The Essential Sai Satcharita

The Sai Satcharita is the Bible for Sai Baba's devotees, in the truest sense of the word, as it chronicles the life and teachings of Baba. This sacred work has been documented by Baba's intimate devotee, Govind R. Dabholkar, whom Baba lovingly named Hemadpant. The book is titled Sai Satcharita, and not 'Sai Satcharitra' – as it is commonly misspelt. A 'Satcharita' is a record of leelas, teachings and incidents, whereas a 'Satcharitra' is a biography, which the work is not. The original work of Hemadpant was written as a series of poetic verses called ovis, composed in vernacular Marathi. It was, therefore, not very accessible to everyone because of the language barrier. Over the years, it has been translated into various languages. The more commonly known works were abridged editions that edited Baba's words and leelas, thus changing the context, intensity, and essence of the work, to some extent. The translations did, however, fulfil a very big and important purpose by making the work accessible to many devotees all over the world. The author, Indira Kher, has painstakingly translated the wonderful, original manuscript very accurately in her English edition, where it is a literal translation – verse by verse, ovi by ovi. It is highly recommended that a devotee get a copy of this edition as it is the closest an English-speaking reader will get to the original work of Hemadpant. For devotees who are new to Sai Baba, I would recommend that one read a short book written by author Arthur Osborne – The Incredible Sai Baba – before proceeding any further. This should give the reader an overview of Baba's life, which would be very helpful before commencing the reading of the Sai Satcharita. Reason For The New Edition What we have compiled here is – The Essential Sai Satcharita – which has been put together with the intent of taking the essence of the original work and making it more accessible to readers today. The original composition by Hemadpant includes philosophical commentary which is precious and relevant; making it, however, difficult for the contemporary reader to quickly access the important leelas and sayings of Baba, as Hemadpant, in the original work, has intertwined the two throughout his work. A lot of time needs to be invested in sifting through a large part of the commentary in order to find these precious jewels. A typical devotee of today's younger generation leads a life very different from that of the era when the book was originally composed. Today's reader might have a busier work routine, time constraints, and a shorter attention span, thereby making the need for this new edition even more urgent. For the modern reader, the new edition serves an additional purpose – that of remaining true to the original manuscript – through its compilation of all the leelas and sayings of Baba. The words of Baba are impregnated with deep meaning. They can penetrate the heart, mind, and soul of an earnest and receptive devotee and can bring about a transformation. In this digital format, the the new edition also makes references and provides links to various important and relevant resources such as videos, articles, and photographs that correlate to the given section that is being read. To augment the reading experience and support the reader further, an audiobook version of the Sai Satcharita is also in the process of being recorded. This should enable devotees to hear Baba's leelas, smaran, and teachings while on the go. The digital edition and the audiobook are designed to complement each other; one not being a replacement for the other. The audiobook carries two additional short commentaries at the end of every chapter. The first commentary is by Dr Vinny Chitluri who is an authority on Sai Baba's life. Her chapter-wise commentary gives precious insights and perspectives into the details of Baba's life, which a new devotee would find only after years of painstaking research and exploration. The second commentary is by Advaita teacher and author, Gautam Sachdeva. His spiritual insights give devotees pointers on the deeper meaning of Baba's teachings and leelas. Gautam guides devotees on how they can apply the teachings to their daily life and thus live the path as shown by Baba. To sum up, this truly essential edition has been compiled with the purpose of providing a tool to help devotees remain in constant remembrance of Baba, deepen their understanding of Baba's teachings, and become living examples of the path Baba has shown us. Taking advantage of the convenience of modern technology, we endeavour to make this portal an important platform to help sincere devotees of Baba. In addition to e-books and audiobooks, we shall be adding an important 'Resources' section – an entire library that will have categories on Baba's Mahabhaktas, the leelas, the experiences of devotees, interviews with luminaries, and a host of other tools – sha...

It was during the early 1910s that Hemadpant went to visit Baba in Shirdi. It was then that he first witnessed the following incredible leela of Baba, and was inspired to write Baba's life story in the ensuing chapters of the Sai Satcharita. One morning, in Dwarkamai, Sai Baba sat at the grinding stone after completing His morning rituals. Carrying a scuttle-like basket in His hand, Baba went towards a bag of wheat and began taking its contents out in a rather hurried manner; filling cupfuls of wheat up to the brim and straight into the basket. Baba then spread out another empty sack on the ground near Him. He placed His grinding quern on it and attached its wooden peg firmly in place so that it would stay secure while grinding. Getting Himself ready to grind, Baba rolled up His sleeves, tucked in the folds of His kafni, and then sat down near the grinding quern with His legs spread outward. "What is this sudden idea – that of grinding wheat?" Hemadpant thought to himself. Puzzled as he was, he continued to think, "To a poor penniless one, without attachment to any material possessions, why should there be any anxiety about worldly things?" However, with His head bent downward, Sai Baba had taken a firm hold of the handle of the quern. Baba kept rotating the quern stone with His own hands intensely, as if He were crushing something more than just wheat, with enmity and hatred, into the flour. "Many a saint had I met before; but here was the one grinding wheat at a quern! What pleasure could grinding give Him? Only He can understand His strange ways!" People watched Baba in astonishment, but no one dared ask Him what He was doing. As the news of this activity travelled, residents of the village came running and a crowd gathered. The women gasped for breath as they ran. Four of them hastily rushed up the steps of Dwarkamai and held Baba's hand, seizing it as they snatched the handle of the grinding stone away from Him. Baba retaliated and began quarrelling with the women; but without paying any heed to Him they started grinding the wheat at once. And as they began, they also started chanting Baba's praises and His marvellous leelas. Touched by their genuine affection for Him, Baba's outward display of anger vanished, With tenderness and love, a pleasing smile stole over His face. All the wheat that Baba had kept there was ground. It measured a full eight pounds (four seers); the basket of ground wheat was now emptied. And then the women began to make lofty assumptions in their minds about the purpose of it all. They thought to themselves, "Sai Baba does not prepare wheat bread for Himself; to subsist on alms (bhiksha) is His actual practice. What then will Baba do with all this ground wheat flour? Moreover, Baba has no wife, no children, or family. Baba is all alone, without any worldly binding of hearth and home, or of any material possessions; what then would Baba want all this flour for?" One of them then had the audacity to say aloud, "Oh! Sai Baba is compassion itself! All this flour is only for us. Just wait and see! Baba will now distribute all this flour to us. Baba will now divide it into four shares, one for each of us!" The other women happily assumed this would happen, and were beginning to build castles in the air. But only Sai Baba knows His own ways; none other can comprehend His ultimate purpose. And yet, the women waiting there, salivating in their minds, overcome by greed, wanted to get their hands on the wheat flour! When all of the wheat grain was ground and the flour spread out, the grinding quern was put back in its place. The women began to fill the scuttle-like basket with the flour, and in their minds, they were already walking towards their homes with the flour. All this while, not a word escaped Baba's lips. But as they proceeded to divide the flour in equal parts, listen to what Baba had to say. What follows is from the original script in Marathi documented by Hemadpant. It gives an insight into how direct Baba could be when needed, unlike what many television series wrongly portray Him to be. The word Randa that Baba used for them is impossible to translate, but it gives the reader a glimpse of the intensity of Baba's words. The attempt at an English translation is given below. "Where do you think you are taking the flour? Does it belong to your father that you are carrying it away? Go at once to the village boundary and throw all of the flour at the side of the stream there!" "Leech-like whores! How you came running to loot Me! Was it some borrowed wheat that you wanted to claim?" The women were ashamed of their greediness and were quite shaken up! In whispers they spoke amongst themselves trying to find consolation. Then immediately they left for the village boundary as Baba had commanded them to, No one understood Sai Baba's intention at the time. The reason for His leela that was unfolding – nobody could quite comprehend. Waiting pa...

