One of the greatest Saints of this century was a woman named Anandamoyi Ma. (The name translates as ‘Bliss-permeated Mother.’ According to one of her closest Western devotees, over the years she had often been asked, “Who is this Sathya Sai Baba we keep hearing about?” But for many years she never gave an answer. In the last year of her life, however, the question came up again, and this time she gave the following response: “This body will speak on this question only once; don’t ask again. Sathya Sai Baba is the most powerful incarnation of God ever to come to the Earth. And there won’t be another at His level for another sixty centuries.”1
That amazing testimony was recently strengthened for me when I went to one of Anandamoyi Ma’s ashrams in the Himalayas. When I shared the preceding quote with a Swami there7, he said that Anandamoyi Ma had then added, “It’s no wonder you keep hearing about Sai Baba. He is the Avatar of this Yuga!” (Avatar means Incarnation of God; a Yuga is an era lasting many thousands of years.)
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Shortly before he left his physical body behind, Paramahansa Yogananda was approached by one of his close American disciples, a woman. “Master,” she said, “I know you are planning on leaving your body. You must take me with you! You are my God!”
“Nonsense,” replied Yogananda. “God is God; I am your Guru.” 
“But Master, if you leave without me, I will commit suicide!”
“Enough of that foolishness! God Himself is now incarnate on Earth, in South India. His name is Sai Baba. When I leave you are going to live with Him.” (His prediction proved correct; after Yogananda’s death, that devotee spent the rest of her life at Sai Baba’s ashram.)8
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Mata Amritanandamayi (also known as Ammachi), Herself considered to be an incarnation of the Divine Mother, was once asked, “Who is Sai Baba?” She replied, “Avatar. Perfect from birth.”9
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On the day after Sai Baba’s birth (November 23, 1926), Sri Aurobindo, another great Saint of this century, broke a long period of silence to announce, “Twenty-fourth November, 1926, was the descent of Krishna into the physical. A power infallible shall lead the thought, in earthly hearts kindle the Immortal’s Fire, even the multitude shall hear the voice!”10 It seems obvious at this point that his announcement of Krishna’s physical re-embodiment was referring to the birth of Sathya Sai Baba.
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Mother Krishnabai, the Self-Realized disciple of Swami Ramdas (the great Saint from Kerala), told her devotees, “Sai Baba is an Avatar, a full incarnation of Krishna. He is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva together in one form!” She recommended they spend as much time in His presence as possible.11
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Yogi Ramsuratkumar made it clear on numerous occasions that Sai Baba is an incarnation of God. He often asked visitors from Baba’s ashram, “You’ve left God to see this beggar?”13 (Of course, that “beggar” was himself merged in the all-pervading Consciousness; the beauty of his attainment was matched only by his humility.)
