தேர்வுக்கு தயாரா....

சென்னை, ஸ்ரீராமகிருஷ்ண மடம் வெளியீடான, 'மாணவனே... உன்னை உலகம் கவனிக்க...' நூலிலிருந்து:

தேர்வுக்கு முன் பதற்றம், மறந்து போகுமோ என்ற பயம் வருவதை தவிர்ப்பது எப்படி?
தேர்வு, 10:00 மணிக்கு எனில், குறைந்தது, ஒரு மணி நேரத்திற்கு முன், 9:00 மணிக்கே படிப்பதை நிறுத்தி, மனதை டென்ஷன் இன்றி, நெகிழ்ச்சியாக வைத்திருக்க வேண்டும்.
மேலும், தேர்வுக்கு முன் தளர்ச்சியின்றி படித்திருந்தால் மட்டுமே பதற்றமும், பயமும் போய், தன்னம்பிக்கை பிறக்கும்.

படிக்கும் போது பாடங்கள் எல்லாம் நினைவில் உள்ளன; ஆனால், தேர்வு அறைக்கு போனதும் எல்லாம் மறந்து விடுகிறதே...
'மக்கப்' செய்து படித்தால், மறந்து தான் போகும். பாடத்தை புரிந்து, படிக்க வேண்டும். மேலும், இந்தப் பாடம் இவ்வளவுதான் என்று மனதில் பிடிபடும் வரை, ஆழ்ந்து படிக்க வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு செய்தால், மறந்து போவது பற்றிய பயம் நீங்கும்.

பாடங்களை நன்கு படித்திருந்தும், படித்ததை தேர்வில் எழுத முடியாதது ஏன்?
தேர்வுக்கு முன், பாடங்களை பலமுறை படித்து பயிற்சி பெறுகின்றனர் மாணவர்கள். ஆனால், தேர்வுக்காக எத்தனை முறை, எழுதி பயிற்சி பெறுகின்றனர்! அதனால், பாடங்களை படிப்பதுடன் மட்டுமல்லாமல் எழுதி பார்ப்பதால், தேர்வில் பயம் நீங்கி, தைரியமாக எழுதி, நல்ல மதிப்பெண் பெறலாம்!

தேர்வு முடிவுகளை கண்டு அஞ்சி, சில மாணவர்கள் தற்கொலைக்கு துணிந்து விடுகின்றனரே...
தேர்வுக்கு முன் சுறுசுறுப்பாக இருப்பவன், தேர்வுக்கு பின் பரபரப்பாக இருக்க மாட்டான்.
தேர்வுக்கு முன், நேரம், கவனம் மற்றும் படிப்பில் இருக்க வேண்டிய ஆர்வத்தை, 'கொலை' செய்பவர்கள் தான், தேர்வுக்கு பின், மனசாட்சியின் உறுத்தலை பொறுக்க முடியாமல், 'தற்கொலை' செய்து கொள்ள முனைகின்றனர்!

படித்ததை எழுதி பார்க்குமாறு பெற்றோர் கூறுகின்றனர். ஆனால், அப்படி செய்வதால், நேரம் வீணாகுவதாக எண்ணுகிறேன். இது சரியா?
தான் உணர்ந்து, அறிந்த சில அனுபவ பாடங்களை உன்னுடன் பகிர்ந்து கொள்கின்றனர் பெற்றோர். இது, தவறில்லை.
நல்ல ஆலோசனைகளையும், கருத்துகளையும், வரவேற்க கற்று கொள்ளுங்கள். ஏனெனில், அவற்றில் சிறந்த ஒன்று, அரசனாக முடி சூட்டப்படும் என்ற ஒரு கூற்று உண்டு.
பெற்றோர் கூறுவதை, திறந்த மனதுடன் கடைப்பிடியுங்கள். அதில் பலன் தெரிந்தால், அதைப் பின்பற்றுங்கள் அல்லது உங்கள் ஞாபக சக்தியிலும், கிரகிக்கும் திறனிலும் உங்களுக்கு தன்னம்பிக்கை இருந்தால், உங்கள் வழியையே பின்பற்றுங்கள்!

