Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center Inc., Twin Cities
Minnesota, USA
Volume 2 Issue 3
March 2004


Contents
Abdul

Karthika Masa Abhishekams

Sadguru's Love

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 would like 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

Meals on Wheels

Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center thanks the following volunteers for participating in the “Meals on Wheels” program during January & February. For Meals on Wheels program, volunteers pick up meals from the MoW kitchen and deliver them to the elderly who are homebound. If you would like to volunteer, please send a email to us at hamaresai@yahoo.com with "Meals On Wheels" as the subject.

Volunteers

Abdul Rahiman Shaik, Woodbury
Debarati Sen, Woodbury
Ramakrishna Gandham, Woodbury
Ravin Gnanasambadam, Shoreview
Sangeeta Chopra, Shoreview
Sarada Gottipati, Woodbury
Satya Chelluri, Woodbury
Srihari Posani, Minneapolis

Sri Rama Navami / Baba's Urs -2004

Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, by Baba's grace and devotees support will be celebrating Sri Rama Navami / Baba's Urs on April 3rd at Geeta Ashram in Brooklyn Park, from 4pm. Program includes Abhishek to Baba, Astottra Namavali pooja, Dhoop & Shej Artis, Sandal Procession, Palki Utsav, Bhajans & Kirtans, Maha Prasad. More details on the program will be sent soon.

If you would like to volunteer for the event, please send a email to us at hamaresai@yahoo.com with "Event Volunteering" as the subject.

Daily Services

Please note that the Prayer center is open all days of the week. This is due to the help of the volunteer devotees. Sunday-Friday prayer center is open from 6:30pm to 9pm and on Saturdays 10:00am - 12:30pm and from 5:00pm - 9:00pm.

If you would like to volunteer for any one day's service [for a month], please send us a email at hamaresai@yahoo.com with subject 'Daily Service Signup' or you can signup the calender at the prayer center.

Fortnightly Satsangs

Shirdi Saibaba Prayer center conducts fortnightly satsangs from 5pm onwards and the program includes Abhishek to Baba, Dhoop Arti, Bhajan/Kirtans, Naam Jap, Shej Arti and Maha Prasad. The next 3 satsangs are scheduled on March 13, 27, April 10.

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

Monthly Feature - Sai Baba's Devotees

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

Abdul

Abdul was the devotee, whose Koran was his diary of Baba's words. He served Baba for 66 years [30 years before and 36 years after Baba's Maha Samadhi]. About this Hanuman of Baba, Sri B.V. Narasimha ji writes as follows:

Baba appeared in the dream of Fakir Amiruddin of Nanded, around 1890, and gave him two mangoes telling him to give the fruits to Abdul and to send Abdul to Shirdi. So he (Abdul), came in his 20th year to Baba. At that time even Nana Saheb Chandorkar had not come to Baba. Baba welcomed him to Shirdi with these words: "Mera kabla ala", that is, 'My crow has come'.

Baba directed him to devote himself entirely to His service. So his work was to feed the five perpetually burning lamps, such as those at lendi, masjid, chavadi, etc., and to keep them lighted. As for food Baba was not giving him any food. Baba himself was going out begging and Abdul begged for himself. He lived at the stable near the masjid. He was always by Baba's side rendering service. He read Koran sitting near Baba at the mosque. Baba occasionally opened the Koran and made him read or rather recite on pages at which he opened the book. He occasionally quoted pages from the Koran. Abdul went on writing down what Baba was uttering, and abdul shows a notebook in Maharatti & modi script, which contains Baba's utterances. That is his (Abdul's) Koran. Everything that fell from his lips was sacred and was enshrined in that book.

Abdul stuck on to Baba right upto the end, doing all menial and even scavenging services. After Baba passed away, he was the one Muslim in the establishment and his work was to decorate the tomb of Baba, arrange clothes and flowers on it, and receive the first prasad for his sustenance. As for his record (notebook), he had full faith that what Baba said was sufficient to guide him and every one. When anybody wanted to know about the future or about any problem and came to him, he consulted this book and the answer came out of the page opened. This proved to be effective. This is the gift of prophecy that he got by Baba's grace.

