Upload
nguyendung
View
292
Download
8
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
Letters to the Editor
The Editorial
The day when he who had transcended form left the body
What is the real Vijayadasami?
The clarion call of Sri Sai Baba sounds in the west
Children's Sai Baba
Khaparde's Diary
Satsang News
SAIPATHAM MAGAZINE
OCTOBER 2002 SEPTEMBERNOVEMBER
Inside Cover
RARE PHOTOGRAPHS OF SHIRDI OF YORE
The photographic vignettes of Buty Wada (The Samadhi Mandir of Sai
Baba) in those early days when Baba entered mahasamadhi.
Page 2
Back to Contents
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear Sir,
We received the Guru Purnima issue of Saipatham
with great happiness. It is true that to bring out a
regular journal is a very difficult task. It is due to
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
some inescapable reasons that there may have
been a delay in the recent past in bringing out the
magazine. But it is not necessary for you to give
such a long explanation to us about the delay as we
are fellow devotees and can well understand and
sympathise with you about the delay. This is even
more so when we know that you have been trying
with the utmost vigour to publish the magazine on
time. The Guru Purnima issue was very good. We
were all delighted with the article Tatyasaheb
Noolkar who was an intimate devotee of Sai Baba.
The copies of the letters of those days published in
manuscript form gave the stamp of authenticity to
the article.
It is my hope that Saipatham fulfils the needs of the
devotees of Sai Baba.
Ever in the service of Sai Baba,
Katragadda Suryanarayana, Tenali.
_____________________________
Dear Sir,
I happened to go through your magazine, Saipatham
and was enthralled as I read the articles and the
biographical accounts of the devotees. I felt that the
true Sai is being reflected accurately in this
magazine. You gave us all the details of those days
with such clarity that I feel as if these events are all
happening before my eyes. I congratulate you on an
excellent magazine.
Yours
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
L. Siddha Reddy, R Locherla, Anantapur District
_______________________________________
Dear Sir,
I received the ninth issue of Saipatham. I was
disappointed that the magazine had not been
published and sent to us for the last six months. The
sudden arrival of this issue plunged me into surprise
and happiness. Your assurance that you would send
twelve issues to all the subscribers who had paid the
annual subscription regardless of the date of expiry
is to be admired. It would not be too much to say
that Saipatham had introduced a new ethical
standard in journalism, which other publishers would
do well to emulate. I congratulate the management
team of the magazine. I hope that you continue to
maintain the same ethical standards in your dealings
with the devotees of Sai Baba in the future too.
Yours,
L Venkateswara Rao, Khammam
___________________________
Dear Sir,
The month is spent looking forward to the arrival of
the postman with a copy of Saipatham. One is
plunged into indecision the moment the magazine
lands in one's hands. Which article to read first?
Which can be savoured later? One is eager to read
everything at once without leaving out a single word.
But one has only two eyes and in front of them lay a
veritable feast of words. What to read first? Can we
not read everything at once? The mind wavers in
confusion. Start from the beginning and read on till
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
the end commands the intellect. One reads on with
mounting delight till, all too soon, the magazine is
over. Only twenty-four pages! One is despondent
that the magazine is finished within such a short
time.
Each article is in such detail with great clarity and
wealth of information. The headlines and captions
give us the highlights of the articles. These
headlines and captions themselves are the beacons,
which light our way forward in life. The cover is a
delight to the eyes and keeps changing its
appearance to give us more and more happiness
every month.
This is Saipatham. None other can compare with it!
Yours,
B Satish, Chennai
Page 3
Back to Contents
THE EDITORIAL
Ardent feeling: the life force of the bhajan (singing of devotional songs.)
"Those who remember me and sing my divine leelas (divine play) become
me," said Sai Baba. Guruji, in his description of Sai Baba's mission, said
"The religion of Baba is to improve man to make him God."
Happiness is the ultimate objective of all our endeavours in the worldly or
the spiritual fields. That is why Sai Baba exhorted us, "Meditate upon me
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
as the embodiment of bliss." There are many sadhanas (spiritual
practices), which Guruji has given to the devotees of Sai Baba in order to
discover and enjoy the bliss lying dormant within us.
Of these sadhanas, the one dearest to his heart is bhajan, the remembrance
with love of Sai Baba's name. Bhajan is the expedient to express the
deeply-felt devotion for Sai Baba by word, deed and thought. It is the
submission to Sai Baba of the anguish piercing our hearts; the expression
of our gratitude to him that all that which is happening to us is by his
divine grace and therefore his prasad to us. (Prasad is the food offered to
a saint which is redistributed among the devotees as the conveyer of
purification and grace of the saint).
