Shri Sai Satcharita
Chapter 15
Singing the Glory of Sai Baba: Naradiya Kirtan
Paddhati. Devotion of Mr. Cholkar (Sugarless Tea). Story of Two Lizards.
The readers may remember
that mention was made in the 6th Chapter regarding the Rama-Navami Festival in
Shirdi; how the festival originated and how in the early years there was a
great difficulty in getting a good Haridas (one who sings the glory of Lord)
for performing Kirtan (singing) on that occasion, and how Baba permanently
entrusted this function (Kirtan) to Dasganu permanently.
Now in this chapter we
shall describe the manner in which Dasganu was performing the Kirtan.
Naradiya Kirtan-Paddhati
(Narada is the devotee of Lord Hari. Kirtan means singing the glory of Lord.
Paddhati means the method).
Generally our Haridasas2,
while performing the Kirtan, wear a gala and full dress. They put on a
head-dress, (a turban), a long flowing coat with a shirt inside, an uparane (small
shawl) on the shoulders and the usual long dhotar (traditional Indian outfit)
from the waist below. Dressed in this fashion for some Kirtan in the Shirdi
village, Dasganu once went to bow to Baba. Baba asked him - "Well,
bridegroom! Where are you going dressed so beautifully like this?" 'For
performing a Kirtan' was the reply. Then Baba said - "Why do you want all
this paraphernalia-coat, uparane and pheta (turban) etc, doff all that before
Me, why wear them on the body?" Dasganu immediately took them off and
placed them at the Baba's Feet. From that time Dasganu never wore these things
while performing the Kirtan. He was always bare from waist upwards; a pair of
chiplis (musical instrument) was in his hand and a garland round his neck. This
is not in consonance with the practice generally followed by all the Hardias,
but this is the best and the purest method. The sage Narada, from whom the
Kirtan-Paddhati originated, wore nothing on his trunk and head. He carried a 'veena'
(musical instrument) in his hand, and wandered from place to place everywhere
singing the glory of the Lord.
Mr. Cholkar's Sugarless Tea
Initially, Baba was known
in Poona and Ahmednagar Districts, but Nanasaheb Chandorkar, by his personal
talks and by Dasganu, by his splendid Kirtans, spread the fame of Baba in the
Konkan (Bombay Presidency). In fact, it was Dasganu - May God bless him-who, by
his beautiful and inimitable Kirtans, made Baba available to so many people there.
The audience, who come to hear the Kirtans have different tastes. Some like the
erudition of the Haridas; some his gestures, some his singing, some his wit and
humor, some his preliminary dissertation on Vedanta, and some others, his main
stories and so on; but among them, there are very few, who by hearing the
Kirtan get faith and devotion or love for God or saints. The effect of hearing
Dasganu's kirtan on the minds of audience was however electric, as it were.
We give an instance here: Dasganu
was once performing his Kirtan and singing the glory of Sai Baba, in the
Koupineshwar temple in Thana. One Mr. Cholkar, a poor man serving as a
candidate in the Civil Courts in Thana, was amongst the audience. He heard
Dasganu's Kirtan most attentively and was much moved. He there and then
mentally bowed and vowed to Baba saying - "Baba, I am a poor man, unable
to support my family. If by your grace, I pass the departmental examination, and
get a permanent post, I shall go to Shirdi, fall at Your Feet and distribute
sugar-candy in Your name." As good luck would have it, Mr.Cholkar did pass
the examination and did get the permanent post and now it remained for him to fulfill
his vow, the sooner the better. Mr. Cholkar was a poor man with a large family
to support; and he could not afford to pay for the expenses of a Shirdi trip.
As is well said, one can easily cross over Nahne ghat in Thana District or even
the Sahyadri Range (Highest range in the Eastern Ghats near Thana); but it is
very difficult for a poor man to cross Umbarghat, i.e., the threshold of his
house. As Mr. Cholkar was anxious to
fulfill his vow as early as possible, he resolved to economize, cut down his
expenses, and save money. He determined not to use sugar in his diet; and began
to take his tea without it. After he was able to save some money in this way, he
came to Shirdi, took Baba's darshan, fell at His Feet, offered a coconut,
distributed it with a clean conscience along with sugar candy as per his vow
and said to Baba that he was much pleased with His darshan and that his desires
were fulfilled that day. Mr. Cholkar was in the Masjid with his host Bapusaheb
Jog. When the host and the guest both got up and were about to leave the
Masjid, Baba spoke to Jog as follows:- "Give him (your guest) cups of tea,
fully saturated with Sugar." Hearing these significant words, Mr. Cholkar
was much moved, he was wonderstruck, his eyes were bedewed with tears, and he
fell at Baba's Feet again. Mr. Jog was also curious about this direction, regarding
the tea-cups to be given to his guest. Baba wanted by His words to create faith
and devotion in Cholkar’s mind. He hinted as it were, that He got the
sugar-candy as per his vow and that He knew full well his secret determination
not to use sugar in his diet.
Baba meant to say, “If you
spread your palms with devotion before Me, I am immediately with you, day and
night. Though, I am here bodily, still I know what you do; beyond the seven
seas. Go wherever you will, over the wide world. I am with you. My abode is in
your heart and I am within you. Always worship Me, Who is seated in your heart,
as well as, in the hearts of all beings. Blessed and fortunate, indeed, is he
who knows Me thus.”
What a beautiful and
important lesson was thus imparted by Baba to Mr. Cholkar!
Two Lizards
Now we close this Chapter,
with a story of two little lizards. Once Baba was sitting in the Masjid, a
devotee sat in front of Him, when a lizard tick-ticked. Out of curiosity, the
devotee asked Baba whether this tick-ticking of the lizard signified anything;
was it a good sign or a bad omen? Baba said that the lizard was overjoyed as
her sister from Aurangabad was coming to see her. The devotee sat silent, not
making out the meaning of Baba's words. Immediately, a gentleman from
Aurangabad came on horse-back to see Baba. He wanted to proceed further, but
his horse would not go, as it was hungry and wanted grams. He took out a bag
from his shoulders to bring grams and dashed it on the ground to remove dirt. A
lizard came out there from and in the presence of all, climbed up the wall.
Baba asked the questioner devotee to mark her well. She at once went strutting
to her sister. Both sisters met each other after a long time, kissed and
embraced each other, whirled round and danced with love! Where is Shirdi and
where is Aurangabad? How should the man on horse-back come there from
Aurangabad with the lizard? And how should Baba make the prophecy of the
meeting of the two sisters? All this is really very wonderful and proves the
omniscience - the all-knowing nature of Baba.
Post Script
He who respectfully reads
this Chapter or studies it daily, will get all his miseries removed by the
grace of the Sadhguru Sai Baba.
Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be
to all
No comments:
Post a Comment