Who is Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi?

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WHO IS SRI SAI BABA OF SHIRDI?

By Shri H.H.NARASIMHASWAMIJI

(Founder)

All India Sai Samaj (Regd.), Madras - 600 004.

 

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26. Let us examine the real facts. Baba’s antecedents as mentioned already

were revealed by himself. Even after they are fully considered, still the

question must be deemed doubtful whether he was a Hindu or a Moslem. But

(Janma or Jathi) by actual birth, he was of Brahmin parents, and hence by a

very large number of persons, he is considered to be a Brahmin. But

according to Baba’s own statement, he was handed over in his very infancy to

a fakir who brought him up for about five years according to Islamic faith.

After the death of the fakir, Baba was handed over to a Brahmin Guru by name

Sri Gopal Rao Deshmukh of ‘Venkusa’. The stay of ten years under this Guru

and the marvelous initiation into divinity by the Guru’s purna kripa, ought

to clear all doubts, and establish that Baba was Brahmin or at least a

Brahmin. But as fate would have it, the Guru after conferring upon Baba his

purnakripa and raising him to divinity, directed him to go westwards and

Baba had to spend the rest of his life in a mosque moving with all alike as

an ativarnasrami, i.e., one beyond all caste rules. We do not know what an

expert lawyer would conclude as to Baba’s caste in these circumstances. But

whatever that may be, to those who considered him a Moslem, he responded as

a Moslem and to those who cared to treat him as a Hindu, he responded as a

Hindu; and he expounded the Koran to the former and the Sastras to the

latter. By the Hindus, he has been worshipped as Ramavatara or Sriman

Narayana for so many decades while others treated him as merely human. This

reminds us of an incident about Krishna. When Sri Krishna went with

Balarama and others to a yagasala and wanted food, the Brahmins were

wondering whether they could offer the food prepared for gods to Krishna,

who appeared to have been born in a Kshatriya family but brought up among

(Vysias) cowherds. He was regarded as God by many, but the Brahmins were

doubtful about his caste. By reason of their ignorance (ajanna) they

offered no food at all to Krishna. Then Sri Krishna sent word to the

ladies, who ran up all at once with great devotion and gave up all that they

had prepared for the Gods to him whom they considered as the God of Gods.

Exactly the same thing happens now. Persons whose pious leanings render

they easily attracted to such great souls as Baba run up to Baba and never

bother their heads over questions of his Jathi or caste, and like the

Brahmin ladies, deserved and obtain the highest blessings while many

doubting Thomasses (samscyatmas) even of the highest castes, go on debating

endlessly about the question of the caste to which a holy man belongs and

lose their chance of benefiting themselves here and hereafter. It depends a

great deal upon once’s poorva sambanda or rinanubhanda whether one is

attracted by Sri Krishna or Sri Sai; it may be noted that persons wish to

discuss this question of caste only when their feelings have not been

roused. But when one is in intense pain or great trouble, his heart leaps

out with the request, ‘Baba, help me’, never minding a brass pin as to where

Baba was born or how he was brought up; and once he receives innumerable and

miraculous benefits, he gets perfectly convinced that Baba is God to him,

whatever he may be to others and he cares not for discussions as to the

legal position regarding Baba’s caste. Baba himself used to say at times to

such Hindus as considered him a Moslem: “I am a Moslem, don’t come to me”

and to persons who regarded him as Sad Guru or Guru-God: ‘I am a Brahmin.

Give me dakshina. This place wherein I am sitting is not a mosque; it is a

Brahmin’s mosque; it is Dwaraka Mayee’. He was everything to everyone.{Ye

yatha maam prapadyante, thaamsthathaiva bhajaamyaham’ - Gita}.

 

