Sai Mahabhakta Damodar Narayan Chandane was a resident of Kalyan, Maharashtra. He was fortunate to have darshan of Sainath during HIS sojourn in Shirdi.

In 1917, Damodar Narayan Chandane along with his children Pandurang and Sitabai, and his sister Mangubai, visited Shirdi. Damodar was a staunch devotee of Maruti. By chanting mantras he could expel the venom in people bitten by snakes and scorpions. This service he did free, to help people. It was a token of his gratitude towards Maruti for his grace on him and his family. Then he became afflicted by a strange malady; if his head was pressed putrid pus flowed out of his nose. The malady became so terrifying that even if he lay down, the pressure of the pillow on his head would bring forth the putrid pus from his nose and all treatment failed to give him relief. He believed that some tantric had cast a spell on him and so he sought refuge at Baba’s feet.

Pandurang Damodar Chandane

Pandurang Chandane & His Wife Rukmini Pandurang Chandane

He along with his family set out from Kalyan by train, where they resided, and alighted at Kopergaon. As Damodar was in a precarious condition, his sister wanted to rest there for a day before proceeding to Shirdi, but Damodar was eager to meet Baba. They travelled to Shirdi by bullock cart; there the villagers immediately took him to the Dwarkamayi. Baba was sitting near the railing and as soon as he saw Damodar started shoting, “Why have you come here?” . He used a lot of foul language, and Damodar was frightened out of his wits. Mangubai, however asked all of them to be calm and said,  “ Baba is our Sadguru and we are his disciples and so we should be calm and quiet and listen to what he says, and everything will be fine”.

A short while later Baba calmed down and asked Damodar where he had come from and why he had come. Damodar told Baba his problem and he gave all of them his Udi. He called Damodar near him and applied Udi to his entire body and asked him not to leave Shirdi without his permission. Instantaneously Damodar felt a little better.The foul language that Baba used was directed towards the evil spirit and thus Baba drove the negativity away.

Damodar and his family stayed in Shirdi for 8 days; they lived in a mud hut and the floor was covered with slurry of cow dung that had dried. The children then aged 8 and 10 had a wonderful tie. Pandurang states regarding food, “We all received food that Baba had collected as bhiksha. Baba ate very little of what was left after we, the cats and dogs had eaten. Lakshmibai would bring Bhakri and some vegetable curries for Baba daily; she would also look after the numerous devotees who visited Shirdi. Various devotees offered confectionaries, coconuts and fruits that Baba distributed. We often played with and climbed on his back and sat on his shoulders. Every morning we massaged his feet that were as soft as butter, with fragrance of sandalwood. Never ever did I feel a bone in his feet? Baba listened to the grievances of devotees sitting under the neem tree or sometimes in the Dwarkamai where the Dhuni Maa now stands; at other times in Lendi Baugh”.

Family Photograph of Damodar Narayan Chandane (4 Sons, 2 Daughters and 4 Daughters-in-law)

One day when the Chandane family  sat there a wonderful leela occurred. A barren couple came there to beg Baba for a child, but during the journey the wife lost her nose ring. Mentally she prayed, “ I don’t care  If I don’t conceive but I would rather get my nose ring back”. They then went to the Dwarkamai and sat silently before Baba. Baba did not ask them why they had come. Baba as a blessing gave them a coconut and asked them to eat it. Finally the couple left, and returned to their hut and broke the coconut and lo! The nose ring was inside the coconut. Excitedly they took the ring to Baba leaving the coconut behind. Baba saw them and shouted, “Both of you came here and sat silently. I knew that you had no progeny, and had also lost your nose ring. So I blessed you with a coconut for both things, but you found the nose ring and left the coconut behind and came here. Now both of you return to your hut and eat the coconut so that you will be able to overcome the problem that lies in your path”.

Damodar recovered completely, and on the eighth day Baba gave him permission to leave. Again Baba shouted, “Now return home and don’t come to Shirdi again”. Damodar with a heavy heart wondered why Baba had asked him not to return. Damodar replied, “all right I will not return, but before I leave give us your bountiful blessings”. Then Baba said, “Arre! I will look after you and your entire line of descendants. You and I  have been connected with each other for numerous past lives”. Then Baba gave his entire family a handful of Udi and they returned home. A year later Damodar heard that Baba had taken Maha Samadhi.

(Source: Divine Symphony by Vinny Chituri & Shri Sai Leela Magazine 1988 Issue. Photo Courtesy: Shri.Pranav, Telangana)