Pleader, Brahmin, aged 63, Nasik
Nasik, 16th October, 1936 & Shirdi, 28th October, 1936
After receiving Baba's reply, I moved to a bunglaw at Nasik. But the same night a dead rat was found near the bed of my brother's son at the bungalow. Again I sought Baba's advice by letter whether I should move away. The reply was in the negative. And contrary to the rules of prudence and wisdom of medical experts and laymen, I kept on living with my family at the bungalow. No harm befell us. Later, dead rats were found in the servants' quarters, in the houses, in the neighbourhood, and lastly, in the well from which alone we had drawn all our supply of water for drinking, cooking etc. At this, I wrote at once to Baba for permission and in anticipation of its arrival which I considered as certain, I packed up all our things and carted them off to our house in the Bazar Street. I went to the house and was just trying to unlock the front door, when a postal letter from Shirdi was delivered to me. That conveyed Baba's reply to me. i.e. "why should we give up (i.e., change) our residence?" I adopted this advice without question or demur and went back immediately to the infected bungalow and lived in it. (As for water, I took the precaution of avoiding the well and getting all our water from the river Godavari). This further apparently risky and foolhardy step of reoccupation did not result in any harm to us. There were times during the Plague Season when there were 14 or 15 deaths per day due to plague in the town - and despite that fact, Baba bade us stay in the house in town and we were all safe.
Baba's kindness to me was not confined to temporal affairs. I lost my wife in 1909. I was anxious about her soul's welfare and was performing the monthly (Masik) ceremonies. At the time when the sixth month's ceremony had to be performed, Baba told me to perform it at Shirdi and promised to give my wife Sadgati, (i.e., literally a good start for her soul's further spiritual course). I went to Shirdi accordingly and performed that Masik there. Baba then asked me for Rs.15 dakshina and I gave it. I have implicit faith in the truth of Baba's declarations and have had ample verification in matters which admit of verification, which naturally fortifies my faith in his statements as to matters unseen and apparently incapable of verification. I am sure my wife got Sadgati by Baba's grace. Then, as I was in 1909 a vigorous and healthy lawyer, aged 36, without issue, the question of marrying a second time was frequently considered, especially by my friends and well-wishers. Among them was my father-in-law, Rao Bahadur Bapu Rao Dada Kinkhede, M.A., a pleader of Nagpur. When I told him that I could never act without a direction from Baba, he took me to Shirdi and then went to Baba without me. He came back in five minutes and intimated to me that he could read Baba's negative reply from his eyes and told me not to marry without Baba's express consent or order. Of course, I never acted without Baba's consent. Up-to-date, Baba has not made me marry and I have continued my life of "single blessedness". Alike from the temporal and spiritual view- point Baba has settled this course for me and after a fairly happy and successful temporal life, Baba is developing in me a slow but sure detachment from the temporal comforts and I am surrendering myself to his guidance without the faintest fear for my future here or hereafter inspite of the fact that his ways are mysterious, highly puzzling and really inscrutable in many matters. As for temporal success, it is not vainglory but a desire to set down the actual truth that makes me inform you that almost invariably my professional efforts were crowned with success and .from their financial or personal aspect also, I had nothing to complain of, as my income tax would clearly indicate. It was all due to Baba's help and grace. Yet despite all this temporal success, he keeps me free - more and more free, from worldly shackles and ready for retirement when he gives the signal.
I had some public activities also which I took up with Baba's permission and in which his miraculous intervention and help were occasionally seen. Some instances appear so incredible that I first hesitated to reveal them. But it matters nothing to me whether they command other people's belief or not. As you want the truth, here is the truth as known to or experienced by me.