The benefits of attending such worship were quickly seen and realized. Hence number of people from outside the village, that is, from the immediate neighborhood was drawn to the worship. This spread gradually from place to place and people from even remote parts were attracted to the worship. As for the details of worship, it is not necessary to mention how Baba objected to sandal paste being applied to his forehead though no objection was raised to its application to his feet by any one except Mahlsapathy and how ultimately he acquiesced in every one applying sandal paste to his forehead also.
First, Individual worship itself was not organized. But K.G.Bhimsa of Pandharpur, a good Kirtankar and a great adherent of Vittal worship, drew up the ritual for Sai Baba worship on the same lines as the Pandharpur worship. He brought a set of Artis that is ritualistic; coded verses for use by individuals at Shirdi. These were sent up by Baba to Nana Saheb Chandorkar at Jamnere and were approved by him. Thus worship of Baba was formulated based on the customary lines of worship in well-known temples.
The next step was from individual worship to congregational worship and was started in 1908. Congregational worship implied that there would be some one to officiate as pujari and that he would be available at various time of worship namely Matins, vespers, night artis and noon artis.
In 1905, Hari Vinayak Sathe, a Settlement Officer, was blessed by Baba with a son. He sent Meghashyam called Megha to Shirdi so that he might officiate as the pujari and carry on congregational worship. But Megha was an extremely dull and rustic Pujari having hardly any learning either in Hindu sacred literature or in any other literature. He heard that Sai Baba was a Muslim, and he requested Mr.Sathe not to send him up to worship a Mohammedan. He was a Siva worshipper, a staunch Hindu, and might worship Datta but not a Muslim. Sathe told him that Baba was God, and, therefore, he might worship him. So under pressure from Sathe, Megha arrived at Shirdi and was taken by Shyama to Baba. Baba, reading his mind completely, shouted at him at his first approach and said, why does that fool Sathe send this idiot to me? Saying so he drove Megha away, because he would consider it humiliating to worship Baba. Megha being a Siva worshipper was attracted to Triambak, a sacred place of Siva, 18 miles away from Nasik, and tried to spend his time there. But there he fell ill, and remembered his refusal to worship Baba. He thought that might be the reason why he had this illness. Having learnt about Baba’s greatness, he returned to Baba, this time more humble. By Baba’s grace he regained his health, and started early in 1909 the congregational worship. He was fully convinced that Baba was Siva, the same as the Siva at Triambak. He was determined to worship him with Ganga, that is, Godhavari water and bilva leaves. So, he usually went out five miles to fetch Godavari water for daily worship, and three or four miles to fetch bilva leaves, which are said to be specially, appropriate for Siva worship (Eka Bilvam Sivarpanam). When even the very orthodox Megha thus became an ardent devotee of Baba, others following his way and gave up their prejudices against Baba and joined in the congregational worship. All this required time; and obstacles like Megha’s sentiments, had to be overcome and made stepping-stones for further progress.
To make the congregational worship more advanced and attractive, there was an enthusiastic set gathering at Shirdi. One Ramakrishna Ayi, a young widow of Sahasrabuddhe of family, came and established herself as a devotee of Baba. Being highly accomplished was intent upon using all her gifts and cleverness for developing Sai Baba’s worship. She drew a large number of people to herself and made them more enthusiastic in the cause of Sai worship. She made them carry out her plan of fitting out Baba and his chavadi in exactly the same way, as these would be fitted out if Baba were a real Maharaja and a real God’s image. The 16 Shodasca upacharas common to all Hindu worship and the Raja upacharas add pomp to worship in temples and mutts. Raja Upacharas means treating the object of worship as a Maharaja. They add to the impressiveness of the ceremony and the religious effect on the mind of those who attend that worship. They also increased the number of worshippers. Thus, Ramakrishna Ayi introduced silver whisks, silver maces, silver umbrellas, silver candelabras, moons, and artificial gardens to deck the chavadi where Baba was worshipped on alternate nights. A car, a palanquin with silver appurtenances, a horse, and other regal paraphernalia were furnished on her insistence and the insistence of other devotees to make Baba worship run exactly like Vittal worship or the worship of great Achayars in their Mutts. This, by itself, would be impressive.
But Baba fell into the humor of the devotees. They wanted to make him and call him always Maharaja to satisfy the devotees. Sai Baba, therefore, arranged for funds to pay them all. Moreover, there were those depending upon his favour to get wealth, which, on the principle of rinanubandha, he wished, to shower upon them, such as Tatya Patel, Lakshmi Bai, Bade Baba and Ramachandra Patel. So Baba’s durbar had need to get an income and Baba began from 1908 to ask for dakshinas. Formerly, he would refuse offer of rupees to him saying that he had no need for them. But form the time that this new tide began; he began to ask his visitors for payments of large sums. Some he would ask for Rs.5, some for Rs.25, and some other for Rs.250, almost every one that he asked would pay. Baba knew the minds and state of the Purse of all the persons and could get exactly what the wanted, and he would not ask for any funds except where he was going to recompense or where the visitor had already been blessed by Datta or vittal and was bound to pay whom or those God pointed out. Many sent “vowed Sums” of their own accord. For example one paid Rs.6,000. Therefore, Baba easily succeeded in getting as dakshinas in the course of each day varying sums that totaled up in the evening sometimes to Rs.300 and sometimes to thousands.
