|| chapter four ||
|| sai baba’s advent in shirdi ||
|| Sri Ganeshaya Namaha || Sri Saraswatye Namaha ||
|| Sri Venkateshaya Namaha || Sri Sai Nathaya Namaha ||
|| Sri Sadgurubhyo Namaha ||
In this chapter Hemad Pant tells us about Sai’s advent in Shirdi, appearance of Vithal, Ganga and Yamuna sprouting from Baba’s toes, about the three Wadas in Shirdi and other events.
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa worked as a poojari at Jhoompukoor in the house of Mitra. Whenever Mahendranath Gupta went through that lane, he would prostrate at the door of the house. To his friends, who were surprised by this gesture, he used to say,”Do you 
know that anyone who passes in front of this house would become a yogi?!” His daily routine included going to the Mahasamadhi of his Gurudev, and then visit the Dakshineshwar Temple. While returning, he would wet his towel, and then sprinkle the water from it on his friends. His explanation was, “I have brought this water from the place where Gurudev used to bathe regularly.” He also used to say, “There is a great spiritual fire raging at Dakshineshwar. Whoever goes there, would be purified by that fire. The body will not be burnt, but all the impurities of the mind would be cleaned. God in human form had lived there for thirty years. One can clearly experience the spiritual vibrations there.”
Hemad Pant says that Shirdi was endowed with Sai Baba’s powers.
FIGMENT OF IMAGINATION
At Gurusthan in Shirdi, Hari Vinayak Sathe built a building in the North-South direction near the sitting place around the neem tree. This building is called as Sathe Wada. On the Southern side of the building, near the steps, there is a beautiful enclosure. Here devotees sit facing north. During sunset on Thursdays and Fridays, if anyone cleans the place and burns incense sticks or dhoop there, it is believed that Sri Hari would bestow his blessings. “I have heard these words from Sai. These are not figment of my imagination. Do not disbelieve them,” says Hemad Pant. Kakasaheb Dixit supports the above statement thus, “Sai has told me personally that this is his father’s place, and by burning incense here on Thursdays and Fridays, only good will happen” The fact that Thursdays are sacred for the Hindus and Fridays for Muslims could be a reason for Sai saying these words.
FULFILLMENT OF LIFE
Hemad Pant says that a visit to the Sai Samadhi in Shirdi will be the consummation of a lifetime ambition. He says, “Sai Samadhi in Shirdi is the meeting place of all saints and sages”
WAS IT SPEECH ALONE?
To test Sai’s assurance that his Samadhi would speak, Pandrimalai Swamy of Chennai went to Shirdi. Swamyji was a siddha. He went there in 1979 and began talking to Baba. It was proved during that conversation that Sai was responding. Not only that, in front of everyone, Sai’s Prasadams started coming up from the Samadhi. Swamyji distributed the Prasadam to all.
SPIRITUAL BLISS
Ramadas, belonging to Kanhangadh in Kerala, went to Shirdi in 1953. The atmosphere inside the Samadhi Mandir was full of spiritual bliss and peace. He wrote with his experience that it was as if Sai is still alive in that holy place. Further, he says, “Even today, the Samadhi Mandir is a place of utmost power changing the lives of all those spiritually oriented devotees going there to seek Baba’s blessings and guidance”.
MERCY! O GANGA! O GAUTAMI!!
From then on, Ganga and other rivers were eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the great among mankind, the enlightened and self realized souls.
O’MOTHER! WHY DO YOU NEED MY COOKING VESSEL?
River Narmada w
as flowing next to Sri Vasudevananda Saraswati’s ashram. A devotee was washing the cooking utensils on the banks of the river, when one of the vessels slipped into the river and was carried away by the current. He rushed to the guru and told him what had happened. Vasudevananda Saraswati came out, got into the river and prayed, “O’ Mother Narmada! What will you do with the vessel? Why create hurdles for your children in cooking?” As he was saying these words, the vessel came floating back and stopped at the feet of the guru. He prostrated to the river.
ONE WHO CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE RIVER
When he was young, Jagadguru Shankaracharya was living with his mo
ther, Aryamba, far away from the banks of the river Poorna. She used to walk all the way to the river, take bath and return. This journey was good as long as she was young, but was arduous when she became old. One day, she went for a bath and did not return. Those were the summer months, and when Shankaracharya went in search of her, he found her lying unconscious on the way. She had fallen due to the oppressive heat of the summer. Shankaracharya took her home and nursed her. He began thinking of ways to help her and decided on a course of action.
That night there was heavy rain. The Poorna River was in spate. By next morning, it was found that the river had changed its course and was flowing adjacent to Shankaracharya’s house. Even today, the course of the river has remained the same. The rivers are ever anxious to fulfill the requirements of great souls!!
DAUGHTER OF OMKAR, THE FISHERMAN
On a Somavaty Amavasya (New Moon day falling on a Monday), Sri Gajanan Maharaj’s disciples insisted on taking bath in the river Narmada. Pointing at a well in Shegaon, the Maharaj said, “Narmada is everywhere. This is Narmada”. The devotees were not convinced. The Maharaj was forced to go with the devotees to Omkareshwar, on the banks
of river Narmada. After worshipping Lord Shiva in the form of Omkar, they were crossing the river Narmada on a boat. In the midstream, the boat developed a hole and water gushed into the boat. The boat was about to be capsized. The devotees begged the Maharaj to save them. They had understood, by that time, why the Maharaj had asked them to be in Shegaon. With folded hands, Sri Gajanan Maharaj, prayed Narmada for a safe passage. Suddenly, the water in the boat began draining out, and the hole got covered. The devotees saw that a lady was pushing the boat towards the bank. Her dress was dripping with water They asked, “O Mother! We will get you new clothes, who are you?” The lady replied, “I am the daughter of Omkar, the fisherman. My name is Narmada. I am used to wearing wet clothes and I am always wet. This water is my real form” She then prostrated to the Maharaj and disappeared. All these happened in a lightening moment. The devotees were bewildered and asked their guru who she was. Sri Gajanan Maharaj said, “Omkar, the fisherman, is Lord Shiva. She told you who she was. Her name is Narmada Devi. Seek her blessings” The holy rivers are always eagerly awaiting the call of great saints!!
