SAI SATCHARITA
Sai Satcharita Chapter 4
Sai Satcharita Chapter 4
Shri Sai Baba had many devotees who loved Him. He believed that all people had goodness inside them, and that chanting the Lord’s name would help to bring that to the fore. The following tales are about Baba’s followers and their love and devotion to Him.
Goulibuva was a great devotee of Sai Baba. Although he was quite old, close to 95, he made many religious journeys to obtain darshan from the Lord. He believed that Baba was the Lord on earth, calling Him “Pandharinath Vithal.” Goulibuva was devoted to Baba and chanted His name, praising the Lord who helped the poor and helpless until his death.
Ganapat Dattatrya Sahasra Budde, whom people affectionately called Das Ganu Maharaj, was a great poet and musician. Sai Baba and His devotees frequently sang praises of the Lord. When this chanting continued at once for seven days at a time, it was called Namah Sapta. One day, Baba asked Das Ganu Maharaj to chant the Namah Sapta. Ganu Maharaj replied that he would only do it if the Lord (whom he called “Vithal”) appeared to him on the seventh day. Baba told him that it would surely happen if Ganu Maharaj’s prayers were honest and devout. As it turned out, Vithal appeared to Ganu Maharaj in Shirdi after the seven days’ prayer.
Das Ganu Maharaj, like many Hindus, believed in the purity of holy water (theertham). When Ganu Maharaj came to ask Baba for his permission to go on a holy journey to visit the Ganges, Baba replied that it was not necessary, and that all he had to do was to believe in the Lord. When Das Ganu Maharaj placed his head at Baba’s feet, streams of the holy waters of the Ganges and Yamuna flowed onto his head. Ganu Maharaj was overcome with love for his Lord, and immediately sang the praises of Baba.
Similarly, a man named Kaka Dixit, another devotee of Baba, was meditating when he saw a vision of Vittoba. When Kaka Dixit went to Baba for a darshan later that day, Baba told him to remain pious, and that the vision would come true soon enough. That afternoon, as Kaka Dixit was returning to his home, he saw merchant selling pictures of Vittoba. Kaka Dixit, bought a picture of the Lord and placed it in his shrine.
Nana Saheb Chandorkar, an employee in the civil court, had heard many tales of Baba’s love and mercy. After his department exams, Chandorkar prayed to Baba, promising that he would come to Shirdi and distribute sweets in His name if he passed. Chandorkar passed his exams, but did not have the money to make the trip to Shirdi. To fulfill his promise, he stopped putting sugar in his tea, saving money to make the trip to see Baba. When he was finally able to get Baba’s darshan, Chandorkar felt that his life had been made better with His blessings.
