First-person testimony · Part I

Raghuvir B. Purandhare

Context

Raghuvir Purandhare's statement is the seventh witness in Part I (page 76). The Purandhare family appears in Chapter 9 of the Satcharitra: Mrs. Tarkhad once gave two brinjals to Mrs. Purandare, who was going to Shirdi, with detailed instructions to prepare both Bharit and Kacharyas for Baba. Baba called for both dishes at the masjid — though only the Bharit had been brought — revealing Mrs. Tarkhad's hidden second instruction.

About the 1936 statement

Raghuvir's 1936 statement gives the Purandhare family's own account. The Purandhares were Bombay-area devotees whose pilgrimages to Shirdi predate 1915.

Verbatim excerpt from Narasimha Swami (1940s)

f. Narke is clear, guarded, yet emphatic in all that he says. Rao Bahadur S. B. Dhumal, Mr. R. B. Purandhare and Mr. S. B. Nachne (who along with the Judge appear to be the most ardent among the lovers of Baba included in this part) have revealed the fact that they are constantly receiving Baba' s help ever since Hey came under his care. An enthusiastic reader need not despair of achieving the same result for himself. Several Madrasee devotees who learnt of Baba within the last two years, i.e., after this writer' s articles appeared in th eSunday Times, Madras, (1936) have got into intimate touch with Sai Baba and are receiving his guidance and help, every day-nay every hour. The holy Swami Naraina Tirtha reveals how he was enabled by Baba to enjoy the mystic bliss of perceiving that all things are but his own self-that difference is really non-existent. The reader may be assured that such high advaitic flights are by no means confined to the older devotees that were privileged to see Baba in the flesh. The modern devotee can still derive similar and even higher benefits by concentrating his love on Baba.

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