Four Books on Sai Baba

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Item Code: NAK409
Publisher: Sterling Paperbacks
Author: Vinny Chitluri
Language: English
Pages: 711 (334 Color Illustrations)
Cover: Paperback
Other Details 8.5 inch x 5.5 inch
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Book Description

This set consists of the following 4 Books:
Baba's Rinanubandh (Leelas during His Sojourn in Shirdi)
Baba's Gurukul (Shirdi)
Baba's Anurag (Love for His Devotees)
Baba's Vaani (His Sayings and Teachings)

 

Baba's Rinanubandh (Leelas during His Sojourn in Shirdi)

ISBN: 9788120734036
Edition: 2012

Back of the Book

The word 'Rinanubandh' literally means 'Karmic debt'. It is an impossible task to write the exact meaning of this word, as a lot of the nuances are lost while doing so. When you read about the lives of Baba's devotees you realise that it has a deeper meaning. A bond that has existed for many generations.

His devotees came from varied backgrounds. Some highly educated, others were rustic villagers. Some were young, while others were middle-aged and set in their ways. They went to Shirdi not knowing what to expect. Others went there by chance. But once they met Baba their lives were changed forever. And the 'Karmic bond" started unfolding. Thus they returned time and again to be with the living God who blessed them and gave them a handful of udi. In the years that followed, no matter what befell them they knew that Baba was always with them.

This book is a kaleidoscope of leelas, photographs and the lives of Baba's devotees. It will make the reading of Shri Sai Satcharita easier and fruitful.

Vinny Chitluri was born in Arvankadu (Nilgiris), but was educated in Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh). She did her postgraduation in Pediatrics from Kalawati Saren Hospital, Delhi. Then she went to the U.S., passed the board examination and was conferred the 'Diplomat of the American Academy of Pediatrics'.

While in the U.S. she started thinking seriously about her Karmic bonds with her family. As her father worshipped Baba she was also able to do the same from a very young age. She has been worshipping Baba for sixty years. Her relationship with Baba is that of a 'best friend' as He loves her no matter what she does.

She retired from the medical profession at the age of fifty and came to Shirdi in 1994 and settled there. Then she set about trying to know more about Baba. She soon realised that 'the more she learned about Him the more ignorant she was'. Alas, it would take her many lives to know a little about this inscrutable God. But her quest is on-going.

 

Preface

My father in 1950, on one of his visits to Shirdi brought N.V. Gunaji's Shri Sai Satcharita. We took turns to read it. At that time I read it more like a storybook. I learned about Baba's leelas and His divinity. Through the years I read and reread it. But I could not understand many things. For instance, Mrs Tarkhad's son was sitting in the Dwarkamai right in front of Baba, yet he wanted to return home to offer naivedya to the photograph? Who was this child? Why couldn't he just offer naivedya to the Shaktar Ishwar sitting in front of him? Was there another story in this story? (Shri Sai Satcharita, Chapter 9].

It bothered me a lot that Baba who had control of the elements [Shri Sai Satcharita, Chapter 11] who was "Deva di Dev" [God of God's] lost a wrestling bout with Mohiddin? [Chapter 5]. The Parabhrama, who made this shrishti [cosmos], and guided it! He who was omnipresent and omnipotent, after losing this match wore a torn kafni. Why a Kafni? What did it symbolise? Baba, though God Almighty on a personal level was close to the common man, the rustic villager; the well educated, and famous devotee. The rich and the poor, the famous and not so famous flocked to His feet. Was it because of His 'chamatkars'? Or was it His equality of vision? Was there something deeper, a rinanubandh [karmic ties or debt] that brought them to Shirdi? They came not knowing what to expect! And they stayed devoted to Baba for the rest of their lives. His divinity, His love, and compassion, His equality of vision endeared Him to every devotee.

Almost in each and every chapter of the Shri Sai Satcharita there are portions, words and parables that I could not understand. So I set out trying to find some answers. Along the way I met the descendants of these "Ankita Bhaktas". I pestered them with questions about their grandparents. I read various books, old Sai Leela magazines, and other books and found some answers there. At other times I drove my friend Manjula nuts. I coerced her to read the Upanishads and Nirukti and find answers for me. "Do anything, read anything but give me answers with references," I said. And she did. That's what Gurus are supposed to do! Not all the material is in this book. I for one found many answers. As I am sure many of you did. Some I have included, and you may have found other answers. But at least it is a start.

This book is a kaleidoscope, of leelas, photographs, and lives of some devotees which illustrate the karmic and rinanubandhic ties with Baba. I strongly believe that the visuals stay with us for a long time. I hope, that this book will make reading of Sbri Sai Satcharita easier and fruitful.

 

Contents

 

Leela 1 : Dev Baba alias Anant Prabhu Walavalkar 1
Leela 2 : Anandrao Trimbak Karnik 4
Leela 3 : Amidas Bhavani Mehta 7
Leela 4 : Firozshah Hormazji Pudumjee 9
Leela 5 : Equality of Vision 10
Leela 6 : Munim and 2 1\2 Lakhs 11
Leela 7 : Uddhavesh alias Shyamdas Baba 13
Leela 8 : Quenching the Thirst 17
Leela 9 : Shyamdas on Girnar Parvat 19
Leela 10 : Ramachandra Atmaram Tarkhad 22
Leela 11 : Three Annas Became One Lakh Rupees 23
Leela 12 : Krishnaji Kashinath Joshi (Kusha Bhau) 25
Leela 13 : Shyamdas and Dwarka 29
Leela 14 : Ramachandra Dada Patil 35
Leela 15 : Hazarat Durvesh Haji Mohamed Siddique Phalke 49
Leela 16 : Neelkant Ramachandra Sahasrabudhe alias Baba Sahib 54
Leela 17 : Lakshman Krishnaji Nulkar alias Tatya Sahib Nulkar 57
Leela 18 : Viswanath Lakshman Nulkar 60
Leela 19 : Maina Tai Ganesh Kuvelkar [Chandorkar's daughter] 61
Leela 20 : Bappaji Lakshman Ratna Parke 63
Leela 21 : Anna Sahib Karindkar 65
Leela 22 : Sakharam Hari alias Bapu Sahib Jog 67
Leela 23 : Samadhi of Bapu Sahib at Sakori 71
Leela 24 : Pralad Ramachandra Muley Shastri 71
Leela 25 : Adveyndra Saraswati alias Gholap Swami or Baba Swami 73
Leela 26 : Gopal Rao Mukundrao Butti 75
Leela 27 : The Brick 79
Leela 28 : Aare Maja Sava Rupiya! 81
Leela 29 : Bala Krishna Keshev Vaidya alias Dada Maharaj Patgaonkar 83
Leela 30 : Vishnu Ghati 84
Leela 31 : Pangya and the Coin 87
Leela 32 : Baba Gave His Tooth to Kashi Bai 88
Leela 33 : How did Baba's Tooth Became Enshrined in Shivaji Nagar Temple in Pune 89
Leela 34 : Lakshmi Bai Ganesh Khaparde 90
Leela 35 : Damodar Vaman Atwale alias Dammu Anna 91
Leela 36 : Mari Aai and Death 95
Leela 37 : The Leela of Evil Spirit 97
Leela 38 : Vinayak Shankar Giridhar 98
Leela 39 : Anandrao Pakharde 101
Leela 40 : Govind Damodar Pandit 102
Leela 41 : Lakshmi Bai Tuse 104
Leela 42 : Shakaram Krishna Pangarkar 106
Leela 43 : Ramachandra Keshev Naik 109
Leela 44 : Nangin Das Motilal 111
Leela 45 : Householder and His Younger Brother 113
Leela 46 : Tumache Me Bhar Vahine Sarvatha (I will carry your burden) 116
Leela 47 : "What a Great Mother You Are? Here Take Your Baby" 117
Leela 48 : Kashinath Shankar Dubey and Raghunath Dubey 118
Leela 49 : Eka Sai Bhakta Kadurr [From A Sai Bhakta] 120
Leela 50 : Mrs Jog and the Buffalo 122
Leela 51 : Jog and Ganga Snaan 124
Leela 52 : Vitthal Darshan 126
Leela 53 : Shankar Rao Gavankar and Lala Lakhmichand 128
Leela 54 : Yoga and Siddhis 134
Leela 55 : Goddess Annapurna in Shirdi 136
Leela 56 : Baba Goes Three Times a Day to Tarkhad's Home 138
Leela 57 : Babancha Hemard Offers Paan Vida to Baba 139
Leela 58 : Ram Krishna Nana Vagal and Harish Chandra Pithale 142
Leela 59 : Harish Chandra and his Epileptic Son 146
Leela 60 : Purushotham R. A vasthi and Radha Krishna Mayi's Leelas 147
Leela 61 : Avasthi's Prasad 148
Leela 62 : Madhav Rao Deshpande [Shama] 149
Leela 63 : Shama's Quest to Know the Ramayana 150
Lee1a 64 : Shama Had an Eye Infection 151
Leela 65 : Baba Shows Shama the Trilok (Three Worlds) 153
Lee1a 66 : Shama and the Vishnu Shashranaam 154
Leela 67 : Shama and Money 156
Lee1a 68 : Shama Visits Nagpur 159
Lee1a 69 : Shama and Ekadashi Fast 160
Lee1a 70 : Ramachandra M Adkar 162
Lee1a 71 : Gopal Rao Somnath Nimonkar 163
Leela 72 : Sarojini Muley (Kaka Sahib Mahajini's Daughter) 164
Lee1a 73 : Baba's Pocket 165
Lee1a 74 : Savitri Bai Raghunath Tendulkar 169
Leela 75 : Mahadev N. Chandorkar alias Bapu 170
Leela 76 : Babu Chandorkar alias Vasudev Narayan Chandorkar 172
Lee1a 77 : Raghuvir B. Purandhare 173
Leela 78 : Samadhi of K. J. Bhishma 175
Lee1a 79 : Lakshmi Bai Chinchnikar 176
Leela 80 : Abdul jan Pathan 178
Lee1a 81 : Ram Baba 179
Lee1a 82 : Bala Sahib Rudra 180
  Conclusion 182

 

Baba's Gurukul (Shirdi)

ISBN: 9788120747708
Edition: 2014

Back of the Book

This book begins from the small village Shiladhi, where a young fakir clad in white arrived with a marriage party. He stayed on and his divine powers were slowly recognized by the laity around him. Slowly the dilapidated Mashid mayee gets transformed into Dwarka Mai lit up by the warm Dhuni Mai and the ever burning lamps. Vehement skeptics and devotees flock alike to Shirdi, as the Kul-adhipathi Sai Baba gathers them in his Gurukul. The book describes in detail the various well known miracles of Baba and illustrates their meaning in a lucid manner. The author brings a rare insight and an almost personal touch to this book as she describes the various articles used by Him and the places He visited regularly.

