Shirdi Sai Baba

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika  Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:This new rendering of the Sri Sai Satcharitra is humbly offered at the feet of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, our beloved sadguru and our everything. It is through his grace that this work was inspired and completed. With-out his grace, nothing is possible. He is watching over the entire universe and each and every one of us. To understand the mystery of Sai is our blessing and our way. Through listening to and meditating on his life and his leelas our false understanding is removed and we recognize that we are one with him and all that is. There is no greater bliss than to experi-ence his love and living presence among us...Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:It was sometime after 1910 when one fine morning I went to the masjid in Shirdi for darshan (seeing Divinity) of Sai Baba. I was wonderstruck to see the following phenomenon. After washing his mouth and face, Sai Baba began to make preparations for grinding wheat. He spread a sack on the floor then placed a hand-mill there. He drew up the sleeves of his kafni (robe) and put a few handfuls of wheat in the mill and started grinding it. I thought, ‘What business does Baba have with grinding wheat when he possesses nothing, stores nothing and lives on alms?’Others had thought the same thing but none had the courage to ask Baba what he was doing. Immediately, as the news of Baba’s grinding wheat spread into the village men and women began to run to the masjid to watch Baba. Four bold women forced their way up from the crowd and pushed Baba aside, forcibly taking the handle in their hands, and started grinding and singing about Baba’s leelas (divine plays).At first Baba was enraged, but then seeing the women’s love and devotion, he was much pleased and began to smile...Listen to the full recording of Chapter One today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:I began to think about why Sai Baba called me by the name Hemadpant. This word is a form of Hemadripant. Hemadripant was a well-known Minister of the kings Mahadev and Ramadev of Devgiri, of the Yadava dynasty. He was very learned, good-natured and the author of many books. He invented and started new methods of accounts and was the originator of the Marathi shorthand script. But I was quite the opposite, an ignoramus, with a dull, mediocre intellect. I could not understand why the name or title was conferred upon me. But thinking seriously upon it, I thought that the title was a dart to destroy my ego, so that I would always remain meek and humble. It was also a compliment paid to me for the cleverness in the discussion...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Two today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika  PenukondaIf a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:The Lord entrusts different works to different devotees. Some are given the work of building temples and maths (organizations), or ghats (cremation grounds) on rivers. Some are made to sing the glories of God. Some are sent on pilgrimages. But I was allotted the work of writing the Satcharitra. Being a jack-of-all-trades but master of none, I was quite unqualified for this job. Then why should I undertake such a difficult job? Who can describe the true life of Sai Baba? His grace alone can enable one to accomplish this difficult work. So, when I took the pen in hand, Sai Baba took away my egoism and wrote his stories himself. The credit of relating these stories goes to him and not to me. Though Brahmin by birth, I lacked the vision of shruti (revelation) and smriti (remembrance) and was not at all capable of writing the Satcharitra. But the grace of the Lord makes a dumb man talk and enables a lame man to cross a mountain. He alone knows how to get things done as he likes. Neither the flute nor the harmonium knows how the sounds are produced. This is the concern of the player. The oozing of the chandrakant (moonstone) jewel and the surging of the sea are not due to the jewel and the sea but to the rise of the moon...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Three today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika  PenukondaIf a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:In the last chapter, I described the circumstances which led me to write the Sri Satcharitra. Let me now describe the coming of Baba to Shirdi.Mission of the SaintsLord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, “Whenever there is a decay of dharma (righteousness) and a rise in unrighteousness, I manifest myself. For the protection of the virtuous, the destruction of the vicious and the establishment of righteousness, I manifest myself in age after age.”This is the mission of the Lord and the sages and saints who are his representatives. They appearat appropriate times and work in their own way to set matters right by their words and action...