Life of Shirdi Saibaba


Shri Saibaba of Shirdi lived between 1838 and 1918, whose real name, birthplace and date of birth are not known. An Indian spiritual guru and a fakir that transcended the barriers of religions, Saibaba of Shirdi was regarded with great reverence by both Hindu and Muslim followers. He lived in a mosque and after death his body was cremated in a temple.

Life Of Sai babaHis philosophy ingrained 'Shraddha' meaning faith and 'Saburi' meaning compassion. According to him Shraddha and Saburi were the supreme attributes to reach the state of godliness.

It is believed that at a tender age of 16 yrs Shri Saibaba arrived at the village of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra and remained their till his death. He found shelter in Khandoba temple, where a villager Mahalsapathi in the temple addressed him as Sai or Saint.

Saibaba of Shirdi lived an extremely simple and austere life, sleeping on the floor of temple and later taking a ruined mosque as his shelter. With his arrival to Shirdi, in no time he began exhibiting a hypnotic attraction among people as they began flocking to him. He is attributed many miracles doing things that were beyond a mortal's power. He never discouraged these attributes and soon his fame spread like wild fire. Many pilgrims came seeking his blessings. Such was his hypnotism that even the mundane of his activities attracted large crowds.

Popular among both Hindus and Muslims, Shri Saibaba became a great building force between the two disparate communities. He regularly recited Hindu and Muslim prayers. His Hindu followers considered him to be an avatar or reincarnation of Shiva and Dattatreya. Sai Baba did not leave any written works. All his teachings were oral and catchy. His sayings were short, crisp and in layman language with which the common mass could easily associate.

Saibaba encouraged charity and 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 Sai Baba of Shirdi was unique in the sense that he lived his message through the essence of his being. He lived among the common people adorning a torn kafni (long robe), sleeping over a mat while using brick as his headrest and got his food by begging. Such was his smile that radiated a mystical charisma and deep seated inward look that hypnotized the people who visited him.

His most concise message for one and all alike was "Why fear when I am here".
Saibaba said that he was a slave in the service of those who loved him. He was ever living to help those who turn to him and that he has to take care of his children day and night.

Saibaba's mission was to restore belief in god and according to him, "I give people what they want in the hope that they will begin to want what I want to give them (knowledge of the Ultimate)." He then taught values of total surrender to the Almighty Master (ALLAH MALIK EK- The only ONE) and experiences his grace.

Today, Shri Saibaba has millions of devotees in India and abroad. Shirdi, the obscure village in Maharashtra has become a pilgrimage destination much as Bethlehem, Jerusalem or Varanasi. With over 25,000 pilgrims thronging in here each day the number of pilgrims climb to over a hundred thousand on holidays and festival days. There are over 2,000 major Sai temples in different parts of India and 150 abroad in places as far-flung as Canada and Kenya, Singapore and England.

Sai Baba's Mission


The spiritual guru and redeemer of mankind, Sai Baba of Shirdi has been one of the greatest influencing gurus of the Modern times. As among the most popular Indian saints with an ever growing following of devotees, Sai Baba inspires an unflinching faith on his devotees with his clear cut mission to provide not only a spiritual awakening, but also saving the mankind from suffering and ignorance.

MissionOf Sai BabaForsaking the worldly pleasure in his tender years Sai Baba came to Shirdi with a mission that sprang from the source of His free and redeemed spirit. His mission was self-allotted and that was to awaken the mankind to his true self and divine nature. He wanted to lead them to salvation by saving them from delusion and ignorance. Such is His benevolence that Sai Baba stands there eternally extending His helping hand to give solace to His children who are suffering and leading a wretched life devoid of any hope.

With the whole world under benevolence Sai Baba inspires an undying hope among the mankind. Thus, it is His sacred mission to awaken, elevate, transform and comfort His children. These may be the tangible missions of Sai Baba that ensure harmony all around. However, He had several bigger missions as well that encompassed the whole of universe and its administration including creation, sustenance and destruction. Ultimately, the mission of Sai Baba was to evolve human beings to the state of godliness, i.e., realizing the spiritual body in the mankind leading to their complete redemption and salvation. His powerful assurance 'Why fear when I am hear' has been the great source of strength among the ever growing number of Sai Baba's devotees.