ஒன்றை படிக்கும் போது, படித்து முடிக்காத பிற பாடங்கள் நினைவுக்கு வருவதை எப்படி தவிர்க்கலாம்?
இதற்கு, மனதிலுள்ள குழப்பங்களே காரணம். ஆழமாக படிக்காமல், அரைகுறையாக படிப்பதாலேயே இந்த சிரமம் வருகிறது.
ஒரு பாடத்தை எடுத்தால், 10 அல்லது 15 நிமிடங்களே இருந்தாலும், அதை மட்டுமே படிப்பது என தீர்மானித்து படிக்க வேண்டும். மேலும், அதைப்பற்றி குறிப்பு எடுத்து வைத்த பின்னரே, அடுத்த பாடத்திற்கு போக வேண்டும்.
எதை செய்தாலும், அதை முழு கவனத்துடன் செய்வேன் என முடிவெடுத்தால், இந்த பிரச்னை தீரும்.

கவனம் சிதறாதிருக்க வழிகள்?
முதலில், நம் கவனத்தை சிதைப்பவற்றை பட்டியலிட வேண்டும்; உதாரணம்: 'டிவி' மற்றும் சினிமா பார்த்து, அதைப் பற்றியே எண்ணுவது...
* அதிக நேரம் மொபைல் போன் உபயோகிப்பது.
* ஊர் சுற்ற நினைப்பது.
* விளையாட்டில் யாரோ, எப்போதோ செய்த சாதனைகளை தானே செய்தது போல் பேசுவது.
இவற்றை தவிர்த்து, உன் வளர்ச்சியைப் பற்றி சிந்தித்து, சாதித்தே தீருவேன் என்று உறுதியெடுத்து, படிப்பதில் கவனத்தை செலுத்த வேண்டும்.
மனதை தொந்தரவு செய்யாதபடி நல்லவற்றை மட்டும் சிந்தித்தால், கவனம் சிதறாது.

மனம் குழம்பும் போது படிக்க முடிவதில்லையே... என்ன செய்வது?
குழப்பத்தில் படிக்க முடியவில்லை என்பது உண்மை அல்ல; ஆர்வத்துடன் படிக்காததே குழப்பத்திற்கு காரணம்.
ஆர்வமின்மை + இலக்கின்மை = குழப்பம்.
ஊக்கம் + உழைப்பு = குழப்பம் கடந்த தெளிவு.

படிக்க இடையூறு ஏற்பட்டால் என்ன செய்வது?
எந்த மாதிரியான இடையூறு என்பதை கவனிக்க வேண்டும். தானாக வந்த இடையூறா, நீங்களே வரவழைத்து கொண்ட இடையூறா, உங்கள் கவனக் குறைவால் வந்த இடையூறா?
படிப்பதற்கு வேண்டிய சரியான மனநிலையையும், ஆர்வத்தையும் உன்னிடம் வைத்து கொள்ளாத காரணத்தால் வந்த இடையூறா என்பதை கவனித்து, இடையூறை களைய வேண்டும்.
இடையூறு கண்டு சோர்ந்து விடாமல், உங்களது விடா முயற்சியால் வெற்றி கொள்ளுங்கள்!

மொபைல் மற்றும் இணையதளம் போன்றவற்றில் மாணவர்கள் அதிக கவனம் செலுத்துவதால், படிப்பில் கவனம் சிதறுகிறது. இதை மாற்ற என்ன வழி?
எந்த அறிவியல் வசதியுமே, அதை நாம் எப்படி, எதற்காக பயன்படுத்துகிறோம் என்பதை பொறுத்தே நம் வெற்றி அமைகிறது.
இணையதளத்தின் உதவியால் படிப்பிற்கான பல புது விஷயங்களை கற்கலாம்.
புத்திசாலிக்கு வறுமை கூட, நல்ல வாழ்வுக்கு அஸ்திவாரம் அமைத்து தரும். முட்டாளுக்கு, முதல்வர் பதவி கிடைத்தாலும், ஏதோ ஒரு வகையில் பிச்சைக்காரராகவே இருப்பார்.

