Satguru or Sadguru () means true guru. The term is distinguished from other forms of gurus, such as musical instructors, scriptural teachers, parents, and so on. The satguru is a title given specifically only to an enlightened rishi/sant whose life's purpose is to guide initiated ''shishya'' along the spiritual path, the summation of which is the realization of the Self through realization of God, who is omnipresent.

Ancient and traditional sources

The recommendation says that the first and the foremost qualification of the True Master (Satguru) is that he must have known the True Lord (God) himself.

In one of Kabir's songs the satguru is described as the real sadhu:

He is the real Sadhu, who can reveal the form of the Formless to the vision of these eyes; Who teaches the simple way of attaining Him, that is other than rites or ceremonies; Who does not make you close the doors, and hold the breath, and renounce the world; Who makes you perceive the Supreme Spirit wherever the mind attaches itself; Who teaches you to be still in the midst of all your activities. Ever immersed in bliss, having no fear in his mind, he keeps the spirit of union in the midst of all enjoyments. The infinite dwelling of the Infinite Being is everywhere: in earth, water, sky, and air; Firm as the thunderbolt, the seat of the seeker is established above the void. He who is within is without: I see Him and none else.

Vashishta, Lord Rama's Guru was the satguru in Treta yuga. Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha quotes Yoga Vasistha:

A real preceptor is one who can produce blissful sensation in the body of the disciple by their sight, touch, or instructions.

According to Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, a Hindu satguru is always a ''sannyasin'', an unmarried renunciate, but not all writers include this stricture. Tukaram, a Hindu satguru, is known to have had a family, and Moinuddin Chishti also had children. Satguru Kabir had a son, Kamal, who was very devout.

In Sant Mat and Advait Mat the living Satguru is considered the path to God-realization.

Meher Baba equated worship of the Sadguru with worship of God: "Consciously or unconsciously, directly or indirectly, each and every creature, each and every human being — in one form or the other — strives to assert individuality. But when eventually man consciously experiences that he is Infinite, Eternal and Indivisible, then he is fully conscious of his individuality as God, and as such experiences Infinite Knowledge, Infinite Power and Infinite Bliss. Thus Man becomes God, and is recognized as a Perfect Master, Sadguru, or Kutub. To worship this Man is to worship God."

Analogous concepts

Jacques Vigne, in his book '' Indian Wisdom, Modern Psychology and Christianity'' asserts that John the Baptist might be looked upon as someone very much like a ''satguru''.

See also

Satguru Ghasidas

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami

Satguru Badshah

Satguru Ravidass Ji

References

Category:Hindu gurus Category:Sanskrit words and phrases Category:Titles and occupations in Hinduism

hi:सत्गुरु it:Satguru nl:Sadgoeroe pl:Sadguru pt:Satguru simple:Sadguru

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (, '''' with honorifics, ), or Adi Granth, is the religious text of Sikhism. It is the final and eternal guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous text of 1430 angs, compiled and composed during the period of Sikh gurus, from 1469 to 1708. It is a collection of hymns (shabda) or ''baani'' describing the qualities of God and why one should meditate on God's name. Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), the tenth guru, affirmed the sacred text Adi Granth as his successor, elevating it to ''Guru Granth Sahib''. The text remains the holy scripture of the Sikhs, regarded as the teachings of the Ten Gurus. The role of Adi Granth, as a source or guide of prayer, is pivotal in worship in Sikhism.

The Adi Granth was first compiled by the fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan Dev (1563–1606), from hymns of the first five Sikh gurus and other great saints, or bhagats, including those of the Hindu and Muslim faith. After the demise of the tenth Sikh guru many edited copies were prepared for distribution by Baba Deep Singh.

It is written in the Gurmukhī script, predominantly in archaic Punjabi, with occasional use of other languages including Braj Bhasha, Khariboli, Sanskrit and Persian, often coalesced under the generic title of Sant Bhasha.

Meaning and role in Sikhism

Sikhs consider the Granth to be a spiritual guide for mankind, and it plays a central role in "guiding" the Sikhs' way of life. Its place in Sikh devotional life is based on two fundamental principles: that the text is divine revelation, and that all answers regarding religion and morality can be discovered within it. Its hymns and teachings are called ''Gurbani'' or "Word of the guru" and sometimes ''Guru ki bani'' or "Word of God". Thus, in Sikh theology, the revealed divine word is written by the past Gurus. The numerous holy men other than the Sikh Gurus whose writing were included in the Adi Granth are collectively referred to as ''Bhagats'', "devotees", and their writings are referred to as ''Bhagat bani'', "Word of Devotees". These saints belonged to different social and religious backgrounds, including Hindus and Muslims, cobblers and untouchables. Though Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji contains the compositions of both Sikh Gurus as well the other great saints (Bhagats)—including those of the Hindu and Muslim faith—no distinction whatsoever is made between the works of Sikh Gurus and the works of the Bhagats contained within the Siri Guru Granth Sahib; the titles "Guru" and "Bhagat" should not be misleading. Guru Granth Sahib is said to be the sole and final successor of the line of gurus.

History

The work of transcribing the teachings of Guru Nanak, the first guru and founder of Sikhism, began in his lifetime. Guru Angad Dev, the second Sikh guru, received Guru Nanak's collection of songs and words in manuscript form: he added sixty-three of his own compositions. The third guru, Guru Amar Das, prepared a number of manuscripts, supplemented with 974 of his own compositions as well as the works of various Bhagats. These manuscripts, known as ''Goindwal pothis'', mention the message of Guru Amar Dass as to why the ''Bhagat Bani'' was included and how the Bhagats were influenced by Guru Nanak.

The fourth guru also composed hymns. The fifth guru, Guru Arjan, in order to consolidate the ''bani'' "[divine] word" of earlier gurus and to prevent spurious compositions creeping in, began early in 1599 to compile the ''Adi Granth'' according to the plan laid out by Guru Nanak. The ''Tawarikh Guru Khalsa'' mentions that he issued a ''Hukamnama'' (official order), asking anyone who could contribute to do so. All of the sourcing and content was reviewed in order to ensure the authenticity of the existing revelation.

The final prepared volume, written by Bhai Gurdas, under the direct supervision of Guru Arjan, included the compositions of the first five Sikh Gurus and of fifteen bhagats, seventeen ''bhatt''s ("bards", or traditional composers) and four others such as Bhai Mardana, a lifelong companion of Guru Nanak. The Adi Granth took five years to complete and was installed in Harmandir Sahib "the Abode of God"), popularly known as the Golden Temple, on September 1, 1604, with Baba Budha Ji as the first Granthi. This original volume is presently in Kartarpur and bears the signature of Guru Arjan.

This master copy was initially in the possession of Guru Hargobind, the sixth guru, but was stolen by one of his grandsons, Dhir Mal, who wanted to lay claim to the title of guru. The Sikhs recovered it forcibly about 30 years later and were made to return it on the order of the ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur. Even though this master copy was improperly wrested from the community, its return underscored the message that no particular copy of the Adi Granth was more divine than another. This master copy of the Adi Granth, known as the "Kartarpur Pothi", which is of significant historical value, is displayed every year on the occasion of Vaisakhi by the descendants of Dhir Mal in Kartarpur.

The final redaction of the Adi Granth was prepared by Guru Gobind Singh with Bhai Mani Singh as the scribe at ''Talwandi Sabo'' (renamed as Damdama Sahib). Guru Gobind Singh added the hymns composed by Guru Tegh Bahadur but excluded his own. There is mention of Guru Gobind Singh's holding an "Akhand Path" (continued recital of Guru Granth Sahib). From Talwandi Sabo, Guru Gobind Singh went to Deccan. While at Nanded, Guru Gobind Singh installed the final version prepared by him as the perpetual Guru of Sikhs in 1708.

The hymns in Guru Granth Sahib are grouped under ragas or classical musical compositions. The chronological arrangement is on the basis of ragas and not on the order of succession of the ten Gurus. As with the Adi Granth, Sikhs do not lay emphasis on any particular copy of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib as the Guru.

The Supreme Court of India holds that the Guru Granth Sahib should be, for historic and legal reasons, considered a 'Juristic person': "The Granth replaces the Guru after the tenth Guru. We unhesitatingly hold Guru Granth Sahib to be a juristic person." The court articulated this finding in the context of a case pertaining to a property dispute.

