Shirdi Sai Baba: Recent Episodes

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

This new rendering of the Sri Sai Satcharitra is humbly offered at the feet of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, our beloved sadguru and our everything. It is through his grace that this work was inspired and completed. With-out his grace, nothing is possible. He is watching over the entire universe and each and every one of us. To understand the mystery of Sai is our blessing and our way. Through listening to and meditating on his life and his leelas our false understanding is removed and we recognize that we are one with him and all that is. There is no greater bliss than to experi-ence his love and living presence among us...
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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

It was sometime after 1910 when one fine morning I went to the masjid in Shirdi for darshan (seeing Divinity) of Sai Baba. I was wonderstruck to see the following phenomenon. After washing his mouth and face, Sai Baba began to make preparations for grinding wheat. He spread a sack on the floor then placed a hand-mill there. He drew up the sleeves of his kafni (robe) and put a few handfuls of wheat in the mill and started grinding it. I thought, ‘What business does Baba have with grinding wheat when he possesses nothing, stores nothing and lives on alms?’Others had thought the same thing but none had the courage to ask Baba what he was doing. Immediately, as the news of Baba’s grinding wheat spread into the village men and women began to run to the masjid to watch Baba. Four bold women forced their way up from the crowd and pushed Baba aside, forcibly taking the handle in their hands, and started grinding and singing about Baba’s leelas (divine plays).

At first Baba was enraged, but then seeing the women’s love and devotion, he was much pleased and began to smile...

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

I began to think about why Sai Baba called me by the name Hemadpant. This word is a form of Hemadripant. Hemadripant was a well-known Minister of the kings Mahadev and Ramadev of Devgiri, of the Yadava dynasty. He was very learned, good-natured and the author of many books. He invented and started new methods of accounts and was the originator of the Marathi shorthand script. But I was quite the opposite, an ignoramus, with a dull, mediocre intellect. I could not understand why the name or title was conferred upon me. But thinking seriously upon it, I thought that the title was a dart to destroy my ego, so that I would always remain meek and humble. It was also a compliment paid to me for the cleverness in the discussion...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Two today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

The Lord entrusts different works to different devotees. Some are given the work of building temples and maths (organizations), or ghats (cremation grounds) on rivers. Some are made to sing the glories of God. Some are sent on pilgrimages. But I was allotted the work of writing the Satcharitra. Being a jack-of-all-trades but master of none, I was quite unqualified for this job. Then why should I undertake such a difficult job? Who can describe the true life of Sai Baba? His grace alone can enable one to accomplish this difficult work. So, when I took the pen in hand, Sai Baba took away my egoism and wrote his stories himself. The credit of relating these stories goes to him and not to me. Though Brahmin by birth, I lacked the vision of shruti (revelation) and smriti (remembrance) and was not at all capable of writing the Satcharitra. But the grace of the Lord makes a dumb man talk and enables a lame man to cross a mountain. He alone knows how to get things done as he likes. Neither the flute nor the harmonium knows how the sounds are produced. This is the concern of the player. The oozing of the chandrakant (moonstone) jewel and the surging of the sea are not due to the jewel and the sea but to the rise of the moon...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Three today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

In the last chapter, I described the circumstances which led me to write the Sri Satcharitra. Let me now describe the coming of Baba to Shirdi.Mission of the Saints
Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, “Whenever there is a decay of dharma (righteousness) and a rise in unrighteousness, I manifest myself. For the protection of the virtuous, the destruction of the vicious and the establishment of righteousness, I manifest myself in age after age.”

This is the mission of the Lord and the sages and saints who are his representatives. They appear
at appropriate times and work in their own way to set matters right by their words and action...

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Sai Baba began to stay in a deserted masjid (mosque). A saint named Devidas had been living in Shirdi many years before Baba came there. Baba liked his company. Sometimes he stayed with him in the Maruti temple or in the Chavadi. Sometimes Baba lived alone. Then another saint named Jankidas came by. Baba spent most of his time talking with him or Jankidas came to Baba’s residence. Also, a householder saint, Gangagir, always frequented Shirdi. When he first saw Baba carrying pitchers of water to water the garden, he was amazed and said, “Blessed is
Shirdi that it got this precious jewel. This man is carrying water today but he is not an ordinary fellow. As this land of Shirdi was lucky and meritorious, it has secured this jewel.” One famous saint by the name Anandnath, a disciple of Akkalkot Maharaj, came to Shirdi with some people from Shirdi. When he saw Sai Baba, he said out loud, “This is a precious diamond in reality. Though he looks like an ordinary man; he is not a gar (ordinary stone) but a diamond. You will realize this in the near future.” Saying this, he returned to Yeola. This was said whil Baba was a youngster...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Five today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Where the sadguru is helmsman, he is sure to carry us safely and easily beyond the ocean of worldly existence. The word sadguru brings to mind Sai Baba. He appears to me, as if standing before me and applying udi (sacred ash) to my forehead and placing his blessing on my head. Joy fills my heart and love overflows through my eyes. Wonderful is the power of the touch of guru’s hand. The subtle body consisting of thoughts and desires that cannot be burnt by worlddissolving fire can be dissolved by the mere touch of the guru’s hand. Karmas from many past births are purified and washed away. Even those who feel annoyed when they hear religious and Godly talk, attain calmness. Seeing Sai Baba’s handsome form chokes our throat with joy, makes the eyes overflow with tears, and overwhelms the heart with emotion. It awakens ‘I am He’ (oneness with the Divine) in us and manifests the joy of self-realization. It dissolves the distinction of ‘I and you’ and makes us one with the supreme Reality.When I read scriptures, I am reminded of my sadguru at every step. Sai Baba assumes the form of Rama or Krishna and makes me listen. When I sit to listen to Bhagavad Gita, Sai becomes Krishna from head to toe and sings the Bhagavad Gita or Uddhava Gita for the welfare of devotees. When I start to chitchat, I immediately think of Sai’s stories which enable me to give suitable illustrations. When I start to write anything, I cannot compose even a few words or sentences. But when Baba makes me write, I go on writing and writing to no end. When the disciple’s egoism pops up, he presses it down with his hand. He gives him his own power, makes him gain his goal, and satisfies and blesses him. If anyone bows before Sai and surrenders heart and soul to him, then spontaneously all the chief aims of life––dharma (righteousness), artha (wealth), kama (desire) and moksha (liberation)––are easily attained. Each of the four paths to God—karma (action), jnana (knowledge), yoga and bhakti (devotion)—lead us to God...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Six today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Baba’s Actions Were a MysteryBaba knew all yogic practices. He was well versed in the six processes including Dhauti Yoga (removing and cleaning the intestines), Kandhana Yoga (separating his limbs and re-joining them), and samadhi (advanced state of consciousness). If you think he was a Hindu, he looked like a Muslim. If you think him to be a Muslim, he looked like a pious Hindu. No one knew whether he was a Hindu or a Muslim. He celebrated the Hindu festival of Ramanavami with all due formalities, and at the same time permitted the sandal procession of the Muslims. He encouraged wrestling bouts in this festival and gave good prizes to winners. When the Gokul Ashtami (Hindu festival) came, he had the Gopal Kala ceremony duly performed, and on Id, the Muslim festival, he allowed Muslims to say their namaj (prayers) in his masjid....Listen to the full recording of Chapter Seven today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

