Give to Get Back

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Give to Get Back

P.R. Avaste, a Judicial Officer of Indore and a devotee of Baba came during summer vacation with his wife and son to Shirdi. He was on his way to perform his son's marriage and kept with his son Rs.400/- and Rs.300/- with his wife. He was to get a good bridegroom (karini) for his son's marriage. When he came to Baba,

 

Baba to P.R. Avaste: Will you give me Dakshina?

 

P.R. Avaste: How much?

 

Baba: Rs. 30/-

 

Baba to P.R. Avaste's son: Will you give me Rs.40/-

 

Thus again and again Baba took away the whole fund with Mrs. PRA and her son – except Rs.30/-

 

Baba to P.R. Avaste: Will you give me Rs.30/-

 

P.R. Avaste: Shall I give it, Baba?

 

Baba: Yes.

 

Then with great pain at heart, Mr. Avaste took the last remaining Rs.30/- from his wife and paid to Baba.

 

Baba asked for nothing more.

 

As P.R. Avaste was dolefully returning from Baba, Bapu Saheb Jog exultingly patted him on the back.

 

Jog: I say I congratulate you. Baba has taken frequent Dakshina from you. You are lucky. Baba never takes except to give back tenfold.

 

P.R. Avaste: I do not know about that. I know that I have not got a pie remaining for going to the place of marriage.

 

Jog: How much do you want?

 

P.R. Avaste: Rs.100/-

 

Jog: Here it is. Baba has got a present of Rs. 6000/- from a Mumbai merchant who vowed he would pay 25% of his profits, if the news of loss of his goods proved false. Of that 6000, Baba has already spent 3000 in three days. If I tell him I gave you Rs.100/-, he will neither object nor call for The Rs.100/-, but as he has taken Rs.600 odd from you, I assure you that you will have a promotion by Rs.50/- per mensum now.

 

P.R. Avaste: I have no godfather to get me promotion.

 

But as stated by Jog, the promotion of Rs.50/- was given to Mr. P.R. Avaste as he learnt after the vacation ended.

(- from Baba's Charters and Sayings, No. 237)

Guruvaar Prarthna

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Guruvaar Prarthna

 

Our Beloved Sadguru Sainath, please accept our humble prayers on this Holy day of Guruvaar. Baba, life is becoming more and more artificial, there is much deterioration in health and strength. In spite of innumerable doctors and latest medical discoveries, our health is still deteriorating. Persons of past generation were much stronger and healthier. Baba what went wrong in between, yes people ignoring divine life-style offered to us by our ancestor and violating the laws of nature. On this blessed day we pray to shower Your powerful blessing to all and make our brothers and sisters leading a life of security and serenity. We start our prayers after reading the following ovi verses from Your Satsarita.

 

Thus nothing ever happened which was not seen by Sai. Everything everywhere was known to him.

 

On the other side, his friend (Anna's) had troubled thoughts. He did not know what to do. There was even no reply from Anna.

 

Then that Sheth wrote and told him all that had happened. His friend was surprised on reading it and thought 'strange is fate'.

 

'What a wonderful transaction had come our way! Why did he not think for himself instead of dancing attendance on the fakir?! He has unnecessarily lost the gains.

 

God gives, but we lose by our own actions. The mind stops working when evil days are imminent. Why did this fakir have to come in the way of this clear business?

 

What can he say who has given up the normal way of life and goes from door to door, like a mad man, to beg for morsels of food to feed himself?

 

Let it be. He was not destined to have it, therefore, his mind acted thus. I should look for another partner. Whatever is not destined would never happen.'

 

May it be whatsoever! Anna remained contented. Someone else became his friend's partner whose karma dragged him into it. He got into trouble.

 

They had hoped to make money but suffered reversals. They had losses, as if the fakir's satka had beaten them. 82. How fortunate is my Damu Anna! Very wise! Sai is a true pearl to him, wise and sagacious. How compassionate was he to the devotee!

