DHUP ARATI*

The Tradition of Arati to Saibaba
A Brief Description of Aarathi

DHUP ARATI
(EVENING ARATI)
I. ABHANG
(Same as Psalm No. II of the Noon Arati)
II. ARATI
(Same as Psalm No. IV of the Noon Arati)
III. ARATI
(Same as Psalm No. V of the Noon Arati)
IV. NAMAN (Same as Psalm No. VI of the Noon Arati)
V. NAMASKARASTAK
(Same as Psalm No. VIII of the Noon Arati)
VI. PRARTHANA
(Same as Psalm No. IX of the Noon Arati)
VII. SRI SAINATHA MAHIMNA STOTRAM
(Same as Psalm No. X of the Noon Arati)
VIII. SRI GURUPRASADA YACHANAASTAKAM
(Composed by : Sri B. V. Dev alias Babanche Bal)
Ruso mama priyaambikaa majavaree pitahee ruso
Ruso mama priyanganaa priyasutaatmajaahee ruso Ruso
bhagini bandhuhee swasura saasubayee ruso
Na dattaguru Saayima majavaree kadheenhee ruso
Puso na sunabayee tyaa maja
na bhratrujaayaa puso
Puso na priya soyare priya sage na gnateen puso
Puso suhrida naa sakhaa
swajana naapta'bandhu puso
Paree na guru Saayima
majavaree kadheenhee ruso
Puso na aba/aa mulen tarun vriddhahee naa puso
Puso na guru dhakute maja na thor saane puso
Puso nacha bhale bure sujan sadhuheen naa puso
Paree na guru Saayima majavaree kadheenhee ruso
Ruso chatura tatwavit vibudha praanajnaanee ruso
Rushohi vidushee striyaa kushal panditaahee ruso
Ruso mahipatee yatee bhajak taapaseehee ruso
Na dattaguru Saayima majavaree kadheenhee ruso
Ruso kavi rishee munee anagha siddha yogee ruso
Ruso hi grihadevata ni kula graama devee ruso
Ruso khala pishaascahee malm dakineehee ruso
Na dattaguru Saayima majavari kadheenhee ruso
Ruso mriga khaga krimi akhila jeeva jantu ruso
Ruso vitap prastaraa achal aapagaabdhee ruso
Ruso kha pavan naagni vaar
avani panchatatwe ruso
Na dattaguru Saayima majavaree kadheenhee ruso
Ruso vimal kinnaraa amala yakshineehee ruso
Ruso shashi khagaadihee gagani taarakaahee ruso
Ruso amararaajahee ac/aya dharmaraa ruso
Na dattaguru Saayima majavari kadheenhee ruso
Ruso mana saraswatee chapa!a chitta tehee ruso
Ruso vapu dishaakhilaa kattina kaa! tohee ruso
Ruso sakal vishwahee mayi tu brahma golaa ruso
Na dattaguru Saayima majavaree kadheenhee ruso
Vimoodha hmanunee haso
majana matsaraahee daso
Padaabhi ruchi ulhasohjanan kardamee naa phaso
Na durga dhriticha ahaso ashivbhaav maage khaso
Prapanchi mana he ruso dridda virakti chittee ttaso
Kunaachihi grinaa naso na
cha sprihaa kashaachee aso
sadaiva hridyeen vaso manasi dhyani Sayee vaso
Padee pranaya varaso nikhila drishya baabaa diso
Na dattaguru Saayima upari yaachanelaa ruso

Translation

Let it be, even if my beloved mother and father, my darling wife and dear children,my sisters, brothers, mother-in-law and father-in-law are all cross with me. I care not!But, Oh my Motherly Sai the Datta Guru, pray never be cross with me!

Let it be, even if my daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, my near and dear relatives, kith and kin, well-wishers, and bosom friends forsake me in neglect, I never mind! But,Oh my Motherly Sai the Datta Guru, pray never be cross with me!

Even if women, boys, girls, aged, youngsters, elders, good, bad, pious and holy all neglect me. I mind not in the least! But, Oh Sai, my Motherly Guru, never be cross with me!

