Deciphering Sai Baba of Shirdi
Sai Baba of Shirdi, a peculiar Faqir, who resided in a small village of Maharashtra, and retained his body until the year 1918, is shrouded into mysteries since the start of twenty-first century. No one is certain about his place of birth. No one knows where did he come from and why did he choose Shirdi, as his place of stay. No one can claim about his whereabouts with utmost certainty. As the folklore expanded and penetrated to the nook and corners of the Indian subcontinent, it became a common belief that the Faqir wasn't born, albeit appeared at the age of sixteen, underneath a Neem tree, on the outskirts of the village of Shirdi. However, this belief, though failing on logical parameters, also fail on the very parameters of the sayings and parables of this Faqir himself. Thus, it becomes evidently clear that he's born to earthly parents and also reached in the custody of his Guru, during his tender years of life.
He retired to a dilapidated mosque which he called Dwarkamayi, in the later years of life. This mosque became the very symbol of communal harmony. Initially, this Faqir stayed underneath a Neem tree on the outskirts of village. If heeded to the biography on this Faqir, Sai Satcharita by Hemadpant, there's an underground cavern, where the boy himself meditated. However, according to the Faqir, it's a place associated with his Guru. That's how the name, Gurusthan, came about. A number of Masters have been associated with Sai of Shirdi. The prominent anomaly and story, presents the protagonist in Venkusha, who hailed from the village of Selu. However, ground works and researches of the present author, and some other writers on the broader topic of Baba, undermined this anomaly. Present author doesn't discard the theory in all it's entirety, but presents a more feasible picture of the same. Other Muslim saints who have been associated with this Faqir, and linked to him in the sense of Masters are Roshan Shah Mian, Shah Muntajab ud din and Bannemiyan. However, barring the middle name, both the names associated with the Faqir, are associated in a wrong sense and relationship, and have led to conjecture. Present author has arrived at a logical conclusion, based on a number of proofs and research works. The second book, Saga of Sai, presents an entire chapter to the making of Sai Baba. Sai, wasn't born a Siddha, but became one. He had to tread the path, a path which Sanyam Shrivastava (Saidas) has finally unveiled.
Sai sometimes used to behave in errant ways, hurling stones and abusing in his courtyard. This wasn't unique of Sai, and similar attributes have been shown by saints who are on the highest rung of spiritual ladder. Contemporary saints like Tajuddin Baba, Gajanan Maharaj, Swami Samarth and others, are known to have behaved in similar mannerisms. He used to sit in the mosque and talk randomly, which didn't make sense to the devotees. At times, he used to rub two coins and make gestures with hands. For onlookers, this might have meant a meaningless venture, but was indeed impregnated with the highest and deepest of spiritual and material significance. To understand Sai is to understand a phenomenon in itself. Sai is spiritualism personified. He doesn't belong to a particular religion, and was as much into the precepts of Islamism, as much as in Hinduism. Though, Hindus came to claim the authority over this saint and became the hegemonic group, the saint lost the reverence he received from the Muslim devotees, during his days in Shirdi. Thus, to understand Sai is to reconcile these peculiarities. This can only be done by the process of becoming Sai himself. Once a devotee becomes a disciple, severs his bond with the world, he becomes Sai himself. The time which it took for him, spanned over four years. Author justifies via his research, the significance of these four years, which the Faqir inadvertently took to pass his grace to his disciple, Shri Upasni Maharaj. Therefore, the works couldn't have been contained in a single volume, and were jotted down into three books. These three books completely decipher the phenomenon of Sai, hitherto unknown and shrouded with unexplainable conjecture, and bring to light the mysteries of spiritual world. Sai, undoubtedly belonged to the tradition of Dattatreya. But, how did he get initiated into it, has been a mystery for many. This too, has been brought to light by the very disciple of Baba.
People who are devotees, will love the works. However, those who have negated Sai for his peculiarities, will at once find the logic and spiritual arguments, to guide them through the process of Sai, and not be misguided by stupid people and baseless allegations.
He retired to a dilapidated mosque which he called Dwarkamayi, in the later years of life. This mosque became the very symbol of communal harmony. Initially, this Faqir stayed underneath a Neem tree on the outskirts of village. If heeded to the biography on this Faqir, Sai Satcharita by Hemadpant, there's an underground cavern, where the boy himself meditated. However, according to the Faqir, it's a place associated with his Guru. That's how the name, Gurusthan, came about. A number of Masters have been associated with Sai of Shirdi. The prominent anomaly and story, presents the protagonist in Venkusha, who hailed from the village of Selu. However, ground works and researches of the present author, and some other writers on the broader topic of Baba, undermined this anomaly. Present author doesn't discard the theory in all it's entirety, but presents a more feasible picture of the same. Other Muslim saints who have been associated with this Faqir, and linked to him in the sense of Masters are Roshan Shah Mian, Shah Muntajab ud din and Bannemiyan. However, barring the middle name, both the names associated with the Faqir, are associated in a wrong sense and relationship, and have led to conjecture. Present author has arrived at a logical conclusion, based on a number of proofs and research works. The second book, Saga of Sai, presents an entire chapter to the making of Sai Baba. Sai, wasn't born a Siddha, but became one. He had to tread the path, a path which Sanyam Shrivastava (Saidas) has finally unveiled.
Sai sometimes used to behave in errant ways, hurling stones and abusing in his courtyard. This wasn't unique of Sai, and similar attributes have been shown by saints who are on the highest rung of spiritual ladder. Contemporary saints like Tajuddin Baba, Gajanan Maharaj, Swami Samarth and others, are known to have behaved in similar mannerisms. He used to sit in the mosque and talk randomly, which didn't make sense to the devotees. At times, he used to rub two coins and make gestures with hands. For onlookers, this might have meant a meaningless venture, but was indeed impregnated with the highest and deepest of spiritual and material significance. To understand Sai is to understand a phenomenon in itself. Sai is spiritualism personified. He doesn't belong to a particular religion, and was as much into the precepts of Islamism, as much as in Hinduism. Though, Hindus came to claim the authority over this saint and became the hegemonic group, the saint lost the reverence he received from the Muslim devotees, during his days in Shirdi. Thus, to understand Sai is to reconcile these peculiarities. This can only be done by the process of becoming Sai himself. Once a devotee becomes a disciple, severs his bond with the world, he becomes Sai himself. The time which it took for him, spanned over four years. Author justifies via his research, the significance of these four years, which the Faqir inadvertently took to pass his grace to his disciple, Shri Upasni Maharaj. Therefore, the works couldn't have been contained in a single volume, and were jotted down into three books. These three books completely decipher the phenomenon of Sai, hitherto unknown and shrouded with unexplainable conjecture, and bring to light the mysteries of spiritual world. Sai, undoubtedly belonged to the tradition of Dattatreya. But, how did he get initiated into it, has been a mystery for many. This too, has been brought to light by the very disciple of Baba.
People who are devotees, will love the works. However, those who have negated Sai for his peculiarities, will at once find the logic and spiritual arguments, to guide them through the process of Sai, and not be misguided by stupid people and baseless allegations.
Comments
Post a Comment