Aum Sai Ram, Let us offer pranam (bow with reverence and surrender) to Sadguru Sai Baba with deep love and gratitude.
With His great fondness for Chanting of God's name, Baba repeated 'Allah Malik', ceaselessly and would often make his devotees hold a 'Naam-Saptah (a week long chanting of the Name), in front of him which would go on day and night, continuously. - Sri Sai SatCharitra Chapter 4 - verse 82
Those Sai Baba devotees, reading Sai SatCharitra and other stories of Sai Baba must be aware of the importance given to Naamsmaran or Namasmaran, (chanting and/or remembrance )of God's name, also if we read blog post Sai Baba's youthful love of art and music we know how fond Baba was of devotional songs.
Today i was reading the newly arrived Sai Leela magazine.
There is a very good short story related with Naamsmaran (remembering chanting and singing of divine Names and chants). Let's start with that short story of Sai Baba.
As advised by Nanasaheb Chandorkar
(One of the Contemporary devotees of Shirdi Sai Baba.), his wife used to do Naam-Jap regularly. Once when She was sitting near Sai Baba in Shirdi, He said, "My mother you grind a lot of grains, but the outcome is useless." Sai Baba was referring to the chanting or remembrance of God's name in a mechanical way. When the name is chanted, sung or remembered, it should have the feeling of love, bhava, with it. When we call our near and dear ones, there is an element of love in that, when we call a complete stranger on the road it is different, than a mother calls her little child. So the name of God, chanted or remembered, without any love or feeling is useless.
When we chant the name of Sai Baba let it be a call for His divine love, Let us call Him from the very depth of our heart seeking His presence, His love and His grace. The yearning for Him, should be there.
Baba jokingly used to say to Nana, "Nana, amongst all these people, there is not even a single swan? There are just crows!"
Lets read a quote from Shri Sai SatCharitra, the gift to us, overflowing with divine love of Sai Baba.
In Shri Sai SatCharitra Chapter 3, Hemadpant sent a request to Sai Baba, through Shama for collecting and writing His divine stories.
Below is a quote from what Sai Baba said in reply to the request.
"Shri Hari (God) is the sport of His own devotees (i.e. He dances to their tunes), hungering to the simple and guileless (devotees), and enslaved, altogether, by love. But to Hypocrites He remains unattainable always. "
Sai Baba gives us the way to enslave God in our heart. The way is love. When no cunning desires are left the love of God is captured. Our mind is basically cunning and we should always stay at guard watching it. It constantly seeks everything, in name of God. It poses itself I am loving God, when there is a horde of desires on attack, one after another. So honesty is with the self is most important.
Meher Baba says about Hypocrisy " Hypocrisy is the unforgivable sin, even God cannot forgive it. He is willing to, but He can't get through, because we wrap ourselves in these veils of hypocrisy and posing."
Few more quotes of Shri Sai Baba on NaamSmaran or chanting and remembrance of Sai Baba Name, from Shri Sai SatCharitra chapter 3.
“Moreover, one thing I tell you Shama (Madhavrao Despande), I grant all the wishes of him who chants my name with love and faith, which, in turn, enhances his devotion to me.”
“Repetition of the name “Sai, Sai” will burn down the sins, resulting from the evil desires of Kaliyug. A mere prostration prostration before me is enough to destroy the past sins of speech and hearing.”
So, love for God is most important, or seeking to get ourselves filled with love of God. We seek what we don't have. We seek for something to make us comfortable, a state of being overflowing with joy and bliss. Some state of being where insecurity and fear cannot attack, which makes us free from the burnings within us. A post on this subject as earlier come out on this blog Divine love - the answer against anguish
So let the call for Sai Baba of His remembrance be always with love. The yearning for His love. When devotee calls for God's love He comes running to Him.
Was just reading an example by Ramakrishna Paramhamsha, which fits here well. He says that mother of 5 or 6 children does her work, when all children are busy with their games and toys. But as soon as a child cries for mother, she leaves all work and rush towards the child.
So, it's useless if child is busy playing with the toys and keep repeating mother's name. The mother will come running when the actual call or cry is made for her.
This yearning and love also applies to worship of Sai Baba. It would be as meaningless, if the rituals are done mechanically. Love, Love and Love is the right path.
Om SadchitAnand Sadguru Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai.
O' Baba let our minds always seek for your divine love alone.
Those who want to subscribe to Sai Leela magazine or download or read it online can get the details here on Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi website. Those interested in Sai Leela magazines published in older times December 1973 to Jan - Feb 1992 can visit Saileelas.org/magazines. Here you will just not find old Sai Leelas Magazines for online reading and download but also few other magazines like Sai Sudha, Sai Deep and Sai Padananda.
Below is a very good video on Naamsmaran (Chanting the name of Guru or God) with excellent text. Thanks to Sai Baba picture gallery. Another closely very closely related blog post What's the meaning of Om Sai Ram.
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