Shirdi Diary By GS Kharpade: Day 6
December 10, 1910
In the morning after I finished my prayer and had a wash, Mr. Haribhaoo Dixit of Bombay with a few companions, Mr. Tarkhad, son of the late Dr. Atmaram Pandurang, and Mr. Mahajani, who is a cousin of Annasaheb Mahajani of Akola, we went to Sai Saheb as usual and today's conversation was both important and marked by two incidents.
Sai Maharaj said that he used to sit in a corner and desired to exchange the lower part of his body for that of a parrot. The exchange came and he did not realise for a year and lost one lakh of rupees. Then he began to sit near a post and then a great serpent woke up and was very angry. It used to jump up and also fall from above.
Sai Saheb ate some and was distributing the others. Balasaheb, Mamlatdar of this taluka, was there and said that Sai Maharaj was giving away only fruits of one kind.
Then he changed the subject apparently and said that he visited a place and the Patil there would not let him go unless he made a plantation and hard footpath through it. He said he completed both. Some people came in at this time.
To the man, he said, "You have nobody but me to look after you." Looking around he added that she was a relation of his and had married the Rohillas who looted the man. Then he said, the world is bad. People were not as they were before. Formerly they used to be pious and trustful. Now they were unbelieving and disposed to contemplate the evil side, and then he added something which I could not catch.
It was something about his father, grandfather and his becoming the one and the other alternatively. Now as to the incidents, Mr. Dixit brought fruits. Sai Saheb ate some and was distributing the others. Balasaheb, Mamlatdar of this taluka, was there and said that Sai Maharaj was giving away only fruits of one kind. My son told his friend Mr. Patwardhan that Sai Maharaj accepted or refused fruits in proportion to the devotion with which they were offered.
My son, Baba, tried to tell this to me and wished to do the same to Patwardhan. This made a little noise and Sai Maharaj looked at me with an eye that blazed wonderfully and sparkled with anger.
He demanded what I said, I replied that I was saying nothing and that children were talking with each other. He looked at my son and Patwardhan and changed the mood immediately, Towards the close Balasaheb Mirikar remarked that Sai Maharaj was talking all through to Haribhaoo Dixit.
In the afternoon while we were at meals Mr. Mirikar's father who is an Inamdar and special magistrate at Ahmednagar came, He is a very respectable gentleman of the old stamp, I liked his conversation very much. In the evening we saw Sai Saheb as usual and at night we sat talking, and Mr. Nulkar's son Vishwanath did Bhajan as he does every day.
to be continued...
Text Submitted By Sudiksha Dubey
(Excerpts From Shirdi Diary By GS Kharpade)