Mahlsapathy

Among Sai Baba's earliest disciples and the most intimate and one who stayed with him longest was Mahlsapathy , a goldsmith by caste and priest of the Khandoba temple in Shirdi. He was a poor and uncultured villager who, thinking Baba was a muslim, objected to his entering the temple and staying there but soon became his most Zealous admirer and ardent worshipper. Baba found his devotion, dedication and attachment irresistable and accepted the flowers, sandal and other offerings placed at his feet in worship by Mahlsapathy, who was the only person allowed to worship Baba in this way for a long time. In the goldsmith community to which he belonged mahlsapathy was known for his fervent devotion to his tutelary deity , Khandoba( also Known as Mahlsapathy ). The Mahlsapathy Purana was his bible and he read it daily as a ritual.
Every year Mahlsapathy made a pilgrimage to jejoori, 150 miles from shirdi , carrying a Kavadi on his shoulders to worshipthe diety in the temple there. On many ocassions he went into a trance and at such times it was thought that Khandoba spoke through him. HIs family consisted of his wife, three daughters and a son who was born very late in his life through the grace of Baba. He was very poor and lived in a mud house and owned some acres of barren land. His assosciation with Baba lasted 50 years. After his first encounter with Baba he developed respect and reverence for him although he was perplexed by his behaviour sometimes which made the rustic folk call him a " mad fakir ".
Long after Mahlsapathy started worshipping Baba another devotee, Nana saheb Engle, was allowed that privilege. Afterwards more people joineed in the worship of Baba. As days passed by Mahlsapathy came closer and closer to Baba and became a part of Baba's daily life. He kept Baba companyday and night slept in the mosque with him. He spread his own cloth and on this he and Baba slept, he occupying one half and Baba the other half of the cloth. However Mahlsapathy rarely slept for Baba gave him a task. Baba told him : " You better sit up. Do not go to sleep. Place your hand on my heart. I will be going on with rememberamce of Allah nama smaranam, that is half conscious trance and during that nama smaranam, the heart beat will clearly show you that I am still having nama smaranam. If that suddenly goes away and natural sleep supervenes wake me up." The idea was that the heart beat during natural sleep would be different from the heart beat during meditation. This meant that neither Baba nor Mahlsapathy slept during the night. That also showed that Baba was in mediation to protect his devotees spread far and wide.