An Avatar to cherish
Trying to grapple with the sacred and secular thought in the Vedas is as formidable as navigating one's way through a thickly wooded forest. Maybe that is why people tend to give up hopes of accessing the inner import of these scriptures. But Azhwars and devout poets such as Jayadeva and Leelasuka claim that the essence of these scriptures is easily available to those who empathise with the lives of the Gopis and meditate on the greatness of the Krishna Avatar. Here was the Supreme Lord who made Himself accessible to people and even allowed Himself to be tied to a grinding stone. Granting salvation is His sole privilege, and it is up to us to seek this highest goal from Him through love and devotion to Him, said Sri L. Sampathkumar in a lecture.
The Vedas are compared to a Kalpaka tree because the knowledge contained in them is comprehensive — from the mundane to the sublime, from the material to the spiritual. The essence of Vedic knowledge is contained in the Bhagavata Purana and hence it is the ripened fruit of the tree of the Vedas. This text deals exhaustively with the life of Krishna. The Supreme Being promised Brahma and other celestials that He would eventually be born to reduce the burden that Bhu Devi was finding difficult to bear.
When the newly married Devaki and Vasudeva were driven in a chariot by Kamsa, a celestial voice predicted Kamsa's fall at the hands of the eighth child of Devaki. The Lord sought Yogamaya's help to plan the birth of Balarama (an incarnation of Adisesha) in the womb of Rohini (wife of Vasudeva); and ensured His own safety after birth by requesting her to be born as Yasodha's daughter at the same time when He would be born.
The Lord was born as the most attractive child and immediately gave orders to Vasudeva to exchange the newborns. Kamsa was surprised to see a girl baby, but he tried to kill her too. She escaped his clutches and warned him once again that his killer was safe and would seek him at the appropriate time.
The childhood of Krishna is full of dangers to His life; and the child had to protect Himself from Kamsa's emissaries.
OM GAM GANAPATHYE NAMAH
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SriMani Dravid Sastrigal Courtesy The Hindu
A sure clue to one's spiritual quotient is present in the answer to the question “Who am I.” If one is conscious of his position as a man, in the context of his birth, status, society, education, etc., it is indicative of bondage. A Jnani always perceives the Atma Swaroopam and the concept of the involvement with the material world does not occupy any space in his consciousness. To detach oneself from bondage, we have to understand this truth and be able to see the Jnani's viewpoint regarding one's true identity, pointed out Sri Mani Dravid Sastrigal in a lecture.
The Upanishads describe the omnipresence of the Supreme Brahman by stating that He is smaller than the smallest atom, and bigger than the biggest ever presence. The Isavasya emphasises that God is accessible to those who realise His presence in everything and everywhere — from the mundane to the profound.
But it is difficult for the Jivatma, who is caught in the cycle of birth, to be aware of this truth always, though sometimes it is realised in flashes (for brief spells) in one's consciousness. The involvement with the daily activities in the material world keeps us immersed in joy and sorrow. These worldly experiences delude and obstruct us from realising the essential truth of God. It is similar to our inevitable reactions, when in darkness, a rope is misconstrued to be a serpent. We are relieved only when the light reveals the absence of the serpent.
When in sorrow we do think of God and seek His grace for alleviation of sorrow. Kunti prayed for difficulties to enable her to think of God at all times.
God is both far and near says the Upanishad. He is far to those who are preoccupied with the material world and near to those who are always established in His presence. A Jnani seeks God for His sake and revels in His sheer glory at all times. He perceives only Him as the ever present reality and remains detached to the happenings of the world.
Our lifetime becomes fruitful if we strive to seek Him — using the opportunities before us. The ability to learn to comprehend the views of realised sages is a faculty available only to human beings.
By Padma Ramachandran
Varalakshmi pooja, which falls tomorrow, is observed with rituals, music, and a delicious spread of eats,Varalakshmi pooja falls on Friday, August 12. Hindus believe that Goddess Lakshmi comes visiting on that day. The pooja is generally on the last Friday in the Tamil month of Aadi or Shravan.
Many married women fast on that day and in many a home, it is a tradition that is handed down from mother-in-law to daughter-in law.
Many married women in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka observe this ritual. Several eats are made, the chief among them being ‘kozhakattai'(also known as ‘modakam'), which has a rice flour coating, and a variety of fillings such as jaggery and coconut, jaggery and ground chana dal, powdered gingelly and gud, or steamed urad dal and coconut – a savoury filling. Athirasam, idli, vada and payasams are also made. The goddess is offered a variety of fruits and flowers.
Decorating the courtyard
Early in the morning, the courtyard of the house is decorated with kolam and a kalasam containing rice, betelnut and leaves, a couple of lemons, and coins (usually one preserves the same coins year after year).The kalasam is decorated with haldi-kumkum, a coconut and mango leaves.
A ‘face' in silver (representing the Goddess) is affixed to this. This symbol of Goddess Lakshmi is brought into the house along with a lamp, to the accompaniment of a song – ‘Lakshmi, rave ma intiki….shri rabdiputri varalakshmi, rave ma intiki, bhagyalakshmi, rave ma intiki' – a Telugu invocation inviting the goddess inside the home. The kalasam is placed (on a banana leaf which has rice spread on it) in a makeshift ‘mantapam.'
The pooja involves the chanting of ‘Lakshmi ashtothram' and shlokas in praise of Lord Ganesh. After the poojas are done, a yellow thread is tied on the woman's hand by her husband or other women.
The evening is joyous with music and women visiting the house for haldi-kumkum.
Next day a small pooja called punar poojai is done to bring the rituals to a close. But you have to wait till Sunday morning to lift the Goddess with the kalasam and place her in a rice bin, to be kept safe for next year's Varalakshmi pooja.
Once, in a Hindu temple, when the priest had gone for a lunch, the Stepping Stone of the temple had a conversation with the idol. The Stepping Stone told the Idol: What a good fortune you have? We both were the same lump of rock for millions of years. Now, The sculptor had carved an idol out of you and everyone is worshipping you. And look at me, I am just a stepping stone and every one stamps and stands on me. I am suffering here but you are enjoying all the time. What kind of life is this?
The Idol kept smiling, didn't bother to answer this question, but the stepping stone just couldn't keep quiet. Then the Idol slowly remarked: “Do you remember when the sculptor set out to carve an idol, he chose you first. But then, you were so impatient. You couldn't tolerate the strikes of the hammer and within a few strikes, you broke into two. On the other hand, when he tried on me, I grinned, I smiled, I beamed with joy and bore all the hammers and chisel strikes with patience and persistence. Here I am the worshipful and the happy”
Spiritual practices should not be done in public or for show. If you do them before others, that will be harmful to you. People will pass comments and make fun of you and offer you unsolicited advice and conflicting suggestions, as a result of which various doubts will arise in your mind and your spiritual progress will be obstructed. The ideal sadhaka behaves thus – he goes to bed at night with the mosquito curtain drawn down. Everybody thinks that he is sleeping, but as a matter of fact, he spends the whole night in Japa and medication, lying quietly on his bed.
While you are young, you must try hard to get a taste of divine bliss. When once you have got this taste of divine bliss. When once you have got this taste, you can never forsake your Sadhana. Even at the risk of your life, you will continue your spiritual practices. Those who are troubled with too much sleep in the night will do well to sleep during the day, with a view to devote the night to meditation. The best time for meditation is dawn, dusk and midnight. Too often people waste these valuable periods in useless ways.
Sri Ramakrishna never spent the night in sleep, nor would he allow the young devotees who stayed with him to sleep at night. When others had gone to bed, he would wake up his disciples saying,' Why are you sleeping? Have you come here to sleep?' He would give them definite instructions and send them to the Panchavati, or the Mother's temple, or the Siva temples for meditation. They would spend the whole night in Sadhana as directed, and take rest during the day. It was in this way that Sri Ramakrishna used to take them through various spiritual exercises. Often he used to say,' Three classes of people keep awake in the night – Yogis, Bhogis and Rogis. You are all yogis. You should by no means sleep away the night'.
Source: Eternal Companion - Life and Teachings of Swami Brahmananda
Skanda Vale is a multi-faith ashram (or monastery) near Carmarthen in Wales. It was founded on pure Sanathana Dharma; the Timeless Consciousness of God, as taught by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. We believe that all religions stem from, and merge into the one Reality; God is One, though His forms are many.
The ashram was established here in Wales in 1973, though our roots can be traced back to Sri Lanka, for that is where our founder, Guru Sri Subramanium was born. You can find out more about the history of Skanda Vale here.
We have three temples; the Murugan Temple, the Maha Shakti Temple and the Sri Ranganatha Temple, and hold six pujas every single day of the year. Skanda Vale is the name of our organisation, whilst the people that live here are known collectively as the Community of the Many Names of God.
Nobody at Skanda Vale is paid. All Community members live here full time, and are entirely dependent on the Grace of God for all their daily needs. Skanda Vale is funded solely through voluntary, anonymous donations. We do not charge anyone for food, accommodation or services, and everything is offered completely free of charge. The Community is very self-sufficient, and completely independent from any religious or commercial organisations.
The vast majority of Community members live as ‘sannyasa’ – unmarried renunciants who have dedicated their lives to loving, serving and experiencing God through karma yoga and bhakti yoga. We take the Franciscan monastic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Senior monks are known as Swamis – they lead the higher forms of worship in the temples and take a more exacting form of vow.
