"I draw to Me, My man from far off or even across the seven Seas to Shirdi, like a sparrow with a string fastened to its feet"-Shirdi Sai Baba, Indian Spiritual Guru-God
Thanks SSS Trust, Shirdi
People from different Religious, Geographical, Economic, and Social backgrounds are brought together here. Their prayers are delivered and successfully resolved with the grace of the Indian spiritual SadGuru-God, Shirdi Sai Baba.
those who believe in You, still have real experiences with You.
Through an unseen thread, You bring devotees from near and far.
You welcome them to Your Feet and embrace them like a loving mother.
The devotees may not know, where You are. You cleverly guide them. You help them realize that, You are there to support them.
The intelligent, wise and learned folk fall into the pit of the samsar (worldly) due to their egoism.
However, You save the poor, simple, and devout persons by Your power.
The best way for us is to offer our
body,
speech, and
mind to You and
consistently chant Your name to remove our sins.
You grant the
wishes of those, who seek and
provide ultimate bliss to those, who desire nothing.
Chanting your sweet name is the simplest practice for devotees. Through this practice, our sins and negative qualities will fade away, while goodness and righteousness will grow stronger. This will also lead to better judgment, detachment, and understanding.
Then we shall abide in our Self and our Guru (Sai,who are one and the same).
This is what is called complete surrender to the Guru.
The only sure sign of this is that, our mind gets calm and peaceful
Once God’s grace is secured, all else will be got with ease. For this, man must get rid of attachment, fear and hatred.
He must perform all actions as an offering to God, who is omnipresent.
The vigil and fasting observed on Shivaratri night have become a farce. True vigil and fasting consist of concentrating one’s thoughts on God during the whole night.
God’s grace is a direct sequel to one’s actions. Each one must examine and see in what spirit one is performing one’s worship. The Divine can be realised only through Shraddha and Vishvasa (steadfastness and faith).
The Divine is within everyone. Once man recognises this fact, he will give no room for bad qualities. Embodiments of Divine Love! Dedicate yourselves to the performance of your duties.
Do not waste your time or that of others in idle talk. Starting with the duties of the individual, man should aim at achieving oneness with the Divine as the ultimate goal.
Shivaratri is an auspicious occasion for concentrating the mind on God. Devote at least this one night entirely to the contemplation of God, to the exclusion of all other thoughts and worries.
– Divine Discourse, by Puttaparti Satya Sai Baba, Feb 19, 1993
Para Number in the Book ‘BCS’ & Baba’s Sayings on his Own-Name, the followings
My eye (of vigilant supervision) is ever on those who love me. Whatever you do, wherever you may be, ever bear this in mind that I am always aware of everything you do.
If one ever meditates on me, repeats my name, signs my deeds, and is thus transformed into me, one’s Karma is destroyed. I stay by his side always.
You should have truth always with you. then I shall be always with you, wherever you are, and at all times.
I will be with you, whenever and wherever you think of me. Do not fear.
If one perpetually thinks of me, and makes me his sole refuge, I am his debtor and will give my head to save him.
If, one ever dwells on me in his mind and will not even taste food before offering it to me, I am his slave. So also if he hungers and thirsts after me, and treats all else as unimportant.
I am (Bhaktaparadeena) the bond slave of my devotees, I love devotion.
He who withdraws his heart from wife, child and parents and loves me is my real lover and he merges in me like a river in the sea.
Saibaba: The key of my treasury is now placed in your hands. Ask for anything you want, Rs. 5 to 100 a month or what you will and, I will give it to you. Devotee (M B Rage) declines to ask. Baba: Ask something, I am anxious to give you. Devotee: Is it agreed that you will grant anything I ask for? Baba: Yes Devotee: Then, Baba, I want this. In this and in any future birth that may befall me, you should never part from me. You should always be with me. Baba: Yes, I shall be with you, inside and outside you, whatever you may be or do.