In this wonderful universe, God has created billions of creatures including Gods, demigods, insects, beasts and men, inhabiting heaven, hell, Earth, ocean, sky and other intermediate regions. Of these, those souls whose merits predominate go to heaven and live there until they enjoy the fruits of their actions. When this is done, they are cast down. Those souls whose sins or demerits predominate go down to hell and suffer the consequences of their misdeeds for as long a time as they deserve. When their merits and demerits balance each other, they are born on Earth as human beings and are given a chance to work for their liberation. Ultimately, when both their merits and demerits are gone completely, they receive their deliverance and become free. To put the matter in a nutshell, souls get their rebirths according to their deeds and intelligence.The Good Fortune of Being HumanAs we all know, four things are common to all the creatures—food, sleep, fear and sexual union. In the case of man, he is endowed with a special faculty—knowledge—with which he can attain self-realization that is impossible in any other birth. It is for this reason that Gods envy man’s good fortune and aspires to be born as men on Earth to get their final deliverance...

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Now to return to the question of mendicancy. A question may arise in the minds of some that if Baba was such a great person—God in fact—why should he have to use a begging bowl his whole life? This question may be considered from two standpoints. First, we must ask who are the people who have a right to live by the begging bowl? Our Shastras say that those who have become free from the three main desires of children, wealth, and fame are fit to live by begging alms. They cannot make cooking arrangements and eat at home. The duty of feeding them rests on the shoulders of householders. Baba was neither a householder nor hermit. He was a sannyasi (renunciate) from boyhood. His firm conviction was that the universe was his home. He was the Lord Vasudev, the supporter of the universe and the imperishable Brahman. So he had the full right to use a begging bowl....Listen to the full recording of Chapter Nine today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Always remember Baba with love, for he was always engrossed in doing good to all, and was always abiding in the Self. To remember only him is to solve the mystery of life and death. This is the best and easiest of sadhanas as it involves little effort. Just a little exertion brings great rewards. So as long as our senses are sound, we should practice this sadhana minute by minute. All other Gods are illusory. The guru is the only God. If we believe in sadguru’s holy feet, he can change our fortune for the better. If we serve him, we become free from samsara (worldly bondage). We need not study any philosophy like the Nyaya and the Mimansa. If we make him our helmsman, we can easily cross over the ocean of all our suffering and sorrows. As we trust a helmsman to go across the rivers and seas, so we have to trust our sadguru in order to go over the ocean of worldly existence. What the sadguru looks for is the intense feeling and devotion of his devotees and endows them with knowledge and eternal bliss.In the last chapter, Baba’s mendicancy, devotees’ experiences and other subjects are dealt with. Let the readers now hear where and how Baba lived, how he slept and how he taught...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Ten today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Let us, on this occasion, bring to our mind the form of Sai, who was detachment incarnate, and who was the resting place for his wholehearted devotees. Our faith in his words is the seat of asana; and our sankalpam (intention) is the abandonment of all our desires. Some call Baba a Bhagvad bhakta (devotee of the Lord) and others call him was a maha bhagwat (a great devotee), but to us he was God incarnate. He was extremely forgiving, never irritable, straight, soft, tolerant and content beyond comparison. Though he looked embodied and having a form, he was really beyond the body, emotionless, detached and internally free. The Ganges on its way to the sea cools and refreshes the creatures affected with heat, gives life to the crops and trees, and quenches the thirst of many. Similarly, saints like Baba, while they live their own life, give solace and comfort to all. Lord Krishna has said, “The saint is my soul, my living image. I am he and he is my pure form (being).” This indescribable shakti or power of God, known as pure existence, consciousness and bliss, incarnated in the form of Sai Baba in Shirdi. The Shruti the Taitiriya Upanishad, describes Brahman as bliss. This we read of or hear daily in books but the devoted experienced this Brahman or bliss in Shirdi.Baba, the support of all, required no prop or support from anyone. He always used a piece of sackcloth for his seat. His bhaktas covered his small beautiful bed and placed a bolster as a rest for his back. Baba respected the feelings of his devotees and allowed them to worship him as they liked. Some waved fans before him, some played musical instruments, some washed his hands and feet, some others applied scent and sandalpaste, some gave betel nut with leaves and other things, and some offered naivedya. But though he looked like he was living in Shirdi, he was
present everywhere. This all-pervasiveness of his was experienced daily by his devotees. Our humble prostration to this all-pervasive sadguru...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Eleven today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