Our work is of a routine and generally simple nature; cooking, cleaning and caring for an annual congregation of 90,000 pilgrims. An important area of our work is animal care. We have a large number of different animals, including Valli the Temple elephant, a herd of cows, buffalo, deer, goats, plus many birds, rabbits and dogs – many of whom have been rescued from slaughter or neglect.
One of our main areas of work is Skanda Vale Hospice, where we offer a high standard of personal care for people with life-threatening illnesses, completely free of charge. The Hospice is staffed entirely by volunteers, mostly from the Skanda Vale sisterhood.
Skanda Vale has been built with and is sustained only through the Community’s trust in, and love for God. We are here to help people of all faiths experience God – not just believe, but come to discover for themselves the freedom, peace and joy of living in the consciousness of the Divine.
By Jaya Srinivasan
The human mind falls an easy prey to the pulls of vices such as jealousy or anger that bring down a person's moral worth in no time. When Manthara, the hunchbacked nursemaid of Kaikeyi, tempted her with the attractive prospect of her becoming the queen mother only if Bharata ascended the throne, Kaikeyi's spontaneous response reflects her basic noble nature.Such an idea had never crossed her mind at any point of time prior to Manthara raising the issue.
In fact, Kaikeyi was delighted about the coronation preparations that were in the offing for Rama. We see in Kaikeyi not only a mother's innocent and unalloyed love for her son, but also a remarkable perception of truth in her assessment of Rama. She confesses that she considers Rama as her own son. Rama is as dear as Bharata, if not even more. She finds great pride in the way Rama serves her — on a par with the way He serves Kausalya.
Rama's penchant for Truth is unparalleled. As the eldest son of Dasaratha is He not the rightful heir? If Rama has the kingdom, then it is equal to Bharata having it as well.
Kaikeyi chides Manthara for her jealous feelings. How can anyone be disappointed when the entire city rejoices at the joyful tidings of Rama's coronation? Manthara highlights the danger for Kaikeyi, if Rama ascends the throne. It would make Kausalya the queen mother and Kaikeyi would lose her edge and must be content to toe the lower rungs in the palace.
Kaikeyi begins to believe Manthara's viewpoint and in a short while, she begins to see eye to eye with her. Her earlier goodness disappears and her only intent now is to send Rama to the forest and win the kingdom for Bharata.
The motive for Manthara's grouse against Rama finds mention in the Azhwar's hymns and in Kamban's. There is a reference to Rama's childhood when He used to shoot mud-balls from his bow and at times He would aim it on the hunchbacked maid. Other sources imply that both Kaikeyi and Manthara were divine agents sent to accelerate the annihilation of Ravana.
By Shailaja Kumar
From sleek leather bags we've seen a shift to jholas. From funky pumps we've seen those feet slip into kolhapuris. From leadership schools we're seeing a jump towards spirituality. Is it just another way of looking cool or is it a practice here to stay? We have seen the young drifting towards seemingly western ways of living but a growing number of youngsters are coming back to their own roots. Sailaja Kumar, an Isha volunteer, mentions that young people are involved in spiritual and meditation programmes more because of stress revival than spiritual revival. But the biggest reason to turn to spirituality is that the younger generation is getting tired of material things very early. She adds that many young students are attracted to these programmes because of the volunteering involved. “They want to give others the experience that they are having,” she adds. True, when Macbooks, fancy cameras and iPads are available to the young, enlightenment is the only thing left to achieve! Anupama Ralegaonkar, a student, says, “I came into this spiritual exercise as a way to achieve an alternative perspective on life. Peer pressure and competition messed me up in the head; this has given me a new lease on my life.” Anupama is a 22-year-old on her way to becoming a chartered accountant. Ramnarayan, 25, says that all he wanted to do was to make his own decisions in life and that being spiritually alive is only helping him. The Art of Living sessions he has been attending brought him clarity and sense, he says.
Deepa Prem, marketing professional, says, “I was a party person but I always felt that there was something missing and that there was much more to life than just eating, sleeping, studying, partying, job, marriage. The way I experience life has changed, now I am full of love, joy, peace and completely at ease with everything.”
Satyapal G., a member of Vipassana, said that many youngsters participate in the meditation programmes. “It's primarily because of the simplicity of our technique, which focuses on washing out the suffering from one's life and helps in coping with difficulties,” he adds. Akshita Sahgal, a 21-year-old interior designer, got into a spiritual programme to cope with her frustration and suffering. “My mother left me for over five years and I had trouble coping with it. I could never confront her about it. But connecting with my spiritual side has really helped channelise that frustration into doing something good and it helped me open up to my emotions.” Indu K.B.'s tryst with spirituality isn't new—she hails from a spiritually active family—but her experience of spirituality is different. She says, “From being completely pampered by my family, when I moved to another town, I was left completely alone. It was a lonely time for me. While I wasn't depressed, I just felt like I had too many things to deal with. That's when I really began to take spirituality seriously.” The younger generation also sees this as a positive way of getting over a bad break-up. Vineetha K., a 22-year-old, confesses that after her break-up with her boyfriend, she couldn't focus and found that spiritual awakening brought a much needed discipline back to her life. Whether it is a passing trend or a lasting change, the current generation is opening up to the concepts of spirituality and self-help.
By Swami Gautamananda
The percentage of spiritual quotient in a person's life time depends on how much time he devotes to God and thoughts of God. Naturally, for one who gets involved in worldly activities in all earnestness, this allotment of time to God may not be much. Sri Ramakrishna advised his disciples to sincerely seek God's help before delving into this quest because only He can guide them to this spiritual realisation.
A mother who is in the advanced stage of pregnancy will find a reduction in her daily chores; and after child birth, her time is totally devoted to looking after the baby. A sincere seeker of God finds himself in a similar situation. When the yearning is strong, by God's grace, worldly responsibilities that seemed to consume one's time would somehow get decreased and the individual would get time for total involvement with God.
That is why great sages and realised souls seek true Bhakti from God. Even the devout Narada sought this favour alone from God. The state of Bhakti ensures that one remains in close union with God in one's thoughts. Those who have attained realisation do not get attracted to worldly objects. Their state of mind is called Samadhi. Some of these realised souls are chosen by God to lead mankind through the spiritual path. Sri Ramakrishna's close disciples knew the times when he had direct vision of God and would be in a state of trance; and through this preceptor's guidance were motivated to seek God.
If one does not catch a glimpse of God's presence, one remains under a delusion that one is acting speaking and thinking, etc. We tend to think that we are able to differentiate between good and bad, right and wrong. One is not aware of the inner Self that remains a witness to the behaviour of the individual and thinks that this body, mind complex is an independent entity with all these faculties.
It is God's Maya that casts a spell on us and prevents us from grasping the true Jnana.
It is through God's grace that one can transcend this Maya. Great devotees like Bhishma and Kunti, understood the power of Lord's Maya and seek His help to save them from its distracting influence.
First Principle: Whoever you encounter is the right one.
This means that no one comes into our life by chance.
Everyone who is around us, anyone with whom we interact, represents something, whether to teach us something or to help us improve a current situation.
Second Principle: Whatever happened is the only thing that could have happened.
Nothing, absolutely nothing of that which we experienced could have been any other way.
Not even in the least important detail. There is no “If only I had done that differently….., then it would have been different….”.
No. What happened is the only thing that could have taken place and must have taken place, for us to learn our lesson in order to move forward.
Every single situation in life which we encounter is absolutely perfect, even when it defies our understanding and our ego.
Third Principle: Each moment in which something begins is the right moment.
Everything begins at exactly the right moment, neither earlier nor later.
When we are ready for it, for that something new in our life, it is there, ready to begin.
Fourth Principle: What is over, is over.
It is that simple.
When something in our life ends, it helps our evolution.
That is why, enriched by the recent experience, it is better to let go and move
__._,_.___
By Prema Pandurangan
There is a deep-seated desire for wealth in every individual and sastras accept wealth as a legitimate aspiration. It is included in the four main goals of life (Purusharthas) — righteousness (Dharma), wealth (Artha), desire (Kama) and liberation (Moksha). Scriptures teach us to evaluate wealth in philosophical and secular terms.
Though renunciation is the ideal to be practised in one's lifetime for the attainment of salvation, wealth is shown as necessary for worldly upkeep. Scriptures teach us that wealth has to be earned by rightful means and warn us of its dangers. An excess of wealth can make one inebriate, become a constant worry and, if put to wrong uses, can destroy one's peace of mind.
When Bali began an Asvamedha Yaga to gain mastery over the worlds, the Lord incarnated as Vamana and approached Him for alms. Bali was impressed by the handsome youth and was willing to give him whatever he wanted. The boy wanted only that much of land he could cover with three paces. Sukracharya warned Bali not to give all in haste. His insightful advice at this juncture is practical and teaches us how to use wealth in a wise manner. Charity should not endanger one's life and livelihood.
Wealth has to be used for the practice of one's religion. A part of our earnings has to be set aside for selfless acts that will bring us fame even after we die — such as protection of the scriptures, cows, etc. Acts of charity for the purpose of people's welfare, for the family and for the needy are also encouraged. This paves the way for the growth of a welfare society. There are long-term benefits as well for those who engage in such deeds — for their generous acts take care of their well-being in this world and hereafter. Such is the power of righteous deeds.
