Chapter – 9
Saibaba takes birth when you realize Sai’s love on you
A holy river called SAI :
Imagination with devotion can take you any where. People have many different stories about birth of sai baba , some even has proofs and some has just faith and some stories of saibaba’s birth are made for selfish reasons by false gurus. Let us be clear about this. When Sai lived , he never showed interest in revealing his place of birth , parents and childhood. Today if you deeply meditate and ask sai in your mind about his past , the answer will be ” It doesn’t matter ”
A saints life is like a river nourishing the lives of all who comes across him in his journey towards samadhi. The origin of river ( saint ) is not important. we have to humbly accept Sai from the time sai was seen sitting under the neem tree in shirdi as a young lad instead of doing research about his birth and parents. Every incident in saibaba’s life time is a Gem of Knowledge and wisdom . If we dive deep in the ocean of Sai stories , we will surely be able to discover Gems.
Datta Incarnation – A fakir who became a Samartha Sadguru :
I whole heartedly feel the birth of Sai is very much related to holy scriptures as Sai is a incarnation of Shree Guru Dattatreya.Datta’s first Incarnation Shree Paadha Shree Vallabha has assured that he is not restricted to one country and people from all countries will be devoted to him. Similarly to prove his assurance, Datta would have incarnated as Sai uniting people of all religions. A muslim fakir who lives in masjid gave darshan to a Lord Rama devotee as Ram, to a shiva devotee as shiva swaropa and Hanuman bhakta as Maruti.How beautiful is this Incarnation of Sai.
May be Sai is a ordinary person who became a sadguru after self realization. All we know is the love of Sai for his devotees, let him be a incarnation of God or a Fakir who humbly calls himself as “Servant of God“.
We have got a jewel in our heart friend. Let us be happy that we are gifted in this life time to get such a caring, loving and affectionate Sadguru. It is ok to have your own belief about the birth of Sai. When i wanted to write about sai baba’s birth for this book i faced the below incident in our house.
Birth of the light under a Neem Tree :
Sai is so pure that to me he is a light, a Jyothi ,a luminance of love who’s birth itself is for our welfare and peace.
We live in a colony of more than 400 houses. In march 2009, the authorities did a project of reconstructing the sewage canal infront of all the houses. There is a Neem tree infront of our house for over three decades which i consider as Sai’s presence with us, a natural blessings as sai was first found as a young lad sitting under the Neem tree in shirdi.
Our Neem tree is close to this sewage canal near the road . so we don’t have rights to protect it and if the reconstruction of the sewage canal is done for our house , then surely the Neem tree roots will be cut , even to the extent of cutting the tree itself. My parents said theres no chance that we can request the authorities for not cutting the Neem tree and i was upset about it.
Holy bath for Lord Ganesha , Shirdi sai baba and Dattatreya :
Sai made me do a Pooja by doing holy bath for Sai Statue, Dattatreya and Lord Ganesha. After having the holy water as prasad i poured some of this in the platform infront of our house near the Neem Tree.. I had a belief that certainly sai and Lord Datta will help us save the Neem tree.
Next day morning i got a news that since our house is in the corner and we never use the sewage for all these years, we can request the authorities that we don’t need reconstruction of the same. That night while coming back from Sai baba temple, as i was around 50 meters away from our house, i had a sudden feeling as if someone is standing near the Neem Tree infront of our house.
I was shocked and looked again keenly to see no one in the darkness. I realized its just my imagination as i am worried about the Neem tree being cut any day.This probably was sai’s way of assuring me that he will safe guard the Holy Neem tree as it was my intense desire to have it for life time.
Sai’s assurance came true :
After a weeks time, i saw a old lady ( labour ) already started to dig the mud and started her work to reconstruct the sewege canal infront of our house. A aunty and another uncle joined me to talk to the old women for not digging infront of our house.
I requested her to wait for a day as my parents are out of station and we are not using the canal for years as our wastage water is used as resource for the coconut trees inside our house.
The lady agreed to my request and started her work in the near by house. Next day my father clearly told the authorities that we are not using the sewege canal for years and since our house is in the corner , we don’t need it reconstructed. By sai grace thus our Neem tree was saved. Every day the dried Neem tree leaves fall inside our compound like a blessing of Sai, Every breath we take comes from the air crossing the Neem tree, We are comforted with its shadow.
