Shirdi Sai and Sathya Sai are One
and the Same
By Arjan D. Bharwani
14. CONGRUITY CONSOLIDATED
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has
built temples of Shirdi Sai at Guindy (Madras), Coimbatore,
Ayodhya Ashram near Madanapalle and at Rapelle (Dist. Guntur).
Parthi Sai installed the beautiful marble idol of Shirdi Sai in
the temple at Rapelle. The occasion has a dramatic incident
associated with it which may be narrated here.
On the appointed auspicious day the
image of the Deity was brought to Baba. the conferment of 'the
Sakthi (Power)', that radiates from the sanctum-sanctorum of any
temple is the sole preserve of Divinity. Over the ages such
bestowal has been repeatedly performed by various embodiments of
'the God-head', on many centres of pilgrimage in this vast and
veritable motherland of ours.
We have it on the authority of the
book "Sivarahasya Mahethihasa" that Lord Siva had blessed Adi
Sankaracharya with five 'Lingas'. With these the latter
established four Maths(monastic centres) at Badrinath, Jagannath
Puri, Dwarka and Shringeri. According to another version, Kanchi
was also one of the principal 'maths'.
The Divine potency - the idols
radiate at these places is owed to the 'Lingas' placed beneath
them bv Sankaracharva.
His mission of 'Dharmasthapana' has
taker Sathya Sai to many ancient shrines, where in the presence of
many witnesses, He has recharged the 'Deities’ with 'Ishwari
Sakthi (Divine Potency)' which had undergone depletion down the
ages.
At Badrinath, He imparted this 'Sakthi'
by drawing out, rejuvenating and replacing the original 'Nethralinga'
from beneath the Narayana idol. At Srisailam, He repotentiated the
Mallikarjuna idol by showering on it golden thumme (Leucas
Linifolia) flowers, which He materialised on the spot. In
furtherance of the same objective, Parthi Sai visited the famous
Pandharpur temple on 18th June 1965. 'The Mangalakari (bestower of
Grace)' created a ' Mangalasuthra' and adorned the Goddess Rukmayi
with it. Similar surcharging had has been done by Him – of the
Giridhari temple at Brindavan; of Ramachandra temple at Ayodhya
and Bhadrachalam and Mahanandi in Andhra Pradesh.
In the case of Guindy, to sanctify
the image, Baba materialised a miniature statue of Shirdi Sai and
had it placed beneath the main idol.
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