The Glory of Shirdi Sai Tenth Year of Publication - Published as Bi-Weekly www.saidarbarusa.org ~ an affiliate of www.saidarbar.org
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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
Always remember Him Remember Sri Sai Baba in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end for all ventures. Be humble, pure, simple, and innocent and Sri Sai Baba is yours. Come out of the darkness of ignorance enter into the light of knowledge then only we can feel the presence of Sri Sai Baba within us. Remember always Sri Sai and live in tune with him. Be happy and calm in all situations. See, hear, and speak only good things.
Baba’s close devotees Children Section Spiritual Gems From Sai Satcharita Aditya Hridayam
Chanting the name of Sri Sai Baba will always protect us.What ever we do will be seen by Sri Sai Baba.We are all safe in the hands of Sri Sai Baba. The only role from our part is to surrender our five pranas, senses, mind, intellect and ego. All these are inside a person. It is easy to surrender the eternal things. But to surrender the inner mind is very difficult. It needs immense amount of concentration to human mind. You can now read Saibanisa ji' s articles on LORD SAINATH OF SHIRDI in TELUGU from teluguvarisaidarbar.blogspot.com
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JAI SAI RAM
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We should know no other method of attaining the supreme goal of life, except meditating on His feet. Look at Sri Sai Baba's posture. He is sitting with his legs folded, the right leg across the left knee. The fingers of His left hand are spread on the right foot. On the right toe are spread His two fingers-the index and middle ones. By this posture Sri Sai Baba means to say, be most humble and meditate on my toes you will be able to see My light. Sri Sai Baba had advised Hemadpant that before the senses, mind and intellect enjoy their objects, He should be first remembered. We should offer whatever we enjoy to Sri Sai Baba. Then the object that is not fit to be enjoyed will be shunned and in this way our vicious habits or vices will disappear and our character will improve.
Aroogya ksheemadaaya Namah
25 December, 1911 Sunday, Shirdi In the morning after prayer I saw Sayin Maharaj go out, & sat talking with Mr Mahajani & others. Many guests came &many more came, and things are wearing a rather busy appearance. Mr Govarthandas gave a dinner and invited nearly every one here who has come to see Sayin Maharaj. My son Balvant had a dream last night in which he thought he saw Sayin Maharaj & Mrs Bapusaheb Jog in our Elichpur house. He offered food to Sayin Baba. He told me about the dream & I thought it was a mere fancy, but today he called Balvant & said “I went to your house yesterday & you fed me but gave no Dakshina. You should give twenty-five Rupees now.” So Balvant returned to the lodgings and went with Madhavarao Deshpande and paid the Dakshina. At midday Arti, Sayin Maharaj gave me prasad of Peda, fruits, & made a distinct sign to me to make a bow. I at once prostrated myself. He had some confidential talk with Madhavarao Deshpande. The latter has promised to tell me all about it. Today the breakfast was very late, & was not over till 4 P.M. I had it with Govarthandas, or rather at the Mandap near our lodging spread at his expense. After it I felt very lazy & sat talking. We all saw Sayin Maharaj in the evening both before he came out as usual for his stroll & then again when he was taken in Bhajan procession to Chavadhi. Kondaji Fakir lost his daughter tonight. She was interred near our lodging. Bhishma had his Bhajan & Dixit read Ramayan.
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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.
