In the last Chapter, the author mentioned in the
original Marathi book that he would state the reason
that led him to undertake the work, and the persons
qualified to read the same and such other points. Now in
this chapter, he starts to tell the same.
Object of Writing the Work
In the first chapter, I described Sai Baba’s miracle of
checking and destroying the epidemic of Cholera by
grinding wheat and throwing the flour, on the outskirts
of the village. I heard other miracles of Sai Baba to my
great delight, and this delight burst forth into this
poetic work. I also thought, that the description of
these grand miracles of Sai Baba would be interesting,
and instructive to His devotees, and would remove their
sins, and so I began to write the sacred life and
teachings of Sai Baba. The life of the saint is neither
logical nor dialectical. It shows us the true and great
path.
Incapacity and Boldness in Undertaking the Work
Hemadpant thought that he was not a fit person to
undertake the work. He said, "I do not know the life of
my intimate friend nor do I know my own mind, then how
can I write the life of a saint or describe the nature
of Incarnations, which even the Vedas were unable to do?
One must be a saint himself, before he could know other
saints, otherwise,then how can I describe their glory? To write
the life of a saint is the most difficult, though one
may as well be able to measure the depth of the water of the seven
seas or enclose the sky with cloth-trappings. I knew,
that this was the most venturous undertaking, which
might expose me to ridicule. I, therefore, invoked Sai
Baba’s grace.
The premier poet-saint of Maharashtra, Shri Dnyaneshwar
Maharaj, has stated that the Lord loves those who write
the lives of saints; and the saints also have their own peculiar
method of assigning the service, which the
devotees long for. The saints
inspire the work, the devotee becomes only an indirect
cause or an instrument to achieve the end. For instance, in
1700 Shaka year, the poet Mahipati aspired to write the
lives of saints. Saints inspired him, and got the work
done; so also in 1800 Shaka year, Das Ganu’s service was
accepted. The former wrote 4 works-Bhakta Vijay, Santa
Vijay, Bhakta Leelamrut and Sant Kathamrut, while the
latter wrote two - "Bhakta Leelamrut and Sant Kathamrut",
in which the lives of modern Saints were described. In
chapters 31,32,33 of Bhakta Leelamrut and in chapter 57
of Sant Kathamrut, the sweet life and teachings of Sai
Baba are very well depicted. These have been separately
published in Sai Leela Magazine, Nos. 11 and 12, Vol.
17; the readers are advised to read these chapters. So
also Sai Baba’s wonderful Leelas are described in a
small decent book named Shri Sainath Bhajan Mala by
Mrs. Savitribai Raghunath Tendulkar of Bandra. Das-Ganu
Maharaj also has composed various sweet poems on Sai
Baba. A devotee named Amidas Bhavani Mehta, has also
published some stories of Sri Baba in Gujarati; some
Nos. of Sainath Prabha, a magazine published by Dakshina
Bhiksha Sanstha of Shirdi, are also published. Then the
question of objection comes in, that while so many works
regarding Sai Baba are extant, why should this (Satcharita)
be written? and where is its necessity?
The answer is plain and simple. The life of Sai Baba is
as wide and deep as the infinite ocean; and all can dive
deep into the same and take out precious gems (of
knowledge and Bhakti), and distribute them to the
aspiring public. The stories, parables, and teachings of
Sai Baba are very wonderful. They will give peace and
happiness to the people, who are afflicted with sorrows
and heavily loaded with miseries of this worldly
existence, and also bestow knowledge and wisdom, both in
the worldly and in spiritual domains. If these teachings
of Sai Baba, which are as interesting and instructive as
the Vedic lore, are listened to and meditated upon, the
devotees will get, what they long for, viz., union with
Brahma, mastery in eight-fold Yoga, Bliss of meditation
etc. So I thought, that I should call these stories
together that would be my best Upasana. This collection
would be most delightful to those simple souls, whose
eyes were not blessed with Sai Baba’s darshan. So, I
set about collecting Sai Baba’s teachings and
expressions - the outcome of His boundless and natural
self-realization. It was Sai Baba, who inspired me in
this matter, in fact, I surrendered my ego at His feet,
and thought that my path was clear; and that He would
make me quite happy here, and in the next world.
