Shirdi Sai Satcharitra Chapters 43 and 44 - English Audiobook

Shirdi Sai Satcharitra Chapters 43 and 44 - English Audiobook You can read Chapter 43 and 44 here: https://www.shirdibooks.com/sai-satch... This chapter covers the following: Baba’s Passing Away (Continued): Preparation Placing Baba in the Samadhi-Mandir Breaking of the Brick 72 Hours’ Samadhi Jog’s Sannyas And Baba’s Nectar-like Words Preparation It is a general practice amongst Hindus that when a man is about to die, specific religious scriptures are read out to him, so that his mind is withdrawn from worldly things and is fixed on God. Thus, his future progress is natural and easy. When the king Parikshiti was cursed by the son of a Brahmin Rishi and was about to die a week later, the great sage Shuka expounded to him the famous Bhagwat Puran. This practice is followed even now and the Gita, Bhagawat and other sacred books are read out to dying persons.Since Baba was an incarnation of God, He needed no such help. But just to set an example for His people, He followed this practice. When He knew that He was to pass away soon, He ordered a man, Mr.Vaze, to read the Ramavijaya to Him. Mr.Vaze read the book once that week; Then Baba asked him to read the same book again day and night and he finished the second reading in three days. Thus, eleven days passed. Then he again read it to Baba for three days and was exhausted. So Baba let him go and continued to meditate. He abided in His Self and was waiting for the last moment. Two or three days before his death, Baba had stopped His morning peregrinations and begging rounds, and remained in the Masjid. He was conscious till the end and was advising his devotees not to lose heart. He did not let anybody know the exact time of His departure. Kakasaheb Dixit and Bapusaheb Booty had been dining daily with Him in the Masjid. That day (the 15th of October) after the arati, He asked them to go to their houses and have lunch. Yet, a few devotees(Laxmibai Shinde, Bhagoji Shinde, Bayaji, Laxman Bala Shimpi, Shama and Nanasaheb Nimonkar) did not leave. Shama was sitting on the steps; After giving 9 rupees to Laxmibai Shinde, Baba said that He did not feel well there (in the Masjid) and that He should be taken to Booty’s stone Wada, where He would be alright. Saying these last words, He leaned on Bayaji’s body and breathed His last. Bhagoji noticed that His breathing had stopped and he immediately told Nanasaheb Nimonkar, who was sitting on the steps below. Nanasaheb brought some water and poured it into Baba’s mouth. It came out. Then he cried out loudly, “Oh Deva!” Baba appeared to open His eyes for a moment and say “Ah!” in a low tone. But it soon became evident that Baba had left His body for good. Placing Baba in the Samadhi-Mandir The news of Baba’s passing away spread like wildfire in the village of Shirdi and men, women and children ran to the Masjid and began to mourn His loss in various ways. Some cried out loudly, some wallowed in the streets and some fell down senseless. Tears ran from their eyes and everyone was smitten with sorrow. Then the question arose: How were they to dispose of Baba’s body? Some Muslims said that the body should be interred in an open space with a tomb built over it. Even Khushalchand and Amir Shakkar shared this opinion. But Ramachandra Patil, the village officer, said to the villagers in a firm and determined voice, “Your thought is not acceptable to us; Baba’s body should be placed in the Wada.” Thus, people were divided in their opinion and discussion regarding this went on for about 36 hours. On Wednesday morning, Baba appeared in Laxman Mama Joshi’s dreams and drawing him by His hand said, “Get up soon; Bapusaheb thinks that I am dead and so he won’t come; you do the worship and the morning arati.” Laxman Mama was the village astrologer and was Shama’s maternal uncle. He was an orthodox Brahmin and worshipped Baba first every morning and then worshipped all the other village deities. He had full faith in Baba; He came that morning with all the pooja materials and despite the protests of the moulvis(muslim priests), performed the Pooja and the arati with all due formalities, and then left. Then at noon, Bapusaheb Jog came with a few others and performed the noon-arati ceremony as usual......... Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all