50. In ancient times, Shiva promised that he would incarnate as Sai Baba
The great sage Bharadwaja lived in ancient times. He devoted many years to the study of Vedic philosophy. Bharadwaja felt that a mere study of philosophy would not be able to help him gain true wisdom, and so he decided to start practicing meditation and yoga.
The gods regularly appeared before the sage and gave him spiritual instructions. Finally, Bharadwaja decided to perform Homa, the fire ritual. He wanted Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti to personally attend the ceremony. Bharadwaja went to the sacred mountain Kailash in order to personally invite Shiva and Shakti.
Approaching the sacred mountain, the sage saw that Shiva and Shakti were dancing enthusiastically and were completely absorbed in circling in the dance. The sage could not find a convenient moment to interrupt the dance of the Gods and invite them to his ceremony.
Seven days passed, and Bharadwaja was still waiting. He could only get a look at Lord Shiva, while the Goddess Shakti, in her beautiful dance, constantly hid her face from him. On the eighth day, the Goddess only allowed him a glimpse of herself. She smiled softly, and then quickly turned away and continued her divine dance.
The sage Bharadwaja thought that the Goddess was offended by him. He sadly left the sacred mountain Kailash and headed home to the ashram. While the sage was descending the mountainside, he suddenly felt as if his left leg and arm were paralyzed while his left eye became instantly blind.
Suddenly, Shiva appeared. He approached the sage and consoled him with kind words: «do not worry, Goddess Shakti blesses you. I will also come to your ceremony.» Having said these words, the Lord sprinkled holy water from the jar of Kamandalu on the left side of the body of the sage, and he was immediately healed.
Sage Bharadwaja successfully completed his ceremony in due course. Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti were present during the entire ritual of worship. This was a joyful event for the sage because he not only worshipped Shiva and Shakti, but also had the opportunity to enjoy their direct presence.
As a token of his pleasure, Lord Shiva made a promise to the sage that he, along with the Goddess, would incarnate in the world of people in the dynasty of the sage Bharadwaja.
Shiva also said he would incarnate in the dynasty of the sage Bharadwaja three times. Shiva fulfilled his promise. His first incarnation took place in the city of Shirdi, in western India, his name was Shirdi Sai Baba. The second time Shiva and Shakti incarnated together in one body as Sathya Sai Baba, this happened in the village of Puttaparthi. Finally, for the third time, Shakti incarnated as the third Sai Baba, who is called Prema Sai Baba.
We may wonder to what extent this story is historical or is it deeply symbolic? Is this story real or is it a beautiful Indian myth? Very often, the stories of Vedic myths are a complex interweaving of symbolism with completely historical events that actually and physically occurred in the deepest antiquity.
In the Vedic myths, there are a huge number of stories about the great sage Bharadwaja. I am sure this sage was quite a historical figure. We do not know exactly what era he lived in. Over time, the stories associated with his life acquire a legendary connotation. It is difficult for us to distinguish the real events of his life from the symbolic interpretation of the presentation of internal energy processes.
What does it mean to travel to the sacred mountain, Kailash? Did it happen quite physically or is it a symbol of a deep spiritual processes in the inner world, as well? Everyone can interpret this story in their own way. Perhaps the sage went to the sacred mountain quite physically, or perhaps it was a figurative description of his meditation.
The sacred mountain, Kailash, is located at the top of the Himalayas. Kailash is revered by all the spiritual and religious traditions of the East. Representatives of all directions of Vedic mysticism, as well as Buddhists, reverently make a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.
In the tradition of yoga and Tantra, a journey to the sacred mountain Kailash symbolically means the deepest mystical experience gained in meditation. Kailash is the symbol of the Sahasrara Chakra. Perhaps this famous story about the sage tells us about the deep insights and realizations that the sage received as a result of the practices of meditation and yoga.