First-person testimony
Santaram Balwant Nachne Dahanukar
Came to Baba via a Sadhu's blessing during his brother's 1909 throat surgery. The first published Sai Leela testimony (1923). Saved from a mad attacker, a tiger encounter, and other crises by Baba's name.
The Sadhu of 1909 — "Bendi Baji"
In 1909 Santaram's elder brother was undergoing throat surgery at Bajekar's Hospital, Bombay. The family was anxious. At Dahanu a Sadhu approached. They served him a full meal. The sister-in-law intentionally omitted "Bendi Baji" (lady's finger dish) thinking it too poor for a saintly guest. The Sadhu himself called for Bendi Baji; it was served. He blessed them and said: "The operation has been safely performed."
That same day Santaram's friend Haribhav Moreswar Panse mentioned Sri Sai Baba — Santaram's first hearing of Baba. Returning from the hospital, the father confirmed the surgery had been safe; a Sadhu had appeared, passed his hands over the operated part, and said all would be well.
The Kopergaon stationmaster's poison (1912)
Santaram's first Shirdi visit was 1912, before his Revenue Subordinates Examination results. At Kopergaon the Station Master spoke freely: undue honour was lavished on "a mere hypnotist like other wandering jugglers." Santaram's mind unsettled, he proceeded reluctantly. As they reached Shirdi, Baba was returning from Lendi. Without being told, he looked at Santaram and said:
"What? Have you come away without taking leave from the Mamlatdar?"
Santaram had indeed left office without leave. Baba: "Do not behave like this." All Station Master doubts vanished — Santaram was before a saint who knew distant things.
The Ekadashi meal command
At his first visit, when people were assembling for Arati, Baba told Santaram to go eat first. Santaram said it was Ekadashi (a fast day); his two friends fasted; he had to conform. Baba: "These people are mad. You had better go to the Wada and eat." The serving-man at the Wada grumbled. Santaram returned to the mosque. Baba insisted again: "The Arati will wait and will begin after you finish your meal and come." The hotel-man yielded.
Baba then gave him beda (betel) — also avoided on Ekadashi. Santaram hesitated; Baba: "Eat it." He obeyed.
"I had been to this man's house"
During the visit, Baba revealed his interest in Santaram's family. To H. S. Dixit, Job, and Dabholkar in his presence Baba said, pointing at Santaram:
"I had been to this man's house. He did not give me Bendi Baji."
Santaram's mind darted back to the 1909 Sadhu. He felt assured that in the form of a Sadhu Baba had been interested in their welfare. Later he told the gentlemen of the Bendi Baji story. The Sadhu of 1909 had looked Hindu, brownish, with a long beard — physically quite different from Baba. Baba was declaring in 1912 that he was the same Sadhu despite the external difference.
About his exam Santaram asked Baba. Baba: "Allah Malik Hai" — and placed his palm on Santaram's head as Varada Hasta. He passed.
The exit-day terror — and "these people are mad"
On the last day of the visit Baba was in tearing rage at the masjid for no reason. He jumped about the floor; eyes red; for fifteen minutes none dared approach. Santaram briefly doubted again — was the Station Master right after all? Baba cooled. They asked leave. He gave Udi and leave.
The mad attacker — 1914
In 1914 at Dahanu, while Santaram was at home Pooja before Baba's photo, one Ramakrishna Balawant Panse — deranged in intellect, thought harmless — was standing nearby. Suddenly he flew at Santaram, grasped his neck with both arms, tried to bite his throat: "I will drink your blood."
Santaram with one hand thrust an uddharini (heavy metallic pooja spoon) and his finger into the man's mouth. The spoon struck the throat. The man bit Santaram's finger. With the other hand Santaram tried to free his neck. His mother rushed in. Santaram lost consciousness. After remedies he recovered; the man's nails had dug deep into his neck flesh — he had been very near death. Next at Shirdi, Baba addressed Anna Chinchinikar, pointing to Santaram:
"Anna, if I had delayed an instant, then this man would have indeed perished. The mad man had seized his very throat. But I extricated him. What is to be done? If I do not save my own children, who else will?"
The Rashet Pass tiger — 31 March 1915
Santaram, Santaram Moreswar Panse, and others were travelling at night in a bullock cart in a dense jungle at the Rashet Pass. The pass was tiger-infested. It was a dark night. Their bulls took fright and stepped backwards. Had the cart swerved, all would have fallen into a steep ravine.
Panse pointed: the gleaming eyes of a tiger were on the road, couchant, facing them. Panse wished to get down to wedge a stone behind the wheel; he asked Santaram to hold the reins. Santaram held them and roared:
"Hail Sai Baba! Run, Sri Sai Baba (to our aid)!"
Others shouted too. The tiger ran away, passing by the side of the cart. "My faith in Baba and the courage he infused into me by making me call out his name thus saved the situation."
The two annas from V. S. Samant
In 1915 at the station, V. S. Samant gave Santaram a coconut and two annas to buy candy for Baba. Santaram bowed to Baba, gave the coconut, forgot the two annas. Asking leave, Baba said:
"Yes, go via Chitali, but why keep back a poor Brahmin's two annas? Maje garib brahmanache don ane ka tevathose?"
Santaram remembered and gave the two annas. Then prayed for leave. Baba, laughing: "You may go now. Whatever you undertake to do, do thoroughly, else do not undertake it."
The 1918 Bombay-transfer prophecy
In 1915 Baba had said: "Come to Bombay for service." It is not easy to transfer from Mofussil to Metropolis service. The prophecy was fulfilled in 1918 by Santaram's transfer to Bandra (Bombay Suburban District). Baba had pointed out an absence-without-leave breach in 1912 — and the Mamlatdar B. V. Dev's order in 1918 was that if Santaram repeated it he would be punished — but no punishment came.
Panse's appeal acquittal (1913)
As Santaram was starting for Shirdi, Haribhav Panse met him. Panse had been convicted of misappropriation, sentenced, released on bail pending appeal. The appeal was that day or the next. Panse: "Tell him I am in trouble and that I am innocent."
Santaram reached Shirdi. Before he could relay the message Baba spoke first, at the early-morning Kakad Arati at the Chavadi, in a very angry mood: "Tell him that he need not have any anxiety and that he will be acquitted in the appeal." Returning, Santaram met Panse — who had indeed been acquitted that day.
Verbatim Sai Baba quotes from this statement
- What? Have you come away without taking leave from the Mamlatdar?
- These people are mad. You had better go to the Wada and eat.
- The Arati will wait and will begin after you finish your meal and come.
- I had been to this man's house. He did not give me Bendi Baji.
- Allah Malik Hai. (As blessing on examination)
- Anna, if I had delayed an instant, then this man would have indeed perished… If I do not save my own children, who else will?
- Maje garib brahmanache don ane ka tevathose? (Why keep back a poor Brahmin's two annas?)
- You may go now. Whatever you undertake to do, do thoroughly, else do not undertake it.
- Tell him he need not have any anxiety and that he will be acquitted in the appeal.
- Come to Bombay for service.
All quoted speech attributed to Sai Baba is reproduced from the original 1936 statement. Headings and analytical bridges are editorial; verbatim quotations are in blockquotes or quote-lists.