Sai Baba's Teachings


Sai Baba of Shirdi is the epitome of reverence a guiding force who generates supreme faith and confidence among his devotees looking for salvation and in quest of coming out of the drudgery of living. As a divine mother he is saturated with love for those who seek him. With his mission of making people about the divine consciousness and transcending the limits of mortal body, his teachings are guiding his devotees to the path of salvation. People are blessed who follow his teachings.

Sai Baba's TeachingsAmong the teachings of Sai Baba of Shirdi there are the cardinal principles of Sai Path called 'Shraddha' and 'Saburi'. Sai Baba looks for these two qualities in his devotees. Here are the teachings and philosophies of Sai Baba of Shirdi.

Shraddha
'Shraddha' is a Sanskrit word, which roughly means faith with love and reverence. Such faith or trust is generated out of conviction, which may not be the result of any rational belief or intellectual wisdom, but a spiritual inspiration. According to Sai Baba of Shirdi, steadfast love in God is the gateway to eternity. Baba's teaching, both direct and indirect explicate the significance of 'Shraddha'. Baba reiterates the spiritual guidance of Shri Krishna to Arjun - "Whosoever offer to Me with love or devotion, a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, that offering of pure love is readily accepted by Me".

Saburi
'Saburi'; means patience and perseverance. Saburi is a quality needed throughout the path to reach the goal. This quality must be ingrained in a seeker from day one, least he looses his stride and leaves the path half way

Purity
For Sai Baba it was not the purity of the body but inner purity that mattered. No amount of physical and external cleansing would serve any purpose if the man remained impure in mind and heart. Therefore, Baba cautioned His devotees not to make austerity as an end itself, lest they should indulge in physical mortification.

Compassion
Himself an epitome of compassion and love, Sai Baba taught compassion among his disciples. Baba often told His devotees, 'Never turn away anybody from your door, be it a human being or animal'.

Complete Surrender to the Guru
Sai Baba put Guru on a high pedestal of reverence. For Him Guru was the profound base of the path of devotion. Pointing to his physical frame, "This body is my house. I am not here. My Guru (Master) has taken me away". He asked for complete surrender to the 'Guru'.

Sai Baba's Teachings through 'Udi' and 'Dakshina'

Udi
Udi or the sacred ash was produced from the perpetual fire called 'dhuni' lit by Sai Baba in Dwarkamai at Shirdi. Explaining the meaning of life He would refer to Udi and taught that like Udi all the visible phenomena in the world are transient. Through this example Sai Baba wished to make his devotees understand the sense of discrimination between the unreal and the real. Udi taught the devotees discrimination or vivek.

Dakshina
Sai Baba would demand 'Dakshina' or alms from those who visited him. This explained the sense of non-attachment to worldly things. Hence Dakshina taught the devotees non-attachment or Vairagya.

Legacy of Sai Baba of Shirdi


Shri Saibaba is among the most influential spiritual gurus of India, who lived at a nondescript village of Shirdi in the state of Maharashtra. With his miraculous powers and captivating teachings he rules the heart of millions of his devotees, whose number is ever growing with each passing day.

Legacy of Sai Baba of ShirdiHe is also among the most recognizable gurus whose image can be found throughout India, sometimes simply as a fashion statement or kept along as accessories. Worn as pendants and kept in lockets Saibaba makes his presence in all corners of India. He lived in the cusp of two centuries i.e., between 1838 and 1918. During this time Shri Saibaba made a great impact on the psyche of the people coming under his influence. With his simple and trite philosophy combined with his clairvoyant prowess, Saibaba's legacy is still on among his ever growing number of followers.

Today, many religious teachers, groups and organizations promote his teachings and devotion to Sai. Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust is the most prominent promoter of Saibaba's legacy all across the world. The trust also takes care of the shrines and temples in Shirdi. All-India Sai Samaj, founded by B.V. Narasimha Swamiji, publishes books on Sai Baba as well as administrates the temples of Sai Baba built all over India.

