Shirdi Diary by Shri G.S.Khaparde - Part 8

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1911 8 December Friday
Shirdi

I forgot to mention yesterday & the day before that Upasani Vaidya that used to be at Amravati is here & saw me soon after my arrival. We sat talking. He told me briefly his story since leaving Amravati, how he went to Gwalior state, how he purchased a village, how it became non- paying, how he met a Mahatma, how he got ill, how he tried all remedies, applied to various Sadhus & Mahatmas, how finally Sayin Maharaj took him in hand, how he improved & is now under orders to stay here. He has composed a stotra of Sayin Maharaj in Sanskrit. We all got up early and attended the Kakad-Arti. It is very edifying. I prayed, bathed & saw Sayin Maharaj go out, then again after he returned & once more in the afternoon. Sayin Maharaj looking at me said “Ka Sarkar ”.

Then he gave the general advise that I should live as God keeps me, & added that a man fond of his family has to bear many things & so on & told the story of a rich man who slaved till evening, cooked for himself and ate a very rough bread, all on account of a temporary difficulty. We saw Sayin Maharaj again the evening & then sat in the verandah of the house built by Dixit. Two gentlemen from Bombay brought a Satar & playing on it said Bhajan. Mr Thosar whom I call Hazarat also sang very beautifully and Bhishma had his usual Bhajan. Time passed very pleasantly till midnight. Thosar is a very pleasant companion. I had a long talk with my son Balvant the Bombay men & others about contemplation etc. Madhavarao Deshpande was here & fell asleep. I saw with my own eyes, & heard with my own ears what I only read about but never experienced that with every outgoing & in drawing breath of Madhavarao Deshpande comes the clear sound of “Sayin Nath Maharaj Sayin Nath Baba ” This sound is as clear as clear can be & when Madhavrao snores, the words can be heard even at a distance. This is really wonderful & he is in deep sleep all the time.

1911 9 December Saturday
Shirdi

I was late in getting up & finishing my prayer. Mr Chandorkar came today with a servant. Many others also came & some that were already here went away. Mr.C. is a very nice simple man, very pleasant in conversation & plain in his dealings. I went to the Masjid & sat long listening to things said there. Sayin Maharaj was in a pleasant mood. I took my Hukka there and Sayin Maharaj had a smoke out of it. He looked wonderfully beautiful at Arti time, but dismissed every one very soon after it. He said he would come to dine with us. He calls my wife “Ajibai ”. On returning to our lodging we learned that Mr Dixit ’s daughter who was ill passed away. The deceased dreamt a few days ago that Sayin Maharaj kept her under the Nim tree here. Sayin Maharaj also said yesterday that the girl was dead. We sat talking about the sad event. The child was only seven years old. I went & saw her mortal remains. They were very beautiful and the expression on her face, after death, was peculiarly charming. It reminded me of the pictures of Madonna that I saw in England.

The cremation took place behind our lodging. I attended the funeral & did not break fast until 4 P.M. Dixit bore the blow wonderfully well. His wife naturally broke down under grief. Every body sympathizes with her. In the evening I went to Chavadi to see Sayin Maharaj both at sunset and later on at Shejarti time. At night I, Madhavarao Deshpande Bhishma & others sat talking till late, all about Sayin Maharaj. Thosar got permission from Sayin Maharaj to return to Bombay. He will return tomorrow morning.

1911 10 December Sunday
Shirdi

In the morning before I finished my prayer Dattatreya Chitnis solicitor of Bombay. He was a freshman when I was a fellow in the college. So he is an old friend. We naturally sat talking of old days & so on. As usual I saw Sayin Maharaj as he went out & later again when he returned & sat in his usual place. We all return & after Arti. The breakfast was a bit late & after it I sat talking with Upasani, later on with Mr Nanasaheb Chandorkar. He is the chief, if not the oldest disciple, of Sayin Maharaj. He is a very pleasant man, gave me his history as to how he came into contact with Sayin Maharaj & made his progress. He wished to tell me the instructions he received, but people gathered and the thing could not be Disclosed to the view of all.

I made two attempts to see Sayin Maharaj in the afternoon, but he was not in the mood to see any body. I saw him in the evening near the Chavadhi and had a long talk with Sathesaheb & Chitnis & others. There is one Gokhale come from Narisoba Wadi. He says he was directed to see Narayan Maharaj of Kedgaon and Sayin Maharaj. He sings very nicely and at night I got him to sing a few Bhajans. Mr Nanasaheb Chandorkar returned today to Thana. Balasaheb Bhate who got a son a few days ago lost him this evening. This was very sad. Sayin Maharaj this afternoon prepared some medicine which he took.


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