THE GLORY OF SHIRDI SAI
Fifth Year of Publication
Published as Bi-Weekly
Issue 22/2007
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You can read
this E- Magazine in 3d page turning NEW FORMAT
http://ettitudemedia.com/loadbook.php?BookName=EMagazineCurrent
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GURUR-BRAHMA, GURUR-VISHNUH; GURU-DEVO MAHESWARAHA;
GURUR-SAKSHATH PARAM BRAHMA; THASMAI SREE GURAVE
NAMAHA:
Sairam. You can watch Live Web casting
from Shirdi Sai Samadhi Mandir from following Link:
http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/onlinedarshan.asp
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THIS ISSUE CONTAINS:
1. FROM THE SATSANGHS OF SAIBANISA JI
2. SAI'S
NEWS FROM TIME MACHINE
3. SAI IN DREAMS
4. QUINTESSENCE OF SRI SAIBABA'S PHILOSOPHY
5. SANATANA DHARMA &SHRI SHIRDI SAIBABA
6. DEVOTEES EXPERIENCES
7. SAI
WITH CHILDREN
8. SPIRITUAL GEMS FROM SAI SATCHARITRA
9. ARTICLES FROM
SAI DEVOTEES
10. LETTERS FROM SAI DEVOTEES
11. TELUGU
SECTION
12. SAI'S BOOK WORLD
13. EDITORIAL.
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1. FROM THE SATSANGHS OF
SAIBANISA JI
http://www.angelfire.com/celeb2/saidarbar/pages/S3500055.htm
Compiled by:
Sai Sevak Smt. Rajeswari Kasturi, Saidarbar
–
Shirdi Sai’s Philosophy in the words of
Saibanisaji
There
is an allegory that depicts human life. Once there was a man rowing a boat down
a river. Some one on the shore warned him, “Stop rowing so gaily down the swift
current; there are rapids ahead and a dangerous whirlpool, and there are
crocodiles and demons lying in wait in rocky caverns. You will perish if you
continue.”
In
this allegory, “The swift current” is a life of lust; “rowing gaily” is giving
rein to one’s passion; “rapids ahead” means the ensuing suffering and pain;
“whirlpool” means pleasure, “Crocodile and demons” refers to the decay and
death that follow a life of lust and indulgence; “ Someone on the shore,” who
calls out, is Sai.
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
To be
continued…
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2. SAI'S NEWS FROM THE TIME MACHINE:
October
16, Wednesday1918: Baba's Body was taken in procession through the Shirdi
village and then interred in Butty Wada with due formalities.
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3. SAI IN DREAMS:
http://www.ettitudemedia.com
These are the dream sequences and messages as received by SaiBaNiSaji From our
beloved GURU LORD SAINATH OF SHIRIDI. In Anticipation that this feature will
help in one's spiritual growth are hereby compiled from his
personal Diary and presented to SAIBANDHUS.
Translated and presented by RAGHU RAMAN SATULURY.
APRIL-1995:
Yesterday,
Sai has given a wonderful message on the bonds of love between a husband and
wife-
It is
right to opt for god’s service after fulfilling all the responsibilities in
life, but avoid being lustful after separation caused due to death of the
partner. Such a life will often lead to rebirth to fulfill those unfulfilled
desires. Towards the end, engage mind and attention in chanting the God’s name.
The
principles of the four-ashrama dharmas (The four stages of life-Balyam,
koumaryam Yavvanam and vruddhapyam) are to be followed
in true sense.
Sai
appeared in the form of Katikapari (in-charge of the burial ground) and said-
Death
does not discriminate a person dying due to cardiac problem or for that matter
the one dying due to the most known dreaded decease on the earth (AIDS). However death embraces them equally. It is by far the human
tendency that restricts to view both deaths on an equal plane. They end up
glorifying the one while engage in talking ill of the other.
Death
strikes everybody equally.