 

The friend said: " If he had followed my advice, then he would have lost heavily. He was saved because he followed the fakir. How wonderful was his faith!

 

I laughed at his madness and was proud of my own cleverness! It was truly futile. That's the experience I got.

 

I reviled that fakir unnecessarily. If I had followed his advice, he would have given me timely warning also and I would not have suffered this loss ".

 

 

I bow down to Sree Ganesh

I bow down to Sree Saraswati

I bow down to the Guru

I bow down to the Family Deity

I bow down to Sree Sita-Ramachandra

I bow down to Sree Sadguru Sainath.

 

-(from Shri Sai Samartha Satchrita, Chapter 25, Ovi 73 - 85)

 

 

http://babaprayers.blogspot.in/

 

 

 

Guruvaar Prarthna

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Guruvaar Prarthna

 

Our Beloved Sadguru Sainath, please accept our humble prayers on this Holy day of Guruvaar. Take, Sai Samartha, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will, all that I am, all that I have, You have given me and I will give it back again to You to be disposed of according to Your good pleasure. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with You I am rich enough. On this blessed day we pray for Your love and grace to lead a divinely holy life. We start our prayers after reading the following ovi verses from Your Satcharita.

 

"In the home of my devotees, food and clothing will never be lacking ". This is an assurance given by Sree Sai and the devotees were aware of this.

 

"Those who whole-heartedly worship me and lovingly always serve me, I look after their well-being. This I know to be my motto. "

 

This is also the affirmation of the Bhagvat Gita. Sai says to accept this as universal truth: "There will never be shortage of food and clothing. Therefore do not hanker after them. "

 

"One should seek honour at the door of God; and should beg only from God. Ask only for His Blessings. Worldly prestige should be left aside.

 

Why are you satisfied by the honour given to you by society? And why are you infatuated by that? Rather seek through intense devotion to move your chosen deity to compassion and to express your joy through copious streams of satvik bhava.

 

May you find joy in such striving. Let all the faculties be seized with such a devotional urge so that the passions of the senses may be transformed completely and sprout devotional worship. What desire will then remain?

 

May such devotion be your constant pre-occupation leaving no relish for anything else. May the mind be engaged in constant chanting of my name and let everything else be forgotten.

 

Then there will be no thought of body, home and wealth. The heart will be fixed on the infinite happiness. The mind will be balanced and serene; and it will find fulfilment in itself.

 

A contented mind is the surest sign of association with the holy. How can a wandering mind be considered as being surrendered to God? "

 

Therefore, with full concentration, oh listeners, listen to the explanation with faith. By listening to the Sai Satcharita let your mind be inclined towards devotion.

 

Along with the narration, you will feel contented. Your wayward mind will find peace. Agitation will disappear and you will achieve happiness.

 

I bow down to Sree Ganesh

I bow down to Sree Saraswati

I bow down to the Guru

I bow down to the Family Deity

I bow down to Sree Sita-Ramachandra

I bow down to Sree Sadguru Sainath.

 

-(from Shri Sai Samartha Satchrita, Chapter 6, Ovi 33 - 43)

http://babaprayers.blogspot.in/

 

 

You Will Be a Gainer

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You Will Be a Gainer

 

Baba, to Balakrishna G. Upasani Sastri:

 

Baba: Will you give me dakshina?

BGU: I have no money.

Baba: What is that in your pocket? Give it.

BGU: This is a silver watch. Take it, Baba.

Baba: Do you think you are losing by giving this.

BGU: Nothing given to you is a loss.

 

Then Baba received the watch and at once gave it away to someone present. BGU went on to Poona and there a rich friend, learning that he had given away his watch to Baba, compelled him to accept a gold watch (without knowing the above words of Baba). So, BGU was a gainer and not a loser by giving away his silver watch.

 

(From Baba's Charters and Saying – 250)

 

 

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​Realise God and Enjoy Eternal Happiness.

