Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center Inc., Twin Cities
Minnesota, USA
Volume 2 Issue 1
January 2004


Contents
Bayaja Bai Patil

Sharing Devotees experiences

Sai Sandesh

Quotation of the month

Did You know?

About Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center

Sai Sandesh

Sai Sandesh is a Monthly Newsletter dedicated to the Life and message of Saibaba of Shirdi. Please send your contributions to hamaresai@yahoo.com. If you want to receive this newsletter please click here. Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, Twin Cities, MN is not responsible for the opinions expressed by the individual contributors.

About Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center.

Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, Inc., Twin Cities, MN is registered as a Non-profit corporation in the state of Minnesota. The organization is funded by the voluntary contributions of Sai devotees. The Prayer Center is currently located at 725 NE Lake St. Apt. 139, Hopkins, MN, where regular Sai Satsangs are conducted and occasions of importance to Saibaba of Shirdi are celebrated. In addition to the Prayer Center activities, the organization is also involved with community service including "Meals on Wheels" and "Adopt a Family" programs. Please visit the Prayer Center and participate in its activities. Please write to hamaresai@yahoo.com for more details.

Activities

Adopt a Family

Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center thanks the following volunteers for participating in the “Adopt a Family” program during the holidays season. An amount of $540.00 was donated towards buying gift items for needy children and families in the Twin Cities.

Kiran
Narasimha Reddy
Narahari
Ravi Kiran Koduru
Ravin
Satya Bajjuri
Sai Sukruta Chelluri
Sham
Sunitha
Sreehari
Vandana Soma
Veena, Nagaraj & Vijay Bhaskar
Venkat Reddy


Fortnightly Satsanghs

Shirdi Saibaba Prayer center conducts fortnightly satsanghs from 5pm onwards and the program includes Abhishek to Baba, Dhoop Arti, Bhajan/Kirtans, Naam Jap, Shej Arti and Maha Prasad. The next 3 satsanghs are scheduled on January 3, 17 and 31st.

These Satsanghs are sponsored by devotees. If you want to sign-up for sponsorship, please send a email to hamaresai@yahoo.com with subject as "Satsangh Sponsorship".

1st Anniversary – Thank You

Dear Sai Bandhus,

With Baba's grace, and devotees support, Sai Sandesh completed 1 year of publication. We would like to thank all of the contributors and the readers for your support. From this issue we would like to publish about some of the devotees who have served and celebrated our beloved Saint God incarnate, Sai Baba.

Monthly Feature - Sai Baba's Devotees

(In this section we will read about one of the devotees who served and benefited from Sai Baba.)

Bayaja Bai Patil

The moment Baba saw Bayaja Bai, he said, "She has been my sister for the last seven births". Right from the time she met Baba as a young lad sitting under the neem tree, the parental feelings were aroused for Baba as if He was her son. Mrs. Bayaja Patil showered love and cared for young Baba who abruptly would rush to the cactus jungle, an unknown old isolated place. Bayaja Bai, used to go to the woods every noon with a basket on her head containing bread and vegetables. She roamed in the jungles koss (about 3 miles) after koss, trampling over bushes and shrubs in search of the mad Fakir, and after hunting Him out, fell at His feet. The Fakir sat calm and motionless in meditation, while she placed a leaf before Him, spread the eatables, bread, vegetables etc. thereon and fed Him forcibly. She give Him bread (Bhakari) and salty smash of chana dal (Jhunka) and onion and chilly, simple food items which Baba cherished most. Baba also used to pay a visit to Patil's house to have lunch (bhojan) of His choice.

Later Saibaba used to go for bhiksha (begging food) to selected houses. One such place was Bayaja Bai's place. Baba used to stand outside the gate and say loudly "Abade Ajaad Bayaja mami, Roti lao" (God bless you Mother Bayaja, please give bread). Then Bayaja Bai used to invite him into the house but Baba sat in the veranda only. Tatya used to play with Baba against the wish of his mother. Baba never felt for the child like behaviour of Tatya. Bayaja Bai is remembered for her service to Sai with or without knowing his divinity.

When Bayaja Bai, became physically weak due to old age and was not in a condition even to get up from bed, Baba ordered Tatya to remain at the bedside of his mother and do service to her. Now and then He would send Tatya's close associates like Shama also to be with Tatya. Bayaja Bai was nearing her end. She wanted to see Baba once. Immediately, Baba appeared near her head. His appearance at this last moment gave her divine bliss. Some unexplained joy came to her. She felt that her Atman was happily going towards heaven. Perhaps, this feeling was due to the complete divine darshan Baba gave her. She wanted to say something but words did not come out of her. She took her son Tatya's hand and put it on Baba's hand. Having understood her thoughts, Baba assured her that he would look after Tatya from that moment more than his life. She knew that his words were God's words. After hearing those words from Baba, her Atman left her body and merged in the universe.

When Bayaja expired Baba lamented over her demise. So was the unthinkable tie of love between Bayaja Bai and her family, and Baba the love incarnate.

Wonderful was her faith and service. Her service, Upasana or Penance, by whatever name we call it, was never forgotten by Baba till his Maha Samadhi. Remembering fully what service she rendered, Baba benefited her son magnificently. Both the son and the mother had great faith in the Fakir, Who was their God. Baba often said to them that "Fakiri (Mendicancy) was the real Lordship as it was everlasting, and the so called Lordship (riches) was transient".