Even the wizards in philosophy, intelligent, clever, wise men, enlightened women, erudite scholars, kings, monks, mystics, all may be indignant with me. I do not bother! But, Oh Sai, Motherly Guru, never be cross with me! Poets, sages, saints, great godmen, yogis, tutelary gods, clan and village deities, evil spirits, malicious devils and grungy goblins, all may be piqued with me. I care not in the least! But, my Motherly Sai, the Datta Guru, never get displeased with me!
Animals, birds, insects, all the sentient beings, stones, mountains, rivers, oceans, earth and the five elements all may turn unfriendly against me, I care not! But, Oh my Motherly Sai, the Datta Guru, never be ungracious to me!

Even if pious Kinnaras, Yakshas, the moon, the sun, and the stars in the firmament, Indra the king of the gods, Yama Dharma Raja the implacable god of Death, all may turn ungraceful to me. I am least bothered! But Oh my Motherly Sai the Datta guru, never turn me down in displeasure!

My own body and mind, Saraswati the goddess of learning, Lakshmi the capricious goddess of wealth, the gods presiding over all the cardinal directions, the ruthless (god of) Time, the whole universe and the three spheres of creation may turn unfavourable to me. But, Oh Sai, the Datta Guru, do not look upon me with disfavour!
Even if the whole world laughs at me with ridicule or my own kith and kin gibe and jeer in my face taking me as a block headed dolt, make me undaunted with unswerving faith and devotion to thy feet. Let ignoble thoughts never enter my mind, and let me not get entangled in the mire of births and rebirths. Let strong emotions borne of dispassion towards worldly attachments be implanted deep in my heart, Oh Sainath!

Bless me, Oh Sai, that I cherish no ill will to anyone nor any yearning for anything. Pray, constantly dwell in my heart and make my mind constantly dwell upon thee. Inspire in me loving passion to thy even feet and bless me to look upon the whole world only as thy blessed form. Oh my Motherly Sai the Datta Guru, I beg thee to dole out the said boons upon me without getting irritated!

Commentary

This alluring piece of tuneful devotion is composed by Sri Balakrishna Vishwanath Dev, who served as a Mamaltadar at Dahanu. Sri Dev composed the psalm in 1940 and it was added to the Book of Shirdi Aratis about twenty two years after Baba's Maha Samadhi. Sri B. V. Dev rendered memorable services to Shri Sai Baba Sansthan as one of its founding members/trustees and, contributed a number of articles to Shri Sai Leela Masik (Marathi).

'Babanche Bal' is his chosen pen-name, which means, 'Baba's Child'. When Sri Annasaheb Dabholkar, the author of Sri Sai Satcharitra, passed away in 1929 leaving his magnum opus unfinished, the task of penning the finale was entrusted to Sri B. V. Dev, who then composed the concluding chapters (Chs. 52 and 53) of the book.

Even though the express motif of the psalm is an impassioned plea, nay, begging (=yachana) for the favour (=prasad) of the Guru to the exclusion of all other concerns and attachments in life, it hints and hits at the subtle clogs in our consciousness (ego) which hold us back from an all-out bid for an undaunted encounter with our essential Self. The lilting rhythm of the song aired with the cadence of euphonic alliterations and onomatopoeic diction leaves in the hearts of the singers and the listeners a lingering ring of rhapsodic ecstasy - even if one knows not the language!

Sri Satchidananada Sadguru Sainath Maharj Ki Jai
Surrender Shri Sai Completely,Stupendous Delectation and Deliverance be there!
(Shri Sai Leela Magazine from July-August 1996 to May-June 1997)
Courtesy:Sahasra Sai

WHO IS THE REAL GURU?*

WHO IS THE REAL GURU?

Who is a true Guru? Is he the one that teaches worldly education? Is he one that that explores properties of matter? No, they are only teachers. Is one who teaches a manthra or Vedanata a Guru? No, we may call them Acharyas, not Gurus. People consider a person who imparts knowledge as a preceptor. But most of them are mere teachers, not preceptors (Gurus). A teacher who teaches others has had a teacher himself. The one who has no Guru above him is the true Guru.