27. Apart from Baba’s caste, some persons raise the question whether he was

a Brahmagnani and if so how he happened to perform miracles. Persons who

raise such curious doubts would do well to analyse their own question and

find out its implications. Can it be very seriously contended that he who

performs miracles must be an agnani? Will Sri Krishna and Sankara be

labeled agnanis by these people? If these people analyse their own minds,

they will discover the reason fro their doubts. Spiritual aspirants

(sadhakas) are often decidedly to lose by attending to the thaumaturgic

powers or siddhis derived from their sadhana and many Gurus have warned

their devotees from hankering after siddhis. It is also pointed out by such

gurus that there is a waste of accumulated powers in the exhibition of

siddhis and the performance of siddhis is generally attended with the danger

of increasing one’s passions especially the rajas and tamas, which are

embedded in one’s nature. But can these objections ever arise in the case

of one like Sai Baba? The differences between miracle-mongers and souls

like Sri Krishna and Sai Baba are these. Firstly, in the case of the

latter, power arises not by the repetition of mantras or by the adoption of

tantras, but simply as part and parcel of their divine nature. Secondly,

these high souls have no hankering for the results of the siddhis. They do

not ask for recompense, nor do they try to attain ulterior aims of their by

having recourse to siddhis. Thirdly, the siddhi power, being part of their

nature, does not exhaust itself by any number of miracles. Fourthly, they

are prompted by pure love, karuna and their employment of powers is a means

for achieving the highest temporal or spiritual ends for themselves and

others. None of these statements will apply to miracle mongers.

 

28. In this short introduction we cannot possibly give even a very rough

outline of the various activities of Baba. It is enough to say that he was

a Pramagnani and Samartha sadguru. A guru is one that teaches; a sadguru is

one that teaches and draws one to God; a samartha Sadguru is one who draws

people to God employing all his siddhis and other high powers for the

purpose. It is not all gnanis who have realized God that perform these

miracles or chamatkars. It is not the dehaprarabdha of several gnanis to

exhibit any such power or to assume the role of samartha sadguru, while it

is the dehaprarabdha of others to serve humanity as such samartha sadgurus

and exhibit such powers. No comparison ought to be made about these two

sets of gnanis. Baba ought not to be compared with any other guru.

Comparisons are always odious and hardly necessary for the benefit of any

aspirant. If any person feels drawn to Baba by learning about Baba’s

qualities and activities either from one’s own experience or of others

well -known to him, he may at once proceed to have further contact with Baba

and get the fullest benefit of such contact. There is no need for him to

worry as to how Baba is to be classed - as an Avatar or Avalia, Devatatma or

Alwar, etc. One may simply feel the taste of sugar and use it without

raising the questions to whether it is derived from beetroot, sugarcane or

Palmyra juice. No wise men ever worry about such matters. They do not

attempt to classify various gnanis. We must all be always humble in our

approach to God and divine persons. Any other attitude will simply thwart

our endeavors to reach divinity or to attain the highest benefit by

spiritual exercise.

 

29. We may very well close this short pamphlet with the practical question

(1) what are the benefits that Baba can confer? And (2) what has one to do

in order to obtain these benefits? The first may be met by a counter

question. What benefits does one expect when he is approaching Baba? Are

they temporal or spiritual? Whatever they may be, there is no benefit that

is beyond the power of Baba to confer. He is worshipped every day with

phrases like ‘All-powerful’ (sarva sakthi murthaye namah) etc., and the

experience of devotees proves that he is able to confer benefits of every

sort - curing disease, both physical and mental, giving relief to departing

and departed spirits and to those who are suffering from obsessions or

infirmities, removing domestic troubles, etc.

 

30. One more word about these labels and comparisons. People are sometimes

unconsciously assuming to themselves ability to judge of all grades of

spiritual nature and power and say that Krishna is superior to Rama, Budda

is superior to Chaitanya, etc., and cause irritation to others and confusion

in their own minds. If we find the water in one creek or bay saltish,

should we say this creek or bay is superior or inferior to the ocean? God

is one. Divinity manifests itself in innumerable places and ways and

according to the needs of the times, and each god-man does the work of

alleviating man’s miseries and raising him upward. When the question is

asked, why should one give up his Siva or Rama worship and go to Sai, the

answer is that there is no need. If one feels Sai is different from Rama or

other Ishta Devata and that the latter serves all the purposes of the

Devotees, if one is thus satisfied and contented, Sai Baba has never asked

and does not ask such a person to change his position. Baba is highly

conservative and wants each man to stick to his religion, caste, guru.

Ishta Devata, Idol, mantras and sampradaya. It is only if one feels that he

is still left with a desire for further benefits which his customary contact

with his Ishtamurthi, guru, mantras, etc., does not acquire for him, and if

he is disposed to place faith in Baba’s powers to grant these or other

benefits, that Baba allows or directs him to come to his feet. Baba does

not interfere with his loyalties. Faith in Baba is added on to the old

loyalties. That faith works miraculous benefits and tends to strengthen

itself. Gratitude and love follow faith and the resultant benefits.

