Podcasts by The Essential Sai Satcharita

Chapter 53 - Historical Commentary from 2021-07-13T07:20

Chapter 52 - Historical Commentary from 2021-07-13T07:10

Chapter 51 - Historical Commentary from 2021-07-13T06:59

Chapter 50 - Historical Commentary from 2021-07-13T06:50

Chapter 49 - Historical Commentary from 2021-07-13T06:40

Chapter 48 - Historical Commentary from 2021-07-13T06:30

Chapter 47 - Historical Commentary from 2021-07-13T06:20

Chapter 46 - Historical Commentary from 2021-07-13T06:10

Chapter 45 - Historical Commentary from 2021-07-13T06:00

Chapter 42-43-44 - Historical Commentary from 2021-07-13T05:40

Chapter 41 - Historical Commentary from 2021-07-13T05:18

Chapter 40 - Historical Commentary from 2021-07-13T05:11:09

Chapter 39 - Historical Commentary from 2021-02-22T07:14:09

Chapter 38 - Historical Commentary from 2021-02-19T22:00

Chapter 37 - Historical Commentary from 2021-02-19T21:30

Chapter 36 - Historical Commentary from 2021-02-19T20:50

Chapter 35 - Historical Commentary from 2021-02-19T20:20

Chapter 34 - Historical Commentary from 2021-02-19T19:59:44

Chapter 33 - Historical Commentary from 2021-02-19T19:33:02

Chapter 32 - Historical Commentary from 2021-02-19T19:26:06

Chapter 31 - Historical Commentary from 2021-02-19T19:01:51

Chapter 30 - Historical Commentary from 2021-01-25T19:00

Chapter 29 - Historical Commentary from 2021-01-25T18:11:44

Chapter 28 - Historical Commentary from 2020-12-10T22:14:06

Chapter 28 describes the incredible ways in which Baba drew his devotees to Shirdi. Baba pulled Lala Lakhmichand, the Burhanpur lady and Megha to Shirdi, like a boy who pulls a sparrow with a stri...

Chapter 27 - Historical Commentary from 2020-12-02T02:47:12

The Leelas in chapter 27 give us a glimpse of Baba's love for Shama, and how He wanted to give Shama several religious texts so that he could benefit from them. The first story is about Kaka Mahaja...

Chapter 26 - Historical Commentary from 2020-11-30T04:59:23

The first Leela in Chapter 26 is about Bhakta Pant, who, in order to avoid committing Guru Droha, takes permission from his guru before visiting Shirdi for Baba’s Darshan. The next story is about t...

Chapter 25 - Historical Commentary from 2020-11-26T03:08:46

The Leelas in chapter 25 are all about Damu Anna Rasne, and how he sought refuge at Baba's feet as he had no offspring, and the unique way in which Baba blesses him by giving him four mangoes. Two ...

Chapter 24 - Historical Commentary from 2020-11-12T06:27:18

In the first Leela of Chapter 24, Baba explains the importance of sharing food with others and offering it first to God and the Guru before consuming it ourselves. In the next Leela, we get a glimp...

Chapter 23 - Historical Commentary from 2020-11-12T06:20:02

In chapter 23, we are presented with the story of Ram Baba, a yogi who was unable to achieve the state of Samadhi even for a few minutes. When he came to Shirdi and saw Baba eating stale Bhakri wit...

Chapter 22 - Historical Commentary from 2020-11-02T23:56:18

In chapter 22 of the Sai Satcharita, the incredible Leela of Das Ganu's wish to go to Prayag and have a bath in the Sangam, or the confluence, of the Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswathi rivers is describe...

Chapter 21 - Historical Commentary from 2020-11-02T23:32:33

Chapter 21 highlights the importance of the Navavidha Bhakti, or nine modes of devotion. By way of a parable narrated to a devotee, who went to Baba seeking peace of mind, Baba speaks about the imp...