Abdul used this book not merely for reading, but also for prophecy. Abdul died in April 1954, and till then, he was in the establishment of Sai Sansthan. Abdul had great faith in Baba, and would give udhi with Baba's grace to many and help them in achieving their objectives, such as cure of diseases. As he was for 66 years either the body guard of Baba or the attendant on His tomb, he is esteemed as the Hanuman of Baba, constantly attending on the Guru, never expecting any payment or reward, but simply out of faith sticking on to his master. His was a noble example of complete and perfect devotion and active service with the fullest faith, that is, Nista, in the Guru. He had Nista and Saburi on Baba.

Baba used to give Abdul excellent advice fitting him for a yogi's life. Baba told him 'Eat very little. Do not go in for a variety of eatables. Do not sleep much'. Abdul followed this advice. He kept awake all night, and in a kneeling posture was repeating his Koran [i.e. Baba's words]. He was meditating on them. Baba said 'Have dhyan on what was read, and think Who I am'. This might have been beyond the capacity of Abdul. One night, he says, he was tired and tried to sleep, and held his palms in front of him, to rest his drowsy head. Baba then said, 'Are you trying to see the moon?'. That night when he fell asleep, he fell upon Baba and His gadi. Baba gently stroked his feet, and then he awoke. The next day when he took water in his palms and looked at it, there was a big moon in that water. It was 2 p.m. This was what Baba had spoken of.

--Source: Life of Saibaba by Sri B.V. Narasimha Swami ji.

Devotees Experiences
Karthika Masa Abhishekams

 Satya Bajjuri, Plymouth, MN

Shri Ganeshaya Namaha!
Shri SaiNathaya Namaha!

I bow to the lotus feet of Sadguru Shri Sainath Maharaj and will start writing about this Sai Leela. This is a Sai leela describing "SAI blessed me to perform Karthika abhishekams to Lord Shiva and Sai" and how He made me to do it.

In the year 2002, during October - November months, my family visited India on vacation and my trip to India was set in December. Being alone at home and as I had strong desire of doing to service to Baba in the Prayer Center, I thought to sign-up one day a week for volunteer service at Prayer Center. On Saturday I went to Prayer centre with the desire to sign-up for one-day a week for the month of November. In the meeting by the time my turn came to sign-up, only couple of days left and I picked Monday out of it to do the service. And later I realized why Baba made me to pick Monday. Karthika Masa, the Hindu month starts on the next day of Diwali festival. Karthika Masa Mondays are famous for Lord Shiva prayers and as per Hindu rituals it is a holy-month. I learnt the chanting of Rudram and other suktas and also I was organizing monthly abhishekams to Lord Siva at Hindu temple from couple of years. One of my friend Ganduri Sarma, who is ardent devotee of Shri Ganapathi Satchidananda Swami ji, asked me to organize the Abhishekam to Lord Siva in Hindu temple of Minneapolis or at any friend's homes on Mondays of Karthika Masa. I told him that I had already signed up for service in Prayer Center on Mondays and I am sorry to not be able to honor his request. Then later on the day, a thought came in my mind that why should not I do this in Prayer Center to Lord Siva and Lord Sai? That thought was put into action, every thing went smooth and we happily performed Abhishekams to Sai Shiva. Look at this His sweet Leela, Baba first made me to sign-up for service on Mondays and then made me to perform the Karthika Masa abhisekhas in Prayer Center, my favorite event at my favorite shrine. I felt something like in the Mega story, Baba asked Mega to draw a Trident and next day He blessed Mega with Sivalingam. (Here my intension is not to relate myself to those great devotees of Baba but to relate to similar incidents/stories from Satcharitra). If I had not been sign-up on Mondays in Prayer Center already I might have performed it at Hindu Temple, I wouldn't have got a thought about doing it in Prayer Center.

