Who Is Our Best Guru, Shirdi Saibaba Or Guru Raghavendra?

WHO IS OUR BEST GURU, SHIRDI SAIBABA OR GURU RAGHAVENDRA?

INTRODUCTION

Both Shirdi Saibaba and Guru Raghavendra are considered as the best and the holy worshipful Gurus by their devotees. While Guru Raghavendra is considered as an “AMSHA” of Lord Vishnu, Shirdi Saibaba is considered as an aspect of Lord Shiva. Both of them are specially worshipped on Thursdays in their holy temples. Nowadays, we can find the statue of Shirdi Saibaba in some of the Brindavans of Guru Raghavendra like the Raghavendra Temple at Sithalapakkam, Chennai. These pious Gurus have incarnated for the sake of removing the sins of their devotees, and they also guide them in the bhakti path.

Both of them are praised in their temples as “AKILANDA KOTI BRAHMANDA NAYAKA”, which means the Master of the entire universe. Guru Raghavendra was born in a pious Brahmin family, and it is believed that Saibaba was born to a Brahmin couple, and later he was adopted by a Muslim. Both of these divine Gurus have delivered their nice teachings and it acts as a good scripture for us. Guru Raghavendra’s Mritigai, the holy sand, is very famous for curing the diseases of the devotees, while Saibaba’s Udhi, the sacred ash, removes the diseases from the body of the devotees. Both of these two saints used to appear before their devotees by taking a different shape, or in their dreams, and some Sai devotees also witnessed, that the holy Udhi miraculously pour from the pictures of Saibaba in their puja room. Chanting the Mantras, “GURU RAGHAVENDRAYA NAMAHA”, and “OM SRI SAIRAM”, gives good prospects to the devotees.

Guru Raghavendra is in a Samadhi stage at Mantralayam, and similar to that, Sai devotees also believe that he has attained Jeeva Samadhi at Shirdi. Mantralayam and Shirdi are considered as most sacred places to visit, and both these places are considered equivalent to Tirupati and Kashi, due to their spiritual significance. Nowadays due to their family problems and office problems, lot of Hindus began to throng into Guru Raghavendra Swamy Mutts and to Shirdi Saibaba Temples, by considering it as the auspicious temples, similar to the temples of other deities.

It is the duty of each and every Hindu, to worship these two precious, marvellous and wonderful Gurus, on a daily basis, in order to add more sweetness in their lives.

“OM”

WRITTEN BY

R.HARISHANKAR