The Gurusthan – Baba Decided to Live There
Listeners! Pay attention to the Ambrosia of the story of Sri Sai Baba! Pay close heed for your weal.
Sri Sai Baba had thus stayed under the Neem tree for some time. Later Nanasaheb Dengale prayed to him to stay in the Masjid. Baba acceded to his request and started living in the Masjid from then on.
Once when Baba was living under the Neem tree, a remarkable thing happened. Some devotees were sitting in front of him with their hands joined in respect. Sri Sai Baba said, "There is a samadhi here. Harm will accrue to those who dig it out. Let no one dig here ever."
One amongst those who was seated there said, "Baba, this is the burial ground of Muslims. There will be many samadhis here. What is so surprising about it? "Another said, "This is not the burial ground of the Muslims. That is a little far off." Another said, "No, even this place is a part of the burial ground. In the past there may have been some samadhis here too. Recently when this place was dug one grave was found here." In this manner, the people these started arguing with each other. Sri Sai Baba stopped them from arguing with each other and said, "Let us leave arguments and discussions to those interested in the study of logic and philosophy. Nothing accrues from argument. Arguments have no place in the pure path of devotion. Fire and water mixed and as a result this earth was created. A part of the almighty became the life. All the living beings in the world come from the earth. That earth again becomes earth on joining the earth. It could be here or there; the soil of every place must have had the body of some man or animal, which must have formed it after their death. In this way one may say that this vast earth itself is a burial ground. Remember this truth."
In the past, Kabir the great mahatma left his body on the banks of the holy Ganga. At that time the Hindus and Moslems had great differences of opinion about his burial. Each claimed that great mahatma as their own and began to fight for the honour of burying him in accordance with their own faiths. Kabir thought of an idea to solve this impasse. He made his body change into basil leaves, Jasmine flowers and the leaves of the millet. The wit of the mahatmas devoted to the almighty is such that they can satisfy everyone.
The Hindus took away the basil leaves that they consider sacred, for burial as a representation of Kabir's body in a procession. The Moslems took the millet and jasmine away in a procession for burial. This has been elaborated in the books "Bhakti Mala" and 'Bhakta Vijayam' written by Mahipati. It may be the will of the almighty that the last rites, which were not done properly or completely in that incarnation, should be done properly in this incarnation. What a great mahatma was Kabir who had the same reverence for Sri Rama Chandra, Allah-I-llahi and Parvardhigar.
The Hindus who had taken the basil leaves as representative of Kabir's body, took them in a procession and in accordance with the Hindu sastras mixed them in the water of the holy Ganga. We see even today this practice being continued. It is not the custom to build a samadhi for one whose body has been immersed in the Ganga. This is why we do not see a samadhi for Kabir on the banks of the Ganga.
The Jasmine flowers and millet leaves taken by the Moslems were taken all over the country and samadhi's were built for Kabir in those places keeping the leaves and flowers in them. In the days of Kabir the whole country was covered by Moslem states both big and small. The Nawabs were governing the country from Hastinapur. That Hastinapur is the present day Delhi. At that time, a Moslem of these parts had gone to Delhi on some work. On his return, he went to Varanasi on some other work. At the time he reached Kasi the dispute about the last rites of Kabir was raging between Hindus and Moslems. He too joined with the Muslims and took one millet leaf as a prasad of Kabir. He brought it here and built a samadhi for Kabir. Do not doubt what I say, "The one who looked upon Hindus and Muslims with an equal eye - the incomparable Kabirdas is my Guru. I know very well what happened at that time. That is why I have decided to live near this samadhi. It is beyond my capacity to describe the extents of the divine power of this samadhi. Who so ever cleans this place on Thursdays and Fridays and applies fragrant incense will be blessed by the almighty," said Baba!
The many incidents, which happened after this, have been described in "Bhakta Leelamrit" in 31st, 32nd and the 33rd chapters. So I am not repeating them here. I will tell you of some of the incidents, which happened later in a concise form, because the history of Sri Sai Baba is, like the vast ocean. I am unable to see its far shore. Can an insect such as I cross the vast mountain of Sai Charitra?
(SRI SAIGURUCHARITRA - by devotee Ganpatrao Dattatreya Sahasra-buddhebetter known as Das Ganu Maharaj)