We should lovingly sing his glory, as he is forever protecting us from all
harm, both in the worldly as well as in the spiritual dimension, even
though we do not necessarily deserve to receive his grace. These are the
different expressions inherent in the bhajan.
Guruji defines bhajan as "The sadhana to express the yearning, the love
and the longing which we feel in our hearts for Baba". Bhajan reduces the
illusory effects of "I" and "mine" in our hearts and minds, and fills them
with the divine glow of love for Sri Sai. Bhajan makes us one with Baba,
the one who is the embodiment of single-minded love and infinite bliss,
and raises our voice in a harmony of love towards him.
Guruji says, "Ardent feeling is the life force of the bhajan." Furthermore,
"To the devotees of Sri Sai, he is the sadguru, the sadhana as well as the
destination." But over the years, the true essence of bhajan has been lost
and the teachings of Sai Baba have been forgotten. A veneer of orthodoxy,
using mere outward forms of worship and religious observances, has come
to replace the true essence of Baba's teachings. His name has been linked
in bhajan with other gods such as Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Ganesha, Datta,
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
Maruti and so on. It was at this juncture that Guruji emphasised Baba's
words, "They all call me Sai Baba," as Baba's divine call. He presented the
bhajan, "Sai Baba, Sai Baba" as the sadhana with which to recognise Sai
as only Sai, to kindle the flames of the true tradition of Sai in the hearts of
his devotees and to give life to the tradition of universal love - which is the
mainspring of Sai Baba's teaching.
To enable the devotees of Sai Baba to experience Sri Sai's grace, Guruji
has exhorted us to "Meditate solely upon one god," and has given us the
nectar of Sai worship in the single bhajan "Sai Baba, Sai Baba". Guruji's
purpose and mission in life is to immerse us in the river of Sai Baba's love
and make us cry out in ecstasy, so that we merge into that ocean of bliss.
The satsangs, which are meetings organised by Guruji's devotees at
various places, are for the furtherance of that aim. Sai Baba said, "My
name will talk, my samadhi (the tomb of a saint) will answer." The
satsangs are filled with the presence of Sai Baba as they resound with his
golden name. They offer solace to the many grief-stricken people of the
world, giving them the necessary guidance to receive the grace of Sai
Baba and thereby achieve bliss.
Sai Baba said, "Meditate upon me as the embodiment of bliss. If you are
unable to do that, meditate upon my form." Guruji says, "By his numerous
leelas Sai Baba has given his devotees the direct experience that he is the
embodiment of all life forms in this world. Hence the physical form of one
who has transcended form is the one for meditation by the devotees of Sai
Baba and the way to achieve happiness."
The first part of the nama smaran is to bring to one's mind the
omnipresence and the universal form of Sai Baba. Another facet of bhajan
is the recognition and celebration of the fact that he showers his blessings
upon us even though we are so undeserving of his grace, and gives us
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
whatever we ask for the moment we ask, exclaiming, "My business is to
bless". Sai Baba once said, "My leelas are unfathomable. Whoever dives
deep into them will be rewarded by the precious jewels of knowledge." To
meditate upon his leelas and immerse oneself in the contemplation of the
true traditions of Sai Baba is another part of bhajan. Baba said, "Whoever
constantly sees me, and constantly keeps their mind upon me will certainly
reach god." To lose the confines of our ego and merge into the universal
ego of Sai Baba in contemplation of his divine teachings is the last part of
bhajan.
In Guruji's words, "The divine, effulgent and powerful form of Sai Baba
and the love he shows towards his devotees he expresses by granting
anything the moment one wishes for it. The divine, unfathomable nature
of Baba, the enchantment of our hearts in the quest towards divining his
nature, and the dissolution of our individuality in the collective, universal
consciousness in that enchantment Ð these are the beginning and ending of
bhajan."
The truth gleaned at satsang and in our own study becomes evident at
bhajan. The devotees, hitherto insulated in their various individual egos,
merge into one and worldly desires and proclivities diminish. The feelings
of ego, the 'I' and the 'mine', are weakened and the heart is ennobled by a
universal love. Our feelings about divinity, which had hitherto an
amorphous and indistinct form, take a firmer shape and the heart is
purified wherein God makes his presence felt. The feelings of love and
devotion become stronger and further purify the hearts of devotees. The
devotees lose their sense of self and merge into the divine; they lose their
sense of themselves and achieve the feelings of the infinite and limitless
extent of God. They discover an experience of the true form of Sai Baba in
the silence between the words. This is the ultimate experience of bhajan.