Sai
appeared in the form of my bitter enemy and said-
It is
natural for the mother to get wild when she is not listened
to. However it is the same motherly instinct that
showers her full love when her child is suffering.
Nothing
on the universe can substitute mother’s love.
To be
continued…..
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4. QUINTESSENCE OF SRI SAIBABA'S
PHILOSOPHY:
(By Late Sri Bharam UmamaheswaraRao)
"Shashi":
shashi_31@yahoo.com
30. Efficacy of Prayer and Worship
While we pray, we
seek God’s help and lay at His feet the load of our worldly
troubles and seek his aid to get over them. Most of our prayers take the
form of a petition for God’s succor. The real purpose behind this kind of
prayer is to obtain mental relief by submitting our troubles to Him. While
doing so, we get a feeling that God will not desert us and will surely help us.
That belief infuses strength in out minds to go thru our troubles unperturbed.
Prayer is acknowledgment of the Lordship of God over us, of our finite and
littleness. Prayer is the most potent means of rebinding ourselves to God as
all our ills are due to our separation from Him. Prayer opens our heart to God.
When we pray, we surrender ourselves wholly and entirely to God’s dispensation.
It is willing confession of our helplessness and seeking refuge in God. But such surrender merely means that we are not very much
particular about the fruit of our actions. Whoever does his
duty is liked by God.
Pujya Radhakrishna
Swamiji advices his disciples:
Plough with plough,
share of truth;
Plant the seed of the
desire for knowledge;
Weed out untruth;
Irrigate the field
with the water of patience;
Supervise your work
by looking into yourself (by introspection)
Build the fence of
the rules of Dharma
If we follow
Swamiji’s advice, our Bhakti will grow. Touching the Holy Feet of God’s idol in
prayer symbolizes and evolves in the devotee a sense of humility and the
evanescence of physical Self. Thru the act of prostration, the devotee gets as
close as possible, physically to effacing the ego.
To be continued…..
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5. SANATANA DHARMA &SHRI SHIRDI SAIBABA.
let the scriptures be your guide in what to do and what not
to do. Understand their teachings; then act in accordance with them.
-Bhagavad Gita 16:24
Ignorant of their
ignorance, yet wise
In their own esteem,
these deluded men,
Proud of their vain
learning go round and round
Like the blind led by
the blind. Far beyond
Their eyes,
hypnotized by the world of sense,
Opens
the way to immortality.
"I am my body;
when my body dies,
I die." Living
in this superstition
They fall life after
life under my sway.
-Katha Upanishad
NEWS
Government of
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6.
DEVOTEES EXPERIENCES:
From the files of Saidarbar:
This
story starts with the traditional beginning of ‘long, long ago’. My parents
were young and they were friendly with the redoubtable Swami, BV
Narasimhaswami. This was in
I was
in charge of the records of all House activities. I needed to tally the points
gained by each House and submit a report to the Vice Principal. But what could I do? I had misplaced the blessed book and I
was really in a stew. A thorough search had yielded no fruit and I was getting
desperate. When my elderly friend once again remarked that I ought to take up
Sai worship, I promptly vowed in my mind.... If you are so great a saint, then
please help me find this book. Then I will take up your worship. Need I say it?
Yes, I found the book where it had absolutely no place to be and I wouldn’t have found it in a month of Mondays but for a very
lucky chance (Sai’s hand?). Apparently, I had turned to him in
the nick of time...A load of troubles was awaiting me. I fell very ill,
my husband faced a grave crisis in his career, and my son was very depressed. I
really didn’t know which way to turn. All my
confidence in my ability to face life oozed away. Till
then I had had the ability to take Life on the chin.
