Day - 26: “Om Shri Sai Yogakshema Vahaaya Namaha.”

Shirdi Sai Ashtotramala – Meaning, Meditation and Miracle 

Day - 26: “Om Shri Sai Yogakshema Vahaaya Namaha.”

            

Meaning: 

Humble salutation to the one who looks after the sustenance and well being of His devotees. 

Meditation:

They say the age of this universe is about 14.3 billion years. The age of Sun which is an insignificant star is 10 billion years. The solar system is about 5 billion years old. Every small object in this vast and huge universe is in motion. The motion is with absolute precision of unimaginable proportions and perfections.

The Stars move in their path. The Sun gives its enormous energy by radiation. The planets, asteroids and satellites, all move according to their timings correct to the second. The ocean tides can be predicted to the second. The eclipses the seasons, all happen with great accuracy. What causes this activity? Who is the Master of this circus of which all us are a part, which is happening for billions of years?

The heart starts beating the moment we take our first breath, the neurons, enzymes, glands, organs, cells ,acids, DNA, brain, the systems- all work, and continuously work and perform their assigned roles and their tasks with precision till we are asked one day to stop breathing.

Who maintains this order? Who has shaped this beautiful rhythm and regularity which is complex and can even be mistaken for chaos by ignorance?

He creates, He maintains, and He absorbs, the small blade of a grass, the birth, life and end of every one of us, the eruption of a Volcano, the orbit of the Moon, Earth, the life cycle of Stars- all are by Him. He is the one who takes care and gives sustenance. We realize it, because of Him in us, The Self.

Balasaheb Mirikar, was Mamlatdar of Kopergoan. On his way to Chitalli, he came to Shirdi and had the darshan of Baba. Baba asked him,” Do you know our Dwarkamai, where you are sitting. She wards off all dangers and anxiety of the children who sit in her lap. This Masjidmai (its presiding Deity), is very merciful, she is the merciful mother of simple devotees, whom she will save in calamities. Once a person sits in her lap all his troubles are over. He who rest in her shade, gets Bliss”. Then Baba gave him Udi and placed His hand on his head. When Balasaheb about to depart, He again said,” Do you know the Lamba Baba (long gentleman), namely, serpent”. Then closing the left fist He brought it under His right elbow and moving His left arm like the hood of a serpent, said, “He is so terrible, but what can he do to the children of Dwarkamai (its presiding Deity)! When the Dwarkamai protects, what can the serpent do?”. Then Baba asked Shama to go along with Balasaheb to Chitalli.

Balasaheb departed to Chitalli. Shama went with him. The Mamlatdar and his party reached Chitalli at 9pm, and encamped in the Maruthi temple. Balasaheb was sitting on a mat, reading a newspaper. His Uparani (upper Dhotar) was spread across his waist and on it, a snake was sitting on unnoticed. It began to move with a hissing sound, which was noticed by a peon. He brought a lantern, saw the snake and raised an alarm. In the meanwhile the snake slowly came down from the waist and moved away from Balasaheb, and then was killed by others.  Baba’s words,” when Dwarkamai protects her children what can a serpent do”, were remembered by all. (Shri Sai Satcharita, Ch:22).

Balram Mankar was a house- holder devotee of Baba, lost his wife, went to Baba and did not go back to his house. Baba gave him Rs.12 and asked him to go to Machhindragad ( District Satara), and asked him to practice meditation three times a day in the Gad,( Fort). Balram Mankar went to Machhindragad, meditated and went into a state of Bliss. When he broke his trance, Baba appeared in person to him. Baba said,” In Shirdi many thoughts and ideas began to raise in your mind, and I sent you here to bring your unsteady mind to rest. You thought that I was in Shirdi with a body, composed of the five elements and three and a half cubits in length. Now, you see and determine for yourself whether the person you see here now, is the same you saw at Shirdi. It is for this reason I sent you here”. (Shri Sai Satcharita, Ch: 31). 

His devotees are taken care of like a child being taken care of by the mother.  His devotees never feel his absence. In His own words, He always protects them by His glance, just as the mother tortoise feeds her young ones, whether they are near or away from her on the other side of the bank, by her loving glances.He is Yogakshema Vahaaya.