Shirdi Sai Baba

The world is slowly moving away from God. Principles of religions are being ignored. Poverty, hunger has showed its gruesome form in many parts of the world. There are many people who don’t get a plate of meal in a day. Lots of people are killed in the name of fight for religion, caste superiority. Women are raped during intercaste, inter-religious clashes and there is child abuse everywhere. People take immense pleasure in hurting others, not understanding other’s feelings. Money, luxury, wealth has become a priority putting human values aside. But there is something much beyond these three. That is satisfaction and content. Every human needs these qualities in the world. It can be achieved through humbleness alone. There is something common in everything i.e principles. The Bible, Bhagvad Gita and Quran have got many similar points. God is present in books. Every principles stated in books equals God. Hurting a fellow human being by words, physically, by thoughts is a sin. Hurting animals is also a sin. We all are going to live in this world for a short time, let’s not hurt each other. Our existence in this world is temporary and God has sent us for a special task which you would know soon!





There are a few common things, which could be asked by readers. Where is God? Can you show me God? How does He look? If He is there, then why He isn’t protecting us or blessing everyone? These questions have answers within you, as you are more intelligent than me. I am not God to find what’s in your mind. You can get answers for everything by being humble.

As lots of evil things happen, some enlightened forms do take birth time to time to restructure the human society. One such soul was Sai Baba of Shirdi. Shirdi is a small town in Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra, India. His birth origins, early life details are not known or clear. He was believed to be an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir. He was respected by both Hindu and Muslim followers. Hindus revered him as a saint with rituals and Muslim considered him as an enlightened soul. Sai Baba was believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. According to Muslims, he was the reincarnation of Kabir, a mystic poet who was the disciple of Hindu saint Ramananda. It was believed that Saibaba was born to an Hindu couple but brought up by a fakir. During his lifetime, Sai Baba didn’t show interest in answering questions related to his birth and he said that it was unimportant and unneeded.




He was believed to be born in the year 1838 or 1835 in a village slightly away from Shirdi. Sai Baba taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, devotion to God and Guru. He resided in an old, dilapidated mosque and lived a solitary life, surviving by begging for alms. Baba delivered spiritual teachings to his visitors, recommending the reading of sacred Hindu texts along with the Quran. He often expressed himself in a cryptic manner with the use of parables, symbols, and proverbs.

Sai Baba observed worship procedures belonging to Hinduism and Islam. He also wore clothing reminiscent of a Sufi fakir resembling a Muslim. He opposed all sorts of persecutions on religious or caste background. Although, Baba himself led the life of an ascetic, he advised his followers to lead an ordinary family life. Sai Baba encouraged his devotees to pray, chant God's name and read Holy Scriptures. He advised Muslims to study the Qur'an and told the Hindus texts like the Ramayana, Vishnu Sahasranam, Bhagavad Gita. He advised his devotees and followers to lead a moral life. He also criticized atheism. In his teachings, Sai Baba emphasized the importance of performing one's duties without attachment to earthly matters and being content regardless of the situation.



Sai Baba said that the world and all that the humans may give is transient and only God and his gifts are eternal. He also talked about the need of faith and devotion to one's teacher or Guru. He advised his disciples and followers to overcome the negative features of character and develop the good ones. Sai Baba left no written works. His teachings were oral, typically short, rather than elaborate discourses. He would ask his followers for money, which he would give away to the poor and other devotees the same day.




Sai Baba encouraged charity and the importance of sharing goodness with others. He said, "Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody progresses in life. 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 will be certainly pleased if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked”. Sai Baba took Mahasamadhi on October 15, 1918 at 2.30pm. He died on the lap of one of his devotees with hardly any belongings.

-Krishna Kumar.S