Sujata Ray (Intro):
Salutations to Gurudev, Sri Sri Shama Khapa. Greetings and well-wishes to everyone from Gurudev's ashram, Shantikunja. I am Sujata Ray, starting today's program. After spending a long period in secret spiritual practice, our Gurudev is now sharing his wisdom across the whole world—not just in Bengal or India—at our collective request. Through his YouTube channel, "Shama Khapa," Gurudev has dedicated himself to the cause of world peace by sharing the teachings of his spiritual life and offering solutions to the problems and sufferings of the general public. Today, Gurudev is conducting a special discussion on one such topic. I hope you all find it enlightening.
Interviewer:
Pranam, Gurudev. Devotees would like to hear from you about Shirdi Sai Baba, who is often regarded as an incarnation of Dattatreya. If you could share some insights about him...
Gurudev (Shama Khapa):
Look, it is difficult for someone like me to speak about a personality like him. However, I can share what I have learned. His birth history is not fully known because he never spoke about his past life. He first appeared at the age of 16. He was born in September 1835 and passed away on October 15, 1918. He lived for a total of 83 years.
Gurudev:
We don't know much about his origins—whether he was born Hindu, Muslim, or Christian—because he never left any records or spoke of his former life. Even his parents' identities remain unknown. The ideology he followed within the Hindu spiritual path was Advaitavad (Non-duality). His core teaching was "Sabka Malik Ek" (Everyone's Master is One). He believed one God controls the world and there is no second. Regarding Islam, he taught Sufism. He used Sufism to guide Muslims and Advaitavad for Hindus. His central message remained that God is one and He alone runs the world.
Gurudev:
Hindu devotees consider him an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. Dattatreya is a great deity; if you visit Amarkantak, you will find a temple dedicated to him. Hindus believed Sai Baba was an embodiment of that divine energy.
Gurudev:
Regarding the name "Sai," it is a word often linked to Sanskrit meanings like "Divine" or "God." In a broader sense, "Sai" means a direct manifestation of God or a divine being. People recognized him as a divine presence. He always emphasized "Sabka Malik Ek." Whether it is Hinduism, Christianity, or Buddhism, he taught that such labels are unnecessary because God is one and indivisible.
Gurudev:
Some called him a Sadguru, while others called him a Sufi Pir or a Qutub. Different people addressed him in various ways, but every term essentially implied a messenger of God. The mosque where he lived was named "Dwarkamai" by his Hindu followers. Shirdi also had a Hindu temple where he was eventually entombed. He did not differentiate between religions; he simply propagated the truth.
Gurudev:
While he taught Sufism to Muslims and Advaitavad to Hindus, these principles are very similar to what is followed by the Ramakrishna Mission or Belur Math. Swami Vivekananda was a proponent of Advaitavad, whereas Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was more aligned with Dvaitavad (Dualism).
Gurudev:
There is a profound connection between Sri Ramakrishna and Sai Baba. Ramakrishna often mentioned to his disciples that there was a living deity in Maharashtra. He would say that a messenger of God resided there. Although the two never met or spoke, they held immense mutual respect. Sai Baba similarly used to say that there was a direct messenger of God in Kolkata.
Gurudev:
Their birth years are also very close: Sai Baba was born in 1835, and Ramakrishna in 1836. Sai Baba was the elder by one year. There is a fascinating story—a true event—that took place when Ramakrishna was on his deathbed in 1886. At that exact time, Sai Baba went into a deep Samadhi (trance) for three days. In that state, he went to the divine realm and prayed to God to take him. However, upon reaching, he saw that Ramakrishna was already there, sitting on God's lap. He was surprised to see that Ramakrishna had reached first.
Gurudev:
When Ramakrishna passed away, Sai Baba's trance broke, and he returned to his physical body in this world. It is a very peculiar and remarkable event. I'm not sure how many people know this. Ramakrishna passed away in 1886—do you recall the month?
Interviewer:
"I don't know that, Gurudev."
Gurudev:
"It was probably October... no... wait, when was it? 1886... the month escapes me. I know he was born in February 1836."
Interviewer:
(Checking records) "It was August 16, 1886."
Gurudev:
Yes, August 16, 1886. At that time, as I mentioned, Sai Baba had entered a three-day trance. When he saw that Ramakrishna had already reached the Divine, he thought, "Since he is already there, I should return." He came back to his body and lived for many more years. Ramakrishna lived for about 50 years, while Sai Baba lived to be 83.
Gurudev:
The word "Baba" is often used to mean "Father" or a respected gentleman, and "Sai" refers to the Divine or someone with divine vision. This is what I have gathered. In Maharashtra, people addressed him with great love as Baba.
Sujata Ray (Outro):
You have been listening to a special discussion by the secret practitioner, Gurudev Sri Sri Shama Khapa. We hope you enjoyed it. To learn about more such topics, please subscribe, like, and share Gurudev's channel.
Sujata Ray:
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