Day-43:”Om Shri Sai Bhakta Paradheenaya Namaha.”

         Shirdi Sai Ashtotramala – Meaning, Meditation and Miracle

 

             Day-43:”Om Shri Sai Bhakta Paradheenaya Namaha.”

Meaning:

 

Humble salutation to the Master, who is Sub-servient to His devotees, who surrender unto Him completely and who remains at their beck and call. (Shirdi Sai Trust).

 

Meditation:

 

When the Atman craves to identify itself with the Paramatman or Brahmam, it tries to form a link in one of the known relationships.

Like a child craving for the mother;

Like a lover craving for her lover;

Like a shishya craving for his master;

Like a friend craving for his friend;

Like a mother craving for her child;

Like a pursuer craving to achieve his objective;

Like a thinker craving to find the truth.

These are the Bhavana’s in which the Atman can  manifest its craving to unite with the Paramatman.

But what happens when the Paramatman decides to absorb an Atman seeing its craving? He runs to the Bhakta as Mother, lover, Guru, Master, Friend,  Achievement or Truth. But very rarely a devotee’s Bhavana is that of a Master to a servant. But for those who achieved realization even these Bhavana’s don’t make any difference. The Brahmam, God or Guru, who are beyond these Bhavanas appear to them in any form, including as that of a servant to master, who comes even before the master thinks of him, knowing his needs. It is the extreme form of taking care. There is no need for any call, but Brahmam, God, or Guru takes care of everything like a mother, lover, friend, master, or even as a loving servant takes care of the master.

Jesus washed the feet of his disciples in the Last Supper. Baba cooked meal for His devotees and served. Lord Shiva carried His devotee to his lover’s house. Lord Shiva got the beatings on His back by the King for the sake of His devotee. Lord Krishna was the Sarathi for Partha.

To a few most down trodden in Kolkata, abandoned by others and who called the God, a loving servant appeared in the form of Mother Teresa.

The Jamner Miracle:

In the year 1904-05, Nanasaheb Chandorkar was Mamlatdar at Jamner, in the Khandesh district, which is more than 100 miles from Shirdi. His daughter Mainatai, was pregnant and was due to deliver. Her case was very serious and she was suffering from labour pains for the last two or three days.  Nanasaheb tried all remedies but in vain; he then remembered Baba and invoked His aid. There in Shirdi, one Ramgirbua whom Baba called Bapugirubua was leaving for his native place, in Khandesh. Baba called him and told him to stop at Jamner on his way home and give the Udi and Aarti to Nanasaheb. Ramgirbua said that he had only two rupees with him and this amount was barely sufficient for the railway fare up to Jalgaon, and it was not possible for him to go from Jalgaon to Jamner, a distance of about 30 miles. Baba assured him that he need not care, as everything would be provided for. Then Baba asked Shama to write a well-known Aarti composed by Madhav Adkar (Aarti and translation of this given at the end of this work), and gave a copy of it with Udi to Ramgirbua, to be delivered to Nanasaheb. Then relying on Baba’s words Ramgirbua left Shirdi and reached Jalgaon at about 2.45a.m. He had only two anna left with him and he was in a plight. To his great relief he heard somebody calling out, “Who is Bapugirbua of Shirdi?” He went to him and told him that he was Bapugirbua. Then the person, professing to be sent by Nanasaheb took him to an excellent Tonga with a good pair of horses. They both drove in it. The Tonga ran fast and early in the morning they came to a Brooklet. The man took the horses for watering them and he asked Ramgirbua to partake of some eatables. On seeing the beard, moustache and the livery of that person, Ramgirbua suspected him to be a Muslim, and was unwilling to take any refreshments from him, but he satisfied Ramgirbua by saying that he was a Hindu, a Kshatriya of Garhwal and that Nanasaheb had sent these refreshments and there should be no difficulty in its acceptance. Then both of them took the refreshments and started again. They reached Jamner at dawn. Ramgirbua alighted to attend a call of nature and returned within a few minutes, but found that there was no Tonga, and no driver. He was dumbfounded. Then he went to the neighboring Kacheri and on making enquiries learnt that the Mamlatdar was at home. He went to Nanasaheb’s house and gave to Nanasaheb, Baba’s Udi and Aarti. At this time, Mainatai’s case was in the most serious condition and all were in deep anxiety about her. Nanasaheb called out his wife and asked her to give the Udi mixed with water, to their daughter to drink. He thought that Baba’s help was most opportune. In a few minutes came the news that, the delivery was safe and that the crisis had passed away. When Ramgirbua thanked Nanasaheb for the peon, Tonga and the refreshments etc, the later was greatly surprised as he had sent none to the station, and was not aware of any person coming from Shirdi. (Shri Sai Satcharita- Ch: 33)

 

To those devotees who call Him in desperation with true devotion, He comes running to help in any form, by any means.  He is truly Bhakta Paradheenaya.