Shirdi Diary by Shri G.S.Khaparde - Part 21

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1912 19 January Friday
Shirdi

This was a very sad day. I got up very early &after finishing my prayers discovered that it yet wanted an hour or so to day break. So I lay down and was aroused for Kakad Arti by Bapusaheb Jog. Dixit Kaka told me that Megha died about 4 a.m. The Kakad Arti was done but Sayin Maharaj did not show his face clear & did not appear to open his eyes. He never threw any glances spreading grace. After we returned arrangements were made for the cremation of Megha ’s body. Sayin Baba came just as the body was being brought out and loudly lamented his death. His voice was so touching that brought tears to every eye. He followed the body up to the bend in the made road near the village & then went his usual way. Megha ’s body was taken under the Bada tree & consigned to flames there. Sayin Baba could be distinctly heard lamenting his death even at that distance & he was seen waving his hands & swaying as if in arti to say goodbye. There was a good supply of dry fuel & flames soon rose very high. Dixit Kaka, myself Bapusaheb Jog, Upasani, Dada Kelkar & all else here were there & praised the lot of Megha that his body was seen & touched by Sayin Baba on the head heart & shoulders & feet by him. After finishing the ceremonies we ought to have sat praying but Bapusaheb Jog came & I sat talking with him. When later I went to see Sayin Baba, he asked me how I spent the afternoon I was very sorry to confess that I had wasted it in talking. This was a lesson to me. I remembered how Sayin Baba foretold his death three days ago “This is the last arti of Megha,” how Megha felt that he had completed his service and was passing away, how he shed tears to think that he could not see Sathé whom he regarded as his Guru, and how he directed that the cows of Sayin Baba should be let loose. He never expressed any other wish. We all admired his life of extreme devotion & I was sorry that I did not rest in prayer but listened to meaningless talk. Bhishma & my son Balvant are not well. So there was no Bhajan. Dixit Kaka read Ramayan at night. Gupte his brother &their families left this morning for Bombay.

1912 20 January Saturday
Shirdi

In the morning I got up in time to say my prayers before day break and commence the routine of life here to suit every body else. The day promised to be pleasant & so it turned out. I read Paramamrit with Bapusaheb Jog Upasani & Ram Maruti. Bhishma & my son Balvant are unwell. We saw Sayin Maharaj go out & again after he returned. He sat chatting pleasantly. Presently a Jahagirdar of a village somewhere here about, came & Sayin Baba would not let him approach much less worship. Many people interceded for him in vain. Appa Kotya came & did his utmost to secure at least the usual kind of Puja for the Jahagirdar & Sayin Baba relented so far as to let him enter the Masjid and worship the pillar near the fire-place, but he would not give Udi. I thought Sayin Baba would get angry but he did not and our mid-day Arti passed off in the usual way. Bapusaheb Jog has been ordered by Sayin Baba to do all the artis at all times. I predicted this result two days before Megha passed off. After the midday meal I sat reading the newspapers.

Dixit ’s younger brother who practices at Khandwa came this morning & his Bombay agent came in the afternoon. Dixit ’s brother tried to induce Dixit to return to work in vain. He applied to Sayin Baba, but Sayin Baba left the whole matter to Dixit himself. Bapusaheb Jog has also got four guests. The husband of his wife ’s sister who is the chief Treasury officer at Sangli has come here with his whole family on his way back from the Delhi Darbar His wife wished to take Mrs Bapusaheb Jog with her but Sayin Maharaj would not permit it. We saw Sayin Saheb as he came out for his evening stroll. Then there was the Wada Arti & later on the Shej Arti. Dixit read Ramayan as usual. There was no Bhajan as Bhishma is indisposed & my son Balvant is slightly worse. There is here Mr Moreshwar Janardas Patharé with his wife. He is the victim of paralysis & have suffered much. Joshi of Wasai has come & brought some printed copies of the prayers sung here.

1912 21 January Sunday
Shirdi

I got up & attended the Kakad Arti. There were all the usual people except Bala Simpi. After the arti Sayin Baba followed the usual custom of using hard words against the internal enemies, by naming them as Appa Kotya, Telis, Waman Tatya etc. I read Parmamrit with Bapusaheb Jog Upasani, & Rama Maruti. The guest of Bapusaheb Jog from Sangali attended our class. His name is Limayé. We saw Sayin Baba go out & again after he returned to the Masjid. While we were at the Masjid Madhavarao Deshpande returned from Nagar. There was Dadasaheb Karandikar with him, & a gentleman of Baroda. I was very much surprised to see Karandikar. It appears he came to Nagar on a case & meeting Madhavarao Deshpande there decided to see Sayin Baba. We sat talking. Since getting into the council, he is convinced of the insincerity of Gokhale & western professions. He returned to Nagar about 4.30 P.M. The Limayes also went. Permission was refused to them at first but subsequently granted by Sayin Baba. Sadashivarao Dixit wished to go only but was told to depart tomorrow morning with his family, children & Rama Maruti. We saw Sayin Baba at the evening stroll and had Dixits Ramayan after the evening arti at the Wada.


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