என்னால் ஒரு மணி நேரத்திற்கு மேல் தொடர்ச்சியாக படிக்க முடியவில்லை; இதிலிருந்து மீள்வது எப்படி?
சிலரால் எதையும் தொடர்ச்சியாக செய்ய முடியாததற்கு பல காரணங்கள் உண்டு. குடும்ப சூழ்நிலை, உங்களை சுற்றி உள்ளவர்கள் நடந்து கொள்ளும் விதம், உங்கள் உடல் மற்றும் மன நிலை இவற்றாலும் தொடர்ச்சியாக படிக்க முடியாமல் போகலாம். அதனால், உங்கள் மனதிற்கு அன்புக் கட்டளையிடுங்கள்...
'அருமை மனமே... நான், நன்கு படிக்க உன் ஒத்துழைப்பு மிக முக்கியம். அங்குமிங்கும் அலைந்து என் மனோ சக்தியை வீணடிக்காதே. நான் இப்போது படிக்க போவது, நிச்சயமாக என் வாழ்க்கை தரத்தை மேம்படுத்தும்.
'அதற்கு, மனமே நீ ஆர்வத்துடன் படிப்பில் ஈடுபட்டால் தான் என் ஆசை பூர்த்தியாகும்...' என வேண்டுங்கள்.
இப்பழக்கம், உங்களை பக்குவப்படுத்தும். திடமான சங்கல்பம் செய்து கொண்டால், ஒரு மணி நேரம் என்ன, பல மணி நேரம் கூட தொடர்ந்து படிக்க முடியும்.

காலையில் படிக்க துவங்கியதும் வரும் தூக்கத்தை தடுக்க என்ன வழி?
பத்து நிமிடம் தூங்கி எழுந்து, பின் படிக்கலாம். ஒரு சிறு, 'டெக்னிக்' கூறுகிறேன்...
காலையில் பல் தேய்க்கும் போது, விரலால் நாக்கை நன்றாக தேய்த்து வழித்தெடுத்து, அடிவயிற்றிலிருந்து சத்தம் எழுப்புங்கள். இது போல், இரண்டு, மூன்று முறை செய்தால், ஓரளவிற்கு தூக்கம் குறையும்.

அதிகாலையில் படிப்பது நல்லதா, இரவில் படிப்பது நல்லதா?
ஒவ்வொருவருக்கும், ஒவ்வொரு நேரம், சக்தி மிக்க நேரமாக இருக்கும். அந்த நேரத்தில் அவர்களது மனம் இயல்பாகவே அமைதியாக இருக்கும்.
அப்போது படித்தால் மனதில் பதியும். அப்படிப்பட்ட நேரம், உங்களுக்கு காலையில் உள்ளதா அல்லது இரவில் உள்ளதா என, நீங்களே கவனித்து பார்த்து, அந்நேரத்தில் படியுங்கள். ஆனால், எப்போது படித்தாலும், ஆர்வத்துடன் படியுங்கள். ஆர்வம், கவனத்தை தரும். இரண்டும் உங்களுக்கு வெற்றியை தரும்.

தனியாக படிக்கலாமா அல்லது நண்பர்களுடன் கூட்டு சேர்ந்து படித்தால் நல்லதா?
உன்னிடம் கேட்டு தெரிந்து கொள்ள, பல செய்திகள் உள்ளன; உன்னிடம் பேசினாலே அவர்களால் ஊக்கத்துடன் படிக்க முடியும் என, உன் நண்பர்கள் நினைக்குமளவிற்கு நீங்கள் வளர வேண்டும்.
அந்நிலையை அடைவதற்கு முதலில் நீங்கள் தனியாக படியுங்கள். படித்ததை நினைவில் வைத்து கொள்வதில் திடமாக விளங்குங்கள்.
அதன்பின், புரிந்து கொண்டதை, நண்பர்களுக்கு எடுத்து சொல்லி உதவுங்கள்!

இரைந்து வாய்விட்டு படிப்பது நல்லதா அல்லது மனதுக்குள் படிப்பது நல்லதா?
இறைவனது நாமத்தை (பெயரை) ஓதி ஜபம் செய்பவர்கள், வாயாலும் உச்சரிக்கின்றனர்; உதடுகளை அசைத்தும் சொல்கின்றனர்; மவுனமாக மனதாலும் ஜபிக்கின்றனர். இவற்றுள், மூன்றாவதே அதிக பலனை தரும். மற்ற இரண்டும் சற்று குறைவான பலனை தரும் என்கிறது சாஸ்திரம். இந்த விதி படிப்பிற்கும் பொருந்தும்.
இரைந்து படிப்பது பிறருக்கு தொந்தரவாக இருக்கலாம்; மனதுக்குள் ஆழ்ந்து படித்தால் பிறருக்கு தொந்தரவாக இருக்காது. அதோடு, படிப்பதும் நன்கு புரியும்.

