Day-45: “Om Shri Sai Sharanagata Vatsalaya Namaha.”

         Shirdi Sai Ashtotramala – Meaning, Meditation and Miracle

 

            Day-45: “Om Shri Sai Sharanagata Vatsalaya   Namaha.”

Meaning:

 

Humble salutation to Him who is bound by love to those who surrender themselves unto Him. (Shirdi Sai Trust).

 

Meditation:

 

What is that total surrender and total devotion?

This question takes us a story told by Saint Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

Once a Guru was asked to bring milk daily to him from across the river. The Guru said that if you completely have faith in your Guru abd totally surrender, you just do what he says without any question. You surrender your thoughts to him. He takes care of the rest.

Next day the milk was delayed. The Guru was angry. The woman came and the Guru asked her the reason. She said that there was a flood and the boatman was waiting for the flood to recede.” You should have walked on the waters taking my name” the Guru said. 

After sometime, one day there was again a huge flood. The milk maid came with the milk. The Guru was surprised on seeing her. He asked her wondering how she came. The woman casually told him that she walked on the waters taking his name. The Guru was speechless and understood the power of surrendering in total faith.

In an extraordinary similar story in Bible, Jesus asked one of His most devoted disciples to walk on the sea, while proving the power of surrender.

Such surrender is also the essence of Gita. The one who surrenders to the Brahmam becomes one with the infinite power. He feels the love of God in every moment of his life. He feels everything is taken care of by God or Guru and wants nothing else. He feels being carried in life as one carries  as a Flower being carried in hand. There is no request or prayer to God for anything. Because God or Guru totally takes care with love.

Nobody believed that, Baba knew Sanskrit. One day He surprised all by giving an interpretation of a verse from the Gita, to Nanasaheb Chandorkar. A brief account about this matter was written by Mr. B.V Dev, retired Mamlatdar and published in Marathi in  “Shri Sai Leela “ magazine, Vol.IV. Sphuta Vishaya, Page.563.

Nana was sitting near Baba and massaging His legs and muttering something under his breath.

Baba- Nana, what are you mumbling to yourself?

Nana- I am reciting a Shloka (verse)

Baba- What Shloka?

Nana- From Bhagawad Gita

Baba- Say it loudly

Nana-, then, recited B.G., IV-34, which is as follows:

‘Tadviddhi Pranipaatena Pariprashnena Sevaya

Upadekshiyanti Te Gnyanam Gnyaninastattwadarshinah’

Baba – Nana, do you understand it?

Nana – Yes

Baba – If you do, then tell me the meaning.

Nana – It means this: “Making Sashtanga Namaskar. i.e., prostration, asking the Guru, serving him, learns, what this Knowledge is. Then those who have attained the real knowledge of the Sadvastu (Brahma) will give you Upadesha (instruction) of Knowledge”

Baba – Nana, I do not want this sort of collected purport of the whole stanza. Give me each word, its grammatical force and meaning.

Then, Nana explained it word by word.

Baba – Nana, is it enough to merely make prostration?

Nana – I do not know any other meaning for the word ‘Pranipaat’ than ‘making prostration’

Baba – What is ‘Pariprashna’?

Nana – Asking questions.

Baba - What does ‘Prashna’ mean?

Nana – The same (questioning).

Baba - If ‘Pariprashna’ means the same as ‘Prashna’ (question) why did Vyasa add the prefix ‘Pari’? Was Vyasa off his head?

Nana – I do not know of any other meaning for the word ‘Pariprashna’.

Baba – ‘Seva’, what sort of ‘Seva’ is meant?

Nana – Just what we are doing to you.

Baba – Is it enough to render such service?

Nana – I do not know, what more is signified by the word ‘Seva’.

After further questioning and receiving similar replies from Nana, Baba explained:

(1)        It is not enough merely to prostrate before the Gnyanis. We must make Sarvasva Sharanagati (complete surrender) to the Sadguru.

(2)        (2) Mere questioning is not enough. The question must not be made with any improper motive or attitude or to trap the Guru and catch with a view to achieve spiritual progress or liberation.

(3)        (3) Seva is not rendering service with the feeling that one is free to offer or refuse service. One must feel that, he is not the master of the body, that the body is Guru’s and merely to render service to him.

(4)        If this is done the Sadguru will show you, what the Knowledge referred to in the previous stanza is. 

(Shri Sai Satcharita-Ch: 39&50).

No one knew about His formal learning if any. But all of a sudden Baba explained the deep meanings of the Sanskrit words of Vyasa in Gita on surrender. He is truly the Sharanagadha Vatsalaya.