Ammula Sambasiva Rao - Life History of Shirdi Sai Baba

Life History of
SHIRDI SAI BABA

Life History of Shirdi Sai Baba was originally written in Telugu by Ammula Sambasiva Rao, and translated into English by Thota Bhaskara Rao. The book delves deep into the details of the life of Shirdi Sai Baba right from his birth till his attainment of Samadhi.

The author has expounded Sai Tatwa or Sai philosophy in a simple language, interspersed with engrossing anecdotes in the life of Sai devotees.

Ammula Sambasiva Rao, an ardent Sai devotee, has done pioneering work for the spread of Sai philosophy and Sai awakening in the people of Andhra Pradesh. He has undertaken the performance of a unique yagna called Sri Sai Koti Nama Likitha Maha Yagna in Sai temples in Andhra Pradesh, and other places in India. He is the Founder - President of the Shree Shirdi Sai Baba Seva Ashram, a registered body with its headquarters at Hyderabad.

Sri Sambasiva Rao has written several books in Telugu on Sai philosophy and the life history of Sai Baba.

Books by Ammula Sambasiva Rao

Sai Kiran Series books are in Telugu only.

1. Shirdi Aaratulu

2. Shirdi Sai Sukthulu (Sayings of Shirdi Sai)

3. Sai Baba Yevaru? (Who is Sai Baba?)

4. Sai Baba nu Yenduku Poojinchali? (Why to Worship Sai Baba)

5. Sai Maargam (The Path Shown by Sai Baba)

6. Sai Sainyam (Sais Army)

7. Sai Avataralu (Incarnations of Sai Baba)

8. Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Jeevita Charitramu (The Life History of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba)

9. Saitho na Anubhavalu (My Experiences with Sai)

10. Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Vrata Vidhanamu (Shri Shirdi Sai Babas Vratam - Mode of Worship)

Published by
Sterling Publishers Private Limited

STERLING PAPERBACKS
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Sterling Publishers (P) Ltd.
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Life History of Shirdi Sai Baba
1997, Ammula Sambasiva Rao
ISBN 81 207 2033 4
E-ISBN 978-81-207-9065-0

All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi-110016.
Lasertypeset by Jagath Rachana, 6-3-192, Jainagar Colony,
New Bhoiguda, Secunderabad - 500 080.
Printed at Gopsons Papers (P) Ltd., Noida, (India).
Cover design by Adage Communications

AUTHORS PREFACE

(for the first Telugu Edition)

To write the life history of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba is really a bold act. It is because there is none till now who knows fully the greatness of Baba. There will not be one in future also. Our publisher at Shirdi decided to get the Life History of Sai Baba written by me. This was an opportunity given to me by Sai indirectly. I commenced writing on 8 March 1993 sitting in Babas house, Dwarakamai, Shirdi. The printing of the first edition started on the Telugu New Year day (Ugadi day) on 24 March 1993. On the same day Baba made me undertake Sree Sai Koti Nama Likitha Maha Yagna, at Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh. In this yagna, Babas name Sree Sai written three crores and fifty lakhs times by the Sai devotees were offered to him at the Sai Dhyan Mandir under construction by Shri Abdul Rahim. The yagna started with a procession and while it was proceeding towards the Sai Dhyan Mandir, the printing of the first edition of the Life History commenced at Secunderabad. After that, the printing was resumed only after 5 April 1993. From that day the writing and printing were done without break and completed on 12 May 1993.

From the time I started writing this book, I had tremendous pressures in my profession. I had to work daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.. After coming home at night I had to continue the writing of this book. To add to this, the Sai pujas and Sai vratams performed in the houses of Sai devotees, on holidays had increased considerably during this period. Some days I used to feel physically and mentally weak to continue with the writing, because of the increase in the Sai puja activities during the day. When I tried to postpone the writing to the next day due to fatigue, Baba punished me be hitting me with a whip. As there was no other alternative, I used to write enough pages sufficient for the next days printing and then go to sleep. I can never forget the tests I was subjected to during this period. On one side there was the restless job and on the other side Baba with his whip. My body became weak and exhausted. I felt sleepy and the mind craved for rest. Whatever might be my state, Baba never left me until I completed the writing of the material required for the next days printing. I feared to look at my condition. But, there were a number of leelas and miracles shown to me by him during this period. There were a number of occasions when Baba directed me to write in a particular manner. He has shown me some of his lifes incidents in my dreams. In the last it appeared that the writing was according to Sai Babas thinking and not as I desired it to be.

I feared attending office in the day, because of tremendous pressure of work. I also feared going home in the nights, because of the punishment Baba would give me. If Baba found my mind going astray, he used the whip. If my mind went after some item, Baba destroyed that item. I had to fully concentrate on writing this book. It was a strange experience, the affectionate punishment given to me by Baba. The more he punished me, the more determination I developed. I felt that I deserved that punishment. I also felt that it was necessary for me. In this way Sai Baba was always present behind me and guided me in my writing. For this I am offering my prostrations to Sai. If he had not been present behind me and guided me, it would not have been possible to write and publish this in only 38 days.

Some Sai devotees may say after reading this book, that they never read or heard certain matters contained in this book and is therefore irrelevant. But it is my humble submission that I have incorporated only those matters as conveyed to me by Sai with not even a single item written by imagination or exaggerated. Whatever was conveyed to me by Sai, I have tried to include in this book. When I sat in the Dwarakamai on 8 March 1993 and commenced writing this book, I prayed to Baba on the following matters:

1) I will never approach anyone for material for writing the Life History of Baba. I will not run here and there. Only Baba should convey to me the details of his life story, to enable me to write correctly.

2) Baba should ensure that only the facts that took place during his lifetime, should find place in the present Life History. Untrue and irrelavent matters should find no place.

I sincerely believe that Baba heard my prayer and fulfilled my two wishes completely. In several instances when I had to write small stories, I have given the moral which has to be learnt, at the end of the story, at the instance of Baba, who induced it in my mind. Till then I did not understand the actual moral in the story. This was purely due to Babas grace only. After holding the pen in my hand, I felt that my intellect and mind were no more under my control but in Babas custody. In such strange circumstances, my body was used by Sai to write the