How Devotees are Tested and Found Wanting

In the following article, condensed from a discourse given by Sathya Sai Baba at Prasanthi Nilayam on the last day of the Dasara festival, October 6, 1992, Swami talks about His past incarnation as Shirdi Sai Baba.

In My previous body, everyone was taught through actions. For example, Damu [Damoda Savalaram Resane] and Nana [Narayan Govind Chandorkar] were rendering service to the Lord (Shirdi Baba). Baba collected a few copper coins and was playing with them by tossing them from one hand to another and testing them in various ways. He appeared to examine them individually. He did not exchange a word with Damu and Nana. For half an hour, He went on playing with the coins in this manner.

Curious to know what Baba was doing, Nana asked him why He was scrutinizing the same coins again and again. Baba replied, “Dear son, it is true I am repeating the same action again and again, repeating the same words. Look at that mango tree in front of you. It is in full bloom. The leaves are hardly visible. If all the flowers on the tree were to become fruit, would the branches be able to bear the weight? But it does not happen that way. Most of the flowers are swept away by the wind. Many others drop of their own accord. Only some of them become fruit. Of these, some are eaten by squirrels, birds, or monkeys. In this way 90 percent of the flowers do not result in fruit. Only 10 percent remain on the tree. Is that not so?” They agreed that it was so.

Baba continued, “In the same manner, thousands of devotees are coming to me. Are they all ripening into good devotees? Many drop away in the middle. Some come for getting their desires fulfilled. Some seek wealth. Many are coming either for study or in connection with jobs or marriage or other personal desires of theirs. In each of them, there is some defect or other. No one comes for My sake. I have a precious thing to offer in My coffers. But no one seeks it. For this reason, I am examining them (the coins). Among these coins, there are some that are worn out, some that are debased, and some that are twisted and worthless.

“Just as I am examining the defects in these coins, I am also looking for the defects in the devotees who come to Me. I am trying to find out what defects these people have and whether, with those defects, they can really comprehend My truth. They want Me, but all their desires are related to mundane objects. How can they attain Me with this attitude? How can they reach their destination if they get into the wrong train going in some other direction? They want Me, but they don’t make the effort to realize Me. Among the many who come to Me, it is only one in a thousand who really make that effort.

“The minds of so-called devotees are turned in the wrong direction. If their desires are fulfilled, they praise Me. But once a desire is not realized, they go to the extent of reviling Me. Even while they are attempting to understand Me, they harbor doubts from head to toe. Some even leave Me when their worldly desires are not fulfilled. These devotees are not sincere at all. They are, in fact, the worst sinners. How can they reach Me?”

Experience of Baba’s devotees

At one time, a wealthy man came with a lot of money to Shirdi Baba with the object of gaining supreme wisdom. He boasted about his wealth. Baba asked him, “How long will you be here?” He replied that he had arrived by taxi, fixing the coming and going charges, and had to return in a day or two. Baba said, “When you have greed for wealth, how can you realize God? It is not a goal that can be accomplished in a fixed time. Get away.” When Baba noticed that he was still sitting there, He became furious. Then He chased him out, wielding a stick.

To one who sought His grace with purity of heart and selfless devotion, Baba conferred His grace abundantly. Mother Krishna Priya was one such devotee. Living in Nagpur [city in Central India], she used to worship Krishna and considered Baba another form of Krishna. She frequently visited Shirdi [North Indian town where Baba stayed] to seek Baba’s blessings with genuine devotion. After she moved to Simla [city in North India], she offered worship with unstinted devotion to Krishna, considering Him to be Baba.

Baba takes on a child’s illness

Once, Dada’s [Dada Saheb Dikshit’s] wife brought her child to Baba with the intention of staying for some time in Shirdi. She got her husband’s reluctant approval for the visit. At that time, plague was rampant in Shirdi. On the second day after her arrival, the child developed a fever and boils all over his body. The mother felt sorry that she had not acted on her husband’s advice and lamented over who would protect her child from the affliction. She immediately rushed to Baba and cried aloud, “Baba! Baba!” Baba asked her why she had come. “Does your child have a fever? Are there boils on his body? Not only the child, but I too have boils. You look at them.”

So saying, He lifted His covering garment and showed the boils on his body. Mahalsapathi [Bhagat Mahalsapathi], who was standing nearby, said, “Swami, what large boils are these?” He touched Baba’s body and found that He had a high fever. The temperature might have been as high as 105°F or 106°F. The mother cried, “Oh, Baba, has the disease affected not only my son but also you? Who will protect you?” She was in deep distress. Baba said, “Is there any other to protect the one who is the protector of all?” The mother immediately begged for Baba’s forgiveness. A short while later, Baba’s fever came down.

The mother returned home, feeling happy. She saw that the fever and boils had also vanished from her child. She said, “Baba, did you take on my child’s illness?”

