Dattatreya Damodar Rasane

My father is an old devotee of Sai Baba. He went to Baba about the time Nana Saheb Chandorkar went to him. Then my father had no issue and wanted to go to Baba to get his blessings for obtaining issue. About 1900, a devotee had sent Baba a parcel of excellent Goa mangoes. Of these he kept apart six and distributed the rest as prasad to persons present. They wanted him to distribute the remaining six also. But Baba said he had reserved some for Damya (i.e., my father). But they said ‘Damya is not here’. “He has arrived at Kopergaon and will be here soon”, said Baba. Soon after that, my father went to Baba and presented him with flower garlands, chadar etc. Then Baba said “Damya! Take these fruits now. Eat and die.” My father was frightened at these words. But Mhalsapati who was there told him that it was a blessing to die at Baba’s feet. Thus encouraged, my father thought he would eat the fruit. But Baba came to his relief with these words. “Do not eat the fruits yourself. But give them to your junior wife. You will have two sons first. You should name the first Daulat Shah and the second Thana Shah” etc. My father returned to his home at Ahmednagar and gave the fruits to his junior wife. He then noted the names to be given to the promised sons in a notebook. One year after that, I was born. When I was 15 months old my father took me to Sai Baba at Shirdi for darsan and he then asked Baba “How shall I name this child?” Baba replied “have you forgotten what I told you? You have written it at page 3 of your notebook. Did I not say that he should be named Daulat Shah?”

In my fifth year (i.e. in 1900) I was taken to Shirdi for my tuft ceremony and given my first initiation into the mysteries of the Alphabet. Sai Baba held my hand and wrote on the slate etc. Thereafter I was taken to the school at Shirdi. When I was to be married, four girls were offered to me. My father never acted in any serious matter without previously consulting and getting the sanction of Baba. He went to Sai Baba and placed before him all the four horoscopes (i.e. of the offered girls) one of which had 2,500 or 3,000 rupees dowry and asked him which was to be chosen. Baba selected a poor girl’s horoscope and gave it into the hands of my father. That was the girl I married. My father invited Baba to attend the marriage which was to take place at Pandharpur. But Baba replied, “I am with you. Do not fear. Whenever you think of me, there I am with you.” My father pressed him further to attend the marriage. Baba, however declined the invitation with these words: “Without God’s permission nothing can be done by me. I will send Shama (i.e. Madhav Rao) to attend it as my deputy.” And Shama attended it at Pandharpur.

I have a younger brother and he was named according to directions of Baba. As for the issue of my marriage, two girls and a boy were born but expired within a few months of their birth owing to fits. The male child died in 1926, my wife’s health was bad and I was in great depression of spirits; and in that state I prayed to Him thus; instead of giving me many babies that die quickly give me at least one child that will live long". When I was sleeping there at Shirdi. Baba appeared in my dream and said that male child I was grieving over was born in Moola Nakshatra (i.e., under the constellation Moola) and that was harmful to the parents. I saw in that dream a bright circle like the sun on Baba’s breast. Or rather inside the sun, Baba was sitting with my deceased child on his lap and he said “I took away this dangerous child from you. I will give you a good child. Do not fear.” Before this time our family had migrated from Ahmednagar to Poona. When I went home I looked up the dead child’s horoscope and noticed that Moola was really the constellation under which the child was born. In fifteen months of the visit I got a son who is still alive. This was in 1918.

My faith in Sai Baba increased. I look upon other Saints as Sai Baba and when I bow to them, I say either expressly or within myself “I bow to Sadguru Samartha Sainath.” In 1927 I visited Khedgonpet and bowed to Narayan Maharaj with this thought or these words. He told me “Your guru is Paramaguru. He is of a higher sort than myself. Why did you come here? Your prarabdha-sanchita is there. Your choice is excellent. Go there and you will achieve your purpose.” This was before the birth of the son I referred to in the last paragraph.

In 1927 my stars were not auspicious and my health was bad. I went up to the temple of Sitaram Uttareswar (i.e Siva) 2 miles from Junner (about 40 miles from Poona) and worshipped the God every Sunday. One Sunday at 9 p.m when I placed flowers on the God with the words, 'Namaskar (i.e., Salutation) to Sai Baba", I saw a light at the image of the God and in that light the form of Sai Baba, whom I am always thinking of. Then my health improved and my drooping spirits revived. A saint, Janaki Das is living there. Every Sunday I went and bowed to him also with Sai Baba’s name on my lips. He then told me "You have resorted to a great saint. Why do you come to a poor saint like me? People like myself seize the feet of Sai Baba. Then I went to my lodgings and slept. Sai Baba appeared in my dream as a fakir and said “You are full of anxiety. Give me biksha, your entire body and mind as biksha.”

