S/o Bhaskar Purandhare, aged 60, Brahmin, Deshasth Shukla Yajur Vedi (Kelva Mahim, Thana Dist - originally) now at Bandra, Retired clerk of G.I.P. Rly, Sainath Ashram, 59-B, Perry Road, Bandra
Poona, 4th May 1936
In 1926 on an Ekadasi in perfect peace and talking of Baba, Kaka Dixit suddenly expired. Baba has often said to me and to others, "He who is mine, even if he dies 1000 miles off, I will drag him to myself just as we draw a sparrow with a thread" and to many people he said, "I will not allow my man to get away from me." I saw some devotees dying at Shirdi on Ekadasi. They must have got Swarga thus. Baba did not, to my knowledge, describe Kylash, Vykuntha, Swarga or Moksha.
In 1914-6 or so, Baba was asked by a lady, "When will I get a good birth?"
Baba: "In your next birth." Next day, she jumped into a well to end her life but was saved. He occasionally foretold the future. I never asked about my own future. 'Taking in Vimana" means Sadgati.
Baba advised one Sagun Meru Naik to put some ghee on the rice and place the rice with ghee in the Dhuni (fire) as an offering and then bring the rest to him. This was in his (Sai Baba's) lifetime. Ever since then, S.M.N is doing this. Baba ate that food. That food was brought from his (S.M.N's) own house. Previous to that, his Naivedya had no ghee. The Naivedya is still coninued by that man. ( I have not seen Baba eating animal food). He told Fakris to utter Fatya when Moslems made offerings.
Once he asked me to give him all the old copper coins I had. I gave him all I had. I don't know what he did with them. He had old coins tied neatly in a cloth (so as not to make any jingling noise) and kept them in his side pockets. He asked me for Dakshina. I gave up everything. Once I thought I had nothing left of all my coins. Then Baba said, "You have still a two anna'piece in your pocket. See." I saw and found it and gave him that also. He used to completely exhaust the finances of many in this way. I do not know with what object he did that. Some people asked him why he wanted so much money. Baba replied, "I am not asking of every one. I ask only from the man whom the Fakir (God) points out. But in exchange, I have to give that man ten times" the money. I do not take money for my own use. I have no family etc." He used to give the money freely to all people, singers, tamashi, Fakirs, etc. He used to bring lots of fuel for his Dhunimayi - mother fire at the Dwarkamayi.
The Tulasi grove (Brindavan) at the mosque was put up after 1909, 1911 or 1912. We all helped in that. The Mantap (or Tin shed) in front of the Masjid was put up in 1912. G.S.Khaparde explained Panchadashi, etc., in Sathe's Wada. Upasani Baba also attended there. I never attended, as I was busy with works always. Balvant Ramachandra Noolkar was a retired Sub-Judge. He came, lived and died at Shirdi