Spirituality

Our Sai: The Mission of a Saint


The Song from my Heart

 
Adoring in secret took its toll.
Fearing to discover my twisted soul
My mouth so unworthy
Still makes him prithee
He is patient enough
To bear my mischief
To be without a tongue
Thought, it would be song
He is aware of time
I need, at times to be calm
He prays to Thee
In spite of me!
 

From the Lotus Feet of Our Sai
this Anthology is dedicated to
Sivanand Veluri (The He in The Song from my Heart)


Prayer to Lord Vinaayaka and Goddess Saraswati

I prostrate before Lord Vinaayaka
     who brings happiness to all the worlds
     who destroys all obstacles
     who quickly destroys sins
     who is immortal
     who bestows salvation
     who gives mercy, forgiveness and bliss

I bow to Goddess Saraswati,
     who fulfills the wishes of devotees. 
     and I pray to her to enlighten me with knowledge


Inspiration

Life till now, led in ignorance
Until I learnt, about Your brilliance
Care You take, at every instance
Not a superstition, but sheer science   

This plea to You to keep guard
To complete this as Your bard
The work be music from chord
Bless thou Lord, Your own ward   

As Rama you followed obedience and truth
As Krishna you followed a clear and just path
The tree of our life, you be a blend of them
Only branches are we, Sai you are the stem  

The beginning and essence
Of every mantra’s excellence
Here with a purpose is your existence
‘Sai Mantra’ is the sum and substance 


Invocation

Let my tongue speak only the way that is correct
Only then it can make my life simple and perfect
Let my eyes have a feast of your holy sight
Our Sai, give them the vision to bear insight   

Let my ears listen only to your messages and prayers
It evaporates from our body the sediment-ego-layers
Let my nose inhale the fragrance of your thought
Our Sai, give it the capacity to discard the foul rot 

Let my hands touch your lotus feet and plead
To curb their urge of acquiring more than need
Let my feet lead me to the path of self-realization
Our Sai, give it the direction to move with caution 

Let my mind always bear your thoughts and sermons
Only then this body will have a value among humans
Let my body be a beautiful home to host this soul
Our Sai, give it the health to perfectly play its role
 
Let my company be among scholars with a value system
To understand the meaning of life and the correct custom
Let me surrender my mind, body and soul at your holy feet
Our Sai, give it the stamina to sing your praise in every street 
 


Praise
 
As a young teen
You once were seen
Clear in everything you mean
With intentions flawless and clean 

Love to the whole mankind, detachment to wealth and fame
With grandeur, knowledge and generosity you one day came
Mhalsapati proclaimed your name and welcomed you “Ya Sa-Ayi
Sa” the Divine “Ayi” the mother thus you became “Our Sai” 

Everyone has called you ‘Sai
God descended from the ‘Sky
Convinced even the mean ‘Sly
Forever with us active and ‘Spry’ 

Mathematics says all diversities start from a common origin
We attribute Your entry into the earth from one such region
It is the point where no meaning for religion has still begun
Our Sai, Your vision is a society where we are only human 

We abide by the monotheistic principles of submission
The purpose of this life to worship God is our mission
Holy messages from all the Epics bring us out of illusion
You are a true incarnation, Our Sai, of the religious fusion 

We abide by the omnipresent Vishnu’s magic and joy
We abide by the omniscient Brahma’s creation as toy
We abide by the omnipotent Shiva’s law and order
Guard us as all three together, Datta Sai our father  
 


Our Wish
 
As humble disciples we enroll
Through prayers from our soul
For a clean path to reach our goal
Oblige us our Sai, to play our role   

Flowing rivers accept all kinds of water
Without a protest to even the worst gutter
Absorb all our misdeeds like the free flowing rivers
Our Sai, accept our prayers though we are sinners 

You were a scholar not only in Vedas and Upanishads
But references from The Quran and The Bible your talk adds
Every word of ‘The Bhagawadgita’ you analyzed skillfully
Shower us with wisdom, our Sai to lead life blissfully 

His heart was clear as a mirror; Peace was his ornament
His court was attractive and convincing was his judgment
His “Samadhi’ court is eternally active to all devotees worries
Pray to Him with Shraddha and Saburi, our Sai answers all queries 

You are a realized soul, you pretend to seek realization
A master who teaches his students through an enaction
But only Your Darshan is our effort of seeking realization
Our Sai, with Shraddha and Saburi we enter your mansion 

