How I See Sri Sai Satcharita -by Saibanisa-33

How I See Sri Sai Satcharita -by Saibanisa-33

Baba’s Passing Away--Chapter 43 &44 of Sri Sai satcharita

E-mail ID : saibanisa@yahoo.com

Sairam,

Sri Hemadri Pant wrote about Sri Sai attaining Mahasamadhi (soul leaving his mortal coil or body) in detail in Chapters 43 and 44. In last issue I had written about the incident wherein by Sri Sai’s grace my uncle Sri Upadhyayula Pereswara Somayajulu garu, who inspite of being on his death bed, was able to be present during Gruhapravesham of his new house and was taken into that house. Sri Sai temporarily took away the death warrant (issued by fate) so that the auspicious Gruhapravesham ceremony could be held without any hindrance.

If Sri Sai had not temporarily put away my uncle’s moment of death, my uncle would have passed away with a longing for entering the house built by him. He would then have to be born again for fulfillment of his wish to enter that house. Sri Sai knew the situation and hence ensured that my uncle’s ardent wish was fulfilled, thus paved the way for his passing away peacefully. Now I will write about these aspects. My uncle Sri Somayujulu garu, while lying on a stretcher, was full of enthusiasm on that day 29 Jan 92, he called by name each relative present on that occasion, talked to them and requested them to have lunch before they return to their homes. He called his sister and asked her to sing a devotional song very dear to him “Neevindedi Konda paina Nenundedi Nela paina (You reside on a hill I reside on earth)” and bowed to Sri Venkateswara Swami (Lord Venkateswara who resides on 7 hills). All relatives and guests finished having their lunch that afternoon and my uncle bade goodbye to them by asking them to return to their homes. He called me to his side and asked me to recite the afternoon Harathi of Sri Sai.

I was feeling sad at my uncle’s condition, still as told I recited and performed the afternoon Harathi to Sri Sai. He called me with love, took off his spectacles and put them on my face as a memento. He called his wife and my aunt and told her that after he passed away she should remove the ring from his finger and give the same to me. I was not able to see his suffering and prayed to God to relieve my uncle from his misery. I asked God for a sign to indicate whether HE has heard my plea or not, closed my eyes and opened Sri Sai Satcharithra randomly. It opened on a page in Chapter 26 with Sri Sai’s message – “You cannot escape the consequences of good and bad actions in your last birth. If you have not fully washed away your past sins by undergoing suffering and commit suicide for escaping such suffering, it is not going to help you. You will have to be born again to undergo the balance of the suffering. Why do you not accept the suffering as long as it lasts, caused by past sins of yours, before dying? Why not wipe away the sins of past lives? Let the consequences of past sins are wiped away permanently.” I understood this message, but I was not able to witness my uncle’s suffering and I returned to my home bathed and gave the night Harathi to Sri Sai.

At that time I saw a very grotesque black insect, with wings having an impression of human skull. This indicated that Sri Sai is going to grant liberation to Sri Somayajulu garu on Ekadashi day (an auspicious 11th day of moon in a 15 day cycle), such a conviction occurred in my mind. I could not sleep well that night.

I woke up on 30 Jan 92 Thursday, bathed, did the daily devotional reading and prayed for a message from Sri Sai. He gave the message from Chapter 27 “ Chant the name Raja Ram, if you do so you will attain your life’s aim and your mind will be at peace.” Immediately thereafter I went to my uncle Sri Somayajulu garu’s place, I was told that his condition deteriorated during the night and he was admitted in Gandhi hospital. I hastened to Gandhi hospital. He was fighting a war with his death. He was devoid of any energy and was speaking very faintly. I understood the situation, I asked for a few Tulasi (Basil) leaves and a glass of water. I sat near his head and recited the noon Harathi of Sri Sai.

I offered sugar to Sri Sai and put that consecrated sugar in my uncle’s mouth. He sucked the dissolved sugar in his mouth. Last moments of his life commenced from that time. I was uttering Raja Ram and Sai Ram in his ears and he was slowly repeating these names. Doctors put him on oxygen by 1 PM. The monitor near his head was indicating that his pulse rate at that time was180 per minute. Doctors were making all efforts to save his life. Then giving up hope they stepped aside. I continued to chant Raja Ram and Sai ram in his ears and he was repeating Ram with extreme difficulty. I poured Tulasi water in his mouth at 1:15 PM, he took one gulp, and I poured again Tulasi water in his mouth for the second time but this time the water flowed out of his mouth. He breathed his last breath at 1:20 PM and I could hear ah! sound loudly at that time. I understood that he passed away and is no longer amongst us. I could not with hold my sorrow and cried loudly. Doctors came and told me that I should not cry loudly in the ward. What do they know the agony and suffering in my mind? My Sai has left me and gone away. All relatives came and asked me about the time of my uncle’s passing away. I told them that he passed away at 1:20 PM on 30 Jan 92 Thursday. One of the relatives commented “ Somayajulu passed away on Ekadashi day just as Bhismacharya, how lucky was he?” Yes he started his fight with death on Dasami day, left the physical body on Ekadashi and merged with Sri Sai.

I consider this as his spiritual victory. In those days, Sri Sai attained Mahasamadhi on 15 October 1918 at 2:30 PM after completion of noon Harathi.

Sri Sai took his last sip of Tulasi water from Nanasaheb Nimonkar on a Dasami / Ekadashi day. Sai in my life, my uncle Sri Somayajulu garu took his last sip of Tulasi water from my hands on Ekadashi day. Sri Sai answered my prayers, kept his word and fulfilled my wish for experiencing the emotions felt by HIS devotees at the time of HIS Mahasamadhi in this way at the time of passing away of my Sai Sri Somayujulu garu. When mortal remains of my uncle Sri Somayajulu garu were placed on the funeral pyre at sunset time on 30 Jan 92, I remembered what Sri Hemadri Pant said in this chapter “The body made out of 5 elements will decay, the soul which is inside the body is the TRUTH, that soul is SAI”. Theday when all of us realize that Sri Sai is in you, in me and in everyone else, there will be no dearth of happiness and peace in this world.