You shall serve me in all my forms, leaving behind the restrictions of dualism and discrimination

Shirdi Sai Baba

(from "Quintessence of Sai Satcharitra"):

Once Mrs. Tarkhad came to Shirdi. The afternoon prasad was almost ready to be served to the devotees on plates. But right at that moment, a hungry stray dog arrived  from nowhere and started to make a lot of noise by howling and barking. Mrs. Tarkhad instantly got up from her seat and gave a chapati to the dog. The dog ate it with great relish and left the place. In the evening, when Mrs. Tarkhad went to the mosque again to see Baba and sat down on the floor, Baba told her, "Maa, today you fed me so lovingly with your own hands. My hungry soul is so much at peace now. Always keep serving me in this way. One day you shall be given the best prize for your service. I shall never speak a single lie while seated in this mosque. Continue you worship to me with the same spirit of love and service. First, feed the hungry, and thereafter have food for yourself."

Unable to understand the implication of his words, she asked, "How can I feed you, Baba? I myself am dependent on others for food." Baba continued, "Having eaten this chapati, my heart is so full! I am still burping! While having your food in the afternoon, you saw a hungry dog. That dog was none other than me! In the same way, all other creatures (cats, pigs, flies, cows, and so on) are all my forms. It is I who has taken many forms and am roaming the surface of this earth. He who sees me in all these creatures is my dearest one. Therefore, you shall serve me in all my forms, leaving behind the restrictions of dualism and discrimination."

Hearing these words of pure bliss from Baba, Mrs. Tarkhad was so overwhelmed with devotion that tears of love and gratitude endlessly flowed down her cheeks and her voice was choked. She felt as if her heart would burst with divine joy. The she prostrated on the ground and offered all the overwhelming devotion of her heart at the lotus feet of her omnipresent God. 

Baba's nectarine outpourings to a true devotee, Mrs. Tarkhad, hold great spiritual significance for all devotees. Assuming the form of a dog, Baba had himself come to test his devotee. The omnipresent God, the soul of all souls, was satisfied with only one piece of bread, fed with pure love. He proclaimed, "First feed the hungry, and thereafter have food for yourself." In this way, you shall give joy to the heart of God Himself. Through his happiness, his grace shall inspire you in a continuous uninterrupted stream. With his grace, the dross of the mind shall be cleaned, and higher Consciousness shall dawn on you. Your mind will be illuminated with new inner awakenings and revelations. The devotee attains a state where he realizes that he is not separate from God. He experiences ultimate bliss in the for m of Self-realization. Every hindu scripture, be it the Vedas, Vedanta, Upanishads, Gita, or the Bhagavat - all these teach about the omnipresence of God in all living creatures and tell us to see God in them all. However, in the life of Sai Baba, this Hindu philosophy is illustrated by Baba himself, through his divine play. Who has the strength to realize his true form other than the one who has been blessed with his divine grace?