Adhikari (Qalification) Faith in Sai springs in the hearts of people whose sins have been washed away by Tapa(austerity),Dhyana (Meditation) and Samadhi(Absorption) performed in thousands of their former births. Mantra Hail Hail ! O "Sai Sai" Mantra that crowns life with fruit, destroyes miseries of repeated births and deaths, mantra of all the Vedas, approved by all Sastras, and adopted by all good souls. Oh! tongue! Be always doing Japa of Sai mantra, which singly vanquishes all foes, and is always extolled in the Upanishads, which ferries us across Samsara and sweeps away masses of sin and tamas, which itself bestows wealth and lordship and rescues one from all sorrows and makes life successful. Sai Oushadha and Sudha (Supreme medicine and nectar) Oh! Mind ! drink this celestial cup, Sri Sai, which keeps down great Moha or delusion, which quickens the minds of Munis, the medicine ready at hand with devotees like N.G.Chandorkar and which gives new life to all the three worlds, does great good to devotees, banishes all fear of rebirth, and bestows highest blessings. This body will get old, weak and shattered in all its hundred joints and will surely perish. You ill-advised fools, why trouble youself about medicines. Drink the nectar of Sai , that frees one from ills. Strange indeed is it in this mortal world, that people should forsake nectar and imbibe poison! The rogues are giving up the use of terms like Saiyeesa and of Narayana and are uttering other words! Oh! Tongue ! you are a connoisieur in matters of taste and are always fond of sweet things.Be always drinking the nectar named Sainatha. (Sri Krishna, Govinda,Hare,Murare,Oh Natha Narayana,Sai Deva,Govinda, Damodara,Madhava)----This indeed oh! Tongue, is nectar. O ! drink it. (Sri Natha, Narayana, Vasudeva, Sri Krishna, Bhaktapriya, Sai Natha,Govinda, Damodara, Madhava). This indeed is nectar. Oh ! tongue, drink of it. (Sri Padmanabha, Achyuta,Chakrapani,Sri Rama,Padmaksha,Hare Murare Govinda, Damodara, Madhava). This indeed is nectar. Oh! Tongue, drink it. ...will continue.....
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Dreams Of Saibanisa Compiled by Saibandhu Raghu Raman Satulury
14-06-1997: Sai appeared as a priest in the Shirdi Sai temple and said:
God had shown Sai his greatness and Sai in turn had shown God existing in the five basic elements to his devotees. Side stepping for the seeking sexual pleasures will end you up in diseases. On the other hand, if you try for getting mental peace, though belated you are sure to get everlasting peace and happiness. Where a husband is dependent solely upon his wife’s income, he must exercise caution in daily affairs to keep his family intact. God’s messengers come into the World with a mission.
Dhana maangalya pradaaya Namaha
DEVOTEES EXPERIENCE AND ARTICLES INTRODUCING SHRI SHIRDI SAI BABA (Late) Dr. RS.R. Swami
ON A SINGLE POINTED DEVOTION
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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(Continued from last issue)
"Main Allah Hum" He used to say and orthodox Muslims used to worship Him with Namaz and do so even now as you can see at Shirdi. He wanted His devotees to see Him in all, even animals like dogs, cats, pigs, etc. and gave ample proof of it. When some one or the other hit an animal with a stick or a stone, He showed them the injury on His own body to prove His Sarvantaryamitva. When Namdev saw Sri Panduranga in the dog snatching away the roti from his leaf, he ran after the dog with the ghee 'dhona' in his hand shouting "Panduranga, Panduranga, you have left the ghee behind. Have this also. Dry roti will hurt your stomach."Would any man born of woman dare to say "It is Namdev's Panduranga and not my Panduranga." That is the acidtest of true bhakti, culminating in true realisation and At-onement with God. Though during Namdev's days also there were so called devotees who called him mad because they could not rise to his level. St. John, one of the four apostles of Christ who wrote the gospel says some are born enuchs and some
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make themselves enuchs of God. Even so, there are born fools and .those who pose as fools for His sake, just as there are mentally sick persons and those who are mad with love of God. You can understand it if you have been madly in love even on the human scale. Intoxication with divine love is cosmic and transcendental. A mere glance or touch or a thought or a word satyauak, satyn sankalpc and kataksha can not only transform you but transmute persons. As Goldsmith says, "A breath can make them, as a breath has made", Shirdi Baba has proclaimed, "I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body, My mortal remains will speak from the tomb. I am ever alive to help and guide all who come to me who surrender to me and who seek refuge in me. If you look to me, I look to you". These are not new words. Lord Krishna has said then ananyas chintayanto mam ye janah paryupasate theshan nityabhiyuktanam yoga-kshemam vahamyaham (Gita chap.9 ver.22). Will continue‌
