Every time the aarti is sung or some devotee visits Sri Sainath Maharaj, they hail him as 'Sri Sacchidananda Sadguru Sainath Maharaj ki jai'. What is the real significance of this term 'Sacchidananda' ?
The famous sage Shuka, son of Sri Vyasa Maharshi, goes into deep forests for penancing in search of 'Brahman'. After sometime, he returns and tells his father ' O father, I found Brahman. It is nothing but the Food we eat. All the beings on this earth sustain because of food. They take form from food and after leaving this body, they again enter food.' Vyasa tells his son that it is incorrect and asks him to continue his penance.
After some more time, Shuka returns and conveys to his father that Brahman is nothing but Life. Because, it is the life that is making everything active and any object on the earth is inactive without life in it. The father sends the son to the forest again.
Shuka was in a deep penance this time and after some more time, comes with an explanation for Brahman. He says this time that the Mind is the Brahman. Because, it is where all this thoughts and ideas start, develop and end finally. It is the one which is playing a crucial part in all the human beings activities to do or not to do something. Yet, the untiring father, Vyasa, is not convinced and sends his son into the deep woods again.
The boy retires to the forest with more zeal and vigour to know the real form of Brahman. He forces himself to still more severe penances and comes home after some more time and submits to his father; 'O father, Brahman is nothing but Knowledge. Though one has food, life and mind. Without the knowledge of realizing all these, there is nothing.' Sage Vyasa seems not to be fully convinced and asks his son to explore still further.
Sage Shuka returns to forest and this time after a long time, he returns to his father to submit that happiness or eternal bliss is nothing but Brahman. Here, the real meaning of happiness is contentment. Though you have everything at your disposal, lack of contentment would throw all this into dark and make you unhappy.
Then, Vyasa explains to his son, 'O, my dear son, Brahman contains all the aspects you put forth till now. But that is not the entirety of Brahman. Note the subtle difference that this is all Brahman but Brahman is just not this. Brahman is nothing but Sat (Truth), Chit (Eternal or immortal, the soul) and Ananda (infinite). In real terms of Shastra, ananda is not happiness but infiniteness.
The term 'Sacchidananda' is made of 'SAT', 'CHIT' & 'ANANDA'. Thus, Sri Sainath Maharaj is the embodiment of Truth (always existent), Eternal or immortal & infinite shape of Brahman in physical form.