This book came about by this irresistible urge to share Shirdi, so readers can profit from it. The articles used and handled by Baba are with the Sansthan so the readers can see them and gain insight in their significance.

Vinny Chitluri was born is Arvankadu (Nilgiris), but was educated in Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh). She did her post graduation in pediatrics from Kalawati Saren Hospital, Delhi. Then she went to the US, passed the board examination and was conferred the 'Diplomat of the American Academy of Pediatrics'.

While in the US, she started thinking serious about her Karmic bonds with her family. As her father worshipped Baba, she was also able to do the same from a very young age. She has been worshipping Baba for sixty years. Her relationship with Baba is that of a 'best friend' as He loves her no matter what she does.

She retired from the medical profession at the age of fifty and came to Shirdi in 1994 and settled there. Then she set about trying to know more about Baba. She soon realized that 'the more she learned about Him, the more ignorant she was'. Alas! It would take her many lives to know a little about this inscrutable God. But her quest is ongoing.

 

Preface

Baba spoke of the future of Shirdi to Mhalsapati and other devotees. He said, "There will be huge palatial buildings, big fairs will be held, high ranking officials will come here. My Brahmins will gather here". And so it came to pass. The small remote village called Shiladhi turned into what it is now. I have tried to show what Shridi and the sacred sites were like in the 20's, the 80',s and at present.

Each site has a spiritual significance and each devotee gets what he wants from it. A devotee goes to a sacred place with a purpose and that gets fulfilled and he returns with an answer. Those who come to learn from Baba's life and at each place they get an answer. What it is we do not know, but they are closer to the most important person in their lives?

Without a formal induction into a learning program each devotee finds an answer to his quest. He goes back a happier and contented person. Each devotee has a preference for a special site and gets and individual personal experience.

Devotees have many questions to ask about these sites and I have tried to explain their significance.

 

Introduction

At the time that Baba manifested in Shiladhi it was a small, remote village, in Kopergaon Taluka, in the district of Ahmednagar. This was a district of the composite Bombay Province up to 1960 (now called Maharashtra). Shiladhi was small about 3.3 sq miles, calculated on the basis of the census, of a medium-sized family. Now, it is spread far and wide.

In the 1884 Bombay Gazetteer (Vol. XVII) of Ahmednagar district, it is mentioned in a chart of 'Kopergaon villages of 1883'. It is grouped under 'Taraf Korhale thirty villages', where it is spelt as Shirdi. The Gazetteer says there is only one road in the Kopergaon Taluka to Malegaon. "This road enters the Kopergaon sub-division at the 45th mile from Ahmednagar near the village of Ashtagaon, and Shirdi is at its 53rd mile. The Godavari River is crossed by a wire-rope ferry".

In the 50's, as the bridge over the Godavari was low, it was often under water. Later the huge bridge was built. The Godavari flowed swiftly, and a boat used to ferry devotees to the other shore. Then the journey was by tonga; it was exciting to see the flag over the Samadhi Mandir far off from Neemgaon. Now there are so many buildings that it is not visible. Recently, a railway station has been built near Neemgaon.

Mamledar B V Dev first visited Shirdi in 1910. He recorded his impressions in the Sai Leela Magazine, in 1932. He states that Shirdi was originally known as 'Shiladhi' or 'Shailadhi'. At that time the village was tiny and had about 400 houses. A few were large while others were small mud huts. The village had two wells and two schools. One school was up to the 7th standard in the Marathi medium and the other was a Marathi mission school.

The village had two panmalas (betel leaf vineyards), two orchards, one flower garden, one sugar mill, one flour mill and a water mill. There was one dharamshala for pilgrims to stay in. besides this, there were nine temples and two masjids.

The total population was about 2,586. The Muslims were the minority (about 10%) and the rest were Hindus. The Hindus were divided into the following castes- Brahmins, Marwadis, Marathas, Dhangars (Shepherds), Malis (growers of fruits and vegetables), Sonars (goldsmiths), Sutras (carpenters), Lohar (Blacksmiths), Kumbhars (potters), Parits (washermen), Mahars, Mangs Chamars (tanners and leather workers), Kolis, Bhils (scheduled tribes), Guravs and Vadars. There was a wide cross section of castes. Shirdi though small and remote was quite prosperous. The population was of a working class and Shirdi seemed to be quite self-sufficient.

