Shiridi Sai Baba Bhaktas - BAPUSAHEB JOG

BAPUSAHEB JOG

Jog  did  the  arati  puja  in  the  masjid  and  the  chavdi,  thrice  a  day and continued till Baba’s   Mahasamadhi.  Besides  puja  to  Baba,  he  was  also daily  reading and   Jnaneshwari  and    Eknathi   Bhagwat    in   Sathewada to    the   pilgrim-visitors   as   he   was   a   renowned   Sanskrit scholar. He thus  served  both  Sai  Baba and Upasani Baba  till his last breath. His soul was a blessed one.

Sakharam Hari alias Bapusaheb Jog was a resident of Poona and had no children. After his retirement from P.W Department in 1906, he came and lived in Shirdi with his wife, Mrs.Tai Jog. Both of them had unswerving faith in Baba and served and worshipped Baba with utmost devotion. After Megha’s death, Jog did the arati puja in the masjid and the chavdi, thrice a day and continued till Baba’s Mahasamadhi. Thus he performed puja to Baba for the longest period of seven years. Besides puja to Baba, he was also daily reading and explaining Jnaneshwari (a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna) and Eknathi Bhagwat in Sathewada and the devotees and pilgrims were listening. He was conducting the regular religious classes in Sathewada for the benefit of the pilgrims. He was highly proficient in Sanskrit language and also in religious scriptures. After giving permission to Jog to read pothi daily in the Sathewada, Baba would ask the devotees who came for his darshan to go to Sathewada and listen to Jnaneshvari which is a commentary on the Bhagvat Gita which is also called Bhavarth Deepika.  The 11^th Chapter of Bhavarth Deepika or Bhagvat Gita, also called (Nath) Bhagvat is the quintessence of Eknath’s exposition of spiritual pursuits.

 Jog observed utmost austerity during his entire life in Shirdi. Jog and his wife would get up at 3-00 a.m. every day and take bath in cold water at the well near Dikshitwada. He would attend morning arati of Baba in Dwarakamai. He would accompany Baba during Baba's visit to lendibagh and when he was not accompanying Baba, he would recite religious scriptures like Bhagwat Gita at home until Baba returned from lendibagh. Then he would participate in the preparation of naivedya (an offering to god) and offer naivedya to a holy person of Baba's choice. He would also attend noon arati to Baba in the masjid and then go home with a guest sent by Baba for lunch. In the afternoon at about 3-30 p.m. he would come to masjid and read Eknath Bhagwat upto evening. When Baba was in chavadi (village public hall) on alternative days, he would attend the night arati at 9-30 p.m. Thus Jog performed and discharged these duties with utmost devotion uninterruptedly for seven years. From Jan,1912 onwards, Jog started performing arati to Baba in the masjid and also in the chavadi till the Mahasamadhi of Baba. He was a devotee of Baba of the highest order.

Jog served Baba in this fashion for several years and even then he did not attain mental peace and contentment and did not acquire spirituality. Once in Shirdi, his wife was unwell and was not taking any medicines as she had unswerving faith in Baba, but her illness did not come down. So she lost patience and wanted to go away from Shirdi to the place of her parents. But when she was about to go away from Shirdi, she suddenly became well and did not leave Shirdi.

Once Baba asked Jog to give dakshina, knowing fully well that he did not have any money with him. Consequently he became angry. But Baba told him not to get angry and lose temper.

In the past once Jog had lent money to some relative of his wife when he was in service and he did not repay. Based on his present bad financial position, he wanted to go to Aurangabad town to recover the money from that person, if necessary by legal process as about 14 years had elapsed since he lent the money. He then approached Baba for his permission to go to Aurangabad. But Baba advised him not to go and refused permission. Baba also informed that the debtor himself would come to Shirdi shortly and advised him not to worry about it but have patience. Though Jog was unhappy in not getting Baba’s permission in this regard but he was helpless and stayed in Shirdi only. Then all of a sudden, the debtor came to Shirdi on his own and offered the principal amount to Jog who was happy at the turn of events. This had happened even though the debt was time barred and was also without any effort from the side of Jog. Though he was initially unhappy for not getting the interest also, on the principal amount, he accepted, on Baba's advice, the amount without interest. Any amount of legal process would not have helped him to recover the money when the debt was time barred. This was really a great miracle.

