Spiritual Healing Using Sai Udi
The greatness of Udi is due to the spiritual grandeur of Shri Sai Baba. Baba always kept the sacred fire (dhuni) burning. The ash from the fire was called Udi. This Udi was freely distributed to the devotees, at the time of their departure from Shirdi. This can still be procured from Shirdi or any Sai temple which maintains Dhuni.
Through Udi, baba wanted to teach the following.
a) All the visible phenomena in the universe are as transient as the ash.
b) Our bodies composed of “Panch Tatva” (five elements), will fall down, after all their enjoyments are over and be reduced to ashes.
c) Through Udi, baba reminded the devotees that their bodies will be reduced to ashes.
d) Through Udi, baba also taught that the Brahma is the only reality and the universe is ephemeral. None in the world is really ours. We come here alone and we have to go from here alone.
Thus, the essence of Sai Baba distributing udi to his devotees was to sow the seeds of detachment, towards material world. Udi also helped devotees to move ahead in spiritual journey.
It has been found that the Udi cured many physical and mental maladies. Baba wanted to repeat into the devotees ears the principles of discrimination between the unreal and the real. He taught non-attachment for the unreal by his Udi and Dakshina. The Udi taught discrimination and dakshina taught non-attachment.
Unless we have these two things it is not possible for us to cross over the sea of our mundane existence. So Baba asked for Dakshina, and while the devotees took leave He gave Udi as Prasad, besmeared some of it on their foreheads and placed his boon- conferring hand on them.
When Baba was in a cheerful mood he used to merrily sing. One such song was “Oh playful Ram, come, come and bring with you sacks of Udi, “Baba used to sing in very clear and tender tones.
Besides the spiritual implication of Udi, it had also its material significance. It conferred health, prosperity, freedom from anxiety and many other worldly gains.
As far as Baba is concerned it is important to note that the real healing were in his words, desire and touch. Shama was healed from snake bite by his order “Go Get away, come down”. He ordered the poison not to rise in Shama’s body.
Hence, if devotees prayed for his healing with faith, patience and positive surrender Baba provided healing. If such qualities were in a Sai devotee, the udi proved to be “Ram Baan” (elixir) against all physical and spiritual remedies.
When Mr. Jyotindra Tarkhad (from his son’s biography) encountered with a Ghost, he picked some sand and considering it as Sai Udi prayed to Baba for protection. Immediately, the ghost disappeared. When he narrated the incident to Baba, he said that he helped the ghost get liberation. This means Udi can help in spiritual liberation of souls. This very fact makes Udi a potent spiritual protection from spiritual problems. It can also help the earth-bound souls or general ghost get liberation. The name and faith in Sai infused healing quality in sand by making it an effective Udi. Hence, faith in spiritual master is the real essence for any spiritual healing exercise. If faith is paramount anything can be used effectively as Sai Udi.
The following instances from Sai Satcharita prove this point:-
a) Once a friend of Narayanrao was stung by a scorpion and the pain caused by it was severe and unbearable. Udi is most efficacious in such cases; it is to be applied on the point of pain and so Narayanrao searched for it but found none. Then he stood before Baba’s picture and invoked Baba’s aid, chanted Baba’s name and taking out a pinch of the ashes of the joss stick burning in front of Baba’s picture and thinking it as Baba’s Udi applied it on the seat of pain and the sting. As soon as he moved his fingers, the pain vanished and both the persons were moved and felt delighted.
b) Once a devotee in Bandra, came to know that his daughter who was staying in another place was down with bubonic plague. He had no Udi with him so he sent word to Nanasaheb Chandorkar to send the same. Nanasaheb got this message enroute Thana railway station, when he was traveling with his wife to Kalyan. He had no Udi with him then. He therefore, took up some dust from the road, meditated upon Sai Baba, invoked his aid and applied it to his wife’s forehead. The devotee was very glad to learn that his daughter, who was suffering for three days, began to improve from the moment Nanasaheb invoked Baba’s aid near the Thana Railway Station.