தூய்மை, பொறுமை, விடாமுயற்சி இவையே வெற்றிக்கு இன்றியமையாத மூன்று!

— விவேகானந்தர்.

How to realise God – Baba’s Advise to Nana Chandorkar

How to realise God – Baba's Advise to Nana Chandorkar

 

Narayana Chandorkar, the son of Govinda was a pious man. He had taken birth in the family of Chandorkars. He was blessed by the grace of Sri Sai Baba and like Hari pant was meticulous in performing his religious duties. He conducted himself morally, following his dharma. Bere, Lakshman, Maruti and other devotees were also present there. How can I describe that magnificent scene? All were seated in the Masjid looking at Baba to their hearts content, as a child lovingly gazes at his mother when they meet, after she had been gone for a long time. They were deeply immersed in happiness and lost all count of time. Nanasaheb Chandorkar then joined his hands in supplication and said, "Baba, you are not giving us a reply no matter how many times we ask you. Why are you annoyed with us? You are verily the almighty. If you are angry with us where else can we find shelter in this universe?"

 

Baba smiled, "I am never angry with anyone. You are all my children. On whom should I show my anger? I never feel anger against any one. I am as you are in front of the almighty Venkusa. Why indeed should anyone be annoyed and show anger towards anyone else?"

 

Baba continued, "Keep remembering what I have told you before and pay careful heed to what I am going to reveal to you now. Nana, if you have embedded what I have told you earlier carefully in your heart, you would have understood the greatness of the four-fold sadhana. The person who is diligent in the practice of the four-fold sadhana will realize the Brahman easily. Sadhana is the efforts one makes towards one's salvation and towards achieving the ever pure knowledge of self. Sadhana is of four kinds.

 

The first is the wise discrimination of the permanent and the impermanent nature of things.

 

The second is dispassion.

 

The third is the six practices of Shama- mental restraint.

1. Dama- the control of the body and the senses.

2. Titiksha- forbearance, bearing all with equality.

3. Uparati- withdrawal or abstaining from the sense objects.

4. Shraddha- faith in one's guru and Vedanta.

5. Samadhana - concentration of the mind on scriptural or other elevating truths.

 

The fourth is mumukshu, the quality of the active quest for knowledge. This is a complicated thing to learn, so listen to me carefully."

 

"Let me tell you first about the discriminate wisdom of permanence and impermanence. The firming up of the belief that Brahman is the permanent truth and the world is an impermanent lie, until it is a rocklike like foundation of all thought is the discriminate wisdom of permanence and impermanence. Many try to talk about this discrimination and the knowledge of permanence and impermanence and make an exhibition of their foolish ignorance. Many go in groups to Pandharpur begging for alms on the way. Not one of these has come to know the Brahman.

 

Who is Brahman? What does he look like? Where does he stay? Who knows these things?"

 

"Those who go in groups to Pandharpur merely to boast to the others that they too had performed the pilgrimage are not the true devotees. Some read many books on spirituality. They give instruction to the others about morals and the right conduct, but they themselves are not pure. As long as one's heart is impure, what is the use of books or of teaching? They are like the frogs in the lake of knowledge, who instead of drinking deeply of the nectar of knowledge flowing from the lotus which is Brahman; eat instead greedily the mud of barren arguments lying on the bed of the lake."

 

"Those who speak criticizing others will stay on in the mud. They will not gain wisdom. Those who indulge in barren arguments and those who always criticize others will not gain the knowledge of the Brahman. He who has no desires for either the worldly or the spiritual is the man of true dispassion. Nana! Know this to be the truth."

 

"Nana! Shama, dama, titiksha, uparati, sraddha and samadhana are the six sadhanas. Shama is to possess mental restraint towards sensory objects. Dama is to forcibly restrain the body and the senses from seeking sensory enjoyment. Titiksha is forbearance. It is to bear with equanimity all that is happening one as a result of prarabhda karma. Uparati is the withdrawal of the senses so that one does not fall into the maya of considering woman, gold, children, relatives and friends as true. Sraddha is the faith and devotion to one's guru. Now I will tell about the last Samadhana. Listen to me carefully."

