{"id":1208,"date":"2026-09-20T16:13:26","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T15:13:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/?page_id=1208"},"modified":"2026-09-20T16:13:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T15:13:26","slug":"life-of-sai-baba-volume-3-front-matter","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/life-of-sai-baba-volume-3-front-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Life of Sai Baba \u2014 Volume 3: Front Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n<style>.ap-story-page{--ap-ink:#17324d;--ap-muted:#49657e;--ap-teal:#08736e;--ap-line:#dde7ea;--ap-soft:#eef8f6;color:var(--ap-ink);font-family:Inter,system-ui,sans-serif;line-height:1.7}.ap-story-wrap{max-width:1060px;margin:0 auto;padding:8px 0 54px}.ap-story-kicker{color:var(--ap-teal);font-size:.78rem;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase}.ap-story-dek{max-width:780px;color:var(--ap-muted);font-size:1.2rem;margin:.45rem 0 1rem}.ap-story-subtitle{font-size:1.05rem;color:var(--ap-muted);margin:0 0 18px}.ap-story-grid{display:grid;grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) 300px;gap:34px;margin-top:28px}.ap-story-main,.ap-story-card{background:#fff;border:1px solid var(--ap-line);border-radius:12px}.ap-story-main{padding:clamp(22px,4vw,46px);box-shadow:0 12px 28px rgba(16,52,80,.05)}.ap-story-main h2{font-size:1.8rem;margin-top:0}.ap-story-main h3{font-size:1.25rem;margin-top:2rem}.ap-story-main p{margin:0 0 1rem}.ap-story-main p:first-of-type:first-letter{float:left;font-size:4rem;line-height:.8;padding:.1rem .5rem 0 0;color:var(--ap-teal)}.ap-story-aside{display:grid;gap:16px}.ap-story-card{padding:20px}.ap-story-card h2{font-size:.8rem;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--ap-teal);margin:0 0 .7rem}.ap-story-card p{margin:.45rem 0}.ap-story-card a{color:var(--ap-teal);font-weight:700}.ap-story-source{background:#fbfcfc}.ap-story-teaching{background:var(--ap-soft);border-left:4px solid var(--ap-teal)}.ap-story-tag{display:inline-block;border-radius:999px;padding:4px 10px;margin:4px 4px 0 0;background:#e8f4f2;color:var(--ap-teal);font-size:.82rem}.ap-story-note{border-top:1px solid var(--ap-line);margin-top:24px;padding-top:16px;color:var(--ap-muted);font-size:.86rem}.ap-story-nav{display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:12px;margin-top:24px;padding-top:18px;border-top:1px solid var(--ap-line)}@media(max-width:760px){.ap-story-grid{grid-template-columns:1fr}.ap-story-nav{display:grid}}<\/style>\n<\/style>\n<section class=\"ap-story-page\">\n<div class=\"ap-story-wrap\">\n<div class=\"ap-story-kicker\">Volume 3 \u00b7 Front matter<\/div>\n<p class=\"ap-story-dek\">Life of Sai Baba \u2014 Volume III<\/p>\n<p class=\"ap-story-subtitle\">Preface, contents and biographical note for the source volume by Sh. B. V. Narasimha Swami.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"ap-story-tag\">Volume 3<\/span><span class=\"ap-story-tag\">Source guide<\/span><span class=\"ap-story-tag\">21 devotee accounts<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ap-story-grid\">\n<article class=\"ap-story-main\">\n<h2>About this volume<\/h2>\n<p>In the preface to Part III, Sh. B. V. Narasimha Swami describes Sai Baba\u2019s influence as a force that draws devotees toward him and then protects their worldly and spiritual welfare. He begins with the love of Bayyaji Bai, whose selfless service to Baba became the first example in this volume of the devotion that gathers around a realised saint.<\/p>\n<p>The contents then move through individual records of Baba\u2019s lovers and servants: R. B. Purandhare, Santaram Balwant Nachne, Damodar Rasane, Tarabai Tarkhad, M. B. Rege, Dhumal, H. V. Sathe, G. G. Narke, Narayan Ashram, Kusa Bhav and others. The later sections follow Baba\u2019s contact with Muslim devotees and the experiences of Chote Khan, Abdul, Abdul Rahim Rangari, Abdulla Jan and Adam Dalai, before returning to B. V. Dev, P. R. Avaste and Chakra Narain.<\/p>\n<h2>How to use this source<\/h2>\n<p>This front matter gives the reader the author\u2019s preface, the contents and the publication note before the detailed accounts begin. Select a chapter from the Volume 3 library for a concise HTML retelling, or open the original PDF when you want the complete wording and sequence of the author\u2019s account.<\/p>\n<h2>About the author<\/h2>\n<p>Sh. B. V. Narasimha Swami is identified in the volume as the founder-president of the All India Sai Samaj. The biographical note records his legal career, the loss that turned him toward a search for spiritual truth, his time with several saints and sages, and his eventual work in preserving and presenting Sai Baba\u2019s life and devotees\u2019 experiences.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ap-story-note\"><strong>Editorial note:<\/strong> This page is a guide to the volume\u2019s front matter and does not reproduce the complete preface or biographical note. Please consult the original PDF for the full text.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ap-story-nav\"><a href=\"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/life-of-sai-baba-by-sh-b-v-narasimha-swami\/\">\u2190 Volume 3 library<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/life-of-sai-baba-volume-3-chapter-1-babas-lovers\/\">First chapter \u2192<\/a><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<aside class=\"ap-story-aside\">\n<section class=\"ap-story-card ap-story-source\">\n<h2>Original source<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Life of Sai Baba<\/strong><br \/><em>Volume III<\/em><\/p>\n<p>By <em>Sh. B. V. Narasimha Swami<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/life-of-sai-baba-volume-3-00-front-matter.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View original front matter PDF \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/life-of-sai-baba-by-sh-b-v-narasimha-swami\/\">View the complete book library \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"ap-story-card ap-story-teaching\">\n<h2>Reading context<\/h2>\n<p>Volume 3 records the lives and experiences of Baba\u2019s devotees, showing how love, faith and service took different forms around him.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/teachings-and-parables-of-sai-baba\/\">Explore teachings and parables \u2192<\/a><\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Volume 3 \u00b7 Front matter Life of Sai Baba \u2014 Volume III Preface, contents and biographical note for the source volume by [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1208","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1208"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1209,"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1208\/revisions\/1209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/akshayapeeth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}