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Vidura's Renunciation (Chapter 6)

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:12:00 +0530

Inside the palace, Vidura enquired about the welfare of every one of his kinsmen. Then Kunthi Devi, the queen-mother, came in and casting her endearing looks at him, said, "At last, we have been able to see you, O Vidura!" She could not say more.
After some time she resumed, "How could you stay away so long, ignoring the very children whom you reared with so much love and myself and others who revere you so much? It is through your grace that my children are today rulers of this land. Where would they be today if you had not saved them on many a critical occasion? We were the target for many a disaster; but, the greatest one was your being away from us. That affected us most. Even the hope of seeing you again was extinguished in us. Now our hearts have sprouted again. Aspirations scattered by despair have come together. Today, our joy has attained fullness. O, what a happy day!" Kunthi sat for a while wiping her tears.
Vidura held her hands, but, could not resist his own tears. He was recapitulating the varied events of the past, in the Pandava and Kaurava groups. He said, "Mother Kunthi Devi! Who can overcome the decrees of fate? What must happen, happens. The good and the evil that men do have to result in good and evil. How can man be called free, when he is bound by this law of cause and effect? He is a puppet in the hands of this law; it pulls the strings and he makes the movements. Our likes and dislikes are of no consequence. Everything is His will, His grace." When Vidura was thus expounding the fundamental spiritual truths that govern human affairs, the brothers Dharmaraja, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva were sitting near, wrapped in close attention.
Kunthi raised her head at last and said, "Through your blessings, we won the war; but, we were powerless to save the lives of the sons of Droupadi and the son of Subhadra. Misfortune haunted us so strongly. Of course, as you said, no one can escape one's destiny. Well, let the past be forgotten. It is meaningless to worry over what cannot be set right. I must say, my thirst has now been considerably relieved; I could meet you at last. Where were you all this time? Tell us."

At this, Vidura replied that he had been on a pilgrimage to a number of holy places. The brothers listened with rapt attention to his story, prodding him with questions. Dharmaraja said often that he was awaiting the day when he too could go through all those holy experiences. He folded his palms in reverence whenever a holy shrine was mentioned and, with closed eyes, he pictured to himself the sacred spot. Meanwhile, Bhima interjected, "Did you proceed to Dwaraka? Please tell us your experiences there." Dharmaraja too added, "You must have met Lord Krishna there, isn't it? Tell us all what happened, in full detail." Kunthi Devi too became eager to hear his description; for, she said, "Tell us, tell us. My son is there now; you must have met him too. How are they all? I hope the old parents, Nanda and Yasoda are well. And, Devaki and Vasudeva?" A shower of questions fell on Vidura, even before he started talking.
Vidura was not overeager to answer. He talked as if he was anxious to avoid being drawn into the topic. For he had learnt from Uddhava while on the way to Dwaraka that the Yadava clan had perished and Krishna had closed His human career. He had no desire to plunge the Pandavas into grief, when they were elated at meeting him after a long time. "Why should I who have given them so much joy, be myself the cause for wiping off that joy?" he argued. "They are sure to know about it from Arjuna who will be returning from Dwaraka with the sorrowful news." So, he swallowed the news that popped up quite often into his mouth; he satisfied himself and them, by describing the glory of Krishna. He said, "I did not like to visit kith and kin with these ascetic robes on; so, I did not meet any of the Yadava leaders or Nanda, Yasoda and others", and kept quiet. He did not dilate further on Dwaraka and his own pilgrimage.
"I came to you because I heard that you have won the war and are peacefully engaged at last in ruling over the kingdom which was rightfully yours; I felt drawn towards these children whom I had fostered from a tender age. It was affection towards them that drew me here. Among my kith and kin, I was tempted to visit only you; I did not desire to meet any others", he said and turned towards the Vedanthic teachings which he wanted to impart. When the conversation ended, Dharmaraja prayed that Vidura might take residence at the quarters specially arranged for him and himself accompanied him to the mansion.
There he appointed certain persons to serve Vidura and requested him to take rest at that place. Vidura did not relish the idea of spending his time in that seat of luxury; but he entered the mansion lest Dharmaraja be displeased. He lay on his bed, reviewing the past. He sighed when he realised that the stratagems which the blind Dhritharashtra, his own brother, employed to destroy the Pandavas, the children of his other brother Pandu, recoiled on him and caused the destruction of his own clan. He admired Dharmaraja for the magnanimity he was showing towards Dhritharashtra, in spite of the fact that he had tortured the Pandavas in various ways. Dharmaraja was revering him with great faith and devotion and attending to his comforts. He felt the utmost disgust when he recapitulated the wickedness of Dhritharashtra's heart; he was ashamed that the old man was coolly wallowing in the luxury of the palace, instead of cultivating detachment from the flimsy pleasures of the senses and attempting to realise the goal of human life, namely, liberation from the cycle of birth and death. He experienced an uncontrollable agony that his brother was wasting the few remaining years of his life on earth.

His yogic vision told him that the Pandavas too will soon disappear; that the same Krishna who guarded them here will look after their best interest in the hereafter too. But, he surmised that the blind king will suffer more, after the departure of the Pandavas. He resolved to send that unfortunate brother out on pilgrimage and the ultimate realisation of his destiny. He did not want any delay to intervene. So, he slipped out in the darkness, without being noticed by any one, and walked straight into the residence of Dhritharashtra.
The blind king and his queen, Gandhari, were of course expecting Vidura to call on them, for they learnt that he had come to town. So, when Vidura stepped in, he embraced him and shed tears of joy. He could not contain himself. He listed one by one the calamities that overtook him and his children and lamented over their fate. Vidura tried to console him with the profound teachings of the scriptures. But, he soon discovered that the petrified heart of the old man will not melt at the application of cold advice; he knew that his stupidity can be overcome only by hard blows.
So, he changed the tune and resorted to blame and abuse. Hearing this Dhritharashtra was alarmed. He expostulated, "Brother! We are burning in agony at the loss of our hundred sons, and you prick the wound with sharp needles of your angry abuse. Even before we taste the joy of meeting you after so long a time, why do you try to plunge us deeper into distress? Why should I blame you for hard-heartedness? I am laughed at by all, blamed by all, I have no right to find fault with you". With head bent and resting on his palms, Dhritharashtra sat in silence.
Vidura recognised this as the opportune moment for instilling the lesson of renunciation, which alone could save him from perdition. He knew that his purpose was beyond reproach, for, he wanted them to undertake pilgrimage to holy places and fill themselves with sanctity, and meet great and good men and recognise the Lord within and thus save themselves. So, he decided to use even stronger words with a view to transforming him and the queen. Though filled with pity at their forlorn condition, Vidura had in mind the dire days when they would need all the courage that Jnana alone could give them; so, he was determined to prod them into action. He said, "O foolish king! Have you no shame? Do you still find joy in earthly pleasures? Of what avail is it if you wallow in the mire until you die? I thought you had enough of it and more. Time is a cobra that lies in wait to sting you to death. You dare hope that you can escape it and live for ever. No one, however great, has escaped the sting. You run after happiness in this temporary world and you seek to fulfil your desires in order to get some paltry satisfaction. You are wasting precious years. Make your life worthwhile. It is not yet too late to begin the effort. Give up this cage called home. Dismiss from your mind the paltry pleasures of this world. Remember the joy that awaits you, the world that is welcoming you, the end of this journey. Save yourself. Avoid the foolish fate of giving up this life in the agony of separation from kith and kin. Learn to die with the thought of the Lord uppermost in the mind at the moment of departure. It is better far to die in joy in the thick of the blackest forest than die in distress in the palace of this capital city. Go, go and do Thapas. Get away from this place, this prison which you call, home".

Yajnas and Penance of Elders(Chapter 5)

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:08:00 +0530

Dharmaraja accepted the advice of Vaasudeva, as well as the benedictions of Vyasa. He sent his brothers, with the army, to bring the gold that had been thrown aside by the Brahmins. They left after purifying themselves by partaking consecrated offerings. They discovered the quantities of gold that had been given as presents to the priests at the conclusion of the sacrifice by emperor Maruth in the past. They had dropped the gold on the sides of the roads along which they returned home. The army collected these and conveyed them to the capital on camels, elephants, chariots and carts. It took them some days to reach Hasthinapura with all that load. They unloaded the gold, amidst the acclamations of the people.
The citizens were amazed at the success of the expedition; they extolled the good fortune of the Pandavas. They welcomed into the city the princes and the gold shouting "Jai, Jai" until their throats were hoarse, jumping and dancing in joy. They pictured among themselves the grandeur and magnificence of the sacrifice, for which this gold was brought.
Preparations were started that very day for the construction of the ritual altar and the necessary adjuncts on the bank of the Ganga; the sacred area was many square miles in extent. The ground was levelled and cleaned. The dais was built; beautiful buildings arose on the vast area. Porches and verandahs were added. Decorations like flags and festoons embellished the structures.
When the holy day neared, chieftains, Brahmins, scholars and sages moved from all directions towards the sacred place, hastening each other in their enthusiasm to reach early. They took residence in the quarters allotted to them, according to their status and needs. They spent the night counting minutes, in joyful expectation of the magnificent and efficacious Yajna that they could witness when the dawn brings in another day.
The morning came. The auspicious moment approached. The priests took up their positions and got ready to take the vows of initiation. They stood up facing Lord Krishna and the king and said, "O king! We understand that you have resolved to perform not one but three Aswamedhas (horse sacrifices). Is that correct? If so, do you desire us to perform them, one after the other? Or shall we repeat every formula and rite, thrice and have them all concurrently? If you make it known, we shall arrange the participants and performing priests accordingly."

At this, Dharmaraja replied, "What can I say when you know best; I shall agree to whatever advice you offer. I seek only the consent of Vaasudeva for whatever course we adopt" and he turned towards Krishna with pleading eyes. Krishna left the decision to the Brahmins. They discussed among themselves for a while and announced at last that the effect of "Three Aswamedhas" can be secured by repeating each Manthra thrice and offering the Brahmins presiding over the rituals thrice the usual fees. Vaasudeva indicated His approval of this suggestion, and taking his cue from this, Dharmaraja declared that he was agreeable. He desired that the Yajna might be inaugurated.
The recitation of the Manthras by the Brahmins shook both earth and sky. The preliminary rites were gone through and the sacrificial horses proceeded on their planned round. They were caparisoned in great style and they carried on their foreheads the declaration challenging any one to take them into custody if he dared. When He, who is the recipient of all Yajnas, (Yajnaswarupa) has taken the role of the presiding authority, no words can describe the fortune of the participants and the witnesses. It drew to a successful close with the valedictory oblation (Poorna-ahuthi).
The experts in sacrificial Manthras, the sages and the Brahmins were loaded with presents and fees. Enormous numbers of cows, large areas of land, and vast quantities of gold were gifted away by the king. The whole nation was filled with happiness. Every one was praising the Yajna as indescribably superb. All who came were fed sumptuously at all hours. Sages and ascetics who saw all this lavishness extolled the Yajna performed by emperor Maruth in the past! They were delighted they got the chance to partake in this Yajna. People once claimed that the Yajna of Maruth was presided over by Indra, the ruler of the Gods and they felt that it made it incomparably superior to any other sacrifice. But now, they congratulated Dharmaraja on securing the Yajnaswarupa (Vaasudeva) Himself to preside over the Yajna, a piece of good fortune far superior to Maruth's and far more difficult to secure.
At the end of the Yajna, those who had come from far off places as well as others returned home. The kings and chieftains took respectful leave of Dharmaraja and went back to their own principalities. The kinsmen of the king stayed for a few days more and left at their convenience to their places.
However, Krishna chose to spend some more time with the Pandavas; so, He stayed on in Hastinapura. The Pandavas were delighted at this signal act of grace; they made suitable arrangements for the residence of the Lord; they served Him every day, they filled their eyes with His beauty, they filled their hearts with his gracious words of instruction; they spent the days in supreme joy. After some time spent thus in the Pandava capital Krishna returned to Dwaraka, taking Arjuna with Him. The inhabitants of Dwaraka were overjoyed when their Lord returned to his capital. They welcomed Him in enthusiastic reverence. They feasted on the Darsan of the Lord and were immersed in Ananda.

Meanwhile, news came to Hastinapura that Vidura, Dharmaraja's uncle, moving about on the environs of the city in the guise of a monk; it travelled from mouth to mouth and at last reached the ears of Dharmaraja, the king. The news was received with surprise and joy. He sent a few scouts to discover whether the news was authentic, and soon, they brought the welcome information that Vidura had actually come and was present. Dharmaraja could not contain himself with excitement.
"Ah! How happy you have made me!" he exclaimed. "This holy moment has made the dried trunk of the tree of hope put forth leaves again. Oh, I can now see and serve Vidura who fostered us and guarded us and guided us, though I feared I might not get the chance at all."
The heartening news was spread by courtiers among the queens and princesses and women of the royal household. Dharmaraja did not rest; he spoke about the great event to everyone around him; he sought out others to share with them the joy. He issued orders to the army that appropriate arrangements should be made to welcome into the capital the brother of his late father, sage Vidura, foremost among the votaries of the Lord. The citizens too were alerted and asked to prepare a grand reception.
They decorated the streets and mansions on each side of them; they erected arches and hung festoons and hoisted flags. They allotted galleries and seats on every road for children, women, and the aged, so that they might have a fine and clear view of the procession and of the great sage. It was an inspiring sight to see many old men and women hobbling on with their sticks, eager to get a glimpse of Vidura, whom they extolled as the very embodiment of Dharma, as the very Godfather of the Pandavas. Some thought at first that the sighting of Vidura on the outskirts of the city must have been in someone's dream, and not in actual fact. They had lived long enough to swallow the rumour without personal verification. For, they never could believe that Vidura would ever come back to Hastinapura. They grouped themselves on vantage points and got ready for the great moment when they could rest their eyes on the saint. All along the route, every building was overflowing with humanity; the trees carried strings of adventurous youth, full of excitement and expectation, shouting in acclamation the impending arrival of Vidura.
The King, decked in ceremonial robes, ascended the royal chariot and started out of the palace with his brothers to bring home the famous votary of the Lord.
Vidura appeared before them walking barefoot, slow and dignified, with matted hair and wearing the robes of a monk. The king and his brothers stepped down from their vehicles, bowed reverentially to the feet of Vidura and walked behind him, at a respectful distance. The citizens ran forward and fell at Vidura's feet, in spite of the earnest entreaties of the guards that they should desist. The Pandavas could not express welcome in words; their joy was immeasurable. So, their eyes spoke it, with tears of gratitude. They clasped Vidura in their arms and prayed to him that he should get into the chariot so that the thick ranks of onlookers on all the roads might get Darsan to their hearts' content. Vidura was persuaded to agree. Seated in the royal chariot of the king, Vidura gave Darsan to the people who had gathered en route. At last, the procession reached the palace. It was a sweet flood of song and joy that flowed along the roads of the city that day.

Some of the citizens were so overcome with joy that they were rooted to the spot. The arduous life of Thapas that Vidura had undertaken had so transmuted his personality that he appeared a different person, a person glowing with divine aura, like Indra, king of the Gods. The people were describing their exultation in their own words to one another. Many shed tears remembering the trials and tribulations which Vidura had undergone and the peace that he had acquired. The queens and princesses too had Darsan from inside the Purdah and they were supremely happy.

The Penitential Yajna

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Mon, 8 Oct 2007 14:18:00 +0530

The Penitential Yajna

The Namakaranam ceremony of the prince gave great delight to the subjects of the state as well as the inmates of the palace, and members of the royal household. But, Yudhishtira, the eldest of the Pandava brothers, felt that something more had to be done; he was not content with the joyous festival alone. He called for an assembly the same evening of all the elders, the scholars, the Pundits, the subordinate rulers and leaders of the people; he prayed that Lord Krishna preside over the gathering and confer joy on all. The sages Vyasa and Kripa also attended.

Coming to the assembly, Yudhishtira stood before the gathering a few seconds in silence, before he fell at the feet of Lord Krishna and the sage Vyasa. He then turned towards the rulers, scholars and leaders and said, "I was able to defeat the foes through your help, co-operation and best wishes, as well as the blessing of the Lord who is present here and of the sages and saints who have installed Him in their hearts. We were able by means of that victory to win back the kingdom that we had lost. Again, through these blessings the light of hope has gleamed in our hearts darkened by despair about the continuation of this dynasty. The Pandava line will be continued by the prince who was named today by the Lord as Parikshith.

"While all this delights me, I must announce before you that I am overwhelmed with sorrow at the contemplation of another side of the picture. I have committed countless sins, killing kith and kin. I feel I must do some expiation for this; or else, there will be no happiness for me or for my dynasty or for my people. Therefore, I wish to take this opportunity to seek your advice on this matter. There are among you many who have known the reality and attained Brahmajnana; we have also the great sage Vyasa here. I expect you to suggest some expiatory rite by which I can rid myself of this colossal mountain of sin that I have accumulated as a result of this war."

