First-person testimony · Part I

Rao Saheb Yeshwant Janardan Galwankar

Context

Rao Saheb Galwankar's statement appears at page 86 of Part I.

About the 1936 statement

The Rao Saheb honorific indicates Galwankar held senior civil-service position by 1936. His statement is one of several Part I testimonies from Maharashtra government officers who became Baba-devotees in the 1910s.

Verbatim excerpt from Narasimha Swami (1940s)

and with deep emotion. Suddenly, she would break into laughter or melt into tears and either continue slowly with choked voice or stop the song alto gether by her sobs. Often Baba detained me at Shirdi, even after my leave ex pired. In 1912, e.g., he thus detained me. When Syama or anyone mentioned taht I had to go back lest my boss should find fault with me, Baba would reply “I am his boss” and keep me on. Thus in that year after long overstaying my leave, I returned and went at 1 P.M on aThursday to the office. The foreman of the shop called upon me to explain and reported about my absence without leave. I handed him my resignation. My officer, Mr.Wilson, the Deputy Superintendent, sent for me and asked me where I had been. I said I was at Shirdi. He knew everything, tore my resignation paper and put it into the waste paper basket.The foreman was discontented but was powerless to do any harm. The chief told the foreman that I was not his, i.e., the foreman’s servant or subordinate. In six months time I was promoted and that foreman became my subordinate. VII 17TH OCTOBER, 1936. Rao Saheb Yeshwant Janardan Galwankar, B.A.

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