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Para Brahman (IAST para-brahmaṇ) or Param Brahman (the Highest Brahman; not to be confused with brahmin, an Indic social class designation) - is a term often used by Vedantic philosophers as to the "attainment of the ultimate goal".^[1] Adi Shankara has said that there is only one Supreme Para-Brahman and all the other deities are the forms and expansions of this Para-Brahman. It is believed that all Vaishnava and other schools attribute Personhood to this concept, as in Svayam bhagavan.^[2] Under terms of some schools of Vedanta, It has three modal aspects with a highest as Para Brahman or Lord Vishnu.^[3] This term is often quoted often used in relation to Vishnu as the ultimate goal of Vedanta. Even Shankara in his commentaries on Yoga Sutras stated, "Through AUM the Lord is met face to face", and "AUM is the Name of the Supreme Lord", thus attributing qualities to Supreme Brahman as a Person. One of the most prominent of recent Hindu philosophers, Dr. Radhakrishnan, after his alleged conversion to Gaudiya Vaishnavism in early 1960s, confirmed that this term meant Supreme God as a Person, the Absolute Truth.^[4]

Conceptualization[link]

ParaBrahman (Sanskrit) [from para beyond + Brahman (neuter) universal self or spirit] - That which is beyond Brahman. The self-enduring, eternal, self-sufficient cause of all causes, the essence of everything in the cosmos. In the Vedic style of writing, ParaBrahman is referred to as tat (that) as opposed to the manifest universe called idam (this). ParaBrahman means Supreme Brahman, or Supreme Cosmic Spirit, or Godhead. Although an ineffable entity, it could be said to be that which contains and pervades the universe. ParaBrahman, from beyond, encompasses the transcendent and immanent ultimate reality, Brahman. The Absolute Truth is both subject and object, so there is no qualitative difference. Terms like Parameshvara, Ishvara, Bhagavan, Brahman, Paramatma are held to be synonymous with ParaBrahman. Shaktas consider Adi parashakti considered as power of ParaBrahman. Hence considered to same. So actually Adi parashakti who does anything (creates, preserve or destroy) on behalf of ParaBrahman because ParaBrahman is static and Adi Parashakti is dynamic essence.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam, yaj jnanam advayam brahmeti paramatmeti, bhagavan iti sabdyate

Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan." (Bhagavata Purana 1.2.11) ^[5]

brahma-vid apnoti param, tad eshabhyukta, satyam jnanam anantam brahma

Whoever realizes the Supreme Brahman attains to supreme felicity. That Supreme Brahman is Eternal Truth (satyam), Omniscient (jnanam), Infinite (anantam). (Taittiriya Upanishad 2.1.1)

Upanishads further mention often that the Supreme Brahman is Eternal, Conscious, and Blissful (sat-chit-ânanda). ^[6]

raso vai sa, rasam hy evayam labdhvanandi bhavati

The One is Bliss. Whoever perceives the Blissful One, the reservoir of pleasure, becomes blissful forever. (Taittiriya Upanishad 2.7.1-2)

Verily know the Supreme One to be Bliss. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.9.28)

Smarta Conception[link]

Param Brahman as OM and Parashakti as OM Shakti:Om is the Supreme Brahman. (Svetasvatara Upanishad 1:7)^[7] Adi parashakti is considered as the power of Param Brahman. They both are same, whether Vaishnavas or Shaivas, they both consider Her as power of formless and static Param Brahman, OM. What if there is no parashakti, then there will be no GOD. She is cause of all change. The Goddess who is known as the ultimate reality is the adi-parashakti, Goddess Bhuveneshwari or Parvati. In Shaktism, She is, was and will be only owner and source of this universe and all other universes and is regarded as dynamic form of ultimate reality, Param-Brahman. Shaktas consider her dynamic Param Brahman and Param Brahman is considered as Static Adi parashakti. So Param Brahman is neither male nor female. Adi parashakti is also neither male nor female. ^[8] When there is no universe, they both unites from which universe is created and when Universe is created, Adi parashakti always comes in Female form first as only female can give birth. She then manifests herself as dynamic in feminine form like Goddess Durga, Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati. Then she creates Trimurti and thus She is mother Goddess of all gods include Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha, Starting from Vishnu to Brahma to Mahesha.

