This question arose in the minds of several then and now. For a curious onlooker, He was just another mendicant, for those who believed in Him, He was no ordinary fakir. Several incidents in Sri Sai Satcharitha depict Baba's evasive gestures to those who sought Him with the purpose of receiving specific instructions. Sometimes, Baba delighted those around Him with His superb illustrations of complicated topics on metaphysics. The episode on the merchant seeking Brahma Jnana is one good example. The "Easy God" of Shirdi was no so subtle when remonstrating those He drew to His fold, and for those who professed to know everything in front of Him, Baba simply said, "Alla Accha Karega" (God will do good). It is undoubted that Baba's teaching methods are unique and those who seek this Saint, then and now, have several experiences to stress this. Let us read what Pujya BV Narasimha Swami ji most eloquently wrote on this topic in "Glimpses of Sai Baba":

"This question is diversely interpreted and meets with diverse answers. Superficial persons answer in the negative as he was seldom seen making hortatory or didactic speeches or busying himself as a pedagogue does. Others who have carefully studied his words and activities give an emphatic affirmative answer. They say if any one was a teacher, Sai Baba was undoubtedly one, that his teaching was mostly so subtle and secret that few could discover the fact he was teaching and what he taught was the highest lesson, i.e., knowledge of God and the self. Even careful observes sometimes say that Baba was not a teacher but mean that he was not a mere teacher but a great deal more, i.e., the he was the guardian angel or all in all of his trusting devotee. The majority of those who came to see him, came out of momentary curiosity or just to have the merit of his darshan or get a want satisfied or grievance redressed and having made no study of Baba, they are surprised to see a collection of Baba's sayings, a bare perusal of which leads to one conclusion only, that is, that Baba was a great and remarkable teacher, unostentatiously adopting subtle but efficient methods and saadhanas inevitably and finally carrying his devotee to the grant goal of all being. Baba is still rendering that service to all that he draws to himself or that place themselves in proper contact with him".
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Contributed Article:Hindu Worship-Part II

(10) Pushpa Puja (Archana): We offer flowers to God with a lot of love and devotion to please HIM. Of late it has become a practice to offer broken or withered flowers, may be due to scarcity and sky-racketing prices of flowers, but, in fact, it must not be done so. God is full of compassion and mercy and HE does not protest, as HE understands our compulsions. We should offer a flower for each one of HIS sacred and kalyana name that we recite, whether it is Ashtothra or Sahasranama. Here we should always remember one very important point that most of us just throw flowers and Akshatas at God, in a routine way. But, it is not the right procedure. We should recite the names of our Lord with a lot of love and affection and with each name that we recite with love and bhava (feeling), we offer a flower to the Lord in such a way that first we bring the flower near to our chest or heart and offer it at the feet of Lord with a feeling that, Oh God! I am offering my heart (Colorful Hridaya Pushp) at Your Lotus Feet. Kindly accept it and remove all my Doshas such as Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Mada, Macharya, Irsha, Dwesha, Ahankara, etc. Kindly take me into your fold my Lord. That is the essence or meaning behind offering colorful flowers to Lord. Bhava is very important in all our spiritual (of course, even in social) activities. The same method is applicable while offering Akshitas or Kumkum or any such offering to Lord. It should always be humble, and never routine and mechanical. In other words, Archana is the heartfelt offering of Love to God. In Archana a devotee calls God with a variety of names as a loved one is called by different names affectionately.

(11) Dhoopam: Dhoop represents the Gandh (fragrance) aspect of the senses. A Satvic sense of depicting a pure Gandha sense is the Dhoop. As we give Dhoop to babies in our residences, which is still in vogue in villages, especially in rainy season, so as to make the skin dry and fresh and protect them from diseases like cold, etc., due to high content of water in the air, we offer Dhoop to Lord also.

(12) Deepam: Deepam is the Tejas or fire aspect. We light the lamp immediately after Dhoop with a view to see Lord more clearly and also to witness the beauty and majesty of the Lord is after alankaras.