Elevation of Adi Granth to Guru Granth Sahib

The Adi Granth was conferred the title of "Guru of the Sikhs" by the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, 1708. The event, when Guru Gobind Singh installed Adi Granth as the Guru of Sikhism, was recorded in a ''Bhatt Vahi'' (a bard's scroll) by an eyewitness, Narbud Singh, who was a bard at the Guru's court. There are a variety of other documents attesting to this proclamation by the tenth Guru.

Thus, despite some aberrations, the Sikhs overwhelmingly accept that the Guru Granth is their eternal Guru. This has been the understanding and conviction of the Sikhs, since that October day of 1708.

Guru's commandment

|source=- Guru Gobind Singh, October, 1708, Nanded|}} A close associate of Guru Gobind Singh and author of ''Rehit-nama'', Prahlad Singh, recorded the Guru's commandment saying "With the order of the Eternal Lord has been established [Sikh] Panth: all the Sikhs hereby are commanded to obey the Granth as their Guru".(''Rehat-nama, Bhai Prahlad Singh'') Similarly Chaupa Singh, another associate of Guru Gobind Singh, has mentioned this commandment in his ''Rehat-nama''.

Composition

The Sikh Gurus developed a new writing system, Gurmukhī, for writing their sacred literature. Although the exact origins of the script are unknown, it is believed to have existed in an elementary form during the time of Guru Nanak. According to Sikh tradition, Guru Angad is said to have invented the script, and popularised its use among the Sikhs. It is stated in ''Mahman Prakash'', an early Sikh manuscript, that the script was invented by Guru Angad at the suggestion of Guru Nanak during the lifetime of the founder. The word Gurmukhī translates as "from the mouth of the Guru". The script was used, from the outset, for compiling Sikh scriptures. The Sikhs assign a high degree of sanctity to the Gurmukhī language script; it is also the official script for the Indian State of Punjab.

The ''Guru Granth Sahib'' is divided into fourteen hundred and thirty pages known as ''Angs'' (limbs) in Sikh tradition. It can be divided into three different sections: #Introductory section consisting of the Mul Mantra, Japji and Sohila composed by Guru Nanak #Compositions of Sikh Gurus followed by those of Different Bhagats who just know Only the God, collected according to chronology of ''Ragas'' or musical notes (see below). #Compositions of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

The poems are divided on the basis of their musical setting in different ragas. A raga is a series of melodic motifs, based upon a definite scale or mode, that provide a basic structure around which the musician performs. The ''ragas'' are associated with different moods and times of the day and year. The total number of ragas in the Sikh system is thirty one, divided into fourteen ragas and seventeen ''raginis'' (less important or less definite ragas). Within the raga division, the songs are arranged in order of the Sikh gurus and Sikh bhagats with whom they are associated.

The various ragas are, in order: Raga Sri, Manjh, Gauri, Asa, Gujri, Devagandhari, Bihagara, Wadahans, Sorath, Dhanasri, Jaitsri, Todi, Bairari, Tilang, Suhi, Bilaval, Gond (Gaund), Ramkali, Nut-Narayan, Mali-Gaura, Maru, Tukhari, Kedara, Bhairav (Bhairo), Basant, Sarang, Malar, Kanra, Kalyan, Prabhati and Jaijawanti. In addition there are twenty-two compositions of ''Vars'' (Traditional ballads). Nine of these have specific tunes and the rest can be sung to any tune.

Sanctity among Sikhs

Sikhs observe total sanctity of the text in the Guru Granth Sahib. No one can change or alter any of the writings of the Sikh Gurus written in Adi Granth. This includes sentences, words, structure, grammar, meanings etc. This total sanctity was observed by the Gurus themselves. Guru Har Rai had disowned his elder son, Ram Rai, because he had attempted to alter the wording of one of Guru Nanak's hymn. Ram Rai had been sent to Delhi, by Guru Har Rai, to explain ''Gurbani'' to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. To please the Emperor he altered the wording of some hymns of Guru Nanak. The matter was reported to the Guru, who was displeased with his son and disowned him. Later when aged, Ram Rai was forgiven by Guru Gobind Singh.

Translations

Edited translations of the Guru Granth Sahib are available. However, Sikhs believe that it is necessary to learn Gurmukhī, designed and used by the Sikh Gurus, to fully understand and appreciate the message. They also believe that English translations of the Guru Granth Sahib only give a preliminary understanding of the Guru Granth Sahib. A Sikh is encouraged to learn Gurmukhi to fully experience and understand the Guru Granth Sahib.

Recitation

The Adi Granth is always placed in the centre of a Gurudwara and placed on a raised platform, known as ''Takht'' (throne). The Guru Granth is given the greatest respect and honour. Sikhs cover their heads and remove their shoes while in the presence of Guru Granth. Before coming into its presence, they bow before the Granth. The Guru Granth is normally carried on the head and as a sign of respect not touched with unwashed hands or put on the floor.

The Guru Granth Sahib is always the focal point in any Gurudwara. It is attended with all signs of royalty, as was the custom with Sikh Gurus, and is placed upon a throne, and the congregation sits on the floor. It is waved upon by a ''chaur'' (sort of fan) which is made of fine material and a canopy is always placed over it. The devotees bow before the Guru as a sign of respect.

The Guru Granth Sahib is taken care of by a Granthi. He is responsible for reciting from Guru Granth and leading the Sikh prayer. The Granthi also acts as the caretaker of Guru Granth and collector of the devotees' money. This function may not be performed by any other person. Guru Granth Sahib is kept covered in silken cloths, known as ''Rumala'', to protect from heat, dust, pollution etc. Guru Granth Sahib rests on a ''manji sahib'' under a ''rumala'' until brought out again.

Printing

The editing of Guru Granth Sahib is done by the official religious body of Sikhs based in Amritsar. It is the sole worldwide publisher of Guru Granth Sahib. Great care is taken while making printed copies and strict code of conduct is observed during the task of printing.

Before the late nineteenth century, only hand written copies of Guru Granth Sahib were prepared. The first printed copy of Guru Granth Sahib was made in 1864. Since the early 20th century Guru Granth Sahib has been printed in a standard 1430 pages.

The Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji is currently printed in an authorized printing press in the basement of the Gurdwara Ramsar in Amritsar; any resulting printer's "waste" that has any of the sacred text on, is cremated at Goindval. However, unauthorised copies of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji have also been printed.

Treatment of damaged copies

Any copies of Guru Granth Sahib which are too badly damaged to be used, and any printer's waste which has any of its text on, are cremated with a similar ceremony as cremating a deceased person. Such burning is called Agan Bhet.

Digitization of Guru Granth Sahib manuscripts

Panjab Digital Library (PDL) in collaboration with the Nanakshahi Trust has taken up digitization of centuries old manuscripts in year 2003.

Quotes on Guru Granth Sahib

Max Arthur Macauliffe writes about the authenticity of the scriptures: :The Sikh religion differs as regards the authenticity of its dogmas from most other theological systems. Many of the great teachers the world has known, have not left a line of their own composition and we only know what they taught through tradition or second-hand information. If Pythagoras wrote of his tenets, his writings have not descended to us. We know the teachings of Socrates only through the writings of Plato and Xenophon. Buddha has left no written memorial of his teaching. Kungfu-tze, known to Europeans as Confucius, left no documents in which he detailed the principles of his moral and social system. The founder of Christianity did not reduce his doctrines to writing and for them we are obliged to trust to the gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Muhammad did not himself reduce to writing the chapters of the Quran. They were written or compiled by his adherents and followers. But the compositions of Sikh Gurus are preserved and we know at first hand what they taught.

Pearl Buck, a Nobel laureate, gives the following comment on receiving the First English translation of the Guru Granth Sahib:

:I have studied the scriptures of the great religions, but I do not find elsewhere the same power of appeal to the heart and mind as I find here in these volumes. They are compact in spite of their length, and are a revelation of the vast reach of the human heart, varying from the most noble concept of God, to the recognition and indeed the insistence upon the practical needs of the human body. There is something strangely modern about these scriptures and this puzzles me until I learned that they are in fact comparatively modern, compiled as late as the 16th century, when explorers were beginning to discover that the globe upon which we all live is a single entity divided only by arbitrary lines of our own making. Perhaps this sense of unity is the source of power I find in these volumes. They speak to a person of any religion or of none. They speak for the human heart and the searching mind.