When Yudhishtira posed this problem in great humility and with great contrition, Lord Krishna said, "Yudhishtira, you are famous as Dharmaraja and you ought to know the Dharma. You know the intricacies of Dharma and morality, of justice, of right and wrong conduct. Therefore, I am surprised that you are afflicted with grief over this war and this victory. Do you not know that a Kshatriya incurs no sin when he kills a foe who has come to the battlefield armed with intention to kill? Whatever injury or pain or loss is inflicted on the battlefield during the fight with armed foes is free from sin. It is the Dharma of a Kshatriya to take up the sword and fight to the very end, without any thought of self, to save his country. You have only observed your Dharma. How can Karma (activity) along the lines of Dharma be sinful? It is not proper to doubt this and give way to despair. Sin cannot touch you, surround you or bother you. Instead of exulting over the festival of the naming of the new-born prince, why should you dread imaginary calamities and seek remedies for non-existent sins? Be calm; be happy."

Vyasa too rose from his seat and addressed the king. "Sinful and blameworthy acts are inevitable in battle. They should not be the cause for grief. The chief aim in battle should be the protection of Dharma from its foes. If that is kept before the mind, the sin will not affect the fighters. A putrid wound has to be treated with the knife; it is not sinful to inflict the surgery. A doctor who knows the surgery, and knowing, does not save the man by doing it, incurs sin. So too knowing that the foe is the source of injustice, cruelty, terror and vice, if these boils are not treated by the surgeon knowing the cure, because he is reluctant to use the knife (the surgeon being the Kshatriya), he incurs sin by remaining quiet, not by using the sword. Dharmaraja, you are speaking under a delusion. I can understand others less wise being afflicted by these doubts, but I wonder how you are worried over this imaginary of sin?"

"If however our words do not carry conviction, I can suggest another remedy too. That will remove all fear. Some rulers in the past have resorted to it, after the conclusion of wars, for the removal of the effects of sin. It is the rite of Aswamedha, the horse sacrifice. If you desire, you can also perform this rite, as an expiatory ceremony. There can be no objection to that. But, believe me, you are innocent of sin even without any expiation. Since your faith is shaky, I am suggesting this rite for your satisfaction". After this statement, Vyasa resumed his seat.

At this, all the elders, scholars and leaders rose as one man and applauded the valuable suggestion given by Vyasa. They shouted, Jai Jai, in order to demonstrate their approval and appreciation. They exclaimed, "O! How auspicious", "How significant" and they blessed Dharmaraja in the endeavour to free himself from the sinful consequences of war. But, Dharmaraja was still heavy with grief; he was not free from fear. His eyes were wet with tears.
He pleaded with the assembly, most piteously. "However much you assert my innocence, I am not convinced. Somehow, my mind does not accept your argument. Rulers who were engaged in wars might have cleansed themselves by means of the Aswamedha yaga. Those were ordinary wars; they were the usual type. But my case is something very extraordinary. My sins are three times more sinister, for,
I have killed kith and kin,
I have killed holy elders like Bhishma and Drona and
I have killed many crowned heads.
Alas, my fate! How monstrous have been my actions?"
"No other ruler could have been guilty of so much iniquity. Not one, but three Aswamedha Yagas have to be performed to clear this load. Then only I can have peace. Then only can my dynasty be happy and secure. Then only can the administration of my kingdom be safe and meritorious. This must be kindly accepted by Vyasa and other elders and sages".
................................................................................................................................................................

When Yudhishtira spoke thus, tears dropped on his cheeks; his lips quivered with sorrow; his body was bent with remorse. Seeing this, the heart of every sage melted with pity. The subjects of the king were moved by sympathy. Vyasa and even Vaasudeva were affected. Many Pundits shed tears, without being aware of it. The assembly was struck dumb with astonishment. All knew in a flash how soft the heart of Dharmaraja was. The brothers too, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva were standing with folded palms, in reverential humility, awaiting the word that will assure relief from the Lord who was in the presidential seat.
Then the assembly, with one voice, approved the three Aswamedha yagas, to relieve the distress of Dharmaraja. One sage gave expression to the opinion of the assembly. He said, "We shall not stand in the way of your desire. We accept it whole- heartedly. We shall celebrate the Yagas in the best Sastric way, until the final rites. For, we seek peace of mind for you, more than anything else. We are prepared to do anything which will give you satisfaction." This was acclaimed by every one in the gathering.

Hearing this, Dharmaraja said, "I am indeed blessed; I am blessed indeed." He gave his grateful thanks for the promised co-operation. He walked towards the place where Krishna and Vyasa were seated and he fell at their feet. He held the feet of Krishna and pleaded, "O Madhusudana! Didn't you hear my prayer? Didn't you witness my grief? I pray that you grant us your Divine presence at the coming Yaga, that you ensure me the fruit thereof and save me from this burden of sin."

Krishna smiled and lifted him up from the ground before Him. He said, "Dharmaraja! I shall certainly answer your prayer. But, you have taken upon your shoulders a burden as heavy as a range of mountains. This Yaga is no small affair. Moreover, the performer is the celebrated king, Dharmaraja! That means, it has to be celebrated on a scale befitting your status. I know that you have no wherewithal for this very expensive undertaking. Kings derive money only from their subjects. To spend on a Yaga, the money squeezed out of them is not desirable. Only well earned money can be used for such holy rites; else it will bring evil instead of good. Nor can your subordinate rulers come to your help, for they too have been miserably impoverished by the late war. It is clear they have nothing to spare. Aware of all this, how could you agree to celebrate three Aswamedhas in a row? I wonder how you found such audacity in spite of these adverse conditions. And, you have already announced it publicly in this great and distinguished gathering. You did not give Me even a hint about this costly idea. Then, we could have thought out some plan. Well, it is not too late. We shall take a decision after some more deliberation. It does not matter if some delay is caused."

Dharmaraja listened to these words of the Lord and laughed a hearty laugh! "Lord, you are playing a drama with me, I know. I have never decided upon an act without deliberation. Nor have I ever worried about money or the wherewithal. When we have as our guardian, You, with your inexhaustible grace, why should I worry about anything? When I have the Kalpatharu (Wish-fulfilling tree) in my garden, why should I worry, seeking roots and tubers. The all-powerful Lord who has been guarding us all these terrible years as the eyelids guard the eye, will not give us up, at this juncture.

"For You who can whiff huge mountains into dust, this little pebble is no problem at all. You are my treasure, my treasury. You are my very breath. Whatever You may say, I will not hesitate. All my strength, all my wealth is you and you alone. I place all my burdens, including the burden of state and this new burden of the three Yagas at your feet. You can do anything You like. You may value my word and cancel the Yagas. I have no concern. I am equally happy, whatever You do. It is Your will, not mine."

Of course, with the Lord who resides in the heart, no special pleading is needed. The Lord melted; He lifted Dharmaraja and helped him to stand. "No; I spoke in jest to test your faith and devotion. I wanted to demonstrate to these subjects of yours how strong is your faith in Me. You need have no worry on any score. Your wish will be fulfilled. If you follow My instructions, you can procure very easily the money needed for the celebration of the Yagas. You can get it without harassing the rulers and squeezing the subjects."

On hearing this, Dharmaraja was delighted. He said "Lord, we shall honour Your command." Then Krishna said, "Listen. In bygone times, a ruler named Maruth performed a Yaga, in a style that no one since then could approach. The hall where the Yaga was celebrated along with every item connected with it were of gold. Gold bricks were given away as gifts to the priests who officiated; golden images of cows were given instead of cows and plates of gold were distributed instead of lands! The Brahmins were not able to carry them home and so, they took only as much as they could lift or carry. The rest they just cast away. Those pieces of gold are now available in large quantities, for your Yagas. You can collect them."

Dharmaraja did not agree; he had qualms about it. He said, "Lord. That is the property of those to whom it was given. How can I make use of it, without their permission?" Krishna replied, "They have cast it away, fully conscious of what they were doing and what they were discarding. They are not alive today. Their children know nothing about the existence of this treasure. It is now under the earth. Remember that all treasure inside the earth which has no master or owner, belongs to the king of that realm. When the king wants to take possession of it, no one has the right to object. Bring that treasure soon and prepare for the celebration of the Yagas," commanded Lord Krishna.

Child Parikshith and the Prophecy( Chapter-3)

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Sun, 7 Oct 2007 01:56:00 +0530

"Alas! Is he to suffer at last this tragic fate? Is this to be the reward for all the good in store for him? Can the consequence of years of good living suddenly turn into this calamitous end? It is laid down that those who die drowning, those who are killed by fall from trees and those who die of snakebite have a bad afterlife. These are considered "inauspicious deaths"; those whose deaths are such, become ghosts and have to suffer so, it is said. Why should this child end up like that? O, the horror of it. O, the injustice of the whole thing!" lamented Yudhishtira, biting his lips to suppress his sorrow.

The Brahmins hastened to console him. "Maharaja!", they interjected. "There is no reason to give way to grief. Such a great man will never meet with such a tragedy. No. In the horoscope of this child, studying the positions of the planets, we can clearly notice two happy conjunctions, which indicate Vajrayoga and Bhakthiyoga, both powerful and propitious. Therefore, as soon as he learns of the curse, he will give up his kingdom as well as his wife and children and retire to the bank of the holy Bhagirathi river and surrender himself to the Lord. The great sage Suka, son of Vyasa, will arrive there and initiate him into Atma-jnana (self-knowledge) through the recital of the glories of Lord Krishna and the singing of His praise. Thus, he will spend his last days on the sacred bank of Ganga and breathe his last with the adoration of the Lord. How can such a man meet with any tragedy or calamity? He will not be born again, for, through Bhakthiyoga, he will attain oneness with the Lord of all, Purushothama. Hearing these words, Yudhishtira gave up grief and became happy. He said, "If so, this is no curse; it is a unique boon!"

At this, every one rose. The Brahmins were honoured as befitted their learning and austerity. They were given gems and silken clothes and the king arranged to send them home. Yudhishtira and his brothers moved into their palaces, but, they spent many hours talking about the happenings of the day and of the fears, luckily removed. They were filled with joy at the turn the predictions had finally taken.

The baby grew in the lying-in-room, as the moon in the bright half of the month. Since it was born as heir to the great empire after a succession of dire dangers, every one loved it and guarded it like the apple of the eye, as the very breath of their lives. Droupadi who was broken by the loss of her own children, (the Upapandavas), Subhadra who had suffered inconsolable loss in the death of Abhimanyu, and the Pandava brothers who dreaded that the terrific arrow of Aswasthama directed against the posthumous child of Abhimanyu, still in the womb of Uttara, might do the worst and destroy for ever the Pandava line - all were relieved, nay, were overjoyed when they saw the child. They were extremely happy; they spent the days doting over the little lovely babe whom they brought from the zenana for the purpose, whenever they felt the urge to see it and hold it in their arms.

The child too was very bright; it seemed to watch the lineaments of everyone who fondled it or came before it. It stared into their faces long and longingly. All were surprised at this strange behaviour. Every person who came to it was subjected to this searching examination by the child who seemed determined to trace someone or something, in the world into which it was born.

Some said, sadly, it is seeking its father, Abhimanyu. Others said, "No,no; the child is searching for Lord Krishna". Some others opined that it appeared to be trying to discover some divine brilliance. The fact remained that the child was examining all, for some trait or sign which it knew already, to recognise some form it had in mind. "Pariksha" was the word used by every one for the 'quest' in which the child was engaged and so, even before the formal naming ceremony, every one both in the palace and outside it, began referring to the child as Parikshith, 'he who is engaged in Pariksha!'

That name, Parikshith, stayed! From the Raja to the Ryot, from the scholar to the boor, from the monarch to the man-in-the -street, every one addressed the child as Parikshith or referred to him so. The fame of the child grew from day to day. It was on everyone's lips. One auspicious day, Yudhishtira had the court priest brought before him and he commissioned him to fix a good day for the ceremony of naming the child-prince.

The priest called together his group of scholars and astrologers and after consulting the conjunctions of heavenly bodies, they discovered a day which all of them agreed was a good one for the event. They also settled at what hour the actual naming has to take place. Invitations to attend the ceremony were sent to the rulers of the land, to scholars and Pundits as well as prominent citizens. The king sent his emissaries to invite sages and personages full of spiritual wealth. Arjuna went to Lord Krishna and reverentially prayed that He should shower His grace on the child on the occasion; he succeeded in bringing Krishna along when he returned.
When Lord Krishna arrived, the sages, Brahmins, Rajas, subordinate rulers and citizens got ready to receive Him with respectful homage; the Pandava brothers, attired magnificently, waited at the main gate of the palace to offer Him welcome. When the chariot of the Lord was sighted, drums sounded, trumpets pealed mighty welcome, and joyful Jais rose from every throat. Yudhishtira approached the chariot and embraced the Lord as soon as He alighted; he held Him by the hand and led Him into the palace, where a high throne was specially placed for Him. After the Lord was seated, all else occupied their seats according to their rank and status.
Sahadeva went to the inner apartments and the child was brought on a gold plate, resplendent as the sun, made more charming by magnificent jewels. The priests recited prayers invoking the Gods to bless the child and confer on him health and happiness.

Sahadeva laid the child down at the centre of the court hall. Maids and chamberlains came in long lines towards the place where the prince was, holding in their hands gold plates full of perfumes and flowers, silks and brocades. Behind specially fitted curtains, the queens Rukmini, Droupadi, Subhadra and Uttara were rejoicing at the happy scene, watching the gambols of the child. Sahadeva took the child and placed it on a bed of flowers in the mantap that was erected for the naming ceremony. But, the child rose on all fours and started crawling bravely on, in spite of the remonstrances of maids. Apparently, it wanted to proceed somewhere!
The efforts of Sahadeva to stop its journey proved futile. Yudhishtira, who was observing its movements with interest said with a smile, "Sahadeva! Do not stand in the way. Leave him alone. Let us see what he does". And Sahadeva left his hold. He allowed the child to move wherever he liked. Only, he took care to keep his eye always on him lest he fall or hurt himself. He followed him at every step, vigilantly.
The child, who got freedom of movement, soon made a beeline towards the place where Lord Krishna was seated, as if He was a long acquaintance whom he was seeking to meet. The child grasped the feet of Krishna and pleaded, by his looks, that he may be taken on to the lap and fondled. The Lord saw his yearning; He laughed aloud; then, He, graciously bent low and lifted the child on to His lap.

Sitting on His lap, the prince was staring at the Lord's face without even a wink; he did not turn his head this way or that or pull at anything with his hands or make any sound. He just sat and stared. Everyone was amazed at this behaviour, so unlike that of a child. Even Krishna shared in the feeling that pervaded the hall.

Turning to Yudhishtira, Krishna said, "I did not believe when I was told that this child stared at every one who came before him and examined their lineaments. I thought it was a new explanation given by these priests, to the usual prank and play of children. Now, this is really a wonder. The fellow has started examining even Me! Well, I Myself test his behaviour, a little."
Then, the Lord tried to distract the attention of the child from Himself by placing before him a variety of toys, and Himself hiding from view. He expected that the child will soon forget Him. But, his attention was not drawn towards any other object. He had fixed his eye inexorably on the Lord Himself, and it was seeking Him and no other. He was trying to move towards the place where he imagined Krishna was. When His attempts to transfer the attention of the child from Himself failed, Krishna declared, "This is no ordinary child. He has won through My tests. So, the name Parikshith is the most appropriate one for him. He lives up to it already!"

At this, the Pundits recited verses invoking their blessings on the child. The Brahmins recited relevant passages from the Vedas. The music of trumpets rent the air. Women sang auspicious songs. The family preceptor dipped a nine-gemmed jewel in a golden cup of honey and wrote the name on the tongue of the child; on the rice grains spread on a gold plate, the name was written and the rice was then showered on the head of the child, in token of prosperity and happiness. The naming ceremony was thus celebrated in grand style. Men and women who attended were given presents as befitted their rank and they departed. Every one was talking appreciatively of the wonderful way in which the child sought out the lap of the Lord. Many praised the steady faith that the child had already attained.

Yudhishtira who was puzzled at the unique behaviour of the child approached Vyasa, the great sage, to know from him the reason of the strange search and learn about the consequences of this attitude. Vyasa said, "Yudhishtira! When this child was in the womb and the deadly arrow that Aswathamma aimed at it in order to destroy it was about to hit its target, Lord Krishna entered the foetal home and made it safe and saved it from destruction."

"This child therefore has been eager to know who had saved him from within the womb where he lay. He started examining every one to find out whether he had the same effulgence that he saw, while a foetus in the womb. Today, he saw that divine form with all its splendour and so, he moved straight towards Him and prayed to be taken up and seated on the lap. This is the explanation for the strange behaviour about which you are curious to know."
Hearing these words of Vyasa, Yudhishtira shed tears of joy and thankfulness. Overjoyed at the limitless grace of the Lord, he paid Him reverential homage.

