Sri Sainathuni Sarath Babuji

In 1989 Sadguru Sri Sainathuni Sarath Babuji (affectionately called "Guruji") made shirdi, the sacred adobe of his beloved sadguru, his home. "Sri Babuji represents for many Sai devotees, in India and abroad, a living paragon of the beatific Path of Sri Sai Baba. His whole persona conveys, with great simplicity and naturalness, a palpable and immediate experience of the sacred and numinous." Sri Babuji is an ardent and matchless devotee of Sai Baba, whose entire life is a testimony to the grace and might of Sai. Recently, when asked to compose something on Sri Babuji, a ten-year-old wrote simply, "Guruji is Baba's greatest devotee", while one of his oldest devotees made the poetic observation, "Sai Baba is a book, and Guruji's life is the commentary on that text."
	Sri Sainathuni Sarath Babuji
The infinite love which Sri Babuji cherishes for Sai Baba can be seen in everything he does, and it is that love and grace which pulls so many to him and which he showers on those lucky enough to come within his ambit. Although Sri Babuji insists that he is not a teacher or a guru, many devotees recognize him as their sadguru, and thousands are attracted to his presence and find their lives transformed as a result. People come to take his darshan, seek his guidance, ask for help with practical matters and relief from their afflictions, and to get the bliss of spiritual fulfilment. Sri Babuji gives us a new outlook on spirituality, before which many of our cherished concepts seem old and worn out. Similarly, taking darshan of a holy place acquires new meaning under Sri Babuji's guidance. Discovering Shirdi and experiencing Baba acquires a thrill which never wanes there is never a dull moment and no end to the experience under Sri Babuji's influence and inspiration, the flames of interest are fanned ever further. Sri Babuji encourages devotees to find out what they really need and to ask for that, so that their lives have a clear direction and meaning. His teaching is at once down-to-earth and subtle. In the manner of Sai Baba he encourages the fulfillment of basic material needs. He says: "Concretization of one's own abstract sense of fulfillment is at the basis of all our spiritual and worldly endeavors. As such it is futile to draw a line of separation between the so-called spiritual and worldly, because all kinds of aspirations, ambitions, desires and emotional pulls are different expressions of one's abstract sense of fulfillment. That was why Sai Baba never discouraged his devotees from asking him for the fulfillment of worldly desires and protection against mundane problems. Baba made it clear when he said, "Saints exist to give devotees spiritual and temporal welfare. I give to my devotees whatever they ask, till they ask for what I want to give them!" Sri Babuji does not lecture, preach or even teach in formal sense. He responds to our questions in words and in silence and communicates what we need at that particular moment. In fact, he teaches us in such a natural way that we hardly realize we are being taught. "I teach nothing. I try to make you learn," he says, when asked about his approach. He artfully places us in situations necessary for the integrated unfolding of emotions; this is needed to generate a backdrop for a fulfilled and complete experience of life. It is the fire, which he kindles, and fans in our hearts that leads to the destruction of the knots that bind our existence and limit our ability to love.