But Bali had already committed himself to the youth and found himself shorn of the immense wealth that had been his just a minute ago. He had to offer his head in all humility to fulfil his promise. This shows that wealth is slippery especially when one lacks humility.
Click on the image above to see the Aarti
The Seven Day Parayan has been posted once again,you may copy the same in a word document and take a print out of the same and make booklet so that you can read the same daily.
May the readers and devotees get complete and whole hearted devotion to Sai's Feet.May His form be ever fixed in their eyes and may they see Sai (The Lord)in all beings.Amen!
Om Sri Sai Ram
Wednesday’s Parayan
Maha Yogis and Saints hold each other in high esteem and bear brotherly love and affection for one another. Vasudevanand Saraswati, the saint of the Datta Dynasty, was living in Rajamandhury in Andhra Pradesh, and one of his devotees expressed a desire to go to Shirdi. Saint Vasudevanand gave a coconut to his devotee, Pundalikar Rao, and requested him to give the coconut to his “brother Shri Sai Baba” and to convey his pranams. Vasudevanand Saraswati held Sri Sai Baba in high regard. On the way to Shirdi Pundalikar Rao unthinkingly broke the coconut and consumed the same. Later when he realized his mistake Pundalikar Rao was very upset. When he reached Shirdi and went for Baba’s darshan, Baba asked for the coconut. Pundalikar Rao profusely apologized to Baba for his mistake and wished to offer Baba another coconut. Baba told him that no coconut could be a substitute for the coconut sent with love by his brother, Saint Vasudevanand. Kind hearted Baba however forgave Pundalikar Rao.
Shri Sapatnekar, a lawyer, was extremely heartbroken on losing his only son. Then one day he remembered that his friend had mentioned how Sri Sai Baba helped devotees overcome their troubles and sufferings. He decided to visit Shirdi with his wife. When Baba saw Sapatnekar he became very angry and began to shout saying that Sapatnekar holds him responsible for his son’s death but he was wrong. After a while Baba calmed down and said that whoever steps into the masjid will be free of sorrow and suffering and he would take care of them. He asked Sapatnekar and his wife to have faith and that they would be blessed with a child again. Within another year the Sapatenkars were blessed with a baby boy. Sapatnekar and his wife were blessed by Baba.
Once Baba narrated a story about a frog and a snake. The moral of the story was that sins committed in the past birth have to be paid for in this birth. It is therefore important that we tread on the path of good deeds and thoughts.
Once the great bhakta, Shama wanted to go to Gwalior, Kasi Prayag and Gaya, to which Baba said that he would reach Gaya before Shama. When Shama reached Gaya after visiting Gwalior and Kasi Prayag, he found a big picture of Baba hung on one of the walls of the temple priest’s house. Shama remembered the remark by Baba that he will be there in Gaya before him. When Shama enquired about the picture, the priest told him that it was he who had given him the picture about 12 years ago when they met at Shirdi. Shama could remember the episode and felt very happy.
Kaka Sahib Dikshit was asked to read the Eknath Srimad Bhagwath and Bhavarth Ramayana daily by Sri Sai Baba. Kaka Sahib continued this practice even after Baba attained Samadhi and one day when he was reading the section where it was mentioned that a devotee was once very anxious to receive the blessings of his Guru, he was reminded of his own anxiety. Shama, Baba’s devout disciple, consoled Kaka Sahib saying there was no need to worry since Kaka Sahib had reached the very high pedestal of the Sadhguru. Shama narrated the vision that Anand Rao, one of Baba’s devotees once had. Anand Rao Patil had a vision in which he saw Baba sitting on a throne studded with diamonds in the middle of the sea. Then Shama who was also there asked Anand Rao to touch the feet of Baba. Anand Rao wondered how he could touch Baba’s feet as they were underwater. Shama asked Baba to lift his feet and Baba obliged immediately. Anand Rao clutched Baba’s feet and placed his head on them, thus receiving Baba’s blessings. On hearing the tale Kaka Sahib felt relieved and realized that if one desires for and makes the effort to receive the Guru’s blessings he would never be disappointed.
Baba would say, “he who insults others hurts me most, and he who treats others with kindness is always near me. He who loves me and sees me always is nearer to God. He who always chants the name of God to him I am indebted and will help him attain salvation and thereby repay my debt. He who comes to my durbar and offers me food I will never forget. He who always with a pure heart seeks salvation I will make his life full of bliss. One need not go to distant places in search of me for I am everywhere. He who sees with true love and compassion every creature in this world will find me there in them. You will find me inanimate and animate things,” Baba would tell his devotees.
Once Baba narrated an incident involving him and his friends. Baba and three of his friends were once wandering in the jungle in search of God when a man appeared from nowhere and asked what they were searching for. He said that it would be very difficult to find one’s way through the jungle and if they wished he would guide them and it may not be very difficult for them to achieve their mission. None of the four members was willing to believe the stranger and started to walk away from him. After a while they found themselves back at the same spot and found that the stranger was still there. This time the man offered them some food. Baba’s friends did not accept the food and started on their search again. Baba stayed back and ate the food offered by the stranger. Baba told him about their mission to find God. On hearing this, the stranger took Baba to a nearby well and hung him upside down from the frame of the well and left him there in that position for a few hours. He returned after a while and freed Baba. All the while that Baba hung upside down in the well he was not able to touch the water in the well even though he was so near to it. When Baba came out of the well, the stranger asked Baba how he felt to which Baba said he could not describe the experience in words but it was complete bliss. Through this story, Baba wanted to convey that we should never ignore anybody who offers something with love and that food is parabrahama. Even when we are equipped with route maps and directions many of us are unable to get to the destination. Similarly, in order to reach God we should have a Guru who will take us through the difficult path and help us reach our destination.
The author of Shri Sai Sat Charita, Hemandpant said that Sai Baba used to help his devotees in every aspect of their lives and Baba wanted them to love all the creations of God and always remember God. He who reads and assimilates the lessons contained in the Sai Sat Charita will receive the blessings of Baba.
Om Sri Samarth Sadguru Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai.
Baba, my prostration to you at your feet. With your blessings I could complete the Parayan for Wednesday. Please bless me with good health, peace and prosperity. Bless me that I remember you always and receive the Prasad of your blessings everyday.
Om Sadhguru Sainathay Namah.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
Sai Sat Charita Parayan Tuesday
Om Sri Sai Ram
Tuesday’s Parayan
B V Dev, Thasildar of Dahnu, was a great devotee of Baba. Once his mother had observed a fast and on the concluding day wanted to feed some people. B V Dev sent an invitation to Sri Sai Baba on his mother’s behalf, to which Baba replied that he would come for the feast with two of his disciples. On the day of the feast BV Dev and his family waited for Baba and while they were anxiously waiting a Sanyasi with two of his disciples arrived and sought permission to take part in the feast. Mr Dev warmly welcomed them into house and served them food. After the guests left, partaking of the delicious food prepared by B V Dev’s family, B V Dev wrote a letter to Bapu Sahib Jog at Shirdi saying Baba did not keep his promise and never came for the feast with his disciples. Bapu Saheb Jog conveyed B V Dev’s message to Baba to which Baba replied that he did visit B V Dev’s home with two of his disciples but Dev did not recognize them. On hearing this from Bapu Sahib Jog realized it was Baba who had visited his house in the garb of a Sanyasi. B V Dev regretted not having recognized Baba.
Once Hemandpant had a dream that Baba was coming to his house to partake in a feast. It was the day of Holi and there were guests for lunch at Hemandpant’s house. As the guests sat down for lunch, Hemandpant and his wife reserved a place for Baba in expectation of his visit. The guests were being served lunch when there was a knock on the door. At the door were Muhammed and Moulana and they were carrying a picture of Baba which they gave to Hemandpant. Hemandpant’s joy knew no bounds and he joyfully took the picture and placed it where he and his wife had reserved a place for Baba. Hemandpant and his wife offered a plate with all the delicacies prepared for the feast to the picture of Baba. Thus Baba kept his promise of coming to Hemandpant’s house for lunch made in a dream.
Every day Sai Baba would visit about three or four few houses in Shirdi asking for food. He would collect all the food in a tin, would eat a little and give all of the rest to people in need of food. Whenever he felt like doing Anna daan he would go to the market and buy some rice and spices. He would then cook the rice and spices in a big vessel on a open hearth and would feed the poor with his own hands.
Once Nana Saheb Chandorkar was reciting a verse from the Bhagwad Gita while he was washing Baba’s feet when Baba asked for an explanation of the shloka. Nana Saheb was unable to properly explain the meaning of the Shloka so Baba explained the shloka. The devotees and Nana Saheb who heard Baba’s explanation were surprised to learn about Baba’s knowledge of Sanskrit.
Once a millionaire devotee of Shri Sai Baba, Sriman Bapu Saheb Buti, and Shama had a vision in which Baba appeared and asked them to build a temple. Soon Shri Buti with the blessings of Sai Baba started building a temple. While the construction was underway Sriman Buti wanted to install an idol of Murlidhar, to which Baba consented. Before the idol could be installed Baba left his mortal coil and his devotees built his Samadhi where the idol of Muralidhar was to be installed.