Chapter 1- Gautam Sachdeva's Commentary Baba Sai and The Wheat Grinding Story Significance Coming to this first story in the Sri Sai Satcharita, I think it is no coincidence that this story is the first. There's a reason for everything, there are no coincidences, especially when it comes to messages from Spiritual Masters. You see, this story sets the stage for understanding all the stories which are to come. And the reason is this- in this story itself, we are shown how limited is the thinking by the individual, by the me (ego). In this case, the four women thought that the wheat (being grinded by Baba) was for them. They assumed this without asking Baba, not realizing that the Guru functions on a completely different dimension, and always for the benefit of all. So at a gross level of understanding, we can see that- Oh! these four women were taught the lesson of not to be selfish. But actually, this is for us as readers, that when we go forward on this journey together, of reading and going through the commentaries on the Satcharita, we should not look at it from the perspective of an individual. And that is why the great Gyani Nisargadatta Maharaj, used to tell His devotees, that when you read the Bhagavad Gita, read it from the point of view of Lord Krishna and not of Arjuna which means that read it from the point of view of the Universal Consciousness, not the small identified consciousness. And therefore, as I said in the beginning, this sets the tone for the entire Satcharita and has been placed as the first story for a reason. So, let's take this journey together and see that whenever we think with our limited intellect, and that too for our own gain as in this case of the ladies in the wheat grinding story, our perspective does not take into consideration of our brothers and sisters and humanity as a whole. Now, we will never understand what is the connection between the ground wheat and the cholera epidemic being eradicated from Shirdi. It is only the Absolute, the Source represented by Baba who knows the leela behind that. But the story is loud and clear. He was concerned about the welfare of all. And when He realized that some of His disciples were usurping that for themselves, that they were only concerned about themselves, Baba admonished them. And most likely, they did not make this mistake ever again- the mistake of taking the Guru for granted and thinking that He is only working for certain individuals' benefit. So, friends, let's move on this journey together, a journey of deep understanding which will most certainly impact our daily living.

As in the beginning of any Pothi, Dabholkar starts with the invocation of the deities, and veneration of all the gods and goddesses, and seeks their blessings for the success of the sacred work that he has undertaken. Then, he describes the Leela of Baba grinding wheat. Baba then asks the four ladies to throw the flour along the boundaries of Shirdi, and thus prevents the cholera epidemic from entering the village and saves the villagers. I shall now talk about the remote village of Shirdi and the Dwarka Mai, where Baba spent 60 years of His life until He took Maha Samadhi in 1980. Shiladi, or Shirdi, was a small remote village. It had about 700 homes with a school and two wells. There were no roads, street lighting, or any other amenities. However, the villagers had jobs. They were goldsmiths, blacksmiths, potters and farmers. The Dwarka Mai was an old dilapidated mosque, and it was the garbage dumping site for the villagers. Even the lizards had run away from it. It was cleaned and Baba resided there. The floor was uneven with pits in it, and it was covered with a slurry of cow dung, but was very clean. All the devotees congregated there for Baba’s Darbar and to seek His blessings. Dikshit, Apte and Dabholkar were like-minded friends, who read the Bhagavad Gita together. They had a pact that if any of them met a saint like Shivaji Maharaj's guru, Sant Ramdas Swami, they would go and meet him. Dikshit was the first to go to Shirdi, and from Shirdi, he wrote to them about Baba’s glorious divinity. Dabholkar, however, was wavering in his mind, as he did not believe in Sadgurus, the reason being, a friend of his had recently lost a son in Lonavala. After all medical remedies failed, he asked his guru to sit with the child. However, the child passed away, so Dabholkar thought, 'What is the use of having a guru if he can't save the child?' Dikshit repeatedly asked him to go to Shirdi, but he made excuses. However, it was Chandorkar who forced him to visit Shirdi and thus he came to Shirdi in 1910, and seeing Baba, his life changed forever. I shall now talk a little about the significance of the quern, or hand mill. If one is born, one has to perform Karma, which leads to a cycle of rebirth. One should perform Nishkama, or selfless Karma, without looking for the fruits of the action. Only then, can one destroy the Karmabeej, or the seed that yields the harvest of rebirth. How does one become free from the shackles of rebirth? The Bhakti Marg is the easiest and the best path to follow. This can be achieved by visualising the quern. The quern has two grinding stones. The lower is stable, and is symbolic of Saburi. The upper is Nishta. Saburi is joyous, courageous forbearance. Baba says: “Saburi overcomes sin, suffering, adversity, and wards off disaster and drives away all fear.” Nishta is unwavering faith, oblivious of hunger and thirst. Day and night is spent in loving devotion. Thus, the upper grinding stone is rotated with determination and concentration and the goal is achieved. The wheat flour so obtained is the Karmabeej, which is destroyed. The quern will not rotate without a handle or a wooden peg. The peg has to be knocked firmly into the socket or the hole of the upper grinding stone, so that it does not become loose while grinding. In one quern, at one time, there is only one peg which is fitted into the upper stone, or Nishta. This peg guides the rotation of the stone. The wooden peg represents the Sadguru. So, one should have one Sadguru, Saibaba, who will show and guide you along the path of salvation, after which, you will be able to pull up your sleeve and rotate the quern of Nishta and Saburi in that direction. Then, the wheat of Prarabdha will be ground easily, and the flour will be readily available. The Karmabeej will be destroyed and the cycle of birth and death is halted. Mahamari is then stopped and Moksha is obtained. Baba would often grind wheat and He would do so in the afternoon when the devotees had gone to their rooms and He was all alone. Once, a lady from Mumbai came and saw Baba grinding wheat. She asked, "Baba, why do you grind the wheat? And why do you throw it at the village boundary?" Baba said, “Akkabai and Maribai, the deities of cholera and smallpox, want to enter the village. So I feed them on the other side of the village and prevent them from entering Shirdi. As they are satiated, they do not enter Shirdi, and thus I save my devotees." In 1917, during the month of Vaishakh, a doctor, his wife and his son came to Shirdi. He hoped that Baba would drive away the evil spirit that tormented his son. In the Dwarka Mai, the doctor thought that Baba's grinding of the wheat and throwing it at the outskirts was futile, and just a superstition. Baba, reading his thoughts, asked him to come at 3 p.m. Exactly at 3 p.m., he and his family went to the Dwarka Mai. The doctor and his son sat massaging Baba's legs, as per Baba's orders. Just then, an ugly devilish...

