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Sai Vichaar 01.Feature of the Week 02.Contributed Article 03.Experiences of Devotees 04.Devotees Say 05.Sai Activities 06.Prayer Club 07.Quote of the Week 08.Question of the Week 09.Subscribe to Sai Vichaar 10.Email Newsletter to a friend 11.Submit Articles to Sai Vichaar 12.Un-Subscribe Sai Vichaar 13.From the Editor's Keyboard 14.Disclaimer From the Editor's Keyboard... Please note that Sai Vichaar is only yet another global platform on the electronic medium for sharing information on the life and message of Sadguru Sainath of Shirdi. Sai Vichaar does not profess to endorse any particular thought, nor will judge or reflect the opinions expressed by individual contributors. Unless specified otherwise, Sai Vichaar team is responsible for "Feature of the week" segment. Sai devotees in Singapore are requested to refer to Sai activities section. Sai Vichaar hopes and prays that the attempts to set up Shirdi Sai temple in Singapore be successful. The "Question of the week" for the week is, Q. How is Sadguru dependent on his bhaktas? Humbly Yours, The Editor
Disclaimer Sai Vichaar is devoted to the philosophy and teachings of Shri Sadguru Sai Baba of Shirdi, and will take every measure to avoid topics or themes contradicting the same. Sai Vichaar team or saibaba.org is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.
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Feature of the week:
Material Wealth
"Ramathe Raam.. Aaaojee.. Aaaojee.. .
Oh Playful Rama. Please come, bring with you sacks of Udi, the sacred ash!. Baba used to sing merrily, whenever He was in a cheerful mood. The power and greatness of Udi, the sacred ash, is well known. It is believed that Udi confers upon the devotees, health, prosperity, freedom from anxiety, and many other worldly gains. One peculiarity of this Saint God is that He encouraged His followers to seek material wealth. There were several incidents wherein Sainath Himself brought about a particular longing of the devotees during casual conversation and benefited them appropriately. One famous parable of Sai Baba goes as follows: "My coffers are always open. Come and fill your sacks as much as you want.." Now, material wealth, non-attachment, self-surrender, salvation...How can they be all together? Don't they seem contradicting each other? How can one ask for worldly riches yet at the same time develop non-attachment? Asking and receiving the material benefit confirms one's faith in Sadguru, the most important aspect of devotion. How can one know that he/she will get something unless he/she asks for it and gets it? The experience of countless devotees of Sai Baba is the same. Receiving benefits through His grace confirms and increases the faith in Him. Logically, it must make one to pay careful and close attention to what the Guru says. Material and spiritual benefits are two separate entities and by separating them so, the need for each of them is well defined. Usually, it is a practice to justify one's wants based on the needs. However, a careful observation will reveal that there is no end for human needs and material wants are akin to a never-ending chain of temporary events perpetrated by the myth. Now, if one looks back and contemplates on Sadguru Sainath's coffers, it will be evident that the reference made was to something beyond material. Something that is perennial, and something that should result in everlasting happiness.
Contributed Article: Sri Sai Gurucharitra - Chapter V
Hail Sri Ganesa! Oh Kesava! Oh Panduranga! Thou art without beginning and end! Thou art the creator! Thou art the embodiment of complete perfection! Even the Vedas are unable to describe you and are exclaiming helplessly 'not this', 'not this'. How can I do it? Oh kindness personified! As the common fire fly before the bedazzling sun, as the small rivulet before the mighty ocean, am I in front of you. Oh ocean of mercy. Thou art the Kalpataru which grants whatever is asked by the devotee! Thou art residing in the hearts of all! Thou art the embodiment of everlasting bliss! Thou art the expert in the sixty four arts! Thou assume the human form to secure the weal of your devotees. Thou greatest of beings, thou the succor of orphans, I have heard of your divine power and have come running to your door for succor. Oh Madhava! If you turn me away it will be a blot on your blemish-less fame. So, place your hand quickly on my head and bless me. My Vittala, who is as a mother to me! Oh the lord of Pandaripur! Who else but you, the master of all siddhis is there to heed me and protect me?
"In the state of Maharashtra, in a small village called Jambavavi, lived a householder named Kesavarao. He was of the Srivatsa gotra; aswalayana sutra. He was diligent in the performance of his religious duties and had the Vaishnava signs tattooed on to his body as a mark of his undying adherence to the faith. His only desire was for a child to bless his household. He used to constantly pray to Lord Venkateswara for his grace in granting him progeny. He performed many yajnas and religious austerities to get a child. While so, once he had a dream.
