6.5 - Expansion of Worship

Love, keenest and burning love was the means and the end. Really every one wants Love with relief from distress and attainment of desired objects. Any person, irrespective of Religion can get Love, relief from distress and attainment of desired objects at Baba’s feet. Difference of religion did not arise at all as love to the Guru was the common plank of all. Many Hindus identified Baba with various gods or Avatars. Each man saw in Baba sometimes the very form of the deity that he wanted to worship. A South African doctor would respect none but Rama and did not care to approach a Muslim as Sai Baba was supposed to be. But when that South African Brahmin doctor came to the Masjid on the express stipulation that he would not bow to a Muslim Baba, he stayed for a few minutes outside and, afterwards, darted into the Mosque and fell at Baba’s feet. When asked for an explanation, he gave the answer, ‘I saw that Baba’s form was really the wonderful form of Neela Megha Syama Rama. As I found my Rama in Baba, I worshipped him’. Later Baba blessed him with Parama Ananda and love. This is a typical instance.

A Sub-Inspector of Police M.S.Nimonkar had regard for nothing except Hanuman, and when he was looking on, Baba appeared to his eyes exactly like Hanuman with all the hair and prognathous face. Binnewalla, N.G. Chandorkar’s relative, did not care for anything except Datta, and was anxious to go away form Shirdi Where Baba was worshipped. He wanted to go to some place where Datta could be seen. Suddenly to his eyes, Baba appeared with three heads, that is, as Datta. Baba exercised his powers to induce faith in the minds of all persons who approached him. Thus, he was Siva to Megha, Rama to the South African doctor, Krishna or Vittal to Krishna bhaktas, Maruti to Maruti bhaktas.

According to the feeling or attitude of mind of each person, you give him your experience. Such is Baba’s merciful leela or sport. Thus, he really was God; that is, he had not merely essence of God, Supreme Power and Love but also every form of God that the devotee wanted to see. With perfect truth Baba said,”Main Allahum(I am Allah or God),” as he was completely self- realized. When a Deputy Collector was gazing at Lakshminarayana’s figure at Bombay and concentrated his mind on that image it disappeared and Baba’s image took its place; the Deputy Collector was afraid that his concentration was a failure. But when he came to Shirdi. Baba knew what happened and asked him, “What is the difference between this form and Lakshminarayannan’s form? I am Lakshminarayan’. He showed in himself the form Ganapathi to others such as B.V.Dev’s sister.