We venerate and worship you in calmness
Give the yield of fruits of success to all of us
We pray and plead; bless and prosper our species
Be Thou to us, You are our Sai the most auspicious 

Dormant in nerve centers, ready to effuse
Awaiting the vital spiritual energy to rise
We sing with ecstasy, and all in your praise 
Bless us our Sai, release it all and not refuse  
 
Give a long life, only to live without greed
Give us wealth, only to suffice every need
Give us all the knowledge, only to be candid
Give us calm and peace, our Sai we all plead 
 
Commander of our physical and mental powers
Give us the strength to surpass all our ego towers
Teach us the art of rich thinking and simple living
Inculcate in us, our Sai the true happiness in giving
 
Spiritual and personal wisdom to see
Imbibe within through our penance fee
You remain permanently in our mind
Our sincere prayers, to our Sai so kind
 
Deadly and over powering diseases are three
Our ignorance and weakness first you free
The right path of God is then what we see
We shed falsehood to say our Sai you’re ‘in me’ 
 
To overcome our weakness and evil
Our Potent God bestow us with will
Else, its worst death written in fate
Forgive and rule us, our Sai the great
 
Lead me from all those things unreal to the real
And into the light from the darkness so cruel
Complexities of this life are a true ordeal
Give solace, our Sai before you we kneel
 
All doing of our body and mind’s function
Is an outcome of our ignorance and action
It is not purposeful but is nature’s impulsion
Relieve us of all sins, our Sai ‘Sashi Bhushan’ 
 
Sinners we are, when we recollect the origin of it all
Our greed was the monster and our sins stand tall
Burn our desire and greed one by one into ashes
Lead our way, our Sai, as it shatters us to pieces
 
A large heart that would never envy
Without jealousy all love to convey
Anger and hatred never in our way
In our thoughts, our Sai you shall stay 
 


The Message of the Saint – Our Sai
 
Demonstrated through miracles and utterance
Purpose and intention of earthly appearance
To impart awareness in proportion to the capacity of recipient
We trust in our Sai, the true incarnation of the omniscient
 
Chandbai’s eyes first caught you as a young fakir at sixteen
When he was in difficulty as his horse was not to be seen
Your vision could see the horse grazing beyond a hedge
We are convinced, our Sai possessed divine knowledge 
 
In the form of oil, the grocer’s sins You used to collect
Without protest to their betrayal You displayed intellect
To burn our desires, for the series of lamps everyday you lit
You are God and for You Our Sai, You showed even water is fit 
 
We are honored Sai! You are the essence of all life and its science
Identifying ground water in summer you made Shirdi sing and dance
Spellbound we are for all those deeds and actions of your brilliance
We are non-existent without You, our Sai You make all the difference 
 
You lit for us the great unending perpetual fire
To burn all our sins to ashes it was like a pyre
For our misdeeds along with the greedy desire
We are devoted citizens, Our Sai, of Your empire
 
Your ‘Dhuni’ we realize is our burning desire that distracts
In reality after everything is burnt it’s only an ‘ash’ of eternal facts
Your gift to us the ‘Sacred Udi’, reminds us the outcome of greed
A speck of it from your ‘Dhuni’, our Sai we realize, is all we need 
 
After your stay at Dwarakamai the whole day
And back from Lendi Baug after yoga all the way
At the Gurusthan under a neem tree you adoringly bow
Forget not ‘The Guru’, our Sai you always lead to show
 
Realization through enlightenment of Das Ganu a Sai’s bard
The River Godavari sprung from the toes of holy feet of Lord
Tirtha’ of the holy water was a divine gift lasting all life long
It made him sing and dance, praise of our Sai message as a song
 
All forms of Dakshina given to you as offering
You distributed it completely to those suffering
You never ever believed in delivering long sermons
Our Sai from your simple parables our life brightens
 
With no temptation to any material pleasures or desire household
You sought alms from five daily, to return it to them with luck of gold
Your ‘Handi’ was a witness to many delicacies and food varieties
With your own hand, our Sai you served it to all your devotees
 
You prevented the weak Masjid ceiling from fall
Until all the three eating devotees had it all
Destructive and unruly winds and rains you could stop
To quote many, our Sai, your miracles place you atop
 
In saving the Blacksmith’s daughter your hands were scalded
With your hands in burning dhuni you gave her life till hundred
You said “The suffering of the rescuer is painful but temporary
To prevent a calamity, our Sai, selfishness we should bury
 
