Damodar Rasane-Damu

Damodar Savalram Rasane, known as Damu Anna, was a Kasar (bangle seller) and merchant of Ahmednagar. Though he had two wives, he had no children, and he came to Baba hoping for his blessing.

Around 1895, Baba set aside a few mangoes that had been sent to him, saying they were for Damu. When Damu arrived, Baba told him not to eat them himself but to give them to his junior wife. Baba said she would bear children and even told him their names. Damu wrote the names in a notebook. Within a year a son was born, and Damu was blessed with several children in time.

The Satcharitra also tells how Baba guided Damu Anna in business. A friend in Bombay invited him to join a big cotton speculation that promised huge profits. Damu wrote to Baba for permission, hoping for a share. Baba advised him not to be greedy and to be content with what he had. Later, when Damu thought of buying grain, Baba again warned him. Both deals failed badly for others, and Damu learned to trust Baba's word above his own calculations.