Shirdi Sai Baba Stories,Leelas and Teachings.: As men believe in Me,so do I accept them.

Sairam Dear Readers,
Sitting in Dwarakamayi Baba would remind directly or indirectly or command His devotees who would come for His Darshan of the offerings /dakshina sent through the bhakta by another Bhakta for Baba .

And Baba would immediately have His share of offering in HIS Possession indicating and confirming that the offering was accepted.

Many a time devotees raise this query that when Baba is present every where why devotees are sending prayer request in writing to be placed at HIS Holy feet in Shirdi? Why cant they prayer sincerely with full faith in their home and Baba who is omnipresent shall know what HIS bhakta has in his heart! I shall like to add few lines here to the topic of prayer request...

Baba's omnipresence can be explained or pointed in both the ways .Whether one goes to Shirdi or one does not but Baba is sarva-antaryami,He is not bounded by anything .

Yes Baba's Samadhi is present in Shirdi and Baba has spent HIS whole life in Shirdi ,so soil of Shirdi where Baba lived and moved and has HIS Samadhi does has its great importance,which vibrates with His blessing and devotee can feel it when they visit the holy land but Baba is above all this .Here I like to quote 3 incidences which shall clearly reflect of Baba's acceptance of His bhaktas prayer /offering irrespective of place,time,circumstances etc..

1. In this particular incident, Baba reminds Tarkhads son,that his father has forgotten to keep food for HIM and he has returned back without having anything ( the father forgets to offer navaideya to Baba's photo in his home in Bandra )and his son who was sitting right in front of Baba ,physically wished to return to Bandra to sort this issue .Here Baba lays emphasis on HIS being present in the photograph blessed by Him to the Tarkhad family .

Praying to photo is equal to praying to Baba in physical form . Though He was sitting right in front of Tarkhad, he would have offered navaideya to Baba there and than .But importance of HIM in a inanimate thing (his photo) is emphasized here.

2. Another incident ,Once,Mrs. Tarkhad was staying in Shirdi. At noon, meals were ready and dishes were being served, when a hungry dog turned up there and began to cry, Mrs. Tarkhad got up at once and threw a piece of bread, which the dog gulped . In the afternoon Baba said to Mrs Tarkhad"The dog which you saw before meals and to which you gave the piece of bread is, one with Me, so also other creatures (cats, pigs, flies, cows etc.) are one with Me. I am roaming in their forms. He, who sees Me in all these creatures, is My beloved. So abandon the sense of duality and distinction, and serve Me, as you did today." Here Baba explains His presence in all the creatures and emphasis is laid on seeing HIM in every living creature.

3. Govind Balaram Mankar (on 15th Dec 1915 )wanted to go to Shirdi to perform the obsequies of his father. Before he left, he came to see Mr. Tarkhad. Then Mrs. Tarkhad wanted to send something with him to Baba. She searched the whole house but found nothing, except a Peda, which had already been offered as naivedya. Mr. Mankar was in mourning. Still out of great devotion to Baba, she sent the Peda with him, hoping that Baba would accept and eat it. Govind went to Shirdi and saw Baba, but forgot to take the Peda with him. Baba simply waited. When again he went to Baba in the afternoon, he went empty-handed without the Peda. Baba could wait no longer and, therefore, asked him straight, "What did you bring for me?" "Nothing" was the reply. Baba asked him again. The same reply came forth again. Then Baba asked him the leading question, "Did not the mother (Mrs. Tarkhad) give some sweetmeat to you for Me at the time of your starting?" The boy then remembered the whole thing. He felt abashed, asked Baba's pardon, ran to his lodging, brought the Peda and gave it to Baba. As soon as Baba got it in His hand. He put it into His mouth and gulped it down. Thus the devotion of Mrs. Tarkhad was recognized and accepted.
Here the emphasis is laid on acceptance of devotion and love in any form ,be it a small thing like a peda?

"As men believe in Me, so do I accept them" (Gita, 4-11) was proved in this case.

There are many more such examples in Sai Satcharitra indicating acceptance of love and devotion by Baba in whatever form they were sent to Him .

Is this not the all pervasiveness of Baba in 3 different situations? ??

Only 2 message are supreme in all these 3 incidences quoted here.Baba accepts his men the way they believe in HIM and Baba's omnipresence is in everything where ever one may be ?

Dear readers,when the prayer request is sent to Shirdi with full faith and devotion by a bhakt Baba is aware of it and has HIS way of answering them ,one should never question Baba on its acceptance or delay but trust Saguru and surrender it to HIS will.

Devotees of those time who had Baba's picture and knew HIS omnipresence still sent their offerings and pranam through other bhaktas so why not HIS Bhakta who by some reason cannot visit Shirdi do the same in this present time?

Baba has always said that Shraddha and Saburi are the only two sadhana for reaching Him .Unless a devotee does not have enough faith and patience he cannot reach to Baba no matter how hard he prays.

One moment of strong faith wins over the life long prayers .Baba is slave of love and devotion, when true love of Bhakta reaches Baba,Baba runs for Him instantly and embraces Him with HIS Kripa drishti. Same happened with Sri P.R Iyer, His 4 year’s prayer reached Baba in one moment of HIS surrender and completes Faith .And Baba accepted and blessed him abundantly .Jai Sai Ram.

(P.S I would like to add here that sister Lakshmi is visiting Shirdi on 1st of January 2009 and has wished to take prayer request of Sai devotees who wish to send her their prayers at the following e-mail .The prayers should reach her before 14th December 2008 .I have already circulated this "prayer request mail to Shirdi" in Yahoo groups.Time to time update on prayer request being taken to Shirdi by sai devotee personally is mentioned in Sai seva section in the top most middle section of the page.Devotee who wish to send prayer should regularly find out from there.Jai Sai Ram. )

Hi Ms.Manisha, and Ms Laxmi ,

I'm a Sai devotee and a regular reader of your blog,http://sathgurushirdisaibaba.blogspot.com
.You are doing a great job.I have been reading your blogspot for quite some time, But I had never, ever sent any prayers or mails until yesterday, though I wanted to. I have been without a job for the last four years, in spite of being highly skilled and experienced in a variety of technical fields, I just could not find any job probably due to my age, I am 53 now.

I have my wife and daughter fully dependant on me. and I am the only earning member in my family. I have been doing every kind of odd jobs all these four or five years, Ever since I started believing in Sai, I have been praying to him but nothing seemed to happen,I was very anxious what shall happen . Of late I even felt angry with Baba for not answering my prayers. But a ray of hope was alwaye there in my heart that Baba shall bless.

But something happened yesterday, I saw your mail, about Sister Laxmi's proposed trip to Shirdi, I felt like sending a small prayer through her, and I did send a request to Ms Laxmi, I had even mentioned in that prayer that I had an interview today, And see Baba's Miracle, I GOT THIS JOB, today, a job that I always dreamt of with the kind of pay, which I never expected... I never ever expected it in the least.

I wish to share this miracle with all other sai devotees. I once again thank you and Sister Laxmi, for their wonderful gesture, to take our prayers to Baba. I have been reading the miracles of other devotees on your blogspot, and always thinking if ever I too will get an opportunity to write about my miracle, and here it is Just in one day Baba accepted my prayers even before Ms Laxmi reached shirdi. I had sent in my prayer to Ms Laxmi .I still can’t believe this happened to me.

I just wanted to thank you both for your wonderful service. Now I too will wait for Baba to call me to Shirdi, and I wish to take with me other devotees prayers to Baba, if he permits me to.
SAIRAM
P. R. Iyer
BOMBAY

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