Santaram Balwant Nachne Dahanukar

Dahanukar

Thana, 13th September, 1936

In 1915, after this, I started to go to Shirdi. At the station one V.S.Samant gave me a coconut with two annas to buy candy, etc., to be presented to Baba. I went and bowed to Baba and gave the coconut but forgot all about the two annas. When I asked Baba for leave to go, he said "Yes. Go via Chitali but why keep back a poor Brahmin's (i.e., my) two annas?" I was at once reminded by this hit and I gave him the two annas entrusted to me by Samant. Again I prayed for leave and he said laughing, "You may go now. Whatever you undertake to do, do thoroughly, else do not undertake it.”

Once when I was at Shirdi, Sankar Rao (Balkrishna Vaidya) came there. Baba asked him for Rs.16 dakshina. He pleaded want of money. A little later, Baba asked him for Rs.32. Again he put forward the same plea. A little later Baba asked him for Rs.64. Then we told Baba we were not rich enough to pay such large sums. Then Baba said collect the amount and pay. This proved to be a prophecy. Sometime later, Baba fell ill. A sapthaha was celebrated and it had to be followed by a grand feast to be given to all comers on a large scale. Moneys had to be collected. At the bidding of Dabolkar, Sankar Rao and I started with the hat in my hand. The collection then made by us totalled exactly Rs.64 and it was sent up.

I gave Baba's Udhi to Ravji Sakharam Vaidya to apply to his daughter "Moru" who was having "Plague" fever. It subsided. My father was something of a doctor. Parasuram Apaji Nachne, a Talati, had longstanding illness. My father and other medical men despaired of his recovery. But by vows and prayers to Baba and burning Udbatti before his picture with a perpetual ghee lamp he recovered his health. When I and S.B.Vaidya went to Baba in 1915, the later presented Silver padukas to Baba with a view to get them back again for his worship. But Baba presented them to me. I thought it but right that they should go to Vaidya and gave them to him. But on Madhava Rao Deshpande's intervention they were again transferred to me. Vaidya had another pair of silver padukas. Baba himself asked Vaidya for that pair and presented that also to me, saying "Keep this and do Pooja". I said that was Vaidya's property and must go to him. Baba said "Keep it for the present, you can give it to him later." I kept it then and later presented one pair to Vaidya.

Adhering to chronological order, I may mention one instance of Baba's justice and fair play; in which he plucked the feathers off Orthodox intolerance. In May 1915, I went to Shirdi accompanied by my mother-in-law and others. We put up at the "Sathe Wada" (as it was then called; since then it has changed hands and become Navalkar Wada) and Dada Kelkar was living in part of the premises. When my mother-in-law was cutting onions for our meal, Dada Kelkar, an orthodox Brahmin, who abhorred onion got irritated and fell foul of her. She took his abuse very much to heart. A few hours later, Dada's grand-daughter was crying on account of severe pain in her eyes and he went to Baba for relief. Baba then told him to foment the eyes with onion. Dada asked "Where am I get onion?" Baba always kept some onion with him and perhaps Dada hoped to get his supply from Baba. But that just arbiter was keeping some designs up his sleeve and told Dada "Get it from this ayi, i.e., mother," pointing to my mother-in-law. Baba was giving her the chance of relieving her pent up feelings and taking noble revenge by returning good for evil. She told Baba that Dada had been abusing her that very morning for using onions for preparing her meal, and that she would not care to give him anything but if it was Baba's order that she should give him onions, she would. Baba ordered the gift and she had her grand revenge of doing good to one who had so recently lacerated her feelings.