Do Not Waste My Time!?! Having been blessed with the golden opportunity to be in closer proximity of Bhagawan, how many of us are able to justify, sincerely attempting to make Him ‘happy’ by following His teachings? How every single action is scrutinized by His omnipresent vision and how one can become worthy of His eternal presence by following Him…a beautiful incident from Sri Gopal Krishna Yachendra of the Venkatagiri Royal family. One day I had spoken harshly to my father. I didn’t do anything apart from talking rather harshly, as if we were fighting. That happened in Venkatagiri. Later I went to Puttaparthi. There in Puttaparthi I used to sleep by Baba’s side. In fact all of us usually slept by His side – myself, my brother, and so on. But on this particular occasion I was there along with Him. We were taking rest, and I was silent. Swami said to me: ‘Gopal Krishna, why should you come here? You are wasting My time and your time. Hereafter, don’t come here.’ ‘Swami,’ I said, ‘what have I done? If there is anything I have done, please excuse me!’ And I began weeping. He said: ‘When you can’t respect your father, and when you talk to him so harshly (as you did that particular day in Venkatagiri), there arises the question of your coming and wasting My time and yours. If you do such things, don’t come here. The most important people for you are your father and mother; they are the people who have given you this body. Yes, they are the people who matter for you. Be careful! If these things happen again you will be prohibited from visiting Me. This is the final warning!’ This incident happened about four or five months after the harsh words with my father in Venkatagiri. I had almost forgotten about it and never thought of it, but it was a fact. Baba used the exact wording I had used to my father. He described the room, the day, the very minute – everything. And what more do I want than that for proof that Sai Baba is God omnipresent?

The ladder and the steps… Every Indian has now to question himself of his awareness about the real truth about his country and her spirituality, asking whether he is helping by his acts, words and thoughts to promote the glory and splendour of his Motherland?… exhorts Bhagawan speaking of Bharat’s Sanathana Dharma, recounting the illustrious life of Adi Shankara and the message of his famed composition ‘Bhaja Govindam…’ India was the nursery of halos who adventured into the realms of the spirit, and achieved victories against the final of evil; they opened up the paths to God that are described in the texts of Sanathana Dharma. India is the sacred land from where the Voice of the Vedas rang over the world. It is the land which still retains the splendour of Yoga, and the glory of Renunciation. But, every Indian has now to question himself whether he is aware of this fact, and whether he is helping by his acts, words and thoughts to promote that glory and that splendour. One has to admit that the glory is being dimmed, the splendour is fast fading out. The Gayatri Mantra, enjoined on all, because it is the crucial mantra of the Vedas, has become a ritual of holding the nose while mumbling illegible sounds. Pranayama and its later stage of Pratyahara (the control of the senses and of their listless pursuit of external pleasure) are discoverable only in dictionaries. Yama and Niyama—the first steps in spiritual discipline are not practised at all, even by those who claim to teach and guide. Members of the monastic order, who have vowed to detach themselves completely from,worldly involvements and attachments are running about frantically, accumulating and investing money, with even greater fanaticism than householders. One wonders whether this is the same land that one reads about, the land that held high the ideals of the spirit and of mental peace! With the return of Krishna to His abode after the Incarnation Interlude, the Age of Kali darkened the World. Many Preceptors, Saints and Sages tried subsequently to remind the people of their heritage and guide them, along the ancient path. Of these, Sankara, who realised the weakness of a dualistic interpretation of the Universe and the need for a unifying philosophy, was the most effective. He was born in the village of Kaladi, situated in the Kerala State. Initiated into the Gayatri Mantra in his fifth year, he mastered the Vedas and their Supplementary Texts on Grammar, Logic, Prosody, Astrology, etc., and in his fourteenth year itself, he ventured forth on his mission of counteracting the forces of doubt, dissent and denial and establishing faith, wisdom and devotion throughout the land. He encountered many scholars reputed for their dialectical skill and convinced them of the validity of the non-dualistic basis of the subjective and objective worlds. He wrote commentaries on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras generally accepted as the authentic texts of the Hindu Faith. He dedicated his short life of 32 years to the re-vitalisation of the Sanathana Dharma. When Sankara was residing at Varanasi (Benares City) on the Ganga with his pupils he used to visit the pundits in their own houses, and draw them into beneficial conversation on themes of philosophy. One day, when he went to a pundit, he found him immersed in complications of rules of grammar. When asked why he had taken up the intensive study of grammar, he replied that it would fetch him a few pieces of silver. “If I am designated a Pundit, I can go to the homes of some big Zamindars, and hope to receive alms and offerings from them, for the upkeep of my large family,” he said. Sankara advised him in appropriate terms, and charged him with self-confidence and courage. Returning to his hermitage, Sankara wrote a verse summarising the advice he gave the poor struggling Brahmin house-holder. Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam,Bhaja Govindam, Moodha Mathe!Sampraapthe Sannihithe KaaleNahi Nahi Rakshathi `Dukrn’ karane… Praise God, Praise God, Praise God, you fool! When death does knock at door, rules of grammar cannot save. Sankara exhorted his pupils to disseminate the ideal of this verse, and, they too, responded with a set of verses on the same lines, each of the 14 contributing one verse. Sankara added another twelve of his own, as well as four more verses about the transformation that the teaching would confer. Thus, there are 31 verses in all, in the text called Bhaja Govindam, or Moha Mudgaram. The latter name means, “The weapon with which delusion can be destroyed.” The study of these verses and the inspiration derived from them will promote discrimination and detachment, and thus, prepare the mind for the vision of the Supreme. You have to be initiated into these disciplines now itself, when you are young and entering on the adventure of living, and so, I have decided to expound to you one verse a day, during this course. Sankara addressed these verses, to “moodha mathi” “the foolish person”. Now, who are these fools? He has given the answer in another context: `Nasthiko moodha uchathe’ (These who deny the Atma are fools.) Those who assert and believe that “I am not this perishable body; I am not this feeble intellect; I am the undying everlasting all-knowing all-inclusive Atma” are few indeed. The vast majority assert and believe that “I am the moulder of my destiny, I am the captain of my ship. I choose my likes and dislikes. I fulfill my desires through my own efforts.” But, even this vast majority pay taxes in ordinary life for the water they use, the electricity they consume, the houses they live in, and the professions they are engaged in! Now, what tax are they paying to Him Who provides them with the essential requisites for mere living—the sun, the moon, fire, water, air, space etc? Those who do not recognise the Giver, the Provider, the Principle, the Person, they are the fools.

Lord Of Ecstasy Filled Hair… Exploring the finer features of an Avatar is tricky, though interesting. In such a venture, one is able to get into the higher realms of understanding of The Divine. Catherine Murray had such an exploration and the subject was the Ecstasy Filled Hair Of The Lord Walking On Two Feet… What entails in her observations on the hallowed hair of this God in human frame? Read on… It is difficult to adjust to the idea of the Infinite in Space to be able to see, to hear, and, luckily, to touch Him. We can never know God in His Allness, but we have been given a gift of grace to meditate on His physical Presence. I invite you to ponder with me on one small feature of our Beloved Bhagawan—His hair. Why did Bhagawan choose this type of hair? The first clue came with a random reading of Mac Donnell’s SANSKRIT DICTIONARY of the word root HRISH to which Hrishya is given as “bristle, stand erect”, then I looked down the column at Hrishikesa where the meaning is given “having his hair erect, especially of Vishnu Krishna.” Bhagavan writes in the Gita Vahini that “Krishna as Hrishikesa is the Presiding Deity of all the senses.” I thought that I had missed the Devanagari script and there were two different words. Swami Sivananda renders the word in his translation of the Bhagavad-Gita as “Lord of the Senses” as does Swami Prabhupada. It was in checking Eknath Easwaran’s THE BHAGAVAD-GITA FOR DAILY LIVING that everything began to fall into place. He writes: “One of the glorious names for Sri Krishna, used here and elsewhere through the Gita to remind us of the complete unending joy lying within us, is Hrishikesha, “He, whose hair stands on end with joy!” How perfect for Bhagawan! What a beautiful description of His hair! Swami Chinmayananda in his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita has this to say: “Hrishikesa is the name of the Lord and it has often been described as meaning the ‘Lord of the Senses’. But this is according to an old derivation Hriska + Isa = ‘Lord of the Senses’. But the word, Hriska is an obscure one Kesha = ‘Having strong upright hair’. This may not fit in with the orthodox description of Krishna on the charioteer’s seat, but it need not be understood that Krishna had a close crop for the war; it maybe interpreted that due to the heavy breeze on the open plains of Kurukshetra the flowing hairs of the Lord got blown up and furled.” Would it not be sensible to think of it in terms of