Shirdi Sai Baba’s belief in the Vishnu Sahasranam was tremendous. It’s clearly evident when one goes through the Chapter XXVII of Shri Sai Satcharita. Shama was a very intimate devotee of Sai Baba, and Baba wanted to favour him in a particular way by giving him a copy of the Vishnu Sahasranam as Prasad. This was done in the following way.
Once, a Ramadasi (a great devotee of Lord Ram) came to Shirdi and stayed there for some time. The routine that he followed daily was as follows :-
He got up early in the morning, washed his face, bathed and then after wearing saffron-coloured clothes and besmearing himself with sacred ashes, read the Vishnu Sahasranam (a book giving a thousand names in praise of Lord Vishnu) and the Adhyatma Ramayan (The Adhyatma Ramayan is an epic spread across 4200 double verses, and considered a treatise of Vedantic philosophy and study of Advaita (non-dualistic) philosophy. It is supposed to have provided Tulsidas (1511-1637 A.D.) the inspiration to write his seminal work the Ramcharitmanas.). The Ramdasi read these books often and often, and then after some days Baba thought of favouring and initiating Shama with the Vishnu Sahasranam.
One day, while the Ramadasi was reading the Vishnu Sahasranam, Baba sent him out on an errand. He obeyed Baba and stopped the Parayan in the middle. After the Ramdasi left, Baba took the Vishnu Sahasranam book of the Ramdasi and gave it to Shama, saying, “Oh Shama ! this book is very valuable and efficacious; so I present it to you, you read it. Once, I suffered intensely and my heart began to palpitate and my life was in danger. At that critical time, I hugged this book to my heart and then, O Shama ! What a relief it gave me ! I thought that Allah Himself came down and saved me. So, I give this book to you; read it slowly, little by little, read daily one name at least and it will do you good.”
Shama thought that Baba wanted to set him up against the Ramdasi by this act of His; but he had no idea of what Baba felt for him. Baba must have thought to tie this necklace of the Vishnu Sahasranam round the neck of Shama, as he was an intimate devotee, and thus save him from the miseries of the worldly existence. The efficacy of God’s Name is well-known. It is so easy and so effective. This Sadhana, Baba wanted Shama to practise, though he did not crave for it. So, Baba forced this on him. The reading and study of the Vishnu Sahasranam is a broad open way of purifying the mind, and hence Baba thrust this on His Shama.
Shama hesitated to take the book as it belonged to the Ramdasi who was an angry and quarrelsome person. Shama replied that he did not want it and that the owner of it, the Ramdasi who was a mad, obstinate and irritable fellow would certainly pick up a quarrel with him; and besides, being a rustic himself, he could not read distinctly the Sanskrit letters of the book.
But, Shama in fact failed to understand that Baba’s aim was to do him good. On his return, the Ramdasi learnt about this and created a scene even though Shama narrated the facts. Then, Baba called Ramdasi and said to him, “O Ramdasi, why are you in an angry and quarrelsome mood ? Shama had nothing to do in the matter. I gave the book to him. Is he not my child ? Why are you so turbulent ? Why are you quarreling with him unnecessarily ? Can’t you speak soft and sweet words ? Even though you read sacred books daily, your mind still is impure and your passions uncontrolled. What sort of a Ramdasi you are ! A real Rambhakta should practice equality and detachment and not attachment. With money you can purchase any number of books, but not persons. You ought to think well and act intelligently, and be indifferent to all things. Is it not strange that you should covet this book so strongly ? You know this book ‘by heart’. Let Shama also read this and be benefitted. If you desire, you can have some other book from Shama in exchange for your book.” How sweet were these words of Baba, soft, tender and nectar-like ! Their effect was wonderful.
Hearing this loving advice from Baba, the Ramdasi cooled down and accepted the Pancharatna Gita from Shama, in exchange for his own copy of the Vishnu Sahasranam.
Here, we see the wonderful effects of Guru’s grace. Anger was quenched with love and Baba loved Ramdasi in spite of his quarrelsome qualities. He gave loving spiritual instructions and the words took root. The Sadhana of the Ramdasi for all those years bore fruit.
The above speech of Baba was not only intended for Ramdasi but to all of us. Even though we read a lot of religious books or spend our time in the worship of God, there will not be any benefit unless our hearts get purified. Baba favoured not only Shama but also the Ramdasi by giving him some valuable spiritual lessons.
We should get rid of ‘attachments’ to outside things and the words ‘I’ and ‘mine’. We must always think that all are one and equal. Everyone should try for such a change of hearts.