Day -91. “Om Shri Sai Bhakta Vatsalaya Namaha.”

           Shirdi Sai Ashtotramala –Meaning, Meditation and Miracle

                Day -91. “Om Shri Sai Bhakta Vatsalaya Namaha.”

Meaning:

Humble salutation to Him who has fond love and affection for his devotees. (Shirdi Sai Trust).

Meditation:

What is Vathsalyam? The love without any expectation is Vathsalyam. Vathsalyam is the supreme form of love which anticipates the need and fulfils it, just for the sake of love.  In many cases the love of a mother (this includes animals which care for their offspring’s) for her child. The Cow’s love for the calf is Vathsalyam. The migrating birds which fly thousands of kilometres, the sea turtles which come back to their place of birth for laying eggs after crossing great oceans show Vathsalyam in deed.   What a new born child can give back to its mother?  Still mother anticipates the need of the child and fulfils the need. The love of a mother to her child is natural. It is not taught by any one. No one teaches the mother that that she should love the child. It comes from within and is not related to anything external. It does not expect anything in return from the child or for anyone else. It is so amazing to see, driven by this maternal love, to what extent some animals sacrifice themselves for the off springs. This love is infinite, intense and all embracing. This love is specially mentioned in our scriptures as Vathsalyam and attributed only to Brahmam, God or Guru other than the Mother. When Bhagwan Vishnu came from the pillar in Narasimha Avatar, or Lord Shiva drank the Haalaa Hala that threatened the creation in Sagar Manthan, it is the same self sacrificing infinite love for the devotees that is called Vathsalyam was displayed. The Brahmam, God Guru is the form of infinite love and the devotee who becomes one with his chosen God or Guru experiences that infinite love. He feels like a child that is embraced and taken care of by its mother, full of joy and a sense of protection and fulfillment. For him or her, Brahmam, God or Guru becomes everything he can think of and surrender. He feels the infinite maternal love which is Vatsalayam. The Vathsalyam was enjoyed by Saint Thyagaraja, Bhakta Mira, Shri Chaitanya, Shri Ragavendra, and Saint Vivekananda from Ramakrishna. True devotees experience the same Vathsalyam from their Gurus in whom they see God. They go through all Bhava (Nine states of emotions) knowing they enjoy the Vathsalyam of their God. God when presents Himself for the true devotees is the personification of “Bhakta Vathsalyam.”Many devotees enjoy the Vatsalayam even in today through experiences, as by Megha from Sai Baba.

The kind and merciful Sai Baba said many a time the following sweet words in the Masjid:” He who loves Me most, always sees Me. The whole world is desolate to him without Me, he who tells no stories but Mine; he ceaselessly meditates upon Me and always chants My name. I feel indebted to him who surrenders himself completely to Me, and ever remembers Me.  I shall repay his debt by giving him salvation (self realization).  I am dependent on him, who thinks and hungers after Me and who does not eat anything, without first offering it to Me.  He who thus comes to me, becomes one with Me, just as a river gets to the sea and becomes merged (one) with it. So, leaving out pride and egoism and with no trace of them, you should surrender yourself to Me, who is seated in your heart”. 

Sai Baba expounded many a time Who this Me (or I) is. He said, “You need not go far in search of Me.  Barring your name and form, there exists in you as well as in all beings, a sense of Being or Consciousness of Existence.  That is Myself.  Knowing this, you see Me, inside yourself, as well as in all beings.  If you practice this, you will realize all pervasiveness and thus attain oneness with Me.”  Hemadpant therefore, requests the readers humbly and lovingly that, they should love and respect all Gods, saints and devotees.  Has not Baba often said, ‘He who carps and cavils at others, pierces Me in the heart and injures Me, but he that suffers and endures, pleases Me most”.  Baba thus pervades all beings and creatures.  He likes nothing but love to all beings. Such nectar, pure auspicious ambrosia always flowed from Baba’s lips, He,  therefore concludes – those who lovingly sing Baba’s fame and those who hear the same with devotion, both become one with Sai. (Shri Sai Satcharita- Ch: 43&44)

He lived in poverty, burnt his Hand, got the boil, did and does many Leelas even today just for the true devotee who calls “Baba” like a child searching seeking  and  crying for its mother. He is Bhakta Vatsalya.