ChapterI

SalutationsTheStoryofGrindingWheatandItsPhilosophicalSignificance.

Accordingtotheancientandreveredcustom,Hemadpantbeginsthework,SaiSatcharitra,with
varioussalutations.
First,hemakesobeisancetotheGodGaneshatoremoveallobstaclesandmaketheworka
successandsaysthatShriSaiistheGodGanesha.
Then,totheGoddessSaraswatitoinspirehimtowriteouttheworkandsaysthatShriSaiis
onewiththisGoddessandthatHeisHimselfsingingHisownlife.
Then,totheGods;Brahma,VishnuandShankartheCreating,PreservingandDestroying
Deitiesrespectively;andsaysthatSainathisonewiththemandHeasthegreatTeacher,will
carryusacrosstheRiverofWordlyExistence.
Then,tohistutelaryDeityNarayanAdinathwhomanifestedhimselfinKonkantheland
reclaimedbyParashurama,(RamaintheHindiversion)fromthesea;andtotheAdi
(Original)Purushaofthefamily.
Then,totheBharadwajaMuni,intowhosegotra(clan)hewasbornandalsotovariousRishis,
Yagyavalakya,Bhrigu,Parashara,Narad,Vedavyasa,Sanak,Sanandan,Sanatkumar,Shuka.
Shounak,Vishwamitra,Vasistha,Valmiki,Vamadeva,Jaimini,Vaishampayan,Nava
Yogindraetc,andalsomodernSaintssuchasNivritti,Jnanadev,Sopan,Muktabai,Janardan,
Ekanath,Namdev,Tukaram,Kanha,andNaraharietc.
Then,tohisgrandfatherSadashiv,fatherRaghunath,hismother,wholefthiminhisinfancy,
tohispaternalaunt,whobroughthimup,andtohislovingelderbrother.
Then,tothereadersandpraysthemtogivetheirwholeandundividedattentiontohiswork.
Andlastly,tohisGuruShriSainathanIncarnationofShriDattatreya,Whoishissole
RefugeandWhowillmakehimrealizethatBrahmanistheRealityandtheworldanillusion;
andincidentally,toalltheBeingsinwhomtheLordGoddwells.
AfterdescribinginbriefthevariousmodesofdevotionaccordingtoParashara,VyasaandShandilya
etc.,theauthorgoesontorelatethefollowingstory:

" twassometimeafter1910A.D.thatIwent,onefinemorning,totheMasjidinShirdiforgettinga
darshanofSaiBaba.Iwaswonderstrucktoseethefollowingphenomenon.AfterwashingHismouth
andface,SaiBababegantomakepreparationsforgrindingwheat.Hespreadasackonthefloor;and
thereonsetahandmill.Hetooksomequantityofwheatinawinnowingfan,andthendrawingupthe
sleevesofHisKafni(robe);andtakingholdofthepegofthehandmill,startedgrindingthewheatby
puttingafewhandfulsofwheatintheupperopeningofthemillandrotoatedit.IthoughtWhat
businessBabahadwiththegrindingofwheat,whenHepossessednothingandstorednothing,andas
Helivedonalms!Somepeoplewhohadcometherethoughtlikewise,butnonehadthecouragetoask
babawhatHewasdoing.Immediately,thisnewsofBaba'sgrindingwheatspreadintothevillage,and
atoncemenandwomenrantotheMasjidandflockedtheretoseeBaba'sact.Fourboldwomen,from
thecrowd,forcedtheirwayupandpushingBabaaside,tookforciblythepegorhandleintotheir
hands,and,singingBaba'sLeelas,startedgrinding.AtfirstBabawasenraged,butonseeingthe
women'sloveanddevotion,Hewasmuchpleasedandbegantosmile.Whiletheyweregrinding,they
begantothinkthatBabahadnohouse,noproperty,nochildren,nonetolookafter,andHelivedon
alms,Hedidnotrequireanywheatflourformakingbreadorroti,whatwillHedowiththisbig

quantityofflour?PerhapsasBabaisverykind,Hewilldistributetheflouramongstus.Thinkingin
thiswaywhilesinging,theyfinishedthegrindingandafterputtingthehandmillaside,theydivided
theflourintofourportionsandbegantoremovethemoneperhead.Baba,Whowascalmandquietup
tillnow,gotwildandstartedabusingthemsaying,"Ladies,areyougonemad?Whosefather'sproperty
areyoulootingaway?HaveIborrowedanywheatfromyou,sothatyoucansafelytaketheflour?
Nowpleasedothis.Taketheflourandthrowitonthevillageborderlimits."Onhearingthis,the
womenfeltabashedandwhisperingamongstthemselves,wentawaytotheoutskirtsofthevillageand
spreadtheflourasdirectedbyBaba.
IaskedtheShirdipeople"WhatwasthisthatBabadid?"TheyrepliedthatastheCholeraEpidemic
wasspreadinginthevillageandthiswasBaba'sremedyagainstthesame;itwasnotwheatthatwas
groundbuttheCholeraitselfwasgroundtopiecesandpushedoutofthevillage.Fromthistime
onward,theCholeraEpidemicsubsidedandthepeopleofthevillagewerehappy.Iwasmuchpleased
toknowallthis;butatthesametimemycuriositywasalsoaroused.IbegantoaskmyselfWhat
earthlyconnectionwastherebetweenwheatflourandCholera?Whatwasthecasualrelationbetween
thetwo?andhowtoreconcilethem?Theincidentseemstobeinexplicable.Ishouldwritesomething
onthisandsingtomyheart'scontentBaba'ssweetLeelas.ThinkinginthiswayaboutthisLeela,my
heartwasfilledwithjoyandIwasthusinspiredtowriteBaba'sLifeTheSatcharita.
Andasweknow,withBaba'sgraceandblessingthisworkwassuccessfullyaccomplished.
PhilosophicalSignificanceofGrinding

ApartfromthemeaningwhichthepeopleofShirdiputonthisincidentofgrindingwheat,thereis,we
think,aphilosophicalsignificancetoo.SaiBabalivedinShirdiforaboutsixtyyearsandduringthis
longperiod,Hedidthebusinessofgrindingalmosteverydaynot,however,thewheatalone;butthe
sins,thementalandphysicalafflicationsandthemiseriesofHisinnumerabledevotees.Thetwostones
ofHismillconsistedofKarmaandBhakti,theformerbeingthelowerandthelattertheupperone.The
handlewithwhichBabaworkedthemillconsistedofJnana.ItwasthefirmconvictionofBabathat
KnowledgeorSelfrealizationisnotpossible,unlessthereistheprioractofgrindingofallour
impulses,desires,sins;andofthethreegunas,viz.Sattva,RajaandTama;andtheAhamkara,whichis
sosubtleandthereforesodifficulttobegotridof.
ThisremindsusofasimilarstoryofKabirwhoseeingawomangrindingcornsaidtohisGuru,
Nipathiranjana,"IamweepingbecauseIfeeltheagonyofbeingcrushedinthiswheelofwordly
existencelikethecorninthehandmill."Nipathiranjanareplied,"Donotbeafraid;holdfasttothe
handleofknowledgeofthismill,asIdo,anddonotwanderfarawayfromthesamebutturninwardto
theCentre,andyouaresuretobesaved."