(He did lot of propaganda about Baba’s mission and miracles and was also a trustee
in Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan for some time and served Baba in that capacity also.
He also took over their family bangle business and named the firm as,"Sri Samartha
Sainath & Co." and conducted the business on fair principles.)
Dattatreya Damodar Rasane alias Nana Sahib Rasane (or Daulatshah),Son of Damodar
(or Anna) Savalram Rasane, Kasar was a resident of Poona and his father was an ankita
devotee of Sai Baba. His father, Savalram Rasane went to Shirdi in 1895. He was
one of the oldest devotees who visited Shirdi at a time when Nana Saheb Chandorkar
went to Shirdi to have darshan of Baba. At that time, Savalram did not have any
issue even though he had two wives. On contacting famous astrologers, Savalram came
to know that due to adverse planetary position in his horoscope he would not get
any issue at all. However, he came to know about the miracles of Baba and then decided
to visit Shirdi. So his father went to Shirdi to have datshan of Baba and seek his
blessings for getting issue. At that time in 1895, a devotee had sent Baba a parcel
of excellent Goa mangoes. After distributing the mangoes among the children present
in the masjid, Baba kept 8 mangoes separately for giving to Savalram who was still
on the way to Shirdi. The children wanted Baba to distribute even these eight mangoes
also; but Baba said that he reserved them for Damya (Baba used to call Savalram
as Damya). But they said, 'Damya is not here'. Then Baba said that Damya was on
his way to Shirdi and arrived already at Kopergaon and would be in Shirdi shortly.
Immediately after that, Damya reached Shirdi for the first time and then went to
the masjid and had darshan of Baba after presenting Baba with flower garlands, chadar
etc. Then Baba gave the fruits and asked him to give them to his junior wife. Baba
also said that he would have two sons first. Baba also gave the names of the first
two sons as Daulat Shah for the first son and Thana Shah for the second son. Savalram
immediately noted the names in a note book.. He then returned to his home at Ahmednagar
and gave the fruits to his junior wife. One year after his visit to Shirdi, a son
was born. When the child was 15 months old, his father took him to Baba at Shirdi
for darshan and he then asked Baba, "How shall I name this child?" Baba replied,
"Have you forgotten what I told you? You have written it at page 3 of your note
book. Did I not say that he should be named Daulat Shah?" He was thus named
Daulat Shah and besides this name, he also had Hindu name as Dattatreya Damodar
Rasane.
In 1900 when he was five years old, his father took him to Shirdi for his tuft ceremony
At that time Baba held his hand and wrote on the slate and he was thus initiated
into the mysteries of the alphabet and he was also taken to the school in Shirdi.
When he was aged about seven years old, he was in Shirdi and was massaging Baba's
foot. At that time Baba began the distribution of sweets with his own hand to the
children present in the masjid. Being a young boy, naturally his attention was drawn
towards the sweets and then he became slack in massaging. His mother who was by
his side, observed this and beat him and also said that he was thinking about sweets
and neglecting the service to Baba. Then Baba said, "You, old woman. Why do you
beat the boy?". His mother then requested Baba to give him and develop in him a
good desire to perform service to Baba. Baba replied, "The boy will serve me well.
God will endow him with pure desires. Do not fear, Do not beat him". Later when
the boy grew up in age, he did lot of propaganda about Baba’s mission and miracles
and he was also a trustee in Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan for some time and served Baba
in that capacity also.
When he was twelve years old, he went with an elder cousin to Shirdi. They both
had 100 rupees with them. Baba asked for dakshina, starting with 10 rupees, next
15 rupees etc. Only 25 rupees were left with his cousin in his pocket and then they
at once wrote to their people in Ahmednagar for sending more money so that they
could offer Baba for dakshina and also for their return journey. That evening Baba
again asked his cousin for another 25 rupees and he replied that the money they
had, had been exhausted and that they required money for their return journey. Baba
immediately replied saying, "Why talk all this humbug? You have got 25 rupees in
a corner of your pocket. The M.O. you have written for, will come here tomorrow.
Do not fear". His cousin immediately gave 25 rupees as dakshina. Baba used to say
that any one giving an amount as dakshina, Baba would definitely return to that
person not less than double the amount of dakshina. Baba would thus bless the devotees
by returning to them several times the dakshina amount he was receiving.
When he was to be married, four girls were offered to him. His father never acted
in any important matter without consulting and getting the sanction of Baba. He
went to Baba and placed before him all the four horoscopes of the girls offered,
one of which offered as dowry Rs.2,500 or 3,000 and asked Baba which girl was to
be chosen. Baba selected a poor girl's horoscope and gave it into the hands of his
father. That was the girl he married and his marriage took place in Pandharpur.
His father invited Baba to attend the marriage. But Baba replied, "I am with you.
Do not fear. Whenever you think of me, there I am with you". My father pressed him
further to attend the marriage. Baba, however, declined the invitation but asked
Shama to attend it on his behalf. And Shama attended his marriage at Pandharpur.