In this particular case it is important to note that patient was not even nearby when Baba’s help was sought. Yet the cure commenced immediately. This means that Sai Udi had the capacity to provide distant healing as well.
Other instances of cure through Udi (as per Sai Satcharita)
a) Doctor’s Nephew: - In Malegaon (Dist. Nasik), there lived a doctor. His Nephew suffered from an incurable disease – tubercular bone abcess. When medical healing failed to give any relief he was brought to Shirdi. The parents prostrated before Baba, placed the boy before him and pleaded humbly and implored him to save their son. The merciful Baba comforted them saying “Those who resort to this Masjid, shall never suffer anything in this life to the end of time. Now do not worry! Apply Udi on the abcess and within a week he will recover. With the application of Udi, he began to recover, and was all right after some days. The parents then left Shirdi with their son, thanking Baba for the cure, which was effected by Udi and Baba’s gracious looks.
b) Dattopant from Harda, suffered from stomach ache for about fourteen years. None of the remedies gave him any relief. Then on hearing Baba’s fame that he cures diseases by sight, he ran to Shirdi and fell at Baba’s feet. Baba looked at him kindly and gave him blessings. When Baba placed His hand on his head and gave him Udi with blessings, he felt relieved and there was no further trouble about the malady.
c) Dr. Pilley: - He suffered very badly from guinea worms. Pain was unbearable. When he was bought in front of Baba he said that a crow will come and peck at you, and then you will recover. When Sai Baba was saying this Abdul’s (who cleaned the Masjid) foot accidently fell upon the stretched leg of Dr. Pilley. The leg was already swollen and when the foot pressed it all the seven guinea worms were squeezed out at once. The pain was unbearable but it soon subsided. Baba said Abdul was the crow he was referring to. By application of the Udi and by taking it orally with water, without taking any other treatment, the disease was completely cured in ten days, as assured by Baba.
d) Shama’s sister in law was cured of fever and bubonic plague in a night by applying udi on the bubos and partaking Udi mixed with water.
e) Irani’s daughter: - His young daughter got fits every hour. Someone recommended Baba’s Udi to her father. Then the Iranian gentleman got the Udi and gave it, mixed with water to his daughter daily for drinking. In the beginning the convulsions, which were coming hourly, came every seven hours, and after a few days the daughter recovered completely.
f) Harda gentleman: - He was suffering from a stone in his kidney. He was too old and weak for surgery. On recommendation of a devotee of Baba he procured some Udi. After mixing this Udi in water drank it. Within minutes the stone was dissolved and came out through his urine, and old man was soon relieved.
g) Insomnia case: - A Kayastha Prabhu gentleman of Bandra suffered from insomnia for long. As soon as he lay down for sleep, his departed father appeared to him in his dream, abused and scolded him severely. This disturbed his sleep and made him restless the whole night. Every night this went on and the man did not know what to do. One day he consulted a devotee of Baba in this respect. He recommended the Udi as the only infallible remedy he knew. He gave him some of the Udi and asked him to apply a little on his forehead before going to bed and keep the Udi packet under his pillow. He tried this remedy and found to his great surprise and joy that he had a sound sleep, and there was no disturbance of any kind. With this his faith in Sai Baba increased and started worshiping him regularly. Note: - This case is clearly an indication of ancestral issues getting resolved by Sai Udi.
h) Nanasaheb’s daughter: - His daughter Mainatai, was pregnant. Her case was very serious. Sai Baba sent his devotee Ramgirbua with Udi and his Aarti. Her critical condition resolved after drinking water mixed with Udi. In a few minutes she delivered her child safely.
Now we come to an interesting case which proves the power and efficacy of Udi:-
At the death anniversary of Balaji Patil Newaskar who was a great devotee of Baba. The guest who turned up was thrice the number invited. The family was in fix. However, they had full faith in Sai Baba. They put Udi in every food vessel and covered tem with cloth. They served the food without opening it. To their surprise and joy not only the food suffix to all, but plenty of it remained after serving.
By: Anand Sagar Pathak