GANGA, YAMUNA PARTICIPATE IN ANNADANAM
Jalaram Bapa, a saint of Virpur in Gujarat and a contemporary of Saibaba, was fond of serving the sadhus and saints. He and his wife used to perform annadanam, 24 hours a day and ensured that whoever visited their place never went without food. Pilgrims, devotees and disciples thronged to serve him. Once, a devotee sought his per
mission to take bath in the confluence of rivers Ganga and Yamuna. Bapa smiled and kept quite. One day, the devotee was very insistent. Bapa asked him to have his cot near the main entrance and sleep there that night. He did as told. Around midnight, he was awakened by some sounds. He opened his eyes and saw that two women were carrying water in pots on their heads and entering. The main doors opened on their own, the women came in, poured the water into big containers and went back to get some more water. The doors, again, closed on their own.
In the morning, the devotee narrated the incident to Bapa. He said, “You are very fortunate. Holy mothers Ganga and Yamuna gave you darshan. Wherever the saints and sages are worshipped, Ganga and Yamuna go there with holy waters.” The devotee prostrated at the feet of Bapa and said, “All the teerthas are here only. One need not go for any other pilgrimage”.
GODAVARI RESPONDS
Devotees were all excited about the forthcoming festival and were eagerly preparing for a bath in the holy river Godavari, near Kopergaon. Bapusaheb Jog couple sought Baba’s permission for the same. “Let us see!” was Baba’s reply. They went everyday and Baba’s reply was same. The festival being next day, Jog couple went again asked for permissi
on. Baba’s reply was same. Then, Jog said,”Baba! Tomorrow is the festival. And it is at 07.00 am. We have to leave at least by 04.00am to be on time at Kopergaon” Baba replied, “Let us see tomorrow”. The couple was disappointed and after offering Shej arati at Chavadi, went home without asking Sai again.
The festival day dawned. Jog went to Chavadi for offering Kakada arati to Baba. Then there was a commotion. He heard people shouting, “Godavari waters have entered Shirdi” The government had already dug channels for bringing Godavari waters to Shirdi from Kopergaon. Though the work was completed, it was expected to take at least a few more months for the waters to begin flowing through the canals. Then, how did the waters come so suddenly? Seeing Jog, Baba said, “You spent the entire night cursing me, isn’t it? See god’s kindness. Holy Ganga (implying Godavari) has come to our doorstep. Take your bath.” It was only then that Jog understood the meaning of Baba saying, “Let us see!”
GANGA FROM MAHAVISHNU’S FEET
On a Mahashivaratri day, Ganpatrao Dattatreya Sahasrabuddhe, affectionately
called as ‘Dasganu’ by Baba, wanted to have Gangasnaan (a holy bath in the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna at Prayag) by going to Singaba (about 5kms from Shirdi) and having a dip in Godavari river there. He sought Baba’s permission for the same. “One need not go that far to take a bath. If you have unflinching faith, Ganga and Yamuna will come to you” said Baba. As soon as Dasganu touched the feet of Baba, Ganga and Yamuna sprang into fountains from the toes of Baba. Tears of happiness came down in streams from Dasganu’s eyes. Extemporaneously, Dasganu began to sing the praise of Baba.
Sai is Mahavishnu for the devotees, because, Ganga sprouted from his feet.
Sai is Samartha Sadguru.
Further, the Gurugeeta says,
ALL THOSE THREE ARE HERE
Sai once asked Dasganu to perform Naama Saptaaha. Dasganu agreed on one condition that Lord Vithal should appear during the saptaaha. Then Sai said, “Dakurnaath’s Dankapuri, Pandharinath’s Pandari, Ranchodraiji’s Dwarakanagari are all in this Shirdi itself”. Sai thus indicated to us the significance of Shirdi. Shirdi is the confluence of all the three places.
RANCHODRAI’S DWARAKA
Sri Krishna killed Kamsa. To take revenge on Sri Krishna, Jarasandha, Kamsa’s father-in-law, invaded Mathura 17 times and got defeated. On the 18th occasion, he collected a very mighty and large force to attack Mathura. He also sought the help of the demon, Kalayavana. Sri Krishna, did not want any further blood shed, and convinced both King Ugrasena and Prince Vasudeva to shift the capital to Dwaraka, in view of its inherent protection. As Sri Krishna avoided the battle, he got the title of “Ranchodji” (Hindi – one who forsakes the battle). Dwaraka is a very sacred place. It is also called “Dwaravati”, “Dwaramati”, and also “Kushasthali”. It is one of the four most sacred places. The other three are Badrinath, Puri, and Rameshwaram. It is also one among the seven places which confer moksha on a devotee. The other six are Ayodhya, Mathura, Kashi, Kanchi, Avantika (Ujjain), and Haridwar.
Sai told Balasaheb Mirikar, “This is our Dwarakamai. Do you know? This is our mother Dwaraka. This masjid mother is very kind”. On an another occasion, he told the Malegaon doctor, “This is not masjid. It is Dwaravati”. This also implies that Baba is Dwarakanath. And he has confirmed this belief of his devotees.
DAKORNATH’S DANKAPURI
Just as devotees in the South visit Tirupati, those in Gujarat visit Dakordwaraka. Dakor is 43 kms northeast of Anand in Gujarat. Dakor is also called as Dankor.
In times of Mahabharata, the surrounding area of Dakor constituted the 'Hidamba' van (jungle). It was a very dense jungle, pleasant and rich with streams and lakes. It had become an attraction for the sages to establish their hermitage for penance. Likewise, Dank Rishi had his hermitage (ashram) in this area. During penance, Lord Shiva was pleased with him and asked him to demand something. Thereupon, Dank Rishi requested Lord Shiva to remain permanently in his hermitage. Lord Shiva agreed to his request. He disappeared and left behind him His replica in the form of Ban (Linga), which is known as Danknath Mahadev. Thus in ancient times, Dakor was known as 'Dankor' after the name of Dankanth Mahadev. It was also known as khakhariya because of many khakhra (palash) trees in the vicinity.
Once, Lord Krishna and Bhima went to the hermitage of Dank Rishi for darshan. Dank Rishi received them. Lord Krishna, gracious as he was to his devotees, rendered homage to Dank Rishi and being pleased with his penance asked him to demand something from Him by way of blessings. Dank Rishi requested him to stay in his hermitage permanently along with Lord Shiva. For a while Lord Krishna remained silent, pondering over the demand of Dank Rishi and finally, while consenting to his request, he promised that in Kaliyuga after staying in Dwaraka for 4225 years, he would come to reside in this land permanently. Thus, Lord Krishna was invited to come to Dakor.
