Shri Sai Satcharitra
Chapter VIII
Importance
of Human Birth - Sai Baba Begging Food - Bayajabai's Service - Sai Baba's
Dormitory - His Affection for Khushalchand.
As hinted in the last chapter, Hemadpant now
explains at length, in his preliminary remarks, on the importance of human
birth; and then proceeds to relate how Sai Baba begged His food, how Bayajabai
served Him, how He slept in the Masjid with Tatya Kote Patil and Mhalsapati,
and how He loved Khushalchand of Rahata.
Importance of Human Birth
In
this wonderful universe, God has created billions (84 lacs according
to Hindusastra calculations) of creatures or beings (including Gods,
demigods, insects, beasts and men) inhabiting heaven, hell, earth, ocean, sky
and other intermediate regions. Of these, the creatures or souls whose merits
preponderate go to heaven and live there till they enjoy the fruits of their
actions, and when this is done, they are cast down; while those souls whose
sins or demerits preponderate go down to hell, and suffer the consequences of
their misdeeds for so long a time as they deserve. When their merits and
demerits balance each other, they are born on earth as human beings and are
given a chance to work out their salvation. Ultimately when their merits and
demerits both drop down (are gotten rid of) completely, they get their
deliverance and become free. To put the matter in a nutshell, souls get their
births or transmigrations according to their deeds and intelligence
(development of their minds).
Special Value of the Human Body
As
we all know, four things are common to all the creatures:. food, sleep, fear
and sexual union. In the case of man, he is endowed with a special faculty,
knowledge, with the help of which he can attain God-vision, and which is
impossible in any other birth. It is for this reasons that Gods envy man's
fortune and aspire to be born as men on earth so as to get their final
deliverance.
Some say that there is nothing worse than the
human body, which is full of filth, mucus, phlegm and dirt, and which is
subject to decay, disease and death. This is no doubt true to a certain extent
but in spite of these drawbacks and defects, the special value of the human
body is that man has got the capacity to acquire knowledge. It is only due to
the human knowledge that one can think of the perishable and transitory nature
of the body and of the world, and get a disgust for the sensory enjoyments, can
discriminate between the unreal and the real, and thus attain God-vision. So,
if we reject or neglect the body because it is filthy, we lose the chance of
God-vision; and because it is precious, if we fondle it and run after sensory
enjoyments, we go to hell. The proper course, therefore, for us to pursue is
the following: that the body should neither be neglected nor fondled but should
be properly cared for just as a traveler on horse-back takes care of his pony
on the way till he reaches his destination and returns home. Thus the body
should ever be used or engaged to attain God-vision or self-realization, which
is the supreme end of life.
It is said that though God created various sorts
of creatures he was not satisfied, for none of them was able to know and
appreciate His work. So he had to create a special being - man, and endow him
with a special faculty, knowledge. When He saw that man was able to appreciate
His Leela, the marvelous work and intelligence, He was highly pleased
and satisfied. (Vide, Bhagawat 11-9-28). So really it is good luck to get a
human body, better luck to get birth in a Brahmin family, and best one to get
an opportunity of having recourse to Sai Baba's Feet and surrendering to Him.
Man's Endeavour
Realizing
how precious the human life is, and knowing that death is certain and may
snatch us at any time, we should be ever alert to achieve the object of our
life; we should not make the least delay but make every possible haste to gain
our object, just as a widower is most anxious to get himself married to a new
bride, or just as a king leaves no stone unturned to seek his lost son. So with
all earnestness and speed, we should strive to attain our end, i.e.,
self-realization. Casting aside sloth and laziness, warding off drowsiness, we
should meditate day and night on the Self. If we fail to do this, we reduce
ourselves to the level of beasts.
How to Proceed?
The
most effective and speedy way to gain our object is to approach a worthy Saint
or Sage - Sadguru, who has himself attained God-vision. What cannot be
achieved by hearing religious lectures and study of religious works, is easily
obtained in the company of such worthy souls. Just as the sun alone gives
light, which all the stars put together cannot do, so the Sadguru alone
imparts spiritual wisdom which all the sacred books and sermons cannot infuse.
His movements and simple talks give us 'silent' advice. The virtues of
forgiveness, calmness, disinterestedness, charity, benevolence, control of mind
and body, egolessness etc. are observed by the disciples as they are being
practiced in such pure and holy company. This enlightens their minds and lifts
them up spiritually. Sai Baba was such a Sage or Sadguru. Though He
acted as a Fakir (mendicant), He was always engrossed in the Self. He
always loved all beings in whom He saw God or Divinity. By pleasures He was not
elated. He was not depressed by misfortunes. A king and a pauper were the same
to Him. He, whose glance would turn a beggar into a king, used to beg His food
from door to door in Shirdi, and let us now see how He did it.
Baba Begging Food
Blessed
are the people of Shirdi, in front of whose houses, Baba stood as a beggar and
called out, "Oh Lassie, give Me a piece of bread" and spread out His
hand to receive the same. In one hand He carried a Tumrel (tin pot)
and in the other a zoli or choupadari, i.e. a rectangular
piece of cloth. He daily visited certain houses and went from door to door.