 

"To look at happiness or misery with an equal eye with the heart bearing steady is samadhana. The one who has the strong desire for moksha in his heart, and disregarding everything else; searches sincerely for the path to achieve the knowledge of the Brahman is a mumukshu. I have described the qualities of a mumukshu earlier. Moksha is not Kailash, the abode of Shiva or Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu. Moksha is a very difficult thing to achieve. The path to moksha has many obstacles and pitfalls. Nana! Pay close attention. To conjoin with the pure consciousness which is the basis and the foundation of this universe is moksha. To reach that everlasting stage is the object of human endeavour (purushartha). All else is a waste."

 

"Nana heard the able one with joy. He joined his hands in supplication and asked, "Baba, what is pure consciousness? What are its characteristics? Where does one find it?"

 

"Baba replied patiently, "What is the basis for this universe; what is existing in all living and non living creation and is still left over; what is the life force which is the foundation of the universe is the pure consciousness. In what the universe again merges at the end of it, all is pure consciousness. What is visible to our eye in the entire universe is that Brahman. The pure consciousness shines without interruption in all in the form of, "I am ", "I am". This is a constant experience of all living beings. You asked me where the pure consciousness is. You tell me where it is not. You may search everywhere in this universe and out side it; you will never find a place where it is not. Everything is pure consciousness. It has no name and no form. As the air is beyond shape or form or colour or other attributes so is pure consciousness. That is pure consciousness or Brahman. Never forget this truth. The saints who have realized themselves are always in the direct experience of the Brahman. The various animal life, plant life and humanity are all its forms. The seer, the seen, the look, the knowledge, the energy - pure consciousness is the basis or the foundation for all this. It is omnipresent. It is pure bliss. It is the true knowledge. The form of that pure consciousness is Brahman."

 

"Nana was still not clear in his mind. He joined his hands in supplication and said, "Baba, Oh complete and able Sadguru! You say that the Brahman is everywhere; you say it is pure bliss and it is one. If it is one, how is that visible to us in so many forms in this universe? You say that the pure consciousness is filling everything in the animate and inanimate world. And you say that its form is pure bliss. Why then is there so much misery in this world? I am not able to understand this. How can one born blind in both eyes appreciate beauty? In the same way, how can pure consciousness which is the truth abide in this world which is an illusion? If you say that the soul is the pure consciousness, how are there so many souls when the consciousness is one? Each soul has its own experience of pleasure and pain; happiness and misery. How can you say that a single pure consciousness abides in all and everywhere? The soul abiding in each body is different from the others. How can you say that the pure consciousness is the soul? I believe that they are different. Please clear my doubt."

 

"Baba patiently replied, "Oh Nana, you are making a mistake here. Still your mind in concentration and peacefully listen do what I say. Take some pots of water and mix white, black, yellow, green, red, pink, green and magenta colours in the water. They all look different from each other. But the water is the same in all pots. The water seems red in the red pot and yellow in the yellow pot. If the mixed colours are removed somehow from the water, the same water remains. In the same way, the soul is one. The hearts are many. It is only when the soul and the heart are joined in one place that the happiness or sadness is experienced. Know this well, Nana."

 

"The Atman has no difference or division. It is the same everywhere. This is the truth. Happiness or sadness is the dharma relating to the heart. The heart gets the consciousness only when it is conjoined with the soul. Let me explain this in more detail so that you can understand it easily. This consciousness shines in the beings in the form of paramardhaka, vyavaharika and pratibhasika depending on the progression and spiritual maturity of the beings. Oh Narayana, even though the body is one it has the various forms of youth, maturity and old age. It is the same case with the consciousness."

