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Object
of Writing the Work - Incapacity and Boldness in the
Undertaking - Hot Discussion - Conferring Significant and
Prophetic Title of Hemadpant - Necessity of a Guru.
In the last Chapter, the
author mentioned in the original Marathi book that he
would state the reason that led him to undertake the work,
and the persons qualified to read the same and such other
points. Now in this chapter, he starts to tell the same.
Object
of Writing the Work
In
the first chapter, I described Sai Baba’s miracle of
checking and destroying the epidemic of Cholera by
grinding wheat and throwing the flour, on the outskirts of
the village. I heard other miracles of Sai Baba to my
great delight, and this delight burst forth into this
poetic work. I also thought, that the description of these
grand miracles of Sai Baba would be interesting, and
instructive to His devotees; and would remove their sins,
and so I began to write the sacred life and teachings of
Sai Baba. The life of the saint is neither logical nor
dialectical. It shows us the true and great path.
Incapacity
and Boldness in Undertaking the Work
Hemadpant
thought that he was not a fit person to undertake the
work. He said, "I do not know the life of my intimate
friend nor do I know my own mind, then how can I write the
life of a saint or describe the nature of Incarnations,
which even the Vedas were unable to do? One must be a
saint himself, before he could know other saints, then how
can I describe their glory? To write the life of a saint
is the most difficult, though one may as well measure the
depth of the water of the seven seas or enclose the sky
with cloth-trappings. I knew, that this was the most
venturous undertaking, which might expose me to ridicule.
I, therefore, invoked Sai Baba’s grace.
The premier poet-saint of
Maharashtra, Shri Jnaneshwar Maharaj, has stated that the
Lord loves those who write the lives of saints; and the
saints also have a peculiar method of their own of getting
the service, which the devotees long for, successfully
accomplished. The saints inspire the work; the devotee
becomes only an indirect cause or instrument to achieve
the end. For instance, in 1700 Shaka year, the poet
Mahipati aspired to write the lives of saints. Saints
inspired him, and got the work done; so also in 1800 Shaka
year, Das Ganu’s service was accepted. The former wrote
4 works-Bhakta Vijaya, Santa Vijaya, Bhakta Leelamrit and
Santa Kathamrit, while the latter wrote two - "Bhakta
Leelamrit and Santa Kathamrit", in which the lives of
modern Saints were described. In chapters 31,32,33 of
Bhakta Leelamrit and in chapter 57 of Santa Kathamrit, the
sweet life and teachings of Sai Baba are very well
depicted. These have been separately published in Sai
Leela Magazine, Nos. 11 and 12, Vol. 17; the readers are
advised to read these chapters. So also Sai Baba’s
wonderful Leelas are described in a small decent book
named Shri Sainath Bhajana Mala by Mrs. Savitribai
Raghunath Tendulkar of Bandra. Das-Ganu Maharaj also has
composed various sweet poems on Sai Baba. A devotee named
Amidas Bhavani Mehta has also published some stories of
Sri Baba in Gujarathi; some Nos. of Sainath Prabha, a
magazine published by Dakshina Bhiksha Sanstha of Shirdi,
are also published. Then the question of objection comes
in, that while so many works regarding Sai Baba are
extant, why should this (Satcharita) be written? And where
is its necessity?
The answer is plain and
simple. The life of Sai Baba is as wide and deep as the
infinite ocean; and all can dive deep into the same and
take out precious gems (of knowledge and Bhakti), and
distribute them to the aspiring public. The stories,
parables, and teachings of Sai Baba are very wonderful.
They will give peace and happiness to the people, who are
afflicted with sorrows and heavily loaded with miseries of
this worldly existence, and also bestow knowledge and
wisdom, both in the worldly and in spiritual domains. If
these teachings of Sai Baba, which are as interesting and
instructive as the Vedic lore, are listened to and
meditated upon, the devotees will get, what they long for,
viz., union with Brahman, mastery in eight-fold Yoga,
Bliss of meditation etc. So I thought, that I should call
these stories together that would be my best Upasana. This
collection would be most delightful to those simple souls,
whose eyes were not blessed with Sai Baba’s darshana.
So, I set about collecting Sai Baba’s teachings and
expressions - the outcome of His boundless and natural
self-realization. It was Sai Baba, who inspired me in this
matter; in fact, I surrendered my ego at His feet, and
thought that my path was clear; and that He would make me
quite happy here, and in the next world.
