By: Dinesh Chikkaballapur
After my retirement, I settled down in Mumbai and rendered Sai Satcharitra ‘ovi to ovi’ first in Kannada and later into English. During this holy task, two kinds of power have come into play in my life – the love of power and the power of love. The motivation underlying these two is vastly different – is it all about ourselves, or is it all about others? The first is demonstrated by Bhagoji Shinde who served Sai Maharaj, and the second is exemplified by Kaka Saheb Dixit, and others extending humanitarian assistance and bringing solace to the sick and the needy.
What we do all depends on the way we look at life. In 1944 when there was a severe drought in Madras and surrounding areas and many were starving for food, Sri Narasimha Swamiji distributed food to the needy from donations collected for the construction of the Sai temple. Swamiji, without missing a beat, told his associates: “Lord Sainath did not call me to build a temple but to help starving people in front of me.” Swamiji believed in living his life one day at a time because we have the power to change the world only one life at a time.
The power and strength of love are recounted by Sri R.K. Bhatnagar of Aligarh at the Annual Convention of Contributors to Sai Leela magazine held at Shirdi in February 1979 presided over by Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji in the story about Dashrath Manjhi, a poor laborer in a village – Gehlaur near Gaya in Bihar. His wife Falguni Devi died in need of medical help. So, Manjhi single-handedly forged a road through the mountains, working with a hammer and chisel for 22 years. He built the road that shortened the distance between the hospital and his village from 75 kilometers to 5 kilometers.
It is an oft-repeated religious belief that God brings good out of evil. It is a service to Lord Sainath. Without denying all the grief, suffering, and sorrow that the epidemic Plague brought to Atmaram Appa Kulkarni and six other residents of Shirdi, in 1895 when Nana Saheb Chandorkar and Ganesh Rao Sahasrabuddhe (who later became a Kirthankar as Dasganu Maharaj) came to Sai Baba’s fold, it has brought humanity together. Let us ponder on the five suggestions made by Dasganu Maharaj in one of his Harikatha’s dealing with Baba’s help to mitigate suffering.
Dasganu makes five suggestions – First, be on the lookout for the unexpected ways that Lord Sainath may be working in this crisis. What unforeseen good might Lord Sainath bring out of this mess? Second, the Plague epidemic could be seen as an invitation from Lord Sainath to you to serve others. Third, refocus on what is most important in this life. Fourth, spend more time with Lord Sainath in prayer. Fifth, connect more deeply with the people in your life – Service to humanity is service to Sai Maharaj. All of these are unexceptionable suggestions.
The power of love can save not only lives but transform them. This is true not only of human beings but also of human beings in relationship with animals. A ‘Bright Side’ story talks about a man who observed an eight-year-old girl in a store. She was talking to a dog, petting it, and smiling. Her parents were standing at one side looking happy. This onlooker later learned that their daughter was autistic and that it was the first time they’d heard her talk using full sentences.
Sri Narasimha Swamiji concluded: “Someday after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides, and gravity, we shall harness for Lord Sainath the energies of love and then for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.” Let us pray, look forward to and move towards this day.
Leave a Reply