In the 20's and up to the 70's there were many 'Gow Shalas' in and around Shirdi. Many of the neighbouring villages and villages as far away as Sinner and Nasik used to do 'Gow dann' to Shirdi Kshetra. They would bring cow and release it in Shirdi; hence there were numerous Gow Shalas. It is interesting to note that Baba is given butter sweetened with sugar as Prasad after kakad arati.

There is an interesting legend in the puranas. The sage Gautama brought the river (originally the Ganga) from the matted locks of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva once vigorously shook his locks and dashed them on the ground. At that site the Godavari or Goda Mai originated, atop the Bramhagiri mountain near Tryambakeshwar.

The word 'Godavari' is broken down as, Go which means bhumi (earth or land), da means (bestower) and vari means shresth (the best or excellent). So Godavari means the land that bestowed the best. The banks of the Godavari have nurtured many a saint. But at Shirdi, it nurtured the 'Parabramha' who walked in the alleys and gullies and sanctified the soil. Shirdi is situated about eight miles south of the blanks of the Godavari.

 

Contents

 

  Dedication and Acknowledgements v
  Preface vii
  Introduction 1
  Shiladhi 3
  Shiladhi the Seat of Spiritual Learning 3
  Baba's Unique Gurukul 8
Chapter 1 Gurupaduka Sthan (Gurusthan) 12
  The Celler near the Neem Tree 14
  The Gurusthan or Guru Padukasthan 16
  Baba's Idol 16
  Baba's Original Photograph 17
  The Possible Meaning of the "Baba Sitting on the Stone" Pose 17
  Shiva Linga 18
  Baba's Padukas 19
  The Ever Burning Lamps 21
  The Sacred Neem Tree 21
Chapter 2 The Mashid or Dwarka Mai 23
  Dwarka Mai in the 1920s 25
  The Bell 28
  Flags (nishans) of Dwarka Mai 28
  The Small Red Pillar 29
  Three Steps in Front of the Pillar 30
  Padukas in Front of the Chariot Room 31
  The Choolha 31
  The Chariot (Rath) Room 33
  The Dhuni Mai 34
  Small Silver Padukas in Front of Dhuni Mai 35
  Possible Meaning of 'Baba Sitting in Front of Dhuni Mai' Posture 36
  The Kolamba 37
  Maath or Water Pot 38
  The Magical Chillim (clay pipe) 40
  The Hooks on the Ceiling 41
  The Nimbar or Allah Mia Che Jagha 42
  The Ever Burning Lamps 43
  The Jaath or Queen 43
  The Sack of Wheat 44
  Portrait of Baba in front of Dhuni Mai (Dwarka Mai pose) 48
  The Possible meaning of the Dwarka Mai Pose 48
  The Padukas in Front of Baba's Portrait 49
  The Kathada (railing) on which Baba Rested his Hand 50
  The Udi Stand 51
  Baba's Bathing Stone 56
  The Three Steps next to the Ota 56
  The Ota or Platform with the Agarbatti Stand 56
  The Tortoise 59
  The Mythology of Tulsi Vivaha 61
  The Idol of Shyam Karan 62
  The Stone on which Baba Sat 62
  The Big Portrait of Baba above the Stone 63
  The Idol of the Tiger 64
  Shyam Sundar Hall 64
Chapter 3 The Chavadi 68
  Big Painting of Baba on the Northern Wall 70
  The Small Photograph of Baba on a Silver Throne 71
  The Wooden Cot and the Wheelchair 73
Chapter 4 Lendi Baugh 74
  The Flower Garden 77
  The Neem Trees' 77
  Nanda Deep' 79
  Meaning of Nanda Deep 79
  The Ashwatha or Peepul Tree 80
  Baba's Well 81
  The Dattatreya Mandir 82
  The Samadhi of Amidas Bhavani Mehta 82
  The Samadhi of Mukta Ram 83
  The Samadhi of Shyam Karan 86
Chapter 5 The Three Wadas in Shirdi  
  Sathe Wada 88
  Dixit Wada 90
Chapter 6 Samadhis on the Way to Lendi Baugh 93
  The Samadhi of Haji Abdul Baba 93
  Samadhi of Bhau Maharaj Kumbhar 94
  The Samadhi of Nanavali 96
  The Samadhi of V p Iyer 97
  The Samadhi of Tatya Kote Patil 98
Chapter 7 The Five Blessed Houses that Baba took Bhiksha from  
  1. Sakharam Patil Shelke's house 102
  2. Vamanarao Gondkar's house 103
  3. Bayyaji Appa Kote Patil's house 103
  4. Bayaja Bai Ganpath Kote Patil's house 104
  5. nandram Marvadi Sanklecha's house 105
Chapter 8 Temples in Shirdi  
  Khandoba Mandir in Shirdi 108
  The Banyan Tree 110
  The Kanifnath Mandir 110
  As hta Lakshmi Mandir 110
  Vitthal Mandir 111
  Dakshina Mukhi Shri Hanuman Mandir 112
  Ganapathi, Shani and Mahadev Temples 113
  The Samadhi of the Tiger 114
Chapter 9 Abdul Baba's Cottage 115
Chapter 10 Festivals Celebrated in Shirdi 116
  Gudi Padava, the Maharashtrian New Year 117
  Rama Navami, the Festival of Rama's Birth 117
  The Urs and Sandal Procession 120
  Puja of the Sadguru, or Guru Purnima 121
  Vijay Dashmi or Baba's Aaradhana Vidhi 122
  Kojagiri Purnima 125
  Baba's Daily Routine 125
Chapter 11 Shri Che Samadhi Mandir or Dagdi Wada aliasa Butti Wada 128
  Gopalrao Mukundrao Butti 128
  The Samadhi Mandir 129
  The beautiful Wooden Doors and the Plaques behind them 130
  Baba's show room 132
  The Survarna (golden) Kalash 133
  The Sculpting of Baba's Murty 136
  The Pran Prathista of Baba's Idol 138
  The Samadhi 140
  Baba's Murty (Idol) 143
  The Significance of Padukas 146
  Significance of the bathing stone 151
Chapter 12 Baba Going for Bhiksha 154
Chapter 13 Invisible Baba 155
Chapter 14 Baba Sitting on the Ota in the Sabhamandap 156
  Conclusion 157
  Glossary 158