You fought the adamant epidemic of Cholera in Shirdi
Restored normalcy to make residents healthy and sturdy
By grinding wheat in lots and throwing it on the outskirts
Our Sai you did a job that’s impossible even for experts 
 
In the mankind your services instilled a great confidence
By accepting and curing every ailing devotee’s grievance 
You practically proved the magic of divine performance
It’s possible our Sai, only through faith and perseverance  
 
Ramnavami and Janmastami were celebrated with great gaiety
On Guru Purnima in between you were worshipped as a deity
Equality among different sections of society was your vision
With great commitment, our Sai you achieved your mission
 
You once showed to the world Your all pervasiveness
When a lady who fed you daily came to you to confess
That their share of bread was offered to animals in hunger
Said our Sai You served me with kindness please live longer
 
You have all the knowledge of the past, present and future
You give messages to everyone aptly at the right juncture
Be it in your presence or at any other place in your absence
Our hearts are your home, our Sai, it is our own experience 
 
Rama, Krishna, Vithal or a Guru the form your devotees love to see
You appear to them to show all are one in whatever form they plea
You listen to the prayers and send remedies to all their difficulties
Our Sai, Your service is spontaneous, directly or through trustees 
 
From Balasheb during Sravan it was a lunch invitation
With two others you obliged him and graced the occasion
Suspicions were in his mind and you were not recognized
Doubts deceived him; our Sai your presence is always prized 
 


From A to Z  - Thoughts of Our Sai
 
Awake and acquire the true knowledge of God
In the company of holy saints like a little lad
Mouli Baba, Vasudevan or the Maharaj of Akkalakot
Contemporaries of our Sai, you all form a divine resort 
 
Birth and death of every soul now or even earlier
Complete awareness of every incident very clear
Your narrations prove and show that you have ‘Trikala-Gyan’
Our Sai, forgive us of our past sins and bless us all to be one 
 
Connotations  of Kapila, Shankara and Kaul and their works
Or Hegel, Whitehead and Russel’s great philosophical perks
Though you had nothing to boast, yet Your way of life itself
our Sai, equals thousands of books of reference in the shelf
 
Differences of caste, creed or religion are all human
In the presence of Sai simply all are equal and one
Distinction of rich or poor only in the outside world
Our Sai, your “Principle of equality” is pure gold 
 
Every second of your complete life
Was busy in keeping mankind safe
With no disciples and heirs for your place
You are our Guru”, our Sai everyone says 
 
Forever you said you will respond to our call
From Shirdi itself you solve problems of all
Shirdi is run in a spirit of social democracy
Our Sai, we devotees always pray in ecstasy
 
Glowing fire will never see the defects in the iron
The master only beats it for the defects to be gone
You are the glowing fire and You are our master
Our Sai, forgive all our shortcomings as our pastor
 
Humans congenitally have four things in common
In terse they are food, sleep, fear and sexual union
But knowledge is our real need to appreciate your creation
Our Sai, lay the path in our lives to achieve self-realization 
 
I shall have faith in you; I shall offer prayers to you
I shall surely come to you; I shall be first in the queue
I shall lay my head on your feet; I shall see you with my eye
Little I knew till now, our Sai in me, it’s not ‘I’ but it is ‘We’ 
 
Journey of life is filled with happiness and fun
Though without problem there would be none
We shall continue our journey forgetting our problem
Our Sai, when we are in your lap, why fear its outcome 
 
Kind Sai, give me all those characteristics that bring contentment
Kind Sai, give me the power to have control on my entertainment
Kind Sai, give me the strength to pray to you with sincerity
Our Sai, give me the vision to lead a simple life with clarity
 
Lame minds are those who can’t understand your deeds
Into our lives you inject awareness and knowledge seeds
You feel for the evil-doers and set them on the right track
Our Sai, you always educate them by giving what they lack 
 
Mandir or Masjid you said “what’s in the name?”
Difference is in religious path, God is one and same
You were successful in realizing a true religious harmony
Our Sai, your messages of unity are sweet as pure honey
 
Never had you assigned yourself any religion
Your dream always was a selfless human union
Mandir or Masjid you never found any difference
Our Sai, equality of mankind was your inference  
 
