Sai Baba As The Boatman

By: Sushma S. Aradhya

There was once a benevolent King, reigning supreme in his land. He was killed by some conspirators among his Ministers. And, his wife, who was pregnant at that time, had to escape to a forest. She took refuge in the house of a hunter where she delivered a boy and died. Raised by the hunters, the child also became a hunter.

Years later, when a loyal minister happened to pass through the forest and saw the hunter boy, he was struck by his charm. The Minister felt that there was a royal aura surrounding the boy. He then made discreet inquiries about his ancestors and found out that the boy was none other than the prince whose father, the King, was killed. The Minister then helped the boy in mobilizing an army and regaining his kingdom.

In this story, illustrated in a commentary on the Upanishads, the Prince symbolized the Jiva who lived in the world of delusion without knowing his real identity. The Minister came as a Guru and revealed his true identity, the Self. With the guidance received, the Prince overpowered the conspirators, senses, and ascended the throne of Self-realization.

Everyone, born in this rich land of Bharat Varsha, is a Prince of a sort. This is the land that possesses the treasure of wisdom symbolized by the Vedas and Upanishads, the land which flourishes by following the tradition of venerating the Gurus, Lord Sainath is our Guru Supreme and Almighty God.

In a world where material-oriented life prevails, it may be difficult to find the right Guru, but for one who is on a real quest for knowledge, like Sri Narasimha Swamiji who had to struggle for eleven years from Mahatma to Mahatma from Sringeri Pontiff Chandrasekhara Bharati Jagadguru, Ramana Bhagavan, Siddharuda Swamiji, Bapu Mai, Narayan Maharaj, Jipruanna, Meher Baba, Upasani Maharaj and ultimately to Sai Maharaj’s Samadhi at Shirdi on 29th August 1936, when the Guru granted him Self-Realization at last.

The guru does not come, as is normally perceived, to impart knowledge as everyone is blessed with knowledge. If one is not able to realize it, it is because, like the dark clouds that overshadow the sun, the individual’s vision is obscured by the mind. For one who refrains from pursuing the path shown by the mind and seeks real knowledge, the Guru as Sai Maharaj steps in at the right moment as in the case of Sri Narasimha Swamiji, and leads him as well as millions of others to the right path.

This life is like a vast river where there are strong undercurrents, pulls, and pressures and it is the Guru who escorts us, like the boatman taking the traveler ashore safely through the storm. ‘Krishnashtakam’ says: ‘Krishnam Vande Jagatguru’ — I worship Krishna, the Lord who appeared as a teacher for the whole universe.

Anna Dabholkar came to see Sai Baba and said that there are different paths towards spiritual fulfillment and asked what path he could choose. Sai Baba replied: “When you speak of a path, first find out where exactly you want to go? You are the Self and there is nothing to be reached. Though you are knowledge absolute, when you identify yourself with the mind and body, the delusion comes. What is needed is to receive the grace of a Guru that removes ignorance and ‘Margadaarshana’. Sai Baba called him ‘Hemadpant’ assigned him the task of writing Sai Satcharita. Sai Baba impressed upon Anna Dabholkar that the Guru is already shining as the Atman within.

But since we are accustomed to having a ‘Saguna Guru’ in form, the Atman appears as an external Guru and pushes the Jnana inside the sadhaka, while the Atman inside pulls it from within.