alias Nana Sahib Rasane (or Daulatshah), Son of Damodar (or Anna) Savalram Rasane, Kasar, aged 40, Ravivarpet, Poona, May, 1936
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 1895, 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 Mahalsapathi 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 note book. 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 note book. 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 pace 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 the 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 Khedgaonpet and bowed to Narayan Maharaj with this thought or these words. He told me, "Your guru is Paramaguru. He is of higher sort than myself. Why did you come here? Your prarabdha – Sanchida - 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 of Junner (about 40 miles from Poona) and worshiped 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 as 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".