Saturday, October 1, 2011

How do we do Sai Baba’s bhakti in Navratri?

Om Shri Sai Nathaya Namaha!

Navratri 2011 has already started. I received an email from a Shirdi Sai Baba devotee, with a question. The email was

Alpeshji,
Namaste.

Navatari ke dino me Shri. Saibaba ki bhakti kis prakar kar sakate hain? matlab, Shri. Sai Satcharit padhane ka, jaap karane ka. aur kuch aap bata sakate hain? pl. reply kijiye.
 
The question was asked in Hindi. Here is rough translation. How can we devote ourselves to Shirdi Sai Baba?
 
Further the reader gets a little more specific :).By doing Parayan of Shri Sai SatCharitra, doing jaap or Naamsmaran of Sai Baba. Or is there anything more?
 
I was reading a wonderful short story few days back. It was in a book called Words of Kabir and other stories by Sam Kerawala. i was suppose to send this book to my dear friend Vikram Hazra, who is a very good bhajan singer. He sings with bhava and devotion. A gifted soul. When he sings, a divine atmosphere is felt (i say Baba is Happy), the listeners minds are transported to another world. Hopefully we will get a Sai Baba Naamsmaran audio cd recorded with his devotional voice and music.
 
So coming back to the story which tells a lot about devotion.
 
The Story. (as i remember, not exactly as it appears in the book)
 
Once there was a man who had worked, all of his life as a clown in a circus. At the old age, he retired and settled in his village. He had genuine love for God. He regularly visited Church for prayers. Having spent his entire life working as a clown in circus, he did not knew much about traditional ways of prayers and rituals.
 
To please God, everyday he visited Church and performed some juggling and other clown tricks, only things he knew best. His actions went without much noticed for few days. Then, a priest got a little suspicious about this strange behavior of a new and regular visitor of the church.  
 
He hide himself to notice what exactly this man was up to. He was shocked to see the man performing silly tricks in front of Lord. This idiot should be thrown away he thought. He was about to open the chapel door to put in action of what he thought about.
 
What he witnessed, left him frozen in awe. The statue of Jesus came alive, stepped down the altar, with his very own hands and robe, he lovingly wiped the sweat of his dear clown.
 
Bhava or love is what Sadguru or divine wants. Already on this blog, a similar story of Shirdi Sai Baba Himself, loving a poor devotee name Mahali who loved Shri Sai Baba and called Him Shai Baba is posted Intense love is all that Sadguru or the God wants.
 
Shirdi Sai Baba's sacred book Shri Sai SatCharitra has a very special place in many devotees heart. You can read more about it - Sai SatCharitra Parayan
 
Worshiping Sai Baba is another post that i suggested in reply to the answer of the email.
 
Foe those devotees who love Japa or chanting or singing of Sai Baba name or mantras. Naamsmaran of Sai Baba and What's The Meaning of "Om Sai Ram"? should be a good read.
 
A very similar story is also written in the article Prayers to Shirdi Sai Baba.

Om Sai Ram!

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