But now I was
sorely perplexed and very, very upset. The Sai prayer book thrust upon me by my
colleague was my only anchor. I prayed to Baba by day and through the long,
painful nights. Within three months, my husband got his rank, my son regained
his will to study and an old friend came back into my life and gave me
homeopathic medicine which cured me of my malaise. And to give my darling son that much needed boost in
confidence to boldly face his first ever failure, Baba per! formed
one more of his numerous leelas. I found. I don’t know
how it got there! in an old much neglected handbag of
mine, an old, old pendant of silver with Sai on one side and ‘shraddha’ and
‘saburi’ engraved on the other. I promptly put it on a silver chain and round
my child’s neck, where it nestles close to his heart. His bride’s thali is also
Baba’s picture in gold. Never ever will we be alone again. Baba’s
always with us.
Source : (From
Sai Leela, October, 2000)
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7. SAI
WITH CHILDREN:
http://www.saidarbar.org/HTML/portraits/7.jpg
Smt.
Madhu Gopal Ravada, Saidarbar,
Hello Children!
I am Madhu aunty. Do you know Baba use to play with children and used to tell
stories to them? I felt children visiting Saidarbar should be entertained with
good stories. Now I want to tell the stories what heard in my child hood.
The Farmer's
Donkey
One day a farmer's donkey fell into an abandoned well. The
animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally, he decided the animal was too old and the well needed to be covered up
anyway; so it just wasn't worth it to him to try to
retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him.
They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. Realizing
what was happening, the donkey at first cried and wailed horribly.
Then, a few shovel-fulls later, he quieted down
completely. The farmer peered down into the well, and was
astounded by what he saw. With every shovel-full of dirt that hit his back,
the donkey would shake it off and take a step up on the new layer of dirt.
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top
of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty
soon, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off,
to the shock and astonishment of everyone.
The Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds
of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to stop wailing, and not let
the dirt bury you, but to shake it off and take a step up. Each one of our
troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not
stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.
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8. SPIRITUAL GEMS FROM SAI SATCHARITRA
On
Sai
Ram. We will now, with His grace, take up Chapter 25
of His Satcharitra. Sai Ram.
SSS:
Damu Anna Kasar of Ahmednagar - (1) Speculations - (2) Amra-Leela
SSG: Sai Ram. A
good demonstration of Baba's oneness with all and thus His ability to know what
is in the minds of all of us. And Shama was a witness
to such Leelas often. Sai Ram.
SSS:
Then Shama read the letter and Baba heard it attentively and said feelingly -
"The Sheth (Damu Anna) has gone mad; write to him in reply that nothing is
wanting in his house. Let him be content with the half loaf (bread) he has now
and let him not bother himself about lacs." Shama sent the reply which Damu Anna was anxiously waiting for. Reading it,
he found that all his hopes and prospects about lacs of rupees as profit were dashed to the ground. He thought that he had done a
mistake in consulting Baba.
SSG: Sai Ram. The power of Maya, to which Baba was always alluding. No one
is immune from Maya. Sai Ram.
SSS: But as Shama had hinted in the reply that there was
always much difference in seeing and hearing and that, therefore, he should
come to Shirdi personally and see Baba.
He thought it advisable to go to Shirdi and consult Baba personally about the
affair. So he went to Shirdi, saw Baba, prostrated
himself before Him and sat shampooing His legs. He had no courage to ask Baba
openly about the speculation, but he thought in his mind, that it would be
better if some share in the business should be assigned to
Baba and said in his mind, that if Baba were to help him in this transaction,
he would surrender some share of profits to Him. Damu Anna was thus
thinking secretly in his mind, but nothing was veiled
from Baba; everything past, present and future were clear to Him as an Amalaka
fruit in hand. A child wants sweets, but its mother gives bitter pills; the
former spoil its health, while the latter improve it. So
the mother looking to the welfare of her infant, coaxes it and gives it bitter
pills. Baba, kind mother as He was, knew the present and future prospects of
His devotees, and therefore reading Damu Anna's mind, He openly spoke to him -
"Bapu, I do not want to be entangled in any such wordly things (sharing
profits)." Seeing Baba's disapproval Damu Anna dropped the enterprise.
