Sri Ganeshayanamaha Sri Saraswatyainamaha Sri Gurubhyonnamaha
Sri Sai Ramachandrayanamaha
Sri Sai Satcharitra Sārāmsh
(Thursday Paarayan)
Source: Sri Sai Satcharitra written by Sri Hemad Pant and published by Shirdi Samsthan
Abridged by: Ch. K. Surya Prakasa Rao, Visakhapatnam (A.P., India),
Sai Devotee
Translated by: Suryanarayana Vulimiri, Morrisville, NC USA,
Sai Devotee
Introduction
Sri Sai Baba is the Sadguru, incarnation of the trinity and omniscient. He is the protector of those seeking his shelter. He is the saint of all saints (yogeeswara). Sai says “Assume that those who think that Baba is only in Shirdi are those who really did not understand him”.
Prarthana (prayer)
Now we prostrate in front of Sai Baba and by touching his lotus feet, recite this prayer for the benefit of the mankind.
Please do not let our minds waver or oscillate. Let our hearts desire nothing but your mercy. Let us have this Satcharitra in every household. Let us do the reading (pārāyana) of Sai’s message everyday. Let the troubles or misery of those who do the parayana of this book be removed forever.
Baba’s message:
Please remember that wherever you are and what ever you are doing I knew everything. I rule the hearts of all my devotees. I live in everybody’s heart. I am present in all animate or inanimate objects and creatures of the world. I am the master or the key behind everybody’s life in this world. Those who look at me will never get any troubles or miseries. Maya (illusion) punishes those who forget me. All creatures including worms, ants or any moving or sedentary life has my body and my appearance.
1st Chapter:
Baba says that in order to obtain knowledge and self-realization one has to wipe out all the impulses, desires and sins. Then one should be free of all the three gunas (sattwa, rajas and tamas). In addition they should shed their ego.
2nd Chapter:
I will immensely help those who leave their ego at my feet.
3rd Chapter:
Keep your mind steady. Keep faith in my words. By writing my stories, illiteracy leaves out of your mind. Who ever listens to my stories with sincerity and patience, will be detached with the worldly affections and infatuations. In turn strong waves of devotion and love will rise. Who ever is immersed in my leelas, will find the gems of knowledge. For those who ever surrender themselves to me; those who ever worship me with devotion and faith; those who ever think of me alone, who ever installs my image in their minds, it is my utmost duty to get them detached from their mundane bonds. Just by reciting the name “Sai! Sai” they can get rid of the sin incurred by listening or saying bad things to others.
4th Chapter:
As quoted by Lord Srikrishna in the 4th chapter, 7th and 8th shlokas (verses) of bhagavad-geeta, in every yug (era) when dharma diminishes and adharma perpetrates, in order to save the good, punish the evil and establish dharma, either God himself or his representatives such as yogis, sanyasis will incarnate on earth and perform their duties. One such yogeeswara among yogis is Sri Shirdi Saināth. Baba always used to say “allāh mālik”, meaning “allah is the master”. Baba used to do the nāma smarana (reciting the name) round the clock for 7 days, which is known as “nāma saptāham”.
Baba told Dasaganu “There is no need to go to Prayaga for a holy bath. Both Ganga and Yamuna are here itself”. By saying this Baba made to let Ganga and Yamuna flow from the thumbs of his feet. Baba told everybody that the place where he sits in Shirdi is his gurusthān where his guru’s samādhi (grave) is located and that it should be protected.
5th Chapter:
Baba said to Bhai Krishnaji “What is there in Akkal Kota? Why do you go there? The king who lived there, is present in Shirdi right now and it is me who was in Akkal Kota”. In order for the world to realize that he is the yogeeswara, Baba surprised a rich man named Chand Patil by disclosing the whereabouts of his lost horse. During his first visit to Shirdi, as Baba stepped down from the tānga (horse carriage) at the Khandoba temple a devotee named Mahalsapathi first saw him and addressed as “welcome Sai”. Since then Baba is popularly being called as “Sai Baba”.
6th Chapter:
There are four paths to realize the God, which are the paths of karma, jnyana, yoga and bhakti. Among them, the path of bhakti is the most difficult one to follow. Its full of thorns and ditches. However, with the help of a sadguru (true teacher) all these obstacles can be overcome and one can reach the destination easily. Baba always tells his devotees to believe in this. He also used to say that “there is no dearth of food and clothes in my devotees homes. To attain this one should keep his mind steady without any waverings.
Baba always liked annadāna or feeding people. He converted unpottable water into drinkable water by throwing flowers into the well. For Baba all religions are equal. For example, in Shirdi Baba encouraged Hindus to celebrate Srirāma Navami during day time and let Muslims perform Chandanotsavam during night time.
7th Chapter: Mercy
Baba rescued the child of a blacksmith by putting his hand into a burning furnace. At that time Baba said “I am not worried that my hand is burnt, but I am happy that my child is being saved”. In order to save Kaparde’s son Baba experienced the pain of four big plague pustules onto his body and said “Look I always experience the pain of my devotees and I always assume that the troubles or problems of my devotees are actually my problems”. Sai never showed any discrepancy in the name of caste or religion. He is omniscient, but still always appears to be unaware of all these things.
Sri Satchidananda Sadguru Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai!
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