(Mahadev initially did not have faith in Baba and was unwilling to visit Shirdi
for Baba’s darshan. Such a person became a staunch devotee of Baba. Mahadev’s wife
was surprised to see the same divine aura around Baba as that of Vittal in Pandharpur.
Mahadev and his wife, both witnessed the resplendent Chavadi Procession where Baba
looked like a veritable Vithal of Pandharpur. Baba had made these details available
to us through the sincere efforts of a devotee, Lt. Col. Nimbalkar, an ankita devotee
of Baba).
The Sapatnekars came from a village called Sapatne, hence the word; Sapatnekar was
suffixed to their names.They then settled in Madhegaon, the taluk headquarters.
They were a family of lawyers. Mahadev Waman Sapatnekar was a prominent, successful
and rich lawyer in Akkalkot and his father also was a lawyer.
Mahadev was a resident of Akkalkot. When he was studying law, a co-student by name
Shevade was also studying law, besides other law students. Once they were comparing
their notes to find out how they fared in the examination. In this process, Mahadev
and others came to know that Shevade did not fare well in the examination. But Shevade
was confident of passing the Law examination as Sai Baba of Shirdi said that he
would pass the examination. Mahadev felt that how a begging fakir in Shirdi would
make him pass the examination. On the other hand, Mahadev made fun of Shevade as
well as Sai Baba. Later when the results were declared, Mahadev and his friends
observed that Shevade also passed, to their surprise. Afterwards Mahadev started
practicing as a pleader in Akkalkot in about 1893. Afterwards he got married and
had a son. After some time he lost his wife and also lost his son due to throat
problem in about 1913. All these calamities had depressed him very much. In order
to get peace, he went on pilgrimage and visited holy places like Pandharpur, Gangapur
and other places, but he was unable to get peace.
Though some information about Sapatnekars was available in Hemadpant’s Shri Sai
Satcharita and other books written by devotees and also in Sai Leela Magazines,
more exhaustive details came to light through the efforts made by Lt.Col. M.B.Nimbalkar.
It is interesting to see how Baba had made these details available to us through
the sincere efforts of a devotee, Lt. Col. Nimbalkar, an ankita devotee of Baba
who was then living in Pune and who
made lot of research into the life and miracles of Baba. It is interesting to note
that Parvatibai Sapatnekar, wife of Mahadev Sapatnekar, though very old and not
in good health, recollected all the incidents and experiences with Baba after 65
years after Baba’s Mahasamadhi when she was interviewed by Lt.Col. Nimbalkar in
1983. Lt.Col. Nimbalkar had located with much difficulty the family of Sapatnekars
and then met in person, Dinakar and his aged mother, Parvatibai Sapatnekar and interviewed
them and thus collected all the details about their experiences with Baba. Dinakar
was the third son of Mahadev and Parvatibai and held the position of a judge in
the State of Maharashtra and later retired. At the time of interview, Dinakar was
68 years old. Lt.Col. Nimbalkar also interviewed at the same time his mother Parvatibai
Sapatnekar, who was 88 years old at that time.
His son, Dinakar disclosed another interesting fact about his father, Mahadev and
said that he was a devotee of Sri Datta and would frequently go to Gangapur. When
his first wife and son both died, Mahadev was so disillusioned with life that he
wanted to commit suicide by drowning himself in the river in Gangapur. However,
Datta himself saved him from committing suicide. Then he became disheartened and
at that time, Baba drew him to Shirdi in 1913.
Dinakar’s mother, Parvatibai Sapatnekar narrated, in the interview, all her experiences
with Baba. She said that she was married at the age of 13 and her husband, Mahadev
Waman Sapatnekar was aged thirty three years and that she was his second wife. Her
husband was practicing as a lawyer at Akkalkot and his parents were staying at Madhegaon.
