1Obeisance at your feet, Guruvara, who have given happiness to the whole world, accomplished the welfare of the devotees and have removed the three-fold afflictions of those who have resorted to your feet.
2Protector of the humble and the weak, the Supremely Generous, Uplifter of the devotees who have surrendered, you have manifested in the world to oblige the people.
3Hail, hail to you, destroyer of duality; hail, hail to you, adored one of the devotees; hail, hail to you, the remover of the fear of existence. Hail, Gururaya, Cloud of Mercy.
4What good fortune has borne fruit by which I have seen these feet with my own eyes! And enjoyed the bliss of association! Those days are gone, never to return.
5The liquid essence of Pure Self was poured into the mould of Brahman and out of this has emerged the form of the crest jewel of the saints – Sai.
6Sai is himself Atmaram. He is the abode of perfect divine bliss. Having himself attained all objects of life, he makes his devotees desireless.
7He who is the supporter of all religions and the devourer, with Brahmanic and martial lustre, of death. This is his characteristic in brief.
8He who breaks the ties of previous birth and death, snapping them angrily, to him I, the dull-witted and the ignorant, bow with eight-fold prostrations.
9In the last chapter, with great delight, I depicted Sainath’s Chavadi. Now in this chapter, listen to the description of the cooking and vessel. It will give unalloyed happiness.
10A suckling child is only interested in feeding, but does not know what to have. Whether it should be given milk or a light morsel – that is the responsibility that the mother takes.
11Similarly is my mother Sai. He puts the pen in my hand and gets the book written without any efforts on my part, for the delight of his devotees.
12In the Shastras, for the different epochs different, means are prescribed for attaining nirvana. Penance for the Krita Yuga, Knowledge for the Treta Yuga, Sacrifice for the Dwapara Yuga and Charity for the Kali Yuga.
13Performance of charity and righteous action is always important. Pacifying hunger is the best of all. Therefore, giving food in charity should be done regularly. It takes precedence over all other actions.
14When it becomes noon, we suffer from the pangs of hunger. Just as we feel, so do others. One who understands this inner feeling is virtuous.
15According to the code of conduct laid down by the shastras, giving food in charity has the first place. When considered, there is nothing greater than that.
16Food is Parabrahma. From food all beings are born; by food lives are sustained and having departed, into food again they enter.
17When an uninvited guest arrives at any odd time, a householder should make the guest happy with food. Those who send them back hungry invite trouble to themselves.
18Giving charity of money, property, clothes etc. requires some discrimination; but in the matter of food, no such consideration is necessary. Whoever comes at any time to the door, it is not good to disrespect him.
19Such is the greatness of giving food in charity that there is evidence of it in the Shrutis also. Therefore, Baba too offered food to the people behaving as per long established tradition.
20Giving money or doing any other charity is imperfect without giving food in charity, as is the constellation of stars without the moon or a necklace without its pendant. Would they look beautiful?
21Just as “Varan”[1] is the best among the six flavours[2], giving of food in charity is the most meritorious. A spire without a pinnacle does not seem befitting, nor does a lake without lotuses;
22nor bhajan without devotion, nor a married lady without the kumkum mark on her forehead, nor singing without a sweet voice which is tedious, nor buttermilk without salt which is tasteless.
23When offering food, the diseased, the weak, the blind, the crippled and the poor should be served first – the relations and other people afterwards.
24Now, so that the listeners get a general idea of Baba’s cooking vessel I am making an effort to satisfy those who are curious.
25In the courtyard of the Masjid, he arranged a big hearth on the top of which a huge vessel was placed, with proper measure of water.
26Sometimes he cooked sweet rice and sometimes ‘pilaf’ with mutton. Sometimes he prepared wheat flour dumplings and cooked them in ‘varan’.
27Sometimes he made wheat ‘rogda’[3] or rolled out wheat ‘panga’[4] and put them in the ‘varan’ that was being cooked, together with the dumplings, very gently.
28After grinding the spices on a stone slab, he made everything ready for cooking. After preparing the “muga vadi”[5] with his own hands, he slowly put them into the cooking vessel.