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Realise God and Enjoy Eternal Happiness.

 

 

God is always just. God is truth. God is love. God is absolute good, know that everything is vanity except God. God can be attained by truthful behaviour, by leading a highly moral life and by the acquisition of knowledge. God's way is mercy. God's name is love.

 

In the eternity of God is real life. In truth God is eternal light. In the goodness of God is eternal bliss, peace and joy. God is near at hand to help you in your difficulties.

 

Difficult it is to get a human birth. Difficult it is to get a guru (spiritual preceptor). Difficult it is to attain God-realisation. But, through the grace of God, you can overcome all difficulties.

 

You have the urge of hunger and there is food to appease that hunger. You have the urge of thirst and there is water to quench that thirst. There is the urge to be always happy and there must be something to satisfy that urge. This 'something' is God.

 

Appeal. Knock. You will be heard. The door shall be opened unto you. Do not seek him far and wide - He is in your own heart - He has his dwelling there.

 

God is the great deliverer. Surely, He is near at hand to help you in your difficulties. God is the bread of life eternal. This bread is more than anything else. It is more abundant life.

 

God is the embodiment of happiness. Realise God and you will enjoy eternal happiness.

 

 

Guruvaar Prarthna

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Guruvaar Prarthna

 

Our Beloved Sadguru Sainath, please accept our humble prayers on this Holy day of Guruvaar. Baba, many people develop worries by falsely imagining that they are inferior to others. You taught us the idea of inferiority or superiority brings trouble and worries. Ideas of superiority and inferiority are due to ego of individuals. On this blessed day we pray for Your help to get rid of our egoistic mind-set and seek Your blessings to lead a trouble free and worry free life. We start our prayers after reading the following ovi verses from Your Satcharita.

 

 

Devotees have desires without realising their true welfare. Only the Guru knows what is in the devotee's interest, knowing the past, present and the future.

 

However much anyone kept his thought hidden, Sai Samartha dwells within the hearts of everyone as the Witness and he knows the innermost thoughts.

 

When anyone lovingly related his intentions and placed them at Sai's feet, and asked for permission with full faith, Sai showed the right path.

 

This was his vow and all his devotees knew it. He removed the obstacles of all who had completely surrendered.

 

The Guru is the real mother and father. Since numerous births, he is the Guardian and Protector. He is Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar, the Doer and the One who gets everything done.

 

A child wants sweets but the mother gives bitter medicine whether the child cries or writhes. This is her loving decision.

 

How can the child know the properties of that bitter medicine and how it will be beneficial at the proper time? Only the mother knows the indications.

 

Even if Anna kept a share, was Baba likely to forget himself? His love was not motivated by gain. He was ever ready to look after the welfare of his devotees.

 

Money and gold were like dust to him, so what was the value of the share for him? These Saints manifest in the world only to uplift suffering humanity.

 

He is a Saint who has control over his senses and is free from the vices of ignorance and envy and whose aim is to bestow favours on others.

 

I bow down to Sree Ganesh

I bow down to Sree Saraswati

I bow down to the Guru

I bow down to the Family Deity

I bow down to Sree Sita-Ramachandra

I bow down to Sree Sadguru Sainath.

 

-(from Shri Sai Samartha Satchrita, Chapter 25, Ovi 56 - 65)

 

http://babaprayers.blogspot.in/

 

 

 

 

 

Each gets what he chooses.

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Each gets what he chooses.

 

Sadu Bhayya (Sadashiv Dundiraj) who was at Harda on 15-2-1915 was walking with some friends at 4 pm. Suddenly Baba appeared to be coming from the opposite direction and he passed his hand into Sadu Bhayya's and leaving a toothpick in the latter's hand and disappeared.

 

A skeptic Friend: What is that has happened now?

 

S.Bhayya: One thing is certain. When we were coming on, I had no toothpick in hand. Now I have got a toothpick here. Baba has given me this.

