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The Glory of Shirdi Sai Ninth Year of Publication - Published as Bi-Weekly www.saidarbarusa.org ~ an affiliate of www.saidarbar.org

Y E A R

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2 9 - D E C E M B E R - 2 0 1 1

गुरुॄह्मा गुरुिवर्ंणु: गुरुदेर् वो महे श्वर: | गुरु: शाक्षात परॄह्म तःमै ौीगुरवे नमः:||

सबुरी

CONTENT Satsangs of SaiBaNisaji Time Machine Shirdi Dairy Sri Sainatha Mananam The Dreams Train Devotees Corner Baba’s close devotees Children Section Spiritual Gems From Sai Satcharita Quintessence

Set your goal If you don't know where you are going in life, you will wander aimlessly in your life's journey. Fortunate are those who cling to Sri Sai philosophy for this is an easy way. Constant and consistent remembrance of Sri Sai is the easiest path to positive existence.

Try to spend some time everyday in peace and quietness.

During that time you will start to hear the still small voice, gently calling you to come home. This home is always waiting for you. It is calm, still and serenely peaceful, but above all, you must want it more than your busy mind.

On this week of wait for the new year of 2012, try something new. Look at the world through the eyes of others, view an alternative media outlet, or do something different than what you would normally select. You can do this with other aspects too; just do something different from your usual routine. You will get a different experience and try to reflect on the meaning of it and this will help in setting a goal and path for the year 2012.

Once you know your path the Lord knows where you'll end up.

“The Glory of Shirdi Sai” completes Nine Years and Wishes You All A Very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2012 JAI SAI RAM

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Sri Sai Baba required no special place, nor any special time for giving instructions. Whenever any occasion demanded, He gave them freely. Once it so happened that a Bhakta of Sri Sai Baba, reviled another behind his back, before other people. On leaving aside merits, he dwelt on the faults of his brother and spoke so sarcastically, that the hearers were disgusted. When Sai saw this see scandal He said that there are various ways of cleansing or removing dirt, viz. by means of earth, water and soap etc., but a scandal monger has got a way of his own. He removes the faults of others by his tongue. Sri Sai Baba had his own method of correcting the scandal monger, He met him at noon near the Lendi, pointed out to him a pig that was eating filth near the fence and said to him "Behold how, with what relish it is gorging dung. Your conduct is similar. You go on reviling your own brethren to your heart's content. After performing many deeds of merit, you are born a man, and if you act like this, will Shirdi help you in any way?" Needless to say, that the Bhakta took the lesson to his heart, and went away.

 Aum Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai

1911: 19 December Saturday, Shirdi In the morning I got up early, felt fresh, prayed & felt that I was better all round.

Sayin Maharaj went out while I was yet praying so I could not see him. Later on I went to the Masjid & found him in a very pleasant mood. He said there was a rich man who had five sons & a daughter. These children effected a division of the family property. Four of the sons took their shares of movables & immovables. The fifth son & the daughter could not take possession of their share. They wandered about hungry, came to Sayin Baba. They had six carts laden with jewels. Robbers took away two of the six carts. The remaining four were kept under the banyan tree. At this point Trimbakrao who Baba calls Maruti interrupted & the story ran in a different channel.

After the midday Arti I returned to the lodging, had food & sat talking with Durveshasaheb. He is a very pleasant man. Waman Rao Patel went away today. He never so much as came to us to say “goodbye ”. Ram Maruti Bua came in the afternoon. He danced & jumped about a good deal during Bhajan. We saw Sayin Maharaj in the evening & again at Sheja-Arti time. Ram Maruti Bua attended Bhishma’s Bhajan & danced & jumpted. Sayin Baba this afternoon went out towards Nimgaon visited Dangale, cut a tree & came back. Many went after him, with musical instruments and escorted him home. I did not go far. Radha Krishna Bai came to near our Wada to greet Sayin Saheb, & I saw her for the first time without the big veil on.

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Pujyasri B.V.Narasimhaswamiji, who visited Shirdi in the year 1936, collected authentic information about Lord Sainath from persons lived with Sai and wrote many books on Lord Sainath. All his works are authentic . One such book is SRI SAINATHA MANANAM. This book was published as early as in the year 1942 and the fourth edition came in the year 1945. 

