Like Kabir, his teachings were eclectic, often cryptically expressed, free from distinction of caste and sect, and full of love and compassion for all beings. He seemed familiar with and taught from the universal core of all faiths and traditions, recommending from each whatever scriptures and practices were best suited to the needs of the devotee before him. His incredible feats of trikala drishti (knowledge of the past, present and future) were so awesome that only a divine omniscience could account for them. His manifestation of supernatural power in response to devotees’ needs were legendary in his lifetime and have continued since. Sai Baba’s realisation was of the highest order of magnitude, beyond the confine of any religion. Sai in Urdu means ‘pure’ or ‘holy’, an attribution made by his first devotee.(Sai Baba means ‘Holy Father’). His parentage, birth and antecedents are unknown, but appears to reflect a mixture of Hindu and Sufi influences, like Kabir’s. His tomb in the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi which houses his famous marble Italian marble statue is the focus of devotion and pilgrimage for millions of devotees. He first appeared in mid-19th century Shirdi, Maharashtra, in the guise of a young Muslim fakir, and remained there for sixty years until his death in 1918.
Sri Sai baba of Shirdi is the most popular saint of modern India.