Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Some description of physical outlook of Sai Baba



If one goes through the devotees experiences with Sai Baba, when Sai Baba use to move about in Shirdi in physical form, it is quite evident that most of the devotees found a great sense of protection, grace and love of Sai Baba. Which is felt by most even now. Also if Sai Baba wanted a non believer in him to bestow his grace and create a bond((?) bond is not the right word as love and faith in him releases one from all bondage) of love and faith.He would give him Darshan of in the form of the Guru or God to which the devotee has the faith, not only that he would ask them to continue their faith to their respective Guru, God or Faith after the same.

How ever i came across physical description of Sai Baba of Shirdi by couple of devotees, while reading the devotees experiences, who saw and met Sai Baba in his Physical form in the sacred land Shirdi.(After long time Sai Baba has called me to Shirdi on Gurupoornima day 29th of this month :) )

In an interview with Udhav Rao Maharaj who was 12 years of age in 1918, the year in which Sai Baba took Mahasmadhi, leaving his physical body and and now working through his grace love and miracles for his devotees. Udhav Rao's father who lived upto age of 105 years had spent much time with Sai Baba in Shirdi and closely associated with him.

In the talk about the how Sai Baba looked he said : ' Shri Sai Baba's looks were very illuminious and eyes so bright and shining with Divya Shakti ( Divine Power) that no body could gaze at. If one would look at him for few minutes he would hang his head with tears in his eyes. His face was yellowish golden color and he was tall about 6 feet high. His arms were very long and reached below his knee. One could see Sainath Maharaj distributing Udi Prasad because of his long arms. Sai Baba love Udhav Rao and other children and distribute all the prasad, Naivedhya, almonds, dry fruits etc. which he used to get particularly from Bombay (Now Mumbai), amongst all the children generously.

Later on one thing that caught my attention and i read this for the first time is that Sai Baba used to ask Poojari to draw Swastik Mark on his head and to place five bel leaves on it before tyeing his head with the white cloth.

Also is the mention on Sai Baba's different looks at different times and to different devotees. Also in all the photographs taken of Sai Baba, he looks different in each of Them.

This different looks in different photographs taken reminds me of the making of the statue of Sai Baba from Italian marble which is placed in Samadhi Mandir (Temple). The work of carving the piece of Marble into Statue was entrusted to Balaji Vasant Thalim of Bombay (Mumbai). He looked at different photographs of Sai Baba to get the idea of the physical features of Sai Baba, however he got confused because of different physical features appearing in different photographs. Sai Baba got him out of the confusion by one of his characteristic ways of guiding his devotees, that through dreams. Sai Baba appeared him in his dreams and asked him to have a look at his face and physical characteristics from all angles. This impression of dream remained strong in his mind and could easily carve out Sai Baba's form with his grace. And thus through dream to the artist Sai Baba gave the details of his physical characteristics for the devotees who love him and would like to know how he looked in physical form. Also in the dream Sai Baba had said "Finish the work and you will not do any other idol in future." Also this came true.

Also another devotee of Sai Baba of Shirdi, Shivamma Thayee who was 104 years of age. She had her Ashram - Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Ashram at Ropan Agrahara, Madiwala locality of Banglore. She visited Shirdi several times for short durations. Each time she was witness to many miracles of Sai Baba and also witness to Sai Baba stirring the boiling contents of cooking, while Sai Baba cooked in Dwarkamai.

She narrates : ' Sai Baba was always surrounded by devotees and visitors. Sai Baba sat in Masjid (Dwarkamai) in very simple yet majestic manner. He was about six feet tall. He had very long hands. The fingers of his hands stretched below his knees. He was having all Raj-Lakshnas (attributes of a great majestic ruler). His color was very fair. He had sharp nose with big nostrils. He was neither fat nor thin. His eyes were not black; they were blue and deep. They shown brightly and penetrating. People used to say that Sai Baba's eyes glittered in the night as the eye of the cat or tiger.'

Reading about the fingers of hands of Sai Baba reaching below the knee, brings the memory of my hands. They reach till the top of the knee, was aware of this after few people interested in astrology pointed to it.

24 comments:

pregnantfather said...