The Purpose Of This Work In the first Chapter, we witnessed Baba's leela in which He prevented the cholera epidemic from entering Shirdi by grinding wheat at the quern stone and having the flour strewn along the borders of the village. As Hemadpant began to hear and experience these marvellous leelas of Sai, his heart overflowed with joy and love. This ecstatic devotion for Baba that he felt found expression in the sacred verses that he wrote. The thought came to Hemadpant that the sins of the listener would be mitigated by hearing the leelas of Sai. He felt that other devotees would experience the same joy that he and others who witnessed these leelas had felt from their firsthand experience. Documenting the life of a saint is, however, not an easy task, and it is certainly not possible unless it is ordained by the saint himself. Hemadpant thought to himself, "In trying to determine the true nature of the Self, the scriptures and all the four Vedas fall silent. How then will I know your true nature, O Sai?" In whatever manner a devotee may wish to serve the Sadguru, it is truly the Sadguru who Himself gets the service done. The inspiration comes from the saints, and the devotees chosen for the service are mere instruments and not the doers. Having witnessed Baba's leelas for years, the idea of sharing these precious jewels for the benefit of the simple and earnest devotees was germinating in Hemadpant's mind and heart. Those devotees who had not had actual darshan of Baba could gain merit by listening to the stories of His sacred life. It is indeed the one who is blessed who feels an urge to read these stories and is, in turn, blessed with an experience of joy and inner peace when he does so. Baba Grants Permission For The Writing Of His Stories Hemadpant, at the time, was nearly sixty years of age and doubted his own ability to write the book. He felt that neither his mind nor body would be able to support him and feared that the work might be compromised and might even lose its integrity. Yet, despite these obstacles, he felt that instead of wasting time on something else that might be meaningless, he would rather be only in Sai's service. Hemadpant believed that the work would help him make some spiritual advancement, no matter how it would turn out, When the desire to write arose in Hemadpant, he did have the chance, but could not muster the courage to share it directly with Baba. So when he saw Madhavrao (Shama), he immediately conveyed this wish to him. No one was around Baba at the time, and Madhavrao then took the opportunity to broach the subject. Said he, "Baba, this Annasaheb says that he wishes to write down your life story to the very best of his ability, if only you will grant him permission for it. Baba, please do not say 'I am but a fakir, begging alms from door to door, and merely subsisting only on bread, with or without any greens! Of such a one as Me, why would you want to write a life story?' – For you are the diamond which has to be set in its socket." Hemadpant then thought to himself, "Oh, if only Baba, You give Your permission and blessings, the book will then write itself, and You will get it written, and will remove all the obstacles in its way." Baba, who knew everything, was moved to compassion as He felt the sincerity of this prayer. He said, "Your wish will be fulfilled." Hemadpant at once placed his head on Baba's feet. Baba placed His hand on Hemadpant's head and gave him udi as prasad. Hemadpant's anxious and impatient mind began to feel a sense of peace and calm. Knowing that the wish of my heart was sincere, Baba said the following, indicating His consent for the work. "Collect and make a record of all the stories, conversations and experiences." "It is good to keep a record. He will have my full support. He is merely the instrument; for I Myself will write My own story." "I Myself will narrate My own story, and fulfil the wishes of my devotees. He should only dissolve his ego and surrender it at My feet." "He who conducts himself in this way, will get from Me complete assistance. Not only for the writing of this book shall I labor, but for all the needs of his home." "When one's ego totally dissolves, and not even the slightest trace of it is left behind, it is then when 'I' will dwell in him, and by My will the book shall be written." "When the work of listening, contemplation or writing is begun and this thought is held firmly governing it, then such a one will only be the instrument." "Certainly a record must be kept, wherever you are, whether at home or outside, keep remembering these stories, and you will experience contentment and peace." "Listening to my stories, singing them as a kirtan, contemplating them, will increase love and devotion for Me, and all ignorance will be dispelled instantly." "Where faith and devotion are, there I remain forever enslaved. Of this, have absolutely n...

Chapter 2 - Gautam Sachdeva's Commentary Guru-Disciple Relationship The second chapter is the most important one, because it sets the tone for the Guru-disciple relationship and it also defines this relationship. You see Hemadpant has been most open and candid in admitting his resistance to the concept of having a Guru initially and in spite of that, he fell at Baba's feet. Now, there are various aspects here which are important. One is this resistance to the concept of a Guru. This should be explored a bit. We have no resistance when we are born; our parents are looking after us and the Indian scriptures say that your parents are your first gurus because they raised you and they guide you. There after you go to school; your teachers are your gurus in that sense, as they teach you. Now, if during your formative years you have these kinds of gurus, then what about facing life's challenges, life's ups and downs, life's mysteries. Isn't it natural to want a guide? Who has walked the path and who can help make your journey, maybe not easier, but simpler? That is the Guru. The Guru literally translates as the removal of ignorance. Another word for Guru is Light- the Light of Consciousness. It also translates as Spiritual Weight. There are various dimensions to this word 'Guru'. So, we are actually surrendering to all these dimensions of the word 'Guru'. The Guru is considered to be God in human form, but many of us are not willing to accept this, we still see a Guru as an individual. So, this chapter is very pertinent to people who have a Guru in their lives, Sadhguru being Sai Baba. This chapter is pertinent to people who look down upon the concept of a Guru as well as it is pertinent to people who are indifferent. You see, so, it is very important to understand that it is the disciple who sees himself or herself separate from the Guru. The Guru sees no separation. For the Guru, the Guru and disciple are one. So what Hemadpant has shown to us is that no matter how much pride got in the way, which was depicted by him saying that he didn't need a Guru and what use is a Guru if He cannot change someone's destiny, no matter the level of pride, he still landed at Baba's feet. And this happens because of the Grace of the Guru. In spite of this resistance, he found himself there. This is the compassion of the Guru. Now we all need to understand from this that the Guru is a guiding light. When we approach a Guru with suspicion, apprehension, we are actually doing injustice to ourselves because the element of trust is missing. So Hemadpant is laying bare all these aspects in the Guru-disciple relationship, but we have to pick these up. You see, Sai Baba himself said that in your life, it will be tremendously beneficial to have a Guru. He himself has said that. In our religious rituals, we have havan (sacred fire) and we offer coconut to the fire. That coconut represents the ego. When we bow down to a master, we are offering our ego at the feet of the Master. But some people resist bowing down, they feel 'Oh we should not give our power away to anyone. Who is this person? Why should we bow down before this person? We should only bow down before God or before Sai Baba for that matter.' All this is very arrogant thinking, where the understanding has not been perfected. Because if the Guru is God in human form, then you are bowing down to God. So, friends, this chapter specifically shows that the relationship has to be built on surrender and trust. And Baba himself has said that, I cannot change the Prarabdha (destiny) of somebody, but yet He provides the cushion. So, if one is going through challenges in life, it is the Guru who keeps your boat afloat, that is the difference. That is a huge difference. You are able to get the strength, thanks to the Guru, to see yourself through to the other shore. So this aspect I wanted to cover, and I hope I have done justice to it in this brief time. I would also like to add a couple of things here. In the story itself it is mentioned that Lord Ram had a Guru, Lord Krishna had a Guru. In fact even Gautam Buddha had two Gurus. So if such Great Beings had Gurus why must we ordinary people feel that 'Oh, we don't need a Guru.' So what Hemadpant has said is that everyone has to come under the Grace and umbrella of the Guru. And the beauty is that it is the Guru who is pulling us to Him, just as Sai Baba pulled Hemadpant in spite of all the resistance. So isn't it better if we are open from the start itself to receive the Grace? The other thing is when Baba gave Hemadpant, the name Hemadpant, He based it on someone else who was called Hemadpant, who was a writer. That vibration itself must have infused Hemadpant with those qualities which enabled him to bring out the book. This is the Master's Grace. So, that aspect has been, I feel a big reason for the Sai Satcharita to take shape thereafter because Hemadpant himself has now absorbed this new vibration, which ...

