DIVINE GRACE TO RAO SAHIB YESHWANT JANARDHAN GALWANKAR
Sri Rao Sahib Yeshwant Janardhan Galwankar was one of the prominent members of the Sai Baba Sansthan Committee and Editor of the Sai Lila Masik for some years. Y. J. Galwankar was the son-in-law of Anna Saheb Dabolkar or Hemand Pant (author of Sri Sai Satcharitra). He was working as a Superintendent in the Home department of the Bombay Secretariat. Anna Saheb Dabolkar's contact with Sai Baba naturally drew Galwankar to Sai Baba. He was taken by his father-in-law four or five times to Sai Baba, and at the first visit did not derive any strong impressions. But gradually his interest in Baba increased. Baba himself appeared in his dream and asked for Rs. 2 dakshina. Later he woke up and wished to send Rs. 2 by money order to Shirdi. Baba in the dream gave him two directions, the first, namely Nekene Vagave, that is, behave with probity and integrity, (the advice given evidently referred to his official position) and secondly to be chaste and sexually pure. Galwankar says that he has followed those directions with great care and zeal.
However, the great impression that Galwankar got was in 1917, when he went to Shirdi and Baba placed his palm over his head. That had a strong effect on him. He completely forgot himself and all surroundings and was in an ecstatic trance. He learnt later that Baba then spoke and told the people present that Galwankar had integrity and purity already in previous janmas. Baba added that he placedGalwankar in his present mother's womb, and the integrity and purity were still retained by him. During Christmas and other vacations, Galwankar went to Baba with full faith. Baba, however, did not givehim self-realisation on advaidic lines nor any teaching on ethical or religious matters except what is stated above. He heard Baba saying that he was not the 3 ½ cubits height of body, but he was everywhere and that the devotees should see him in every place. Galwankar believes that his studies of the Gita, the Bhagavata and Eknath were all directed by Baba, though Baba did not tell him to study these just as he told to Jog, Kaka Dixit, and others.
Being deeply interested and concerned with his office work and other affairs, Galwankar did not try to get into closer contact with Baba before 1918. He was also comparatively young at the time and did not view matters of life very seriously. After Baba's Mahasamadhi, Galwankar became more serious. In 1921, he set off on a pilgrimage with his family to Prayag and Kasi. At Baradwajasram in Prayag, he prayed to Sai Baba that he might get sight of some saint. Within a few minutes after he left Baradwajasram, there was a venerable saint on the roadside and the guide showed him the saint saying that rarely once in seven years or so, that saint would visit Prayag and that he would not allow people to approach him nor would be accept money. But, being emboldened by Sai's grace, Galwankar approached the saint, and instead of his getting angry, the saint welcomed him with raised arms saying, "Come child". His wife, mother and other ladies also paid their respects to the saint. They were all blessed by the saint and having only annas in his pocket, Galwankar gave that to the saint who received it. Thus Sai Baba answered his prayer effectively in 1921. Having become ecstatic by Baba's blessing and teaching, he gradually paid more and more attention to Adhyatma to the spiritual side of existence. That was in 1932. Then he had a dream. Baba came to him in the dream and asked him, "What do you want?" His reply was, "I want prem and only prem" – that is, love. Baba blessed him saying, "You will have prem", and disappeared. Even afterwards Galwankar had spells of prem gushing through him, sometimes while meditating, sometime while reading, and even at other times. Thus his slight touch with Baba before Mahasamadhi ripened into full fruition after Mahasamadhi and his life became nobler and higher.
Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji
Sri Rao Sahib Yeshwant Janardhan Galwankar was one of the prominent members of the Sai Baba Sansthan Committee and Editor of the Sai Lila Masik for some years. Y. J. Galwankar was the son-in-law of Anna Saheb Dabolkar or Hemand Pant (author of Sri Sai Satcharitra). He was working as a Superintendent in the Home department of the Bombay Secretariat. Anna Saheb Dabolkar's contact with Sai Baba naturally drew Galwankar to Sai Baba. He was taken by his father-in-law four or five times to Sai Baba, and at the first visit did not derive any strong impressions. But gradually his interest in Baba increased. Baba himself appeared in his dream and asked for Rs. 2 dakshina. Later he woke up and wished to send Rs. 2 by money order to Shirdi. Baba in the dream gave him two directions, the first, namely Nekene Vagave, that is, behave with probity and integrity, (the advice given evidently referred to his official position) and secondly to be chaste and sexually pure. Galwankar says that he has followed those directions with great care and zeal.
However, the great impression that Galwankar got was in 1917, when he went to Shirdi and Baba placed his palm over his head. That had a strong effect on him. He completely forgot himself and all surroundings and was in an ecstatic trance. He learnt later that Baba then spoke and told the people present that Galwankar had integrity and purity already in previous janmas. Baba added that he placedGalwankar in his present mother's womb, and the integrity and purity were still retained by him. During Christmas and other vacations, Galwankar went to Baba with full faith. Baba, however, did not givehim self-realisation on advaidic lines nor any teaching on ethical or religious matters except what is stated above. He heard Baba saying that he was not the 3 ½ cubits height of body, but he was everywhere and that the devotees should see him in every place. Galwankar believes that his studies of the Gita, the Bhagavata and Eknath were all directed by Baba, though Baba did not tell him to study these just as he told to Jog, Kaka Dixit, and others.
Being deeply interested and concerned with his office work and other affairs, Galwankar did not try to get into closer contact with Baba before 1918. He was also comparatively young at the time and did not view matters of life very seriously. After Baba's Mahasamadhi, Galwankar became more serious. In 1921, he set off on a pilgrimage with his family to Prayag and Kasi. At Baradwajasram in Prayag, he prayed to Sai Baba that he might get sight of some saint. Within a few minutes after he left Baradwajasram, there was a venerable saint on the roadside and the guide showed him the saint saying that rarely once in seven years or so, that saint would visit Prayag and that he would not allow people to approach him nor would be accept money. But, being emboldened by Sai's grace, Galwankar approached the saint, and instead of his getting angry, the saint welcomed him with raised arms saying, "Come child". His wife, mother and other ladies also paid their respects to the saint. They were all blessed by the saint and having only annas in his pocket, Galwankar gave that to the saint who received it. Thus Sai Baba answered his prayer effectively in 1921. Having become ecstatic by Baba's blessing and teaching, he gradually paid more and more attention to Adhyatma to the spiritual side of existence. That was in 1932. Then he had a dream. Baba came to him in the dream and asked him, "What do you want?" His reply was, "I want prem and only prem" – that is, love. Baba blessed him saying, "You will have prem", and disappeared. Even afterwards Galwankar had spells of prem gushing through him, sometimes while meditating, sometime while reading, and even at other times. Thus his slight touch with Baba before Mahasamadhi ripened into full fruition after Mahasamadhi and his life became nobler and higher.
Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji
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