Order you brought into arrogant Jawahar Ali’s thought
As his disciple he declared when you were actually not
You displayed the true art of surpassing human egoism
Our Sai, you cleared his myth and helped him blossom 
 
Pushed into a state of suffering due to a severe bout of asthma
Your art of separation of body and soul still remains an enigma
People waited silently for three days in sheer disbelief and dilemma
Our Sai, only you can perform such an act to overcome the trauma
 
Quest of ‘Brahma Gyaan’ brought a rich man to your presence
In a hurry he was to learn and return with its complete essence
The need for acts of selflessness was what you have shown
Our Sai, with a scene of generating a meager five rupee loan
 
Renunciation of Five elements in life is ‘Brahma Gyaan’
The five vital forces of life, mind and intellect of a man
Which add up to the five senses each of perception and action
Our Sai, you explained must be surrendered till the last fraction
 
Surrounded by bondages we are totally terrified
For a simple spiritual life, we wish to be qualified,
We shall earnestly fulfill all our domestic responsibility
Our Sai, accept our resolute work to confer the ability 
 
Temporary are pleasures, emoluments and honors
We enter this world, live and exit only as loners
Only our virtues carry into our next life’s flight
Our Sai, bring proper realization to bear foresight
 
Unwary of the outcome our senses gaze outward
The thought of self-realization is not seen or heard
Give us the strength to divert our thought stream
Our Sai, we seek solace to realize spiritual theme
 
Very weak we are in our mind; it refuses to be kind
Towards wickedness and cruelty it will always bend
All the knowledge we gained, even it couldn’t amend
Our Sai, until it is composed we beseech you to mend 
 
Worthy are those who can stabilize His thought
Through penance and insight He can be sought
Right conduct and a life of truth we should start
Our Sai, we know our heart will then be your resort
 
You never had a house; all our hearts are Your home
You never had a family; you own everyone not some
Blessed is this country and blessed is its community
Our Sai, you bless all your devotees to live in plenty
 
Zeal and enthusiasm filled in heart
Before any of the work that we start
We prostrate before you to offer prayers
Our Sai, help us overcome all the barriers 

 

Shraddha and Saburi

The two-word magic and the theme of every success story
Having complete ‘Faith’ in the work is the first step to glory
The second is possessing ‘Perseverance’ to achieve the target
Our Sai said, the mine of virtues of life which none should forget  
 
Rich or poor, all are equal in the eyes of the Almighty
He first assesses our complete knowledge and ability
He then gives instructions without unsettling our mind
Our Sai said, to everyone of us God is always very kind
 
The preaching and sermons of a teacher are clear and loud
He pours down knowledge profusely like a monsoon cloud
One has to assimilate it all and serve others without reserve
Our Sai said, only then human values everyone can preserve
 
To a student the teacher needn’t impart hymns or magic
For a worthy student to acquire all the legacy of his logic
Be it in his physical presence or at times during his absence
Our Sai said, He always transfers his love and its essence
 
A teacher always imparts impartial spiritual instruction
He opens our intellect to show the art of discrimination
To develop dispassion to all materialistic possession
Our Sai said, follow the instruction through confession 
 
For every student his teacher is a love incarnate
Into his heart the teacher’s vision will penetrate
The ‘Faith’ that he has in his teacher should be immense
Our Sai said, the goal is achieved through ‘Perseverance
 
Meditation is the source to the knowledge of the self
Its pursuit will prevent from all thoughts that engulf
Mind then focuses on a point where the faith concentrates
Our Sai said, with blissful spiritual energy the mind resonates
 
Committed inspiration generated through conviction
With steadfast love to your work as the only option
Constant endeavor and patience displayed through actions
Our Sai said, to reach your goals form the basic definitions
 
Never turn away anybody from your door
Human or animal none of them you ignore
To everyone you be an epitome of compassion
Our Sai said, see God in all to attain salvation  
 
Knowledge of the six Shastras is not necessary
Or any form of Yogic practices is compulsory
Faith and Perseverance in him you should reiterate
Our Sai said, He will then appear as God incarnate 
 
Truly guided inspiration is necessary from the inner zone
Without a ‘Master’ all efforts to gain wisdom are begone
One has to invert the materialistic sense organs demands
Our Sai said, it is possible only through his apt commands  


Sai Prayer

When we wake up, ‘Sai’ should be the first one
In our thoughts before the day’s work we begin
To solve all our problems then it makes us sane
Our Sai one with us, it relieves us from all pain
 
