When Sri Sathya Sai spoke about His previous incarnation as Shirdi Sai Baba
Shirdi Sai Baba with Mhalsapati, Lakshmibai and Kaka Dikshit
MESSAGES THROUGH ACTIONS AND MIRACLES
In My previous body (as Shirdi Sai Baba), everyone was taught through actions.
For example Damu and Nana were rendering service to the Lord (Shirdi Baba).
Baba collected a few copper coins and was playing with them, by tossing them
from one hand to another and also testing them in various ways. He appeared to
examine them individually. He did not exchange a word with Damu and Nana. He
went on playing with the coins for half an hour in this manner. Curious to know
what Baba was doing, Nana asked Him why He was scrutinising the same coins
again and again. Baba replied, “Baba (Dear Son), it is true that I (Shirdi Sai)
am repeating the same action again and again, repeating the same words. Look at
that mango tree in front of you. It is in full bloom. The leaves are hardly
visible. If all the flowers in the tree were to become fruits, will the branch
be able to bear the weight? But, it does not happen that way. Most of the
flowers are swept away by the wind. Many others drop of their own accord. Only
some of them become fruits; of these, some are eaten by squirrels, birds or
monkeys. In this way, ninety percent of the flowers do not result in fruits.
Only ten percent remain on the tree. Is it not so?” They agreed, that it was
so. “In the same manner thousands of devotees are coming to Me. Are they all
ripening into good devotees? Many drop away in the middle. Some come for
getting their desires fulfilled. Some seek wealth. Many are coming either for
study or in connection with jobs or marriage or other personal desires of their
own. In each of them there is some defect or other. No one comes for My sake. I
have a precious thing to offer in my coffers. But no one seeks it. It is for
this reason that I am examining them (coins). Among these coins there are some
which are worn out, some which are debased and some which are twisted and
worthless”.
“Just as I am examining the defects in these coins, I am also looking for the
defects among the devotees who come to Me. I am trying to find out what defects
are there in these people and whether, with those defects, they can really
comprehend My Truth. They want Me, but all their desires are related to mundane
objects. How can they attain Me with this attitude? How can you reach your
destination if you get into a wrong train going in some other direction? They
want Me, but they don’t make efforts for realising Me. Among the many who come
to Me, it is only one in a thousand who really makes the effort to realise Me”.
“The minds of the so-called devotees are turned in the wrong directions. If
their desires are fulfilled, they praise Me. But, once a desire is not realised
they go to the extent of even reviling Me. Even while they are attempting to
understand Me, they harbour doubts from head to foot. Some even leave Me when
their worldly desires are not fulfilled. These are not sincere devotees at all.
They are in fact the worst sinners. How can they reach Me?” said Baba.
Shirdi Sai Baba begging alms in Shirdi
At one time a wealthy man came with a lot of money to Shirdi Baba with the
object of gaining Brahma Jnana (Supreme Wisdom). He boasted about his wealth.
Baba asked him: “How long will you be here?” He replied that he had come by a
taxi fixing to and fro charges and had to return in a day or two. Baba said:
“When you have greed for wealth, how can you realise God? It is not a goal that
can be accomplished in a fixed time. Get away”. Baba noticed that he was still
sitting and became furious. He chased him out, wielding a stick.
To one who sought His grace with purity of heart and selfless devotion, Baba
conferred His grace abundantly. Mataji Krishna Priya was one such devotee.
Living in Nagpur, she used to worship Krishna and considered Baba also as
another form of Krishna. She frequently visited Shirdi to seek Baba’s blessings
with genuine devotion. Once, Dada’s wife brought her child to Baba with the
intention of staying for some time in Shirdi. She got her husband’s reluctant
approval for the visit. At that time plague was rampant in Shirdi. On the
second day of her arrival the child developed fever and boils all over the
body. The mother felt sorry that she had not acted on her husband’s advice and
lamented who would protect her child from the affliction. She immediately
rushed to Baba and cried aloud: “Baba! Baba!” Baba asked her why she had come.