In Chapter 2, Dabholkar witnesses Baba grinding wheat, and the villagers tell him that Baba thus prevented the cholera epidemic from entering the village. He is intrigued, and decides to write the Shri Sai Satcharita so that it will be instructive for the devotees, and spiritually uplift them. However, he is plagued with doubts about his ability to write the life of a magnanimous saint like Sai Baba, whose life is as deep as the ocean, and all-pervasive as the sky itself. To write the life of a saint, one should become a saint. Nonetheless, he feels that if this sacred work is accomplished, the readers, especially those who have not seen Baba, would be greatly benefited, and they would progress on their spiritual journey to attain their goal of self-realisation. Dabholkar had utmost faith in Baba, and he is sure that, with Baba's blessings, Baba himself will get this work done through him. So, he seeks Shama's help to get permission from Baba, and Baba gives him His consent and blessings. On the very first day of his arrival in Shirdi, he and Bala Bhate had a heated discussion about the necessity of having a guru. Bhate said that it was absolutely necessary to have a guru, while Dabholkar believed that everyone should advance spiritually by doing Sadhana. The next day, Baba asks them about it, "And what did this Hemadpant have to say?" Thus, Baba gives Dabholkar the name of Hemadripant, or Hemadpant. Hemadripant was a man of many virtues. He was the minister of the king of the Yadava Dynasty, and was a prolific writer. So, the name suited Dabholkar, but it was also a dart at his arrogance, as he thought that he had won the discussion with Bala Bhate, so this was the first lesson in humility for him. Dabholkar then surrenders his ego at Baba's feet, and starts collecting material for Baba's Gatha. I will now seize this opportunity to talk about the life and transformation of two skeptics, Balasaheb Bhate and Annasaheb Dabholkar. The transformation of Balasaheb Bhate The story of Balasaheb Bhate is mind-boggling. He was a Mamledar in Kopergaon, and a friend of Chandorkar. The two had known each other since their college days. While Chandorkar was well versed in religious scriptures, Bhate was just the opposite. His motto in life seemed to be smoke, drink, eat, and be merry. Chandorkar was an ardent devotee of Baba, and Bala was a skeptic. Whenever they met, Bala ridiculed the very idea of a well-educated person like Chandorkar paying obeisance to a human. Often, he tried to convince the devotees from not making the pilgrimage to Shirdi. It seemed as if his mission in life was to sabotage the pilgrimage of any devotee going to see Baba. Later in 1894, he was transferred to Sakori, where he heard a Kirtan about Kabir and Kamal by Sant Bhau Maharaj. Somehow, he was drawn to the Kirtan and listened to it attentively. He then came to Shirdi and took Baba's Darshan. The very sight of Baba filled him with peace and bliss. He just sat and stared at Baba, oblivious of his surroundings. After a while, his companions asked him to accompany them back to Sakori. He said, "Wait, wait a bit." They waited, but he continued sitting and the hours rolled by, so they left. So changed was he that he decided to stay on in Shirdi, and make it his home. The once responsible person seemed to have forgotten all about his job, his family, and his home. He stayed on and served Baba until Baba's Mahasamadhi. This dramatic change caused concern amongst the other devotees. Dikshit, Chandorkar and Shama asked Baba to intervene. Baba asked him to apply for six months of leave. This application he did write and send, but his mind was made up. Even his superiors, co-workers and friends came to advise him and take him back. He just said, "Once a person finds his goal, he should not leave it." His employer, knowing that he was a good employee, gave him a pension of 25 rupees per month on a compassionate basis, as his mind was gripped by the Fakir of Shirdi and Bala had religious melancholia. Balasaheb progressed spiritually under the compassionate Fakir, and stayed on in Shirdi until his death. Mention is made of him in the Sai Satcharita, chapters 1 and 44. After Baba's Mahasamadhi, the 13th day's ceremony was conducted by Bala, when he performed Til Anjali, Til Tarpanam and Pind Pran. Dikshit was very fond of Bhate because after his transformation, Bala Bhate spent all his time doing Seva, reading and studying spiritual books. He had a wonderful lustre on his face. Dikshit arranged for his family to come and stay with him. He also took care of Bhate's son, Babu, who was the same age as his own son, Ramkrishna. So he got them admitted into a Marathi school and treated them like twins. He paid for their education, and both the kids got new clothes, uniforms and stationery at the same time. After completing their education in Shirdi, they went to Mumbai for further education. Ramkrishna chose to do B.Sc., while Babu Bhate ...

Chapter 3 - Gautam Sachdeva's Commentary Story of the Rohilla and Baba We come to the third chapter. Now, this chapter actually proves to us that the Satcharita works on various levels. It may appear to be a simple story. But some readers, if they read the story of the Rohilla and Baba, might have gotten confused and rightly so. So, we will explore the story a bit because this will set the tone for other stories to unfold. Now as you might have read, there was this Rohilla, this Pathan, who came to Baba and he would shriek on top of his voice, chanting verses from the Quran 'Allah Ho Akbar' and so on. He would do this day and night. Now this got too much for the villagers to bear because the poor things were toiling all day, and it was disturbing their sleep at night. So they went and complained to Baba, but Baba said nothing doing. I'm not going to stop him and no one should stop him from doing this because if I am happy, what is your problem? So of course they were even more confused. You see. Now what gets interesting in the story if you read it carefully, which I would suggest you do, is that Baba starts talking about the Rohilla's wife. How troublesome she is, troublesome being a mild word. You see if you read those passages, Baba says things like the Rohilla's wife cannot stay with him. The wretched woman has no modesty, is without shame and so on. And the moment Rohilla stops his shouting, it is the opportunity for this one to enter. Now, we will clearly see that this is not a physical wife. What Baba is pointing to is the mind, the ego mind, the thinking mind, which deceives all of us, and we know this is not a physical wife that the Rohilla is talking about is because later on Hemadpant himself says, "We never saw him with a wife. He didn't have money to support himself where would he have a wife". So what was Baba talking about? You see, so that questioning is there in the story already. So what Baba was showing was that as long as the person was chanting God's name, nothing else mattered. Because if he stopped doing that, his wicked, devious and mischievious mind, which was the source of troubles would come back. And Baba says she would come back and harass me, so please don't stop him from chanting. Now, Baba does not mean that the form of Baba will be harassed. If Baba represents God, consciousness, the source- What is He trying to say? He's trying to say that a mind which chants the name of God is occupied by chanting God's name. That means that the working mind of the person is engaged in chanting God's name. Doing that, it prevents the mind from going into the dead past or an imaginary future and creating monstrous stories. That is the thinking mind. No wonder it is said- an idle mind is the devil's workshop. So it's better that the mind chants the name of God loud and clear than it be left to create its mischief. You see, so when Baba says that leave him alone otherwise the wife will harass me, He meant Me as consciousness. When the consciousness is engaged in the waking state, we say it is in the working mind mode, and nothing like chanting God's name after all to keep it engaged. It's a great gift because it keeps the thinking mind away. This is the lesson of the story you see. It's a very important lesson. Now, some of you might have read this book called The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. And he said something so nice. He said when we walk on the road, and we all have experienced this in India, we'll see who we classify as madman, you know, mumbling to himself, screaming and shouting. So Eckhart says that, at least he is open and transparent in doing that, most of us have this internal chatter, which is going on in our minds while we are walking on the road, which is far worse than this simple man who was just babbling away any nonsense, loud and clear. Imagine if all the dialogue in our minds, all the hatred, malice, jealousy, envy, pride, arrogance, guilt, shame, and all those thoughts came out of us in words, we would truly defile the environment, isn't it? So, chanting the name of God is given as an antidote to the thinking mind. Baba is telling us that this has got nothing to do with the Rohilla individually. Baba is telling this to us all indirectly so that we pick this up. What He is telling us is that if we find that our mind is just performing cartwheels upon cartwheels upon cartwheels, start chanting God's name so then He as Baba as consciousness will not be harassed. Now, I would like to add something here which has just come to my mind. The Advaita sage Nisargdatta Maharaj used to end His Satsangs with bhajans. Now He himself would participate and sing very animatedly while the cymbals and drums and what have you were playing in the background. Now at certain spots in the singing, suddenly Maharaj would raise his voice far beyond what was the normal tempo. So the people in the satsang thought if Maharaj is raising His voice at these specific junctures...

Chapter 4 - Gautam Sachdeva's Commentary Das Ganu & The Holy Rivers Now when we look at chapter four, the focal point is the story where Das Ganu has a wish to take a dip in the holy rivers that meet at Prayag, and so goes to Baba to ask for His permission. Then Baba says that there's no need to go to Prayag when Shirdi itself is the Prayag, one only has to have faith. And as Baba said this, from both of Baba's toes, water trickles down. And that water represents the twin streams of the Ganges and the Yamuna, which meet at the Prayag. This is the story and of course Das Ganu was moved to tears. Now, there's a very big lesson here. You see, one is of course Das Ganu, did the right thing by first asking for permission from the Guru, because the Guru knows best. So that shows his level of awareness as a disciple. Now what Baba was trying to show that when one has full faith in the Guru, when one is immersed in the Guru's teachings, when one is under the protective umbrella of the Guru, then there's no need to go elsewhere in order to gain favours, so to speak, or to please the Lord because the Guru is the Lord. And so, here we have Baba giving the spectacular demonstration of the Ganges and Yamuna flowing from His toes. As we all know, the symbolism of the Ganges is to take a dip in there to wash away one's sins. So, what Baba is showing is that when you take refuge in the Guru, no matter what happens, You place it at the Guru's feet- this is the importance and the significance of the Guru. Now, we may ask ourselves, does it mean that even if one has a Guru, one should not undertake pilgrimages, etc. So far, we can look at it objectively. If one is going with a sense of gratitude, joy, and feeling a natural pull, there's no harm in it. But what is the intent with which we go to these places- is it to gain favors?, to increase our storehouse of karmic points? and so on and so forth. This we have to ask ourselves, because all this actually comes to an end when one is sitting at the feet of the Master. So, it is a personal decision. People will feel differently about pilgrimages and so on. But we need to take the essence of what Baba says on the importance of the Guru. So, there may be people who have other Gurus today, not just Baba. For most of us here on this channel, Baba represents the Guru or the Sadguru which means that some of you may have Gurus in physical form, and that physical Guru leads to the Sadhguru, which is Baba. But either way, what Baba is showing to us is the importance of the Guru principle. True faith is that whatever happens in one's life, good or bad, pleasure or pain, is ordained, and the Grace of the Guru is on our side, to take us through life's situations and life's challenges. This quotation was by my teacher Ramesh Balsekar, and it is so pertinent to the story of the two rivers. Rameshji says, just as the flow of a river seizes, once it reaches the sea, so also, all discipline and effort for liberation seize when one reaches the Guru. So, it is a most beautiful leela, which has been shown to us and hopefully we imbibe the deeper significances of these stories, rather than just being happy and saying what a great leela that Baba has done. We must try to understand, to imbibe and to see that this teaching percolates in the heart. That is the intent of these chapters in the Satcharita.