"The Primordial Power and the Supreme Brahman are identical. You can never think of the one without the other. They are like the gem and its brilliance. One cannot think of the brilliance without the gem, or of the gem without its brilliance. Again, it is like snake and its wriggling motion. One cannot think of the wriggling motion without the snake, or of the snake without its wriggling motion. These are two aspects of Reality: Purusha and Prakriti. He who is the Purusha is also Prakriti. Both are the embodiment of Bliss." -- Sri Aurobindo

Vaishnavism[link]

Vedic scriptures usually quoted by Vaishnavas to point to Narayana (having 60 transcendental qualities) and Krishna (having 64 transcendental qualities) as the Supreme Being, Bhagavan (Parabrahman in advaita terminology):

nityo nityanam chetanas chetananam eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman

He is the prime eternal among all eternals. He is the supreme living entity of all living entities, and He alone is maintaining all life. (Katha Upanishad 2.2.13)^[9]

ete camsa-kalah pumsah krishnas tu bhagavan svayam indras vyakulam lokam mrdayanti yuge yuge

All incarnations are either plenary portions or expansions of plenary portions appearing in various universes to protect the theists; but Lord Krishna is the original supreme lord and the source of all. (Bhagavata Purana 1.3.27-28) ^[10]

isvara paramah krishna sac-cid-ananda vigrahah anadir adir govindah sarva karana karanam

Lord Krishna is the supreme absolute controller, whose form comprises immortality, omniscience, and bliss. He is without beginning, the origin of all, the cause of all causes and the source of the Vedas. (Brahma Samhita 5.1) ^[11]

namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca jagad dhitaya krsnaya govindaya namo namah

Let me offer my humble obeisance unto Lord Krishna, who is the worshipable deity for all brahminical people, who is the well-wisher of the cows and brahmanas and who is always benedicting all the universes. (Vishnu Purana 1.19.65) ^[12]

Krishna Himself confirms this in the Bhagavad-Gita:

mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya mayi sarvam idam protam sutre mani-gana iva

There is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread. (Bhagavad Gita 7.7) ^[13]

arjuna uvaca, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan purusham sasvatam divyam adi-devam ajam vibhum

Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original Person, the unborn, the greatest. (Bhagavad Gita 10.12) ^[14]

bhajagovindam bhajagovindam govindam bhajamuudhamate naamasmaranaadanyamupaayam nahi pashyaamo bhavatarane

Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, Oh fool! Other than chanting the Lord's names, there is no other way to cross the life's ocean. (Bhaja Govindam, composed by Adi Shankaracharya) ^[15]

naaraayana paro jyotir-aatmaa naarayana para, naarayanam param brahma tatvam naarayanam para, naarayana paro dhyaata dhyaanam naaraayana para

Narayana is, Para Jyoti, the greatest light, Para Atma, the super soul (Paramatman), Para Tatvam, the best of essences, Para Dhyata, the greatest meditator, Para Dhyanam, the best of meditations. (Narayana Sukta verse 4)

In Vaishnavism, ParaBrahman is the source of the Brahman effulgence^[16] and Vishnu or Krishna is established as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.^[17]

yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotishv asesha-vasudhadi vibhuti-bhinnam tad brahma nishkalam anantam asesha-bhutamgovindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami

Govinda, is the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the nondifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upanishads, being differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth. (Brahma Samhita 5.40)^[18]

ParaBrahman as Narayana or Lord Swaminarayan is also the highest among the five eternal entities within Swaminarayana sect of Hinduism.^[19]

Shiva and Shakti Philosophy[link]

Shiva, who is Parameshwara (The Transcendent Lord), who is Satchitananda, issued Shakti. Shakti is not coexistent with Parameshwara but is that Power of Him that is necessary for creation. Shiva and His Shakti are more than the creation which He/She manifests! Shakti, who is the first desire (Kama) of Shiva, is Herself the Divine Mother of the cosmos. When the diverse cosmos emerged from Shiva’s Shakti, the original desire that is the Primordial Will to be pervaded all manifestation. Microcosmically and macrocosmically, as above so below, all is Shiva/Shakti.

