SREE SAI SAMARTHA SATCHARITA – Foreword Part 7

SREE SAI SAMARTHA SATCHARITA – Foreword Part 7
-Forward to First Marathi Edition by Hari Sitaram Dikshit alias Kakasaheb Dikshit

Radhakrishna-ayi served in all possible ways. Twice in the day, she swept and cleared the path on which Maharaj walked. Consequently, she herself removed all the dirt there. Before her, this work had been started by Balaji Patil Nevaskar. That devotee, free from worldly attachment, had left all the worldly ties and had come here to live. Many people came to dissuade him and take him back but he did not leave. He swept the route and smeared the Masjid with cow-dung. He took Maharaj’s darshan from afar. He did not go close to him. He drank only the water of the washings of Maharaj’s feet, or the water which had been used for Maharaj’s bath (water which had fallen on His body) or the water which Maharaj had partially drunk. Similarly, he would place before Maharaj the harvest from his fields and take only what Maharaj would give him. Usually, Maharaj of course returned everything.

After living there for two years Maharaj gave Balaji Patil leave to go to his home and accordingly he left. Nevertheless, he came frequently for darshan and offered his harvest to Maharaj. After
some years he passed away.

Not only did Radhakrishna-ayi render all kinds of services to Maharaj, but got several of Maharaj’s devotees to do all kinds of services. She did various kinds of chores; and got all involved in them; and the devotees did the work with love and eagerness.

Men of all status, and also women, were included in that. To carry away earth and stones, sweeping roads, making mud and carrying it, digging trenches and filling them, splitting wood,
dusting lamps and chandeliers, washing and painting the Masjid, making flowers from paper, holding whisks, peacock feather fans, ornamental umbrellas, flags, stitching flags – all these were
done by people of higher status and even ladies coming from noble families, and were pleased to have got the opportunity to render service.

Maharaj’s routine was practised with great regularity. He woke early in the morning and sat near the dhuni; a little while later He performed His purificatory rites and evacuation of bowels etc. which He cleared off with His own hands. Then, He would sit quietly for a while. During that time, Bhagoji Shinde, a person by that name, would remove the bandages on Maharaj’s right arm and massage the whole body also. Then, he would fill the chillum, light it and give it to
Maharaj to smoke and after Maharaj smoked it, He would give it again to Bhagoji to smoke. This
would happen for five or six times and then Bhagoji would leave. This Bhagoji was stricken
with leprosy but Maharaj never took objection to service by him; nor did he change His routine
which involved him even by a jot. After Bhagoji left, Maharaj would remain seated for a while and at that time, some regular devotees came and rendered services; and afterwards, Maharaj would get up to wash His face. The way Maharaj washed His face was worth watching. He poured as much water as He desired on His arms, feet, face, ears and cleaned all these parts with great delicacy31.

As Sree Eknath Maharaj has described: “All the hair on the body was scrubbed. But the body was not massaged for that purpose. Thus He was not bringing in any distinction between any creature and himself, which may otherwise cause injury ”.

This was also the way in which the bath took place. After the face was washed, He went into the village for alms. He went to five fixed places for alms and stood at a fixed spot. He would
receive bhakri32 or dry preparations as given and eat a little bit, on His return to the Masjid. He would remain in one place for a while after eating. At that time, a large crowd of the devotees
gathered and Maharaj would impart knowledge in the form of stories (parables). Sometimes,
during the sitting Maharaj would purchase bananas, guavas and mangoes and distribute to
the crowd and even fed them with His own hands.

When I say ‘fed with His own hands’, I mean that Maharaj would peel the bananas, He would
cut the guavas into pieces Himself and also the mangoes were pummeled and given by Him (to suck). After this sitting, Maharaj would go to the Lendi and would remain there generally for one
hour. From the time of His return from the Lendi till 2 O’clock in the afternoon, He would remain in the Masjid. During that time, the devotees performed Maharaj’s puja, worship, arati etc. Then after Maharaj’s lunch He would go again to the Lendi; He would return from there after three fourths of an hour approximately and would remain in the Masjid till evening. He would step out just a little in the evening and return immediately and stay in the Masjid. Normally, there would be three sittings during the day. One in the morning after breakfast, second on return from the Lendi and the third around five in the evening. During all the three sittings, Maharaj would impart knowledge in story form.

Maharaj’s words would clear the different problems and doubts of the different persons gathered there and they would get solutions for the different matters concerning them. Maharaj did not speak on deep Vedantic issues openly nor did He give lectures on the Upanishads. His teachings were essentially relating to good conduct. To cleanse the disciple’s mind and then to sow the seeds of knowledge in it, is the Shastric way of the Sadguru; and thus Maharaj acted; therefore His teachings were relating to morals and ethics. But instead of the open verbal teachings, one received from Maharaj priceless and several scholarly examples and experiences and therefore, those devotees who came with full faith to Maharaj, received the highest benefit.

Out of the devotees coming to Maharaj, the large majority were those who came with desires and wishes to fulfil, but Maharaj fulfilled their desires and turned their minds towards their
greater welfare without they being aware of it. Maharaj had taken avatar33 for the welfare of the people and He looked after the welfare of all. There is not an iota of doubt about that. His leelas and his attributes cannot be correctly described. “ God has infinite attributes. He who behaves child-like can be compared to God. Just as one cannot count the particles on the earth, no matter how much time one spends, similarly one cannot adequately describe the powers of such a One ”!

Yet the collection of Maharaj’s leelas to the extent possible will be for the benefit of all. I believe this implicitly. Such a collection has been done by my revered friend Govind Raghunath alias Annasaheb Dabholkar and a large part of it has been done by him in ovi metre. This work in ovi metre was begun when Maharaj was in body with his specific permission and uptil to-day thirtyfive chapters are ready. The book has turned out to be loving and heart-rending and it is not in doubt that it will be found most useful by Maharaj’s devotees and even other readers. The ovis herein being modelled on Eknath Maharaj’s ovis, one recalls Nathmaharaj frequently when reading the work. In short, this work is the fruit of Sree Sainath Maharaj’s prasad34 and this is
experienced at every step.

Finally, I end the Foreword with a prayer to Maharaj that may His devotees and other readers be filled with bliss and acquire knowledge from this work and may their faith in Maharaj grow
further.

One of Baba’s Children

Hari Sitaram Dikshit