Bhagawan’s hair? We must consider that Bhagavan Himself uses the term, “Presiding Deity of all the senses” for Hrishikesa. He is not wrong; he cannot err; He is Truth Absolute. In fact, He is so True that whatever He says can be considered from any viewpoint and still be completely true. Therefore, we may consider this meaning but at the same time prepare ourselves to accept more whenever He divulges these meanings to us. To understand the appropriateness of this meaning, it is necessary to know that it was first used in the Gita in Chapter I, stanza 15. It was not until Chapter XI, stanzas 41 42 that Arjuna says: Whatever I have presumptuously said from carelessness or love, addressing Thee as O Krishna, O Yadava, O Friend, regarding Thee merely as a friend, unknowing of Thy greatness. In whatever way I may have insulted Thee for the sake of fun, while at play, reposing, sitting or at meals, when alone (with Thee), O Achyuta, or in company—that I implore Thee, immeasurable one, to forgive.” In other words, at the beginning of the Gita we may assume that Arjuna was still thinking of Krishna more as a friend and relative rather than his Lord. Therefore, I think it would not be presumptuous to think that Arjuna probably was leaning more to the word describing His hair rather than calling Him “Lord of the Senses”. Rama also had hair like Bhagawan’s. In reading the SRI RAMACHARITAMANASA (because Sai Baba of Shirdi had recommended it), I found Rama’s hair described like a “swarm of bees”. Tulsidas, a great poet, had come upon the perfect simile to describe Bhagawan’s hair. Our greatly beloved Elsie Cowan relates a story about Bhagawan telling some young men that they would have to cut their hair. They protested because Bhagawan did not cut His. He handed them some scissors and told them to cut His hair, but they were unable to get close to His head. It was as though His hair was a source of power. Another time, Elsie told me, someone remarked that His hair was turning gray (you will find pictures where His hair has considerable gray). He gently patted His hair and said, “No more gray.” And it had turned back to its original dark brown. In thinking back over His hair (and He tells us to meditate and ponder the physical characteristics of the Avatar), I feel that He has always had this type hair no matter which body He takes. There is no proof for this except the facts as given here. As for me, I am filled with gratitude for the beautiful thoughts I have had when being allowed to gather these flowers of thought into this small garland. I bow to You, O! Lord of Ecstasy-Filled Hair.

The Company You Keep… Where world becomes a stage and the body a costume to deliver the alloted role man should tread with atmost caution reminds Bhagawan…delivering a discourse on the importance of The Company desired to keep… Bhagawan says, The company you join must be qualitatively and quantitatively greater and higehr than the one in which you are now caught. From Bhagawan’s Divine discoures at Brindavan, Whitefiled, on 7 July 1975. Kamal Sahani, of the Second B. Com. class of the College spoke now, using fine simple appropriate words, on the human body and the purpose for which it has been given to you. He said that the world is a stage and that the body is a costume that one has to wear in order to act the role that God has allotted to you in the play produced and directed by Him. This is a correct interpretation. But, when you are allotted a part, your duty is to do it well and earn the appreciation of the Director. The stage on which you play your role is an infinitesimal dot when compared with the vast unlimited Cosmic space. The time when you strut about the stage in this costume or in any other is also infinitesimal. Deepak of this College acted as Sankaracharya on the stage at the Shanmukhananda Hall, Bombay. But, his Deepak-ness was not lost thereby; even while he was Sankaracharya, he was Deepak. His Sankaracharya-hood was but a temporary phase. So too, the Atma is the Eternal Truth; the body which it dons is temporary and the role it induces is also short. Or, to illustrate this in another way—the time spent in dreams is infinitesimal, when compared with the time spent awake. The ‘waking’ stage is the representative of the stage of wisdom and illumination, of the Atma; the dream stage is the representative of the ’ignorance wisdom’ hazy stage of human life. The question may legitimately be asked, why or how did this eternal universal Atmic principle take up residence in this temporary, particularised body box? Well. You do not keep diamonds in a diamond casket, do you? If you do, the robber would be doubly benefitted. You keep it in an iron box only. Of course, the iron box or safe will be artistic and charming, for, the container is chosen, to suit the value or sanctity of the thing contained. To drink milk or some such beverage, you select a clean attractive tumbler or cup. But, for a spittoon, inferior metals or mud is felt ample. The body is a chalice, wherein you collect the nectar of Divine Grace. That is the prime purpose for which it has been gifted, to you. For, without a cup or chalice, casket or jug, how