The Last Day — Sai's Mahasamadhi

to forget me, but ever love me." He also added that the Swamis do not generally bow to others, but in this case an exception had to be made.Mr. Pundalikrao consented to take the fruit and his message to Baba. The Swami was right in calling Baba a brother, for as he maintained an Agnihotra (Sacred fire) day and night, in his orthodox fashion; Baba too kept His Agnihotra, i.e., Dhuni^◦ ever burning in the Masjid^◇. After one month Pundalikrao and others left for Shirdi^◇ with the coconut, and reached Manmad, and as they felt thirsty they went to a rivulet for drinking water. As water should not be drunk on an empty stomach, they took out some refreshments, i.e., Chivda (flattened rice mixed with spice). The Chivda tasted pungent and in order to soften it, some one suggested and broke the coconut and mixed its scrapings with it. Thusthey made the Chivda mare tasty and palatable. Unfortunately the fruit broken, turned out to be the same, that was entrusted to Pundalikrao. As they neared Shirdi^◇, Pundalikrao remembered the trust, i.e., the coconut and was very sorry to learn that it was broken and utilized. Fearing and trembling, he came to Shirdi^◇ and saw Baba. Baba had already received a wireless message, regarding the coconut, from the Tembye Swami, ad Himself asked Pundalikrao first to give the things sent by His brother. He held fast Baba's Feet, confessed his guilt and negligence, repented and asked for Baba's pardon. He offered to give another fruit as a substitute, but Baba refused to accept it saying that the worth of that coconut was by far, many times more, than an ordinary one and that it could not be replaced by another one. Baba also added- "Now you need not worry yourself any more about the matter. It was on account of my wish that the coconut was entrusted to you, and ultimately broken on the way; why should you take the responsibility of the actions on you? Do not entertain the sense of doership in doing good, as well as for bad deeds; be entirely prideless and egoless in all things and thus your spiritual progress will be rapid." What a beautiful spiritual instruction Baba gave! Balaram Dhurandhar (1878-1925) Mr. Balaram Dhurandhar belonged to the Pathare Prabhu community, of Santacruz, Bombay. He was an advocate of the Bombay High Court and sometime Principal of the Governament Law School, Bombay. The whole Dhurandhar family was pious and religious. Mr. Balaram served his community, and wrote and published an account of it. He then turned his attention to spiritual and religious matters. He studied carefully Gita, and its commentary Jnaneshwari;

and other philosiphical and other metaphysical works. He was a devotee of Vithoba^· of Pandharpur^◇. he came in contact with Sai Baba^· in 1912 A.D.. Six months previous, his brothers Babulji and Vamanrao came to Shirdi^◇ and took Baba's darshan. They returned home, and mentioned their sweet experiences to Balaram and other members. Then they all decided to see Sai Baba^·. Before they came to Shirdi^◇, Baba declared openly that - "To-day many of my Darbar people are coming." The Dhurandhar brothers were astonished to hear this remark of Baba, from others; as they had not given any previous intimation of their trip. All the other people prostrated themselves before Baba, and sat talking to Him. Baba said to them- "These are my Darbar people to whom I referred before" and said to the Dhurandhar brothers- "We are acquainted with each other for the last sixty generations." All the brothers were meek and modest, they stood with joined hands, staring at Baba's Feet. All the Sattwic emotions such as tears, horripilation, choking, etc., moved them and they were all happy. Then they went to their lodging, took their meals and after taking a little rest again came to the Masjid^◇. Balaram sat near Baba, messaging His Legs. Baba Who was smoking a chillam advanced it towards him and beckoned him to smoke it. Balaram was not accustomed to smoking, still he accepted the pipe, smoked it with great difficulty; and returned it reverentially with a bow. This was the most auspicious moment for Balaram. He was suffering from Asthma for six years. This smoke completely cured him of the disease, which never troubled him again. Some six years later, on a particular day, he again got an attack of Asthma. This was precisely the time when Baba took his Mahasamadhi^✻. The day of this visit was a Thursday; and the Dhurandhar brothers had the good fortune of witnessing the Chavadi^◇, Balaram saw the lusture of pandurang on Baba's face and next morning at the Kakad-Arti time, the same phenomenon - the same lusture of his Beloved Deity-Pandurang was visible again on Baba's face. Mr. Balaram Dhurandhar wrote, in Marathi, the life of the Maharashtra Saint Tukaram, but did not survive to see its publication. It was published, later on, by his brothers in 1928. In a short note on Balaram's life given in the beginning of the book, the above account of Balaram's visit has been fully corroborated therein (Vide page 6 of the book). Bow to Shri Sai^· - Peace be to all