Liquid or semi-liquid things such as soup, vegetables, milk or butter-milk were
received in the tin pot, while cooked rice, bread, and such solid things were
taken in the zoli. Baba's tongue knew no taste, as He had acquired
control over it. So how could He care for the taste of the different things
collected together? Whatever things He got in His zoli and in the tin
pot were mixed together and partaken by Baba to His heart's content. Whether
particular things were tasty or otherwise was never noticed by Baba, as if His
tongue was devoid of the sense of taste altogether. Baba begged till noon but
His begging was very irregular. Some days He went for a few rounds, on other days
till noon. The food thus collected was thrown in a kundi, i.e. earthen
pot. Dog, cats and crows freely ate from it and Baba never drove them away. The
woman who swept the floor of the Masjid took some 10 or 12 pieces of bread to
her house, and nobody prevented her from doing so. How could He, who even in
dreams never warded off cats and dogs by harsh words and signs, refuse food to
poor helpless people? Blessed indeed is the life of such a noble person! People
in Shirdi took Him in the beginning for a mad Fakir. He was known in
the village by this name. How could one, who lived on alms by begging a few
crumbs of bread, be revered and respected? But this Fakir was very
liberal of heart and hand, disinterested and charitable. Tough He looked fickle
and restless from outside. He was firm and steady inside. His way was
inscrutable. Still even in that small village, there were a few kind and
blessed people who recognized and regarded Him as a Great Soul. One such
instance is given below.
Bayajabai's Brilliant Service
Tatya Kote's mother, Bayajabai, used to go to the
woods every noon with a basket on her head containing bread and vegetables. She
roamed in the jungles, koss (about 3 miles) after koss,
trampling over bushes and shrubs in search of the mad Fakir, and after
hunting Him out, fell at His feet. The Fakir sat calm and motionless
in meditation, while she placed a leaf before Him, spread the eatables, bread,
vegetables etc. thereon and fed Him forcibly. Wonderful was her faith and
service. Every day she roamed at noon in the jungles and forced Baba to the
partake of lunch. Her service, upasana or penance, by whatever name we
call it, was never forgotten by Baba till his Maha Samadhi.
Remembering fully what service she rendered, Baba benefited her son magnificently.
Both the son and the mother had great faith in the Fakir, Who was
their God. Baba often said to them that "Fakiri (mendicancy) was
the real Lordship as it was everlasting, and the so called Lordship (riches)
was transient". After some years, Baba stopped going into the woods, began
to live in the village, and take His food in the Masjid. From that time
Bayajabai's troubles of roaming in the jungles ended.
Dormitory of Trio
Even blessed are the Saints in whose heart Lord
Vasudeo dwells, and fortunate indeed are the devotees who get the benefit of
the company of such Saints. Two such fortunate fellows, Tatya Kote Patil and
Bhagat Mhalsapati, equally shared the company of Sai Baba. Baba also loved them
both equally. These three slept in the Masjid with their heads towards the
east, west and north, with their feet touching one another at the centre.
Stretching their beds, they lay on them, chitchatting and gossiping about many
things till late at midnight. If any one of them showed any signs of sleep, others
would wake him up. For instance, if Tatya began to snore, Baba at once got up
and shook him from side to side and pressed his head. If it was Mhalsapati, He
hugged him close, stroked his legs and kneaded his back. In this way, for 14
years, Tatya, leaving his parents at home, slept in the Masjid on account of
his love for Baba. How happy and never to be forgotten were those days! How to
measure that love and how to value the grace of Baba? After the passing away of
his father, Tatya took charge of the household affairs and began to sleep at
home.
Khushalehand of Rahata
Baba loved Ganpat Kote Patil of Shirdi. He equally
loved Chandrabhanshet Marwadi of Rahata. After the demise of the Shet, Baba
loved his nephew Khushalchand equally or perhaps even more, and watched for his
welfare day and night. Sometimes in a bullock cart, at other times in a tanga
with intimate friends, Baba went to Rahata. People of that village came
out, with band and music, and received Baba at the Ves or gate of the
village and prostrated before Him. Then He was taken into the village with
great pomp and ceremony. Khushalchand took Baba to his house, seated Him on a
comfortable seat and gave Him a good lunch. Then they talked freely and merrily
for some time, after which Baba returned to Shirdi, giving delight and blessing
to all.
Shirdi is midway between and equidistant from
Rahata on one side (south) and Nimgaon on the other (north). Baba never went
beyond these places during His lifetime. He never saw any train nor traveled by
it. Still, He knew exactly the timing of arrival and departure of all trains.
Devotees who acted according to Baba's instructions (regarding their
departure), which were given by him at the time of taking His leave, fared
well, while those who disregarded them suffered many a mishap and accident.
More about this and other matters will be told in the next chapter.
Bow to Shri Sai-- Peace to be all
NOTE: An incident, given in the footnote at the
end of this chapter, showing Baba's love for Khusalchand, how on one afternoon
He asked Kakasaheb Dixit to go to Rahata and fetch Khushalchand to Him,
and at the same time appeared before Khushalchand in his noon-nap dream asking
him to come to Shirdi, is not given here as it is described in the body of the
book (Sai-Charita) later on (Chapter 30).