“Is your child having fever? Are there boils on his body? Not only the child
but I am also having boils. You look at them”. So saying, He lifted His Kafni
(coveting garment) and showed the boil on His body. Mahalaspati, who was
standing near, exclaimed: “Swami! What large boils are these?” He touched
Baba’s body and found that He was having high fever. The temperature might be
as high as 105° or 106° F. The mother cried: “Oh Baba! Has the disease affected
not only my son, but You also? Who will protect You?” She was in deep distress.
Baba said: “Is there any other to protect the One who is the protector of all?”
The mother immediately begged for Baba’s forgiveness. A short while thereafter,
Baba’s fever came down. The mother returned home feeling happy. She saw that
the fever and the boils had vanished from the child. She exclaimed: “Baba! Did
You take on my child’s illness?” In this manner, Shirdi Baba used to
demonstrate His powers as and when the occasion arose. What was the reason for
this? It was solely due to Paripoorna Viswaasam (total faith) which people had
in Baba. The devotees followed implicitly whatever Baba directed them to do.
Shirdi Sai Baba at the Dwarkamai Mosque
SHYAM AND BABA
Around the time when Sathe left Shirdi, the parents of Shyam came to Shirdi
with a two-year old child. Shyam’s father had just retired from service and
decided to settle down in Shirdi. The boy’s name was Mohan Shyam. The parents
called him Mohan, while others called him ‘Shyam’. The boy was put to school at
Shirdi and in due course he completed his studies and received training as a
teacher. He was appointed as a teacher at Shirdi. The school adjoined Baba’s
room. During the day, Shyam would be teaching at school. There was a ventilator
in the wall separating Baba’s room and the classroom. Shyam used to watch Baba
at nights through the ventilator. He used to notice Baba talking to Himself,
getting angry at times, or laughing to Himself, or doing other curious things.
Baba used to sleep on an eighteen-inch wide plank suspended from the ceiling.
Shyam was apprehensive that Baba might fall from His lofty, but narrow perch
during sleep.
Once he mustered courage to ask Baba while massaging His feet, “Swami! You
don’t seem to sleep at all at nights. You are laughing to Yourself or talking;
what is the secret of all this?” “You simpleton! Do you imagine you are the
only person about whom I am concerned in this world? There are numerous persons
who are praying to Me. I am speaking to all of them,” replied Baba. “When I
turn my finger, I am turning their minds. When I move my lips, I am talking to
them. When I laugh, I am amused at their follies. These are the things I am
doing for my devotees, dear child”.
Shyam prayed to Baba, “Swami! My classes don’t take up much of my time. Let me
stay with you during the rest of the time and serve You”. At that time, there
was a woman called Lakshmi Bai who used to cook food for Baba. Shyam used to go
to her and assist her in the preparation of Jowhar (a kind of flour) Rotis.
Baba had a great liking for brinjals. Shyam went to Lakshmi Bai to learn how to
prepare brinjal dishes. Shyam went on serving Baba in this way and he alone
knew the joy he derived from such service.
Baba often used to fly into temper. This was only an outward appearance.
Sometimes He used to throw a stick at someone ten feet away. Shyam once asked
Him, “Swami! You are hurling the stick at the man in such a rage. Supposing
something happened to him and he died, will You not get a bad name?” Baba
replied sharply, “Shaitan! You keep quiet. That fellow’s life is in My hands.
He will die only if I permit him. You better mind your business. Why are you
bothered about others? That man will come to his senses only if he sees Me in
this manner. If am indulgent they will try to ride the high horse”. Thus, in
this way, Baba used to discipline people by threats and harsh words. It is only
with this aim and not for any other purpose. This secret was revealed by Baba
only to Shyam and none else. Baba’s life was really a saga of love and nothing
else.
Keeping Shyam near Him and allowing him to serve Him, Baba spent many years.
