ChapterIII

SaiBabasSanctionandPromiseAssignmentofWorktoDevoteesBabasStoriesasBeacon
LightHisMotherlyLoveRohillasStoryHissweetandNectarlikeWords.
SaiBabasSanctionandPromise

Asdescribedinthepreviouschapter,SaiBabagaveHiscompleteassenttothewritingoftheSat
Charitaandsaid,"IfullyagreewithyouregardingthewritingofSatCharita.Youdoyourduty,dont
beafraidintheleast,steadyyourmindandhavefaithinMywords.IfmyLeelasarewritten,the
Avidya(nescience)willvanishandiftheyareattentively,anddevoutlylistenedto,theconsciousness
oftheworldlyexistencewillabate,andstrongwavesofdevotion,andlovewillriseupandifonedives
deepintoMyLeelas,hewouldgetpreciousjewelsofknowledge."
Hearingthis,authorwasmuchpleased,andheatoncebecamefearlessandconfident,andthoughtthat
workwasboundtobeasuccess.ThenturningtoShama(MadhavraoDeshpande)SaiBabasaid.
"IfamanuttersMynamewithlove,Ishallfulfillallhiswishes,increasehisdevotion.Andifhesings
earnestlyMylifeandMydeeds,himIshallbesetinfrontandbackandonallsides.Thosedevotees,
whoareattachedtoMe,heartandsoul,willnaturallyfeelhappiness,whentheyhearthesestories.
BelieveMethatifanybodysingsMyLeelas,Iwillgivehiminfinitejoyandeverlastingcontentment.It
isMyspecialcharacteristictofreeanyperson,whosurrenderscompletelytoMe,andwhodoes
worshipMefaithfully,andwhoremembersMe,andmeditatesonMeconstantly.Howcantheybe
consciousofworldlyobjectsandsensations,whoutterMyname,whoworshipMe,whothinkofMy
storiesandMylifeandwhothusalwaysrememberMe?IshalldrawoutMydevoteesfromthejawsof
Death.IfMystoriesarelistenedto,allthediseaseswillbegotridof.So,hearMystorieswithrespect;
andthinkandmeditateonthem,assimilatethem.Thisisthewayofhappinessandcontentment.The
prideandegoismofMydevoteeswillvanish,themindofthehearerswillbesetatrest;andifithas
wholeheartedandcompletefaith,itwillbeonewithSupremeConsciousness.Thesimpleremembrance
ofMynameasSai,Saiwilldoawaywithsinsofspeechandhearing".
DifferentWorksAssignedtoDevotees

TheLordentrustsdifferentworkstodifferentdevotees.Somearegiventheworkofbuildingtemples
andmaths,orghats(flightofsteps)onrivers;somearemadetosingthegloriesofGod;somearesent
onpilgrimages;buttomewasallottedtheworkofwritingtheSatCharita.Beingajackofalltrades
butmasterofnone,Iwasquiteunqualifiedforthisjob.ThenwhyshouldIundertakesuchadifficult
job?WhocandescribethetruelifeofSaiBaba?SaiBabasgracealonecanenableonetoaccomplish
thisdifficultwork.So,whenItookupthepeninmyhand,SaiBabatookawaymyegoismandwrote
HimselfHisstories.Thecreditofrelatingthesestories,therefore,goestoHimandnottome.Though
Brahminbybirth,Ilackedthetwoeyes.(i.e.thesightorvision)ofShrutiandSmritiandthereforewas
notatallcapableofwritingtheSatCharita,butthegraceoftheLordmakesadumbmantalk,enables
alamemantocrossamountain.HealoneknowstheknackofgettingthingsdoneasHelikes.Neither
theflute,northeharmoniumknowshowthesoundsareproduced.ThisistheconcernofthePlayer.
TheoozingofChandrakantjewelandthesurgingoftheseaarenotduetothejewelandtheseabutto
theriseofthemoon.
BabasStoriesasBeaconLight

Lighthousesareconstructedatvariousplacesinthesea,toenabletheboatmentoavoidrocksand
dangers,andmakethemsailsafely.SaiBabasstoriesserveasimilarpurposeintheoceanofworldly
existence.Theysurpassnectarinsweetness,andmakeourworldlypathsmoothandeasytotraverse.