In this manner, Shirdi Baba used to demonstrate His powers when the occasion arose. What was the reason for this? It was solely because of the total faith people had in Baba. The devotees followed implicitly whatever Baba directed them to do.

The last days of Shirdi Baba 

In 1916, Baba had told His close devotee, Kaka [Hari Sitaram Dikshit] that Dada would be shedding his mortal coil in 1918. Kaka thought that Baba was only talking about Dada Saheb and never thought the reference was to Baba Himself.

In 1918, a few weeks before His passing, Baba collected food by seeking alms in some houses. He ate that food, and at noon He expressed a wish that he be taken from the inn to the house of a devotee named Booty [Bapusaheb Booty]. He hoped to have a quiet time there. In that ward [resting place for pilgrims], Booty had built a Murlidhar [name for the Hindu deity Krishna] temple. He wanted Baba to install an idol of Krishna in the temple. But Baba put off the installation on one pretext or other. Booty did not want to install the idol without Baba’s blessings. Until His end, Baba did not say anything about installation of the idol.

On September 28, Baba developed a fever. For 17 days after that, he was quite well. On October 15, the day He left His body, He was not to be found anywhere. Nana, Kaka, Das [Das Ganu Maharaj], and Lakshman Rao searched for Him all over the place. There was a small well nearby, and they went to see whether He had fallen in there. When they returned to Baba’s abode, they found Him standing near the door. Baba told them, “Where are you searching for Me? I am in one place, and you search for Me elsewhere. I am in all pure hearts. You are searching for Me in all polluted places. How can you find Me?” Then He sat down.

He directed Booty and Kaka to go out to lunch. Feeling that Baba was better, they left. Baba had nine rupee coins under His pillow. He took them out and gave them to Lakshmibai [Lakshmibai Shinde]. Then Baba summoned Shyama [Madhavrao Shyama Deshpande] to come near Him. Shyama sat close to Baba. Baba reclined on Shyama’s shoulders and passed away. Baba left his mortal coil at 2.30 p.m. on Vijayadashami [the last day of Dasara, a festival celebrating the victory of good over evil].

Miracles and messages of Shirdi Baba

Why did Baba manifest miracles? In those days there were bitter differences between Hindus and Muslims. With a view to ending such communal differences, Baba wanted to show, through his miracles, the truth that He was the supreme master of all beings. He saw no differences of caste or community. His religion was common to people of all faiths. It was good for everyone. It was observed by all godly persons. This was the creed for all mankind.

Spiritual wisdom is not something received from others. It has to blossom from within. Each one has to develop faith by his own effort. Those lacking such faith make themselves remote from God. Their own past actions account for such lack of faith.

Many spend years here (in Prasanthi Nilayam). But for some reason or other, they go away. Their leaving is due to the effect of their actions. No man can escape the consequences of his actions.

Many who claim to be great devotees fall away at some time or other. The truth is that they were not true devotees even earlier. It was all make-believe. Whatever devotion exists will not go away, nor will devotion come where it is absent. Thus the devotion was absent from the outset. Those who used to proclaim their devotion by saying, “Swami is everything for us,” really had no devotion at all. It was all a show. No true devotee will ever leave Swami. The one who leaves is never a real devotee. In this context, it must be realized that the true nature of devotion cannot be comprehended by anyone.

Can a man remember the name of God in his last moments,
When the messengers of death are waiting
And all his relations are weeping,
If he has not been devoted to God all his life?

Unwavering firm devotion moves God

Only when dedicated devotion starts early in life can it remain steady and unchanging. The devotion of selfish and self-centered persons will be vacillating. Those with total love for God will never change. That is unwavering devotion. Where there is such yearning for God, the heart melts. God is moved by such firm devotion. That is the kind of devotion everyone should cherish.

Devotees should develop such divine feelings and strive to secure a direct vision of God in their hearts. God is in and around you. But no effort is made to experience this. People are immersed in dualism, separating God from themselves. Through love, this sense of separation can be ended. Love is the binding force between the individual and the omni-self. This feeling of total love has to be cultivated today.

God has no use for indolent persons

Do not give room for the doubts that arise on account of the food you consume, the company you keep, or the environment in which you live. Meet these doubts with courage and faith.

Don’t pray to Baba to change your mind. It is your duty to change your mind. If you expect Baba to do everything, what are you doing? God has no use for such indolent persons. You must do your spiritual practice and go ahead. God’s help will come when you do your part. Do your duty, and leave the results to God. Praying to God to do this or that is a sign of weakness.

If you have full faith in God, your mind is bound to change. Baba’s role is not to change your mind, but to redeem you from the consequences of your actions. Everyone should realize and act up to this truth. To start with, get rid of the blemishes in you, strengthen your devotion, and make it firm and unshakable. Everyone should make that effort. Then you will earn God’s grace.

Source: Condensed from Chapter 34,
Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 25