SSG: Sai Ram. A
beautiful example of Baba's oneness with all people and animals, nay, even
inanimate things. By giving such demonstration of His Yogic powers (Yoga means
union and Sai was One with all), He was trying to pull up forward on the path
of spirituality and thus trying to make us one with Him and dispel our Maya.
Sai Ram.
We
will continue with this chapter in the coming weeks. Sai Ram.
S.V.Swamy,
Author,
Editor, Proof-Reader and Book Reviewer
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9. ARTICLES FROM SAI DEVOTEES:
Ramchand Chugani rgcjp@yahoo.com
Date:
Tharkad
Discipline
There was a sheristadhaar by name Thakad. His wife and
16-year old son were ardent devotees of Shirdi Baba. Tharkad did not object to
their worship of Baba. One day when they wanted to go to Shirdi, he gave them
his consent. But Tharkad himself did not go to any
shrine as he was a Brahmo Samajist. He did not to go to Shridi despite many
appeals from his wife.
Tharkad's son told his father that he would not go to Shirdi
because he was performing regular worship to Shirdi Baba in their house. This
worship would be affected if he went to Shirdi. The
lad told his father that every day he was making an offering of sugar candy to
Baba and he was partaking part of the candy as prasaadh (blessed offering) out
of the conviction that Baba was receiving the candy. He declared:
"I do not want any break in this practice. Hence I do not want to go to Shirdi."
The father had great affection to the son. He told the son: "Babu, I shall
perform that duty. You better go to Shirdi.".... "Will you offer
worship to Baba as I have been doing? Will you offer candy to him and later eat
part of it as prasaadh?" The father gave promise to carry on the worship
during his absence. The mother and her son left for Shirdi.
The father performed the worship in the manner of the son
for a few days. Offering a candy to Baba, he took a part of it after the worship
before taking his meal. On a Thursday, Tharkad had some urgent business in the
court and left the house in a hurry after performing puuja (worship). Returning
for his meal, he asked the cook to bring the prasaadh. The cook informed him
that he had not offered any offering of candy that day. Tharkad was sorry that
he had failed to make the offering to Baba.
At Shirdi, when the mother and the son went to see Baba
on the following Friday, Baba told the son:
"Babu, yesterday I had been to Bangra, but no one gave me any food. Even
the candy which you use to offer daily was not
available. I have come back very hungry. Will you give me something to
eat?" The boy was shocked on listening the Baba's words. He wept in his
mother's lap. "I cannot stay here any longer. I must adhere to my daily
routine." At that time, Baba sent a message to the boy. In His message,
Baba said: "There is no need for you to go now.
Your father failed to keep his word, but you have not failed in your duty. You
have all My Grace. You can stay here as long as you wish."
Source:
(Excerpts from details of short
compilation:
(Sharing with Love)
Ram.Chugani
Ram Chugani
rgcjp@yahoo.com
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10. LETTERS FROM SAIDEVOTEES:
On
SaiRam,
By SAI grace I am fortunate to
get the weekly issue of Glory of Shirdi Sai from SAI Darbar. These
issues on Baba are and has been inspiring and devotional.
I also go thru the E-magzines. But
one point I would like to bring to your kind attention and hope that may be
appreciable on your part. SHRI SAI SATCHARITRA AND OTHER HOLY BOOKS are either in ENGLISH or TELUGU whereas there is a large group
of devotees who are anxiously waiting for HINDI version.
WITH ALL GOOD WISHES
Sai beti
SAROJ
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Response for “The Glory of Shirdi Sai” E-
Magazine in the 3d page turning NEW FORMAT
On
Jai Sai Ram.
I really thank you for your efforts in
bringing up this article. Its so devotional and
aspiring to read these articles. I liked the E-zine format very much. We
believe in Baba very much and every Thursday we feel very auspicious and also Baba blesses us with good news also on Thursdays.
Thanks,
Anuradha
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On
JaiSaiRam,
The concept of MP3 of bhajans is very
good. I am conveying my sincere thanks to the team for this valuable
bajans and I hope more bhajans will be added to this
list.