One day in 1916 Baba was very agitated and he declared that it was the day for Simhalogan. It was a while before he calmed down. In 1918, Ramachandra Patil, a devotee of Baba became very ill, Baba went to him and assured him that his death warrant was taken away and he will soon become all right. Baba, however, was concerned about the health of Tatya Patil and feared that he would soon leave the world. Baba thereafter informed some of his devotees in strict confidence that he will pass away on Vijaya Dasami day. The two devotees who knew this were Ramchandra Patil and Bala Shilpi. As prophesied by Baba, Ramachandra Patil became all right. In 1918 Baba had fever for three days (from 28th September) and he asked Shri Vajey to read the Ram Vijayi grantha for some days.
One day the boy who cleaned the area where Baba used to sit dropped the brick which Baba had been using for several years during his meditation. When the brick broke Baba remarked that something that was dear to him had parted and it was now impossible for him to live. Three days before Vijaya Dasami Baba stopped going out for alms and at the same Tatya became seriously ill. Seeing this both Patil and Shilpi feared that the death of Tatya was nearing. However on Vijaya Dasami day Tatya became all right and Baba left his mortal coil at 2.30pm on 15th October 1918. The mortal remains of Baba was interred in the temple which was built for Muralidhar, thus Baba became Muralidhar. Tatya completely recovered and all devotees realized that Baba had given up his life to keep Tatya Patil alive.
A day after Baba’s passing away, it was a Wednesday, Baba appeared in the dream of Lakshman Mama Joshi and instructed him to do the puja and arati as was normally done. Baba also appeared in the dream of Das Ganu and asked him to come to the masjid and decorate the place with flowers. Both Joshi and Das Ganu followed the instructions of Baba and did the pooja and arati as per the usual schedule.
In 1886, 32 years before Baba’s Samadhi, on Marrishi poornima day, Baba called Mahasalpati and told him that he would leave this world for three days and that Mahasalpati should preserve his body for the next three days and after the third day, if he did not come back, he should be buried opposite the masjid. He requested that a Samadhi be constructed and two flags be hoisted there. As he was saying this Baba left his mortal coil and put his head on Mahasalpati’s lap. As advised by Baba, Mahasalpati looked after the Body for three days without sleep and food and on the third day Baba woke up from his unconscious state to life as if he were waking up from deep sleep. This proved that Sai Baba was an immortal soul.
Om Sri Samarth Sadguru Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai.
Dear Baba, my prostration to you at your feet. With your blessings I could complete the Parayan for Tuesday. Please bless me and the people around me with good health and prosperity. Bless me with the Prasad of your daily remembrance.
Om Satguru Sainathay Namah.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
Om Sri Sai Ram
Monday’s Parayan
There lived a devotee by name Ram Gir Bua, whom Baba used to address as Bapugir with affection. One day Bapu Gir wanted to go to his village. When he went to seek Baba’s permission, Baba gave him a piece of paper on which there was an arati written and packet of Udi (sacred ash) and asked him to first go to Jamnagar and hand over the arati and the udi to one Nana Saheb Chandorkar. Ram Gir Bua told Baba that he had just enough money to go upto Jalgaon, to which Baba assured him that arrangements will be made for him to go to Jamnagar from Jalgaon. When Ramgir Bua got down at Jalgaon a man on a horse cart came asking for Ramgir Bua and informed Bapugir that he has been sent by Nana Saheb. The man took Bapugir on the tonga to Jamnagar. On reaching the entry point of Jamnagar, Bapugir got down to attend nature’s call and when he returned he found that neither the tonga nor the cart man was there. Bapugir went to the local court and got Nana Saheb’s address and went to his house to deliver the Udi and the arati. At that time Nana Saheb’s daughter was in labour and she was in a serious condition. On receiving the udi and the arati from Bapugir, Nana Sahib immediately called his wife and asked asked her to mix the udi with water and give it to their daughter, Naina tai. After giving the udi mixed with water, all of them recited the arati. To everyone’s relief the delivery of the baby was smooth and thus Naina tai came out of the difficult situation.
Bapugir thanked Nana Saheb for sending the tonga to the station, to which Nana Saheb replied that he did not send anybody or any tonga to the station. Both Bapugir and Nana Saheb recognized this as Baba’s leela.
One devotee by name Bala Bua Sutar saw a picture of Baba at his friend’s place and prostrated before the picture. After some years when he went in person to see Sai Baba, Baba told the devotees present there that he had known Bala Bua for the last four years. Bala Bua remembered that it was fours ago when he had seen Baba’s picture at his friend’s place and had bowed before it. Through this episode Baba conveyed that seeing his picture is like seeing him in person.
A devotee who had undergone surgery but was not relieved of his suffering was brought to the masjid and the parents of the devotee were very worried. Baba took pity on them and told them that he who enters the Dawrakamai will be cured. He said the masjid is Dwarkamai who gives happiness and health to all who come there. The Dwarkamai is very considerate and compassionate, Baba said. He asked the parents to apply Udi on the wound and it healed within some time.
A great devotee of Baba, Sriman Pillay, suffered from ulcer on one of his feet and he told Baba that he is prepared to take ten more births if he were freed of the terrible pain in this birth. To which Baba told him not to worry and said that he will be cured of his malady within ten days as a crow would come and peck his ulcerated foot. While Baba was telling this, Abdulla who was cleaning the masjid, unknowingly stepped on Sriman Pillay’s injured foot, no sooner he did that seven guinea worms came out of the wound and Pillay started crying in pain. Soon he felt the pain gone from his foot and he became calm. Baba asked him to use Udi on his wound and within ten days Sriman Pillay found himself cured. Baba had lovingly referred to Abdullah as the crow who would peck at Sriman Pilay’s feet.
One person from Bandra was having visions of his dead father whenever he went to sleep and his father used to scold him. This devotee was given Udi by Baba and was asked to keep the same under his pillow. This person was soon cured of visions that troubled him in sleep.
Balaji Patil used to come to Shirdi after every harvest and used to offer all the produce to Baba. He would carry back whatever was returned to him and he used to feed his family with that. He used to sweep the street through which Baba walked. One day there was a Bhagwat discourse in his house and he invited many people. It was found that there were three times more the number of people than invited and Balaji Patil’s family was worried that the food prepared may not be enough to feed all the guests. Balaji’s mother asked his wife put some Udi in all the eatables before distribution and to keep the vessels covered with udi sprinkled on the lids. After all the guests were fed, Balaji’s family found that there was still some food left. Balaji Patil’s knew that this was the miracle of the Udi from Baba. Baba used to distribute Udi as Prasad to his devotees and he would apply some on their forehead. Whenever he was in a pleasant mood he would sing “please bring sack full of Udi and praise Lord Ram for the same.”
Balaram Mankar became dejected after his wife’s death and after handing over all his responsibilities to his son, he came to Shirdi. Baba advised him to go to Manchindergad and to do meditation there in order to get peace. While at Machindrgad, Baba appeared before Balaram Mankar and said that his body of three and half cubits was there in Shirdi, but he could be present anywhere. Through this Baba conveyed that devotees could have the comfort of Baba’s presence wherever they be.
Once a sick tiger was brought to Shirdi and taken to the masjid. Baba advised the owners to immediately release the tiger from chains. The tiger dragged itself to where Baba was sitting, moved its tail thrice and fell to the ground dead. It is said that whoever dies in the presence of a Mahatma attains salvation.
Once two friends from Goa came to Shirdi and Baba asked one of them to give Rs.15/- as dakshina. The other friend who was watching wanted to give Rs 35/- but Baba refused. The devotee then told people present there that he had lost around Rs.35000/-. His cook who had stolen it returned it apologizing for his deed. The devotee said that all this was due to the grace of Baba. The other friend said he had got a job with Baba’s grace. He had started with a salary of Rs.15/- which gradually rose to Rs. 700/-. He had vowed to offer Baba Rs.15/- as Dakshina once he got a job, so now Baba had helped him remember and fulfill his vow by asking for Rs.15/- as dakshina.
A couple in Aurangabad was childless and they came to Baba seeking his blessing for a child. Shama, Baba’s devotee insisted that Baba bless the couple with a child. Baba gave a coconut to the couple and blessed them, after some time the couple had a child. When the infant was 5 months old the couple brought the child to Shirdi and thanked Baba for the blessings.
Sai Baba would sleep at the masjid and the Chavdi on alternate days. After some time this ritual began to be celebrated in a big way and was called the Chavdi Utsav. Many people joined the Chavdi procession where Baba was carried on a palanquin from the masjid to Chavdi. At the chavdi , Baba would make his own bed and sleep. Devotees are requested to remember the Chavdi procession every day before going to bed.
Om Sri Samarth Sadguru Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai.
Baba, my prostrations to you at your feet. With your blessings I could complete the Parayan for Monday. Please bless my family and friends with long life, health, wealth and peace. Please bless me with your remembrance always.
Om Satguru Sainathay Namah.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
Sunday’s parayan
Sai devotees used to come to Baba and seek his pardon for mistakes committed by them and sought his blessings for an end to their sufferings. Baba understood their needs and blessed them.
