In this chapter Baba teaches us about the principle of surrender through a funny story of Hemadpanth. There was also mention of Sudama story and How Baba let his devotees serve him.
Once Hemadpant was massaging Baba’s feet and doing his service (seva). At that moment Shyama laughed and remarked: “What Annasaheb! What are these grains here which seem to be stuck? ” Saying so, Shyama touched the sleeve of the coat with his fingers, when from the folds of the coat, grains were found. How did the grains come to be stuck to the coat? Everybody was wondering how these grains came there.
Then Baba said: “He has a bad habit – that of liking to eat alone. Taking advantage of the market day, he came rubbing the grams in his palms (to take off the skin). It is not good to eat alone. But I know his habit. These grams give the proof. What is there to be surprised about? ”.
Then Hemadpant said: “Baba, till this day, I have not seen the Shirdi bazaar. If I went there, I could buy the grams. And the question of eating them would arise only later. I never eat anything without sharing it with someone who so ever has this liking may do so, but this is not my habit”.
Now observe Baba’s skill. How he made devotion firmer to himself! Hear with attention, to what he said after listening to my clear denial.
Baba then said; “You share the food with whosoever is near you. But what do you do, when you are alone? What can I also do? Do you remember me? Am I not beside you? Do you offer me a morsel? ”
Meaning behind the story:
In principle, this appears insignificant. But its application in daily life is very important. Enjoying the flavor of the food is not the only implication – all the five senses and other enjoyments are included. One who panders to his senses can never hope to achieve spiritual progress. He who has a tight control over the senses alone can succeed.
The Shrutis proclaim: “Yada Panchavatishthante ” i.e. when all the five senses and the intellect become steady it is considered the highest state of Yoga. That was emphasized by Baba, through this joke.
Words, touch, form, are related to this principle. How full of advice is this teaching of Baba, in relation to this incident!
“Before the mind, the intellect and other senses enjoy these objects; remember me first so that they become an offering to me. The senses can never remain without their objects; but if these objects are first offered to the Guru, the attachment for them will naturally vanish.
If you desire anything, desire me only! If you are angry vent your anger on me only! Offer me your pride and stubbornness. Be devoted only to me.
Whenever desire, anger, pride arise strongly make me the object towards which to direct them. In this way, one by one, the Lord will help you in eradicating all the ‘Vrittis’. The Lord will certainly calm the strong waves of these three venomous qualities. In fact, this disturbed mental state would be absorbed in my form or would become one with me. A state of peace will be yours at my feet”. If you practice this, desires will become weak, on their own, and with the passage of time desires will be destroyed from their very roots. The mind will be free from all such tendencies.
Knowing and believing that the Guru is close by such a person would never be disturbed by such tendencies. Once such a good habit takes firm root, the bondage of the world will loosen. The Guru’s form will be seen in every desirable object. Thus desire itself becomes the form of the Guru.
If there is the slightest desire for the enjoyment of these objects; and you think that Baba is close by, the question whether the object is fit to be enjoyed or not will at once arise. The object that is not fit to be enjoyed will be easily shunned. In this way, the devotee’s vicious addictions will disappear and an aversion towards the undesirable will develop.
He will be ready to obey the rules for the control of the senses, as mainly stated in theVedas. Then, the enjoyment of the objects will be as per the rules and there will be no indiscriminate indulgence. When such a habit is developed, the thoughts about enjoyment of the sense objects are weakened. The desire for the worship of the Guru arises and pure knowledge will sprout. When pure knowledge grows, the bondage of body-consciousness will break and the intellect will be merged in spirit consciousness, leading to infinite bliss. Even though the body is perishable, it is a means towards gaining enlightenment, which is really more desirable than salvation, because through it, we can experience ‘bhakti’. This fifth rung of gaining enlightenment is superior to the other four ‘kama, artha, dharma and moksha’. They cannot be compared to ‘bhakti’. Invaluable are the gains of ‘bhakti’.
One who achieves fulfillment by serving the Guru can fully understand the implication of this statement. He alone will achieve enlightenment by understanding the inherent meaning of ‘bhakti’, knowledge and detachment. One who thinks of the Guru as different from God is like a man reading the whole Bhagavat without realizing who God is.
Desire for the objects of senses will be destroyed from the root when you serve the Guru, with a pure heart. The mind will become pure and sinless and your Self will manifest with effulgence. So be it. Given the strong desire, it was an easy matter for Baba to produce roasted grams! He needed no special time for the enactment of the most miraculous deeds. A popular conjurer or juggler, merely to earn his livelihood, can produce whatever you ask for, by waving his magic wand. But Sainath is a divine conjurer! What can be said about the prowess of his miracle? When he wished, he produced innumerable grams, on the spur of the moment.
Moral of this story:
This story expands our horizons and if we can follow these principles in our daily life; we will become pure in our heart. Then we will be saved by our Guru from this life death cycle.
Let us concentrate on it. ‘Do not enjoy any object with any of our five senses without first remembering Baba’. When the mind is trained in this way, we will be always reminded of him. The attention will be at Sai’s feet in all transactions.
That Incarnation of Pure Brahman will ever remain before the eyes and then devotion, liberation and non-attachment would arise.
Salvation will be achieved. When this beautiful form is fixed before our mental vision, we forget hunger, thirst and the mundane existence.
The consciousness of worldly pleasures will disappear and our mind will attain peace.
Next Hemadpanth talks about Sri Krishna and Sudama when they were in the ashram of their guru Sandipani. Sudama offers krishna handful of parched rice and how Krishna blessed him with wealth. when we offer anything to God first before we enjoy them, we will be relieved of the consequences of those actions.
Anna Chinchanikar was serving Baba by shampooing his left arm and on the right side Moushibai was serving Baba. Moushibai is an elderly widow and everyone called her mother. She was trying to massage Baba's trunk and abdomen. In the process, she accuses Chinchanikar that he is trying to kiss her. He gets upset with her and Baba intervenes to calm both of them down. Another time Moushibai was so forceful in massaging Baba's abdomen that everyone was worried that she might injure Baba. Then Baba go up from his seat and dashed his Satka on the ground. Then he took hold of one end of satka with both hands and pressed it in the hollow of his abdomen. The other end he fixed to the post and began to press. Everyone felt anxious and Baba calmed down after some time. From this time onward devotees learned their lesson not to interfere with anybody but allow them to serve Baba the way they want.
OM SRI SAINAATHARPANAMSTHU!
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