Chapter 2 - The Birth of a Bhagavatha

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Sat, 6 Oct 2007 12:29:00 +0530

Maharaja Parikshith was the very self of Abhimanyu, who had attained the heavenly abode of heroes. When Parikshit was an embryo, growing in the womb of Uttara, he saw the sharp arrow let off by Aswatthama flying towards him, emitting sparks of fury and terror, bent on his destruction. But, at that very moment, he saw also a person of brilliant charm armed with a terrific wheel, breaking that death-dealing arrow into a hundred pieces. The royal foetus was filled with wonder and gratitude.

He pondered deep on the identity of his saviour. "Who is he? He must also be dwelling in this womb, with me, because he could see the arrow at the very moment I saw it! But, he has such intrepidity and skill that he could destroy it before it reached me. Can he be a uterine brother? How could he get hold of that wheel? If he is endowed with a wheel, how did I miss having it? No; He is no mortal." He argued thus for a long time within himself.

He could not forget that face, that form. He was a boy, with the splendour of a million suns. He was benign, blissful, blue like the clear sky. After saving him so dramatically, he had disappeared. Maharaja Parikshith had the form always before him, for, he was seeking to see it again. Whomsoever he saw, he examined to find out whether that form corresponded with the form he had reverentially fixed in his mind.

Thus he grew in the womb, contemplating that form. That contemplation transformed him into a splendour-filled baby. When at the end of the period of gestation, he was born into the world, the lying-in-room was lit by a strange light. The female attendants of Uttara were dazzled by the brilliance. Their wits were overcome by wonder.

Recovering herself, Subhadra, mother of Abhimanyu sent word to Yudhishtira, the eldest of the Pandavas, announcing the birth. The Pandava brothers were overwhelmed with joy, when they heard the glad tidings for which they were waiting anxiously. They ordered that bands play and guns be fired, in honour of the event, for, a scion had been born for the royal family, a successor to the Pandava throne. The people heard the peal of guns and sought the reason for the joy. They rushed towards Indraprastha in large masses of enthusiasm. Every corner of the kingdom gushed with joy at this event. Within minutes, the city was transformed into a heavenly garden, fit for Gods to give audience to men. Yudhishtira distributed several varieties of sweets to all who came. He granted several cows as gifts to Brahmins. He instructed the ladies of the court to give golden caskets full of saffron and kumkum to women. Brahmins were awarded silk clothes and precious gems. Citizens were transported with joy, for the dynasty had now secured an heir. Night and day, they revelled in hilarious exultation.

Next day, Yudhishtira called the family priest Kripacharya and performed the rite of Jatha-karma (first cleansing) to the infant. He satisfied the Brahmins by gifts of various costly jewels. The scholars and priests blessed the child and returned home.
On the third day, Yudhishtira called to his presence renowned astrologers as well as famous palmists and soothsayers, for, he was very eager to know whether the fair name of the kingdom and its culture would be safe in the hands of the prince who had come to carry the burden of the state. He received them at the palace with traditional hospitality; they were given appropriate seats in the hall; they were offered scents and silks.
The king bowed before them and joining his palms in reverential adoration, he prostrated before them, and prayed, "O wise men who know the past, present and future! Examine the horoscope of the infant that is born, calculate the positions of stars and constellations, and the planetary influences that will guide his life and tell me how the future will be shaped." He noted the exact time of birth and placed the note on a golden plate, before them.
The Pundits took that note and drew up the plan of planetary positions and studied it with great care. They communicated to one another their increasing joy as they began to draw conclusions; they were in great joy themselves; they could not get words to express their amazement.
The doyen of the group, a great Pundit, at last rose and addressed king Yudhishtira thus, "Maharaja! I have till this day examined well nigh thousands of horoscopes and prepared concerned plans of the zodiacs and constellations. But, I must admit, I have never yet come across a more auspicious grouping than is indicated in this horoscope. Here, all the signs of good augury have assembled in one moment, the moment of this prince's birth. The moment indicates the state of Vishnu Himself! All the virtues will gather in this child. Why describe each glory separately? The great Manu has again come into your dynasty."
Yudhishtira was happy that the dynasty had such good fortune. He was indeed overpowered by joy. He folded his palms and bent low before the scholars who had given him such good news. "This family is lucky to claim such a gem as its scion, through the blessings of elders and of pundits like you as well as the blessings of the Lord who is our guardian. You say that the boy will develop all virtues and will accumulate fame. But, of what use is all that, if he has not acquired the quality of reverence towards Pundits, Sadhus and Brahmins? Please look into the horoscope once again and tell me whether he will have that reverence."
The leader of the group of astrologers replied: "You need entertain no doubt on that score. He will revere and serve the Gods and the Brahmins. He will perform many Yajnas and Yagas prescribed in the ancient texts. He will earn the glory that your ancestor Bharatha won. He will celebrate even the Aswamedha. He will spread the fame of this line all over the world. He will win all things that Gods or men covet. He will outdistance all those who have gone before him." They extolled him thus in various ways to their heart's content. They stopped because they were nervous to recount all the excellences; they feared they might be charged with exaggeration and flattery if they continued to detail the conclusions they had drawn from the horoscope of the baby.

Yudhishtira was not satisfied; he wanted to hear more from them of the excellences of the character of the prince. The Pundits were encouraged by this yearning. They said, "O king, You seem to be eager to know about some more aspects of the child's fortune. We shall only be too glad to answer any specific question that you may feel inclined to put us."
Noting their enthusiasm, Yudhishtira came forward and asked them, "During the regime of this prince, will there be any great war? If war is inevitable, will he achieve victory? "No", said the Pundits, He will not be pestered by any foe. He knows no failure or defeat in any undertaking of his. This is absolutely true, an unshakeable truth."
Hearing this, Yudhishtira and the brothers Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva looked at each other and shared great joy. Meanwhile, Yudhishtira began to speak. He had said, "If that is so...", but, before he could complete the sentence, he hung his head and was plunged in thought. The Pundits noticed it; they said, "You seem to be anxious to know something more. You have only to ask, we shall readily answer all questions." "Of course", said Yudhishtira, "I am happy at all the answers you have given. He will be virtuous, famous, triumphant over all, loving and kind, treating all equally; he will perform many Yajnas and Yagas; he will have no enemies; he will bring honour to the dynasty and restore its reputation. All this gives me great joy. But..., I would like to know also, how he will meet his end." The brothers saw Yudhishtira getting rather upset at the anxiety which agitated him over this problem. His voice had faltered a bit, when he put the question.
They consoled him and said, "Why worry about that at this stage? The end has to come some day, some way. It is something that cannot be avoided. Something will cause it; some circumstance will bring it about. Birth involves the contingency of death. We are afraid, the extreme joy of this incident has queered your line of thought a bit. We think this much is enough. We shall leave the rest in the realm of doubt; let us not probe further. Let us leave it to God."
But, Yudhishtira could not somehow give up his desire to know how such a virtuous ideal prince would end his career on earth. He imagined it must be a truly wondrous finale to a glorious life. So he wanted the astrologers to tell him about it.
The scholars set about the calculations again and took a pretty long time over it. Watching this, the king became excited; he hastened them and pressed for a quick answer. They gave the reply. "This prince will give up his kingdom as the result of a sage's curse". Yudhishtira wondered how such a paragon of virtue can ever invoke upon himself the curse of a sage. He was shocked at the possibility.
Meanwhile, the Pundits said, "Our calculations show that he will be bitten by a serpent." Yudhishtira lost heart at this news. All his joy evaporated in a moment. He became very sad and dispirited.

Ebooks On Sathya Sai Baba

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:25:00 +0530

Today am gonna post in here about the books on sathya sai baba
infact entire story overhere......................

This one is called Bhagvata Vahini

Vahini Books are written by sai baba

Lemme start now...

I. The Bhagavatha

The name Bhagavatha can be applied to every account of the experiences of those who have contacted God and the Godly (Bhagavan and Bhaktha). God assumes many forms and enacts many activities. The name Bhagavatha is given to the descriptions of the experiences of those who have realised Him in those forms and of those who have been blessed by His grace and chosen as His instruments.
The great work known by that name is honoured by all masters of the Vedas. It is a panacea which cures physical, mental and spiritual illnesses. The Bhagavatha is saturated with sweetness of nectar; it shines with the splendour of God.
The principle of Avathara or the descent of God on earth, the incarnation of the formless with form, for the uplift of beings - this is the basic fact that makes the Bhagavatha authentic. By Bhagavatha we also mean those with attachment to God, those who seek the companionship of God. For such, the book, Bhagavatha, is most precious; it is the breath of their life. To be in the midst of such Bhagavathas is to foster one's own devotion. Unless you have a taste for God-ward thoughts, you will not derive joy therefrom. To create that taste, the Bhagavatha relates stories relating to incarnations to the earnest inquirer. Then, one develops the yearning to experience the thrill of God, through all the levels of consciousness. He who has this intense yearning can be a true Bhagavatha.
People believe that incarnations of God happen only for two reasons: the punishment of the wicked and the protection of the righteous. But, these represent only one aspect of the task. The granting of peace and joy, of a sense of fulfilment to seekers who have striven long - this too is the task.
The Avathar or form incarnate is only the concretisation of the yearning of the seekers. It is the solidified sweetness of the devotion of godly aspirants. The formless assumes the form for the sake of these aspirants and seekers.
They are the prime cause. The cow secretes milk for the sustenance of the calf. That is the chief beneficiary. But, as we see, others too benefit from that milk. So too, though the Bhakthas are the prime cause and their joy and sustenance the prime purpose, other incidental benefits also accrue, such as the fostering of Dharma, the suppression of evil, the overwhelming of the wicked.

There is no compulsive rule that incarnations should occur only on the earth and in human form. Any place, any form, can be chosen by the fully-free. Whichever place, whatever form, promotes the purpose of fulfilling the yearning of the devotee, that place and that form are chosen by the will of God. God is above and beyond the limits of time and space. He is beyond all characteristics and qualities; no list of these can describe Him fully. For Him, all beings are equal. The difference between man, beast, bird, worm, insect and even a God is but a difference of the 'vessel' (the Upadhi).
It is like the electric current that flows through various contrivances and expresses itself in many different activities. There is no distinction in the current; it is the same. To speak of it as different is to reveal one's ignorance (Ajnana). So too, the one single God activates every vessel of Upadhi and gives rise to manifold consequences. The wise see only the one uniform current; the ignorant feel that they are all distinct. God appreciates the consciousness of unity, as the basic motive of acts. He does not appreciate the activity itself being one, without variety; it is suited to the various needs. The fruits of Karma or activity appeal only to those who identify themselves with the body and not for the others, who know that they are the indestructible Atma.
Again, you must know that there is no end to the incarnations that God indulges in. He has come down on countless occasions. Sometimes He comes with a part of His glory, sometimes with a fuller equipment of splendour, sometimes for a particular task, sometimes to transform an entire era of time, an entire continent of space.
It is the story of the last of these that the Bhagavatha elaborates. The drama enacted by the Avathara and the Bhakthas drawn towards Him, is the subject matter of the Bhagavatha. Listening to it promotes the realisation of God. Many sages have testified to its efficacy and extolled the Bhagavatha, which they helped preserve for posterity.
Generally speaking, man gets drawn to sense objects for, he is the victim of instincts. Instincts easily seek sense-objects. They come along with the body and are not derived by any training. The infant seeks milk from the mother's breast; the new-born calf nestles at the udder. No training is needed for this. But, for the infant to walk and talk, some training is necessary. The reason is that they are not automatic; they are socially prompted, by example and by imitation of others.
Training is essential even for the proper pursuit of sense pleasure, for it is the wild untrained search for such pleasure that promotes anger, hatred, envy, malice, conceit. To train them along salutary lines and to hold them under control, certain good disciplines like Japa, Dhyana, Upavasa (fasts) Sandhyavandana (worship at dawn and dusk) etc. are essential. But, however much their value may be praised and their practice recommended, people do not develop a taste for them. This is because the desire for sensory pleasure has struck deep roots in the human heart. When one is asked to do spiritually salutary acts, one has no inner prompting at all. Still one should not give up in despair. Until the taste sprouts, the disciplines have to be strictly followed. This taste is the result of training; no one has it from the very beginning. Constant practice will create the zest.

The infant does not know the taste of milk. By taking it daily, it develops an attachment for it which is so deep that when milk is to be given up and rice substituted, it starts to protest. But, the mother does not despair; she persuades the child to take small quantities of cooked rice daily and by this process it starts liking rice and it gives up milk. Milk was once its natural food; by practice, rice became its natural food, so natural that if no rice is available for a single day, it becomes miserable.
So, too, though sense-pleasures are "natural" at first, by means of practice and training and listening to the commendation of the wise, slowly the greater and more lasting pleasure derivable from the glories of the Lord and their recapitulation is grasped; thereafter, one cannot exist without that atmosphere even for a minute; one feels that there is nothing as sweet as the experience of listening to the splendour of the Lord. The company of the worldly who chatter about the senses and the sense-objects will no longer attract; the company which exults in praising the Lord will draw and hold.
This is the real hallmark of the good. Sadhakas and votaries of the Lord are to be judged by these, not by external apparel or appearances. If one mixes with men who revel in sensory talks and activities, then, he puts himself out of court. Spend your time in the company of the godly, engaged in godly affairs. Avoid getting mixed with the company of the ungodly. Do not see their activities or listen to their accounts. Only those who avoid them can be called Bhagavathas, or God's own.
Reading and enjoying the stories of the glory of Krishna in some sacred spot or some temple or prayer hall, shrine or hermitage of a saint or sage, or in the company of the virtuous and the good - that is a source of great inspiration and joy. It makes people forget everything else. Else, one can approach pious men and serving them, listen to their exposition of the glories of God. Taste for such wholesome literature is the result of accumulated merit and endeavour. It is that merit that rewards one with such company. Listening will be enough in the beginning; later the stories will arouse interest in the nature and characteristics of God and the aspirant will seek and find for himself the path to realisation.
Listening to expositions by the wise is much better than reading them or, one can be looking into the text while listening. It is preferable to listen in company, rather than alone; of course, it is excellent to listen with a number of earnest aspirants. If the person who expounds has had the thrill of genuine experience, then it is the supreme luck, for it yields best results. For, his face will blossom into joy, his eyes will shed tears of joy at the very contemplation of the glory of the Lord. Those who listen to him will catch that inspiration; they will experience the joy themselves. In the midst of a group that weeps, tears will spring out of the eyes of those who have come in. When an infant smiles, those around will also smile in unison. So too, the words of those who are saturated with devotion to God will saturate the hearts of those who listen. It is impossible to measure the profit that one can derive while in the company of the great.
Through that process of listening, a dirt-laden heart will be transformed into a clean illumined heart, shining with genuine light. To the foul odours of sense-pursuits, keenness to listen to the glories of God is a valuable disinfectant, besides being in itself so full of sweet fragrance. The listening will cleanse the heart through the prompting it gives for good work.

Such a cleansed heart is the most appropriate altar, or tabernacle. In that fragrant bower, the Lord will establish Himself; at that very moment, another incident too will happen; the group of six vices that had infested the place will quit without so much as a farewell.
When these vices quit, the wicked retinue of evil tendencies and vulgar attitudes which live on them will break camp and disappear, without leaving even their addresses! Then, man will shine in his native splendour of truth and love (Sathya and Prema); he will endeavour without hindrance, to realise himself; and, finally, he will succeed in merging with the universal and eternal. He will liberate himself from the tangle of ignorance, or Maya. His mind will fade away; the long-hidden secret will be revealed to him; he will discover his Madhavathwa (divinity).
Man's nature is Prema, love. He cannot survive a moment when deprived of love. It is the very breath of his life. When the six vices, to which he was attached so long, disappear, love is the only occupant of the heart; but love has to find an object, a loved one. It cannot be alone. So, it is directed to the dark-blue divine child, the charming cowherd-boy who is purity personified, who is the embodiment of service, sacrifice and selflessness, who has taken residence in that cleansed altar. There is no scope now for any other attachment to grow. So, step by step, this love for Madhava becomes deeper, purer, more self-denying until at last, there is no other need for thought and the individual is merged in the universal.
When Vaasudeva enters the heart of man, Vasudeva has no longer a place therein. In other words, when the Deva of Vasu or wealth is seated in the heart, the divine Vaasudeva or Krishna cannot dwell therein.
Any attempt to accommodate both in the heart is bound to fail. Darkness and light cannot exist at the same time and in the same place; they cannot continue together. Dhanam and Daivam cannot be joint ideals; when Dhanam or riches are sought, Daivam or God cannot also be achieved. If both are sought by man what he will achieve will be neither Dhanam nor Daivam but Dayyam (the devil).
It is creditable if man behaves as man; it is laudable if he behaves as the Madhava, he really is. But, to behave as a demon or as a beast is despicable indeed. For, man was long born a mineral and died as a mineral; then, he promoted himself as a tree. He was long born a tree and died as a tree; but, in the process, he got promoted as an animal; but he has now risen to the status of man. This rise from one scale to another has been acknowledged by science and spiritual experience. Now, alas! He is born as man and dies as man. It is a greater shame if he slides into a beast or a beastly ogre. Praise is his due only if he rises to the divine status. That is real fulfilment of his destiny.
Therefore, avoid contact with vices; develop attachment to virtues; transmute the heart into an altar for the Lord; destroy all the shoots and sprouts of desire; then, your Manasa-sarovaram (the lake of your inner consciousness) will be sublimated into a Ksheera-sagara, (the pure ocean of milk, whereon the Lord reclines on the serpent-couch). Your real self will, like the celestial Hamsa, revel in the placid waters of that lake, thus transformed. It will discover endless delight.