Today you will read about the experiences of some devotees and people who were drawn to Baba even before they had met him or heard about him. The pujari (priest) of the Saptashringi temple at Nasik was mentally troubled and fervently sought the Devi’s help in overcoming his difficulties. One day the Goddess of the Saptashringi temple appeared to him in his dream and instructed him to go to Shirdi. The pujari, Kakaji Vaid, decided to do as instructed by his Devi and began to plan for his trip to Shirdi when Shama, the great devotee of Baba, came for the darshan of Saptshringi devi. Shama immediately offered to take Kakaji Vaid to Shirdi with him. On getting Baba’s Darshan at Shirdi, Kakaji Vaid was awestruck and surrendered himself at Baba’s feet. He returned to Nasik after spending a week at Shirdi with Baba’s vibhuti Prasad and amazingly free of the tensions he had travelled with to Shirdi.
Ramlal Punjabi once had a dream in which a mahatma (saint) came to him and told him to go to Shirdi. Ramlal, however, did not know where Shirdi was and did not know the Mahatma who had appeared in his dream. He spent his waking hours wondering who the Mahatma was and how he could get to Shirdi and to his surprise he saw a picture of the same mahatma at a shop. When he asked the shopkeeper about the person in the picture, the shopkeeper told him the picture was of Shirdi Sai Baba and gave instructions about the route to Shirdi. Ramlal immediately set out for Shirdi. Baba’s darshan filled him with immense peace and joy and he thereafter decided to spend the rest of his life in Shirdi.
Once Kaka Saheb Dikshit had a dream in which Baba asked him to go to Rahata and bring Sri Kushalchand to Shirdi. Kaka hired a tonga (horse carriage) and went to Kushalchand’s house at Rahata. While Kaka was on his way to Rahata, Kushalchand also had a vision in which Baba asked him to come to Shirdi. As he was preparing to leave for Shirdi he realized that his horse was unwell and just at that very moment Kaka arrived at his house and told him he had come to accompany him to Shirdi. This is the amazing leela of Baba, he communicated with his devotees without sending any letters or telegrams.
Master Tendulkar once consulted an astrologer who told him that it was not a good time for him to take his exams as he may fail the tests. When Master Tendulkar’s mother met Baba and told about the prediction of the astrologer, Baba said her son should have complete faith in him and should start preparing for the exams. As advised by Baba, Master Tendulkar prepared for his exams and he passed the exams without any difficulty. His faith in Baba got him success.
Once members of the Madras Bhakta Samaj came to Shirdi and sang bhajans at the Shirdi shrine. While in Shirdi, the head lady of the bhajan mandali had a dream in which Baba appeared as Sri Ram, her ishta devta. When she told her husband about her dream he dismissed it as just a dream. He in turn had a dream in which he saw himself in prison and was released through the blessings of Baba who appeared as Ramdas swamy. His wife’s dream where Baba appeared as her istha devta and his dream in which Baba set him free from prison appearing as Ramdas Swamy made him a devotee of Baba. He received the blessings of Baba and was told that he would receive plenty of money through the grace of Allah.
The first time Shiva Bhakt Megha went to see Baba, he hesitated to prostrate before Baba because he thought Baba was a muslim. On seeing him Baba got wild and did not allow him to enter the masjid, and angrily told Megha that since he was a high caste Brahmin and Baba a Muslim, he would lose his identity if he came near Baba. On hearing this Megha immediately knew that Baba had read his mind and he found himself spontaneously prostrating at Baba’s feet seeking his blessings. Thereafter, he stayed in Shirdi for some time and his affection and devotion for Baba deepened. While at Shirdi he would visit all the temples everyday and then come to Baba for the Pada tirtha (holy water). Once he expressed a desire to do abhisheka of Baba as was done to Shiva Lingas. He walked about eight kilometers to fetch water from the Gomati river and did the abhisheka of Baba. Baba had requested him not to pour water on any other part of the body other than his head. Megha poured water on Baba’s head chanting Har Har Gange, and to the amazement of everyone who was a witness to this beautiful spectacle not a drop of water fell on any other part of Baba’s body.
Once a devotee by the name Lala Lakshmichand had a vision of an old man with beard and when he attended a discourse by Das Ganu he saw a picture of Sai Baba kept there. It struck him that the old man he had seen in his dream resembled the person in the picture. This made him very eager to see Baba and so he borrowed rupees fifteen and arrived at Shirdi to see Baba. On seeing him Baba said “if you wanted to come to Shirdi why did you have to borrow money?” He advised him not to borrow money anymore. On seeing Baba’s love and affection, Lakshmichand was moved and he decided to spend rest of his life at Shirdi.
A Ramdasi- a devotee of Lord Ram, lived in Shirdi and everyday he recited the Vishnu Sahasranam (thousand names of Lord Vishnu) after taking bath. One day Baba sent the Ramdasi to the market to bring Sena pods. While the Ramdasi was away, Baba took his Vishnu Sahasranam book and gave it to Shama, a great devotee of Baba. On his return when the Ramadasi found that his Vishnu Sahasranam book was with Shama, he got wild and said he will die if the book was not returned to him immediately. On hearing the Ramadasi scream thus Baba called him and told him not fight and asked him to be considerate, affectionate and not have any attachment for material things. Baba said “you are not able to give away a small book whose contents you have memorized fully, how can you give yourself away when it is required. The Ramdasi understood significance of Baba’s message, and the meaning of life. This brought him peace and tranquility.
Gopal Narayan Ambedkar would come to Shirdi and used to share his grief and happiness with Baba. Once he was so overcome by troubles that he decided to commit suicide by jumping into the well at Shirdi. Just when he was about to take this drastic step, another devotee came there and gave a book which had the biography of Akalkot Maharaj. In the book it was mentioned that the Maharaj had saved a person from drowning in the well and told him he had to suffer for all bad deeds committed in his past birth in this life itself, and one cannot escape the same by committing suicide. The book further said that if one tries to escape the sufferings and pain in this life by ending one’s life then one has to take several rebirths to atone for sins committed. This left a deep impression on Ambedkar and he realized that taking one’s own life is a sin. Over a period of time he mastered astrology and spent the latter part of his life immersed in astrological studies.
Harshchandra Pitle’s son used to faint very often and so Harshchandra brought him to Baba’s masjid hoping that his child would get cured. However, the boy fainted as soon as they entered the masjid. Both Harshchandra and his wife were inconsolable on seeing their son’s plight and began to lament that they had brought their son to Baba hoping he would be cured but it seems there was no help. Baba asked them to be calm and assured them that the boy will regain consciousness soon, and God definitely helps those who have Shraddha and Saburi - faith and patience. As assured by Baba, the boy recovered and was completely cured of his sickness.
Shri Pitle was given three rupees by Baba and was told that he should keep the same in the shrine at home and worship it to attain happiness. Baba also told Shri Pitle that he had been given two rupees earlier. Shri Pitle, however, did not remember receiving the two rupees. Morever, that was his first visit to Shirdi. When he returned home and narrated his conversation with Baba to his mother, she told him that as a young boy he had visited Akalkot Maharaj with his father. At that time his father had received two rupees from the maharaj. His father used to worship the coins. Thus Baba conveyed to Shri Pitle that he knows the past of people and one Mahatma knows about the other because of their visionary power.
Once someone sent a box of mangoes for Baba at Shirdi. From the box, Baba set aside four mangoes for Damu anna. Baba asked Damu anna to give the mangoes to his second wife and said that Damu anna will be blessed with a child once his wife eats the mangoes. Damu anna who has been childless for a long time was blessed with a child through Baba’s amra (mango) leela. After sometime Damu Anna wanted Baba to join his business as a partner. Baba declined the offer saying that he did not want to entangle himself in worldly affairs.
Baba had said that even after he takes Samadhi he would take care of his devotees. He may not be physically present but His spirit would continue to guide his devotees, He would talk to His devotees and take care of their wellbeing. He asked his devotees to always remember Him and have faith. “Good things will happen to you,” thus spoke Shri Sai Baba.
Once Hemandpant was washing Baba’s feet when some peanuts fell from his coat pocket. He was puzzled as to how there were peanuts in his coat pocket. Baba remarked that since it was the day of the baazar (weekly market) Hemandpant may have gone to the bazaar, bought some peanuts and eaten them all by himself. On hearing this Hemandpant told Baba that he never ate anything without sharing and it was wrong to say that he had brought peanuts to eat them all by himself. To this Baba replied that he knew that Hemandpant always shared and would never eat anything without giving to others. He advised all present there to remember that God is always with them and before anything is eaten it should be offered to God as all that we had or receive is provided by His grace and blessings.
Once Shama, a devotee of Baba was bitten by a snake, and as was the custom people wanted him to be rushed to the temple of Khandoba. Shama refused and said his God and doctor was Baba, so they should take him to the Masjid. When he was entering the Masjid, Sai Baba started to scream “Oh thankless Brahmin get down and get out.” Shama was taken aback by Baba’s reaction and as he lay at the Masjid wondered why Baba was not helping him. However, he soon found himself feeling better, cured of the effects of poisoning without any medicine. He came to realize, as did the other devotees present there, that Baba was not shouting at Shama but commanding the snake to get out.
Om Sri Samarth Sadguru Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai.
Baba Sai, my prostration to you at your feet. With your blessings I could complete the Parayan for Sunday. Please bless me with a life well lived, with good health, with the means to take care of my life and of those around me, and peace for the world. Please bless me with your remembrance always and to receive the Prasad of your blessings daily.
