Month: March 2020

Once Sai was staying at a devotee’s house. They had taken utmost care and had spread a beautiful embroidered bedcover for Sai. But He was unable to sleep on such a fancy sheet, so without disturbing anyone, He quietly removed a white dhoti from His bag – spread it on the bed and slept. Next day when the hosts went to the room, they were astonished on seeing the changed bedcover and apologized to Sai asking for pardon if there was any mistake on their part. To that Sai said, you did your best, but I am used to sleeping on a simple white sheet. This reflects Sai’s large heartedness towards His devotees!

Sai blesses people irrespective of their status & profession. Sai gives an example of a professional gambler, who goes to Ajmer for Sai’s Darshan once in every 2-3 years. He tells Sai that although I am not able to visit you regularly, but you are present always in my thoughts. His faith is firm & believes that he always wins because of Sai’s blessings. 

Sai is very compassionate & understanding and always protects His devotees. If one goes to Sai with a complaint against someone, He usually does not encourage loose talks. But He explains the situation without any prejudice and diffuses a volatile argument. In some cases, where Sai is aware of the issue, He  says that and adds that it was done under His instructions.  

During Satsang, if the musician plays an off keynote, instead of correcting him, Sai  Himself matches the tune to the altered taal. 

If someone is unable to reach on time for any work, Sai never lets him down and says that maybe he was held up, hence he was late. When any spelling mistake is pointed out of the Vachans written on the Darbar Sahib Board, Sai says that one should look at the effort that has gone in the writing and so due respect should be shown. Sai has so much love and respect for His devotees that He never speaks ill of them, nor does He encourage any negative talk.

Sai Sadhuram Sahib is a personification of simplicity. Inspite of being Sri Mahant of Darbar Sahib Halani, He wears very simple clothes throughout the day.  Sometimes while working, when His clothes get soiled or sometimes the hem gets torn, and the disciples point this out and request Him to change, Sai smiling asks them, “Why, don’t you like me this way? Am I not looking good?” Until and unless someone forces Him to change, He is content with His own simplicity. There are times when Sai is seen sitting on the floor in the bhandara, happily eating His food. 

Sai carries the adulation and love of His devotees on His shoulders with utmost care. Like for example, once a devotee saw Sai resting on the floor with just a bedsheet.  Another instance is when once He had come to Sion Darbar, what unfolded was truly touching. Sai had retired in His room for the night, the room though small, had an air-conditioner but no windows. Since Sai had a bad throat, sleeping in a closed room was making Him uncomfortable. He quietly got up, took His pillow and went up to the Darbar which was on the first floor. He opened the windows, switched off the night light which was on and slept on the carpet peacefully. Next morning when the devotees could not find Sai in His room, they started looking for him. They found Sai’s footwear near the staircase, and also saw Sai coming down from there. Seeing the devotees confused, Sai told them why He had gone upstairs to sleep. On hearing this, the devotees asked Sai, why He had not woken anyone of them. To which Sai said, He did not want to disturb anyone, besides He was in His own house and could sleep anywhere. Had He been somewhere else, He would have hesitated but here He was a king of His own house.

One more incident that depicts Sai’s simplicity. Due to health reasons, Sai were not allowed to eat chillies in His food. But when He was travelling and food without chillies was not available, Sai would just eat a chapatti with a banana or a chapatti and an apple. Even if this was not available, He would be perfectly happy having tea and chapatti.

On the auspicious days of Vaisakhi and Diwali, Baba Gobinddas Sahib would grace the Gaddi and shower blessings on all the disciples. 

On the first Diwali, after Baba Gobinddas Sahib left for heavenly abode in 1988, the Darbar was filled with devotees. Ramesh Bhambhani who was present there, told some of the devotees sitting around him that it is a tradition since the Sindh days, that if the Guru does not sit on the Gaddi, the devotees request the Guru to grace the Gaddi. Accordingly, they should jointly request Sai to grace the Gaddi. Sai, who is ever so vigilant, immediately understood what was to unfold, so He firmly announced that all devotees should continue with the kirtan, and nobody should get up. Hearing this, nobody got up from their place.

In fond memory and the irreparable loss of His Guru, Sai recited this shabad from Gurbani on the harmonium, “Antar Gur Aaradhana – Jihva Jap Gur Nao”. When Sai concluded the bhajan, there was a divine radiance on His face and His eyes were tear filled.