Who can mark the beginning of the continuous waves of the ocean? It is an impossible task. If any one decided to do so, the wave with which he starts the calculation will be considered as the beginning, the wave with which he stops his calculation will be for him the last, the end. There is a beginning and an end for his count; there is no beginning or end for the process. No one can visualise either, in that boundless illimitable expanse. God's glory is the shoreless ocean. When one starts describing it, it begins for him; when he finishes his description, it is the end, so far as he is concerned. But, His glory is beyond space and time. Only little minds, limited minds, will argue that God's glory has a beginning and an end. The stage on which He plays (His Leela) has no boundaries.
The story of His Leela is all nectar; it has no other component, no other taste, no other content. Every one can drink his fill, from any part of that ocean of nectar. The same sweetness exists everywhere, in every particle. There is nothing inferior to mar the sweetness.
The love of God and the love for God are both eternally sweet and pure, whatever the method of your accepting or attaining them. Such love is holy and inspiring. Sugar is sweet when eaten during day or during the night. For, it is night or day for the person who eats, not for the sugar. Sugar behaves uniformly always.

Ten GUide lines from GOD

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Tue, 2 Oct 2007 13:42:00 +0530

Effective Immediately,please be aware that there are changes YOU needto make in YOUR life. These changes need to becompleted in order that I may fulfill My promisesto you to grant you peace, joy and happiness inthis life. I apologize for any inconvenience,but after all that I am doing, this seems verylittle to ask of you.

Please, followthese 10 guidelines

1. QUIT WORRYING:Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sitand worry. Have you forgotten that I am hereto take all your burdens and carry them for you?Or do you just enjoy frettingover every littlething that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:Something needs done or taken care of. Put iton the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MYto-do-list. Let ME be the one to take careof the problem. I can't help you until you turnit over to Me. And although My to-do-listis long, I am after all... God. I can take careof anything you put into My hands. In fact,if the truth were ever really known, I takecare of a lot of things for you that you nevereven realize.

3. TRUST ME:Once you've given your burdens to Me,quit trying to take them back. Trust inMe. Have the faith that I will take care ofall your needs, your problems and your trials.Problems with the kids? Putthem on My list.Problem with finances? Put it on My list.Problems with your emotional roller coaster?For My sake, put it on My list. I want tohelp you. All you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE:Don't wake up one morning and say,"Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I thinkI can handle it from here." Why do you thinkyou are feeling stronger now? It's simple.You gave Me your burdens and I'm takingcare of them. I also renew your strengthand cover you in my peace. Don't youknow that if I give you these problems back,you will be right back where you started?Leave them with Me and forgetaboutthem. Just let Me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME:I want you to forget a lot of things.Forget what was making you crazy.Forget the worry and the fretting becauseyou know I'm in control. But there's onething I pray you never forget. Please, don'tforget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU!I want to hear your voice. I want you toinclude Me in on the things going on in your life.I want to hear you talk about your friendsand family. Prayer is simply you havinga conversation with Me. I want to be yourdearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH:I see a lot of things from up here that youcan't see from where you are. Have faith inMe that I know whatI'm doing. Trust Me;you wouldn't want the view from My eyes.I will continue to care for you, watch over you,and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me.Although I have a much h bigger task than you,it seems as if you have so much trouble justdoing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE:You were taught to share when you wereonly two years old. When did you forget?That rule still applies. Share with those who areless fortunate than you. Share your joy withthose who need encouragement. Share yourlaughter with those who haven't heard any insuch a long time. Share your tears with thosewho have forgotten how to cry. Share your faithwth those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT:I managed to fix it so in just one lifetimeyou could have so many diverse experiences.You grow from a child to an adult, have children,change jobs many times, learn many trades,travel to so many places, meet thousandsof people, and experience so much. How canyou be so impatient then when it takes Mea little longer than you expect to handlesomething on My to-do-list? Trust in Mytiming, for My timing is perfect. Justbecause I created the entire universe inonly six days, everyone thinks I shouldalways rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND:Be kind to others, for I love them justas much as I love you. They may not dresslike you, or talk like you, or live the same wayyou do, but I still love you all.Please tryto get along, for My sake. I created eachof you different in some way. It would betoo boring if you were all identical.Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF:As much as I love you, how can you notlove yourself? You were created by me forone reason only -- to be loved, and to lovein return. I am a God of Love. Love Me.Love your neighbors. But also love yourself.It makes My heart ache when I see youso angry with yourself when things gowrong. You are very precious to me.Don't ever forget......

The significance of SAI SATHCHARITRA

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Tue, 2 Oct 2007 13:40:00 +0530

* This is the first and foremost book based on the life-story of Shri Sai Baba, which was originally composed in Marathi verse form. The writing of the book started in the lifetime of Baba with his blessings.

* The Hindi translation of this book is in simple Hindi language, which can be understood even by a common man.

* The divine truth imparted by this book is even greater than the knowledge contained in the Vedas and Geeta, because all the characters and events in it are real and authentic as also recorded in details by many devotees.

* Because of the expression in simple Hindi it is easy even for every one to comprehend it. Today there are very few people who can understand Sanskrit language properly and absorb the meaning and substance easily.

* The spiritual essence contained in all the religious scriptures like Vedas, Geeta, Yoga Vashisht is found in the life-story of Shri Sainath.

* The concepts on God and spirituality are explained in such a simple yet comprehensive manner in 'Shri Sai Satcharitra' that no additional book, or commentary etc. is required to understand it. It has a natural flow of which the readers starts feeling as if they had been closely associated with its events in their past life.

* The foremost duty of a Sai devotee is therefore to read 'Shri Sai Satcharitra' and absorb it by heart if possible. The more they read this book, the more it will bring them closer to Baba and all their doubts and apprehensions will be cleared.

* It also has been experienced that during crisis if any devotee is searching for an answer, if he randomly opens of 'Shri Sai Satcharitra' praying Baba sincerely and with faith his answer can be found in that open page.Many people have got their desired benefits after reading 'Shri Sai Satcharitra' for a week in a parayana form.Sairam...

SHRI SATHYA SAI BABA -a short history

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Tue, 2 Oct 2007 05:53:00 +0530

SHRI SATHYA SAI BABA -a short history

Sathya Sai Baba was born in Puttaparthi, a small village in South India, on November 23, 1926. As a child, he demonstrated exemplary qualities of compassion, generosity, and wisdom, which clearly distinguished him from the other children of his village. On October 29, 1940, at the age of 14, he declared to his family and to the people of his village that he would henceforth by known as Sai Baba and that his mission was to bring about the spiritual regeneration of humanity by demonstrating and teaching the highest principles of truth, righteous conduct, peace, and divine love.

His mission was further amplified in a letter he wrote to his brother in 1947. I have a task, he said, To foster all mankind and ensure for all of them lives full of bliss. I have a vow: To lead all who stray away from the straight path again into goodness and save them. I am attached to a work that I love: To remove the sufferings of the poor and grant them what they lack. Sai Baba's ashram, built by his devotees close to the village where he was born, was inaugurated on November 23, 1950. It is called Prasanthi Nilayam (the Abode of Divine Peace).

It has been the gathering place of millions of spiritual pilgrims of various faiths from all over the world. Every day, Sai Baba graciously walks among them to guide, comfort, console, and uplift them. The small temple dedicated in 1950 has grown into a spiritual oasis of unprecedented magnitude. The temple and the dharshan area in front of it, which is completely covered by a beautiful roof, together encompass an area that is over 10,000 square yards. During the period 14-23 November 1995, the celebrations of the 70th birthday of Sathya Sai Baba took place in Prasanthi Nilayam. More than one million people, including the President and Prime Minister of India, assembled in Prasanthi Nilayam to pay homage to Sathya Sai Baba during the 70th birthday celebrations.

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Worship schedule Saibaba Temple

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Mon, 1 Oct 2007 12:51:00 +0530

Worship schedule Saibaba Temple

Here is the daily program at Sai Temple at Shirdi. The worship schedule at Saibaba temple begins early in the morning that continues till late in night. The daily worship program includes various rituals and rites that go into invoking Saibaba, and the congregation of devotees who seek the blessings of Shri Saibaba. Dwarkamai, Gurusthan and Chavdi get open for the devotees at 4.30am and the Samdhi Mandir opens at 5am. With this temple is ready with prays and other rituals invoking Saibaba of Shirdi. At 9pm Chavadi and Gurusthan close. At 9.45pm the upper part of Dwarkamai closes. And finally at 10.45pm the Samadhi temple is closed till the next day.
4:30: Dwarkamai, Gurusthan, Chavadi open
5:00: Mandir opens, Bhupali, Abhishekam at Gurusthan
5:15: Kakad (morning) Arati, Naivedyam of butter and sugar to Baba in Samadhi Mandir, Oil offered to the lamps in Dwarkamai
5:40: Bhajan in Saibaba Mandir
6:00: Mangal Snaan (washing) of Statue and Samadhi in Samadhi Mandir
7:00: Darshan begins in Samadhi Mandir
9:00: Naivedyam in Samadhi Mandir and Dwarkamai
8:00 -10:30: Satyanarayana Pooja
11:30: Dhuni Pooja with rice and ghee in Dwarkamai
12:00: Mid day Arati
12:30: Naivedyam in Samadhi Mandir, Dwarkamai and Gurusthan
4:00: Pothi (Devotional reading/Study) in Samadhi Mandir Sunset: Dhoop (evening) Arati
6:30: Naivedyam in Samadhi Mandir, Dwarkamai and Gurusthan
8:00 - 9:00: Devotional Songs in Samadhi Mandir and other Cultural Programs (if any)
9:00: Chavadi and Gurusthan close
9:30: In Dwarkamai water is given to Baba, a mosquito net is hung and the hanging lamp is lit
9:45: Dwarkamai (the upper part) closes
10:00: Shej (night) Arati, after this , a shawl is wrapped around the statue in the Samadhi Mandir, a Rudraksha mala is put around baba's neck, Mosquito net is hung, and a glass of water kept there
10:45: Samadhi Mandir closes after night Arati

Shirdi Sai Baba Bhajans

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Mon, 1 Oct 2007 12:50:00 +0530

Shirdi Sai Baba Bhajans

Sai Baba of Shirdi is among the epoch making spiritual gurus of India, who has a magnetic pull from the devotees haling from across the world. With his amazing miraculous powers Sai Baba has millions of devotees that pray to him for his blessings. There are several sweet and endearing bhajans that sung in praise of Sai Baba. Songs, bhajans, prayers being a melodious way to feel closer to someone, has effected into making of several bhajans that are sung and played all across the world by the Sai Baba devotees.

In fact audio-visual media has played a great role in popularizing such bhajans on Sai Baba of Shirdi. In the year 1977 a movie on Sai Baba was produced named Shirdi Ke Sai Baba. The movie has some great bhajans and religious songs such as "sai baaba bolo dagmag jag yeh dole" and "sainaath tere hazaaron haath sainaath tere hazaaron haath". Indian Television serial producers have also come with serial on the life of Sai Baba with many popular bhajans attracting the devotees in hordes. Sai Baba is the latest serial produced by the veteran Ramanand Sagar capturing the essence of Sai Baba with various melodious bhajans on Sai Baba having earned great popularity among the devotees.

There are many other bhajans that are sung with great religious fervor and devotion. Some of them are as follows: Aali Prasadachi Wat, Akra Vachan, Ananta Tula Re, Aarti Saibaba, Ata Swami, Ghoshna, Gurubrahma Guruvishnu, Hari Om, Jai Jai Sainath, Kadhi Na Ruso, Lopaley, Ovaloo Aarati, Sada Satswarupam, Sai Digambara, Tuj Kay Magu.

Sai Museum Shirdi

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:37:00 +0530

Sai Museum Shirdi

Sai Museum in Shirdi is a rich repository of all things associated with Shri Saibaba. Kept under the maintenance of Saibaba Sansthan of Shirdi, the Museum has some of the most intimate and personal belongings of the Spiritual Guru Saibaba. Devotees from across the world visit this Museum that is a part of Dwarkamai.

The Sai Museum has carefully kept many of the things that were close to this charismatic Guru. It has Saibaba's padukas or footwear, which are revered by the Sai devotees. The place also has some of the coins that Saibaba gave to Malsapati, the priest of Khandoba. The museum preserves the two utensils that were used to feed people in hordes. In these utensils one was small and other big. The smaller one was used to provide food for 50 people while the big one was used to serve a group of 100 people.

The sai museum also has a Grinding Mill that was used by Saibaba. This grinding mill has its own significance and is symbolic of the deep-seated philosophy of Saibaba. The Grinding Mill posits the concept of Dharma and Bhakti that must come together for the ultimate salvation. The upper stone symbolized Bhakti and the lower one was representative of Dharma. Deciphering the true essence of life the mill showed that with the faith on Dharma and Bhakti, mankind could achieve the state of Supreme Being.

Articles that were personally used by Saibaba are kept in Samadhi temple. Devotees can witness these articles when in the Samadhi temple. The Sai museum also has the chair that was used by Saibaba regularly. You can also have a look at the cot on which Saibaba's last bathing took place after his demise. There is this earthenware, which was used by Saibaba while begging. The pot in which Saibaba stored water is still here and full with water even today. There is the original chimta carefully preserved in here that Saibaba used while singing.

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:36:00 +0530

Personal Belonging of Saibaba can be viewed at Shirdi Temple ChulliUsed by Baba for preparing food (prasad) and later distributing to gathering of devotees (Annadan). KolambaA stone pot which Baba used to place collected (Bhiksha). The food placed at an open place near Masjid was eaten by insects, birds and animals like dogs, cats, pigs.The remainder used to be eaten by Baba.

Water-PotUsed for storing water to be drunk by all the thirsty (Pan-Pot) Jata and Sack of WheatJata (Hand mill) a pair of stone crushers used for grinding wheat implying that the seed of Karma when crushed and transformed into floor destroys the consequences of all good and evil deeds and liberates soul from binding of Karma.

Udi Stand and Kathada (railing)At Masjid where Baba used to place his hands and attended visitor artists and give them Prasad (fruits or coins and handful of udi- as the most precious, pure and powerful substance in the universe from all sorts of contamination by evil or malignancy. Baba’s bathing stoneOn this stone Baba used to take bath which was executed by devotees.

Udi stone and Ota (platform)For burning essence sticks or udi (Loban) sticks whose fragrance was pleasant For creating a purified scented atmosphere. Baba used to sit on the platform on which udi stand was fixed. Satka (stick)The thick stick used by Baba to drive away evil for protecting his devotees facing calamities. Two copper potsUsed by Baba to cook khichadi or sweet pulav as his Prasad (Annadan)

Kalki Avatar

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 02:57:00 +0530

Kalki Avatar

- the PredictionJust before the beginning of the current age in which we are living (known in the East as the Kali or Iron age), the sage Markandeya recorded a conversation he had with God Vishnu (the embodiment of the preserver aspect of the trinity). In a passage in the Mahabharata text, it is recorded that Vishnu spoke of a time during the darkest period of the Kali Age when human values would deteriorate, violence and injustice would be widespread, falsehood would triumph over truth, oppression and crime would be prevalent. Vishnu told how he would take a human birth in order to intervene and set the world on a new course. Here is the text of that statement.

When evil is rampant upon this earth, I will take birth in the family of a virtuous man, and assume a human body to restore tranquility by the extermination of all evils. For the preservation of rectitude and morality, I will assume an inconceivable human form when the season for action comes.

In the Kali Age of sin I will assume an Avatar form that is dark in color. I will be born in a family in south India. This Avatar will possess great energy, great intelligence and great powers. Material objects needed for this Avatar's mission will be at his disposal as soon as He will think of them. He will be victorious with the strength of virtue. He will restore order and peace in the world. This Avatar will inaugurate a new era of truth, and will be surrounded by spiritual people. He will roam over the earth adored by the spiritual people.

The people of the earth will imitate this Avatar's conduct, and there will be prosperity and peace. Men will once more betake themselves to the practice of religious rites. Educational centers for the cultivation of Brahmic lore, and temples, will reappear again everywhere. Ashrams will be filled with men of truth. Rulers of the earth will govern their kingdoms virtuously. The Avatar will have an illustrious reputation.

The Avatar mentioned in this text is referred to as the Kalki Avatar. The advent of this Avatar has been known of and predicted for thousands of years in various holy books and obscure texts including the Book of Revelations, Nostradamus in his book Centuries, The Ocean of Light (an ancient Persian manuscript of the revelations of Prophet Mohammed),and the Shuka Naadi Granthi - containing detailed prophecies of the Kalki Avatar written on hundreds of palm leaf manuscripts by Sage Shuka over 5000 years ago. The time of great evil mentioned in the prophecies corresponds to the Twentieth Century with its World Wars, regimes of mad dictators and authoritarian rulers, nuclear weapons, famines, diseases, pollution, crime, violence, catastrophes, and worldwide decline of morality

Mystery of the Avatar

The Western mind is capable of believing in Jesus as the Son of God, at least on the part of some of the population, but seems unable or unwilling to grasp the concept of the Avatar as an incarnation of God. By contrast, the average Indian is aware of historical Divine personalities and Eastern literature is full of descriptions of the various Avatars. The Bhagavata text is precisely about the various Descents of the Divine on Earth.

Millions of people around the world accept Sathya Sai Baba as the Avatar of this age. How do we know that Sathya Sai Baba is truly an Avatar? This question must be answered by each person individually. Skepticism is natural and must be overcome by evidence and intuition. The important thing is to make a proper investigation. Sai Baba himself says:

No one can understand my Mystery. The best you can do is to get immersed in it. It is no use your arguing about pros and cons; dive and know the depth; eat and know the taste. You must dive deep into the sea to get the pearls. What good is it to dabble among the waves near the shore, and swear that the sea has no pearls in it and that all tales about them are false? So also if you must realise the full fruit of this Avathar, dive deep and get immersed in Sai Baba. Half-heartedness, hesitation, doubt, cynicism, listening to tales, all are of no avail. Concentrated complete faith - that alone can bring victory.

In truth you cannot understand the nature of My Reality, either today, or even after a thousand years of steady austerity or ardent inquiry, even if all mankind joins in that effort. But, in a short time, you will become cognizant of the Bliss showered by the Divine Principle which has taken upon itself this sacred body and this sacred Name. Your good fortune, which will provide you this chance, is greater than that which was available for anchorites, monks, sages, saints, and even personalities embodying facets of Divine Glory. Do not allow doubt to distract you; if only you will install in the altar of your heart steady faith in My Divinity, you can win a vision of My Reality.

The Divine in Human FormWhen Krishna lived on the Earth, few were aware of his divinity although he successfully accomplished his mission of ridding the earth of many powerful and evil personalities. Shirdi Sai Baba was an incarnation of God Shiva but most regarded him as a very great saint. Only a few of his closest devotees knew him to be an incarnation. It is difficult to grasp the implications of the Divine in human form. If we accept the Advaitha philosophy that there is One only without a second; nothing but God throughout the manifested universe and beyond, then logically we are in God, God is in us, we ARE God.

The Atma within us - our innermost awareness is the Eternal Witness, a spark of the Eternal Flame. God enjoys the play of this universe by sporting inside the various manifested forms as the Atmic awareness of each. All this apparent diversity is the only the illusion of Maya - the formless taking on form, the Eternal manifesting in time and space and then indwelling each form as the Atmic spark within. Thus He sees all, knows all, is all. Really the form of the Avatar is like a focal point wherein this colossal Divine force can contact the human in the tiny knot of energy that is our Earth, on the fleeting time scale that is a human lifetime. But the Avatar is in no way limited by the constriction of bodily confinement because He is one with the source of all. The Avatar takes the human form and behaves in a human way so that humanity can feel kinship with the divinity.

At the same time he rises to godly heights so that mankind also can aspire to reach God. People could not stand the Lord in super-human form. ... If the Lord came in all His majesty people would be afraid and would have no opportunity to know and love him. It is only when the Lord comes in a human body that people are able to approach him and learn to love him and know him even a little bit. But one should not make the mistake of thinking that is all there is. ...
For instance, the airplane flying high in the sky descends to the airport. But one should not make the mistake of thinking that the plane is a ground machine because they see it on the ground. In like fashion, although the Lord has made a landing here on earth, so to speak, He is not limited to His human form. I am new and ever ancient. I come always for the restoration of Dharma (righteousness), for tending the virtuous and ensuring them conditions congenial for progress, and for educating the "blind" who miss the way and wander into the wilderness. Some doubters might ask, can Parabrahman assume human form? Well, man can derive joy only through the human frame; he can receive instruction, inspiration, illumination only through human language and human communication.

The Divine Lives in the Hearts of AllThe Avatar appears to be human and we are misled into thinking of him in these terms but the Avatar himself warns us against this error. Sathya Sai Baba once responded to a devotee who asked when he should return for another visit: "First understand that you do not need to come back to see this little body", he said pointing to himself. Then he added - "Find me in your heart". In his previous embodiment as Shirdi Sai Baba (1835 - 1918) he made a similar statement to his devotees: "Though, I am here bodily, still I know what you do; beyond the seven seas. Go wherever you will, over the wide world, I am with you. My abode is in your heart and I am within you. Always worship Me, Who is seated in your heart, as well as in the hearts of all beings." Shirdi Sai Baba Sathya Sai Baba, who is Shirdi Sai Baba come again, echoes this thought in many of his statements: You may be seeing me today for the first time, but you are all old acquaintances for Me. I know you through and through. My task is the spiritual regeneration of Humanity through Truth and Love. If you approach one step nearer to me, I shall advance three steps towards you. Wherever you walk, I am there. Whomsoever you contact, I am in that person. I am in each. From each, I will respond. You can see Me in one place and miss Me in another. You cannot escape Me or do anything in secret.

Reason for the Divine's Descent into MatterIn past ages, when the power of evil reached a certain stage, the Divine descended into form to suppress the evil and to foster the good. In the Kali age in which we are living, evil has reached new depths. Of all the various ages - each with its own characteristics, the Kali age is the age of the deepest descent into matter and form, away from spirit. We have passed through the lowest point of the pendulum, the dark times of this 20th century and are now beginning the upward climb. The appearance of the Avatar coincides with the darkest hour of the Kali Yuga.

People tell me that mankind is on the brink of destruction, that the forces of hypocrisy and hate are fast prevailing on all continents, and that anxiety and fear are stalking the streets of every city and village in the world; there is no need to tell me this, for I have come precisely for this reason. When the world is on the verge of chaos, the Avatar comes to still the storm raging in the hearts of men. Prasanthi, the higher Peace, will be established soon; the demonic deviations from the straight Divine Path will be corrected. Dharma will be revived and re-vitalised in every human community.

God incarnates for the revival of Dharma (Righteousness) which includes morality, truth, virtue, love and a host of other qualities that uphold the communities of man as well as the individual. The other purposes usually given - serving the devoted, destroying the wicked, re-establishing the sacred tradition - these are all secondary. For, he who is righteous will be guarded from harm, by righteousness itself; he who is unrighteous will fall into disaster through the evil that he perpetrates. The one task includes all else. For the protection of the virtuous, for the destruction of evil-doers and for establishing righteousness on a firm footing, I incarnate from age to age. Whenever asanthi, or disharmony, overwhelms the world, the Lord will incarnate in human form to establish the modes of earning prasanthi, or peace, and to re-educate the human community in the paths of peace.

Mission of the AvatarThe Avatar comes to transform humanity but this must take place through the transformation of individuals making up humanity. To raise bread we mix a pinch of yeast into the dough and the action of the yeast spreads throughout the mix, eventually leavening the entire loaf. So the Avatar works through individuals, transforming them into the divinity they essentially are. The light from the many individuals gradually dispells the darkness of ignorance, impacting all of humanity.

Through interviews with devotees who come to see him Sai Baba reveals that he knows intimate details of their lives including physical problems and issues dominating their lives, sometimes even events they themselves have long forgotten. Though he left school at the age of fourteen saying "My devotees are calling me" and never read a book, he has been known to speak to people from all over the world using words from their own language. Though he never read the Indian classics he liberally sprinkles appropriate stories from them in his talks. He quotes long passages in the ancient mother language Sanskrit, and assists Brahmic priests in correctly carrying out elaborate Vedic rituals. He tells of undocumented events and conversations in the lives of sages, holy persons, and historic persons as if he were there at the time of their happening.

To all who come to him he makes them feel as if he were their own. He constantly exudes bliss and love and all who come to him regard him as they would a loving parent. Sai Baba never appears rushed or hurried and yet he accomplishes more than ten or even a hundred humans ever could. He is in constant motion from early morning until night greeting visitors, going over plans, giving darshan (sight of a holy person) and interviews, taking letters, attending bhajans (religious singing), taking part in and planning ceremonial events. He dedicates his entire life to his devotees and his mission with absolutely no attachment to possessions, personal time, or ordinary human pursuits.

My work is ceaseless and so your work, too, is without end. Know that I am within you and without you. There is no difference. Rid yourselves of petty matters for ever more. You are now ME and I am now THEE. There is no difference. My Darshan will pour forth from ME to and through you. You may be unaware of this constant action. Be ever pure in heart and soul, and mankind in your lifetime will benefit from your unique qualities. This is a great chance. Be confident that you will all be liberated. Know that you are saved. Many hesitate to believe that things will improve, that life will be happy for all and full of joy, and that the golden age will recur.

Let me assure you that this dharmaswarupa, that this divine body, has not come in vain. It will succeed in averting the crisis that has come upon humanity. In my present Avatar, I have come armed with the fullness of the power of formless God to correct mankind, raise human consciousness and put people back on the right path of truth, righteousness, peace and love to divinity. In this avathar [Divine Incarnation], the wicked will not be destroyed; they will be corrected and reformed and educated and led back to the path from which they have strayed.

Shirdi - Sai BabaSamadhi Mandir

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:26:00 +0530

Shirdi - Sai BabaSamadhi Mandir :

The Mandir is built with stones and Baba's Samadhi is built with white marble stones. A railing is built in marble around the Samadhi and is full of ornamental decorations. In front of the Samadhi are two silver pillars full of decorative designs. Just behind the Samadhi is Sai Baba's marvelous statue made of Italian marble which shows him seated on a throne. This idol was made by late Balaji Vasant.

This statue was installed on 7th October 1954. Above the statue is an open, silver umbrella. The front of the Mandir has an assembly hall where about 600 devotees can be accomadated. Here is the show-case where various things handled by Baba are kept. On the first floor of the Mandir are pictures depicting the life of Baba.

The routine of the temple starts at 5 o'clock in the morning with Bhoopali, a morning song, and closes at 10 o'clock in the night after Shejarati is sung. Only on three occasions the temple is kept open overnight .ie. on Gurupoornima, Dassera, and Ramnavami. Every Thursday and on each fesitival, a Palakhi with Baba's photo is taken out from the temple.

Dwarkama

Shri Sai Baba came to Shridhi with a marriage procession. He stayed at Dwarkamai till the very end of his life. Dwarkamai is situated on the right side of the entrance of Samadhi Mandir. Here he solved problems of the people, cured their sickness and worries. Before Baba's arrival in Shridhi, Dwarkamai was an old mosque in a dilapidated condition. Baba turned it into Dwarkamai and proved that God is one.

The first level of Dwarkamai has a portrait of Baba and a big stone on which Baba used to sit. This level has two rooms. One contains the chariot and the second a palkhi. Just in front of the room where the chariot is kept is a small temple. A saffron flag flies over it. The second level of Dwarkamai has a square stool made of stone, which Baba used for taking a bath. The main attraction of this place is the oil painting of Shri Sai Baba sitting in a carved wooden shrine. This level also has the grinding stone and the wooden vessel called Kolamba in which Baba used to keep the Bhiksha brought from the village.

Gurusthan

Sai Baba first came to Shridhi in the form of Bal Yogi - a child ascetic. He was first spotted seated under a Neem tree. This place came to be known as Gurusthan. The renovation of Gurusthan was made on 30th September, 1941. The present temple was built after this period. There is a small shrine in Gurusthan. On a elevated platform of this shrine a big portrait of Baba is placed. On the side is a marble statue of Baba. In front of the portrait is a Shivling and the Nandi. Photos of twelve Jyotirlingas are kept in the temple. The branches of the Neem tree have come out through the roof of the temple.

At a short distance lies Baba's CHAVADI. Baba used to sleep here every alternate day. The Chavadi is divided into two parts. One part of the Chavadi has a large portrait of Baba along with a wooden bed and a white chair belonging to him. There is a cottage of Abdul Baba, an ardent devotee of Shri Sai Baba, in front of the Chavadi. The Lendi Baug was looked after by Abdul Baba. There are photos and various things which were handled by Sai Baba and Abdul Baba in the cottage.There is a Maruti Mandir located at some distance from the cottage of Abdul Baba. This mandir was visited by Baba for the sat-sang with Devidas, a Balyogi, who lived at the Mandir ten to twelve years before Baba arrived. There are also temples of village deities named Shani, Ganapati, and Shankar to be visited.

Lendi Baug :

At some distance from Gurusthan there is the Lendi Baug. This Baug was made and watered daily by Baba himself. It got its name from a Nalla (a drain) which used to previously flow there. Baba used to come here every morning and afternoon and take rest under a Neem tree. Baba dug a pit, 2 feet deep, under the Neem tree and kept a Deep lit in that pit. One octangular Deepgriha called Nanda Deep has been built in marble stone in memory of this place.

It constantly burns in a glass box. On one side of the Deepgriha is a Peepal tree and on the other side is a Neem tree. Some distance away is a Datta Mandir below an Audumbar tree. In the Mandir there is a statue of Datta built in marble stone. The statue of Datta was installed on 6th December, 1976. Just behind the Datta Mandir is a Samadhi of the horse, Shyamsundar which belonged to Baba and which used to bow to him. Lendi Baug also has a well dug by Baba with the cooperation of his devotees. At the entrance of the Baug are the Samadhi's of ardent Sai devotees Tatya Kote Patil, Bhau Maharaj Kumbhar, Nanavalli and Abdul Baba.

Khandoba Mandir

This temple is situated on the main road. In front of this temple Baba was welcomed by Poojari Mhalsapati, of this temple, saying "Aao Sai", when Baba stepped in Shridi. In this temple there are icons of Khandoba, Banai and Mhalsai. How to get there Shirdi is located approximately 296 Kilometers from Mumbai (Bombay) City in India.

BY Rail:

The nearest railway station is Kopargaon 15 kilometers on Manmad-Daund section of Central Railways.One could take a Central Railway train from Mumbai (Bombay) V.T. station to Manmad station and then take a bus to Shirdi. State transport buses are available from Manmad to Shirdi. By Road :Well connected to Mumbai, Nasik. By Air : Programmes and Their Timeings : Kakad Arati 5:15 a.m. Holy Bath of Shri Sai Baba 6:00 a.m. Darshan Begins 7:00 a.m. Satyanarayana Pooja 9:00 a.m. Abhishek 9:00 a.m. Noon Arati 12:00 Noon Pravachan or Pujan 4:00 p.m. Dhuparati Sunset Bhajan, Keertan, Vocal Music, etc 9:00 p.m. Shejarati 10:00 p.m Important instructions to devotees arriving in Shirdi For proper guidance and assistance to the devotees, Reception centers have been opened opposite the S.T. Bus stand.

On arrival to Shirdi, devotees should immediately get in touch with the above mention Reception centers of the Sansthan and should thereafter proceed to the Enquiry Office for booking their accommodation which is made available after registration of name and other particulars. Occupied room(s) should be locked before going out. If the accommodation provided is in the common hall, luggage should always be left in charge of a member of the party to safeguard it from anti-social elements.A locker is available at nominal charge and against a deposit, which may be booked at the enquiry office, and used for keeping luggage or any other valuables.

Care should be taken not to leave any belongings behind in the toilets and the bathrooms. As the Samadhi Mandir is over-crowded at the time of Arati, devotees should safeguard their ornaments and purses from pick-pockets and mind their children. Devotees should note that all religious functions and Poojas in the Sansthan premises are to be arranged and performed through the office of the Sansthan. Necessary payments for these are to be made at the office against a receipt. Boxes have been provided by the Sansthan in the Mandir itself to receive the devotees' offerings by way of Dakshina and Hundis. Offering to Shri Sai Baba in cash or kind should always be made at the office against a receipt. Devotees should bear in mind that Baba left no heirs or disciples and should guard themselves against such deception practiced by impostors.

As all the necessary assistance and guidance is readily available to the devotees at the Reception center of the Sansthan, assistance from unauthorized guides at the S.T. stand, if taken by the devotees, will be at their own risk. Devotees are warned against practitioners of black magic professing allegiance to Shri Sai Baba, and also against those circulating chain-letters, asking the receiver to send a certain number of copies of the letter to his friends. Literature about Shri Sai Baba containing authentic information has been published by the Sansthan and is readily available at book shops near the Samadhi Mandir.