Sai, How powerful is your presence in our house. Let every sai devotee who reads this remember that if they plant the seed of good thoughts in their mind everyday, that itself will grow as a Neem Tree and you will be present in their mind and house. You will make your devotees house as your Dwarakamai.
Friend. Let us cultivate the habit of doing Naam smaran ( chanting of Gods name ) Sai Sai Sai or any holy mantra you like. This way our mind gets purified and we only think Good. The moment good thoughts arises in mind, thats the real Birth of Sai baba of shirdi in our life.
Sweet Saint who appeared meditating under the Neem Tree :
The reason i wanted to share this incident is that according to me, Sai’s story starts from the time the people of shirdi first saw him sitting as a young lad under a Neem tree which is now called as “Gurusthan”. Sai never minded the heat and cold of the village and meditated for hours sitting under the Neem Tree. So practically birth of Sai in shirdi is under the holy Neem Tree.
Sai , you are our Light, you showed us the path of light and i celebrate this chapter on behalf of the “Birth of a Light under the Neem Tree”. A light called Sai who came to destroy our darkness of ignorance and gift us with the Light of wisdom and Love.
Incidents during Sai Baba’s life time :
Friend. Now let us understand how beautifully sai has conveyed he is Datta Avatar through the following leela he did during his life time.
1.Divine Leela of Sai experienced by devotee Balwant Kohojkar :
Balwant Kohojkar went to shirdi in 1911 and Sai welcomed him with parental affection patting him on the back. He stayed there for seven days . It was Datta Jayanthi ,the sacred day when mother Anusuya gave birth to Lord Dattatreya. It was a bright evening in shirdi , Sai children in dwarakamai were having darshan of our Sai. At this time Sai suddenly holded his stomach saying ” I am having labour pain. I can’t bear it , I am about to be delivered”
By these words we understand Sai identifies himself with Anusuya , Mother of Dattatreya.
Anusuya on this holy day had sympathetic labour pain.When we deeply think about baba’s words it is clear that sai, having a loving heart of mother wanted to take the pain of his mother to himself and he himself is being born as he says ” i am about to be delivered”. Mother Anusuya and her new born Son Datta, both were represented by this leela of Sai.
Sai gives darshan as new born Datta :
The sun was about to set and the birds were flying back to their nest. Sai drove out all the people from Dwarakamai and after sometime called them back. Balwant Kohojkar was one amoung the first few devotees to enter Dwarakamai as soon as sai asked them to come inside. Balwant was surprised to see a small child instead of Baba. The child was having three faces and charming giving him darshan of infant Datta for few seconds. As soon as they realized this leela of Sai, immediately the little Datta was gone and Sai was sitting there with his kafni as if nothing happened.
The handful of devotees who saw this vivid darshan of new born Datta on the day of Datta Jayanthi firmly believed that Sai is Datta avatar. A samartha sadguru incarnation of Dattreya.
Oh Sai, how beautiful it would have been to Balwant and few devotees who saw you as a 3 faced little baby datta. How much we would like to adore you as our child, feed you and take care of you. Instead it is always you who take care of us like mother and father, give us shelter, provide us knowledge, a job , food, good relationships and all peace and protection.
Sai, atleast for one day in a year on Datta Jayanthi, let me and the readers of this book worship you and think about you as a child who needs our motherly love.
Sai always loves us but our mind is always in wordly affairs :
Sometimes i feel Sai has given so much love to me than i could ever think of giving him back. Let us have a opportunity to show our love on you Sai, Let us serve you, let us press your legs,give you holy bath , apply sandal paste to you and offer nice food and sweets as naivaidya to you. Sai, bless us today to love you like a child who needs a mothers love.
Friend. Let us now continue with other experiences i had which is worth sharing
Its one o clock in night of wednesday 11:03:2008. I feel hunger in my stomach irrespective of nice feast in friends house. My parents are coming back towards coimbatore in train and so i am all alone in home listening to the holy Mantra
“Dhigambara dhigambara shree paadha vallabha dhigambara”
Few hours back while speaking with my friend, he told me a incident which happened in hospital. It seems a women has given birth to a new born baby girl. Her mother in law made a quarrel for as its not a male child , took the baby girl and ran in the corridor of the hospital, while the childs mother was running behind her new born baby holding her stomach with tears. Her husband too was beating her without showing any sympathy to a women who has given birth to a baby just few hours back.
