GaulibuVa, Anandnath Maharaj,

Chandbhai Patel

Several persons realised the greatness of Shri Sai Baba through intuition, and were attracted to Shirdi for the sake of His proximity. They spent some time with Baba and then proceeded with their onward journey. 

GaulibuVa

Gaulibuva was an ardent devotee of Pandurang of Pandhari. He used to undertake the pilgrimage of Shirdi every year. With him, there was always a disciple and a donkey. He used to spend eight months in each year at Pandhari. And, in the Chaturmas (a sacred period of four months, from Ashadh Shuddha Ekadashi to Kartik Shuddha Ekadashi), he used to put his camp on the banks of the river Ganga. At that time, he used to go for Baba’s darshan. He saw Pandurang in Baba. Seeing Him, Gaulibuva used to say, “He is my Pandurang personified. He is the saviour of the destitute ! Can a person become a saint by wearing a silken dhoti ? For that, it is necessary to spend your blood and body. This world is mad. It runs after useless things and persons. Can a person become God without deserving it ?”

Gaulibuva’s these sincere words give us an indication of his true feelings. He used to caution people, “He is the Incarnation of Parabrahma. Don’t let Him go away from your hands.”

At that time his age was around 95 years.

Anandnath Maharaj

This great saint was a disciple from the Shishya-parampara of Shri Akkalkot Swami.

This famous Anandnath Maharaj has his math at village Savargaon, 6 kilometers from the town of Yevala (on the Kopargaon - Manmad rail track). He used to reside at the math. Like other saints, he used to come to Shirdi frequently to meet Baba. He had foretold about Baba that, “He will do great work.”

Once Madhavrao Deshpande, Nandram Marvadi, Bhagchand Marvadi and Dagdubhau Gayke - all villagers from Shirdi - had gone to take darshan of Anandnath Maharaj. All of them sat in the bullock-cart and began their return journey. Suddenly, Anandnath Maharaj came running, sat down in the cart saying, “I want to come to Shirdi” and accompanied them.

In this context, while narrating his experience, Madhavrao Deshpande says,

“When we went to him at Yevala, he was 95 years old. He used to wear only a loincloth. He was a man with a great divine vision. When we returned from him, he accompanied us to Shirdi to meet Sai Baba. His and Baba’s eyes met. However, both of them did not utter a single word. Thereafter, Anandnath Maharaj said to us, ‘He is a real diamond ! Even though He is now lying in a dump yard, He is not a flint-stone. Keep my these words in your mind. You will definitely remember them later on.’ Saying this, he returned to Yevala.’’

The life of Anandnath Maharaj is very strange. Akkalkot Swami’s devotee late Ganesh Ballal Mulekar had stayed in the company of Shri Swami. He wrote a book, entitled ‘Shri Akkalkot-nivasi Shri Swami Maharaj yanche Charitra’. In his book, there is more information about Shri Anandnath Maharaj. It is as follows :-

Shri Anandnath Maharaj was originally a resident of Walawal in Konkan and was a Kudal-Deshkar Brahmin. His surname was Walawalkar. He used to trade in a root, named ‘Harda’, having medicinal properties. Once, while visiting Mumbai, he came to the firm of Shri Bhende. There, he came to know that, at village Akkalkot, there is a person Who is an Incarnation of Guru Dev Dattatreya. He immediately started for Akkalkot. After reaching there, he stepped into a pond, under a tree of Vad (a sacred tree), to wash his feet. Suddenly, a twig of Vad fell on his head. When he looked up, he saw a divine vision of Maharaj and was thus blessed.

There and then, Anandnath became a Bairagi (renounced the worldly things of life). After that, he stayed at Akkalkot for six years. He got an inspiration and composed a bhajan, full of bhakti-ras. He always used to sing it before Maharaj. He always used to move in Digambar dasha (sans clothes). Thereafter, Maharaj directed him to move out of Akkalkot. Anandnath Maharaj asked for prasad from Maharaj. Poorna-brahma sakshat Paramatma Shri Akkalkot Maharaj was very much pleased and Atma Padukas emerged from His mouth and gave them to Anandnath Maharaj. These Padukas are miniature - about half inch in size. In it, there is a darshan of Shri. Even though they are small in size, each and every line of Shri’s Padukas is visible. Till now, no one is able to identify the material, from which the Padukas are made. For taking the darshan of these Padukas, people from different villages arrive.

Anandnath Maharaj established three maths. First one is at Yevale. Second one is in Sawantwadi state at Hodawade. Third one is in Vengurle camp at a place, known as Dhawade. This place is near town Vengurle itself, but is secluded and scenic. Many of the devotees of Shri Akkalkot Swami Maharaj come there for the darshan. The Atma Padukas, referred above, are also in this math. All the three maths are in good condition.