A complaint/suggestion book is always kept in the office for the use by the devotees, in which they are requested to write clearly their complaints/suggestions along with their full name(s) and addresses. The Sansthan authorities take due note of such complaints/suggestions. Donations should always be sent by Money Orders, Postal Orders, Crossed and A/c. Payee Cheques or Drafts to ensure safe delivery of the same.

Do not send cash or currency notes in postal envelopes. As the various dealers and vendors of Pooja articles are not connected with the Sansthan, devotees should first fix the price before buying these articles to avoid any trouble thereafter. All donations for oil for the Nanda-deep and for firewood for Dhuni in the Dwarkamai are to be given in the Accounts office only. Further details regarding these can be obtained from the Temple-in-charge. Devotees desirous of feeding the poor can arrange to do so against cash payment to be made to the Prasadalaya itself or the account office. Coupons are not accepted for this purpose. Devotees desirous of distributing alms to beggars can do so only in the beggars' shed, near Prasadalaya with the help of the Security officer.

Devotees making correspondence should give their complete and correct addresses. Devotees are requested to avail of the facilities at the Tea canteen and Prasadalaya run by the Sansthan where tea and meals are served at subsidized rates. Medical facilities are available at the well-equipped Sainath Hospital run by the Shirdi Sansthan. The Sansthan has not appointed any representative for the purpose of collecting donations in cash or otherwise. Devotees are informed that no donations either in cash or otherwise should be given to anybody personally. This is to avoid deceit as well as to prevent devotees from being cheated by unscrupulous elements. Source : Publications of the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi .

Saibaba Chronology

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:48:00 +0530

Saibaba Chronology

1838 Hemadripant has approximately determined the date of Sai Baba's birth as A.D. 1838.

1842-54 Sai Baba spent 12 years with his Guru. The name of his Guru is not exactly known but could be 'Venuksha' alias Gopalarao Deshmukh of Selu or even a 'Sufi' fakir. Some say " Baba practiced penance at the tomb of His Guru in the cellar under the Neem Tree at Shirdi". Arrival of Devidas at Shirdi (Aged 10-11 years) took place in 1846. When he enquired, BABA mentioned the name of his GURU as Venkusa implying VISHNU (Parvardigar).

1854Sai Baba first appeared at Shirdi under the Neem Tree (aged about 19 Years) and after sometime disappeared to an unknown place.

1858Sai Baba returned to Shirdi along with the marriage-party of Chand Patil of village called Dhoop in Aurangabad District and remained at Shirdi for ever till His Samadhi.

1865Saint Manik Prabhu of Homanabad in Bidar District of Karnataka passed away in 1878, Chaitra Vadya 14. H. H. Akkalkot Swami left His mortal coil at Akkalkot in Solapur District of Maharashtra. (First appeared in 1835). It is reported that three of them (Manik Prabhu, Swami Samartha and SAIBABA) met at Humanabad.

1885Saint Anandnath (aged 95 years) of Yewala Math and a disciple of Akkalkot Swami visited Shirdi and seeing Sai Baba exclaimed, "This is a precious real diamond."

1886, April 16Mahasamadhi of Shri Ramkrishna Paramahansa of Bengal 1886, Margashirsh 15 Sai Baba got rid of an attack of asthma, by going into samadhi for 72 Hrs.

1889Abdullah arrived at Shirdi from Nanded (in West Khandesh near Jalgaon and Amalner)

1892 (approx)Nanasaheb Chandorkar arrived at Shirdi for the first time after being invited by BABA many a time showing his intimate relations with NANA since his many previous births.
1894 (approx)Das Ganu (Ganesh Dattatreya Sahasrabuddhe) accompanied Nanasaheb Chandorkar to Shirdi for the first time

1896Celebration of 'Urus' ( fair) started at Shirdi owing to the efforts of Gopalrao Gund, a Circle Inspector of Kopargaon

1897Son (Nanasaheb Rasane) was born to Damu Anna Kasar of Ahmednagar by Sai Baba's Grace.
1898Sai Baba was seen sleeping on a narrow plank suspended with old rags about 7 or 8 feet above ground with lighted lamps placed on the plank.

1899-1900Nanasaheb Chandorkar visited Shirdi with his sister-in-law's husband, Shri Biniwale. Baba scolded Nanasaheb for dissuading Biniwale, a devotee of Shri Dattatmya from visiting Datta Temple on the bank of Godavari River to avoid delay in reaching Shirdi.

1900-1902Sai Baba like a learned Pandit explained Geeta to Nanasaheb Chandorkar, who believed that BABA was not well versed with Sanskrit language of Pandits (learned people).

1903Das Ganu left Govt. service and as per Baba's instructions settled at Nanded and started performing keertans and writing life histories of recent saints

1903Das Ganu's book 'Sant Kathamrit' was published. (Ch. 57 about Sai Baba's advice to Nanasaheb Chandorkar)

1904, AprilRao Bahadur H. V. Sathe first arrived at Shirdi. (Aged 49 years)

1904-1905Nanasaheb Chandorkar's pregnant daughter Mainatai at Jamner in Jalgaon District had severe pains of delivery. Sai baba sent Udi and Arati with Ramgir Gosavi from Shirdi and she had a safe delivery. Sai Baba even took the form of tonga's Rajput driver to make Ramgir reach Jamner safe and on time.

1906Das Ganu's book 'Bhakta-Leelamrit' was published. (Chs.. 31, 32 and 33 about Sai Baba)
1906Nanasaheb Chandorkar was transferred as Mamlatdar from Nandurbar to Pandharpur. On the way, he stopped at Shird! with his family and started requesting Baba to accompany them to Pandharpur and stay there permanently with them. The devotees then told Nanasaheb about the singing of bhajan just finished in which Baba's mood of going to Pandharpur and staying there for ever was expressed. The text of the song was,'I want to go and stay at Pandharpur .'

1907Radhakrishna Mai (Sunderabai Kshirsagar) arrived at Shirdi.(Young good-looking widow aged 25 years). She was blessed by BABA who used to send a part of food collected as (Bhiksha) to her.

1908Sathe Wada was constructed.

1908 Ekadashi Kashirarn Shimpi died. (Chaitra Shuddha 11). BABA saved his life in a mysterious way when he was assaulted by Thieves in a jungle.
1908Pundalikrao of Nanded met Shri Vasudevananda Saraswati. (Tembe Swami) at Rajahmundry on banks of Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh and Swami gave a coconut to be presented to Sai Baba. BABA showed cognizance of Swamiji's gilt and showed his oneness with Swami by describing him as his brother (Bhau)

1908Shri Tatyasaheb Noolkar, (Aged 45 years) the Sub-judge of Pandharpur first arrived at Shirdi in 1908. Gurupournima festival was prompted by Baba for Dada Kelkar, Tatyasaheb Noolkar, Madhavrao Deshpande and others.

1909Saibaba threw an ochre garment on Balasaheb Bhate, Mamlatdar of Kopargaon, and an atheist, on his very first visit and Balasaheb lost complete interest in worldly matters. He retired prematurely from service and settled down at Shirdi permanently.
1909Bapusaheb (Sakharam Hari) Jog on retirement from Govt. service came to stay at Shirdi permanently accompanied by his wife.

1909Bhimaji Patil of Narayangaon (Pune District) came to Shirdi for getting his chronic tuberculosis at the last stage and was cured by Baba's blessings.
1909, Nov 2Hari Sitaram alias Kakasaheb Dixit (Aged 45 years), a prominent solicitor and M.L.C. first arrived at Shirdi. Baba used to call him affectionately Langda Kaka and removed fear complex from his mind. Kaka Dixit was known for his obedience to Baba's orders.
1909, Dec 10Devotees began to offer regular worship to Baba in the Chavadi, where He slept on alternate days

1909, Dec 25Baba gave darshan in the form of Sri Rama to a doctor, devotee of Sri Rama who came with a Mamlatdar.

1910Baba's 'Handi' ritual, occasionally cooking food Himself in a big copper pot and distributing it to devotees and poor people without discrimination. This practice continued till this year. After wards owing to Das Ganu's keertans (musical recitals praising Baba), Baba's fame spread far and wide and devotees started flocking together in large numbers offering large quantities of food as 'naivedya' and thus there was no need of 'Handi.

1910Ramachandra Atmaram alias Babasaheb Tarkhad from Bandra (Bombay) first visited Shirdi.

1910Rao Bahadur Moreshwar W. Pradhan of Santacruz (Bombay) first visited Shirdi.
1910Govind Raghunath alias Annasaheb Dabholkar (Aged 51 years), the author of Shri Sai Satcharita (Marathi), had his first darshan of Sai Baba and received significant and prophetic title of 'Hemadpant. Baba gave him his blessings and inspired him to write SAI SATCHARITA - a religious scripture describing BABA's life story and his divine play (leela) as monumental as GURU CHARITRA- the old monumental POTHI - a poetic religious scripture inspiring worship to GURU, NARASINHA SARASWATI.

1910Balkrishna Vishwanath alias Balasaheb Deo (Dahanu Mamlatdar) first visited Shirdi prompted by Nanasaheb Chandorkar. Deo used to describe him as Baba's child - with a full sense of surrender.

1910, Bhadrapad Shuddha 5H. H. Gajanan Maharaj of Shegaon (Buldhana District of Maharashtra) left His mortal coil. (First appeared in 1878). At that very time at Shirdi, Sai Baba grieved profusely and said, "Hallo! My Gajanan is gone. I must take bath again in reverance to the Great Soul."

1910Shrimant Gopalrao Mukund alias Bapu saheb Butty of Nagpur, (a rich statesman) started staying permanently at Shirdi.

1910Harishchandra Pitale's son suffering from epilepsy, was cured by Baba's mere glance at him. Baba gave Pitale three rupees and reminded him of two rupees earlier received by him from Swami Samarth of Akkalkot and thus showed his oneness with all the other SAINTS (Vibhutis)

1910, Ashwin Vady13Sai Baba pushed his arm into the brightly burning Dhuni to save a blacksmith's child. 'The arm was scorched and burnt. Nanasaheb came from Bombay with Dr. Parmananda but Baba did not allow the doctor to treat him.Bhagoji Shinde's service of massaging the arm with ghee and bandaging it continued till Baba's Samadhi. This episode is in testimony to BABA's cosmic existence- HIS super consciousness.

1910, Dec 5Hon'ble Mr. Ganesh Shrikrishna alias Dadasaheb Khaparde of Amraoti (Maharashtra) first visited Shirdi. (Refused on 10 Dec. 1910) Mr.Babasaheb Khaprde was an ardent devotee of BABA and his efforts were instrumental in bringing Loka Manya Tilak- (a great national leader -Khapurde's contemparary) to Shirdi for Baba's darshan and blessings in his movement for India's freedom from the British Rule

1910, Dec10Foundation-stone of Dixit Wada laid with Baba's permission
1910, ChristmasLala Lakhamichand of Santacruz (Bombay) came to Shirdi. Baba loved him very much and affectionately accepted his petty gifts given with love.

1910Megha returns to Shirdi and stays till his death. In Baba's company he underwent mysterious experiences which transformed Megha from an athiest to an ardent devotee of Baba and spent his life in the service of Sai -Shiva. He regarded Baba as Shiva-Shankar (Lord Shiva-Shankar -the welfare Doer).

1911Madrasi Sanyasi Vijayanand, while on a pilgrimage to Manas Sarovar, haulted at Shirdi and breathed his last while reading 'Bhagawat' (a religious script written by Saint Eknath) for 3 days on Baba's advice.

1911, MarchTatyasaheb Nulkar (Aged 48), the Sub-judge of Pandharpur breathed, his last at Shirdi . Baba showed HIS oneness with Tatya Nulkar and described him as a pure soul and expressed HIS grief at Nulkars demise.After Tatyasaheb Nulkar passed away, Megha took over the regular daily worship of Baba in the Dwarakamai. (He used to stand on one leg while performing the Arati). Tatyasaheb Nulkar relinquished everything and stayed at Shirdi in Baba's company till his demise Baba bestowed him with the unique experiences in self realization. Baba advised him and Mr Shyama Deshpande to perform Guru worship (Pooja).

1911 Ram-Navami Festival was started at Shirdi owing to the efforts of Shri Bhishma and Kaka Mahajani

1911, Ram-NavamiConstruction of Dixit Wada was completed and was inhabited with due rites.

1911Extension and roofing of the open space in front of the Dwarakamai was carried out by Kakasaheb Dixit. Baba got enraged and tried to shake and uproot a pole. Then removing Tatya Patil's pugree, struck a match, set the pugree on fire and threw it in a pit along with one rupee as if an auspicious offering to avert evil. Baba never liked renovation of his dwelling place viz. Dwarkamai (the masjid) and opposed any such effort by the devotees.

1911Somdav Swami alias Haridwar Swami visited Shirdi.

1911, June 27Kashinath Govind Upaswii (aged 41 years) first visited Shirdi and returned again on 6 July. Baba ordered him to stay for 4 years in the Khandoba Temple.

1911, DecKashinath Upasani composed the famous 'Shri Sainath Mahimna Stotra (hymn) in Sanskrit. (Now being recited daily during Arati at Shirdi.)

1911, DecBubonic plague raged at Shirdi (Lasted upto March 15 next year) Baba however saved lives of plague inflicted devotees by taking upon himself i.e. on his body the malody.
1911, DecBaba's grinding of wheat in the hand-mill. It was not wheat that was ground but plague or cholera itself was ground to pieces and cast out of village. Seeing this Annasaheb Dabholkar (Hemadpant) was inspired to write 'Shri Sai Satcharita.'

1911, Dec 5Dadasaheb Khaparde of Amraoti arrived at Shirdi again with family and stayed for 3 months. Shri Krishna Bhishma the author of Arati book 'Sagunopasana' accompanied him. Dadasaheb Khaparde wrote diary (daily record of his stay at Shirdi in Baba's company).
1911, Dec 11Waman Rao Patel (Aged 22 years) (Later Swami Sai Sharanananda) first arrived at Shirdi.

1911, Dec 13Chandrabhan Shet Marwadi, uncle of Khushalchand of Rahata. expired.
1911, Dec 16Dr. Capt. Hate first visited Shirdi (who had just appeared at LCPS examination.) Baba sent him a messege in the dream saying, 'have you forgotten me?'
1911, Dec 19Sai Baba's great devotee and a great saint of Nath-panth order, Shri Rama Maruti visited Shirdi. (Stayed for 34 days.) '. Ram Maruti offered 'Naivedya' to Baba and Baba very affectionately took a part of it (SWEET SANJA).

1911-12Sagun Meru Naik arrived at Shirdi at the age of 23 and on Baba's advice settled permanently running a small restaurant for the devotees visiting Shirdi.
1912, JanDadasaheb Khaparde's youngest son Balwant was cured of bubonic plague by Baba by taking the disease on himself.

1912, Jan 3Megha fed some Brahmins on completion of his Gayatri Punascharana (a religious ritual). Dadasaheb Khaparde attended it at Sathe Wada.

1912, Jan 19Megha died at Shirdi at about 4 A.M. Baba lamented loudly and followed the funeral procession for some distance. Baba showered flowers on Megha's body.

1912, Jan 20Bapusaheb Jog started performing Baba's Pooja and Arati after Megha's death.He continued this till Baba's Samadhi and even some years afterwards until he shifted to Sakuri and joined Upasani Maharaj there.

1912Transformation of Dwarakamai (the masjid) started. Pits were patched up and the stone slabs fixed on the floor. Baba gave up sack-cloth seat and started using cushion scat and boister in deference to devotees' wishes
1912 JanGanapatrao, father of Tatya Kote Patil passed away. Tatya Patil stopped sleeping in the Dwarakamai with Baba.

1912, Feb 25Madhavrao Deshpande (Shama) left Shirdi to attend Kakasaheb Dixit's son's thread-ceremony at Nagpur and Nanasaheb Chandorkar's son's wedding at Gwalior. From there accompanied by Appa Kote, he went on a pilgrimage to Mathura, Prayag, Ayodhya, Kashi and Gaya. At Gaya Madhavrao saw Baba's picture at the priest's house and was reminded of Baba's words, "After visiting Kashi and Prayag I would be reaching the religious place ahead of Shama."
1912, Mar 15Dadasaheb Khaparde returned to Amraoti. Mrs. Laxmibai Khaparde stayed behind.

1912, Ram-navamiDada Maharaj Satarkar, known as 'Modern Tukaram', was invited to perform Ram-navami Kirtan.When he bowed down in obeisance, Baba said, "I know this man since last 4 years". Bala Buva had never met Sai Baba before but 4 years ago at Bombay, he had prostrated before Baba's picture. Thus Baba proved to His devotees that seeing His picture was equivalent to seeing Him in person.

