Aarti

Oh Sai Baba, we have lights before you, the bestower of happiness to the Jivas. Give us – Your servants and devotees rest under the dust of Your Feet, Burning (destroying) desire. You remain absorbed in Your Self, and show the Lord (God) to the aspirants. As one feels intently, You give him experiences or realizations accordingly. Oh kind-hearted, Your power is such! Meditation on Your name removes our fear of the samsar. Your method of word is really unfathomable as, You always help the poor and the helpless. In this Kali age You-the all-pervasive Datta, have really incarnated as Sagun Brahma. Ward off the fear of samsar of the devotees who come to You every Thursday, so as to enable them to see the Feet of the Lord. Oh God of Gods, I pray that let my treasure be the service of Your Feet. Feed Madhav (and Gadhij* also) with happiness as the cloud feeds the chatak bird with pure water, and thus keep up Your Word.

Amen! 

                 

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

The devotee who sings the Arti should utter his name also here.

The following is an excerpt from Dr. K.V. Raghava Rao's "Messages of Shri Sai Baba":

The birth and parentage of Sai Baba are wrapped in mystery. Many authors and scholars conclude from various proofs that Baba was born in 1838 in a Brahmin family at village Pathri in District Parabhani, Maharashtra State, India. The Brahmin parents handed over the tender child to the care of a fakir who in turn passed on the young child to a saintly person namely Gopal Rao Deshmukh--an ardent worshipper of Lord Venkateswara. Baba used to refer to him as his Guru "Venkusa." It is also stated that Baba practiced penance at the tomb of his Guru in the cellar under the "Neem” tree at Shirdi. 

Baba first came to Shirdi about the year 1854 and lived there for three years. He disappeared from there for sometime and returned to Shirdi with a marriage party in 1858 and lived there for sixty years till his Mahasamadhi in 1918. He lived a simple life in a dilapidated mosque. He never accumulated wealth. He advocated faith in God and tolerance towards all as the basic tenets for religious life. His compassion towards human beings and all creatures is the same. He is above caste, creed and religion. 

Impact of the precious immortal teachings, Leelas (Divine experiences) and miracles of Sri Sai Baba were greatly felt by numerous devotees who visited the place. Thus Shirdi has become a veritable place of pilgrimage. To His devotees, Baba has come to stay as the embodiment of Supreme Spirit, Primary Cause of the Universe, Pure Consciousness and God incarnate. Few years before His Mahasamadhi, Baba said that even after his passing away, He would speak from the Samadhi (tomb). This assurance came out absolutely true -- Baba seems to be more active now than when He was living. His ways of blessing the devotees are mysterious and inscrutable. 

May the loving grace and blessings of Sai Baba shower in abundance upon one and all in the universe.