I: I will give this biksha and then inform my father.
Baba: How can you do it without consulting your father?
I: I am master of my life. My father has other sons and he will not object. You gave the children and there can be no objection to my being given to you.

Then Sai Baba took my body up in his palm and put me into his breast pocket. I was filled with bliss at the thought that he was so kind to me as to put me near his heart. When I woke up I found myself happy and my mind at once attained indifference. Udasinata or Vairagya. Things did not attract me and hold my mind as they did formerly. Two or three months later i.e. in 1928 (phalugun vadya) a son was born to me at Pandharpur. Fifteen months later, when I and my father went to Shirdi, he prayed to Baba that I should have one more son. In 1931 I got another son and that child was named Saidas. On the second day of its birth, it had high fever. Baba’s udhi and tirtha were given to it and cloth relics of Baba were enclosed in a Tayath and tied to it. It recovered and got alright. When it completed its first year, it was taken to Shirdi; abhishek was done, clothes presented to Samadhi and Brahmins were fed. In 1931 I was placed in charge of the bangle business. I insisted that it should be named after Baba. It is called (after getting Baba’s permission by casting lots before his picture) Sri Samartha SaiNath & Co. It is conducted on lines of probity and God conscience. Any udhi and Tirtha that I give in Sai Baba’s name cure and bless the person that receives these.

On 1-9-1932 I was on pilgrimage of Muttra and had an attack of cholera. Death appeared imminent. My father asked me what were my last wishes. I said I merely wanted to be taken to Shirdi, to be burnt there if I die as Sai Baba was my Krishna. But with Baba’s photo placed over my head (udbatti being burnt before it) and with the frequent application of Baba’s udhi and Tirtha at Muttra, I was somehow pulling on. At midnight, my sister-in-law Subadrabai who was there had an avesam, that is, the spirit of Miradatar a saint of Unava (in Gujarat near Sidpur) spoke through her mouth. Miradatar was a renowned Mohammedan Wali (i.e., Saint) and spoke thus (through her) “You are calling on Sai, He is old and cannot easily move. He is my uncle (Kaka). On his behalf and as he sent me, I have come. Have no fears. You will have his blessing. You will see him in spirit tomorrow. Prepare a cup of coffee and give it to the patient.” Coffee was prepared and I took it with a little of Baba’s udhi in it. Thereafter fever ceased and I had no more motions. The cure was so sudden as to surprise the doctor whom I went to see the next day. “Yesterday, this man was at point of death and how does he get so quickly cured as to come here today?” Was his question. I replied that Sai is a doctor of doctors and that his sacred udhi saved me.

When I was young, say seven years old I went to Shirdi and was massaging Baba’s foot. At that time Baba began the distribution of sweets with his own hand to the children present. Naturally my attention turned to the sweets and I grew slack in massaging. My mother was at my side and she beat me saying “You are thinking of sweets and neglect the service of Baba”. “You, old woman” cried Baba, “Why do you beat the boy?” My mother requested him to give me a good desire to perform service to Baba. Baba answered “The boy will serve me well. God will endow him with pure desires. Do not fear. Do not beat him.” When I was twelve years, I went with an elder cousin to Shirdi. We had 100 rupees with us. Baba asked for dakshina, 10 rupees once, 15 rupees another time etc. Only 25 rupees were left with my cousin in his pocket and we at once wrote home to Ahmednagar for more money to give Baba and for our return journey. That evening Baba asked my cousin for 25 rupees and he replied that our money had been exhausted and that we required money for our return journey. Baba’s retort was quick. “Why talk all this humbug? You have got 25 rupees in a corner of your pocket. The M.O. you have written for will come here tomorrow. Do not fear.” My cousin paid up the 25 rupees at once.

Baba used to say “Who gives me one, to him I give two. Who gives two, to him I give five. Who gives me five, I give him ten.” There was besides the obvious meaning of God’s or Baba’s returning one’s gift manifold and esoteric meaning in these word.