I could not myself ask Sai Baba to give me permission
for this work, so I requested Mr. Madhavrao Deshpande
alias Shama, Baba’s most intimate devotee, to speak to
Him for me. He pleaded for my cause and said to Sai
Baba, "This Annasaheb wishes to write Your biography,
don’t say that You are a poor Fakir, and there
is no necessity to write it, but if You agree and help
him, he will write or rather, Your feet (grace) will
accomplish the work. Without Your consent and blessing,
nothing can be done successfully." When Sai Baba heard
this request, He was moved and blessed me by giving me
His Udi (sacred ash) and placing His boon-bestowing
hand on my head said :- "Let him make a collection of
stories and experiences, keep notes and memos; I will
help him. He is only an outward instrument. I should
write My autobiography Myself and satisfy the wishes of
My devotees. He should get rid of his ego, place (or
surrender) it at My feet. He who acts like this in life,
him I help the most. What of My life-stories? I serve
him in his house in all possible ways. When his ego is
completely annihilated and there is left no trace of it, I Myself shall enter into him and shall Myself write My
own life. Hearing my stories and teachings will create
faith in devotees’ hearts and they will easily get self
- realization and Bliss; let there be no insistence on
establishing one’s own view, no attempt to refute
other’s opinions, no discussions of pros and cons of any
subject."
Significant and Prophetic Title
The word ‘discussion’ put me in mind of my promise to
explain the story of my getting the title of 'Hemadpant'
and now I begin to relate the same. I was on close
friendly terms with Kakasaheb Dixit and Nanasaheb
Chandorkar. They pressed me to go to Shirdi and have
Baba’s darshan, and I promised them to do so. But
something in the meanwhile turned up, which prevented me
from going to shirdi. The son of a friend of mine at
Lonavala fell ill. My friend tried all possible means,
physical and spiritual, but the fever would not abate.
At length he got his Guru to sit by the bed-side of his
son, but this too was of no avail. Hearing this, I
thought... ‘what was the utility of the Guru, if he could
not save my friend’s son? If the Guru can’t do anything
for us, why should I go to Shirdi at all?’ Thinking
this way, I postponed my Shirdi-trip; but the inevitable
must happen and it happened in my case as follows : -
Mr. Nanasaheb Chandorkar, who was a Divisional Officer, was
going on tour to Bassein. From Thana he came to Dadar
and was waiting for a train bound for Bassein. In the
meanwhile, a Bandra Local turned up. He, sat in it and
came to Bandra; and sent for me and took me to task for
putting off my Shirdi trip. Nana’s argument for my
Shirdi trip was convincing and delightful, and so I
decided to start for Shirdi, the same night. I packed up
my luggage and started for Shirdi. I planned to go to
Dadar and there to catch the train for Manmad, and so I
booked myself for Dadar and sat in the train. While the
train was to start, a Mohammedan came hastily to my
compartment and seeing all my paraphernalia, asked me
where I was bound to. I told him my plan. He then
suggested that I should straight go to Boribunder, and
not to wait at Dadar, as the Manmad Mail did not stop
at Dadar. If this little miracle or Leela
had not happened, I would not have reached Shirdi next
day as settled, and many doubts would have assailed me.
But that was not to be. As fortune favoured me, I
reached Shirdi the next day before 9 or 10 A.M. Mr.
Bhausaheb (Kaka) Dixit was waiting for me there. This
was in 1910 A.D., when there was only one place, viz.,
Sathe’s Wada for lodging pilgrim devotees. After
alighting from the Tonga, I was anxious to have darshan,
when the great devotee, Tatyasaheb Noolkar returned from
the Masjid and said that Sai Baba was at the corner of
the Wada, and that I should first get the preliminary
darshan and then, after bath, see Him at leisure.
Hearing this I ran and prostrated before Baba and then
my joy knew no bounds. I found more than what Nana
Chandorkar had told me. All my senses were satisfied and
I forgot thirst and hunger. The moment I touched Sai
Baba’s feet, I began a new lease of life. I felt myself
much obliged to those who spurred and helped me to get
the darshan, and I considered them as my real
relatives, and I cannot repay their debt. I only
remember them and prostrate (mentally) before them. The
peculiarity of Sai Baba’s darshan, as I found it, is
that by His darshan our thoughts are changed, the force
of previous actions is abated and gradually
non-attachment or dispassion towards worldly objects
grows up. It is by the merit of actions in many past
births that such darshan is got, and if only you see
Sai Baba, really all the world becomes or assumes the
form of Sai Baba.
