Sai As Dattatreya…

God Is One and the same… yet, in different yugas, different times, God incarnated in different forms, accepting different Names… For the one with pure awareness…He is Absolute Consciousness in different forms…  call Him Rama…Krishna…Sai…Dattatreya… At Shirdi, Baba was questioned once by the police…and He in His inimitable style answered “Truly” which was intriguing yet confusing for the foolhardy. Later, to some ‘Doubting Thomases’ Bhagawan showed up Himself as Lord Dattatreya… Trinity in One Supreme Form… Commemorating the Birthless Sai’s ‘Birthday’, the episode as recounted by Bhagawan…

Baba was involved in a criminal case. He had to give evidence in a case which related to the theft of some valuables from a rich man’s house by a gang of thieves. The police caught the thieves and questioned them about the stolen ar­ticles. The thieves said that the valuables had been given to them by a fakir.

Searching for the fakir, they came to Baba. They asked Him: “Fakir, did you give these articles to them?” “Yes,” He said. “Wherefrom did You get them?” was the next question. Baba replied: “They have come from the same place from which all things come.” “Who gave them to You”? “I gave them to Myself.”

Baba gave such intriguing an­swers, which the police could not understand. “I Am the giver of every­thing. How can anyone get anything without my sanction?” declared Baba. Feeling that it was futile to question him further, the police prepared a report. Baba received a summons from the magistrate to give evidence in the case. Chandubhai Patel did not want Baba to go to the Magistrate and so arranged for Baba being examined on commission (in Shirdi itself). During the examination on commis­sion, Baba was asked: “What is your father’s name,” He replied: “Baba.” (Baba means “Father” and the reply meant that the father’s name was “fa­ther.”)

Q. “What is your religion?”

A. “The religion of God”.

Q. “Wherefrom did you come?”

A. “I have come from the Atma.”

Q. “What is your caste?”

A. “The caste of the Divine.”

Baba answered all the questions in this manner. Earlier He had been hailed as “Sai.” In his examination, He had given his father’s name as Baba. By the combination of these two names, he was therefore called “Sai Baba.” No one knew when and where Sai Baba was born and who gave Him that Name.

Later, many persons began to have doubts about His transcendental powers. One day, the birth anniver­sary of Dattatreya was to be celebrated (in the month of Margasirsha on Pan­chami day.) Several devotees had assembled in Shirdi. Among them was a wealthy man, a great scholar called Kaijack. He is not to be confused with Hijack!” His name was Balwant Kaijck. As he was approaching the Masjid, Baba took His stick and waved it at the devotees, asking them to get away. He even beat some of them, shouting, “Saitan! Saitan!” No one could understand why Baba was be­having like this. “I Am suffering labour ­pains. Get away, all of you!” He shouted. In those days, Baba not only used to shout at people, but also wield the stick on them on occasions. He used even to throw the stick at fleeing persons. Every one used to be afraid of him. They all fled from the place.

Some time later, He called all of them to come. “Balwant Kaijack, come!” He said. When Balwant came, Baba went inside the Masjid. Balwant went in and found that Baba was not there. He found a three-headed baby on the floor. Baba had declared that He was suffering from labour pains and there was a baby there. The three­ headed child appeared to represent Dattatreya. It was a small baby with a number of hands. Balwant recognised the child as Dattatreya and called other devotees to come inside. They went in and on seeing the child closed their eyes. At that instant Baba reappeared there. From that time onwards, people started looking upon Baba as the incarnation of Dattatreya.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II