Devotees Experience: SaiRam The first leela I will write about was one that actually happened a long time before I was born. It involves my father's father- i.e. my grandfather. He once was very sick and bed-ridden. He was half-asleep sitting alone in a room in their house when someone he did not know came in. He walked around the bed on the floor and said "do not worry sir, you will be all right soon." then he walked out. There were many other people in the house but no one went into his room at that time. Everyone was at a loss as to who came in and how he got in without anyone noticing. It was dismissed as a hallucination. Soon after the mystery man came in my grandfather's fever abated and he got well. One day, soon after he recovered, he saw in a shop a picture of the man who came in his room. He was much surprised and inquired the name of the person in the picture. He was told that it was a great saint who lived in Shirdi. He became a devotee from then on. The second leela involves my mother. My mother was a staunch devotee of Swami Samartha Maharaj. Upon coming to America and seeing that pooja of Sai was being performed, she was unconvinced. She then, after some persuasion, she read Sai's Pothi. The first story she read was a story regarding that Sai was the same as her Akkalkot Maharaj. We have been worshipping Sai and Akkalkot Swami's pictures together ever since. Once, after I got the Pothi, I attended a dog show because our close friend's dog graduated from obedience school. ;-) There were "contests" which the newly trained dogs found challenging. Prizes were given out to the dogs that did the best. My friend's dog, god bless her! ;-), did absolutely horrible! She was, in the general opinion of the spectators, the worst dog there. I though that there was no way she will win any prize. I had to leave halfway through the contest. Suddenly remembering Sai, I decided to test him because I still was not convinced about his greatness. I made a mental bow to Sai and said that I would read three chapters of the Satcharita if the dog wins a prize. When I got home, I received a telephone call from my friend that her dog one third place out of 300+ dogs in spite of the fact that she failed half of the contests! I was astounded! I read the three chapters and was convinced of Sai's greatness. - Sai Devotee
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Baba’s Close Devotees Santaram Balwant Nachne Dahanukar, Thana, 13th September, 1936 I have given parts of my experience already to Sai Lila Masik (vide Vol.1 (xii) 94). But as there was the feeling that it was a publication to all and sundry, I had expressed myself with considerable reserve and did not mention many features especially those that ordinary people would not credit. Now, I will try to recall, in spite of the long time that has lapsed, as much as I can give you a fuller account and include in it my later experiences, i.e., those which I have had after the above mentioned publication (in 1923).
Riddhi Siddhi daaya Namaha
In 1909, some events took place which at that time seemed to be little connected with Sai Baba. In that year, one day my elder brother was undergoing an operation very near his throat in Bajekar's Hospital at Bombay; and we were all anxious about it. I was at Dahanu then and a Sadhu approached and asked me if he could get a crumb or two of bread. We invited him inside and gave him a regular course of dishes, i.e., a full meal. My sister-in-law was serving him all dishes; but she intentionally omitted at first to give him "Bendi Baji" i.e., a dish made of lady's fingers, thinking that it was too poor a stuff to be given to a revered and saintly guest. But the Sadhu himself called for Bendi Baji; and it was then served. That Sadhu blessed us all and told us that the operation at the hospital that day had been safely performed. The same day my friend, Haribhav Moreswar Panse told me that he hoped that the operation by the grace of Sri Sai Baba would be a success. That was the first mention of Sai Baba to me. I had not then known of him. Evidently Panse had. Later in the evening, we learnt from my father who returned from the hospital that the operation had been performed and that there was no trouble or danger. After the operation a Sadhu had appeared there and approaching the patient passed his hands over the operated part of the body, and said all would go on well. The operation proved quite safe and my brother recovered. The same year, my father attended Das Ganu's Kirtan, wherein Sai Baba was de-
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scribed as a veritable Avatar of Datta, as a remarkable person with wonderful powers and wonderful kindness. We got a picture of Sai Baba and worshipped it with Udbatti (lighting scented sticks) at home. In 1912 was my first visit to Shirdi. I had appeared for my Revenue Subordinates Examination and before the results were announced, I went to Shirdi along with two friends, Sankar Balakrishna Vaidya and Achyuta Date. On the way, we alighted at Kopergaon station. There the Station Master learning of our intended visit to Sai Baba, aired his views rather freely and said that undue honor was being lavished upon and people were being gulled by one who was a mere hypnotist, like so many of these wandering jugglers and thaumaturgists all over the country. This rude fusillade at Sai Baba unsettled my mind about him and I was beginning to doubt if, after all, it was a real saint we were taking so much trouble to visit. We reached Shirdi anyhow and saw Sai Baba returning from the Lendi. He must have evidently noticed my condition. He looked at me, and at once, without having any information given to him as to who I was, etc., said "What? Have you come away without taking leave from the Mamlatdar?