From Devotion to Avatar: The Soul's Journey

The Path from Jiva to Shiva: Man Becomes Narayan

This discourse articulates the profound truth regarding the nature of the Avatar (Divine Incarnation). It proposes that an Avatar is not a sudden, arbitrary descent of God, but the climax of a perfected soul's spiritual evolution.

The Four Stages of Perfection:

1. Devotion: The starting point, characterized by simple, selfless worship.
2. Purification: The soul engages in Nishkama Karma and Upasana to cleanse the mind of impurities (ego, desires, ignorance).
3. Realization: The achieved state of Tattva Jnana, where the soul recognizes its eternal, non-dual identity with the Absolute (Brahman).
4. Avatar: The fully realized soul, having transcended the need for liberation, chooses to return to the world in a physical form to act as the Sadguru, guiding and uplifting humanity.

The Core Teaching: The teaching emphasizes the potential within every human being: "Man becomes Narayan." Sai Baba, therefore, is presented not just as a miracle-worker but as a Purna Purusha (Perfected Being) who has successfully traversed this path from Jiva (individual soul) to Shiva (the Absolute), setting the highest spiritual ideal for all devotees.