Narayan Maharaj garlanded him, with a garland taken off from his own neck. Maharaj took this as a gift of grace from Shri Narayan Maharaj.

The breathing trouble, however, persisted and took an acute form when Maharaj went to Dhulia; and the pain was so intense that he left his home alone to seek some remedy, and failing that, to end his life of suffering.

Seeking a remedy, he was on his way to Paitnan through Ahmednagar; but at Ahmednagar he heard about Kulkarni Maharaj of Rahuri and went to him, since he was known for his yogic practices. Kulkarni Maharaj not only received him cordially, but with his own hands applied some oil to his uncovered body, and gave him a hot-water bath. After Maharaj had his food, Kulkarni Maharaj asked him to go to Sai Baba of Shirdi. Thinking however, that Sai Baba was a Mohamedan, Maharaj did not feel impelled to go to him. The same evening at Rahuri Maharaj met an old man, who after enquiring into his troubles advised him to drink only hot water; this practice later brought to him considerable relief.

Instead of going to Sai Baba of Shirdi, Maharaj sought another darshana of Shri Narayan Maharaj in Bombay. This time Shri Narayan Maharaj gave him a pan (betel-leaf) from his own silver box, made him chew it and said: “You have been thoroughly painted inside and outside. Now, nothing remains." After this visit to Bombay, Maharaj went back to Kulkarni Maharaj, who again pressed him to go to Sai Baba of Shirdi; and this time he yielded.

Maharaj had his first darshan of Sai Baba on the 27th of June, 1911. He arrived at Shirdi in the morning and immediately paid his respects to Sai Baba. In the afternoon, after a bath, he joined in the Arti ceremony of Sai Baba, and had his food. In the evening, he went to Sai Baba, to take his permission for leaving Shirdi; but Sai Baba asked him to stay. Maharaj said that he wanted to attend to some home affairs, after which, Sai Baba said, "If you most go, come back in eight days. " Maharaj said that he was not certain about being able to come back within that period; and, taking the permission of Sai Baba, he left Shirdi.

From Shirdi, he went to a saint called Brahmachari Bua at Kopargaon. Brahmachari Bua asked him if he had been to Shirdi, and Maharaj replied that he had been there and had the darshan of Sai Baba. Brahmachari Bua told him that his visit to Shirdi had not served its purpose and pressed him to go there again. Maharaj did not feel like going back to Shirdi, but