Shirdi Diary by Shri G.S.Khaparde - Part 9

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1911 11 December Monday
Shirdi

The prayer this morning was very very pleasant and after it I felt quite elevated. Then I sat explaining the first few verses of Panchadasi to Dattatreya Chitnis. He is a very nice man. Then we visited Sayin Maharaj both as he went out and after he returned. He gave me the chillam very often & grapes that RadhaKrishnabai presented. He gave the grapes twice to my son Balvant. In the afternoon I heard that he was cleaning the Masjid. So I did not attempt to go that side. All the people brought a deputation to Sayin Maharaj to get rid of the plague. He advised them to clean the roads, sweep the tombs and burning & burial ghats and to feed the poor. I spent the whole afternoon reading daily papers and talking to Chitnis & others. Upasani is composing something. In the evening we saw Sayin Maharaj near Chavadhi & again attended the Sheja- Arti, after which Chitnis his Engineer friend & another went away. I intend retiring early.

1911 12 December Tuesday
Shirdi

I and Bhishma got up very early under the impression that the Kakad Arti was about to begin but we were early by about an hour. Later on Megha came and we attended the Arti. Then I prayed, & sat waiting for Sayin Maharaj to go out. I saw him then & again after he returned. I spent the interval in listening to the songs of Gokhale. He sings well. Today the breakfast was late as Megha could not get the leaves of Bela & had to go a long distance for them. So the mid-day Puja was not finished till about 1.30 P.M. Sayin Maharaj was in very good mood & sat chatting & laughing. After we returned & sat to our breakfast a man is said to have come to call me to the Local Durbar held here in the school. By the time I finished my meal & came out ,the whole thing was over. Some poor were fed by the munificence of Nanasaheb Sathe. He left instructions for the purpose & Mr H.S. Dixit took a great deal of trouble about the matter. The food could not have been very good. After breakfast I lay down for a few minutes & then went with my people to the Masjid. Sayin Maharaj was in a good mood & told a story. Taking up a fruit lying there, he asked me how many fruits it was capable of producing. I replied as many tens of thousands as there were seeds in it. He smiled very pleasantly & added that it obeyed laws of its own. He also told how there was a girl very good and pious, how she served him & prospered. We got “Udi ” about sunset & then stood opposite the Chavadhi to see Sayin Maharaj when he came out for his evening stroll. We saw him & returned & sat listening to the Bhajan of Bhishma, Gokhale, Bhai & one young man Dixit.

Madhavarao Deshpande & Upasani were present. The evening passed very pleasantly.

1911, 13 December Wednesday
Shirdi

I got up as usual, prayed and wished to bathe but hot water was not ready. So I came out & sat talking. I saluted Sayin Maharaj as he went out & then had my bath. I read Panchadasi. Later on I went to see Sayin Maharaj at the Masjid and returned after Arti. About 4 P.M. I went away with Balvant, Bhishma & Bauda who brought my Hukka & Sayin Maharaj had a smoke out of it.

Madhavarao asked for permission for me to return to Amravati but Sayin Maharaj said that he would decide about it tomorrow morning. He got all the people there out of the Masjid & advised me very very kindly in a truly fatherly way. At sunset we went again & saw him opposite the Chavadhi and later on attended the Sheja-Arti. Then Bhishma had his Panchapadi, earlier then usual. Bhai also sang a Bhajan.


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