Message of Guru Granth Sahib

Some of the major messages can be summarized as follows: -

# All people of the world are equal # Women are equal to men # One God for all # Speak and live truthfully # Control the five vices # Live in God's hukam (will/order) # Practice Humility, Kindness, Compassion, Love, etc.

Care and protocol

Personal behaviour

Any person carrying out any ''Service or Sewa'' must observe the following:

Head must be covered at all times.

Shoes and socks must be removed outside the Darbar Sahib (Guru's room).

Basic standards of personal hygiene are to be observed especially relating to cleanliness

Eating or drinking while in service is strictly avoided.

Being under the influence of any intoxicant including alcohol, tobacco...etc. is strictly forbidden.

Consuming meat before entering the Darbar Sahib is strictly forbidden.

Complete silence is observed while in Guru's service.

Respectful attitude towards others who are present. No Discrimination while doing Sewa

Environment

The room should be kept clean

The clothes that are used to cover Guru Granth Sahib Ji are kept clean and changed daily. Some people choose to use decorated cloth, but this is not necessary.

The Guru Granth Sahib Ji is always placed on a Manji Sahib (small handmade throne).

A canopy is always placed over the Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

A Chaur Sahib (artificial hairs bundled together to fan over the Guru Granth Sahib) is provided besides Guru Granth Sahib Ji with a small platform to house the Karah Parshad (sacramental food) and other offerings.

Everyone should cover their head and take off their shoes before going in the room.

On the move

While Guru Granth Sahib is on the move the following is observed:

Five initiated Sikhs accompany Guru Granth Sahib at all times when traveling

Another Sikh does Chaur Sahib seva

The Main Sikh carrying Guru Granth Sahib must put a clean rumāl on his or her head before carefully and respectfully placing Guru Granth Sahib on this rumāl. At all times, Guru Granth Sahib should be covered with a small rumāl so that Guru Granth Sahib's form is always fully "covered". Also the Sikh carrying Guru Granth Sahib should have "Keshi Ishnaan" or washed hair to show respect.

There should be recitation of "Waheguru" at all times.

Other considerations

No one sits on a higher platform than the Guru.

No one is to come in front of guruji without his or her head covered.

Guru Granth Sahib World University

Guru Sahib World University would be formally launched in July 2009. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Fourth Centenary Memorial Trust. The meeting was chaired by the Punjab Chief Minister Paraksh Singh Badal. Disclosing this, Mr. Harcharan Bains, Media Advisor to the Chief Minister said that apart from intensive work on Guru Granth Sahib studies, the University would focus on imparting education in post modern technologies such as Nano-technology, Bio-technology, Information Technology and Business Management besides comparative study of different religions. These courses would be introduced in the inaugural academic session next year.

Later, the University would also house the faculties in Emerging Technologies, Basic Sciences, Management, Social Sciences, Arts, Languages, Engineering, Architecture, Law and Social Justice. Work will soon commence on the construction of the Complex.

Other universities

Punjabi University, Patiala, has established a department which provides a number of academic courses on Guru Granth Sahib. The department was established in 1962. Sikhism is a revealed religion and as such the department was established to do research in Sikhism and Sikh scriptures. The aim of the department is to study Sikhism as an academic discpline and to produce source material for students working in the field of Sikh studies. The thrust areas of the departmental research are Sikh theology and Sikh Philosophy

The university has started work on an online academic course in advanced studies of the Guru Granth sahib. This academic course would be available internationally, to any student who wants academic training in the Sikh scripture. The academic exam papers would be designed by "The Advanced Centre for Development of Punjabi Language, Literature and Culture".

List of Sikh Gurus

See also

Message of Guru Granth Sahib

References

Further reading

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (English Version) by Dr Gopal Singh M.A Ph.D., Published by World Book Centre in 1960

Dilgeer, Dr Harjinder Singh (2010), ''Spiritual Manifesto of the World: Guru Granth Sahib'', publisher Sikh University Press & Singh Brothers Amritsar, 2010.

Dilgeer, Dr Harjinder Singh (2010), ''Nitnaym & Other Baanis'' (English translation of daily prayer of the Sikhs, publisher Sikh University Press & Singh Brothers Amritsar, 2010.

External links

300 Saal Guru De Naal

Panjab Digital Library

Sri Granth

Videos

400th Anniversary of Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Audio

Listen to Complete Guru Granth Sahib (66 hours), read meaning & download gurmat softwares & fonts

(click on the link for complete mp3 format of aad sri guru granth sahib ji maharaj)

(Another Audio Link Of SGGS ji )

Text

Sri Guru Granth Sahib on www.sikhismguide.org

English translation of the Guru Granth Sahib PDF

The Guru Granth Sahib in Unicode format

Granth Sahib.com

Download The Siri Guru Granth Sahib in Spanish / Español (doc)

The "Oficial Translations of Siri Guru Granth Sahib in Spanish".Revised / PDF

Search Guru Granth Sahib in English, Gurmukhi and 52 other languages

Other

Quotations from Guru Granth Sahib

searchgurbani.com

ProudToBeSikh.com - Five different audio sets of SGGSJI

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Raagkosh

Granth Sahib Category:Sikh scripture Category:Sikh terms

de:Adi Granth el:Αντί Γκραντ (Πρώτο Βιβλίο) es:Gurú Granth Sahib fa:گورو گرانت صاحب fr:Guru Granth Sahib hi:गुरु ग्रंथ साहिब id:Guru Granth Sahib is:Guru Granth Sahib it:Guru Granth Sahib kn:ಗುರು ಗ್ರಂಥ ಸಾಹೀಬ sw:Guru Granth Sahib mr:गुरू ग्रंथ साहिब mwl:Guru Granth Sahib nl:Goeroe Granth Sahib no:Adi Granth nn:Guru Granth Sáhib pa:ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ pnb:گرنتھ صاحب pl:Sri Guru Granth Sahib pt:Guru Granth Sahib ru:Гуру Грантх Сахиб simple:Guru Granth Sahib sv:Guru Granth Sahib ta:குரு கிரந்த் சாகிப் te:గురుగ్రంధ సాహిబ్ tr:Guru Granth Sahib ur:گرنتھ صاحب fiu-vro:Ādigranth

name	Asharamji Bapu
birth date	April 17, 1941
birth place	Berani, Sindh, British India
residence	Ahmedabad, India
nationality	Indian
religion	Hinduism
activities	Satsung
spouse	Lakshmi Devi
children	Narayan Sai (Son)Bharti Devi (Daughter)
parents	Maa Mehangiba (Mother)Thaumal Sirumalani (Father)
signature	Bapu sign1.JPG
website	www.ashram.org
activities	Satsang,Dhayan,Yoga,Pranayam,Vedant Spiritual Discourses and Kirtan, }}

Sant Shri Asharam Ji Bapu (, , born April 17, 1941), also endearingly called "Bapu", is a self-realized Hindu Spiritual Guru from India. Bapu preaches the existence of One Supreme Conscious in every human being and represents a confluence of Bhakti_yoga, Gnana_yoga and Karma_yoga. Under his guidance, an Ashram was started in 1971 at Ahmedabad on the historically significant place where sage Sandipani (Guru of Lord Krishna) used to do Yagya. As of now, the number of Ashrams have surpassed 350. A documentary video "Voice of Consciousness" showed life-sketch of Sant Asharam Bapu.

Biography

Youth

Sant Shri Asharam Bapu (Bapuji), born to father Thaumal Sirumalani and mother Menhgiba, as Asumal Sirumalani. Place of birth being Berani village of the Nawabshah District in Sindh (Un-Partitioned India) on April 17, 1941 (Gregorian calendar). His father was a wealthy businessman.

Bapu went to school in Maninagar. His mother helped develop his interest in dhyaan-bhajan (meditation and prayers) from his early childhood.

At a very young age Asumal lost his father, but grew more and more interested in pursuing meditation and spirituality. He finally left his family (who wanted him to get married) and traveled the country, until he went to Vrindavan, the land of Lord Krishna. Here he was inspired to go to the ashram of the Guru, Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj. He had to wait for 40 days in the Ashram to get a glimpse of the Guru. There he stayed and served his Guru with devotion. Lilashah Ji for testing the determination of Asumal, made him go through several hardships and tests for another 30 days before Asumal was blessed. Then Swami Sri Lilashah Ji Maharaj asked him to go back to home and continue his spiritual practices at home.

