Mahaparayan Leelas By Our Saimaa

Shirdi Sai Baba Devotee Swati Das Ghosh from India says: Sai Ram Pooja ji, Mahaparayan Team,

Please find my experience. Hope this will be published. Apologies for a very long post, but could not stop writing about our Sai Maa. May Sai bless you all with His choicest blessings. Thanks in advance.

Sai Ram to all my Sai siblings! We are the most fortunate living beings on the earth for we have got shelter at our Holy Mother Sai Maa’s feet, Who is the most Merciful and Loving mother of all.
First and foremost, let me invoke Sai’s, Lord Ganesha and Maa Saraswati’s blessings to guide me through this write-up, for without their grace, I would not be able to pen even a few letters. Then I would like to heartily thank Pooja ji, Hetal ji and the entire Mahaparayan team for being the harbingers of our Saism journey. I have been playing the role of monitor for only one hour in Thursday’s AASM, but sometimes I find it difficult to manage and coordinate that one hour itself. It is only Sai’s grace that has kept me sailing through all these one hours. So, I often wonder how Pooja ji and her entire team manages to pull off the show so efficiently, 24*7, despite their own personal obligations and parayans. I really wish to inculcate the virtues which they possess, which has made Lord Sai manifest Himself through them. Lastly, I would like to thank all the readers for their patience for going through this extremely long post.

Following are the details of three of my experiences during the parayana.

1)Sai saves my son from accident :– I always forget to keep chanting Sai’s name, though it has been His direct command to me. But the poorest devotee that I am, my mind gets lost in useless stuffs and I forget to keep chanting His name.
I stay in Bangalore. One hectic morning, we missed our son’s school bus. My husband normally has late working hours and so I thought against disturbing him, though he wanted to help us. I decided that I will take the scooty and drop my son to the school. We had shifted recently to this new area, and Bangalore traffic is one of its kind – ruthless and undisciplined. So, though I started off, I was really scared. My son is 6 years old and he was standing in the footboard area. Somehow, I managed to ride on the main roads, though uncompromising vehicles zoomed past us. I do not remember if I was chanting Baba’s name then.

However, when I hit the last road to my son’s school, disaster struck. The approach road to the school is pathetic. It is broken at places and laden with potholes. Moreover, lot of buses and other vehicles were plying on the road. I was finding it difficult to ride my scooty as I am short-heighted and lack of confidence was killing me more. Finally, in one of the potholes, I had to slow down and my legs could not find a landing ground and I lost my balance. The scooty fell and so did my son and his school bag. I was not hurt as I did not fall. Where my son fell, a bus just crossed and missed him with an inch gap. I am unable to describe it, because it still makes me shiver.

People rushed to help us and gathering myself and my son (with all our accompaniments), I started off the scooty again and moved on, but I was lost, trying to realize what had just happened. In front of the school, I asked my son, if he was hurt. He was not, but, he was terrified and I could see that on his face. I told him that everything is going to be fine, dusted off the dirt from his clothes and bag and waved him bye as he entered the school gate. But something was not right. It took me sometime to grasp all that happened a while ago. I knew I had done a blunder. And the blunder was not chanting my Sai’s name when I should be doing it. And despite my wrongdoing, He had saved my son.
I went home and informed my family members on a lighter note to avoid scaring them. But deep within my mind, the events kept replaying and it still does. Only I know that had it not been our Sai Maa’s grace, things could have turned out disastrous. This incident still sends jitters down my spine and I just pray Sai that no mother should see this happen to her little hearts. Just like Sai had saved the blacksmith’s child, so did my Mother Sai protected mine.

Also, I would request all Sai devotees to chant Sai’s name continuously. I keep forgetting still, but I know for sure, that those who can inculcate this habit are the truly blessed ones. When I was in danger, I forgot to call out His name. This was because I did not have the habit of doing continuous Naam japa. By this incident, Sai also showed me how I am going to fare at the time of death (like a worldly mortal caught in cycle of births and deaths). He indicated me what follies should I rectify immediately, so that His name will be on my lips when I die. But it is also equally true, that it is His grace only that enables a man to remember Him constantly. And so, I fall at Sai’s feet and beg Him to bestow this grace on me and cure this lameness of my mind.

2)Sai helps me to get a backup for Naam japa :– As I mentioned previously, I am one of the monitors in Thursday AASM group for the hour 5am to 6 am. So, in an hour we need to coordinate between 8 members. One of the members was not available for Naam japa for 3 weeks and the first 2 weeks went on without any issues. In the 3rd week, on the previous day, i.e. on Wednesday, another member also informed about her unavailability. So, two members were not available. I did not bother, since I knew that I would do it on their behalf. But only just before the commencement of my hour, did I realize that both the unavailable members belonged to the same time slot. Now I was in a fix, since for each slot, two people should be chanting. And how can I manifest into two people and do Naam japa on behalf of both. I frantically asked for help in other groups, but nothing came in as most of them did not see the message. I prayed Sai for help and pinged Aarti Desai ji and other available members in my monitoring slot asking for help. I called my sister Shilpa also who was travelling the night before. She has been my knight in shining armor many number of times. So, I thought of taking her help, in case she has reached home by that time. But to my dismay, her train had just arrived at the station. So, I could not ask her to do the Naam japa as well. I prayed Sai to arrange some help and despite of all futile attempts, I knew that somehow, He would fix this blunder of mine as well.