Alpesh, this was very fascinating. I never read this before. Thank you for the post. Have you met the people mentioned in the post? Also, can you elaborate on the significance of the hand reaching beyond the knees. What does this signify? Is the picture on the top of the blog that of the idol being made for the Samadhi Mandir?

Thank you, once again.

JAI SAI RAM

Alpesh Patel said...

Yesh, the devotees narrations are taken from a book which i was reading called The Immortal Fakir of Shirdi by Dr. S. P. Ruhela. I don't know the significance of Hand reaching beyond the knees, but was told that those people are called Ajnabahu (don't really what it means) and Vishnu , Lord Rama. Gautam Buddha, are also reported to have hands reaching below the knees. Even Mahatma Gandhi had such long hands. Yes the picture in the post is of idol being made of Samadhi Mandir. Perhaps Mr. Shastri
can shed more light on hands reaching below the knees as he has interest in astrology, as for me, am zero in astrological field.

Jai Sai Ram

రామ ShastriX said...

Very interesting, Alpesh.

Please see Some unusual physical traits of Sri Ramakrishna for some info on Ajanubahu.

Kalpana said...

Interesting facts.

sanjana said...

dear sir .,
i m kavita from singapore.
u r going to shirdi on 29th so please pray for me also..and one more thing i am not able to watch live darshan from shirdi from past 3 days from ur link .please is there any tecnical problem please let me know.i m am feeling lifeless with out watching it .. please do this favour .ur site is 2 good.thanks for ur info provided abt baba
regards
kavitha

Satish Bejjanki said...

Thank you for the post.

Sairam Sairam Sairam.

Alpesh Patel said...

Thanks a lot Mr, Shastri for the pointers to the info of Ajanbahu.

Kavitha I'll surely pray for you while in Shirdi, on Gurupoornima day, Just wondering and get the feeling, how powerful the environment will be there with the divine vibrations. About the links for darshan i had posted it from the Sri Sai Baba Sansthan site as they the provider. You might visit their official site www.shrisaibabasansthan.org and inquire for the same the same.

Aum Sai Ram

Meera Kaura said...

HI alpesh.

This was a beautiful post. I have seen Baba in my dream. But he didn't allow me to look at him for long. His hands had energy flowing through with which he filled me. So far as looks are concrned, he looked exactly similar to the piture in which he was standing with his legs crossed and his devotees carrying an umbrella.

Alpesh, as you are going to Shirdi on Guru purnima, reminds me of beautiful guru purnima I celebrated at shirdi last year. But I won't be able to go this year. Please pray on my behalf that Baba calls me soon and that I complete my course and this phase of my life successfully and that may he guide me at every step.

Anonymous said...

Interesting. Thanks for sharing!
~Pradeep.

Meera Kaura said...

Hi, I was reading Sai Satcharita this evening. I found somewhere in first five chapters, some Nana Chatber(don't remember his last name correctly)..his mother described Sai Baba's youth as fair and very handsome.

Alpesh Patel said...

Meera : Exciting to know that Sai Baba gave you darshan in your dreams. The picture you mentions (Sai Baba standing with cross leg, with umbrella is one of my favorite picture and use to mediate on it a lot). It's wonderful to know that he filled your system through the energy flowing through his hand. Yes i fell so excited about visiting Shirdi on Gurupurnima. i usually use to avoid these powerful days, simply due to rush. But merciful Sai somehow calls me on such days, and i am simply amazed at the energy level in Shirdi on such days. Crowed or no crowed I work on you, Sai Baba seems to say.

Yes the mention of Sai Baba as young fair and handsome lad of about sixteen when he was first seen in Shirdi. Then Sai Baba had left Shirdi and returned back to Shirdi and stayed there.

Anonymous said...

Aum Sai Ram

this article is interesting...i began to start reading sai satcharitra....u r going to shirdi plz pray for my mother.....she is not feeling well....i need baba's blessings...thanks in advance...

Anonymous said...

OM SAI RAM!

Its a treat to know how our Sai Baba looked, I really enjoyed reading and learning more about Sri Sai Baba.

Thank You So Much!

OM SAI RAM! ;-)

రామ ShastriX said...

my pleaSure, Alpesh.

