To pen down words to give a life-sketch of our most revered Sadguru Sri Sai Narayan Baba would be like gathering pebbles along the sands of a vast ocean.
However, with humble prostration's at his lotus feet, we attempt to speak of the greatness of this Bala /brahmachari Sage, who for years now, has been tirelessly spreading the word of Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi not only in India but across the seven seas to the continents of the world.
Born on the 20 th Fe/bruary 1936 to param Pujya Swami Karunananda, who later became his Guru, and Mata Chellamal, He grew up to be initiated by his most illustrious father, who himself was a great spiritual person, a Gayatri Mantra Siddha and an author of a number of books on spiritualism. Sadguru Sri Sai Narayan Baba's academics from the Allahabad University and thereafter, his services in the Indian Railways were but, mere interludes, along his unique passage towards Reality and its goal wherein intense Sadhana has become his way of life.
About the time when Sadguru Sri Sai Narayan Baba was 22 years of age, he came in contact with the renowned lady saint, 'Sri Aadi Maha Shakti Balayogini Saraswati Amma' of Versova, Andheri, Mumbai, when he visited her Ashram on 7 th December, 1958. The young Narayan prostrated at her lotus feet and said, "Maa, bless me that I may want nothing upto my last /breath''. The powder had been transformed to a dazzling metallic figurine of Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi. Amazed at what he beheld, Narayan asked "whose icon it was ?''. Maa replied and said, "This is Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi who would reveal Himself to him and guide him in his quest and His Message would become a torch light for him.'' Further on the Maha Shivratri of 1959, a dazzling metallic Shivling appeared from nowhere in the palm of Sri Sai Narayan Baba in the presence of Mataji. Once again during the auspicious Sri Rama Navami of 1959 another metallic dazzling icon of Sri Sai Baba appeared in the palm of Sri Sai Narayan Baba. Out of the three, one of the icons of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, after being worshipped by Sri Sai Narayan Baba for a few years disappeared miraculously. But the two other icons, one of Sri Sai Baba & another of Shiva are worshipped regularly as per the Vedic rites by Sri Sai Narayan Baba and these two Murtis are exhibited for Darshan once in a year i.e., on the auspicious Deepawali day. These icons are present in the Sri Bhagawati Sai Sansthan, panvel. Before Sri Aadi Maha Shakti Balayogini Saraswati Amma attained immortality, she willed that all her rare idols of worship i.e., Durga Mata, Shivling, Nandishwar, Shaligram, Shankh etc. that belonged to her Ashram in versova, be given to Sadguru Sri Sai Narayan Baba.