The true meaning of Guru is "one who dispels darkness of ignorance". "Gu" means "darkness of ignorance" and "Ru" means "one who removes". Another meaning for Guru is "One who reveals the Guri (target) to the disciple". He does this by removing the darkness of ignorance. Guri here refers to the Atmicprinciple present in every human being. The real Guru who can reveal the Atmic principle is a Jnaanamurthy (embodiment of wisdom); He is the very embodiment of Divine principles; and He is one who takes upon Himself a form to teach the same to the disciple; he is God Himself.

Another meaning of the word Guru is "one who is beyond attributes and forms". Gu stands for Gunaatheetha - one who transcends the three Gunas (Satva, Rajas and Thamas); Ru stands for Rupavarjitha - one who is formless. The One who is beyond all attributes and forms is none other than the Supreme Self (the Brahmam) who is resident within each of us. Only God can be regarded as One who is beyond attributes and forms.

Guru is Brahma, who is the Creator of the universe. Guru is Vishnu who is all pervasive and is also the Doer in the universe. Guru is Maheshvara who commands and ordains everything in the universe in the right manner.Guru is not one who merely teaches. A real Guru is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent, He is God Himself.

There is only one Guru, that is God and there is no other Guru. We have to recognize Him as our only preceptor. He is the preceptor of preceptors. Realizing that God dwells within us, we must treat God as the universal Guru and the preceptor for mankind and contemplate on Him.

Let us purify our hearts to let the Divine dwell in it. Let us install God, our Sadguru, in our hearts. The vibrations that emanate from from the heart will elevate us and confer Divine Wisdom on us.

Brief Description of Aarathi*

The Tradition of Arati to Saibaba
A Brief Description of Aarathi

III. ARATI
(Composed by : Shir Krishna Jogiswar Bhishma)

Jaya devajaya deve dattaa
avadhutaa sayee avadhutaa
Jodoonikara tava charanee ttevito maathaa
Jaya deva...
Avataraseen too yaetaan dhanrtaante glaanee
Naastheekaanaahee too laavsi njiabhajanee
Daavissi naanaa leela asankhya roopaanee
Harisee dheenanchee too sankata dinarajanee
Jaya deva...
Yavana swaroopee alikhyaa darshana twaan
dhidhale
Samsaya nirsunyaan thathdwaitaa ghaalavil
Gopeechandaa mandaa twaanchee uddharile
Momina vamsee janmuni bkaan tarriyael
Jaya deve....
Bhed na tathwee Hindoo yavanaancha kaanhee
Dawaayaansee twatpadanata vhaave
Paramaayaamohita janamochana jhanin vhaave
Twakripayaa sakalaanche sankata nirasaawe
Deshila tari de twadhyash krishnaane gaave
Jaya deva...
Kaliyugee avataara sagunabrahma saachaara
Avateema jhaalaase swami datta digambara
datta digambara
Aattaan divasaan guruwaaree bhakta karitee waaree
Prabhupada pahaavayaa ,bhaavabhaya niwaaree,
bhaya niwaaree.
Maajzaa nija dravaya tteesaa tav charan rajasevaa
Maagane hechiyaataa tumhan
devaadhideva devaadehideva
Tchchita deena chaatak nirmal toya nijasookha
Paajaawe maadhavaa yaa saambhal
aapulee bhaaka appulee bhaaka

Translation

Hail unto thy glory. Oh Sai Avadhut, who art Lord Datta incarnate. With folded hands, I humbly lay my head at thy feet;
When dharma (righteousness) is in peril, thou incarnate in this world and demonstrate the truth of divinity in innumerable ways, making even come around to sing thy glories. Very vigilant thou art, day and night, to ward off the troubles of thy devotees.
Thou hast manifested in the form of a Muslim Fakir and strived to destroy the sense of difference, between Hindus and Muslims, thus uplifting many stupid and ignorant folk (from heinous religions bigotry). To uplift humanity thou hadst taken birth in a Momins (Muslim weavers) Family (as Kabir).
To reiterate the truth that there is absolutely no meaning in the different between Hindus and Muslims, thus human form (as Sai Baba). Those lovingly look upon both Hindus and Muslims with an equal eye. Thou hast proved that One all pervading consciousness dwells in all beings.Lord Sainath, humble prostrations at thy Holy Feet! Pray, liberate all ignorant folk from the snares of maya. By thy grace, ward off the trouble (wordly and spiritual) of all. Pray, kindly bestow on me (Krishna Jogiswar Bhishma, the psalmist) the ability to sing thy glories.