It is said that Vijayanand Bodana, a rajput of Dakor, became a staunch devotee of Lord Krishna. He used to let the Tulsi plants grow in an earthen pot with him on his palm and used to go every six months to Dwaraka to worship Lord Krishna with the said Tulsi leaves. He did this continuously, unfailingly and untiringly till he was 72 years. He then began to find it increasingly difficult to pursue this ritual. Seeing his plight, Lord Krishna told him that on his ensuing visit to Dwaraka, he should bring a bullock-cart with him and Lord Krishna would accompany him to Dakor as he was exceedingly pleased with his devotion. Accordingly, Bodana went with bullock-cart to Dwaraka. The hereditary priests of Dwaraka (Gugli brahmins) asked him why he had brought a cart with him. Whereupon, Bodana replied that he had done so to take away Lord Krishna. Looking to the ramshackle cart, they did not believe him but nevertheless locked and sealed the sanctum sanctorum of Dwaraka Temple for the night. At midnight, Lord Krishna broke open all the doors, awoke Bodana and told him to take him to Dakor. Shortly afterwards, Lord Krishna called upon Bodana to rest in the bullock-cart and drove the cart himself till they reached the vicinity of Dakor. Here (near Bileshwar Mahadev on Dakor-Nadiad road) they rested for some time, touching and holding a branch of neem tree. Sri Krishna woke up Bodana and asked him to take over. Since that day, this neem tree is found to have one sweet branch th
ough the rest of the branches are bitter and it forms the subject of a well-known Gujarati bhajan.
In Dwaraka, the Gugli brahmins finding the image missing, chased Bodana and came to Dakor in pursuit. Bodana was frightened but Lord Krishna told him to hide the idol of the Deity in the Gomti tank and meet the Guglis. Accordingly, Bodana hid the idol and went to meet the Guglis with a pot of curd to pacify them. They became angry and one of them threw a spear at him. He fell down dead. While hurting Bodana, the spear also hurt the image of the Deity hidden in Gomti tank and the water turned red with Lord Krishna's (Ranchhodraiji's) blood. It is said that even today the earth of Gomti tank where the image lay is red, while rest of the tank is of brown mud. In the midst of Gomti tank, over the place where Lord Krishna was hidden, a small temple having the Lord's footprints is constructed and this temple is linked with the bank of Gomti Tank by a bridge.
Even with the death of Bodana, the Guglis were not appeased. Requesting Lord Krishna to return to Dwaraka, they sat on the bank of Gomti tank and went on a hunger strike. At last, Lord Ranchhodraiji (Krishna) directed Gangabai, wife of Bodana, to give gold equivalent of his weight and ask the Guglis to return to Dwaraka. Poor lady, the widow of Bodana, was a pauper and could not afford doing so. By a miracle, the idol became as light as a golden nose-ring (1, 1/4 val i.e.1/2 gram in weight) which was all that the widow of Bodana, Gangabai, had. The Guglis were disappointed but the Lord mercifully directed that they would find after six months an exact replica of the idol in Sevaradhan Vav (a well with steps) at Dwaraka. The impatient Guglis looked for the idol sometime earlier than they were told and as a result, found an idol which, though similar to the original one, was smaller.
Sai said that Shirdi itself is the Dankapuri of Dakornath.
PANDHARINATH’S PANDHARI
Once, Sri Krishna’s consort, Rukmini Devi was annoyed with him and went away. He went in search of her and after finding her in Dandrivanam, he cajoled her to come back and they were returning. Sri Krishna and his consort reached Pundalik’
s house and knocked on his door but he was serving food to his parents. Pundalik saw the Lord at his door but his devotion to his parents was so intense that he wanted to finish his duties first and then attend to his guest. It didn’t matter to him whether the guest was a mere mortal or God.
Pundalik gave the Lord a brick to stand on and asked Him to wait until his duty was completed. The ever-loving Lord was so pleased with his devotee that He waited for him. When Pundalik came out, he asked God’s forgiveness for neglecting Him, but the Lord instead asked him to request a boon. What more could a devotee ask when his Lord was standing right in front of him? Pundalik asked that He should remain on earth and bless all His devotees. His wish was granted and the Lord remained behind and is known as Vithoba or the Lord who stands on a brick. The word “Vitthala” or “Vithoba” is said to be derived from the Marathi word “Vit”, meaning brick. “Ba
” denotes “father” in Marathi. This form of the Lord is Swayambhu which means that His idol has not been carved or etched but it came into existence on its own. He is accompanied by His consort Rakhumai or Rukmini. . That place is today called Pandharpur.
Situated on the banks of river Chandrabhaga, the temple has six entrances. The main entrance on the east is called Namadeva Dwar. Multitudes of devotees, scholars, yogis and saints have served Lord Vithoba in Pandharpur. Pandharinatha is the household deity for the people of Maharashtra. It is not only a great place for the devotees, it has also become a way of life for millions.
Sai has said that Shirdi is Pandharpur.
PANDHARINATH THERE, IS HERE ALSO
In 1913, Raghuveer Bhaskar Purandare visited Shirdi with his family for Baba’s darshan. Purandare’s mother had a long standing ambition to see Panduranga at Pandharpur. She and her daughter-in-law sought Baba’s permission. Surprisingly, as soon as they entered Dwarakamai, they saw both Panduranga Vithala and his consort Rukmabai in Baba. They were thrilled. They had Pandarinath’s darshan in Shirdi itself. They changed their mind about going to Pandharpur. Then Sai asked, “Mother! When are you going to Pandharpur?” The lady replied, “My god is here itself. Shirdi is my Pandhari”.
Even though he was old, Gaulibuva went every year to Pandharpur. When he came to Shirdi and saw Sai, he exclaimed, “Saibaba himself is the compassionate and merciful Pandharinatha. He is Pandharinatha. This world is stupid. Recognize his divinity and seek his protection” In the hearts of his devotees, Baba is Panduranga. Both are same. It is one of the reasons for the Shirdi aratis to be modeled after Tukaram, Namdev, and Janabai’s songs and made applicable to Sai. Dasganu has said, “Shirdi maajhe Pandharpur, Saibaba ramaavar…” Truly, the Panduranga there is here also!