The one who is dark as the rain bearing cloud; the one with his eyes shaped like lotus leaves; the one who is tall and who has the mark of Srivatsa decorating his broad chest; the one with the a smiling face; the one wearing the auspicious yellow silk cloth; the one who has the auspicious red mark of saffron on his forehead; that supreme being with the conch shaped neck; the one shining in the shimmering glare of the jewels such as the famous Vyjayanti etc; the one who is armed with the mace, discus and conch in his hands; the one whose right hand always open and raised in benediction to show that it is his mission to grant boons to his devotees - that god of gods - Sri Mahavishnu blessed Kesavarao in his dream with his darsan. He said, "Child, do not despair that you have no son. Ramananda who had gained fame in Kasi in the past as a repository of wisdom will be born to you as a son with the mission of saving the world." He thus gave the boon of progeny to Kesavarao. But Kesavarao was not fully satisfied. He said, "My lord, what is the use of having a child who will soon become a sanyasi? How is my family going to thrive? Your boon seems to be as useless as a tree without fruit, a pond without water, a night without the moon or musk without its perfume. To that the almighty replied, "Do not worry; your son will be a householder. That is his mission for this birth. As was Eknath in Paithan, as was Damaji in Dhana, so will your son be a very rich man." He gave a coconut as his prasad to Kesavarao and vanished.
"Kesavarao awoke in the morning. He called his wife and said, "My wife, the lord Venkateswara has at last taken pity on us. He has blessed me with his darsan in a dream last night and gave me this coconut as his prasad. Eat this with reverence. The infamy you had gained as a barren woman will be removed soon. You will soon give birth so a beautiful boy who will be a great devotee of god." The husband and wife devotedly ate the coconut mentally repeating the holy name of the lord Venkateswara.
"Kesavarao's wife was soon with child. The supreme amongst sadhus, Ramananda had entered her womb. As she neared her seventh month, she used to say to her husband, "let us go to the king and ask him for some wherewithal for our sustenance. We must do annadanam at our house. Let us give to charity and proffer the accumulated merit to god. We must bear all these expenses." After nine months were completed, Ramananda was born in Jambuvavi village. He was named as Gopala. The lord Panduranga had already made arrangements for the upkeep of that boy. In due course of time Gopala married and became immersed in the dharma of a grihasta, looking after the guests and the destitute. He would always be thinking as to how he could be of more use to the others of the world. Once he went to a village called Selawadi. He could not find a decent enough place you stay there. There were only a few dilapidated huts there. The villagers approached him and said, "Maharaj, we have no way of knowing whether you are a rich man or a prince. But there is no place to stay in this village for folks such as you. A person with your stature requires mansions, carriages, horses, servants, carts and many more. None of them is available here. Bhagavan Sri Krishna resided happily in a cow shed. He thus changed the fortunes of Gokula. In the same way we request you to reside here and change the fortunes of this wretched village. You are aptly named after Sri Krishna as Gopalarao.
Your stature and the luster in your face tell us that you must be either a prince or his representative. You are our only hope. Your stepping into this small wretched village bespeaks of a change in our fortunes. From now on you and only you are our master." Gopalarao liked their speech and sincerity. He decided to build either a fort or a stronghold there. As he wanted to reside there, he got people of eighteen trades such as brahmins, carpenters, blacksmiths, potters and cloth weavers etc and provided them with sufficient land for their houses and grants. Who else but a rich lord can do all this? As the parijata, the foremost among the flowers, makes us happy with the pleasure of it perfume so does the king protect and cherish his people. Gopalrao then changed the name of Selawadi to Selu (or Sailu) and by the might of his shoulders made it a principality (Desmukh Jagir) of the Zintur State. He became its jagirdar (administrator whose responsibility is to collect the revenue on behalf of the king and provide law, order and protection to the people) and was henceforth known as Gopalrao Desmukh. (To be continued)
(Contributed by Source: "Sri Sai Gurucharithra" originally by Santkavi Sri Dasganu Maharaj. Translated from Telugu version by Sri SVL)
Manisha Varsha Chaitanya Manchanda Sairam, at difficult times you have always come to our rescue and protected us from many critical situations that arose in our life. Not sure why we are going through this trial of life, we suspect that these trials of life are as a result of the past karmas. Baba, we all know that you can put an end to this. My parents are old and are going through their most difficult times of life. Please help us to find a suitable groom for my sister for whom we have been looking for a very long time. Things have not worked out, she has now crossed her marriageable age, and now always fighting with parents and blaming them even though they have done their best you know baba. Baba not sure why you make parents like them go through tough trials like this, my parents have made many marriages happen, done a lot of good karmas and have always been helpful to people. Baba please resolve this issue at our home, our home which was a happy family now has turned to be a battlefield. Baba, we can only pray to you and cry in front of your photo. If we could meet you, we would have held your feet and begged for pardon for all our past sins which we even don't know and prayed to bring peace in our family by getting my sister married off. Baba, only you can help us. Sai bandhu's please pray for this cause Will definitely report in the same channel if things happen and my sister gets married off to a good educated person. Please pray for us.
S Prakash, Australia Rajendraprasad Vemana Devotee Gayathri Sanjay Das Ramya Vasanthi G Srinivas Sai devotee Sai devotee Varaprasad
Quotation of the Week:
Q. How is Sadguru dependent on his bhaktas?
Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA Upcoming Event(s): Christmas, Saturday December 25th. Sri Datta Jayanti and Sri Satyanarayan Vratha Katha Full moon day, Sunday December 26th. New Year's Eve Special Pooja, Friday December 31st. Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, Minnesota
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