Through these, Baba purifies the heart and draws the devotee higher and

higher up the spiritual ladder. That man who came for worldly goods finds

his desires purified, his mentality changed and thinks more and better of

Baba till at last, finding that Baba is only one of the numerous names and

forms assumed by God, resigns himself to Baba. He then realizes the

absurdity of instituting comparisons between Sai and other names or forms

and of asking why one should go to Sai. It is only those who are specially

blessed by poorvakarma that can be drawn by each of these personalities, and

when so drawn no question arises, and all doubts are driven off. One huge

wave of faith, love and knowledge drowns the soul and draws it to the feet

of God, in Sai form and in all forms.

 

31. What are we to do to obtain our desired ends with the help of Baba?

There are some who raise questions even preliminary to this. Is it not

better not to desire at all? Is it not degrading to go on praying or asking

for this or that? To persons who really care for nothing i.e., to advanced

Viraktas, this question really will not arise. They are not compelled or

induced to go to Sai Baba. See Bhagavatha - ‘Nirgrantinopi.. Iththam bhutha

guno Harih’ - i.e., viraktas are attracted by the nishkamya leelas of the

Lord. Sai Baba’s leelas were purely unmotivated by desire. His whole life

in the flesh was one continuous self-sacrifice for the sake of humanity. In

serving Man, he was serving God; and he advised his devotees to do the same.

 

32. Undoubtedly it is better not to desire than to have desires and to seek

their gratification through the help of Sai Baba etc. But how many are

there who can calmly reason thus and find power to crush the roots of desire

in their hearts? If there are any such among the readers, they are not

asked to seek Baba’s help or God’s help, if that is different, to attain any

objects. Even the desire for mukti - liberation - is a desire; and even to

attain that, people pray and seek the aid of experts, i.e., sages who know

the way to liberation and who are gracious enough to extend their help to

those who seek help.

 

33. The vast majority want benefits, temporal and spiritual, temporal first

and then spiritual. The body and its adjuncts, a family. Etc., have to be

maintained with sufficient prouision for health and some degree of comfort

before people can think of spiritual things. Sai Baba may be approached by

all who feel the need for this urgent help. The more impassioned their

appeal, the more faith they have in Baba, the quicker will be the results,

other things being the same. To these we may suggest the ways and means of

contacting Baba.

 

34. There are no special ways for approaching Baba, i.e., ways different

from those adopted for approaching other high and noble personalities. How

do we approach our mother? It looks ridiculous for us to ask such a

question. The mother has showered her love on the child long before it is

aware of such love. Thus Baba has similarly played the part of an unseen

mother showering benefits on her children, the devotees, even from their

previous births. But how are they to approach Baba now? Let them sincerely

wish to do so. At once the approach has been started. They are improved

from that very instant. They get more and more enthusiastic and get more

and more benefits. These produce gratitude first and finally strong love.

Let the reader daily think of Baba, seeing his fugure in the medals,

pictures etc. he keeps with himself and let him read about Baba’s great

deeds more strong than ll poetic thought. Baba’s 108 Namavalis is a

mnemonic device for forcefully recalling these qualities. Let him attend

bhajanas and poojas where sincere devotees gather. One song from a sincere

devotee, one artless song, will thrill the hearer and fill him with awe,

joy, piety and lofty sentiments that will last a long time. Le one always

go in for service to humanity or to lower creatures for the sake of baba

i.e., viewing Baba as existing in each individual person or creature that he

sees. Baba himself will direct the further steps of the earnest enquirer.

Ways and means for further contact and further growth will be disclosed by

Baba himself in innumerable ways to each ardent devotee. The manner in

which he imparts these varies. Some of highly emotional nature see him at

times even today and some talk with him during waking hours. Others get

such contact in their dreams. Still others earnestly wanting some response

and piously opening some book with a prayer, find their response in that

book. Others resort to chits. Others simply rely on the correctness of

their intuition that the though suggested to them at a particular time is

the thought given by Him. In these and other ways, people get their contact

and benefits from Sai. Sai is not different from God. Are not all these

ways adopted by devotees in various religions to get access to and a

response from their God or Ishta Devata? The same applies to Sai Baba.

There are numerous Sai Bhakthas who have such intense faith in Him as their

God and who get their response and benefits from hi. If any reader is very

earnest and wishes to pursue this matter further, it must be very easy for

him or her to ascertain who are the Sai Bhaktas in their district or

province with such Bhakti and, if these are noted for their pure and lofty

nature, they can and might be approached with perfect safety and advantage.

 

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