First-person testimony · Part II

Rao Bahadur Hari Vinayak Sathe

Context

Hari Vinayak Sathe is one of the most often-named devotees in the Satcharitra. He purchased the neem-tree site at Shirdi and built the first of the three Wadas — Sathe Wada — with a platform (par) round the tree, steps, and a niche facing south. Devotees burn incense there on Thursday and Friday evenings (see Chapter 4). Sathe was also the employer of Megha, the simple illiterate Brahmin Shiva-devotee cook who is the subject of Chapter 28. Sathe sent Megha to Shirdi with a letter of introduction to Dada Kelkar, telling him Baba was Shiva incarnate. The Satcharitra also notes Sathe (after his first wife died) was told by Baba to remarry — "and that he would get a son" — which happened (two daughters first, then a son: Chapter 14 footnote).

About the 1936 statement

Sathe's first-person 1936 statement (page 112 of Part II) preserves the Sathe Wada origin story and the Megha relationship from the employer's side.

Verbatim excerpt from Narasimha Swami (1940s)

umility. I must not consider myself too high to beg or borrow. In fact, this lesson was so forcibly brought home to me when I visited Shirdi, after he attained Mahasamadhi, that I went round to beg for bread in the places where Baba used to beg for his bread. By such means, his grace has kept down my pride and egoism which otherwise would soar so high as to avoid contact with the so-called “lower strata” of society. On another occasion after depleting my resources, Baba asked me for Rs.50 and When I told him I had no cash left, he made me go round and ask some person, who gave me a negative reply. Then he made me go to Rao Bahadur Sathe., who rejoiced at the request being made to him. The significance of my going to the latter for Rs.50 was not explained to me then. But much later I was told that at that time, Rao Bahadur’s claim for pension was being considered; the matter in doubt was whether it should be a lower amount as first calculated on the last permanent appoint ment or an amount higher by Rs.50 being based on a calculation his sub protem appointment. He succeeded in gaining his higher pension and Baba’s direction that I should go to him for Rs.

Source: B. V. Narasimha Swami, Devotees' Experiences of Sri Sai Baba (All India Sai Samaj, Madras, 1940s; reprint Akhanda Sainama Sapthaha Samithi, Hyderabad). PDF on Internet Archive · OCR full text. Excerpt matched on the term: Rao Bahadur Sathe. This is the canonical English excerpt; please consult the original PDF for context.