15 October 1918 SHIRDI SAI BABA ATTAINING SAMADHI

SHIRDI SAI BABA ATTAINING SAMADHI (leaving His gross body)

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.

Om Sri Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai