At the feet of Baba: Chapter 5, Leela 1: Return with Chand Patil’s Marriage Party

Leela:

I shall describe first how Sai Baba returned to Shirdi after His disappearance.

There lived in the Aurangabad District (Nizam State), in a village called Dhoopkheda, a well-to-do Mohammedan gentleman by the name Chand Patil. While he was on a trip to Aurangabad, he lost his mare. He searched diligently for two long months but could not find the mare. Disappointed, he returned from Aurangabad with the saddle on his back. After walking 10 miles, he came upon a mango tree under which sat a gem among men. He had a cap on His head, wore kafni (beggar’s robe) and had a satka (baton) under His arm and was preparing to smoke a chillum (clay pipe). On seeing Chand Patil, He asked him to have a smoke and to rest a while. The Fakir asked him about the saddle. Chand Patil replied that he had lost his mare. The Fakir asked him to search at the nearby creek. He went, and wonder of wonders, he found the mare. It occurred to him that this Fakir was not an ordinary man, but an Avalia (a great saint). When he returned to the Fakir with the mare, the chillum was ready, but two things were wanting, (1) fire to light the pipe, and (2) water to wet the chhapi (piece of cloth through which smoke is drawn). The Fakir thrust a prong forcibly into the ground and pulled out a live ember, which He put in the pipe. He then dashed the Satka on the ground and water began to ooze. He wet the chhapi with that water, wrung it out and wrapped it around the pipe. The Fakir took a puff from the chillum and offered it to Chand Patil. On seeing all this, Chand Patil was wonderstruck. He invited the Fakir to his home and to accept his hospitality. The next day, the Fakir went to Chand Patil’s house and stayed there for some time. Chand Patil was the headman of Dhoopkheda. His wife’s brother’s son was to be married and the bride was from Shirdi. Chand Patil led the marriage procession to Shirdi and the Fakir accompanied him. The marriage went off without a hitch, and the party returned to Dhoopkheda, except for the Fakir, who remained there forever.

Based on: Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20^th Edition 2002), p23

Teachings from Leela:

1) A Sadguru is a vital guide for a spiritual seeker in order to attain his goal

A Sadguru is a guru (teacher) who has himself reached the spiritual goal of Enlightenment, and therefore is uniquely qualified to lead others to that goal.

Chand Patil’s distress on losing his horse is a metaphor of a person’s distress from being separated from some worldly object he is attached to. A Sadguru takes pity at the plight of the distressed individual and unites him with the object of his desire. After the individual is satisfied, the Sadguru then asks him to stop wandering and rest a little, a metaphor for pausing to contemplate upon one’s life, to understand the importance of leading a spiritual life. The Sadguru offers to share a chillum (clay pipe) with him. The clay pipe represents the seeker’s mortal body which will be discarded, and the burning ember his atman, the subtle body which survives from life to life. The offer to share the chillum is the offer of spiritual guidance.

Putting into Practice

Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.

1) A Sadguru is a vital guide for a spiritual seeker in order to attain his goal

If you don’t have a Sadguru, be on the lookout for one. It is said in our tradition that, when the time is right, a Sadguru will appear in your life. Be wary of pretenders, gurus who are not Enlightened themselves.

If you are fortunate enough to have a Sadguru, use the metaphor of this leela as a basis to understand your relationship with your Sadguru. Make full use of this valuable opportunity to advance in your spiritual path by earnestly following His instructions.

Mantra:

Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ

Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ

Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu

Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet

Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ

Meaning:

May all be prosperous and happy

May all be free from illness

May all see what is spiritually uplifting

May no one suffer

Om peace, peace, peace