By His grace, Aarti Desai ji saw my message and agreed to do Naam japa in that slot as well. Sai came to me in her form and bailed me out of this situation. Finally, in that slot, Aarti ji and I did the Naam japa. I could not thank Sai and Aarti ji enough for helping me out, or else I would not have been able to forgive myself for being so irresponsible. Thanks Sai and thanks Aarti ji, for being my saviours in that hour of need.

3)Sai assures me of arranging my Shirdi visit – I firmly believe that it takes tons of good luck and penance to get a chance to visit Shirdi. And, so the sinner that I am, Shirdi visit is a rare blessing for me. I have been to that Heaven only once with no luck for a second visit.

I had a long time desire to visit Shirdi during the occasion of the 100th year completion of Baba’s Mahasamadhi, but my husband did not give any consent as the number of visitors would be too high and with a small kid and long waiting hours, it would be highly inconvenient. He rather asked me to plan for the visit sometime later, to avoid the rush season. Seeing his faltering attitude, I re-thought my decision and made up my mind to visit Shirdi some other time. I always knew that if Sai wills, only then I can make it to Shirdi at that point of time. It might also be that since Shirdi visit is a rare opportunity for me, so Sai Himself is asking me to come later, so that I can have His darshan peacefully and properly for longer duration. And thinking thus, I was trying to console myself. My parents and my sister were pressing me to plan for Dussehra Shirdi visit but I could only deny them with a heavy heart. Deep within I was burning in anguish of unfulfilled desires. Though I left all decision making to Sai, and did not bother Him much on this, yet on 11th July morning, I came across a Sai’s message which stated thus – “I will make all the arrangements for you to come to Shirdi. You will be surprised”. I am attaching a snapshot of the same.

When I saw this message, my dear Sai siblings, I really cannot express you the emotions which I went through. It brought tears to my eyes. Sai read the pain in my heart and the dilemma I was in. Through this message, He indicated me that He is there for me, aware of all my desires and working on all my problems. Though the daughter failed to visit Her Mother, yet the Mother never failed to shower Her incessant love on Her kid. She kindled a new ray of hope in the daughter’s heart. Love You Sai Maa. Love You so very much. I don’t know when I can rest my head on Your lap, cry my heart out and breathe in Your motherly fragrance through the folds of Your dress, feeling ever protected and blissful. I know whatever You will plan for me, will be the best for me. Just bestow me with Shraddha and Saburi to sail through this notorious journey of life.

Apart from the incidents mentioned above, there are many small events in which Sai has been my Protector. Sai had said that He serves His devotees in their houses, and I have seen that happening in many cases. He has saved me from many insults, taken away so much of my pain, and fixed all my errors. In my workplace too, I have been surviving just because of His grace.

Thanks Baba. Only You know what You mean to me. Though there are so many people around me, yet the only true relation which I have is just with You. I know I am full of vices and keep repeating my mistakes. But You as my most Benevolent Mother have never left me alone. I am also sure, that when You are raising me up, then one day I will surely be able to get rid of all my lacuna. Please continue to keep me and all my Sai siblings under the shade of Your feet. With this prayer, I end my write-up and submit it to Your feet. Jai Sai Samarth, Jai Jagannath.
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Om Sai Ram
Swati Das Ghosh

Today leaving for Shirdi ( a sudden unplanned trip) and this experience again showing the relevance and making me wonder how Baba manages so well (although big for us )so many such small events for Him? It is only Baba Who is doing everything and getting it done be it editing, blogging, Mahaparayan, Naamjaap and so many other spiritual ventures through His instruments like you Swatiji. So this is true for 24*7 then where is it that I or you or our team need to feel the burden? 


 Also for AASM (Anant Akhand Sai Mahajaap) the idea is that no slot should go vacant and that atleast 1 devotee should chant. So it was good that Baba sent Artiji so as not to disappoint you. Just clearing the doubt in case if same thing again in future so as that you need not worry and that even 1 devotee is also absolutely fine. The second one is just to ensure that there is always a back-up. Very few people come forward as a monitor, captain, teacher or for other volunteering services. Rather we can say Baba chooses His instruments from the crowd. Thank you Swatiji because of devotees like you Mahaparayan, Naam Jaap and other spiritual ventures going on successfully with Baba’s grace. Prayers for all and specially all the participants and sevaks to Shirdi. Love You Deva. Jai Jai Ho Sai.




Pooja Garg

#Experience 358