The total income came up to a Provincial Governor’s income on which the authorities tried to levy Income tax. But Baba himself retained nothing at all, as every evening he would dispose of the day’s accumulations. But the Income-tax authorities were able to levy tax upon the regular recipients of Baba’s daily doles such as Bade Baba and Tatya Patil. Thus Baba had a steady and large income form which he was making very liberal presents to Ramadasis, other dasis, acrobats, pandits, and various people who came to him form distant places, for example Madras and Punjab like Abdullah Jan who hoped Baba would provide funds for Hajj.
In addition, the large crowd of persons offered naivedyas of eatables to Baba. It was enough for 200 beggars to be fed everyday by Baba. Thus the appearance of a very prosperous durbar was presented at Shirdi form 1909 up to 1918.
All this pomp Baba despised. Abundance of wealth also could never captivate him but he could use it without being tainted. It served a purpose, namely, the widening of Baba worship, which had a great purpose behind it. That is why Baba allowed all this to develop his worship.
Accumulation of wealth and a royal durbar at Baba’s Dwarakamayee was misunderstood by some; it is necessary to stress and clarify that Baba was a Saint and continued to be a Divine Sadgurau carrying on the noble work referred to already.
Baba had no attachment and so could handle wealth and helped the poor without using a single paisa for his personal benefit. He was a perfectly realized soul in the perfect laya. For such a person, danger of attachment does not arise. Baba told the Sadhu Devadas that fakirs and hermits must avoid Moha and pomp. But in Baba’s case, at the latter end of his life, pomp was thrust upon him and had a useful purpose to serve. Till then Baba avoided pomp. He would not even sit on a chair or lie on a cot, but sat and slept upon a sack or gunny mattress placed on the floor. He would not put on his head the crown or regal dress when the devotees wanting him to look like a Maharaja. Nor would he accept or allow other royal insignia. When a silver-plated palanquin was brought to him with its small silver horses as appurtenances, he refused to receive it. The devotees then said that he need not sit in it, but his picture would be placed in it, and that it will be used for procession. Even then he would not allow the palanquin into the Dwarakamayee, and so they had to leave the palanquin in the open yard in front of his Mosque.
At night some of the silver horses were stolen. The devotees noting it were very sad, and came to complain of it to Baba. But Baba asked them, “ I say, why was not the whole palanquin stolen?” That is, to Baba it was a matter of utter indifference whether palanquins or silver articles or any other things were provided or not provided, were stolen or remained safe. He lived as a true Sanyasi up to the end of his life on Bhiksha food. It is well known that when people go out for begging bread, all sorts of things, insipid, or even partly rotten, are given as Bhiksha especially to beggars. In the case of Baba, who enjoyed more respect than beggars, rotten things would not be showered on him, but many people, who were content to eat rather ill cooked and tasteless or insipid food, would bestow part of their stuff upon Baba also. What we eat has to be given to God. Baba used to take little doles from several houses, without taking them too much. He took only what is absolutely needed to keep body and soul together.
Baba did not hate or fear poverty. But on the other hand he was content with it and esteemed it. He said “Fakir Aval padsha”. That means, “The Fakir is the real Emperor”, because he can lead a simple life without anxiety. So baba had not possessions, and all these regal paraphernalia mentioned above were kept with Ayi, and after her death, were held by an association, and finally vested in the Sai Sansthan, formed by the order of the Ahmednagar District Court in the year 1922.
When Baba left the body, he had only Rs.16 in his hand and no other property. Hence the Raja upacharas, which would have puffed up or affected other persons, did not affect him. In refusing to own properties or have a palace, he set an excellent example. If all sadhus had followed his example, there would not be so much of scandal against sadhus and so much of bitter experiences in sadhus’ lives that we notice. Baba followed the direction of the sastras for hermits and fakirs that a hermit should not reserve anything for tomorrow. Bhagavata says: The saint should not store what he obtains by begging for the evening or keep it for the next day. His vessels for receiving alms must be either the hand or the stomach. He should not hoard things like the bee. If he does, like the bee he will be killed. Sages, who store worldly things, develop attachment or Moha, which means death of the soul. Baba had also no necessity for delicacies. He had thoroughly conquered his taste & appetite.
Bhagavata says: When the palate is conquered, everything is controlled. Baba was a perfect Jitendriya. His self-control included conquest of the urges of hunger and sex as directed in Bhagavata.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment