Shyamdas and his Sai experience during sea voyage

Dear readers
Already 2-3 incidents about close Baba’s bhakt Shyamdas has been written which can be read in previous post .2 more strikingly interesting incident happened in life of Shyamdas .Not only Shyamdas even the readers can benefit from what Baba said to Shyamdas.
Dear readers this post shall be posted in 2 parts as it’s a long incident. I shall post the first part today and second part tomorrow.

A group of pilgrims along with Shyamdas set out to Dwarka by a steamer.Shyamdas had the tickets for the steamer along with his money in a purse. Later he kept the tickets in his pockets. That evening, while he stood at the railing of the steamer, his purse accidentally fell into the sea. The officials of the steamer when told about it, were considerate as he had ticket for the onward journey.

But, having no money posed a problem .That night, Gopal Giridhar (his son) had a vivid dream .A fakir came into his bedroom and awakened him by shaking him."Send money to your father at Dwarka", he said.Giridhar looked around but found no body .Than he fell asleep again. Again the same fakir appeared and rather angrily said,"I told you to send money to your father .He is stranded there, while you are sleeping”. This time he got up and went to the door to look for the fakir .But the door was locked and there was no fakir anywhere.

He sat up and thought over the dream, than realized that his father must be in trouble and stranded at Dwarka.

That very day he had received some money from an insurance company .He decided to send that money to Shyamdas.He waited anxiously for the day break and than sent him 50 Rs.
Shyamdas was pleasantly surprised to receive the money and completed the pilgrimage with ease. On returning from Dwarka he met Giridhar and asked him how he managed to send the money at the opportune moment?

Giridhar related the leela in vivid detail.

When Shyamdas went to Shirdi at Kopergaon,he had some difficulty at getting a Tonga .But as soon as he finished his ritual of bathing in Godavari doing jaap and pooja at the Datta mandir a Tonga with two passenger stopped before the mandir .The passengers asked him to accompany them because the third passenger could not make this trip to Shirdi.On reaching Shirdi the Tonga driver asked Shyamdas for 1 Rs fare ,and not the customary 5 Rs.Shyamdas went to Dwarkamayi for “Dhule”darshan.He found Baba sitting with Butti,Bala Sahib Bhate ,Chinchanikar and some other bhaktas.

Baba was sitting near the railing and was handing Bade Baba a chillum, when he saw Shyamdas.Just than Shyama said,”Deva, see, Shyamdas as come for your darshan.” Than Baba said," I have been looking after him for a long time and will look after him in future too”. Than Baba added,"Shyama you drowned the money in the sea. Allah Malik gave you the money and he also gave you water to drink “.

Shyamdas was overwhelmed by Baba’s love and care .He went and laid his head on Baba’s feet for about 15 minutes .Than Baba patted his head and said,”Get up Shyamdas, sit a while with me “.Baba’s grace enveloped Shyamdas and continued even in the later part of his life.


While on pilgrimage to Dwarika, Shyamdas was reading Atwala’s Dnyaneshwari.His purse along with the tickets had fallen into the sea. That day he couldn’t concentrate on the chapter and read it rather mechanically .It was than that he took a negative decision.”I will not read any scripture till Baba tells me to “.After his trips he came to Shirdi .At that time, Baba did not ask for dakshina, nor did he give any .The subject of reading any religious books did not arise and he returned home. He wrote letters to Baba on (Ekadashi), and received a reply.Thus, 2-3 years passed. Once Chidambaram Keshav Gadgil read out Shyamdas letter to Baba .Baba said,"Call him here. Ask him to come quickly.”

Shirdi Sai Baba gives updesh through Story of 11 Rupees :

 

Dear Readers

This post is in continuation of Shyamdas and his Sai experience during sea voyage .This is second part of the post .

Shyamdas went to Shirdi with in 4 days of receiving the reply.Baba asked him daily for 11 Rupees that he readily gave, daily for 10 days.Everyday, he would go to Dwarkamayi at about 3.30 in the afternoon and only at that time Baba would ask for dakshina.On the 11th day, as usual, Baba asked for Dakshina.



Shyamdas had no money left .He said,"Baba, I have no money left to give you as Dakshina.You tell me where am I to get the money from?.In lieu I offer my 10 Indriyas and mind”. To this Baba replied,"They are mine already .Who are you to give them? Go to Baba Sahib Butti and borrow 11 Rupees and give them to me.” On hearing this, Shyamdas got up to go and got the money .He had hardly reached the gate of Sabha Mandap when Baba called out to him,"Arre Shyam come here, and bring the 11 rupees later .But bring them from Baba Sahib Jog. Now be seated”.



After taking Udi and Prasad he went to Wada and totally forgot about the 11 Rupees .At 3.30 he went for Darshan, but Baba did not ask for 11 Rupees. In the evening he said," Go to Baba Sahib Jog and ask for 11 Rupees and bring him along with you.”
Shyamdas went to Wada and found Baba Sahib Jog reading the Eknath Bhagwad to a few devotees. He told Jog what Baba has said. Both of them went to Masjid .Baba was getting ready to go out. On seeing them he blessed them, but did not ask for Dakshina.Later they returned to Wada. The other devotees asked Shyamdas about this episode of 11 rupees dakshina and what it meant .Shyamdas had not pondered over it .Every day ,there after ,both of them went to Baba ,but Baba did not ask for dakshina.

On the fourth day, it was in the evening, when Baba asked Jog,"So how many rupees did you distribute today.” Jog replied,"61 Rupees.Butti received 50 Rs and Shyamdas 11”.Shyamdas was silent all this time when Baba said,"Did you get the 11 rupees?” without understanding its significance, Shyamdas said"yes”.


Than Baba said," No, you didn’t .Let us see tomorrow. In the mean time have a look at the pothi, ok?”



They returned to Wada and started discussing what Baba could have meant by asking for 11 Rupees.Baba Sahib Bhate was astute enough to connect the dakshina with the reading of Eknath Bhagwad.Suddenly ,Shyamdas remembered how he had taken a decision not to read any pothi unless directed by Baba to do so. Later, he went to Masjid and Baba told them a long story that is given below.

“We were two brothers on a long journey. While walking on a path, my brother went ahead. He was bitten by a serpent and died. I was walking steadily and was way behind him .Just than 5-6 people came and enquired of me, where my brother was? I told them he had died due to a snake bite and I had buried him .They did not believe me.”We will go and search for him and bring him back,” they said. I cautioned them saying,"There is a huge serpent there .It will bite you too”.” Why are you going there?” But they did not pay heed to my words .They did go there and were killed by the serpent .I buried them also and continued my journey.

“Than, a strong lady came and asked where my brother was? I told her that a huge serpent bit him,hence he died and was buried by me. Than she enquired about the 6 men .I told her how they went looking for the brother, and were killed by serpent .She was anxious to go there and find my brother. I said,"Why are you going there needlessly .You will not find my brother “.To that she, replied,” I will go there and diligently search for him, find him and bring him back .” Thus she went ahead she too met the same fate. I buried her too .



Than I continued my journey and went a long distance .Than I met 5-6 Muslims who said ,"wait a while ".I waited .They brought a goat ,killed it and cut it into pieces .These they brought to me and said,"eat ".I said ,"No, I am a Brahmin and I cannot eat it ".One of them took a piece and thrust it towards my lip ,trying to make me eat ,I said,"Just wait a while , I will pray to God than eat it ".



I took a piece of cloth and held it to my mouth and thought of God ,Lo! The pieces of meat turned into rose’s .Huge beautiful roses, that you couldn’t find any where even in Shirdi .Than those Muslim went away .I continued my Journey. When I looked back there was water, crystal clear and a small pathway ahead .I walked a short distance. And there was water on either side, behind and in front of me without any path way .This is the doing of Allah Malik .Allah Malik is the saviour of the poor .

It is very difficult to know a meaning of Baba’s words and parables. Only the devotee for whom it was meant could comprehend its meaning .The possible meaning is given below.

The two brothers on a long journey symbolize “The real I "or the Atman or Soul and the other brother is “The apparent I "Identified with the body, mind, senses, intellect i.e. 'psycho physical matter '.Having been identified with these the “Apparent I "suffers from pain and pleasure .To release the “Apparent I "from this cycle one has to “burry" it mercilessly .Here Baba suggests the mode of burying by practicing yoga.

Beaten by the serpent and having died symbolises the burial of the “apparent I" by awakening the kundalini.Yogic path teaches the gradual uncoiling of the kundalini ,which is a spiritual current .As it uncoils and rises upwards it enfranchises a series of chakras .The 6 chakras are known for there own powers and at last culminate in sahasara or the thousand petalled padma in the brain followed by Samadhi sthiti(state) .But this state is not for long as the vasnas are not destroyed completely .

Baba mentioned 5-6 people possibly symbolising the vasnas governed by 5 panchindrias and 6 arishadvargas.When these evils continue their attack by luring the real Sadaka he is neither frightened nor affected .On the other hand “They will also be buried by him ".

Thus Baba’s statement that “there is a huge serpent, and I buried him, and the journey "symbolizes the burial of Vasnas.

“The strong lady"referred here symbolises Maya(illusion). Due to ignorance the real self is forgotten .One than starts identifying with the apparent self .Thus one is entangled in this worldly life and such experiences as birth and death ,pain and pleasure ,and good and evil. All these seems so real ,though the waking stage and dream stages are both a mirage .



This Maya veils the pure soul and had to be buried in order to realize the pure soul and atma.Baba’s statement confirms that he had buried Maya by stating that the strong lady met the same fate and was buried. Still the vasnas continue attacking .This is symbolically stated as 5-6 people “Cutting the goat and thrusting the pieces on the lips”. So strong are the vasnas or Maya.

The word Brahmin refers not to the caste, but to the person who has realized the “Brahma “.And because of knowledge of Brahman he is able to convert the pieces of meat into beautiful roses. This symbolizes converting Vasanas into knowledge.

“The crystal water and a small pathway” is the clarity the sadhaka attains by the way of sadhana to be with “Parabrahma”.Than there is water all around him without any pathway which symbolizes the highest state of realization –the state of pure conciousness.Thus the sadhaka culminates with the Para Brahma .

The next day Baba was in a tearing rage right from the early morning till noon. Some of his devotee received his wrath .In the form of beating and abuses. But his daily routine went on as usual .Shyamdas went to dwarkamyi at 3.30 pm and did charan seva .Baba said,"You received the 11 rupees, didn’t you Shyam “? To which he replied,"If the 11 rupees is regarding the reading of the pothi, than yes. But which pothi am I suppose to read .Than, Baba gave a clue of Rinanubandh of theirs, saying,"read that pothi where there is a dialogue between you and me “.



This sentence further confused him .Should he read Gita or Dynaneshwari? Baba said,"Aare Shyamdas, go to Bapu Sahib Jog and bring the pothi that he is reading ".He did so and Baba opened randomly the 11th chapter of eknath Bhagwath and pointing it to said," read this, everyday of your life. Read it just as it is written and understand it for yourself .Do not explain or expound it to other people. Only you need to know and understand it .Allah Malik will do good.”