1912, AprilFirst visit of Balaram Dhurandhar along with his brothers. Before they arrived Baba had expressed, "Today many of my Durbar people are coming". Baba offered Balaram Chillim to smoke and since then his 6 year old asthma was cured for ever
1912, Shravan 15Guru-sthan padukas were installed under the Neem Tree at Shirdi

1913.First visit of Mahadev Rao Sapatnekar of Akkalkot accompanied by his younger brother Pandit Rao. When Mahadev Rao prostrated before Baba, Baba shouted 'Chal hat' (Get away) in the protest of absence of faith in Saptnekar's mind and his prejudice for Baba.
1913Baba gave at Dwarakamai darshan of himself as Vitthal and Rakhumai of Pandharpur to the wife and mother of R. B. Purandare of Bandra.

1913, Ram-NavaimiBala Buva Satarkar performed Ram-Navami Kirtan at Shirdi and Baba gave him a gift of Rs.150/- for the Kirtan. These coins were collected in a dish (Thali) after Baba's prayer (Aarti). Baba poured the whole dish in Satarkars bag (zoli)
1913, MayWamanrao Patel (Aged 24 - 25 Years.) (Swami Sai Sharanananda ji) visited Shirdi again and this time stayed for 11 months.

1913Rao Bahadur Sathe got a son by Baba's Grace at the age of 57 years.
1914Sapatnekar of Akkalkot arrived at Shirdi again with wife and returned being blessed for begetting a son.

1914, Feb 14Mr.B.V. Deo (Memlatdar of Dahanu in Thane Distict) was charged and reprimanded by Baba for stealing His rag and after lot of abusing and scolding was favoured with instruction to read Dnyaneshawari regularly every day as per Deo's desire. This episode is an example of how Baba sometimes displayed his transcendental powers to read devotees mental inclinations even without formal oral communication.

1914, Feb 22A Sadhak of Yoga (Swami Ram Baba) visited Shirdi and seeing Baba eating bread with onion got suspicious and disappointed. However Baba proved His power of omniscience by reading his mind and the Sadhak returned highly satisfied and blessed.

1914, April 2Before the year was over, Baba appeared to Deo in a dream and inquired if he understood Dnyaneshwari properly. Deo said 'No' and added that without Baba's Grace it will not be understood. Then Baba explained to Deo how to read it slowly (and without making haste) with full concentration for knowing the subtle meaning between the lines (Bodha -Knowledge)
1914, Ram-NavamiDas Ganu was ordained by Baba to perform Ram-Navami Kirtan at Shirdi every year.

1914, ShravanH. H. Shri Vasudevananda Saraswati (Aged 80 years) (Tembe Swami) left His mundane body at Garudeshwar on the banks of River Nannada in Gujarat.
1914. July 15Kashinath Upasani left Shird! (total stay 3 years, 19 days) and proceeded towards Nagpur, Khadakpur etc.

1915,DecSai Baba suffered from asthma and was very weak. Yet He climbed over Radhakrishna Mai's roof with a ladder. Paid Rs. 2/- to the person bringing and placing the ladder. Honouring a worker for his work, Baba showed how Dignity of labour should be maintained.
1915, DecBalakram Mankar passed away at Shirdi.

1915, DecMrs Tarkhad (wife of Babasaheb Tarkhad of Bandra) sent a pedha (made of milk and sugar) which was already offered as naivedya and that too with Balakram's son Govindji who was in mourning. Yet Baba swollowed it with great eagerness and love
1915, Dec 30Construction work of Butty's Wada was in progress. Baba occasionally used to go at this place to see the progress of this work and gave instructions.

1916Sai Baba made Das Ganu to do 'Nam-saptah and Kirtan' at Shirdi for a week
1916Radhakrishna Mai (Aged 35 years) passed away. Baba used to bless her by sending a portion of food collected by him by way of Bhiksha.

1916.Arrival of a Madrasi Bhajani Mela (Party of the Ramdasi Order). Baba gave darshan to the chief's wife in the form of her beloved diety Shri Rama. The chief also got a dream and his attitude towards Baba was completely changed.

1916Nephew of Dr. Mulky from Malegaon (District Nasik), suffering from tubercular bone-abcess, was fully cured by Sai Baba's Udi and his loving glance. The doctor himself visited Shirdi afterwards and became a staunch devotee of Shri Sai Baba realising that Baba's service is to be performed not only for the sake of money or other mundane things but for the welfare of the disabled, helpless and downtrodden.

1916Annasaheb Dabholkar (Hemadpant) retired from Govt. service. On Guru Poumima Day while at Shirdi, Anna Chinchanikar pleaded before Baba for getting some other appointment for Hemadpant as his pension was quite insufficient and his family was growing. Baba assured him about his source of income for livelyhood after retirement.

1916, Vijaya DashamiWhen in the evening Shirdi residents were returning from 'Simollanghan' ceremony (crossing of the border or limits of the kingdom village), Baba suddenly got into wild rage and taking off His head-dress, kafni and langota (loin cloth) etc., tore them into pieces and threw them in the burning Dhuni before Him. The fire in the Dhuni became brighter and Baba stood there stark naked. Later when cooled down and dressed again Baba said, "This is My Simollanghan" and thus hinted at His departure from this world soon on Dassehra Day. This Darshan provided an enlightenment that Baba's body cannot be described as Hindu or Muslim or of any cast or belonging to any religion in vogue.

1916Ramchandra Dada Patil became seriously ill. One night. appearing before him, Baba told him that he would recover soon but Tatya Patil will die on Vijaya Dashami Day in 1918. Thus by substituting Tatya's name for HIS, Baba foretold Tatya's passing away. However, Baba sacrificed his body to save devotees life by saying 'instead of him another person will go?'.
1916Baba averted Gopal Narayan Ambadekar's effort of suicide by prompting him to read an appropriate incident from Akkalkot Swami's Chaiitra (religious scripture) and avoided greatest sin in his devotees life.

1917Parayana (recitation for 7 days) of Guru Charitra by one Mr Sathe (Not Rao Bahadur Sathe of Sathe Wada) and Baba's vision to him on the last day. Shama narrated to Hemadpant the story of Radhabai Deshmukh and Baba asking Hemadpant to narrate the same to Him again blessed Hemadpant by pouring into his hands sugar-candy as prasad.

1917, May19Lokmanya Tilak arrived at Shird! with Dadasaheb Khaparde for Baba's Darshan.
1917Haribhau Karnik of Dahanu (District Thane) wished to offerd. one more rupee to Baba while leaving Shirdi, but could not do so. On the way at Nasik, in the Kala Rama Temple another saint Narasing Maharaj demanded one rupee from him. Karnik gave it willingly thinking that Baba was demanding the rupee he wanted to offer at Shirdi. Baba fulfilled in HIS many mysterious ways devotees' desire to offer dakshina through all the media.

1917Sai Baba appeared at Thane (North of Bombay) to inquire the well-being of Appasaheb Kulkarni's wife and children when he was away on tour. When Appasaheb returned Baba not only fulfilled his desire of offering Rs.10 as Dakshina but also favoured him by returning nine rupees consecrated by His touch. These nine rupees are the symbol of nine bhakti services done to HIM.

1917Upasani Maharaj (Aged 47 years) made Sakuri (near Rahata) his permanent residence.
1918Rao Bahadur Moreshwar Pradhan purchased Lendi Baug and later presented it to Shirdi Sansthan'. Baba himself planted some trees at the Lendi Baug

1918, April 1At Vile Parle (East) (now suburb of Bombay) on Hanuman Road, Narayan Mahadev Thosar's residence (later known as Narayan Ashram) was built a Hanuman Temple. On the day it was consecrated, Baba paid Rs. 25 to a Brahmin named Waze and made him perform Shri Satya-narayan Pooja

1918Prof. G. G. Narke, son-in-law of Butty got a permanent job by Baba's Grace as Professor in the Engineering College at Pune. Baba always remebered him by saying 'where has he (Narke) gone? Baba gave him a begging bag (zoli) for collecting food -an exercise in cultivating humility and eliminating ego.

1918, AugustBaba offered Hemadpant a glass of butter-milk and said, "Drink it all, you won't get such opportunity again suggesting that time for his Samadhi has arrived.
1918, Sep 9Das Ganu wrote 'Shri Sai Stavan Manjaril at Maheshwar (Madhya Pradesh) on the banks of River Narmada.

1918, Sept 28Nath Panthi saint Rama-Maruti of Kalyan passed away.
1918, Sept 28Sai Baba had a slight attack of fever which lasted for 3- 4 days. Since then Baba abstained from food and day by day His weakness increased.
1918, Oct 1Baba asked a Brahmin devotee by the name Waze to read 'Raum- Vijay' (by Sridhar Swami) and listened to it for 14 days.

1918,Oct 8A tiger met its death at the feet and presence of Sai Baba and was emancipated.
1918, Oct 15, TuesdayOn Vijaya Dashmi, Sai Baba left his mortal coil at about 2-30 p.m. Few minutes before He gave Rs. 9/- as prasad to Laxmi Shinde. These nine coins represent nine dimensional devotion to GOD.

1918, Oct 16 WednesdayEarly morning Baba appeared to Das Ganu at Pandharpur, in dream and said, "The Dwaraka mai has collapsed and all the oilmen and grocers have troubled Me a lot. So I am leaving the place. Go there quickly and cover My body copiously with flowers".
1918, Oct 16 Wednesday in the evening Baba's body was taken in procession through the Shirdi village and then interred in Butty Wada with due formalities

1918, Oct 27On the 13th day Baba's devotees from all over gathered and funeral rites were performed by Balasaheb Bhate with a feast (Bhandara) to Brahmins and poor. Later Upasani accompanied by Bapusaheb Jog went to Prayag (Allahabad) and performed all the remaining obsequies on the banks of River Ganges

Udi - Sacred Ash Download Powers of Sai UDI

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:01:00 +0530

Udi - Sacred Ash Download Powers of Sai UDI
Greatness of Udi (ITS MIRACULOUS POWERS)

It is well-known that Baba took Dakshina from all, and out of the amount thus collected, He spent a lot on charity and purchased fuel with the balance left with Him। This fuel He threw in the Dhuni - the sacred fire, which he kept ever burning. The ash from this fire was called Udi and it was freely distributed to the devotees at the time of their departure from Shirdi. Udi or ash is the purest substance on earth having tremendous powers of doing and undoing and is the result of sacrifices offered to fire (agni) which purifies everything by destroying whatever is evil. Performing 'Yagha' (Dhuni) is the most pious ritual recommended. The ancient Vedic literature.

There is a deeper underlying significance behind Baba’s practice of for distributing Udi। Baba taught by His Udi that all the visible phenomena in the universe are as transient as the ash। Our bodies composed of wood or matter of the five elements will fall down, become inanimate after all their enjoyments are over, and will be reduced to ashes। In order to remind the devotees of the fact that their bodies will be reduced to ashes, Baba distributed Udi to them। Baba also taught by the Udi that the Brahman is the only Reality and the universe is ephemeral and that no one in this world, be he a son, father or wife, is really ours. We come here (in this world) alone and we have to go out alone.

It was found and is even now found out, that the Udi cured many physical and mental maladies, but Baba wanted to din into the devotee's ears the principles of discrimination between the Unreal and the Real, non-attachment for the Unreal, by His Udi and Dakshina. The former (Udi) taught us discrimination and the latter (Dakshina) taught us non-attachment. Unless we have these two things, it is not possible for us to cross over the sea of the mundane existence. So Baba asked for and took Dakshina, and while the devotees took leave, He gave Udi as Prasad, besmeared some of it on the Bhaktas' foreheads and placed His boon-conferring hand on their heads. When Baba was in a cheerful mood, He used to sing merrily. One such song was about Udi. The text of the Udi song was, "Oh, playful Rama, come, come, and bring with you sacks of Udi." Baba used to sing in very clear and sweet tones.

So much about the spiritual implication of Udi. It had also its material significance. It conferred health, prosperity, freedom from anxiety, and many other worldly gains. So the Udi has helped us to gain both our ends - material as well as spiritual.

Sai Baba temples

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:56:00 +0530

Sai Baba temples

Devotees of Shri Saibaba transcend the limits of India and Sai devotees living outside India have spread the benevolence of Saibaba of Shirdi in foreign lands. Most of the associated temples outside India are patronized by Guruji Shri C.B. Satpathy.

Indian diaspora in Canada have led to the vibrant Sai culture with the establishment of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Spiritual and Charitable Trust, managed by the trustee Shri Vijay Madan. The trust deals with the awakening of the Sai consciousness and a holistic spiritual growth of the Sai devotees. The trust is based at 1404, D.R.Penfield Montreal, Quebec, Canada H-3 G1 B7.

There is a grand Shri Shirdi Sai Temple in Chicago that is creating the Sai awareness among people in the US. Another Sai temple is in Cuba where the Sai devotees have taken to lead the awakening of Sai philosophy among the devotees and general mass of the region. With simple philosophy ingrained with the demand of trust and complete surrender to the Guru, the Saibaba is making a great impact upon the people of the region.

Sai devotees are equally present in England with their gatherings and similar discourses during which the Sai philosophy is discussed and analyzed. With rapidly increasing number of Sai devotees, the world is surely treading towards a universal calmness leading to detoxification of mind and spirit.

Sai Baba's Devotees

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:06:00 +0530

Sai Baba's Devotees

Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi had a great impressionable personality which hypnotized those who came near him। With his miraculous power and simple teachings he had a host of ardent devotees who carried forward his teachings and philosophy to a wide gamut of society. Here we will discuss some of the most prominent devotees of Saibaba of Shirdi.

Abdul बाबा

Abdul Baba came to Shirdi in around 1890। He came here after a fakir who was inspired in his dream by Saibaba to bring Abdul Baba to Shirdi. On his coming to Shirdi, Saibaba greeted him by saying "My crow has come". A dedicated worker Abdul Baba took care of Baba's mosque and lit the lamps in Lendi. Baba took care of his welfare, and often had him reading aloud passages from the Koran.

Bayajabai Kote

Patil Bayajabai was Tatya's mother and the family had a close association with Baba, who he took as his sister। She had taken a vow that until Saibaba had her food she won't take food. Such was her devotion to Saibaba that she would carry food in a basket and went looking for him to feed him.

Bhagoji Shinde

Bhagoji Shinde suffered from leprosy and yet he was among the closest to Saibaba। He accompanied Saibaba to Lendi garden carrying a parasol to give him shade. Once Saibaba got hurt while thrusting his hands into dhuni, Bhagoji was the one who bandaged the wound and dressed him long after it had healed.

Das Ganu Maharaj

Dasganu was originally in police service and it was during this time that Nana Chandorkar took him to see Sai Baba। Das Ganu wrote about the lives of saints and composed kirtans (devotional songs) which he sang with great fervor.

Annasaheb दभोलकर

Most popularly known for being the author of the work The Sri Sai Satcharitra, Annasaheb Dabholkar was called Hemadpant by Saibaba after a well known poet of 13th Century। His work is a great insight into the life and philosophy of Saibaba.

Hari Sitaram Dixit

Hari Sitaram alias Kakasaheb Dixit was a prominent solicitor another of Saibaba's ardent devotees। Saibaba used to call him affectionately Langda Kaka and removed fear complex from his mind। Kaka Dixit was known for his obedience to Baba's orders।

Dadasaheb Khaparde

Hon'ble Mr। Ganesh Shrikrishna alias Dadasaheb Khaparde of Amraoti, an ardent devotee of Saibaba and was instrumental in bringing Loka Manya Tilak, the great freedom stalwart to Shirdi for Baba's darshan.

Laxmibai Shinde

Laxmibai शिंदेwas well-to-do woman, who worked in the masjid day and night। Except Bhagat Mhalasapati, Tatya and Laxmibai, none was allowed to step in the Masjid at night.

Bhagat महल्सपती

Mahalsapati was the one who owes the name of Saibaba as we know it today। He uttered 'Ya Sai,' when Baba made His first appearance at the Khandoba temple along with the marriage party of Chandbhai. Saibaba used to call Mahalsapati 'Sonarda,' and later on 'Bhagat' i.e. close disciple.

Tatya Kote Patil

Tatya Kote Patil's family was one who loved Saibaba for Himself and not for what they got from His divinity। Tatya was the first amongst the devotees who had all the love of Saibaba. Nanasaheb Chandorkar Nana Chandorkar was among the most prominent devotees. A Deput Collector by profession, he had the distinction of being one of the very few disciples that Baba directly called to his side.

MadhavRao Deshpande

He was another of Saibaba's ardent disciples who was quite close of Saibaba.
GAJANAN MAHARAJ He was another of Saibaba's ardent disciples who was quite close of Saibaba.

Legacy of Sai Baba of Shirdi

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:05:00 +0530

Legacy of Sai Baba of Shirdi

Shri Saibaba is among the most influential spiritual gurus of India, who lived at a nondescript village of Shirdi in the state of Maharashtra। With his miraculous powers and captivating teachings he rules the heart of millions of his devotees, whose number is ever growing with each passing day.

