What is the philosophical significance of grinding the wheat grains by Shirdi Sai Baba?
During this period, he would grind grains almost every day, not with wheat alone but the sins, physical and mental afflictions, and His innumerable devotees’ miseries.
The afflictions are of three kinds – Adhibhautik (miseries inflicted by the five elements, the body and mind itself); Adhidaivik (those inflicted by the deities or other living entities); and Adhyatmik (which is natural disturbances due to the past Karmas and is connected to spiritual).
The two stones of the quern consisted of Karma (duties) and Bhakti (devotion), the former being the lower and the latter the upper one.
The handle with which Sai Baba worked the quern is Knowledge (Jnana).
It was Sai Baba’s firm conviction that the knowledge of the truth or self-realization is not possible unless there is the prior act of grinding of all our sins, impulses, desires, and the three Gunas – Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas and the Ego (Ahamkara) which is very subtle and is difficult to get rid off.
Without the purification of heart, mind, and surrender unto the Lotus feet of the Guru it is next to impossible for one to attain the knowledge of the Truth.
The wheatflour represents the profound knowledge about the Truth being given in a simple and easily digestible by the way of stories and leelas, which can benefit the entire humankind and help them follow the path of Righteousness (Dharma) and attain devotion (bhakti) to the Divine Lord.
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