The words Tamasoma Jyothirgamaya, indicate the essence of bhava behind keeping a lamp in front of the Lord. The spiritual significance is: Oh God! Light my heart with the prakasha of knowledge and dispel the darkness of ignorance. It also signifies that the (true) Atman is revealed if one lights his heart with the lamp of Pure Love and Right Knowledge. With this bhava at heart, we light a lamp (Diya) or lamps in front of God. The other angle to this is that the lamp indicates auspicious sign. It has an important position in the Puja of Hindus. The main reason for keeping the lamp in front of God is that it is a sign of good omen (Mangala or Shubha kaarakam). The other reason is that in the olden days, where there was no electricity or limited use of electricity, our ancestors used to keep lamp(s) in front of God, so as to see HIS image or photo or HIS Divya Rupa clearly. Probably, even today one can notice in olden temples, in the sanctum sanctorum, that they do not keep or allow electricity bulbs. They show the God to devotees with the help of Aarati. Another reason, which I feel true, is that after we decorate God we perform Aarati, immediately after offering Dhoop with an anxiety or eagerness or desire to see how the Lord looks and see the Deity to one's heart content. The light in front of the Deity will help us to see the image more clearly, especially in the smoke of Dhoopam.

(13) Naivedyam: Naivedyam is the Rasa (taste) aspect of the senses. We offer all kinds and varieties of delicious food items, which include sweets, fruits, etc., to God, with all love, as if Ma Yashoda is feeding Krishna, or Mata Sabari is offering fruits, although tasted first, to Lord Rama. See the Bhava here. In fact, I was told that coconut is not compulsory in Puja, but somehow it has become a part of it now. (The meaning and purpose of breaking a coconut is dealt with separately and will follow later).

(14) Thaambulam/Betel Leaves: As we offer Nut-powder (Supari) or Paan to guests at the end of a meal, we offer Lord betel leaves with supari (nut powder and spices) so that HE digests easily whatever we offered to HIM to eat. Here we should not offer HIM money, as it is offered only when we offer Dakshina.

(15) Neeraajanam: After completing all the above Upachaaraas to Lord, we do Neerajanam with a view to remove any Drishti Dosha (evil sight) as we all know that HE has a wonderful personality and added to it, HE has been decorated so well and looking so handsome that it is very difficult for a devotee to take away his sight from HIM. This we do with pure love as we do it to our own small children. It is the practice in our houses/temples that immediately after Aarati, we pay our respects to that camphor flame by putting our palms over it and putting those hands on our eyes. But, I was told that, it is wrong, because the intention behind giving Aarati is to remove any evil sight (Drishti Dosha) and also to show God more clearly to the devotees, but not for any other purpose. As we do not pay respects to such activity when we do it for our children, the same way, we should not do it in temples or at homes after Aarati. And that flame should be kept aside and sprinkle a few drops of water to remove Dosha, as we wash the legs and hands of our children and wipe the eyes with water, immediately after removing Drishti Dosha.

Neerajanam signifies the end of Sakara or Bahya (outward) Puja and is at the end to denote that all the Doshas and impurities will vanish in thin air after burning the Ajnan in the Jnanagni or Tapas.

(16) Atma pradakshina, Mantra pushpam and Uavasana: We offer flowers and Akshatas with Mantras to Lord. It is done mainly to highlight and explain the divinity, greatness, compassion and love of God over HIS subjects or devotees.

After doing all the above, if knowingly or unknowingly we commit any mistake, either in the performance of Puja or in our Bhava, we request God to forgive us, as we are human beings and our Manas or mind is subject to flirtations, and keep us in HIS Karuna Dhrishi (Merciful eyes) always so that we will not repeat such mistakes in future. Also we request HIM to bless us as we wish to offer all the above upacharas every day to HIM. Then we do Pradakshina, not only around the Lord, but also around ourselves, to indicate that my Lord you are in me as Soul and doing Atmapradakshina means doing Pradakshina around YOU only. Then we do pranam (prostration) and then offer Kshama Prardhana or Aparatha Kshamapana, with a view to offer all the mistakes at the Lord's Lotus Feet.

Having manifested in and through the idol that we kept in our Puja Mandir and accepted our prayers and sevas, now we request the Lord to take rest in our hearts and live there forever, so that the divinity is manifested through us and ultimately we realize our innate divinity within and without, in other words, we merge in HIM thus removing the ignorance forever.
(A contribution by Paritala Gopi Krishna, New Delhi, India)
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Experiences of Devotees

Todd S
I recently had a dream in which I was standing before a very deep pool of water, about to dive in. I had a Shirdi Sai Baba pendant around my neck and was afraid that it might fall off if I were to jump into the deep water. An inner voice told me to tighten the cord that the pendant is on and jump in, full of confidence that it would not fall off. I believe that the deep water in this dream is symbolic of the unknown...and tightening the Sai Baba pendant is symbolic of holding onto faith even in "deep water"..that Sai Baba will never leave me and I must trust in Him.
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Devotees say...