Commentary

This psalm is significant in many ways. It lucidly brings forth many salient features of Sri Sai Baba's manifestation and his mission. "My business of give blessing", declared Baba, If we are to sum up Baba's life, it is the spontaneous overflow of bounteous grace inundating in the form of spiritual and temporal well-being, those who take refuge in him. It is the wall of separateness, to put it in Baba's own words., bricked with sense of ego (ahankar) and cemented by the proclivities of caste, creed, religion and orthodoxy, that stands out as a barricade on the road to truth, damming the flood of Baba's grace. What Baba has asked us is to 'pull down the wall' that differentiates us from one another and separates us from Baba. Is Baba a Hindu or a Muslim ? "He is neither a Hindu nor a Muslim, he is above both", states Sri. S. D. Dhumal, one of the close devotees of Baba, perhaps very aptly ! While Sri Dhumal said it, he might be unconsciously voicing the unspoken insight which Baba has bestowed upon most of his devotees. In the present psalm, Sri Bhishma also addresses Baba as Datta Avadhut and Sai Avadhut. Datta is synonymous with the concept of perfect manifestation of the Divine as Sadguru and, Avadhut means one who has eschewed or transcended all religious formalities. In spite of the fact that Baba had donned the trappings of a Muslim their own or any other creed. Then, what must have been Baba's religion ? It is kabir, as has been avowed by Baba himself. Kabir did not identify himself with any religion. In one of his dohas (couplets) Kabir declares unequivocally. "Hindu kahoon tho mein nahin, Musalman bhee naahin !" (I am neither a Hindu nor a Muslim; I am none of them.) Baba not only declared that his religion was Kabir, but also 'disclosed' that he was Kabir himself in his previous incarnation ! He said, "I was kabir and used to spin yarn." Sri Bhishma points this out in the present psalm saying that kabir has been reincarnated (Daya ya Si Zhala punarapi naradehi) as Sri Sai Baba. It would not be irrelevant in the context of the present arati-psalm, to take note of a verse of Kabir which is included in the Sikh's Adigranth (Maru-4) In it Kabir says :

So the man who looketh on all with an equal eye shall become pure and blessed with the infinite. Why should I return to this world ? Transmigration take place by God's order, he who obeyeth it shall blend with him. I devote myself to and perform the duties which, God assigned me.

Like Kabir, Baba too strived to strike a harmonious rapport between the Hindus and the Muslims and looked upon both wiht an equal eye. Yet all the time remaining beyond both. The popular notion is that Baba expressed himself as a Hindu and Hindus and to Muslims as a Moslem and so on. But in most cases he acted vice versa ! He insisted that the Hindus and the Moslems should accept him as a Fakir and a Brahmin respectively, crossing the barriers of caste and creed. Many close devotees of Baba such as Dasganu Maharaj, Nanasaheb Chandorkar, H.S. Dixit, G. S. Khaparde, Upasani Maharaj, Bade Baba, Abdul Baba, Shamsuddin Rangari, Abdulla Jan and others, in spite of their flora for orthodoxy, accepted Baba as he was and adored him as their Guru-God. They did not stoop down to the intellectual hypocrisy of projecting him as one of their own creed. Cherishing any kind of heinous prejudices of creed or religion ill becomes a true Sai devotee.
Surrender Shri Sai Completely,Stupendous Delectation and Deliverance be there!
(Shri Sai Leela Magazine from July-August 1996 to May-June 1997)
Courtesy : Sahasra Sai