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 NEW YEAR MESSAGE of SHRI C.B. SATPATHY
Most of the devotees of
Shri Shirdi Sai Baba are reported to have spiritual experiences,
many of which are in the form of miracles, which not only
enhances their faith in Baba but also spiritually uplifts
them. If one goes through such experiences of devotees as
depicted in Shri Sai Satcharitra and other literature on Sai
Baba and compares them with the experiences of the present
day devotees one would find a close similarity pertaining
to many of them. Shri Khaparde, a prominent advocate of Amravati
near Nagpur, who used to visit Shirdi frequently, and Kakasaheb
Dixit who devoted the later part of his life in the services
of Baba at Shirdi have recorded details of such experiences
in their diaries.
When one hears about some
of the common experiences reported by devotees, one’s mind
is transported to Baba’s time at Shirdi. Imaginations become
vivid, all worries cease to exist and time seems to stand
still. Most devotees have reported that they used to get spiritually
charged at the very sight of Baba; disturbing and uncontrollable
thoughts of their mind used to vanish, a feeling of purity
and love would engulf them.
Baba had a unique way
of communicating with his devotees through language, look
and touch besides the extremely strong and vibrant spiritual
thought waves. He used to relate his thought waves even from
afar. These powerful thought waves used to appear in the form
of vivid dreams and ideas in the minds of his devotees to
convey certain impulses, directions, forewarnings, future
happenings and Baba’s love. Those who followed these directions
with an open mind benefited amply. While such directions were
related by Baba in dreams, the results were seen taking shape
suddenly or in due course of time in the actual realities
of their worldly life. For example, one devotee saw Baba giving
him yellow rice in his dream. When he got up he found yellow
rice sprinkled all over his bed. Similarly another devotee
found a coconut in his bed when awakened from sleep. Another
direct experience as depicted in the Shri Sai Satcharitra
was in 1917, when Hemadpant had a dream wherein he saw Baba
in the form of a Sanyasi promising to come to Hemadpant’s
house for meals that day. At lunchtime, just as the family
was about to begin eating, two men, Ali Mahomed and Moulana
Ismu Mujavar, appeared at the door and handed over a picture
of Sai Baba to Hemadpant. Hemadpant was much moved at the
thought that Baba had indeed blessed him by gracing his house
for lunch.
There are numerous experiences
about Baba appearing physically in different and distant places,
while he was in his human embodiment at Shirdi. Devotees have
reported that Baba, while sitting in front of the Dhuni in
the morning at the mosque, would often refer to distant places
and other worlds he had visited overnight despite being physically
present at Shirdi. A famous incident is narrated in Shri Sai
Satcharitra in 1910, when Baba, sitting near the Dhuni, pushing
firewood into it, suddenly pushed his arm into the Dhuni thereby
burning his hand. On enquiry by the devotees, he replied that
at some distant place, the wife of a blacksmith was working
at the furnace with her child tied to her waist. When her
husband called her, she suddenly got up and the child slipped
into the furnace. Baba thrust his hand into the Dhuni to save
the child from the furnace. Another devotee, B.V Deo had sent
a letter to Bapu Saheb Jog in Shirdi requesting Baba’s presence
in a group lunch he had arranged. Baba promised to attend
the lunch with two other persons and did so by appearing in
the form of a Sanyasi with two followers.
The greater miracles of
Baba are instances of control of natural forces like fire,
air and water (rain). The Satcharitra narrates of an evening
when torrential rain accompanied by lightning and thunderstorm
hit Shirdi flooding it entirely. This terrified all the disciples,
animals and birds who took refuge at Dwarakamai Masjid and
prayed for help. At their request Baba commanded the cloud
in a thunderous voice to stop its fury and to allow his children
to go their houses. Within minutes the rain stopped and the
storm settled down. Another instance documented was on an
afternoon when flames from Baba’s dhuni rose up to the roof
of Dwarakamai Masjid threatening to burn it. Baba took his
satka (stick) and hit a pillar commanding the fire to calm
down. At each stroke of the satka the flames gradually settled
to normalcy. Baba gave numerous other types of experiences
to his devotees but it would not be possible to codify or
cite such examples due to lack of space.
The more surprising and interesting fact to note is that even
after departure from his bodily abode in 1918 and till the
present day, devotees continue to report similar experiences.
Truly speaking, even on the day Baba left his body and thereafter,
devotees have been experiencing such unexplainable events.
Such experiences of Baba are not limited to the gullible and
uneducated rural youth as is commonly believed to be, but
cuts across the “intelligentsia” of the society including
lawyers, professors, officials, doctors, scientists and others.
It is interesting to observe that even in this era of esoteric,
atomic individualism, with population (the number of devotees)
having increased manifold, where rationality and objectivity
rules the minds of the people, such spiritual experiences
continue to affect millions. Cutting across the man made differentiations
of caste, races, religions, socio-economic diversities, all
are making a beeline to Baba’s Samadhi at Shirdi as Baba had
once uttered in a state of spiritual ecstasy. Despite the
modern day youth’s affinity to western culture, Baba’s message
remains ever relevant and appealing. That is why so many temples
have come up across the globe. Sai Baba not only crossed the
boundaries of humanism but gave shelter to all living creatures.
The Sai Satcharitra narrates numerous instances of his compassion
towards dogs, snakes, horses, tigers and even birds.
Today on an average 35,000
people visit Shirdi every day and on weekends the numbers
go upto a lakh or more. There has been a phenomenal growth
in the Sai faith as can be seen in the astronomical growth
in the number of temples, literary publications, devotional
music etc. The number of devotees dedicated to spread the
name and message of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba is mind-boggling.
Today the Sai movement is not limited only to Maharashtra
as was during the time of Baba, but within decades of his
departure has crossed the national boundaries to become a
global movement. This new era of “Saiism” does not touch the
religious aspect of the devotee’s life only but affects and
permeates all aspects of an individual’s life (family, culture,
social behavior etc). For the devotees Shri Sai Baba is not
a part of their life but their life itself in all its aspects.
The spirit of Sai is more
active and alive today than perhaps it ever was. This raises
in our mind a fundamental question - “Who is Sai Baba?” Some
address him as a Sadguru, some as a fakir, some as a Yogiraj,
some as a saint and to most of the devotees he is “God the
Almighty” Himself. He has been accepted as an incarnation
(Saguna Sakara avatara), which means, God who in human form
walked on earth. History has shown that the expansion of religions
and/or faiths started by the incarnations expanded phenomenally
after they left their human embodiment. This was the case
with Jesus Christ, Buddha, Mohammed and Shri Krishna. The
Sai movement is ever on the increase in a similar manner,
which goes to reinforce the faith that Sai Baba was an incarnation
of God (Paramatma). This goes to prove Baba’s promise that
after leaving his body he will be ever active from his tomb
to protect and guide his devotees. As Baba had once promised,
He continues to exist in a subtle form (Mahakarana sheath)
as a unifying force, to spread and re-establish compassion,
love, truth and tolerance amongst human beings and among all
living entities on earth.
Let us welcome and embrace
this age of Sai, who is the panacea for all the evils of the
present world, torn asunder by forces of regionalism, racialism,
economic and social differences, religious bigotry, fanaticism
and lack of faith in “God”. Let us look forward to a happier
tomorrow; let the name of Shri Sai resonate in all corners
of the globe.
C.B Satpathy
22nd December, 2006
New Delhi
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