their disciples, but are themselves impious and irreligious.

    Sai Baba never thought of making the least show of His worth (piety). Body- consciousness, He had none, but He had great love for the disciples.

    There are two kinds of Gurus (1) ‘Niyat’ (appointed or fixed) and (2) ‘Aniyat’ unappointed or general). The latter by their advice develop the good qualities in us, purify our hearts and set us on the path of salvation;

    but contact with the former, dispels our quality (sense of difference); and estalishes us in Unity by making us realize “Thou art that”. There are various Gurus imparting to us various kinds of wordly knowledge, but he, who fixes us in our Nature (Self) and carries us beyond the ocean of worldly existence, is the Sadguru. Sai Baba was such a Sadguru.

    His greatness is undescribable. If anybody went to take His darshana, he, without being asked, would give every detail of his past, present and future life. He saw Divinity in all beings.

    Friends and foes were alike to Him. Disinterested and equal- balanced, He obliged the evil-doers. He was the same in prosperity and adversity, No doubt, ever touched Him.

    Though He possessed the human body, He was not in the least attached to His body or house. Though He looked embodied, He was really disembodied, i.e., free in this every life.

  • Hemadpant, The Author of “Shri Sai Satcharita”

    Hemadpant, The Author of “Shri Sai Satcharita”

    Govind Raghunath Dabolkar, called Anna Saheb Dabolkar, was Mamlatdar and first class resident Magistrate.

    His work ‘Sai Satcharitra’ in Marathi Ovi verse extends to a thousand pages. Maharashtra Sai bhaktas treat it as Sai Ramayana or modern Guru Charitra. They give it the respect due to ancient puranas. Even others respect it when they gain access through N.V. Gunjaji’s English adaptation or translations in Telugu, etc.

    This work is highly meritorious and has been the instrument for many people becoming Sai bhaktas. The verses are highly sonorous. The stories about Sai Baba collected from various individuals are based on actual experiences. These stories have great charm and are always fresh.

    On his first visit to Shirdi and Sai Baba in 1910, went to the mosque. He and his friend Bala Saheb Bhate prostrated before Baba. Baba pointed to Dabolkar and said, ‘What talk was going on there at the wada? And what did this Hemad Pant say (pointing his chin to Dabolkar)?’. Dabolkar’s name was not Hemad Pant at all.

    Hemadpant-“I began to think why Sai Baba should call me by the name Hemadpant. This word is a corrupt form of Hemadripant.

    This Hemadripant was a wellknown Minister of the kings Mahadev and Ramadev of Devgiri of the Yadav dynasty. He was very learned and good-natured. He authored good works, such as Chaturvarga Chintamani (dealing with spiritual subjects) and Rajprashasti. He invented and started new methods of accounts  and was the originator of the Ovi (Marathi Shorthand) script.

    But I was quite the opposite, an ignoramus, and have dull, mediocre intellect. I could not understand why the name or title was conferred upon me. However, after thinking seriously about it, I thought that the title was a dart to destroy my ego. This way, I should always remain meek and humble. It was also a compliment paid to me for the cleverness in the discussion#. (# before he started from Wada/Lodge to Sai Temple, he had some hot discussion with Bala Saheb Bhate about”Guru’s essential ” for 30 minutes)”.

    Looking to the future history, we think that Baba’s word (calling Mr. Dabholkar by the name Hemadpant) was significant and prophetic, as we find that he looked after the management of Sai Sansthan very intelligently, kept nicely all the accounts and helped greatly in the publications of ‘Sai Lila Masik (Magazine)’ also as the author of such a good work “Shri Sai Satcharita (SSSC)”, which deals with such important and spiritual subjects as Jnana, Bhakti and dispassion, self-surrender and self-realization.

  • BY BABA’S MERE DARSHAN

    Bow to the Kind Sai, Who is the Abode of Mercy and Who is affectionate towards His devotees. By His mere darshan, He does away with their fear of this ‘bhava’ (samsar) and destroys their calamities.

    • He was first Nirgun (formless),
    • but on account of the devotion of His Bhaktas, He was obliged to take a form.
    • To give liberation ie. self-realisation to the Bhaktas is the mission of the saints, and
    • for Sai – the Chief of them, that mission is inevitable.

    Those who take refuge in His Feet have all their sins destroyed and their progress is certain.

    Remembering His Feet, Brahmins from holy places come to Him and read scriptures and chant the Gayatri mantra in His presence.

    We, who are weak and without any merits, do not know what Bhakti is, but we know this much, that though all others may leave us, Sai won’t forsake us. Those whom He favours get enormous strength, discrimination between the Unreal and the Real and knowledge.

    Sai knows fully the desire of His devotees and fulfills the same. Hence they get what they want and are grateful. So we invoke Him and prostrate ourselves before Him.

    Forgetting all our faults let Him free us from all anxieties. He who being overcome with calamities remembers and prays Sai thus, will get his mind calmed and pacified through His grace.

    SSSC-Ch 30

  • Baba’s another type of Guiding

    When devotees came to Baba and asked Him certain questions. He sometimes answered them in part, and asked them to go and listen to the readings of the following* works, which are the main treatises of Bhagwat Dharma. When the devotes went and listened, they got full and satisfactory replies to their questions

    • * well known Marathi book named ‘Nath-Bhagwat.’ This is a commentary by the Saint Ekanath, on the eleventh Skandha (chapter) of the bigger Sanskrit work, the Bhagwat.
    • At the suggestion or recommendation of Sai Baba, Messrs. Bapusaheb Jog and Kakasaheb Dixit read daily in Shirdi,
      • BhagwadGeeta with its Marathi commentary named Bhawartha-Deepika or
      • Jnaneshwari (A dialogue between Krishna and His friend devotee Arjuna) and
      • Nath Bhagwat (A dialogue between Krishna and His servant devotee Uddhava) and also
      • Ekanath’s other big work, viz. Bhawartha Ramayana
  • Wise, avoid anxiety!

