Sri Saisatcharita Chapter 31

Our scriptures say that a person is re-born according to his thoughts at the time of death. Insects, on account of fear, become bees; while King Jadabharat was born as a deer on account of the deer that he had reared and about whose welfare he remained concerned in his last moments. So it is important to think about God during the last moments of life. We need to keep good company with the saints and this will help us to advance in spiritual life. The strong impressions and passions during the time of death will determine our next life. In this chapter we can see how Baba made his devotees come to him in the last moments of their lives so that they can leave this world in Shirdi.

Vijayanand:
There was a sanyasi from Madras by name Vijayanand, who wanted to go to Manasa Sarovar after he heard about this through a Japanese travelers map. He had a great desire to go there. While traveling he stopped in Shirdi after he heard about Sai to have darshan. He met Swami Somadevji of Haridwar who happened in Shirdi at that time. They both hada conversation about Manasa sarovar pilgrimage and how tough it is. He heard that the conditions are much worse, it was snowing, the dialect changes every often and people there are very suspicious and the travelers are greatly harassed. Hearing this information Vijayanand became distressed. He was ambivalent about going there. When he went to Baba and prostrated at his feet, Baba said” Drive away the sanyasi. His company is not worthwhile”. He felt ashamed and sat there observing what was going on in the way of service. The other devotees are worshipping Baba in various ways. He felt peaceful. He stayed in Shirdi for two days and then he got a letter informing that his mother is sick. He felt sad and approached Baba to ask for permission to go and see his mother. Baba the said “If you are fond of your mother that much, then why did you don this garb of a sanyasi? Attachment does not benefit these clothes. You have blemished this ochre garb”. He tells him not to go anywhere and asked him to do Bhagavat parayan. He did parayan 2 times and while doing third parayan he fell ill. Two days later he died placing his head on fakir Baba’s lap. Baba asks them not to bury him immediately. Peole protected his body thinking that he would be alive as Baba wanted them to not bury. But police came and made enquiry after that the body was disposed.

Here Baba made Vijayanand realize by teaching him the importance of renunciation. Baba says “People need to be careful of both good deeds and bad deeds. Both will give us problems and they hinder our journey towards self-realization. Those who are fed up with worldly existence and have surrendered at the feet of Lord, the knots of their attachment are loosened and the hold of ignorance is removed. When one is unfailingly involved in singing the Lord’s name, the sins, sufferings and poverty disappear. The Lord runs and helps the person who meditates on him with love and affection. Your store of past merits is considerable, so you have come here. Now attend to what I say and realize the greater purpose of life”. By making him realize this truth Baba helped him to read Bhagavat at the right time.

Balaram Mankar story:

He was a great devotee of Baba and because of accumulation good deeds in the previous births; he got attached to Sai’s feet. When his wife died he lost peace of mind and could not attend to his regular duties. He wanted to give up all the worldly things and wanted to just pursue spiritual path. He gave all his responsibilities to his son and went to Shirdi. This is also a kind of sanyas. Once he goes there Sai asks him to go to Machindra Gad where it could be much peaceful. He wanted him to go there and do penance there. He gives him rupees 12 in cash and sends him. But he was disappointed as he thought he cannot have darshan of Baba every day. Then Bab tells him that he is not just in Shirdi and he is beyond the limits of time and space. Then Mankar felt ashamed that he had doubts and did not obey Baba’s word immediately. Once he goes there he understood why Baba send him there. It was so peaceful and the environment was so serene. He started his penance there. He used to just focus on Baba’s feet and chant his name all the time. He used to think that Baba is eternal Brahman and Paramathma. One day he finished his meditation and Baba appears in person in front of him. He then asks Baba that why he send him there? Then Bab tells him that “There was so much distraction there and you thought that I am only in Shirdi but I am everywhere”. Later he finished his penance there and Baba gave him other experiences.

He then decided to go back to his place and he gets another surprise in the form of a rustic who gives him a railway ticket. It was difficult to get a ticket as there were so many people in the line. He realizes the miracle and later goes to his place. After a while he comes back to Shirdi and leaves his body in Shirdi itself.

In a similar way Tatya Noolkar and Megha died in Shirdi and Baba gave his blessings to both of them. At the end of the chapter Hemadpanth also writes about a tiger and it was brought to Shirdi by its owners. The tiger was very ill and the owners were making their livelihood by exhibiting this tiger. They thought the tiger will be cured if they it was brought to Baba. When the tiger came in front of Baba and looked at Baba with love. It fluffed the tuft of its tail and thrashed the ground thrice with it. Then fell lifeless at Sai’s feet. The tiger gave one mighty roar and fell down dead at that very spot. The people were surprised that tiger had died. The dervishes were at first much dejected. But later, they seemed glad that this diseased animal, which was expected to die, had attained a release. This happened seven days before Baba’s mahasamadhi.

Death in the presence of saints and sages is immensely meritorious, whether it is a worm, an insect or a tiger. All their sins are pardoned. Anyone who dies while placing the head at the feet of a saint, he gets himself delivered and gains the benefits of a lifetime.        

Dying in the presence of Saints is not death but the bliss of heaven. He has won the transient world and has no worry about re-birth.

Om Sri Sainatharpanamasthu!