We have seen before that the purpose or object of divine incarnation is to protect the good and destroy the wicked. But the mission of the saints is quite different. To them the good and the wicked are the same. First, they feel for wrongdoers then set them on the right path. They are like the agasti (destroyer) of bhavaagar (the ocean of worldly existence) or like the sun to the darkness of ignorance. The Lord dwells in the saints. In fact, they are not different from Him.Our Baba is one of these, who incarnated for the welfare of the devotees. Supreme in knowledge and surrounded with divine luster, he loved all beings equally. He was unattached. Foes and friends, kings and paupers were the same to him. Hear his powers. For the sake of devotees, he spent his stock of merits and was ever alert to help them. But the devotees could never approach him, unless he meant to receive them. If their turn did not come, Baba did not remember them and his leelas could not reach their ears. Then how could they think of seeing him? Some men desired to see Baba but they did not get any opportunity to have his darshan until his mahasamadhi. There are many people whose desire for Baba’s darshan was not satisfied. If these people, believing in him, listen to his leelas their search for darshan will, to a great extent, be satisfied by the leelas. If some people went there by sheer luck and had Baba’s darshan, were they able to stay there longer? No. No one could go there of their own accord, and no one could stay there long even if they so wished. They could stay there as long as Baba permitted them to stay,
and had to leave when Baba asked them to do so. Everything depended on Baba’s will...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twelve today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Baba’s words were always concise, deep, efficient, well balanced and full of meaning. He was ever content and never cared for anything. He said: "Though I have become a fakir, have no house or wife, have left all cares and stayed in one place, the inevitable Maya (illusion) teases me often. Even if I forget myself, I cannot forget her. She always envelops me. If this Maya of the Lord teases even Brahma, then what to speak of a poor fakir like me? Those who take refuge in the Lord will be freed from her clutches with his grace."

Baba spoke about the power of Maya in such terms. Lord Sri Krishna said to Uddhava in the Bhagavad Gita that the saints are his living forms. For the welfare of his devotee, Baba said the following: "Those who are fortunate and whose demerits have vanished, take to my worship. If you always say, ‘Sai, Sai’ I shall take you over the seven seas. Believe in these words and you will certainly benefit. I do not need any other worship, either eight-fold or sixteen-fold. I reside where there is total devotion."Now read what Baba, the friend of those who surrender to him, did for their welfare...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Thirteen today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

It is well known that Baba always asked for dakshina from people who went to see him. Somebody may ask a question, “If Baba was a fakir and perfectly detached, why should he ask for dakshina and care for money?”
We now shall consider this question broadly. For a long time, Baba did not accept anything. He stored burnt matches and filled his pocket with them. He never asked anything from anyone, whether a devotee or otherwise. If anyone placed a coin or two before him, he purchased oil or tobacco with it. He was fond of smoking. He always smoked a bidi (clove cigarette) and a chillum (pipe). Then some people thought that they could not see saints empty handed, so they placed some copper coins before Baba. If a coin was placed before Baba, he used to pocket it. If it was a two pice coin, it was returned immediately. After Baba’s fame had spread far and wide, people began to flock in numbers, then Baba began to ask dakshina from them. It is said in the Shruti (Veda) that puja to God is not complete unless a golden coin is offered. If a coin is necessary in the puja to God, why should it not be so in the puja of the saints also? Ultimately, the Shastras lay down that when one goes to see God, king, saint or guru, he should not go empty-handed. He should offer something, preferably money...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Fourteen today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

The readers may remember that in Chapter Six mention was made about the Ramanavami Festival in Shirdi, how the festival originated, how in the early years it was difficult to get good singers for kirtan and how Baba permanently entrusted this function to Das Ganu. Now in this chapter we shall describe the manner in which Das Ganu was performing kirtan.Das Ganu Changes His ClothesGenerally, kirtan singers wear elaborate dress. They put on a headdress or turban, a long flowing coat with a shirt inside, an uparane (short cloth) on the shoulders and the usual long dhotar (cloth) from the waist below. Dressed in this fashion, Das Ganu once went to bow to Baba. Baba asked,“Well, bridegroom! Where are you going dressed so beautifully?”“To perform a kirtan.”

Baba said, “Why do you want all this paraphernalia, coat, uparane and turban and all that before me? Why wear them on the body?” Das Ganu immediately took them off and placed them at Baba’s feet. From that time on, Das Ganu never wore these things while singing kirtan. He was always bare from waist up with a pair of chiplis in his hand and a garland around his neck. This is not the traditional practice by kirtan singers, but this is the best and purest method. The sage Narada, from whom kirtan originated, wore nothing on his trunk and head. He carried a vina (one stringed instrument) in his hand and wandered from place to place, everywhere singing the glory of the Lord....

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

The last chapter described how Mr. Cholkar’s vow of a small offering was completed and accepted. In that story, Sai Baba showed that he would happily accept any thing, no matter how small, when it was offered with love and devotion. But if the same thing were offered with pride and conceit, he would reject it. He, being full of satchitananda (existence, consciousness and bliss), did not care for outward formalities but if an offering was made in a humble spirit, it was eagerly welcomed and accepted with pleasure. In fact, there is no person more generous and compassionate than a sadguru like Sai Baba. He cannot even be compared to the Chintamani jewel (the philosopher’s stone which satisfies desires), the Kalpataru (the celestial tree which fulfills our desires) or the Kamadhenu (the celestial cow which gives what we desire), for they only give us what we desire. But the sadguru gives us the most precious thing, which is inconceivable and inscrutable—Reality. Now let us hear how Baba handled of a rich man who came and implored Baba to give him Brahma Jnana (self-realization)...Listen to the full recording of Chapters Sixteen & Seventeen today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

