Sri SaiSatcharita Chapter - 13

In this chapter, Hemadpanth talks about Maya theory in the introduction of 13^th Chapter. How Bhimaji Patil started Sai Satyavrata along the lines of Sri Satyanarayana Swami Vrata.  This chapter also talks about all kinds of diseases, how they were cured by Baba. 

Baba describes Maya as follows. “Oh! Though I am a fakir and have no home nor household, sitting not involved in one place, leaving aside all mundane matters. Yet, Maya is inevitable. She even harasses me often. I forget her but she does not forget me. She always comes and embraces me. Adi Maya originates from God and bewilders even Brahman and others. Then what could be said about a poor fakir like me! Only the mercy of God can save you from its clutches. Without continuously reciting God’s name, this attachment will not be destroyed”. 

This Maya theory was described very well in Agni Purana. 

According to Agni Purana

Himsa (violence) married Adharma (foul deeds).

They had two children Anrutham (lack of action) and Nikruthi (dishonesty).

These two children in turn produced four children

    Bhayam (fear),

    Narakam (hell),

    Maya (illusion) 

    Vedana (pain).

Maya begot Mruthyu (death) and Vedana begot Dukha (sorrow).

Mruthyu produced these children

1) Vyadhi (disease),

2) Jara (old age),

3) Soka (sorrow),

4) Trushna (attraction)

5) Krodha (anger).

Our physical and mental problems are all coming from Maya. Now we can see why Maya was mentioned in the 13^th chapter along with the diseases cured.

Bhimaji Patil is from Narayangaon village of Junnur Taluka; of Pune District. Bhimaji was a well-to-do person and is very hospitable to everyone. In 1909, Bhimaji developed severe form of Tuberculosis with cough, high temperature and was coughing blood. He lost hope and became bedridden. He tried all kinds of treatments with no use. He then turned to God and through Nana Saheb Chandorkar he hears about Baba. He decided to go to Shirdi.  He surrenders to Baba and prostrates before him. Then Baba asked him to sit down and stop worrying. He also says that whoever steps in to Dwarakamai, their troubles will come to an end and their sins will be uprooted. He asked him to stay at Bhimabai’s house and within no time his disease was cured through 2 dreams.

Those dreams are as follows: 

A teacher hitting Bhimaji in a dream expecting him to recite a poem. What is the Poem?

She is known as a real or ideal wife, who thinks she has stepped on the head of a serpent if she ever enters a stranger’s house. Her words are so rare that they are like wealth procured by a miser. She feels profoundly happy even they are poor and satisfies with what they have. She behaves according to her husband’s wishes, without hesitation. 

Stranger rolling a stone on Bhimaji’s chest:

He saw that an unknown person came and sat on his chest. He had a grinding stone rolling on his chest and Bhimaji experienced severe pain. When the dream ended, he felt better and slept with some comfort.   

Why Baba used these two dreams. This is in relation to Bhimaji’s past karmas from past lives. To understand this we have to go through his dreams and analyze them.

1^st dream analysis: In the first dream Bhimaji was beaten by a teacher with a stick. The poem talks about a lady and how she is supposed to live her life. We can either take the meaning as it is or we can analyze in a philosophical way. Was he a female in the past lives and did not follow the above principles or Baba is talking about spiritual meaning but in a parable.  If we pay attention to outward objects rather than God, then it corresponds to a lady stepping in to a stranger’s house.

We have to talk very minimal like a miser who hesitates to spend his money. Here we have to realize that we cannot get involved in unnecessary matters and do not use our mouth to criticize others for little things. She feels profoundly happy in the company of her husband, even though there amy not be any money in the house. We need to be happy with God alone but not get attached to worldly objects. Living your life according to your husband’s wishes, that means, following scriptures and path of great guru Sai.

If we are unable to perform these prescribed duties, we fall in to this Maya (illusion) and get stuck in the ocean of birth and death.

2^nd dream analysis: In the second dream a stranger rolls a stone on the chest of Bhimaji. Our scriptures talk about diseases that can occur if someone commits a specific karma. Who plugs up or blocks up the hole of a rat or a snake, whoever catches fish and causes them to die by suffocation, whoever stifles the life of any creature will suffer from major lung diseases. Sometimes humans have a tendency to cause lot of difficulties for other people for their own sake. People might enjoy short term benefits but in long term they have to suffer.

Final inference:

Here through these two dreams, Baba helped Bhimaji to burn his past karmas and takes him in to spiritual path. In a similar way Baba cured so many diseases some times in a strange way. Each one has its own meaning. All this was mentioned in Garuda Purana. This Purana describes what kind of karmas will give us what kind of life and how we suffer. Baba talks about this on several occasions and he wants us to be careful. He asks us to follow the Dharma. We should not deviate from the path. Whatever we did in past lives we have no control over them, so we have to leave that to Baba. We just have to believe in Sai and move on with our lives. He will guide us and protect us wherever he needs to. He will take us to other side of the ocean that is Mukti (salvation).

In this chapter Hemadpanth describes how Baba helped other devotees with their sufferings. Bapusaheb Buty was relieved of dysentery, Alandi Swami of ear pain, and Kaka Mahajani was freed from diarrhea. Baba used some non- traditional methods but the important issue here is getting rid of their past sins. All this is related to Maya that we talked about in the beginning.  

The solution to this Illusion (Maya) is God himself (Vishnu). Vishnu means one who is pervading all over the universe. He is the truth. That’s why we call him Sri Satyanarayana. Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara together are called as Sri Satyanarayana. That’s why Baba made Bhimaji to perform Sri Sai Satyavrata. This way Baba blessed us with this vrata. This is the reason why we do Sri Satyanarayana Puja also. Whoever believes in Baba as their Guru or God, they can do Sri Sai Satyavrata alone. This is nothing but the original vrata. Baba is himself Paramatma. So Sai Bandhus we have to understand the life in such a way, so that we do not have to go through all these consequences so badly. We should start living our lives according to scriptures and dharma. If we believe in Sai with complete faith he will take care of us in every aspect of life.

SRI SAINAATHARPANAMASTHU!