Day -50. “Om Shri Sai Hrudaya Granthi Bedhakaya Namaha

 

 

          Shirdi Sai Ashtotramala – Meaning, Meditation and Miracle

 

        Day -50. “Om Shri Sai Hrudaya Granthi Bedhakaya Namaha.”

 

Meaning:

Humble salutation to the one who unties the knot in heart and allowed introspection and ultimate realisation- Moksha. (Shirdi Sai Trust). 

 

Meditation: 

 

 

A mother is tied to her child emotionally. Because of this bond, she cannot act independently and take any decision or act without taking into consideration the child. In the background of all her thoughts, words and deeds the bondage to the child is there. While the bond between a mother and child is beautiful and given by nature, we create other types of emotional bonds or knots around us which we call attachments. Bonds to wealth, name and fame, bonds to relationships, philosophies, institutions, beliefs, languages, cultures, lands, tastes, sports, goals, habits, et all.  Bonds can be good, noble, mean, desirable, undesirable, constructive, or destructive.  But all bonds have one thing in common.  They try to limit the limitless self. They become the source of conflict within us. The bondage to wealth creates desire to own, manage and increase the wealth against the practical limitations and thus a source of conflict. The bondage to a faith, belief or ideology creates desire to attract more and more followers creating conflicts. The bondage to name and fame in the field of our choice creates desire to reach the top and remain there forever which is impossible and thus a source of conflict. 

All types of bondages create conflicts for the Self and limit it except one bondage. That is the bondage to the Brahmam, God or Guru. When a devotee gets this true bondage, he feels free and his soul becomes limitless as he leaves the fruits of all his action to Brahmam God or Guru. He is freed from all other types of bondages.  No relationships, desire for wealth, name and fame can bind him because he is confident and convinced that it is his God or Guru who takes care of whatever that is happening. He happily lives through life amidst all types of bondages but without being affected by them. The Guru has given him Moksha here itself, the liberation from all types of bonds by untying the knots of bondages and freeing his soul just through introspection and realisation.  

Once Shri Vasudevanandha Sarawathi, known as Shri Tembe Swami encamped at Rajamahendri (Andhra Country), on the banks of the Godavari. He was devout, orthodox, Giyani and Yogi Bhakta of the Dattatreya. One, Mr. Pundalikrao, pleader of Nanded (Nizam state) went to see Him with his friends. While they were talking with him, the names of Shirdi and Sai Baba were casually mentioned. Hearing Baba’s name the Swami joined hands with reverence and taking a coconut gave it to Pundalikrao, and said to him,” Offer this to my Brother Sai, with my pranaam and Request Him not to forget me, but ever love me”. He also added that, Swamis do not generally go to others, but in this case an exception had to make. Mr. Pundalikrao consented to take the coconut and his message to Baba. 

After one month Pundalikrao and others left for Shirdi with the coconut, and reached Manmad, and as they felt thirsty they went to rivulet to drink water. As water should not be drunk on an empty stomach, they took out some refreshment, i.e., chivda (flattened rice mixed with spice). The chivda tasted most pungent and in order to soften it, as someone suggested, broke the coconut, and mixed its scrapings with it. Thus, they made the chivda more tasty and palatable. Unfortunately, the coconut turned out to be the same that was entrusted to Pundalikrao. As they neared Shirdi, Pundalikrao remembered the trust, i.e., the coconut and was very sorry that it was broken and consumed. He came to Shirdi and saw Baba. Baba had already received a wireless message, regarding the coconut from Tembe Swami, and himself asked Pundalikrao first to give the thing sent by his brother. He held fast Baba’s feet, confessed his guilt and negligence, repented and asked for Baba’s pardon. He offered to give another fruit as a substitute, but Baba refused to accept it, saying that the worth of that coconut was far more than that of an ordinary one, and that it could not be replaced by another.  Baba also added, “Now you need not worry yourself anymore about the matter. It was on account of my wish that, the coconut was entrusted to you, and ultimately broken on the way, why should you take the responsibility on you? Do not entertain the sense of doer ship in doing good, as well as for bad deeds; be entirely pride less and egoless in all things and thus your spiritual progress will be rapid.” 

He removes the pride and ego from the hearts of His devotees, and takes responsibility for whatever happening to them making them free without bondages. He is Hrudaya Granthi Bedhakaya.