Chapter 31 of Sri Sai Satcharitra gives us a few sparse details about an ardent devotee of Sri Sai Baba - Sri
Lakshman Krishnaji Noolkar - known to one and all as Tatya Saheb Noolkar. The Satcharitra has not given us any
elaborate information about this close and intimate devotee of Sri Sai Baba. Lt Col (Retd) Nimbalkar has done a
great deal of study of Sri Noolkar's birth, his early life, his employment and spiritual progress. He has collected old
letters and other details of how Noolkar was pulled to Shirdi by Sri Sai Baba. He has published a detailed account
of his research including the letters written to Noolkar by Shama (Madhava Rao Deshpande) and others in the Sai
Leela magazine in 1991. Another article about Sri Noolkar, written in Marathi by Sri D S Tipnis was published in
1978 in the Sai Leela Masik in Marathi. There are some discrepancies and slight disagreements in both the above
accounts of Sri Noolkar's life in Shirdi and the worship done to Baba for the first time on Guru Poornima day in
Shirdi. We are making an attempt to combine both accounts together with the other published material about Sri Noolkar and we are placing before you a detailed account of Sri Noolkar and the origin of the worship of Sri Sai Baba on Guru Poornima.
Sri Tatya Sahib Noolkar was born in 1862 or 1863. He was educated at Pune. He graduated in Law and joined the judicial service of the government. He earned a name as a man dedicated to truth and as one who is determined and unselfish. He earned the praises of all for the balance and honesty he showed as a judge. He had a spiritual bent of mind and studied the various religious texts such as the Upanishads and Vedanta thoroughly. He frequently used to visit noted spiritual figures and mahatmas and spend time in their presence.
He was a judge at Pandharpur in 1908, the same period Sri Nana Saheb Chandorkar was the Mamlatdar of Pandharpur. As they were both the senior government officials at Pandharpur they used to make many calls upon each other. Chandorkar used to talk to Noolkar about the greatness of Sri Sai Baba and the many miracles he had wrought by his divine power. He urged Sri Noolkar to have the darshan of Sri Sai at least once. Sri Noolkarkept prevaricating and finally said that he had two desires and if they did come true by the grace of Sri Sai Baba,
he would believe in him and certainly go to Shirdi for his darshan.
The first of his desires was that he should get a good Brahmin cook and the second was that he should get a hundred of the best quality Nagpur oranges to present to Baba. Sri Chandorkar, who had a firm, rock-like faith in Baba assured him that both these desires would be certainly fulfilled by Baba. Astoundingly, a Brahmin cook came to Chandorkar the same night searching for employment. He sent him to Noolkar. A hundred oranges of the best quality arrived from Nagpur the next day to Noolkar in a parcel. There were no details of the sender on the parcel. Noolkar now trusted the divine power of Sri Sai Baba and went to Shirdi accompanied by Sri Nana Saheb Chandorkar. Baba's saying "I will pull my devotee to me, wherever he or she may be, as a sparrow is pulled by the thread tied to its feet" came fully true in the case of Noolkar.
He first visited Shirdi in 1909. Baba presented him with a divine experience in his very first visit. As the small-built, stout Noolkar bent in obeisance and was saluting Baba's feet, Baba pressed his head gently with his fingers and shoved him back. Noolkar went flying and fell flat near the pillar at the masjid. He felt as if had fallen not near the pillar but into an ocean of joy. He felt that he had almost lost all consciousness and got an inexpressible, joyful, ecstatic experience from the touch of Baba. He then understood that Sri Sai Baba was his guru and that Shirdi is
his final destiny and destination.
As he was sleeping in the Sathe Wada that night, he got up suddenly and told Nana Saheb Chandorkar that he wanted to eat pan. Nana did not have the habit of chewing pan, so he could not oblige him. At exactly this time, at the masjid, Baba called a devotee and giving him four pans told him, "Give these to the old man who has come with Nana and is staying in Sathe Wada with him." As Noolkar saw the man bearing pans from Baba he was astounded by the omniscience of Sri Sai Baba. Whatever remaining doubts he had had about Baba vanished,
never to return again. He developed rock-devotion and total faith in Baba from that moment on. Even though he had to go back to Pandharpur, he started visiting Shirdi whenever he could for the darshan of Sri Sai Baba. He became an intimate devotee of Sri Sai Baba in a very short time.
