Who is Shirdi Sai Baba? In this Kaliyuga, Shirdi Sai Baba is the Parama Guru (Ultimate Guru/Supreme Guru). The Supreme Guru Shirdi Sai is Identical with Lord Shiva (Adi Guru).Shirdi Sai is the all-powerful, omnipresent, greatest of all Gurus of all yugas, and greatest Siddha Guru, who is the personification of Love and Brahmanubuthi.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

How should we pray Shirdi Sai Baba!





Baba has never tied us in clutches of formal worship. In fact He wanted to away from all this. But to please His devotees, He allowed them to worship in any way they wished to. Thus there are no hard and fast rules in any worship of Sai Baba and we can worship, pray as we please. 


1. Physical worship : 


(a) Lighting Lamps :

Lighting lamp can be considered as living image of God. It makes one feel presence of God or Guru. The flame of lamp is its proof. Lightning lamp in morning and evening is sufficient. If at all it is not possible to light lamp in evening you can opt for morning only. Alongwith lighting lamps, one can prefer to light incense sticks or dhoop sticks too. Dhoop stick can be avoided if one wishes.

According to Sacred Text - Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 4 "It isbelieved, that he who burns incense there, on Thursday and Friday evenings will, by God’s grace, be happy".

So if Dhoop sticks are lighted on Thursday and Friday evenings it may please Sai Baba. 


(b) Doing Abhishek (Holy Bath) and Applying Sandalwood Paste :
In Sacred Text - Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 28 we have read about Megha's worship to Baba on Makar Sankranti day by giving bath of Ganges water.
This can be followed even today. Sai Baba can be worshiped in the form of His Idol. We can devotedly do Abhishek to Baba's Idol and with plain water and then with rose water (gulab-jal) which is readily available.


We can apply sandalwood paste to Baba's idol and that can be considered as our worship.


(c) Chanting Arti :

The original arti composed by Sai devotee Madhav Adkar can be recited. Along with itGhalin Lontangan hymn can also be recited. Devotees who do not know marathi arti can learn if they wish by listening the audio. If this is not possible any Sai Baba arti can be chanted provided it is done with pure hearted devotion. 



(d) Offering flowers and perfumes :

Flowers and fragrance were dear to Baba. Baba with His own toil and efforts made abeautiful garden in Lendibaug. This garden now adorns present Samadhi Mandir premises. Roses are found in plenty in Shirdi. In a way we can think that Baba likes roses. So roses can be offered to Baba as a part of pooja. Jasmine and Bakkal flowers are also dear to Baba.

Chapter 42 of Sacred Text - Sai Satcharitra states, "When Babaattained Mahasamadhi, He appeared in dream of Dasganu and said, "The Masjid collapsed, all the oilmen and grocers of Shirdi teased me a lot, so I leave the place. I therefore came to inform you here, please go there quickly and cover me with 'Bakkal' flowers."
In Samadhi Mandir, perfumes are used for Abhishek of Baba's Idol. So perfumes can be used by us too and its fragrance can be of rose, jasmine or bakkal flowers. Also incense sticks and dhoop sticks can be used of the same fragrance.

(e) Offering Naivedhya/Food you eat :
Again i am reminded of an incident from Sacred Text - Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 24. Baba made Hemadpant a medium of wit and humour but imparted a very meaningful message to us. He advised us that, before the senses, mind and intellect enjoy their objects, first He should be remembered, and if this be done, it is in a way by making anoffering to Him.
Bearing this advice in mind we should offer food to Baba before eating let it be anything.It is not necessary that you serve Him with only two time meals as naivedhya, but anything can be offered provided it is offered with love and devotion, then it is sure to be accepted. One refer to Sai Satcharitra if he wishes to find out favourite food of Sai Baba.

(f) Listening Sai Baba Bhajans :

Numerous bhajans are written in praise of Sai Baba and many singers have sung them. So listening bhajans can be a part of your worship which does not have any limits. Bababore love for singing and dancing. In
Sacred Text - Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 5, it is stated that before SaiBaba came to live in this Masjid, He lived for a long time in a place Takia, where with Ghunghru (small bells) on His legs, Sai Babadanced beautifully sang with tender love.
Listening bhajans also can away you and help to get more close to Baba. A very huge collection of bhajans can be found on bhajans blog for free downloading.

(g) Feeding Poor and Helpless :

Last but the most important point which can be considered as a part of our worship is to feed poor and helpless. Sai Baba Himself set this example on us by preparing food for villagers of Shirdi with His own hands in earthen pots. We must also try to feed poor and helpless taking it be foremost teaching of Baba and making it our duty to follow it.

