Big Data for Sai devotees: Omnipresence and Omniscience of Shirdi Saibaba

Sairam friends,

Every time there’s a hype about something new in any industry, people gradually adopt it and speaks about it, implement it etc. Recently, I have been reading about how Big Data is revolutionizing our way of life and was wondering if there’s a way of presenting an article relating Big Data to Omnipresence and Omniscience of Saint Shirdi Saibaba.

How useful is Big Data and Analytics?

In simple terms Big Data Analytics is collecting, organizing and gaining more insights from various sources and using them to gain useful information that results in more productivity, Good customer service, better health, valuable business leads and create a better world.

Let’s say someone is looking for a cheap flight ticket and purchase is before 2 month thinking the earlier you buy, you get it cheap. When he actually travels in flight, that a girl sitting near him actually bought the ticket just a week back but got it for a cheaper rate than his. How could this be possible? The particular flight might have never got enough passengers till the last week and hence they would have reduced their price to gain more customers. How interesting it would be if you know when its the right time to buy air tickets? This idea became a company and was acquired for millions of dollars.

Applying Big Data and Analytics in Pilgrimage:

Imagine how good it would be if everyone who starts to Shirdi from various cities, Villages in India and across the world, has a way to communicate when they expect to reach Shirdi. Example – When I start from Coimbatore, I just trigger a message that I will reach Shirdi tomorrow noon and expect to stand in Que during evening Aarti.

Likewise, A devotee in Mumbai, when he/she starts communicates that they will reach Shirdi by next day early morning. The system collects information from every one who are on way to Shirdi and their expected time for darshan. This data can be used by authorities for better crowd management. May be, Its a stupid idea but that’s how I assume people are going to use technology. It won’t happen in the next few years but certainly might work sometime.

Big Data may not always do good to humanity as every thing has good and bad aspect to it.

An ordinary Indian’s understanding of Big Data:

The other day, there was an event about Big Data in Coimbatore and I do not want to miss it. We don’t have much events here as you have in Bangalore – The Tech capital of India. I keep telling my friends to take me Bangalore as I don’t know where to stay and attend few events. Its expensive for me. So I wish to make Coimbatore another destination for Startups and Tech geeks in few years.

Anyway, I had to travel by bus to reach the event and It was OK. Not really great but the speaker gave some good idea about Big Data.

We are generating huge velocity of Data in our day to day life. The companies trying to be benefited by these Data at times only get Data which completely “Waste’ are can be considered as “Trash”. Many things we come across in real life shows human behavior where Datas are not useful at all but we know its of no use.

When it comes to Analytics, what we do online, our shopping behavior based on our C.Card statements, The post you do in Social media websites, everything is taken in to account. Its really hard to find which data must be considered as “Trash”.

I might click like for a Photograph of a cute “Dog” but I may not be in a situation to have a Dog as a pet in my home as I don’t have time to take care of it.

Anyway…I am just trying to explain the complexity in any technology and common sense always plays a key role.

I traveled back to Saibaba temple and on my way in the Bus, I saw some school guys have used compass to scribble on the State Transport Bus. The bus had stopped in Signal and I wondered if I can relate these things to Big data. As a matter of fact, these are “Bus’ Data…he he.

I believe only thing that can stop these guys from scribbling behind the seat of State transport bus is by fixing a LED TV behind every screen with a head phone and offer personal entertainment like any of those Boeing flights have.

Yenda… Vera yedame kadaikalaiya.

They call themselves 6 Idiots and wrote in the entire back side of the seat in the Bus. So this is Bus Data.

Now lets move to Data found in another Smart medium used by thousands of Indian Men and Women:

I bought 3 lamps in Shirdi Saibaba temple as usual and got the change. I found this one really interesting as this guy from some where in India has tried to express his probability of marrying any of these 2 girls he likes. I am not showing you the other side of the Rupee as there were many other girls name.

Do you think the above behavioral traits of ordinary Indian youngster is indecent or local or cheap?

Stop your self and think this way.

You are constantly monitored by every thing you use online. The apps you use, the search engine, the eCommerce sites you shop. Everyone are generating lots of information about you and collecting , organizing and storing it to create a personalized marketing strategy for you.

Some Matrimonial websites and Dating Site/App uses information you have in your social media accounts and those you enter about you and your partner expectation to send you the right search results and Match recommendations. Next time, you, your parents or any of your friends using such sites, its not them but the analytics playing a big role.

But does it always result in the right match?

If I am a “Shirdi” Saibaba devotee, the system fetches me results of a girl who calls herself and ( really is ) a Saibaba devotee, does that make a good match?

In the past few years, I have received few mails from devotees like this..

“When I first went to “His’ home, we saw a Shirdi Saibaba photo. We liked the family and got married.”

Excuse me. I am also a Sai devotee and have Sai photos in every wall of my home. Does that make me really good?

This is where the problems in Big data and Analytics arrive. If you are a Doctor and expect a Guy who has completed his higher studies in Medicine, you like him and marry. If he is good. Fine. What if he’s short tempered?

