Day-42. “Om Shri Sai Bhakta Bhaya Pradaya Namaha.”

          Shirdi Sai Ashtotramala – Meaning, Meditation and Miracle 

               Day-42. “Om Shri Sai Bhakta Bhaya Pradaya Namaha.”

Meaning:

 

Humble salutation to the Master, who gives Abhaya- Supreme security from fear. (Shirdi Sai Trust).

 

Meditation:

 

When Bhakta Markandeya hugged the Shiva Lingam and Yama came for his life, Lord Shiva, appeared and protected him. When Bhakta Prahalad was threatened Lord Vishnu came from the Pillar. When Dhroupathi’s honour was threatened, in the court of Dhrutha Rashtra in presence of Pitha Maha Bhishma and the helpless Pandavas,  Bhagwan Krishna saved her through His grace. God has intervened to save His Bhaktha from death and disaster.

 The greatest of all fears is the fear of death, which is common to all creations. No one can definitely say with proof and authority what happens to the soul after it exits the body. Those who say have not experience death and those who experienced death cannot say anything that happens after death.

But the devotee who surrenders totally to Brahman, God or Guru identifies himself with God or Guru and feels he will return to God after leaving the body. Thus he is neither doubtful, nor worried about himself and he is free from the greatest of all fears. God, thus directly relieves him of fear of death and thus he is freed from all other fears also.

Once Shama, was bitten by a poisonous snake. His little finger was bitten and the poison began to spread in the body. The pain was also severe and Shama thought that, he would pass away soon. His friends wanted to take him to the God Vithoba, where such cases were often sent but Shama ran to the Masjid to his Vithoba (Sai Baba). When Baba saw him, He began to scold and abuse. He got enraged and said,” Oh vile Bhaturdya (priest) do not climb up. Beware if you do so!” and then, roared,” Go, Get away, Come down!” Seeing Baba thus, red with wrath, Shama was greatly puzzled and disappointed. He thought that the Masjid was his home and Sai Baba his Sole Refuge, but if he was driven away like this, where should he go? He lost all hopes of life and kept silent. After a while, when Baba became normal and calm, Shama went up and sat near him. Then Baba said to him,” Don’t be afraid, don’t care a jot ( a small amount), the Merciful Fakir will save you, go and sit quite at home, don’t go out, believe in Me and remain fearless and have no anxiety”. Then he was sent home immediately afterwards. Baba sent Tatya Patil and Kakasaheb Dixit to him with instructions to the effect, that he should eat what he liked, should move around in the house, but should in no case lie down and sleep. Needless to say, that these instructions were acted upon and Shama got all right in a short time. The only thing to be remembered in this connection is this- the words of Baba ( or the five syllabled  Mantra, viz, ‘Go, Get away, Come down’) were not addressed to Shama as it apparently looked, but they were a direct order to the snake and its poison not to rise up and circulate through Shama’s body. Like others well- versed in Mantrashastra, He had not to use any incarnation, charged rice or water etc, His words only were most efficacious in saving the life of Shama.

The devotee, who has Shraddha in Him, has nothing to fear, because Baba removes the fear from the hearts of His devotees. He is Bhakta  Bhaya Pradhaya.