Shri Anandnath Maharaj has created substantial literature on Shri. It includes bhupalis, bhajans, shlokas, aaratis etc. A major portion of his writings are yet to be published. At the Vengurle math, every morning bhupali, bhajan, shloka, aarati etc., composed by Anandnath Maharaj, are sung. Similarly, at night, Pooja, bhajan, Shejarati etc., composed by him, are rendered. Every year, Datta-jayanti, Birth and Death Anniversaries of Swami, Guru-pratipada, Guru-dwadashi etc. are observed in the math. Earlier, on the Swami-jayanti, there was an ‘open door’ policy. On that day, the villagers were made to sit on the roads of the town and gave invitations in advance to the Bhandara. The very large crowd gathering there, was provided with food (Anna-shanti). Now also, the programme is conducted on more or less same scale.

The manner of living of Shri Anandnath Maharaj was not like that of a common man. He used to live in a grand style. He had a retinue of several servants, cooks, cows, buffalos, bullocks, vehicles etc. He had also kept a very costly mare for his math. On the whole, during his lifetime, the math was maintained with great fanfare.

With the blessings of Shri, Anandnath Maharaj had possessed certain siddhis (miraculous powers). With their help, he had cured countless patients of their diseases. He was also blessed with wak-siddhi (miraculous power of speaking). With it, he looked after the welfare of many.

This Anandnath Maharaj took a live Samadhi (live burial) at Vengurle in the year 1904 (Jeshtha Shuddha 6, Shake 1825). He was cremated near the math. His Padukas have been also installed there.

He was popularly known as ‘Anandbuva’ in the village Akkalkot.

Chandbhai Patel

Chandbhai was a Village Officer of Dhup-khed village. This village is in Paithan taluka in Aurangabad district at a distance of about 15 kilometers from Aurangabad on the road going to Ajantha.

Baba came to reside  permanently at Shirdi – making this fortunate Muslim as the reason. This well-to-do Muslim, Patil of his village, was once travelling to Aurangabad and lost his mare. Two months passed away and still there was no trace of the mare. Ultimately, with great disappointment, he started on his return journey. After he covered a distance of around four and half kms. (approximately 9 miles) from Aurangabad, he spotted a young boy, sitting under a mango tree. The boy – dressed as a fakir – called out to him and asked him to smoke chillum and proceed further. The fakir - clad in a kafni and holding a satka (staff) under his shoulder – was making preparations for smoking a chillum. Seeing that Chandbhai was carrying a horse saddle on his shoulder, he enquired, “What is this saddle for ?” Then, Chandbhai narrated a story of loss of his mare. The fakir pointed out in the direction of a nearby nullah (stream) and said, “Go ! You will find your mare there.” And really, Chandbhai found his mare at that place. He was amazed. He immediately realised that, this boy is not an ordinary person and he must be an auliya (an unique person). He brought his mare to the fakir. The fakir asked him to sit near him. Then, the fakir picked-up pliers, with his own hands he embedded it in the ground, took out a burning ember and placed it in his chillum. When he found that water was needed to make the chhapi (a piece of cloth required to cover the chillum), he banged his satka on the ground and brought out water. He wetted the chhapi in the water, squeezed out extra water from it and wrapped it around the chillum. He smoked the lighted chillum and offered it to Chandbhai.

Seeing all this, Chandbhai flabbergasted. The Patil naturally felt that, he should take this fakir to bless his home. On the insistence of Chandbhai, the fakir went to his house either that day or the next day. He stayed there for some time and went once again to Shirdi along with the wedding procession of Chandbhai’s relative.

Chandbhai did not have issue of his own. His wife’s nephew’s marriage was arranged with a girl, named ‘Wajirbi’ from Shirdi. For this marriage, Chandbhai’s family and friends were going on horsebacks and carts. With this entourage, Baba was also travelling in a bullock-cart.

After reaching Shirdi, the procession put a camp in the ground, in front of the Khandoba temple. This temple was owned by a sonar (goldsmith) Bhagat Mhalsapati. Seeing the cute looking child fakir, getting down from the bullock-cart, Mhalsapati spontaneously uttered, “Aao Sai (Welcome Sai) !” . And the fakir came to be known by that name thereafter.

The story of Chandbhai’s mare was told by Chandbhai himself to Ramgeerbuva of Shirdi (‘Bapugeer’ as called by Sai Baba). Later on, in the year 1936, Ramgeerbuva narrated it to Narsinha Swami, in an interview taken by the latter. At that time, Ramgeerbuva’s age was 76.

It is said that Baba appeared in the dreams of Chandbhai and found out his thoughts.

– Translated from original Marathi into English by Sudhir

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