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
The feeling expressed by Guruji that, "Time does not exist when the mind
merges into the divine," is experienced by the devotee in bhajan.
Page 5
Back to Contents
THE DAY WHEN HE WHO HAD TRANSCENDED
FORM LEFT THE BODY
A SPECIAL ARTICLE BY SRI SAINATHUNI SARATH BABUJI
It was 15th October 1918, and the festival of Vijayadasami was being
joyfully observed everywhere. At two in the afternoon, when according to
the lunar calendar dasami had just finished and ekadasi had just started,
Sai Baba chose to enter mahasamadhi.
The news spread like wildfire to the four corners of the country. A volcano
of anguish burst in the hearts of his devotees and eyes which had shed
tears of joy seeing the divine form of Sai Baba when he was alive filled
with tears of dismay and grief. On hearing the news that he was no more
and that life had left that glorious body, their hearts filled with the glorious
memories and they rued, "Never will we see those days again".
Despondent and dispirited they felt abandoned, their hearts became
desolated and a dark cloud of insecurity seemed to envelop them. A dreary
sadness reigned.
Great crowds of people thronged for the last darshan of Sai Baba. The
body was kept in a sitting position at the mosque so that all could see him
and have his darshan. A veritable sea of humanity occupied the mosque
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
and it was said that one had to wait five hours to have darshan of that
glorious form of the one who had transcended all forms.
Baba had said before he left his body, "I do not like it here. Take me to the
Dagdi Wada (Buty Wada), great people will serve me there." This was
taken by many devotees as Baba's directions to put his body into samadhi
in Buty Wada. So they started to excavate the place earmarked for the
Muralidhar statue in Buty Wada to bury his body.
A dispute soon arose as to where the samadhi of Baba was to be located,
for many devotees had taken Baba's words, "Take me to Dagdi Wada
(Buty Wada)," as directions to put his body in samadhi in Buty Wada. But
some elders of Shirdi, perhaps motivated by the fact that Sai Baba was a
Muslim, or by the superstitious belief that it is bad fortune to have a grave
in the middle of a village, insisted that the body should be put in samadhi
in the burial ground outside the village. Many Muslim devotees too, such
as Ameer Shakkar and others, insisted that Baba's body should be buried
in the burial ground according to the tenets of Islam, and that a samadhi
should be built over it. They were apprehensive that since Buty Wada was
the private property of a Hindu they might be prevented from visiting the
samadhi in the future.
Shama had initially opposed putting Baba;s samadhi in Buty Wada but
Tatya Kote Patil was firmly of the opinion that it should be in the Buty
Wada, though he was bedridden due to severe illness. So he summoned his
close friend Ramachandra Patil and told him that it was Sai Baba's last
wish that his body should be interred in Buty Wada and enjoined him to
comply with Baba's request.
Many people of Shirdi, especially the youth led by Ramachandra Patil,
insisted that Baba's body should be kept in samadhi in Buty Wada.
Prominent among this group were Bayyaji Patil Kote, Bappaji Lakshman
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
Ratnaparkhi, Balaji Pilaji Gurav, Santaji Bhivasan Shelke, Vamanrao
Mankoji Gondkar, Martand Bhagath Sonar, Tatya Tukaram Patil Shinde,
Nivratti Hanumant Gondkar, Appa Bahir Gondkar, Bhavadu Dulab Bhill,
Sakharam Ramji Kote, Dada Mahadu Gondkar, Tukaram Bharaku Mahar,
Yadav Radhunath Shinde and others. The arguments and counter
arguments as to where Baba's body was to be interred became more and
more serious and the village split into two opposing factions over the
issue.
In the evening the Fauzdar (Police Sub Inspector) arrived from Rahata and
an inquest was conducted in the presence of the Shirdi village police Patel,
Santaji Patil Shelke. As Baba had left no heirs, they decided to hand over
all his belongings to the Government. Yet still no agreement could be
reached as to where his samadhi was to be and the night of Tuesday
passed amidst heated arguments about the issue.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Baba appeared in a vision to
Shama's uncle, Lakshmanmama Joshi and said, "Get up quickly! Bapu
Saheb Jog thinks that I am dead and will not come to give arati
(congregational worship) to me. You must come and do kakad arati
(morning arati) to me." Jog, who had conducted arati every day to Baba,
did not come on that day as Baba had foretold. So Lakshmanmama Joshi
came, and disregarding the objections of the maulvis (Muslim priests)
present at the mosque, gave kakad arati to Baba and left. Jog, on learning
of this, came in the afternoon and continued the aratis to Sai Baba.
