As is in Shri Sai Satcharita, by Hemadpant .. Chapter I Page 3

Om Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai

Sai Baba lived in Shiridi for about sixty years and during this long period, He did the business of grinding almost every day - not, however, the wheat alone; but the sins, the mental and physical afflictions and the miseries of His innumerable devotees.  The two stones of His mill consisted of Karma and Bhakti, the former being the lower and the latter the upper one.  The handle with which Baba worked the mill consisted of Jnana.  It was the firm conviction of Baba that knowledge or Self-realization is not possible, unless there is the prior act of grinding of all our impulses, desires, sins; and of the three gunas, viz. Sattva, Raja and Tama; and the Ahamkara, which is so subtle and therefore so difficult to be got rid of.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

As is in Shri Sai Satcharita, by Hemadpant .. Chapter I Page 3

Om Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai

I began to ask myself- What earthly connection was there between wheat flour and Cholera?  What was the casual relation between the two?  and how to reconcile them?  The incident seems to be inexplicable.  I should write something on this and sing to my heart's content Baba's Sweet Leelas.  Thinking in this way about this Leela, my heart was filled with joy and I was thus inspired to write Baba's Life - The Satcharita.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

As is in Shri Sai Satcharita, by Hemadpant .. Chapter I Page 3

Om Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai

They replied that as the Cholera Epidemic was spreading in the village and this was Baba's remedy against the same; it was not wheat that was ground but Cholera itself was ground to pieces and pushed out of the village.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

As is in Shri Sai Satcharita, by Hemadpant .. Chapter I Page 1, 2

Om Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai

According to the ancient and revered custom, Hemadpant begins the work, Sai Satcharita, with vaiours salutations.

(1) First, he makes obeisance to the God Ganesha to remove all obstacles and make the work a success and says that Shri Sai is the God Ganesha.

(2) Then, to the Goddess Saraswati to inspire him to write out the work and says that Shri Sai is one with this Goddess and that He is Himself singing His own life.

(3) Then, to the Gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar - the Creating, Preserving and Destroying Deities respectively; and says that Sainath is one with them and He as the great Teacher, will carry us across the River of Worldly Existence.

(4) Then, to his tutelary Deity Narayan Adinath who manifested himself in Konkan - the land reclaimed by Parashurama, (Rama in the Hindi version) from the sea; and to the Adi (Original) Purusha of the family.

(5) Then, to the Bharadwaja Muni, into whose gotra (clan)he was born and also to various Rishis.  Yagyavalakya, Bhrigu, Parashara, Narad, Vedavyasa, Sanak, Sanandan, Sanatkumar, Shuka, Shounak, Vishwamitra, Vasishtha, Valmiki, Vamadeva, Jaimini, Vaishampayan, Nava Yogindra etc., and also modern Saints such as Nivritti, Jnanadev, Sopan, Muktabai, Janardan, Ekanath, Namdev, Tukaram, Kanha, and Narahari etc.

(6)Then, to his grandfather Sadashiv, father Raghunath, his mother, who left him in his infancy, to his paternal aunt, who brought him up, and to his loving elder brother.

(7) Then, to the readers and prays them to give their whole and undivided attention to his work.

(8) And lastly, to his Guru Shri Sainath - an Incarnation of Shri Dattatreya, Who is his sole Refuge and Who will make him realize that Brahman is the Reality and the world and illusion; and incidentally, to all the Beings in whom the Lord God Dwells.

After describing in brief the various modes of devotion according to Parashara, Vyasa and Shandilya etc., the author goes on to relate the following story:

As is in Shri Sai Satcharita, by Hemadpant .. Chapter III Page 20

Om Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai

The Sadhana for Krita Age was Shamadama(tranquility of mind and body), for Treta Age, sacrifice, for Dwapara, worship, and for Kali (present) Age, it is singing of the name and glory of the Lord.  This last Sadhana is open to all the people of the four varnas (Brahmins, etc).  The other Sadhanas, viz. Yoga, Yagya (sacrifice), Dhyana (meditation) and Dharana (concentration) are very difficult to practice, but singing and hearing the stories and the glory of the Lord (sai Baba) is very easy.  We have only to turn our attention towards them.  The listening and singing of the stories will remove the attachment to the senses and their objects, and will make the devotees dispassionate, and will ultimately lead them to self-relization.  With this end in view, Sai Baba made me or helped me to write His stories, Sat-Charitamrita.  The devotees may now easily read and hear these stories of Sai Baba and while doing so, meditate on Him, His form and thus attain devotion to Guru and God (Sai Baba), get detachment and self-relization.  In the preparation and writing of this work, Sat-Charitamrita, it is Sai Baba's grace which has accomplished everything, making use of me as a mere instrument.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to All

As is in Shri Sai Satcharita, by Hemadpant .. Chapter III Page 20

Om Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai

Light houses are constructed at various places in the sea, to enable the boatmen to avoid rocks and dangers, and make them sail safely.  Sai Baba's stories serve a similar purpose in the ocean of worldly existence.  They surpass nectar in sweetness, and make our worldly path smooth and easy to traverse.  Blessed are the stories of the saints.  When they enter our hearts through the ears, the body - consciousness or egoism and the sense of duality vanish; and whe they are stored in the heart, doubts fly out to all sides, pride of the body will fall, and wisdom will be stored in abundance.  The description of Baba's pure fame, and the hearing of the same, with love, will destroy the sins of the devotee and, therefore, this is the simple Sadhana for attaining salvation.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

As is in Shri Sai Satcharita, by Hemadpant .. Chapter III Page 15

Om Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai

I request the readers to leave out the various hindrances viz, indolence, sleep, wandering of mind, attachments to senses, etc. and turn their whole and undivided attention to these stories of Sai Baba.  Let their love be natural, let them know the secret of devotion; let them not exhaust themselves by other Sadhanas, let them stick to this one simple remedy, i..e., listening to Sai Baba's stories.  This will destroy their ignorance and will secure for them salvation.  A miser may stay at various places, but he always thinks of his buried treasure.  So let Sai Baba be enthroned in the hearts of all.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all