Om Satguru Sainathay Namah.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
Om Sri Sai Ram
Saturday’s Parayan
Once Baba Saheb Mirikar, who was on his way to Chitali, came for Baba’s Darshan. Baba asked Mirikar if had seen a long baba, warned him that it was like death but it would not harm devotees of the Dwarakamai. The masjid is very kind, Baba said. Baba Saheb Mirikar was puzzled by Baba’s question and warning. Later when Shama and Baba Saheb Mirikar were sitting at a temple courtyard in Chitali, a serpent unnoticed, came and coiled itself on Baba Saheb Mirikar’s lap. A temple staff noticed the snake and began to scream “serpent, serpent.” To everyone’s relief, after a few minutes the serpent slithered away without harming anyone and Baba Saheb Mirikar knew Baba’s blessing had saved him from harm. Neither scorpion nor any serpent can cause any harm unless ordered by God. So we should never harm any of these creatures as God will take care of us, Baba would tell devotees.
Mahatma Apa once gave a book titled Vichar Sagar to Sri Thakur and asked him to read it saying his wishes will be fulfilled after reading it and in due course of time a saint from north India will show him the path to salvation. After some years, Sri Thakur came to Shirdi and on seeing him Baba said that the spiritual path was not all that easy as told by Mahatma Apa. Spiritual knowledge gained in real life is essential to achieving salvation, Baba said.
Once Radhakrishna mai, a devotee of Sri Sai was shivering with fever. Baba untold went near her house and asked for a ladder. He then climbed the roof of her house and crossed over to the other side. While Baba was doing this Radhakrishna mai’s fever began to subside and she was well soon. After climbing down the roof, Baba gave Rs.2/-to the person who had brought the ladder. When people asked Baba why he gave so much money, Baba replied that one should never take any service free and must pay whatever was due.
Baba once told a devotee who was known to be rude and ruthless that he was like a pig that lives in and eats filth and there was no point in him coming to a sacred place like Shirdi. The devotee soon realized the significance of Baba’s message. The devotee realized that his actions, and words said with the intention of hurting others would come back to hurt him.
Once Das Ganu Maharaj was translating the Isha Upanishad in Marathi but he could not get the essence of one of the sections in the scripture so he went to Baba and asked for his help in understanding the Upanishad. Baba told him that the meaning of the Upanishad would be taught to him by the maid at Kaka Saheb Dikshit’s place in Ville Parle, Bombay. Baba’s instructions surprised Das Ganu Maharaj but he decided to follow it. He went to Kaka Saheb’s house at Ville Parle and he saw the maid dressed in rags and wondered how this girl would teach him the meaning of the Upanishad. Das Ganu felt sad for the girl and asked Kaka Dikshit to buy her a new sari. The next day, Das Ganu saw that the girl in a new saree, singing merrily as she was washing utensils. The following day, Das Ganu saw that the girl was wearing her old torn dress but she was still singing happily as she did her work. On seeing this Das Ganu in an instant realized that both happiness and sorrow depend on our own attitude and mindset, and he understood why Baba had sent him to Kaka Saheb Dikshit’s house.
Sri Patankar, a learned man, came to Shirdi to seek Baba’s blessings. Baba told Sri Patankar that without devotion all knowledge gathered was a waste and that the right way was to have devotion with love and respect and that in turn will give him the mental peace and tranquility he was looking for. Sri Patankar understood the meaning of Baba’s message and felt blessed and at ease.
Once a rich man came to Baba seeking Brahma Gyan. Baba told him that a person whose intention was to only earn money for the sake of hoarding and does not use the money earned in good work should not aspire for Brahma Gyan. He advised the rich man to have faith in his guru, overcome his greed for money, and practise pancha prana and panch indriyas to be blessed with Brahma Gyan.
Once Sri Sathe came to Shirdi feeling troubled and anxious. Baba advised him to read the Sat Charita for seven days and said that his miseries will end thereafter. Sri Sathe started reading the Sat Charita as advised by Baba and one day Baba appeared in his dream with the Sat Charita and asked him to do the Parayan for another seven days. Another devotee of Baba, Hemandpant, who heard about Baba’s assurance to Sri Sathe, felt upset that even though he had been reading the Sat Charita for several years, he had not been blessed by Baba. Baba, the Omniscient, could read Hemandpant’s mind. Baba asked Hemandpant to visit Shama and to chat with him for a while. During their conversation, Shama told Hemandpant about an old lady called Radha Bai Deshmukh. Radha Bai Deshmukh once came to Shirdi and began a fast to seek Baba’s blessings. On hearing of her fast, Baba called her and asked her to eat. He told her that his guru who was in Samadhi never gave any mantra, he only asked for a dakshina of two paise – that is the paise of Shraddha and Saburi (devotion and patience). Baba further explained to Radha Bai Deshmukh that he had dedicated himself to the service of his guru and aspired for nothing more. He said patience will wipe away all our sins and difficulties, determination will take us through this life and give us peace. Baba also told her that his guru’s blessing was the reason for all that he had or learned. He asked her to similarly devote herself to the service of her guru and she was sure to achieve Mukti. On hearing about Baba’s advice to Radha Bai Deshmukh, Hemandpant realized that he would receive Baba’s blessing one day and his prayers and devotion will be heard and answered by Baba. After a while Shama and Hemandpant went to the Dwarakamai on hearing the sound of bells for the arti. After the arti, Baba placed some sugar candies in Hemandpant’s palm and asked him to always remember the story of Radha Bai Deshmukh and said it would remove the barriers between the guru and his disciple. Baba assured Hemandpant that his life would be as sweet as sugar candy. Thus Hemandpant received blessings from Baba.
Om Sri Samarth Sadguru Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai.
Baba, my prostration to you at your feet. With your blessings I could complete the Parayan for Saturday. Please bless my family, my friends and others around me with long life, peace, good health, and enough wealth to take of their needs. Please bless me with your remembrance and to receive the Prasad of your blessings daily.
Om Satguru Sainathaya Namah.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
Sai Sat Charita Parayan Friday
The edited versions now you can copy in word document and take a print out to make as booklet for ease of reading the same daily.
Om Sri Sai Ram
Friday’s Parayan
The people of Shirdi, while doing their daily chores, used to sing Baba’s praise. They were blessed. They regarded Sai as their God. One day, Baba lost in the wrestling game of khushti against Thamboli, and as per the rules of the game he had to leave Shirdi and live in another place for a few days. During this period Baba would wander in the jungles and Baijabai, an elderly lady, would go searching for him with homemade food. Sai Baba remembered Baijabai’s devotion and took care of her son Tatya all his life. On his return to Shirdi, Baba started going around Shridi begging for food. Baba would visit about two or three houses and from the food received he would eat a little and the rest he would distribute to the poor. Baba used to say that he was the servant of his devotees.
Once Nanavalli, a devotee of Baba, ordered Baba to get down from his throne and he went and sat on the throne and after a while got up and went away. Baba did not mind Nanavali’s behaviour at all and without any hesitation allowed his bhakta’s desire to sit on the throne to be fulfilled.
Baba never expected anything from anybody and was always sympathetic towards everyone. One day while Mrs Tharakad, another devotee of Baba, was having lunch when a dog came to her door. Mrs.Tharakad gave him some of her food and appeased his hunger. Later during the day when Mrs. Tharakad met Baba at the Masjid, Baba said “you appeased my hunger and you fed me well.” By this Baba wanted to convey to her that the hunger of the dog and his hunger were not different and whoever feeds the hungry and then eats himself will achieve salvation. “Whoever sees me in every living being is my true devotee,” Baba told Mrs. Tharakad.
Once Mrs.Tharakad sent a peda (the only eatable available in her house on that day) for Baba through Govind Balram Bhasker. On reaching Shirdi, Govind Balaram Bhaskar forgot about the peda and remembered only when Baba asked him for the peda. Baba eagerly ate the peda like he was waiting for it for a long time.
Sai Baba used to sleep in Dwarkamai (the masjid) on a small wooden plank presented by a devotee by the name of Dengle. The plank was hung from the roof with the help of strings made of rags and people who saw it wondered how Baba managed to sleep on the plank and they would often gather at night to watch Baba sleep. One day when a crowd gathered to watch Baba sleep Baba pulled down the plank and broke it into pieces and threw it into the burning dhuni.
Sai Baba knew the past, present and future of his bhaktas. Kaka Mahajani who had come to Shirdi to stay for a week was asked by Baba to leave for his home town immediately. On his return Kaka Mahajani found that he was urgently needed by his employer as the manager of the firm had fallen sick.
Dhumal, a pleader in the village, once came to see Baba on his way to the court and was asked by Baba to stay and not leave Shirdi for a week. When Dhumal went back to court a week later he came to know that the case had been postponed the previous week.
Once Tatya Patil ignoring Baba’s advice left for the mandi and he met with an accident when his horse cart toppled over and his horse suffered a sprain. Tatya also received minor injuries and had to call off his trip to the mandi. Once a foreigner came for Baba’s darshan and he was asked to sit on the floor. The foreigner felt insulted and wanted to leave Shridi immediately. Baba read his mind and asked him to stay back for one more day. But the foreigner ignored Baba’s advice and left Shirdi. He met with an accident and had to stay in hospital for some time.