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Four today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika  Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:Sai Baba began to stay in a deserted masjid (mosque). A saint named Devidas had been living in Shirdi many years before Baba came there. Baba liked his company. Sometimes he stayed with him in the Maruti temple or in the Chavadi. Sometimes Baba lived alone. Then another saint named Jankidas came by. Baba spent most of his time talking with him or Jankidas came to Baba’s residence. Also, a householder saint, Gangagir, always frequented Shirdi. When he first saw Baba carrying pitchers of water to water the garden, he was amazed and said, “Blessed isShirdi that it got this precious jewel. This man is carrying water today but he is not an ordinary fellow. As this land of Shirdi was lucky and meritorious, it has secured this jewel.” One famous saint by the name Anandnath, a disciple of Akkalkot Maharaj, came to Shirdi with some people from Shirdi. When he saw Sai Baba, he said out loud, “This is a precious diamond in reality. Though he looks like an ordinary man; he is not a gar (ordinary stone) but a diamond. You will realize this in the near future.” Saying this, he returned to Yeola. This was said whil Baba was a youngster...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Five today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika  Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:Where the sadguru is helmsman, he is sure to carry us safely and easily beyond the ocean of worldly existence. The word sadguru brings to mind Sai Baba. He appears to me, as if standing before me and applying udi (sacred ash) to my forehead and placing his blessing on my head. Joy fills my heart and love overflows through my eyes. Wonderful is the power of the touch of guru’s hand. The subtle body consisting of thoughts and desires that cannot be burnt by worlddissolving fire can be dissolved by the mere touch of the guru’s hand. Karmas from many past births are purified and washed away. Even those who feel annoyed when they hear religious and Godly talk, attain calmness. Seeing Sai Baba’s handsome form chokes our throat with joy, makes the eyes overflow with tears, and overwhelms the heart with emotion. It awakens ‘I am He’ (oneness with the Divine) in us and manifests the joy of self-realization. It dissolves the distinction of ‘I and you’ and makes us one with the supreme Reality.When I read scriptures, I am reminded of my sadguru at every step. Sai Baba assumes the form of Rama or Krishna and makes me listen. When I sit to listen to Bhagavad Gita, Sai becomes Krishna from head to toe and sings the Bhagavad Gita or Uddhava Gita for the welfare of devotees. When I start to chitchat, I immediately think of Sai’s stories which enable me to give suitable illustrations. When I start to write anything, I cannot compose even a few words or sentences. But when Baba makes me write, I go on writing and writing to no end. When the disciple’s egoism pops up, he presses it down with his hand. He gives him his own power, makes him gain his goal, and satisfies and blesses him. If anyone bows before Sai and surrenders heart and soul to him, then spontaneously all the chief aims of life––dharma (righteousness), artha (wealth), kama (desire) and moksha (liberation)––are easily attained. Each of the four paths to God—karma (action), jnana (knowledge), yoga and bhakti (devotion)—lead us to God...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Six today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika  Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:Baba’s Actions Were a MysteryBaba knew all yogic practices. He was well versed in the six processes including Dhauti Yoga (removing and cleaning the intestines), Kandhana Yoga (separating his limbs and re-joining them), and samadhi (advanced state of consciousness). If you think he was a Hindu, he looked like a Muslim. If you think him to be a Muslim, he looked like a pious Hindu. No one knew whether he was a Hindu or a Muslim. He celebrated the Hindu festival of Ramanavami with all due formalities, and at the same time permitted the sandal procession of the Muslims. He encouraged wrestling bouts in this festival and gave good prizes to winners. When the Gokul Ashtami (Hindu festival) came, he had the Gopal Kala ceremony duly performed, and on Id, the Muslim festival, he allowed Muslims to say their namaj (prayers) in his masjid....Listen to the full recording of Chapter Seven today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika  Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:In this wonderful universe, God has created billions of creatures including Gods, demigods, insects, beasts and men, inhabiting heaven, hell, Earth, ocean, sky and other intermediate regions. Of these, those souls whose merits predominate go to heaven and live there until they enjoy the fruits of their actions. When this is done, they are cast down. Those souls whose sins or demerits predominate go down to hell and suffer the consequences of their misdeeds for as long a time as they deserve. When their merits and demerits balance each other, they are born on Earth as human beings and are given a chance to work for their liberation. Ultimately, when both their merits and demerits are gone completely, they receive their deliverance and become free. To put the matter in a nutshell, souls get their rebirths according to their deeds and intelligence.The Good Fortune of Being HumanAs we all know, four things are common to all the creatures—food, sleep, fear and sexual union. In the case of man, he is endowed with a special faculty—knowledge—with which he can attain self-realization that is impossible in any other birth. It is for this reason that Gods envy man’s good fortune and aspires to be born as men on Earth to get their final deliverance...