Figures and Dates again! A Short
Note
Date: 03-27-2002
From: Brian Steel
In his recent comments on SB's bedroom, Robert Priddy refers to the 6 May 1998 Discourse on Easwaramma Day (the annual commemoration of the death of SB's mother). (References: Sanathana Sarathi, June 1998, and Robert Priddy, 'Evidence of Unnatural Things in his Bedroom, told by Sai Baba', on this site, 15 March 2002.)
In that speech, SB refers not only to his mother but to his grandfather, Kondama Raju. In connection with both of these departed close family members, SB mentions dates and ages and, once again, it appears as though his memory lets him down.
SB: "Now it is 30 years since the mother of this body passed away." But it is common knowledge that she died in 1972, which is only 26 years before the date of SB's Discourse.
Secondly, quoting alleged words from the visiting spirit of his dead mother, SB says: "For 40 years I was with You." But if SB was born in 1926, Easwaramma was with him for a total of 46 years.
As for grandfather Kondama, who adored the young man, SB comments: "He ... lived up to 116 years." But SB's first chronicler, Professor Kasturi, in his much-read autobiography (Sathya Sai Baba. Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram, Vol 1, pp. 4-5), has informed us that Kondama Raju was 110 years old when he died.
Two further remarks by SB in this same speech suggest that he believes Kondama died in 1954. "Swami was entering His ninth year." (i.e. in 1935) and: "After that, he lived for 19 years." (i.e. 1954) According to Kasturi, Kondama died in 1950. (p. 5)
All this may appear to some to be no more than petty 'bean-counting', and in a way it is, and perhaps Prof. Kasturi was wrong. However, highlighting these apparently trivial discrepancies becomes much more justified when one takes into consideration the many other similar lapses (trivial and not so trivial) which are emerging in connection with a person who is still widely believed to be Omniscient.
Brian Steel