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Sai Baba of Shirdi (September 28, 1838 – 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. Hindu devotees consider him an incarnation of Lord Shiva or Dattatreya. Many devotees believe that he was a Sadguru or an elightened Sufi Peer or a Qutub. There are many stories and eyewitness accounts of miracles he performed. He is a well-known figure in many parts of the world, but especially in India, where he is much revered. Sai is from Indian origin, meaning "Sakshat Eshwar" given by the priest Mahalsapati (a close devotee of Sai Baba) during the evening when baba returned to shirdi after leaving shirdi earlier in his teen days (reference to it could be found in Sai Charitra). Although the priest Mahalsapti confesses the fact that he also does not realise him giving the name of "Sai" to Baba. Baba (honorific) is a word meaning "father; grandfather; old man; sir" used in Indo-Aryan languages. The appellative thus refers to Sai Baba as being a "holy father" or "saintly father". His parentage, birth details, and life before the age of sixteen are obscure, which has led to a variety of speculations and theories attempting to explain Sai Baba's origins. In his life and teachings he tried to reconcile Hinduism and Islam: Sai Baba lived in a mosque which he called Dwarakamayi, practiced Hindu and Muslim rituals, taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions and was buried in a Hindu temple in Shirdi. One of his well known epigrams says of God: "Sabka Malik Ek " ("One God governs all") which traces its root to the Bhagavad-Gita and Islam in general, and Sufism, in particular. He always uttered "Allah Malik" ("God is King"). He had no love for perishable things, and was always engrossed in self-realization, which was his sole concern. Sai Baba taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace,and devotion to God and guru. His teachings combined elements of Hinduism and Islam and tried to achieve communal harmony between these religions. Sai Baba remains a very popular saint and is worshipped by people around the world. Though the debate over his Hindu or Muslim origins continues to take place, his personal religious practices such as belief in the unity of God, reciting Al-Fatiha among other Quranic verses, liking Namaz as a way of prayer, and other individual preferences such as the attire of a Muslim saint with head covered, consumption of meat and abstinence from alcohol point more to him being a Muslim. There is still mosque in Shirdi where he regularly used to visit and live. According to Purdom, when Kulkarni Maharaj strongly requested Upasni Maharaj to pay a visit to Sai Baba, Upasni replied 'Why should I go to a Muslim?' He is also revered by several notable Hindu and Sufi religious leaders. Some of his disciples received fame as spiritual figures and saints such as Upasni Maharaj, Saint Bidkar Maharaj, Saint Gangagir, Saint Jankidas Maharaj and Sati Godavari Mataji. Details of the time and place of Sai Baba's birth are unknown. 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. Baba reportedly arrived at the village of Shirdi in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, India, when he was about 16 years old. Although there is no agreement among biographers on the date of this event, it is generally accepted that Baba stayed in Shirdi for three years, disappeared for a year and returned permanently around 1858, which posits a possible birth year of 1838. Some claim Baba was born on 29 September 1835, but there is no apparent reason on how the date was arrived at. In any case, the only agreement amongst historians and his devotees is that there is no conclusive evidence of his birthday and place. He led an ascetic life, sitting motionless under a neem tree and meditating while sitting in an asana. The 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 the religiously inclined such as Mhalsapati, Appa Jogle and Kashinatha regularly visited him, while others such as the village children considered him mad and threw stones at him. After some time he left the village, and it is unknown where he stayed at that time or what happened to him. 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. |
