Chapter XXVII — Consecrated Books; Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam for Shama; Dixit's Vitthal Vision; Geeta-Rahasya; Mrs. Khaparde's Naivedya

Source: Shri Sai Satcharitra, trans. Gunaji
Marathi original: Sai Satcharita (archive.org scan) · Devotee testimonies: Narasimha Swami 1936 (Internet Archive) · Full bibliography: /sources.html

URL: https://www.saibaba.org/satcharitra/sai27.html

Sections

Preliminary — On the Sadguru and the Sattwik Emotions

Hemadpant opens with a meditation on refuge at the Sadguru's feet: as the bather in the sea acquires the merit of all tirthas, the disciple at the Guru's feet acquires the merit of bowing to the Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh) and Para-Brahma. He prays that listeners' bodies will perspire, eyes fill with tears, prana steady, mind compose, hair stand on end — the eight Sattwik emotions — for these are the sign of Guru-grace dawning.

Granting Consecrated Books

It was Baba's habit to receive religious books from devotees, touch and turn the pages, and return them consecrated. Kaka Mahajani once brought a copy of Ekanathi Bhagwat. Shama took it to the masjid. Baba touched it, turned pages, and gave it back to Shama, asking him to keep it. When Shama said it belonged to Kaka, Baba refused: "As I have given it to you, better keep it with you for safe custody; it will be of use to you." Many books were entrusted to Shama this way. Some days later Kaka brought another copy of the same Bhagwat and gave it to Baba — who returned it as Prasad with the promise that it would stand Kaka in good stead.

Shama and the Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam

A Ramadasi (follower of Saint Ramadas) had been staying in Shirdi for some time, daily reading the Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam and Adhyatma-Ramayana in saffron-clothes and sacred ashes. Baba wished to make Shama the recipient of the Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam.

Baba called the Ramadasi: he was suffering intense stomach-pain; unless he took Senna-pods (Sona-mukhi) the pain would not stop; would the Ramadasi please go to the bazar? The Ramadasi closed his reading and went.

Baba descended, took up the Ramadasi's copy of the Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam, returned to his seat, and said to Shama:

"Oh Shama, this book is very valuable and efficacious, so I present it to you, you read it. Once I suffered intensely and My heart began to palpitate and My life was in danger. At that critical time, I hugged this book to My heart and then, Shama, what a relief it gave me! I thought that Allah Himself came down and saved Me. So I give this to you, read it slowly, little by little, read daily one name at least and it will do you good."

Shama protested: the Ramadasi was irritable, would quarrel; Shama was a rustic and could not read Devanagari distinctly. Baba's intent, Hemadpant notes, was to "tie this necklace of Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam round Shama's neck" — to lodge the name of God in him.

The Ramadasi returned with the Senna-pods. Anna Chinchanikar (Damodar Ghanashyama Babare), wanting to play Narada, informed him at once. The Ramadasi flared up, came down on Shama with fury, accusing him of having engineered the errand to take the book, threatening to dash his head against the masjid.

Baba spoke kindly to him:

"Oh Ramadasi, what is the matter with you? Why are you so turbulent? Is not Shama our boy? Why do you scold him unnecessarily? You read daily these sacred books and still your mind is impure and your passions uncontrolled. What sort of a Ramadasi you are! A true Ramadasi should have no 'mamata' (attachment) but have 'samata' (equality) towards all. Books can be had in plenty for money, but not men… Shama had no concern with it. I took it up Myself and gave it to him. You know it by heart. I thought Shama might read it and profit thereby, and so I gave it to him."

The Ramadasi calmed and said he would take a Panch-ratni Geeta in return. Shama: "Why one, I shall give ten copies in return." The exchange was made. Shama gradually mastered the Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam to such an extent that he later explained it to Prof. G. G. Narke, M.A., of the College of Engineering, Poona — Shriman Booty's son-in-law.

Kakasaheb Dixit's Vitthal Vision

One morning Kakasaheb Dixit, in meditation after his bath in his Wada, saw a vision of Vitthal. When he went to the masjid, Baba asked without prompting:

"Did Vitthal Patil come? Did you not see Him? He is very elusive, hold Him fast, otherwise He will give you the slip and run away."