One day Baba informed his devotees that he would don the orange robe that day. The people there did not get the meaning of what Baba meant by orange robe. In the evening a Nasik Brahmin by the name Mule Shastri offered flowers to Baba and as he was prostrating before Baba he saw his Guru Dholup Swamy with orange robe, where Baba was standing. When Mule Shastri got up he saw Baba again standing in front of him. Similarly, to a doctor who was a Ramabhakta Baba appeared as his guru Sri Ramachandra Murti. These incidents tell us about the omniscient nature of Baba.
Baba would always advise the people of Shirdi to stay united and live in harmony, irrespective of the religion they followed. God will always save you, try to achieve salvation, without salvation life is meaningless, Baba would say. He would ask his devotees to forgive those who hurt them and to help each other.
Once during summer holidays Mrs.Tharakad came to Shirdi. One day when Mrs Tharakad came to the Masjid for Baba’s darshan, Baba told her that he had been to her house in Bandra that day but there was nothing there for him to eat.
Everyday Mrs. Tharakad would offer naivedya to the photo of Sai Baba at the shrine in her house in Bandra. However, while she was away at Shirdi, Mr. Tharakad had forgotten to offer naivedya. Thus, Baba informed his devotees that praying to his picture was equal to doing his puja in person. Baba was omniscient and he experienced the love of his devotees and tasted the food offered by them even when they were far away from him.
Sai Baba never allowed anyone to put sandal paste on his forehead, but one day Dr.Pandit applied sandal paste on Baba’s forehead and Baba did not object. Seeing this people asked Baba why he did not object to Dr.Pandit’s action. To this Baba replied that Dr. Pandit saw his guru Raghunath maharaj in him thus he did not object. Dr. Pandit later confirmed this by saying he saw his guru Raghunath maharaj in Baba. Sai Baba used to chant God’s name and used to distribute the sacred ash – vibhuti to people. The vibhuti cured even those diseases that were thought to be incurable. Bimaji Patil once contracted tuberculosis and it became so severe that he began to vomit blood. He came to Baba seeking help. Baba asked him not to worry and said that all his difficulties will be over soon. Baba said that whoever steps into Dwarkamai with true devotion will see an end to all pain and suffering. “The fakir at this place is very compassionate and he takes care of everyone who has true devotion,” Baba said to Bimaji Patil. That night Baba appeared in his dream and blessed him and the next day when Bimaji woke up he found himself cured and free of all the symptoms of tuberculosis. In order to express his gratitude Bimaji Patil started a vrata called Sai Vrata similar to the Satyanarayana vrata.
Sriman Baba Saheb Buti once suffered from diahorrea and Baba saw him rush to the toilet many times during the day. On seeing this Baba pointed a finger towards Mr Buti and said he was cured of diahorrea at that very instant. Within seconds Mr Buti felt cured. Baba was known to cure many devotees by making them eat things that were said to aggravate to those conditions, like almond and pistachio paste for people suffering from an upset stomach. Once Baba cured a Sanyasi who came to Baba complaining of severe earache, simply by saying “Allah will take care of you.” Dutta Pant got cured of the stomach pain he was suffering from for nearly fourteen years by eating the Udi given by Baba. Shama, another devotee of Baba, who was suffering from piles was cured with the essence of Sonamukhi seeds. After sometime Shama again got piles and he decided to cure himself by taking some sonamukhi seeds. And to his surprise his condition became severe and he had to seek Baba’s help. Pandit Gangadhar was cured of his stomach pain when Baba placed his hand on his stomach and said “God will take away your pain.
Hardik Sidique Phalke who had been to Mecca on pilgrimage was not allowed to enter the Masjid for nine months. He was allowed to enter only when his ego and pride were gone. Baba embraced him and welcomed him into the masjid.
Once Das Ganu wore a fancy robe and some jewellery for a Harikatha recital. Baba called him and asked him to be simple and do the Harikatha like Narad rishi. Das Ganu understood the significance of what Baba said and immediately changed into the simple everyday attire of dhoti and angavastra.
Sri Sai Baba never offered any mantra to chant or ask his devotees to do yoga. He only asked them to chant God’s name with a pure heart and to remember God always. Baba had control over natural elements too. Once when heavy thunder and storm raged over Shirdi, Baba pointed his finger towards the sky and asked the thunder and storm to calm down. The storm immediately subsided. Once the fire in the dhuni flared up and the flames leapt up to the ceiling. Baba hit his satka on the ground and asked the fire to calm down. Within seconds the fire stopped raging, the flames subsided and the people around were relieved.
Whenever devotees felt jealous or had bad thoughts, Baba would read their minds and in a subtle way teach them how to be rid of their unpleasant thoughts and feelings. In order to instil in his devotees the feeling of compassion he would take dakshina from them and by evening he would distribute the money collected as daskshina amongst his bhaktas or spend it on the upkeep of Dwarakamai. The two rupees he took from him devotees signified patience and devotion, Baba said. Once he asked Sri Narke for fifteen rupees. Mr Narke told Baba that he did not have money, to which Baba said that he did not want the money, he only wanted Sri Narke to practice the yog nishta he was studying.
Sometimes Baba used to refuse to take dakshina from devotees and when they brought expensive presents he would scold them. One Sri Jholkar came to Shirdi for Baba’s darshan and for the trip he had saved money by not consuming sugar. On seeing Sri Jholkar, Baba immediately ordered that Sri Jholkar be given tea with a lot of sugar. Sri Jholkar was moved to tears and he realised that God took care of those who worshipped him with pure devotion.
Om Sri Samarth Sadguru Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai.
Baba, I bow before you. Please bless my family and friends with good health and happiness. With your grace and blessings I was able to complete the parayan for Friday. Please bless me with your remembrance, today and always.
Om Satguru Sainathay Namah.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
As the earlier version was posted in haste,the same is edited once again and posted here.We shall post the other days parayan with in few days.
Sai Sat Charita Thursday's Parayan
Param Guru Sainath ! I salute you a thousand times and bow before you. I depend on you completely and have full faith in you. I seek your blessings. Your grace protects my life. Parameswar, please keep me with you, and let not any evil spirit distract me from your guidance and please give me the strength to be with you, always. Please give me the ability to understand all your teachings and let me acquire the qualities of a good human being. Sainath, I prostrate before you a thousand times.
In the district of Kopergaon in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, there is a small village called Shirdi and in that village under a neem tree Sai Baba appeared as a sixteen year old boy. Baba lived there for many years and his kindness and miracles transformed Shirdi into a holy place. No one knows where Baba was born or who his parents were. Baba never spoke to anyone about his past, his family or his early years. He was affected by neither rain nor scorching heat nor the cold weather in winter. He would sit under the neem tree unaffected by the changes in weather. He would often be seen in padmasan mudra, in deep meditation (tapas).
Once the people of Khandoba dug up a portion near the neem tree where they found a cave with four lamps burning. Baba informed the people there that his Guru had resided in that cave and asked the people of Khandoba to always protect it. After this incident Sai Baba left Shirdi and he came back after three years with a marriage party. Baba thereafter stayed in Shirdi till his samadhi.
Once Chand Patil, a rich man from a village called Dhoop, was searching for his mare when he saw a fakir wearing turban and kafni sitting under a mango tree. The fakir told Chand Patil that his mare was near the nullah. To Chand Patil’s surprise and joy the mare was found near the nullah. When he returned to the mango tree to thank the fakir, he saw the fakir striking the ground with his satka and out came a burning ember with which the fakir lit a chillum and with a wet piece of cloth he held the hukkah pipe. The fakir offered Chand Patil a smoke from the hukkah. Chand Patil realised that the fakir was not an ordinary human being. He requested the fakir to accompany his family to Shirdi for the wedding of his brother in law. When the marriage party reached the entrance to Shirdi, the priest of Khandoba temple welcomed the fakir saying “O SAI, please come” and from that day on he was called SAI by one and all and in due course he became SAI BABA.
In Shirdi, Baba stayed in a masjid made of mud. He wore a turban and kafani and his only possessions were a tin pot, a satka and chillum. Sai dressed like a Muslim, followed Hindu rituals and practices; like a Hindu he had his ears pierced and he resided in a masjid which he called Dwarakamai. He always kept a dhuni burning in the masjid like an ever burning agnihotra. He used to grind wheat between the two stones of a handmill. Devotees used to ring the bell before entering the masjid and would offer things in the dhuni to keep it burning. Brahmins used to visit the masjid and bow their heads before SAI BABA. Sai Baba would always chant “Narayan, Narayan” and “Allah Malik” (Allah is the sole owner of this world). In Shirdi the Hindus celebrated Ramanavami festival and the Muslims celebrated the sandal procession on the same day. Sometimes Baba would wear bells on his ankles and dance as if in a trance all through the day and night and people would stand watching him, mesmerised.
Many people returned to good health on seeing SAI BABA and many had their desires fulfilled. Baba’s touch helped blind people regain their vision and the lame were able to start walking. His grace ensured that there was no dearth of food or clothing in the house of his devotees. Sai Baba used to say that those who chanted his name or remembered him would always have their needs taken care of. He always blessed his devotees.
Baba talked to everyone very affectionately and never discriminated between the rich and the poor. Even though he lived in Shirdi he knew about events that were happening in distant places. He used to remove evil thoughts from the minds of his devotees and would urge them to nurture good thoughts. He directed them onto the spiritual path.