Mahadev was very sad because his only son had died and was always unhappily thinking
about him. Further, after his second marriage, they did not have any issue for about
four to five years. This also made him more unhappy. At this stage, her father-in-law
told them about Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi and asked them to visit Shirdi as many people
had gone there and found peace. They had heard of Baba many times even from Shevade,
who was Mahadev’s friend and classmate. But, Mahadev did not have faith in Baba
and was unwilling to visit Shirdi for Baba’s darshan. However to respect his father’s
words, he went to Shirdi in 1913, taking his brother Pandithrao along with him,
leaving his wife in his parents’ place at
Madhegaon even though his wife was very eager to accompany them to Shirdi for Baba’s
darshan. Since a long time, she wanted to visit Shirdi for Baba’s darshan. She said
that in those days, even to stand in front of the husband was a great departure
from tradition and that telling him about her desire was not at all possible. While
her husband was in Shirdi, she and the wife of Pandithrao were sleeping in the same
room and at that time she had a dream. A great light flashed in the dream and she
suddenly remembered that there was no water in the house and then left for the nearby
well, Lakkadshah well with a pot to fetch water. In those days daughters-in-law
were not allowed to go outside the house, unattended. In view of this tradition,she
was in a hurry to collect the water and come back before her father-in-law returned
from court. By the time she reached the well, she saw a fakir standing near the
well. He had a piece of cloth tied around his head and was wearing a kufni, came
near her and said, "Woman, Why do you trouble yourself like this? I will fill your
pot with clean water." But she was afraid that the unknown fakir might do some harm
to her. She then ran towards her house with empty pot. However, he followed her,
saying "Do not run away, Oh woman. You will repent later. I have come here to give
you one thing." Then she reached home and closed the doors. Then her dream disappeared
and then she woke up. In the next morning she told her mother-in-law about her dream.
Her father-in-law overheard about her dream and wanted to know the full details.
After hearing the details of the dream, he said that the person whom she saw in
the dream must be Sai Baba of Shirdi and that the dream was auspicious and that
it augured well for the family.
At that time her husband returned from Shirdi and told them the details of his visit
to Shirdi. In the masjid, when he approached Baba to touch his feet and salute him,
Baba suddenly shouted, saying, "Chal hut!" (Go away!) and also pushed him away with
so much force that her husband’s pheta or headdress fell at a distance and then
he came out of the masjid unhappily. However, he stayed in Shirdi for two more days
and tried to have Baba’s darshan with the help of the other devotees like Bala Shimpi
and others. But whenever Baba saw him in the masjid, Baba would shout at him, saying,
"Chal hut!" and would not allow him near Baba. Then he realized that it would be
difficult to have Baba’s darshan and then returned to Madhegaon with lot of
discontentment. He also blamed his father for making him visit Shirdi.
Afterwards, Mahadev’s father told him about her dream and insisted on him to visit
Shirdi again and to take his wife also with him. However, Mahadev misinterpreted
her dream saying that she was always thinking about Shirdi visit and Baba’s darshan,
that was why she got such a dream and that too much importance should not be given
to the dream. But Mahadev’s father was firm and said that her dream should be taken
as a sign of good augury and insisted on his visit again to Shirdi with her. He
also said that there should be some reason as to why Baba was so angry with Mahadev.
He also asked Mahadev to take his elder sister-in-law also, as she had only daughters
and no son. Seeing his father’s firm order, Mahadev started and reached Shirdi with
his wife and sister-in-law.
When they reached Shirdi, Baba was just returning from Lendibagh and Mahadev’s wife
was surprised to observe that this Baba was the same person who appeared in her
dream. Because of her sincere devotion and humility, Baba called her and uttered
the following statement, "My stomach, waist, hands and legs are paining since several
days. In spite of using several medicines, there is no relief. After coming here
the pains have subsided.". Though Baba looked healthy, he expressed like this and
she understood that the matter related to her and also thought that how Baba knew
all her problems. She also felt that she was becoming alright after Baba’s darshan.
Then Mahadev thought that this was the right time for him to approach Baba for worship
and went with folded hands near Baba. Again this time, Baba asked him to get out.
Mahadev then realized by introspection that this was the result of insulting his
friend, Shevade and Baba. On some other day in the after noon, Mahadev noticed that
Baba was sitting alone in the masjid. He immediately rushed to Baba and, clasping
his feet, started weeping piteously. He also told Baba that he was ignorant of Baba’s
divine saintliness earlier and earnestly begged Baba to forgive his earlier accusations
and shower his Grace on him. He thus repented about his earlier behavior and then
bowed down at Baba’s feet. Baba read the change in his mind and blessed him with
his hand put on his head and stroked it.
