Month: February 2020

By the grace of God, Sai has a melodious voice and has mastered both the harmonium and the tabla. Earlier, amongst all the saints of Darbar Sahib Halani, only Baba Dhyandas Sahib and Baba Madhavdas Sahib used to play the harmonium. By His melodious rendering of shabads and   kirtan, Sai promotes the message of Naam to His disciples. Sai’s disciples often tell Him that His magnetic charm has pulled all of them towards Him.

When Baba Gobinddas Sahib had left for heavenly abode, Swami Shanti Prakash was abroad. After returning, he came to pay his respects to Sai Sadhuram Sahib. Swamiji suggested to Sai Sadhuram Sahib, that since He had recently graced the Gaddi, it was necessary for Him to visit all the disciples, so that they are aware that now Sai are the present Guru. To this, Sai replied, “Which disciples are you talking about? There are many disciples who have carried me on their shoulders, others with whom I have played, some I have carried on my shoulders. I am in touch with disciples of three generations.” In reality, Sai Sadhuram Sahib looks after His disciples as His own children and hence He knows each and every one by their names and surnames. Whenever a descendant of any disciple visits Him after a time gap or for the first time, to their utter amazement, Sai immediately recalls the name of their father, grandfather and the entire generation. He is always connected with His disciples and says that the bond between the Guru and the disciple is eternal as if they are soul mates. Sai says, these disciples are not new, the foundation of this bond has been laid by our elders since the days of Sindh and carried down to the present generation.

Sai Sadhuram Sahib had said He did not want to preside over the gaddi, yet the disciples had always accepted Sai as their Guru.

After Baba Gobinddas Sahib, whatever money orders arrived in His name, were returned to the postman by Sai Sadhuram Sahib. The postman was surprised at this and reported to the postmaster. The postmaster came to Darbar to find out why the money orders had not been accepted. Sai explained that the money orders had come in Baba Gobinddas Sahib’s name, and now that Baba was no more, He could not accept them. The postmaster said that Sai Sadhuram Sahib had always signed and accepted them earlier. Sai agreed that he had accepted them then, but now it was not right that he should accept them in Baba’s name. Hearing this, the postmaster became emotional and tears rolled up in his eyes.

As a mark of respect to the elders and a custom, Sai did not leave Ajmer for a year after Baba Gobinddas Sahib left for heavenly abode. Nevertheless all the other Darbar activities, satsangs, etc. continued in the same manner as before from morning to night.

When Baba Gobinddas Sahib merged as one with the Lord, Sai Sadhuram Sahib, inspite of His young age and the great trauma and grief, undertook all His responsibilities and carried out His duties with utmost sincerity. While leaving for Haridwar, there were hundreds of devotees who joined them from Ajmer to Haridwar. He arranged for 8-10 buses for them, personally prepared a passenger list and saw to it that each and every one was allotted a seat in the bus. He made arrangements for food, water and all other necessities for the disciples, to avoid any inconvenience to them. Sai also made arrangements for devotees who directly came from Mumbai, Rajkot, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Jaipur.

On the return journey Sai’s car met with an accident, and coincidently at the same time Dada Shyamdas breathed his last in the bus in which he was travelling. Baba Saroopdas Sahib had told Baba Gobinddas Sahib that He should always keep Dada Shyamdas by His side. So whenever Baba Gobinddas Sahib went out anywhere, He would always take Dada Shyamdas along with Him. Till the end, Baba Gobinddas Sahib always abided by the vachan of Baba Saroopdas Sahib. When He completed His journey on this earth, He took Dada Shyamdas also with Him. It is astounding that the 13^th day ceremony of Baba Gobinddas Sahib and Dada Shyamdas was on the same day.

In May 1988, when Baba Gobinddas Sahib merged as one with the Lord, Sai Sadhuram Sahib was grief stricken and wept uncontrollably like a small child. He was inconsolable. Sai said, “As for you all – Baba Sai was your Guru, but for me – he was my world, my mother, my father, and above all my Guru. Baba Gobinddas Sahib has fostered, sheltered, protected and reared me since childhood. I have lost everything”.

The next day, before leaving for Haridwar for the last rites, when everyone assembled in Darbar, there, a disciple Shri Ramesh Bhambhani announced that Baba Gobinddas Sahib had declared in Mumbai in 1978, at the silver jubilee celebrations of His gracing the Gaddi, that His successor would be Bhai Sadhuram, who at that time was only 27 years of age. Baba Gobinddas Sahib must have seen such great ability in Sai Sadhuram Sahib that He made this declaration which was readily accepted by everyone. So Shri Ramesh Bhambhani on behalf of all disciples humbly requested Sai Sadhuram Sahib to accept and grace the Gaddi. Hearing this Sai was overwhelmed, He took the mike in His hands and said, “At this moment, I feel very lonely, as not only my Guru but my everything has been lost. Please forgive me, I feel I am not fully prepared to undertake this responsibility, I need at least 10 years more.” At this time Sai Sadhuram Sahib was only 37 years old.