It is a well-known fact that the sadguru looks first to the qualifications of his disciples, then gives them suitable instructions and leads them on towards the goal of self-realization. In this respect, some say that what the sadguru teaches or instructs should not be divulged to others. They think that their instructions become useless if they are published. This view is not correct. The sadguru is like a monsoon cloud. He pours down profusely, widely scattering his nectar-like teachings. These we should enjoy and assimilate to our heart’s content and then serve others with them, without any reserve. This rule should apply not only to what he teaches in our waking state, but
to the visions he gives us in our dreams. One example of this is when Budhakowshik Rishi composed his celebrated Ramraksha Stotra, which he had seen in his dream.Like a loving mother forcing bitter but wholesome medicines down the throats of her children for the sake of their health, Sai Baba imparted spiritual instructions to his devotees. His method was not veiled or secret, but quite open. The devotees who followed his instructions reached their aim. Sadgurus like Sai Baba open the eyes of our intellect and show us the divine beauty of the Self, and fulfill our tender longings of devotion. When this is done, our desire for sense objects vanishes. The twin fruits of viveka (discrimination) and vairagya (detachment) come to our hands and knowledge sprouts up even in sleep. All this we get when we come in contact with saints, serve them and secure their love. The Lord, who fulfills the desires of His devotees, comes to our aid, removes our troubles and sufferings, and makes us happy. This progress or development is entirely due to the help of the sadguru, who is regarded as the Lord Himself. And so, we should always follow the sadguru, hear his stories, fall at his feet and serve him. Now we come to our main story....Listen to the full recording of Chapters Eighteen & Nineteen today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Sai was originally formless. He assumed a form for the sake of devotees. With the help of the actress, Maya, he played the part of the actor in this big drama of the universe. Let us remember and visualize Sri Sai. Let us go to Shirdi and carefully see the programs following the noon Aarati. After the Aarati was over, Baba used to come out of the masjid and standing on its edge, distribute udi (sacred ash) to the devotees with very kind and loving looks. The devotees got up with equal fervor, clasped his feet, and standing and staring at him, enjoyed the shower of udi. Baba passed handfuls of udi into the palms of the devotees and used it to mark their foreheads with his own fingers. The love he bore for them was boundless. He addressed the devotees as follows, “Oh Bhau, go to take your lunch. You, Anna, go to your lodgings. You, Bapu, go enjoy your meals.” In this way, he approached each of the devotees then sent them home. Even now, you can enjoy these sights if you bring your imagination into play. You can visualize and appreciate them. Now bringing Baba before our mental vision, let us meditate on him, from his
feet upwards to his face, prostrating before him humbly, lovingly and respectfully...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twenty today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

There has been the institution of saints in this world from time immemorial. Various saints incarnate themselves in various places to carry out the missions given to them. Although they work in different places, they are one. They work in unison under the common authority of the Almighty and know full well what the other is doing, supplementing the other’s work where necessary. An instance illustrating this is given below.Mr. Thakur Meets BabaMr. Thakur was a clerk in the Revenue Department. He once came to a town named Vadgaum, along with a survey party. There he saw a Kanarese saint named Appa, and bowed before him. The saint was explaining to an audience a portion of the book, Vichar Sagar of Nischaldas, a standard work on Vedanta. As Thakur was taking to leave, the saint said to him, “You should study this book, and if you do your desires will be fulfilled. In the future when you go to the north to do your duties, you will come across a great saint. By your good luck he will show you your future path, give peace to your mind and make you happy.”..Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twenty-One today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Now let us turn for a moment to Baba’s life. Shirdi had become a place of pilgrimage on account of Baba’s staying there. People from all quarters began to flock there, and both the rich and the poor were benefited in more ways than one in some form or other. Who can describe Baba’s boundless love, his wonderful natural knowledge and his all-pervasiveness? Blessed is he who could experience any or all of these. Sometimes Baba observed long silence, which was, in a way his dissertation on Brahman. At other times he was consciousness and bliss incarnate, surrounded by his devotees. Sometimes he spoke in parables, and at other times indulged in wit and humor. At times, he was quite unambiguous and at times he seemed enraged. Sometimes he gave his teachings in a nutshell, at other times he argued at length. Many a time he was very plain. In this way, he gave varied instructions to many, according to their requirements. His life was inscrutable, beyond the view of our mind, beyond our intellect and speech. Our longing to see his face, to talk with him and hear his leelas, was never satisfied; still we were overflowing with joy. We can count the showers of rain, tie the wind in a leather bag, but who can measure his leelas? Now we will look at one aspect of them, how he anticipated and foresaw the calamities of his devotees and warded them off in time...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twenty-Two today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

In reality, the jiva (individual soul) transcends the three gunas (qualities)––sattva (purity), rajas (activity) and tamas (inertia)––but being deluded by Maya he forgets his nature. His true nature is satchitananda––existence, consciousness and bliss. He thinks that he is the doer and enjoyer and so entangles himself in endless miseries and does not know the way of deliverance. The only way of deliverance is through loving devotion to the guru’s feet. The great player or actor, Baba, has delighted his devotees and transformed them into his own nature. We regard Baba as an incarnation of God for all the reasons already stated, but he always said that he was an obedient servant of God. Though an incarnation, he showed people the way to behave and carry out the duties of their respective stations in life. He never emulated others in any way, nor asked others to have something done for him. For him, who saw the Lord in all movable and immovable things of this world, humility was most appropriate. He disregarded or disrespected none, for he saw God in all beings. He never said, “I am God,” but said that he was a humble servant and he always remembered him and uttered, “Allah Malik.” (God is One, God is the sole proprietor)....Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twenty-Three today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

