Satsang Badrinath is Sainath and Sainath is Badrinath by Shri R. D. Nayak

Satsang Badrinath is Sainath and Sainath is Badrinath by Shri R. D. Nayak

Badrinath is Sainath and Sainath is Badrinath
When I stepped for the first time in Bombay on 6th June 1926 in search of
service, I was not aware of the name of Shirdi Sai Baba. By my good luck I
got service in a good institution. During the period of my service, I used
to hear often the words from the lips of my friends and others about Shri
Sai Baba of Shirdi, myself not knowing where Shirdi was and the route that
led to Shirdi. After the passage of some time, I came in contact with Shri
Gopal Ganesh Shriyan, whom I knew well, as a staunch devotee and also a
regular subscriber to "Shri Sai Leela" magazine. He used to receive the
copies of the said magazine -with a small packet of ‘Udi’. I was fortunate
to have the said magazines from him, which gave me immense pleasure and
peace of mind to go through the subsequent copies and thereby I came to know
the greatness of Shri Sai Baba and had a desire to go to Shirdi. Years
rolled on with this desire, but the opportune time did not come. Now, I am
turning to another story which has its link to the following narration.

Somewhere in March 1948, an impulse entered my mind to go on a pilgrimage to
Badrinath in the Himalayas; but I was all the while thinking whether I could
venture in such a hard task all alone without having a companion, who knew
the route and bad the experience of the route and the location of the
Shrine, to accompany me to make the journey comfortable. One day a close
neighbour of mine, staying in the adjacent building, came to know about my
intension to go to Badrinath. He told me that he had already gone to
Badrinath twice a few years ago and that he was thinking again to visit
Badri, if circumstances permitted. I thought it would be a pleasurable
journey to me also to accompany him, if God wills. On hearing this from him,
I thought it to be a good chance for me and I decided to accompany him. A
week's time was left for us to leave Bombay for Badri. Hence, I was
preparing myself with my bag and baggage. In the meanwhile
my companion, whom I had to accompany, got a telegram from his
daughter, in Delhi, stating that she was ill and that she expected his (her
father's) presence by her side. As a result of this my companion left Bombay
in haste for Delhi, of which I was not aware. A day prior to our fixed day
to start, I went as usual to his house to make sure of the day of our
starting from Bombay, I was told by his wife about the telegram
he received from his daughter, and he left Bombay for Delhi in a haste
and he had given his Delhi address for me to meet him at Delhi. At
this, I got disheartened as I did not know where I
have to contact him at Delhi, as I would be a stranger to that place. I.
reluctantly had to cancel my going to Delhi. So I was feeling
restless at heart. By this time, it was about 8 p. m. With these
disappointing thoughts alone, as there was no other alternative, I went
to sleep. At about 3 A.M., I had a dream in which, I saw that I was
walking on a jungle route of about two to two-and-a-half feet wide. It
was circuitous, full of thorns, pebbles and bushes on either side. On this
route leading to the Badrinath Shrine through the dense forest, I
and my companion were walking with a baggage hanging on
our shoulders. To my utter surprise, a big and horrible tiger suddenly
appeared before me at a distance of 10 to 12 feet from me, with its
terror-stricken mouth wide open, staring at me, I was aghast with full
perspiration and horrification all over the body. I knew not what to
do at this juncture; but remembered the life saving Holy names of Badrinath
and Sainath simultaneously. Lo, within a moment I perceived such a
horrible tiger being reduced gradually from its fearful form to that of a
cat and it jumped out of my way making it clear! No sooner this
happened, than I saw before me an old man having resemblance of Shri Sainath
staring at me. He reprimanded me thus:-
'You entertain difference between Badrinath and Sainath! What Badrinath
is, is Sainath and what Sainath is, is Badrinath Know
this well and do five thousand japa of my name". Telling me this He
disappeared. Accordingly I carried out His order, the next morning. It was
my good fortune to go to Shirdi for His darshan in January 1949.
Shri R. D. Nayak
Bombay

Source Shri Sai Leela Magazine Sep 1978)
this magazine can be read at www.saileelas.org