Next I will write about how Baba made me continue it next year [2003] also and His Blessings I received for the event.

In Satcharitra Chapter 24 we read, " By worshipping Sai Baba, we attain both the objects, worldly and spiritual, and are fixed in our true Nature, get peace and happiness. Therefore, those who want to gain their welfare, should respectfully hear Sai Baba's Leelas and stories and meditate on them. If they do this, they will easily attain the object of their life and get Bliss". Hence forth, I request you all to share your experiences with all fellow devotes thus increasing our faith and devotion in order to attain life's objects. Also, let me share the benefits I am enjoying by writing my experiences. First I spend a week in thinking which of my experiences that I want to share for the upcoming newsletter, then I spend a week in drafting my experience. Thus I am spending more time in remembering Sai leelas, itself is a biggest fruit that Sri Sai is blessing me with. Then eagerly waiting for getting newsletter and go on reviewing how can I improve in presenting the stories. I pray to our beloved Sai to bless us with increased and improved devotion towards Him. Now, please join me, let us all together say "Shri Sadguru Sainath maharaj ki Jai".

Sadguru's Love

Kiran Buddi, Shakopee

Shri Sachidananda Sadguru Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai!

My humble pranams to saibhandhus. I am sharing an experience of mine and I am ever indebted to my Deva for giving me this opportunity. It was on Thursday Feb 19th I completed the Satcharitra Parayan and I was wondering if Baba could bless me with His miracles. He indeed listened to my prayers and answered few questions I had asked Sayin maharaj. Baba was certainly not happy in few things, for which He scolded me and as any other Sai devotee as I have taken these as His blessings. But If I repeat my mistake again and again, would sayin maharaj come to me rescue? As a disciple I have to honor my Deva's dictum and no excuses what so ever. I justified my actions by comparing with a devotee R. B Purandhare's, who loved Baba very dearly. Purandhare wanted Baba to have royal paraphernalia and so he along with Radhakrishna ayi acquired Silver Palanquin (not the one that is now used) which was later moved to storage room after some silver ornaments were stolen off it. The devotees felt that the a lockable shed was required and the job entailed boring holes into the side of mosque. Purandhare started drilling holes when Baba was out at Lendi, villagers fled the scene knowing that this will invite Baba's wrath. Predictably, Once Baba returned, He flew into rage and continued raining down abuse on Purandhare. Purandhare was very stubborn and would not leave until the job is finished, without pausing for the food. Baba later commented to Dixit that since Purandhare has not eaten, Baba was feeling the pangs of hunger. Purandhare was listening to all this and later when Baba sent somebody for him, he came running to Baba, fell at Baba's feet and wept. This was a scene of reconciliation - Baba, scolding and consoling and Purandhare overwhelmed by Baba's love for him.

Needless to say my love and devotion to Baba are no where close to that of Purandhare but every time Baba said something I behaved stubbornly and invited His wrath. Easy to say Purandhare didn't heed to Baba, but was my love, faith, devotion and dedication anywhere close to Purandhare? Am I not a fool to justify Purandhare's action with mine, saying he didn't heed Baba advise? But Purandhare is a surrendered and blessed soul of Baba. With my stubborn attitude I caused my Deva lot of hardship and pain. Poor Baba, has to take all this for the sake of His devotees. Baba's love for His devotees is beyond our imagination and His scolding are blessings! But I would like to urge a word of caution, Guru's order has to be adhered without any intellectual reasoning or knowledge. O Samartha Sadguru Sainatha ever shower your grace on us and take mercy on the poor souls! We ignorant children have caused lot of troubles and you have to suffer because of our actions. Deva, I beg for your forgiveness and take pity on this ignorant soul and let this soul be dedicated for your service at the lotus feet of yours. Jai Sairam.

Quotation of the Month

I take away the wealth of those I love.
                                                - Saibaba of Shirdi

Did you know?

Santakathamrita - The first book by Sri Das Ganu Maharaj which had chapters on Baba was published in 1903.


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.

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.