29With the hope of getting a place in heavens, animals are sacrificed as an offering for the ‘yagna’. Even the brahmins eat the meat after offering[6], as the shastras accept this ritual killing.
30Similarly, Baba invited the Mulla[7] to recite Quranic verses before killing the goat in keeping with the religious custom.
31There were two kinds of cooking vessels – one big and one small. Using one or the other, he would cook for those who needed the food.
32The small vessel held enough food for fifty persons; the bigger one was large enough to feed hundred persons and have some food left over.
33For all the requirements, Baba went personally to the grocer and had him draw up the accounts. He paid immediately in cash. There was no question of credit.
34Salt, chillies, cumin seeds, pepper corns, vegetables, coconut, copra – Baba bought all these personally, after carefully deciding upon the items.
35Sitting in the Masjid, and setting up the grinding-stone with his own hands, Baba would grind there the wheat, the pulses and the millet.
36Baba did all the main labour for the cooking. Untiringly he did all this. Even the grinding of the spices was done by him, with love.
37Baba would re-arrange the fire-wood in the hearth, on and oft, as needed to make the flames high or low.
38After soaking the pulses (dal), he would grind them himself on the grinding stone; then mix asafoetida, cumin seeds, coriander and make the dish well spiced and palatable.
39After well-kneading the wheat dough, coiling it to an adequate length, he would make balls – then roll them out and make several flat unleavened breads.
40He also used to make ‘Ambil’ in the cooking vessel, by adding adequate quantity of water to millet four and mixing it with buttermilk, and then cooking it.
41That ‘ambil’ was also served by Baba to all, with his own hands, along with the food, with great love at that time.
42After satisfying himself that the food was properly cooked, the vessel would be taken off the fire and brought into the Masjid and kept there.
43After getting the Maulvi to say ‘fateha’ over the food, with proper rituals, the prasad would be sent to Mhalsapati and Tatya, at first.
44Then all the remaining food would be distributed by Baba with his own hands to the poor and the weak, till they had their fill and felt contented himself.
45All those who needed the food savoured it with eagerness till they had their fill. Moreover, Baba urged them to eat more by saying “Take, take”, with love.
46How great was the merit of those who received this food to their hearts’ content, which was served by Baba himself! How fortunate they were!
47Here, it would be natural to have a doubt whether Baba distributed non-vegetarian food to all the devotees without hesitation.
48It will take no time to clarify this doubt. He distributed this food only to those who were regular meat eaters.
49Those who were not accustomed to it in this life were not even allowed to touch it. He never attempted it. He attempted to offer meat only to those who had an earnest craving to get ‘prasad’.
50When a Guru gives anything as prasad, the disciple who thinks and doubts whether it is acceptable or otherwise, goes to perdition.
51In order to see how far any disciple had imbibed this principle, Baba proposed tests with humour.
52In this context, as I write I am reminded of an anecdote which the listeners should hear with attention. It will be beneficial to them.
53On one Ekadashi day, Baba said to Dada Kelkar: “Will you bring some mutton for me from Korhala?”
54For that, Sai took out some moneys and gave them to Dada, counting them. “Go yourself”, he ordered. “You should yourself do this”.
55His name was Ganesh Damodar and his surname was Kelkar. People knowing him to be elderly, all called him ‘Dada’.
56He was the father-in-law of Hari Vinayak Sathe. He had immense love for Sai. Being a Brahmin he performed the religious duties of a brahmin with reverence and was endowed with good thoughts and had good conduct.
57Though he served the Guru, day and night, he was not satisfied. Why did he not experience the strangeness of this command?
58He whose body is sound and has the strength of previous habits, such a person’s mind is never fickle and intellect is steady at the feet of the Guru.
59He knew that offering money, grain and clothes is not the only ‘dakshina’ but implicit obedience to the Guru’s orders is the real ‘dakshina’ that pleases the Guru most.
60He has real faith, who offers his whole being, and ultimately attains the Guru’s Grace.
61Obeying the order, he quickly changed his clothes and set out to go to village, when he was called back.