My devotee feels me in you, in himself and in all creatures and sees all as his Guru. He will become like me.
If you make me the sole object of your thoughts and aims, you will gain Paramartha. (supreme Goal) Look to me; I will look to you. Trust the Guru fully. That is the only sadhana. Guru is all the Gods.
If one devotes his entire mind to me and rests in me, he need fear nothing for body and soul. If one sees me and me alone and listens to talk about me and is devoted to me alone, he will reach God (Chaitanya). He who worships me as Nitya, Suddha and Buddha comes to me.
Those who perpetually repeat my name reach their goal.
Simply say “Sai” “Sai” with heart overflowing. I care not for show of respect and forms, I rest in such devotees.
Repeat my name. Seek refuge in me. But to know ‘who I am” have Sravana and Manana.
I am formless and everywhere.
If anyone casts his burden on me and thinks of me, I look after all his concerns.
Yes; you can place your burdens on me.
In the abode of my devotees, there will be no dearth of food and clothing.
You devotees are my children. I am your father. You have to get everything from me. So you should not talk like that (say Sai is not God).
Why are you anxious? I take all care of you.
Sit quiet, Uge Muge. I will do the needful. I will take you to the end.
Go Everything will be provided, Babugir. I will provide for you, Ganu I will provide for Manker’s son.
Why do you fear? Am I not here (where you go to ease yourself?)
Stay here, treat it as your house Governor came with a lance to pierce Dada (G.S.K). I had a tussle with him and drove him out. Finally I conciliated him. Why should any fear, when I am here?
When this baby sleeps we have to stand by, keep awake and watch or take trouble.
I will not allow my devotees to come to harm. I have to take thought for my devotees. And if a devotee is about to fall, I stretch out my hands, and thus with four, four (i.e. a number of), outstretched hands at time to support him. I will not let him fall.
I am its (frog’s) Father, and am here. Will I let the snake eat it? See how I effect its release…….. “Hallo Veerabadrappa, be ashamed of your hatred. Give up hatred. (The snake dropped the frog). I have kept my word and saved Basappa (the frog from Viradadrappa, the snake). God has saved him by sending me.
See I have to suffer for your sake, to remove your sufferings. I Will not let you die. I will die first ere I let you die (Nandram) (Nandram lived long after 1918) Nana is about to die. But will I let him die? (535-A) Fakir (God) wishes to kill Dada Saheb (i.e., G.S.Khaparde), but I will not permit him. O Annah! if I had delayed a minute, this man (S.B.Nachen) would have indeed perished. The madman had seized him with his hands, even his throat. But I extricated him. What is to be done? If I do not save my own son, who else will.
He is mine, and mine alone. I alone have to shoulder the responsibility for carrying him across. Whom has he got except me?
(After Cholera goddess was driven away) You are now safe, Go.
Night and day, I think and think of my people, I con/recite their names over and over again. Baba to.Dhumal: “Bhav, the whole of last night, I had no sleep. I lay thinking and thinking of you. At every step, I have to take care of you, Else, what will happen to you, God knows.”
I shall never forget him; I shall remember him, even if he is 2000 miles away. I will eat nothing without him.
I get angry with none. Will a mother get angry with her kiddies? Will the ocean send back the waters to the several rivers? I love devotion. I am the slave of my devotees, Bhakta Paradhina.
How can I allow my children to fast or starve?
Come, Sirs, carry away bags of udhi. Come, cart away the treasures of your mother. Look here, People come and say Baba, give. I tell them to take. No one takes.
My master told me to give bounteously to all that ask. No one listens to me or wisdom. My treasury is open. None brings carts to take from it. I say dig; none will take any pains. I said dig out the treasure and cart it away. Be the real and true sons of the mother and fully stock your magazine. What is to become of us i.e. this bodily life? Earth will return to the earth; and the air (breath) will return to the air. This opportunity will not return.
Place your entire faith in my words. Your object will be accomplished.