Chapter 20 - Historical Commentary from 2020-10-19T00:25:01

Chapter 20 of the Sai Satcharita is all about Das Ganu's quest to find the deeper meaning of the Isha Upanishad, as he was writing a commentary on it. However, he was not satisfied with his underst...

Chapter 18&19 - Historical Commentary from 2020-10-19T00:20:15

Chapters 18 and 19 of the Sri Sai Satcharita beautifully describe the story of Sathe, Radhabai Deshmukh and Dabholkar, and the Leela of Baba climbing on top of the roof of Radhakrishna Mai's house ...

Chapter 16&17 - Historical Commentary from 2020-10-19T00:07:20

In these two combined chapters, a man comes to Baba seeking Brahma Gyan. As the Leela unfolds, Baba plays along with his request, and in the process, shows the man his shortcomings, thereby instruc...

Chapter 15 - Historical Commentary from 2020-10-18T23:35:55

Chapter 15 describes how Baba explained to Das Ganu the style of Kirtan by Naarad, and how he made Cholkar drink tea saturated with sugar after fulfilment of his vow. And lastly, how, from their ch...

Chapter 14 - Historical Commentary from 2020-10-18T23:25:05

In chapter 14, the main story is of an affluent land owner, Ruttonji Shapurji Wadia. It is beautifully described. Shethji had all the comforts that wealth could provide. However, though he appeared...

Chapter 13 - Historical Commentary from 2020-10-18T22:55:22

This chapter is all about Baba curing His devotees with rather unusual modalities, and they are beautifully described, like Bala Shimpi was asked to feed a black dog curd rice, and he was relieved ...

Chapter 12 - Historical Commentary from 2020-08-24T15:19:40

In chapter 12, these are the Leelas about Kaka Mahajani, Dhumal and Mrs. Nimonkar about the stretch of time that they may, or may not, stay in Shirdi. Baba is Rajadhiraj, and it is totally dependen...

Chapter 11 - Historical Commentary from 2020-07-27T12:27:30

Chapter 11 is a powerful chapter. It is so important that many devotees read it every day. Some of them have learnt it by heart and recite it daily, or in times of need, or during a crisis in thei...

Chapter 10 - Historical Commentary from 2020-07-19T13:51:57

In chapter eight of the Shri Sai Satcharita, it is described how Tatya, Mhalsapati and Baba slept on the floor, with their feet together and their heads towards the east, west and north, respective...

Chapter 10 - A Deeper Understanding from 2020-07-19T13:49

Chapter 10 is especially dear to me. When I read this chapter, I felt vindicated, in a way - vindicated on what I was suggesting was Sai Baba's deeper message beyond the miracles that He performed....

Chapter 9 - Historical Commentary from 2020-07-19T13:44:43

In chapter 9, almost the entire chapter is dedicated to the Tarkhad family. The Leelas are beautifully described, so a little of the background is given here. They hailed from Tarkhad village near ...

Chapter 9 - A Deeper Understanding from 2020-07-19T13:42

Chapter 9 is primarily about two incidents - rather, many incidents - but pertaining to two topics. One is taking permission from Sai Baba before leaving His presence. This is more important than i...

Chapter 8 - Historical Commentary from 2020-07-19T13:38:03

In chapter number 8, ovi 117, it says Tatya and Mhalsapati both slept in the mosque. Their heads used to be in the east, west and north, while their feet would touch each other in the centre. Thus,...

Chapter 8 - A Deeper Understanding from 2020-07-19T13:36

Chapter 8 is the chapter that I would like to dedicate to Hemadpant. We can see why he was chosen by Baba for this exercise. It is no accident when a Master chooses a devotee for a certain task. An...

Chapter 7 - Historical Commentary from 2020-07-19T13:32:08

Vinny Ma's Commentary Bhagoji Shinde's seva In chapter seven, Baba puts His hand in the raging Dhunimai and pulls out the blacksmith's child who inadvertently fell into the furnace. The child was...