I could not myself ask
Sai Baba to give me permission for this work; so I
requested Mr. Madhavrao Deshpande alias Shama, Baba’s
most intimate devotee, to speak to Him for me. He pleaded
for my cause and said to Sai Baba, "This Annasaheb
wishes to write Your biography, don’t say that You are a
poor begging Fakir, and there is no necessity to write it,
but if You agree and help him, he will write or rather,
Your feet (grace) will accomplish the work. Without Your
consent and blessing, nothing can be done
successfully." When Sai Baba heard this request, He
was moved and blessed me by giving me His Udi (sacred
ashes) and placing His boon-bestowing hand on my head said
:- "Let him make a collection of stories and
experiences, keep notes and memos; I will help him. He is
only an outward instrument. I should write Myself My
autobiography and satisfy the wishes of My devotees. He
should get rid of his ego, place (or surrender) it at My
feet. He who acts like this in life, him I help the most.
What of My life-stories? I serve him in his house in all
possible ways. When his ego is completely annihilated and
there is left no trace of it, I Myself shall enter into
him and shall Myself write My own life. Hearing my stories
and teachings will create faith in devotees’ hearts and
they will easily get self - realization and Bliss; let
there be no insistence on establishing one’s own view,
no attempt to refute other’s opinions, no discussions of
pros and cons of any subject."
The word ‘discussion’
put me in mind of my promise to explain the story of my
getting the title of Hemadpant and now I begin to relate
the same. I was on close friendly terms with Kakasaheb
Dixit and Nanasaheb Chandorkar. They pressed me to go to
Shirdi and have Baba’s darshana, and I promised them to
do so. But something in the interval turned up, which
prevented me from going to Shirdi. The son of a friend of
mine at Lonavala fell ill. My friend tried all possible
means, physical and spiritual, but the fever would not
abate. At length he got his Guru to sit by the bedside of
his son, but this too was of no avail. Hearing this, I
thought ‘what was the utility of the Guru, if he could
not save my friend’s son? If the Guru can’t do
anything for us, why should I go to Shirdi at all?’
Thinking in this way, I postponed my Shirdi-trip; but the
inevitable must happen and it happened in my case as
follows: - Mr. Nanasaheb Chandorkar, who was a Prant
Officer, was going on tour to Bassein. From Thana he came
to Dadar and was waiting for a train bound for Bassein. In
the meanwhile, a Bandra Local turned up. He sat in it and
came to Bandra; and sent for me and took me to task for
putting off my Shirdi trip. Nana’s argument for my
Shirdi trip was convincing and delightful, and so I
decided to start for Shirdi, the same night. I packed up
my luggage and started for Shirdi. I planned to go to
Dadar and there to catch the train for Manmad, and so I
booked myself for Dadar and sat in the train. While the
train was to start, a Mahomedan came hastily to my
compartment and seeing all my paraphernalia, asked me
where I was bound. I told him my plan. He then suggested
that I should go straight to Boribunder, and not get down
at Dadar, for the Manmad Mail did not get down at Dadar at
all. If this little miracle or Leela had not happened, I
would not have reached Shirdi next day as settled, and
many doubts would have assailed me. But that was not to
be. As fortune favoured me, I reached Shirdi the next day
before 9 or 10 A.M. Mr. Bhausaheb (Kaka) Dixit was waiting
for me there. This was in 1910 A.D., when there was only
one place, viz., Sathe’s Wada for lodging pilgrim
devotees. After alighting from the Tonga, I was anxious to
have darshana, when the great devotee, Tatyasaheb Noolkar
returned from the Masjid and said that Sai Baba was at the
corner of the Wada, and that I should first get the
preliminary darshana and then, after bath, see Him at
leisure. Hearing this I ran and prostrated before Baba and
then my joy knew no bounds. I found more than what Nana
Chandorkar had told me. All my senses were satisfied and I
forgot thirst and hunger. The moment I touched Sai
Baba’s feet, I began a new lease of life. I felt myself
much obliged to those who spurred and helped me to get the
darshana; and I considered them as my real relatives, and
I cannot repay their debt. I only remember them and
prostrate (mentally) before them. The peculiarity of Sai
Baba’s darshana, as I found it, is that by His darshana
our thoughts are changed, the force of previous actions is
abated and gradually non-attachment of dispassion towards
worldly objects grows up. It is by the merit of actions in
many past births that such darshana is got, and if only
you see Sai Baba, really all the world becomes or assumes
the form of Sai Baba.
