Shishya. A genuine shishya is one who seeks to control and conquer the outward fleeing mind.(GV, p. 84) ‘In 1917, Baba (Shridi Sai Baba) once called Abdul Baba; Nana Chandorkar, Mhalsapathi, Das Ganu and others and started asking each of them: ‘Do you know who you are?’ Each of them replied: ‘I am your shishya (disciple): Baba said: ‘Nonsense! Don’t use that term any longer. I have no disciples in this world. I have countless devotees. You do not recognise the distinction between a disciple and a devotee. Anyone can be a devotee. But that is not the case with the disciple. A ‘disciple’ is one who carries out implicitly the commands of Guru (the preceptor). The mark of the shishya is total devotion to the preceptor. Only the man who says, ‘I have none in the world other than the preceptor’, is a disciple. How far have you respected my injunctions? How are you entitled to claim that you are my disciples? Only the one who follows me like my shadow can claim to be my disciple. The devotee is one who prays to the Lord wherever he may be. Hence there - is a. big difference between a discipleand a devotee. The disciple and the preceptor are like two bodies with one spirit. The disciple should have no sense of separateness from the preceptor.He should feel, ‘I and you are one’. There are no disciples to be found in the world. There are millions of devotees, but no disciples.(SSS Vol.23, p. 120) The pupilmust be eager to translate the teaching (of his guru) into daily activityand actual practices. He must fill his heart with devotionand dedicate all his skill for the actualisation of the Guru’scounsel. Such a person deserves the name, Sishya (disciple).(SSVahini, p. 117)