To say that we shall state such and such in this or the next chapter is a sort of egoism. Unless we surrender our ego to the feet of our sadguru, we will not succeed in our undertaking. If we become egoless, then our success is assured.By worshipping Baba we attain both aims, worldly and spiritual, are fixed in our true nature, and attain peace and happiness. Therefore, those who want to gain their welfare should respectfully hear Baba’s leelas or stories and meditate on them. If they do this, they will easily attain the aim of their life and get bliss.Generally, everyone likes wit and humor, but they don’t like jokes when they are at their own expense. Baba’s method was peculiar. When accompanied with good gestures, it was interesting and instructive and people did not mind being held up to ridicule. Hemadpant gives his own instance below...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twenty-Four today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

We begin this chapter bowing with all our eight limbs to Sai Baba, who is an ocean of mercy, God incarnate, who is Parabrahman (Absolute) and the great Yogeshwara (Lord of Yoga). Victory to Baba, who is the crest-jewel of the saints, who is the home of all auspicious things, who is our Atmaram (dear self) and the able refuge of devotees. We prostrate ourselves before him who has attained the aim and end of life.Baba is always full of mercy. What is wanted on our part is wholehearted devotion to him. When a devotee has firm faith and devotion, his wishes are soon fulfilled. When the desire arose in the mind of Hemadpant to write the life and leelas of Baba, Baba immediately had it written by Hemadpant. When the order ‘to keep memos’ was given, Hemadpant was inspired and his intellect got strength and boldness to undertake and finish the work. He was not, he says, qualified to write the work, but the gracious blessings of Baba enabled him to complete the undertaking. So you have this Satcharitra, which is a somakant (jewel nectar) from which nectar, in the form of Sai leelas, oozes out for the readers to drink to their hearts’ content. Whenever a devotee had complete and wholehearted devotion to Baba, all his calamities and dangers were warded off and his welfare attended to by Baba. The story of Damu Anna illustrates this...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twenty-Five today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Once it so happened that a devotee by the name Pant, a disciple of another sadguru, had the good fortune of visiting Shirdi. He had no mind to go to Shirdi, but man proposes one way and God disposes the other. He was traveling in a railway train when he met some friends and relations bound for Shirdi. They all asked him to accompany them and he could not say no. They got off at Mumbai while Pant got off at Virar. There he received permission from his sadguru for the Shirdi trip, and after arranging for the expenses, left with the party for Shirdi. They all reached the place in the morning and went to the masjid at about 11 am. Seeing the crowd of devotees assembled for Baba’s worship they were all pleased but Pant suddenly had a fit and fell senseless. They were all frightened. Still, they tried their best to bring him to his senses. With Baba’s grace and the pouring of pitchers of water over his head, he regained consciousness and sat upright as if he was just awakened from sleep. The omniscient Baba, knowing that he was a disciple of another guru, inspired fearlessness and confirmed his faith in his own guru by addressing him as follows, “Come what may, leave not, but stick to your support (guru) and remain ever steady, always at one with him.” Pant at once knew the significance of this remark and was reminded of his sadguru. Throughout his life, he never forgot this kindness of Baba...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twenty-Six today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

When a man takes a plunge into the sea, he gets the merit of bathing in all the tirthas (holy waters) and sacred rivers. Similarly, when a man takes refuge at the feet of the sadguru, he gets the merit of bowing to the trinity––Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva––and also Parabrahman. Victory to Sri Sai, the wish-fulfilling tree and ocean of knowledge who gives us self-realization. Oh Sai, create in us a regard for your stories. Let the readers and audience devour them with the samerelish with which the chatak bird drinks the water from the clouds and becomes happy. While listening to your stories, let each person and their families have all the sattvic (pure) emotions–– let their bodies perspire, let their eyes be full of tears, let their prana (life force) be steady, let their minds be composed, let their hair stand on end, let them cry, sob and shake, let their hostilities and their distinctions, great and small, vanish. If these things happen, that is a sign of the grace of the guru dawning upon them. When these emotions develop in you, the guru is most pleased and will certainly lead you on to the goal of self-realization. The best way to get free from the shackles of Maya is our complete and wholehearted surrender to Baba. The Vedas cannot take you across the ocean of Maya. It is only the sadguru who can do so and make you see the Lord in all creatures...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twenty-Seven today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Sai Baba is not finite or limited. He dwells in all beings, from ants to insects to Brahman. He pervades all. Baba was well versed in the knowledge of the Vedas, as well as in the science of selfrealization. As he was proficient in both of these, he was fit to be a sadguru. Even though a person is learned, if they are unable to awaken the disciples and establish them in self-realization, they do not deserve to be called a sadguru. Generally, the father gives birth to the body and death invariably follows life. But the sadguru does away with both life and death, so he is more kind and merciful than anyone. Baba often said whatever distance his devotee is, even if it is a thousand koss away from him,he will be drawn to Shirdi like a sparrow with a thread tied to its feet. This chapter describes the story of three such sparrows...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twenty-Eight today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

