माँ महागौरी

श्वेते वृषे समारूढा श्वेताम्बरधरा शुचिः |
महागौरी   शुभं  दधान्महादेवप्रमोददा ||

माँ दुर्गा जी की आठवीं शक्ति का नाम महागौरी है | इनका वर्ण पूर्णत: गौर है | इनकी गौरता की उपमा शंख, चक्र और कुंद के फूल से की गई है | इनकी आयु आठ वर्ष की मानी गई है- ' अष्टवर्षा भवेद गौरी ' | इनके वस्त्र एवं समस्त आभूषण आदि भी श्वेत है | इनकी चार भुजाएं है | इनका वाहन वृषभ है | इनके ऊपर के दाहिना हाथ अभय-मुद्रा में तथा नीचे वाले दाहिने हाथ में त्रिशूल है | ऊपर वाले बायें हाथ में डमरू और नीचे वाले बायें हाथ में वर मुद्रा है | इनकी मुद्रा अत्यंत शांत है | अपने पार्वती रूप में जब इन्होने शिव जी को पति रूप में पाने के लिए तपस्या की थी तो इनका रंग काला पड़ गया था | इनकी तपस्या से प्रसन्न होकर भगवान् शिव ने इनके शरीर को पवित्र गंगा-जल से मल कर धोया तब इनका शरीर बिजली की चमक के सामान अत्यंत क्रन्तिमान-गौर हो गया | तभी से इनका नाम महागौरी पड़ा |

     

Sai Baba and the Lost Horse of Chand Bhai

In Maharashtra, there is a district named Aurangabad, in which there is a village named Dhoopkhed. Chandbhai was the patel of that village.  Once he lost his horse. Chandbhai searched and searched, but to no avail. A week after, while he was on the search, he noticed by the roadside a young lad of sixteen, having sedate looks and wearing the garb of a fakir.  This beautiful boy with lustrous eyes at once captured Chandbhai’s heart.  Reading, as if the onlooker’s mind, the fakir beckoned Chandbhai and asked, “What are you looking for, patel?”    “I have lost my horse. For this whole week, I am searching him,” said Chand, approaching the fakir, with folded hands.     “Then why go further? Your animal is grazing beyond that hedge, there, look!” told the fakir, with a gentle smile, pointing to a thick hedge beyond which nothing could really be seen. Chandbhai went and saw, and lo! The horse was found quietly grazing there. Chandbhai was awe-struck. How did this fakir recognize him as the patel, how did the boy know that there was a horse beyond the hedge and that it belonged to him – all this struck him with wonder. He was convinced that the boy had a spark of Divinity in him. As Chandbhai related this incident among his friends and   neighbours, the boy’s fame spread like a drop of oil on the surface of water. A few months later, a marriage procession went from Dhoopkhed to Shirdi. The boy-fakir also accompanied it.  When the procession reached the outskirts of Shirdi, it stopped to pay homage to God khandoba. Mhalsapati, the priest of Khandoba temple, eyed the fakir, and, out of spontaneous admiration, exclaimed, ”welcome, ye   Sai Baba”.  It was as if the Divine Will that had given the boy this name, for that very name stuck to him all his life. From that day (1854), the boy stayed in Shirdi.

BABA, THE SUPREME PHYSICIAN & HEALER

ॐ साईं राम

During the first years of His stay at Shirdi, Baba used to give some sort of a medicine  (traditional medicine given in Indian villages) to the sick people and had earned reputation as an village doctor. He continuously prayed God day and night. At a certain point of time He started giving Udi as the panacea for all maladies, physical ailments etc. some treatments given by Him were most unconventional.

At Shirdi while devotees took leave of Baba He gave the sacred ash of His dhuni (sacred fire) to the devotees as a gesture of His blessings. It conferred health, prosperity and freedom from anxiety and fear. Even today the sacred ash collected from perpetual fire at Shirdi is sure cure for all maladies – physical as well as mental. It works miraculously and graciously in the moments of distress and utter despair – as an unseen hand extended by Him.

The devotees either apply it on their forehead or take a pinch of it in the mouth or sometimes take it orally mixed with little water as medicine. It is more than proved that power of this sacred ash is far greater and reliable than any medical system developed by man so far. It is to be taken with genuine faith or earnest hope, and this works as the ultimate medicine.