Baba (The Devotees' Questions)

Today, the Sai movement is a global phenomenon. The devotees want to have more and newer information about Sai Baba. During his travels across India and many countries of the world like USA, UK Australia, Canada, and New Zealand for the inauguration of Shirdi Sai Bab temples and related activeties, the author comes in touch with many devotees who ask a number of questions. Their genuine interest and inquisitiveness has propelled him to write this book, which is so vitally needed to answer their queries. The author answers the questions comprehensively, in a simple to understand manner.

The earlier book by the author, based on Questions and Answers, Baba May I Answer, had a tremendous response from the devotees, who found it very useful. This book, too, will definitely help the devotees to know more about their beloved Shirdi Sai Baba

Dr chandra Bhanu Satpathy born on lanuary 14, 1948, in Cuttack, Cuttack, Odisha, India, is a prolific writer, philanthropist, and a world renowned devotee of Shri Shirdi Sai. For his outstanding contribution in the field of Philanthropy, literature, and science, he has been conferred with D.Litt. (Honoris de Causa) by Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, LL.D. by Berhampur University, Vachaspati by Rashtriya Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Tirupati, and D.Sc. by SOA University, Bhubaneswar, He is a multi-lingual writer in English, Hindi, and Odia.

After receiving a Post-Graduate degree in Political Science from University of Delhi in 1970, Dr Satpathy joined the Indian Police Service in 1972, having taught in a college affiliated with the University of Delhi for two years. He retired from the IPS at the rank of Director General of Police from the state of U.P. in 2008. Ever since, he has undertaken the mission to propagate the philosophy and divine role of Shri Shirdi sai all over the world in various ways. He has been instrumental in the construction of over two hundred temples in India and abroad and the creation of more than sixty charitable and other trusts in the name of Shri Shirdi Sai. He has written a number of books related to Shri Shirdi Sai and on allied spiritual subjects in English, Hindi and Odia. He has also been regularly contributing messages in more than fifteen printed and E-magazines on Shri Shirdi Sai. He has created public schools and organisations that provide medical care to the poor.

His book Shri Sai Baba and Other Perfect Masters has been translated in to eight Indian language and three foreign languages. Baba, May I Answer has been translated into eight Indian languages. His magnum opus, Shri Guru Bhagavat, is originally written in Odia in five volumes. A few volumes have been translated into Hindi, English, Telugu, Bengali, and Assamese. His book Gopyaru Agopya, a treatise on the cosmology and cosmogony of Hinduism, has been translated into Sanskrit. Further, a number of CDs consisting of his lyrics and music compositions on Shri Shirdi Sai have been released by Times Music, SaReGaMa, and T-Series. These devotional lyrics, written in Hindi, have been sung by many famous Indian singers.

Travelling from place to place in India and abroad, he addresses and inspires thousands of Sai devotees and others on the life and teachings of Shri Shirdi Sai.

One of my books, written in English and titled Baba May I Answer, was published in 2009 by Sterling Publishers, Delhi, and has since been reprinted a few times. This book has also been translated in various national languages like Hindi, Odia, Assamese, Tamil, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, and Bengali. It has been translated in Nepalese as well. The publishers inform me that this book and its translated versions, particularly in English, are in great demand.

When I visit countries like the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand for the inauguration of Shirdi Sai baba temples and related activities, I come in touch with a large number of devotees of Baba who ask a number of questions. Their genuine interest and inquisitiveness has Propelled me to write this book, which this book, which is so vitally needed to answer their queries. I have been writing on various aspects relating to Shirdi Sai Baba and have been imparting discourses to Sai devotees in India and abroad for the last two decades. May articles have been published in magazines like Sai Bani, Sai Darpan, Sai Chhaya in Odia; Heritage of Shirdi Sai, Sai Vichaar (e-magazine) in English; Sai Kripa, Sai Baba Darshan, Sai Charan, Sai Lehar, Sai Raksha in Hindi; Sai Ananta in Marathi; Sai Kirnalu in Telugu; and also in some bilingual magazines like Sai Arpan and Sai Prabha (in Hindi and English). The material contained in this book in the Question and Answer form is not a reproduction of my speeches and writings. I have tried to answer the queries, asked to me by many devotees from India and abroad, in a comprehensive manner.

This book may not be taken as updated version of the previous book because a majority of the questions and answers are new. This book also has some special features which the earlier book, Baba May I Answer, does not contain.

My Questions and Answers pertaining to (a) The bilingual (English and Marathi) magazine Sainath Prabha, which used to be published in Shirdi between the years 1916 and, (b) Information contained in the intelligence report of the British Government (CID) on Baba, and (c) The school in which Shama worked as a teacher and which has been demolished, may be of great interest to the devotees. I have specially incorporated a chapter for the benefit of international devotees, who I meet often in the US and other countries. Today, the Sai movement is a global phenomenon. The devotees want to have more and newer information. I hope that this book will help them to know more about Baba. I take this opportunity to convey my appreciation to Ms Shipra for collecting, and correcting the different articles and question and answers published in various magazines. She has also been collecting relevant anecdotes from Shri Sai Satcharita and related books. My personal gratitude goes to Mr Snehasish Ray and Ms Neha Sikka for correcting and assembling the manuscript assiduously and earnestly over a period of several months. These earnest Sai devotees have helped me a lot the completion of this book. May Shri Sai bless them all to continue to work for His cause in future.

I thank Mr Mukund Raj of Chicago for helping me to complete the question and answers of the section which is meant for international devotees. Last, but not the least, I thank Mr S.K. Ghai, Managing Director, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., for undertaking the publication of this book. May Shri Sai bless them all.