Satsang MRS. LAXMIBAI GANESH KHAPARDE by By V.B. Kher

Dadasaheb was in England for over two years and even after his
return home was under the surveillance of the Government. Hence
Sai Baba had detained him in Shirdi for a period of about three and
half months in 1911-12. Laxmibai was also at Shirdi with Dadasaheb
and we learn from Shri Sai-Sat-Charita that though Khaparde stayed
at that time for four months in Shirdi, his spouse stayed back in Shirdi
after Dadasaheb was given permission by Baba to leave and in all spent
seven months in Shirdi. So it took a long time for her to understand and
appreciate the new situation and she was naturally unhappy at thai time.
The hindsight of Dadasheb in relation to Baba's order on 1-2-1912 to
Dikshit to give two hundred rupees to Mrs. Khaparde which Khaparde
interpreted in 1923-24 to mean a life of poverty and patience can be
understood and appreciated only in this context.

Laxmibai was robust and healthy but her health began declining from
the beginning of the year 1928- Periodic attacks of fever and asthama
harassed herand she was affected by inflammation of the knees with the
result that she could not walk. There is an entry in Dadasaheb's diary' of
30-4-1928 that she had headache and high fever. The deterioration in
her health thereafter was fast and medicines ceased to act. She must have
had a premonition of events to come. She suggested that a group photograph
of the family should be taken. This was done on llth July, 1928. Thereafter a
touching scene took place which is best described in Dadasaheb's words.
The following is a translation of the extract from Dadasaheb's biography in
Marathi.
"While I was doing my Sandhya just before luncheon, my wife came and
worshipped me in the same way in which an idol is worshipped. I was
puzzled and asked her why she was doing this today when she had not done
anything of the kind all these years. She said, 'I wjsh to depart from the world
with a peaceful mind.' I think she has been unwell for the last few days and
has given up all hope of survival. I "asked her to trust in God and to submit to
His will."

The above incident did not become known to the sons and their wives until
they had read the description in the diary. After the above incident
Laxmibai was confined to bed and within eight days thereof i.e. on 20th July
1928 she passed away quietly and happily after having the darshan of her
Sadguru Sai Baba. The description of her end is best given in the words of
Dadasaheb recorded in the diary for that day.

"Went downstairs to see my wife. She apparently had a bad night, but
appeared calm and collected. At the suggestion of my eldest son all the
family bathed early and had something to eat which they could and we all
watched by her bedside. I spent the whole time practically near her bed.
We removed her from the room in which she was to the chowk and lay her
in front of the room alloted to our family deities. Her breathing became
harder and harder but she was cool and calm and passed on at about
3-15 p.m. I-felt overcome and could not control myself for some time. At last
I got over it...... Everybody said she was very fortunate in passing away during
my life time...... After we returned from the funeral I heard from my sons that
my wife distributed her ornaments, clothes among her daughters-in-law and
their children a few weeks ago and told that she had discharged all her
assets and blessed them to be happy..... She had the darshan of her Guru......
So I think she had a fairly correct idea of passing on. She never asked for
medicine and showed no anxiety to be cured. She passed away very
happily and I have no doubt she is very very happy now."

(Source Shirdi Diary)
http://www.saileelas.org/books/dairy.htm