Sai baba

Saibaba - History

Shri Sai Baba's life and teachings are well documented in Sai Satcharitra by Shri Hemadpant in Marathi which was personally blessed by Shri Sai Baba. Shri Hemadpant got Shri Sai Baba's blessings in 1910 to write this work. Said Shri Sai Baba "Let him make a collection of stories and experiences, keep notes and memos; I will help him. He is only an outward instrument." Subsequently SaiSatcharitra has been translated into a number of different languages. The one in English is called Shri Sai Satcharitra by Shri Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji. As an introduction this is a short summary on the life of Shri Sai Baba.

Chandbhai, the headman of a village called Dhoopkhede (in Aurangabad, India), once lost his horse and was looking for it. Suddenly he heard a voice say "You look tired. Come here and rest a while". He turned around and saw a young Fakir (Baba). The fakir smiled at him and said "What are you looking for in this jungle, Chandbhai". This surprised Chandbhai and he wondered how the fakir knew his name. Slowly, he said "I have lost my horse. I have looked for it everywhere, but cannot seem to find it". The fakir told him to look behind a clump of trees.

Chandbhai was pleasently surprised to find his horse grazing peacefully behind those trees. He thanked the fakir and asked his name. The fakir said "some people call me Sai Baba." Sai Baba then invited Chandbhai to have a smoke with him. He got the pipe ready, but there was no fire to light it with. Sai Baba thrusted a pair of tongs into the ground and brought out a burning coal. To this Chandbhai was wonderstruck. He thought "this is no ordinary person" and invited

Baba to come to his house and be his guest for a few days. Next day Baba went to Chandbhai's house and found everybody in a very joyful mood and festivities going on all around. He found that Chandbhai's wife's nephew was getting married. The bride was from Shirdi and the marriage party was going to Shirdi. Chandbhai invited Baba to accompany the marriage party to Shirdi.

At Shirdi they camped in a field next to Khandoba's temple. After the wedding, Saibaba stayed on at Shirdi. At first he lived under a neem tree and begged for food whenever he needed it. He then went to Khandoba's temple, intending to stay there, but the temple's priest met him at the entrance and told him to go to the mosque. That is how Baba, started staying at the Mosque which was later called Dwarkamayi. Baba preached at Shirdi all his life and performed numerous miracles to convince people that God exists.

He healed people's diseases, provided moral and material comfort to his Devotees. Baba helped bring Unity and Harmony between all communities. He said that God is one, but called by different names. One day a rich millionaire named Booty came to Sai Baba and said he was going to construct a stone building for Shri Krishna. Baba helped him plan the building. Before the building was completed Baba fell very ill.

On the 15th of October 1918, he breathed his last. His last wish was to be buried in Booty's building. Booty's stone building came to be known as Samadhi Mandir. Shri Sai Baba was buried here and a beautiful shrine was built over it. To this day, people flock to Shirdi to pay homage to Shri Sai Baba.

Sai Baba’s Teachings

Sai Baba frequently advised on how one should behave to one’s daily life. "Because of our contacts in the previous birth, we met each other in this birth also If any person or animal comes to you, do not drive them away unsympathetically. You should welcome them wholeheartedly and give them due respect. You should give water for the thirsty, food for the hungry and clothing for the naked. God will be satisfied and bless you, if you allow others to take rest in your Verandah. If anyone comes to you for money, you need not give if you do not like so, but you should not abuse or use harsh language and cause pain. This world is like a stage. Carefully observe the several thing being enacted on this stage. But be steady even if the world goes upside down. There is no difference between you and me. We both are one. You remove the wall in between us. God is the Head of all of us. Allah Malik hai!. None else except God can save us. The method of God is extraordinary very valuable and unimaginable. We all met here because of our tie-up in the previous births. We should be above caste, religion and nationality and move in an affectionate way and be happy and peaceful. We should be above caste, religion and nationality and move in an affectionate way and be happy and peaceful. We should utilise this body given by God, for the good of others. Such people are only blessed ones. The others live just because they take birth."

Baba taught whenever there was time and opportunity. He used to say that he is omnipresent and present in all elements like earth, air, water, fire and light. He allowed some devotees to do this pada puja, some others to hear his leelas; some others to go to the temple of Khandoba and a few others to do Parayana of holy books, according to their needs. He gave instructions to some personally and to some in their dreams. Once, when Radhakrishna Mai was suffering from fever, Baba asked for a ladder to be brought. He climbed it to the roof of her house. He gave two rupees to the person who brought the ladder. Even though all these acts of Baba appeared strange, the fever of Radhakrishna Mai subsided.

Baba - Grinding of Wheat

It was the year 1910. Hemadpant came to Shirdi. One day after washing his face, Baba sat in Dwarakamai and started grinding wheat. He lived on alms. He had never done the grinding before. So all who were nearby were looking with wonder at this. Four bold women went inside the mosque and requested Baba to sit aside, took the grinding stone and started grinding. Though Baba got angry at this he kept quiet, seeing their affection for him. On completion of the grinding work, the ladies divided the flour into four parts and wanted to take it for themselves. Baba watching them calmly till then got angry and scolded them, "Oh ladies! Are you crazy? Are you thinking that this flour is your property to take it? I never took any wheat from you. Then why are you taking this flour?" He cooled down after a while and said, "It is all right. Take the flour and sprinkle it on the boundaries of this village." The ladies bowed their heads in shame, touched Baba’s feet, went quickly and sprinkled the flour on the boundaries of the village.