On the same day Amir Bhai and others from Bombay arrived along with
the Mamlatdar of Kopergaon. Still no agreement could be reached on
where Baba's samadhi was to be. Tension filled the air and clashes seemed
imminent. At this point the Mamlatdar decided to resolve this issue by a
vote and collected signatures of the villagers. In the voting 1,503
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
signatures were in favour of installing Baba's samadhi in Buty Wada and
730 people supported putting Baba's samadhi in the burial ground.
Even though the majority favoured Baba's samadhi being in Buty Wada,
the Mamlatdar feared that this might lead to violence and inter-religious
strife in the village and stated that he would not take a final decision over
the issue unless both parties agreed unanimously. He stated that he would
seek the decision of the District Collector over the matter, so Kakasaheb
Dixit started for Ahmednagar to consult with the government officer.
Dixit himself was opposed to the body of Baba being placed in Buty
Wada, and the other group was well aware of Dixit's prestige and
influence in the local government and his wide acquaintance with
government officials. They knew how efficient he was in getting work
done, and could well imagine the consequences if Dixit had met with the
District Collector. So they immediately agreed to compromise on the
issue, and it was decided that Baba's body would be kept in a lying
position in a wooden coffin in the Muslim tradition and that no objections
should be raised over the Muslims' right to enter the samadhi and worship
Baba. All acquiesced unanimously to this and agreed to put Baba's
samadhi in Buty Wada.
By the time all these negotiations and compromises had been concluded it
was Wednesday afternoon. Baba's body was bathed and placed in a seated
position in a four-wheeled carriage covered with an arch, and this was
taken out in a grand procession along with a palanquin and horse all
around the village until it arrived in Buty Wada. There Bapusaheb Jog
offered arati to Sai Baba and in the usual manner placed the dakshina
(alms) in Baba's hand by opening his fingers and then enclosing it in
Baba's fist. Although it was now twenty-one hours since Baba had entered
samadhi, his fingers were not affected at all by rigor mortis and opened
and closed very easily. Baba's body bent in a natural manner as if he was
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
merely asleep, and the devotees were easily able to remove his kafni
(cloak).
Before covering the samadhi with a stone, Baba's satka (stick), chillum
(pipe), a needle along with some reels of thread, flowers and aromatic
incense were placed in it. Baba had a brick, about 12 by 9 by 3 inches in
size which he used to place under his hand when he sat and used as a
pillow while he slept. Some devotees said that the brick was given to Baba
by his guru, although there is no concrete proof that Baba had ever stated
that it was given to him by his guru.
A few days before Baba entered samadhi, a devotee called Madhav Fasle
was cleaning the mosque when he dropped the brick and it broke into two
pieces. There is also another story that Mhalsapathi was handing the brick
to Baba one day and that it fell and broke into two. Baba was not in the
mosque at the time, and the devotees were apprehensive that when he
found out that the brick had been broken he would fly into a towering
rage. But contrary to their expectations, when Baba returned to the
mosque he did not get angry when he saw the broken brick. He simply
took the broken pieces in his hand, his eyes brimming with tears, and said,
"It's over, it's finished. My relationship with this brick in this life has
ended. I must go now." (Sevat jhala ata sarvach atoople. Janmachi khari
sobateen sevati goleech. Ata apanhi goli pahaje. Aphan veet sonyacha
tarene neet julvoon bandhan ghevu.)" Buty, in seeing Baba's sorrow,
offered to have the broken pieces of brick joined together again with silver
or gold wire, but Baba would not allow it. But after his samadhi the pieces
of the brick were joined together with silver wire and it was placed under
Baba's head in the samadhi.
As well as this brick Baba also had an old cloth bag which he would never
allow anyone to touch. Nobody knew what was in it as he kept it beside
him all the time. After his death, when the devotees opened the bag they
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
found inside an old, bedraggled green kafni and a cap, which Kasinath
Shimpi had presented to Baba many years previously. No one could
fathom why Baba had guarded them so zealously, and the kafni and cap
were placed in the cloth bag and put in the samadhi with Baba. By the
time all this was done it was four in the afternoon before the samadhi was
sealed. It is said that a little blood came from Baba's mouth when the body
was placed in the Samadhi Mandir for darshan, a unique occurrence in the
annals of medical science. However it was not surprising that normal
physical laws did not apply to a yogi such as Baba, who could do various
yogic practices such as expelling his intestines and washing them,
dismantling and reassembling his body parts and the astounding miracle
when he had returned to life after being dead for three days thirty years
previously.