The truth – People express their positives online and not their negatives. So what’s the use of technology? In Love and relationship, little things matters.

Why do I care?

So why do I care writing about good and bad aspects of any technology? Because when everything goes well, no devotee writes me. When something goes wrong, only people like me are questioned why Saibaba did not help?

We must be careful about what we decide. Do not look at external characteristics. Be it relationship, business or career. Use your brain and heart. Learn a bit about the person/analyze what business or career is good for you and then go for it.

In my experience, as humans get smarter and modern, they believe everything they do is right but relationships doesn’t happen that way. Sometimes, you meet someone really good but at times, you might end up very painfully.

I am not blaming these matrimonial websites, big data or analytics. I just care for people and spread the message of

“Thinking and Doing good”.

I appreciate how Predictive Marketing and Quantitative techniques to buy the right stock has evolved. There will be a time in human history when Stock market will be dominated by Mathematicians. There are formulas to make money and win the game. The only thing that we cannot change is “Nature” and the “Law of Karma”.

Everything we think and do is accumulated as “Big Data” of our Karma:

The only message I wish to spread with this article is that we must always try to be positive, think good and do good. Every time, we do little good deed, it adds to our good karma.

If you do good, good comes to you.

Coming to a Saint like Shirdi Saibaba, we must be lucky for having a Guru who loves us dearly and uses his powers to save us the moment we remember him with love.

Technology keeps changing. Predictive analysis and trying to make life of people is great. But saints never did anything to do it. They were living in every life as consciousness and did little good they can.

Omniscience is Sai’s ability to know everything that needs to be known and Omnipresence.

Omnipresence is ability of ancient Saints to be present everywhere simultaneously. Sai has appeared in various places to save his devotees personally. Similarly, Saints like Narasimha Saraswati was requested by his devotees to come to their village and have feast by villagers in different parts and surprisingly in every village Narasimha Saraswati was seen including Gangapur. This can be read in holy book “Guru Charitra”.

Shirdi Saibaba is a powerful saint who knows about our past, present and future. There were numerous true saints in ancient India who had such powers with which they unselfishly guided their devotees. Here, Past doesn’t just mean what a devotee has done in past few years of this particular birth. Sai knew what a devotee’s soul has been going through in his/her past several births.

I can tell you a very few examples friends.

1. Shirdi Saibaba’s guidance in traveling:

A person was worried a lot as his wife was sick. Her throght was swollen and she could not even have food or drink anything. On advice of his friend, he took her to Shirdi. On the way in train, the wife was able to have some tea. This was a good sign and hence he felt satisfied. Finally, they reached Shirdi and entered Dwarakamai. Sai gracefully asked them what happened ( Sai knew everything but at times he never reveals). The man told Saibaba about his the health problem of his wife. Sai sprinkled udi on her face and also gave them some Udi.

From the moment this blessing was given by Sai, the lady experienced that her swell is being reduced and she also was able to have some food.

Sai requested them to stay back and go after having food to catch the train in Kopergoan. The man felt that its time for the train and hurried to take the train and took a Tonga ( Horse carrier) to reach Kopergoan. On reaching the railway station, he realized that the train will be coming very late on that particular day. The wife was very hungry and they had to return back to Shirdi to have dinner.

Sai told them “Didn’t I asked you to stay back and go later?”

I might have changed the incidents as I only write what I read remembering Sai leela’s but Sai has guided so many devotees like this and its happening even today. Many Sai devotees request for Sai’s grace when they plan a trip be it a pilgrimage or business trip or a family outing. Sai has helped many people find the right way, right person to get guidance and helped them reach their destination safe and travel safe.

2. Shirdi Saibaba’s Omnipresence

When Nanasaheb Chandorkar’s daughter Mainatai was expecting a child, she had pain but had trouble giving birth to the baby. Sai knew the situation and wanted to save Mainatai. He gave his devotee Ramgirbua, Udi and Aarti written in paper. He then gave 2 Anna and asked him to go to Jamner which is 100 miles from Shirdi and give this prasad to Mainatai.

Ramgirbua said that with 2 Anna how can he reach all the way to Jamner? Sai simply said “God will give”. Ramgirbua could not hire a tonga as he had no money. He could only reach Jalgoan railway station. To his surprise, a man dressed as poen came with a Tonga ( Horse cart) and took him to Jamner. They reached on time, gave Udi to Nanasaheb. Udi was mixed with water and given by some women to Mainatai. Soon she recovered and gave birth to a baby.

When Ramgirbua thanked Chandorkar for sending the Tonga, he was shocked as he said he did not send any Tonga. Who could it be other than Sai?

Click here to learn about the leela in Sai Satcharitra – Jamnar Miracle

OK friends.

I am working on this article for the past 2 days. I really don’t know how to co-relate things but I felt its important to do it because I like learning about new things.

I did not go to work to day as am taking my Father to Hospital for checkup.

I am little worried about my life. Wish Saibaba shows me a way.

Sometimes, its embarrassing how many times I mention about my worries in StarSai…

I wonder what Saibaba has in mind

Love,

Venkat