The moment i heard this incident, i told my friend that i wish to write about harmony among husband and wife.
Sacred kumkum for poor pregnant women in pain :
Friend, I would like to share another incident which happened in the second week of Feb 2007. My uncle Mr.Siva subramaniam was admited in a hospital due to severe back ache. So i had gone to chennai with my father to take care of him.
It was around 7 in the evening. To relax myself i walked towards the entrance of hospital. I saw 3 women running holding a pregnant lady.She was shouting in pain and other ladies were scolding her saying ” how can you do this…how can you do this to your baby ?”
The pregnant lady was taken out of the hospital and a man said ” you wait , i will get auto and come”.The old women and another 2 ladies near her were crying to her saying ” you did this to a small baby just few months old in your stomach..Its easy for you to do, if your husbands family come what will i say them”
It seems the hospital people have denied to admit them in hospital because it might involve them into police enquiry. ( it happens in india ) .I heared someone saying “In husband and wife quarrel , this pregnant lady mixed Acid in milk and drank it.” I was shocked to core and saw the lady was not able to bear the pain the acid has given all through her food canal.
Being soft at heart, i can’t bear what i see infront of my eyes . At times we come across such situations that we might think its better to keep away and watch as we can’t help it. For sai devotees, we have a powerful way of helping others even by standing at a distance. We can whole heartedly pray for them. To me, Its not enough to pray to Sai, we need to let them know that God will bless them. Immediately , I searched for saibaba’s udi in my shirt and pant pockets. I was disappointed that i din’t had sai udi with me.
I also felt if its right to give such spiritual things in this time of emergency. I realized what will happen to the baby in her stomach if the women is crying so much in pain.
By this time the auto had already come and she was taken in by her mother and relatives..I had kept some Kumkum in a paper which i got from Marundheeswarar shiva temple that morning…I tore the paper into two halve, dropped some kumkum in that paper and ran to auto..I just extended my hands to the old women and said apply this to her, she asked whats this .I said its swami Kumkum..she took it and auto left the place.
I was feeling very painful from that time .Can’t even imagine domestic problems can lead to such instant wrong decisions..Now it was worst image in my life to see the a very very poor family of 3 ladies around this pregnant women who druk acid mixing with Milk.
On thursday after i went to mylapore Sai Baba temple, i went to a hotel and then had to use the toilet.They had washed the toilet with acid and i cant even bear the smell of acid on air…I immediately felt baba wants me to pray for that lady i saw the previous day.
Friend, I don’t know her name, caste or creed, all i know is a pregnant women because of family problems with a husband who is torchuring her has taken a foolish decision and suffering and all i did was one step to make her remember Gods presence with her.
Lessons i learnt from above incident :
1. We call our present time as “Kaliyuga” because its a time when people naturally get bad desires, needs, wrong relationships and desires. Infact in january 2009, i got a dream from saint shree pada shree vallabha that kali has entered a new phase and its going to stir bad emotions and desires in all lifes. Nothing happens in this world with out the will of God. It is God who allows kali as kaala purusha has to do his duty when time comes… So when people get unwanted desires, God will protect those who trust him and follow the path of righteousness.
Harmony between husband and wife is possible only when they both lead a life of righteousness. If either one or both had unwanted disires, habits, needs, greediness or inhuman attitude, then sufferings starts.
2. There are husbands who beat women and there are some who keep quiet and do all torchure internally. Ofcourse there are wives too who hurts their husband for many personal issues, especially monetary issues.
3. There are youngsters who fall in love with someone beliving sai has helped them in meeting the person and eventually suffer in the relationship. The worst part about sai devotion is blaming sai for our own desires.
4.The world works due to desire. Only because of desire, we act. Its not wrong to have desires but since we have the supreme guidance of Sadguru, we have to first offer our desires in his holy feets. Let sai decide our life instead of us believing that sai has choosen someone on whom we get attracted.
5. When Sai asks for Dakshina he also means to say ” offer your ego, lust,greediness, pride,anger and all bad thoughts and habits to me” . Our uncontrolable desires are sometimes the reason for problems in family life.
