Capt Purshotam Sharma
Chand Bhai Patel, headman of Village Dhoopgaon falling in Maharashtra had a mare by the name of Bijli which was very dear to him. One day Bijli disappeared from the grazing fields of the headman. Patel made a thorough search for several days but all in vain. Fatigued and frustrated after many days of futile search, he happened to come across a renunciant (Faqir) sitting under a tree. His face was full of rare lustre. Calling Chaand by name, Faqir pointed out towards a nearby place telling that Bijli was grazing there. To his astonishment, Chaand found the mare at that very place and also made out from this event that the Faqir was not an ordinary person but an elevated soul. Faqir also lighted the “Chillum’’ by striking his “chimta’’ on the earth and also materialized water to moisten the cloth used in puffing it and offered to Chand Bhai Patel. Patel invited Faqir to stay with him at Dhoopgaon. He stayed in Patel’s house for some days. From there, He accompanied a marriage party of Chand Bhai Patel’s relative to Shirdhi. On His arrival at Shirdhi, recognizing His Divinity and welcoming Him, Pujari of Khandoba Temple addressed Him ‘’Aao Sai’’, from then onwards, Sai was known as Shirdhi Ke Sain Baba.
An elderly lady of the village was the first person who had seen a very handsome young boy of 16 years sitting in ‘Samadhi’ under a neem tree.
He undertook severe austerities. People were astonished to see Him whom vagaries of weather never bothered. Full of dispassion and renunciation, though young. He was a perfect saint. When the villagers inquired about the place he came from, He replied ‘Hum Tosai Hai, Gosai Hai, Lambe Lambe Se Aya Hai’.
He treated all as equals and removed the sufferings of poor, sick and destitute. He had kept a leper with Him throughout His life. Though He had no formal education, yet He had command over many languages and quoted verses from holy scriptures of all faiths be-fitting to the subject and the occasion. He always impressed upon his devotees to practise shradha and saburi (Faith and Patience) to realize the ultimate Truth. He lived in Shridhi in a dilapidated mosque called Dwarka Mai for 60 years with simple and illiterate folks and begged food from some of the seleted houses. One night He stayed in Dwarka Mai and the next in Chavadi. He always uttered Allah Malik/Sab Ka Malik Ek.
Once a severe thunderstorm overtook the village. The dark clouds and torrential rains frightened the inhabitants and the animals. People assembled in Dwarka Mai to seek Baba’s help. Baba gave a look at the dark clouded sky and commanded the clouds to merciful. The command was promptly carried out. It was Diwali day on which Baba suddenly put His hand in the blazing ‘Dhooni’ and sustained burns. When asked by His devotees the reasons for doing so, Baba explained that an iron-smith devotee mother’s child had fallen in the furnace and it was incumbent on Him to save the child.
Sitting in Dwarka Mai and rubbing the coins was Baba’s routine. While doing so, He chanted Taatyacha Shamyacha thus removed the sufferings of his devotees. Grinding grains was His another routine. Once Cholera spread in the area. Baba marked a grinded floor line around the village boundary that kept the village safe from the deadly disease. Baba’s wearing was a long ‘Kafni’ to cover His body, ‘Kaupin’ (lion cloth) around the waist and piece of cloth round His head. He did not use any foot wear. He slept on hard bed and used a brick for pillow. The brick was very clear to Baba and He used it for Asna purposes as well. When the brick inadvertently slipped from the hand of a young boy sweeping the Masjid and was broken into two pieces, Baba was hurt very much. One day Baba’s ardent devotee Shaama was bitten by a deadly cobra and He rushed to Baba… No sooner he climbed the stairs of Dwarka Mai, Baba shouted at him “Get lost, do not climb up’’. Shaama was much disappointed to hear these harsh words and stopped where he was. In fact Baba meant to stop the venom to spread. Shaama and other devotees understood this fact when the victim was fully cured.
His leelas (plays) were unique and baffling. Shirdhi hummed with spiritual and cultural activities in Baba’s time. He possessed immense sense of humour and took keen interest in wrestling, dance, music and folk songs. His own voice was very melodious. He danced gracefully. All festivals were celebrated in the Baba’s presence with fervor and gaiety to create gaiety and harmony among the people. Devotees always surrounded Baba at the Akhand Dhooni which is still burning and its ash called UDI is Baba’s sacred ‘prasad’ which removes sufferings of the devotees, answers their prayers and fulfils their wishes.
Baba was very generous and emphasized mutual love, purity of thoughts and deeds, self-less service, non-violence and good conduct. He preached Universal Brotherhood saying that there is no difference between Ram and Raheem and advised the people to always sing the glories of the Lord.
Once Baba was refused oil by the local shopkeepers to light the earthen lamp of which He was very fond of. Baba put the water instead and the lamps burnt longer than usual and the glow was more illuminating than before. An earthen pot ‘Kolamba’ was used by Him storing the begged food which He invariably shared with all those at His door including dogs, cats, crows, sparrows and other birds.
Baba’s Taraka Mantra is ‘Om Sai Sri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai’. Baba conferred the title of Hemad Pant on Shri Govindrav Raghunath Dabolkar, the author of Sain Sat Charitra which is the magnificent account on the life and Leelas (Divine plays) of Baba.
Tatya Kote Patil was Baba’s ardent devotee. It was in the year 1918 that he had severe attack of Tuberculosis and his condition deteriorated day-by-day Doctors and fortune-tellers declared that he cannot escape death. Upon this, Baba declared that so long as He (Baba) was alive, death cannot consume Tatya. From then onwards, Baba’s own health started failing and He shed His mortal coils on Monday, at 2-30 PM on 15th of October, 1918, on Vijaya Dashmi Day. His body was laid eternal rest on 18th of October, 1918. Tatya Kote Patil’s disease disappeared and he became healthy.
Thirty-two years before His Mahasamadhi, Baba had also gone into Samadhi and had then indicated the place in the court-yard where His body was to be laid to rest. However, life spirit returned then after three days.
Baba says…….
* Pilgrimage to Shirdhi will remove all pains and grief of the pilgrims.
* By climbing the steps leading to My Eternal abode, all sorrows of devotees will be vanished.
* I may have shed my mortal coil but I will rush to the call of my devotees.
* Have unwavering faith in Me and all your wishes will be fulfilled.
* Perceive the concept of my existence and experience the ultimate Truth.
* One who has taken refuge in me will Never go unrewarded.
* I manifest commensurate with the imagination of the devotees.
* Burden of welfare of my devotees lies on Me, beassured, my words will never be ineffectual.
* Come and receive my grace to your fill, whatever you seek will be granted.
* I am ever indebted to my devotees who are earnestly engrossed in me in speech, thought and action.
* Hail! Hail! my ardent devotees, knowing none else, they never swerve from my Splendid vision.
There are old-renovated temples of Ganapathi, Shani, Shiva and Hanuman in the Complex and devotees do not forget to pay their obeisance to these Gods when they pay visit to Gurusthan, Dwarka Mai, Chavdi and Smadhi Mandir.
Shirdhi can be reached from Kopargaon (District Ahmednagar, Maharashtra) Railway Station half-an-hour. Excellent arrangements exist for stay and food for the devotees.
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