Blessedarethestoriesofthesaints.Whentheyenterourheartsthroughtheears,thebody
consciousnessoregoismandthesenseofdualityvanish;andwhentheyarestoredintheheart,doubts
flyouttoallsides,prideofthebodywillfall,andwisdomwillbestoredinabundance.Thedescription
ofBabaspurefame,andthehearingofthesame,withlove,willdestroythesinsofthedevoteeand,
therefore,thisisthesimpleSadhanaforattainingsalvation.TheSadhanaforKritaAgewas
Shamadama(tranquillityofmindandbody),forTretaAge,sacrifice,forDwapara,worship,andfor
Kali(present)Age,itissingingofthenameandgloryoftheLord.ThislastSadhanaisopentoallthe
peopleofthefourvarnas(Brahmins,etc.).TheotherSadhanas,viz.Yoga,Yagya(sacrifice),Dhyana
(meditation)andDharana(concentration)areverydifficulttopractice,butsingingandhearingthe
storiesandthegloryoftheLord(SaiBaba)isveryeasy.Wehaveonlytoturnourattentiontowards
them.Thelisteningandsingingofthestorieswillremovetheattachmenttothesensesandtheir
objects,andwillmakethedevoteesdispassionate,andwillultimatelyleadthemtoselfrealization.
Withthisendinview,SaiBabamademeorhelpedmetowriteHisstories,SatCharitamrita.The
devoteesmaynoweasilyreadandhearthesestoriesofSaiBabaandwhiledoingso,meditateonHim,
HisformandthusattaindevotiontoGuruandGod(SaiBaba),getdetachmentandselfrealization.In
thepreparationandwritingofthiswork,SatCharitamrita,itisSaiBabasgracewhichhas
accomplishedeverything,makinguseofmeasamereinstrument.
MotherlyLoveofSaiBaba

Everybodyknowshowacowlovesherinfantcalf.Herudderisalwaysfullandwhenthecalfwants
milkanddashesattheudder,outcomesthemilkinanunceasingflow.Similarlyahumanmother
knowsthewantsofherchildandfeedsit,atherbreastintime.Incaseofdressingandadorningthe
child,themothertakesparticularcaretoseethatthisiswelldone.Thechildknowsorcaresnothing
aboutthis,butthemothersjoyknowsnobounds,whensheseesherchildbeautifullydressedand
adorned.Theloveofmotherispeculiar,extraordinaryanddisinterested,andhasnoparallel.Sadgurus
feelthismotherlylovetowardstheirdisciples.SaiBabahadthissamelovetowardsme,andIgivean
instanceofitbelow:
In1916A.D.IretiredfromGovernmentService.Thepensionthatwassettledinmycasewasnot
sufficienttomaintainmyfamilydecently.OnGuruPournima(15thofAshadha)dayofthatyear,I
wenttoShirdiwithotherdevotees.There,Mr.AnnaChinchanikar,ofhisownaccord,prayedtoBaba
formeasfollows:"Pleaselookkindlyonhim,thepensionhegetsisquiteinsufficient,hisfamilyis
growing.Givehimsomeotherappointment,removehisanxietyandmakehimhappy."Babareplied"
Hewillgetsomeotherjob,butnowheshouldserveMeandbehappy.Hisdisheswillbeeverfulland
neverempty.HeshouldturnallhisattentiontowardsMeandavoidthecompanyofatheists,irreligious
andwickedpeople.HeshouldbemeekandhumbletowardsallandworshipMeheartandsoul.Ifhe
doesthis,hewillgeteternalhappiness".
ThequestionWhoisthisHE,Whoseworshipisadvocated,isalreadyansweredinanoteon"Whois
SaiBaba"intheprologue,atthebeginningofthiswork.
RohillasStory

