Next, Baba came to Karwar. When and from where he came are uncertain. When he came, initially he stayed at a math. When he found that this puts people into difficulty, he shifted to Sahebgoudaâs residence. From there, for a short period he shifted to a village 3 miles away, because people of that village took him there. He stayed there for two to three months in the primary school teacher Sharanayyaâs house. Being pleased with Sharanayyaâs hospitality, lie. presented him 2â high goddessâs idol and told him to worship it with devotion. He told him âWorship this idol, it will grow and you will be a famous man.â The idol now is 6â in height and villagers come for its darshan.
He was then invited to come to Karwar. The journey to Karwar was in a decorated chariot pulled by 101 white-bulls. Throughout the journey instrumental music was played. While in Karwar Baba was worshipped by many devotees. Baba helped many of his devotees to overcome their difficulties and performed many miracles.
Shankarappa Neginhal suffered from chronic fistula. He was not cured even after spending tens of thousands of rupees and being treated by many doctors. Doctors had opined that he has to live with it for life. He was spending his days in worry and pain. Once when Baba was sitting talking with his devotees he heard 20 somebody moaning. When Baba asked why he was moaning, people told him of his prolonged illness. He took Shankarappa to the inner room and asked him to touch the trouble spot thrice. Pain reduced every time the spot was touched and after third touch he was cured of fistula within a few days gradually.
Laxman Ghatikar had no issues though he had married some years back. But he was a devotee and Baba was pleased and told him that he will have a son within a yearâ. Similar was the case with another devotee Shivlingappa Nagnur. There was a devotee, Sharada bai. She got children, but none used to survive, Baba blessed her and told that her next child will be a boy and will have a long life. The son is growing now.
Baba performed many miracles while in Karwar. He performed these miracles so that devotees should believe more and more in God, and not for propaganda.
Once Baba sat on a decorated seat listening to a pravachan on a devotee of Basappayya Sharan of Shahapur. An incident in which Sharan converted water to ghee was narrated. Immediately Baba called for vessel full of water and converted into ghee. Similar is the case when once Baba was sitting in group talking. Beetle nut pan was distributed to listeners Baba wanted still more but the stock was exhausted. The host was in an embarrassing situation. Baba realized this and asked him to bring an empty pot. When it was brought it was full of pan (beetle leaves with beetle nut).
In devotee Gangbaiâs house Baba was sitting on a raised decorated platform. Gangabai went to kitchen to bring tea for Baba. When she came back, Baba was nowhere to be seen. But there was a one year child playing there. It did not take much time for all to know that the child was none but Baba. So all closed their eyes and bowed to the child. Then Baba was seen on the platform as soon as they opened their eyes.
Once in Sankarappaâs house Baba was talking with 30-40 devotees and just to test Sankarappaâs sincerity in devotion he asked him âCan you arrange for a meal in 2-3 hours for these people with puran poliâ? Sankarappa had no option but to say yes. It was easily possible to get âpuran poliâ ready, but problem was of ghee for 40 people. In a small village so much ghee was not available. Sankarappa was very worried and this came to Babaâs notice. He said âAre you worrying about ghee. Just go and dip your hand in that huge jug full of waterâ. Sankarappa did that. And in a minute that water turned into ghee. Sankarappa could not believe his eyes. He and all those present there were convinced that such a miracle was possible only for those with godly strength.
A devotee Basappa used to serve Baba daily. Baba pleased with his service showed him the presence of âsnake surroundedâ 22 Parameshwar. But the devotee unable to bear the sight of Parameshwarâs Vishwaroop came out running and told what happened to the people there. Astonished, all ran inside to have darshan of Godâs Vishwaroop. But Baba was in his usual human form. How can all see a Vishwaroop? Only true devotees can have the true blessings and view the Vishwaroop of Baba.
Every family has its own God to worship. So when Baba goes to a particular family to show them the darshan of their family God. It happened so in the house of Sahebgouda when Baba had gone to him. At that time Sahebgouda was worshipping his family deity Ganesh. After worship when he came out to meet Baba, there was no Baba but Ganesh there. When Sahebgouda prostrated and got up, he again saw smiling Baba.