The first and foremost need or basis (Moolam) of Meditation is the Guru's body; that of Pooja or worship is his feet; that of Mantra is his utterance; and that of Liberation (Moksha) is his grace (Kripa).



One's body may be beautiful as also the wife; one's pile of wealth may be as high as the mountain Meru; one's eloquence may be exquisite. Yet what good can all this do, if one's heart is not devoted to the Guru?



All the four branches of Learning have been mastered. But if Sai has not been worshipped, then the learning is just like a red dot placed on the forehead of a widow(for adorning her and rendering her attractive.).

Mangalaarti -

Hail to Thee O ! Sainatha !

Hail to Thee in all forms !

Hail to Thee the Devotee's slave !

Hail to Thee, Shirdi-dweller !

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Hail to Thee Sriman Venkusa's fondling !

Hail to Thee of beauteous form !

Hail to Thee Sai with Thy blessed wand !

Hail to Thee with divine marks !

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Hail to Thee Bhagavan Sai !

Hail to Thee of prowess great !

Hail to Thee of Lotus eyes !

Hari is the home of Blessedness.

...will continue.....

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Dreams Of Saibanisa Compiled by Saibandhu Raghu Raman Satulury

03-05-1997: Sai appeared as an unknown person and said: 1. It is your illusion to assume that your complete family is moving together in the life’s journey. Police (God) will not permit for four persons to ride on the same bicycle. This very thought is enough to kindle that spiritual journey has to be a lone one.



2. To know the importance of God, one need not attend concerts, and large gatherings singing in his praise. Constant thinking of him and uttering his name will bind him in your hearts.

Aum Sai Namo Namah, Sri Sai namo namah, Jaya jaya Sai namo namah Sadguru Sai namo namah

Often silent prayers are more than answered.

DEVOTEES EXPERIENCE AND ARTICLES INTRODUCING SHRI SHIRDI SAI BABA - (Late) Dr. RS.R. Swami …. Continued from last issue….

Please tune in and listen to non-stop bhajans at: www.saibhaktiradio.com

Now you can view this eNewsLetter from iPhone at http://worldofsai.com.

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Baba granted a charter of boons to His devotees. Chief among them are His promises that He will continue to act from the tomb and the bones in it will speak and answer their prayers. To this day they are TRUE and continuing to find fulfillment from day-to-day and place to place. The writer, among thou-sands, is standing proof to bear testimony to this ETERNAL TRUTH of the incredible coming to pass and be experienced again and again, as the forthcoming chapters will prove be-yond the faintest ray of doubt. Miracles continue to be worked as they happened before He shook off the mortal coil on the Vijaya Dasami day in 1918, after He Had announced this well in advance. The dead come back to life, the dumb speak, the blind see, the incurable are healed—in a word the incredible comes to pass in the lives of people among whom the writer claims to be counted as 'twice blest'. He is continuing to mani-fest Himself now and then to a blessed few as the Incarnate Baba of

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Shirdi, more often in disguise leaving indirect evidence of His identity and in visions and dreams. As in the blessed days of yore, even now at Shirdi His devotees hail from all races and religions—foreigners, Parsis, Christians, Muslims, Hin-dus, etc—daily in thousands, swelling into tens of thousands during festival days like Ram Navami, Diwali, Dasara, Guru Poornami, etc.

But why Shirdi and not any other place? Because near the old, dilapidated, mud-walled mosque chosen by Baba as His abode lay buried the tomb of His Guru[1] in a previous birth. None knew about it till on His advice they dug and found it at the foot of a neem tree. A nice little shrine is built over it and the leaves of the overshadowing branch of the neem tree do not taste bitter. Though sometimes He passed for a mad fakir, He was nobody's fool. He enjoyed discomfiting others with His own humour and practical jokes through which He elucidated a debatable point of philosophy or ethics. Though seemingly unletterd, He startled highly learned scholars with His erudition making them feel small at intellectual acrobatics. He told them they would find not Brahma but brama (illusion) in books. With such purely human qualities streaking through His divine personality, He endeared Himself all the greater to the common people. Infact, as Emerson says, "The human and divine are not separate, but rather various grades of one con-tinuous series." Shri Ramana Maharshi, even as a pure Jnana Yogi, shared these qualities if in a more subtle manner. Valmiki says of Shri Ramachandra: “Mayamanush charitra mahadevadi pujitaha”. Indeed, "the line separating the sublime and the ridicu-lous is nebulous".