We can therefore say that the cosmos is the eternal undiluted Supreme Self expressed expansively from the central core that is Shiva/Shakti, thus enabling the Supreme Self to know, see, and live the Supreme Consciousness through its own self willed limitation. By so doing the Divine Mother brings forth the stream of Truth embedded consciousness, later expressed as divine law, which is capable of recognizing Her as its primordial source. The cosmos, through this knowing of its source, unites with its Mother in the process of fulfilling the Great Work - Dharma. The penultimate purpose of the cosmos is mergence of the created drop with the ocean that is its Mother. This union is freely achieved within the constraints of Divine Law, brought forth by self limitation of the limitless light that Shiva/Shakti is. The pulsing throb that propels this eternal drive, this thrust for union, is AdiShakti, the Divine Mother as nature. She assumes this mantle without individuality, for She is the equal only of Herself as the silent witness within Her core, and She labours incessantly, through all of Her finite rays of light that define the cosmos, in conscious activity so that they, Her children, may become aware of themselves and merge in the ocean of self realized bliss.

All that is within all universes pre-exists within the Mother, for nothing can manifest that is not previously existent within Her womb. All evolution being directed towards perfection is the direct result of an innate knowing, a blueprint of limitless possibilities, brought forth by that which is resident within the created Shiva. This Principle precedes the expression, for without the Principle there can be no expression of its Will. Something does not emanate out of nothing.^[20]

Other Uses[link]

Hindu sects like Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism have concept of ParaBrahman. However, in contrast with Vaishnavism where ParaBrahman denotes Saguna Brahman as Hari or Vishnu, either Saguna Brahman or the impersonal Nirguna Brahman may be connotated by other sects. It is also customary that followers of a particular sect view other personal forms of God as expansions or aspects of the Supreme Being.

Also the name of an Upanishad, the Para-Brahma Upanishad.^[21][22] It is one of the 23 Sannyāsa Upanishads.

See also[link]

References and notes[link]

External links[link]

• "VEDA - Vedas and Vedic Knowledge Online - Vedic Encyclopedia". www.veda.harekrsna.cz. http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/vedicsystem.htm. 

Sai Baba of Shirdi

Sai Baba of Shirdi
Born	Unknown
Died	October 15, 1918.
Era	19th to 20th Century
Region	India

Sai Baba of Shirdi (Unknown – October 15, 1918), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba (Marathi: शिर्डीचे श्री साईबाबा, Urdu: شردی سائیں بابا), 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^[1] 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'.^[2] 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", "saintly father" or "poor old man".^[3]

Sai Baba remains a very popular saint,^[4] especially in India, and is worshipped by people around the world. He had no love for perishable things and his sole concern was self-realization. He taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to God and guru. Sai Baba's teaching combined elements of Hinduism and Islam: he gave the Hindu name Dwarakamayi to the mosque he lived in,^[5] 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").^[6]

Some of Sai Baba's disciples became famous as spiritual figures and saints, such as Mhalsapati, a priest of the Khandoba 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.^[7][8] Sai Baba referred to several saints as 'my brothers', especially the disciples of Swami Samartha of Akkalkot.^[8]

Early years[link]

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 Das Ganu, 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.^[9][10] Das Ganu states that Sai Baba grew up in Pathri, with a fakir and his wife. At the age of five, says Das Ganu, 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 Das Ganu 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. Sai Baba's biographer Narasimha Swamiji states that Sai Baba was born as the child of Brahmin parents: "On one momentous occasion, very late in his life, he (e.g. Sai Baba) revealed to Mahlsapathy the interesting fact that his parents were Brahmins of Patri in the Nizam's State. Patri is part of Parvani taluk, near Manwath. Sai Baba added, in explanation of the fact that he was living in a Mosque, that while still a tender child his Brahmin parents handed him over to the care of a fakir who brought him up. This is fairly indisputable testimony, as Mahlsapathy was a person of sterling character noted for his integrity, truthfulness and vairagya." ^[11]

The above mentioned account is largely overlapped by the narration by Sathya Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Baba states as well that the fakir and his wife adopted the baby that was to become Sai Baba shortly after his birth.^[12] However, Sathya Sai Baba's stories are not considered credible by most of Shirdi Sai Baba's biographers.