The day after Baba entered samadhi, Baba appeared in darshan to Das
Ganu Maharaj at Pandaripur, early in the morning, and said, "The mosque
has collapsed. The oil merchants have troubled me a great deal. That is
why I am leaving. I have come here to tell you this. Come at once to
Shirdi and cover my samadhi with flowers." The news that Baba had
entered mahasamadhi reached Das Ganu as dawn was breaking, and he
rushed to Shirdi as quickly as he could, along with his followers, and
placed flowers on Baba's samadhi. He did nama sankeertana and fed the
poor in honour of Baba.
As Baba was dying, Nana Wali started weeping and wailing and said,
"Uncle, I cannot live without you. I am coming with you." So he stopped
eating or drinking and on the 13th day after Baba entered mahasamadhi
he, too, left his body.
In those early days, the ritual bathing (abhishek) of the samadhi was done
only once a week and performed by Abdul Baba. Buty had appointed
Kamalakar Dixit to conduct the regular worship of Baba's samadhi, but
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
after a few days he left Shirdi and settled at Sakori with Upasani Baba in
his ashram. Bapusaheb Jog, who used to conduct the regular arati to Sai
Baba while he was in the body, also took sanyas a few months after Baba
entered mahasamadhi and took up residence at Sakori.
The devotees who visited Shirdi between 1918 and 1922 were very few in
number. Kakasaheb Dixit took the initiative and formed a trust to
administer the Samadhi Mandir in the name of Sri Sai Baba Sansthan
(organisation). The monthly expenditure of the Sansthan in those early
days was only between 250 to 300 rupees; today it is a few million! From
1918 until 1954 there was only a simple photograph of Sai Baba on the
samadhi. Then on Thursday, October 7th, 1954, a beautiful marble statue
of Sai Baba sculpted by Balaji Vasant Talim was consecrated in the
Samadhi Mandir.
Box on page 6
THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS YEAR'S VIJAYADASAMI
Whatever the puranic stories say about Vijayadasami, it is the most
important and holy day for the devotees of Sai Baba, as it was on that day,
Tuesday, October 15th 1918, that he chose to leave his body. According to
the Lunar Calendar, the Dasami had just finished and Ekadasi had started.
Ever since then, the day of mahasamadhi of Sai Baba has been observed
on Vijayadasami. It is remarkable coincidences that after 84 years the
lunar and solar calendars agree, and the samadhi day of Sai Baba happens
again to happen on a Tuesday, the 15th of October 2002, which gives a
special importance to this year's Vijayadasami.
Let us all spend the day in Shirdi in remembrance of how Baba entered
mahasamadhi.
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
Saipatham
Box on Page 8
On the day when Baba entered mahasamadhi, Panduranga Balaji Kavade
and Vaman Ranganath Gokhale interviewed several prominent devotees.
Kavade is the author of the Marathi history of Sai Baba, Sri Sant Sai
Maharaj Yanche Charitra, which was first published 1956. Gokhale wrote
Nirvanicha Sakha Ð Shirdi che Sainath Maharaj Yanche Jeevan Charitra,
first published in Marathi in 1965. They had met many of the elders of
Shirdi, including Ramachandra Kote Patil, Ratnaparkhi and other
devotees, and later published these interviews.
An examination of the events of that day shows that, contrary to widely
held opinion, the dissension of that day was not between Hindus on the
one side and Muslims on the other. Rather it was the result of the
differences of opinion about where Baba's body should be interred. Not all
those who voted to keep Baba's body in Buty Wada were Hindus, nor
were all those who preferred to place it in the burial ground Muslims. Both
parties had Muslims and Hindus amongst them. In fact Ramachandra Kote
Patil, in the interview, is especially appreciative of the help given to him
by a Muslim police functionary during the dispute.
Caption of the photo on Page 9
The wooden platform on which
Baba's holy body was placed
when he was last bathed
Caption under photo on Page 11
This rare photograph, said to
have been taken of the mosque
or Dwarakamai three days after
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
Sri Sai Baba entered
mahasamadhi.
Back to Contents
WHAT IS THE REAL VIJAYADASAMI?
Sai Baba's tradition is of true love – universal, selfless love, which looks
upon all creation as Sri Sai and loves it as such.
It is the inhuman aspect within us which prevents us from following his
teachings and progressing further, which keeps us mired in orthodox
spiritual practices. Those who propagate these tendencies towards
fanaticism in the name of orthodoxy are the true demons that beset
society. When we eradicate these demons in one form they arise, phoenix-
like, in another and continue to plague us.