can the nectar be taken? Raso Vai Sah: say the Vedas; “He Is Sweet-Nectar, no less.” And when His Graces is showered, the body is thrilled. The Body has to be kept ever clean and pure, unaffected by dirt, disease, distress, or defeatism. Nara and Narayana, man and God are like iron and magnet. God by His very nature attracts man near, for in man, there is the Divine. When the magnet fails to attract the iron piece, the iron foolishly concludes that the magnet has lost its power! The real fact is: the piece of iron is too thickly covered by rust and dust. It does not realise its own defect; it rushes to blame God (the magnet) or even to deny Him! The easiest and the most fruitful method of keeping yourself free from dust and rust is the Satsang. The company of the good and the godly will slowly and surely chasten and cleanse the persons prone to stray away from the straight path towards Self-Realisation. Care has to be taken to see that you select and stick to the proper company. A cup of water has no cash value; but, if it is poured into ten cups of milk, it acquires the value that people attach to milk! If on the other hand, one cup of milk is poured into ten cups of water, it loses the value it had and is condemned as useless. So, the Satsang you join must be purer, more venerable, and sticking to higher ideals of virtue and truth than you yourselves. When a smoker joins a group of non smokers, there is every likelihood of his giving up that bad habit; but, when a non smoker falls into a den of smokers, he is certain to become a victim soon! Such is the subtle influence of the company one keeps. The company you join must be qualitatively and quantitatively greater and higher than the one in which you are now caught. There are precious gems of wisdom within your hearts, which require excavation, in order to be of any benefit to you. Intelligence is the instrument you have to use, in order to gain them. At the very start, you will encounter a boulder barring your way—that is the Body Consciousness, the Ego. Desires are the loose rocks that have also to be dug out and kept aside. Then, you come to a bed of sand—good thoughts, good words, good deeds; when this stratum is reached, you are nearing success. If you keep on in Satsang, every day, your hearts will maintain their purity unimpaired; but, if you seek one, only off and on, it will be difficult to win grace or partake of it, for, the vessel will be tarnished and untidy. In your own households, you must have noticed that a vessel in daily use is bright and clean; but, vessels stored and used only now and then will have to be scrubbed with great vigour to become bright.

Follow Your Dharma… When Dharma guides Karma it becomes praiseworthy and the act turns out to be successful. Bhagawan says “Where there is Dharma there Krishna is; so, think for yourself, each one of you, how far have you deserved the grace of The Lord? You draw Him near; you keep Him far. You entangle yourself, bind yourself, and get caught in the trap. No one is your foe except yourself. No one else is your friend. You are your only friend. The Guru shows you the road and you have to trudge alone, without fear or hesitation.” When Guru becomes the guidepost, showing us the right path, are we not to meticulously follow the right path??? Bhagawan speaks out quoting an incident from the illustrious life of Shivaji Maharaj involving Swami Samartha Ramadas recounting how great men and Avatars stood for greater values in life, overruling material passion… Once Samartha Ramadas appeared before Shivaji, with his usual call for alms: Bhavathi Bhikshaam Dehi. Shivaji realised that the Guru is God; so, he wrote something on a piece of paper and deposited it reverentially in the alms bag of Ramadas. “For the relief of hunger how can paper suffice?” asked Ramadas. Shivaji prayed that the paper may be read. The paper recorded a gift of the entire kingdom and all that Shivaji owned to the Guru. Samartha Ramadas replied: “No, My Dharma is Dharmabodha, the teaching of Dharma, instructing the people in the right way of life; Kshatriyas like you must follow the Dharma of ruling the land, ensuring peace and content to the millions under your care.” Sage Yaajnavalkya too once refused a kingdom, because he cared more for the Kingdom of Moksha, the realm of eternal freedom. Sage Vasishta is also said to have renounced a kingdom, offered to him by Rama. That was the ideal in the past; it is only now that men pursue paths that lead them away from Dharma. You have allowed the treasure that the sages gave you to drop from your grasp. Though the medicinal root that you so badly need is lying across your path and has actually tripped your step, you have no eyes to recognise it and realise the value. What a pity! Look at the way Rama refused to accept the kingdom out of which He had willingly come, to carry out the wish of His mother and the plighted word of His father, when Bharatha entreated Him piteously to take it from him. Rama taught that artha and kaama should not be allowed to overrule Dharma and the discipline of Moksha. For, fundamentally, the objects of the world are incapable of conferring joy.