62“Oh! You can send someone to make this purchase”, Baba said. “You need not take the unnecessary trouble of coming and going yourself”.
63So Dada asked Pandu, the servant, to get the meat. Hear what Baba said to Dada, at that time.
64When Pandu was about to leave and had started on the way, Baba said: “Let it be for today. Ask him to come back”.
65Be it so. On another occasion, Baba had an intense desire to cook. So he put the large cooking vessel on the hearth and filled it with mutton.
66He washed the rice and added it to a measured quantity of water. After adding the fire-wood in the hearth, Baba sat there blowing on the fire to make it burn brighter.
67The whole village owed obedience to him and anyone would have loved to tend the fire but without Baba’s order no one dared to do that.
68For that matter, it was only necessary to give the order and the food would have been cooked and brought! Everyone was ever anxious to serve him but Sai was not interested.
69It is not correct to say ‘he was not interested’. He who desires to cook, why would he trouble others to give food in charity to strangers?
70For his own sustenance, he asked for alms and roamed from door to door for it asking for just a quarter piece of ‘bhakri’.
71But when he himself was desirous of giving food in charity, he was not satisfied till he took the trouble himself and did not depend on anyone else.
72Baba paid cash and himself brought enough flour, wheat, rice and pulses to feed a hundred persons.
73Taking the scuttle in his hand, he would go to the grocer’s shop and people learnt from him how to do an honest transaction.
74He would pick up the items in his hand and fixed the price after bargaining. No one could deceive him nor pride himself that he had done so.
75He eventually paid twice the amount asked for and in cash; but while bargaining, he would not accede to one paise more than the price.
76He had great desire to do the work himself and he did not like any one else doing it. He did not expect any one’s help and did not wish to trouble others.
77This is one principle that Baba kept before him all the time. Therefore, for the work of cooking, he asked for no one’s help.
78It was not only for cooking. In the room adjacent to the ‘Dhuni’ where the fire-wood was stacked, three fourths of the wall on the eastern side was built by Baba with his own hands.
79He mixed the mud with water, then taking the trowel in his hand, Baba would lay the bricks one upon the other to build the wall.
80What else did Baba not do! He smeared the cow dung in the Masjid himself; he sewed the ‘kafni’ and the ‘langot’ himself. He had no expectations of any one else.
81When the steam came out of the cooking vessel and the contents of the cauldron was fiercely boiling, Baba rolled up his sleeve and pushing his arm inside churned the whole mass from side to side and up and down.
82Seeing the vessel bubbling, and in need of stirring, Baba would show this incredible ‘leela’ at such a time.
83Imagine the hand of flesh and blood and that boiling hot vessel – but there was not a mark of scalding or burning on his hand or any expression of fear on his face!
84How could that hand, whose touch to the foreheads of the devotees removed their three-fold calamities, be troubled by the fire? Would it not know its greatness?
85He would spread the soaked ‘dal’ on the grinding stone, would clean it himself, taking the miller in his hand grind it and then make ‘Moong Vadis’ from it.
86Then he would slowly slip them into the vessel and stirred them to prevent sticking at the bottom of the pot. When cooked he would take it off the fire and distributed the ‘prasad’ to all.
87The listeners would question how the prasad could be distributed to all when Sai Baba was a Muslim. How could he make the people eat food cooked by him, which would be defiling (for the Hindus) as per their code of behaviour?
88There is only one answer to this question. Sai was always attentive to the matters relating to conformity or non-conformity to religious matters.
89Sai never insisted that all the dishes prepared in the cooking vessel should be partaken by everybody, indiscriminately.
90But he fulfilled the desires of those who wished voluntarily to have that prasad, in good faith. He never practised any fraud or deceit.
91Besides, who knew the caste? Since he stayed in a Masjid it was said that he was a Muslim. But considering his ways of behaviour none knew to what caste he belonged.
92Where lies the question of considering the caste of him who is believed to be God; and, at the dust of whose feet refuge has been taken? Their attempt to attain spirituality must be treated scornfully.