SEE ME
Carrying a book of Bhagavad Gita with him, Gopal Hora was climbing the steps of Dwarakamai to have darshan of Sai. He was very anxious to have a darshan of Balakrishna (child Krishna). Seeing Sai, he stopped on the steps and thought, as Sai was a Muslim, taking Gita to Sai would be desecrating it. Sai saw his dilemma and said, “You may lose your purity but not Gita”. Then Sai asked, “Can you recite Gita?” to which Hora replied, “I have been reading Gita for the past 26 years. I know it by rote!” Then Sai asked him to recite some slokas from the middle of the book. Gopal was unable to do so. Then Baba said, “I will give you that power. Now, you can recite.” The moment Baba said these words, Gopal began to recite effortlessly many of the slokas. Baba said, “You wanted to have darshan of Balakrishna. I will show you the grownup Krishna”. Gopal heard the melodious sounds of the flute, the tinkling sounds of the metallic chains around the neck of cows, and instead of Sai, he saw the beautiful Sri Krishna standing there. Gopal Hora was in a state of ecstasy and fell at the feet of Baba.
People have established that physically, mythologically and historically, Shirdi is Dwaraka. BV Deo has proved the physical aspect of it; Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji has done it mythologically.
PATH OF DEVOTION
In the fourth chapter, Hemad Pant has described many stories accentuating devotion. While approving the devotional path for the devotees, Baba also indicates how it can be used as an effective device for achieving better results.
Going on a pilgrimage is one of the established traditions for the devotees. Sai knew that even 95 year old Gauli Buva was regularly visiting Pandharpur, Kashi and Shirdi. There is no mention anywhere about Baba telling him to stop his visits because of old age. Sai was of the opinion that, as long as someone is capable of withstanding the financial and physical strain of such visits, the visits should be continued.
Namasmarana is the easiest device among the nine types of bhakti. Even greeting with folded hands, one of the navavidha bhaktis, requires bringing both the hands together. Namasmarana does not need even that much of effort. We have to just think of our god. If namasmarana is a personal form, its public counterpart is known as Namasaptaaham. This is a collective effort of likeminded devotees. There are incidents when Sai encouraged many times the performance of Namasaptaaham. Will god manifest before us if we do Namasaptaaham – Sai’s answer is applicable to all, “If the faith is unflinching, God will certainly come to us!!”
LEST WE FORGET
We are not doing any great favour to the god or the guru by worshipping them. They are in no way benefited by our worship either. Even if do not worship them, they are not going to lose anything. It is only the devotees who will be deprived of an opportunity to progress further in the path of spirituality. Devotees may forget this aspect. But Baba always brought it to the notice of the devotees. This is what Sai explained to Bhagavantrao Ksheersagar in this chapter and to Harishchandra Pitale in chapter 26.
Baba revealed that Bhagavantrao Ksheerasagar stopped performing the annual ceremonies for his father. Sai never stopped any religious rituals. He, in fact, encouraged them. He himself performed the monthly ceremonies of Dhumal’s wife in Shirdi. Sai, in a different form, got the ceremonies done by Nachne, with the help of other purohits. When Gopal Bhaskar Datar knew about these events, he also revived the ceremonies he had stopped long back.
FRIENDS TOGETHER
Sai mentions about some of his friends from previous incarnations. He maintained relationship with them even in the current avatar. They are Shayma, Kakasaheb Dixit, Jog, Kelkar and Khaparde. Baba included Bhagavantrao Ksheerasagar’s father’s name also in that list. He was Baba’s friend in an earlier life. When his friend’s son forgot his duties, Sai intervened and made the son perform his duties. It implies that when our friends or their sons are deviating from their normal duties, we should try to bring them back to the correct path. Sai reminds us that friendship does not end with the friend.
PHALASHRUTI
Hemad Pant has described sprouting of Ganga from the toes of Baba as, “We need not seek Ganga or Godavari anywhere other than Sri Sai Baba’s divine feet. Praising the glory of great saints or listening to their stories, is more than sufficient”
Sri Vissapragada Somaraju says that not only the slokam, even the scene itself is very devine, in Telugu,
People, who thought of drowning their sins in the pavana Ganga, were blessed seeing Ganga sprout from your toes themselves. The more that scene is visualized, more is the being thrilled. Everything is O Sai, your own divine power. Jai ho!
Was it Dasganu alone who got Sai’s blessings?
know that anyone who passes in front of this house would become a yogi?!” His daily routine included going to the Mahasamadhi of his Gurudev, and then visit the Dakshineshwar Temple. While returning, he would wet his towel, and then sprinkle the water from it on his friends. His explanation was, “I have brought this water from the place where Gurudev used to bathe regularly.” He also used to say, “There is a great spiritual fire raging at Dakshineshwar. Whoever goes there, would be purified by that fire. The body will not be burnt, but all the impurities of the mind would be cleaned. God in human form had lived there for thirty years. One can clearly experience the spiritual vibrations there.”Hemad Pant says that Shirdi was endowed with Sai Baba’s powers.
FIGMENT OF IMAGINATION
At Gurusthan in Shirdi, Hari Vinayak Sathe built a building in the North-South direction near the sitting place around the neem tree. This building is called as Sathe Wada. On the Southern side of the building, near the steps, there is a beautiful enclosure. Here devotees sit facing north. During sunset on Thursdays and Fridays, if anyone cleans the place and burns incense sticks or dhoop there, it is believed that Sri Hari would bestow his blessings. “I have heard these words from Sai. These are not figment of my imagination. Do not disbelieve them,” says Hemad Pant. Kakasaheb Dixit supports the above statement thus, “Sai has told me personally that this is his father’s place, and by burning incense here on Thursdays and Fridays, only good will happen” The fact that Thursdays are sacred for the Hindus and Fridays for Muslims could be a reason for Sai saying these words.
FULFILLMENT OF LIFE
Hemad Pant says that a visit to the Sai Samadhi in Shirdi will be the consummation of a lifetime ambition. He says, “Sai Samadhi in Shirdi is the meeting place of all saints and sages”
WAS IT SPEECH ALONE?