While coming back to his home, he left the train and went to Moti Koral (A place in Gujarat). He started Spiritual practice at the bank or river Narmada. A local saint Shri Lalji Maharaj was impressed by Asumal's interest to attain Self Realization. Lalji Maharaj made arrangements for Asumal to stay in Datt Kutir of Ram Niwas (Lalji Maharaj's Ashram).

When Asumal's wife and mother came to know that he was staying at Moti Koral they visited him. They asked him to come back. Asumal refused to return until he completed the Anushthan. He successfully completed the Anushthan. The whole village including Lalji Maharaj came to the railway station to see them off to Ahmadabad. As soon as the train started moving from Miyagaun junction, Asumal jumped out and boarded a train towards Mumbai where He met Guru Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj.

Self Realization

Asumal reached Bombay (Mumbai) and met Guru Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj. Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj was very happy to see his disciple's keen interest to attain the truth. Hence, on 2nd Day of Ashvin month in Samvat 2021 at 2.30pm in the afternoon Asumal was transformed into Asaram Bapu by the blessings of Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj. After this Asaram Bapu went into samadhi for next two and a half days.

Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj instructed Asaram to serve the humanity by staying as a householder. After Self-Realization Asaram Bapu stayed in solitude for seven years. Asaram Bapu used to give religious discourse to all those who came to meet & see Bapu. Bapu spent His solitude in various places like Disa, Naareshwar Dhaam, the Himalayas, Mount Abu.

Life as a Householder

Asaram Bapu met Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj in Haridwar in Vikram Samvat 1928, & by the commands of Guru, in order to provide a good example to common householders, Bapu entered the life of a householder. It was the day of Guru Punam in Vikram Samvat 2028 when Asaram Bapu reached Ahmedabad after staying in solitude for seven years.[2]

Sant Shri Asaram Ji Bapu chose a peaceful place in the Motera village on the banks of Sabarmati river. Later on some of the devotees constructed a small room for him which is known as "Moksha Kutir". Slowly, the number of devotees coming to Motera kept on increasing and in a very short time the place became a great spiritual center. Today Motera is the main spiritual centre for the devotees coming to Sant Sri Asaramji Ashram.

Foundations

There are 350 ashrams working under the guidance of Asaram Ji Bapu. These ashrams organise spiritual and social welfare activities on a regular basis. Some of these activities include Weekly Satsang, Distribution of Rishi Prasad, Lok Kalyan Setu, other spiritual publications like Divya Prerna Prakash, free distribution of Netra Bindu (eye drops) and a device to remove Vaastu related issues. LIVE webcast of Spiritual Discourse is facilitated for more than 70 million followers (sadhaks) living worldwide through the Ashram website.

Sri Yog Vedant Seva Samiti

More than 1300 Sri Yog Vedant Seva Samitis are formed under the guidance of Pujya Bapuji. These Samitis do various social welfare programs like Development of tribals, and people belonging to backward classes, Service activities in orphanages, Distribution of food-grains through ration cards, Distribution of buttermilk and water outlet service, De-addiction Campaigns, Centres for Spiritual Literature, Video Satsang Centres, Free-Food and Financial Support for extremely poor people and upliftment programmes for prisoners in Jails etc. are few among them but not limited to this list.

Bal-Sanskar Kendras

Bal Sanskar Kendra or BSK for short are sessions and camps conducted for all-round and comprehensive development of children/students. BSKs are inspired by spiritual teachings of Asaram Bapu and coordinated by Bal Sanskar Kendra Dept., Shri Akhil Bhartiya Yoga Vedanta Seva Samiti, Sant Shri Asarmaji Ashram, Ahmadabad, Gujarat, India.

Controversies since 2009

Other News in Media and Sting Operation

In December 2009, the Gujarat Police filed an attempt to murder case against Asaram Bapu and two others.

After initial police investigation, it turned out that the person who made the allegations had already been caught on a video tape by a TV Channel A2Z News in a Sting Operation, in which his gang of people got busted and accepted in front of camera about their conspiracy of targeting Sant Shri Asaram Ji Bapu and their Ashrams, with false allegations by support of some media houses. Asaram Bapuji or any of his disciples had nothing to gain by attempting to harm this individual when he had already been caught on tape conspiring to malign the Sant. . On 3 April 2010, the channel broadcast details of investigations and reports by government instituted special investigation commission, under leadership of Justice D K Trivedi.

Other controversies involving Asaram Bapu include tax evasion and land encroachment.

Ashram Bapu rebutted all such allegations, as Ashram is having all legal and documentation proofs of legally purchasing land and all required tax paid on time, with legal representations..

CID gives Ashram Clean Chit (April, 2010)

Two children were found drowned in the river Sabaramti in 2008. But On April 8, 2010 after months of investigation and searching through records and witnesses, CID gave Sant Sri Asaramji Ashram Clean Chit and asserted that there were no black magic activities that may have anything to do with the death of the children. Most popular press amusingly stayed tongue tied about why it made earlier allegations of such practices at the Ashram.

References

External links

Official Website

Rishi Prasad, Monthly Publication

Balsanskar, Website for kids

HariOmGroup, Followers Website

Ashram News

Satsang Radio Portal

Vedic Vivaah

Official Twitter Account

Category:Hindu gurus Category:Indian religious leaders Category:People considered avatars by their followers Category:Spiritual teachers Category:1941 births Category:Sindhi people Category:Living people

bh:संत श्री आसारामजी बापू gu:સંત શ્રી આસારામજી બાપુ hi:संत श्री आसारामजी बापू mr:आसाराम बापू sa:संत श्री आसारामजी बापू te:సంత్ శ్రీ ఆసారామజీ బాపూ

Name	Mātā Amṛtānandamayī Devī
Birth date	September 27, 1953 (age 57)
Birth place	Parayakadavu, Alappad Panchayat, Kollam District, Kerala, India
Birth name	Sudhamani Idamannel
Quote	"There is one truth that shines through all of creation. Rivers and mountains, plants and animals, the sun, the moon and the stars, you and I—all are expressions of this one Reality."
Footnotes	}}

Sudhamani Idamannel, also known as Mātā Amṛtānandamayī Devī (Devanagari: माता अमृतानन्‍दमयी, Malayalam:മാതാ അമൃതാനന്ദമയി, born September 27, 1953) and Amma ["Mother"], is a Hindu spiritual leader and guru, who is revered as a saint by her followers. She is widely respected for her humanitarian activities.She is sometimes referred to as "The Hugging Saint."

Biography

Mata Amritanandamayi Devi was born Sudhamani Idamannel in the small village of Parayakadavu (now partially known as Amritapuri), Alappad Panchayat, Kollam District, Kerala in 1953. Her schooling ended when she was nine, and she began to take care of her younger siblings and the family domestic work full-time.

As part of her chores, Sudhamani gathered food scraps from neighbors for her family’s cows and goats. Amritanandamayi says at these times she was confronted with the intense poverty and suffering of others. She would bring these people food and clothing from her own home. Her family, which was not wealthy, scolded and punished her. Amritanandamayi also began to spontaneously embrace people to comfort them in their sorrow. It was not permissible for a 14-year-old girl to even touch others, especially men. But despite adverse reactions by her parents, Amritanandamayi continued. Regarding her embracing of others, Amritanandamayi has said, “I don’t see if it is a man or a woman. I don’t see anyone different from my own self. A continuous stream of love flows from me to all of creation. This is my inborn nature. The duty of a doctor is to treat patients. In the same way, my duty is to console those who are suffering.”

Despite numerous attempts by her parents to arrange marriage for her, Amritanandamayi rejected all suitors. In 1981, after various seekers had begun residing at her parents' property in Parayakadavu for the sake of being Amritanandamayi's disciples, a worldwide organization, the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, was founded. Amritanandamayi serves as chairperson of the Math. Today the Mata Amritanandmayi Math is engaged in many spiritual and charitable activities.

In 1987, at the request of devotees, Amritanandamayi began to conduct programs in countries throughout the world. She has done so annually ever since. Countries Amritanandamayi has held programs in include Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Dubai, England, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritius, Reunion, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States of America. She also makes annual tours of India.