Chapter 4 - Vinny Ma's Commentary Baba is all pervasive, everlasting and immortal. Leela Number One Baba said "My Guru has taken me away from this", pointing to His body, that is, His Guru helped him to say that the body was not He. But He was the One-Force that was responsible for manifesting itself as everything in the universe. If you're not your body, and I'm not my body, it is easy to infer that you and I are the same. The difference being caused only by our bodies and not by our real nature. Baba taught him some portion of the truth. Kashinath Upasani Baba was cooking food at the Khandoba temple and naturally wanted to take the food to his Guru and get back some part of it as Prasad. While he was cooking the food, a black dog was watching and even when he took the food towards the Masjid, it followed him part of the way and suddenly disappeared. When first, the dog was present and anxiously looking at the food, Upasani thought it would be absurd to give a low creature, a dog any food before offering it to God and before men ate, so he did not give the food to the dog. But when he went in the hot sun at noon with his food to Sai Baba, Baba asked him, "What have you come for?" Kashinath said "To bring you my Naivaidya." Baba said, "Why did you come all the way here in the hot sun? I was there." Then Kashinath said "There was none but a black dog there." Baba said "I was that dog. So as you refuse to give me food that I'm not going to take the food." The next day he was determined to avoid the mistake. So when he was cooking his food, he looked for the black dog and found none. He noticed a sickly Shudra was standing against the wall and watching the cooking. To his orthodox mind, it was Drishti Dosha and improper for a Shudra to look when a Brahmin was cooking. So he said "Get away" and accordingly the Shudra left. When that date Kashinath came with the food, Baba was very angry. He said "Yesterday you did not give me food and today you told me to go away." "Where were you Baba" asked Kashinath. Baba said "I was leaning against the wall." Kashinath said, "Could you be the sickly Shudra?" Baba said, "Yes, I am in everything and beyond." Baba spoke what was written in the Purusha Sukta. The Purusha or God having pervaded all the world exceeded it and went 10 inches beyond.The advice given by Baba to Upasani and all of us is "See me in all creatures." Though it looks absurd in the beginning to believe that everything is really God. Still by impressing it upon yourself with humility and faith, you can begin to feel and see every object that is around you as Sai Baba, and that you must treat it with the reverence, affection and sympathy, as much as you can. Leela Number Two- Narayan Govind Chandorkar Baba said "I am not in Shirdi alone. I'm in all creatures." Intellectually this was understood, but Nana did not realize it. Baba wanted him to realize it more vividly, as that was a very important step for his higher spiritual progress. So on one occasion when Nana came to Shirdi, Baba asked him to prepare eight Puran Polis for Naivaidya and then have his food. When Nana placed the Pooran Polis before Baba, Baba did not touch them, but flies sat upon them. Then Baba said "Nana take away the Prasad." Nana insisted that Baba should eat some. Baba said that he had eaten it. "When did you eat them? All the eight Pooran Polis are here." said Nana. Baba said he had eaten it at some time. Then Nana got vexed and went to the Chavadi. When Baba sent for him, the same conversation was repeated. Finally Baba said "You have been living with me for 18 years now. Is this all your appraisal of me? Does Baba mean to you only the three and a half cubics height of this body? Am I not in the fly and the ant that settled upon the Polis?" Nana said he knew that, but he could not realize it. If Baba would make him realize it, Nana said he would eat the Polis as Prasad. Then Baba lifted His hand and made a gesture. He thereby revealed a secret, which Nana was hiding very deep in his heart. Nana discovered that Baba knew the secret, but how. The only explanation was that Baba was Antaryami in his heart. If Baba was Antaryami, He must be the Antaryami of the fly and ant also. So he agreed to eight the Pooran Polis as Prasad and was satisfied. This is a lesson for all of us, as it was for Nana. Leela number one and two were taken from the life of Sai Baba, written by Shri Narsihn Swami Ji Leela Number Three Once a sickly bitch came to Mhalsapati wagging her tail. She looked very ill and was drooling from the mouth. He threw a stone and drove her away. She ran away yelping. Later, when he went for Baba's darshan, Baba turned to him and said, "I went with a great deal of hope to you Bhagat, hoping for a piece of Bhakri, but all I got was a stone thrown at me." Two hours after Baba had said this, Kaka and his friends were sitting near the Vada. A dog came and sat on the steps nearby. He drove it away. The dog ...

Chapter 5 - Gautam Sachdeva's Commentary True Poverty Good afternoon everyone. In chapter five, let us specifically explore one sentence which Baba would always say. So here it is mentioned- poverty holds the highest sovereignity or thousand times greater than the grandeur of the noble man. Allah befriends the poor so what Sai say always. Now why would Sai Baba say this always- Poverty holds the highest sovereignty thousand times greater than the grandeur of the noble man. You see, He is not referring to only material poverty and physical poverty. That is one level of reading this chapter. What is Baba pointing to? That to be poor means to have fewer attachments. Not to be attached to material things, not to invest material value to the things that surround us that we consider pleasures. Therefore, poverty holds the highest sovereignty. Now, let's take charity which is connected with poverty. Charity means giving freely from the heart and many times this is spontaneous. When one feels compassion arising deep in the heart, one gives, and one doesn't even think sometimes- do I have enough for myself. So, in both cases, there is no extreme attachment to material objects. So Allah befriends the poor, means this. It means not to live like the noble man who has surrounded himself with material things. So, it gives him an identity, a sense of worth, a sense of self, this is who I am, I am a noble man, look at me. See, with these kinds of attributes of the inflated ego come pride and arrogance, which is the grandeur of the noble man. This is what Baba is pointing to. Therefore, rather not have that grandeur if one will derive one's sense of self from your fancy car or from the bank balance you have, the image that you have projected and created of who you think you are. It is better to be poor in those aspects and be the opposite of the noble man. That is what Baba is pointing to and this point tends to get mixed. However, we are attached not only to material objects, but also to people. People who we derive a sense of self from. We like to surround ourselves with people who agree with us, who we feel good to be in company of because it enhances our self worth, and so on. We all wear masks in society. We sometimes want to project - Oh we have so many friends, we are so popular and so on and so forth. And once again, Sai says poverty holds the highest sovereignty. Be poor in all respects. That becomes your true worth. Don't go around collecting opinions. Don't go go around collecting friendships that make you feel special. It's actually a very deep lesson. In that sense, don't have all that to deal with. This whole psychological structure is a palace of sorts, the palace of illusions that the rich man has created for himself. Fortunately, the poor who's already dealing with the tough situations he is placed in, fortunately for him, he does not have this baggage of psychological suffering, which the rich man has. So we must understand that in our lives if we keep hearing this sentence of Baba again and again, we should try to see what is He pointing to? So this I think, is a beautiful part of chapter five. Fakir Jawahar Ali & True Discipleship And of course, the famous incident of the Fakir Jawahar Ali and Sai Baba is a big lesson in this chapter. I won't go into it in detail because that is already covered in another podcast and you will find the link on the page. But in a nutshell, there was this fakir , who was considered to be quite arrogant. His name was Jawahar Ali. And he decided that Sai Baba should be his disciple and this man was not liked. But you see, as I said in that podcast, Baba was the Master of seeing Runanubandha and the bondage of former relationships. He could see this with everyone He came across. In fact, I remember somewhere else it is written about the two sheep he saw in a flock of sheep. And He recalled that they had known Him in a prior life. So, Baba played along in this game. Now, could you imagine someone of Baba's stature agreeing to be the disciple of someone who was obviously not of that highest stature? That is Baba's greatness. That shows the full control Baba had over the ego and its mechanics because it did not get in the way. And in that game, in that Leela, which was not only played about for Jawahar Ali, but also for the people who are around both of them to witness. Baba did the perfect thing to do in a Guru disciple relationship. He played the role of the disciple 100%. So He lived by example, and He was actually trying to show everyone, especially His devotees who were so upset by this whole charade going on by this fakir called Jawahar Ali, that this is called true discipleship. Despite knowing what was going on, Baba served this man as His Master. Eventually Jawahar Ali succumbed and lay down at Baba's feet and apologized. So this was done so that everyone learned this lesson about how a devotee/ disciple ought to be. A true disciple considers the M...

