Shirdi Sai Baba reference to Sathya Sai Baba
Shirdi Sai Baba Tradition with Special Reference to Sathya Sai Baba
SATYA SAI BABA
Satya Sai Baba is a god-man who comes under the Sai tradition of Gurus. The first of this tradition was Shirdi Sai Baba. Satya Sai’s earlier name was Satya Narayan. He was born in 1926 in Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh. When he was a child he got interest in composing bhajans and plays. He was also a good actor. At the age of ten he organized a bhajan group. He composed his bhajans in praise of Shirdi Sai Baba.
When he was fourteen years old one day a big black scorpion stung him. The next morning he fell unconscious. His behavior was completely changed when he came back to his consciousness. He continued to behave strangely for the next two and a half-month. Then one day he called his family members and distributed them sugar candy and flower out of nothing. Then he declared that ‘I am Sai Baba, I am of the Bharatdvaja Gotra. I have come to free you from all your troubles.” A few months later again he declared, “I am no longer your Satya, I do not consider myself related to your family. I am Sai Baba and I have my own work. I cannot stay any longer with you. Maya has left me; I am going to do my work. My work is waiting for me, I am going to fulfill my mission.”
Thus he left his family and friends and home at the age of fourteen. Satya Sai Baba established his ashram at Puttaparthy in Andhra Pradesh. Today Satya Sai Baba has thousands of devotees in India and abroad. He is worshipped as a god-man.
His Teachings
He believed himself to be an incarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba. He said that this avatar is for Bhakta Rakshana (protection of devotees). Thus we see that Sai Baba considered himself as the representative of God. He claimed, “I am ‘Shiva Shakti,’ Shiva Shakti has incarnated in me.” He also said, ‘I do not only perform the sacrifice but also receive it.” He used to say that give me yourself completely and I will liberate you.
He is a vedantic philosophy follower. He believed in the nirguna and saguna aspect of Brahman. According to him, Brahman in its essential nature is nirguna. But for those who are immature Brahman use to take saguna form. This world is maya. But in maya also there is saguna Brahman.
The Nature Of Man:
According to Sai Baba the real nature of human being is divine. He says, “you are not this body, this body cannot be you. You are not ‘tatva’ but ‘atma.’ You are formless and changeless. Your real nature is ‘ananda’ (bliss). You are fundamentally Brahman.”
Nature Of Sin:
According to him sin is ignorance. Man considers himself as body. This understanding comes because of his ignorance. Therefore, he does not know his spiritual life. By giving importance to body, man fall into all kinds of sin.
Salvation:
According to Satya Sai Baba, when a person knows his divine self then he is no more in any ignorance. This realization is called full union with Brahman and it is moksha (salvation).
His Mission
He says his mission is fourfold. They are:
- Veda Poshana – Propagation of the knowledge of Vedas.
- Vidhvat Poshana – To help and support Vedic scholarship.
- Bhakta Rakshana –Protection of devotees.
- Dharma Rakshana – Protection of the Righteousness
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