Eminent Devotees of Saibaba - Dixit

[JR]

Eminent Devotees of Saibaba - Dixit
 
Hari Sitaram Dixit, better known as Kakasaheb Dixit, was a close and exemplary devotee of Sai.Kakasaheb Dixit was a well-known solicitor with a highly lucrative practice of Bombay and was active in the Indian National Congress. He went to England about 1906. There he had an accident in which his leg was injured and he became lame. In spite of repeated efforts, the injury could not be cured. About 1909, Nanasaheb Chandorkar advised him to go and see Saibaba, the wonderful personality at Shirdi, who might cure his lameness. Kakasaheb Dixit felt, 'Lameness of the body does not matter much, and wanted Sai to cure the lameness of his soul.' Kakasaheb Dixit came to Shirdi with Shama from Ahmednagar. Baba told him he sent Shama to Ahmednagar to bring him to Shirdi.

Baba used to call him 'Kaka' or 'Langada Ka Mama'. Dixit was blindly obeying Baba and had firm faith in him. About Saibaba's nature, Dixit entertained no doubt. He was simply God, whether in the flesh or out of it, i.e. in Samadhi. Baba told the story of a former birth in which He, Bapusaheb Jog, Dada Kelkar, Madhavarao Deshpande, Khaparde & Dixit were associated and lived in a blind alley. There was His Murushad there. He has now brought us together again.

Kaka (H.S.Dixit), Shama, and Dada Kelkar, were all living together with our guru in a blind alley. I have therefore now brought all these together. (Khaparde Diary)' This shows that Kakasaheb Dixit had a connection with him over many life times.From 1910 Kakasaheb began to stay continually in Shirdi at the feet of his master Saibaba. So he wanted to build a Wada for his own use as well as the use of other devotees. Foundation stone was laid for a Wada there in December 1910. The work was pushed through and completed in five months ( i.e.) in April 1911. This house was popularly known afterwards as Dixit Wada. Dixit lived in a modest room on the first floor and generously kept the rest of the building, including a small dining hall, for the use of visiting pilgrims. Many people benefited from the facility - Hemad-pant, author of Shri Sai Satcharitra, always stayed here when he was in Shirdi and the Wada is mentioned several times in the literature. Dixit bequeathed part of the Wada to the Sansthan and later he gave the whole building to them. Until the mid-1990s the building was used as a canteen. A small part of it is now open as a reading room. In a recent extension to the Wada a few of Baba's things have recently been put on display in a small museum with a sign above the door: 'Museum Hall'. The Sansthan is planning to expand the display.

Baba made Kakasaheb to read Eknath Bhagavat & Bhavarth Ramayan in the Wada and used to send devotees to Kaka's pothi to get the answers for their questions.

Kakasaheb Dixit, Bapusaheb Booty and others were anxiously waiting upon Baba but Baba asked them to go to the Wada and return after meals. They were not allowed to be near him in His last moment.Kakasaheb took an active part in the dispute as to where Baba's body was to be put in Samadhi. He mediated between both the parties and finalized the terms for burying Baba's body at Buti Wada. Baba first gave only Prasad to Kakasaheb, but soon Kaka began to dine at Baba's Masjid, and finally Baba allowed him to sit along with Him for meals. Baba also gave him a Kafni to wear. Kakasaheb used to wear Kafni at Shirdi.

Kakasaheb Dixit replaced the original mud floor with tiles in the Mosque. Baba told him, 'Why have you any anxiety? All care is mine'. Accordingly Dixit trusted entirely in Baba and left everything in His hands, not only during Baba's lifetime but also even after Baba passed away. He found that he did not place his trust in a broken reed.  Baba looked after him on every occasion and in every matter. Once Baba told Kakasaheb, 'If you talk ill or find fault with any one, that moment (immediately), I feel that pain'.

Thereafter Dixit, who used to be short tempered, conquered his temper, and became completely suave, humble, self-controlled, and agreeable. Dixit used to extend his sympathy for those in need, any creature or person. He was known from very early days as a very liberal host inviting all people to his table and even at Shirdi at his Wada, a mess was run and many people were fed free at Kaka's expense. Kakasaheb at Ville Parle had a number of cats and dogs feeding with him. Even at Shirdi when he sat for his meal, cats would come, and he would offer them food with the fullest feeling that God was inside them.

Kakasaheb wrote a diary in Marathi, which is known as Dixit diary in which he noted all that Baba did and said, and experiences of the devotees. Kakasaheb was very largely responsible for the establishment and progress of Shirdi Sai Sansthan. He worked for Shri Saibaba Sansthan after Baba's Mahasamadhi as Honorary Secretary. He started the 'Sai Lila Masik', the Marathi monthly magazine of the Sai Sansthan in April 1923, which drew many devotees to Baba. This was mainly his work. Kakasaheb died on July 5th 1926, in the remembrance of his guru talking to Hemadpant about Saibaba.