    Wise, avoid anxiety!

    “Stay, cast off anxiety. the wise avoid anxiety.

    Your sufferings for your past karma have come to an end, as soon as you put your feet on Shirdi. Persons in great trouble, sunk in their misery, rise to joy and happiness as soon as they climb the steps of this mosque (Dwarakamai)

    That Fakir (God) is very kind and will eradicate your disease. He will show his love. He is kind to all. “Baba

  • Four Sadhana for Four Ages

    Baba’s Stories as Beacon- Light:

    • Light houses are constructed at various places in the sea, to enable the boatmen to avoid rocks and dangers, and make them sail safely. Sai Baba’s stories serve a similar purpose in the ocean of worldly existence.
    • They surpass nectar in sweetness, and make our worldly path smooth and easy to traverse. Blessed are the stories of the saints.
    • When they enter our hearts through the ears, the body-consciousness or egoism vanishes. The sense of duality disappears. When they are stored in the heart, doubts fly out to all sides. Pride of the body will fall. Wisdom will be stored in abundance.
    • The description of Baba’s pure fame and hearing it with love will destroy the sins of the devotee. Therefore, this is the simple Sadhana for attaining salvation.
    • The Sadhana for
      • Krita Age was Shamadama (tranquility of mind and body); for
      • Treta Age, sacrifice; for
      • Dwapara, worship, ;and for
      • Kali (present) Age, it is singing of the name and glory of the Lord. This last Sadhana is open to all the people of the four varnas.
    • The other Sadhanas, viz. Yoga/Yagya (sacrifice), Dhyana (meditation) and Dharana (concentration) are very difficult to practice, but singing and hearing the stories and the glory of the Lord (Sai Baba) is very easy.
    • We have only to turn our attention towards them. The listening and singing of the (Baba’s) stories will remove the attachment to the senses and their objects, and will make the devotees dispassionate, and will ultimately lead them to self-realization.
    • With this end in view, Sai Baba made me or helped me[ie Hemapant] to write His stories. The devotees may now easily read and hear these stories of Sai Baba. While doing so, they can meditate on Him and His form. Thus, they attain devotion to Guru and God (Sai Baba). They also gain detachment and self-realization.
    If any one prostrates before Sai and surrenders heart and soul to Him, then unsolicited, all the chief (Four) objects of life viz. Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (Desire) and Moksha (Deliverance), are easily and unsolicitedly attained.  SSSC Ch-6

  • Institution of Saints -Gurus

    There have been institutions of Saints in this world, from time immemorial.

    Various Saints appear (incarnate) themselves in various places to carry out the missions allotted to them, but though they work in different places, they are, as it were, one.

    They work in unison under the common authority of the Almighty Lord and know full well what each of them is doing in his place, and supplement his work where necessary.

    SSSC Ch-21

  • Power of Maya

    Baba’s words were always short, pithy, deep, full of meaning, efficient and well- balanced. He was ever content and never cared for anything.

    He said, “Though I have become a Fakir, have no house or wife, and though leaving off all cares, I have stayed at one place, the inevitable Maya teases Me often.

    Though I forgot Myself I cannot forget Her. She always envelops Me.This Maya (illusive power) of the Lord (Shri Hari) teases God Brahma and others; then what to speak of a poor Fakir like Me?

    Those who take refuge in the Lord wil be freed from Her clutches with his grace”.


    In such terms Baba spoke about the power of Maya.

  • PRAY BABA

    PRAY BABA

    Pray Baba, this

    “Oh Sai Sad-guru,

    the wish fulfilling tree of the Bhaktas,

    • Let us never forget and lose sight of Your Feet.
    • we have been troubled with the ins and outs (births and deaths) in this samsar;
    • now free us from this cycle of births and deaths.
    • Restrain us from the outgoing of our senses to their objects and introvert us and bring us face to face with the Atma (Self).
    • As long as this outgoing tendency of the senses and the mind is not checked, there is no prospect of self- realisation.
    • Neither son, nor wife nor friend will be of any use in the end;
    • It is only You, Who will give us salvation and happiness.
    • Destroy completely our tendency for discussions and other evil matters,
    • let our tongue get a passion for chanting Your name.
    • Drive out our thoughts, good or otherwise and make us forget our bodies and houses, and
    • do away with our egoism.
    • Make us ever remember Your name and forget all other things.
    • Remove the restlessness of our mind, and make it steady and calm.
    • If you just clasp us, the darkness of night of our ignorance will vanish and we shall live happily in Your light

    SSSC ch 25

  • Baba gave varied instructions

    Sometimes Baba observed long silence which was, in a way, His dissertation on Brahman; at other times He was Consciousness-Bliss Incarnate, surrounded by His devotees.

    Sometimes He spoke in parables, and at other times indulged in wit and humour. At times, He was quite unambiguous (clear) and at times He seemed enraged. Sometimes He gave His teachings in a nut-shell, at other times He argued at length.

    Many a time He was very plain. In this way, He gave varied instructions to many, according to their requirements.

    His life was, therefore, inscrutable, beyond the ken of our mind, beyond our intellect and speech. Our longing to see His face, to talk with Him and hear His Leelas was never satisfied; still we were overflowing with joy

    SSC Ch22