He Is That… Idle curiosity and vain words are of no use to an aspirant. Try to know yourself. When you realise who you are, you will realise Who Sri Sathya Sai Baba is!”  said the Great Jnani Nisargadatta Maharaj to a devotee of Bhagawan revealing that Sri Sathya Sai Baba is Paripoorna Parabhrahmam…an episode from Sathyam Sivam Sundaram – Part 6. Once there was an interesting dialogue between a well-known jnani of our times and his disciple about Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. One of the disciples of Sri Nisarga Datta Maharaj was a frequent visitor to Prasanthi Nilayam and he became an ardent devotee of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in course of time. One evening while serving his Guru, who lived at Kethwadi in Mumbai, he submitted his question, “Maharaj, who is Sri Sathya Sai Baba?” Instead of answering the question of the curious disciple, the Guru asked him, “What does Baba say about Himself?” The disciple, who did not expect that question from his Guru, said what he could remember at that time, “Maharaj, Baba has revealed that He is the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi!” “When did Shirdi Baba shed His mortal coil?” “In 1918.” “When did Sri Sathya Sai Baba make His advent?” “In 1926” “Baba is what He was between 1918 and 1926!” The disciple could not comprehend what the Jnani had meant by that; he was also not satisfied since the answer was not what he had expected. He pleaded with his Guru, “Maharaj, I cannot understand what you said about Baba…” “Sri Sathya Sai Baba is Paripoorna Parabhrahmam!” declared the Jnani. The disciple was very happy with that answer since that was what he wanted to hear from his Guru! But the Guru was not satisfied; he wanted to teach his disciple a higher lesson. He asked the disciple, “What do you understand now about Baba?” The disciple was baffled by the question; he kept silent. Then the Guru told the bewildered disciple, “Idle curiosity and vain words are of no use to an aspirant. Try to know yourself. When you realise who you are, you will realise Who Sri Sathya Sai Baba is!” II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Don’t Worry; I will give him realisation… Great Masters with complete awareness know what they do… and so with Avatars… it will be foolhardy for man to attempt to gauge their actions, rather man should submit to the will of Great Masters and Avatars…  Years ago, Bhagawan Nithyananda of Ganeshpuri had direted one of His disciples to visit Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai… For Swami Shradhanand, the trip turned out to be an ‘enlightening’ one… enlightened to know that God Is One…and One Only!!! …narrates Dr DJ Gadhia. Swami Shradhanand, a disciple of Swami Nithyananda of Ganeshpuri (or Vajreshwari) near Mumbai, attended one of these programmes in 1962. Soon after the Arati, he went into meditation. Later, he came to us and said, “My Guru has suggested that I should have the Darshan of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba only with Dr Gadhia”. So, we proceeded to Puttaparthi on the very next day. A very memorable incident happened in the interview room. When Swami started waving His right hand to materialise Vibhuti, Swami Shradhanand caught hold of His hand! All devotees in the room were stunned. I was utterly shocked because it seemed to me that Swami was insulted by a person that I brought. This was the right time Swami taught us the lesson as He used to teach often, “My Life Is My Message.” He was not offended and on the contrary, He smiled and spoke softly and with loving care, “Why did you hold My hand?” Swami Shradhanand replied, “I have not come here to see peppermints and chocolates You distribute everyday to these children; I have come with a very great expectation from You!” Bhagawan replied, “Swami knows that you recite Gayatri Mantra everyday and your Sadhana has reached up to the point of saturation so much so that you are going to get liberation soon. So, continue with your Sadhana.” Nobody was aware of this. Swami Shradhanand was surprised and became happy and apologised for his mistake. Then Swami said, “Don’t worry, mistakes are like passing clouds. Let Swami distribute peppermint and chocolates to these children.” He waved His hand and materialised Vibhuti and distributed to all, except Swami Shradhanand! Bhagawan then asked Swami Shradhanand, “Would