And the spirit of Shri Vasudeva is eternal.”

[Guest guest]

……“Ever since the phenomenon of Shri Shirdi Sai

extensively caught public attention in India and

outside, there has been a relentless stream of

speculation as well as concerted effort on the

question of His parentage i.e. whether he was born a

Hindu or a Muslim. The net result of such research by

different researchers has turned out to be either

speculative or controversial since it is based more on

circumstantial evidence as opposed to primary data.

However, my efforts are channelised into finding out

who and what Baba is rather than what was His

parentage or where he was born.

 

There can be no denial in any quarter that Shri Shirdi

Sai Baba is a divine personality of the highest order

who demonstrated magnificent qualities of selfless

service to all, who came in contact with Him, without

least consideration of His self. He was not

constrained by the limitations of any organized

religion or path as is amply evidenced by His

acceptance of disciples from all religions, cultures,

castes and paths etc.

 

There was no question of economic and social

differentiation in His scheme of things. Besides

non-possession and non-attachment, he was divinely

magnanimous and empathetic towards the poorest of the

poor among His devotees, as well as animals and birds.

He also possessed wonderful powers of miracles, which

he often used to help His disciples in distress, even

at distant places.

 

Given this universal theme of His approach, one can

safely conclude that Shri Sai demonstrated the highest

qualities of Hinduism, notwithstanding whether He was

born of Hindu or Muslim parentage.

 

When one speaks of Hinduism at first one has to

understand as to what Hinduism stands for in its

essence. Some historians comment that the word ‘Hindu’

was originally ‘Indu’ coming out of ‘Indus valley

civilization’ but some foreigners called it Hindu like

‘Hindukush’ mountain. Hinduism in its quintessence is

more a way of life than merely being a Hindu path of

worship of deities. It prescribes numerous paths to

its people and leaves them free to choose any one. It

prescribes a number of divine forms (Devatas/Devis) to

be worshipped and also the worship of the formless

(Brahman – the ultimate God).

 

Hinduism does not insist on the conversion of others

to its fold and failing which their extinction. It has

never believed in religious expansionism with the help

of sword. This highest level of tolerance has led to

the absorption of many conquering or colonizing races,

following different paths, into its all embracing

fold. Sufism, which truly believes in the unity of

souls and tolerance among people following different

paths, therefore, found a strong base in India – the

soil of Hindus.

 

Basically what Shri Shirdi Sai Baba practiced and

taught is spiritualism and humanism as against

bigotry, obscurantism and intolerance. To that extent

He was a genuine Hindu and genuine Sufi amalgamated

together. He often used to say ‘Allah Malik hai’ or

‘Ishwar Achha karega’ or ‘Sabka Malik ek hai’ i.e.,

the one and ultimate God called Ishwar or Allah is the

sovereign power who controls everyone and everything.

 

This is the monistic “Advaitya” philosophy of the

Hindus. On the other hand, He never deterred His Hindu

devotees from going to temples to worship any deity of

their faith or stopped the Muslims from taking out the

Tazia procession or doing anything prescribed by their

religion etc. Indeed He encouraged both and ensured,

at Shirdi, tolerance towards the religious sentiments

of devotees practicing various faiths, through mutual

participation in each others festivals.

 

Not only for the residents of Shirdi but also for the

outsiders who used to visit Him in great numbers, He

was not only a Guru but a part of their entire

existence. Shri Sai had permeated into all aspects of

their lives – religion, family, festivals, way of

earning and spending, social conduct, moral conduct,

cultural activities, births and deaths, diseases and

cures and even regarding the rearing of their children

and pets.

 

Baba’s influence has been so strong and wide that even

two to three generations of a family would come

together to seek His blessings and advice on varied

matters at Shirdi. Every one looked up to Him as a God

in human form and also as the head of the family and

surrendered to Him. The way of life not only for the

natives of Shirdi, but those visiting Him,

metamorphosized to a new way of looking at life which

Baba taught them through His conduct and precepts.

Thus, like Hinduism, the path shown by Shri Sai has

become a way of life for His devotees rather than a

religious and ritualistic path alone. Even today the

same Sai spirit pervades the lives of millions.

 

This is what explains the unimaginable expansion of

the Sai path not only in India, but in other

countries. Shri Sai remains, as promised by Him, a

living Master, with His all-pervasive spirit that

controls the entire life of His devotees. Such a

magnificent, universal and time-less divine

personality is termed as “Vasudeva” in Hinduism. And

the spirit of Shri Vasudeva is eternal.”…….