Was Baba a Hindu or Muslim by birth? According to the hints dropped by him now and then, He was born to Brahmin parents, was brought up and given 'Updesh' (spiritual initia-tion) by a fakir upto the fifth year and blossomed into spiritual perfection under a fully realised Brahmin Guru-indications of His future work of unification.

"The childhood shows the man, as the morning shows the day".

He was in his teens when he came to Shirdi as a Tejasvin' as all 'Urdhwarethaas' (those whose energy is sublimated in toto) are, at the beginning of the second half of the 19th Century. He gave equal respect to all religions. He said, 'If you are Christian, be a better Christian; if Muslim, a better Muslim; if a Hindu, a better Hindu,' and so on. He admonished one who had changed his religion saying, "Have you changed your fa-ther?" He thus inspired his devotees to have a common de-nominator we are sorely in need of. Is it not an irony of the times that man finds it easier to reach the moon than the heart of his neighbor? Baba seen -from all angles is veily the Beacon Light for the 21st century to save humanity from threatening self annihilation. To deserve His grace fully, He advised, "Speak the truth. Be kind to the lowly, you need not become a Sadhu, but observe sexual purity." Needless to say one learns to be all this as a result of the unseen guidance provided by Him. But one must be a seeker.

Baba is a unique example of truth being stranger than fiction. For sheer incredibility and the thrill provided, just a couple of instances are worth narrating. One night, on hearing the pe-culiar croaking of a frog in the jaws of a snake at the edge of a pond near the mosque, He hastens to the spot and angrily shouts, "Hallo Veerabhadrappa come on, release Basappa." In implicit obedience it is done and the frog jumps into the water and escapes. When questioned, Baba says He is continuing to fulfill the promise given to Basappa in a privious birth when He was a fakir to save former from the wrath of Veerabhadrappa. Rinanubandha had brought them all together again.

Will continue….

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Baba’s Close Devotees Rao Bahadur S.B.Dhumal, B.A., LL.B, Pleader, Brahmin, aged 63, Nasik Nasik, 16th October, 1936 & Shirdi, 28th October, 1936 Hygiene, etc.

ď œď€ Aum Sai Naathaya Namaha

I have lived in this ancestral house of mine in the main road of Nasik, all my life. When plague broke out and dead rats were found in the house, I wrote to Shirdi for Baba's direction before moving out and left the house as soon as I got his reply. As I am ever under his protection and doing nothing without his guidance, I felt perfectly safe in remaining in the house, till I got his reply. He has said that at every step he was guiding me. I knew he was guiding me - I had implicit faith in the truth of his words. He knew everything that was happening or was to happen at Nasik or in any other place and would not allow any harm to befall me while I was placing this child-like trust in and reliance on him. During all these twenty-nine years of such reliance, there is not a single instance in which such protection failed or such trust found misplaced.

After receiving Baba's reply, I moved to a bungalow at Nasik. But the same night a dead rat was found near the bed of my brother's son at the bungalow. Again I sought Baba's advice by letter whether I should move away. The reply was in the negative. And contrary to the rules of prudence and wisdom of medical experts and laymen, I kept on living with my family at the bungalow. No harm befell us. Later, dead rats were found in the servants' quarters, in the houses, in the neighborhood, and lastly, in the well from which alone we had drawn all our supply of water for drinking, cooking etc. At this, I wrote at once to Baba for permission and in anticipation of its arrival which I considered as certain, I packed up all our things and carted them off to our house in the Bazar Street. I went to the house and was just trying to unlock the front door, when a postal letter from Shirdi was delivered to me. That conveyed Baba's reply to me. i.e. "why should we give up (i.e., change) our residence?" I adopted this advice without question or demur and went back immediately to the infected bungalow and lived in it. (As for water, I took the precaution of avoiding the well and getting all our water from the river Godavari). This further apparently risky and foolhardy step of reoccupation did not result in any

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harm to us. There were times during the Plague Season when there were 14 or 15 deaths per day due to plague in the town - and despite that fact, Baba bade us stay in the house in town and we were all safe.

