To many, Satya Say Baba is a holy man and living deity, called by his devotees: the Lord of Serpents. An ironic appellation considering his history with young members of his following he attempted to seduce. As with many open frauds and mountebanks, Say Baba has humble pre-canonizational beginnings yet through influence and power attained by auction of hyperbole and credulity he has gained a significant following.
On November 23, 1926 he was born "Sath-yan-arayana Raju" to Peddacenkappa and Easwaramma in a remote village of the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Much like Mary mother of Jesus, Easwaramma reported an encounter with a holy god or swamy, "Sathyanarayana Swamy," who, in a dream, overcame her with a blue light sphere making her faint and by some mystery, also pregnant. While Baba developed, as the chosen mother reports, musical instruments played on their own accord in their household. In deed, Baba' beginnings appear miraculous by the accounts of his mother, while other accounts proffered by other family members show some discrepencies. Whatever the truth is, it was in Sathyanarayana's high school years that he declared his divine reincarnation.
After reviving from a coma induced by scorpion bite, Baba began to spontaneously pronounce shlokas or story like prayers from Hindu scripture. In May 1940 he proclaimed himself to be a reincarnation of the fakir and saint Sai Baba of Shirdi, adopting his name, Sai Baba.
Despite the wishes of his devotees, there is much to read about his man, his story has been dissected and explored. Nevertheless, one need not uncover any hidden details to assert the fraudulence of this following. His prophecies are unsure and his teachings are generic. One can't help, as with Mohamed or Joseph Smith, but notice his eclectic collection of obviously plagiarized dictates. Some example of subject matter include, service and charity, love for all creatures, temporary status on earth, devotion to God, etc. Other curious teachings that separate Baba's following from other faiths, such as celibacy after age fifty or requisite meditation from 3:00 am to 4:00 am, make one wonder what possible utility his sayings have aside from making one drowsy and perhaps regretting marriage.
The real mystery in my mind is whether or not his +1 million devotees actually believe their dear leader. According to Baba all religions, including the Pope's Catholicism, Phelps' Westboro Baptists, Koresh's Branch Davidians, and Farrakhan's Nation of Islam are all "paths to realizing the One (God)." Assuming they ignore doctrinal considerations such as these, how do they come to terms with accusations surrounding his sex abuses on the boy Alayan Rahm and Marc-Andre St. Jean?
Partisans who visit my channel on YouTube have revealed an interesting theme to me, and I've since seen it prolifically among believers of all stripes as I have made commentary on their various videos. It is the ridiculous silence they attempt to maintain throughout their community regarding the validity of Baba's claims. The lack of candor is admittedly depressing. Users such as "seealwaysinside" and "i2smile" ignore my commentary and questions better than any other user I have attempted to challenge. It seems as though they have seen always inside and smiled about how they can get away with falsity and distortion of truth.
As you watch Tanya Datta's documentary on Baba, ask yourself what you think about him. Are in fact his followers honest about their leader's nature? It is my hope you will answer no, extreme dishonesty it rampant. I hope in general that you see the liability associated with both leader worship and lack of inquiry.
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