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Shirdi Sai and Sathya Sai are One
and the Same
By Arjan D. Bharwani
64. CONCLUSION
Bhagavan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba is the second in the series of three "SAI
AVATARS". The first,Sai Baba of Shirdi, laid the 'keel'. The
second, the present Avatar, Sri Sathya Sai, is building the hull
and the superstructure. The third, 'Prema Sai', will erect the
mast and rig up, the final sail of the ship of the Divine
Manifestations. This 'Rescue Vessel' will salvage the sinking
humanity from the ocean of Samsar.
Let us
consider this from the human and secular level of existence. The
Parthi Sai devotees find ample proof of 'ONENESS'. At every
moment of the day to day life of Parthi Sai, the devotees see
the portrait of identity being painted more clearly. The Main
Deity in the Prasanthi Mandir is the silver idol of Sainath:, in
addition there is a beautiful marble idol of Shirdi Sai (which
looks very alive) placed just below the dais. The flanks of the
sanctum-sanctorum are adorned with equally prominent portraits
of both the Sais. Just as the same coin has an obverse and the
reverse so also medallions Divinely materialised by Sathya Sai
are of ten with Shirdi Sainath on one side and Parthi Sai on the
other. The lockets, rings and other articles also bear the stamp
of the Shirdi Sai Form
That which exists may act to hide its
real self and put an appearance as if it was not:, on the other
hand that which is non-existent can never put up this facade. It
is possible to pose life as dead, but a cadaverous cannot feign
to be alive. From this we may conclude that Shirdi Sainath may
on purpose have decided, to keep this Reality and the future
consecutiveness in Sathya Sai, hidden from the world. However it
is impossible for any future being, who was not Sainath Himself
to make known the Oneness That too with concrete and convincing
evidence to the Shirdi devotees themselves. In the first place,
it may be queried, how Shirdi Sainath and not any other Avatar
Came into picture in those early days of Sathya Peculiarly
enough the name of that Incarnation was introduced to the people
who did not have the vaguest idea about that Form Could not have
Sathya conjured up some other tale to lure the innocent
villagers? In fact to their unpolluted minds this new name
seemed to be of some Muslim - an idea which was alien and
unacceptable.
The way
Sathya Sai went about bringing in Shirdi Sai only served to
eulogise that Form and served no selfish motive of the little
Boy. If at all, it only diminished His own self. There are
incidents galore where people extol and glorify themselves for
earning name and fame. Never does one exalt someone else for the
building up of one's image and reputation. Were it not for the
Divine Purpose of establishing the reincarnation and for the
continuity of the Divine Mission, the import of Shirdi Sai, on
the stage would only tantamount to the relegation of Sathya Sai,
to a secondary status. Why should Sathya Sai do this?.
The
homo-sapiens have an inherent, innate instinct to owe total
allegiance, to their chosen God. This is more so if some
religion, dogma or creed have made one accustomed to worship
that form. It is indeed very difficult to bring about a change
in such a relationship. However, when clear and concrete proof
of the Oneness, between different manifestations are made
available to us, then we should accommodate and accept the
Reality. Whilst investigating deeper, we experience that it is
after all, the same Divine Principle (Godhead) that incarnates
at different periods of time. This would obviate, the uncanny
sense of distinction and confront us with are factual situation
wherein all these Avatars merge into one single entity namely
Brahmaan.
It is the
sunshine of Divine Grace that we should bask in, it is the calm
and cooling moonlight of, 'Sat-Chit-Ananda (Truth,
Conscious?ness and Bliss)', that we should acquire:, it is the
Divinisation and Spiritualisation that we should cultivate and
it is the lasting peace and happiness that we should aim to
derive for ourselves from the media and the channels(Forms of
Divinity) that are conveying these to us. Let us not involve
ourselves into doubts, disput?ations and disagreements in an
effort to eulogise any Form as better than the other - for then
we will be running after the shadows, leaving aside the
Substance.
In this
context, speaking at Guindy Temple at Madras on 22?6?1969, Baba
said, "The cup can be of any shape or design, the joy consists
in the nectar that it is able to convey to the person who is
thirsty and anguished. "Raso vai sah", God is Ambrosia, sweet,
sustaining, strength?giving. You can imbibe Him through a cup
shaped as Nataraja or Durga or Krishna, or Linga or Ganesha or
Christ or any other For m that will arouse the ardour and
satisfy the agony. This is a temple, where I have installed,
twenty-one years ago, one such Form, which many yearning persons
love to picture as their most favourite cup! This is the Sai
Form which sat and taught at Dwarkamayi at Shirdi". And finally,
let us end here with the Divine Words of Bhagavan, "At Shirdi,
Baba said once 'I accus?tomed men to a state of God-nearness',
here too at Puttaparthi, I want them to be God-aware and
God-filled".
JAI SAI RAM
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