First-person testimony · Part II

Nagesh Atmaram Sawant

Context

Nagesh Atmaram Sawant's statement appears at page 177 of Part II.

About the 1936 statement

One of the Part II witnesses.

Verbatim excerpt from Narasimha Swami (1940s)

to Manmad a little early to catch the early morning train from Manmad to Dhond. While I was strolling on the platform a Deshastha Booking Clerk ac costed me casually and we fell into general conversation. Some how I mentioned to him the object of my staying at Manmad and then the fellow began a tirade against Shri Maharaj which 164 attacked even His moral character and this dissuaded us from going to Shirdi and we caught the next immediate train to Bombay and ran away as we would from a serpent. I regret this even to this day, when ever I remember it. After a month in Bombay, my sister in law did succeed in inducing us to go over to Shirdi and though there came some obstacles in the way. We never cared for them this time; and I thank God, that we remained firm and got the darshan. The station incident of a month previous was mentioned by Shri Maharaj; and I need not tell you that we were put to shame and tear for even think ing of having listened to that scoundrel. I was in Shirdi for 4 days and on the day that I went to ask His permission to go back, He told me that I should read Jnaneshwari, and that I would find in order on my table “transferred to Bijapur on promotion.

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: Sawant. This is the canonical English excerpt; please consult the original PDF for context.