BABA ATTAINING SAMADHI (leaving His gross body)

by Jai Sai Ram on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 12:53pm

Original Samadhi

It was 15th of October of the year 1918, on Tuesday at about 2.35 in the afternoon that the Supreme Master, Sai Baba of Shirdi breathed His last.  His self-allotted labour of love in His gross body was perhaps finished.  The last words that He uttered were that He should be taken to an adjoining 'wada' (building) as He did not feel well in the masjid. As the Master shed His gross body all men and women  plunged into agonizing grief.

Baba had given indication of the approach of His 'Mahasamadhi'  (shedding His mortal body) in as early as 1916 on the same day, that is the day of Dussehra (a festival in India marking the victory of Good over evil).  A few weeks before His passing out of gross body He sent a message to a Muslim saint in Aurangabad, "Allah is taking away the lamp He placed here.”  On hearing this that fakir shed tears.

Surprisingly, the 15th October 1918, which was a day of Hindu festival Dussehra also happened to be the day of Moharram (A Muslim festival) and Buddha Jayanti (A Buddhist festival). The departure of Baba on such a day was symbolic of His universal approach to human problems cutting across all religions, nationalities, castes, social differentiation and all such manmade barriers.

After Baba passed away there was a dispute about how and where Baba's mortal remains should be interred.  At the end, all disputes and controversy were smoothed out and His Hindu and Muslim devotees alike decided to inter the body of the Master in ‘Buti Wada’, as desired by the Master Himself.  The physical body of the gracious Guru, the Supreme Master, was laid to rest in the central hall with due formalities, sanctity and honour, but His Eternal Spirit rises from the tomb to proclaim to His followers again and again the indisputable evidence of His resurrection and life.  The Supreme Master had often promised and assured that His tomb would speak and move with those who made Him their sole refuge. His final rest is in Samadhi Temple, which is open to all caste, creed and religion as a Gateway to God.

The sound of eternity emerged from Baba’s heart every limb, every bone and every pore of His body.