Dady Agiary St., BOMBAY. Sanyasi and disciple of Vedasrama Swami (Taraka Mutt, Durgaghat, Kashi), residing at Vaman Muth, Gangapuri Wai, (Satara District), aged 58, 23rd SEPT. 1936
I knew Sai Baba, i.e., heard the name and the greatness of Sai Baba in 1910 from Das Ganu Maharaj's kirtana. I asked him "Is Sai Baba living?" He said "Yes, at Shirdi." In five days of that I went to Shirdi and saw Sai Baba. In six months thereafter, I paid Baba nine visits. I often went to him in later years also. I was then in service, in the Customs Department and continued in it till 1926 when I retired on pension after 31 years service. 1927-1930 I spent in "Narmada Pradakshina". In 1931, I took Sanyas changing my former name “Toser" to the present one. I came first under a Guru's influence in 1895 whom I saw in a dream. When I went to Shirdi in 1910 and had my contact with Sai Baba, I found that he was the same as the Guru who gave me first inspiration (without any words) in my dream in 1895. Then I passed after 1918 into the charge of Vasudevanand Saraswati of Garudeshwar on the banks of Narmada near Nanded (in Gujarat). Though Vasudevanand Saraswati left the flesh in 1915 he had connection with Baba. I believe that Baba has left me in his charge. So, Vedasrama Swami of Kashi, Taraka Muth, Durgaghat, gave me deeksha in 1931.
I mostly stay at Wai. As for my internal progress and Sai Baba's infulence on me, it is hardly a thing to be described.
Sai Baba had different ways of dealing with different people. He was the centre and to each man he darted a separate radius. Most cared for external things only and hardly any came to him for the highest spiritual benefit of Atma Nishta. Hari Sitaram Dixit, Chandorkar and Dabholkar were probably those who came close enough to him to receive high teaching. Yet it is a question if any of them got into Atma Nishta or anywhere near that. Baba had made Dixit read Eknath's two works, as he was but a beginner in the religious field and had to develop his bhakti (devotion) chiefly. Of course, immediate proximity was not needed for development under Baba. When I was at Shirdi, I would mostly go and sit away by myself in the (Sathe) Wada and not be at the Mosque. Even at the Wada, one is under Baba's direct influence.
As for Baba's own state, that is a thing one can get a glimpse of from some facts. Baba had a way of touching (with his palm) the head of the devotee who went to him. There was no adhikari evidently to receive everything Baba could give and thus there was none to succeed to his position. But his touch did convey certain impulses, forces, ideas, etc. Sometimes he pressed his hand heavily on the head as though he was crushing out some of the lower impulses of the devotee. Sometimes he tapped, sometimes he made a pass with the palm over the head etc. Each had its own effect-making remarkable difference in the sensations or feelings of the devotee. Baba's touch was one means. Apart from that, he would invisibly operate on the nature of the devotee and effect a great change on him. He graciously conveyed to me without any words, the feeling that differences (between various souls etc.) i.e. all differences were unreal, that the One real thing is that which underlines all. This was after my first visit-in 1913 or 1914 perhaps. But Baba never spoke out this truth so far as I know. Obviously there was no competent adhikari who had to be spoken to in that way.