6. Another beautiful aspect of sai is that it is not always necessary to have Udi ( holy ash of shirdi ) with us. When ever we are in trouble, we can use any edible powder , kumkum, sacred ash of any other temple instead of udi. All we have to do is to pray sai in mind to bless us with his udi powers and apply it.
Now let us see how Sai helped in harmony of Husband and wife relationship :
1. Baba is calling you urgently :
Rao Bahadur Hari Vinayak Sathe affectionately called by Baba as “Saheb” was once having a quarrel with his wife. The issue was
his father in law bought 20 acres of land near by shirdi which he wanted to see. But his father in law did not want to accompany him and placing obstacles for him to visit the land. His reason was if his relatives comes to know about the land they mind ask for a share in it. So only for sathe’s welfare his father in law asked him not to visit the land.
Sathe did not mind his father in laws request and asked him wife to go with him to see the land. Tatya patel’s cart was ordered for the visit. Mean while his father in law asked his daughter not to go with her husband. So Sathes wife declined to accompany him in the last minute.
By this time the cart has come and sathe was in extreme anger towards his wife as she disobeyed his orders. He seized the whip from the cartman and was about to beat her with the whip used to ride the horse.
To his surprise, exactly when he lifted the whip to beat his wife, Megha rushed in to the wada and said that Baba wanted to see him urgently. So he droped the whip and went with Megha towards dwarakamai.
As soon as he neared dwarakamai, Sai asked him ” What is the matter ? what happened ? ” Sathe being close to sai realized Sai knew by his omnipresence that he was about to beat his wife cruely. Sathe felt ashamed of his behaviour towards his wife. Then Baba justified sathe that his father in law and wife were right by the following words . ” Your land is there. Where is the necessity to
go and see it ?” Meaning his wife has only done good to him and sai is there to protect his land and he need not worry about visiting it.
2. Why did Saheb sell my daughter’s jewel :
Sai took care of Sathe’s family affairs all his life. Afte sathe was retired from his job, he had few financial problems.His circumstances were declining. So he sold a Jewel of his wife. When his father in law met Sai Baba in dwarakamai, Sai asked ” Why does that fool of a saheb sell my daughters jewel ? ”
Friend. From these words of sai, i felt sai doesn’t want us to take our own decisions when financial or family problems come. Let us have shradha and saburi on sai, wait for Sai’s direction and then take steps in all issues. How caring must be our Sai if he is worried when Sathe sold his wifes Jewel. Is there a saint who will worry when a devotee sold his wife’s jewel . Oh sai, when i realize your care even for little issues in your devotees life, i feel touched. When i see the photo of Sai with rays coming from his palm in my room while writing this chapter, i feel the reader also must be filled by this ray of Blessing from Sai.
Sai , you are the real jewel in our heart. You are our only treasure.
All i have is you Sai.
When ever i took a wrong step in life, you have given me failure . Though i was depressed and upset due to by set backs in career and personal life, i am happy today as you pulled me to do your work. To serve your children. Millions of Sai devotees are suffering with lots of problems in career, health, studies and family life. Let them realize that you are sitting silently in their own hearts like a jewel. Thier bad thoughts and actions are covering this jewel called “SAI”. The moment they realized that Sai will grow as a Neem tree in their heart and house if they cultivate good thoughts and actions, then that moment Sai is born in that person.
This is the real birth of Sai. The day when every single devotee has a personal experience to realize that Sai loves him and cares for him. A saint always cares for us and protects us but we also have to realize a saints love on us. The moment you realize How much Sai loves you, with tears you will experience the birth of Sai in yourself.
The saint who is born in us and lives in us :
Sai. You are born not once but every day, every minute in the hearts of your children like us. We know you love us sai. You are born in ourself and live in ourself. You are our Antaryami , the sweet saint living in the walls of our heart.
This is really good
I felt very good reading this as i badly needed to study some good book..i was depressed and stressed before reading this chapter but now i m feeling relaxed..thanks star sai for this valuable effort -of creating awareness regarding the presence of our sai Baba..
Om Sai Ram
Sai loves alot to his devotees ..he is always watching you….he is like a mother sometimes gives hard time but the other moment will hug u and give kissess to u …love u sai…and great intiative by you…