 

Skeptic Friend: Why not write to Shirdi and verify? Sadhu Bhayya wrote to Shama and on Shama's invitation went to Shirdi and narrated all facts in Baba's presence.

 

Baba: Sadu, go and tell this to Bade Baba. Sadhu Bhayya went and narrated it before Bade Baba, Dr. Pillai and others. Bade Baba very much excited began to think and came weeping to Baba.

 

Bade Baba: What Baba, you have been giving me large sums of money but money only; but to Sadhu Bhayya you have given Sakshatkar.

So saying he wept.

 

Baba: What is to be done? Each gets what he chooses.

 

Bade Baba who had plenty of money and paid income tax on them subsequently lost all fortune and died.

 

(From Baba's Charters and Saying – 231)

 

 

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Auspicious Vedic Mantras for pregnant ladies (Traslation)

Vandana trayee. Prayers to Lord Agni -- Bless me and my husband with long life, good understanding and integration of our body mind and soul and a lasting relationship in this birth and also in future births. Bless US with a good child. Let my children be happy and healthy and my house be full of auspicious things. May Goddess Subhalakshmi (righteous/auspicious wealth) come to me and may I be a good householder giving love, affection and devotion and with courtesy and hospitality for every one. Bless us with a long life.

Prayer to Surya -- Bless us with shining wisdom.

Prayer to Lord Agni -- Be present in my womb and give strength to my womb and my unborn child and may my child grow to be a good and courageous child. Bless my child and the child's father. Bless us with good children, a home and a long healthy life.

Prayer to Lord Indra -- May the delivery be a safe one for the child and the mother.

Prayer to Lord Vishnu -- Let the child in my womb reside safely for the right length of time.

Prayer to Soma -- Give me the strength and the ability to hold the child in the womb.

Prayer to Twashta -- May the child created be a beautiful one.

Prayer to Agni and Devas -- Bless me and my children with good longevity and fulfill all my needs and desires and let me receive love from all in the world. Bless me with good energy to have healthy and well developed children.

Prayer to the seasons -- Vasanta, Grishma, Varsha, Sharath, Hemantha and Shishira seasons performed the Ekadasha Ratra Yagya and were blessed with good children. May the ones who listen to these mantras be blessed with good and healthy children.

Prayer to Lord Indra, Lord Agni and Soma -- May my womb be a safe place for my child.

Prayer to Lord Indra -- O, Lord Indra, fulfill all my desires and bless my child with vitality and bless my child so he uses the energy for good deeds.

Prayer to Lord Dhata -- Bless me and my child with Sakala Sowbhagyam -- all types of good fortune.

Prayer to Soma and Raka Devi --Destroy the bad Karmas and bless me with a healthy child who will tread the righteous path with auspicious thoughts and be fortunate.

(Mantras in audio in the below link)

​​http://babaprayers.blogspot.in/2015/02/auspicious-vedic-mantras-for-pregnant.html

 

Hand Yourselves Over to God

Hand Yourselves Over to God

What sort of God we want? The vast majority of men and women want God who is sort of a store keeper ready to supply them all those things for which they send in a requisition, the wealth of the world, its pleasures and power. 

So long as God gives them what they want, God is good, God is loving, God is wise, and there is none like unto Him. But the moment He refuses to oblige, He becomes a cruel God, unjust and unkind. His very existence is denied. 

The God of the majority of us is a 'servant' God ready to do our bidding, eager to satisfy our cravings and caprices the moment they arise. 

In plain word, we do not want God's Will to be done. What we desire is that our will should be done. And the more I succeed in the doing of my will, the more restless do I grow, the more unhappy and miserable. It is only God's Will that can restore harmony and order. Until I learn to submit to the will of God, even if I reach out to the moon and conquer the stars, I shall but continue to wander from restlessness to restlessness. 

