Shirdi Sai Baba
Sai Baba of Shirdi (1838 – 15 October 1918; resided in Shirdi), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian spiritual master who was and is regarded by his devotees as an avatar of God, saint, fakir, and satguru, according to their individual proclivities and beliefs. He was revered by both his Muslim and Hindu devotees, and during, as well as after, his life it remained uncertain if he was a Muslim or Hindu himself. This however was of no consequence to Sai Baba himself. Sai Baba stressed the importance of surrender to the guidance of the true Satguru or Murshid, who, having gone the path to divine consciousness himself, will lead the disciple through the jungle of spiritual training.
Sai Baba of Shirdi (1838 – 15 October 1918; resided in Shirdi), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian spiritual master who was and is regarded by his devotees as an avatar of God, saint, fakir, and satguru, according to their individual proclivities and beliefs. He was revered by both his Muslim and Hindu devotees, and during, as well as after, his life it remained uncertain if he was a Muslim or Hindu himself. This however was of no consequence to Sai Baba himself. Sai Baba stressed the importance of surrender to the guidance of the true Satguru or Murshid, who, having gone the path to divine consciousness himself, will lead the disciple through the jungle of spiritual training.
Sai Baba remains a very popular Master, especially in India, and is worshiped by people
around the world. He had no love for perishable things and his sole concern was
self-realization. He taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others,
charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to God and guru. He gave no
distinction based on religion or caste. Sai Baba's teaching combined elements
of Hinduism and Islam: he gave the Hindu name Dwarakamayi
to the mosque he lived in, practised Muslim rituals, taught using words and
figures that drew from both traditions, and was buried in Shirdi.
One of his well known epigrams, "Sabka Malik Ek" ("One
God governs all"), is associated with Islam
and Sufism. He also said, "Trust in me and your prayer
shall be answered". He always uttered "Allah
Malik" ("God is King").
Early years
Shirdi Sai Baba (right) and
some of his devotees at Dwarakamai, his own Temple.
Sai Baba's biographer
Narasimha Swamiji claims that Sai Baba was born as the child of Brahmin
parents:
"On one momentous
occasion, very late in his life, he revealed to Mahalsapathy the interesting
fact that his parents were Brahmins of Patri in the Nizam's State. Patri is
Taluk in Parbhani district, near Manwath. Sai Baba added, in explanation of the
fact that he was living in a Mosque, that while still a tender child his
Brahmin parents handed him over to the care of a fakir who brought him up. This
is fairly indisputable testimony, as Mahlsapathy was a person of sterling
character noted for his integrity, truthfulness and vairagya." —Narasimha
Swamiji, Life of Sai Baba
Shirdi Sai Baba with some
devotees
According to the book Sai
Satcharita, Sai Baba arrived at the village of Shirdi
in the Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra, British India, when he was
about 16 years old. He led an ascetic life, sitting motionless under a neem
tree and meditating while sitting in an asana.
The Shri Sai Satcharita recounts the reaction of the villagers:
The people of the village
were wonder-struck to see such a young lad practising hard penance, not minding
heat or cold. By day he associated with no one, by night he was afraid of
nobody.
His presence attracted the
curiosity of the villagers, an
There are some indications
that he met with many saints and fakirs, and worked as a weaver. He claimed to
have been with the army of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi
during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
It is generally accepted that Sai Baba stayed in Shirdi for three years,
disappeared for a year, and returned permanently around 1858, which suggests a
birth year of 1838.
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