When we stand up, ‘Sai’ we think of Your name
It prevents us from falling in this big life game
Strengthens and prepares us to put every step forward
Our Sai one with us, it pushes back within us the coward
 
When we are talking, ‘Sai’ your wisdom we put to use
It helps us to be coherent, unwanted ideas will cease
All that we speak to realize our dreams will come true
Our Sai one with us, in all dealings we will be through
 
When we walk, ‘Sai’, in our mind you are like our shadow
Your presence with us converts our path into a meadow
No pitfalls or no hurdles, all along the journey is very smooth
Our Sai one with us, we can locate our destination of truth
 
When we work, ’Sai’ we put to use all your knowledge
Then successfully all our assignments we can manage
Without stress and worry, it aids us build a great career
Our Sai one with us, it keeps the atmosphere in a cheer 
 
When we eat, ‘Sai’ each of the grain is your boon
Be it at night, in the morning or in the afternoon
With each morsel, it is double the energy that we gain
Our Sai one with us, and always healthy we will remain 
 
When we think, ‘Sai’, at the back, your advice does blink
Cautioning us of the inevitable that may cause us to sink
Overcoming all the barriers it drives us in the right direction
Our Sai one with us, it’s an automatic process of correction
 
When we breathe, ‘Sai’ it’s air and your thought we inhale
It purifies our complete body our sins are what we exhale
This soul is a home for this body only as long as you order
Our Sai one with us, your cure lets it to be a happy boarder
 
When we sleep, ‘Sai’, you escort us into our dreams
Happy, sweet, soothing and gentle are all the themes
You thus divert us to overhaul and cleanse our bodies in full
Our Sai one with us, and we wake up again with a clean soul
 
Every second, we should pray to you with love
Riddle of life and death, only then we can resolve
Sense of your thought results in immense confidence
Our Sai one with us, it prevents us from being tense 


Benediction

May everybody who is wicked be turned good
A wicked mind is always in a destructive mood
Wickedness is refusal to accept our inner existent evil
Our Sai, we beseech you to drive out this dirty devil
 
May everybody who is good attain eternal peace
Their obligations invite problems without release
It results in mental worries and immense stress
Our Sai, we beseech you to avert such distress  
 
May everybody who is peaceful be freed from all bondage
En route self-realization one has to reduce his luggage
Relinquishing physical possessions and passion for treasure
Our Sai, we beseech you to bestow blissful spiritual pleasure 
 
May everybody who is freed from all bondage redeem others
Once free from bondages, our eyes identify all those in bothers
Realizing them as one with us, soul starts to gather spiritual treasure
Our Sai, we beseech you to strengthen us to relieve sufferer’s pressure
 
May everybody who redeem others bothers, be always happy
One who redeems others, acquires the power of divine therapy
The treatment begins by identifying the infection and not those infected
Our Sai, we beseech you to empower us to happily keep them protected
 
May everybody be free from disease and overcome difficulties
Through faith and perseverance in God we perform all duties
May everybody have good fortune and realize their ambitions
Our Sai, we beseech you to elevate the state of our cognition   


Devotees of our Sai 

By giving ‘Sai’ a name he became immortal
His faith and perseverance to Sai’s path was total
He was Mhalsapati, Sai addressed him as Bhagat
Blessed was his devotion, none like him we can get 
 
Mhalsapati first person to realize Sai and his real worth
He initiated ‘Sai Pooja’, now a practice all over the earth
With Sai’s body on his lap he set an example of a true disciple
He awaited his soul for three days with respect to Sai’s appeal
 
Solely spiritual, his life was very simple
The time he spent with Sai was ample
Privileged to live with Sai till his end
Mhalsapathi you remain a legend  
 
Sai always called you ‘Shama’, a loving name
Through devotion it attained you eternal fame
Sai said for 72 generations they had been together
He used to guide all those to Sai who were in a bother
 
To break the myth about the disease thought of as alarming
Sai used to ask Bhagoji to give a body massage every morning
Sai cured his leprosy considered, a disease deadly and contagious
Bhagoji had the rare privilege to render regular umbrella service
 
Even god has a mother, though not by giving birth
A lady who used to feed Sai daily until his last breath
Lakshmi Bai was given Nine Coins just before Sai’s demise
A symbol of nine forms of devotion as interpreted by the wise
 
Blessed are the five homes and each of its family
From whose doorstep the Lord sought alms daily
Vaman Gondkar, Vaman Sakharam, and Bayaja Bai
Appa Kote and Nandaram in history your names stay 
 
Be it a dacoit or a cop to bring Your incarnation to fame
Like for The Ramayan You chose sage Valmiki’s name
You assigned the task to a cop-poet-saint Das Ganu this time
His narration of the saga of Sai was like music from a chime 
 
Be it Bhakta Leelamrit or Sant-Kathamrit
To hear your compositions was a great treat
He received intellectual and divine support from Sai
In composing Isha Upanishad and Sai Stavanmanjari.
 