To test Sai’s assurance that his Samadhi would speak, Pandrimalai Swamy of Chennai went to Shirdi. Swamyji was a siddha. He went there in 1979 and began talking to Baba. It was proved during that conversation that Sai was responding. Not only that, in front of everyone, Sai’s Prasadams started coming up from the Samadhi. Swamyji distributed the Prasadam to all.
SPIRITUAL BLISS
Ramadas, belonging to Kanhangadh in Kerala, went to Shirdi in 1953. The atmosphere inside the Samadhi Mandir was full of spiritual bliss and peace. He wrote with his experience that it was as if Sai is still alive in that holy place. Further, he says, “Even today, the Samadhi Mandir is a place of utmost power changing the lives of all those spiritually oriented devotees going there to seek Baba’s blessings and guidance”.
MERCY! O GANGA! O GAUTAMI!!
“From heaven to earth, I will not, will not descend!!”,
said Ganga to Bhageeratha. She asked him, “How will the sins, accrued by the devotees’ taking bath in me, be cleansed?” Bhageeratha consoled her by saying, “Where is the question of accruing sins when all the saints, wise persons, the great among the mankind, and those who have realized the self take bath in you? O, purest among the pure?” and brought Ganga with him from the heaven to earth, and became immortal.From then on, Ganga and other rivers were eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the great among mankind, the enlightened and self realized souls.
O’MOTHER! WHY DO YOU NEED MY COOKING VESSEL?
River Narmada w
as flowing next to Sri Vasudevananda Saraswati’s ashram. A devotee was washing the cooking utensils on the banks of the river, when one of the vessels slipped into the river and was carried away by the current. He rushed to the guru and told him what had happened. Vasudevananda Saraswati came out, got into the river and prayed, “O’ Mother Narmada! What will you do with the vessel? Why create hurdles for your children in cooking?” As he was saying these words, the vessel came floating back and stopped at the feet of the guru. He prostrated to the river.ONE WHO CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE RIVER
When he was young, Jagadguru Shankaracharya was living with his mo
ther, Aryamba, far away from the banks of the river Poorna. She used to walk all the way to the river, take bath and return. This journey was good as long as she was young, but was arduous when she became old. One day, she went for a bath and did not return. Those were the summer months, and when Shankaracharya went in search of her, he found her lying unconscious on the way. She had fallen due to the oppressive heat of the summer. Shankaracharya took her home and nursed her. He began thinking of ways to help her and decided on a course of action.That night there was heavy rain. The Poorna River was in spate. By next morning, it was found that the river had changed its course and was flowing adjacent to Shankaracharya’s house. Even today, the course of the river has remained the same. The rivers are ever anxious to fulfill the requirements of great souls!!
DAUGHTER OF OMKAR, THE FISHERMAN
On a Somavaty Amavasya (New Moon day falling on a Monday), Sri Gajanan Maharaj’s disciples insisted on taking bath in the river Narmada. Pointing at a well in Shegaon, the Maharaj said, “Narmada is everywhere. This is Narmada”. The devotees were not convinced. The Maharaj was forced to go with the devotees to Omkareshwar, on the banks
of river Narmada. After worshipping Lord Shiva in the form of Omkar, they were crossing the river Narmada on a boat. In the midstream, the boat developed a hole and water gushed into the boat. The boat was about to be capsized. The devotees begged the Maharaj to save them. They had understood, by that time, why the Maharaj had asked them to be in Shegaon. With folded hands, Sri Gajanan Maharaj, prayed Narmada for a safe passage. Suddenly, the water in the boat began draining out, and the hole got covered. The devotees saw that a lady was pushing the boat towards the bank. Her dress was dripping with water They asked, “O Mother! We will get you new clothes, who are you?” The lady replied, “I am the daughter of Omkar, the fisherman. My name is Narmada. I am used to wearing wet clothes and I am always wet. This water is my real form” She then prostrated to the Maharaj and disappeared. All these happened in a lightening moment. The devotees were bewildered and asked their guru who she was. Sri Gajanan Maharaj said, “Omkar, the fisherman, is Lord Shiva. She told you who she was. Her name is Narmada Devi. Seek her blessings” The holy rivers are always eagerly awaiting the call of great saints!!GANGA, YAMUNA PARTICIPATE IN ANNADANAM
Jalaram Bapa, a saint of Virpur in Gujarat and a contemporary of Saibaba, was fond of serving the sadhus and saints. He and his wife used to perform annadanam, 24 hours a day and ensured that whoever visited their place never went without food. Pilgrims, devotees and disciples thronged to serve him. Once, a devotee sought his per
mission to take bath in the confluence of rivers Ganga and Yamuna. Bapa smiled and kept quite. One day, the devotee was very insistent. Bapa asked him to have his cot near the main entrance and sleep there that night. He did as told. Around midnight, he was awakened by some sounds. He opened his eyes and saw that two women were carrying water in pots on their heads and entering. The main doors opened on their own, the women came in, poured the water into big containers and went back to get some more water. The doors, again, closed on their own.In the morning, the devotee narrated the incident to Bapa. He said, “You are very fortunate. Holy mothers Ganga and Yamuna gave you darshan. Wherever the saints and sages are worshipped, Ganga and Yamuna go there with holy waters.” The devotee prostrated at the feet of Bapa and said, “All the teerthas are here only. One need not go for any other pilgrimage”.
GODAVARI RESPONDS
Devotees were all excited about the forthcoming festival and were eagerly preparing for a bath in the holy river Godavari, near Kopergaon. Bapusaheb Jog couple sought Baba’s permission for the same. “Let us see!” was Baba’s reply. They went everyday and Baba’s reply was same. The festival being next day, Jog couple went again asked for permissi
on. Baba’s reply was same. Then, Jog said,”Baba! Tomorrow is the festival. And it is at 07.00 am. We have to leave at least by 04.00am to be on time at Kopergaon” Baba replied, “Let us see tomorrow”. The couple was disappointed and after offering Shej arati at Chavadi, went home without asking Sai again.The festival day dawned. Jog went to Chavadi for offering Kakada arati to Baba. Then there was a commotion. He heard people shouting, “Godavari waters have entered Shirdi” The government had already dug channels for bringing Godavari waters to Shirdi from Kopergaon. Though the work was completed, it was expected to take at least a few more months for the waters to begin flowing through the canals. Then, how did the waters come so suddenly? Seeing Jog, Baba said, “You spent the entire night cursing me, isn’t it? See god’s kindness. Holy Ganga (implying Godavari) has come to our doorstep. Take your bath.” It was only then that Jog understood the meaning of Baba saying, “Let us see!”
