The edited versions now you can copy in word document and take a print out to make as booklet for ease of reading the same daily.
Om Sri Sai Ram
Friday’s Parayan
The people of Shirdi, while doing their daily chores, used to sing Baba’s praise. They were blessed. They regarded Sai as their God. One day, Baba lost in the wrestling game of khushti against Thamboli, and as per the rules of the game he had to leave Shirdi and live in another place for a few days. During this period Baba would wander in the jungles and Baijabai, an elderly lady, would go searching for him with homemade food. Sai Baba remembered Baijabai’s devotion and took care of her son Tatya all his life. On his return to Shirdi, Baba started going around Shridi begging for food. Baba would visit about two or three houses and from the food received he would eat a little and the rest he would distribute to the poor. Baba used to say that he was the servant of his devotees.
Once Nanavalli, a devotee of Baba, ordered Baba to get down from his throne and he went and sat on the throne and after a while got up and went away. Baba did not mind Nanavali’s behaviour at all and without any hesitation allowed his bhakta’s desire to sit on the throne to be fulfilled.
Baba never expected anything from anybody and was always sympathetic towards everyone. One day while Mrs Tharakad, another devotee of Baba, was having lunch when a dog came to her door. Mrs.Tharakad gave him some of her food and appeased his hunger. Later during the day when Mrs. Tharakad met Baba at the Masjid, Baba said “you appeased my hunger and you fed me well.” By this Baba wanted to convey to her that the hunger of the dog and his hunger were not different and whoever feeds the hungry and then eats himself will achieve salvation. “Whoever sees me in every living being is my true devotee,” Baba told Mrs. Tharakad.
Once Mrs.Tharakad sent a peda (the only eatable available in her house on that day) for Baba through Govind Balram Bhasker. On reaching Shirdi, Govind Balaram Bhaskar forgot about the peda and remembered only when Baba asked him for the peda. Baba eagerly ate the peda like he was waiting for it for a long time.
Sai Baba used to sleep in Dwarkamai (the masjid) on a small wooden plank presented by a devotee by the name of Dengle. The plank was hung from the roof with the help of strings made of rags and people who saw it wondered how Baba managed to sleep on the plank and they would often gather at night to watch Baba sleep. One day when a crowd gathered to watch Baba sleep Baba pulled down the plank and broke it into pieces and threw it into the burning dhuni.
Sai Baba knew the past, present and future of his bhaktas. Kaka Mahajani who had come to Shirdi to stay for a week was asked by Baba to leave for his home town immediately. On his return Kaka Mahajani found that he was urgently needed by his employer as the manager of the firm had fallen sick.
Dhumal, a pleader in the village, once came to see Baba on his way to the court and was asked by Baba to stay and not leave Shirdi for a week. When Dhumal went back to court a week later he came to know that the case had been postponed the previous week.
Once Tatya Patil ignoring Baba’s advice left for the mandi and he met with an accident when his horse cart toppled over and his horse suffered a sprain. Tatya also received minor injuries and had to call off his trip to the mandi. Once a foreigner came for Baba’s darshan and he was asked to sit on the floor. The foreigner felt insulted and wanted to leave Shridi immediately. Baba read his mind and asked him to stay back for one more day. But the foreigner ignored Baba’s advice and left Shirdi. He met with an accident and had to stay in hospital for some time.
One day Baba informed his devotees that he would don the orange robe that day. The people there did not get the meaning of what Baba meant by orange robe. In the evening a Nasik Brahmin by the name Mule Shastri offered flowers to Baba and as he was prostrating before Baba he saw his Guru Dholup Swamy with orange robe, where Baba was standing. When Mule Shastri got up he saw Baba again standing in front of him. Similarly, to a doctor who was a Ramabhakta Baba appeared as his guru Sri Ramachandra Murti. These incidents tell us about the omniscient nature of Baba.
Baba would always advise the people of Shirdi to stay united and live in harmony, irrespective of the religion they followed. God will always save you, try to achieve salvation, without salvation life is meaningless, Baba would say. He would ask his devotees to forgive those who hurt them and to help each other.
Once during summer holidays Mrs.Tharakad came to Shirdi. One day when Mrs Tharakad came to the Masjid for Baba’s darshan, Baba told her that he had been to her house in Bandra that day but there was nothing there for him to eat.
Everyday Mrs. Tharakad would offer naivedya to the photo of Sai Baba at the shrine in her house in Bandra. However, while she was away at Shirdi, Mr. Tharakad had forgotten to offer naivedya. Thus, Baba informed his devotees that praying to his picture was equal to doing his puja in person. Baba was omniscient and he experienced the love of his devotees and tasted the food offered by them even when they were far away from him.