Hot
Discussion
On
the first day of my arrival in Shirdi, there was a
discussion between me and Balasaheb Bhate regarding the
necessity of a Guru. I contended, "Why should we lose
our freedom and submit to others? When we have to do our
duty, why a Guru is necessary? One must try his best and
save himself. What can the Guru do to a man who does
nothing but sleeps indolently?" Thus I pleaded
freewill, while Mr. Bhate took up the other side, viz.,
Destiny, and said, "Whatever is bound to happen must
happen; even great men have failed, man proposes one way,
but God disposes the other (contrary) way. Brush aside
your cleverness; pride or egoism won’t help you."
This discussion, with all its pros and cons went on for an
hour or so, and as usual no decision was arrived at. We
had to stop the discussion ultimately as we were
exhausted. The net result of this was that I lost my peace
of mind and found that unless there is strong
body-consciousness and egoism, there would be no
discussion; in other words, it is egoism which breeds
discussion.
Then when we went to the
Masjid with others, Baba asked Kakasaheb Dixit the
following: -
"What was going on in the (Sathe’s) Wada? What was
the discussion about?" and staring at me, Baba
further added, "What did this Hemadpant say?"
Hearing these words, I
was much surprised. The Masjid was at a considerable
distance from Sathe’s Wada where I was staying and where
the discussion was going on. How could Baba know our
discussion unless He be omniscient and Inner Ruler of us
all?
Significant
and Prophetic Title
I
began to think why Sai Baba should call me by the
name Hemadpant. This word is a corrupt form of Hemadripant.
This Hemadripant was a wellknown Minister of the kings
Mahadev and Ramadev of Devgiri of the Yadav dynasty. He
was very learned, good-natured and the author of good
works, such as Chaturvarga Chintamani (dealing with
spiritual subjects) and Rajprashasti. He invented and
started new methods of accounts and was the originator of
the Modi (Marathi Shorthand) script. But I was quite the
opposite, an ignoramus, and have dull, mediocre intellect.
So I could not understand why the name or title was
conferred upon me, but thinking seriously upon it, I
thought that the title was a dart to destroy my ego, so
that, I should always remain meek and humble. It was also
a compliment paid to me for the cleverness in the
discussion.
Looking to the future
history, we think that Baba’s word (calling Mr.
Dabholkar by the name Hemadpant) was significant and
prophetic, as we find that he looked after the management
of Sai Sansthan very intelligently, kept nicely all the
accounts and was also the author of such a good work
"Sai Satcharita", which deals with such
important and spiritual subjects as Jnana, Bhakti and
dispassion, self-surrender and self-realization.
About
the Necessity of a Guru
Hemadpant
has left no note, no memo about what Baba said regarding
this subject, but Kakasaheb Dixit has published his notes
regarding this matter. Next day after Hemadpant’s
meeting with Sai Baba, Kakasaheb went to Baba and asked
whether he should leave Shirdi. Baba Said,
"Yes". Then someone asked - "Baba, where to
go?" Baba said, "High up." Then the man
said, "How is the way?" Baba said, "There
are many ways leading there; there is one way also from
here (Shirdi). The way is difficult. There are tigers and
wolves in the jungles on the way." I (Kakasaheb)
asked - "But Baba, what if we take a guide with
us?" Baba answered, - "Then there is no
difficulty. The guide will take you straight to your
destination, avoiding wolves, tigers and ditches etc. on
the way. If there be no guide, there is the danger of your
being lost in the jungles or falling into ditches."
Mr. Dabholkar was present on this occasion and he thought
that this was the answer Baba gave to the question whether
Guru was a necessity (Vide Sai Leela Vol. I, No.5, Page
47); and he thereupon took the hint that no discussion of
the problem, whether man is free or bound, is of any use
in spiritual matters, but that on the contrary real
Paramartha is possible only as the result of the teachings
of the Guru, as is illustrated in this chapter of the
original work in the instances of great Avatars like Rama
and Krishna, who had to submit themselves to their Gurus,
Vasishtha and Sandipani respectively, for getting self-
realization and that the only virtues necessary for such
progress are faith and patience. (Vide Sai Satcharita, Ch.
II, 191-92).
Bow
to Shri Sai - Peace be to all
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