Based on the title, one might expect this book to focus on Narayan Kasturi (1897–1987), the hagiographer whose multivolume work Sathyam Sivam Sundaram (translated as Truth Goodness Beauty) provides the template for all later biographies of Sathya Sai Baba. In fact, The Hagiographer, a dense, thoroughly researched, and heavily annotated book, aspires to be more than a biography. Much of the text focuses on the life, teachings, and extraordinary claims of Sathya Sai Baba (born Ratnakaram Sathyanarayana Raju, 1926–2011), with Kasturi’s role as hagiographer/publicist for the avatar a secondary concern.
Sathya Sai Baba, the avatar of the book’s title, was a complex character, world famous for his daily “miracles:” materializations of vibhuti (sacred ash), photographs, name-brand watches, jewelry, sacred linga, and religious bling. Over the course of his life he leveraged his reputation as a full embodiment of God to gain global celebrity, while founding numerous schools,...
University of California Press