� I said "Yes". Baba advised me and said "Do not behave like this". This removed all the doubts that the Station Master's thoughtless remarks had raised in my mind. I felt I was before a saint who knew everything that happened in places far away from him. We stayed three days at Shirdi on this occasion. Each day Baba's kindness and powers were manifested with greater frequency and force and the result was perfect assurance and confidence. I became a firm believer in and worshipper of Baba thenceforward. 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 Fall and Rise of a Merchant” Source: http://panchatantra.org/ In the city of Vardhaman, there lived a wealthy merchant named Dantila. He held a great reception for his wedding attended by the king, the queen, their ministers and all the rich and influential persons in the city. Present at the reception was Gorambha, a lowly sweeper in the royal household. When Dantila saw him occupying a seat reserved for the nobles of the king, he ordered his servants to throw him out of his house. Thus insulted, Gorambha thought to himself, “I am a poor man and so cannot give a fitting reply to such a wealthy person as Dantila. I must somehow see that the king stops his favors to him.” Then he hit upon a plan to take revenge on Dantila. One early morning when the king was still in sleep, Gorambha pretending to sweep the king's bedroom began loudly murmuring, “Oh, how arrogant is Dantila! He has the cheek to lock the queen in his embrace.” Hearing this, the king demanded to know whether what Gorambh was murmuring is true. Did Dantila embrace the queen? Oh, your majesty, I don't remember nor do I know what I was saying because I was drowsy having spent the entire night in gambling,” the sweeper told the king. Not satisfied with his reply the king thought that it was possible that the sweeper had seen Dantila, who had equal access to the royal household as Gorambha, embracing the queen. He remembered wise men saying that men were likely to talk in their sleep about what they did, saw and desired in the day. Women were chaste because men were not within reach or they were afraid of prying servants. Convinced that Dantila had indeed embraced the queen, the king barred Dantila from entering the royal household. The merchant began grieving his fate though he had not done any harm to the king or his relatives even in his dreams. One day as Dantila was trying to enter the king's THE
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palace he was barred by the king's men. Seeing this Gorambha told them, “You fools, you are barring the great Dantila who has won the king's favours. He is powerful. If you stop him, you will meet with the same fate as I did at the hands of Dantila one day.” The merchant thought that it would do him good to make Gorambha happy and win his confidence. One evening he invited the sweeper for tea and presented him with expensive clothes and told him, “Friend, I had never meant to insult you. You had occupied a seat I had set apart for the learned. Kindly pardon me.” Pleased, the sweeper promised to win the king's favor for Dantila again. The next day, Gorambha repeated the same drama of pretending to talk irrelevantly, raving that the king was eating cucumber in the rest room. “What nonsense are you talking? Did you ever see me doing such things?” the king demanded to know. “No, your majesty. I do not know nor do I remember what I was saying because I was drowsy having spent the entire night in gambling,” the sweeper said. The king then realized that if what the sweeper had said about him was not true what he had said about Dantila also could not be true. A person like Dantila could not have done what Gorambha had told him. The king also found that without Dantila the affairs of the state had suffered and civic administration had come to a standstill. The king immediately summoned the merchant to his palace and restored to him all the authority he had enjoyed before he fell out of king's favour.
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Chapter 47
Contributed by: swamy@saimail.com
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Baba's Reminiscence The Snake and the Frog God does not like big subscriptions and donations collected against the wishes of the donors, but He likes even trifling amounts given with love, devotion and appreciation. Some days after, God again appeared in her dream and said- “Do not bother yourself about your husband, and the collections with him. Don't press him to spend any amount for the temple. What I want is, feeling and devotion. So give, if you like, anything of your own”. She consulted her husband about this vision and decided to give God her ornaments given by her father. The miser felt disconcerted and decided to cheat God even in this item. He undervalued the ornaments at Rs.1,000/- and bought them himself and in lieu of the amount gave a field to God, as endowment or security. The wife agreed to this. The field or land was not his own, it belonged to one poor woman named Dubaki who mortgaged it to him for Rs.200/-. She was not able to redeem it for long. So the cunning miser cheated all, his wife, Dubaki and even God. The land was sterile, uncultivated and worth nothing and yielded nothing, even in best seasons.