 

Baba's Anurag (Love for His Devotees)

ISBN: 9788120754478
Edition: 2012

Back of the Book

Baba's love encompassed the whole universe with an equality of vision. However he had deep emotional and spiritual ties with some of his devotees. Although Baba rarely left Shirdi in his physical form but he did visit the homes of the Dengle family in Neemgaon and the Saand family in Rahata. He went to some of his devotees place in the form of bas-relief images. The descendents of these devotees have preserved these images and venerated them till today. They were blessed not only in this life, but also for many past lives, that they had the good fortune of welcoming Baba into their homes.

This book describes the homes of many of his devotees in and around Shirdi. Their homes and lives are described vividly so that we too can have a virtual tour of them and can partake a little of the ambrosia and fragrance of Baba's love. Baba also had deep ties with devotees who resided in Shirdi. They eagerly waited for him to pass by their homes as he wandered through the villages so that the dust from his feet would sanctify their homes and their mundane lives. This book transports one to the bygone days and describes the various leelas of Baba from which valuable lessons can be derived.

Vinny Chitluri was born in Arvankadu (Nilgiris), but was educated in Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh). She did her post graduation in Pediatrics from Kalawati Saren Hospital, Delhi. Then she went to the US, passed the board examination and was conferred the ‘Diplomat of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

While in the US, she started thinking seriously about her Karmic bonds with her family. As her father worshipped Baba, she was also able to do the same from a very young age. She has been worshipping Baba for sixty years. Her relationship with Baba is that of a ‘best friend' as He loves her no matter what she does.

She retired from the medical profession at the age of fifty and came to Shirdi in 1994 and settled there. Then she set about trying to know more about Baba. She soon realised that ‘the more she learned about Him, the more ignorant she was Alas! it would take her many lives to know a little about this inscrutable God. But her quest is ongoing.

 

Preface

Baba rarely left Shirdi in his physical body but he did go to Rahata and Neemgaon. He went to the homes of some devotees in the form of a photograph. The houses of these devotees residing in Rahata and Neemgaon and also in Shirdi and their lives have been described in this book.

The need for this book arose from many reasons. The main reason is that the village is changing fast. It is turning into a ‘Modern Township'. These are private properties, many of them are being demolished, and hotels are standing in its place. Many devotees ask me to show them places described in the Sri Sai Satcharita then I take them on a small tour around the village and show them these homes, and the various routes that Baba took. Some of these devotees have been coming to Shirdi for many years and have yet not seen these houses.

Every devotee needs to be loved by the most important person in his or her life-Baba. His leelas are full of compassion, love and care, for he is ever present to save us from calamity. Finally even if a few devotees visit these sites, so that reading the Shri Sai Satcharita becomes easy, and then start thinking of its profound meaning, the object of writing this book will be accomplished.

 

Introduction

Baba's love encompassed the whole universe, with an equality of vision. However, he had deep ties from numerous previous births, with some of his devotees. His infinite love went back numerous generations. With Shama, it spanned over 72 generations, and with Chandorkar 4 generations as mentioned by Baba himself. These special devotees shared a special grace. By virtue of these incidents, they themselves were blessed. We do not know the length of his relationship with the others.

This book describes the homes of many of his devotees in and around Shirdi. Baba rarely left Shirdi in the physical body but he did visit the home of Kushalchand Saand of Rahata, and Nana Sahib Dengle of Neemgaon. He went to Dabolkar's home in the form of a ‘bas-relief' image. His descendants have preserved it, and venerate it even today.

Baba loved everything on this earth be it a lizard, a bird or a mongrel. He had a special bond and fondness for them. An apt example, is his giving salvation to an ailing tiger. With human beings, his love extended to the rich and poor, the young and the old. He loved the robust and sick, as he had compassion, and a deep understanding of their pain and mental tension. An apt example is Bhagoji Shinde who had black leprosy, his body was constantly oozing fowl smelling pus yet he was Baba's constant companion. Bhagoji daily massaged Baba's burnt hand. Although his disease would repulse us, Baba was quite oblivious of it.

