Day -100. “Om Shri Sai Adbhudananda Charyaya Namaha.”

          Shirdi Sai Ashtotramala –Meaning, Meditation and Miracle

         Day -100. “Om Shri Sai Adbhudananda Charyaya Namaha.”

Meaning:

Humble salutation to Him who is the performer of infinite marvelous deeds (Shirdi Sai Trust).

Meditation:

Irrespective of age, from the child to the old, everyone is excited seeing an impossible thing happen such as an act in the Circus or a performance by a magician. Why we are excited?  When a rare event happens, why there is a rush to be present or why many regret having missed the event? When a person causes something which defies the natural laws we call it a miracle and bow before him and call him a saint. Is there a difference between incredible performance, magic or miracle?

The answers to all these questions are very much related to the nature and craving of Self in every one of us. As per normal human expectation if a 100 metre race can have a best time of 10.00 seconds, Usain Bolt breaks that limitation to 9.58 seconds, becomes an incredible performer and a person looked upon with awe by the world. Houdini was tied with iron chains, put in a box and lowered into the sea.  He came out and became the all-time great Magician, admired all over the world. He broke the limitations of expectations of normal human body. We are thrilled invariably by such breaks of normal expectation because the Self within us is limitless.  It feels the burden of limitations imposed by the body. It gets excited and thrilled to see the self in another body indicates, even in a very small way, the possibility of achieving limitlessness.  This excitement is due to its true nature, being the part of Brahmam, God or Guru. But great athletes, circus artistes just only stretch the limitations. They still cannot become totally limitless in their performance.

When such a performance happens defying all limits, absolutely without any explanation, such as a person seeing an accident that shall happen in future to come, or healing an illness that eminent doctors lost the hope of being cured, blessing a lady to her first child after 20 years of married life, or preventing a devotee from getting a ticket for a train which gets involved in accident later, we call it a miracle.  The self in us, recognises the limitless nature of the incident and identifies the one who caused the miracle to happen as Brahmam, God or Guru. It is thrilled see the Power of Brahmam God or Guru over the limitations of the body which is part of the material manifestation, the Maya. It recognises itself, realises and feels one with Brahmam, God or Guru.

“Sai Baba was very fond of lights.  He used to borrow oil from shopkeepers, and keep lamps burning the whole night in the Masjid and temple.  This went on for some time.  The Banias who supplied oil gratis, once met together and decided not to give Him oil.  When as usual, Baba went to ask for oil, they all gave Him a distinct “No”.  Unperturbed, Baba returned to the Masjid and kept the dry wicks in the lamps.  The Banias were watching Him with curiosity.  Baba took the Tumrel (tin pot) which contained very little (a few drops) oil, put water into it and drank it, and then, forced it out to fall in the container. After consecrating the tin pot in this way, He again took the water from the tin-pot and filled all the lamps with it and lighted them.  To the surprise and dismay of watching Banias, the lamps began to burn and kept burning the whole night.  The Banias repented and apologised and Baba forgave them, and asked them to be more truthful in future. (Shri Sai Satcharita Ch: 5)

The simple Saint in Shirdi continues to perform miracles even today, nearly a century after Maha Samadhi in Shirdi.   They shed tears of joy on His miracles in their own lives. Shirdi is a Teerth since His feet touched it. He is Adbhudananda Charyaya.