Sai baba the great

(Note:- Sai baba was a twentieth century saint who lived in Shiridi and was born around 1838.He is revered by both Hindus and Muslims. Shiridi has become a major pilgrimage centre of India as devotees come in large numbers to pay homage to Sai baba. This poem is written as a point of view of a devotee and reflects his/her devotion to Sai Baba )

Shiridi is famous only due to Sai baba.

His life and personality cannot

be expressed in words.

Blessed were the persons who

saw and interacted and enjoyed

His company when He was

in his mortal coil.

Sai baba has not gone anywhere

even after leaving his mortal coil.

He runs to his devotee's aid even now

when He is called for help or sees

His devotee in any alarming situation.

He conquered this Samsar (worldly

 existence), which is very difficult

 and hard to cross.

 Peace or mental calm was His ornament,

 and He was the repository of wisdom.

 He was very liberal in all his dealings

and in His attitude.

No one could say whether He was a

 Hindu or a Muslim nor are there any

facts about His birth place or His parents.

He had no love for perishable things,

and was always engrossed

 in self-realization,

 which was His sole concern.

He felt no pleasure in the things

 of this world or of the world beyond.

His Antarang (heart) was as

 clear as a mirror,

and His speech always rained nectar.

He treated the rich and

the poor alike.

He did not know or

care for honour or dishonour.

He was the Lord of all beings.

 He spoke freely and

mixed with all people,

saw the actings and dances of

 Nautchgirls and heard Gajjal songs.

 Still, He swerved not an inch from

 Samadhi (mental equilibrium).

The name of Allah was always on His lips.

 While the world awoke,

He slept; and while the world slept,

He was vigilant.

His abdomen (Inside) was

 as calm as the deep sea.

 His Ashram could not be determined,

nor His actions could be definitely

 determined, and though

He sat (lived) in one place,

He knew all the transactions of the world.

 His Darbar was imposing.

 He told daily hundreds of stories,

 still He swerved not an inch

 from His vow of silence.

He always leaned against

 the wall in the Masjid or walked morning,

 noon and evening towards

 Lendi (Nala) and Chavadi;

still He at all times abided in the Self.

 Though a Siddha, He acted like a

 Sadhaka. He was meek,

humble and egoless, and pleased all.

 Such was Sai Baba, and as the soil of

 Shirdi was trodden by Sai Baba’s Feet,

 it attained extraordinary importance.

As jnaneshwar elevated Alandi,

Ekanath did to Paithan,

so also Sai Baba made Shirdi famous .

 Blessed are the grass-leaves

 and stones of Shirdi,

for they could easily kiss the

Holy Feet of Sai Baba,

and take their dust on their head.

Shirdi became to devotees,

 another Pandharpur, Jagannath,

 Dwarka, Banaras (Kashi) and

 Rameshwar, Badrikedar, Nasik,

 Tryambakeshwar, Ujjain, and

 Mahakaleshwar or Mahabaleshwar Gokarn.

Contact of Sai Baba in Shirdi was

like the Veda and Tantra;

 it quieted our Samsara (world

 consciousness) and rendered self-

realization easy.

 The darshana of shri Sai baba

removed all our sins and rendered us

pure and divine and devoted.

 Shampooing His Legs was

 our bath in the holy waters of mother

 Ganga, and drinking the holy water

of His Feet fulfilled our souls

with eternal happiness and bliss.

To us, His words were Dev bachan ,

that which cannot be discarded at any

costs and accepting (eating) His Udi

 (sacred ashes) and Prasad

was like an elixir which provided

the all conquering life force and

 destroyed all diseases of mind and body.

 He was our Shri Krishna and Shri Rama

 who gave us peace and happiness.

He was our Allah who taught us

 kindness and mercy.

He was our Jesus who taught

us to be always humble and devout.

 He was our Para Brahma (Absolute

Reality). He was Himself beyond the Pair

 of dwandwas (opposite), never dejected

 nor elated.

He was always engrossed in His Self as

 ‘Existence, Knowledge and Bliss.’

Shirdi was His centre; but He was

all pervading beyond the seven

 seas. His actions extended far wide,

to Haryana, North-East, North India,

 Gujarat, Dacca (Now in Bangladesh)

 and Konkan and Sri Lanka.

Thus the fame of Sai Baba spread, far,

 and wide, and people from all parts

 came to take His darshana and

get his blessings and to fulfill

their desires and be blessed.

By mere darshan, minds of people,

 whether, pure or impure, would become

 at once quiet.

They got here the same sort of

 unparalleled joy that devotees get at

 Pandharpur by seeing Vithal Rakhumai.

Sai baba is always with us,

helping and protecting us,

and whoever climbs the steps of

His samadhi mandir,

never returns empty handed.

More so, whoever even revers Him

in front of His photo,

get the same effect and blessings,

like standing in front of Him.

Sai baba's leelas are beyond

any human understanding.

He is all pervading lord and we His

devotees.

🙏Om Sai Ram🙏