What we need is not this, that or any other thing. What we urgently require is a divine adjustment. At some time or the other this truth dimly dawns on our consciousness. Pressed hard by circumstances, surrounded on all sides by trials and temptations, failures and frustrations, we feel like turning to God as the only remedy. But we are afraid to leave all things in His Hands for fear of what He may do. 

We do not know what God may do if we surrender to Him. To surrender ourselves to Him is to accept His Will. We are not yet prepared to do so. We still want our wills to be done.  Our prayers in effect are something like this, "O Lord who art All-powerful! Listen to my cry. Rush to my rescue and grant me all that I ask!" 

And so we keep on chasing shadows. Like butterflies we flit from one sensation to another, in a vain search of that true happiness which is not obtained until we return to God. O traveller who art weary with thy wanderings, return to thy Homeland! Away from thy Home there is no rest. And thy Home is God. 

He who stands still in the Lord finds everything in the Lord. The things he pursued and which eluded him, now come running to him. He desires them no longer. He seeks them no more. But they come to him of their own volition. He needs nothing. He has attained to the stage where his hunger has been appeased and his thirst has been quenched. 

They who are united with the Lord are happy, indeed. Their wills are merged with the Will Divine. They desire naught but what the Lord wills. They have broken the chains of bondage: they are attached to none: the Lord is their sheet-anchor! 

The one thing needful is to focus the mind on God, to live in His presence and to dedicate ourselves to Him. By doing so we will not, of course, be free from all faults. If it is God's Will that human nature should be frail, I should, for the love of God, accept my faults, finding comfort in the thought that will teach me to be humble, no one reached God except on the path of humility. Humility, by revealing to us what we are, teaches us that of ourselves we can do nothing: for we are nothing. All the good that is done by God. Humility, therefore, means utter surrender to God and to God alone. 

The best thing that man can do is to hand himself over to God, to accept everything including disgrace and disease, trouble and tribulation, misfortune and misery, as coming from God. Whatever  comes from God is good: it cometh to purify. Therefore rejoice in every situation and circumstance of life, giving gratitude to Him whose works are ever the works of mercy. 

The one essential mark of the man who loves God, is that he bears joyfully all the suffering and pain that God sends him. He who become a captive of love lives a life of surrender to God: in this surrender is true freedom. Watch, therefore, for the ring of love and when it closes in on you, feel happy, for in your captivity you will have found the freedom of the truly free. Then in your heart you will hear songs of rejoicing. And each day will bring you thrills of joy. 

Love God with all your heart and soul. Talk to Him. Think of Him. Rest in Him. In the midst of your daily work, turn to Him, again and again. These glad turnings of a loving and grateful heart are your best prayers to God. 

Lust Conquest

Lust  Conquest

A person that has not overcome lust cannot see God, i.e., get God-realisation. 

Two Moslem ladies wearing veils came to take darshan of Baba at the mosque and NGC was sitting by him. NGC tried to get up and go away. 

Baba: You had better remain. If they wish to take darshan, let them come. 

The ladies came. The older removed her veil and took darshan. Next, as the younger removed her veil, took darshan and resumed her veil, Nana, smitten with her beauty, thought to himself "Shall I have one more opportunity to see that angelic face?", but he said nothing. baba struck him on the thigh. Then the ladies left. 

Baba: Nana, do you know why I struck you? 

Nana: How can I hide anything from the omniscience of my guru? But I do not understand how such low thoughts should sway my mind, when I am in your immediate presence. 

Baba: You are a man after all. Are you not? The body is full of desires, which spring up as soon as a sense object approaches, but are temples with lovely and well coloured exterior scarce in the world? When we go there, is it to admire the exterior or see the God within? When you are seeing the God in the shrine, do you care for the outside beauty of the building or for that of the image or Paramatama within? Does God remain only in temples? Is he not found in every object in the world as in temples? We are not to bother ourselves about the beauty or ugliness of the exterior, but to concentrate solely on the form taken by and revealing God. 