Then a shepherdess came to the masjid and started massaging Baba’s waist and Baba
started narrating a story in his usual way, about the various aspects
of a person,including his life and death of a son. At this, Mahadev understood that
it related to him. He was also surprised as to how Baba knew all these aspects and
then he came to the conclusion that Baba knew every thing and that Baba was Almighty
God. Baba again said to the shepherdess, pointing at him, "This man accuses me of
killing his son. Do I kill people’s children? Why does he come here and start weeping?
I will put the same child in the womb of his wife….. ". Baba also told Mahadev,
"These feet of mine are very holy. They are also old. Your difficulties are over.
You be calm and without any worry."
Mahadev and his wife were still there in Shirdi. He told his wife in detail all
that had happened in the masjid with Baba. He said that Baba was an ocean of kindness
and a divine saint.. He told her to get ready for the arati puja after preparing
puranpolies (chapatis with a sweet content inside) as an offering for Baba. However,
one of the priests there told them that halwa (sweet) would also make a better offering,
so they prepared halwa and took it in a plate to the masjid as naivedya to Baba.
After the arati was over, the various offerings to Baba were all ready in front
of him. Even though their plate was slightly far away, Baba bent down, took some
halwa and ate it with relish. They felt extremely happy and offered their heartfelt
thanks to Baba for his kindness.
The next day was a Thursday and they attended the Chavadi Procession. The glory
of that festival could not be explained in words but was only to be experienced.
The Chavadi Procession was led by devotees with various musical instruments, such
as drums, cymbals and gongs. The decorated silver palanquin came next and lastly
Baba was moving with all the devotees on either side of Baba. One devotee held Baba’s
ceremonial umbrella, others held the ceremonial whisks and waved them as was done
to a Lord. They were told that Baba never sat in the palanquin. When the devotees
danced in joy, immersed in devotion, Baba would also dance. Baba’s effulgence was
a thing to be seen and experienced during the Chavadi Procession. Mahadev’s wife
was surprised to see the same divine aura around Baba as that of Vittal in Pandharpur.
Mahadev and his wife, both witnessed the resplendent Chavadi Procession where Baba
looked like a veritable Vithal of Pandharpur. This had happened in 1914.
Afterwards Baba took two rupees as dakshina from Mahadev. He gave a coconut to him
and asked him to put it in the lap of his wife and also told him to be fearless
and permitted them to go back home. He was ecstatic with happiness and saluted Baba
repeatedly, thanking him for showering them with his Grace, and returned from the
masjid.
After one year in 1915, Mahadev was blessed with a son and the boy was named as
Muralidhar. Then they went to Shirdi with the boy when he was eight months old.
Afterwards two more sons were born to them and they were named as Bhaskar and Dinakar,
Dinakar being the youngest. They again visited Shirdi with all the sons. When they
were having Baba’s darshan, one incident took place in the masjid. . When Dinakar
was two months old they placed him at the feet of Baba. Then Baba picked him up
and threw him up into the air. But his mother was very much afraid of, but nothing
had happened to the boy. Another devotee who was sitting by the side of Baba caught
him and handed him over to the parents. Perhaps Baba knew in advance all these things.
Some other children were born to them. In all Mahadev had eight sons and one daughter.
Then only she realized the full meaning of the boon granted to them by Baba. When
she went to Shirdi for the first time, Baba said, “Take! One, two, three, four!.
Take as many as you want” and like this Baba blessed them with children. Thus Baba
gave them as many children as they desired.
Mahadev also became a staunch devotee of Baba and his faith in and devotion towards
Baba increased manifold with passage of time. She also narrated one incident to
show as to how he developed utmost faith in Baba. Their second son, Bhaskar died
when he was aged ten, but her husband did not repent much and did not go into depression
in the same way as he did when he lost his first son and he treated it as the will
of God and Baba. At that time, he took all the children to the puja room in their
house, and lining them up in front of the photo of Baba he said, “Baba you may take
all these too if you wish, but the faith and devotion I have for you will stay firm
as a rock.” Parvatibai. Sapatnekar was alive some 65 years after Baba’s Mahasamadhi.
She passed away on 30th Oct, 1983. She was a blessed lady who had the opportunity
of seeing Baba when he was in mortal coil and witnessed the Grace of Baba and the
miracles for her family.
The portraits of Mahadev Waman Sapatnekar and also of Parvatibai Sapatnekar were
also kept along with the portraits of other close devotees in the Samadhi Mandir.