Baba’s fame spread far and wide, drawing devotees from different parts of the world. His presence gave immense solace to people who came to see him. At Dwarkamai, Baba used to light earthen lamps with oil borrowed from shop keepers at Shirdi. One day the shopkeepers refused to give Baba oil to light the lamps, saying that there was no oil in their stores. This behaviour of the shopkeepers did not upset Baba, instead he went about calmly pouring water in the lamps and to the utter bewilderment of the shopkeepers, Baba managed to light the lamps filled with water. The shopkeepers were ashamed of their behaviour towards Baba and they requested him to forgive them. Baba said that they were free to give or refuse but they should never lie.
An old man called Gouli Bua was a devotee of Lord Vittal and when he saw Baba at Shirdi he knew in his heart that Sai Baba was the incarnation of Vittal. He knew that Baba was not an ordinary person. During his early days in Shirdi Baba created a beautiful garden in the courtyard of the masjid and everyday he would water the plants with water from an earthen pot. Baba would fetch water from a well that was far away from the masjid and after watering the plants he would break the earthen pot at the foot of the neem tree. Baba was given a fresh earthen pot everyday by Tatya Patil. In due course of time a lovely garden came into being at the masjid.
Gangadhari, a sadhu, on seeing Baba watering the plants in the garden predicted that the boy would one day be a precious jewel of Shirdi. Shri Anand Rao Maharaj, a devotee of Akalkot Maharaj said the boy was a gem and the people would realise this one day in the near future. Once Shri Krishnaji, a devotee of Akalkot maharaj wanted to do a puja of the padukas of the Swami in Akalkot. In his dream he saw Baba who asked him to come to Shirdi and perform the paduka pooja. As instructed Krishnaji did the prathishta of the padukas under the neem tree after seeking Baba’s blessings. Sri Upasini Baba wrote a prayer and the same was engraved near the padukas under the neem tree.
In Shirdi, Baba was the doctor people sought help from for their ailments. People with no vision regained sight with the help of Baba’s medication made of biba seed paste which was applied over the eyes and the eyes were thereafter bandaged. When the bandage was removed the patient found his/her sight restored. Sometimes Baba would take the sufferings of his devotees upon himself and would suffer along with them. Mr Kharpade’s son once got bubonic plague and Mr Kharpade came to Baba seeking his help. Baba told Mr Kharpade that he was aware that his son was ill and had already started the process of treating the boy. Baba showed Mr and Mrs Kharpade Bubos of Plague on his body and said that he had taken the same on himself to cure the boy. Baba used to treat devotees who were ill even when they were far away from him. One day Baba thrust his hand into the dhuni, severely burning his whole arm. When questioned why he had done that Baba said that in a far away place a blacksmith’s wife who was working near fire had suddenly got up without remembering that she was holding her little baby in her lap. The baby was falling into the fire when, as the mother later recounted, an invisible hand stopped her son from falling into the fire and was thus saved. People in Shirdi realised that Baba was omniscient and knew if his devotees were in trouble and would rush to help them no matter where they be. Bhagoji Shinde, who was afflicted by leprosy, used to apply ghee to Baba’s wound caused by the fire and gently massaged Baba’s injured hand after it started to heal. Bhagoji Shinde continued with this practice till the Samadhi of Sai Baba. Bhagoji Shinde’s devotion towards Baba and Baba’s affection for him showed that Baba treated all his devotees alike and never discriminated on the grounds of caste, creed or physical affliction.
Sai Baba’s devotee, Das Ganu Maharaj, once wished to go to Prayag for a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam. Baba asked Das Ganu Maharaj to have faith in him and that he would soon be able to visit Prayag. Baba said that as Das Ganu was prostrating at his feet when water began to flow from Baba’s feet. Das Ganu beheld the holy rivers of the Sangam sitting at Baba’s feet.
For some time a bachelor called Rohilla stayed at the masjid with Baba and he used to do the aajan every day shouting Allah O Akbar and used to read aloud verses from the Koran. This disturbed the peace and tranquillity of the place and many devotees complained to Baba about this and asked him to stop Rohilla from shouting. Baba asked his devotees to be patient with Rohilla saying that the bachelor was being troubled by his wife (bad thoughts) causing him to wail out loud the Lord’s name. As assured by Baba, Rohilla recovered and stopped screaming.
A devotee of Baba, Sheerasagar worshipped Lord Vittal till his death but his son discontinued the puja thereafter and never offered any Naivedya. Baba passed on a message to Sheerasagar’s son saying that his father was a great friend of his and scolded the son for ignoring the puja and Naivedya of Vittal Bhagwan. Sheerasagar’s son realised his mistake and in earnest started the puja of Lord Vittal, observing all the practices his father had followed including the offering of naivedya everyday.
Anna Saheb Dabolkar once came to Shirdi and offered his pranam to Baba by prostrating at his feet. Anna Saheb witnessed several changes in his life thereafter. While he was at Shirdi Anna Saheb once saw Baba grinding wheat at the masjid. Some ladies who were also witness to this sat down with Baba and began to help him grind the wheat. And while they did this they began to sing beautiful songs in praise of the miracles Baba had shown. When all the wheat was ground they began to gather the flour to take home with them. Seeing this Baba got angry and directed the ladies to take the flour and spread it in the four directions across the village. This, the devotees later realised, was done to prevent a cholera epidemic from spreading into the village. Seeing this and the other miracles of Baba, Anna Saheb Dhabolkar wanted to write a book about them and he sought Baba’s permission through Shama, the great devotee of Baba. Baba granted Anna Saheb permission by applying udi on his forehead. Baba told Anna that he was would be a tool for writing the book while he (Baba) would write his own biography as a living example. “Once my devotees listen to my leelas and preaching they will take the spiritual path and even an atheist will learn to respect me and begin to have faith in me,” Baba told Anna Saheb. He also said that no one who believes in him will ever go hungry. Baba used to lovingly address Anna Saheb as Hemandpant.
Both Gopal Rao and Damu Anna Kesar, who were childless for a long time, were blessed with children by Baba’s grace. And in order to express their gratitude, Gopal Rao and Anna Kesar decided to start celebration of the Ramanavami festival and flag hoisting at the Masjid. Damu Anna Kesar and Nana Saheb together donated two flags which were taken out in a procession around Shirdi and thereafter they were placed at the masjid. During this time a Muslim gentleman decided to start the Sandal paste procession. At Shirdi Ram katha, the cradle festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna and the Sandal procession were held in a spirit of harmony between members of the Hindu and Muslim communities. A weekly reading of the Nam Saptah was also held and on the concluding day the poor were fed a sumptuous meal.
Om Sri Sathguru Sainath Maharaj Ji Ki Jai.
O Sri Sainath, I prostrate at your feet and seek your blessings. Today I have completed the first day’s reading of your Satcharita. Please bestow your blessings on me to complete the weekly reading of your Satcharita. Please bless me and those around me with peace, tranquillity, and devotion towards you. I pray for your Grace all through my life.
Sat Guru Sainathaya Namah
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Sai Ram All,
This is to be Seen to be Believed !!
This happened in Kalika Mata temple in Ratlam, M.P., last month.
Pictures tell the true story. The Saint was telling the story of Ramayana and "Hanumanji" appeared in the form of langur !! The langur first went and sat near the singers and listened to the kirtan, held the mic of the mahantji, got blessed by him, then "blessed" the saints and then sat in front of Shri Ramji's photo and took some of the flowers (note similar position to Shri Hanumanji in the framed picture) and left quietly.
Bolo Siyavar Ramchandra ki Jai. Pavanasuta Hanuman ki Jai.
By Kamala Murthy
The leaves of the tulsi plant are important in worship. They are superior even to fragrant flowers. Flowers are fragrant only when they bloom. But every part of the tulsi plant has fragrance. Its seeds, it leaves, its stem, its roots- all have fragrance. Even the soil in which it is planted acquires the fragrant smell of the plant. All we need to do is to use a single tulsi leaf in worship. Nothing will please Lord Narayana more. Using tulsi leaves in worship will bring prosperity.
One day, Tulsi went to the Lord with a complaint. She had a grievance, she said. Like Goddess Mahalakshmi, Tulsi too came from the milky ocean. But while Lakshmi adorned His chest, which was Her permanent abode, what honour had she (Tulsi) been given? Tulsi had come from the scattered drops of nectar. Why was it that she was not honoured, while Lakshmi was, Tulsi wondered.
The Lord said that Lakshmi had done penance and had thus reached Him. Lakshmi, however, was going to appear on the Earth, as the daughter of Sage Markandeya. Tulsi should go to the Earth too, and there spread herself as a bush, that would shelter Lakshmi, who would appear under the bush. Lakshmi would be brought up by Sage Markandeya. The Lord would come down too, and would marry Lakshmi later on.
As per the Lord's instructions, Tulsi appeared on the bank of the Cauvery river. She appeared in such profusion, that the whole place resembled a tulsi forest. So dense was the vegetation. Sage Markandeya, who was on a pilgrimage, reached the place where Tulsi had taken root. He bathed in the river, and began to meditate. In his mind's eye, the sage could see the Lord. And as long as the image of the Lord filled the sage's mind, he was oblivious to everything else around him. He did not even notice the child who was under the tulsi bush.
This child was none other than Goddess Mahalakshmi. In order that the sage should open his eyes and see Her, the Lord caused His image to disappear from the sage's mind. Only then did the sage open his eyes, and upon seeing the child, he picked her up, brought her up, and later got Her married to the Lord.
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