Sathya Sai Baba 96 years old at death? Lunar year confusions
Posted by robertpriddy on April 27, 2011
The Sathya Sai Organization’s official website presents a confused ‘explanation’ as to how Sai Baba, who died long before his 96th year, actually was 96 years old nevertheless, not calendar years but ‘lunar years’! As is usual with them, they always base their face-saving propaganda on the forlorn hope that nobody will check the facts. It is clear to me that they calculated wrongly just so it would produce a result that suited their belief that Sai Baba lived until he was 94.4 lunar years old. Note the amusing discrepancy here too! Ninety-four point four does not even agree with his own words – living until 96, (or to depart at 92 or 93, according to which of his published statements you favour most! He was between 89.5 and 94.4 lunar years old, depending on how one chooses to look at it. This falls far short of the constantly cited 96 years! Another problem is that his birth date was, according to school records, ‘adjusted’ by making it three years earlier than correct (but that is another issue and it would still not save his predictions of his mortal years).
It should not go unmentioned, at least, that Sathya Sai Baba has celebrated his birthdays since youth according to the calendar year. He gives calendar year dates for diverse events in his discourses, and no one has EVER mentioned that he reckons anything in lunar years throughout his career. Only now, when the crisis of his false predictions takes on serious dimensions for the believing and donating public, is this dragged out as a vain and flawed palliative… and one which is more likely to harm than save the patient!
The scan (edited down for simplicity) of the official Sai Organization page asserts:-
Check the contents for yourself by clicking on the image
Everyone knows that a month (the lunar cycle) is between 29 and 30 days. This is based on the Gregorian calendar – which is now the virtually world-wide adopted calendar standard. Even Hindu astrologers seem not to be of a different opinion in general, but some may use the 27 to 28 day lunar month measurements. Now, in their zeal, the Sathya Sai Organization has latched onto the celestially perceived lunar orbit time (conveniently) of 27.1 days (though they they it “may not be correct”!).
At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinducalendar we read:-” When a new moon occurs before sunrise on a day, that day is said to be the first day of the lunar month. So it is evident that the end of the lunar month will coincide with a new moon. A lunar month has 29 or 30 days (according to the movement of the moon).”
Now, the ‘lunar year’ is an obscure construction which was never used in dating Sai Baba’s birthdays or any other date announced by him or his ashrams. (Never mind that some fanatics have invented instances where he supposedly used a lunar year calculation but which were never recorded in reliable documents). A year necessarily means a solar year, the time the earth takes to circumnavigate the sun (365 days excepting leap year – the same for the moon, of course, which is a satellite to the earth) . One cannot add or subtract from that year because of lunar phases any more than one can change it because of the apparent movement of, say, Mars or Venus. That some Hindu shastris use such calculations is beside the point and they even in some cases decide to add one lunar months every 6 years so as to approach the correct solar year length! Only now does all this lunar confusion seem of significance to those desperately searching for an explanation to prove Sai Baba was infallible.
According to the sathyasai.org website Sathya Sai Baba lived for 30,833 days. This is only a correct calculation (correct IF he was actually born on 23 Nov. 1926, which is hotly disputed – since his registered date in his school record is 3 years LATER!).
The lunar month averages 27.21 days (by the very shortest or ‘draconic’ reckoning which the sathyasai.org website chose for obvious reasons). The number of days per lunar year is 27.21 times 12 = 326.52 (days per annum) So 30,833 days divided by 326 days per year is equal to 94.56 lunar years.
This exceeds the minimum requirement of 93 years, which he twice predicted in separate discourses. Nor does it reach 96 years, which he also stated was the age he would reach – as several commentators agreed he has stated (though he also stated at least 3 other ages for himself). However one twists and turns it, the calculations do not fit the predictionof 96 years, nor that of 93. It would fit with the lifespan Haraldsson reported Sai Baba stated – 94 years, even though that was worked out at year 2020 – nor the other ages he predicted.
From 9 Sept 1960 (when Sai Baba was 43 calendar years old), plus 59 years = 2019 AD. He lived until age 84 by normal calendar reckoning, dying in 2011. Eight years short on calendar reckoning (which he always used in public, despite concocted, undocumented rumours that he once or twice did not).
from Wikipedia – some calendars which show the predominance of 30 or 31-day months
One can expect further contortions by the Sai Organization, finding hoary astrological shastris who may contest with esoteric theories. Indeed, the Hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian calendars, as well as an Indian national calendar. There is ample room for confusion… and hence deception too. Most of these calendars are inherited from a system first enunciated in Vedanga Jyotisha of Lagadha, a late BCE adjunct to the Vedas, standardized in the Surya Siddhanta (3rd century CE) and subsequently reformed by astronomers such as Aryabhata (499 CE), Varahamihira (6th c. CE), and Bhaskara (12th c. CE). There are differences and regional variations abound in these computations. It is all age-old abacus reckoning, not scientifically precise or integrated into a system anywhere near Newtonian physics. One is reminded of H.G. Wells ‘famous comic character Mr. Polly, who called arithmetic “a flukey science”.
That Sathya Sai Baba always reckoned in normal calendar years is proven by the following quotations he made:-
“I will be in this mortal form for 59 years more and I shall certainly achieve the purpose of this avatar, do not doubt it.”
(Discourse 29.09.1960)
[1960 + 59 = 2019]
“I shall be in this body for 58 years more, I have assured you of this already.”
(Discourse 21.10.1961)
[1961 + 58 = 2019]
“As the world goes, at the age of 60, the physique becomes weak and the mind loses its alertness. But I skip along as fresh and active as ever.”
(Discourse 23.11.1985)
[1985 – 1926 = 59]
“The advent (of this avatar) took place 64 years ago.”
(Discourse 23.11.1990)
[1990 – 1926 = 64]
“This body is now 67 years.”
(Discourse 3.07.1993)
[1993 – 1926 = 67]
“The body (of Swami) will enter its 70th year on 23rd.”
(Discourse 17.11.1995)
[1995 – 1926 = 69]
“I am 73 years. My legs, hands, eyes are in perfect condition.”
(Discourse 24.11.1998)
[1998 – 1926 = 72]
“Today marks the 75th year of the Advent of this body.”
(Discourse 23.11.2000)
[2000 – 1926 = 74]
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As officially reported, Sathya Sai Baba passed away on 24th April 2011.
[2011 – 1926 = 85]
However much one may try to distort or remove these facts, the lunar year theory will not add up in any shape or form..
To see how the Sathya Sai people try constantly to revise their statements, edit out of existence what is no longer acceptable that Sai Baba discourses or statements contain. They suppress things that have published and conduct damage limitation so as to indoctrinate, confuse and – above all – retain devotees (as their main donation catchment) look at the following:-
http://briansteel.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/sathya-sai-baba-questionable-stories-and-claims-part-1/
http://briansteel.wordpress.com/2008/05/22/sathya-sai-baba-questionable-stories-and-claims-part-2/
Sathya Sai Baba Deceptions Exposed 
kartik2011 said
I am one of the victim of his abuse, but to his powerful lobby. I hesitated to post. Now after his death I want tell about my story.
Beside please check up about today’s expose of Satyajits sensation story of Trustee on Telegu TV 9 channel.