SAI BABA LAID TO REST IN PUTTAPARTHI

INDIA SAYS FAREWELL TO SAI BABA
THE GURU REVERED AS A “LIVING GOD” 

Agencies - Sathya Sai Baba was laid to rest in the form of a samadhi at his ashram in Puttaparthi on Wednesday. The final rites were performed by Sai Baba’s nephew RJ Ratnakar guided by nine priests, adhering to strict traditional rituals and vedic chants at Sai Kulwanth Hall, which was closed for the public during the ceremony.  Sai Baba was buried lying down on his back sparking debate among religious leaders across the state. Saints and holy men are kept in the Padmasana (lotus position) for Samadhi as they are believed to have attained a level of detachment that makes cremation redundant.  Hymns rang through his ashram at his hometown of Puttaparthi in southern India as his body was sprinkled with petals and holy water before a private burial behind a maroon curtain.

Although Sai Baba was born to Hindu parents, raised in a Hindu community, took a Hindu name, wore the saffron-colored vestments of a Hindu sannyasin, even so, he did not profess to be a Hindu.  Sai Baba’s reputation was founded largely on claims of his miraculous powers. It was later tarnished by accusations of quackery and even pedophilia, though he was never convicted.  Sathya Sai Baba was certainly wrong about one thing having, in 1963, announced that he would live until 2020.  Sai Baba established an extensive network of schools and colleges throughout India, helping millions of people. The humanitarian projects under his name, with which he was only marginally involved, became a force parallel to the government in parts of India. The organization is estimated to have assets around US$ 8 billion, and could fall into a succession war.

Indian religious leader Sathya Sai Baba, who died Sunday, was buried in his hometown of Puttaparthy in the state of Andhra Pradesh.  Sai Baba quickly won fame for supposed mystical powers including the ability to heal and conjure objects including gold watches out of thin air.  But his "miracles" were probed to be simple magic tricks.  He was also the subject of a series of allegations of sexual abuse of young male followers.  Apart from many other allegations, in which part of the Vedic literature was his incarnation described? or was just his own claim of being God the only proof of his incarnation?  Despite of this, his followers honestly believe he was God, an 'Avatar' as he declared to be.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?  

Giriraja: Sai Baba?
Prabhupada: Sai Baba. He is showing little yogic aisvarya. But people are, because they do not know, they are not aware of Krishna, they are taking him as God. You see? ... Suppose a man declares himself that “I am avatara.”  So intelligent man should test him, how he is avatara. We accept Krishna or Lord Ramacandra for their uncommon activities. But what are the uncommon activities, so many avataras? Simply being praised by a group of persons. That’s all.  They must be accepted by the sastra that he is avatara. Otherwise, why so cheap avatara, we shall accept?

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
Morning Walk - April 4, 1974, Bombay
Conversations  - 740404mw.bom  -  The Complete Works of HDG ACBSP

Guest (2): Sai Baba?
Prabhupada: Sai Baba, he also says, “I am Bhagavan.” Therefore he’s bogus. How you can say yourself that you are Bhagavan, God? What is your power? What you have shown? And this is cheap. Now, supposing Sai Baba is God. So people accept him God, why? Because he shows some jugglery. He creates little gold. Is it not? So if, by creating gold, he is God, then there is bigger God who has created gold mine. Why shall I go to this tiny god? I must go to the big God who has created gold mine. This is common sense. But foolish people, they have no common sense even.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor,
other Guests and Disciples - February 12, 1975, Mexico
Conversations - 750212rc.mex  -  The Complete Works of HDG ACBSP

Q. What is the Vaisnava understanding of Satya Sai Baba of Putraparthi? Some say he is an incarnation of Siva, others that he is a great yogi. His followers say he is Bhagavan.
A. Vaisnavas do not accept Sathya Sai Baba as Bhagavan (God). ... Because the Vaisnavas are concerned with Bhagavan and always hearing and chanting about Him, they should know best who is Bhagavan and who is not. ... Being absorbed in thoughts of Visnu/Krsna, should Bhagavan descend in one of his incarnations, his devotees would be the first to recognize him. There is no doubt that Krishna is God, but Vaisnavas doubt that Sai Baba is Krishna for good reason. He may be an accomplished yogi.

Śrīla Bhakti Vedanta Tripurari Mahārāja :
Sri Caitanya Sanga - Sep. 2, 2000, Vol. II, No. 33
“Nistha: Into the Valley of Love of God” - Q & A with Swami B. V. Tripurari
http://www.swami.org/pages/sanga/2000/2000_33.php

So many complains about this man made it very questionable whether he was even honest. What to speak about being an incarnation of God.  Name and fame does not give him the ability to lift the Govardhan hill like Lord Krishna did.  Many persons in this age dream of being or becoming God. So when a person tells them that he is God and that they can also become God then he will be very popular. That is called a fashion of one person fooling the other.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
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“Sathya Sai Baba Passes Away at 84” - April 25, 2011 5:54 PM
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