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.^[13]

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.^[14] 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.^[15] 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.^[16]

Return to Shirdi[link]

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.^[17] 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.^[18] 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.^[19]

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.^[20] 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.^[21]

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.^[22] They built his first temple at Bhivpuri, Karjat.^[23]

Teachings and practices[link]

Shirdi Sai Baba, leaning against the wall of his masjid, with devotees

Sai Baba opposed all persecution based on religion or caste. He was an opponent of religious orthodoxy – Christian, Hindu and Muslim.^[24] 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.^[25] Occasionally reciting the Al-Fatiha himself, Baba also enjoyed listening to moulu and qawwali accompanied with the tabla and sarangi twice daily.^[26]

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.^[27] 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: unflinching perseverance (Shraddha) and waiting cheerfully with patience and love(Saburi). He criticized atheism.^[28] 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.^[29]

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."^[30] Other favorite sayings of his were: "Why do you fear when I am here", and "He has no beginning... He has no end."^[31]

Sai Baba made twelve assurances to his devotees:
1. Whosoever puts their feet on Shirdi soil, their sufferings will come to an end.
2. The wretched and miserable will rise to joy and happiness as soon as they climb the steps of [the mosque] Dwarakamayi.
3. I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body.
4. My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees.
5. I shall be active and vigorous even from my tomb.
6. My mortal remains will speak from my tomb.
7. I am ever living to help and guide all who come to me, who surrender to me, and who seek refuge in me.
8. If you look at me, I look at you.
9. If you cast your burden on me, I shall surely bear it.
10. If you seek my advice and help, it shall be given to you at once.
11. There shall be no want in the house of my devotee.
12. If you take a step towards me, I will take 100 steps towards you.

Worship and devotees[link]

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.^[4] 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.^[4]

Shirdi is among the major Hindu places of pilgrimage.^[32] The first Sai Baba temple is situated at Bhivpuri, Karjat. The Sai Baba Mandir in Shirdi is visited by around twenty thousand pilgrims a day and during religious festivals this number can reach up to a hundred thousand.^[33] 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, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Singapore. The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is one of the main Hindu religious movements in English-speaking countries.^[34]

Notable disciples[link]

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.^[35] Sai Baba had many devotees, and the most notable among them are:

1. Nana Saheb Chandorkar: Deputy Collector – legend has it that Sai Baba saved this man's daughter from labor complications.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Baija Mai kote patil: Sai Baba treated her as His elder sister and equivalent to mother. She was Tatya Patil's mother.
5. Haji Abdul baba: He served Sai Baba until Sai Baba died in 1918.
6. Madhav Rao Deshpande: Later known as Shama, one of the staunch devotees of Sai Baba.
7. Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar (Hemadpant): Sai Baba allowed him to write the Shri Sai Satcharita.
8. Mahalsapati Chimanji Nagare: A priest of Khandoba Temple.
9. 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[link]

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.^[36]

The marble statue of Sai Baba of Shirdi, in the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi, 2008

According to his followers he appeared to them in dreams after his death, and gave them advice. His devotees have documented many stories.^[37]

Shirdi Sai Baba in 1918

Historical sources[link]

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[link]

Sai Baba depicted on a tapestry

Hinduism[link]

During Sai Baba's life, the Hindu saint Anandanath of Yewala declared Sai Baba a spiritual "diamond".^[38] Another saint, Gangagir, called him a "jewel".^[38] Sri Beedkar Maharaj greatly revered Sai Baba, and in 1873, when he met him he bestowed the title Jagad guru upon him.^[39][40] Sai Baba was also greatly respected by Vasudevananda Saraswati (known as Tembye Swami).^[41] He was also revered by a group of Shaivic yogis, to which he belonged, known as the Nath-Panchayat.^[42]

Islam[link]

In Islam, Sai Baba is mainly considered as a Muslim fakir. He 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.^[43] 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.^[44]

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.^[35] Meher Baba credited his Avataric advent to Upasni, Sai Baba, and three other Perfect Masters – Hazrat Babajan, Hazrat Tajuddin Baba, and Narayan Maharaj.

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[link]

Sacred art and architecture[link]

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.^[4] 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.^[45] In Sai Baba temples, his devotees play various kinds of devotional religious music, such as aarti.^[46]

Stamp[link]

Indian Postal Service released a Sai Baba commemorative stamp in May 2008.^[47]

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.^{[12][48][49][50]}

Film and television[link]

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

See also[link]

• Shirdi Sai Baba movement
• Sai Gurucharitra

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sai Baba of Shirdi

Further reading[link]

• Arulneyam, Durai, The Gospel of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba. A Holy Spiritual Path, New Delhi, Sterling, 2008. ISBN 978-81-207-3997-0
• Babuji, Sri Sainathuni Sarath, 'Arati Sai Baba,The Psalm Book of Shirdi Aratis, Saipatham Publications, 1996 available online
• 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
• 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.

External links[link]