Singing Sai’s messages made the poet saint immortal
To make Sai a household name his devotion was total
His faith and perseverance in Sai was so immense and sweet
His quest of a holy dip in ‘Prayag’ was fulfilled from Sai’s feet 
 
The perception of the Lord before him turned him ecstatic
He started to sing God’s glory thorough an instant lyric
He is an evidence of those who realized God and blessed is this land
Oh! Great Sai bard, we decorate you in our thoughts with a garland
 
A legend in whom Sai resided to write his own “Granth
He was Dabholkar sweetly named as “Hemand panth
He was an intellect and also an egoistic person in mind
Clearing all doubts indirectly this man Sai could mends  
 
His wish to compile the biography of Sai as a book
Leaving his ego at Baba’s feet he sincerely undertook
Necessity of a ‘Master’, first he was made to understand
Then he completed what is now an ‘epic’ in every stand
 
He built his career through hard work and commitment
Grew to be a magistrate, to show that he was intelligent
In 1916, with ‘Our Sai’, he decided he would stay
With faith and perseverance, he always used to pray 


About Sai Samadhi

On 28th September 1918, Baba suffered a mild attack of fever which lasted for a few days, but afterwards Baba stopped taking food and thereby grew very weak.  Butty felt dejected, wondering whether Baba would live to even see the completed Wada. The whole construction seemed pointless to him if Baba was not going to remain there in his body. 
 
However, Baba was to move into the Wada in a way that had not been foreseen by others. Baba's health rapidly deteriorated and on Tuesday; the 15th of October 1918, Baba said that He did not feel well there (in the Masjid) and that He should be taken to the Dagadi (stone) Wada of Butty, where He would be alright. Saying these last words, He leaned on Bayaji's body  at around 2:15 PM our Sai decided to shift his location into the Samadhi and continue to fulfill the requirements of his devotees from the Samadhi. It was the day of Vijayadashmi but the auspicious thithi of Ekadashi had arrived when Baba’s Soul was liberated from his body.
 
After a few hours, the question as to what to do with Baba’s mortal remains arose. Some Muslims requested that the body of Sai Baba be kept in Samadhi, outside the mosque in the open space. Khushal Chand and Amir Shakkar also supported this. But the village officer, Mr. Ramachander Patil took a firm decision that Baba’s Samadhi should be in Butty Wada only. Discussion regarding this went on till Wednesday.
 
Finally, paying due respect to Baba's last words,  everyone decided to place Baba's body in the Wada. Then in the evening around 04:00 pm, it was decided to bathe Baba's body which was kept on a handcart the whole night. When they tried to remove Baba's Kafni, the hands bent as usual. In ordinary cases the limbs cannot be bent as they stiffen.
 
Baba’s body was laid on a big table before Dwarakamai, and potfuls of water were poured on the body with devotion.  After that they spread a white cloth on the body and placed flowers, sandalwood and akshatas (rice) over the cloth. A grave, six feet in length was dug in Butty Wada’s central portion. The body was taken into Butty Wada in a procession to the sounds of various musical instruments.
 
First, the broken brick of Baba was further broken into smaller pieces and placed in the grave and on that soft beds were spread. Dixit, Butty, Shama and Mhalsapati gently lifted the body. A few of them got into the grave and from below held the body and it was slowly lowered and was rested. The head side went down first. The entire body was lowered and rested on the soft beds. Rose water and perfumes were sprayed on the body. Thirty-six hours after he had left his body, Baba was finally interred.
 
Certain personal articles were buried with him: the broken brick, now mended with gold and silver wire, one of his satkas, a chillum, needle and cotton thread (Baba would mend his clothes until they were a mass of repairs, a cause of affectionate amusement among devotees), some spices to preserve the body, and an old cloth bag containing a green kafni and a cap, which Baba never allowed anyone to touch.
 
