Shirdi Diary by Shri G.S.Khaparde - Part 37

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1912 March 8 Friday
Shirdi

In the morning Bhishma & Bandu got up early & had a musical prayer. It was very helpful. I prayed & then we had our Panchadasi class. We saw Sayin Maharaj go out and later on I went to the Masjid. Sayin Maharaj very kindly called me by name and as soon as I sat down, he commenced a tale of his having had four brothers. He said he was very young and very intelligent. He used to play at his house which was very big and also at the Ashid Khana which was close by. Near it used to sit a very old man who would not go into either the Masjid or the Ashuskhana, saying that the place where he lay was his. His people did not wish it but Sayin Baba used to go to the Asher Khana also & approved of the programme carried out there. The old man turned out to be his mother’s father & Sayin Baba always carried to him a bread & something to eat it with. The old man was a leper, lost his fingers & toes and daily grew worse, until at last he refused food & died. Sayin Baba played near him, did not suspect that death was so near, & talked about it to his mother who went to see her father. When Sayin Baba went, he found the old man gone & his body converted into rice. Nobody would take charge of the clothes of the old man. Later on the rice disappeared, & the old man was born again but associated with mangs. Sayin Baba gave him food & then the old man was born a third time as the son of Kondaji. The boy played with Sayin Baba & died a few months ago. At the midday Arti Sayin Baba approached me & touched my left arm, and held his hand waist high, just as we do to indicate a young man. With the other hand he made a sign as we do to indicate a man passing away. He made a sign with his eyes. I did not understand the whole & puzzled over it all day. In the afternoon we continued our Panchadasi class, finished Natyadeepa & began Brahmanand. We saw Sayin Baba at his stroll & after the Wada Arti, attended the Sheja Arti. Bhishma finished Bhagavat at night & read Dasbodh. Balasaheb Bhaté came to it.

1912 March 9 Saturday
Shirdi

In the morning I attended the Kakad Arti. Sayin Saheb appeared to be in very good mood. He blessed as usual by saying that God was higher than all. Then he passed away into the Masjid. I returned, prayed and was making ready for the Panchadasi class when Dhanjisha arrived from Bombay. He brought very good fruit for Sayin Saheb. We sat talking, saw Sayin Saheb as he went out. We held our class, but did not make much progress. I went to Masjid as usual. Sayin Saheb told the history of two sparrows that were sitting in the niche on the southern side of the “Nimbar ”. He said the sparrows built their nest there & used to sit as they were sitting at the moment. Death overtook them. It came in the form of a serpent which crawled round the “nimbara ” & swallowed them up. The sparrows are born again now & have built their nest again exactly where it was before & are sitting once more as they used to do. He said he never touched them, nor ever speak to them. He accepted Dhanjisha ’s Puja & allowed the garland to remain on him much longer than he ever does. He liked the flowers & ate a few grapes. Dhanjisha is of course staying with me. After meals I lay down for a while and then we held our class or rather continued it. We enjoyed the portion very much. At sunset we went & saw Sayin Maharaj at his stroll. He was in a pleased mood but said that he did not care for buntings, but he wanted men. At night Bhishma read “Swamibhava Dinkar ” & Dasbodh. Balasaheb Bhaté also came. There was also Bhajan.

1912 March 10 Sunday
Shirdi

I got up early in the morning, prayed and held our Panchadasi class as usual. Mr Waman Rao Pitale whose father served at Baroda, went away today with his wife, after a stay of a day & requested me particularly to be mentioned to Mr Dixit on the return of the latter. We saw Sayin Baba go out & I went to the Masjid on his return. He addressed me by name &said that his father was very rich, had money buried in all imaginable places. Once he had a little difference with his father when he was very young &went away to a place. It was a broad & thick cactus hedge and he found a large treasure underground there. Sayin Saheb sat on it & became converted into a big cobra. He sat on for sometime & then felt inclined to go away. So he moved away to a neighbouring village and on the way regained his human form. Then he went to a lane where they killed men. He wandered there but was left unhurt. Then he went about begging and brought all the treasure trove in. The midday Arti passed off as usual and when I was returning he said “Look here, he careful. Some guests will come; do not admit them ” all which meant that I shall have some disturbing influences & I should withstand them. After the midday meal I lay down for a while & then got a letter from Annasaheb Mutalik saying that Uma has become a lady. here is the religious and the social ceremony to be performed which means expense. Narayan Kamaukar writes from Amravati to say that they are all very hard pressed for money on all sides.So I understood the necessity of the warning given by Sayin Saheb. In the afternoon we continued our class and towards evening went to see Sayin Saheb at his stroll. At night there was the Wada Arti &then Sheja Arti. The circle of fire fell & broke today. Balasaheb Bhaté came at night as usual.


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