One day, Baba called Pradhan and asked him to construct a small tank. Pradhan
was thus the first to be involved in the building of a Samadhi for Baba.
Shirdi Sai Baba with devotees
DR. PILLAI’S EXPERIENCE
The Lord is all Prema. He has no Dwesha (hatred) in Him. Once at Shirdhi, a
certain Dr. Pillai came with much suffering, and he prayed that he might be
given ten births with the chance of dividing the pain into ten parts, so that
he could suffer a little each time and pay off his Karmic debt, without being
hard put to it having to pay it all off in one! He was informed through Kaka
Saheb that he should fall at the feet of Baba and as he did so, Baba got the
pain transferred to Himself. For 10 minutes, Baba suffered, at the rate of one
minute for each Janma (birth), and thus he rid Dr. Pillai of his obligation.
Baba was quite normal, as soon as the 10 minutes were over.
The Two Sais - Sri Sathya Sai and Sri Shirdi Sai
PROPHECY OF THE FUTURE AVATAR AS SATHYA
In 1917, Baba once called Abdul Baba, Nana Chandorkar, Mahalsapati, Das Ganu
and others and started asking each of them: “Do you know who you are?” Each of
them replied: “I am your Sishya (disciple)”. Baba said: “Nonsense! Don’t use
that term any longer. I have no disciples in this world. I have countless
devotees. You do not recognise the distinction between a disciple and a
devotee. Anyone can be a devotee. But that is not the case with the disciple. A
disciple is one who carries out implicitly the commands of the Guru (the
preceptor). The mark of the Sishya is total devotion to the preceptor. Only the
man who says, “I have none in the world other than the preceptor is a
disciple”. How far have you respected My injunctions? How are you entitled to
claim that you are My disciples? Only the one who follows Me like My shadow can
claim to be My disciple. The devotee is one who prays to the Lord wherever he
may be. Hence, there is a big difference between a disciple and a devotee. The
disciple and the preceptor are like two bodies with one spirit. The disciple
should have no sense of separateness from the preceptor. He should feel, ‘I and
You are one’. There are no such disciples to be found in the world. There are
millions of devotees, but no disciples”.
On hearing this, Shyam was in deep pain. He felt within himself: “Apart from
serving at Your feet, I have no other concern”. Baba then went into another
room and called Shyam inside. “In this entire world, for Me you are the only
disciple. All others are only devotees”. At that moment, Shyam fell at the feet
of Baba, and cried out, “You alone, You alone” (are my refuge) and breathed his
last.
In all His life of over 82 years, Baba had never shed a tear in the presence of
devotees. When Shyam passed away, He shed three drops of tears. The devotees
present there said: “Swami! Why do you feel so grieved? All are in Your
hands”.Baba replied, “Dear boys! I am not grieving at all. Almost all his sins
had been wiped out already. By the three tear drops I shed, the remaining sins
(of Shyam) have been washed away”.
All that Baba said or did was for the good of the devotees alone. Towards the
end, Abdul Baba came to Baba. Baba told him: “I shall appear again and give you
Darshan”. “When will that be?” asked Abdul. Baba told him: “It will be after
eight years”. “The first advent of Sai was in Maharashtra. The second advent
will be in Madras,” Baba said. It should be noted that when this form (Sathya
Sai) made Its advent, Andhra Pradesh was part of Madras Presidency.
When He was asked, in what form the next advent would take place, Shirdi Baba
told Abdul Baba alone: “I will give Darshan in the name of Sathya for upholding
Truth”. That is the present advent. The two bodies are different, but the
Divinity is one. The first advent was for revealing Divinity. The second advent
is to awaken the Divinity (in human beings). The next advent is for propagating
Divinity. The three Sais are Shirdi Sai, Sathya Sai and Prema Sai.
Source: Shirdi Sai Baba, Chapter 7, Sai Vani: Avatar on Avatar Purushas
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