He averted calamities, removed sorrows, and gave progeny to some of them. The leelas of some of them are also given in this book. By knowing about their lives and leelas every devotee can aspire to reach that state. Nor did these devotees forget him, in fact, they thought of him in every waking moment of their lives. We turn to a religious book when we are in trouble, so by reading these lee/as we can learn and derive valuable lessons from them. Today it inspires us and gives us sustenance and solace, as he is aware of our every step. Their homes and their lives are described so that we too can visit them and partake a little of the ambrosia and the fragrance of Baba's love. They were blessed not only in this life, but also for many past lives, that they had the good fortune of welcoming Baba into their homes. They eagerly awaited his visits, and looked forward to doing some dedicated service to their guru.

Baba also had deep ties with the devotees that resided in Shirdi. They eagerly waited for him to pass by their homes as he wandered through the village so that the dust from his feet would sanctify their homes and their mundane lives. It is important for us devotees to know these homes as we can walk in the footsteps of our Sadguru. (A realised teacher, an incarnation). Although things have changed and become modern, yet we can be transported to the bygone days. In addition, this is a blessing as we become closer to our Sadguru by participating in the routine that he followed on a regular basis.

 

Contents

 

  Preface iii
  Acknowledgements iv
  Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Baba's Rahata connection 3
  The Home of Chandraban Saand, Kushalchand Saand, The Maruti Mandir at Rahata, The Idga, The Vess  
Chapter 2 Baba's Neemgaon connection 7
  The Door, The Sacred Place Where Baba Sat, The Neem Tree, The Village of Neemgaon, The Chavadi, The Well or Vihir  
Chapter 3 Baba's Dhupkhed Connection 12
  The Home of Chand Patil, The Neem Tree, Chand Patil's Samadhi  
Chapter 4 Baba Goes to Bandra, Mumbai 16
  The Pothi, The Desk, The Bas-relief image of Baba  
Chapter 5 Baba Goes to Harda (Madhya Pradesh) 19
  Narayanrao Dada of Jalgaon and Saddu's Wife, Have a Dream Vision, The Possible Meaning o this Dream  
Chapter 6 Baba Goes to Bhivpuri 26
  Pradhan's Unique Faith in Baba  
Chapter 7 The House of Baba's Devotees in Shirdi 32
  Lakshmibai Tukaram Shinde's home  
Chapter 8 Baalaji Pilaji Guruv's Home 34
Chapter 9 Tukaram Sutar's Home 36
Chapter 10 Bhagoji Shinde's House 39
Chapter 11 Madhavrao Deshpande's (Shama's) Home 40
Chapter 12 Mhalsapati's Home 42
  Baba's 3 day Samadhi  
Chapter 13 Ramchandra Dada Patil's Home 47
Chapter 14 Lakshman Kachewar Jakadi's Home 50
Chapter 15 Lakshman Ratna Parkhe's Home 51
Chapter 16 Kashiram Shimpi's Home 53
Chapter 17 Expression of Baba's Love: Food for the Body and Soul 56
  Cholkar's Unsweetened Tea  
Chapter 18 Nana Sahib Chandorkar and Tea 59
Chapter 19 Baba Feeds Morsels of Food to his Devotees 61
Chapter 20 Jyotindra Tarked and Watermelons 63
Chapter 21 Rege and Bananas 66
Chapter 22 Baba's Unique Way of Showering his Love 67
Chapter 23 Baba's Love and Care for His Devotees 71
Chapter 24 Abdul Karim Rangari 73
Chapter 25 Imambhai Chota Khan 75
Chapter 26 Mr. Clerk 78
Chapter 27 Rao Bhadur S.B. Dhumal 80
Chapter 28 Reghvuvir Bhaskar Purandare 83
Chapter 29 Bapu Pradhan 87
Chapter 30 Nana Sahib Nimonkar 89
Chapter 31 Baalkrishna Waman Vaidya 92
Chapter 32 Ramchandra Ramkrishna Samant 95
Chapter 33 Baal Krishna Khaparde 97
Chapter 34 Vitthal N. Vaidya 98
Chapter 35 Nana Sahib Rasne 100
Chapter 36 Baba's Love for Small and Large Creatures 104
Chapter 37 Hazrat Durvesh Haji Mohamed Siddique Falke 107
  Conclusion 119
  Glossary 120

 

Baba's Vaani (His Sayings and Teachings)

ISBN: 9788120738591
Edition: 2012

 

Back of the Book

This book is a collection of the saying and teachings of Baba that are highlighted in the experiences of the devotees as they interacted with Him. Thought direct intervention in their lives, and the use of parables, He led them to spiritual growth. Like the caring aren't that He is, He used love and humors to help His devotees understand profound philosophical and spiritual ideas.

These id3eas were expressed in simple language, and often seen in practice in their ordinary day-to-day experiences, so that devotees were unaware that they were acquiring Buddha pathetic. Buddha is instruction, or perception, and pathetic is protocol or steps of a ritual.

 

About The Author

Vinny Chitluri was born in Aruvankadu (Nigeria), but was educated in ablaut (Madhya Pradesh). She did her postproduction in Pediatrics from Kawaka saran Hospital, Delhi. Then she went to the U. S, passed the board examination and was conferred the ‘Diplomat of the American Academy of Pediatrics'.