GANGA FROM MAHAVISHNU’S FEET
On a Mahashivaratri day, Ganpatrao Dattatreya Sahasrabuddhe, affectionately
called as ‘Dasganu’ by Baba, wanted to have Gangasnaan (a holy bath in the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna at Prayag) by going to Singaba (about 5kms from Shirdi) and having a dip in Godavari river there. He sought Baba’s permission for the same. “One need not go that far to take a bath. If you have unflinching faith, Ganga and Yamuna will come to you” said Baba. As soon as Dasganu touched the feet of Baba, Ganga and Yamuna sprang into fountains from the toes of Baba. Tears of happiness came down in streams from Dasganu’s eyes. Extemporaneously, Dasganu began to sing the praise of Baba.Sai is Mahavishnu for the devotees, because, Ganga sprouted from his feet.
Sai is Samartha Sadguru.
“Sapta saagara paryanta teertha snaana phalamtu yat,
guroh paadod bindoscha sahasraamshena tat phalam”
says Gurugeeta. Whatever be the benefit of taking a holy bath in the seven oceans, it is only a thousandth part of the benefit obtained by taking even a drop of the teertham of guru’s feet.guroh paadod bindoscha sahasraamshena tat phalam”
Further, the Gurugeeta says,
“Kashi kshetra nivaasascha Janhavi charanodakam
Gurur Visveswara saakshaat taarakam Brahma nishchayam”
It means that the place where the guru stays is Kashikshetra. The teertham from guru’s feet is river Ganga. Guru is Vishweshwara himself. Sai has shown us that he is Vishnu, Shiva and the Sadguru.Gurur Visveswara saakshaat taarakam Brahma nishchayam”
ALL THOSE THREE ARE HERE
Sai once asked Dasganu to perform Naama Saptaaha. Dasganu agreed on one condition that Lord Vithal should appear during the saptaaha. Then Sai said, “Dakurnaath’s Dankapuri, Pandharinath’s Pandari, Ranchodraiji’s Dwarakanagari are all in this Shirdi itself”. Sai thus indicated to us the significance of Shirdi. Shirdi is the confluence of all the three places.
RANCHODRAI’S DWARAKA
Sri Krishna killed Kamsa. To take revenge on Sri Krishna, Jarasandha, Kamsa’s father-in-law, invaded Mathura 17 times and got defeated. On the 18th occasion, he collected a very mighty and large force to attack Mathura. He also sought the help of the demon, Kalayavana. Sri Krishna, did not want any further blood shed, and convinced both King Ugrasena and Prince Vasudeva to shift the capital to Dwaraka, in view of its inherent protection. As Sri Krishna avoided the battle, he got the title of “Ranchodji” (Hindi – one who forsakes the battle). Dwaraka is a very sacred place. It is also called “Dwaravati”, “Dwaramati”, and also “Kushasthali”. It is one of the four most sacred places. The other three are Badrinath, Puri, and Rameshwaram. It is also one among the seven places which confer moksha on a devotee. The other six are Ayodhya, Mathura, Kashi, Kanchi, Avantika (Ujjain), and Haridwar.
Sai told Balasaheb Mirikar, “This is our Dwarakamai. Do you know? This is our mother Dwaraka. This masjid mother is very kind”. On an another occasion, he told the Malegaon doctor, “This is not masjid. It is Dwaravati”. This also implies that Baba is Dwarakanath. And he has confirmed this belief of his devotees.
DAKORNATH’S DANKAPURI
Just as devotees in the South visit Tirupati, those in Gujarat visit Dakordwaraka. Dakor is 43 kms northeast of Anand in Gujarat. Dakor is also called as Dankor.
In times of Mahabharata, the surrounding area of Dakor constituted the 'Hidamba' van (jungle). It was a very dense jungle, pleasant and rich with streams and lakes. It had become an attraction for the sages to establish their hermitage for penance. Likewise, Dank Rishi had his hermitage (ashram) in this area. During penance, Lord Shiva was pleased with him and asked him to demand something. Thereupon, Dank Rishi requested Lord Shiva to remain permanently in his hermitage. Lord Shiva agreed to his request. He disappeared and left behind him His replica in the form of Ban (Linga), which is known as Danknath Mahadev. Thus in ancient times, Dakor was known as 'Dankor' after the name of Dankanth Mahadev. It was also known as khakhariya because of many khakhra (palash) trees in the vicinity.
Once, Lord Krishna and Bhima went to the hermitage of Dank Rishi for darshan. Dank Rishi received them. Lord Krishna, gracious as he was to his devotees, rendered homage to Dank Rishi and being pleased with his penance asked him to demand something from Him by way of blessings. Dank Rishi requested him to stay in his hermitage permanently along with Lord Shiva. For a while Lord Krishna remained silent, pondering over the demand of Dank Rishi and finally, while consenting to his request, he promised that in Kaliyuga after staying in Dwaraka for 4225 years, he would come to reside in this land permanently. Thus, Lord Krishna was invited to come to Dakor.
