Sai Satcharitra Of Shirdi Sai Baba-The Guru (Chapter 45)

Sai Satcharitra

oi-Priya Devi

By Priya Devi

Thursday, September 23, 2010, 12:56

We have described in the last three chapters of Sai Satcharitra, Shirdi Saibaba Baba's Passing away. His physical or finite form has no doubt disappeared from our view; but the infinite or spiritual form (Spirit of Baba) ever lives. The Leelas which occurred during Shirdi Sai baba's lifetime have been dwelt upon at great length up till now. Ever since His passing away, fresh Leelas have taken place and are even now happening. This clearly shows that Baba is ever-living and helping His devotees as before.

The people who got the contact of Baba when He was living, were indeed very fortunate, but if any of them did not get a dispassion for the things and enjoyments of the world and had not their minds turned to the Lord, it was sheerly their ill-luck. What was then wanted and is now wanted is the whole-hearted devotion to Baba.

All our senses, organs, and mind should co-operate in worshipping and serving Shirdi Sai Baba. It is no use in engaging some organs in the worship and deflecting others. If a thing like worship or meditation is to be done, it ought to be done with all our mind and soul.

Sai Ram. Though it is ideal to worship or meditate as explained above, it is not easy for beginners to achieve. Instead of getting disappointed and giving up due to dejection or waiting for the perfection, it is better to worship / meditate to the best of one's ability even with some senses distracting or pulling in other directions. This writer has personally experienced the benefit of such imperfect sadhana. Over a period, the distractions subside and like a good musician getting into the tune with practice, our senses would oblige! Sai Ram.

The love that a chaste woman bears to her husband is sometimes compared to that which a disciple bears to his master (Guru). Yet the former falls far short of the latter, which is incomparable. No one, whether he be father, mother, brother or any other relation, comes to our aid in attaining the goal of life (self-realization).

Sai Ram. To some extent the stories of Sati Anasuya and Sati Sumati contradict the opinion given above but in their case, they have taken their husbands to be God and Guru, Master and Swami, in fact every thing. Thus their worship, their love and their service was indeed focused and yielded great results, forcing even the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara to bow before them! Once captured by Guru, the disciple has no escape! The love of the disciple to Guru and that of Guru to His disciple is mutual and is like the gravitational attraction between a Black Hole and a small particle that is being pulled inexorably towards it. Sai Ram.

We have to chalk out and traverse the path of self-realization ourselves. We have to discriminate between the Unreal and the Real, renounce the things and enjoyments of this world and the next, control our senses and mind, and aspire for liberation only. Instead of depending upon others, we should have full faith in ourselves. W

Then we begin to practice discrimination, we come to know, that the world is transient and unreal and our passion for worldly things becomes less and less, and ultimately we get dispassion or non-attachment for them. Then we know that the Brahma which is no other than our Guru is the sole reality and as it transcends and besets the seeming universe, we begin to worship it in all creatures. This is the unitive Bhajan or worship.

When we thus worship the Brahma or Guru whole-heartedly, we become one with Him and attain self-realization. In short, always chanting the name of the Guru, and meditating on Him enables us to see Him in all beings, and confers eternal bliss on us. The following story will illustrate this.

Sai Ram. Seated in our heart and appearing as an external manifest Guru, He drives us on the right path at the right time. In fact, getting the grace of Guru happens at the right moment. Sai Ram.

Sai Satcharitra

Sai Satcharitra is an autobiographical account of Shirdi Sai Baba. This write up is an excerpt from Chapter 45 of Sai Satcharitra which talks about the role of the Guru in one's life, Guru disciple relationship and the attainment of self realization.

About the author

S.V. Swamy

Swarna.Venkateswara Swamy, (also known as Venkateswara Swamy Swarna, S.V.Swamy or simply Swamy) is a physicist and a metallurgist by education. He considers Sai Baba of Shirdi as his Sadguru but respects all Gurus. He is an avid reader,