Professor of Geology & Chemistry in College of Engineering, Deccan Gymkhana, age 53, Brahmin, Poona.
10th, 20th, 25th, 28th May 1936.
Sai Baba's Moods
No doubt, in certain ecstatic moods, he said (and I heard this myself) 'I am God.' But this was once in a way. His usual - almost invariable - role was that of a devotee of God entrusted with vast powers to carry out what God (the "Fakir") directs. "Allah Malik". God is the master. "Allah Bhale Karenga", "God will bless" were constantly on his lips. Also, I am God's slave. I remember God, etc.
Baba and the Sex Question
Baba's was Askhalita Brahmacharya and his glittering eyes spoke it out. He kept women at a distance. During the day, a very few women were allowed to massage his legs - and that only up to the knee. He was always clad and never indecently exposed himself.
Baba's Virtues
He was impartial and just. I have seen rich and highly placed persons going to him, being practically ignored by him, as he saw through the outside, into the real nature, or the heart of the person approaching him. I have also seen him pay great regard to and speak enthusiastically of some poor man that came to him, saying "He has much money" (“pica”') i.e., much of punya accumulated.
Stern Justice
A saint should not be judged by the character of those that gathered round him. Prostitutes, women hunters, avaricious people and sinners of various sorts came to him with a view mostly to gain material advantage. But when they failed to take advantage of his presence to improve themselves but fell into sins, he let them suffer. His justice was severe. "You have to cut your own child, if it falls athwart the womb", he had said. Baba's boldness was based on "Foreknowledge" or "Perfect Vision". Baba was bold in his dealings with persons, with the forces of disease, etc. unknown to us but evidently well-known to him. He occasionally infused faith in his devotees by such bold defiance of sanitary precautions. I will mention some instances known to me.
Baba used to get sweetmeat from a Halwayi for Naivedya. One day in 1916, he lay a corpse, a plague stricken corpse. Plague was raging at Shirdi. Baba asked me to go and get the sweetmeat from his shop. I went and told the wife (who was weeping) of Baba's order. She pointed to the corpse and said that I might take the sweetmeat from the almirah. I took it, trembling with the fear that by this I might catch the infection and others too. That was given as Naivedya. Baba told me, "You think you will live if you are away from Shirdi, and that you would die if you stay at Shirdi. That is not so. Whosoever is (destined) to be struck, will be struck; whosoever is to die will die; whosoever is to be caressed will be caressed". He encouraged me similarly when cholera raged in Shirdi. He had lepers around him who massaged his legs. One of them got cured. Baba made a leper take the udhi and gave it as prasad to the devotees. The Udhi is put into the mouth of sick people. And the leper gave it to all by Baba's order! Yet no harm has resulted so far as I know.
Source: Devotees Experiences of SRI SAI BABA by B.V.NARASIMHASWAMIJI