Noolkar's eye ailment and its cureAt one point Noolkar started to suffer from a dangerous eye disease. He was unable to bear the raging pain in his eyes and was slowly turning blind. He consulted various eye specialists but they were unable to cure him. He finally took refuge in Baba. He took leave from court and stayed at Sathe Wada at Shirdi. He sat in the room for two days chanting the Sai Nama without a break. He went for the darshan of Sri Sai Baba at the masjid on the third day. As he entered the masjid Baba was keeping his hands upon his eyes and was saying to Shama, "My eyes are paining badly today for some reason." The very instance these words came from Baba, the pain in Noolkar's eyes lessened and shortly his vision became normal.
At this time, when Noolkar was at Shirdi, there was a discussion about this at the Pandharpur court in the lawyers' restroom. Many deplored the fact that even an educated person such as Noolkar depended on sadhus and such charlatans to cure his ailment rather than trust modern medical science. They commented that it was indeed a pity that even educated people behaved so foolishly and superstitiously. They even made fun of Sri Sai Baba during this discussion. Time passed and one of the lawyers who had taken part in the discussion came to Shirdi and had the darshan of Sri Sai Baba. He reverently saluted Baba's feet, gave dakshina and sat a little way away from him at the masjid. Baba made a general comment to the people in the masjid saying, "How devious these people are! They bend in obeisance and salute one repeatedly in one's presence. They give dakshina and behave with great outward politeness, piety and humility. But in one's absence they abuse and talk lowly of one." The shafts struck whom they were meant for. The lawyer from Pandharpur stayed silently in the masjid. Later when he came out, he confessed it all to the fellow devotees. He lauded and saluted the omniscience and
greatness of power of Baba who came to know the conversation held many years ago and in distant Pandharpur. He learnt the lesson that one should never speak badly of the others (see Sri Sai Satcharitra Chapter -21).
Baba's Grace rains down upon NoolkarBaba would never allow anyone to worship him. He would not allow any devotee to even garland him. The great good fortune of being the first to formally worship fell to Sri Noolkar upon a Guru Poornima day. One day Sri Tatya Saheb Noolkar went to the masjid and saluted Baba. As he did so, Baba pointed to the pillar besides the dhuni and said "You worship that pillar tomorrow." Noolkar could not understand why Baba had said so. When he returned to the Wada he conveyed Baba's instructions to Shama and asked him as to what Baba's intentions
were in ordering him thus. Even Shama could not fathom why Baba had asked them to worship the pillar next day. He went to the masjid to inquire of Baba but Baba merely reiterated his earlier instructions. Later Baba repeated the same instructions to Tatya Kote Patil and Dada Kelkar too. The next day happened to be a Saturday. As Noolkar awoke from sleep he suddenly remembered that it was Guru Poornima. He conveyed this to Shama and the other devotees. They got the almanac to check and it was confirmed that it was indeed so. That day was Guru Poornima. They now understood the meaning of Baba's words when he told them to worship the
pillar. They were all very happy that Baba had finally permitted them to worship him. They all went to the masjid and begged Baba to allow them to perform the worship of their guru. Baba merely told them again to worship the pillar. "Oh our God! Why should we worship the pillar when we have you, a God, in front of us? We will worship only you." Baba did not agree to be worshipped by the devotees. The devotees stuck firmly to their resolve. At last Baba had to acquiesce to the wishes of his devotees and allow them to worship him. Baba always surrenders to the feelings of love and faith of his devotee. He said, "All right" at last, and the happiness of his devotees knew no bounds.
They immediately started preparing for the worship of the Guru. They decided to worship Baba after he returned from his round of alms and informed him thus. Baba, with utmost kindness, not only agreed but also permitted them to worship him using the sixteen articles of formal worship. Baba sent word to Radhakrishna Ayi and Dada Kelkar. She sent the various ingredients used in worship to the masjid and Dada Kelkar also reached the masjid with the various articles used in worship. All the devotees present did congregational worship of Baba. Baba returned all the dakshina offered to him back to the devotees. Arati was offered after the worship. Thus the first Guru Poornima worship was performed at Shirdi. Later this worship became an enduring tradition and it was performed with great pomp every Guru Poornima day at Shirdi. Tatya Saheb Noolkar who saw the arati performed that day felt that it would be mete if such an arati was performed to Baba every day. Radhakrishna Ayi also felt the same. Thus was sown the seed of regular arati to Sri Sai Baba at Shirdi. Even though the thought behind the arati was Radhakrishna Ayi's, the work of actually bringing this worship in to practice fell to Noolkar.