Gautam Sachdeva's Commentary: Good evening everyone. In chapter six of the Sai Satcharita, two points struck me which I feel are worth exploring. One is where it is said "May the mind be absorbed in My Name and all else be totally forgotten". So, basically referring to that may you chant Sai's name and not only just the name, may He be in your consciousness throughout the day. This is what it is pointing to and all else be totally forgotten. What this means is all the garbage of our minds of blame, condemnation, hatred, malice, jealousy, envy, and so on, which is directed at others, that garbage is thrown off, thrown away because now, the primary thought in one's consciousness is Sai Baba. And when the primary thought is Sai, when the name that comes out from the mouth is Sai's name, there is no room for those kind of attributes to exist, they are finished. They are cremated in the awareness that is Sai Baba. This is a most important point, which is brought forth in chapter six and contemplating on it, understanding the depths of just this one sentence is of great benefit to one's spiritual journey. You see, because after this line, it says, "The mind will then become detached from the body, household concerns and well and it will be in Divine bliss". It will attain equanimity and serenity, ultimately finding fulfilment, in other words, it attains the bliss that is the deep peace of mind in daily living. And this message of peace of mind comes shining through the Satcharita. That is why Sai Baba teachings really appealed to me because my own teacher Ramesh Bhalsekar, all he spoke about was peace of mind and daily living. Some people found it mundane. But this is the secret. This is what Sai Baba Himself has said you see- attaining equanimity and serenity. So, this is the most beautiful point that has been conveyed in chapter six. Now, there is one more very important aspect of chapter six, which is where it is clearly shown that Sai Baba had a temper and no matter what the devotees did to build a Mandap, let's say a portico, putting up the pillars and so forth, Baba's behavior was irrational you see, for them. He would go into bouts of anger and prevent them from putting the pillars into the ground. And then at the next moment, He will be full of compassion and then again this would happen. Now, you see, it is so important to understand the great service that has been done to us by not hiding these aspects of Baba's personality. Sometimes we see movies and TV serials where they show a very benevolent Sai Baba, always loving, always kind. No, the Masters are real, you see, and we do not understand the reason for Their behavior. Even the Rishis of you're used to get very angry and provoked and that anger will lead to a series of events that were destined to happen. So, here, too, in this chapter, it is made very clear that we don't understand the reason for this. But yet it has happened and therefore, the need to share these incidents. So I will read out here what I'm referring to. "Sometimes He would be so calm and composed and would converse lovingly. Sometimes in a flash and without apparent reason, His mind would be in great agitation. Such then are the tales of Baba. As you are narrating one another comes to mind. We will bring the narrator's mind as to which he should narrate and which he keeps back. Moreover, it is not really correct to be partial in the selection". See the honesty of the Satcharita. It is admitted we cannot understand Baba's behavior and no effort is made to hide it because of some moral judgments, which the writer has on the issue. You see, I will tell you something quite interesting. There was a sage called Muktananda. He lived near Bombay, and his path was the path of Kashmir Shaivism and a friend of mine was his disciple, very close disciple. Now, one day Muktananda was very rude to him, extremely rude in front of others, and even hit him with a stick. He gave him a whack on his legs or somewhere I don't remember, you see, but the disciple was quiet. He endured it all. It was coming from his master after all. And at the end of the day, he went to the Master's quarters. And he said, Master, why did you humiliate like me like this? Why was there so much anger against me and you did it in front of all these people. And the Master said, you should be thanking me. So he was shocked. He said, how could anyone thank you for beating them? He said, because today when I saw you, I saw so many karmic impressions so many events you would have to go through that I decided to clear them for you, being your master, and you have no idea how it operates and so this is what I have done. So, if you are hurt, I am happy to apologize to you but please understand that you will not know the workings of the Master. And after that day, he never once complained about his Master. You see, that is the whole point. We do not know how they behave. And the beauty of this story in chapter six is ...

The main stories of chapter six are about the celebration of the Urus and the Ram Navami festivals, and the renovation of the Masjid. At the time of the construction of the Sabha Mandap, Baba flew into a rage, held a pillar with one hand and Tatya’s neck with the other. Then, shaking the pillar vigorously, He uprooted it. Baba took off Tatya's Pheta, lit it, and threw it into the pit. Then, he took a rupee coin from his pocket and threw that too into the pit. A short while later, Baba became calm, and later, presented Tatya with a beautifully embroidered Pheta. I shall now talk about the Urus and Ram Navami festivals. Urus literally means the wedding with God, or uniting of the soul with God at the time of death. It is an annual celebration, and was started on the 16th of March, 1897, by Gopalrao Gund, who was the circle inspector of Kopergaon at that time. Gopalrao had three wives but no children. With Baba's blessings, a son was born to him. Out of gratitude, he wanted to venerate Baba as an Auliya. Baba's permission was sought, and Baba gave his consent. However, the Kulkarni of the village opposed it as he was concerned that, with a shortage of water and the arrival of thousands of devotees into Shirdi for the celebrations, there would be an outbreak of cholera. One of the two wells had brackish water, so Baba threw some flowers into it and the water turned sweet. The other well had insufficient water, so Tatya Patil had to arrange to get water from a well situated far away by fixing moats to it. Thus, the water problem was solved, the official consent was obtained, and the festival was celebrated with great pomp. The Sandal procession was started by Amir Shakkar of Korhale on Friday, the 7th of April, 1911, and as it was Ram Navami that day, this festival was also celebrated on the same day. I often wondered how the Urus were celebrated in Shirdi when Baba was still alive. I asked Pawar Kaka, author of the Bhavartha Sai Satcharita, about this, and he told me that Urus were celebrated for those Auliyas, or Pirs, who had attained the zenith of their spiritual powers. They were still living and were being honoured and venerated by celebrating the Urus for them. These Pirs are known as Jindavalis, and have magnificent spiritual powers. Baba was Supreme, and much more than any Jindavali. Now, Ghanibai, a descendant of Abdul Baba, is celebrating the Urus. These celebrations are then followed by the Sandal procession. The Sandal procession takes place between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., when the descendants of Abdul Baba perform this beautiful ceremony. A platter with sandalwood scrapings, along with incense, is taken in procession around the village to the accompaniment of music. The platter, the incense, and the gifts to be offered are carried under a canopy. The canopy consists of a Galif, or Chadar, which is attached to four wooden poles. The Galif is green in colour with golden Kalams written, or inscribed, on it. On top of every post is a Panja, a silver replica of a hand. The Sandal procession to venerate the Auliyas, the Muslim saints, is described in chapter 6 of the Sai Satcharita. At the Samadhi Mandir, gifts like Chadar, fruits and sweets are offered. The procession then goes to Abdul Baba's Dargah, and again, the gifts are offered there. The procession ends in the Dwarka Mai, where sandalwood mixed with rose water and Ittar are pasted on the Nimbar with bare hands. Now, here are some little known facts about Baba and the festival of Ram Navami. It was on Friday, the 7th of April, 1911, that the festival of Ram Navami was celebrated. It was Krishnarao Jogeshwar Bheeshma who proposed the idea of celebrating the Ram Navami festival as it fell on the same day as the Urus. Baba's permission was obtained, and it is being celebrated to this day in Shirdi. On that auspicious day, two ornamental flags were taken in procession. A beautiful flag was brought by Damu Anna Rasne and the other by Nanasaheb Nimonkar. With a great deal of merriment, the flags were taken in procession around the village, and hoisted in two corners of the Dwarka Mai. A cradle was placed in the Dwarka Mai to celebrate the birth of Lord Shri Ram, and there were Kirtans and Bhajans throughout the day. The next day, Gopal Kala was performed and the festivities ended. Baba celebrated Ram Navami right from the early days of His stay in the Dwarka Mai. On this auspicious day, He washed the entire Dwarka Mai Himself. At about 12 noon, He bought a little oil and a few lamps. From the rest of the money, He bought some Gulal, and put some on Dhuni Mai and then on His own head. Then, He put some on each step leading to the Dwarka Mai, and each and every corner, and finally applied some to the entrance. Later, when the devotees started flocking to Shirdi, they had Katha and Kirtan in the Sabha Mandap, followed by the birth of Lord Shri Ram, after which, Baba distributed Pedas and Barfis. (Reference: Shiladhi, by Dr. Keshav B. Gavan...