Darshan

Darshan means “to see” in Sanskrit. In the Hindu ritual tradition, it refers to seeing the sacred. This typically corresponds to seeing the sacred in the image of a deity while at temple. It is believed that, in beholding the image of a deity, onlookers absorb through their eyes the powers of that deity. Darshan hence is believed to have the capacity to bring good fortune, well-being, and grace to those who participate in the act. Members of Amritanandamayi's following use the term specifically in reference to receiving a hug from Amritanandamayi.

Amritanandamayi has been giving darshan in this manner since her late teenage years. As to how this began, Amritanandamayi says, "People used to come and tell [me] their troubles. They would cry and I would wipe their tears. When they fell weeping into my lap, I used to hug them. Then the next person too wanted it… And so the habit picked up." Amritanandamayi's organization, the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, claims Amritanandamayi has embraced more than 31 million people throughout the world.

When asked, in 2002, to what extent does she think her embraces help the ills of the world? Amritanandamayi replied, "I don’t say I can do it 100 percent. Attempting to change the world [completely] is like trying to straighten the curly tail of a dog. But society takes birth from people. So by affecting individuals, you can make changes in the society and, through it, in the world. You cannot change it, but you can make changes. The fight in individual minds is responsible for the wars. So if you can touch people, you can touch the world."

Amritanandamayi's darshan is the centerpiece of her life, as she has received people nearly every day since the late 1970s. With the size of the crowds coming to seek Amritanandamayi's blessings increasing, there are times when she gives darshan continuously for more than 20 hours. In a conversation recorded in the 2004 book ''From Amma's Heart'', Amritanandamayi says: "As long as these hands can move a little bit and reach out to those who come to her, and as long as there is a little strength and energy to place her hands on a crying person’s shoulder and caress and wipe their tears, Amma will continue giving darshan. To lovingly caress people, console and wipe their tears, until the end of this mortal frame is Amma's wish."

Teachings

In the book ''The Timeless Path'', Swami Ramakrishnananda Puri, one of Amritanandamayi's senior disciples, writes: "The [spiritual] path inculcated by Amma is the same as the one presented in the Vedas and recapitulated in subsequent traditional scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita." Amritanandamayi herself says, “''Karma'' [action], ''jñana'' [knowledge] and ''bhakti'' [devotion] are all essential. If the two wings of a bird are devotion and action, knowledge is its tail. Only with the help of all three can the bird soar into the heights.” She accepts the various spiritual practices and prayers of all religions as but various systems for the single goal of purifying the mind. Along these lines, she stresses the importance of meditation, performing actions as karma yoga, selfless service, and cultivating divine qualities such compassion, patience, forgiveness, self-control, etc. Amritanandamayi says that these practices refine the mind, making it fit for assimilating the ultimate truth: that one is not the limited body and mind but the eternal blissful consciousness that serves as the non-dual substratum of the universe. This understanding itself Amritanandamayi refers to as ''jivanmukti'' [liberation while alive]. Amritanandamayi says, "''Jivanmukti'' is not something to be attained after death, nor is it to be experienced or bestowed upon you in another world. It is a state of perfect awareness and equanimity, which can be experienced here and now in this world, while living in the body. Having come to experience the highest truth of oneness with the Self, such blessed souls do not have to be born again. They merge with the infinite."

Charitable mission

Amritanandamayi's world-wide charitable mission comprises a program to build 100,000 homes for the homeless, orphanages, relief-and-rehabilitation in the face of disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, free medical care, pensions for widows and disabled people, environmental-protection groups, slum renovation, care homes for the elderly, and free food and clothing for the poor, amongst others. These projects are managed and run by various organizations, including the Mata Amritanandamayi Math (India), the Mata Amritanandamayi Center (USA), Amritanandamayi-Europe, Amritanandamayi-Japan, Amritanandamayi-Kenya, Amritanandamayi-Australia, etc. All the organizations collectively are known as Embracing the World. When asked about how her charitable mission's development in 2004, Amritanandamayi said, "As for the activities, there was no planning. Everything happened spontaneously. One thing led to another on seeing the plight of the poor and the distressed. As Amma meets each and every person, she sees their problems face to face and tries to do something to alleviate their suffering. ''Om lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu'' is one of the important ''mantras'' of Sanatana Dharma, which means, 'May all the beings in all the worlds be happy and peaceful.' The spirit of this mantra was put into action."

The majority of work is done by volunteers as a form of spiritual practice. "It is Amma's wish that all of her children should dedicate their lives to spreading love and peace throughout the world. Real love and devotion for God is to have compassion for the poor and the suffering," Amritanandamayi says. "My children, feed those who are hungry, help the poor, console the sorrowful, comfort the suffering, be charitable to all.”

Bhajans

Amritanandamayi is well known for her devotional singing. There are more than 100 recordings of her singing bhajans in more than 20 languages. She has also composed dozens of bhajans and set them to traditional ragas. Regarding devotional singing as a spiritual practice, Amritanandamayi says, "If the bhajan is sung with one-pointedness, it is beneficial for the singer, the listeners, and Nature as well. Later when the listeners reflect on the songs, they will try to live in accordance with the lessons enunciated therein." Amritanandamayi says that in today's world, it is often difficult for people to get one-pointed concentration in meditation, but through devotional singing such concentration can be attained much easier.

Books and publications

Amritanandamayi's disciples have transcribed her conversations with devotees and spiritual seekers to create approximately a dozen books of her teachings known as "Awaken Children". The addresses she has delivered at various international forums have also been published in book form. Senior disciples including Swami Ramakrishnananda Puri, Swami Turiyamritananda Puri, Swami Paramatmananda and Swamini Krishnamrita Prana have also written books about their experiences with Amritanandamayi and their understanding of Amritanandamayi's teachings. Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri, the Vice-Chairman of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, has written a biography about Amritanandamayi. The Mata Amritanandamayi Math also publishes ''Matruvani'', a monthly spiritual magazine, as well as ''Immortal Bliss'', a quarterly.

Positions

Founder & Chairperson, Mata Amritanandamayi Math

Founder, Embracing the World Chancellor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University Founder, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS Hospital) Parliament of the World's Religions, International Advisory Committee Member

Awards and honours

1993, 'President of the Hindu Faith' (Parliament of the World's Religions) 1993, Hindu Renaissance Award (''Hinduism Today'')

1998, Care & Share International Humanitarian of the Year Award (Chicago)

2002, Karma Yogi of the Year (''Yoga Journal'') 2002, Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence by The World Movement for Nonviolence (UN, Geneva) 2005, Mahavir Mahatma Award (London) 2005, Centenary Legendary Award of the International Rotarians (Cochin) 2006, James Parks Morton Interfaith Award (New York) 2006, The Philosopher Saint Sri Jnaneswara World Peace Prize (Pune) 2007, Le Prix Cinéma Vérité (Cinéma Vérité, Paris) 2010, The State University of New York awarded Amma an honorary doctorate in humane letters on May 25, 2010 at its Buffalo campus.

Addresses at international forums

1993, 'May Your Hearts Blossom,' the Parliament of the World's Religions 100th Anniversary (Chicago)

1995, 'Unity Is Peace,' Interfaith Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations (New York) 2000, 'Living in Harmony,' Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious & Spiritual Leaders (UN, New York) 2002, 'Awakening of Universal Motherhood,' the Global Peace Initiative of Women, (UN, Geneva) 2004, 'May Peace & Happiness Prevail,' Parliament of World's Religions (Barcelona) 2006, 'Understanding & Collaboration Between Religions,' James Parks Morton Interfaith Awards (New York) 2007, 'Compassion: The Only Way to Peace' (Cinéma Vérité Festival, Paris) 2008, 'The Infinite Potential of Women,' keynote address of the Global Peace Initiative of Women (Jaipur), 2009, 'Cultivating Strength & Vitality,' inauguration of Vivekananda International Foundation (New Delhi)

Documentaries

1999 ''River of Love: A Documentary Drama on the Life of Ammachi''

2000 Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends – "Indian Gurus" (BBC-TV)

2005 ''Darshan: The Embrace'' – Directed by Jan Kounen

2007 ''In God's Name'' – Directed by Jules Clément Naudet and Thomas Gédéon Naudet

2009 Embracing Kenya ''(video)''

Video from international conferences

2002 The Gandhi-King Award 2002 United Nations : "The future of this planet depends on the women" 2004 Barcelona 2004 Parliament of World's Religion "May peace and happiness prevail" 2006 James Parks Morton Interfaith 2006 "Understanding and Collaboration Between Religions"

Criticism

Sreeni Pattathanam, the Kerala-based head of the Indian Rationalist Association, wrote ''Matha Amritanandamayi: Sacred Stories and Realities'', a controversial critique first published in 1985. He claims that all the miracles of Amritanandamayi are bogus, and that there have been many suspicious deaths in and around her ashram, which need police investigation. The book contains references to court records, newspaper reports and quotations from literary figures, including statements from devotees, residents of the Math, relatives of Amritanandamayi and an interview with Amritanandamayi herself.

