In the name Sai Babathe word Sa stands for divine and Ayi stands for motherand so Sai stands for Divine Mother. Baba means father.This name Sai Baba thus means divine mother andfather. The words Sambasiva and Sai Baba mean the samething. Sa Amba Siva means Divine father and motherand so does the word Sai Baba. Because there is theaspect of mother and father and because both are present,this form is rightly to be described as Shiva Shakti Atma Swarupa. Like mother, I will be tender and soft and giveyou happiness and like father, I punish you, criticise youwhen needed and through these methods I take you to ahigher level. Even your own mother and father, in theworldly sense, will sometimes become selfish and maypunish you in a manner which smacks of selfishness, butthis divine mother and father in me have noselfishness of any kind in them. They are selfless andsuch punishment as I give is intended only to take you toa higher plane.(SSB 1974 Part II, pp. 255-256)

Parvati and Ishvara are the divine parents of all the people of the world. When our end approaches, we should remember either our divine mother or divine father. Those who remember their divine parents are really blessed ones. What to talk of our divine mother and divine father, people today do not remember even their own parents.(SSS Vol. 41, pp. 34-35)