(2) Spiritual Worship :

The first step in spiritual worship constitutes a very simple practice of remembering Babaevery moment. It is not at all sufficient to remember Baba only at the time of physical worship. Real worship necessarily lies in the fast of remembering Baba 24x7.

General tendency is that we remember and pray to Baba wholeheartedly when we are surrounded by adversity and in happy days our prostration becomes mere formality. So necessarily, it follows that spiritual endeavor can be attained by constantly taking name of Baba, even in waking and sleeping states.
Sacred Text - Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 5 lines can be remembered here, "I am the Inner Ruler of all and seated in their hearts. I envelope all the creatures, the movable and immovable world". Also in Sacred Text - Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 10 it is quoted, "He told them to leave off all cleverness and always remember 'Sai' 'Sai'. If you did that all your shackles would be removed and you would be free".
Now let us move on very interesting way of worship as suggested by Hemadpant, "Let us, he says, use hot water in the form of tears of joy to wash the Sad-guru's feet, let us besmear His body with sandal-paste of pure love, let us cover His body with the cloth of true faith, let us offer eight lotuses in the form of our eight Sattwik emotions and fruit in the form of our concentrated mind; let us apply to His head bukka (black-powder) in the form of devotion and tie the waistband of Bhakti and place our head on his toes." This method can be followed in order to get closer to formless form of Sai Baba.

More than this we can always talk to Baba, share everything with Him and express our feelings. This is very easy to take into practice. If this is constantly practiced a feeling of love bonding will arise in us and it would be easy for us to remember Him 24x7.

Another method which can be followed for spiritual worship of Baba is meditation. Various meditation techniques are found on internet and that can be practiced as per convenience.
Again let us peep in few other teachings of Sacred Text - Sai Satcharitra Chapter 48 given by Baba to Mr. Sapatnekar, "One Namaskar offered with love and humility is enough. Now another instance can be referred from Sacred Text - Sai Satcharitra Chapter 45, Kakasaheb Dixit has doubt about his devotion towards Sai Baba when there was a comparison of discourse of the nine Nathas on Bhakti or devotion. Baba removed his doubt by appearing in vision to Anandrao Pakhade explaining the characteristic of devotion and showing that, the devotion, in the form of bowing down to or worshiping of Guru's feet is sufficient.
Thus only one Namashkar and bowing down is a very simple means of worshiping Sai Baba spiritually.



Friday, December 17, 2010

Significance of Tarak Mantra

Om Sai Ram!

Dear Devotees,

Here is the significance of Tarak Mantra. I got it while reading a book on our beloved Baba.

"Om Sai, Shri Sai, Jai Jai Sai"
This Mantra has been coined on the basis of the Mahamantra of Lord Ram - 'Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram' which is a Siddha Mantra adopted by many sages and saints in -the ages past. It seems Revered' Shri Sivanesan Swamy of Shirdi is the person who has made this Mantra popular and contributed immensely to its chanting far and wide. Today this Mantra is chanted by Sai devotees not only in India but all over the world. In this Mantra, Baba's name is repeated thrice.

Some twenty years back, nobody knew of this Mantra as the Tarak Mantra of Baba but some devotees had already coined it and they were chanting it along with other mantras in their pujas.

Baba had said that if one merely chanted 'Sai, Sai', from the core of his heart, He shall come running even from across the Seven Seas. From this it follows, that in a Mantra what is more important is the name of Baba and the devotion with which it is chanted, and not the Prefixes and suffixes added to it, which seem to be aimed at making the Mantra melodious. As a particular Mantra is chanted by more and more people with devotion, it acquires more and more potentiality.

I might venture to suggest that the choice of a Mantra (if given by a self-realised Guru) should be left to the devotee himself who may acquire one in a natural and according to his own temperament. It is experience that the chanting of mere Sai, Sai or ever 'Baba, Baba' putting heart and soul in the words, is much more blissful which no amount of melodious singing with accompanying musical instruments, is capable of providing. The 'Bhav' in chanting is more important than the words.


(Source: Scribblings of A Shirdi Sai Devotee
by Suresh Chandra Gupta)


Let our faith be strong & patience be unshaken!

Om Sai Ram!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

RM 5.4 Million Project - First Shirdi Sai Baba Temple in Malaysia to be built in Bandar Botanic Klang.