At noon a hawker arrived with 20-25 pictures of Vitthal of Pandharpur for sale. One picture exactly matched the form Dixit had seen in meditation. He bought it and placed it in his shrine.

Geeta-Rahasya

Once Bapusaheb Jog received a post-parcel containing a copy of Geeta-Rahasya by Lokamanya Tilak. Carrying it under his armpit, he came to the masjid and prostrated before Baba; the parcel fell at Baba's feet. Baba asked what it was. It was opened and the book placed in Baba's hand. He turned pages for a few minutes, took out a rupee from his pocket, placed it on the book, and handed both to Jog:

"Read this completely and you will be benefited."

Mr. and Mrs. Khaparde

Dadasaheb Khaparde, richest and most famous advocate of Amraoti (Berar) and member of the Council of State, Delhi, came with his family and stayed in Shirdi several months. (His diary is published in the Shri Sai Leela Magazine, first volume.) Highly intelligent, a great speaker, expounder of Panchadashi — yet at the masjid he did not open his mouth before Baba. Three devotees, Hemadpant notes, were always silent in Baba's presence: Khaparde, Noolkar, and Booty.

Mrs. Khaparde stayed seven months (Dadasaheb four). She was faithful and devout and brought naivedya herself daily. Baba, who usually waited for hours before eating, would get up at once when her dish arrived. Once she brought Sanza (wheat pudding), purees, rice, soup, kheer, and sundry articles. Baba immediately ate it with relish.

Shama asked: "Why this partiality? You throw away dishes of others. Why is the dish of this woman so sweet?" Baba's answer disclosed her past births:

"This food is really extra-ordinary. In former birth this lady was a merchant's fat cow yielding much milk. Then she disappeared and took birth in a gardener's family, then in a Kshatriya family, and married a merchant. Then she was born in a Brahmin family. I saw her after a very long time, let Me take some sweet morsels of love from her dish."

After eating, Baba washed his mouth and hands, gave belches of satisfaction. Mrs. Khaparde came to shampoo his legs; he began to talk with her and knead her arms in return. Shama joked: "It is a wonderful sight to see God and His Bhakta serving each other."

Baba then said to her in a low and fascinating tone:

"Chant 'Rajarama, Rajarama' then and always. If you do this, your life's object will be gained, your mind will attain peace and you will be immensely benefited."

Hemadpant identifies this as Shakti-pat — transference of power from Guru to disciple. The words "pierced her heart and found lodgement there." The chapter closes with Hemadpant's gloss: outwardly there is the disciple placing head on the Guru's feet; inwardly both are one and the same.

Verbatim Sai Baba quotes documented in this chapter

1. (To Shama on the Ekanathi Bhagwat) "As I have given it to you, better keep it with you for safe custody; it will be of use to you."
2. (To Shama, presenting the Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam) "Oh Shama, this book is very valuable and efficacious, so I present it to you, you read it. Once I suffered intensely and My heart began to palpitate and My life was in danger. At that critical time, I hugged this book to My heart and then, Shama, what a relief it gave me! I thought that Allah Himself came down and saved Me."
3. (To the angry Ramadasi) "Oh Ramadasi, what is the matter with you? Why are you so turbulent? Is not Shama our boy?… A true Ramadasi should have no 'mamata' but have 'samata' towards all. Books can be had in plenty for money, but not men."
4. (To Kakasaheb Dixit after the Vitthal vision) "Did Vitthal Patil come? Did you not see Him? He is very elusive, hold Him fast, otherwise He will give you the slip and run away."
5. (To Bapusaheb Jog on the Geeta-Rahasya) "Read this completely and you will be benefited."
6. (To Shama, on Mrs. Khaparde's past births) "This food is really extra-ordinary. In former birth this lady was a merchant's fat cow yielding much milk. Then she disappeared and took birth in a gardener's family, then in a Kshatriya family, and married a merchant. Then she was born in a Brahmin family. I saw her after a very long time, let Me take some sweet morsels of love from her dish."
7. (To Mrs. Khaparde, the Shakti-pat mantra) "Chant 'Rajarama, Rajarama' then and always. If you do this, your life's object will be gained, your mind will attain peace and you will be immensely benefited."