Sreejith Narayan 

Many reasons were suggested in the book ”Sai Thy Kingdom Come” for why Swami could have left His body in the manner He did. The clues actually come from a set of discourses, in one of which Swami says:

Since God does not have any body attachment, He does not attach any importance to the suffering of His body. Once He assumes a body, many things are bound to happen to the body. Whatever happens is for the welfare of the whole world. - Divine Discourse, Prasanthi Nilayam, January 14, 1999

From this we can clearly understand that His body was sacrificed “for the welfare of the whole world”. Was Swami absorbing a huge critical mass of karma in order to prevent some major disasters? When we examine carefully the various world events that were unfolding during the time Swami was hospitalized, it is not difficult to find a connection. He was taken to hospital with breathing difficulty (or pneumonia) a few days after the Japan earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster. The triple disaster was an extremely unfortunate event that claimed thousands of lives (peace be with them) and rendered many homeless and sick. The largest earthquake in Japan’s history along with a fierce tsunami it triggered, destroyed parts of Fukushima nuclear power plant and the country was bracing itself for a possible nuclear catastrophe. Some experts say that it was a miracle that the plant withstood the event and that it was possible to avoid a complete “melt-down” of the reactor. In short if the complete melt-down had occurred, the disaster could have assumed unimaginable proportions; something of the scale that is yet to be witnessed by humanity.

Even though I suggested in the book about such a possibility, I had wished to know if Swami had really confirmed this to anyone through a dream or vision. Few days ago I learnt about a prominent devotee who had a vision in which Swami confirmed that the nuclear incident in Japan during the earthquake / tsunami would have turned into a nuclear holocaust causing great destruction. That it did not happen is ONLY because He Himself "came to prevent such nuclear holocaust" and took this world karma onto His body!

There are many prophecies from around the world that foretell impending destruction to the earth. Edgar Cayce, a renowned Psychic had predicted many such dreadful calamities. One of his major prophecies is about the disappearance of Japan. So it could be that Swami averted that disaster by taking it upon His body. Cayce also believed that the future disasters could be averted if humanity changed its behavior. And according to him, this was the purpose for giving prophecies - to warn people to change so that the prophecies would not come to pass. So I believe none of the prophecies are carved in stone and can be changed with Swami’s Grace by the virtue of prayers and good deeds of man. Swami has indicated such a change when He said:

"Were it not for the mind change of Sai devotees the world would already have fallen into complete chaos. The deterioration of mind and man has been very rapid and abrupt, even precipitous during the last fifteen years. That the world is not in total destruction is due to the change of mind of Sai devotees and to Sai's Grace" - Conversations with Sathya Sai Baba by Dr. J. Hislop, p. 190

I believe that the Sai Avatar has come for this purpose, to avert such crisis that has come upon the humanity and to mark the commencement of a beautiful golden age as mentioned in many of His discourses. Edgar Cayce also foresaw a new era of enlightenment and peace for humanity in the future:

"A new order of conditions is to arise; there must be a purging in high places as well as low; and that there must be the greater consideration of the individual, so that each soul being his brother's keeper. Then certain circumstances will arise in the political, the economic, and whole relationships to which a leveling will occur or a greater comprehension of the need for it. This America of ours, hardly a new Atlantis, will have another thousand years of peace, another Millennium. All this done in the same manner that the prayers of ten just men once saved a city. And then the deeds, the prayers of the faithful will glorify the Father as peace and love will reign for those who love the Lord."

The above prophecy emphasizes the need for prayers to save this world. Just like how the prayers of ten noble men once saved a city, let us Sai devotees join together with all our hearts and pray fervently to our beloved Lord to save this world from all impending calamities. Let us pray for the benefit all the beings in all the worlds. Let us chant “Samastha Lokah Sukhinobhavantu” as part of our daily lives.

Footnote: This is what Edgar Cayce had to say about the day of the Lord: “What is meant by “the day of the Lord is near at hand”? That as has been promised through the prophets and the sages of old, the time – and half time – has been and is being fulfilled in this day and generation, and that soon there will again appear in the earth that one through whom many will be called to meet those that are preparing the way for His day in the earth. The Lord, then, will come, even as ye have seen him go. - Edgar Cayce reading (262-49) July 9, 1933