you mind if Swami gives interviews to these children first?” When I was granted interview, Swami assured me by saying, “Don’t worry, Swami will give him (Swami Shradhanand) realization.” When Baba granted him a personal interview, Swami Shradhanand started shedding tears of joy and prostrated at the Lotus Feet of Bhagawan, saying, “Oh my Master! You Are residing here in the form of Sri Sathya Sai. I am very grateful to You for granting me this Vision!” Swami Shradhanand would just not stop crying. Having come out of the interview room, Swami Shradhanand gave a vivid description of his wonderful experience. He said, “Baba did not ask me anything nor did He give any opportunity to ask questions, but straightaway said, `Look here!’ and opened His gown (Kafni), revealed His chest and gave a vision of my Guru, Swami Nithyananda! I am really fortunate for having had such a realisation. I am also grateful to you, Gadhia, for having brought me here!” We learnt a great lesson. Swami can give realisation of any form or Guru or any incarnation to anyone deserving, and that is the reason why He is known as `Sarva Devata Swarupa’ (Sarvadevatateeta Swarupa, as Bhagawan Himself mentioned once). II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Sai As Dattatreya… God Is One and the same… yet, in different yugas, different times, God incarnated in different forms, accepting different Names… For the one with pure awareness…He is Absolute Consciousness in different forms…  call Him Rama…Krishna…Sai…Dattatreya… At Shirdi, Baba was questioned once by the police…and He in His inimitable style answered “Truly” which was intriguing yet confusing for the foolhardy. Later, to some ‘Doubting Thomases’ Bhagawan showed up Himself as Lord Dattatreya… Trinity in One Supreme Form… Commemorating the Birthless Sai’s ‘Birthday’, the episode as recounted by Bhagawan… Baba was involved in a criminal case. He had to give evidence in a case which related to the theft of some valuables from a rich man’s house by a gang of thieves. The police caught the thieves and questioned them about the stolen ar­ticles. The thieves said that the valuables had been given to them by a fakir. Searching for the fakir, they came to Baba. They asked Him: “Fakir, did you give these articles to them?” “Yes,” He said. “Wherefrom did You get them?” was the next question. Baba replied: “They have come from the same place from which all things come.” “Who gave them to You”? “I gave them to Myself.” Baba gave such intriguing an­swers, which the police could not understand. “I Am the giver of every­thing. How can anyone get anything without my sanction?” declared Baba. Feeling that it was futile to question him further, the police prepared a report. Baba received a summons from the magistrate to give evidence in the case. Chandubhai Patel did not want Baba to go to the Magistrate and so arranged for Baba being examined on commission (in Shirdi itself). During the examination on commis­sion, Baba was asked: “What is your father’s name,” He replied: “Baba.” (Baba means “Father” and the reply meant that the father’s name was “fa­ther.”) Q. “What is your religion?” A. “The religion of God”. Q. “Wherefrom did you come?” A. “I have come from the Atma.” Q. “What is your caste?” A. “The caste of the Divine.” Baba answered all the questions in this manner. Earlier He had been hailed as “Sai.” In his examination, He had given his father’s name as Baba. By the combination of these two names, he was therefore called “Sai Baba.” No one knew when and where Sai Baba was born and who gave Him that Name. Later, many persons began to have doubts about His transcendental powers. One day, the birth anniver­sary of Dattatreya was to be celebrated (in the month of Margasirsha on Pan­chami day.) Several devotees had assembled in Shirdi. Among them was a wealthy man, a great scholar called Kaijack. He is not to be confused with Hijack!” His name was Balwant Kaijck. As he was approaching the Masjid, Baba took His stick and waved it at the devotees, asking them to get away. He even beat some of them, shouting, “Saitan! Saitan!” No one could understand why Baba was be­having like this. “I Am suffering labour ­pains. Get away, all of you!” He shouted. In those days, Baba not only used to shout at people, but also wield the stick on them on occasions. He used even to throw the stick at fleeing persons. Every one used