1Now I bow down to the saints and the virtuous. Their merciful glances immediately burn mountains of sins and wash away the impurities of the Kaliyug.
2Their heaps of obligations cannot be repaid in this birth, or in many future births. Their casual talks are full of valuable lessons for our welfare and confer imperishable happiness.
3Their minds do not know any difference such as ‘this is ours and that is yours’. Such worldly differentiation never arises in their minds.
4In the previous chapter, the Guru’s greatness was described to some extent. Now, in this chapter, listeners hear of the importance of UDI.
5Baba repeatedly asked and took Dakshina from which he did charity, helping the poor and the needy. From the balance, he purchased a lot of firewood which he piled in heaps.
6He offered the dry wood as an oblation in the Dhuni, in front of him. The ashes from the burnt wood which were considerable, were distributed to the devotees.
7At the time of departure from Shirdi, while seeking leave from Baba, it was customary to give Udi. All the devotees knew this.
8In fact when Baba asked for Udi to be brought, it was felt that it was really the permission granted to leave and they felt happy to return home.
9Also, when one was residing at Shirdi, Baba did not give Udi to anyone in the afternoon, morning or evening. One was sent back empty handed.
10This was a daily routine. But what was the significance of that udi for which the dhuni was kept alight perpetually in the Masjid. Why was this done daily?
11What did Baba hint at, or have in his mind, when giving the ‘vibhuti’? "All this visible phenomena in the universe is as transient as the ashes. Bear this definitely in mind.
12The body itself, like that drywood, is made up of the five elements, and remains to endure life. When the life span is over, it falls dead and will be certainly reduced to ashes.
13You and I will undergo the same stages. So that you should remember this and I should also be aware of it, day and night, I give the vibhuti.
14The entire universe is full of Maya. Brahman is the only reality, while the universe is illusory. Bear this in mind that this is what the udi teaches.
15No person belongs to anyone in this world – be they wife, son, uncles or nephews. Naked you come and naked you will return. The udi is a reminder of it".
16If this udi is applied to the body, then physical and mental sufferings are cured. But the true significance of the udi is deep and it is meant for discriminatory detachment.
17Giving as much as possible as ‘dakshina’ develops a tendency towards detachment. Later on one is able gradually to know what detachment is.
18Even if one acquires detachment, if it is not accompanied by discretion, it is useless. Therefore, honour the vibhuti.
19To bring together discrimination and detachment both udi and dakshina are linked. Unless we have both, at the same time, it is very difficult to cross over the river of existence.
20The young and the old came for darshan and humbled themselves at Baba’s feet. Whenever they returned Baba gave them vibhuti.
21The Dhuni was kept alight regularly in the Masjid. It burned day in and day out, throughout the year. Baba gave a handful of the ashes from it, when bidding farewell.
22He gave the ashes as ‘prasad’, smeared it with his thumb on the forehead and together with it placed his hand on the head, wishing for the well-being of the devotees.
23Ashes, vibhuti and udi are three words with the same meaning. This was the prasad distributed daily in unlimited quantity by Baba.
24This world is like the udi. This is the real importance of udi. Bear it in mind and you will realise it one day.
25Like the drops of water on the petals of the lotus, this evanescent body will fall, therefore abandon all pride in it. The giving of udi showed this.
26This expanse of the whole universe is like a ‘rangoli’ design drawn with ashes. Think about the illusory nature of the world and the reality abides only in the Udi.
27Udi is only dust. All existence, which has name and form, ultimately reaches the same state. Whatever changes are observed in the world, they are only for name’s sake. This is experienced from the never-changing qualities of dust.
28When Baba was in a joyful mood, he used to sing. The listeners should hear with respect an interesting snatch from one of his songs.
29“O playful Ram has come! And brought sacks of Udi”, were the two lines he sang. Whenever he was in a happy and joyous mood, he sang this refrain repeatedly, in a melodious voice.
30In brief, how many sackfuls of udi has this dhuni produced? None is capable of counting them. This udi is supremely beneficial.
31After listening to the deep purport in giving this udi, and its spiritual and devotional significance, the listeners want to know its effect on purely worldly matters of health and prosperity.
32Udi has this quality also. Otherwise how could its importance increase? Sai is proficient in showing the path of salvation. After helping the devotees in mundane matters, he leads them to spiritual progress.
33There are innumerable stories about the ways in which the udi benefited the people for their health and prosperity. But mindful of the length of this book, I shall briefly relate just a few of them.
34Once there lived in Nashik, a Brahmin cook called Narayan Motiram, whose surname was Jani.
35Similarly, there was another devotee of Baba called Ramchandra Vaman Modak. This Narayanrao was in his service; and was also a faithful devotee of Baba.
36When Baba was in body, Narayanrao went to Shirdi with his mother for Baba’s darshan.
37At that time Baba had suggested to her that the time had come for her son to cease serving others. "Now his connection is only with me.
38Enough of this servility. It is better to have one’s own business". Later on, after a short while, God was merciful to him.
39His dependence on his job ended and he began to enjoy his freedom. He established a boarding and lodging place of his own.
40He named it ‘Anandashram’, worked hard for it, and soon turned it into a flourishing business which gave him satisfaction.