It was in the year 1916 that a party consisting of a man, his wife, daughter and sister-in-law started on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Benares. On the way, they heard there lived a great sage named Sai Baba in Shirdi who was calm, composed and very generous. Everyday he distributed money to his bhaktas and skillful people who demonstrated their skill. A lot of money in the form of dakshina was collected daily by Baba. From this, each day he gave one rupee to a three-year old girl, Amani, and six rupees to her mother, Jamali. Sometimes he gave two, five, ten, and even 50 rupees to bhaktas as he pleased.After hearing this, the party went to Shirdi. They sang very good bhajans but inwardly they craved for money. Three of the party were full of avarice, but the chief lady was of a very different nature. She had regard and love for Baba. It so happened that when the noon Aarati was going on, Baba was much pleased with her faith and devotion. He gave her darshan of her beloved deity Rama. Baba appeared to her as Lord Rama while to all the others he was the usual Baba. On seeing her beloved deity, she was deeply moved. Tears began to flow from her eyes and she clapped her hands in joy. The people began to wonder at her joyful mood but were not able to guess its cause. Later in the afternoon, she disclosed everything to her husband. She told him how she saw Lord Rama in Sai Baba. He thought that as she was very simple and devout, her seeing Rama might be a hallucination of her mind. He discounted what she said, saying that it was not possible that she alone should see Rama while everyone else saw Sai Baba. She did not resent this remark, as she was fortunate enough to have Rama’s darshan now and then when her mind was calm and composed and free from avarice....Listen to the full recording of Chapter Twenty-Nine today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Bow to the kind Sai who is the abode of mercy and who is affectionate towards his devotees. By his mere darshan, he does away with their fear in samsara and destroys their calamities. He was first nirguna (formless) but on account of the devotion of his bhaktas, was obliged to take a form. To give liberation—self-realization—to bhaktas is the mission of the saints and for Sai, the chief of them, that mission is inevitable. Those who take refuge in his feet have all their karmas destroyed and their progress is certain. Remembering his feet, Brahmins from holy places come to him, read scriptures and chant the Gayatri mantra in his presence. We who are weak and without any merit do not know what bhakti (devotion) is, but we know this much, that although all others may leave us, Sai won’t forsake us. Those whom he favors get enormous strength, knowledge and the ability to discriminate between the unreal and the real.Sai fully knows the desires of his devotees and fulfills them. They get what they want and are grateful. So we invoke him and pranam before him. Forgetting all our faults let him free us from all anxieties. Whoever is overcome with calamities and remembers and prays ‘Sai,’ his mind will become calm and peaceful through Baba’s grace....Listen to the full recording of Chapter Thirty today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

The last wish or thought that a man has at the hour of death determines his future course. Sri Krishna said in the Gita, “He who remembers me in his last moments comes to me, and he who meditates on other things goes to what he looks for.” We cannot be certain that we will be thinking a particular good thought at our last moment. More often than not, we are likely to be frightened and terrified by different causes. This is why constant practice is necessary to enable us to fix our mind on a desired good thought in any moment. All saints recommend that we always remember God and always chant His name so that we may not be confused when the time of departure comes. For their part, devotees surrender themselves completely to the saints, fully believing that the all-knowing saints will guide and help them in their last moments. A few such cases are noted here...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Thirty-One today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

In the beginning, Hemadpant describes samsara (worldly bondage) through an allegory of a banyan tree. In the words of the Gita, the banyan tree has roots above and branches below. Its branches are spread downwards and upwards and are nourished by the gunas (qualities). Its sprouts are the objects of the senses. Its roots, leading to actions, are extended downwards to this world of men. Its form cannot be known in this world, nor its end, nor its beginning, nor its support. Cutting the banyan tree of its strong roots with the sharp weapon of non-attachment, one should seek the path beyond, treading where there is no return.For traversing this path, the help of a good guide is absolutely necessary. However learned a man may be, or however deep his study of sacred literature, he cannot go to his destination safely. If the guide is there to help him and show him the right way, he will avoid the pitfalls and the wild beasts on the journey and everything will go smoothly...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Thirty-Two today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

It is well known that Baba took dakshina from all. Out of the amount collected, he spent a lot on charity and purchased wood with the balance. He used the wood for his dhuni, the sacred fire, which he kept ever burning. The ash from this fire was called udi and it was freely distributed to the devotees upon leaving Shirdi.What was Baba teaching with this udi? Baba taught by his udi that all the visible phenomena in the universe are as transient as ash. Our bodies, composed of matter made of the five elements, will fall down after all their enjoyments are over and be reduced to ash. To remind the devotees that their bodies will be reduced to ash, Baba distributed udi. He also taught by the udi that Brahman was the only reality, the universe was ephemeral and that no one in this world, not son, father or wife, is really ours. We come in this world alone and we leave alone....Listen to the full recording of Chapter Thirty-Three today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

This chapter continues the subject of the ‘Greatness of Udi’ and describes cases in which the application of udi was most efficacious.A Doctor’s Nephew Cured with UdiThere lived a qualified and degree-holding doctor, whose young nephew suffered from an incurable tubercular bone abscess. The doctor and his brothers, along with other medical practitioners, tried all sorts of remedies including an operation. There was no relief and no end to the little boy’s suffering. Friends and relations advised the boy’s parents to seek divine aid and recommended they try Baba, who was known to cure such incurable cases by his mere glance. So the parents went to Shirdi. They prostrated to Baba, placed the boy before him and pleaded humbly and respectfully, imploring him to save their son. The merciful Baba comforted them, saying:"Those who resort to this masjid shall never suffer anything in this life until the end of time. Be carefree now. Apply udi on the abscess and within one week he will recover. Believe in God. This is no masjid, but Dwarkamai. He who steps here will soon get health and happiness and his sufferings will come to an end." ...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Thirty-Four today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

