![]() With his Muslim followers, Baba would always talk of Allah and the Koran, often quoting Persian verses. The names of Krishna and Rama seem to have been particularly dear to him. īaba would often talk about the Hindu gods, quoting from sacred texts or even commenting upon passages of the Bhagavadgita, the Isha Upanishad, and so forth. He insisted on the indispensability of the unbroken remembrance of God's name (dhikr, and often expressed himself in a cryptic manner with the use of parables, symbols and allegories). Sai Baba also delivered spiritual teachings to his visitors, recommending the reading of the Ramayan and Bhagavat Gita for Hindus and Qur'an for Muslims. He performed the function of a local hakim and treated the sick by application of ashes. The ash was believed to have healing and apotropaic powers. In the mosque, he maintained a sacred fire which is referred to as a dhuni, from which he gave sacred ash ('Udi') to his guests before they left. He was eventually persuaded to take up residence in an old and dilapidated mosque and lived a solitary life there, surviving by begging for alms and receiving itinerant Hindu or Muslim visitors. His manner was said to be withdrawn and uncommunicative as he undertook long periods of meditation. įor four to five years, Baba lived under a neem tree and often wandered for long periods in the jungle around Shirdi. This dichotomy has given rise to two major theories regarding Baba's background, with the majority of writers supporting the Hindu background over the Islamic, while others combine both the theories (that Sai Baba was first brought up by a fakir and then by a guru). ![]() On another occasion, Baba reportedly said that the fakir's wife had left him in the care of a Hindu guru, Venkusa of Selu and that he had stayed with Venkusa for 12 years as his disciple. ![]() He had reportedly stated to a close follower, Mahalsapati, that he has been born of Brahmin parents in the village of Pathri and had been entrusted into the care of a fakir in his infancy. Baba was notorious for giving vague, misleading and contradictory replies to questions concerning his parentage and origins, brusquely stating the information was unimportant. Historical researches into genealogies in Shirdi give support to the theory that Baba could have been born with the name Haribhau Bhusari. ![]() Although Sai Baba's origins are unknown, some indications exist that suggest that he was born not far from Shirdi. ![]()
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