Retired Deputy Collector, Deccani, Brahmin, Aged 81 (born 1855), Residing at 108, Shukrawar Peth, Poona
Another instance of his watchfulness over my conscience and morals was this. I was once proposing to visit for the first time the residence of a female devotee of Baba out of mere curiosity. Just before the visit, Baba asked me if I had gone to such and such a place. I did not understand the names of places and missed the point of his question. Baba then dropped the subject. I then went to her lodgings and was engaged in some conversation. Very soon evil thoughts began to invade my brain. Suddenly Baba appeared in front of that house and pushed open the door which had been closed but not bolted. He made some ironical signs to me to convey the idea, "What an excellent thing you are now launching into!" and disappeared. His timely interference before any evil was definitely lodged in my mind or could take shape in action saved the situation. Conscience asserted itself; tendencies to evil were definitely checked and I retreated from the place at once and never visited it again. Some time thereafter I learnt that the place I visited was locally known by the very name mentioned by Baba in his question that day.
Baba's help to me came in family affairs, official matters, dealings with saints, other spiritual matters etc.
Family affairs:
Baba said in 1904 just before my second marriage that God would bless me with a son if I married and he approved of the match in 1905. Then my father-in-law Dada Kelkar (or Damodar Kelkar) became deeply devoted to him and made Shirdi his permanent residence. I built the Wada here at Baba's bidding in 1908 or so; and my father-in-law with my wife and family (and I also sometimes) lived there though its chief use was for the visitors that came to Baba. There was no other lodging (except the village chavadi) available for respectable visitors. The foundation stone laying has already been mentioned. When the construction was to go on, the walls had to be raised and some of the branches of the Neem tree (under which Baba had practised his early Sadhana or penance) had to be chopped off. As the tree was held sacred by all, none dared to cut the branches and Baba was approached. He then said, "Cut off so much as interferes with the construction. Even if our own foetus lies athwart the womb, we must cut it." But even with his permission, the workmen feared to cut it as it seemed so sacrilegious. Then Baba himself came and cut off the obstruction. Later the steps for going upstairs and a niche over Baba's Guru's Tomb were put up. Baba made me spend money in this and in other matters also so as to help on religion and charity, e.g. when Das Ganu had his "Lives of the Saints" ready for printing, Baba made me pay Rs. 75 towards the expenses.
The first two children born of this second marriage were girls. My father-in-law and mother-in-law then approached Baba with the prayer that the promised son should be born and asked him, "When are we to have a grandson?" Baba then answered, "I am requesting Allah. He will comply with my request". A year or two later (ie. in 1913) my son was born. That boy is with me here (by Baba's grace) hale and hearty and the prop of my age.
I have already stated how Baba directed me to behave in relation to my father-in-law and wife. I shall mention his kindly interest in one more family affair of mine. Sometime after I retired, my financial circumstances were declining. On one occasion, I sold a jewel of my wife. Baba then addressed my father-in-law and said, "Why does that fool of a Saheb sell my daughter's jewel?".