He is also among the most recognizable gurus whose image can be found throughout India, sometimes simply as a fashion statement or kept along as accessories। Worn as pendants and kept in lockets Saibaba makes his presence in all corners of India. He lived in the cusp of two centuries i.e., between 1838 and 1918. During this time Shri Saibaba made a great impact on the psyche of the people coming under his influence. With his simple and trite philosophy combined with his clairvoyant prowess, Saibaba's legacy is still on among his ever growing number of followers.

Today, many religious teachers, groups and organizations promote his teachings and devotion to Sai। Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust is the most prominent promoter of Saibaba's legacy all across the world. The trust also takes care of the shrines and temples in Shirdi. All-India Sai Samaj, founded by B.V. Narasimha Swamiji, publishes books on Sai Baba as well as administrates the temples of Sai Baba built all over India.

There are a great number of followers of Sai Baba, who have achieved fame as spiritual figures। Among the most popular of such gurus are Upasni Maharaj of Sakori and Meher Baba of Ahmednagar. There have been at least three gurus and two youngsters, who have claimed to be the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba. Among them the most famous is Sathya Sai Baba who lives at Puttaparthi Andhra Pradesh, India. Sathya Sai Baba has immense popularity across the world with devotees thronging from all across the world.

Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi's legacy is also lived through the multitude of literature that has been written on him. Sai literature has the widest possible dimension covering almost every aspect of Saibaba. Scholars across the world have studied the life and philosophy of Saibaba and tried to understand and decipher the quintessential Sai Baba of Shirdi।

Sai temples that are built all over the world are also carrying the legacy of Shri Saibaba of Shirdi। With over 2,000 major Sai temples in different parts of India and 150 abroad, the conviction and faith on Sai Baba are lived and professed enriching the lifestyle of his devotees and mankind at large.

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Miracles of Shirdi Sai Baba

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 02:53:00 +0530

Miracles of Shirdi Sai बाबा

Sai Baba of Shirdi is an epitome of spiritual perfection and has been the guiding source for the mankind leading to salvation। As a spiritual guru and savior Shri Saibaba was no ordinary fakir but an avatar of high order. This was evident through his miracles and sayings that exhibited his purpose and intention for which he had come. He would often say, "My Leela is inscrutable". Saibaba's Leela's (miracles) were plenty and varied; here are a few of the miracles of Shirdi Saibaba, for his devotees and those interested in his philosophies.

Baba's Leelas (Miracles)

Lighting Lamps with Water

This is among the earliest evidences of Saibaba's miracles। Baba was fond of lighting earthenware lamps in his masjid and other temples. For this he needed oil, which he got from the grocers of Shirdi, as small donations. But there came a time when the grocers got tired of giving him oil for free. And so they refused him any oil saying they had no fresh stocks. Baba didn't say a word and returned to his masjid. But the masjid was not to remain in dark, as Sai Baba lit his earthenware lamps pouring water instead, which burnt deep into the midnight. Such was the miraculous power of Saibaba who lit fire out of water! When grocers came to know about it they rushed to him with apologies. Sai Baba pardoned them, but he warned them never to lie again. "You could have refused to give me the oil, but did you have to say that you didn't have fresh stocks?" he admonished them. But he had made his point.

Premonition of Burning Fields

Once, harvesting in Shirdi had been completed and the foodgrains of the entire village had been stored in a yard। Blistering summer was ferocious. One afternoon Saibaba summoned Kondaji Sutar and asked him to better rush to his field as it was on fire. Fear struck Kondaji ran to his field but there was not a trace of smoke. He got back and said so to Saibaba. Unfazed Baba asked him to look again and as the luck would have it, a part of corn was indeed afire and smoke was beginning to billow from it. With strong wind fanning the fire, Kondaji became jittery and asked Saibaba to do something. At this Baba walked to the yard and sprinkled some water and the fire immediately got extinguished.

Stopping the रैन

There goes a story that one Rao Bahadur Moreshwar Pradhan s wife had come for Sai Baba's darshan। As the couple was about to leave, it began to rain heavily with thunder and lightening. Seeing the Pradhan couple in trouble, Saibaba invoked the God and asked the rain to calm down, which surely did and the Pradhan were able to reach their destination safely.

Raising the Water Level in Well

When Sai Baba first came to Shirdi it had of no basic facilities। There was a well put only in name, with no natural spring water. Villagers had tough time fetching water from a distance. When the villagers were to celebrate Baba's birthday on Ramnavami, there was obviously crisis of water in the region. But Saibaba with his miracles had solution for this problem as well. He showered some leaves into the well and lo and behold the level of water rose fulfilling the dire wish of the villagers.

Saving a Child from Drowning

Once a 3-year-old daughter of a poor man named Babu Kirwandikar had fallen into a well and got drowned। When the villagers rushed to the well, they found to their utter disbelief that the child was suspended in midair as if some invisible hand was holding her. This again was one of the many miracles of Saibaba that saved people from distress.

Flow of Godavari (river) from Baba's Feet

As recounted by Das Ganu, one of the disciples of Shri Saibaba, once he sought permission from Baba to visit a place called Singba on the banks of Godavari to have a holy bath. Saibaba refused and said what was the use of going that distance when Godavari was right under his feet. Das was puzzled. Realizing the doubt in Das's mind Saibaba asked him to come closer and hold the hollow of his palms at Baba's feet. As soon as he did so water flowed freely out of the toes of the master's feet and filled the hollow of Das Ganu's palms in no time. His joy knew no limits. He sprinkled the water on his head and his body and distributed some more among the assembled devotees as tirtha

Festivals in Shirdi

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 02:51:00 +0530

Festivals in शिर्दी

Ramnavami : March/April Guru Purnima : July Shirdi Vijayadashmi (Sri Sai Punyatithi) October

Festivals are great time to visit Shirdi of Saibaba। There are three major festivals that are held in Shirdi attracting thousands of devotees from across the world। The three major festivals celebrated at Shirdi are Ramnavami, Guru Purnima and Shirdi Vijayadashmi। All these festivals are celebrated all across India with equal zest and excitement but at Shirdi they have some other significance। All these festivals have their special distinction to them in the way they are celebrated in the other parts of India।

रामनवमी

Ramanavi is one of the most important festivals celebrated with great excitement and fanfare। In the year 1897 Goplarao Gund proposed holding in Urus in name of Saibaba in gratitude of a child which he was granted after so many childless years. Saibaba conceded to celebrate his urus on the condition that it be celebrated on Ramnavami. This was indeed an ingenious touch of Saibaba bringing together the Hindus and Muslims together. People may know Urus is a Muslim festival that is celebrated to honor a saint.

You can come to participate in Ramanavami at Shirdi, celebrated every year in March or April। This shows the kind of communal harmony that weaves people of different faiths at Shirdi. Ramnavami has equal and enthusiastic participation of both Hindus and Muslims. In Shirdi, two locally historic rituals are carried out during this festival. The sack of wheat that is kept in Dwarkamai is changed and the old one taken to prasadalaya to be used there, and secondly, the dwarkamai flags are replaced. This year that is in 2007, Shirdi is celebrating the Ramnavami from 26th to 28th of March.

Gurupurnima

Gurupurnima or Full Moon is also a wonderful time to visit Shirdi। It is the time to honor the Guru and seek his special blessing. Quite a significant festival in Shirdi Guru Purnima was the only festival which Saibaba has asked his devotees to celebrate. This is the time devotees all across the world converge in Shirdi to seek Saibaba's blessings. There is also Vyasa Puja that is held during Guru Purnima, in honor of Ved Vyasa who wrote the epic Mahabharata.

Shirdi Vijayadashmi

Vijayadashmi is a big festival in Shirdi, venerated as a holy day when Shri Saibaba left his mortal body for heavenly abode. The festival is also celebrated as Shri Sai Punyathithi in Shirdi attracting great number of devotees from all over the world. Various religious activities are arranged Great number of people flock to Shirdi during this Festival. During this festival 'Brahman Bhojan' is arranged with Dakashina (Donation to Guru). This year the festival is celebrated from 20th to 23rd October.

Excursions around Shirdi

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 02:40:00 +0530

Excursions around Shirdi

Pilgrims visit Shirdi to make a mark in their spiritual journey. This holy land becomes a turning point in the lives of many devotees. Coming to this holy land is also an invitation to visit many religious sites that will interest you. About 75kms from Shirdi lies Nashik, another of major holy cities of India. You could also venture out to Ajanta and Ellora caves in Aurangabad about 144kms from Shirdi. There are many more significant religious and tourist destinations that will make your pilgrimage to Shirdi even more worth cherishing.

Sakori

Close to Shirdi is Sakori at a distance of about 5kms. Sakori is a very special place and popular among pilgrims for its Shri Upasani Kanyakumari Sthan. You can come here for peace and tranquility. Founded by Upasani Baba in 1917, Shri Upasani Kanyakumari Sthan reverberates with positive energy that can be felt by anyone. Shri Sai Baba took him as his Param Shishya, meaning Astute Devotee.

Shanisinghnapur

Shanisinghnapur is a village that is the holy seat Lord Shani. Another important pilgrim spot near to Shirdi, Shanisinghnapur is about 70 km from here Shirdi. Here the devotees themselves can perform pooja and abhishek on any day at Shari Shaneshvar tirtha. Amavasya or the no moon day, which falls on a Saturday, is considered to be most auspicious. On such a day lakhs of devotees from all corners of the country come to receive blessings of Shri Shanidev. On every Shani Amavasya a yatra is held with great fanfare. One unique quality about this village is that there are no doorframes or locks in any of the houses. It is said that it's because of Lord Shani's blessings that there is no fear of crime in the village.

Nashik

Nashik is among the most holy places that evokes a personality of its own. Rich in mythological connotations with great historical and cultural significance, Nashik is about 75 km from Shirdi. Here you can visit several of temples and religious spots making your spiritual journey lively and fulfilling. Among the temples you could visit Panchavati with five sacred banyan trees and Sita Gumpha. You can also visit Naroshankar Temple built in an architectural style of Maya. Kalaram Temple is dedicated to Kala Ram built with black stones. Sundarnarayan Temple is situated at the corner of Ahillyabai Holkar Bridge. In addition to many temples and religious places, Nashik also has Shri Kailas Math, one of the Vedas Schools in Nashik.

Ajanta and Ellora Caves

About 144kms from Shirdi are the world famous Ajanta and Ellora Caves. As the ancient repository of Indian architectural heritage, these caves are located near the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Ajanta and Ellora caves are the world heritage sites famous for the cave shrines that are cut out of rock, all by hand. There are 34 caves at Ellora and 29 caves at Ajanta. And all are sheer outstanding specimens of Indian architectural excellence.

Shri Saibaba Sansthan

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:03:00 +0530

Shri Saibaba Sansthan

Shri Saibaba Sansthan in Shirdi is the governing and administrative body of Shri Saibaba's Samadhi Temple and all the temples that are in this premises. The Saibaba Sansthan Trust also works towards the general development of the Shirdi village.
Saibaba Sansthan is also authorized to control and manage the day-to-day activities at the Shri Saibaba Samadhi Temple, providing miscellaneous activities such as accommodation, lunch, refreshments, railway reservations and lot more.

As a full fledged trust the Shri Saibaba Sansthan also runs Kanya Shala(Girls School) and English Medium School, Hospital, Blood Bank, Industrial Training Institute (I. T. I.), Drinking Water supply, etc.

Shri Saibaba Sansthan also has a Sansthan Seva Desk that looks after various activities including donation collection, publication of Saileela Magazine, newsletter publications, maintenance of guestbook and addressing the feedback.
Shri Saileela Magazine is an official periodical of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi. A bi-monthly magazine, it covers nearly all the activities of Sansthan including rich spiritual and religious information.

Wonderful Incarnation

saibaba_maniac@yahoo.com (saibaba maniac) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 20:55:00 +0530

Wonderful Incarnation

Sai Baba as a Yogi- Satchidanand SATGURU

Sai Baba knew all Yogic Practices. He was well versed in the six processes including Dhauti, Khandayoga and Samadhi, etc. He demonstrated His mastery over yogic exercises many a time.

Yet, if you think that He was a Hindu, He looked like a Yavan. If you think Him to be a Yavan, He looked like a pious Hindu. No one definitely knew whether He was a Hindu or a Mohammedan. Inferences could be drawn from His dress or bodyfeatures but all such superficial inferences were meaningless. They did not serve any purpose.

He celebrated the Hindu festival of Rama-Navami with all due formalities and at the same time permitted the ‘Sandal’ procession of the Mohammedans. He encouraged wrestling bouts in this festival and gave good prizes to winners. When the Gokul Ashtami came, He got the ‘Gopal-Kala’ ceremony duly performed and on Id festivals, He allowed Mohammedans to say their prayers (Namaj) in His Masjid.
Once in the Moharum festival, some Mohammedans proposed to construct a Tajiya or Tabut in the Masjid, keep it there for some days and afterwards take it in the procession through the village. Sai Baba allowed the keeping of the Tabut for four days and on the fifth day removed it out of the Masjid without the least compunction. He allowed all the devotees to celebrate festivals at Shirdi according to their preferences and the various religious in vogue adopted by them. In Baba's Masjeed except a garlanded wall there is no image or photograph of any deity.

If we say that He was a Mohammedan, His ears were pierced (i.e. had holes according to Hindu fashion). If you think that He was a Hindu, He advocated the practice of circumcision (though according to Mr Nanasaheb Chandorkar, who observed Him closely, He was not Himself circumcised. Vide article in Sai Leela on "Baba Hindu Ki Yavan" by B.V. Deo, page 562).
If you call Him Hindu, He always lived in the Masjid; if Mohammedan, He had always the Dhuni - sacred fire there, and the following things which are contrary to Mohammedan religion, i.e., grinding on the hand mill, blowing of the conch and bells, oblation in the fire, Bhajan, giving of food, and worship of Baba’s Feet by means of ARGHYA (water) were always allowed there. If you think that He was a Mohammedan, the best of Brahmins and Agnihotris, leaving aside their orthodox ways, fell prostrate at His Feet. Those who went to make enquiries about his nationality were dumb-founded and were captured by his darshana. He gave visions of all the respective Gurus and deities according to devotees choice whether expressed or hidden. Baba,when asked about HIS creed, to that HE belonged to Saint Kabir's creed.

So none could definitely decide whether Sai Baba was a Hindu or a Mohammedan*. This is no wonder; for he who completely surrenders himself to the Lord, by getting rid of his egoism and body - consciousness thus becomes one with Him, and has nothing to do with any questions of caste or nationality. Such a one as Sai Baba was, saw no difference between caste and caste and among beings and beings. He took meat and fish with Fakirs, but did not grumble when dogs touched the dishes with their mouths. Thus Sai Maharaj was beyond all personal references, time and space dimensions.

Such a unique and wonderful GOD incarnation was Sai Baba.

[* Note--(1) Mhalsapati, an intimate Shirdi devotee of Baba, who always slept with Him in the Masjid and Chavadi, said that Sai Baba told him that He was a Brahmin of Pathari and was handed over to a Fakir in his infancy, and when He told this, some men from Pathari had come, and Baba was enquiring about some men from that place. [Vide sai Leela 1924, Page 179. (2) Mrs. Kashibai Kanitkar, the famous learned woman of Poona says in the experience No.8, published on Page 79, Sai Leela Vol. 11,1934, - "On hearing of Baba’s miracles, we were discussing according to our theosophic convention and fashion whether Sai Baba belonged to Black or White Lodge. When once I went to Shirdi, I was thinking seriously about this in my mind. As soon as I approached the steps of the Masjid, Baba came to the front and pointing to His chest and staring at me spoke rather vehemently -"This is a Brahmin, pure Brahmin. He has nothing to do with black things. No Musalman can dare to step in here. He dare not." Again pointing to his chest - "This Brahmin can bring lacks of men on the white path and take them to their destination. This is a Brahmin’s Masjid and I won’t allow any black Mohammedan to cast his shadow here."

Sai Baba is widely regarded as an incarnation of God, but He always said that He was an obedient servant of God. Though an incarnation He showed the people the way how to behave satisfactorily and carry out the duties of their respective stations (Varnas) in this life. He never emulated others in any way, nor asked others to have something done for Him. For Him, Who saw the Lord in all movable and immovable things of this world, humility was the most proper thing. None He disregarded or disrespected; for He saw Narayan (Lord) in all beings, He never said, "I am God," but that He was a humble servant and He always remembered Him and always uttered - "Allah Malik" (God is the sole proprietor or Owner). By His thoughts and worldly behavior He established ideal values and virtues of faith, patience and humanity. One should concentrate on and do faithfully one's duties assigned to him/her by GOD and wait patiently for the results (fruits) of his action (Karma) because the effect of any cause is always determined by GOD.