Sri Sathya Sai Baba is one of the most revered spiritual teachers in the world. He is also known as Sathya Sai Baba, Sai Baba, Swami, Bhagawan or simply as Baba to millions of people in the world. His followers come from all faiths and races and meet regularly for devotional singing, to study His teachings, and to engage in service activities in order to practice His message of Love and Peace to unite all mankind.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born as Sathyanarayana Raju on November 23, 1926 in the village of Puttaparthi, in the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India. Even as a child, His spiritual inclination, contemplative nature and miracles set Him apart from other children of His age, and He was known as ‘Guru’ and “Brahmajnani’ (knower of Brahman or Godhead) among His peers and others in the village. However, it was not until October 20, 1940, the day He made the historic declaration of His Avatarhood, (Avatar - Divinity Incarnate) that the world at large learnt of this divine phenomenon. He proclaimed His message – to bring about the spiritual regeneration of humanity by demonstrating and teaching the highest principles of Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love, and Nonviolence. With that announcement, He left his childhood home and began His mission.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba teaches that man’s basic nature is divine and that the purpose of life is the realization of this divinity. This will occur, He says, by leading a moral life, by rendering selfless service to those in need, by engaging in devotional practices and by developing love, respect and compassion for all life. As one strives to transform his/her worldly life of self centered desires and attachments into a higher spiritual life of selflessness and devotion, the foundation is built for receiving God’s Grace. It is this Grace which will reveal our true nature to each of us.
He reminds us that mankind is unique among all of God’s Creations; human being are capable of recognizing that they emanate from God. We have the capacity to commune with God by turning inward. Ultimately, it is our destiny to merge with God. Sri Sathya Sai Baba teaches us that all religions are the expressions of these same universal principles.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba does not recommend that we become ascetics and retreat from the world. Instead, he teaches us that the world is our school, The Five Human Values (Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love, and Nonviolence) are our curriculum, and the realization of the unity of Godliness in the diversity of Creation is our ultimate lesson.
By personal example, Sri Sathya Sai Baba has inspired and continues to inspire millions of followers throughout the world to the ideal that service to man is service to God. His numerous service projects, be it free hospitals, free schools and colleges, free drinking water supply projects, or free housing projects, or disaster relief operations, all stand testimony to His selfless love and compassion especially for the needy and less privileged.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba strongly emphasizes selfless service to those in need as the highest means for enhancing one’s own spiritual growth and development. He teaches that it is not enough to simply do good works – but of equal importance is one’s attitude during the service activity. The service worker must have an attitude of humility and appreciation for the opportunity to do any service activity. The opportunity itself is a gift from God. One should not dwell on the good that they are doing, or that activity will strengthen one’s ego rather than help to reduce it.
The Sri Sathya Sai International Organization founded by Sri Sathya Sai Baba has a presence in more than 114 countries and its members undertake many service activities that benefit their communities.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba remains a living presence, an inspiration, a guide, and most of all a cherished, endearing and intimately felt divinity in the hearts of millions who knew Him.
Sai Story Playlist
Several spiritual masters and saints have identified Sathya Sai Baba as a
"Purna Avatar" or a reincarnation of Lord Krishna as well as Imram and myself...
Sri Aurobindo: On November 24, 1926 (the day after Sathya Sai Baba's birth), he announced the "descent of Krishna into the physical".
Paramahansa Yogananda: “God Himself is now incarnate on Earth, in South India. His name is Sai Baba.”
***This Yogananda quote is heavily cited by devotees of Sathya Sai Baba as an endorsement from the prominent spiritual master Paramahansa Yogananda. According to accounts popular within Sai Baba literature, Yogananda allegedly made this statement to a close American female disciple shortly before his passing in 1952.
However, this quote is highly contested and rejected by the official organizations that preserve Yogananda's legacy.
In Sai Baba devotional circles, the quote is usually shared as part of a larger conversation:
"Enough of that foolishness! God Himself is now incarnate on Earth, in South India. His name is Sai Baba. When I leave, you are going to live with Him."
