SREE SAI SAMARTHA SATCHARITA – Part 4
-Foreword to First Marathi Edition by Hari Sitaram Dikshit alias Kakasaheb Dikshit
Though the whole village believed in Maharaj, yet very few people had close contact with Him. As Maharaj’s tendencies were to be sharp and blunt no one dared to become unnecessarily familiar with Him; and toing and forcing by the people in the Masjid was very limited. At this time, Madhavrao Balwant, from the Deshpande family, began to frequently visit. There was a small house near the compound of the Masjid,where a Marathi school was housed, at that time.
Madhavrao was a teacher in that school; and he began the practice of frequently going from the school to the Masjid. When he went there, he would fill the ‘chillum’ and himself puff at it and also give it to Maharaj to puff. Whatever be the reason, Madhavrao began to become familiar with Maharaj and Maharaj attracted Madhavrao. After some years, Madhavrao left off all occupations and took to only serving Maharaj and the devotees who came for His darshan. In lieu of this service, Madhavrao did not even ask for any compensation. Till this date, the devotees of Maharaj and he have close contacts. And many devotees received great support from him; and a number of devotees, more or less, took no step without consulting Madhavrao.
Generally Maharaj did not leave Shirdi to go elsewhere. Sometimes he used to go to Nimgaon17 to visit Babasaheb Dengle, who was Maharaj’s devotee; and, at times to Rahata17 where there was Chandrabhan Sheth, Marwadi. After the death of Chandraban Sheth, Kushalchand Sheth looked after the grocery business. Maharaj often called for this Kushalchandji and if any who hailed from Rahata came, He would inquire after Kushalchand. Let that be now. Babasaheb Dengle’s brother Nanasaheb Dengle lived at Jali – Nimgaon. He had no son so he married again; but even that was useless. Then Babasaheb sent him for Maharaj’s darshan. When Nanasaheb Dengle came for Maharaj’s darshan, then Maharaj blessed him (so) that he would have a son and in course of time the blessing bore fruit and he got a son. Nanasaheb developed faith, therefore, in Maharaj and he began to come frequently to Maharaj. Since he had a lot of contact with Government officials he naturally praised Maharaj before the officials; and consequently Shri Chidambar Keshav alias Annasaheb Gadgil, who was the Chitnis of the Collector came soon for Maharaj’s darshan along with a sizeable group of persons. Day by day Annasaheb Gadgil’s faith in Maharaj increased and he became a total devotee of Maharaj. Nanasaheb Dengle brought for Maharaj a thick plank of wood to sleep on, as the Masjid in which Maharaj lived and slept was in
such a completely dilapidated state that the floor was very dusty and there was a possibility of dirt falling even from the top. His objective was that Maharaj should put the plank down on the
floor and sleep on it, instead of on the bare floor. Maharaj did use the plank to sleep on, but in a different way. Instead of placing that plank on the floor, it was hung, with the help of old rags to the beam of the Masjid, and He began to sleep on it. If one saw the rags they were not in a condition to bear even the weight of the plank but with Maharaj’s superhuman powers they not
only bore the weight of the plank but also the weight of Maharaj’s body. At the time of going to sleep Maharaj placed four burning small earthern lamps in the four corners. Everyone found
it a great marvel to see Maharaj on that plank and a large crowd stood to watch this marvel from afar; but none did see Maharaj climbing onto that plank or descending from it. Often the crowd
took turns to keep a watch to observe Maharaj climbing on and descending but no one saw that. A large crowd used to gather to see this marvel, therefore to avoid this harrassment Maharaj
broke the plank one day.
Gopalrao Gund, Circle Inspector (Revenue) of Kopergaon also came for darshan for the same reason as Nanasaheb Dengle had originally come. He had three wives but no son. He also got a son with Maharaj’s blessings. He also became a total devotee. One day it occurred to him that since the Masjid was dilapidated it should be reconstructed; and for that purpose he collected a lot of stones. But Maharaj did not grant him permission to build the Masjid. That work was to be done by another devotee. But that account is given later. The stones collected by Gopal Rao were appropriated by Maharaj’s orders to build the Shani temple there and for the renovation of other village temples. Maharaj paid attention to the condition of all the temples. The Maruti temple here was also got renovated by Maharaj and even expanded. Just as He paid attention to the temples of the village, He also paid equal attention to the tombs.
-Foreword to First Marathi Edition by Hari Sitaram Dikshit alias Kakasaheb Dikshit
Though the whole village believed in Maharaj, yet very few people had close contact with Him. As Maharaj’s tendencies were to be sharp and blunt no one dared to become unnecessarily familiar with Him; and toing and forcing by the people in the Masjid was very limited. At this time, Madhavrao Balwant, from the Deshpande family, began to frequently visit. There was a small house near the compound of the Masjid,where a Marathi school was housed, at that time.
Madhavrao was a teacher in that school; and he began the practice of frequently going from the school to the Masjid. When he went there, he would fill the ‘chillum’ and himself puff at it and also give it to Maharaj to puff. Whatever be the reason, Madhavrao began to become familiar with Maharaj and Maharaj attracted Madhavrao. After some years, Madhavrao left off all occupations and took to only serving Maharaj and the devotees who came for His darshan. In lieu of this service, Madhavrao did not even ask for any compensation. Till this date, the devotees of Maharaj and he have close contacts. And many devotees received great support from him; and a number of devotees, more or less, took no step without consulting Madhavrao.
Generally Maharaj did not leave Shirdi to go elsewhere. Sometimes he used to go to Nimgaon17 to visit Babasaheb Dengle, who was Maharaj’s devotee; and, at times to Rahata17 where there was Chandrabhan Sheth, Marwadi. After the death of Chandraban Sheth, Kushalchand Sheth looked after the grocery business. Maharaj often called for this Kushalchandji and if any who hailed from Rahata came, He would inquire after Kushalchand. Let that be now. Babasaheb Dengle’s brother Nanasaheb Dengle lived at Jali – Nimgaon. He had no son so he married again; but even that was useless. Then Babasaheb sent him for Maharaj’s darshan. When Nanasaheb Dengle came for Maharaj’s darshan, then Maharaj blessed him (so) that he would have a son and in course of time the blessing bore fruit and he got a son. Nanasaheb developed faith, therefore, in Maharaj and he began to come frequently to Maharaj. Since he had a lot of contact with Government officials he naturally praised Maharaj before the officials; and consequently Shri Chidambar Keshav alias Annasaheb Gadgil, who was the Chitnis of the Collector came soon for Maharaj’s darshan along with a sizeable group of persons. Day by day Annasaheb Gadgil’s faith in Maharaj increased and he became a total devotee of Maharaj. Nanasaheb Dengle brought for Maharaj a thick plank of wood to sleep on, as the Masjid in which Maharaj lived and slept was in
such a completely dilapidated state that the floor was very dusty and there was a possibility of dirt falling even from the top. His objective was that Maharaj should put the plank down on the
floor and sleep on it, instead of on the bare floor. Maharaj did use the plank to sleep on, but in a different way. Instead of placing that plank on the floor, it was hung, with the help of old rags to the beam of the Masjid, and He began to sleep on it. If one saw the rags they were not in a condition to bear even the weight of the plank but with Maharaj’s superhuman powers they not
only bore the weight of the plank but also the weight of Maharaj’s body. At the time of going to sleep Maharaj placed four burning small earthern lamps in the four corners. Everyone found
it a great marvel to see Maharaj on that plank and a large crowd stood to watch this marvel from afar; but none did see Maharaj climbing onto that plank or descending from it. Often the crowd
took turns to keep a watch to observe Maharaj climbing on and descending but no one saw that. A large crowd used to gather to see this marvel, therefore to avoid this harrassment Maharaj
broke the plank one day.
Gopalrao Gund, Circle Inspector (Revenue) of Kopergaon also came for darshan for the same reason as Nanasaheb Dengle had originally come. He had three wives but no son. He also got a son with Maharaj’s blessings. He also became a total devotee. One day it occurred to him that since the Masjid was dilapidated it should be reconstructed; and for that purpose he collected a lot of stones. But Maharaj did not grant him permission to build the Masjid. That work was to be done by another devotee. But that account is given later. The stones collected by Gopal Rao were appropriated by Maharaj’s orders to build the Shani temple there and for the renovation of other village temples. Maharaj paid attention to the condition of all the temples. The Maruti temple here was also got renovated by Maharaj and even expanded. Just as He paid attention to the temples of the village, He also paid equal attention to the tombs.
As Maharaj sometimes sat under the margosa tree on the boundary of the village, this matter has been mentioned herein above. “There is a tomb of a ‘pir’ there ”, Maharaj said once; and when the place was dug there a tomb was truly found. Then on the same day, the devotees took out a procession of Maharaj with musical instruments and shouting of slogans. Maharaj had made a reference to this tomb even to the undersigned (present) author. Maharaj said: “This is my father’s place. Burn incense here, every Thursday and Friday for your own welfare ”. Once Gopal Rao Gund thought of holding an annual fete or ‘urus’ here. He placed this idea before Tatya Patil, Dada Kote Patil, Madhavrao Deshpande and other devotees in the village and with their approval he took upon himself the arrangements for it. But the Kulkarani at that time took objection and the result was that the Collector gave orders not to hold the fair. But the proposal to hold the fair had Maharaj’s full blessings.
Therefore, the above mentioned devotees once again requested the Collector, got the first order cancelled and obtained the order to hold the fair. It was decided to hold the fair on Ramnavami
with Maharaj’s consent, and since then till to-day, it is held at every Ramnavami.
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