Day -96. “Om Shri Sai Abedhananda Anubhav Pradhaya Namaha.”

           Shirdi Sai Ashtotramala –Meaning, Meditation and Miracle 

   Day -96. “Om Shri Sai Abedhananda Anubhav Pradhaya Namaha.”

Meaning:

Humble salutation to Him who grants undivided bliss (Shirdi Sai Trust).

Meditation:

“Let us go and enjoy the beautiful sunset in the beach”. 

We went, enjoyed the evening breeze, saw the incredible play of colours, shapes and shines on the infinitely large blue canvas in the background, and admired the painter who daily creates the dynamic painting never to be repeated. Gradually the painting vanished with the setting of the Sun. It was getting dark.

A child asked “Why that colourful sky can’t be there always?”  

“It will come again tomorrow” answered the mother.

Almost all our happy experiences, let them  be a concert, a journey, joy of a promotion in work, functions, meeting relatives, festivals, new clothes, have  a few things in common which are  a beginning, a happening and an end, sudden or gradual. They all interact with one or more of our five senses leaving some consequences that  may be good or bad.  Our great Rishis and Sages enjoyed all material pleasures and identified that these have the common feature of being external, affecting through one or more of the five senses and have the limitation of a beginning and end.

They did not stop with that.

They went further internally in search of happiness that has neither a beginning nor an end i.e., endless unlimited happiness.  They realised that this unlimited endless ultimate happiness or “Parmanand” is beyond our five senses and should come from within, not from outside. They realised that the “Self” within us enjoys the Anand through senses in a limited way and it enjoys Parmanand by becoming one with Brahmam God or Guru. At this stage of unity, the Rishis found that the Brahmam, God or Guru is the form of ultimate bliss having neither a beginning nor an end. This Parmanand comes from within, fills the heart for no cause. Therefore it does not vanish  as in the case of short lived external happy experiences through the five senses, like the evening sunset, the music concert, the end of a beautiful innings and so on.

Once a Mamlatdar came to Shirdi, with a doctor friend of his.  The doctor said that his Deity was Ram and that, he would not bow before a Mohammeden and so, he was unwilling to go to Shirdi.  The Mamlatdar replied, that nobody would press him to bow down.  So, he should come and give the pleasure of his company.  Accordingly, they reached Shirdi and went to the Masjid for Baba’s darshan.  All were wonderstruck to see, the doctor going ahead and saluting Baba.   They asked him how he forgot his resolve and bowed down to a Mussalman.  Then, the doctor replied that, he saw his beloved Deity, Ram, on the seat and therefore, prostrated before Him.  Then as he was saying this, he again saw, Sai Baba there.  Being dismayed, he again said, “Is this a dream? How could He be a Mohammedan?  He is a great Yogasampanna (full of Yoga) Avatar”

Next day, he made a vow and began to fast. He absented himself from the Masjid, resolving not to go there, until Baba blessed him.  Three days passed and on the fourth day, a close friend of his, from Khandesh, turned up, and with him, he went to the Masjid for Baba’s darshan.  After the salutation, Baba asked him, whether anybody had gone to call him that he had come.  Hearing this vital question, the doctor was moved.  The same night he was blessed by Baba and he experience Bliss supreme, in his sleep.  Then he left for his town where he remained in the same state for a fortnight.  Thus, his devotion for Sai Baba increased manifold. Shri Sai Satcharita-Ch: 12).

He had given darshan to the devoted devotees as Ram or their own Guru, he being an Antharyami. He gave them Supreme Bliss in the form they understood Brahmam, God or Guru. He is Abedhananda Anubhav Pradhaya.