Baba's kindness to me was not confined to temporal affairs. I lost my wife in 1909. I was anxious about her soul's welfare and was performing the monthly (Masik) ceremonies. At the time when the sixth month's ceremony had to be performed, Baba told me to perform it at Shirdi and promised to give my wife Sadgati, (i.e., literally a good start for her soul's further spiritual course). I went to Shirdi accordingly and performed that Masik there. Baba then asked me for Rs.15 dakshina and I gave it. I have implicit faith in the truth of Baba's declarations and have had ample verification in matters which admit of verification, which naturally fortifies my faith in his statements as to matters unseen and apparently incapable of verification. I am sure my wife got Sadgati by Baba's grace. Then, as I was in 1909 a vigorous and healthy lawyer, aged 36, without issue, the question of marrying a second time was frequently considered, especially by my friends and well-wishers. Among them was my father-in-law, Rao Bahadur Bapu Rao Dada Kinkhede, M.A., a pleader of Nagpur. When I told him that I could never act without a direction from Baba, he took me to Shirdi and then went to Baba without me. He came back in five minutes and intimated to me that he could read Baba's negative reply from his eyes and told me not to marry without Baba's express consent or order. Of course, I never acted without Baba's consent. Up-to-date, Baba has not made me marry and I have continued my life of "single blessedness". Alike from the temporal and spiritual viewpoint Baba has settled this course for me and after a fairly happy and successful temporal life, Baba is developing in me a slow but sure detachment from the temporal comforts and I am surrendering myself to his guidance without the faintest fear for my future here or hereafter inspite of the fact that his ways are mysterious, highly puzzling and really inscrutable in many matters. As for temporal success, it is not vainglory but a desire to set down the actual truth that makes me inform you that almost invariably my professional efforts were crowned with success and .from their financial or personal aspect also, I had nothing to complain of, as my income tax would clearly indicate. It was all due to Baba's help and grace. Yet despite all this temporal success, he keeps me free - more and more free, from worldly shackles and ready for retirement when he gives the signal.

I had some public activities also which I took up with Baba's permission and in which his miraculous intervention and help were occasionally seen. Some instances appear so incredible that I first hesitated to reveal them. But it matters nothing to me whether they command other people's belief or not. As you want the truth, here is the truth as known to or experienced by me.

Will continue‌..

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n o i t c e S s ’ Children

Lear arn Le n an andd Parti rtici cippa atte e Pa

Stories for this Week: “The Cunning Judge” Once Upon a time, there lived a sparrow in a tree. He was very happy to have a beautiful and comfortable nest of his own in the tree. The sparrow used to fly to far off places to pick at grains from so many fields, full of crops. At the sun set he would return to his perch.

One day, the sparrow ate his fill, but could not return to his nest, because of the heavy rains which continued for the whole night. The sparrow had to spend the whole night in a big banyan tree a little distance away from home.

The next morning, when the rain stopped and the sky became clear, the sparrow returned to his tree. He was astonished to find a rabbit occupying his beautiful and comfortable nest.

The sparrow lost his temper and spoke to the rabbit, "It's my home you're sitting in.

Please quit this place at once."

"Don't talk like fools," replied the rabbit. "Trees, rivers and lakes don't belong to anyone. Places like these are yours only so long as you are living in. If someone else occupies it in your absence, it belongs to the new occupant. So go away and don't disturb me anymore."

But the sparrow was not satisfied with this illogical reply He said, "Let's ask a person of wisdom and only then our case will be settled.

At a distance from the tree, there lived a wild cat. The cat, somehow, overheard the discussion that took place between the sparrow and the rabbit.

The cat immediately thought of a plan, took a holy dip in the river, and then sat like a THE

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priest and began chanting God's name in a loud tone. When the rabbit and the sparrow heard the cat chanting God's name, they approached him with a hope to get impartial justice and requested him to pass a judgment in the matter.

The cat became very happy to have both of them in front of him. He pretended to listen to their arguments.

But as soon as the right opportunity came, the cat pounced upon both of them and killed and ate them together with great relish.

"A NEW YEAR is unfolding—like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within.

Dear Sai, let this year be filled with the things that are truly good—with the comfort of warmth in our relationships, with the strength to help those who need our help and the humility and openness to accept help from others.

As we make our resolutions for the year ahead, let us go forward with great hope that all things can be possible—with Your help and guidance."