In 2004, the Kerala State Government sanctioned criminal prosecution of Patthathanam, the owner of the publishing company and the printer of the book on grounds that religious sentiments had been offended. The order followed directions from the Kerala High Court to the Home Department for considering an application by T.K. Ajan, a resident of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math. The order ultimately received international attention and was rescinded after criticism by Humanists, Rationalists, writers, and the Communist Party.

See also

Mata Amritanandamayi Math

Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Notes

References

BBC-News article about Mata Amritanandamayi

Hurricane relief

Tsunami relief

Social Service

''Amma: Healing the Heart of the World'' by Judith Cornell, (William Morrow & Company, ISBN 0-688-17079-X)

''Messages from Amma: In the Language of the Heart'' by Janine Canan (Ten Speed Press, ISBN 1-58761-214-3)

''Getting to Joy: A Western Householder's Spiritual Journey with Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi)'' by Karuna Poole (Shantini Center, ISBN 0-9643629-2-9)

External links

embracing the world - Ammas Charities

Amritapuri.org (Official mission site – India)

Amma Europe (Official portal to European Amma sites)

Amma.org (Official mission site – USA)

Youtube Ammafootage (Official Youtube site)

Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:Hindu gurus Category:Indian religious leaders Category:Malayali people Category:Hindu revivalists Category:Hindu saints Category:Deified people Category:Bhajan singers Category:Indian female singers

de:Amritanandamayi es:Mata Amritanandamayi eo:Mata Amritanandamayi fr:Mata Amritanandamayi gl:Mata Amritanandamayi hi:माता अमृतानंदमयी it:Mata Amritanandamayi he:מאטה אמריטננדמאיי hu:Máta Amritánandamaji ml:അമൃതാനന്ദമയി nl:Mata Amritananda Mayi ja:マーター・アムリターナンダマイー pl:Mata Amritanandamayi pt:Mata Amritanandamayi ru:Мата Амританандамайи sa:माता अमृतानन्‍दमयी fi:Äiti Amma sv:Mata Amritanandamayi ta:அம்ருதானந்தமயி te:మాతా అమృతానందమయి

region	India
era	19th to 20th Century
color	#B0C4DE
signature	sai
name	Sai Baba of Shirdi
birth date	Unknown
death date	October 15, 1918. }}

Sai Baba of Shirdi (Unknown – October 15, 1918), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba (, ), was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim devotees as a saint. Many Hindu devotees - including Hemadpant, who wrote the famous ''Shri Sai Satcharitra'' - consider him an incarnation of Lord Krishna while other devotees consider him as an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. Many devotees believe that he was a Satguru, an enlightened Sufi Pir, or a Qutub. No verifiable information is available regarding Sai Baba's birth and place of birth.

Sai Baba's real name is unknown. The name "Sai" was given to him upon his arrival at Shirdi, a town in the west-Indian state of Maharashtra. Mahalsapati, a local temple priest, recognized him as a muslim saint and greeted him with the words 'Ya Sai!', meaning 'Welcome Sai!'. ''Sai'' or ''Sayi'' is a Persian title given to Sufi saints, meaning 'poor one'. However ''Sāī'' may also refer to the Sanskrit term "Sakshat Eshwar" or the ''divine''. The honorific "Baba" means "father; grandfather; old man; sir" in Indo-Aryan languages. Thus Sai Baba denotes "holy father" or "saintly father".

Sai Baba remains a very popular saint, especially in India, and is worshipped by people around the world. He is claimed to have 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. Sai Baba's teaching combined elements of Hinduism and Islam: he gave the Hindu name ''Dwarakamayi'' to the mosque he lived in, practiced Hindu and 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 always uttered ''"Allah Malik"'' ("God is King").

Some of Sai Baba's disciples became famous as spiritual figures and saints, such as Mhalsapati, a priest of the Kandoba temple in Shirdi, and Upasni Maharaj. He was revered by other saints, such as Saint Bidkar Maharaj, Saint Gangagir, Saint Janakidas Maharaj, and Sati Godavari Mataji. Sai Baba referred to several saints as 'my brothers', especially the disciples of Swami Samartha of Akkalkot

Early years

Historians and devotees agree that there is no reliable evidence for a particular birthplace or date of birth. Various communities have claimed that he belongs to them, but nothing has been substantiated. It is known that he spent considerable periods with fakirs, and his attire resembled that of a Muslim fakir.

Little has been officially documented on the early life of Shirdi Sai Baba. An account of Shirdi Sai's missing childhood years has been reconstructed by his disciple Dasganu, after researching in the area around the village of Pathri. He collected this story in four chapters on Sai Baba, later also called the Sri Sai Gurucharitra. This account is largely overlapped by the narration by Sathya Sai Baba. Dasganu states that Sai Baba grew up in Pathri, with a fakir and his wife. Sathya Sai Baba states that this couple adopted him shortly after his birth. At the age of five, says Daganu, the fakir's wife put him in the care of the saintly desmukh Venkusha, where the boy stayed several years. Dasganu calls the young Sai Baba the reincarnation of Kabir. Because Daganu was known to take poetic liberties when telling stories about Sai Baba, and as there are no other sources to corroborate this story, it usually is left out of biographies of Sai Baba of Shirdi.

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 practicing 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, and he was regularly visited by the religiously inclined, including Mhalsapati, Appa Jogle and Kashinatha. Some considered him mad and threw stones at him. Sai Baba left the village, and little is known about him after that. However, there are some indications that he met with many saints and fakirs, and worked as a weaver. He claimed to have fought 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.

Return to Shirdi

In 1858 Sai Baba returned to Shirdi. Around this time he adopted his famous style of dress consisting of a knee-length one-piece robe (kafni) and a cloth cap. Ramgir Bua, a devotee, testified that Sai Baba was dressed like an athlete and sported 'long hair flowing down to the end of his spine' when he arrived in Shirdi, and that he never had his head shaved. It was only after Baba forfeited a wrestling match with one Mohdin Tamboli that he took up the kafni and cloth cap, articles of typical Sufi clothing. This attire contributed to Baba's identification as a Muslim fakir, and was a reason for initial indifference and hostility against him in a predominantly Hindu village. According to B.V. Narasimhaswami, a posthumous follower who was widely praised as Sai Baba's "apostle", this attitude was prevalent up to 1854 even among some of his devotees in Shirdi.

For four to five years Baba lived under a neem tree, and often wandered for long periods in the jungle around Shirdi. His manner was said to be withdrawn and uncommunicative as he undertook long periods of meditation. The ''Shri Sai Satcharita'' recounts the reaction of the villagers:

The people of the village were wonder-struck to see such a young lad practicing hard penance, not minding heat or cold. By day he associated with no one, by night he was afraid of nobody.

He was eventually persuaded to take up residence in an old and dilapidated mosque and lived a solitary life there, surviving by begging for alms, and receiving itinerant Hindu or Muslim visitors. In the mosque he maintained a sacred fire which is referred to as a dhuni, from which he gave sacred ashes ('Udhi') to his guests before they left. The ash was believed to have healing and apotropaic powers. He performed the function of a local hakim, and treated the sick by application of ashes. Sai Baba also delivered spiritual teachings to his visitors, recommending the reading of sacred Hindu texts along with the Qur'an. He insisted on the indispensability of the unbroken remembrance of God's name (dhikr, japa), and often expressed himself in a cryptic manner with the use of parables, symbols and allegories.

Sai Baba participated in religious festivals and was also in the habit of preparing food for his visitors, which he distributed to them as prasad. Sai Baba's entertainment was dancing and singing religious songs.

