Sreejith Narayan

PART II

(Please click here to read the part 1 of this article) 

There have been many prophecies in various scriptures regarding the appearance of a universal redeemer who will arise at a most critical moment, saving people from their afflictions and calamities. Some of these prophecies may appear inconsistent and it could be tempting to not take them at their face-value. That is one of the reasons why I have tried to segregate the more consistent ones and correlate the prophecies from various sources so that the readers can identify the similarities between them and how they compare against Swami’s own words. Those similarities could be considered as the yardstick to measure the value of these prophecies.  As I have mentioned before, my belief in Swami's return stems from my faith in the certainty of His words. The moment when I realized (from Swami’s own words in various discourses) that He was not speaking in terms of lunar years, I knew in my heart that He will return because His words will never fail. Nadis and prophecies from other scriptures should be considered as supporting factors. From that perspective, let us consider these.

In the chapter “Disappearance of Mahdi” we already saw how the prophecies about Mahdi completely match the characteristics of Sathya Sai Avatar. We also saw what has been written about Mahdi’s disappearance and eventual reappearance. The reappearance of Mahdi is expected to herald a new era of love and peace similar to the “Golden Age” mentioned in Swami’s discourses. That day is mentioned in Islamic texts as “yawm al-qiyamah” which in Arabic literally means “the Day of Resurrection”. It is also mentioned that no one knows when that day would come except God Himself. The scripture also says Mahdi’s reappearance would be “sudden” in an unexpected moment that He alone knows the time of. This resembles the verses in the New Testament that describes the coming of the “Son of Man”.

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. -Matthew 24:44

Going by these various prophecies, the reappearance may not happen at a time when we all expect it to happen! One verse in Bihar-ul-Anwar needs particular mention because it likens the splendor of reappearance to that of a blazing meteor. 

Behold, by Allah, your Mahdi will disappear from you […] Then he will come like a blazing meteor. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it will be full of injustice and oppression.- Bihar-ul-Anwar Vol.13 Part 1, English Translation p.178

Blazing meteor is a glorious sight to reckon with from the heavens. It travels extremely fast, emitting bright light and heat. Meteors also come up in our skies unexpectedly and it is considered extreme good luck to even see one. If we take some clues from this verse, it could be a spectacular event to be witnessed by mankind. It could also be the flagging-off of an extremely fast-paced and action-packed universal spiritual upheaval extravaganza! 

Just like a meteor that appears and disappears in a flash, the “second-part” of Sathya Sai Avatar could also be over quickly. Nadis and Bihar-ul-Anwar unanimously predict that the Master will be on earth only for seven to eight years after returning. For the same reason, I feel that the reappearance may not happen that soon. If we place the final disappearance at 2021 or 2022 (based on Swami's words, as discussed in the book) and work backwards, we could be looking at the year 2013 or 2014 for the Lord’s return.

Even though the Nadis have given some indications on the time of reappearance, since I have some experience with Nadi readings, I can say that the predictions usually do not give specific dates for any events. However it gives indications of certain celestial occurrence after which it can happen. So when Agasthya Nadi (Sacred Nadi Readings, Sri Vasantha Sai) says "After Saturn enters Libra on a full moon day", it could only mean that the return can happen anytime after (and not before) this event. Some astrologers have confirmed that this event has already occurred. Even though many prophecies indicate that the reappearance would be sudden and unexpected, some signs have been given so that we know when the time is nearing. Some of these signs foretell natural calamities that will precede the Lord’s appearance. Verses in the Holy Bible talk about great earthquakes and storms as signs before the reappearance of the “Son of man”.  There is a peculiar prophecy from Agasthya Nadi mentioned in the "Sacred Nadi Readings" that foretells a great storm that would precede the vision of the Lord.

The Lords arrival will be preceded by a great thunderous storm. It may appear quite frightening, but it will stop quite suddenly and the vision of the Lord will take place. From this day onwards, great wonders will increase. -Sacred Nadi Readings, Sri Vasantha Sai, Page 21-22

In his book, Sai Messages for you and me, Lucas Ralli mentions Swami's message about a storm (could be metaphorical), after which there will be a completely new atmosphere that brings about peace in the entire world.

After the storm there will be a new beginning and the atmosphere will be completely different. It will be like a new age, the age of love, harmony and co-operation replacing the age of war, fighting, hatred, jealousy, greed and all those negative aspects of life.- Sai Messages for You and Me Vol.I, Ralli, Lucas, 1985

When we analyze logically, some shake-up might happen in order to persuade people to turn to God. I believe, before the miraculous times can be experienced there might be a short period when the humanity could be forced to call upon the Lord in one voice for its protection. So the Lords arrival could happen at a most opportune moment effectuating the protection of mankind from some calamity or catastrophe. In other words, Swami's reappearance may not happen without such precursors. It can also be assumed from the above Nadi prediction that the storm would be more frightening than destructive and would stop abruptly with the intervention of the Supreme Savior, our ever-loving compassionate Lord Sai! 

The Holy Bible urges us to look for many such signs:  “From the fig tree learn its lesson; as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates”. - Mark 13:28-29