 

"The paramardhaka consciousness may be seen only in the saints. Those who model their conduct as enjoined by the sastras and know what is to be retained and what discarded and progress towards salvation are the vyvaharikas. Those who believe the untruth to be the truth and whose intellect is steeped in ignorance are the pratibhasika. You should know that the pratibhasika are the ignorant, the vyvaharika are the wise and the paramardhaka are saints. Even so, the same Atman shines in all. The king, his officer, and his emissary are all part of the same kingdom. The basis and the foundation of their power is the constitution of that country. Even then, there are differences amongst them. One rides in state on the elephant and sits on the throne. He moves about as he fancies. All the people follow the constitution. It is the duty of every one to follow it without demur. The king, his officialdom, the servants, and the people are all different but they all follow the same constitution. The king may die but the constitution lives on. The successor to the king obtains his power from that. That constitution is not a thing to be purchased or sold commercially but all weal is available because of it. By which constitution the king sits on throne, by the same constitution the servants serve him and look after his every comfort. The king gets the greatest benefit from it; his officialdom gets lesser benefit, his servants even less benefit and the common people the least benefit. In the same manner he who has realized and experienced that his soul and the Brahman are one; gets the Brahman in its full form." Nana heard what Baba said. He was still perplexed. He asked, "Baba how does the constitution which is one for all change to so many forms to benefit people in different ways? By such division does not its unity get disturbed?" Well asked Nana," said Baba, "The constitution is a unified whole. It is indivisible.

 

But it looks as if it is divided and applied differently to different individuals. The same applies to pure consciousness too. Pure consciousness is not divisible but the individual obtains only what he grasps. Let us take the example of pots of various sizes filled with water. The same sky one sees in the mighty river is seen in the pots too. The pot may be big or small; the sky reflected in the water contained in the pots or the river is the same. In the river one sees the biggest reflection of the sky. The sky in each pot seems smaller or larger depending on the size of the pot. Has the sky been divided? In the same way is the case with pure consciousness. This world is an illusion (maya). Brahman and maya have joined together to create this world."

 

Nana then asked, "How has this maya originated? Who originated it? When did it arrive and from where? You said that pure consciousness is the basis and foundation of this world. You also said that the entire universe is nothing but pure consciousness. Whence sprang this maya?"

 

Baba, that kindness incarnate patiently replied to Nana. "I will let you know whence this maya came. Listen to me with concentrated attention, Oh son of Govinda. The energy contained in pure consciousness is maya. Maya encloses pure consciousness. As how one cannot separate sugar and its sweetness, as one cannot separate the sun and its light; in the same way are the maya and the Brahman. The sun and the sunlight are two different words. But it is only by a conjoining of the both that the form of the sun visible to us. We distinguish and identify the sun by its form, the heat and the light it radiates. In the same way is maya and Brahman. But there is an end to maya and there is no end to pure consciousness. Pure consciousness has no beginning too. It just is. It is by maya or prakriti or nature that this whole world has formed. The detailed explanation of purusha (Brahman) and prakriti (maya) may be seen in the book 'Amritanubhava' written by Jnanadev in the Mohiniraj temple at Niwasa village. Let me tell you its secrets in brief."

 

"Those who enter the cave of Self realisation do not revert to ignorance. They take the form of that cave and dance in the joy of infinite bliss. The reason for all this is eternal Brahman. Maya is his creation. Oh Narayana, the power of this maya is as the limitless ocean of unplumbed depths. The feeling, 'I am such and such' is formed by maya. This is an untruth. Once maya casts its net of deception on us, we cannot know and recognise either the truth or untruth. Maya has two principal qualities. Know you what they are! What is visible and true is hidden by maya. What is not visible and is untrue is shown by maya.

 

All people are mesmerised by maya and are victims of illusion. A servant gets a dream that he has become a king. By this dream maya has shut out his true state of servant hood. In addition even if he was not the king, he fell in to the illusion of believing himself to be the king by the power of maya in the dream. In this manner, maya hides the true Brahman and shows the world which is illusory. In truth, this world is not. It is only the universal consciousness which fills all. But due to maya we are able to see only this world. All things visible to us in this world are mere illusion but we are deluded in to thinking that they are true by the power of maya. If we succeed in removing the covering of maya by discriminate knowledge, we will be able to see and realise the Brahman. You will then realise that you are the world. When the pollutants are removed from the water one gets pure water. In the same, way when the maya is removed pure consciousness is visible. Oh Narayana, you think of, pray for and seek the truth. Atman is the truth. I tell this to all. To recognise, realise the atman and to be immersed in it is the sole objective of all spiritual endeavour."