In The Life and Teachings of Sai Baba of Shirdi by Antonio Rigopoulos, one reads: (page 101, bottom)
~~~~~
Another peculiar bodily characteristic attributed to Sai Baba was recounted to me both by Uddhao (Madhavrao Deshpande, son of Shyama) and another old villager known as "Bappa Baba". The latter stated: "Sai Baba had very long arms: the ends of his fingers reached down to his knees. This is called 'jānubāhu' in Hindi."
~~~~~

Ambadas said...

I am blank. When i read this information about Sai.
I read this first time
Thanks lot for positng this information

Raghvendera Sharma said...

Dear Alpesh i am Sai Daas, how do you maditate on baba's pics please please tell me i am unable to maditate, i heared that maditation can take much closer to Sai and running mind can stop under the shelter of Baba's blessings.
Om Sai Ram

Unknown said...

sweetest person in the world with sweet loving heart sai

PRAKASH A.S. BANGALORE said...

Human life is the greatest form of existence due to the thirst and feel for divinity: Parabrahma (The Supreme Power OR the Almighty) has bestowed his FEEL for human beings on this earth. Hence, the physical form of SHRI SAI OF SHIRDI. May this fact be the part of inhaling and exhaling of breath for every living being of this UNIVERSE.
OM SHRI SAINATHAYA NAMAH:

Anonymous said...

i stay here in philipines ...but i feel i am next door to shirdi.even ur home can b next door to shirdi if u really make it that way ... it depends on an individual..whenever i feel alone in this place..i just chant one name..Sai Ram.. my problems have solution and lonliness vanishes in the dark.. Sai hold my hand takes me to a bright side of life,shows me way..
i would like to share an experience:whenever i am worried abt something and cant sleep at night, i just imagine my head resting in peace at the lotus feet of baba's statue, in shirdi.i imagine its only me and baba in the temple.i feel the comfort of the world.i feel secured.
This imagination actually puts me down to sleep within few minutes.i love you baba..i cant imagine myself without you..you are everything to me my dear Sai...
Sai Ram

maniarasi said...

thank u sir for the tremendous web site,.. i could not do anywork.as its so interesting reading about baba all day,..i'm drawn more closer to baba each moment,....n i love him all more.....

Anonymous said...

Om sai ram.

This is Sakshi.I really love babaji a lot.jab se babaji ne mujhe apni sharan mei bulaya hai mere saare dukh duur ho gaye hain.mujhe kisi cheez ki tension hi hoti ab.chahe mujhe abhi life mei bahot kuch krna hai,lekin fir bhi mene apni zindagi ki dor babaji ke hatho mei de di hai aur khud chintao se mukt ho chuki hun.i dnt knw y its happening wid me.m really feeling dat baba ji s wid me.wo pal pal meko dekh rahe hain.
babaji meko plz jaldi se shirdi bulayie.mein apke darshan krna chahti hu.

Om sai ram.

Anonymous said...

ne is doin injustice , u should not bear it,thanks once again, but its very difficult for people like us not to get disturbed, i pray that saiya gives me the strength and guides me to reach that level . sometimes i think that sai said to keep calm but geeta says if someo can i get an answer wats the right behaviour pattern? is it wrong to fight for ones self respect.. pl do reply and solve this confusion of mine

Anonymous said...

Alpesh,i am too much attached with mybaba.iam sipirtualistic from my child hood.till the ageof fifty iv gone through tremendous ups nd downs of life.these made me firm believer of sai.i spend most of my timein reading sai litraturend nddoing His simaran.Icmpleted The sai satcharitra.few days afterfinishing the pothi guru purnima came nd i went tosai temple.this the most wonder ful experience of my life i metwith afakir,whowas exactly like saibaba nd wassittingwith thegrill of thetempleas sai baba was used to sit near Dwarkamai.Itried to touchHis charan kamal but he didnt allow me,only blessed mend my husband.Baba is like avery much devoteed nd kind mother.He can,t seethe sufferings of His children.instead of doing worries,we should always do si maran of Him .SAISATCHARITRA is a wonderful garanth.

PADMANABHAN said...

It is so nice and divine experience to read all that has narrated above.Blessed I am.
Jai Sai.
Pranam to the Holy feet of SaiRam.

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