Baba & Gita Knowledge

Baba said that He was Omnipresent, transcending land, air, world, light and heaven, and that He was not localised. To remove the misunderstanding of those who thought that, Baba was only His body – three cubits and a half in length, He Incarnated Himself in this Form, and if any devotee meditated on Him, day and night, with complete self-surrender, he experienced complete union with Him, like sweetness and sugar, waves and sea, eye and its sight.
- Shri Sai Satcharita (Chapter 18 & 19)

Nanasaheb's Pride

Nanasaheb Chandorkar came into Baba's fold in 1892 (approx.) and was one of the great devotees. He was a very high ranking officer in the British rule, rising to Deputy Collector. He along with Das Ganu played a very key role in spreading the fame of Baba and bring many key devotees to Shirdi and get blessed from Baba. He was a very learned and educated person who came from a prominent and very pious family. He was expert in religious scriptures and was well versed in Bhagawat Gita and Dhyaneshwari (by Saint Dhyaneshwar). Though he did not belittled anyone but he had the inner pride of his education and knowledge and felt that he was (may be) more polished and refined from the other devotees.

Baba, who knew everything which occurs all around this world, knew that Nana needed a small lesson to remove the pride and set him in the right path of salvation. One day, in the Masjid, Nanasaheb was massaging the legs of Baba and wispering few words in his mouth. Baba was curious to the murmuring and the conversion between them were as follows -

Nana, what are you mumbling to yourself?
I am reciting a Shloka.
What Shloka?
From Bhagawad Gita.
Say it loudly.
"Tadviddhi Pranipaatena Pariprashnena Sevaya,
Upadekshyanti Te Gnyanam Gnyaninastattwadarshinah".
Nana, do you understand it?
Yes.
If you do, then tell me its meaning!
It means this : “Making Sashtanga Namaskar... then those who have attained the real knowledge... will give you Upadesha.”
Nana, I do not want this sort of collected purport of the whole stanza. Give me each word, its grammatical force and meaning.
Nana explained it word by word.
Nana, is it enough to merely make prostration?
I do not know any other meaning for the word ‘Pranipaat’ than ‘making prostration.’
What is ‘Pariprashna’?
Asking questions.
What does ‘Prashna’ mean?
The same (questioning).
If ‘Pariprashna’ means the same as ‘Prashna’ (question), why did Vyasa add the prefix ‘Pari’? Was Vyasa off his head?
I do not know of any other meaning for the word ‘Pariprashna.’
‘Seva’, what sort of ‘Seva’ is meant?
Just what we are doing to You.
Is it enough to render such service?
I do not know, what more is signified by the word ‘Seva’.
In the next line ‘Upadekshyanti te Gnyanam’, can you read any other word in lieu of Gnyanam?
Yes.
What word?
Agnyanam.
Taking that word (instead of gnyan) is any meaning made out of the verse?
No, Shankara Bhashya gives no such construction.
Never mind, if he does not. Is there any objection in using the word ‘Agnyan’ if it gives a better sense?
I do not understand, how to construe by placing ‘Agnyan’ in it.
Why does Krishna refer Arjun to Tattwadarshis to do his prostration, interrogation and service? Was not Krishna, a Tattwadarshi, in fact Gnyan itself.
Yes, He was. But, I do not make out, why he referred Arjun to Gnyanis?
Have you not understood this?

Nanasaheb immediately understood his limited knowledge of the subject, felt very humiliated. Baba seeing the pride now broken, went ahead and provided the correct interpretation to the sloka.

  1. It is not enough merely to prostrate before the Gnyanis. We must make Sarvasva Sharanagati (complete surrender) to the Sadguru.
  2. Mere questioning is not enough. The question must be earnest, made with a view to achieve spiritual progress — not to trap the Guru or out of idle curiosity.
  3. Seva is not rendering service with the feeling of freedom to offer or refuse. One must feel that the body is the Guru’s and exists merely to render service.

Baba continued to provide many explaination on the different verse of Gita and their signification in one's life. Nanasaheb continued to raise question on Guru and Agyan and got first hand view on the depth of knowledge in Baba. He finally understood that Baba, who was one with Krishna and God Incarnate, would be the right person to provide the correct interpretation for Gita. As rain does not just fall on one tree but the entire forest without any bias. Everyone present in the masjid got blessed by seeing and hearing the explaination. Till then, many had the feeling that Baba did not know much about Sanskrit or Vedas or Gita but with this leela, it further strengthed their belief that Baba was not a normal saint but one with Almighty and should be revered.

*OM SRI SAI NADHAYA NAMAHA*