It is said that Vijayanand Bodana, a rajput of Dakor, became a staunch devotee of Lord Krishna. He used to let the Tulsi plants grow in an earthen pot with him on his palm and used to go every six months to Dwaraka to worship Lord Krishna with the said Tulsi leaves. He did this continuously, unfailingly and untiringly till he was 72 years. He then began to find it increasingly difficult to pursue this ritual. Seeing his plight, Lord Krishna told him that on his ensuing visit to Dwaraka, he should bring a bullock-cart with him and Lord Krishna would accompany him to Dakor as he was exceedingly pleased with his devotion. Accordingly, Bodana went with bullock-cart to Dwaraka. The hereditary priests of Dwaraka (Gugli brahmins) asked him why he had brought a cart with him. Whereupon, Bodana replied that he had done so to take away Lord Krishna. Looking to the ramshackle cart, they did not believe him but nevertheless locked and sealed the sanctum sanctorum of Dwaraka Temple for the night. At midnight, Lord Krishna broke open all the doors, awoke Bodana and told him to take him to Dakor. Shortly afterwards, Lord Krishna called upon Bodana to rest in the bullock-cart and drove the cart himself till they reached the vicinity of Dakor. Here (near Bileshwar Mahadev on Dakor-Nadiad road) they rested for some time, touching and holding a branch of neem tree. Sri Krishna woke up Bodana and asked him to take over. Since that day, this neem tree is found to have one sweet branch th
ough the rest of the branches are bitter and it forms the subject of a well-known Gujarati bhajan.In Dwaraka, the Gugli brahmins finding the image missing, chased Bodana and came to Dakor in pursuit. Bodana was frightened but Lord Krishna told him to hide the idol of the Deity in the Gomti tank and meet the Guglis. Accordingly, Bodana hid the idol and went to meet the Guglis with a pot of curd to pacify them. They became angry and one of them threw a spear at him. He fell down dead. While hurting Bodana, the spear also hurt the image of the Deity hidden in Gomti tank and the water turned red with Lord Krishna's (Ranchhodraiji's) blood. It is said that even today the earth of Gomti tank where the image lay is red, while rest of the tank is of brown mud. In the midst of Gomti tank, over the place where Lord Krishna was hidden, a small temple having the Lord's footprints is constructed and this temple is linked with the bank of Gomti Tank by a bridge.
Even with the death of Bodana, the Guglis were not appeased. Requesting Lord Krishna to return to Dwaraka, they sat on the bank of Gomti tank and went on a hunger strike. At last, Lord Ranchhodraiji (Krishna) directed Gangabai, wife of Bodana, to give gold equivalent of his weight and ask the Guglis to return to Dwaraka. Poor lady, the widow of Bodana, was a pauper and could not afford doing so. By a miracle, the idol became as light as a golden nose-ring (1, 1/4 val i.e.1/2 gram in weight) which was all that the widow of Bodana, Gangabai, had. The Guglis were disappointed but the Lord mercifully directed that they would find after six months an exact replica of the idol in Sevaradhan Vav (a well with steps) at Dwaraka. The impatient Guglis looked for the idol sometime earlier than they were told and as a result, found an idol which, though similar to the original one, was smaller.
Sai said that Shirdi itself is the Dankapuri of Dakornath.
PANDHARINATH’S PANDHARI
Once, Sri Krishna’s consort, Rukmini Devi was annoyed with him and went away. He went in search of her and after finding her in Dandrivanam, he cajoled her to come back and they were returning. Sri Krishna and his consort reached Pundalik’
s house and knocked on his door but he was serving food to his parents. Pundalik saw the Lord at his door but his devotion to his parents was so intense that he wanted to finish his duties first and then attend to his guest. It didn’t matter to him whether the guest was a mere mortal or God.Pundalik gave the Lord a brick to stand on and asked Him to wait until his duty was completed. The ever-loving Lord was so pleased with his devotee that He waited for him. When Pundalik came out, he asked God’s forgiveness for neglecting Him, but the Lord instead asked him to request a boon. What more could a devotee ask when his Lord was standing right in front of him? Pundalik asked that He should remain on earth and bless all His devotees. His wish was granted and the Lord remained behind and is known as Vithoba or the Lord who stands on a brick. The word “Vitthala” or “Vithoba” is said to be derived from the Marathi word “Vit”, meaning brick. “Ba
” denotes “father” in Marathi. This form of the Lord is Swayambhu which means that His idol has not been carved or etched but it came into existence on its own. He is accompanied by His consort Rakhumai or Rukmini. . That place is today called Pandharpur.Situated on the banks of river Chandrabhaga, the temple has six entrances. The main entrance on the east is called Namadeva Dwar. Multitudes of devotees, scholars, yogis and saints have served Lord Vithoba in Pandharpur. Pandharinatha is the household deity for the people of Maharashtra. It is not only a great place for the devotees, it has also become a way of life for millions.
Sai has said that Shirdi is Pandharpur.
PANDHARINATH THERE, IS HERE ALSO
In 1913, Raghuveer Bhaskar Purandare visited Shirdi with his family for Baba’s darshan. Purandare’s mother had a long standing ambition to see Panduranga at Pandharpur. She and her daughter-in-law sought Baba’s permission. Surprisingly, as soon as they entered Dwarakamai, they saw both Panduranga Vithala and his consort Rukmabai in Baba. They were thrilled. They had Pandarinath’s darshan in Shirdi itself. They changed their mind about going to Pandharpur. Then Sai asked, “Mother! When are you going to Pandharpur?” The lady replied, “My god is here itself. Shirdi is my Pandhari”.
Even though he was old, Gaulibuva went every year to Pandharpur. When he came to Shirdi and saw Sai, he exclaimed, “Saibaba himself is the compassionate and merciful Pandharinatha. He is Pandharinatha. This world is stupid. Recognize his divinity and seek his protection” In the hearts of his devotees, Baba is Panduranga. Both are same. It is one of the reasons for the Shirdi aratis to be modeled after Tukaram, Namdev, and Janabai’s songs and made applicable to Sai. Dasganu has said, “Shirdi maajhe Pandharpur, Saibaba ramaavar…” Truly, the Panduranga there is here also!
SEE ME
Carrying a book of Bhagavad Gita with him, Gopal Hora was climbing the steps of Dwarakamai to have darshan of Sai. He was very anxious to have a darshan of Balakrishna (child Krishna). Seeing Sai, he stopped on the steps and thought, as Sai was a Muslim, taking Gita to Sai would be desecrating it. Sai saw his dilemma and said, “You may lose your purity but not Gita”. Then Sai asked, “Can you recite Gita?” to which Hora replied, “I have been reading Gita for the past 26 years. I know it by rote!” Then Sai asked him to recite some slokas from the middle of the book. Gopal was unable to do so. Then Baba said, “I will give you that power. Now, you can recite.” The moment Baba said these words, Gopal began to recite effortlessly many of the slokas. Baba said, “You wanted to have darshan of Balakrishna. I will show you the grownup Krishna”. Gopal heard the melodious sounds of the flute, the tinkling sounds of the metallic chains around the neck of cows, and instead of Sai, he saw the beautiful Sri Krishna standing there. Gopal Hora was in a state of ecstasy and fell at the feet of Baba.
People have established that physically, mythologically and historically, Shirdi is Dwaraka. BV Deo has proved the physical aspect of it; Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji has done it mythologically.