Chapter 7 is one which I found very insightful because it describes so much about Sai Baba Himself, the first being this radical acceptance of both Hindus and Muslims and to what an amazing degree - calling the Masjid Dwarka Mai, allowing celebrations of Ram Navami and Gokulashtami. It was so fascinating and I wonder, in those times, what was the actual reaction of the people. Here was a Master who actually took action regarding unity. He didn't just speak about it. This Jugalbandi, this beautiful harmonising of two faiths, according to me, is unprecedented the way He did it in His time. It is something not to be taken lightly because, you see, he was walking the talk of His message. If His message is Everyone's God is one, then He was showing it in action. It was up to the people to follow that. So, I do feel what He did is absolutely stupendous in those days, living by example, and the insights we get into His activities show that He was an accomplished Yogi. The incident of His limbs being found in the different corners, and the person who saw it running away scared. That is actually a Yoga called the Khanda Manda Yoga. And it is a yoga which Yogis undertake to test themselves, to test their identification with their body, and they had the ability to rejuvenate those limbs. So these practices, like Khanda Manda Yoga and Dhauti (the washing of the intestines by bringing them out), once again show the Yogic mastery of Sai Baba. Then, it says He was like a Hakeem dispensing medicines for healing. Here, another aspect is revealed. So, truly, it is a most beautiful description of Shirdi Sai Baba's varied masteries over many disciplines. It is actually as if there are different people who would master each discipline, but here, it was all in one. So, this chapter becomes very crucial for someone to see the width, the range, the expanse of dominion that Sai Baba had over various occult sciences. That is why this is one of my favourite chapters. I do know that the whole of Sai Satcharita is strewn with miracles, but this particular chapter, and the incidents mentioned therein, show compassion like never before. All His acts were acts of compassion, particularly this one specific act, where He thrusts His hand into the fire, and later says, "I did it because a mother's baby had accidentally slipped from her hands and fallen into the blacksmith's forge." So He took the brunt of the Karma to save the baby. This is truly a glorious example of compassion. Or, when the bubonic plague struck, and he lifted his Dhoti and showed people the buboes (swellings), which were on His legs. This is the peak of compassion that the suffering is taken on upon His own body. And this reminds me of something very beautiful that I had read. It is a myth, of course, but it is about the Buddha. When he was at the gates of heaven, and the gatekeeper told the Buddha, "Welcome, O Master, we have been waiting for this glorious day. All in heaven are rejoicing because you have finally arrived here. We can't tell you how happy we are. Do come in." But the Buddha just stood there. So, the gatekeeper said, "Master, we urge you to walk through the gates of heaven. We are all eagerly waiting for your presence." The Buddha said, "No." The gatekeeper was quite surprised. He said, "What is the reason, Master, that you won't walk through?" And the Buddha replied, "Unless all those who follow me come in before me, only then will I walk through the gate." This is compassion. And this compassion is shown, in action, by Shirdi Sai Baba. So, for me, the breadth of this chapter 7 - right from insights into Baba's life, his mastery over sciences, and the degree of compassion, not to mention the fact that his umbrella-bearer was a leper - which means, the person doing Seva, who was closest to Him physically, who had festering wounds, was a leper! Look at the compassion shown by Sai Baba once again towards this man. It is quite stupendous when you think of this. And so, I do feel that this, for me, is one of my favourite chapters in the Satcharita, and I hope you see it from this perspective and get to know the dimensions this Master operates on. Let us not forget that all these stories in the Sai Satcharita may be about a Master, but the reason they are there is to evoke the same qualities in us, not to just keep saying, "O, Baba was so compassionate," but rather to show us the way towards true compassion. So, I hope you enjoyed this exploration and we will move forward as we go along to the other chapters.

Vinny Ma's Commentary Bhagoji Shinde's seva In chapter seven, Baba puts His hand in the raging Dhunimai and pulls out the blacksmith's child who inadvertently fell into the furnace. The child was held at the mother's waist while she was working the bellows. Upon hearing her husband call, she hurriedly turned around and the child slipped and fell in. Baba to cut the karmic effects of the child on Himself and burnt His hand. However, when He cooked for the devotees and used His bare hand to stir the boiling Meetha chawal around, there was not a trace of scalding on His arms. Bhagoji Shinde was given the honor of massaging it with Ghee and placing Naglee, a type of betel leaf on it and bandaging it daily. Right from biblical times, people with leprosy have been treated like the scourge of society. Although it is a disease like tuberculosis, often they are spat upon and even lynched and stoned to death. Even today, people are afraid to touch a person with leprosy. But worst of all, they are called lepers, and usually confined to small carts and have to beg for a livelihood. Bhagoji Shinde has fascinated me since I was young and I kept wondering, why did Baba have him as a constant companion when he suffered from a permanent disease like leprosy called Black leprosy? Unfortunately, very little is known about him and his family. The elder brother, Raguji says once Bhagoji was suffering from high fever and was at death's door. Baba came to our home. He branded Bhagoji with a hot iron rod on his back and temples and he recovered soon thereafter. It is said that once Baba asked Bhagoji to ask for a boon of being cured of his leprosy. However, Bhagoji said "I'm not concerned about my physical appearance or my disease, but I would like You to grant me this wish which is that I be allowed to be with You at all times and I be allowed to come to the Dwarkamai whenever I want to. And Baba granted him this wish. Thus, Bhagoji was the first person to enter the Dwarkamai early in the morning, when Baba sat in front of Dhunimai and massage His burnt hand. After doing His Seva, he would prepare Baba's Chillum for Him, and they would smoke it together. And only after Bhagoji left were the other devotees be allowed to come up. This Seva he did without fail until 1918. Babuji had the good fortune of holding the ornamental umbrella of Baba when He went to Lendibaug. Thus Baba immortalized him because he is seen in the photograph standing behind Baba holding the umbrella. And when the devotee sees that photo years later, they will remember him. There are many lessons that can be learned from the life of this remarkable devotee. Bhagoji had transcended body consciousness. He was the least concerned about how he looked. He had lost most of the fingers of his hands and also a part of the nose, and the nose is a prominent feature in the face. Although his body oozed pus and blood that was foul smelling, he was not concerned about the snears or the disgusted looks that the others gave him. Nor did the unkind words of people have an effect on them. This is the state of complete Sitpragnaya, equanimity. He was determined to do Seva for the Sadhguru come what may and he persevered. Never once did he fail to come to massage Baba's burnt hand regardless of the bitter cold or the torrential rains. This is the Drira Buddhi. In The Navidya Bhakti, Bhagoji is an apt example of Dasya or doing all kinds of Seva for the Sadguru. Bhagoji had surrendered totally to his Sadguru's feet and thus he was able to soak up Baba's divine energy by being in His presence and also being able to touch Him and Baba transferred His divine energy to Bhagoji Shinde's very soul. Khandana Mandana yoga This is an ancient practice usually performed by Aghoris where the practitioner cuts his limbs with a cleaver and throws them in a roaring fire for about 12 hours, and these limbs are regenerated and good as new. This practice is not advocated for any devotee to do physically. However, a devotee can do it mentally. That is, same concepts are applied to the mind, one is able to create and recreate a completely new personality of himself. Thus, the false personality, which comes from assumptions, judgments, desires, lust, and greed begins to deconstruct themselves. Once we begin the process of mental Khandana or cutting off the unwanted parts and throwing them into Dhunimai then the false personality is deconstructed. Then begins the process of Mandana or reconstruction of a whole new personality of ourselves. So if you really want to understand who you are, and you want to dream, desire and live your life to the fullest, you need to do the process of mental Khandana Mandana Yoga. The question is, how do we do it? Find a spot facing east or sit in front of Baba's picture or idle. Sit down, close your eyes. Let your memories, dreams or thoughts fade away. Breathe in and out steadily. Then ask Baba for guidance. Slowly your life will begin the p...