Turaga Pundarikakshudu
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On
Jai
Sai Ram,
This site is very very beautiful. The words are more Neat
n Clear. Baba Bless u n all over the World.
Sai Daughter,
Shikha Kohli.
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blakshmipriya@ssdi.sharp.co.in
On
SaiRam,
I love Swamy. Thank U. God Bless U
Lakshmi Priya B
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On
SaiRam,
You
have done a wonderful job.
K.SUJATHA
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On
SaiRam,
This E-zine is excellent. I am very
happy to have subscribed for it. I am very thankful to Baba for
showing me this ezine. You are doing a wonderful
job. Please try to record Baba's ashtothra Namavali as I find it
difficult to say a few words from the book. Also
please give us more info about the varieties of puja for Baba.
Asha Sathya Narayanan.
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On
Jai Sai Ram.
You
are doing wonderful service. I enjoyed the journal and videos very very much.
T.V.
Balakrishnan.
--------------
On
SAIRAM,
THIS
IS REALLY VERY NICE.
THANKS.
Anju Bharadwaj
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On
Om Sai ram
audio & video clippings are good
shantha
-----
sureshvarma_gadiraju@yahoo.co.in
On
SaiRam,
Excellent work, keep it up.
Varma.
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You can read this E- Magazine in 3d page turning NEW FORMAT in web page
http://ettitudemedia.com/loadbook.php?BookName=EMagazineCurrent
---------------------------------
11. TELUGU
SECTION:
Please visit:
http://www.telugubhakti.com/telugupages/Misc/ShiridiSai/shirdisai.htm
Please visit for Sai Aaratis Audio: http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/saibaba/saibaba_aarti.asp
-------------------------------
FOR STARTING A SAIDARBAR CHAPTER OUT SIDE
Please contact: saidarbar@gmail.com
-----------------------------
12.
SAI'S BOOK WORLD: (HINDI)
Title:
Sai Sneh
Author:
Vikas Mehta
Siddharth
Publications, 10 DSIDC Scheme-II
Okhla
Industrial Area
Phase
-II
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Title:
The Golden Words of Shri Sai Baba Shirdi
Author: Vikas Mehta
Siddharth
Publications, 10 DSIDC Scheme-II
Okhla
Industrial Area
Phase
-II
---------------------
Title:
Worship of the Manifested Shri Sadguru
Sainath
Author: Ms. Zarine Taraporewala
Meher-Dhun
Endowment Nata Shahi
69
Mumbai
- 400 025
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Please
Note:
Those desirous of using this facility (Sai's Book World) to spread the word
about their books may send ONE new copy of the book to Saidarbar, for details contact:
saidarbar@gmail.com
Acknowledgement of receipt of books will be done by E-mail
only.
Book(s) sent to Saidarbar will be retained by Saidarbar and cannot be returned.
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13. EDITORIAL.
Things
impressed me from this magazine:
Nothing
on the universe can substitute mother’s love.
When
we pray, we surrender ourselves wholly and entirely to God’s dispensation. It
is willing confession of our helplessness and seeking refuge in God.
Sai
devotees may write about their Sai activities in their place, essays, articles
and poetry on Sai to "The Glory of Shirdi Sai" – they may be
address their contributions to E-mail id:
saidarbar@gmail.com with a copy marked to webmaster@saidarbar.org
We shall put in our best efforts to include them in the Glory of Shirdi Sai-
the
Bi-weekly E -Magazine. Unless the author of the articles instructs, not to
publish his/her E-mail id, we will publish them as a matter of routine
practice.
You can subscribe for THE GLORY OF SHIRDI SAI for a friend /relative by
submitting e-mail ID in the main page of http://www.saidarbar.org
Also
read the old issues from:
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Editor does not accept responsibility for the views expressed in the articles
published.
This e-magazine is intended for Private circulation
only.
Submitted by:
Sai Sevak Srinivasa Rao
Kasturi.
Saidarbar-Hyderabad-India.
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