In spiritual matters or endeavors, sectarianism is the greatest obstacle to our progress. Those who believe God is without form say that to believe God is with form is an illusion and saints are only human beings. Then why should they bend their heads before them and offer dakshina? People belonging to other sects will also raise objections and say, “Why should I bow and offer allegiance to other saints, leaving my own sadguru?”Similar objections regarding Sai Baba were heard before and are heard even now. Some said that when they went to Shirdi, Baba asked for dakshina from them; is it good that saints should collect money in this fashion? If they do so, where is their sainthood? But there are many instances where men went to Shirdi to ridicule, but instead remained there and prayed. Two such instances are given below...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Thirty-Five today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Once two gentlemen came from Goa to have Baba’s darshan. They both prostrated before Baba, but Baba only asked one of them for Rs.15 dakshina, which was paid willingly. The other man voluntarily offered Rs. 35, but it was rejected by Baba to the astonishment of all.Shama asked Baba, “What is this? Both came together, one’s dakshina you accept, the other, though voluntarily offered, you refuse. Why this distinction?” Baba replied, “Shama, you know nothing. I take nothing from anybody. The masjid mayi (masjid Mother) calls for the debt, the donor pays it and becomes free. Have I any home, property or family to look after? I require nothing. I am ever free. Debt, enmity and murder have to be atoned for, there is no escape.” ...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Thirty-Six today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Blessed is Sai’s life and blessed is his daily routine. His ways and actions are indescribable. Sometimes he was intoxicated with Brahmananda (divine bliss), and at other times content with self-knowledge. At all times, even though doing many things, he remained unconcerned with them. At times he seemed quite actionless but he was not idle or dozing; he was always abiding in his own Self. Though he looked calm and still as a placid sea, he was deep and unfathomable. Who can describe his ineffable nature? He regarded men as brothers, and women as sisters and mothers. He was a perfect renunciate and had total self-control. May the knowledge we received in his company last long unto death. Let us ever serve him with wholehearted devotion. Let us see God in all beings and let us ever love His name...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Thirty-Seven today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Different sadhanas are prescribed in the scriptures for different ages. Tapas (austerities) is recommended for the Krita age, jnana (knowledge) for the Treta age, yajna (sacrifice) for the Dwarpara age, and dana (charity) for the Kali (present) age. Of all the charities, giving food is the best one. We are very disturbed when we do not get food at noon. Other beings feel the same way under these circumstances. Knowing this, he who gives food to the poor and hungry is the best donor or charitable person. The Taittiriya Upanishad says, “Food is Brahma. From food all creatures are born, and having been born, by food they live, then having departed, into food again they enter.” When an uninvited guest comes to our door at noon, it is our duty to welcome him by giving him food. Other kinds of charities, like giving away wealth, property and clothes require some discrimination but in the matter of food no such consideration is necessary. Let anyone who comes to the door at noon be served immediately. If lame, crippled, blind or diseased indigents come, they should be fed first and then the able bodied persons and relations afterwards. The merit of feeding the former is much greater than that of feeding the latter. Other kinds of charity are imperfect, but anna dana (giving food) is the most meritorious. ...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Thirty-Eight today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

This chapter discusses Baba’s interpretation of a verse from the Bhagavad Gita. Some people did not believe that Baba knew Sanskrit, but given his interpretative teachings to Nanasaheb Chandorkar, Hemadpant refuted that objection in Chapter 50. As Chapter 50 deals with the same subject matter, it is incorporated into this chapter.PreliminaryBlessed is Shirdi and blessed is the Dwarkamai where Sri Sai lived and moved until he took mahasamadhi. Blessed are the people of Shirdi whom he helped and for whom he came such a long distance. Shirdi was a small village first, but it attained great importance on account of his contact and became a tirtha, holy place of pilgrimage. Equally blessed are the women of Shirdi; blessed is their complete and undivided faith in him. They sang the glories of Baba while bathing, grinding, pounding corn and doing other household work. Blessed is their love, for they sang sweet songs which calm and pacify the minds of the singers and listeners. ...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Thirty-Nine today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Blessed is Sri Sai Sainatha who gives instructions in both temporal and spiritual matters to his devotees and makes them happy by enabling them to achieve the goal of their life. In placing his hand on their heads, Sai transfers his powers to them and destroys the sense of differentiation, and makes them attain the Unattainable Thing. With no sense of duality or difference, he embraces devotees who prostrate themselves before him. He becomes one with his devotees, as the sea with the rivers when they meet in the rainy season, and gives them his power and position. It follows from this that he who sings the leelas of God’s bhaktas is equally or more dear to him than one who sings the leelas of God only. Now to revert to the stories of this chapter. ...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Forty today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

At the close of the last chapter, the account of Baba’s picture being brought to Hemadpant’s house just in time to be placed on the seat of the guest of honor during the Shimga dinner was recounted. Nine years after this incident, Ali Mahomed met Hemandpant and recounted the following story to him: ...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Forty-One today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

This chapter describes the passing away of Baba.The stories in the previous chapter show that the light of the Guru’s grace removes fear in mundane existence and opens the path of liberation and turns our misery into happiness. If we always remember the feet of the sadguru, our troubles will come to an end, death loses its sting and the misery of this mundane existence is transformed. Those who truly care about their welfare should listen carefully to these stories of Sai Sainath which will purify their minds. ...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Forty-Two today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

It is the general practice among the Hindus that when a man is about to die, religious scripture is read aloud to him with the aim that his mind should be withdrawn from worldly things and fixed on spiritual matters so that his future progress is ensured. When King Parikshiti was cursed by the son of a Brahmin rishi and was to die in a week, the great sage, Shuka, expounded on Bhagawat Purana to him during that week. This practice is followed even now and the Gita, Bhagawat and other sacred books are read out loud to dying people. Baba, being an incarnation of God, needed no such help but followed this practice to set an example to the people. When he knew that he was soon going pass, he ordered Mr. Vaze to read Rama Vijaya to him. Mr. Vaze read the book once during the week. Then Baba asked him to read it again day and night, and he finished the second reading in three days. Eleven days passed this way. Then he read it again for another three days and was exhausted. So Baba let him stop and be quiet. He abided on his Self and was waiting for the last moment. ...Listen to the full recording of Chapters Forty-Three and Forty-Four today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