Chandra Kasarabada, VA, USA
In Guru Charithra it was Discussed about Different Yugas. Every Yuga is Different and In Each Yuga the modes of Worship and salvation are different and it becomes more easier to get Salvation in the later Yugas. Crime is one of the Main Character of Kali. When you read it it You can understand The Behaviour of KAli discussed in it. This is also relevant to the Man's fate. Om Sai Ram!

Sai Bhagat
I believe strongly in Shradda & Saburi. Correct me if I am wrong. Shradda implies to lov to all mankind and Saburi stands for patience. I try to apply both but at times I fail like Patience I ru very short as I am working and too short of time at home and tend to lose patience with my maid who is too slow to understand and too forgetful - totally unreliable and I end up doing most of things myself then why is she hired? I have two children and in order to spend some quality time with them I have hired her. Though she is neat & clean irrespective of other maids I have faced were too dirty to keep my home & children clean so I like her. Everyday I promise to myself that I'll not shout at her and will have Saburi but every day I end up shouting at her. Pls. help me Baba to have Shradda for her so that I can maintain Saburi with her. I love Baba and have total faith in Him. Any time I'm in troble at home or in the office I just enchant Om jai Shiv Sai and I am taken care by Him. I am so thankful to him.

Mrs. Krishna & Tarun Rawat, MD, USA
Sadguru Sainath Maharaj ki Jai, We're having Sai Bhajans at my apt in Gaithersburg, MD every Friday from 7.30PM. Anybody who is interested is requested and invited to visit the bhajans. Our phone # 301-990-3177, address: 18333, Lost knife Circle, #204, Montgomery Village, MD, 20886. - Mrs. Krishna & Tarun Rawat

Sai Dasha nama Sthothram - Sujatha Srinivas
Pratham Sainadhaaya,Dwithiyam Dwarakamaayine, Thruthiyam Thirdha Raajaaya,Chathurdham Bhakthavatsale Panchamam Paramthmaya Shashtancha Shiridivaasane Saptham Sadgurunadhaaya Ashtamam anaadha naadhave Navam niraadambaraya Dashamam Dattathreyave Ethani dashanaamaani thrisandhya layah pathennaraha Sarva kashta bhayaanmuktho Sainadha guro kripah!
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Sai Activities

Sai Satsang, MD, USA

Sadguru Sainath Maharaj ki Jai, We're having Sai Bhajans at my apt in Gaithersburg, MD every Friday from 7.30PM. Anybody who is interested is requested and invited to visit the bhajans. Our phone # 301-990-3177, address: 18333, Lost knife Circle, #204, Montgomery Village, MD, 20886. Mrs. Krishna & Tarun Rawat

Shirdi Sai Samsthan USA, Chicago
MONTHLY PUJA on Sunday, January 28, 2001
VENUE: Shirdi Saibaba Mandir,
27W321 Butterfield Road, Warrenville, IL - 60555
9:00 AM Kakada Aarti
9:30 AM Abhishek
Sri Sai Ashtothara Puja
Bhajans & Kirthans
12:00PM Madhyahna Aarti
12:30PM Mahaprasad
for directions, please visit www.saisamsthanusa.org
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Prayer Club

Sujatha,NJ,USA
Both my husband and myself are strong devotees of Shirdi sai baba for the last 2 years. We do not have any problems due to His grace till now. But this mail is for my brother who is getting married in Feb'11. He had sent his passport for correction to Washington DC after he got his visa revalidated which should normally take 5 business days. But it is more than 20 days and we still have not heard anything from them inspite of repeated faxes (which is the only of communication to the department)to them asking for his passport back. We are scheduled to leave on feb 1st and now my brother is in a very confused state and worried, though my husband and myself are very sure that Saibaba will definitely help him to get his passport back. I kindly request all sai devotees to pray on our behalf for my brother to get his passport back and travel as planned. May Saibaba bless us all.
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Quotation of the Week

Among the six vikaras (ill-feelings), jealosy is the easiest to conquer. In this vikara, there is no question of gain or loss to ourselves. Jealousy is the inability to endure another's profit and prosperity. If another gets fortune or power, we cannot put up with it; we scandalize him. When he meets with a loss, we rejoice. But is this good? When that man attains properity, what loss have we really suffered? But people do not consider this point. If he benefits, let us consider ourselves benefited; or let us strive to attain equal good. That should be our desire and determination. What has he taken away of ours? Nothing! He received the prosperity that is the result of his karma - Sai Baba, as cited in Sai Baba The Master by E. Bharadwaja.
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Question of the Week

What did Baba teach us through the wrestling bout with Mohdin Tamboli?
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