There are a great number of followers of Sai Baba, who have achieved fame as spiritual figures. Among the most popular of such gurus are Upasni Maharaj of Sakori and Meher Baba of Ahmednagar. There have been at least three gurus and two youngsters, who have claimed to be the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba. Among them the most famous is Sathya Sai Baba who lives at Puttaparthi Andhra Pradesh, India. Sathya Sai Baba has immense popularity across the world with devotees thronging from all across the world.

Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi's legacy is also lived through the multitude of literature that has been written on him. Sai literature has the widest possible dimension covering almost every aspect of Saibaba. Scholars across the world have studied the life and philosophy of Saibaba and tried to understand and decipher the quintessential Sai Baba of Shirdi.

Sai temples that are built all over the world are also carrying the legacy of Shri Saibaba of Shirdi. With over 2,000 major Sai temples in different parts of India and 150 abroad, the conviction and faith on Sai Baba are lived and professed enriching the lifestyle of his devotees and mankind at large.

Assurances of Saibaba


Shri Saibaba of Shirdi inspires unflinching faith and conviction from the Sai devotees. His simple and straightforward messages strike an immediate chord with people of any faith. Saibaba has imparted eleven assurances to the mankind inspiring confidence among His disciples.

Here are the eleven assurances that Shri Sai Baba disseminated to the world:

* Whoever puts his feet on Shirdi's soil, his sufferings would come to an end.
* The wretched and miserable would rise into plenty of joy and happiness, as soon as they climb the steps of my Mosque.
* I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body.
* My tomb shall bless and speak the needs of my devotees.
* I shall be active and vigorous even from my tomb.
* My mortal remains would 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 devotees.

Miracles of Shirdi Sai Baba


Sai Baba of Shirdi is an epitome of spiritual perfection and has been the guiding source for the mankind leading to salvation. As a spiritual guru and savior Shri Saibaba was no ordinary fakir but an avatar of high order. This was evident through his miracles and sayings that exhibited his purpose and intention for which he had come. He would often say, "My Leela is inscrutable". Saibaba's Leela's (miracles) were plenty and varied; here are a few of the miracles of Shirdi Saibaba, for his devotees and those interested in his philosophies.

Baba's Leelas (Miracles)

Lighting Lamps with Water
Miracles of Shirdi Sai BabaThis is among the earliest evidences of Saibaba's miracles. Baba was fond of lighting earthenware lamps in his masjid and other temples. For this he needed oil, which he got from the grocers of Shirdi, as small donations. But there came a time when the grocers got tired of giving him oil for free. And so they refused him any oil saying they had no fresh stocks. Baba didn't say a word and returned to his masjid. But the masjid was not to remain in dark, as Sai Baba lit his earthenware lamps pouring water instead, which burnt deep into the midnight. Such was the miraculous power of Saibaba who lit fire out of water! When grocers came to know about it they rushed to him with apologies. Sai Baba pardoned them, but he warned them never to lie again. "You could have refused to give me the oil, but did you have to say that you didn't have fresh stocks?" he admonished them. But he had made his point.

Premonition of Burning Fields
Once, harvesting in Shirdi had been completed and the foodgrains of the entire village had been stored in a yard. Blistering summer was ferocious. One afternoon Saibaba summoned Kondaji Sutar and asked him to better rush to his field as it was on fire. Fear struck Kondaji ran to his field but there was not a trace of smoke. He got back and said so to Saibaba. Unfazed Baba asked him to look again and as the luck would have it, a part of corn was indeed afire and smoke was beginning to billow from it. With strong wind fanning the fire, Kondaji became jittery and asked Saibaba to do something. At this Baba walked to the yard and sprinkled some water and the fire immediately got extinguished.

Stopping the Rain
There goes a story that one Rao Bahadur Moreshwar Pradhan s wife had come for Sai Baba's darshan. As the couple was about to leave, it began to rain heavily with thunder and lightening. Seeing the Pradhan couple in trouble, Saibaba invoked the God and asked the rain to calm down, which surely did and the Pradhan were able to reach their destination safely.