to be afraid of him. They all fled from the place. Some time later, He called all of them to come. “Balwant Kaijack, come!” He said. When Balwant came, Baba went inside the Masjid. Balwant went in and found that Baba was not there. He found a three-headed baby on the floor. Baba had declared that He was suffering from labour pains and there was a baby there. The three­ headed child appeared to represent Dattatreya. It was a small baby with a number of hands. Balwant recognised the child as Dattatreya and called other devotees to come inside. They went in and on seeing the child closed their eyes. At that instant Baba reappeared there. From that time onwards, people started looking upon Baba as the incarnation of Dattatreya. II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Do Not Disrespect Any God-Form… Avatars Who live in the most exalted state of ‘Brahmam’ have nothing to differentiate between many forms and many names… All names and all forms belong to the One Supreme Godhood. …And when They continue Their sojourn on the physical plane they do leave indelible impressions in the human hearts and minds, teaching them the most subtle truth and lessons. In one such incident Bhagawan at Shirdi taught His devotees not to disrespect any God-Forms… an interesting episode from Sree Sai Samartha Satcharita, originall written in Marathi byGovind Raghunath Dabholkar a.k.a. Hemadpant. A beautiful lesson commemorating The Advent of Bhagawan at Shirdi. One day Baba returned from the Lendi and sat in the Masjid. The devotees began arriving for darshan. Amongst them was the great devotee Chandorkar whom Baba loved very much. He came with Biniwale, (his brother-in-law), eager for darshan. After doing obeisance to Sainath, both of them sat in front of Him. While they were exchanging generalities about the welfare and well being, Baba suddenly got ‘angry’. Baba said: “Nana, how is it that you have forgotten? After having spent such a long time in My company, is this only you have learnt? Is this the result of the time you have spent in My company? Tell Me in detail.” Listening to this Nana became dejected. He wondered about the reason for this anger but could not recall anything. He felt sad. He could not recall where he had erred. He could find no reason for the ‘anger’. But unless something had happened Baba would never ‘hurt’ anybody. Therefore, he clutched on Baba’s Feet and repeatedly entreated Him. Finally Nana supplicated earnestly and asked: “Why are You angry?” “Though you have been in association with Me for so many years, how could you have acted like thus? What happened to your senses?” Baba asked Nana. “When did you come to Kopergaon? What happened on the way? Where did you get down on the way? Or did you come here straight?” “Something strange happened on the way. I feel like listening to it in detail. Tell Me what happened and where, be it big or small incident.” Hearing this Nana realised his mistake and his face fell immediately. Though he felt ashamed to speak of it, he narrated it. Nothing could be concealed here! Having decided this, Nana told Baba whatever had happened in detail. There could be no lying before Sai. Falsehood does not gain Sai’s grace. Disharmony leads to destruction and ultimately lies lead one to hell. To deceive the Guru is a very great sin, from which there is no atonement. Realising this Nana described in detail to Baba whatever had happened. Nana said: “We hired a tonga to come straight to Shirdi, as a result of which Biniwale missed the darshan of Lord Dutta on the banks of the Godavari. Biniwale is a Dutta devotee. When we came across the Dutta temple on the way, he wanted to get down to have Dutta’s darshan. But I was in a hurry, so I prevented him and told him that we could take the darshan on our return journey from Shirdi. Thus becoming hasty and thinking it would get late to come to Shirdi, I tried to avoid the matter and disregarded Dutta’s darshan. Later, while bathing in the Godavari, a big thorn pierced my foot and gave me a lot of trouble on the way till I could pull it out with much effort.” Then Baba advised: “It is not good to be in such a haste. Thank your stars that you had only the thorn to contend with, though you had disrespected the darshan. When a very venerated deity like Dutta is on the way, awaiting darshan, unfortunate is he who has not taken the darshan! How can I help him?”