Shirdi Sai Baba used to perform every thing which an ordinary human being performs. In fact, every act of His was a glimpse of Param Pita (Foremost Father) God which is situated in that body and we call it a Chamatkar (Miracle).
In reality, whatever acts are done by Saints are messages of God for us because Saints are present form of God, then how can smoking a chilam be an ordinary act? There is a very deep and important message in disguse behind this act of smoking Chilam, in the same way as there is a meaning behind every act of Saints. That’s the reason why very simple act of Saint is considered as Leela.
Let’s try to understand the truth and the purpose behind Shirdi Sai Baba’s smoking Chilam. The Chilam which Shirdi Sai Baba used to smoke was made from clay. To prrepare a Chilam, first clay has to be smashed, then it is given a definite shape and allowed it to dry in sunlight. After filling tobacoo in it, it had a fortune of touch and kiss of Shirdi Sai Baba.
Sai Baba wanted to make us understand that like Chilam our bodies are also made up of clay particles which will reach its final destination of life and then will be merged with earth. God creates this body after considerable hard work of mixing five elements and then adds Atma (which is His own Ansh/particle) to the body and thus provides life. Also the body gets a chance to be called as ‘living’. After this long process, we get the birth of human being so that we can chant Parmatma’s name and finally reach to Him. We have to go ahead on the way of Moksha. But the body which is made up of Maya does not allow it to peep inside to know this form of God.
Our body is also like the Chilam made of clay wherein it is filled with intoxicating Maya (tobacco). This intoxication is so powerful that it cannot be destroyed easily. Instead it becomes a habit and in this toxicity we pass our lives (many births are passed away in this way only).
Saints do the same thing, they remove the intoxication of our body which is made up of clay like that non-living Chilam, by smoking it out, so that the toxicity will go on diminishing and light of true form of God is enlightened.
This body gets separated from Maya because God Himself removes it by blowing it out by His power to do so and this empty space is filled with the name of “Sai”. That name by which the light of the name of God is enlightened or say when grace and name of God reaches near us, it makes it space and throws away Maya. Instead I would say that the name of God enlightens itself so that it is visible to us. Not only the light comes to us it is spread in all the four directions for the benefit of all.
मिट्टी की है चिलम, मिट्टी की यह देह
एक में है तम्बाकू भरा
दुसरे में है माया का नशा
बाबा चिलम पीकर हमें यह बताते है
हर फूंक के साथ हमें यह समजाते है
” ओ मेरे प्यारे मानव,
तुज पर चढ़ा माया का नशा
मैं चिलम की हर फूंक से मिटाता हूँ अपने ही ऊपर यह नशा ले
तुझे नशे से मुक्त कर
स्वयं अपना स्पर्श दे जाता हूँ
इस माया के नशे को उतारने के लिए ही
मैं संत रूप धारे पृथ्वी पर आता हूँ
माया के नशे को इस पांच भूतो के तत्त्व बाहर फूंक
इसमें भक्ति, प्रेम, समर्पण, अपने ही नाम का हर्ष भर जाता हूँ”
अब भी जागो,
स्वयं को माया के नशे से मुक्त कर
इसे भक्तिमय प्रेम, परमात्मा के नाम से भर
माया के मोह को त्यागो
बाबा के इशारे को समजो
और उन्ही के स्पर्श, प्रेममई हर्ष
और दिव्य कृपा से
अपने जीवन को भर लो…
© Shirdi Sai Baba Life Teachings and Stories
Sai Sai Sai Sai Sai
Many thanks for this enlightening post, really blessed to have read this
Sai Sai Sai Sai