Author: Sevak

Once during the Pushkar Mela, one visitor who was quite impressed looking at the grand seva and the sevadharis, came and told Sai that next year, please write to us and call us also for this seva. Sai said, “I do not write or call anyone, they all come on their own because of their love and devotion!”
One devotee later came and asked Sai, how could this person ask you to write to him and call him for seva?
Sai, without blaming him, said, “It is not his fault as many Saints do write and call their devotees for seva this way!”

Sai says that Narad Muni always comes during the Pushkar Mela and our devotees have experienced this. Every year arrangements for free food (bhandara) are made on a large scale and no visitor goes hungry. Even tea is distributed from 4 am onwards. Food is cooked for nearly 15,000 visitors daily and for this hundreds of devotees come for seva, not only locally but from throughout the country!
During the Mela vegetables are ordered in thousands of kilos and the devotees are eveready for service. Sai himself is fully involved and keeps an eye on every activity! Many times He comes and teaches the way to cut vegetables correctly! When food is distributed to the visitors, He teaches how the serving spoon should not touch the plate used for eating. His eyes rotate everywhere, whether it is cutting, cooking, distributing, loading, storing, etc.
It is a sight to see to realise that without His divine blessing and strength, it would be impossible for about 200 devotees to make about 20,000 chappatis each day for 5 days continuously in about 7 to 8 hours! At that point of time it seems that the Lord of the Universe has Himself descended on earth here and is amidst us to guide us through this grand happening!
While passing through every department, Sai always encourages and makes everyone laugh with His unique way of narrating different incidents, thereby removing any feeling of tiredness and making everyone feel fresh and happy! The devotees too confess that not only they do not feel tired, but even if they had any pain or ailment, it vanishes by participating in this seva!

Once when Sai was traveling from Gaya to Patna, He thought that if I call for an AC car, I will have to wait and it is time for the passenger train to come. So He bought the ticket, boarded the train, got a window seat where He went and sat down. Where a regular train would have taken only 2 hours, this being a passenger one was to take 6 hours. It is certainly not easy or comfortable to travel this way. But, Sai were amused and narrated that not only the passengers around were of a very poor class, but also there were cows, bullocks and other animals traveling. People  were smoking bidis, chewing tobacco and spitting; the cows and bullocks too were excreting there itself! Sai was narrating all this with a smile and saying that He was looking all around and enjoying the whole scene! The way the sight was, it was difficult to know whether the train was moving at all!

What is surprising is that in-spite of being in such an eminent position, Sri Mahant of Darbar Sahib Halani, He sat there as one of them and enjoyed the whole journey! On being asked as to why He did not hire an Innova car and travelled comfortably, Sai humbly replied, “I love to go through these situations to know the circumstances through which a common man is passing!”

Once when Sai had to travel from Alwar to Delhi, He stopped a taxi and inquired about the fare from the driver. From what the driver answered, Sai understood that he wants to cheat Him by charging excess fare. In the meanwhile, Sai happened to see a ST bus coming in His direction. Quietly He boarded the bus and sat down. On reaching Delhi, He was asked as to why He travelled by bus, as He could have taken another taxi and come comfortably.
Sai said, “When I can travel in Rs 50, why should I spend Rs 800 for the same. Also, by traveling this way, I get to know the experiences of so many other people with whom I am traveling!”
Magnanimity amidst humility!!!

After Dadi passed away in May 2003, the rooms upstairs in new block were completely demolished and new were constructed. On insistence of some devotees, Sai reconstructed His room too, with new A.C. and attached bathroom. But, soon Sai had to shift to a room downstairs, due an injury in His leg.
For this room too, the devotees again pointed out that the A.C. is old, room and the bed are small, making it difficult to even turn on it, the TV too is old, papers and clothes are are also lying out. Really speaking, you should be having the best of facilities. As He is, a complete picture of simplicity and humility, He smiled and said, agreed the bed is small, so I get up to change my side and so mattress too remains straight, the A.C. is old but is working fine, in fact I feel cold if it is on full, if the room is small, cleaning it is easier and as all the papers, laptop etc are out, it is easier for me to locate and pick it up. The moment I lie down, I go off to sleep!
When requested to repair the bathroom, which is very small, He replied that the municipal authorities have said, they will be putting a new pipeline shortly, so once that is done, I shall get all the bathrooms repaired, why unnecessarily spend so much now on my bathroom! He agreed that since many years nothing has been changed in the bathroom, but it is well maintained. After bathing, I put the towel down to keep it dry.
He does not approve of any wastage or unnecessary spending. He says, I may spend any amount on the right thing, but will do it in limits and without wastage.
This is how our Sai is, very simple, humble, not willing to spend anything for His comforts or luxury! What status, but what simplicity!

Whenever there are gatherings or camps etc, paper plates are used for meals for the devotees. On such occasions when meals are served to Sai in a steel or any other plate, He keeps it aside and prefers to eat in a paper plate only. He says, “I too am like others, I will eat in this paper plate only!”
He mixes with devotees in such a way, picking up used plates of others, etc along with them, that it becomes difficult to distinguish as to who is the Saint and who the devotee!
Our Sai is a true picture of simplicity, humility and affection!

“DANA PANI GHANEYI
KOI KHAVANWALA CHAHIYE”
Sai says resources are plenty in Darbar, we need people who can come and eat!
The third Guru, Guru Amardas Sahib used to empty the vessels of food and water everyday, by distributing or flowing away the remaining water as He had faith that the Lord will provide the same next day!
With the same faith and devotion, Sai too does the same in the current times! Whatever food remains, Sai always gets it distributed and finishes off the same. He says, “The Lord will provide the same tomorrow!”
This is His certainty and firm faith in the Lord! Continue reading “How to have faith”

At Darbar Sahib, Ajmer, Sai always eats at the end, after all devotees have eaten. On asking as to why He eats at the end, especially because everywhere else the Saint eats first and then the devotees, Sai replies, “The head of the family should always eat at the end, as then he will come to know whether there is anything that got burnt at the bottom of the vessel while cooking!”
He also says that children always eat first, then the parents eat!
What status and what humility!

Sai always talks with a lot of delight to all the devotees while they are eating bhandara in Darbar Sahib and also teaches us many things in a subtle way. He calls out all devotees by their names, asking them to come and eat.
He feels very happy while all are eating and asks them excitedly as to whether the food is tasty? All devotees have one answer, they all tell Him, “Sai, there is some magic here which makes the food so tasty. However hard we may try, it is never as tasty in our homes!”
Sai smilingly replies, “I am no magician. Here the devotees who cook, those who distribute and who eat, all do it with so much affection and dedication, that the food turns out so tasty! Here in our Darbar, 18 hours out of 24 in a day, there is Kirtan going on, then how will there not be the divine nectar in it!”

It is a well known fact that only devotees of Darbar Sahib Halani are allowed to stay in Darbar. Once a couple from Ulhasnagar who were not devotees, visited Darbar Sahib, Ajmer, with the intention of staying. Sai asked them to stay at the Dharamshala or the Hotel located nereby. They looked around and asked Sai that there seem to be other people staying here. Sai told them that here only Darbar Sahib’s devotees are allowed to stay. They further asked the meaning of devotees. Sai answered them by asking, “What is the meaning of son? Same is the meaning of a devotee!”
This shows how Sai takes care of all of us as His children and looks after us as a father!
Whenever the topic of devotees comes up, He always says that we are a big family. When someone once asked as to what He planned to build on the newly acquired plot, He replied, our family has now expanded, it has become big, we need a bigger place for meeting and for bhandara!
Due to such affection and closeness from Sai, all devotees too stay in harmony and oneness!