The Universal Consciousness that is Sri Sathya Sai eternally lives on. The devotees miss His physical form, nevertheless, they continue to experience His guidance and grace, as enigmatically as ever. Baba discarded His bodily vesture on April 24, 2011. Only later did everyone realise, those were indeed symbolic of the golden culminating moments of Baba's earthly sojourn. On His 83rd and 85th Birthdays in Nov 20, on His devotees' request, Baba rode on a golden chariot. Baba, Himself exemplified this higher life incessantly for 86 years where the power of pure love was in glorious action.
Since then this umbrella institution is engaged in the implementation of trailblazing projects like free primary to tertiary-care hospitals, free education from primary schooling to doctoral research, free drinking water to remote villages, free housing rehabilitation initiatives, etc., demonstrating to the world new paradigms to raise society's quality of life inspired by love, service and universal brotherhood. While millions of inspired individuals took to practising selfless love, to create working models for them to emulate, Baba founded the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust in 1972. In no time the movement grew global to more than 126 countries with Prasanthi Nilayam being its epicentre. Towards this end, in the 1960s Baba germinated the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations in India, through which people across religions, class and caste, could collectively engage in selfless service and foster the eternal values of Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love and Non-violence, for their own spiritual uplift. In His reply, dated May 25, 1947, Baba emphatically stated that He has a 'Task' to 'foster all mankind with bliss', a 'Vow' to 'lead all onto the path of righteousness', and a 'Work' of 'removing the suffering of the distressed', also assuring that He would never give up on those who attach themselves to Him. His growing fame, accompanied by rising ridicule from envious quarters, rattled His elder brother Seshama Raju, who wrote a letter cautioning Him of His activities. I have my work, I cannot wait any longer.” Thus, that day forward Sathyanarayana Raju became Sathya Sai Baba.įrom that epochal moment on, kings to commoners started thronging to His presence seeking solace and succour as Baba cancelled an incurable disease of one, sorted out familial problems of another, and likewise. Sathya just took a few flowers and flung them down which arranged themselves to read “I am Sai Baba.” Later that year, on the morning of Oct 20, halfway through the school day, Baba suddenly returned home, cast aside His books and dramatically declared, “I am no longer your Sathya. The inexplicability of His actions greatly disturbed His father Sri Ratnakaram Pedda Venkama Raju, and on May 23, 1940, he angrily accosted Sathya to reveal His true identity. His friends were often fascinated by His extraordinary powers of creating things out of thin air, knowing the future, deep understanding of scriptural wisdom and so on. When He began school, His playmates were inspired by His ability to lead them to be socially responsible, spiritually aware, endowed with individual and national character. Even as a toddler, He insisted that the beggar at the door be served well in spite of their own limited means and would often give His own share to the needy.
What intrigued His mother Easwaramma, most was the unbounded compassion her little Sathya had particularly for the poor and downtrodden. He was given the name Sathyanarayana Raju.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born in Puttaparthi on an auspicious Monday in the lunar month of Kartika, when Lord Shiva is especially adored.