93Where lies the question of knowing the caste of him who is detached from this world and heaven too; and whose only wealth is discretion and detachment? The attempt to attain spirituality by those, who do so, must be treated scornfully.
94Where lies the question of knowing the caste of him who is beyond the dualities of Dharma and Adharma and who abides in Pure and Supreme Bliss? The attempt to attain spirituality by those who do so must be treated scornfully.
95I sing these stories about Baba’s life for my own pleasure. He who intensely desires to hear them, will find his devotion fulfilled.
96So be it. The episode of this story is incomplete. Let us go back and listen with care to what Baba said to Dada.
97“I have made pilaf (with mutton). Have you seen how it has turned out?” Dada, casually said: “Yes, yes, it is very good indeed”.
98Dada was an old and leading devotee who regularly practised the rituals of bath, prayers etc. and acted in accordance with an ethical code. He did not find this question in order.
99Baba then said to Dada: "You have never seen it with your eyes, nor have you tasted it! How can you then say it is good?
100Oh! Take off the lid of the cooking vessel and feel it with your own hand." Then, taking his hand himself, he thrust it into the pot.
101Moreover, he said: “Take out your hand. Take a ladle and serve it in a platter. Do not care for your orthodoxy. Do not unnecessarily bluster”.
102The thought that a saint would make a disciple polluted is itself strange, at the outset! The saints are always overflowing with mercy. They know how to behave.
103When a wave of real love arises, even a mother pinches her child with her own hand; then when the child begins to cry she hugs him close to her bosom.
104One who liked to eat what was forbidden, his wish was fulfilled. While one who had control over the mind was supported by Sai to refrain from such food.
105This desire to obey the order (of the Guru) at times reached such heights that those who in their life time had never touched meat, wavered.
106The reality was that Baba never provoked any one of the devotees to tread on the wrong path.
107So be it. Until 1910 this business of the cooking went on, on and oft, with great enthusiasm.
108Thereafter, Das Ganu arrived in Bombay (city), who impressed in the hearts of all the greatness of Sai with his kirtans.
109From then onwards, Baba’s greatness came to be known to all, young and old; and countless people thence started going to Shirdi.
110Then started Baba’s puja or worship with the five prescribed items[8] and different varieties of ‘naivedya’, food and snacks in the noon and later.
111‘Varan’, rice, ‘sheera-puri’, chapatis, chutneys, salads, different kinds of ‘panchamruts’, ‘kheers’ – heaps of food descended.
112Pilgrims came in large numbers. One and all came running for ‘darshan’. They offered ‘naivedya’ at Sai’s feet; and those who were hungry were naturally satisfied.
113Baba was treated and worshipped like a king, with canopies, whisks; the ‘tal and the ghol’ reverberated; the circle of devotees increased.
114His glory spread everywhere. People sang his praises. Shirdi became a place of pilgrimage later on, very holy for the visitors.
115Because of this, the main reason for cooking was served. Such large quantities of ‘naivedya’ came that the fakirs and the paupers were satisfied to their hearts’ content and a lot of food was left over.
116Now I will narrate another story which will give you pleasure to listen – how Baba was displeased when disrespect was shown towards any deity or shrine.
117Drawing inferences, some people said that Sai was a Brahmin and some that he was a Muslim. He was beyond all castes and creeds.
118No one knew definitely when he was born or where, in what community, or who were his parents. Then, how could he be a Muslim or a Brahmin?
119If he was a Muslim, how would there be worship of fire in the Masjid, or a Tulsi Vrindavan there, or how could he have borne the ringing of bells?
120How would he have permitted the blowing of the conch, the recitation of ‘katha’ and ‘kirtan’ with instruments, the playing of ‘tal, ghol, mridang’, and the loud chanting of the Lord’s name?
121If he was a Muslim, would he allow application of sandal paste and other ritualistic worship while sitting in the Masjid and eat with others there?
122If he was a Muslim, would his ears have been pierced? Would he have renovated and repaired temples by spending his own money?
123After bath, would he have worn an expensive ‘pitamber’[9]? He never tolerated the slightest disrespect to any deities.