It is only when we summon up all our strength, using the weapons of
nistha (faith) and saburi (patience) with thought, speech and action united
in the common cause that we can vanquish the dead wood of orthodoxy
and win the battle against these base tendencies. The day when that
happens and we gain victory over the fanatical trends plaguing our society,
will be our real Vijayadasami
Sri Babuji
Captions for the photographs on Page 12
Left photo - The Samadhi of Sai Baba in 1920 (two
years after he entered mahasamadhi)
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
Right Top - Baba's samadhi in 1926
Right Bottom - Baba's samadhi before 1954.
Caption on Page 13
HAVE YOU NOTICED?
We all know that Sai Baba, in the form of a white marble
statue, is seated upon a silver throne from where he governs
his spiritual empire with such benign grace. The weight of this
throne is 60.822 Kg.
However a new grand silver throne weighing 205kg. was
installed on Ramanavami day 2002. The new throne is used
only during special festival days and the old throne is used on
all the other days.
Page 14
Back to Contents
THE CLARION CALL OF SRI SAI BABA
SOUNDS IN THE WEST
Our sastras regard self-study and listening to spiritual treatises as
important steps in sadhana. The Saipatham satsang kendras are
developing this theme by becoming centres where love for Baba is
awakened, where the happiness of being with Baba is shared and the
presence of the guru is enjoyed. Saipatham, or the path of Sai, is where
these feelings predominate. The feet of Sri Sai dance in happiness in such
places.
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
Many are the devotees who have taken shelter in the kindly arms of
Guruji, and who enjoy his love, protection and the feeling of security he
evokes in them. Even though they may be abroad in pursuit of their
careers, they want to share the love and bliss they have enjoyed with
others too, and want to keep their lives forever immersed in the
remembrance and talk of Sai Baba. They have therefore united to form an
organisation called the 'American Saipatham Kendras', or ASK.
This reflects Sai Baba's willingness to fulfill his devotees' wishes, as
defined by Sri Babuji when he reminds us, "It is his vow to keep giving us
whatever we ask of him. It is the path of Sai to teach us how to ask him."
Although these devotees have gone abroad to work, they are careful not to
become enmeshed by a secular culture and are seeking to influence those
around them by keeping to the path of Sai Baba. Almost every month they
devote a long weekend to gathering together and focusing on their inner
sight and in awakening the feelings of Sai love. Time which would
perhaps normally be spent on a holiday or some form of entertainment is
used to refresh themselves in the rich draughts of Sai Baba and Guruji's
teachings and in sharing their experiences with new arrivals.
These satsangs first started in the States in April 1999, and from their
humble beginnings they have developed into sizeable gatherings. The
satsang is held once a month in a teleconference form and around 200
people are able to join in at the same time. Those who wish to join the
satsang dial (949)-270-2290 and then dial the password 724. The
interactive system then asks them for the place they are dialing from, and
they are then linked into the system and can join in. Any number of
devotees can take part in the satsang and ask whatever they wish, so that
all those taking part in the satsang can hear the answer. Everyone can talk
to each other as if they were all sitting together. Once all the American
devotees are online, they call up India and link the Indian devotees to the
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
satsang. Everyone joins in the satsang, which ends with the Sai nama
being sung by all.
There are many Sai devotees who cannot read Telugu, even though it is
their mother tongue. This is because of the prevailing education system
which teaches them in languages other than their own. ASK can rightly
take pride in recording Sai Bhakti Sadhana Rahasyam for the use of such
devotees. Written by Sri Sainathuni Sarath Babuji in the form of an audio
book, using the latest digital technology, it is the first such innovation in
the field of Telugu publishing.
In this way the members of ASK are able to propagate the loving tradition
of Sai Baba and Guruji on an equal footing with the satsang kendras of
India.
The burning desire with which Vivekananda spread the teachings of his
guru, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, to the Americans is well known. No
less is the zeal of the members of ASK, who are eager to share the love
and teachings of their guru Sri Babuji in the USA. May Guruji bless the
members of ASK to continue on that path with renewed vigour and faith.
May Guruji shower his blessings on them and their satsang.
Mangalagiri Radhakrishna
Poems on Page 19
With sweet words for a temple
Asked Sai in his darbar
Shama and Buty saw the dreams as one
Isn't it the glory of Sai – the dream?