 

All those who heard these words of true wisdom from the holy lips of that repository of all  knowledge, Sri Sai Baba; prostrated at his feet in gratitude. Vaidya, Sathe, Chandorkar, Nimonkar, Bere, Nana, Maruti, Lakshman, Nulkar and other devotees were present there. Baba looked at all of them with love shining from his eyes. He said, "Keep this instruction safe in your heart. Let it be ever alive to lead you on the right path." They all assented eagerly and clasped his feet again and again in gratitude. When the sun of knowledge rises, can the darkness of ignorance remain? Oh my master, Sri Sai Baba, please put me in your lap. Please give a small place for this child of yours in the shade of the great tree of your grace.

 

This 'Sant Kathamrit' is the rain of true knowledge which has rained down on all of us from that great cloud - Sri Sai Baba. All this is dedicated to his service.

 

(SRI SAIGURUCHARITRA - by devotee Ganpatrao Dattatreya Sahasra-buddhebetter known as Das Ganu Maharaj)

 

Experiences of the Tarkhad Family with Shirdi Sai Baba 8 of 22 – Power of Namasmaran which Saved from the Jaws of Deat

Experiences of the Tarkhad Family with Shirdi Sai Baba   8 of 22 –

Power of Namasmaran which Saved from the Jaws of Death

 

Author: Virendra Jyotindra Tarkhad

 

Facing Death in a Cloudburst in Shirdi

Dear Sai Devotee readers, I presume that you must have paid a visit to Shirdi at least once. There is a vast difference between the present Shirdi and the Shirdi of yesteryears when my father used to visit. During that time when you enter Shirdi from Kopergaon end there was a rivulet, which you were required to cross to enter Shirdi village. Most of the times of the year the rivulet was dried up, only during monsoon season one would find it actively flowing. Currently one would find a small bridge over it on the main road. In those days villagers use to perform their morning duties on the banks of this rivulet. As such there were lot of shrubs and the place was appropriate before the sunrise, as there was hardly any traffic on the road. Those were the rainy days when my father was in Shirdi. He was in the habit of getting up early and after performing morning duties he would attend the Kakad Aarati. On that eventful day he got up early and proceeded to the bank of the rivulet to perform his morning duties. It was drizzling so he carried an umbrella and torch with him. During his course of morning duty he heard someone shouting from the other bank of the rivulet. Initially he ignored the shouts. He tried to locate the person but due to darkness he could not see anyone. Soon he realized that the person was shouting and asking to run away from the bank. He was shouting in Marathi and saying that" LONDHA ALARE ALA PALA." My father did not understand the meaning of LONDHA. (A torrent) as such his education was in English medium and it was difficult for him to understand the colloquial Marathi. However he could sense that the person was warning everybody to run away from the place. He hurriedly finished his morning duty and stood up and lighted the torch to find out what was going around. Soon he realized that a huge column of black colored water 15 to 20 feet in height coming towards him. There was a cloudburst, which had taken place during the night at a far away place resulting into sudden floods in the rivulet. He realized that his end was near and he shouted saying "BABA MELO MALA WACHAVA". (Baba I am dying and please save me.) He closed his eyes and just stood still in that place, all the time chanting Baba's name. After some time he realized that he had not been swept away and he was still alive. He opened his eyes and what he saw was believable. The column of water was divided into two parts and pushing past him without touching him. He was standing still in that gushing water. He was scared to death and the entire time chanting Baba's name (NAMASMARAN). After some time the water level receded and when it was down to knee level the water touched his body. Now he was in knee deep water. He could see around him branches of trees, shrubs; cattle etc were passing through the floodwaters. He thanked Baba then and there as he realized that only Baba could have saved him from that sure death situation. He then slowly walked back through those knee-deep waters. He came to their place of stay and took bath. Needless to mention that he had missed Kakad Aarati that morning. He informed his mother what he had undergone that morning. She advised him that as Baba had pulled him out of the jaws of death, he should immediately go and thank him for saving his life. He immediately paced up to Dwarkamai and as he was climbing the steps with Pooja material in his hand Baba talked to him in raised voice, "Hey Bhau today early morning why were you shouting for my help and are you afraid of death?" My father fell at his feet and told Baba that he knows everything and an ordinary man like him is bound to get scared with the sight of sure death in front of him. Baba then lifted him by holding him from his shoulders and said "Hey Bhau get up. I bring you to Shirdi not for dying. Please remember you will not die like this so easily, as you have to perform lot of constructive work in future."