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Eight today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika  Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:Now to return to the question of mendicancy. A question may arise in the minds of some that if Baba was such a great person—God in fact—why should he have to use a begging bowl his whole life? This question may be considered from two standpoints. First, we must ask who are the people who have a right to live by the begging bowl? Our Shastras say that those who have become free from the three main desires of children, wealth, and fame are fit to live by begging alms. They cannot make cooking arrangements and eat at home. The duty of feeding them rests on the shoulders of householders. Baba was neither a householder nor hermit. He was a sannyasi (renunciate) from boyhood. His firm conviction was that the universe was his home. He was the Lord Vasudev, the supporter of the universe and the imperishable Brahman. So he had the full right to use a begging bowl....Listen to the full recording of Chapter Nine today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:Always remember Baba with love, for he was always engrossed in doing good to all, and was always abiding in the Self. To remember only him is to solve the mystery of life and death. This is the best and easiest of sadhanas as it involves little effort. Just a little exertion brings great rewards. So as long as our senses are sound, we should practice this sadhana minute by minute. All other Gods are illusory. The guru is the only God. If we believe in sadguru’s holy feet, he can change our fortune for the better. If we serve him, we become free from samsara (worldly bondage). We need not study any philosophy like the Nyaya and the Mimansa. If we make him our helmsman, we can easily cross over the ocean of all our suffering and sorrows. As we trust a helmsman to go across the rivers and seas, so we have to trust our sadguru in order to go over the ocean of worldly existence. What the sadguru looks for is the intense feeling and devotion of his devotees and endows them with knowledge and eternal bliss.In the last chapter, Baba’s mendicancy, devotees’ experiences and other subjects are dealt with. Let the readers now hear where and how Baba lived, how he slept and how he taught...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Ten today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:Let us, on this occasion, bring to our mind the form of Sai, who was detachment incarnate, and who was the resting place for his wholehearted devotees. Our faith in his words is the seat of asana; and our sankalpam (intention) is the abandonment of all our desires. Some call Baba a Bhagvad bhakta (devotee of the Lord) and others call him was a maha bhagwat (a great devotee), but to us he was God incarnate. He was extremely forgiving, never irritable, straight, soft, tolerant and content beyond comparison. Though he looked embodied and having a form, he was really beyond the body, emotionless, detached and internally free. The Ganges on its way to the sea cools and refreshes the creatures affected with heat, gives life to the crops and trees, and quenches the thirst of many. Similarly, saints like Baba, while they live their own life, give solace and comfort to all. Lord Krishna has said, “The saint is my soul, my living image. I am he and he is my pure form (being).” This indescribable shakti or power of God, known as pure existence, consciousness and bliss, incarnated in the form of Sai Baba in Shirdi. The Shruti the Taitiriya Upanishad, describes Brahman as bliss. This we read of or hear daily in books but the devoted experienced this Brahman or bliss in Shirdi.Baba, the support of all, required no prop or support from anyone. He always used a piece of sackcloth for his seat. His bhaktas covered his small beautiful bed and placed a bolster as a rest for his back. Baba respected the feelings of his devotees and allowed them to worship him as they liked. Some waved fans before him, some played musical instruments, some washed his hands and feet, some others applied scent and sandalpaste, some gave betel nut with leaves and other things, and some offered naivedya. But though he looked like he was living in Shirdi, he waspresent everywhere. This all-pervasiveness of his was experienced daily by his devotees. Our humble prostration to this all-pervasive sadguru...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Eleven today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:We have seen before that the purpose or object of divine incarnation is to protect the good and destroy the wicked. But the mission of the saints is quite different. To them the good and the wicked are the same. First, they feel for wrongdoers then set them on the right path. They are like the agasti (destroyer) of bhavaagar (the ocean of worldly existence) or like the sun to the darkness of ignorance. The Lord dwells in the saints. In fact, they are not different from Him.Our Baba is one of these, who incarnated for the welfare of the devotees. Supreme in knowledge and surrounded with divine luster, he loved all beings equally. He was unattached. Foes and friends, kings and paupers were the same to him. Hear his powers. For the sake of devotees, he spent his stock of merits and was ever alert to help them. But the devotees could never approach him, unless he meant to receive them. If their turn did not come, Baba did not remember them and his leelas could not reach their ears. Then how could they think of seeing him? Some men desired to see Baba but they did not get any opportunity to have his darshan until his mahasamadhi. There are many people whose desire for Baba’s darshan was not satisfied. If these people, believing in him, listen to his leelas their search for darshan will, to a great extent, be satisfied by the leelas. If some people went there by sheer luck and had Baba’s darshan, were they able to stay there longer? No. No one could go there of their own accord, and no one could stay there long even if they so wished. They could stay there as long as Baba permitted them to stay,and had to leave when Baba asked them to do so. Everything depended on Baba’s will...