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
Completed was the temple
stay I would, here, said Sai
Now it is the temple of our hearts
Save us oh Sai! Our protector
Page 17
Back to Contents
CHILDREN'S SAI BABA
We perform so many acts every day. Yet we recognise that
most of what we do is of little value. We waste so much time
and effort over activities of little use. Moreover, sometimes
what we do is not only futile but offends others and lands us in
trouble. How can we overcome this situation? We just have to
sit alone and consider what is essential and what is not. We
should perhaps first stop doing that which does not further our
aims.
The next thing is to undertake only that which is useful and
essential, even if it is not to our liking, and endeavour to like
that which we are obliged to do. Although this may not happen
immediately, with the passage of time and diligence we will come
to accept them as a routine or habit. If we read the biography
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
of Sai Baba we can see that he followed a routine, even though
he had no need to do so, and gave much importance to doing
whatever he set himself in a proper manner.
For example he used to make a daily round to beg for alms, only
stopping a few days before he died. He would only go to five
houses for alms and never changed the houses or the order in
which he visited them throughout his life. His devotees would
place tasty delicacies before him but he would always eat only
what he had had been given on his daily round.
On one occasion Baba put his hand in the dhuni in order to save
a child from burning. His hand sustained a severe burn, and
every day Bhagoji, a devotee who was a leper, would bandage
the hand. Even though the wound healed after a few days, Baba
continued for eight years to allow Bhagoji to dress his hand
right up until his death.
The mosque where Baba lived was dilapidated and in daily
danger of collapse. His devotees would have preferred him to
stay elsewhere, but he would never accede to their request.
Even when a huge storm engulfed the town and it seemed as if
the roof would cave in at any moment, Baba refused to budge.
In desperation a devotee, Narayana Teli, ignoring his orders
forcibly carried him to the Chavadi and made him stay there
the night. Thereafter, Baba developed a routine of spending one
night at the mosque and one night at the Chavadi.
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
Baba's daily routine never varied. He would follow the same
route every day when he went from the mosque to the Lendi
gardens to answer the calls of nature, and return by a different
way. Nor did he choose the most direct path, but preferred a
lengthier detour for reasons which he never explained. Perhaps
by his scrupulous adherence to habit, he was trying to set us an
example.
Middle Box on Page 18
From the diary of
Kakasaheb Dixit
The headmaster of the school at
Shirdi was called Daji Vaman
Chidambar, whom I met within a
short while of his arrival. In the
course of our conversation he
said to me, 'The good name I
have developed as a teacher is in
danger of becoming ruined.
Children in Shirdi show little
inclination to study and have no
fear of examinations. Such is
their faith in Baba that they tell
me that all they need to in order
to pass is to take udi from Baba
and this in itself will confer on
them the necessary abilities.'
About six months later, when
the examinations had been
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
completed, I met him again.
'Well,' he volunteered, 'it seems
I was wrong. The school has got
excellent results. All the children
who took the exam after
receiving udi from Baba have
passed!'
Box in the bottom of page 18
Dear Children,
Vijayadasami is the day when Baba entered mahasamadhi. It is
also the day that our dear Guruji was born. That is why that day
is a big festival, which we celebrate with joy. We do the Sai
nama and the procession with Sai Baba's photograph around the
streets of Shirdi on that day. This year we will also have some
cultural programmes presented by the children on the 14th,
15th and 16th October, 2002 at Saipatham. We would like you
to present some skits and short plays and dances about Sai
Baba and Guruji. If you are interested in taking part can
organise skits or plays of ten minutes duration and use this
opportunity to show your love for Baba and Guruji.
Page 18
Back to Contents
KHAPARDE'S DIARY
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
Khaparde's diaries were published by the All India Sai Samaj, Mylapore,
Chennai long ago but are no longer available. They were also published as
"Shirdi Diary" from August 1985 to February 1986 in Sai Leela magazine.
The Sai Baba Sansthan have published the diaries in a book form under
the editorship of Sri V B Kher, but some of the original passages have
been removed and the book is incomplete.
The original diaries are presently in safe keeping at the National Archives.
We have spent a great deal of effort and expense to acquire copies of these
rare original manuscripts and are publishing them with the photocopies of
the original English diaries, along with a Telugu translation.
Saipatham
1911 -13TH DECEMBER, WEDNESDAY
Sheradi.
I got up as usual, prayed and wished to bathe but hot water was not ready.