Raising the Water Level in Well
When Sai Baba first came to Shirdi it had of no basic facilities. There was a well put only in name, with no natural spring water. Villagers had tough time fetching water from a distance. When the villagers were to celebrate Baba's birthday on Ramnavami, there was obviously crisis of water in the region. But Saibaba with his miracles had solution for this problem as well. He showered some leaves into the well and lo and behold the level of water rose fulfilling the dire wish of the villagers.

Saving a Child from Drowning
Once a 3-year-old daughter of a poor man named Babu Kirwandikar had fallen into a well and got drowned. When the villagers rushed to the well, they found to their utter disbelief that the child was suspended in midair as if some invisible hand was holding her. This again was one of the many miracles of Saibaba that saved people from distress.

Flow of Godavari (river) from Baba's Feet
As recounted by Das Ganu, one of the disciples of Shri Saibaba, once he sought permission from Baba to visit a place called Singba on the banks of Godavari to have a holy bath. Saibaba refused and said what was the use of going that distance when Godavari was right under his feet. Das was puzzled. Realizing the doubt in Das's mind Saibaba asked him to come closer and hold the hollow of his palms at Baba's feet. As soon as he did so water flowed freely out of the toes of the master's feet and filled the hollow of Das Ganu's palms in no time. His joy knew no limits. He sprinkled the water on his head and his body and distributed some more among the assembled devotees as tirtha (holy water).

Shirdi Sai Baba Bhajans


Sai Baba of Shirdi is among the epoch making spiritual gurus of India, who has a magnetic pull from the devotees haling from across the world. With his amazing miraculous powers Sai Baba has millions of devotees that pray to him for his blessings. There are several sweet and endearing bhajans that sung in praise of Sai Baba. Songs, bhajans, prayers being a melodious way to feel closer to someone, has effected into making of several bhajans that are sung and played all across the world by the Sai Baba devotees.

Shradha SaburiIn fact audio-visual media has played a great role in popularizing such bhajans on Sai Baba of Shirdi. In the year 1977 a movie on Sai Baba was produced named Shirdi Ke Sai Baba. The movie has some great bhajans and religious songs such as "sai baaba bolo dagmag jag yeh dole" and "sainaath tere hazaaron haath sainaath tere hazaaron haath". Indian Television serial producers have also come with serial on the life of Sai Baba with many popular bhajans attracting the devotees in hordes. Sai Baba is the latest serial produced by the veteran Ramanand Sagar capturing the essence of Sai Baba with various melodious bhajans on Sai Baba having earned great popularity among the devotees.

There are many other bhajans that are sung with great religious fervor and devotion. Some of them are as follows: Aali Prasadachi Wat, Akra Vachan, Ananta Tula Re, Aarti Saibaba, Ata Swami, Ghoshna, Gurubrahma Guruvishnu, Hari Om, Jai Jai Sainath, Kadhi Na Ruso, Lopaley, Ovaloo Aarati, Sada Satswarupam, Sai Digambara, Tuj Kay Magu.

Sai Baba Aarti


Aarti is a devotional prayer that has devotees standing before the image of a deity or consecrated saint accompanied with singing of devotional songs in unison. This singing is often accompanied by other musical instruments such as bells, gongs and cymbals. In Hindu rituals aarti is a rich and vibrant event, when the deity is adorned with garlands and showered with flowers along with aromatic incense sticks and waving of panchmukhi diya or five-wicks oil lamp around His figure in clockwise.

Sai Baba AartiAfter offering the aarti before the deity, it is brought before all the devotees, who then pass their hands by turns over the sacred flame of the aarti lamp and quickly bring them closer to their faces and heads as a gesture of receiving the auspicious energy from the holy flame.

At Shirdi, there are four aarti sessions all through the day, during which devotees congregate invoking Sai Baba, seeking His blessings. Saibaba's aarti is sung in Marathi. As a living manifestation of the abstract concept of God, Shri Sai Baba is an epitome of the supreme power that guides, protects and support. This yearning that has created a bond of love and faith between Sai and his devotee is expressed through the aarti.