He used to conduct arati for Sri Sai Baba every day. Only the afternoon arati would take place in the masjid while Baba was in the body. The Sej Arati and the Kakad Arati (evening and morning) would be performed in the Chavadi. The regular aratis to Sri Sai Baba were done by Noolkar until his last days when his ill health prevented him from coming to the masjid or Chavadi. The privilege went later to Megha. After the demise of Megha in 1912 Bapu Saheb Jog conducted the aratis until Baba entered Mahasamadhi.
It is impossible to describe the mutual love and esteem Sri Sai Baba and Noolkar had for each other. Baba used to call Noolkar " Tatya ba" or "Mhatra (old man)". The devotees would keep their offerings before Baba during the arati. Sometimes Baba would say, "Today I want only the poli offering of Tatya ba". He would unerringly pickup Tatya's polis from among the pile of polis placed by the devotees and eat them with relish. The devotees would be astounded by the divine power of Baba who could unerringly pick up the Noolkars offering from amongst all the
other offerings. Tatya Saheb Noolkar had a long-standing desire to hear from Sri Sai Baba a mantra for him to repeat. Baba, who knew of his desire, uttered some mantra and Noolkar repeated this as his personal mantra until the end of his life.
He also had a desire that Baba should present him with some article which he could worship daily and Baba fulfilled this desire too. He called for Noolkar on the night of Datta Jayanti around 9 oclock in the evening. Baba was in such impatient anticipation of Noolkar's arrival that he sent two more people for Noolkar before the first one reached the Wada to convey his message. Noolkar hurried to the masjid. Baba seized him by the hand and taking him to where the kafnis were stacked, picked up one and covered him. He said, "Tatya ba, keep this kafni with you. This will save you from the bitter wind and the cold." Tatya Noolkar who was enchanted by the infinite love and kindness showered upon him by Baba started weeping and placed his head reverently at Baba's feet. He felt that in a way this was Baba granting him an initiation in to monkhood or sanyasa. Baba's love and kindness towards Noolkar were of such a stature that Noolkar settled permanently at Shirdi.
While Tatya Saheb Noolkar was the Assistant Judge at Pandharpur, he tried a case regarding the rights of worship at Pandharpur. He always believed honesty and morality to be his two eyes. He did not succumb to pressure from any quarter and gave a just verdict in that case. He took leave after that sensational case and went to Shirdi. As he saw him Baba said, "Tatya ba have you come? It is good that you are here. How long are you going to stay?" Noolkar replied with great humility, "Baba! I do not wish to go anywhere else from here. Please let
me stay at Shirdi henceforth. I am coming here after delivering a verdict about the holy Panduranga Temple. Let me not become involved in the normal machinations and litigation of mere men and hold a pen again to write judgments. Let that judgment, pertaining to the divine Pandharpur be my last one." Baba smiled and said, "Let it be so." Noolkar resigned and stayed on at Shirdi. A meeting of childhood friends Sri Noolkar and Sri Baba Saheb Neelkanth Ramachandra Sahasrebuddhe were classmates in the Pune High School. They were close friends, but they did not meet for 25-30 years after they left school. Now Sahasrabuddhe
came for the first time to Shirdi encouraged by Chandorkar and Dixit. He recognised Noolkar who was staying at Sathe Wada and talked to him. The friends were very happy to meet after such a long time. Noolkar invited Sahasrabuddhe to stay in his room at the Wada and took him the next day to Baba for darshan. As Sahasrabuddhe saluted Baba, Sri Sai Baba said, "Serve Noolkar." He repeated the same instructions to Sahasrabuddhe on the second and the third day. No one could understand the meaning behind Baba's orders to Sahasrabuddhe to serve Noolkar as they both were of the same status. Baba's words are indeed unfathomable. It is only when the right time comes that one can grasp the meaning behind them. Sahasrabuddhe wanted to go home after a while and requested Baba's permission through Shama. Baba replied, "Tell him to stay for four days and then go." After four days Sahasrabuddhe repeated his request only to receive the same answer again. After this happened twice or thrice Baba said, "Let him stay in front of the masjid like a dog and await my pleasure. He is not to leave. Well need him a lot in the coming days. There are many things, which have to be accomplished by him in the future. I did not bring him here without a purpose." With this everyone forgot about sending Sahasrabuddhe away from Shirdi.