Putra mitra kalathra bandhudaaya Namaha
Thus ended this transaction and the land was given in the possession of the poor priest who was pleased with the endowment. Sometime later on, strange things happened. There was a terrific storm and heavy downpour of rain; lightning struck the house of the miser, when he, the rich miser, and his wife both died. Dubaki also breathed her last. In the next life, the rich miser was born at Mathura in the Brahmin family and was named Veerbhadrappa. His devout wife was born as the daughter of the priest of the temple, and was named Gouri. The woman Dubaki (the mortgagor) was born as a male in the family of the Gurav (attendant) of the temple and was named Chenbassappa. The priest was a friend of Mine, He often came to Me, chatted and smoked with Me. His daughter Gouri was also devoted to Me. She was growing fast and her father was seeking a good husband for her. I told him not to worry about this, as the bridegroom himself would come seeking her. Then there came a poor boy named Veerbhadrappa of their caste, wandering and begging his bread to the priest's house. With My consent Gouri was given in marriage to him. He was also at first devoted to Me, as I recommended his marriage with Gouri. Even in this new life he was hankering after money; and asked me to help him to get it, as he was leading a married man's life. Will continue...
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Source: http://devotionalonly.com/aditya-hridayam-stotram/ Aditya Hridayam is a Stotra by Sage Agastya to Lord Sri Rama at the battle field between Ravana and Rama. The great Cosmic Sage Agastya dictates this hymns of Sun God to Sri Rama to ensure Victory to him. Thus forms part of the yuddha Kanda (Canto 107) of Ramayana by Sage Valmiki said to be written around twenty thousand years ago. Aditya Hridayam contains the innovative hymns with many secrets and hidden meanings. The Jnana, Jnata, and Jneyam is completed as Sage Agastya is the Jnana and the Lord Rama Jnata and the presiding deity Jneyam is Sun in the heart. Thus the Triputi is completed. Hence it has come to be known as Aditya hridayam. Further Sage Agastya has stated that success is assured for all those who recite these Sloka thrice a day. Rama went to exile at the behest of his father King Dasaradha. In the forest Ravana adducted Sita the wife of Rama who waged a righteous war against Ravana to bring back his wife Sita from the clutches of Rakshasa Ravana. In this Context he fought the battle against Ravana. Sage Agastya came there at that time to initiate this Aditya Hridayam to Sri Rama in the inconceivable situation in the battle for his victory. It is said that Consciousness in the man and in the cosmos Sun is the same. Absolute consciousness is being understood only with the help of speech. These mystic words are interwoven in these Slokas. The Slokas third to twenty four Synchronizes with the twenty four letters of Gayatri Mantra. In Aditya Hridayam there are thirty Slokas in total. In this the first and second sloka depicts the arrival of sage Agastya to Sri Rama. The third stated the greatness of the Stotra, the fourth sloka explained about happiness, liberation and knowledge. The fifth will remove the related sins and with hold sorrows. From Sixth to fifteenth the description pertains to self effulgence and impresses that one pervading out side and inside is same. From Sixteenth to twentieth slokas are very important for mantra Japa. Here cosmic greatness of Sun God Surya as the internal Caitanya in us is high lighted. Further the creator is one and not two is impressed. The human body consists Sapta Dhatu’s and in this dwells, only paramatma. The Slokas from Twenty to twenty four are Mantra Slokas extolling Sun God. From twenty fifth to thirtieth the method of recital by Sri Rama and invoking God to bless him with the requisite strength for the victory in the battle field is stated. Savita (Surya) is the God for Gayatri Mantra. Will continue‌.
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From the Editor’s Desk
“Man is bound by ‘mine’, but he is released by ‘not mine’. He should abandon all the thoughts relating to externals and so also with references to internals. ..., having given up all thoughts, you should rest content (in your soul) ever.” ~ Ribhu Gita Dear Sai Devotees, We encourage you to continue writing about your Sai-related activities and experiences in essay, article, or poetry form and email it to us at editor@saidarbarusa.org. We will put in our best efforts to include as many of your submissions as possible in the upcoming newsletters. As previously done, we will publish the author’s email id with the respective entry. If you would like to stay anonymous, please explicity state this request in your submission email. 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