By: Chakor Ajagaonkar
Sai Baba came to Shirdi for the first time in 1854 and after his advent in 1858, he permanently stayed in Shirdi. Shankar Kulkarni was the Village Physician by tradition and inheritance. Sai Baba initially treated the villagers by giving herbs and he became very popular as his treatment was successful, and he did not charge any fees for his services. Afterward, he was distributing Udi from Dhuni as a panacea for all ailments. This brought down Kulkarni Physician’s practice and triggered jealousy and hatred towards Sai Baba. He scoffed at Baba begging from five houses. When Baba planned to light 108 lamps for Deepawali, he instigated the oil vendors to refuse to give oil in charity to Baba. However, Sai Baba used water to light the lamps and he became even more popular! Then Kulkarni Physician attempted to immolate Baba on a midnight after a Deepawali day and manipulate as if it was a freak accident of Dhuni. It also failed as Kulkarni saw Baba’s slaughtered body. Baba was practicing ‘Khand Yoga’ in which body parts of Baba were thrown in all directions! Thus, at every step, Kulkarni Physician acted as a villain to Baba. But his wife Parvati was a pious woman who adored Baba. During the Ramanavami procession, while trying to stop his wife from joining the procession, Kulkarni Physician met with a freak accident and lost his eyesight. At the request of his wife, Kulkarni Physician was restored eyesight. Then onwards, Kulkarni Physician lived a life of complete devotion to Sai Baba till the end.
The Second Kulkarni in Baba’s life, Atmaram Keshav Ananth Kulkarni popularly known as ‘Appa Kulkarni’ was the revenue accountant or Karnam of Shirdi village. He was aged 25 and a devotee of Baba, and in 1895 Baba sent Atmaram Kulkarni as an emissary to bring Nanasaheb Chandorkar, then Deputy Collector of Kopargaon to Shirdi. Though diffident, he decided to invite Nanasaheb Chandorkar to Shirdi to see Baba. Nanasaheb was surprised as to how a begging fakir could invite him to see him. Nanasaheb declined Baba’s invitation and did not visit Shirdi. But Baba repeated his invitation for the second and third time. During his third visit Atmaram Kulkarni who was running high temperature went to Kopargaon Deputy Collector’s office and after reminding Nanasaheb of Baba’s invitation falls dead at the office itself due to plague. His body was brought to Shirdi, and Baba attended his last rites. At that time, Baba pronounced that six more persons shall die of plague in Shirdi. Atmaram Anant Kulkarni’s widow stayed in Shirdi. In Chapter 25 of Sai Satcharitra, Hemadpant makes another reference to Atmaram Kulkarni when Baba asks Damu Anna in 1910 to go over to Atmaram Kulkarni’s house for lunch as he was depressed due to his sister’s untimely demise.
The third Kulkarni was Appasaheb Kulkarni who was a Revenue Officer at Thana, and he was worshipping Baba’s picture presented to him by Balasaheb Bhate, in 1917. With utmost devotion, he did the worship. He offered flowers, sandal-paste, and naivedya daily to Baba in the picture and desired very much to have a darshan of Baba. In this connection Sai Satcharitra authoritatively states in Chapter 33 that seeing Baba’s picture with unswerving devotion amounts to seeing him. Once Appa Saheb while working in Thana, had to go on a tour to Bhivandi for a week. In his absence, a fakir visited Appasaheb’s house. His family observed that he resembled Sai Baba. When he returned home Appasaheb Kulkarni received 9 consecrated coins from the fakir, none other than Baba. He also received Udi, sacred rice, flower petals, and a strand of Baba’s hair which brought to him good luck and spiritual progress. He later had ‘darshan’ of Sai Baba at Shirdi. He got drawn towards Sai Baba only in 1917 but achieved a great deal spiritually in a short time.
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