Devotees claim that the prediction came true and that the unnamed disciple relocated to Sathya Sai Baba's ashram in Puttaparthi, India, following Yogananda's death.
Anandamayi Ma: One of the most revered female saints of the 20th century said "Sathya Sai Baba is the most powerful incarnation of God ever to come to the Earth." She reportedly stated this in the last year of her life, explicitly calling him the "Avatar of this Yuga".
Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma): Referred to Sathya Sai Baba as an "Avatar. Perfect from birth".
Mother Krishnabai: A saint from Anandashram, she described Sai Baba as a "full incarnation of Krishna"
She said “Sai Baba is an Avatar, a full incarnation of Krishna. He is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva together in one form!”
Swami Vidya Prakashananda Giri: A renowned scholar and saint dedicated to teaching the Bhagavad Gita throughout Andhra Pradesh. He regarded Sathya Sai Baba with immense reverence, and during a visit to Prasanthi Nilayam, he reportedly received a divine vision of Lord Krishna in place of Sai Baba.
Swami Sivananda Saraswati: The founder of the Divine Life Society, who upon meeting the young Sai Baba in 1957, bowed and reportedly acknowledged him as "his Krishna and Lord".
Yogi Ramsuratkumar: The mystic of Tiruvannamalai frequently directed followers toward Sai Baba as a divine source. He often referred to Sathya Sai Baba as an incarnation of God. He famously told visitors who had come from Puttaparthi to see him, "You've left God to see this beggar?"
Shivabalayogi Maharaj: A meditator who distinguished between yogis and avatars, explicitly stating, "Sathya Sai Baba is an avatar"
Swami Satchidananda: The enlightened sage and former head of Anandashram in Kerala, when asked about controversies surrounding Sai Baba, he responded, "Forget about it. He is God!".
Vasantha Sai: An elderly woman saint from Madurai says She considers Sai Ram to be the "reincarnation of Sri Krishna"
Devi Amma: A saint living near the Whitefield ashram, believed by many to be a fully realized master, describes him as the "Poornavatar" (full incarnation) and has experienced visions of him changing into Lord Subramaniam and back, revealing his oneness with various forms of God.
Shivabalayogi Maharaj: A renowned yogi known for his long periods of meditation said "Sathya Sai Baba is an Avatar". He distinguished between himself (a yogi who attained Godhood) and Sai Baba (an Avatar who descended from Godhood)
Swami Nirmalananda: A dedicated monk who lived in silent meditation for decades, he spoke of Sai Baba as "God walking the Earth" and a direct manifestation of the Krishna principle.
Master CVV (Canchupati Venkatarao Vencasami Rao): Some of his lineage's followers maintain a spiritual connection between his "Yoga of the New Era" and the Sai Avatar, viewing both as facets of the same divine mission to transform human consciousness.
Swami Krishnananda (Divine Life Society): A direct disciple of Swami Sivananda and a profound Vedantic philosopher. He frequently spoke of Sai Baba as a "God-man" and encouraged seekers to see him as the living embodiment of the same universal energy that Krishna represented.
Shri Datta Swami, Contemporary spiritual master and founder of Universal Spirituality said in a public discourse responding to critics like ISKCON: “If we agree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as the incarnation of Krishna, why can we not agree Sri Satya Sai Baba also as an incarnation of Krishna?”
and: “By criticising Baba, you have criticised Lord Krishna, because both are one and the same God.”
He also notes Sai Baba performed childhood miracles “like Krishna.”
Babaji of Nairobi: A highly respected saint in Kenya who reportedly lived to a very advanced age. He explicitly stated that while he and other saints were on the "line of Pirs" (holy men), Sathya Sai Baba was "on Krishna's line". He noted that Sai Baba's work was for the entire world and acknowledged him as a "Cosmic Power"
Justice P.N. Bhagwati (Former Chief Justice of India): Upon first meeting Sai Baba on May 15, 1969, Justice Bhagwati, a lifelong devotee of Krishna, stated that when Sai Baba alighted from his aircraft, he "saw my Krishna in him". This vision was so powerful it changed the course of his life, leading him to feel he had finally found a "tangible" God.