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twelve today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:Baba’s words were always concise, deep, efficient, well balanced and full of meaning. He was ever content and never cared for anything. He said: "Though I have become a fakir, have no house or wife, have left all cares and stayed in one place, the inevitable Maya (illusion) teases me often. Even if I forget myself, I cannot forget her. She always envelops me. If this Maya of the Lord teases even Brahma, then what to speak of a poor fakir like me? Those who take refuge in the Lord will be freed from her clutches with his grace."Baba spoke about the power of Maya in such terms. Lord Sri Krishna said to Uddhava in the Bhagavad Gita that the saints are his living forms. For the welfare of his devotee, Baba said the following: "Those who are fortunate and whose demerits have vanished, take to my worship. If you always say, ‘Sai, Sai’ I shall take you over the seven seas. Believe in these words and you will certainly benefit. I do not need any other worship, either eight-fold or sixteen-fold. I reside where there is total devotion."Now read what Baba, the friend of those who surrender to him, did for their welfare...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Thirteen today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:It is well known that Baba always asked for dakshina from people who went to see him. Somebody may ask a question, “If Baba was a fakir and perfectly detached, why should he ask for dakshina and care for money?”We now shall consider this question broadly. For a long time, Baba did not accept anything. He stored burnt matches and filled his pocket with them. He never asked anything from anyone, whether a devotee or otherwise. If anyone placed a coin or two before him, he purchased oil or tobacco with it. He was fond of smoking. He always smoked a bidi (clove cigarette) and a chillum (pipe). Then some people thought that they could not see saints empty handed, so they placed some copper coins before Baba. If a coin was placed before Baba, he used to pocket it. If it was a two pice coin, it was returned immediately. After Baba’s fame had spread far and wide, people began to flock in numbers, then Baba began to ask dakshina from them. It is said in the Shruti (Veda) that puja to God is not complete unless a golden coin is offered. If a coin is necessary in the puja to God, why should it not be so in the puja of the saints also? Ultimately, the Shastras lay down that when one goes to see God, king, saint or guru, he should not go empty-handed. He should offer something, preferably money...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Fourteen today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:The readers may remember that in Chapter Six mention was made about the Ramanavami Festival in Shirdi, how the festival originated, how in the early years it was difficult to get good singers for kirtan and how Baba permanently entrusted this function to Das Ganu. Now in this chapter we shall describe the manner in which Das Ganu was performing kirtan.Das Ganu Changes His ClothesGenerally, kirtan singers wear elaborate dress. They put on a headdress or turban, a long flowing coat with a shirt inside, an uparane (short cloth) on the shoulders and the usual long dhotar (cloth) from the waist below. Dressed in this fashion, Das Ganu once went to bow to Baba. Baba asked,“Well, bridegroom! Where are you going dressed so beautifully?”“To perform a kirtan.”Baba said, “Why do you want all this paraphernalia, coat, uparane and turban and all that before me? Why wear them on the body?” Das Ganu immediately took them off and placed them at Baba’s feet. From that time on, Das Ganu never wore these things while singing kirtan. He was always bare from waist up with a pair of chiplis in his hand and a garland around his neck. This is not the traditional practice by kirtan singers, but this is the best and purest method. The sage Narada, from whom kirtan originated, wore nothing on his trunk and head. He carried a vina (one stringed instrument) in his hand and wandered from place to place, everywhere singing the glory of the Lord....Listen to the full recording of Chapter Fifteen today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:The last chapter described how Mr. Cholkar’s vow of a small offering was completed and accepted. In that story, Sai Baba showed that he would happily accept any thing, no matter how small, when it was offered with love and devotion. But if the same thing were offered with pride and conceit, he would reject it. He, being full of satchitananda (existence, consciousness and bliss), did not care for outward formalities but if an offering was made in