Day -82. “Om Shri Sai Pavanaandhyaya Namaha.”

           Shirdi Sai Ashtotramala –Meaning, Meditation and Miracle

                   Day -82. “Om Shri Sai Pavanaandhyaya Namaha.”

Meaning:

Humble salutation to Him, who is pure and free from sins.(Shirdi Sai Trust).

Meditation:

Powerful empires were founded, great inventions and discoveries were made, soaring peaks were conquered, impossible world records were set up, destructive wars were fought causing huge losses of lives and assets, peace treaties were settled and sealed as part of ever continuing human activities.  An unbiased analysis will show that the basic fabric and root cause that motivates and fuels all activities by all humans is desire. Desire to achieve a state of mind propels all of us, a President or a poor man, an ascetic or a Grahastham, a Guru or a Shishya, as long as we are alive and conscious, without exception. Desire motivates all actions which the society may perceive and classify as good or bad. Desire may be good or bad, big or small, justified or unjustified, adorable or condemnable by others. Because desire is the expression of the Self in us, which experiences the manifestation of Brahmam God or Guru to where it belongs and returns. It is for this purpose of experiencing the manifestation the Self in us goes through the cycle of births and deaths. The cycle continues till the Self gets rid of the desire and finds for itself the true desire less state of mind from where it came that is Brahmam, God or Guru. When Buddha said that it is the desire that is the cause of all pains He brought the understanding of the nature of desire to our day today lives.  The pain is followed by pleasure of the desire and pleasure is followed by the pain of the desire in one form or other. The cycle does not break for the unrealized.

Those who are on the path of realisation, surrender their Self and its desire to the Brahmam God or Guru, as shown by Bhagwan in Gita. The pain or pleasure following the desire and consequent concepts of sin and atonement are not there for the Brahmam God or Guru to whom we surrender. We become one with the Brahmam God or Guru, and we feel the desireles, pure state of mind which is Sat Chit Anandam.

Baba never made any fuss about things He wanted to accomplish, but He so skillfully arranged the circumstances that people were surprised at the slow but sure results attained. The construction of the Samadhi Mandhir is an instance.  Shriman Bapusaheb Buti, the famous multi millionaire of Nagpur, lived in Shirdi with his family. Once an idea arose in his mind that he should have a building of his own there. Sometime after this, while he was sleeping in Dixit’s Wada he got a vision. Baba appeared in his dream and ordered him to build a Wada with a temple.  Shama, who was sleeping there, also got a similar vision.  When Bapusaheb woke up, he saw Shama crying and asked the latter, as to why he was in tears. Shama replied that in his vision, Baba came to him and ordered distinctly:” Build the Wada with the temple! I shall fulfill the desires of all”. On hearing the sweet and loving words of Baba, I was overpowered with emotion, my throat was choked, and my eyes were overflowing with tears and began to cry”.  Bapusaheb was surprised to see that both their visions tallied.  Being a rich and capable man, he decided to build a Wada there and drew up a plan with Shama (Madhavrao).  Kakasaheb Dixit also approved of it.  And when it was placed before Baba, He also sanctioned it immediately.  Then the construction work was duly started, and under the supervision of Shama, the ground floor, the cellar and the well were completed.  Baba on His way to and from Lendi, also suggested some    

Improvements.  Further work was entrusted to Bapusaheb Jog; and when it was going on, an idea struck Bapusaheb Buti’s mind that, there should be an open place or platform and in the centre, the image of Muralidhar (Lord Krishna with the flute) be installed.  He asked Shama to refer this matter to Baba and get His consent.  The latter asked Baba about this when He was just passing by the Wada.  On hearing Shama, Baba gave his consent saying, “After the temple is complete, I will come there to stay”, and staring at the Wada He added, “After the Wada is complete, we shall use it ourselves, we shall live, move and play there, embrace each other and be happy”.  Then, Shama asked Baba, whether this was the auspicious time to begin the foundation work of the central room of the shrine. Baba answered in the affirmative.  Then Shama got a coconut broken there and started the work.  In due time the work was completed

And an order was also placed for making a good image of Muralidhar. But before it was ready, a new situation turned up.  Baba became seriously ill. Bapusaheb became very sad and dejected, thinking that if Baba passed away, his Wada would not be consecrated by the holy touch of Baba’s feet, and all his money (about a lakh of rupees) would be washed away.  But the words “Keep Me in the Wada” which came out of Baba’s mouth just before His passing away, consoled not only Bapusaheb, but one and all.  In due time, Baba’s holy body was placed and preserved in the central shrine meant for Muralidhar, and Baba Himself became Muralidhar, and Wada thus became the Samadhi Mandhir of Sai Baba.  His wonderful leela is unfathomable. (Shri Sai Satcharita Ch: 39 & 50)

Being desireles and pure, as promised He fulfils the desires of all His devotees who surrender themselves to Him.  He is Pavanaandhyaya.