He had an younger brother and he was named as Thana Shah as per the directions of
Baba. As regards Dattatreya’s children, two girls and a boy were born but expired
within a few months of their birth owing to fits. The male child died in 1926, his
wife's health was also bad and consequently he was in great depression of spirits
and in that state he prayed to Baba thus: "Instead of giving me many babies that
die quickly give me at least one child that will live long". When he was sleeping
in the wada in Shirdi, Baba appeared in his dream and said that the male child for
which he was grieving over was born in Moola Nakshatra and that was harmful to the
parents. He saw in that dream a bright circle like the Sun on Baba's breast. Or
rather inside the Sun, Baba was sitting with his deceased child on his lap and Baba
said, "I took away this dangerous child from you. I will give you a good child.
Do not fear". Before this time his family had migrated from Ahmednagar to Poona.
When he went home he verified the dead child's horoscope and noticed that Moola
was really the constellation under which the child was born.
His faith in Baba increased manifold and he looked upon other saints as Baba..and
while bowing to them, he used to utter internally the name of Sadguru Samartha Sainath..
In 1927 when he visited Khedgaonpet and bowed to Narayan Maharaj with this type
of expression on his lips, that Maharaj told him that his Guru was Parama Guru (Supreme
Guru) and that Baba was of higher order than himself and also asked him as to why
he had come there. That Maharaj also said that his choice of Baba as Guru was excellent
and that he would achieve his purpose in his life
In 1927 his stars were not auspicious and his health was deteriorating. He went
up to the temple of Sitaram Uttareswar (a Siva temple) near Junner (about 40 miles
away from Poona) and worshipped at the temple every Sunday. One Sunday at 9 p.m.
when he placed flowers on the Idol with the words, “Namaskar (Salutation) to Sai
Baba”, he saw a light at the Idol and in that light also saw the Image of Sai Baba,
about whom he was always thinking. Then his health improved and his depressed spirits
suddenly got revived. A saint by name Janaki Das, was living in that area. Every
Sunday he used to go and bow to him while remembering internally about Baba and
also uttering internally Baba’s name. The saint then told him, "You have resorted
to a great saint. Why do you come to a poor saint like me? People like myself seize
the feet of Sai Baba”.
Then he went to his lodgings and slept and during that night, Baba appeared in his
dream and said, "You are full of anxiety. Give me biksha, your entire body and mind
as biksha". He said, “I will give this biksha and then inform my father”. Then Baba
said, “How can you do it without consulting your father?” He then said, “I am master
of my life. My father has other sons and he will not object. You gave the children
and there can be no objection to my being given to you”. Then Baba lifted up his
body in his palms and placed him into his breast pocket. He was filled with ecstasy
at the thought that Baba exhibited so much kindness to him by putting him near his
heart. When he woke up he found himself very happy and his mind at once attained
detachment or Vairagya. Thereafter he felt that he had changed mentally also and
that material things did not attract him from that time onwards as they did earlier..
After a few months, a son was born to him when they were at Pandharpur and the son
was named Phalgun Vadya and this had happened in 1928. After fifteen months, he
and his father went to Shirdi and his father prayed to Baba at Baba’s Mahasamadhi
for granting him one more son. Baba granted it and he got another son in 1931. On
the second day of this son’s birth, the child developed high fever and he gave Baba's
udhi and tirtha to the child and a talisman with cloth relics of Baba was also tied
to the child and the child recovered fully. This son was named as Saidas. On completion
of Saidas’s first year, Saidas was taken to Shirdi and abhishek was performed, clothes
were offered to Baba’s Mahasamadhi and meals were arranged for Brahmins
as a sign of gratitude to Baba..
During 1931 he was placed in charge of their family bangle business and for that
business he insisted that the firm should be named after Baba and for that purpose,
chits were cast before Baba’s picture to seek Baba’s permission. After obtaining
Baba’s permission in this way, the firm was named as Sri Samartha Sainath & Co.
The business was conducted by him on the lines of probity and conscience.
Whenever people approached him for Baba’s udhi and tirtha, he was eagerly and happily
offering them and they were being blessed by Baba and their illness was cured and
their problems got resolved as he was giving them in the name of Baba.
In September, 1932 he was on a pilgrimage at Muttra and at that time he had such
a severe attack of cholera that death appeared almost imminent. His father also
asked him what was his last wish. Then he said that he wanted to be taken to Shirdi
for being burnt there in the event of his death as Baba was Lord Krishna. But with
Baba's photo placed over his head and also Baba's udhi and tirtha was given to him,
there was some improvement in his health. On that day during the midnight, a saint
of Unava by name Miradatar, a renowned Muslim Saint, near Sidpur in Gujarat spoke
through his sister-in-law, Subadra Bai through an avesam. The spirit of that saint
spoke through her mouth, saying that Baba was his uncle and Baba sent him to tell
them that they should not have any fear about the health of Dattatreya who was having
Baba’s blessings and asked them to give a cup of coffee to the patient and that
he would be alright. Then he took coffee adding in it Baba’s udhi. After a little
while, his fever and motions got stopped. Thus from his critical position, he got
cured and this had created a surprise in the mind of the treating doctor and he
told the doctor that Baba was Doctor of Doctors and that Baba’s sacred udhi protected
and saved him. The portrait of Dattatreya Damodar Rasane was also kept along with
the portraits of other close devotees in the Samadhi Mandir.
He was also interviewed by B.V.Narasimhaswamiji in 1936 and he expressed all these
details in that interview and consequently all these details and his miraculous
experiences with Baba thus came to light.