Chaturnaarapi varnaanaam yata dwaaraani sarvataha
Ato dwaaraavatityuktaa vidvadbhis tatva vedibhihi
So says Skandapurana. The place which always keeps its door open for conferring the four purusharthas – Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha – to the four categories of devotees belonging to Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Shoodra, is called as Dwaaraavati or Dwaraka – so say the scholarly pundits. The dilapidated masjid in Shirdi, in which Sai stays, gives shelter to all the four categories of devotees. Dwarakamai does not discriminate between the devotees.Ato dwaaraavatityuktaa vidvadbhis tatva vedibhihi
PATH OF DEVOTION
In the fourth chapter, Hemad Pant has described many stories accentuating devotion. While approving the devotional path for the devotees, Baba also indicates how it can be used as an effective device for achieving better results.
Going on a pilgrimage is one of the established traditions for the devotees. Sai knew that even 95 year old Gauli Buva was regularly visiting Pandharpur, Kashi and Shirdi. There is no mention anywhere about Baba telling him to stop his visits because of old age. Sai was of the opinion that, as long as someone is capable of withstanding the financial and physical strain of such visits, the visits should be continued.
Namasmarana is the easiest device among the nine types of bhakti. Even greeting with folded hands, one of the navavidha bhaktis, requires bringing both the hands together. Namasmarana does not need even that much of effort. We have to just think of our god. If namasmarana is a personal form, its public counterpart is known as Namasaptaaham. This is a collective effort of likeminded devotees. There are incidents when Sai encouraged many times the performance of Namasaptaaham. Will god manifest before us if we do Namasaptaaham – Sai’s answer is applicable to all, “If the faith is unflinching, God will certainly come to us!!”
LEST WE FORGET
We are not doing any great favour to the god or the guru by worshipping them. They are in no way benefited by our worship either. Even if do not worship them, they are not going to lose anything. It is only the devotees who will be deprived of an opportunity to progress further in the path of spirituality. Devotees may forget this aspect. But Baba always brought it to the notice of the devotees. This is what Sai explained to Bhagavantrao Ksheersagar in this chapter and to Harishchandra Pitale in chapter 26.
Baba revealed that Bhagavantrao Ksheerasagar stopped performing the annual ceremonies for his father. Sai never stopped any religious rituals. He, in fact, encouraged them. He himself performed the monthly ceremonies of Dhumal’s wife in Shirdi. Sai, in a different form, got the ceremonies done by Nachne, with the help of other purohits. When Gopal Bhaskar Datar knew about these events, he also revived the ceremonies he had stopped long back.
FRIENDS TOGETHER
Sai mentions about some of his friends from previous incarnations. He maintained relationship with them even in the current avatar. They are Shayma, Kakasaheb Dixit, Jog, Kelkar and Khaparde. Baba included Bhagavantrao Ksheerasagar’s father’s name also in that list. He was Baba’s friend in an earlier life. When his friend’s son forgot his duties, Sai intervened and made the son perform his duties. It implies that when our friends or their sons are deviating from their normal duties, we should try to bring them back to the correct path. Sai reminds us that friendship does not end with the friend.
PHALASHRUTI
Hemad Pant has described sprouting of Ganga from the toes of Baba as, “We need not seek Ganga or Godavari anywhere other than Sri Sai Baba’s divine feet. Praising the glory of great saints or listening to their stories, is more than sufficient”
Sri Vissapragada Somaraju says that not only the slokam, even the scene itself is very devine, in Telugu,
చేసిన పాపము గంగలో కలుప
తలచిన జనులు నీ దరినే
బొటన వ్రేలిలో పావనగంగను
కని తరించే ఆ దృశ్యం
తలచిన కొలది చమరును దేహం
సర్వం సాయీ నీ శక్తి
జయ జయహే సకాలగమ సన్నుత
సద్గురునాథా సాయీశా
తలచిన జనులు నీ దరినే
బొటన వ్రేలిలో పావనగంగను
కని తరించే ఆ దృశ్యం
తలచిన కొలది చమరును దేహం
సర్వం సాయీ నీ శక్తి
జయ జయహే సకాలగమ సన్నుత
సద్గురునాథా సాయీశా
People, who thought of drowning their sins in the pavana Ganga, were blessed seeing Ganga sprout from your toes themselves. The more that scene is visualized, more is the being thrilled. Everything is O Sai, your own divine power. Jai ho!
Was it Dasganu alone who got Sai’s blessings?
నీదు లీలలు పాడినందుకు
దాసగణు కేమిచ్చినావో
మాకు కూడా అట్టి ఫలితము
నీయవయ్యా సాయిదేవా!
Says Sri Moparti Gopalarao. It means, “Whatever you have bestowed on Dasganu for singing your praise, give us the same blessings, Saidevaa!”. After doing parayana of this chapter, let us pray, like Sri Chillara Bhavanarayana,దాసగణు కేమిచ్చినావో
మాకు కూడా అట్టి ఫలితము
నీయవయ్యా సాయిదేవా!
“ధరలో క్షేత్రము లెల్లగ్రమ్మరుచు నిన్దర్శింపగా
నా జరాభారమౌ దేహము, విత్తలోపము సదా బాధించె,
సర్వత్ర నీ పరమానంద విభూతి నిండెనను
తద్వాక్యార్థముల్ నిత్యమై వరలన్ నిల్చిన చోట
నిన్గనెడి సద్భక్తిన్ ప్రసాదింపుమా”
“Having wandered all over the pilgrim centres on earth in seeing you, my body is now burdened by old age and perennial shortage of money. Confirming the statement that your blissful being is everywhere, bless me with the sadbhakti which will make me see you wherever I am!”నా జరాభారమౌ దేహము, విత్తలోపము సదా బాధించె,
సర్వత్ర నీ పరమానంద విభూతి నిండెనను
తద్వాక్యార్థముల్ నిత్యమై వరలన్ నిల్చిన చోట
నిన్గనెడి సద్భక్తిన్ ప్రసాదింపుమా”
With this the fourth chapter, called Sai Baba’s advent in Shirdi, is complete. In the next chapter, Hemad Pant tells us about the temporary absence of Baba from Shirdi, His reappearance in Shirdi with the marriage party, Baba’s wrestling match with Tamboli, residence in the masjid and other events.
||Sri Sadguru Sainathaarpanamasthu || Shubham Bhavatu||
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
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