Sai Mahabhakta Balakrishna Govind Upasani Sastri S/o. Govind Gopal Upasani Sastri, a Brahmin was a retired Professor of Sanskrit and resided at Saniwarpeth, Poona.

On 26th July 1936, he narrated in his own words the experiences he had with Shri Sai Baba to Late Shri.B.V.Narasimha Swamji as below:

When the deadly plague epidemic was raging at Poona, my college was closed for many long months. During that time, I went on a pilgrimage with my mother and wife. I visited Haridwar and Rishikesh and from there went to Tapovan. There I met a Sadhu who glared at me and persistently looked at me. I bowed to him in reverence. He looked at me and asked me "Are you not from Satana?". I answered him in the affirmative since Satana was my ancestral village. Then, I asked him who he was. To my qustion the sadhu said "Come here again tomorrow afternoon at this time and I will tell you". I then went to my quarters and informed my mother about the Sadhu. She thought that the Sadhu might be our family Mutt Founder, Sri Uddhava of Mulhare (Mayurapura). She expressed her willingness to meet the saint and accordingly she accompanied me to the place where the saint was staying. We both searched for the saint for about 15 minues at all possbile place in and around the place where I had met him the previous day, but could not find him. My mother thought it was a wild goose chase to find a wandering saint and went away. Immediately after she left, the saint appeared before me and said with a grave countenance, "Do not act in this manner again". I asked him "in what manner?". To which the sanyasi said "only those who are directed to come should come here. There is always difference between one individual and another unlike in physical and other peculiarities. No two individuals are exactly the same. So only the bidden person should come". I agreed to abide by that rule. Then, as I was eager to know the identity of the saint, he informed me that I had a Saligram among the Gods that I worshipped at home and he gave me an exact description of it. I said that I had that Saligram. Then, he continued and said that he was the person who gave it to Uddhava Maharaj from whose grandson, my grandfather had got it. It has been a heirloom with us and I am still worshipping it. But, he still did not tell about his identity. He was speaking to me in Marathi. But all of a sudden, he started conversing with me in Hindustani. He waved his hand so as to attract my attention and said, "There was a tree. Two persons went up that tree. One came down. The other went up". He wound up his talk with the remark, "you will come to know" and then all of a sudden he disappeared. The Saint was aged about 60 years, bulky and stout and wore only a Koupina and no other artcile of dress.

During the Christmas Holidays of 1911, i.e, on 31st December 2011, I started for a trip from Dhulia southward to find my younger brother (i.e, Upasani Baba) who had left home long back. He had contracted some strange disease in the course of his efforts at Pranayama. The moment he slept on the ground his breathing used to stop. He had no sleep or good digestion. So he left home and we had no trace of his whereabouts. As I was in the train from Manmad going southwards, it stopped ag Kopergaon for a few minutes and the local Mamaltedar Mr.Bhat, a friend of mine who was in the platform made me alight and I spent a pleasant day with him. During conversation, he told me that Sai Baba was a saint living just 6 miles away from Kopergaon at Shirdi and it was worth to visit the place and have His darshan. He arranged for a Tonga and sent me to Shirdi to have darshan of Sai Baba.

When I went to Dwarakamai Masjid, I found Baba near the Dhuni Maa. Baba was standing close to the fire and occasionally turning round Himself. He saw me and invited me inside. I went and prostrated myself before Him. Gazing at me, He told me to go to Khandoba Mandir. I thought that Baba was sending there to see the image of that God and told him that all Gods were with Him and I was content to see Him. But Baba repeated the words, "Go to Khandoba Mandir". I thought for a moment that Baba wanted me to go away from the Masjid and not to stay there. So, I went to the adjoining house and narrated to the inmates of the house what Baba had ordered me to do. To which the house members informed that there was one Upasani Sastri staying at Khandoba Mandir. I immediately went to Khandoba Mandir and found my borther there. He told me that he was staying there as per the orders of Sai Baba and that he saw very little of Sai Baba. I then met Mr.Dada Kelkar and gave Rs.4 towards food expenses of my brother and went back to Dwarakamai Masjid. I stayed at Shirdi for one or two days at that time.

On the first day, Baba asked generally Dakshina from everyone who had His darshan. He extended his palms towards me and asked for Dakshina. I said I had nothing and only offered pranams to Him. Accepting the pranams Baba told me the same words "there was a tree. Two persons went up that tree. One came down; the other went up" in Hindustani which was identical of what the Sadhu had told me at Tapovan. I was at once reminded of the Tapovan saint whose face resembled that of Sai Baba though the dress was different. Sai Baba mentioned some autobiographical reminiscences of His own. He said He had been at the battle in which the Rani of Jhansi took part. He was then in the army.

On the second day, Baba again asked Dakshina from me. I told Baba that I had only the fare that was required for my return journey by Train. Then He pointed to a silver watch I had in my pocket and asked for it as Dakshina. I immediately gave it to Him. But there was some kind of regret and hesitation while I offered the watch to Sai Baba. He received the watch and handed it over to some Fakir by His side. Then looking at me and evidently to meet my momentary regret at losing the watch, Baba said to me "You are not going to be worse off on account of parting with this watch". I said "Of course, it was nothing I had given". Then I started back, and via Kopergaon I came back to Poona. There I went to my friend Mr.Natu's house. I was talking of my Shirdi Yatra and the watch incident and inquired him as to what it would cost to get a similar watch. Just then my friend's brother sent down his gold watch worth about Rs.60 and wanted me to accept it as a gift and I accepted it. So, I was not worse off for parting with my watch to Sai Baba.

After this visit, I went on another two occasions to Shirdi and had darshan of Sai Baba. On one such visits, I composed a Sanskrit Poem on Sai Baba.

(Source: Devotees' Experiences of Sri Sai Baba Part I, II and III by Sri.B.V.Narasimha Swamiji)