Of course there is nothing in looking at the exterior, but as one looks at it, he must think how clever and powerful is the God that produced such a beautiful abode, how he resides therein and how nicely ornamented he is. Nana, if you had directed your thoughts to this way, you would not have had the desire to get one more look at the Moslem beauty's face. Keep this always in mind.

 

(From Baba's Charters and Saying – 205)

 

 

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Guruvaar Prarthna

Guruvaar Prarthna

 

Our Beloved Sadguru Sainath, please accept our humble prayers on this Holy day of Guruvaar. We are the author of our fate, we ourselves have created this. We ourselves are entirely responsible for this. We are the maker of suffering and joy. Just as a silk worm has created a cocoon for its own destruction, so also we have created this cage of flesh, by our own karma and false egoism. We are slaves of flesh, we are slaves of body and mind, of countless desires. We are sinking deep into ignorance. On this blessed day we pray for Your help to come out of illusory mayaic cage and Your blessings to lead a fulfilled life of peace and patience and we start our prayers after reading the following ovi verses from Your Satcharita. 

 

Sit down and stop worrying. Wise people do not worry. No sooner you stepped into Shirdi, your destined miseries have got over.

 

However deeply immersed in the ocean of trouble or buried deep in the valley of miseries, know that when he climbs the steps of the Masjidmai he will ride on a wave of happiness.

 

The fakir here is very kind. He will destroy your troubles from the very roots and will look after you lovingly. He has tender feelings towards all.

 

Therefore, you be at rest. Stay at Bhimabai's house. You will get relief within a couple of days " .

 

Just like the case of a dying person receiving showers of nectar who immediately revives, such was Patil's satisfaction.

 

Hearing those words of Sainatha were like nectar to a man facing immediate death or water to a man dying of thirst.

 

When he sat in front of Baba for an hour, his vomiting of blood stopped, which otherwise he used to do at intervals of every five minutes.

 

He (Baba) did not examine the patient nor did he ask for the case history. Only with a merciful glance, the disease was destroyed from the root.

 

It is enough to receive a merciful glance. Even a dry stick can sprout leaves, flowers can blossom without spring, and the withered tree can become laden with fruit.

 

Ill health or good health. It's a question of whether the store of good deeds is exhausted or that of the sins. There is no escape but to experience the effects of destiny. 82. He had the disease only because of his fate. This is the rule applied to the cycle of birth and death. There is no other remedy or freedom from it, other than to undergo the sufferings.

 

But, if by good fortune one can get the darshan of a Saint, this is one certain means to cure the illness – and to heal it without suffering.

 

A disease itself shows that this was destiny. But if a Saint casts a merciful glance it takes away the misery out of the destined suffering. 

 

I bow down to Sree Ganesh

I bow down to Sree Saraswati

I bow down to the Guru

I bow down to the Family Deity

I bow down to Sree Sita-Ramachandra

I bow down to Sree Sadguru Sainath.

 

-(from Shri Sai Samartha Satchrita, Chapter 13, Ovi 72 - 84)

http://babaprayers.blogspot.in/

 

Call of God

Call of God 

A construction supervisor from 18^th floor of a building was calling a worker on ground floor. Because of noise the worker did not hear his call. 

To draw attention, the supervisor throws a 10 rupee note in front to the worker. He picked up the note, put it in his pocket and continued to work. 

Again to draw attention the supervisor threw 500 rupee note and the worker did the same. Now the supervisor picked a small stone and threw on the worker. The stone hit the worker. This time the worker looked up and the supervisor communicated with him. 

This story is same as to our 'life'… God from up, wants to communicate with us, but we are busy doing our worldly jobs. Then, he gives us small gifts and big gifts… We just keep them without looking from where we got it. We are the same.  Just keeping the gifts without thanking him, we just say 'we are lucky.' 

And when we are hit with a small stone, which we call 'problems', then only we look up and communicate with Him.