1
1
0
0
S
S
A
A
T
T
H
H
Y
Y
A
A
S
S
A
A
I
I
B
B
A
A
B
B
A
A
A
A
S
S
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V
V
A
A
T
T
A
A
R
R
Fig.11c
p.96
http://www.sathyasai.org/pictureinfo/perfectform/
perfectjpg/003.jpg [24-8-2006]
Fig.12a
p.133
http://sss.vn.ua/chariot8.jpg [5-4-2007]
Fig.12b
p.133
Copied from Hillary Rodrigues (2006), p.56
Fig.13
p.137
http://home.no.net/abacusa/Sai_Baba%20Throne2T.jpg [5-
4-2007]
Fig.14
p.141
Modified “Free outline map” from http://geography.about
.com/library/blank/blxindia.htm [5-4-2007] (no copyright re-
strictions)
Fig.15
p.141
http://sss.vn.ua/baba12.jpg [23-11-2006]
Fig.16a
p.159
http://www.sathyasai.org/pictureinfo/perfectform/
perfectjpg/078.jpg [5-4-2007]
Fig.16b
p.159
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sivakempfort.jpg
[5-3-
2007] (by Deepak Gupta—see http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-sa/2.0/de/deed.en for terms of use).
Fig.17
p.177
http://sss.vn.ua/gaya_sai.jpg [22-9-2006]
Fig.18
p.189
http://www.saibabaofindia.com/materializationofjewels.htm
[13-6-2007]
Fig.19
p.199
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/images/
963Universalform.jpg [20-9-2006]
Fig.20
p.200
Scanned from front cover of M.L.Leela (nd)
Fig.21a
p.207
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/910Parthasarathi.jpg [31-8-
2006]
Fig.21b
p.207
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saidevotees_
worldnet/message/1936 [7-3-2007]
Fig.22
p.215
http://www.sainilayamlk.com/html/wp21.htm [4-8-2006]
Fig.23
p.281
Map drawn by the author, January 2008.
Fig.24
p.286
Scanned from Madhao Patil (1999), p.30
Fig.25
p.315
http://shivomindia.tripod.com/medias/pm-vaj.htm
[24-8-
2006]
Fig.26
p.316
http://www.sainilayamlk.com/html/wp22.htm [4-8-2006]
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H
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s
s
S
S
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1
Notes on Transliteration, Translation & Referencing
The various textual sources for this study (both academic and popular) use a wide
variety of methods for transcribing or transliterating Indian words. Thus, for ex-
ample, the name of the subject of this study is rendered as: ‘Bhagavān Śrī Satya
Sāī Bābā’ (transliteration into Romanized Indian characters); ‘Bhagavān Śrī Satya
Sāyī Bāba’ (a Sanskritized version of the former); ‘Bhagavãn S’ree Satya Sãyi
Bãba’ (transliteration within the limits of a simple typewriter keyboard); ‘Bhaga-
wan Shri Satya Sai Baba’ (transliteration into standard Roman characters); ‘Bhaga-
vaan (or Bhagawaan) Shree Sathya Sai (or Saayi) Baaba’ (attempts to render the
name phonetically); and ‘(Sri) Sathya Sai Baba’ (the most common transliteration
of his name in the literature concerning him, and that which he himself uses when
signing his name in English). I will adopt this last usage for my own writing, but,
of course, will need to cite several of the other forms described above. And, to
further complicate matters, there are a number of variations on Sathya Sai Baba’s
name as used by both himself and his devotees in more informal contexts: Sathya,
Sai, Baba, Swami, Swamiji, Bhagavan (in translation as “the Lord”
5
), and Raju (his
surname)—all in various spellings (as above) and in assorted combinations.
Of the above-described methods of transliteration, the various attempted pho-
netic renderings (which predominate in my primary sources) may require some
further explanation for those accustomed to reading standard academic Romanized
transliterations of Sanskrit. Some of these renderings are straightforward: aa = ā;
ee = ī; oo = ū; final h or ha = ḥ. Others are less so: ow or ou = au; r, ri, or ru
= ṛ; ch = c or ch; gn or gy = jñ. And some are simply confusing—the corre-
sponding Indian letter can only be determined through context: initial E = ī or e;
initial Ea = ī; t, th, d, or dh (all used interchangeably) = t, th, ṭ, ṭh, d, dh, ḍ, or
ḍh; n = ṅ, ñ, n, or ṇ; b = b, bh, or (sometimes) v; v or w = v or uv; m = m or ṃ
(= ṁ), s or sh = s, ṣ or ś; ō = o (not au); ē = e (not ai).
Some discussion of my transliteration hereunder of the term “avatar” is perhaps
also in order. Geoffrey Parrinder (1970:7), in his major monograph Avatar and In-
5
NB As we will see, both to himself, and to his devotees, Sathya Sai Baba is very much “the Avatar”,
God in human form. Indeed, when pronouns are used by his devotees to refer to him, or in quoting
him, they are almost invariably given capitalized initials (e.g. He, My). I have not adopted this prac-
tice, but mean no disrespect thereby—recent editions of the Oxford English Dictionary declare it to
be “old-fashioned”, and it is also perhaps inappropriate, given the (ideally) neutral academic per-
spective that I am aiming to employ hereunder, for me to be lending support to devotees’ assertions
of Sathya Sai Baba’s divinity.