Jai Sai Ram

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Chapter 46

Contributed by: swamy@saimail.com

..

Baba's gaya Trip - Story of Goats If Baba accepts a devotee, He follows him and stands by him, day and night, at his home or abroad. Let the devotee go anywhere he likes, Baba is there ahead of him in some form or other in an inconceivable manner. The following story illustrates this.

ď œď€ Aum Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai

Sometime after Kakasaheb Dixit was introduced to Sai Baba, he decided to perform the thread (Upanayan) ceremony of his eldest son Babu at Nagpur. At about the same time Nanasaheb Chandorkar decided to perform the marriage ceremony of his eldest son at Gwalior. Both Dixit and Chandorkar came to shirdi and lovingly invited Baba for these functions. Baba asked them to take Shama as His representative. When He was pressed to come in person. Baba told them to take Shama with them and that "after doing Banares and Prayag He would be ahead of Shama." Now mark these words for they show Baba's all-pervasiveness.

Taking the permission of Baba, Shama decided to go to Nagpur and Gwalior for these functions and ceremonies and thence to Kashi, Prayag and Gaya. Appa Kote made up his mind to accompany him. They both went first to Nagpur for the thread ceremony. Kakasaheb Dixit gave Shama Rs.200/- for his expenses. Then they went to Gwalior for the marriage ceremony. There Nanasaheb Chandorkar gave Shama Rs.100/- and his Vyahi (relation) Mr.Jather gave him also Rs.100/-.

Then Shama went to Kashi, and then to Ayodhya where he was well received in Jather's beautiful temple of Laxmi-Narayan at Kashi (Varanasi or Banares) and in the Rama-Mandir at Ayodhya by Jathar's manager. They (Shama and Kote) stayed for 21 days in Ayodhya and two months in Kashi (Banares). Then they left for Gaya. In the train they felt a little uneasy on hearing that plague was prevailing in Gaya. At night they alighted at Gaya station and stayed in the Dharmashala. In the morning the Gayawala (the Priest who arranges and provides for the lodging and boarding of the pilgrims) came there and aid - "The pilgrims have already started, you better make haste." Shama casually asked him whether there was plague in Gaya. "No" said the Gayawala. "Please come without any fear or anxiety and see yourself." Then they went with him and stayed in his house which was a big and commodious Wada.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all.

Will continue...

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(By Late Sri Bharam UmamaheswaraRao) ~ Contribution by "Shashank"crazydiode@gmail.com, Mrs and Mr Anand Chapter 39: Baba’s Advice on Food The food should be earned by fair means. The food should not be eaten for taste and fashion and it should not be eaten by having attachment to it.

We must know that our livelihood should be earned by honest means; the food should be cooked by wearing clean clothes in a well cleaned kitchen. First after preparing food, it must be offered to God and then it should be eaten by thinking of God and chanting His name. This sort of food is Satvik.

The food earned by foul means is eaten for taste and fashion – this is Rajasika.

The food earned by foul means, such as false-hood, fraud, theft etc without any sense of purity in an impure atmosphere; the food items like meat and eggs etc., and no attention is paid how the food is cooked, and one who does not wash his hands and feet and takes it with his shoes on and eaten in an impure manner, such food is Taamasika.

Will be continued...

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Please send your feedback to feedback@saidarbarusa.org From the Editor’s Desk "A New Year is unfolding—like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within.

Dear Sai, let this year be filled with the things that are truly good—with the comfort of warmth in our relationships, with the strength to help those who need our help and the humility and openness to accept help from others.

As we make our resolutions for the year ahead, let us go forward with great hope that all things can be possible—with Your help and guidance."

Sai devotees may continue to write about their Sai-related activities, essays, articles or poetry and send to the email id editor@saidarbarusa.org. We shall put in our best efforts to include them in the upcoming newsletter. Unless the author of the articles explicitly instructs not to publish his/her email id, we will publish them as a matter of routine practice.

JAI SAI RAM

Publisher and Editor: Badri Narasimhan Editorial Team: Radhika Nistala, Kanchana Kumar, Sumathi VijayBhaskaran, Kalyan Koduri Email: editor@saidarbarusa.org

BOW TO SHRI SAI ~ PEACE BE TO ALL