While in the U. S., she started thinking seriously about her karmic bonds with her family. As her father worshipped Baba, she was also able to do the same from a very young age. She has been worshipping Baba for sixty years. Her relationship with Baba is that of a ‘best friends' as He loves her no matter what she does.

She retired from the medical profession at the age of fifty and came to Shirdi in 1994 and settled there. Then she set about trying to know more about Baba. She soon realized that ‘the more she learned about Him, the more ignorant she was'. Alas, it would take her many lives to know a little about this inscrutable God. But her quest is ongoing.

 

Introduction

Hari Sitaram Dixit or Kaka Sahib as Baba called him had a wonderful habit of keeping a diary. Many of the other devotees also did the same. Meticulously he wrote Baba's lee/as as they unfolded before him. Every letter, every note that he received from the devotees he preserved. Most importantly, he wrote Baba's words and sayings. For they give a great deal of insights into Baba's moods, like sham rage which in actuality was a blessing in disguise, and Baba's teachings.

Unfortunately, unlike Ganesh Shriknishna Khaparde he has not mentioned the dates. Nonetheless, the diary is a gem and is priceless. The leelas from his diary were published in the Sal Leela Magaine in the early I 920s. Most of the leelas given below are from his diary.

I for one thank Kaka Sahib, for enriching the lives of many devotees of Baba by his contribution of ‘The Dixit Diary'.

Especially in the parables, Baba flits from one topic to another. The English translation is nearly impossible. Since this book is about Baba's Vaani, it has been translated verbatim. Therefore, it is impossible for the English translation to do justice to the ‘sayings'. No translation can bring out the nuances of the original, and therefore the reader may find that the language does not flow naturally.

Baba when he spoke Marathi or Hindi it was colloquial, so it's even harder to write it in English. He used words like are, re and kyako, just to mention a few.

This book is a kaleidoscope of Baba's lee/as, some parables, his sayings and his bodhapaddhati. Baba had an unique way of teaching, by way of dakshina, parables and even directly.

This book is Baba's, but the imperfections are definitely mine.

 

Acknowledgements

Baba gave me many gifts in my life, and some of them were in the form of guardian angels. These angels helped me in many ways. Most importantly they helped me when I was writing this book. I take this opportunity to thank them from the bottom of my heart.

To Sada S Ghode, I owe a debt of gratitude for doing everything that was required to be done in this book, from searching for the descendants of Baba's bhaktas to learning the intricate computer.

Sandeep E Gondkar of Shirdi, an advocate by profession but a computer wizard, and god sent for me.

Neeta Shebde of Pune, for sending me photographs of the devotees residing in Pune so I did not have to make the trips to Pune. Sri Krishna Kapur, New Delhi whose rinanubandhic ties with me made this book possible. He helped me in innumerable ways, they are far too many to mention.

S K .Ghai of Sterling Publishers, New Delhi who treated me like a family member, and most importantly for publishing my book. I owe a debt of gratitude to Manjula S of Bangaluru, my spiritual guru. Thank you Manjula for interpreting all these difficult Sanskrit words, and parables for me.

 

Contents

 