EPILOGUE We have done with Chapter 51 and now we come to the last Chapter (No. 52 in the original). In this Hemadpant^· gave his concluding remarks and promised to give an index, giving the contents of all the Chapters in verse as is given in Marathi sacred books, but unfortunately that index was not found in Hemabdpant's papers. It was therefore, composed and supplied by an able and worthy devotee of Sai Baba^·, Mr. B.V. Deo (Retired Mamlatdar) of Thana. As we give in English books an index in the beginning and contents of each Chapter at its top, we need not consider the last index Chapter here; and so we consider this Chapter as the Epilogue. Unfortunately Hemadpant^· did not survive to revise the manuscript of this Chapter and made it ready for the press. When it was sent to the press Mr. Deo found it to be incomplete and unintelligible in certain places; but it had to be published as it was found. The chief topics dealt therein are briefly given below. Greatness of Sad-guru Sai We prostrate ourselves before and take refuge in that Sai Samarth Who besets all animate and inanimate things in the universe-from a post to God Brahma, pots, houses, mansions and even sky, Who pervades all creatures equally without any differentiation, to Whom all devotees are alike; and Who knows not honour and dishonour, like or dislike. If we remember Him and surrender to Him, He fulfills all our desires and makes us attain the goal of life. This ocean of mundane existence is very hard to cross. Waves of infatuation beat high there against the bank of bad thoughts and break down trees of fortitude. The breeze of egoism blows forcibly and makes the ocean rough and agitated. Crocodiles in the form of anger and hatred move there fearlessly. Eddies in the form of the idea "I and Mine" and other doubts whirl there inecessantly and innumerable fishes in the form of censure, hate and jealousy play there, Though this ocean is so fierce and terrible, Sad-guru Sai is its Agasti (Destroyer) and the devotees of Sai have not the least to fear of it. Our Sadguru is the boat, which will safety take us across this ocean. Prayer Now are fall flat before Sai Baba^· and holding His Feet make the following prayer for the public:- Let not our mind wander and desire anything except Thee. Let this work (Satcharita) be in every

house and let it be studied daily. Ward off the calamities of those who study it regularly. Fala-Shruti (Reward of Study) Now a few words about the reward you get, from a study of this work. After bathing in the sacred Godavari and after taking the darshan of the Samadhi in the Samadhi-mandir in Shirdi^◇, you should read or hear the Satcharita. If you do this all your threefold afflictions will vanish. Casually thinking about the stories of Sai, you will get unconsciously interested in spiritual life and if you then go on through the work with love, all your sins will be destroyed. If you wish to get rid of the cycle of births and deaths, read Sai's stories and remember Him always; and get yourself attached (devoted) to His Feet. If you dive into the sea of Sai's stories, and then give them out to others, you will get an ever-new flavour of them and save the hearers from perdition. If you go on meditating on Sai's Form, it will in course of time disappear and lead you into self-realization. It is very hard to know or realize the nature of Self or Brahma, but if you approach through the Sugun Brahma (Sai's Form) your progress will be easy. If the devotee completely surrenders himself to Him, he will lose his individuality and be merged in Him and be one with Him, as the river in the sea. If you thus become merged with Him in any of the three states, viz., waking, dream and sleep, you get rid of the bond of samsara. If anybody after bathing reads this with love and faith,and completes it within a week, his calamities will disappear; or if he hears or reads it daily and regularly all his dangers will be warded off. By its study, a man wishing for wealth will get it and a pure trader, success in his life. He will get the reward according to his faith and devotion. Without these, there will be no experience of any kind. If you read this respectfully, Sai will be pleased, and removing you ignorance and poverty, He will give you knowledge, wealth and prosperity. With concentrated mind, if you read a Chapter daily, it will give you unbounded happiness. One who has his own welfare at heart, should study it carefully and then he will ever re member Sai gratefully and joyfully in birth after birth. This work should be read at home specially on Guru pournima (Ashadha full-moon day), Gokul-Ashtami, Rama-Navami^✻ and Dasara (Baba's anniversary day). If you study this one book carefully, all your desires will be satisfied and if you always remember Sai's Feet in your heart, you will easily cross the Bhava (Samsar) sugar. By its study, the diseased and sick will get health, the poor wealth, the mean and afflicted the prosperity, and the mind will get rid of all ideas and get steadiness. EPILOGUE

Dear good and devoted readers and listeners, we also make our bow to you all, and make you a special request. Never forget Him whose stories you have read day by day or month by month. The more fervently you read or listen to these stories, the more encouragement Sai gives us to serve you and be of use to you. Both the author and the readers must co-operate in this work, help each other and be happy. Prasad-Yachana We close the with prayer to the Almighty for the following Prasad of favour:- May the readers and devotees get complete and whole-hearted devotion to Sai's Feet. May His Form be ever fixed in their eyes and may they see Sai (the Lord) in all beings. amen! Bow to Shri Sai^· - Peace be to all ARATI Oh Sai Baba^·, we wave lights before You, the bestower of happiness to the Jivas. Give us-Your servants and devotees rest under the dust of Your Feet, Burning (destroying) desire. You remain absorbed in Your Self, and show the Lord (God) to the aspirants. As one feels intently, You give him experiences or realizations accordingly. Oh kindhearted, your power is such! Meditation on Your name removes our fear of the samsar. Your method of word is really unfathomable as, You always help the poor and the helpless. In this Kali age You-the all-pervasive Datta, have really Incarnated as Sagun Brahma. Ward off the fear of samsar of the devotees who come to You every Thursday, so as to enable them to see the Feet of the Lord. Oh God of Gods, I pray that let my treasure be the service of Your Feet. Feed Madhav (and Gadhij* also) with happiness as the cloud feeds the chatak bird with pure water, and thus keep up Your Word. Amen! Bow to Shri Sai^· - Peace be to all * The devotee who sings the Arti should utter his name also here.