The Guru Disciple relationship is eternal. The Guru is omnipresent. His guidance, his blessings, his teachings uplift the devotee not only for the brief period he dwells on earth, but forever! The consciousness of the true Guru is eternal, always wakeful, and attuned. It is not interrupted by the opening and closing doors of life and death. Shri Sai Baba was such a great Guru who had blessed Shri Nanasaheb Nimonkar, Chandorkar, Dabholkar, Rasane, he instructed Shri Nanasaheb Nimonkar (Deshpande) to hoist a flag on Dwarkamai on the auspicious day of Ramnavamee. The devoted disciple Nanasaheb and his family followed Shri Sai Baba’s command with great love and devotion during the last hundred years. The tradition is going on till today in the present time. He commanded Shri Rasane also to hoist the flag on Dwarkamai.
Shri Sai means, “All pervading, Omnipresent God!” Shri Sai established the true equality of religions. He spent his whole life in uniting the Hindu-Muslims. ‘’Sab ka Malik ek’’ was his principle. He devoted his whole life to bring them together. It is the duty of every true devotee of Shri Sai Baba to follow this ideal message in life.
Shri Sai is the ocean of love, sympathy and compassion. His glittering eyes shower the blessings and love on his devotees, Sai Baba fulfilled desires of all devotees as per their belief and faith. “The faith and patience are the two rupees”. They are the valuable golden coins for every true worshiper of Sai Baba. This is the most auspicious Mahamantra of Sai Baba.
Today we read the news and are attracted to the titles such as ‘’A Huge flood of devotees in Shirdi,’’ “Lakhs of devotees gathered in Shirdi on Guru-Poornima day”. What is the significance of such news? Why do thousands of people rush to Shirdi every year? What do they want? Wealth? Fame? Name? Fulfillment of material desires? The modern man is under the tremendous tension of problems in spite of all the prosperity and richness in life. He gets everything except true love and the satisfaction in life. He is running to Shri Sai only to get this valuable peace, mental and love. Sai Baba’s unconditional love is the true source of genuine happiness and everlasting peace. A true devotee will get true happiness of life only through the genuine worship of Shri Sai. Shri Sai will bless him with real spiritual wealth if he surrenders to Sai with all his heart.
Shri Sai Baba knew thoughts of his devotees very well. His divine existence filled each and every cell of the true devotee. His eyes used to speak a lot and convey his message. He knew the devotee’s past, present and future very well. He never gave a Guru-mantra in the traditional sense to anyone. Baba spoke only a few words as required, he used direct and plain words only when the occasion required. His language was cryptic, symbolical, full of parable, allegories and metaphors. His speech had to be decoded with the assistance of those who were close to him and familiar with his words.
My grandfather Late Shri Somnath Shankar Deshpande used to tell us lots of stories of his own experiences at Shirdi with Sai Baba. Baba used to demand Dakshina from him whenever he visited Sai Baba. Once Somnath said to him ‘’Baba you take Dakshina from me and give to other people, your devotees”. But you never gave me a single rupee as your blessing so far. You also rob my coins. What does it all mean? Baba replied, ’’Hey Somnya, listen very well! You are a Landlord. You will give money to the fakir like me. Dekh, fakir ka paisa kabhi nahi lena. Vaha paisa tumhara bhala nahi karega. Tum fakir ko paisa dega, jo mila usme khush rahana (You are a Landlord. So, you will give money to the fakir, like me. If you expect money from me, it will not be beneficial to you. It will not bring good results, try to be happy with what you get and donate money to the poor fakir like me). Baba’s words were significant. When my grandfather used to return to Pune, there was an increase in his salary. Sai pointed out the importance of devotion and love to my grandfather more than money. Sai’s blessings proved to be more valuable in his future.
As a good astrologer, my grandfather studied the marks and signs on the hands and feet of Sai Baba and was convinced that Baba was a genuine yogi. My father Shri Gopalrao had seen Baba in his childhood. He used to sit on Sai’s lap and enjoy sweets given by Shri Sai is as “The Prasad!”
Das Ganu
My great grandfather Nanasaheb Nimonkar and Chandorkar used to receive spiritual guidance from Sai Baba quite often. Shri Das Ganu Maharaj has described a wonderful event in his book on Sai Baba known as, ‘’ Arvachin bhaktaand Sai Leelamrut’’. Once these two devotees went to Baba, bowed at his feet and expressed their feelings of agony, depression and troubles rising out of the mundane life. They requested Baba to liberate them from such worldly, futile responsibilities forever! Baba laughed and said, “So long as you exist in this world physically, you have limitations of it. You are bounded by certain duties, feelings, and emotions. That is true. But you cannot achieve true liberation and reach God unless you fulfil these responsibilities. No one can go to God by avoiding them. Not even me. I am also caught in this web. I am also engulfed in this Sansar (the worldly life). Do you want to know it’s real nature? Your feelings, your emotions, attachment to the family, sufferings, sacrifices and your duties cannot be thrown away so easily. Because they are your creations. It is the result of your own “Kriyaman, Prarabdha and Sanchit,” that you have acquired from your many past lives. Unless you repay that debt, you cannot reach God. You have to live with it and make an end of it by experiencing it. Guru will help you. Guide you with his blessings to get moral courage and strength of the mind’’.
What a wonderful message Sai gave to them in these words. The wheel of life and death leads to sorrow but it also gives you an opportunity to learn, to purify, to become perfect to improve yourself. Do not run after illusions. Try to be realistic. Be patient and have faith in God. This Shraddha and Saburi (devotion and patience) will give you the true liberation’’
As a noble Sadguru, Shri Baba’s guidance will guide and save the lives of thousands of devotees in future. I bow and surrender to his feet with all my heart and offer my respect and love to my great Master Sai.
By Late Prof. Hemalata Sudhakar Joshi
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