By: C.S. Dinesh
Every Sai devotee is familiar with Baba’s oft-repeated statement – ‘Sab ka Malik Ek’. This idea of one God is professed in the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna says, 4.11, “Ye yatha mam prapadyante, tan tathaiva bhajami aham,” which means, “By whatsoever way men seek me, I accept them the same way.” Thus, there is one God, who appears to us in the form that we seek Him. It applies to all human beings in any part of this universe.
In the Gita, He appears in both ways – Nirankari, the formless, and Sakara, with form. The Ishwar who created this vast creation can also assume a form, simultaneously at many places. Sai Maharaj appeared as Dutta, Rama, Krishna, Maruti, and different deities. He can express himself in many forms and many numbers. The ‘Raas Leela’ of Krishna is an example of this. While dancing with the Gopis, he is with everyone simultaneously. Krishna says in the Gita, “All beings are equal to me.” “I am the same to all beings. There is no one whom I hate nor is anyone dear to me. However, those who worship me, in devotion, abide in me, and I remain in them.”
All deities are forms of that one God. The devotees who worship different deities for some material gain or to cure their suffering are also his worshippers. Krishna says there are four types of his devotees. The first is ‘Artha,’ a devotee who worships for the sake of removal of suffering. The second, called ‘Artharthi,’ worships for acquiring material possessions. A seeker of knowledge is the third kind, called ‘Jijnasu.’ The last one is a man of wisdom, who identifies with Him with exclusive devotion.
The rewards made available to such devotees by the other Gods and Goddesses are bestowed by the Supreme Being. So, the different forms of different deities are also manifestations of the One, absolute, omnipotent, all-pervading God Lord Krishna who is Sainath Parabrahman.
Shri Krishna emphasizes his supremacy, “Mattah parataram nanyat kinchid-asti Dhananjaya; mayi sarvamidam protam, sootre manigana iva.” The verse implies, “There is nothing higher than me, O Arjuna. All glorious beings and things are woven in me; just as precious stones are strung upon a single thread.” Here one God, the string, holds together numerous divine manifestations, precious stones. Sai Baba offered this realization to Nana Saheb Chandorkar.
At several places in the Gita, Krishna declares that God resides in the hearts of all. That is yet another pointer to one God pervading the entire universe. The ‘Vishwa-Roopa,’ the cosmic form that Krishna shows, as described in the 11th chapter of the Gita, is another splendid display of all divine expressions included in the one God. One appears as many.
The 10th chapter, ‘Vibhoothi Yoga’, of the Gita talks of God being the basis of everything in the universe that shines with extraordinary charm and power. “Please understand,” says Krishna, 10.41, “That anything or anybody in this vast universe, endowed with the most impressive qualities or glory, has arisen from a part of my effulgence.” Thus, there are numerous pointers in the Gita and Sai Satcharitra to the overarching truth that God Sainath is one, and his expressions are many.
Leave a Reply