Shri Sai Satcharita
Chapter 49
Stories of three devotees
(1) Hari Kanoba (2) Somadeva Swami (3) Nanasaheb Chandorkar.
Preliminary
The Vedas and the Puranas
cannot sufficiently praise (describe) Brahma or Sadhguru; then how can we, who
are ignorant, describe our Sadhguru Shri Sai Baba? We think that it is better
for us to keep quiet in this matter. In reality the observance of the vow of
silence is the best way of praising the Sadhguru; but the good qualities of Sai
Baba make us forget our vow of silence and inspire us to open our mouth. Good dishes
taste flat if there be no company of friends and relations to partake of the
dishes with us, but when they join us, the dishes acquire additional flavor.
The same is the case with the Sai Leela – the nectar in the form of Sai's
leelas. This nectar we cannot partake alone. Friends and brothers have to join
us - the more the better.
It is Sai Baba Himself that
inspires these stories and gets them written as He desires. Our duty is to
surrender completely to Him and meditate on Him. Practicing penance is better
than pilgrimage, vow, sacrifice, and charity. Worshipping Hari (Lord) is better
than penance, and meditation on the Sadhguru is the best of all. We have,
therefore, to chant Sai's name by mouth, think over His sayings in our mind,
meditate on His form, feel real love for Him in our heart and do all our
actions for His sake. There is no better means than this for snapping the
bondage of samsara. If we can do our duty on our part as stated above, Sai is
bound to help and liberate us. Now we revert to the stories of this chapter.
Hari Kanoba
A gentleman of Bombay named
Hari Kanoba heard from his friends and relations many Leelas of Baba. He did
not believe in them. He wanted to test Baba himself. So he came to Shirdi with
some Bombay friends. He wore a lace-bordered turban on his head and a new pair
of sandals on his feet. Seeing Baba from a distance he thought of going to Him
and prostrating himself before Him. He did not know what to do with his new
sandals. Still going to some corner outside in the open courtyard, he placed
them there and went in the Masjid and took Baba's darshan. He made a reverential
bow to Baba, took Udi and prasad from Baba and returned. When he reached the
corner he found that his sandals had disappeared. He searched for them in vain
and returned to his lodging very much dejected.
He bathed, offered worship
and naivedya and sat for meals, but all the while he was thinking about nothing
but his sandals. After finishing his meals, he came out to wash his hands when
he saw a Maratha boy coming towards him. He had in his hand a stick, on the top
of which was suspended a pair of new sandals. He said to the men who had come
out to wash their hands that Baba sent him with this stick in hand and asked
him to go on the streets crying – Hari Ka Beta. Jari Ka Pheta and told him that
anybody claims these sandals, first assure yourself that his name is Hari and
that he is the son of Ka, i.e., Kanoba, and that he wears a lace-bordered
turban and then give them to him. Hearing this, Hari Kanoba was pleasantly
surprised. He went ahead to the boy and claimed the sandals as his own. He said
to the boy that his name was Hari and that he was the son of Ka (Kanoba) and
showed him his lace bordered turban. The boy was satisfied and returned the
sandals to him. Hari Kanoba wondered in his mind saying that his lace-bordered
turban was visible to all and Baba might have seen it, but how could he know his
name Hari and that he was the son of Kanoba, as this was his first trip to
Shirdi. He came there with the sole object of testing Baba and with no other
motive. He came to know by this incident that Baba was a great Satpurush. He
got what he wanted and returned home well-pleased.
Somadeva Swami
Now hear the story of
another man who came to try Baba. Bhaiji, brother of Kakasaheb Dixit was
staying at Nagpur. When he had gone to the Himalayas in 1906 A.D., he made an
acquaintance with one Somadeva Swami of Haradwar at Uttarkashi down the
Gangotri valley. 1 Both took down each other's names in their diaries. Five
years afterwards Somadeva Swami came to Nagpur and was Bhaiji's guest. There he
was pleased to hear the Leelas of Baba and a strong desire arose in his mind to
go to Shirdi and see Sai Baba. He got a letter of introduction from Bhaiji and
left for Shirdi. After passing Manmad and Kopergaon, he took a tanga and drove
to Shirdi. As he came near Shirdi he saw two high flags floating over the
Masjid in Shirdi. Generally we find different ways of behaviour, different
modes of living and different outward paraphernalia with different saints. But
these outward signs should never be our standards to judge the worth of the saints.