Dr. Frank Baronowski: An expert in Kirlian photography and aura studies, Baronowski was stunned during a darshan at Whitefield. He reported that Sai Baba’s aura was not that of a normal human; it was a limitless, brilliant aura containing silver and gold bands that extended to the horizon—a sight he had never observed in any other "holy man".
Sri Krishnadas Eradi (Kerala): Growing up in a family deeply immersed in Krishna bhajans, Eradi and his father reportedly "found their Krishna" in Sathya Sai Baba during a visit to Prasanthi Nilayam in the 1960s.
The Mother and Father of Sathya Sai Ram (Easwaramma and Pedda Venkapa Raju): While they initially doubted their son's divinity, they were given a vision of the shrine at Shirdi and its surroundings in a panoramic view, which convinced them of his status as a divine incarnation.
Swami Vidya Prakashananda Giri: While visiting Prasanthi Nilayam, this saintly scholar and Bhagavad Gita teacher reportedly had a divine vision where he saw Lord Krishna standing in the place of Sathya Sai Baba.
The "Vishwaroopa" Darshan (2007): On October 4, 2007, Sai Baba announced that a Vishwa Viraata Swaroopa Darshan (the Cosmic Form of the Lord, as shown by Krishna to Arjuna) would be visible in the sky toward the airport. Many people in Puttaparthi reported seeing divine manifestations in the clouds during this time.
The "Gopis" of Sathya Sai Baba: Various groups of devotees, especially those who traveled with him in the early years, have shared stories of seeing him in "Krishna-like" divine sports (leelas), often describing him as the Paripurna Avatar (the complete manifestation) identical to Krishna.
Blue Gem Manifestation (1963): In a public discourse, Sai Baba materialized a cascade of blue gems. Each gem was reportedly carved with a clearly visible form of Krishna inside it, intended to remind devotees of his original form. This is just one siddhi, to materialize objects, and it is only one instance of this happening. He did this thousands of times during his life.
Swami Vishwananda @vishwananda:
"Many people have heard about Sri Satya Sai Baba, so much loving service to the world and divine miracles of this great Saint .He was born different from other children. His arrival in this world was preceded by a huge ball of blue light entering the womb of his mother. After this astonishing miracle, his mother fainted due to the great vision and then it was revealed to her that a great soul would soon take birth as her child. But as it often happens with great Saints, they are the least understood by those around them. The same was true for the young Sri Sathya Sai. His friends loved to sing Bhajans and listen to the glories he told them of God, but his family could not properly understand his shining divinity and deep devotion to God. His life becomes his service to Humanity and his focus only on true love and compassion. And he never step away from his life, mission in spreading love to all and service to mankind’s . At the age of 14, he reveal his divine mission , soon the ashram of Puttaparti came into being. After that, each day, each moment with the great Saint was marked with miracles. Both external and internal. He gave countless visions of the Divine to devotees who were ready for such grace. So many devotees found what they were looking for due to his tireless efforts and endless mercy on them. Miracles manifested continuously around him. Spontaneous. Innocent. Divine. Out of unconditional love. To show the great Eternal One and the temporary nature of human troubles. His work for humanity is his example of Devotion, compassion, care for the sick, the needy, and so much more. The work of a true Saint grows with and lives beyond his physical life. Because the true Saints are never bound to this world of five elements. They are an embodiment of that eternally effulgent light and love which is Sri Hari. I have fond memories of our meeting in several interviews which he grace me may his blessing be with all his devotees which is celebrating his 100 years. Wish everyone a blessed Sri Sathya Sai Baba Jayanti. As Baba used to say, “Love all and serve all. Love is life, so live in love.”