.: ॐ साई राम :.
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.
