(alias) Krishnaji Kasinath Joshi son of Kashinath Padmakar Joshi, Joshi Vatandar, Brahmin, aged 70, (10 miles off Ahmednagar), Mirazgaon.
20th July, 1936.
I was given a mere elementary Vernacular School Examination education to qualify myself for a School Master's place on Rs. 5 or 7 per mensem. I got trained also for the hereditary duties of the village priest. I did not care for either. We were poor. In these circumstances, I wanted to devote myself to a life of bhakti. I found a Guru in Datta Maharaj, a truly great and Satvic soul. He took me away from time to time and trained me in yoga. Under him I learnt Asanas, Pranayama and the rousing of the Kundalini Sakti. But, in my youthful waywardness, I was not contented with all that and asked my Guru to impart to me the mantras he knew which gave worldly powers (e.g) creating spells and breaking spells, exorcising devils and invoking them &c. The Guru very unwillingly imparted the mantras to me on account of my importunity and I went through the necessary Japa and sadhana. I wore an iron bangle, repeated the mantras as prescribed for the required number of times. I succeeded in getting possession of the coveted powers. I could simply utter a mantra and order the production of sweetmeats, pedhas and the like. And the articles I ordered would at once appear and be filling my hands. These I would show to others and distribute. The pedha etc., I could not use. I could not and should not eat or sell them but I gave them away to the admiring or wondering people about me. I could also destroy the evil spells of others. The production of pedha etc., was not by the use of evil spirits (e.g.) Yakshas, Jinns etc. This latter method is dangerous. It will extinguish one's life. The spirits might even begin to cause physical harm to the man, who uses them. In my case, the articles required were produced purely by mantric power without the use of these evil spirits.
When I was aged about twentytwo and fully armed with these magical powers, my Guru resolved to go away from our society into the Himalayas and live there alone right up to the end of his life. He started north and took me with him upto Delhi. There he wished to part company with me finally. As to what I should do after he went away, he told me that there was one Sai Baba of Shirdi, whom he referred to as his elder brother and that I should go to him and do whatever he directs. Saying this, the Guru went away and disappeared from me and this part of the country; and I have not seen or heard anything more of him since.
Then (i.e.) in 1908, I went to Shirdi and found Sai Baba. He would not allow me to be with him till I throw away my iron bangle and stop the production of pedhas etc., by mantric means. As his order was strict, I broke and threw away my iron wristlets and stopped my mantric production of articles like pedha etc. To sustain myself I begged food here and there at Shirdi. I had no abode. He ordered me to sit in a corner of the mosque and go on reading Dasbodha during the day, and I did so. At night, I would sleep in any place I could find space to lie on. He gave neither me nor anyone else any upadesa mantra etc. The town people from Bombay etc., were not coming to him then. Only the villagers would go to him now and then, and ask him to remedy their trifling complaints (e.g.) stomach-ache, fever etc. He gave his udhi to all these from his ever-burning fire (dhuni) which he maintained at the mosque. He was not asking for dakshina from all but only a few pice (e.g) 4 or 5 he would ask for and getting these, he might buy fuel for his dhuni or some such article of necessity. As for big people, I remember that Nanasahib Nimonkar was often with him; and as for his talks, I never heard him say anything about Maya or Brahma or Mahavakya tatwas or Viveka, and Sadhana Chathushtya. He imparted faith to those resorting to him with faith, in Ishwara, by exercising his wonderful powers; they would go on with their devotion to their Ishtadevata and finally, he would grant them Sakshatkara of that particular Ishtadevata.