The burial was completed on Thursday early in the morning. At 05:00 pm in the evening, after the Samadhi, Bapu Saheb Jog and Laxman Mama gave Sandhya aarti in Butty temple for the first time.
 
Nanavalli, who was like ‘Baba’s life’, watched the Samadhi from a distance. He stopped taking food from that day and died on the 13th day.
 
Das Ganu, after reaching Shirdi on Thursday morning, performed sankeertan for two days near the Samadhi of Baba and he fed a large number of people.
 
Baba Saheb Bhate and Upasini Baba of Sakori Ashram performed the last rites of Baba. Where Butty wanted to install the idol of Sri Krishna, Baba’s Samadhi came up.

This way Baba became Muralidhar. 


Immortal words of our Sai

Our Sai’s devotees always draw their strength and faith from his following quotes.

  1. Whosoever puts their feet on Shirdi soil, their sufferings will come to an end.
     
  2. The wretched and miserable will rise to joy and happiness as soon as they climb the steps of my Samadhi.
     
  3. I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body.
     
  4. My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees. 
     
     
  5. I shall be active and vigorous even from my tomb.
     
  6. My mortal remains will speak from my tomb.
     
  7. I am ever living to help and guide all who come to me, who surrender to me and who seek refuge in me.
     
  8. If you look to me, I look to you.
     
  9. If you cast your burden on me, I shall surely bear it.
     
  10. If you seek my advice and help, it shall be given to you at once.
     
  11. There shall be no want in the house of my devotee.


Om Sri Sainathaynamah  


Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I would prostrate before ‘Our Sai’ for giving me the strength and fortitude to complete this project. When my to-do list piled up higher and higher and there was no end in sight, He was the one who was in me through all the stressful times. The composition was possible through His blissful presence in my soul.

The first person to appreciate this project and boost my confidence has been my sister-in-law Dr. Anuradha Veluri. She was the only person who has been constantly enquiring about the progress of this anthology since the day I shared with her about my oath to compose it. I don’t want to thank her as it would be a very small way to express my gratitude to her and her family. I prostrate before her to seek her blessings and I send my love and blessings to her two ‘gems’ - Tej and Abhi who have been a source of encouragement for what we are today.
 
I thank Ms. Manasi Sapre for her beautiful birthday gift of a pen with which I have composed the anthology. 

When I was waiting outside the Passport Office in a helpless state with our future at stake, it was our Sai (It was at this moment I thought about writing an anthology on Sai) who has brought the Regional Passport Officer (RPO) out of his office wherein I could get the opportunity to speak to him about my problem. He immediately took up the matter and rendered timely help. I wish to thank the RPO, Hyderabad, India for his timely help. 

I thank Mrs. Vedavathy, Mrs. Sujatha and seek their blessings for their constant encouragement.
 
I thank Prof. Subrahmanyam, Dr. Kameswari, Mr.Gopala Krishna, Mrs. Janaki, Mr. CH. Sastry, Mrs. Subbalakshmi, Mr.C. Srirama Murthy, Mrs.Vasundhara, Mr. M. Satyanarayana, Mrs.Bharathi and all their children in whose association I could retain my value system in life to undertake such a project. May Sai give them all the health, wealth and prosperity throughout their life.   
 
And during the composition of such a project I cannot keep this person out of this page - Mr. Satish who stood by me during my times of trouble and took care of all my commitments. May Sai give him all the health, wealth and prosperity throughout his life.  
 
Acknowledgements to my friend Prof. Anil K. Prasad 

Fragrance of knowledge
Perfume in a bud
Hidden inside a pocket
What would one expect?
Fragrance spread
From the person instead
Everyone will approve
Is the conclusion true?
No, they are misled
To be truly read
One has to understand
The perfume is grand
It is only carried
You are the perfume bud
Giving fragrance to this head

It was difficult times for us and loneliness was taking us over. It’s very difficult to get a trustworthy friend these days in this materialistic world. At that time a friend entered into our lives, though it is late in our lives, we thought God has given us a nice friend Prof. Anil K Prasad. He was the main source of encouragement and without his constant suggestions and scholarship it would have been impossible to complete this project. I shall attribute the ownership of lot of thoughts in this compilation to this friend of ours.
 