Baba To Lakshman on 15-10-1918 : Jog thinks I am dead. I am living. Come and perform morning Arati
(Give me) my 1¼ Rupee (Majya Savva Rupya)
My tomb will speak and move with those who make me their refuge.
I shall be active and vigorous from my tomb also.
Even after my Mahasamadhi, I will be with you, the moment you think of me, at any place.
As soon as a devotee calls unto me with love, I will appear. I require no train to travel.
Nine forms or types of Devotion (Bhakti) are, viz.,
(1) Shravana (Hearing);
(2) Kirtana (Praying);
(3) Smarana (Remembering);
(4) Padasevana (resorting to the feet);
(5) Archana (Worship);
(6) Namaskara (Bowing);
(7) Dasya (Service);
(8) Sakhyatva (Friendship);
(9) Atmanivedana (surrender of the self). These are the nine types of Bhakti.
If any of these are faithfully followed, Lord Hari will be pleased and manifest Himself in the home of the devotee.
All the sadhanas, viz. Japa (vocal worship), Tapa (penance), and Yoga practice are quite useless. Studying the scriptures and expounding them are also quite useless. These activities need to be accompanied by Bhakti, i.e., devotion. Knowledge of the Vedas, or fame as a great Jnani, and mere formal Bhajan (worship) are of no avail. What is wanted is Loving Devotion.
Think of yourself as someone searching for the truth. Be anxious and eager like the seeker to collect or cultivate the nine types of devotion. Then you will attain stability and peace of mind.
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
The life of Sai Baba is as wide and deep as the infinite ocean. All can dive deep into the same and take out precious gems (of knowledge and Bhakti). They can distribute them to the aspiring public.
The stories, parables, and teachings of Sai Baba are very wonderful.
They will give peace and happiness to the people. These people are afflicted with sorrows and heavily loaded with miseries of this worldly existence. They will also bestow knowledge and wisdom, both in the worldly and in spiritual domains.
If these teachings of Sai Baba are listened to and meditated upon, the devotees will get what they long for. These teachings are as interesting and instructive as the Vedic lore. The devotees will attain union with Brahman, mastery in eight-fold Yoga, Bliss of meditation etc…
This collection would be most delightful to those simple souls, whose eyes were not blessed with Sai Baba’s darshana.
So, I set about collecting Sai Baba’s teachings and expressions – the outcome of His boundless self-realization.
Blessed are the stories of the saints. When they enter our hearts through the ears, the body – consciousness or egoism and the sense of duality vanish. When they are stored in the heart, doubts will evade. Pride of the body will fall, and wisdom will be stored in abundance.
The description of Baba’s pure fame and the hearing of the same with love, will destroy the sins of the devotee. Therefore, this is the simple Sadhana for attaining salvation.
The Sadhana of ‘singing of the name and glory of God’ is open to all the people of the four varnas (classification of society, based on their doing Profession. ie. 1. Priests & Teachers 2. Warriors & Rulers 3. Traders & Agriculturists and 4. Service providers & Laborers= Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras ).
The other Sadhanas, viz. Yoga, Yagya (sacrifice), Dhyana (meditation) and Dharana (concentration) are very difficult to practice. However, 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 stories will remove the attachment to the senses and their objects. This practice will make the devotees dispassionate. It will ultimately lead them to self-realization.
With this end in view, Sai Baba made me or helped me to write His stories, Sat-Charita. The devotees may now easily read and hear these stories of Sai Baba. While doing so, they can meditate on Him and His form. This leads them to attain devotion to Guru and God (Sai Baba), get dispassion and self-realization.
Sai Baba’s grace accomplished everything in the preparation and writing of this work, Sat-Charita. He made use of me as a mere instrument”-Hemadpant.
"I draw to Me, My man from far off or even across the seven Seas to Shirdi, like a sparrow with a string fastened to its feet"-Shirdi Sai Baba, Indian Spiritual Guru-God 