After 1910 Sai Baba's fame began to spread in Mumbai. Numerous people started visiting him, because they regarded him as a saint with the power of performing miracles, or even as an Avatar. They built his first temple at Bhivpuri, Karjat.

Teachings and practices

Sai Baba opposed all persecution based on religion or caste. He was an opponent of religious orthodoxy – Christian, Hindu and Muslim. Although Sai Baba himself led the life of an ascetic, he advised his followers to lead an ordinary family life.

In his personal practice, Sai Baba observed worship procedures belonging to Hinduism and Islam; he shunned any kind of regular rituals but allowed the practice of namaz, chanting of Al-Fatiha, and Qur'an readings at Muslim festival times. Occasionally reciting the Al-Fatiha himself, Baba also enjoyed listening to moulu and qawwali accompanied with the tabla and sarangi twice daily.

Sai Baba encouraged his devotees to pray, chant God's name, and read holy scriptures. He told Muslims to study the Qur'an, and Hindus to study texts such as the Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, and Yoga Vasistha. He advised his devotees and followers to lead a moral life, help others, love every living being without any discrimination, and develop two important features of character: faith (''Shraddha'') and patience (''Sabr''). He criticized atheism. In his teachings, Sai Baba emphasized the importance of performing one's duties without attachment to earthly matters, and of being content regardless of the situation.

Sai Baba interpreted the religious texts of both Islam and Hinduism. He explained the meaning of the Hindu scriptures in the spirit of Advaita Vedanta. His philosophy also had numerous elements of bhakti. The three main Hindu spiritual paths – Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Karma Yoga – influenced his teachings.

Sai Baba encouraged charity, and stressed the importance of sharing. He said: "Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them with due respect. Shri Hari (God) will certainly be pleased if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked, and your verandah to strangers for sitting and resting. If anybody wants any money from you and you are not inclined to give, do not give, but do not bark at him like a dog." Other favorite sayings of his were: "Why do you fear when I am here", and "He has no beginning... He has no end."

Sai Baba made eleven assurances to his devotees: # Whosoever puts their feet on Shirdi soil, their sufferings will come to an end. # The wretched and miserable will rise to joy and happiness as soon as they climb the steps of [the mosque] Dwarakamayi. # I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body. # My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees. # I shall be active and vigorous even from my tomb. # My mortal remains will speak from my tomb. # I am ever living to help and guide all who come to me, who surrender to me, and who seek refuge in me. # If you look at me, I look at you. # If you cast your burden on me, I shall surely bear it. # If you seek my advice and help, it shall be given to you at once. # There shall be no want in the house of my devotee.

Worship and devotees

The Shirdi Sai Baba movement began in the 19th century, while he was living in Shirdi. A local Khandoba priest - Mhalsapati Nagre - is believed to have been his first devotee. In the 19th century Sai Baba's followers were only a small group of Shirdi inhabitants and a few people from other parts of India. The movement started developing in the 20th century, with Sai Baba's message reaching the whole of India. During his life, Hindus worshiped him with Hindu rituals and Muslims considered him to be a saint. In the last years of Sai Baba's life, Christians and Zoroastrians started joining the Shirdi Sai Baba movement.

Shirdi is among the major Hindu places of pilgrimage. The first Sai Baba temple is situated at Bhivpuri, Karjat. The Sai Baba Mandir (Hindu temple) in Shirdi is visited by around twenty thousand pilgrims a day and during religious festivals this number can reach up to a hundred thousand. Shirdi Sai Baba is especially revered and worshiped in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat.

The Shirdi Sai movement has spread to the Caribbean and to countries such as the United States, Australia, Dubai, Malaysia, and Singapore. The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is one of the main Hindu religious movements in English-speaking countries.

Sai Baba had many disciples and devotees: #Nana Saheb Chandorkar: Deputy Collector – legend has it that Sai Baba saved this man's daughter from labor complications. #Ganapath Rao: police officer who resigned to become an ascetic, and also known as Das Ganu. He was an itinerant who spread Sai Baba's message. #Tatya Patil: had immense faith in Sai Baba and served him until Sai Baba took samadhi. Sai Baba used to treat Tatya Patil as His nephew. #Baija Mai kote patil: Sai Baba treated her as His elder sister and equivalent to mother. She was Tatya Patil's mother. #Haji Abdul baba: He served Sai Baba until Sai Baba died in 1918. #Madhav Rao Deshpande: Later known as Shama, one of the staunch devotees of Sai Baba. #Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar (Hemadpant): Sai Baba allowed him to write the ''Shri Sai Satcharita''. #Mahalsapati Chimanji Nagare: A priest of Khandoba Temple. #RadhaKrishna Mai: A great devotee of Baba, cleaned the temple every day and looked after Baba's needs. 108 Shirdi Sai Baba Slogans (mantras) are sung by devotees in praise of him as worship.

Reported miracles

Sai Baba's millions of disciples and devotees believe that he performed many miracles such as bilocation, levitation, mindreading, materialization, exorcisms, making the river Yamuna, entering a state of Samādhi at will, and lightning lamps with water, removing his limbs or intestines and sticking them back to his body (''khandana yoga''), curing the incurably sick, appearing beaten when another was beaten, after death rising on third day like Jesus Christ, preventing a mosque from falling down on people, and helping his devotees in a miraculous way. He also gave Darshan (vision) to people in the form of Rama, Krishna, Vithoba and many other Gods depending on the faith of devotees.

According to his followers he appeared to them in dreams after his death, and gave them advice. His devotees have documented many stories.

Historical sources

Biographers of Sai Baba (e.g. Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar, Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja, Smriti Srinivas, Antonio Rigopolous) have based their writing on primary sources. One such source is the ''Shirdi Diary'' by Ganesh Shrikrishna Khaparde, which describes every day of the author's stay at Shirdi.

Speculation about the unknown episodes of Sai Baba's life are primarily based on his own words.

The most important source about Sai's life is the ''Shri Sai Satcharita'', written in Marathi in 1916 by Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar, whom Sai Baba nicknamed ''Hemadpant''. Consisting of 53 chapters, it describes Sai Baba's life, teachings, and miracles. The book compares Sai Baba's love to a mother's love: caring and loving, but reprimanding when needed. It describes Baba's lifestyle, his selfless attitude, and his love for his devotees. The book describes how one should surrender one's egoism at God's feet and trust one's guru. It explains how God is supreme and His devotees should trust Him and love Him. It teaches that God is omnipresent in all living things, so that everything on Earth must be treated with love and respect.

''Sri Sai Baba and His Teachings'' by Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja is an in-depth study of Sai Baba's life routine and activities. B.V. Narasimhaswamiji has written important books such as ''Sri Sai Baba's Charters and Sayings'' and ''Devotee's Experiences of Sai Baba''.

In various religions

Hinduism

During Sai Baba's life, the Hindu saint Anandanath of Yewala declared Sai Baba a spiritual "diamond". Another saint, Gangagir, called him a "jewel". Sri Beedkar Maharaj greatly revered Sai Baba, and in 1873, when he met him he bestowed the title Jagad guru upon him. Sai Baba was also greatly respected by Vasudevananda Saraswati (known as Tembye Swami). He was also revered by a group of Shaivic yogis, to which he belonged, known as the ''Nath-Panchayat''.

Other religions

In Islam, Sai Baba mainly considered as a normal human being he was a muslim fakir he practiced islam and also appears in Sufism as a Pir. Meher Baba declared Baba to be a ''Qutub-e-Irshad'' - the highest of the five Qutubs, a "Master of the Universe" in the spiritual hierarchy. Sai Baba is also worshipped by prominent Zoroastrians such as Nanabhoy Palkhivala and Homi Bhabha, and has been cited as the Zoroastrians' most popular non-Zoroastrian religious figure.

Meher Baba met Sai Baba only once in his lifetime, during World War I, in December 1915. Meher Baba was still a youngster named Merwan Sheriar Irani when he met Sai Baba for a few minutes during one of Sai Baba's processions in Shirdi. This event is considered as the most significant in Meher Baba's life. ''Shri Sai Satcharita'' (Sai Baba's life story), makes no mention of Meher Baba. But in ''Lord Meher'', the life story of Meher Baba, there are innumerable references to Sai Baba. Meher Baba credited his Avataric advent to Upasni, Sai Baba, and three other Perfect Masters – Hazrat Babajan, Hazrat Tajuddin Baba, and Narayan Maharaj.