The unseen force behind this Anthology -
Madhavi

Her influence is unseen
Its action is visible
Her faith is so strong
The outcome is visible
Her love is mine
I am still visible
In duty
In work
Only due to her courage and sweetness
...
Vocabulary not discovered as yet
...
All requirements for life's completeness

I thank all my well-wishers and all those people who either directly or indirectly helped me to compose this anthology.  
 

15-Sep-2012

More by :  Prof. Siva Prasad Peddi

Top | Spirituality

Views: 3476      Comments: 4



Comment “Our Sai: The Mission of a saint” seems to be the result of an unwavering faith, profound knowledge and commendable creative energy that know no bounds. Sai Baba's vision of a principled life based on the essence of “Manava Dharma” and “Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam” irrespective of any creed, caste and religion, freed from dogma and superstition is resonant in every word of this unique enterprise. Undeniably, it is nurtured by the tenets of the timeless “Sanatan Dharma” and anchored by His simple life and teachings. The important sections of this anthology which tell us about ‘Our Sai’ who ‘is a true incarnation …of the religious fusion’ of India’s composite culture in which not only the different sects of Hindu religion comingle but also the different religions cohere to make it a distinctive place of unity in diversity.
This long poem has presented a comprehensive picture of the message of Sai Baba, who is the embodiment of a way of life that is based on simplicity, renunciation and non-attachment. In today’s world of ‘sick hurry and divided aims,’ when there is a collapse of moral values in society and people have turned away from our wealth of tradition and culture (which were bequeathed to us from our ancient heritage) in favour of the material possessions in life, the messages and thoughts of Sai Baba have immense relevance as the true ‘Guru’ to show the right path to those who have lost their way. When the world is inflicted with the wounds of sectarian violence the messages of Sai Baba with their ideas of ‘[E]quality among different sections of society’ , “[P]rinciples of equality’, the ‘ spirit of social democracy’ and ‘God is one and same’ will act as a powerful therapeutic remedy. And ‘to understand the meaning of life’ is also to be without greed, ignorance and falsehood and to leave the darkness of ignorance behind and to move ahead towards the path of complete ‘submission’ illuminated by the TWO-WORD magic lamps of ‘Shraddha’ and ‘Saburi.’
Prayer is the cry of the anguished soul. Through prayer a human being can come closer to the divine. Prayer enables human beings to connect themselves with the potent flow of that powerful and divine energy we call Sai Baba. It is apt for a work of such power and eloquence to have sections like ‘Sai Prayer’ and ‘Benediction.’ It presents well and powerfully the life and times of Sai Baba. To remember the ‘Devotees of Our Sai’ with such lyrical cogency, to make them forever alive in mind and heart of the readers is a successful and praiseworthy attempt. It would be an additional happiness to the readers when they know about those blessed people like Mhalsapati, Shama, Bhagoji, Lakshmi Bai, Vaman Gondkar, Vaman Sakharan, Bayaja Bai, Appa Kote, ,Nandram, Hemant Panth and Das Ganu who lived with ‘Our Sai.’ This precious work with an in-depth study of a Divine Personality, ‘Our Sai’ who walked with the common man fittingly ends with an account of His ‘Samadhi’ and His immortal words:
“I am ever living to help and guide all who come to me, who seek refuge in me.”

anil prasad
18-Sep-2012 14:58 PM

Comment Dear Prof. Prasad,
You are blessed so gracefully by Our Lord SAI, SAIMA, SAIBABA that you have blessed many more with HIS MAGNANIMOUS BOUNTIES. My poetry books-Rustling Leaves, Melodies of the Broken Reed and The Invisible Visible-also contain some songs on OUR SAI. I hope that these also multiply your blessings.
OM SAIMA. JAI SAIBABA. JAI SARVDEVSARUP.
With you,
At the HOLY FEET of our LORD,
Prof. RKBhushan

Prof. RKBhushan
18-Sep-2012 12:24 PM

Comment The Master Musician is He
The instrument are you
I am but a string of
The instrument .... that is you and Madhavi

Raj
15-Sep-2012 23:25 PM

Comment Dear Mr.Rajender Ji

My eyes are wet...
With tears trickling down
In search of His feet
For this beautiful treat....


Thank you....for everything...
I was only an instrument...
It was the divine power...
In the anthology itself...

My humble prayers continue
To keep you happy all through
My best half joins me too


Prof.Siva Prasad Peddi

sivamadhaviyam
15-Sep-2012 23:17 PM




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