  Introduction V
  Acknowledgement Vi
Leela 1: Padmanabandra Swami from Alandi 1
Leela 2: Nana's offering of puran polis to Baba 2
leela 3: Baba teaches Nana the impact of speech 3
leela 4: Baba comes in the form of a dog 4
leela 5: Kaka drives away a dog and repents 5
leela 6: Hansraj beats the cat and welts appear on Baba's back 6
leela 7: Kaka Sahib prepares shira prasad for Baba 7
leela 8: Bapuji Shastri Gulvi 10
leela 9: Baba changes the creditor's mind 10
leela 10: Baba smells the mogra 11
leela 11: Shanti Kirwandikar falls in the well 12
leela 12: Chidambar Keshav Gadgil pines for Baba's darshan 12
leela 13: Kirtankar deserts Nana 14
leela 14: Bapu Sahib Jog performs the last rites of his mother at Shirdi 15
Leela 15 Shankar Rao Ksheersagar gives all his money as dakshina 16
Leela 16 Baba reads his thoughts 16
Leela 17: The yellow pitambar for his samadhi 17
Leela 18: The 30th day of his mahasamadhi 17
Leela 19: Ganesh Govind Narke's letter to Kaka Dixit 18
Leela 20: Ya Ramdas (Come Ramdas) 18
Leela 21: AppaKulkarni is charged with embezzling 20
Leela 22: Kondaji Sutar's hay stack catches fire 21
Leela 23: Nana Sahib Bere escapes being attacked by dacoits 23
Leela 24: This devotee sends dakshina to Baba along with penalty 25
Leela 25: Lakshman K Nulkar is relieved of his eye disease 27
Leela 26: Mr Curtis visits Shirdi 27
Leela 27: Baba asks Nana Sahib Dengle what the birds are saying 29
Leela 28: Vasudev Sadashiv Joshi sees Lord Narasimha in Baba's photograph 30
Leela 29: M B Rege meets his master 34
Leela 30: Rege meets the divine mother Radha Krishna Mai 35
Leela 31: Baba hai Dattache aayhe (Baba is Lord Dattatreya) 41
Leela 32: Shantaram, Baiwant Nachne and the tiger 42
Leela 33: Vishnupanth Pithale makes a pilgrimage to Shirdi 43
Leela 34: The atheist ‘Keshev R Pradhan' 46
Leela 35: Dev Baba alias Ananth Prabhu Walvalkar 49
Leela 36: Dattatreya Deshpande Nimonkar 50
Leela 37: Chottu Bhaya Parulkar receives a portrait and' padukas of Baba 51
Leela 38: ‘The Locket 52
Leela 39: Scetadevi Ramchandra Tarkhad 53
Leela 40: Baba saves Jyotindra's life in a ‘cloud burst' 56
Leela 41: Baba comes in the form of a photograph to stay in the Tarkhad home 58
Leela 42: Baba gives life to Malanbai 60
Leela 43: Rinanubandh of a Muslim gentleman 62
Leela 44: Baba comes to her home and fills her box with udi 64
Leela 45: Baba Dixit and Babu Bhate were good friends 66
Leela 46: Nana looks at a Muslim lady 67
Leela 47: Govindpanth N Chandorkar forbids his family to have any contact with Muslims 69
Leela 48: These people are walking all over me 71
Leela 49: He calls Baba to save his staff from a catastrophe at work 72
Leela 50: Captain Vir Hate gets his rupee blessed by Baba 73
Leela 51: Baba rescues Captain Daruwalla from the enemy attack 75
Leela 52: This lady from Poona wishes to get a coconut from Baba 76
Leela 53: Baba restores the eye sight of Vitthal's grandfather 77
Leela 54: Chandrabai Borker was devoted to Baba 80
Leela 55: She was a sister of mine for seven births 83
Leela 56: Nana Sahib Chandorkar's son's wedding in Gwalior 84
Leela 57: Kaka Dint extends monetary help to a friend 85
Leela 58: The ‘bhils' are afraid of the fakir 86
Leela 59: The avaricious bhajan mandali from Madras 87
Leela 60: Baba appears in the glass of alcohol as a warning 88
Leela 61: Baba's udi saves the life of both mother and child 90
Leela 62: Dr Talvalkar treats a fatal disease with udi and plain water 91
Leela 63: Kavaji Patil does not heed Baba's advice and disaster strikes 93
Leela 64: Baba makes Agul Karim Khan stay at Shirdi for 10 days 94
Leela 65: Ganpat Rao Bodas of the kirloskar natak mandali visits Shirdi 96
Leela 66: Bai Sahib of Baroda visits Shirdi 98
Leela 67: Some insights on Baba given by M B Rege 98
Leela 68: Shyamrao Jayker's portrait of Baba in Dwaraka Mai 100
Leela 69: Dr Keshev B Gavankar gives interesting insights on Baba 101
Leela 70: Raghuvir Bhaskar Purandhare 107
Leela 71: Baba's ‘rahem nazar' breathes life into a dead man 111
Leela 72: Shri Sai Baba Mandir Trust — Kohrale 113
Leela 73: Madhavnath Maharaj 115
Leela 74: The packet of udi turns into bhukka of Pandharpur 116
Leela 75: Mahali loved Baba passionately 120
Leela 76: Baba chi Vaishvadev chi shikvan (Baba teaches appeasement of Vaishvadev or agm or fire) 122
Leela 77: A devotee named Prabhu takes a photograph of Baba  
Leela 78: Drop the wall, and that's enough 122
Leela 79: Baba asks Ghaisis for bhiksha of 53 rupees 123
Leela 80: Vakthirek Gyan 124
Leela 81: Sagunmeru Naik 125
Leela 82: Vaman Chintaman Mukhe 128
Leela 83: Baba goes to Ruigaon occasionally 131
Leela 84: Parables 131
Leela 85: Baba asks Butti to get 161/2 rupees as dakshina from Dixit 142
Leela 86: Dinkar Mahadev Sapatnekar 144
Leela 87: Dr Keshev Bhagvan Gavankar 146
Leela 88: The experiences of Krishna Rao Naryana Parulkar 152
Leela 89: Sadashiv Naik's mother attends Bapu's wedding 153
Leela 90: Baba sends a photograph of his to Sadu Bhayia 154
Leela 91: There is an epidemic of plague in Harda 155
Leela 92: Nana Sahib Chandorkar's udi box 156
Leela 93: Silver padukas 157
Leela 94: Silver padukas with chatri 157
Leela 95: Baha's leelas on death and resurrection 158
Leela 96: Let the boy depart, don't stand in his way 160
Leela 97: Shri Bapu Vaidya offers unripe green Alfanso mangoes to Baba 162
Leela 98: Baba sends Balaram to Machindragad 163
  Conclusion 164

 

Sample Pages

Baba's Rinanubandh (Leelas during His Sojourn in Shirdi)


Baba's Gurukul (Shirdi)


Baba's Anurag (Love for His Devotees)


Baba's Vaani (His Sayings and Teachings)

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