So I came out & sat talking. I saluted Sayin Maharaj as he went out & then
had my bath. I read Panchadasi. Later on I went to see Sayin Maharaj at
the Masjid and returned after Arti. About 4 P.M. I went away with
Balvant, Bhishma & Bauda who brought my Hukka & Sayin Maharaj had
a smoke out of it. Madhavarao asked for permission for me to return to
Amravati but Sayin Maharaj said that he would decide about it tomorrow
morning. He got all the people there out of the Masjid & advised me very
very kindly in a truly fatherly way. At sunset we went again & saw him
opposite the Chavadhi and later on attended the Sheja-Arti. Then Bhishma
had his Panchapadi, earlier then usual. Bhai also sang a Bhajan.
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
1911 - 14TH DECEMBER, THURSDAY
Shiradi.
Wishing to go away I got up early, attended the Kakad Arati and praying
somewhat in haste went to Sayin Maharaj at the Masjid with Madhavarao
Deshpande. Sayin Maharaj said that I could go tomorrow or so and added
that I should serve God alone & no one else. He said 'What God gives is
never finished & what man gives never lasts.' Then I returned, and saw
Durveshasaheb Falke of Kalyan arrive. He is a very nice old gentleman of
he old sort. Mr Shingne & his wife are with him. Mr Shingne is a High
Court Varkerl of Bombay & has a law class also. He said that the partition
of Bengal has been naturally modified, that Delhi has been substituted for
Calcutta as capitol & that some prisoners have been released, but their
names &c &c are not yet known. I attended the mid-day puja & had my
breakfast with Bapusaheb Jog. After it I lay down & fell asleep. I went to
the Masjid a little late & then made my namaskar near the Chavadhi. Then
I sat talking with Durveshasaheb & Shingne. Later on Bhishma had his
daily Bhajan.
Box on page 21
Hari Sitaram Dixit is prominent
among those devotees who were
fortunate enough to be close to
Sri Sai Baba during his lifetime.
He first came to see Sai Baba in
1909 and kept a notebook from
that time until his death in 1926,
in which he records the divine
leelas of Sai Baba that he had
witnessed, as well the ones he
had gathered from other
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
devotees. His diary is therefore a
valuable and authentic source of
Sai BabaÍs life, along with
KhapardeÍs diaries. As yet the
book has not been published in
Telugu, but we intend to remedy
this as part of our endeavour to
publish authentic books about
the life and times of Sai Baba.
Box on page 23
The places of interest in Shirdi,
their details and importance in
the background of Sai Baba's
history and leelas. An
investigative guide to these and
many other details with many
rare photographs.
Experiencing Sai Baba's Shirdi - A guide by Alison
Williams
Page 24
Back to Contents
SATSANG NEWS
NELLORE
In zealous observance of Sri Babuji's saying "To think only of Sai and to
talk only of Sai, there is no other way;" the Sai Baba Mandir at
Venkatramapuram, Mini bypass, Nellore organised a twenty-four hour
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
bhajan starting at 6 a.m. on the 14.09.02. Many local devotees as well as
devotees from other parts of Andhra Pradesh took part enthusiastically.
Approximately 2,000 people were fed in the annadan, which was part of
the dayÍs observances.
PALAKOLLU
The Sai Baba satsang kendras are fast spreading over the nooks and
corners of Andhra Pradesh. One such new comer is the Satsang Kendra,
which was started on 01.09.02 at Palakollu on the Banks of river Gautami
(Godavari) in the Konaseema, the granary of Andhra Pradesh.
The satsang was started at Spandana Apartments, Bangaru vari cheruvu
gattu with bhajan of Sai Nama and satsang with Sri P. Sai Prasad between
6 p.m. and 10.30 p.m.
VENKATAGIRI
On June 23rd the Venkatagiri Sai Baba satsang celebrated its seventh
anniversary with great joyfulness and ceremony. Bhajan was conducted
for 24 hours starting at 6 a.m. on the 22nd, and a procession was made in
the morning of the 23rd with the photographs of Baba and Guruji. About
5,000 people were fed in the annadan, which was conducted in the
afternoon. Satsang was conducted in the evening, which was well attended
by the devotees who had come from the afar to join the celebrations.
Speeches were made by in the satsang by Sri P. Sai Prasad, A
Bhanumurthy, S. Vijaya Bhaskar, B. Kondayya and S. Subbarayudu.
Back cover
The Samadhi which answers
SAIPATHAM – OCTOBER 2002
www.saileelas.org
"My samadhi answers those who
make me their refuge. It moves
with them. I perform my mission
even from my samadhi. My
bones shall speak to reassure
my devotees. My name will
speak, I shall be with you even
after my samadhi, whenever you
think of me."
Sai Baba
Back to Contents