Chapter 7 - A Deeper Understanding from 2020-07-19T13:30

Chapter 7 is one which I found very insightful because it describes so much about Sai Baba Himself, the first being this radical acceptance of both Hindus and Muslims and to what an amazing degree ...

Chapter 6 - Historical Commentary from 2020-07-19T06:00

The main stories of chapter six are about the celebration of the Urus and the Ram Navami festivals, and the renovation of the Masjid. At the time of the construction of the Sabha Mandap, Baba flew ...

Chapter 6 - A Deeper Understanding from 2020-07-19T05:58

Gautam Sachdeva's Commentary: Good evening everyone. In chapter six of the Sai Satcharita, two points struck me which I feel are worth exploring. One is where it is said "May the mind be absorbed...

Chapter 5 - Historical Commentary from 2020-07-16T01:55:57

Chapter 5 - A Deeper Understanding from 2020-07-16T01:51:52

Chapter 5 - Gautam Sachdeva's Commentary True Poverty Good afternoon everyone. In chapter five, let us specifically explore one sentence which Baba would always say. So here it is mentioned- pove...

Chapter 4 - Historical Commentary from 2020-07-16T01:50:54

Chapter 4 - Vinny Ma's Commentary Baba is all pervasive, everlasting and immortal. Leela Number One Baba said "My Guru has taken me away from this", pointing to His body, that is, His Guru helped...

Chapter 4 - A Deeper Understanding from 2020-07-16T01:48:56

Chapter 4 - Gautam Sachdeva's Commentary Das Ganu & The Holy Rivers Now when we look at chapter four, the focal point is the story where Das Ganu has a wish to take a dip in the holy rivers th...

Chapter 3 - Historical Commentary from 2020-07-16T01:46:51

Chapter 3 - A Deeper Understanding from 2020-07-16T01:45:50

Chapter 3 - Gautam Sachdeva's Commentary Story of the Rohilla and Baba We come to the third chapter. Now, this chapter actually proves to us that the Satcharita works on various levels. It may app...

Chapter 2 - Historical Commentary from 2020-07-16T01:27:16

In Chapter 2, Dabholkar witnesses Baba grinding wheat, and the villagers tell him that Baba thus prevented the cholera epidemic from entering the village. He is intrigued, and decides to write the ...

Chapter 2 - A Deeper Understanding from 2020-07-16T01:25:33

Chapter 2 - Gautam Sachdeva's Commentary Guru-Disciple Relationship The second chapter is the most important one, because it sets the tone for the Guru-disciple relationship and it also defines th...

Chapter 2 from 2020-07-16T01:20:30

The Purpose Of This Work In the first Chapter, we witnessed Baba's leela in which He prevented the cholera epidemic from entering Shirdi by grinding wheat at the quern stone and having the flour s...

Chapter 1 - Historical Commentary from 2020-07-16T01:19:25

As in the beginning of any Pothi, Dabholkar starts with the invocation of the deities, and veneration of all the gods and goddesses, and seeks their blessings for the success of the sacred work tha...

Chapter 1 - A Deeper Understanding from 2020-07-16T01:18:20

Chapter 1- Gautam Sachdeva's Commentary Baba Sai and The Wheat Grinding Story Significance Coming to this first story in the Sri Sai Satcharita, I think it is no coincidence that this story is the...

Chapter 1 from 2020-07-16T01:15

It was during the early 1910s that Hemadpant went to visit Baba in Shirdi. It was then that he first witnessed the following incredible leela of Baba, and was inspired to write Baba's life story in...

Foreword by Vinny Chitluri from 2020-07-16T01:01:24

Introduction from 2020-07-16T00:39:15

The Sai Satcharita is the Bible for Sai Baba's devotees, in the truest sense of the word, as it chronicles the life and teachings of Baba. This sacred work has been documented by Baba's intimate de...