The present generation of Patil family, still observe meticulously and very religiously the ritual of giving offerings of Thali (Naivedya) containing the above mentioned food items to Baba at Dwarakamayi.

Devotees Experiences
Another Sweet Leela of Sai on “Sharing Devotees experiences”

 Satya Bajjuri, Plymouth, MN
I bow to the Lotus Feet of Samartha Sadguru Sri Sainath maharaj. This happened on Oct 14, 2003, the day I documented my experiences to publish for Sai Sandesh, [“About the necessity of guru - Vol. 1 Issue xx] in the office @ 5pm. As I drove home at 6pm, listening to MPR [I have the habit of listening to MPR on Radio during the evening rides], heard the following (around 6:50pm).

That week MPR was raising Funds for their next year and all announcers were asking for Funds. The announcer was talking about himself and MPR. As he started talking, my inner feeling said clearly that “you will get a message now so please hear with attention”. And the announcer started saying he was trained by MPR - and he was trained that “Don’t the present the stories like every other person (here the meaning is another radio channel) does, but present the story in a Interesting, Delightful, attractive way but do it fair and honest!”.

See the beautiful leela of Sai here, I wrote about my experiences that evening. And later in the same day I got the message from Sai, telling me to write it attractively with full devotion. Isn’t this enough proof to say that “Sai is always watching at us”? Observe the sweet leela here, I am listening to MPR every day but this kind of inner feeling never occurred to me. And on this day I am listening from last 50 minutes and just before this announcer was started making above statement, Sai’s Invisible form told me clearly that this message is for you. What a wonderful experience!

It’s needless to say that The devotees who are acquainted with Sai Satcharita and Devotees experiences, they know that Sai will send the messages in various mystic ways and only that devotee can understand that “this message is for him”. The Sai Sandesh, I got from this leela is “Sai is encouraging all of us (thru this sharing of my experience with you all) to share our experiences”. I need to talk about some of the dilemma I initially had for few months. For a long time (5 to 6 months) I was in dilemma, I had some un-necessary questions in my mind whether to share my experiences or not? When a Sai devotee has a question, what he would do? Nevertheless to say, I turned to Sai and prayed him that I need and want a green signal from him If he wants me to share my experiences. And as I prayed I got it. How I got green signal from our beloved Sai is also another interesting leela. It is also in a chamatkari-way and I will share this leela in my future stories. Regarding the current experience one more interesting thing happened next day. This is on Oct16-2003 (2nd day after the above experience of MPR) @4:30pm, I had some free time in the office. So I opened Satcharitra on web, randomly picked and started reading 3rd chapter. And this is what I read. Sri Sai Baba’s promise: “If my leelas are written, the Avidya (nescience) will vanish and if they are attentively and devoutly listened to, the consciousness of the worldly existence will abate, and strong waves of devotion, and love will rise up and if one dives deep into My Leelas, he would get precious jewels of Knowledge”. On Oct-15 I wrote down about my experience Sai’s Leela thru MPR-announcer, the message he sent me. And the next day in the office at 4:30 pm I started to read Satcharitra 3rd chapter… I read the above Promise of Sai. I think this is also another Leela happened to me, by Sai’s blessings, where he is encouraging devotees to read and write his Leeals. That’s wonderful!

Hence, I encourage all of you to write your experiences to Sai Sandesh. Please do not hesitate to write them thinking that experience is your personal. Our beloved Guru-God wants us to read and write his leelas that he is blessing us all every day. And by sharing his leelas we are increasing our devotion towards our Sai, which is our ultimate goal. If one observes carefully “Nava-Vidha Bhakti”, the four of nine methods are “Sravanam, Smaranam, Kirtanam and Sakhyam”. Reading, sharing and remembering his Leelas are nothing but practicing above four types of prayers. We all should write so many stories of His Holiness so that it forces Sai Sandesh to be sent bi-weekly instead of monthly and then weekly. Our publishers will send it more frequently if they are poured in by many many stories and I will pray to Our Sai for the same. And before ending this story, I do the prayer to Baba. Oh Sai! our beloved God! Continue showering your blessings on all of us, continue protecting us with your loving guidance.

Shri Sadguru Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai!

Bow to Sri Sai Peace be to all.


Quotation of the Month

Know for certain, that he who feeds the hungry, really serves Me with food. Regard this as an axiomatic truth.
                        - Saibaba of Shirdi

Did you know?

Radhakrishna Mai’s real name was Sundari Bai Kshirsagar. Widowed at an early age, she sought the Saint Lord’s abode and settled in Shirdi. An ardent devotee of Lord Krishna, she used to address other as “Radhakrishna” and thus her name became Radhakrishna Mai. Baba used to address her as “ayee” or “RamaKrishnee”.


Notice - Receipts for contributions
The receipts for devotees' monetary contributions shall be mailed to the devotee address that is printed on the check. Devotees are humbly requested to make sure the correct address appears on the check. If you have moved to a new address please strike the old address and print correct address. Please retain your receipts for tax benefits under section 501(c)(3) of IRS code. All contributions that are received after December 31st, 2003 will be accounted for calendar year 2004.

Federal tax-exempt status approval received from IRS
Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center has received approval for Federal Tax exempt status. Devotees' contributions to Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center are now tax-deductible.

Om Sai! Please send your comments, suggestions, contributions in the form of features, quotations and experiences to hamaresai@yahoo.com. Please forward this to all who will be interested.