a humble spirit, it was eagerly welcomed and accepted with pleasure. In fact, there is no person more generous and compassionate than a sadguru like Sai Baba. He cannot even be compared to the Chintamani jewel (the philosopher’s stone which satisfies desires), the Kalpataru (the celestial tree which fulfills our desires) or the Kamadhenu (the celestial cow which gives what we desire), for they only give us what we desire. But the sadguru gives us the most precious thing, which is inconceivable and inscrutable—Reality. Now let us hear how Baba handled of a rich man who came and implored Baba to give him Brahma Jnana (self-realization)...Listen to the full recording of Chapters Sixteen & Seventeen today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:It is a well-known fact that the sadguru looks first to the qualifications of his disciples, then gives them suitable instructions and leads them on towards the goal of self-realization. In this respect, some say that what the sadguru teaches or instructs should not be divulged to others. They think that their instructions become useless if they are published. This view is not correct. The sadguru is like a monsoon cloud. He pours down profusely, widely scattering his nectar-like teachings. These we should enjoy and assimilate to our heart’s content and then serve others with them, without any reserve. This rule should apply not only to what he teaches in our waking state, butto the visions he gives us in our dreams. One example of this is when Budhakowshik Rishi composed his celebrated Ramraksha Stotra, which he had seen in his dream.Like a loving mother forcing bitter but wholesome medicines down the throats of her children for the sake of their health, Sai Baba imparted spiritual instructions to his devotees. His method was not veiled or secret, but quite open. The devotees who followed his instructions reached their aim. Sadgurus like Sai Baba open the eyes of our intellect and show us the divine beauty of the Self, and fulfill our tender longings of devotion. When this is done, our desire for sense objects vanishes. The twin fruits of viveka (discrimination) and vairagya (detachment) come to our hands and knowledge sprouts up even in sleep. All this we get when we come in contact with saints, serve them and secure their love. The Lord, who fulfills the desires of His devotees, comes to our aid, removes our troubles and sufferings, and makes us happy. This progress or development is entirely due to the help of the sadguru, who is regarded as the Lord Himself. And so, we should always follow the sadguru, hear his stories, fall at his feet and serve him. Now we come to our main story....Listen to the full recording of Chapters Eighteen & Nineteen today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:Sai was originally formless. He assumed a form for the sake of devotees. With the help of the actress, Maya, he played the part of the actor in this big drama of the universe. Let us remember and visualize Sri Sai. Let us go to Shirdi and carefully see the programs following the noon Aarati. After the Aarati was over, Baba used to come out of the masjid and standing on its edge, distribute udi (sacred ash) to the devotees with very kind and loving looks. The devotees got up with equal fervor, clasped his feet, and standing and staring at him, enjoyed the shower of udi. Baba passed handfuls of udi into the palms of the devotees and used it to mark their foreheads with his own fingers. The love he bore for them was boundless. He addressed the devotees as follows, “Oh Bhau, go to take your lunch. You, Anna, go to your lodgings. You, Bapu, go enjoy your meals.” In this way, he approached each of the devotees then sent them home. Even now, you can enjoy these sights if you bring your imagination into play. You can visualize and appreciate them. Now bringing Baba before our mental vision, let us meditate on him, from hisfeet upwards to his face, prostrating before him humbly, lovingly and respectfully...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twenty today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai BabaFrom this episode:There has been the institution of saints in this world from time immemorial. Various saints incarnate themselves in various places to carry out the missions given to them. Although they work in different places, they are one. They work in unison under the common authority of the Almighty and know full well what the other is doing, supplementing the other’s work where necessary. An instance illustrating this is given below.Mr. Thakur Meets BabaMr. Thakur was a clerk in the Revenue Department. He once came to a town named Vadgaum, along with a survey party. There he saw a Kanarese saint named Appa, and bowed before him. The saint was explaining to an audience a portion of the book, Vichar Sagar of Nischaldas, a standard work on Vedanta. As Thakur was taking to leave, the saint said to him, “You should study this book, and if you do your desires will be fulfilled. In the future when you go to the north to do your duties, you will come across a great saint. By your good luck he will show you your future path, give peace to your mind and make you happy.”..Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twenty-One today!Get an eBook or printed copy of the full book here.Learn more about Shirdi Sai Baba in this online course.Visit and be a part of an online community celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba.