Shirdi Diary by Shri G.S.Khaparde - Part 15

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“Hamsa ” had told all this to me also when he was our guest.. It turned out to be lie afterwards. He had never been to Manas in Himalayas. Acquired a reputation of being a bad character.

Gajanan Purohit was his accomplice. Both suspected to be police spies.

1911 30 December Saturday
Shirdi

In the morning after prayer, I wrote two letters one to my son Baba & the other to Bhau Durrani telling them that I am not likely to return for another two months. Mr Natekar went to Rada Krishna lady. She, it would appear was away. He sat there & felt so calm & nice that he spent the whole day there. I read Ramayan in the morning, and heard Bhagavat in the afternoon, and went to Sayin Maharaj a little before dusk. He treated me very kindly, called me by name & told a small tale calculated to impress the virtue of patience.

He said he went to Aurangabad on one of his wanderings & saw a Fakir sitting in a Masjid near which there was a very tall Tamarind tree. The Fakir would not let him enter the Masjid first but ultimately consented to his putting up in it. The Fakir depended entirely on a piece of cake that an old woman used to supply him at midday. Sayin Maharaj volunteered to beg for him and kept him supplied amply with food for twelve years and then thought of leaving the place. The old Fakir shed tears at parting & had to be consoled with soft words. Sayin Maharaj visited him four years later & found him there doing well. The Fakir then came here a few years ago & lodged at the Chavadhi. Motha-Baba Fakir looked after him. From what was said I gathered that Sayin Baba stayed twelve years to instruct the Aurangabad Fakir and set him up fully in the spiritual world. At night there was Bhishmas ’ Bhajan &Dixit ’s Ramayan. Natekar who came then also read a chapter.

1911 31 December Sunday
Shirdi

I got up very early in the morning, prayed & was walking in the verandah when Hamsa came downstairs & said that he could not sleep well & so wandered out & went to Khandoba Temple then to the house occupied at present by RadhaKrishna Bai in the hope of hearing her pray but found that there were no signs of anybody staying in the house. So he wandered about the village gate. Later on he went again & met Radha Krishna Bai. She kindly helped him so he bathed, prayed and had breakfast out of the Prasad sent to her by Sayin Maharaj. I stood talking with him. He went to Radha Krishna Bai again to say goodbye and she gave him a dhoti & a shirt as Prasad.

Then he returned to Bombay with the three young men that were with him. The name of one of them was Rege. All this made me late for everything & was further delayed by the Barber. I saw Sayin Baba go out but he did not permit any body to approach him & salute at close quarters. I went to the Masjid later on & sat there to attend the midday worship. During the Arti all the males had to stand today below the platform in the open, leaving the whole Masjid for the ladies. The arrangement was very good. On my return, I sat talking with the Mamledar of Kopargaon who happened to be here. Later on came Mr Deva Mamledar of Dahanu. Nanasaheb Chandorkar came before Arti. Our breakfast was as usual about 2 P.M. After it I sat reading the newspapers received today. The Conventionist Congress does not appear to have been an unqualified success. Towards evening I went to the Masjid but Sayin Maharaj gave “Udi ” soon.. So I sat on the plinth of the new building, talking with the Gujarathi Shastri who is with Govardhandas. We saluted Sayin Maharaj when he came out for his usual stroll & again at Sheja-Arti. Then we had the Bhajan of Bhishma & Dixit’ Ramayan.

1912 1 January Monday
Shirdi

I got up early in the morning went to the Chavadhi for Kakad Arti. I saw Sayin Maharaja’s face as the first thing and it was full of sweet grace I was very much delighted. After we returned to the Wada, I saw Upasani ’s brother. He has come from Dhulia. I saw him at Poona & Amravati before. He went to see Sayin Maharaj & was told about people bringing ties with them from a former birth & meeting now in consequence of them. He told the story of a former birth in which he, Bapusaheb Jog, Dada Kelkar, Madhavarao Deshpande, myself & Dixit were associated and lived in a blind alley. There was his Murushad there. He has now brought us together again. I saw him go out & then sat reading Ramayan. I saw him again at mid-day Arti, & he was very kind to me. Dixit gave a “Naivedya ” today & we had all our meals with him. I sat with Vaidya, Nanasaheb Chandorkhar, Mr Deva Mamledar of Dahanu, & others. I sat reading again & then went to see Sayin Saheb at the Masjid. He first dismissed me along with the rest but called me again saying that I was anxious to run away. In the evening we saw him opposite the chavadhi & had at night the Bhajan of Bhishma & Dixits Ramayana. Bala Shimpi came to the Bhajan.


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