Sai Baba never allowed anyone to put sandal paste on his forehead, but one day Dr.Pandit applied sandal paste on Baba’s forehead and Baba did not object. Seeing this people asked Baba why he did not object to Dr.Pandit’s action. To this Baba replied that Dr. Pandit saw his guru Raghunath maharaj in him thus he did not object. Dr. Pandit later confirmed this by saying he saw his guru Raghunath maharaj in Baba. Sai Baba used to chant God’s name and used to distribute the sacred ash – vibhuti to people. The vibhuti cured even those diseases that were thought to be incurable. Bimaji Patil once contracted tuberculosis and it became so severe that he began to vomit blood. He came to Baba seeking help. Baba asked him not to worry and said that all his difficulties will be over soon. Baba said that whoever steps into Dwarkamai with true devotion will see an end to all pain and suffering. “The fakir at this place is very compassionate and he takes care of everyone who has true devotion,” Baba said to Bimaji Patil. That night Baba appeared in his dream and blessed him and the next day when Bimaji woke up he found himself cured and free of all the symptoms of tuberculosis. In order to express his gratitude Bimaji Patil started a vrata called Sai Vrata similar to the Satyanarayana vrata.
Sriman Baba Saheb Buti once suffered from diahorrea and Baba saw him rush to the toilet many times during the day. On seeing this Baba pointed a finger towards Mr Buti and said he was cured of diahorrea at that very instant. Within seconds Mr Buti felt cured. Baba was known to cure many devotees by making them eat things that were said to aggravate to those conditions, like almond and pistachio paste for people suffering from an upset stomach. Once Baba cured a Sanyasi who came to Baba complaining of severe earache, simply by saying “Allah will take care of you.” Dutta Pant got cured of the stomach pain he was suffering from for nearly fourteen years by eating the Udi given by Baba. Shama, another devotee of Baba, who was suffering from piles was cured with the essence of Sonamukhi seeds. After sometime Shama again got piles and he decided to cure himself by taking some sonamukhi seeds. And to his surprise his condition became severe and he had to seek Baba’s help. Pandit Gangadhar was cured of his stomach pain when Baba placed his hand on his stomach and said “God will take away your pain.
Hardik Sidique Phalke who had been to Mecca on pilgrimage was not allowed to enter the Masjid for nine months. He was allowed to enter only when his ego and pride were gone. Baba embraced him and welcomed him into the masjid.
Once Das Ganu wore a fancy robe and some jewellery for a Harikatha recital. Baba called him and asked him to be simple and do the Harikatha like Narad rishi. Das Ganu understood the significance of what Baba said and immediately changed into the simple everyday attire of dhoti and angavastra.
Sri Sai Baba never offered any mantra to chant or ask his devotees to do yoga. He only asked them to chant God’s name with a pure heart and to remember God always. Baba had control over natural elements too. Once when heavy thunder and storm raged over Shirdi, Baba pointed his finger towards the sky and asked the thunder and storm to calm down. The storm immediately subsided. Once the fire in the dhuni flared up and the flames leapt up to the ceiling. Baba hit his satka on the ground and asked the fire to calm down. Within seconds the fire stopped raging, the flames subsided and the people around were relieved.
Whenever devotees felt jealous or had bad thoughts, Baba would read their minds and in a subtle way teach them how to be rid of their unpleasant thoughts and feelings. In order to instil in his devotees the feeling of compassion he would take dakshina from them and by evening he would distribute the money collected as daskshina amongst his bhaktas or spend it on the upkeep of Dwarakamai. The two rupees he took from him devotees signified patience and devotion, Baba said. Once he asked Sri Narke for fifteen rupees. Mr Narke told Baba that he did not have money, to which Baba said that he did not want the money, he only wanted Sri Narke to practice the yog nishta he was studying.
Sometimes Baba used to refuse to take dakshina from devotees and when they brought expensive presents he would scold them. One Sri Jholkar came to Shirdi for Baba’s darshan and for the trip he had saved money by not consuming sugar. On seeing Sri Jholkar, Baba immediately ordered that Sri Jholkar be given tea with a lot of sugar. Sri Jholkar was moved to tears and he realised that God took care of those who worshipped him with pure devotion.
Om Sri Samarth Sadguru Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai.
Baba, I bow before you. Please bless my family and friends with good health and happiness. With your grace and blessings I was able to complete the parayan for Friday. Please bless me with your remembrance, today and always.
Om Satguru Sainathay Namah.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
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