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The birth and the early life of Shri Saibaba are not much known. From the year 1858, Baba lived in the village of Shirdi in the state of Maharashtra
for over sixty years. Baba came to Shirdi in 1858 accompanying a wedding
procession as guest of honor. He was greeted my Mahalsapathi "Ya - Sai"(Welcome Sai). Baba accepted that name to be eternally his and spent his
early days at Shirdi, under a neem tree and later lived in the masjid which he named as Dwarkamai or Mother Dwarka.
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Chand Patil was once riding through the forest when suddenly he felt an
acute urge to smoke. To his great dismay, however, he found that he did not
have the wherewithal to ignite a fire to light his chelum with. Seeing Sai
Baba seated under a tree, the rider approached him for a match. Baba had no
matches, but just by thrusting the tongs nearly, he produced flames. The
rider witnessing the miracle, realizes Baba's divine stature and kneels to
him in devotion ......
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Here is an instance of a devotee's burning love for the master. Baijabai
daily sought out Baba in the forest where he lived in the early days, in
order to bring him food, which she lovingly prepared for him. Baba raises
his hand in a gesture of blessing......
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Service is the badge of God's kingdom. Radha Krishna Mai voluntarily assumed
the duty of sweeping the ashram compound daily. This was her way of showing
her adoration for the Master......
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Saibaba was the common man's God. He lived with them; he slept and ate with
them. He had no pretensions of any kind. Baba used to feed the fakirs and
devotees and even cook for them. The food that Baba made seemed to grow in
abundance and there was always enough for everyone. The touch of a
Sat-Purusha unlocks the storehouse of the Goddess Annapoorna's unlimited resources.....
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Saibaba was very fond of children. He used to spend part of his day in
playing, chit-chatting or humoring with the children of the village..... |
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Saibaba used to sit on the steps of the Dwarkamayee at Shirdi, absorbed in the
divine bliss of music. Saibaba's appreciation of talent, and the warm
encouragement He gave to those who had talent were priceless gifts from the Master....... |
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Saibaba in the company of devotees and fakirs used to dance and sing in
divine bliss, with small tinklets tied around his ankles. Songs he song were
mostly in Persian or Arabic or sometimes some popular songs of Kabir....... |
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Saibaba had a profound love and compassion for suffering humanity. The
master used to personally attend to the needs of the sick as a physician and
a nurse....... |
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Saibaba's knowledge of the Shastras, the Geeta, the Quran and other
scriptures was phenomenal. Without studying or reading books, Baba possessed
a rare proficiency in all the scriptures, and he could quote a verse or a
line from these books and scriptures to show where a particular truth lay
embedded........ |
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Saibaba distributed the holy 'Udi' - the panacea for all troubles - to his
bhaktas. 'Udi' is the ash from the perpetual sacred fire - Dhuni - lit by
Baba a hundred years ago. The Udi is the token of his divine grace to all
who come to him for help...... |
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Saibaba ploughed up the village common land and raised a flower garden
thereon; he watered the plants, carrying pots full of water on his
shoulders. In the later years he spent a few hours in this Lendi garden,
which he himself had laid out in the early days....... |
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He begged for alms and shared what he got with his devotees and all the
creatures around him. He never kept any food in reserve for the next meal.
At times Baba would scold a grudging housewife by saying- "Mother, you have
so many chapaties, so much rice and this or that vegetable in your pots, why
refuse a bit of food to a Fakir?". The gentle prodding and the accuracy of
the strange fakir's pronouncements would remove the veil of maya from these
women who would then rush to put all with them at his feet, as an offering
of Love....... |
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Laxmibai Shinde used to offer Saibaba bread and milk every day with love and
devotion. Baba accepted and took the offering she made. She was so special
to Saibaba that just before his passing away, Saibaba gave her Rs.5/- and
Rs.4/- in all Rs.9/-. The figure 9 is special and is indicative of the nine
types of devotion viz., (1) Shravana (Hearing); (2) Kirtana (Praying); (3)
Smarana (Remembering); (4) Padasevana (resorting to the feet); (5) Archana
(Worship); (6) Namaskara (Bowing); (7) Dasya (Service); (8) Sakhyatva
(Friendship); (9) Atmanivedana (surrender of the self).
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The 15th October 1918 was a sorrowful day for the little village of Shirdi,
for in the heavy hours of the noon, the beloved master suddenly breathed his
last. Quietly and unobrusively, Baba gave up his body and let his head fall
gently on the shoulders of a near disciple. Though Saibaba might have left
his mortal coil, he still is alive for his devotees. He is a Living God.
Even today, though he has left his gross body, we feel his presence and
obtain his grace and protection every day....... |
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