Chapter 8 is the chapter that I would like to dedicate to Hemadpant. We can see why he was chosen by Baba for this exercise. It is no accident when a Master chooses a devotee for a certain task. And in this chapter, Hemadpant displays his deep understanding of spiritual matters. For example, he says that while in such a transient human body, the time spent in listening to the stories of the saints, by remembering whom, merit is acquired, is the time well spent. The rest of the time is wasted. This is a very important point, and I have come across this many times. You see, because when we listen to stories of saints, what is happening is we are automatically in their company. Our consciousness is now consumed by the stories of the saints - the way they live, the way they act, the words they speak. So, that becomes the content of our consciousness. And that is why, what Hemadpant says really hits the bull's-eye. This is one example. He also says something on the lines of: no matter how destructible and transient the human body is, yet it is the only instrument of attaining God. Why? Why does Hemadpant say this? Because the human being is the only species that is aware of being aware - "I am aware that I am aware." The animals, the plants, and so on, are functioning on autopilot. The self-awareness, which the human being has, is a great gift. And, this awareness is what leads the human being to self-realisation. So, another very important pointer given by Hemadpant. Once again, Hemadpant says: Knowing fully well that the body, house, wife and children, and the people around him, are all destructible and having borne the biers of the parents on his shoulder to the grave, a man yet does not awaken to the truth. Another beautiful pointer from Hemadpant that we take it for granted that we somehow won't die. We act as if there is a tomorrow, we make all plans, we project into the future as if we are going to live forever. Whereas, our experience has been that everything is destructible and transient - our relationships, our jobs, whatever you call it, everything is transient. So again, Hemadpant is imploring us to wake up. And finally, I would like to share with you Hemadpant's message of non-duality. He says, realisation of non-duality is the supreme knowledge. It is what the Upanishads call Brahma Jnana, and the worship and service to the Lord is also the same. He who has gained this knowledge of non-duality, and worships in this spirit, will find it easy to overcome Maya. So, friends, as many of you must have been following my podcasts, you would be aware that they are all on the subject of Advaita (non-duality), and the sheer fact that this is echoed in the Sai Satcharita itself by Hemadpant (the emphasis on non-dual knowledge, on the pure self) shows that with this Teaching, not only can we understand Baba's ways and methods of working, but we can even live this Teaching. It can be a lived experience in daily living. And that is what has been endeavoured in the sharing that has been happening between us over the last few months. And so, this commentary, although, of course, all are connected with Baba, but I would like to take a pause and thank and offer my Pranams to Hemadpant for being the vehicle through which the Satcharita came into being.

In chapter number 8, ovi 117, it says Tatya and Mhalsapati both slept in the mosque. Their heads used to be in the east, west and north, while their feet would touch each other in the centre. Thus, Tatya slept with his head towards the east, Mhalsapati towards the west, and Baba with his head towards the north. However, they chatted through the night. Thus, Tatya slept with Baba for 14 years. But, after his father passed away, he started going home as he had to shoulder the responsibilities of his family. In the Vastu Shastra, it is recommended that we sleep with the head towards the south or the east, and sleeping with the head towards the north and west is not recommended. The reason is because the blood contains iron, and when we sleep with the head towards the north, the magnetic centre of the earth attracts the iron present in the blood. This creates pressure in the brain and can make you mentally unhealthy, and lack of proper sleep makes you feel irritated. Its regular practice can lead to brain haemorrhage. The magnetic force should flow from the feet towards the head, and not vice versa. However, Baba, in his compassion, let his divine energy flow through his feet into Tatya and Mhalsapati. How incredible was the love for these two. Sleeping in the east direction is good, but sleeping in the west direction can be harmful, which includes sleeping with your feet towards the east side. Moreover, your head should be placed in the east direction as it improves memory, concentration, good health and spirituality in a person. More on Baba’s sleeping practices will be uncovered in the forthcoming chapters. The Bhiksha route, the human Rhuns, or debt, have already been discussed in chapter six. Here, a short sketch of the lives of these blessed devotees is given. The five Bhiksha houses are of Sakharam Patil Shelke, Vamanrao Gondkar, Bhayaji Appa Kote Patil, Bayaja Bai Ganpat Kote Patil, Nandaram Marwadi Sanklecha. Baba also followed the tenets of the Dutta Sampradaya, and Buddhist traditions, and used to take Bhiksha from the five blessed houses till his Maha Samadhi. He not only did this but also encouraged his devotees to take Bhiksha from the houses in Shirdi. Baba very clearly showed that he wanted his devotees to be devoid of ego and also be humble. It is believed that by taking Bhiksha, Baba used to take away a part or one third of the Sanchita, and the Prarabdha Karma of His devotees. Sakaram Patil Shelke’s House This house is near the Chavadi, with a west-facing entrance. Sakaram was a farmer and a wealthy landlord, and was devoted to Baba. Sakrabai, the wife of his grandson, Haribhau, states that Baba loved Sakaram immensely. Baba stood at the crossroad between his and Vamanrao Gondkar’s house and called out, “Sakaram, roti de.” She also stated that Triyambak, Haribhau’s father, donated some land to the Baba Sansthan. The land for the Shirdi bus stand was donated by him. Triyambak Samadhi is in the compound of the Narasimha Temple, which is behind Sakaram’s home. The other two Samadhis are of Thanabai, Triyambak’s wife, and Ramgir Bua, who is mentioned in chapter 33 of the Sri Sai Satcharita. There were many Gosavis living in Shirdi at that time. Their Samadhis are in that compound. Unfortunately, their names are not known. The Narasimha Temple was constructed by the Shelke family. Lord Narasimha is the Kul Devata of the family. A priest performs Pooja daily along with Aarti and offers Bhog. Around the year 2000, the house was sold by his descendants and a multi-storey shopping centre now stands in its place. Vaman Rao Gondkar’s House This house is on the right side opposite to Sakaram's home. Vaman Rao was born and bred in Shirdi. His father was affluent. They were farmers and landowners. His descendants say that they owned 500 acres of land in and around Shirdi. They also state that they owned Lendi Bagh and adjacent lands. They sold Lendi Bagh to Moreshwar Pradhan, who then gave it to the Sansthan. This is one of the blessed houses that Baba took Bhiksha from. Mention is made of this house in Sri Sai Satcharita Chapter 19, when Baba placed a ladder against this house and climbed up on the roof. Then he crossed the roof of Radha Krishna Mai's house and descended on the rear side. At that time, Baba was very sick and so was Radha Krishna Mai. Purandare had pleaded with Baba to cure Mai, and this was Baba’s unique remedy. Baba gave 2 rupees to Venku Shimpi Kamblekar, who brought the ladder, for his labour. The other devotees objected, saying that Baba had paid too much. Baba told them that any work that was done should be paid for promptly and adequately. Kamblekar had no children but after he received this money he prospered and got two sons. Vaman Rao Gondkar, after leading a prosperous life, died on 15th April 1964. His descendants are still living in Shirdi and carrying on his legacy. The Palkhi and Rath, when taken in procession through the village on festivals, stop first at this...