We have described Baba’s passing away in the last three chapters. His physical or finite form has no doubt disappeared from our view, but the infinite transcendent form ever lives. The leelas that occurred during his lifetime have been dwelled upon at great length. But ever since his passing away, new leelas have taken place and are happening even now. This clearly shows that Baba is ever-living and helping his devotees as before. The people who had contact with Baba when he was living were indeed very fortunate, but if any of them had not achieved dispassion for the things and enjoyments of the world and did not have their mind turned to the Lord, it was truly their back luck. What was wanted then and is wanted now is wholehearted devotion to Baba. All our senses, organs, and mind should cooperate in worshipping and serving Baba. It is no use in engaging some organs in the worship and forgetting others. If a thing like worship or meditation is to be done, it ought to be done with all our mind and soul. ...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Forty-Five today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Blessed, Oh Sai, are your feet. Blessed is remembrance of you and blessed is your darshan, which frees us from the bondage of karma. Though your form is invisible to us now, still if devotees believe in you, they receive living experiences from you. By an invisible and subtle thread you draw your devotees from far and near to your feet and embrace them like a kind and loving mother. The devotees do not know where you are, but you so skillfully pull the wires that they ultimately realize that you are at their back to help and support them. The intelligent, wise and learned fall into the pit of the samsara on account of their egoism, but you save the poor, simple and devout through your power. You play the whole game inwardly and invisibly but demonstrate that you are unconcerned with it. You do things but pose as a non-doer. No one knows your life....Listen to the full recording of Chapter Forty-Six today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Blessed is the face of Sai. If we cast a glance at him for a moment, he destroys the sorrow of many past births and bestows great bliss on us. If he looks at us with grace, the bondage of our karma is immediately snapped away and we are led to happiness. The river Ganges washes away the dirt and sins of all people who go to her for a bath but she longs intently for the saints to come to her and bless her with their feet and remove all the dirt (sins) accumulated in her. She knows that only the holy feet of the saints can purify this accumulation. Sai is the crest-jewel of saints, and now hear from him the following purifying story. ...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Forty-Seven today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

He who teaches us the Vedas and Vedanta or the six Shastras (scriptures), he who controls the breath or brands his body with mudras (sacred symbols), he who gives pleasing discourses regarding Brahman, he who gives mantras (sacred syllables) to disciples and orders them to chant them a certain number of times but does not assure them any result in a definite time, he who by his expansive wordy knowledge explains beautifully the Ultimate Principle, but has himself no experience or self-realization, is not a sadguru. But he who, through his speech, creates in us a distaste for the enjoyments of this world and the next, and gives us a taste of self-realization, who is well-versed in both theoretical and applied knowledge (self-realization), deserves to be called a sadguru. How can he who is lacking in self-realization give it to the disciples? A sadguru does not expect any service or profit from his disciples, even in his dream. On the contrary, he only wishes to serve them. He does not think that he is great and the disciple small. Not only does he love him as a son, but regards him as an equal to him or as Brahman. The main characteristic of a sadguru is that he is the abode of peace. He is never restless or distressed. He has no pride of learning. The poor and the rich, the small and the great, are the same to him. ...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Forty-Eight today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

If the Vedas and the Puranas cannot sufficiently praise Brahman or the sadguru, how can we who are ignorant describe our sadguru Sai Baba? We think it is best to keep quiet in this matter. In reality, the observance of silence is the best way of praising the sadguru. But the good qualities of Sai Baba make us forget our vow of silence and inspire us to open our mouth. Good dishes taste flat without the company of friends and relatives to share the food with us. When they join us, food acquires greater flavor. The same is the case with the Sai leelamrita, the nectar of Sai’s leelas. We cannot partake of this nectar alone. Friends and brothers have to join us, the more the better.It is Sai Baba himself that inspires these stories and gets them written as he desires. Our duty is to surrender completely to him and meditate on him. Practicing austerities is better than pilgrimage, vow, sacrifice and charity. Worshipping the Lord is better than austerities, and meditation on the sadguru is the best of all. So we should chant Sai’s name, think over his sayings, meditate on his form, feel real love for him in our hearts and do all our actions for his sake. There is no better means than this to break the bondage of samsara. If we can do our part to perform these duties, Sai is certain to help and liberate us. Now let us return to the stories of this chapter....Listen to the full recording of Chapter Forty-Nine today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

Victory to Sai who is the devotees’ support, who is our sadguru, who explains the meaning of the Bhagavad Gita and who gives us all powers. Oh Sai, look favorably on us and bless us all. Sandalwood trees grow on the Malaya mountains and ward off heat. The clouds pour rain and cool and refresh all the people. The flowers blossom in the spring and enable us to worship God.So the stories of Sai Baba are revealed in order to give solace and comfort to the readers. Both those who tell and those who hear the stories of Baba are blessed and holy, as are the mouths of those who tell and the ears of those who hear. It is a well-established fact that although we may try hundreds of sadhanas, we do not attain the spiritual goal of life unless a sadguru blesses us with his grace. Hear the following story that illustrates this. ...Listen to the full recording of Chapter Fifty today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

I am ever living to help and guide all who come to me, who surrender to me and seek refuge in me. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba
Listen to the full recording of Baba's Eleven Assurances today!

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*Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life of Shirdi Sai Baba, A Modern Rendering of Hemadpant by Monika Penukonda*

If a man utters my name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes and increase his devotion. If he sings earnestly of my life and my deeds, I shall surround him in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees who are attached to me heart and soul will naturally feel happiness when they hear these stories. Believe me, if anybody sings my leelas I will give him infinite joy and everlasting happiness. ~ Shirdi Sai Baba*From this episode:*

When Hemadpant wrote this chapter, he gave his concluding remarks and a promise to provide an index with the contents of all the chapters in verse like those found in original Marathi sacred books. Unfortunately, Hemadpant did not survive to revise and finalize this chapter for the press and the index was not found in his papers.12 B.V. Deo reviewed the text and found it to be incomplete and unintelligible in certain places, but it had to be published as it was found. The chief topics dealt with in this chapter are briefly given below. ...Listen to the full recording of the epilogue today!

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