But with Somadeva Swami it was different. As soon as he saw the flags flying,
he thought - should a saint take a liking for the flags, does this denote
sainthood? It implies the saint's hankering after fame. Thinking thus he wished
to cancel his Shirdi trip and said to his fellow travelers that he would go
back. They said to him – “Then why did you come this far? If your mind gets
restless by the sight of the flags, how much more agitated would you be on
seeing in Shirdi the Ratha (car), the palanquin, the horse and all other
paraphernalia”? The Swami got more confounded and said – “A few such Sadhus,
with horses, palanquins and tom-toms have I seen and it is better for me to
return than see such Sadhus. Saying this he started to return. The fellow-travelers
pressed him not to do so, but to proceed. They asked him to stop his crooked
way of thinking and told him that the Sadhu, i.e., Baba did not care a bit
for the flags and other paraphernalia, nor for fame. It was the people, His
devotees that kept up all this paraphernalia out of love and devotion to Him.
Finally he was persuaded to continue his journey, go to Shirdi and see Baba.
When he went and saw Baba from the courtyard, he was melted inside, his eyes
were full of tears, his throat was choked and all his evil and crooked thoughts
vanished. He remembered his Guru's saying that - 'that is our abode and place
of rest where the mind is most pleased and charmed.' He wished to roll himself
in the dust of Baba's Feet and when he approached Baba, the latter got wild and
cried aloud, “Let all our humbug (paraphernalia) be with us, you go back to
your home, beware if you come back to this Masjid. Why take the darshan of one
who flies a flag over his Masjid? Is this a sign of sainthood? Remain here not
a moment”. The Swami was taken aback by surprise. He realized that Baba read
his heart and spoke it out. How omniscient He was! He knew that he was least
intelligent and that Baba was noble and pure. He saw Baba embracing somebody,
touching someone with his hand, comforting others, staring kindly at some,
laughing at others, giving Udi prasad to some and thus pleasing and satisfying
all. Why should he alone be dealt with so harshly? Thinking seriously he came
to realize that Baba's conduct responded exactly to his inner thought and that he
should take a lesson from this and improve; and that Baba's wrath was a
blessing in disguise. It is needless to say that later on, his faith in Baba was
confirmed and he became a staunch devotee of Baba.
Nanasaheb Chandorkar
Hemadpant concludes this
chapter with a story of Nanasaheb Chandorkar. When Nanasaheb was once sitting
in the Masjid with Mhalasapati and others, a Mahomedan gentleman from Bijapur
came with his family to see Baba. Seeing veiled ladies with him, Nanasaheb wanted
to go away, but Baba prevented him from doing so. The ladies came and took the
darshan of Baba. When one of the ladies removed her veil to salute Baba's feet,
Nanasaheb saw her face. He was smitten with her rare beauty that he wished to see
her face again. Knowing Nana's restlessness of mind, Baba spoke to him after
the lady had left the place as follows, “why are you getting agitated in vain?
Let the senses do their allotted work, or duty, we should not meddle with their
work. God has created this beautiful world and it is our duty to appreciate its
beauty. The mind will get steady and calm slowly and gradually. When the front
door was open, why go by the back one? When the heart is pure, there is no
difficulty, whatsoever. Why should one be afraid of any one if there be no evil
thought in us? The eyes may do their work, why should you feel shy and
tottering?”
Shama was there and he
could not follow the meaning of what Baba said. So he asked Nana about this on
their way home. Nana told him about his restlessness at the sight of the beautiful
lady, how Baba knew it and advised him about it. Nana explained Baba's meaning
as follows, “Our mind is fickle by nature; it should not be allowed to get wild.
The senses may get restless, the body, however, should be held in check and not
allowed to be impatient. Senses run after objects, but we should not follow
them and crave for their objects. By slow and gradual practice restlessness can
be conquered. We should not be swayed by the senses, but they cannot be
completely controlled. We should curb them rightly and properly according to
the need of the occasion. Beauty is the subject of sight; we should fearlessly
look at the beauty of objects. There is no room for shyness or fear. Only we
should never entertain evil thoughts. Making the mind desire-less, observe
God's works of beauty. In this way the senses will be easily and naturally
controlled and even in enjoying objects you will be reminded of God. If the
outer senses are not held in check and if the mind be allowed to run after objects
and be attached to them, our cycle of births and deaths will not come to an
end. Objects of sense are things harmful. With Viveka (discrimination) as our
charioteer, we will control the mind and will not allow the senses to go
astray. With such a charioteer we reach the Vishnupada, the final abode, our
real Home from which there is no return”.
This advice applies to all
who wish to follow Sai-path.
Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be
to all
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