KAKA SAHEB DIXIT’S DIVINE ATTRACTIONHari Sitaram Dixit, a well-known solicitor of Bombay, he was very largelyresponsible for the establishment and progress of Shirdi Sai Sansthan, the affairswere managed by him as Hon., Secretary very ably and enthusiastically up to thetime of his death, i.e., 5-7-1926. He was also responsible for drawing largenumbers to Shirdi and filling them with admiration and enthusiasm for Sai Baba.The ‘Sai Lila Masik’ the Marathi monthly organ of the Sai Sansthan, which had thesame result, was mainly his work, up to July 1926, most of his experiences andthose of his friends (numbering 151 and more) swelling the first four volumes ofthat journal and still giving excellent guidance to devotees.H S Dixit was born in 1864 of high caste Nagari Brahmin parents enjoying a highposition and affluence at Khandwa. His scholastic career was bright as he secureda first class in Matric and good marks in F.A., B.A., and L.L.B., He very soonsettled himself as a leading solicitor at Bombay, and his name frequently appearedin Law Reports and in the press as distinguishing himself as an able advocate insensational cases e.g., Bhavnagar Exposures, Sedition trials against PoonaVaibhava, Lok B.G. Tilak and Globe and Times of India, etc., He attained greatfame and wide popularity and commanded high esteem both with the people and theGovernment. He had numerous public activities; political, social, municipal, etc.,by means of which he was rendering good and valuable service to the public. Inpolitics, he was in the Indian National Congress, and he was the redoubtfulfollower of Sir Pherozesha Mehta. He was an elected member of Bombay LegislativeCouncil from 1910 till he gave it up to devote himself to spiritual progress underSai Baba. He was also an elected Fellow of Bombay University, a Notary Public, andJustice of Peace. He achieved great fame by his bold speeches (e.g., by being thesole protestor against Valedictory address to H.E. Lord Sandhurst who prosecutedTilak) and action in the councils. He helped bodies by serving on Committees withhis keen intellect and strenuous observation and study. He was Secretary of theIndian National Congress of 1940 at Bombay wherein D. Nowroji stated its goal tobe attainment of Swarajya. He rapidly rose by his influence and ability to greaterand greater positions of honour and, had he continued in that line, he wouldsurely have achieved a Knighthood, membership of the Executive Council andappointment as Commissioner of the some province with ample emoluments and gunfiresalutes. But his destiny and rinanubhandha drew him to other lines and the turningpoint was what – looked like a mischance. He was in the Bombay Corporation also asa councilor; and he frequently served on other public bodies. He was a patrioticand self-sacrificing man, and for the sake of principle and public good, hereadily resigned his position in the Corporation, and walked hard for nationalwelfare.About 1906 he went to England. There he had some accident in which his leg wasinjured. In spite of repeated efforts, the injury could not be cured. The limpingimpeded free movement, as there was pain if he walked a few furlongs. Not only didit make him look awkward, it made him less fit for his numerous activities,personal, domestic, political, legal and public, and thus had the double effect ofgiving him an inferiority complex and a disgust for these aspects of life, thuspreparing him for the nobler and holier life. About 1909, Nana Saheb Chandorkaradvised him to go and see Sai Baba, the wonderful personality at Shirdi, who mightcure his lameness. The same year he went to Ahmadnagar in connection with someCouncil election business to the house of Sardar Kaka Saheb Mirikar, who was a Saibhakta, and who had with him a huge picture of Sai Baba. Dixit saw the picture andhis reverence were heightened.Learning of Dixit’s desire to go to Baba, he (Sardar) sent for Madhava RaoDeshpande otherwise known as Shama. Baba’s constant attendant, who had gone toAhmadnagar, and asked him to take Dixit to Baba. Accordingly Shama took him to
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