Patients from far and wide used to visit him for getting treatment. He just read various books and was self-taught. Interestingly, he did not go to any school to learn Ayurveda. Many people from Mumbai came to consult Shama. Shama had also learnt Ayurveda and administered medicines to the sick and ailing. There was a small window in the this room which overlooked the mosque and Shama used to watch Baba through it soon realizing Baba's remarkable powers and so kindling his faith. The word 'Shyam' in Sanskrit means black, but a flawless and pleasing black colour. Baba called Mahdav Rao as 'Shama' or more often 'Shamyaa' in a tone filled with love and affection. The room which Shama taught was later turned into a stable for Baba's beloved Horse Shyam Karan. Then he took up the post of 'Patil' of Ashtha Gaon, a village about twenty miles from Shirdi. He studied in Shirdi and later became a assistant master in a Junior School and taught the students in a room next door to the mosque (Dwarakamai). They also received some income from that post. In Nimon Gaon his ancestors were tax collectors and had vast acres of land. He came to Shirdi at the age of two years along with his parents and stayed in this house till his last breath. He had two younger brothers - Kashinath Balwant who was adopted by the family and was named Ganesh Sridhar, and Bappajee Balwant. So his father married Lakshman Mama Kulkarni's sister. The first three could not bear any children. He was born on Margashirsh Shudda Panchmi day i.e., 6th December 1880 to a Yajurvedi Deshasth Brahmin family from Nimon. The relationship between Baba and Shama can be comapred to that of Lord Krishna and Arjuna. Madhav Rao Deshpande (Shama) was among Baba's most intimate devotees, and acted like his personal secretary.

Kulkarni sarkar sister in mere sai