Shirdi Sai Satcharitra Chapter 21 - English Audiobook

Shirdi Sai Satcharitra Chapter 21 - English Audiobook
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In this Chapter, Hemadpant relates the stories of:
Vinayak Harishchandra Thakur
Anantrao Patankar of Pune
And a pleader from Pandharpur
All these stories are very interesting and if carefully read and grasped, will lead the readers onto the spiritual path.

Preliminary

As a general rule, it is the result of the accumulation of merits in our past births that enables us to seek the company of Saints and profit thereby. To illustrate this rule, Hemadpant gives his own instance; He was a resident Magistrate in Bandra, a suburb of Bombay, for many years. A famous Muslim Saint named Pir Moulana lived there and many people who followed different religions used to go to him and receive his darshan. The Moulana’s priest tried to persuade Hemadpant many a times to go and see the Saint. But for some reason or the other, he was not able to receive the Moulana’s darshana. After many years, his turn came and he was called to Shirdi, where he was permanently enlisted in Sai Baba’s Darbar. Unfortunate people do not get to meet Saints; It is only fortunate ones who receive this grace.

Saints Working in Unison

There have been Saints in this world, from time immemorial. Various Saints incarnate in various places to carry out the missions allotted to them. And though they work in different places, they work in unison; They work in unison under the common authority of the Almighty Lord and know exactly what each of them is doing in his place, and supplement his work where necessary. An instance illustrating this is given below.

Mr. Thakur

Mr. V.H.Thakur was a clerk in the Revenue Department and he once came to a town named Vadgaum with a survey team. There he met a Kanarese Saint, Appa, and bowed before him. The Saint was explaining a portion from the book “Vichar-Sagar”, by Nischaldas (a standard work on the Vedanta), to the audience. When Thakur was about to leave, Appa said to him, “You should study this book and if you do so, your desires will be fulfilled. And when you go to the North in the discharge of your duties in the future, you will be fortunate enough to come across a great Saint. Then he will show you the future path and give rest to your mind and make you happy”.

Then he was transferred to Junnar, where he had to cross the Nhane Ghat (a rugged valley) every day to get to work. This Ghat was very steep and almost impassible, and no conveyance, other than a buffalo, was of use in crossing it. So he had to take a buffalo-ride through the Ghat; This trip inconvenienced him greatly. He was later transferred to Kalyan on a promotion and there he met Nanasaheb Chandorkar. He heard a lot about Sai Baba from Chandorkar and wished to see Baba. The next day, Nanasaheb had to go to Shirdi and he asked Thakur to accompany him. Thakur could not do so, as he had to appear in the Thana Civil Court for a case. So Nanasaheb went alone. Thakur went to Thana, but there the case was postponed. Then he regretted not accompanying Nanasaheb. Nevertheless, he left for Shirdi and when he arrived, he found that Nanasaheb had left the previous day. Some of his other friends, whom he met there, took him to Baba. He saw Baba, fell at His Feet and was overjoyed. His eyes were full of tears of joy and his hair stood on end. Then after a while, the omniscient Baba said to him, “The path of this place is not as easy as the teachings of the Kanarese Saint Appa or even as easy as the buffalo-ride in the Nhane Ghat. On this spiritual path, you have to put in your best effort, as it is very difficult”. When Thakur heard these significant words, which no one else knew, he was overwhelmed with joy. He immediately knew that the words of the Kanarese Saint had turned out to be true. Then joining both hands and placing his head at Baba’s Feet, he prayed that he should be accepted and blessed. Baba then said, “What Appa told you was right; but these things have to be practiced and lived. Mere reading won’t do. You have to think through and carry out what you read, otherwise it is of no use. Mere book-learning without the grace of the Guru or without self-realization, is of no avail”. The theoretical portion was read from the work “Vichar Sagar”, but the practical way was shown to him at Shirdi. Another story given below will bring out this truth more forcibly..........

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all