Notable disciples

Sai Baba left behind no spiritual heirs and appointed no disciples, and did not even provide formal initiation (diksha), despite requests. Some disciples of Sai Baba achieved fame as spiritual figures, such as Upasni Maharaj of Sakori. After Sai Baba died, his devotees offered the daily Aarti to Upasni Maharaj when he paid a visit to Shirdi, two times within 10 years.

Sathya Sai Baba (1926–2011) claimed to be a reincarnation of Sai Baba; he had a considerable number of followers in the 20th and 21st century.

In culture

Sacred art and architecture

In India, its a common sight to find a Sai Baba temple in any city or town, in every large city or town there is at least one temple dedicated to Sai Baba. There are even some in towns and cities outside India. In the mosque in Shirdi in which Sai Baba lived, there is a life-size portrait of him by Shama Rao Jaykar, an artist from Mumbai. Numerous monuments and statues depicting Sai Baba, which serve a religious function, have also been made. One of them, made of marble by a sculptor named Balaji Vasant Talim, is in the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi where Sai Baba was buried. In Sai Baba temples, his devotees play various kinds of devotional religious music, such as aarti.

Stamp

Indian Postal Service released a Sai Baba commemorative stamp in May 2008.

On July 30, 2009, the New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah inaugurated what has been acclaimed as the largest solar steam system in the world, at the Shirdi shrine. The Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust paid an estimated Rs.1.33 crore for the system, Rs.58.4 lakh of which was paid as a subsidy by the renewable energy ministry. It is said the system can cook 20,000 meals per day for pilgrims visiting the temple.

Film and television

Sai Baba has been the subject of several feature films in many languages produced by India's film industry.

Sudhir Dalvi ''Sri Shirdi Saibaba Mahathyam'' ''Bhagavan Shri Sai Baba'' ''Sai Baba'' ''Shirdi Sai Baba'' ''Ishwarya Avatar Sai Baba'' ''Malik Ek''

Year !! Film !! Title role !! Director !! Language !! Notes
1977	''Shirdi ke Sai Baba''	|	Ashok V. Bhushan	Hindi	Manoj Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Hema Malini, Shatrughan Sinha, Sachin (actor)>Sachin, Prem Nath
1986	|	Vijayachander	K. Vasu	Telugu	Dubbed into Hindi as ''Shirdi Sai Baba Ki Kahani,'' into Tamil as ''Sri Shiridi Saibaba''
1989	|	Sai prakash	Sai prakash	Kannada
1993	|	Yashwant Dutt	Babasaheb S. Fattelal	Marathi	Also featuring Lalita Pawar
2001	|	Sudhir Dalvi	Deepak Balraj Vij	Hindi	Also featuring Dharmendra, Rohini Hattangadi, Suresh Oberoi
2005	|	Mukul Nag	Ramanand Sagar	Hindi	Composite movie drawn from Sagar's ''Sai Baba (TV series)''.
2010	|	Jackie Shroff	Deepak Balraj Vij	Hindi	Expected release in 2008. Also featuring Manoj Kumar, Divya Dutta, Rohini Hattangadi, Zarina Wahab and Anup Jalota as Das Ganu.

See also

Shirdi Sai Baba movement

References

Further reading

Arulneyam, Durai, ''The Gospel of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba. A Holy Spiritual Path'', New Delhi, Sterling, 2008. ISBN 978-81-207-3997-0

Bharadwaja, Acharya, ''Sai Baba the Master'', Andhra Pradesh, Sree Guru Paduka Publications, 1996 available online

Dabholkar, Govindrao Raghunath (alias Hemadpant), ''Shri Sai Satcharita'' Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Shirdi, (translated from Marathi into English by Nagesh V. Gunaji in 1944) available online or downloadable

Dabholkar, Govind Raghunath, ''Shri Sai satcharita : the life and teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba'' (1999)

Hoiberg, D. & Ramchandani, I., 'Sai Baba of Shirdi', in ''Students' Britannica India''. Page available online

Kamath, M. V. & Kher, V. B., ''Sai Baba of Shirdi: A Unique Saint'', India: Jaico Publishing House (1997). ISBN 81-7224-030-9

Osborne, Arthur, ''The Incredible Sai Baba. The Life and Miracles of a Modern-day Saint'', Hyderabad, Orient Longman, 1957. ISBN 81-250-0084-4

Panday, Balkrishna, ''Sai Baba’s 261 Leelas. A Treasure House of Miracles'', New Delhi, Sterling, 2004. ISBN 81-207-2727-4

Parthasarathy, Rangaswami, ''God Who Walked on Earth. The Life and Times of Shirdi Sai Baba'', New Delhi, Sterling, 1996. ISBN 81-207-1809-7.

Rao, Sham P. P., ''Five Contemporary Gurus in the Shirdi (Sai Baba) Tradition'', Bangalore: Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, 1972. LC Control No.: 75905429.

Rigopoulos, Antonio, ''The Life and Teachings of Sai Baba of Shirdi'' State University of New York press, Albany, (1993) ISBN 0-7914-1268-7.

Ruhela, S. P. (ed), ''What Researchers Say about Sri Shirdi Sai Baba'', Faridabad, Sai Age Publications, 1994. ISBN 81-85880-85-9

Ruhela, S. P. (ed), ''Sri Shirdi Sai Baba – The Universal Master'', Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi, 1994. ISBN 81-288-1517-2

Ruhela, S. P. (ed), ''Truth in Controversies about Sri Shirdi Sai Baba'', Faridabad, Indian Publishers Distributors, 2000. ISBN 81-7341-121-2

Shepherd, Kevin R. D., ''Gurus Rediscovered: Biographies of Sai Baba of Shirdi and Upasni Maharaj of Sakori'', Cambridge: Anthropographia Publications, 1985. ISBN 0-9508680-2-7

Shepherd, Kevin R. D., ''Investigating the Sai Baba Movement: A Clarification of Misrepresented Saints and Opportunism'', Dorchester: Citizen Initiative, 2005. ISBN 0-9525089-3-1

Venkataraman, Krishnaswamy, ''Shirdi Stories'', Srishti Publishers, New Delhi, 2002. ISBN 81-87075-84-8

Warren, Marianne, ''Unraveling the Enigma. Shirdi Sai Baba in the Light of Sufism'', Revised edition, New Delhi, Sterling Publishing, 2004. ISBN 81-207-2147-0

White, Charles S. J., ''The Sai Baba Movement: Approaches to the Study of India Saints'' in Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 31, No. 4 (Aug., 1972), pp. 863–878

White Charles S. J., ''The Sai Baba Movement: Study of a Unique Contemporary Moral and Spiritual Movement'', New Delhi, Arnold-Heinemann, 1985.

Williams, Alison, ''Experiencing Sai Baba’s Shirdi. A Guide'', revised edition, Shirdi, Saipatham Publications. 2004 ISBN 81-88560-00-6 available online

Walshe-Ryan, Lorraine, ''I am always with you'', Reprint 2008, New Delhi, Sterling Publishing, 2006. ISBN 978-81-207-3192-9.

Sri Sainathuni Sarath Babuji, 'Arati Sai Baba'',The Psalm Bookj of Shridi Aratis, Saipatham Publications, 1996 available online

External links

Category:1838 births Category:1918 deaths Category:Hindu gurus Category:Hindu saints Category:Indian religious leaders Category:Indian saints Category:Indian Sufis Category:Islam and other religions

bn:শিরডি সাই বাবা de:Sai Baba (Shirdi) es:Sai Baba de Shirdi eo:Sai Baba de Shirdi fr:Shirdi Sai Baba hi:शिरडी के सांई बाबा id:Sai Baba dari Shirdi it:Shirdi Sai Baba mr:साईबाबा nl:Shirdi Sai Baba ja:シルディ・サイ・ババ nn:Sai Baba pl:Shirdi Sai Baba ru:Саи Баба из Ширди simple:Sai Baba of Shirdi sv:Shirdi Sai Baba ta:சீரடி சாயி பாபா te:షిర్డీ సాయిబాబా th:สาอี บาบาแห่งศิรฑี zh-classical:賢哲賽義巴巴 wuu:赛义巴巴 zh:舍地·賽·巴巴