124I recall, while writing this, a story illustrating this aspect, which I present very humbly. Listen to it, attentively.
125See what happened once! Baba returned from the Lendi and sat in the Masjid. The devotees began arriving for darshan.
126Amongst them was the great devotee Chandorkar whom Baba loved very much. He came with Biniwale, (his brother-in-law), eager for darshan.
127After doing obeisance to Sainath, both of them sat in front of him. While they were exchanging generalities about the welfare and well-being, Baba suddenly got angry.
128Baba said : "Nana, how is it that you have forgotten? After having spent such a long time in my company, is this only what you have learnt?
129Is this the result of the time you have spent in my company? How could your judgement have strayed like this? Tell me in detail".
130Listening to this Nana became dejected. He wondered about the reason for this anger but could not recall anything. He felt sad.
131He could not remember where he had erred. He could find no reason for the anger. But unless something had happened Baba would never hurt anybody.
132Therefore, he clutched Baba’s feet and repeatedly entreated him. Finally Nana supplicated earnestly and asked “Why are you angry?”
133“Though you have been in association with me for so many years, how could you have acted thus? What happened to your senses?” Baba asked Nana.
134"When did you come to Kopergaon? What happened on the way? Where did you get down on the way? Or did you come here straight?
135Something strange happened on the way. I feel like listening to it in detail. Tell me what happened and where, be it a big or small incident".
136Hearing this Nana realised his mistake and his face fell immediately. Though he felt ashamed to speak of it, he narrated it.
137Nothing could be concealed here! Having decided this, Nana told Baba whatever had happened in detail.
138There could be no lying before Sai. Falsehood does not gain Sai’s Grace. Dishonesty leads to destruction and ultimately lies lead one to hell.
139To deceive the Guru is a very great sin, from which there is no atonement. Realising this Nana described in detail to Baba whatever had happened.
140Nana said : "We hired a tonga to come straight to Shirdi, as a result of which Biniwale missed the darshan of Lord Dutta on the banks of the Godavari.
141Biniwale is a Dutta devotee. When we came across the Dutta temple on the way, he wanted to get down to have Dutta’s darshan.
142But I was in a hurry, so I prevented him and told him that we could take the darshan on our return journey from Shirdi.
143Thus becoming hasty and thinking it would get late to come to Shirdi, I tried to avoid the matter and disregarded Dutta’s darshan.
144Later, while bathing in the Godavari, a big thorn pierced my foot any gave me a lot of trouble on the way till I could pull it out with much effort".
145Then Baba advised: "It is not good to be in such haste. Thank your stars that you had only the thorn to contend with, though you had disrespected the darshan.
146When a very venerated deity like Dutta is on the way, awaiting darshan, unfortunate is he is who has not taken the darshan! How can I help him?"
147Let us now end the story about the cooking. How pure and holy was the midday meal in the company of Sai, in the Masjid! How wonderful was Sai’s love for the devotees!
148After the noon puja and the daily arati of Baba, when the devotees were about to return, Baba gave ‘udi’ to all.
149Baba used to come and stand near the wall (edge) of the Masjid. The crowd of the devotees stood waiting in the courtyard and each one filed past bowing at his feet.
150Whoever stood in front of Baba, after having put his head at his feet, was applied ‘udi’ by Sai, on his forehead, at that time, one by one.
151“Now, all of you, young and old go to your homes to eat”. Obeying this order from Baba, wholeheartedly, the people returned.
152After Baba’s back was turned, the curtain (to the Masjid) was drawn according to custom. The rattling noise of the platters and the small bowls could then be heard. Then started the splendour of the ‘prasad’.
153Many sat in the open courtyard waiting to get the balance of the naivedya that was left over, which was made holy by the touch of Sai’s hand.
154At this end, Baba sat near the ‘nimbar’[10] with his back to it, with two rows of devotees on each side. Every one was immensely happy.
155Everyone pushed his own ‘naivedya’ in front of Sai Samartha, then he put all in one platter with his own hands, collecting it all together.