Hot Discussion
On the first day of my arrival in Shirdi, there was a
discussion between me and Balasaheb Bhate regarding the
necessity of a Guru. I contended, "Why should we lose
our freedom and submit to others? When we have to do our
duty, why a Guru is necessary? One must try his best and
save himself. What can the Guru do to a man who does
nothing but sleeps indolently?" Thus I pleaded freewill,
while Mr. Bhate took up the other side, viz., Destiny,
and said, "Whatever is bound to happen must happen; even
great men have failed, man proposes one way, but God
disposes the other (contrary) way. Brush aside your
cleverness; pride or egoism won’t help you." This
discussion, with all its pros and cons went on for an
hour or so, and as usual no decision was arrived at. We
had to stop the discussion ultimately as we were
exhausted. The net result of this was that I lost my
peace of mind and found that unless there is strong
body-consciousness and egoism, there would be no
discussion; in other words, it is egoism which breeds
discussion.
Then when we went to the Masjid with others, Baba asked
Kakasaheb Dixit the following:-
"What was going on in the (Sathe’s) Wada? What was the
discussion about?" and staring at me, Baba further
added, "What did this 'Hemadpant' say?"
Hearing these words, I was much surprised. The Masjid
was at a considerable distance from Sathe’s Wada where I
was staying and where the discussion was going on. How
could Baba know our discussion unless He be omniscient
and Inner Ruler of us all?
I began to think why Sai Baba should call me by the name
'Hemadpant'. This word is a distotrted form of 'Hemadripant'.
This Hemadripant was a wellknown Minister of the kings
Mahadev and Ramadev of Devgiri of the Yadav dynasty. He
was very learned, good-natured and the author of good
works, such as Chaturvarga Chintamani (dealing with
spiritual subjects) and Rajprashasti. He invented and
started new methods of accounts and was the originator
of the Modi (Marathi Shorthand) script. But I was quite
the opposite, an ignoramus, and of mediocre
intellect. So I could not understand why the name or
title was conferred upon me, but thinking seriously upon
it, I thought that the title was a dart to destroy my
ego, so that, I should always remain meek and humble. It
was also a compliment paid to me for the cleverness in
the discussion.
Looking in to the future history, we think that Baba’s word
(calling Mr. Dabholkar by the name 'Hemadpant') was
significant and prophetic, as we find that he looked
after the management of Sai Sansthan very intelligently,
kept nicely all the accounts and was also the author of
such a good work "Sai Satcharita", which deals with such
important and spiritual subjects as Dhyan, Bhakti and
dispassion, self-surrender and self-realization.
About the Necessity of a Guru
Hemadpant has left no note, no memo about what Baba said
regarding this subject, but Kakasaheb Dixit has
published his notes regarding this matter. Next day
after Hemadpant’s meeting with Sai Baba, Kakasaheb went
to Baba and asked whether he should leave Shirdi. Baba
Said, "Yes". Then someone asked - "Baba, where to go?"
Baba said, "High up." Then the man said, "where is the
way?" Baba said, "There are many ways leading there;
there is one way from here (Shirdi) also. The way is
difficult. There are tigers and wolves in the jungles on
the way." I (Kakasaheb) asked - "But Baba, what if we
take a guide with us?" Baba answered, - "Then there is
no difficulty. The guide will take you straight to your
destination, avoiding wolves, tigers and ditches etc. on
the way. If there be no guide, there is the danger of
your being lost in the jungles or falling into ditches."
Mr. Dabholkar was present on this occasion and he
thought that this was the answer Baba gave to the
question whether Guru was a necessity (Vide Sai Leela
Vol. I, No.5, Page 47); and he thereupon took the hint
that no discussion, whether man is free
or bound, is of any use in spiritual matters, but that
on the contrary real Paramartha is possible only as the
result of the teachings of the Guru, as is illustrated
in this chapter of the original work in the instances of
great Avatars like Ram and Krishna, who had to submit
themselves to their Gurus, Vasishtha and Sandipani
respectively, for getting self- realization and that the
only virtues necessary for such progress are faith and
patience. (Vide Sai Satcharita, Ch. II, 191-92).
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