41Seeing how things transpired, his faith in Sai increased and later grew into firm devotion which was confirmed by experience.
42The truth of Sai’s words was experienced. The listeners got another story to hear, and their love for Sai increased. Inexplicable are the deeds of Sai.
43Sai always spoke in the first person but it was always meant for someone else. For those who observed him carefully, this was a regular experience.
44Later, as he got more experiences, the grandeur of Narayanrao’s devotion and love increased. Listen to one more novel experience of his with devotion.
45Enough. One day, a friend of Narayanrao was stung by a scorpion, all of a sudden and suffered intense and unbearable pain.
46Baba’s udi was very efficacious, if applied on the seat of pain. But though Narayanrao searched for it, he was unable to find any.
47His friend was unable to bear the agony and the Udi could not be found anywhere. So he took a darshan of Baba’s picture and prayed fervently to Baba.
48Then just near that picture, the ash from the joss-sticks, which had been burned earlier before it, was lying and he treated it as if it were udi only.
49Taking a pinch from it, and chanting Sai’s name, he smeared it where his friend was stung. The experience matched the faith.
50It will be a great marvel to hear that no sooner was the ash applied with the finger that the pain disappeared, as quickly as it had come, and both were choked with love[^1].
51At least in this case it was the ash from the joss-sticks, which was applied to one who was in pain. But, even if dust from the road is applied, treating it as if it were udi, it grants the same experience.
52The application of this dust, not only to an ailing person or someone diseased, but to anyone else is beneficial.
53Once, the daughter of a devotee was suffering from plague. When this news reached her father suddenly, from another village, he was worried.
54The father lived in Bandra, while the daughter lived in another village. He had no stock of udi with him, so he sent a message to Nana[^2].
55“Kindly pray to Baba to remove my anxiety”, he requested Chandorkar and asked him to send udi as prasad.
56The messenger met Nana on the way, as he was going to Kalyan with his wife, at that time.
57Nana received this message at Thane, near the railway station. Since he found no udi with him, he picked up a little dust from the ground.
58Standing there on the road, invoking Sai Samartha, and turning around[^3] applied a pinch to his own wife’s forehead.
59On the other hand, the devotee left for the village where his daughter lived. There he was very happy when he received the joyful tidings.
60The girl had suffered from very high fever for three days. She had been shattered by the suffering; but since a day earlier, she was a little comfortable.
61Inquiries revealed that the recovery began at the same time that Nana had pleaded before Sai and applied the dust as udi to his wife’s forehead.
62Enough of this story about the illness. At the opportune time, it will be related in detail. This was an anecdote concerning the udi.
63Sai, ever ready to work for the welfare of his devotees, performed a miracle when this very same, loving Chandorkar was the Mamlatdar at Jamner. Listen to it.
64The greatness of this udi is beyond limits. If the listeners are willing, I shall narrate another miracle which will astound them.
65Nana’s daughter, who was in labour, was in intense pain; and from Jamner Sai Samartha was being invoked constantly.
66No one at Shirdi was aware of the state of affairs at Jamner. Baba, however, knows everything and is all-pervading. There is nothing in the universe that he is unaware of.
67Baba was one with his devotees. Realising the circumstances at Nana’s home Sai Samartha’s heart overflowed with compassion. See what he did immediately!
68He thought of sending udi. At the same time Gosavi Ramgir Buva had an urge to go to his village.
69His village was in Khandesh. He made all preparations to leave and came to the Masjid to take darshan and be at Baba’s feet.
70For no one left Shirdi for any work without touching Baba’s feet and obtaining his permission, as long as he was in body.
71Whether it was a wedding, or a thread ceremony, or some auspicious function as per shastric rituals, or any other work or the intention to perform some work, Baba’s permission was necessary.
72Everyone was firmly convinced that without his whole-hearted permission, prasad of udi and blessings, no function would proceed smoothly.
73This being the custom of that village, Ramgir came in accordance with it, touched Baba’s feet and asked permission to leave.
74He said: “Baba, I am going to my village in Khandesh. Give me udi and blessings and your permission to this servant to leave”.
75Baba affectionately called him by the name ‘Bapugir’. He replied: "Go happily to your village. But rest a while on the way.
76Go first to Jamner and stay at Nana’s home. After inquiring about his well-being, then proceed further".
77Then he said to Madhavrao Desphande: “Shama, make a copy on a piece of paper of that Arati of Adkar and send it to Nana with the Gosavi”.
78Then he gave udi to the gosavi and made a small packet of it and placing it in his hand asked him to give it to Nana.
79“Take both the udi and Arati and give them to Nana. Inquire after his well-being, and then proceed to go to your village,” he said.
80This ‘Arati Saibaba’, is like ‘Dñyaneshwar’s Arati’ composed by Rama Janardan. They both have the same tune.
81Rama Janardan was a devotee of Swami Janardan, while Madhav Adkar was devoted to Sai’s feet. This was an inspired composition and without it, Sai’s worship is incomplete.
82As Baba liked this Arati very much, listeners should hear this arati from beginning to end, which Baba sent with the udi. Later, you will realise the fruits of it.