156One had to be incredibly fortunate to get even a grain of that food touched by Baba’s hand, eating which purified one from within and without. One’s life’s mission was achieved.
157‘Vades’[11] (innumerable), sanjoriya[12], puris, sometimes shikharini[13], gharge[14], feni[15], various vegetables, salads – all were mixed well by Baba.
158Thus, all this mixed food was offered to God and consecrated. Then he filled the platters high and passed to Shama and Nana (Nimonkar) to distribute.
159Then calling one by one, he would make him sit near him; and with great joy and love made him eat till he was stuffed.
160All this food was very palatable on account of the pure, savoury ghee. Chapatis, pulses would all be mixed. Baba would make this hodge-podge and served everybody.
161On eating this hodge-podge, made so lovingly, it was equivalent to heavenly bliss. Those who ate ended up licking their fingers, fully contented.
162Sometimes there were ‘mandes’[16], puranpoli, puris mixed with sugar; sometimes ‘basundi[17], sheera, sanjoriya, and gulvari’[18] – all these were distributed.
163Sometimes white fluffy rice (a variety, known as ‘ambemohar’) with ‘varan’, flavoured with fresh ghee, tasty and savoury, surrounded with a variety of vegetables.
164In addition, there were pickles, papads and raitas, different varieties of ‘bhajis[19] and bharits’[20] – sometimes there was panchamrut to which was added curds or buttermilk. Blessed were those who ate such divine food!
165How can the food be described when Sainath himself is partaking it and distributing it!? The devotees ate to their hearts’ content and even belched to show their satisfaction.
166Every mouthful was satisfying, giving pleasure and nourishment and extinguishing hunger. Such was this relishable and palatable food which was very holy and given with love.
167The Lord’s name was taken with every mouthful, and ‘ahutis’[21] were offered of this divine food. The platters never got empty as the food was served, time and again.
168Those who preferred a particular sweet dish were served it with love, and many liked mango-nectar and they were given that with love.
169Baba instructed Nanasaheb Nimonkar or Madhavrao Deshpande, everyday, to serve this food.
170They considered the distribution of the ‘naivedya’ as their regular religious work and performed the task with great love.
171The rice was the savoury ‘jiresal’,[22] looking like buds of jasmine, on which yellow ‘tuvar’ dal was served, with a rounded spoonful of ghee, to all.
172As the food was served, the atmosphere was pervaded with the delightful fragrances. Various chutneys added a zing to the food. Nothing was poorly cooked or tasteless. Everyone ate to their hearts’ content.
173That vermicelli in the platters were made of heavenly bliss and the ‘kurdiyas’[23] were made of love and devotion. Who else but those who experienced peace and joy could come to eat?
174Where God is food and He himself partakes of it and savours it, blessed are those who serve the food and blessed are those who receive it.
175The root cause of all this delight was the powerful faith at the Guru’s feet. It is not the sugar nor the jaggery that is sweet; but the total faith in the Lord that makes it heavenly.
176Such was the perpetual prosperity there with abundance of ‘kheer, sheera and kalya’ that once one sat down to eat there could be no shilly-shallying, even to a small degree.
177Though a variety of food was cooked and everyone ate to their fill, yet the meal was incomplete without rice and curds, If the rice and curds were not there, at least buttermilk was asked for.
178Once a glass of pure buttermilk was filled by Gururaya with his own hands and given to me to drink, with love. When I put it to my lips,
179and saw the pure white buttermilk, I was very contented and happy. When I put the glass to my lips, I was full of bliss.
180Already my stomach was full with the sumptuous meal and I was wondering how I could imbibe it. When I had this troublesome doubt, the first sip proved tasty.
181Seeing me hesitating thus, Baba spoke very earnestly: "Oh, drink all of it! You will not get such an opportunity again! "
182So be it, I realised the truth of this because two months later Baba’s avatar was no longer manifest, as he took ‘samadhi’.
183Now to quench the thirst for the buttermilk there is no other way than drinking the nectar of Sai’s stories – that is our only resort.
184Hemad surrenders to Sai. I will narrate whatever Sai makes me recall in the future. Listeners should remain attentive.