Aarti is performed four times everyday in Saipuram. The day begins with the invocation of Shri Sai Baba with the morning aarti called the Kakkad Aarti at 5.15am. Madhyan Aarti or Midday aarti is held at 12noon. The evening aarti or the Sandhya Aarti takes place at 6.30pm and the day closes with Shej Aarti or Night aarti at 10pm. With Shej Aarti darshan of Shri Saibaba gets over till the next day. Priests attend on him during all these rituals and rites. During these aartis devotees make offerings to Saibaba in the form of new clothes, flowers, fruits and sweets, etc. A little bit of Udi or sacred ash is also given to the devotees as a token of love from Shri Sai at the end of the rituals.

Sai Literature


Sai Baba of Shirdi has been a great influence on literary mindscape of those who were inspired by his life and philosophy. He has been written about in volumes and bookshops are agog with Sai Literature. Books on Saibaba are immensely popular among people of all faith and tradition. The life, philosophy and all the things that were linked to this epoch making saint and guru has been the treasure trove for writing books that are always in demand. Here are some of the works that are written on him by different authors, which will be of your interest.
Shirdi Sai Baba

* 108 Names of Shirdi Sai Baba, compiled by Vijaya Kumar
* Ambrosia in Shirdi : 101 Experiences of Devotees when Sai Baba was Embodied, and 100 Experiences of Devotees after Sai Baba's Samadhi in 1918, by Ramalinga Swamy.
* Shri Sai Satcharita (Enlarged Edition), by G.R.Dabholkar
* The Blossom of Praise to Shri Sainath, (Shri Sainath Stavan Manjari), by Das Ganu
* Children's Sai Baba, by D. L. Parchure
* Devotees' Experiences of Shri Sai Baba (Statements of 81 Devotees Most of Whom had Seen Sai Baba), by B. V. Narasimhaswami,
* Golden Words of Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi, by Ramalingaswamy, Munja
* Guide to Holy Shridi, Shri Sai Baba Sansthan
* Gurus Rediscovered : Biographies of Sai Baba and Upasani Maharaj of Sakori, by Kevin R.D. Shepherd
* The Incredible Sai Baba (The Life and Miracles of a Modern Saint), by Arthur Osborne
* Introduction to Sai Baba of Shirdi, by B.V. Narasimhaswami
* The Life and teachings of Sai Baba of Shirdi, by Antonio Rigopolous
* The Life and teachings of Sai Baba of Shirdi, by T.S. Anantha Murthy
* Life History of Shirdi Sai Baba, by Ammula Sambasiva Rao, Sterling
* Life of Sai Baba, by B.V. Narasimhaswami
* A Mission Divine (novel on Shri Sai Baba), by R.S. Junnarkar
* Pictorial Sai Baba, Sri Sai Baba Sansthan,
* Sai Baba: The Master, by Acharya E. Bharadwaja
* Sai Baba : The Perfect Master, edited by D.N. Irani
* Sai Baba : The Saint of Shirdi, by Mani Sahukar
* Sai Baba of Shirdi (Pictorial), by Indira Anantha Krishna
* Sai Baba of Shirdi : A Unique Saint, by M.V. Kamath and V.B. Kher
* Sai's Help, by B.V. Narasimhaswami
* Santakathamrita, by Das Ganu, 1903
* Shirdi Darshan (Pictorial), Sri Sai Baba Sansthan
* Shirdi Diary of the Hon'ble Mr. G.S. Khaparde (events between 1910 December and 1918 March), Shri Sai Baba Sansthan,
* Shirdi Sai Baba : An Epic, by Basavaraj Gunaki
* Sree Guru Charita, by Gangadhara Saraswati
* Shri Sai : The Superman, by Swami Sai Sharan Anand
* Shri Sai Baba, by Swami Sai Sharan Anand
* Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi, by Rao Bhhadur Moreshwar W. Pradhan
* Sri Sai Baba's Charters and Sayings, by B.V. Narasimhaswami
* Sri Sainath Sagunopasana, by K.J. Bhishma
* The Eternal Sai, by S. Maneey
* Sai Baba: The Perfect Master, Compiled from writings by Dr. A.G.Munsif
* Shirdi Sai Baba in the Light of Sufism, by Marianne Warren