Once Jog wanted to perform annual ceremony to his deceased father and as he could not get a Brahmin priest of his sub caste for the purpose, he approached Baba’s permission to go to Kopargaon to get a priest. But Baba did not give permission to leave Shirdi. When he again asked on some other day, Baba again refused permission and also informed him that the Brahmin priest of the same sub caste would be coming on the particular day and that he would have no problem in the matter. On the day the ceremony was to be performed, two Brahmin priests of his sub caste came suddenly to Shirdi, had darshan of Baba and then went to Jog’s house on Baba’s instructions. Jog performed his father’s annual ceremony with their help. Jog was very happy at the unexpected turn of events and their arrival to Shirdi on that particular day. This was an example to show that Baba would take care of the needs of the devotees even in small matters.

One day, Jog told Baba that even though he was serving Baba and doing puja and performing arati to Baba in the masjid and the chavadi, he did not get mental peace and asked Baba as to when he was likely to get mental peace and Baba’s blessings. Baba told him that he should complete his enjoyment or result of his sinful acts in his previous births. Baba also told him that he should cultivate the habit of conquering anger, desire, and attachment and also resort to begging, and then only he would deserve to be blessed and he would then attain eternal peace. Afterwards, Jog’s wife passed away and he lost worldly interest and developed a sense of detachment. He then became a sanyasi (an ascetic) and started begging food for his living. As per Baba’s words, all these happened and in the process he became totally free and detached,  attained beatitude and supreme happiness. After Baba's Mahasamadhi, he then moved to Sakori (which was in glory; also visit the following paragraphs) and became a pujari (priest) to Upasani Baba in Sakori. Finally he passed away peacefully at the age of 70 

years in 1926. His samadhi is there in Sakori near Shirdi just opposite to the ashram. He thus served both Sai Baba and Upasani Baba till his last breath. His soul was a blessed one.

Sakori: During 1917 Upasani Maharaj laid the foundation for establishing Shri Upasani Kanyakumari Sthan or a hermitage for the spinsters meant to enable young Bramhacharins girls (spinsters) to learn Sanskrit and Vedas as well as to perform all the ritualistic functions according to Vedas and Upanishads. The participation of women in such functions was hitherto prohibited. The Sthan is situated at Sakori, about 6 KMs from Shirdi, in a quiet and calm village. This is actually a hermitage for spinsters to learn Sanskrit language, Vedas, Upanishads and perform yajnas or homas/sacrificial religious ceremonies with offerings to fire. It is equipped with modern amenities like mandaps, rooms for residents and guests, surrounded by little gardens. It was a haven of equanimity and purity with an atmosphere charged with positive vibrations. This ashram/hermitage stands as a proud monument of spiritual inspiration, a mighty creation of a simple ascetic who dared to elevate women to higher levels of spiritual growth and freedom and who proved that the women also could perform religious rituals on par with the men. This was an ideal and a revolutionary scheme started or kindled by Upasani Maharaj. The credit goes to him.

The first disciple of Upasani Maharaj was Godavari Matha who was admitted to the ashram when she was 10 years old. She was from Shegaon (the residence of Saint Gajanan Maharaj), Akola District in Maharashtra and was born in 1914. Upasani Maharaj appointed her as his spiritual successor before attaining samadhi in Sakori on 24.12. 1941. Godavari Matha attained samadhi on 11th of August 1990. She named no successor. Samadhis of Shri Upasani Maharaj and Godavari Mata are within the ashram premises. There is a yagna mandap. Yagnas were performed seven times in a year during all major Hindu festivals. Lord Ganesha visage or appearance which appeared on its own on a tree miraculously, can be seen. Devotees can worship the visage and their wishes are fulfilled. Dattatreya temple is located opposite the ashram.

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Om Sai Ram...