Previously Posted
Continued CHAPTER 16
The Method Of Baba’s Instructions
List of the true devotees is as follows:
1. Nanavali Brahma Deshpande: He was from Chiplun. He was an ascetic. He had relinquished his desires and greed, (Aparigrahee).
2. Muktarao: An ascetic.
3. Bhaurao Kumbhar: He was in service. His job was to sweep and clean the roads. He was an ascetic and aparigrahee (Explained above).
4. Saint Meherbaba: He was from Mumbai and was an ascetic.
5. Tulsiram Bhika Kote: He was from Shirdi and was an ascetic and aparigrahee.
6. Malibuva: From Kolhapur Sansthan (In British regime). He was an ascetic and aparigrahee.
7. Nanasaheb Nimonkar: He was from Nimon, a town. He was an ardent devotee.
8. Nanasaheb Dengale: From Nimgaon. An ardent and loyal devotee.
9. Damodar Savlaram alias Damuanna Rasne: From Ahmednagar. An ardent devotee.
10. Sakharam Balwant alias Dhumal: He was a lawyer from Nasik and was an ardent devotee.
11. Ganesh Damondar alias Dada Kelkar: Retired Forest officer, Shirdi.
12. Rao Bahadur Moreshwar Vishwanat Pradhan: High Court Pleader, Santacruz, Mumbai. Editor of ‘Sai Baba of Shirdi’. A virtuous person, generous donor. He purchased a land for Lendi garden and donated it to Shirdi Sansthan.
13. Ganesh Govind Narke: He was a professor in Engineering College, Pune. Though he was very fastidious he was an ardent and loyal devotee of Baba.
14. Keshav Ramchandra Pradhan: He was from Bhivpuri (Tal. Karjat, Dist. Kolaba) an ardent devotee.
15. Ramkrishna Shri Krishna Navalkar: Bombay High Court Pleader, a devout devotee. He donated his wada (a big house) in Shirdi, to Shirdi Sansthan. It was a ‘Satwik daan’.
16. Gopalrao Gund: He also donated his own house in Dhonda town, to Shirdi Sansthan.
17. Vyankat Limbaji Kadel: He got Baba’s Mandir floored by marble tiles and thus expressed his devout devotion.
18. Vanajibai (Mother of Tatya Patil): Baba used to call her as ‘Bayaja Mami’. She was from Kote-Shirdi. An ardent devotee who used to give alms to Baba, as many times He demanded.
19. Radhabai (Mother of Vamanbhau Gondkar): Baba’s Radhamami. She also would give alms to Baba
21. Jog Aai (Wife of Bapusaheb Jog, Bhiwandi): She regularly provided breakfast to Baba. Was a devout devotee.
22. Laxmibai Shinde (Mother of Tatya Patil-Shinde): Every evening she used to give roti and milk to Baba. Was an ardent devotee.
23. Ravsaheb Yeshwant Janardan Galwankar: (Arnala, Tal. Vasai) Superintendent of Police. Then retired from Mumbai Secretariate. There were three houses opposite Mandir, which were to be purchased for assembly hall for devotees. He (Galwankar) purchased one of the three and donated it to Sansthan. He also constructed stone structures around the trunks of Neem tree and Peepal tree in Lendi garden, for the purpose of sitting and resting.
24. Ramchandra Atmaram alias Babasaheb Tarkhad: Khatau Makanji Mill, Bandra. He was the pioneer and the manager (for Mumbai) of the magazine ‘Sai Leela’. He was a religious devotee.
25. Govind Kashinath alias Appasaheb Gadgil: Barrister, Pune. He and his wife Laxmibai, (Vahinisaheb) both were the devout devotees.
26. Sunderrao Dinanath Navalkar (Mumbai): He was a religious devotee who built an ornamental railing on Baba’s Samadhi.
27. Vasantrao Narayan Gorakshakar (Santa Cruz): A devout devotee.
28. Madhavrao Vishnu Sahastrabuddhe (Phaltan): An ardent devotee.
29. Ramchandra Ramkrishna Samant (Arnala, Tal. Vasai): An ardent devotee.
30. Shridhar Narayan Khamkar (Thane): Ardent devotee.
31. Dattatray Damodar alias Nanasaheb Rasne (Pune): Ardent devotee.
All the above persons were devout devotees of Sai Baba. All of them served Him in one way or the other.
Baba could fluently speak Marathi and Hindi languages. For Him nothing was impossible. He was seen talking in Pushtu with one Pathan (from Afghan). Kakasaheb Dixit and Madhavrao Deshpande were witness of this occasion. He was also talking in Persian with the Pathan. Sai Baba had taught Bhagwad Gita which was in Sanskrit, to Nanasaheb Chandorkar. He explained full text of Gita together with Sanskrit grammar. Nanasaheb himself had told this fact to all. Baba had elucidated ‘Quran’ and explained it to Abdulbhai Juve, (Abdulbaba). (Abdulbaba had personally told about it to the author). ‘Quran’ is in Arabic language.
All the above references reveal that language was never a barrier for Baba. He could communicate with any person in his own language. After all He was an Avatar and what could be impossible for the Aavtar? Dr. Canon was a resident of London (UK) He had written a book ‘Invisible Influence’. It was a controversial topic in those days for people in London.
Dr. Canon had Sai Baba’s photograph in his house. That was his only connection with Baba. Baba saved him from all defamation and calumny. Baba definitely inspired him through English. All languages of the world. He knew. It is but natural, as He was a Siddha, Jivan-Mukta, Mahayogeshwar and Jagadatma.
Before year 1934 (exact year cannot be mentioned) Dr. Canon had published the above book ‘Invisible Influence’. Dr. Canon had personally informed Mr. Tarkhad, who was an editor of ‘Sai Leela’ then, that he possessed one photograph of Sai Baba and he worshipped Him through it. Mr. Tadkhad then sent three copies of “Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi” (Written in English by Rav Bhahadur Moreshwar Pradhan). Dr. Canon received only one copy out of it. He demanded few more copies. Tarkhad immediately sent the copies.
London County Council had raised an objection against Dr. Cannon’s book, “Invisible influence”. So Council compelled him to resign from the post he held. But Dr. Canon convinced the councillors that the contents of the book were very very true. By Baba’s grace he was successful in doing so. He was then appointed again on the same post, moreover, he was given a promotion. Sai Baba thus saved His devotee, from a distance of five thousand miles away and beyond the seven seas. (For the readers, who are interested in details: Please Refer ‘Shri Sai Leela year 11″, issue 1″)
END OF CHAPTER 16
© Author – Dr. Keshav Bhagwant Gavankar (Annasahib Gavankar) – Explicit Rights To Publish To Shirdi Sai Baba Books.com (Member of SaiYugNetwork.com)
Love you Deva! Jai Sai Samarth!
Thanks so much for sharing about Dr. Canon and the book.
Please also share the link to the Sai Leela magazine (which page/edition) https://sai.org.in/en/saileela