ThestoryoftheRohillaillustratesSaiBabasallembracinglove.OneRohilla,tallandwellbuilt,
strongasabull,cametoShirdi,wearingalongKafni(robe)andwasenamouredofSaiwhostayed
there.DayandnightheusedtoreciteinaloudandharshtoneKalma(versesfromHolyKoran)and
shout"ALLAHHOAKBAR"(GodisGreat).MostpeopleofShirdi,wereworkingintheirfieldsby
dayandwhentheyreturnedtotheirhomesatnight,theywerewelcomedwiththeRohillasharshcries
andshouts.Theycouldgetnosleepandfeltmuchtroubleandinconvenience.Theysufferedinsilence
thisnuisanceforsomedays,andwhentheycouldstanditnolonger,theyapproachedBaba,and
requestedHimtochecktheRohillaandstopthenuisance.Babadidnotattendtotheircomplaint.On
thecontrary,Babatookthevillagerstotask,andaskedthemtomindtheirownbusiness,andnotthe
Rohilla.HesaidtothemthattheRohillahadgotaverybadwife,aZantippi,whotriedtocomeinand
troubletheRohillaandHimself;buthearingtheRohillasprayers,shedarenotenterandtheywereat

peaceandhappy.Infact,theRohillahadnowifeandbyhiswifeBabameantDURBUDDHI,i.e.bad
thoughts.AsBabalikedprayersandcriestoGodbetterthananythingelse,Hetookthesideofthe
Rohilla,andaskedthevillagerstowaitandsufferthenuisance,whichwouldabateinduecourse.
BabasSweetandNectarlikeWords

OnedayatnoonaftertheArti,devoteeswerereturningtotheirlodgings,whenBabagavethe
followingbeautifuladvice:
"Bewhereveryoulike,dowhateveryouchoose,rememberthiswellthatallwhatyoudoisknownto
Me.IamtheInnerRulerofallandseatedintheirhearts.Ienvelopeallthecreatures,themovableand
immovableworld.IamtheControllerthewirepulleroftheshowofthisUniverse.Iamthemother
originofallbeingstheHarmonyofthreeGunas,thepropellerofallsenses,theCreator,Preserverand
Destroyer.Nothingwillharmhim,whoturnshisattentiontowardsMe,butMayawilllashorwhiphim
whoforgetsMe.Alltheinsects,ants,thevisible,movableandimmovableworld,isMyBodyor
Form".
Hearingthesebeautifulandpreciouswords,Iatoncedecidedinmymindtoservenoman
henceforward,butmyGuruonly;butthereplyofBabatoAnnaChinchanikarsquery(whichwas
reallymine)thatIwouldgetsomejob,begantorevolveinmymind,andIbegantothinkwhetherit
wouldcometohappen.Asfutureeventsshowed,BabaswordscametrueandIgotaGovernmentjob,
butthatwasofshortduration.ThenIbecamefreeandsolelydevotedmyselftotheserviceofmy
GuruSaiBaba.
BeforeconcludingthisChapter,Irequestthereaderstoleaveoutthevarioushindrancesviz.indolence,
sleep,wanderingofmind,attachmentstosenses,etc.andturntheirwholeandundividedattentionto
thesestoriesofSaiBaba.Lettheirlovebenatural,letthemknowthesecretofdevotion;letthemnot
exhaustthemselvesbyotherSadhanas,letthemsticktothisonesimpleremedy,i.e.listeningtoSai
Babasstories.Thiswilldestroytheirignoranceandwillsecureforthemsalvation.Amisermaystay
atvariousplaces;buthealwaysthinksofhisburiedtreasure.SoletSaiBababeenthronedinthehearts
ofall.
Inthenextchapter,IshallspeakofSaiBabasadventinShirdi.