Once Baba thought he should bless his another devotee Shankarappa. He went to his house and gave a pebble and asked him to worship it every day. Shankarappa faithfully followed the advice. The pebble has started growing and is now 5â in height and 4â in width. Similar is the experience of another devotee, Kallappa Hosmatti.
It is not that Baba alone puts to test his devotees. Devotees also put Baba to test. Once a drunkard asked Baba to drink country wine. Baba flatly refused saying â I have never touched liquor. But the drunkard started pestering him. Baba found a way to escape from embarrassment. He told the drunkard âif you also eat the leaf I eat, I shall drink liquor.â Drunkard agreed. Baba went with him to a nearby field where there were shrubs of poisonous leaves. Baba ate a few such leaves and asked the drunkard to eat. Drunkard now knew his mistake and Babaâs capacity. He humbly prayed to Baba to forgive him. Baba said âyou lost the game, I have still not lost. Give me the wine bottleâ. He grabbed the bottle full of wine and turned it upside down. There was not a drop of wine in it. Drunkard bent his head in shame.
Baba had a capacity to be omnipresent. Once when he was sitting in Shankarappaâs shop talking to someone, he presented himself also in Shankarappaâs house. Sitting on a cot there he called Shankarappaâs son and asked him to go to shop and call Shankarappa. The boy, when he went there was surprised to see Baba there also. The boy when he told what has happened Baba just smiled.
In the village Karwar there is an old Math known as Choroki Math. Baba used to visit that Math daily, and the primary school teacher Sharanayya was also doing the same. In the month of Shravana, Baba wanted to hear Puran recitation from the teacher and he requested the teacher. The teacher thought Baba was joking and said â I have never recited Purana, how can 1 do it now?â Baba told âDonât be scared, go ahead and recite. I will be there to prompt you. You have this capacity through your good work of past life. This life also you have a blessing to be a good 24 puranikâ – narrator of religious stories. Baba got stitched the saffron dress for the teacher and asked him to narrate the story of Madiwdappa. The teacher with the blessing of Baba recited the story. People liked it and the teacher overnight turned into an expert Puranik – a narrator o f religious stories. Next year Sharanayya narrated Sharanbasappa Puran. With the blessings of Baba, the primary school teacher became famous puranik.
Babaâs words came as if they are from Veda. What he utters, must happen. Through his nectar-like voice he can turn the impossible into the possible. The case of Sharanayya, narrated above is the best example.
In 1973, Sravana month Baba arranged for Shri Mouneshwar Puran through Kannada school teacher Panivappa. In the puran an episode comes where Govind Bhat and his student Sharif Saheb have figured as an ideal teacher-student pair. Once Govind Bhat on death bed told Sharif – âI feel like vomiting, bring a vessel to catch it in and throw at a place where none steps on it.â’ Sharif did that and was in fix to find a place where none steps. He was not sure of any such place and as an obedient and faithful student, he just gulped it. It was just case of teacher testing a student. So Baba after narrating this story pulled the hand of nearby devotee and spat in his palm. It turned into a small Shivlinga. All were surprised to see this. The Puran narration continued with Babaâs blessings. When narration was over people wanted to celebrate. Many audience had come from far of places like Bijapur and Mumbai to participate in celebration. Baba sat on a decorated horse and the procession went round the village. Men, women and children who participated in it and those watched were very happy.
In 1974, in the month of Sravana, a purana on Shri Allama Prabhu was organized. This programme runs for ⊠days. One day when a large number of devotees, including Baba had assembled. But the narrator Basayya Bijapur did not turn up for a long time. When audience was restless and managers were worried not known what to do. Just then some person looking like a Puranik came silently, got up on stage, narrated the puran and silently went away. Who was he and where he went, remained a big question. But the audience had no doubt in their mind that it was Baba who became the puranik and as well as his original self who sat in the audience and listened to it. Another strange thing reported later was that Baba was also seen by some devotees at Mumbai. All this is possible for persons like Baba – an omnipresent, god-like human.