My Random Thoughts about Shirdi Sai : Offering Food to Dogs and Cats (animals)

Annadan - the greatest dan considered among the various dan. Every living being has hunger and every living being tries to work or get the food to subside their hunger. Somebody may ask and somebody may not ask. But everyone desires to have food to subside their hunger. There are many instances in the life of baba, where he clearly demonstrated the importance of offering food to a hungry one whether he is a human, bird, animal etc. For example, daily he used to go round for various houses in shirdi seeking alms and whatever food he had got put them in one bowl and kept it there and when cats, dogs, birds or even the maids used to take some food he never objected and happily enjoyed their act. When one of the ladies offered a roti to a hungry dog during her stay at a hotel and when she later visits baba at dwarakamayi, baba said "mother, you have sumptuosuly offered me food, I am satisfied with it, always do like this, it will benefit you". The surprised lady asked baba, "I am dependent on other people for my food, how can I offer food to you baba", then baba said "mother, the roti which you gave to the hungry dog in the afternoon is one with me, always be kind to the hungry and feed them, this will benefit you".

During festivals also, baba used to encourage to conduct annadan for all whoever are coming to shirdi to participate. Also during the nama saptah done, annadan was arranged. To show the importance, baba himself used to cook and serve to everyone. Such is the importance of annadan. Once when nana chandorkar said that he is waiting for a guest to offer lunch, baba said that guest doesnt mean only a human being, it can be any living being which is having hunger and coming to you. Baba, then suggested a simple techinque where we need to just put handful of rice/food outside/near the house and let any living being hungry have it, no need to invite anyone or no need to send away anyone. This bhoota yagna or athidhi yagna itself is equivalent to serving thousands of people.