WHO IS SRI SAI BABA OF SHIRDI?

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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}. WHO IS SRI SAI BABA OF SHIRDI?By Shri H.H.NARASIMHASWAMIJI (Founder)All India Sai Samaj (Regd.), Madras - 600 004. http://groups.msn.com/ Do You ?