Noolkar's ill health - a friend's service
About a fortnight after this incident Noolkar, who was a diabetic, got a carbuncle on his buttocks. Gradually these carbuncles increased in number and he became bedridden. Sahasrabuddhe's nature was to serve his fellow men and he was ever ready to serve. The patient was his close friend and Baba had also ordered him to serve Noolkar. He began to nurse him day and night. Sahasrabuddhe decided not to leave Shirdi till Noolkar regained his health. All the devotees now understood why Baba had earlier refused permission to Sahasrabuddhe to leave Shirdi.
The two sons of Noolkar, Vaman Rao and Viswanath too come to Shirdi to nurse their father. Vaman Rao, who was a doctor, came from Bombay with his surgical instruments and medicines. He removed the carbuncles surgically and bandaged Noolkar after applying medicine. But Noolkar's health worsened and did not get any better.
A divine visionTatya Saheb's health worsened. There were a total of eleven carbuncles on his body. They had to be cut and dressed every day. Noolkar was suffering from unbearable pain. But Noolkar bore the pain stoically. He never even let his facial expression to show that he was suffering or even enduring pain. He left all desires and spent his days calmly. He did not even ask Baba to lessen the pain or alleviate his disease. He spent all his time in the unending japa of Sai Nama. He used to meet the devotees who returned from the masjid and ask them with great interest about the daily occurrences at the masjid. He would never show the slightest interest in anything except for Baba. As Noolkar was bedridden he began to pine for Baba's darshan. Baba would walk to the Lendi garden twice a day following the same route. This route was visible from behind the Sathe Wada. Those devotees who could not go to the masjid used to open the back door of the Sathe Wada and would have the darshan of Baba . Noolkar, being bedridden, could not have even this darshan and pined away in unrequited desire for the darshan of Baba's form. One day he called his elder son, Vaman Rao and sent him to Baba to convey his request for a darshan of Baba. Vaman Rao left for the masjid. Baba loved children and would play with them whenever he got the chance. He would keep joking with them and make them laugh. As Vaman Rao reached the masjid he saw the eight-year-old Bappaji (son of Lakshman mama, the uncle of Shama) playing with Baba. Vaman Rao saluted Baba reverently and conveyed Noolkar's request to Baba. Baba said, "All right, he will get darshan. Allah will do good to him," and started playing with Bappaji again. He was telling him some silly stories and making him laugh. He would pinch his cheek affectionately and kiss him. At that time a cloth seller came with his pile of clothes to the masjid. He had some handkerchiefs embroidered with beautiful floral designs in his hand. A red coloured kerchief attracted Bappaji. He asked, "Baba, can I take that red kerchief?" Baba, "Take it" Bappaji took the kerchief, folded it and tied to his head and bent down to salute Baba. Baba pinched his cheek in affection. Bappaji later put the kerchief on Baba's head and laughed. Baba did not object at all. He behaved as if that kerchief was a king's headdress and started acting as if he was a king showing a kingly manner and an affected walk. Bappaji clapped his hands and laughed in gales of mirth. Baba placed that kerchief on Bappaji's head. Bappaji took it off and placed it on Baba's head. Baba kept it on Bappaji's head again and intimating that the play was enough, pinched his cheek in affection. Vaman Rao, who watched all this horseplay, left the masjid and went away to the Wada. Vaman Rao went to his father and told him that he had conveyed his prayer to Baba and that Baba had agreed to grant him darshan. Noolkar was not satisfied with this bare narration and urged Vaman Rao to tell him of all that transpired at the masjid. Vaman Rao, then began describing the horseplay indulged at the masjid by Baba and Bappaji. Noolkar who was listening to this was astounded by the narration. He started weeping at the extent of kindness shown to him by Sri Sai Baba. Vaman Rao was surprised to see his father crying and asked for the reason. Noolkar replied that his tears were of happiness rather than sorrow. He said that Baba had granted him his darshan the moment he had asked for it. Vaman Rao was amazed, as Baba was in front of him at the masjid all this while and asked him as to how Baba had granted his darshan to him. Noolkar, still immersed in ecstatic happiness, began to tell him of Baba's darshan. Noolkar said that when Vaman Rao had gone to the masjid he could see the complete masjid in his mind's eye as a vision. He later saw Baba sitting on his seat and a small child saluting him with a big red flower on his head. (He saw the red kerchief as a flower) Baba had caressed that boy with love and pinched his cheek in affection. The boy placed the flower on Baba's head and laughed in mirth. Baba kept it for a while and placed it on the head of the boy again. The boy kept it on Baba's head again and Baba placed it on the boy's head once again. He pinched the boy's cheek and caressed him. In this way, Baba had given Noolkar the exact vision of the occurrences at the masjid as was seen by Vaman Rao. Noolkar emotionally said that this was the proof of Baba's infinite love for him. The devotees who heard of this leela of Baba were all spellbound.