Involve yourself...
Support us to achieve the goal now!
Be the one of 1000 families donating RM1000 each (All first 1000 donors will be founding members of the temple).
Members who wish to donate for the building fund can bank in their cash into the account no: 1203-0386414-056-CIMB Bank payable to Persatuan Shirdi Sai Baba Selangor and Mail to: No 73, Jalan Selasih, Taman Gembira, Klang, 41100, Selangor Malaysia.
Construction of temple will be completed in December 2011.


SAI GANAPATHI CHARANAM-=A BHAJAN.mp4

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

My Visit to NagaSai Temple Batu Caves.





 I had uploaded some of the pictures that I took today at the NagaSai Temple Batu Caves..Om Sai Ram......

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Naga Sai Temple, Selengor, Malaysia



                                                                           Temple Address:
                                                                                                    NAGA SAI TEMPLE
                                                                          LOT 21B, KAMPUNG INDIAN SETTLEMENT,
                                                                                    JALAN BUNGA RAYA BATU CAVES,
                                                                                                   68100 SELANGOR,
                                                                                                      DARUL EHSAN.
                                                                                                          MALAYSIA.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Why do we do aarati?

Why do we do aarati?

Towards the end of every ritualistic worship (pooja or bhajan) of the Lord or to welcome an honored guest or saint, we perform the aarati. This is always accompanied by the ringing of the bell and sometimes by singing, playing of musical instruments and clapping.

It is one of the sixteen steps (shodasha upachaara) of the poojaritual. It is referred to as the lighted lamp in the right hand, which we wave in a clockwise circling movement to light the entire form of the Lord.

Each part is revealed individually and also the entire form of the Lord. As the light is waved we either do mental or loud chanting of prayers or simply behold the beautiful form of the Lord, illumined by the lamp. At the end of the aarati we place our hands over the flame and then gently touch our eyes and the top of the head.

We have seen and participated in this ritual from our childhood. Let us find out why we do the aarati?

Having worshipped the Lord of love - performing abhisheka, decorating the image and offering fruits and delicacies, we see the beauty of the Lord in all His glory. Our minds are focused on each limb of the Lord as the lamp lights it up. It is akin to silent open-eyed meditation on His beauty. The singing, clapping, ringing of the bell etc. denote the joy and auspiciousness, which accompanies the vision of the Lord.

Aarati is often performed with camphor. This holds a telling spiritual significance. Camphor when lit, burns itself out completely without leaving a trace of it. It represents our inherent tendencies (vaasanas). When lit by the fire of knowledge which illumines the Lord (Truth), our vaasanas thereafter burn themselves out completely, not leaving a trace of ego which creates in us a sense of individuality that keeps us separate from the Lord.

Also while camphor burns to reveal the glory of Lord, it emits a pleasant perfume even while it sacrifices itself. In our spiritual progress, even as we serve the guru and society, we should willingly sacrifice ourselves and all we have, to spread the "perfume" of love to all. We often wait a long while to see the illumined Lord but when theaarati is actually performed, our eyes close automatically as if to look within. This is to signify that each of us is a temple of the Lord.

Just as the priest reveals the form of the Lord clearly with the aaratiflame, so too the guru reveals to us the divinity within each of us with the help of the "flame" of knowledge (or the light of spiritual knowledge). At the end of the aarati, we place our hands over the flame and then touch our eyes and the top of the head. It means - may the light that illuminated the Lord light up my vision; may my vision be divine and my thoughts noble and beautiful.

The philosophical meaning of aarati extends further. The sun, moon, stars, lightning and fire are the natural sources of light. The Lord is the source of this wonderous phenomenon of the universe. It is due to Him alone that all else exist and shine. As we light up the Lord with the flame of the aarati, we turn our attention to the very source of all light, which symbolizes knowledge and life.

Also the sun is the presiding deity of the intellect, the moon, that of the mind, and fire, that of speech. The Lord is the supreme consciousness that illuminates all of them. Without Him, the intellect cannot think, nor can the mind feel nor the tongue speaks. The Lord is beyond the mind, intellect and speech. How can this finite equipment illuminate the Lord? Therefore, as we perform the aarati we chant;

Na tatra suryo bhaati na chandra taarakam
Nemaa vidyuto bhaanti kutoyamagnib
Tameva bhaantam anubhaati sarvam
Tasya bhasa sarvam idam vibhaati

He is there where the sun does not shine, Nor the moon, stars and lightning. then what to talk of this small flame (in my hand), Everything (in the universe) shines only after the Lord, And by His light alone are we all illumined.

Swami Chinmayananda