According to Hindu scriptures, there are 84 lakh types of births in this world. The souls go on taking births and rebirths in various types according to their merits and demerits. But when merits and demerits are tallied, they get the human body to rest and are given a chance to work out for their salvation.
In chapter 8 of Shri Sai Satcharitra, it is written “Four things are common to all the creatures, viz. food, sleep, fear, and sexual union. In the case of man, he is endowed with a special faculty, viz. knowledge, with the help of which he can attain God-vision, which is impossible in any other birth. It is for this reason that Gods envy man’s fortune and aspire to be born as men on earth, so as to get their final deliverance.”
So Sai Baba, advised us not to miss this rare opportunity by only engaged in satisfying senses only. Devotees who take real interest in spiritual matters are loved by Sai Baba and it is His efforts to remove any obstacle from this path for the ease and happiness of His Devotees.
In chapter 41, we had seen how He blessed B.V. Dev for his wish to read Jnaneshwari and guided him in this matter by appearing in the dream.
In chapters 16 & 17, Baba said, “So many people come to Me, and ask for wealth, health, power, honor, position, cure of diseases and other temporal matters. Rare is the person, who comes here to Me and asks for Brahma-Jnana. There is no dearth of persons asking for worldly things, but persons interested in spiritual matters are very rare.”
When thought seriously about why Baba used to call so many persons to Shirdi, it would not be wrong to guess that He wanted His devotees to go ahead in spiritual matters, and for this, He resorted to many different ways. He used to say, “Let My man (Devotee) be at any distance, a thousand koss away from Me, he will be drawn to Shirdi like a sparrow, with a thread tied to its feet”.
In my last post, I had written about how Nanasaheb Chandorkar was pulled to Shirdi by Sai Baba. Readers can refer to it. But later it had been seen how he became the nearest and dearest devotee of Sai Baba, who constantly looked up to his spiritual interest. Even examples of Lala Lakhamichand (Chapter 28) and Ramlal Punjabi (Chapter 30) can be referred to as how they were called by Sai Baba by appearing in their dreams.
Again in Chapter 28 Sai Baba demanded Khichadi (rice cooked with dal-lentil and salt) in Burhanpore lady in the dream and called her and her husband to Shirdi. Even when devotees give up worshiping their family deities or saints, Baba made them visit Shirdi and reminded them. This example can be quoted here: The father of Bhagwantrao was a devotee of Vithoba and used to make Varis (annual trips) to Pandharpur. He also had an image of Vithoba at home, which he worshipped. After his death, the son stopped everything – the Vari, the worship, and shraddha ceremony, etc. When Bhagwantrao came to Shirdi, Sai Baba on remembering his father, at once said, “His father was my friend, so I dragged him (the son) here. He never offered naivaidya (offering of food) and so he starved Vithal and Me. So I brought him here. I shall remonstrate him now and set him to worship.” – Chapter 4.
Another instance of the son of Harishchandra Pitale can be taken up here. Pitale took his son to Shirdi who was suffering from epilepsy. On hearing kirtans of Dasganu he was inspired to go to Shirdi as the last hope to save his son. Baba cured the son with mere glances, but he benefited in another way too. On returning, Baba gave him three rupees and reminded him about the two rupees given to him by Akkalkot Swamy earlier, persuading Pitale to start the worship of Akkalkot Swamy again.
Also, we are familiar with an incident of Sai Baba forcing Vishnu Sahasranama to Sham, His pet devotee who is reluctant to take it fearing Ramdasi’s quarrelsome nature. Thus the efficacy of God’s name is well-known. It saves us from all sins and bad tendencies and frees us from the cycle of births and deaths. There is no easier Sadhana than this. – Chapter 27.
List of Devotees of Sai Baba of Shirdi
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