The cessation of future birthsNoolkar's health began to deteriorate day by day, but all the devotees felt that he would definitely recover by the grace of Baba. Baba's desire was different. Baba wanted to set Noolkar free from the constant circle of birth, death and rebirth and conjoin his soul to himself. One night at 2 am, Noolkar called his sons to his side and asked them to do bhajan. All the devotees felt that Tatya Saheb Noolkar's end was nigh. His wife, his brother-in-law, Kaka Saheb Dixit, Sahasrabuddhe and others were at his bedside. His sons took various musical instruments and did bhajan for two hours. At last Noolkar requested them to sing the famous bhajan which begins, "My Lord, please stand in front of me and let me, who awaits the pleasure of your darshan with impatience, view your divine and auspicious form".
As he listened to the bhajan, feelings of a divine ecstasy were clearly visible in Noolkar's face as if God was standing in front of him and showering him with grace. At about 5 am he signaled to his children to stop the bhajan. Viswanadh went to Radhakrishna Ayi's home and brought Baba's udi and teertham. Udi was applied to Noolkar's forehead and teertham was poured spoon by spoon in to his mouth. Immediately after the third spoon, Noolkar breathed his last. Just a couple of minutes before this, Baba said, "A big tree in the forecourt of our masjid has fallen". He came out and keeping the back of his palm against his mouth roared making an ululating sound. Baba used to behave thus whenever any close devotee of his died. Baba spent the whole day immersed in sorrow. His daily routine ran late that day. He spoke disconsolately in sorrow, "Oh my Tatya ba has gone. What am I to do? What is there left in this Shirdi masjid? I too will go away. Tatya ba was a good man. He used to listen to me and do as I told. I have helped him reach his ultimate destiny. He will not have any more lives."
The devotees all gathered in the Wada. All of them went one by one and saluted Noolkar's feet. They took his body to the cremation ground on the route along the masjid. The body was laid on the general pyre. Radhakrishna Ayi who was sweeping the path walked by Baba from the masjid to the Lendi Garden went running to the pyre exclaiming, "My mother favourite son is gone." She kissed his feet and left. Baba went missing from Shirdi on the third day after the death of Noolkar. The devotees and the villagers searched for Baba with great apprehension and finally leant that he was at Neemgaon. They went there and brought back Baba to Shirdi with great pomp in a procession with musical instruments. At that time Noolkar's ashes were being taken to Kopergaon for immersion in the holy Godavari River. The cart carrying the ashes crossed the procession bringing Sri Sai Baba back from Neemgaon. Baba left the procession, went to the cart carrying the ashes of Noolkar and after making some signs with his hands rejoined the procession.
The LocketThe grandson of Tatya Saheb Noolkar, Sri Raghunath Viswanadh Noolkar, gave us a story of how much Baba had loved his grandfather. His father, Viswanadh had got a locket made as per the desire of his mother and sent it to Shirdi by registered post. There was a photograph of Baba on one side and of Noolkar on the other. She may have wanted Baba to consecrate the locket by his touch and sent it back to her. Sri Shama had written a letter to his father detailing what had transpired in the masjid when the locket reached Baba. (A photocopy of this letter may be seen on the adjoining page.)
Shirdi
20-12-1912
Pranams. The locket sent by you by registered post parcel was handed over yesterday,
19.12.1912, by the postman to Sri Sai Maharaj before the afternoon arati. Sai Maharaj placed
it near his lips and kissed it. Later he told me "There are two people in this." He gave the
parcel to me. When I opened the parcel I saw the photos and the locket along with the letter
written by your mother. I read over the letter to Sai Maharaj and gave the locket to his hand.
He kept the locket in his hands for 15 to 20 minutes. Later he showed Tatya's photo to each
devotee who had come for the arati and said, "This man took me along with him." I am letting
you know the exact words, which fell from his lips. He later gave me the locket for
safekeeping. Please convey my pranams to your mother.
Servant of Sri Sai
Madhavarao Deshpande
This is a free translation of the letter written in Marathi by Shama to Viswanadh Noolkar. This shows how deeply Baba loved Noolkar. When he said that there were two people in this, he had placed Noolkar on an equal footing with him and showed the heights of spiritual progress of Noolkar. When he said, "He has taken me with him," Baba let every one know that he had drawn Noolkar's Soul in to himself.
Tatya Kote Patil – d.1945
