Breaking the Wall of Religion: The Secret Behind Applying Tilak to Sai Baba
The Leela
In the sacred atmosphere of Dwarakamai, a strict rule prevailed regarding the worship of Sai Baba. While Baba was the embodiment of love, He was notably resistant when devotees attempted to apply Tilak or sandalwood paste to His forehead. Often, He would react with anger, sometimes even knocking away the puja plate. Consequently, most devotees were terrified and contented themselves with applying sandalwood only to His lotus feet. Even the intimate devotee Mhalsapati was permitted to apply paste only up to Baba's neck.
However, the atmosphere shifted with the arrival of a devotee named Dr. Pandit. Staying with Dada Kelkar, Dr. Pandit entered the Masjid with puja materials, intending to worship Baba. Without hesitation, he took sandalwood paste and applied a Tripundra (three horizontal lines associated with Lord Shiva) directly onto Baba’s forehead. To the collective shock of the assembly, who expected an outburst, Baba remained calm, allowing the worship without uttering a single word of protest.
? The Conflict / Doubt
The glaring difference in Baba's reaction confused the other devotees. Dada Kelkar, a Brahmin devotee, felt a sense of inequality and asked Baba: "You do not like us putting even a small Tilak on your forehead, yet this person has applied Tripundra and you allowed this smilingly. Why this discrimination?"
The Revelation
Baba’s response unveiled a profound hierarchy of devotion, categorized by where a devotee is allowed to touch the Master—Feet, Neck, or Forehead. The physical location corresponds to the devotee's spiritual state and their ability to transcend barriers.
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The Wall of Religion: Baba explained that while others viewed Him through the lens of caste or religion (thinking, "He is a Muslim"), Dr. Pandit saw only his Guru. Dr. Pandit believed that even if Baba were a Muslim, he would worship Him exactly as he worshipped his own Brahmin Guru. His devotion was so immense that it broke the "wall of religion."
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The Hierarchy of Connection:
- The Feet (Transactional Devotion): This is for those immersed in selfishness. They come with a list of desires ("Baba do this work, take away these pains"). Baba offers His feet to them, signaling that their spiritual status is limited to the ground level.
- The Neck (Purity with Boundaries): Devotees like Mhalsapati possess great purity of mind but are still bound by religious identity. Because he could not fully transcend the Hindu/Muslim divide in his heart, he could reach the neck, but not the forehead.
- The Forehead (Oneness): Dr. Pandit attained this level because he saw no difference between Baba and his Guru. He transcended the mental blocks of caste and creed.
"His devotion to his Guru is so very superior that not only me, even Harihar Brahma has to bow his head before him."
"The wall of religion also needs to be broken... Without this, completeness is not possible."
Scriptural References
📖 Sai Satcharitra Chapter 11
Watch the Discourse
In the sacred atmosphere of Dwarakamai, a strict rule prevailed regarding the worship of Sai Baba. While Baba was the embodiment of love, He was notably resistant when devotees attempted to apply *Til...
Leela Narration
In the sacred atmosphere of Dwarakamai, a strict rule prevailed regarding the worship of Sai Baba. While Baba was the embodiment of love, He was notably resistant when devotees attempted to apply *Til...