As is in Shri Sai Satcharita, by Hemadpant .. Chapter II Page 5

Om Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai

"When I do not know the life of my intimate friend nor do I know my own mind, then how can I write the life of a saint or describe the nature of Incarnations.  which even the Vedas were unable to do?  One must be a saint himself, before he could know other saints, otherwise how can I describe their glory?  To write the life of a saint is the most difficult, though one may as well measure the depth of the water of the seven seas or enclose the sky with cloth-trappings.  I knew, that this was the most venturous undertaking, which might expose me to ridicule.  I, therefore, invoked Sai Baba's grace.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

As is in Shri Sai Satcharita, by Hemadpant .. Chapter II Page 5

Om Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai

I heard other miracles of Sai Baba to my great delight, and this delight burst forth into this poetic work.  I also thought, that the description of these grand miracles of Sai Baba would be interesting, and instructive to His devotees; and would remove their sins, and so I began to write the sacred life and teachings of Sai Baba.  The life of the saint is neither logical nor dialectical.  It shows us the true and great path.

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

"Ladies, are you gone mad?  Whose father's property are you looting away?  Have I borrowed any wheat from you, so that you can safely take the flour?  Now do this.  Take the flour and throw it on the village border limits."

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

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: