Author: Govind R Dabholkar
Publisher: Sterling
Year: 1999/2004
Language: English
Pages: 883
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8120721535
Description
Translated from original Marathi by Indira Kher, this work is a verse composition containing the known facts about Shri Sai Baba's life at Shirdi, and also his teachings seeks to meet a long-felt need.
Shri Sai Satcharita is the Bible of Sai devotes in every sense of the term, In it's veracity, sanctity, faith and devotion that it inspires and the deep satisfaction, a sense of fulfillment that it brings to the devotee, it has no equal. Its sanctity derives from the fact that its idea was conceived during Baba's lifetime and with his blessings and express permission.
For those unaware of Shri Sai Satcharita it is necessary to add that in the original it runs into 53 chapters and contains more than 9,000 verses. Every chapter has a judicious mixture of philosophy, stories and anecdotes along with the Baba's teachings.
The one drawback of Shri Sai Satcharitra is that it was written in Marathi, that millions of Baba devotees are unable to red it. What is astonishing is that no serious attempt had ever been made at a detailed, chapter-wise English translation so far. But now at last it has been done, and it has been done superbly. The book has been translated chapter by chapter, verse by verse and line by line and it is by any reckoning a magnificent achievement.
The translator Indira Kher is eminently qualified to render the translation for three specific reasons:
* She is, and long has been, an ardent devotee of the Baba and would not, in any circumstances, be unfaithful to the original text.
* As a Maharashtrian born and bred, her knowledge of Marathi, her mother tongue, is impeccable.
* So, for that matter, is her knowledge of English. In fact, she took her Doctorate in English literature.
TRANSLATOR:
Dr. Indira Kher is a retired Professor of English. A graduate of Nagpur University, she has the distinction of topping the list of successful candidates at the Intermediate Arts Examination in 1949 and of winning the Radhabai Paonaskar Silver Medal and the Hari Pandit Prize. A UGC Junior Research Fellow, she was awarded a Ph.D. in 1970 for her thesis Lewis Carroll, Man and Writer.
Dr. Kher started her career in 1972 and taught at various Bombay colleges. She was the Editor of Sri Sai Leela magazine, Shirdi. She is also the author of Avadhuta Yogi Pant Maharaj of Balekundri, published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay.
Contents
Foreword
Preface
The Invocation of the Divine
The Purpose of the Book: Naming of the Author
The Purpose of the Book: Baba’s Approbation of His Gatha
Descent of Sai Samarth in Shirdi
Sai’s Disappearance and Return to Shirdi
The Story of the Festival of Shri Ram’s Birth in Shirdi
What was Sai Baba?
Importance of Human Birth, etc.
Consequences of Disobeying Baba, etc.
The Mahima of Shri Sai Samarth
A Narration of Sai’s Greatness
Darshan of Shri Sant Gholap and Rama to their respective Devotees
The Cure of Bhimaji’s Tuberculosis
Ratanji’s Meeting with Sai
The story of Cholkar’s vow of Sugar-candy
A Narration about Brahma-jnana (Concluded)
I Receive Baba’s Grace (i)
I Receive Baba’s Grace (Concluded)
The Essence of Isha-Upanishad Revealed
Bestowal of Grace
Averting Accidental Deaths
Leelas of the Guru and His Devotees
Baba’s Splendid Sense of Humour
Effecting the Devotee’s Weal
Averting Epileptic Fits and Suicide, and Confirmation of Faith in One’s Own Guru
Bestowal of Grace
A Narration of Visions
A Narration of stories of Dreams
A Narration of Stories about Vows
Importance of Sai-Darshan
The Greatness of the guru
The Significance of Udi(1)
The Significance of Udi (Concluded)
Sai’s Unique way of Handling Different Devotees who came to Test Him and Miraculous Properties of Udi
Sai’s All-Pervasiveness and the Fulfillment of His Blessings
The Description of the Chavadi Ceremony
The Description of the Handi
The Exposition of a specific verse from the Gita and the creation of the Samadhi Mandir
The Fascinating Tale of Udyapan
Sai’s Kindness and Conferring of Grace
Niryan of Shri Sainath
Niryan of Shri Sainath (Continued)
Niryan of Shri Sainth (Concluded)
Greatness of the Guru’s feet
Journey to Kashi-Gaya and the story of the goats’ past birth
The Tale of Veerabhadhrappa and Chenabasappa
The Bestowal of Grace upon a Doubting Devotee
Testing the Saint and Control of the Mind
Detailed Exposition of Bhagavad Gita, Chapter IV, verse 34
A Narration of the Accounts of Three Devotees
Epilogue
Epitome