DIVINE GRACE - Baba Assumed the form of a Peon

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DIVINE GRANCE – Baba assumed the form of a Patewalla

 

 

Sri Nachne lost his wife in 1929. She had died leaving a three yeas

old child. This almost broke Nachne's heart; and so he became so very

listless to the necessities of his body that when he left Bombay for

Nasik to perform the obsequial ceremonies of his wife, though it was

dreary cold, he took neither a blanket nor a shawl to guard himself

against it, Though he grew listless about himself, Baba could not be

so; like an anxious father that He is, He assumed the form of an

office peon and perched Him self just opposite to the seat, which

Nachne was to occupy in the train. When Nachne got into that

compartment and sat down he started asking, "Well, Where are you

going? How is it you have no bedding?" Nachne replied "I am going to

Nasik to perform the obsequial ceremony of my wife. I have now grown

quite indifferent to my body, and care very little for the bedding."

Hearing this the Patewalla (Peon) sent a friend of his to get a

blanket for Nachne. Seeing that he brought the blanket in no time,

Nachne remarked, "Oh it seems you live very near." The Patewalla

replied, "I am a Patewalla (a peon) in Bombay Arts School and my

quarters are very near. My name is Ganpatishanker. My Saheb has gone

to Simla, so I have seized this opportunity for going to Nasik. If

you now want to go to sleep, I will wake you up in proper time you

may do so. However if you have any cash, beware of pick-pockets; if

you have nothing to keep the cash safe, and if you hand it over to

me, give it to me. I will keep it safe in my trunk." Nachne thereupon

gave over his cash to Ganpatishanker and slept. Ganpati woke him up

at Ghoty; they there washed their face and had tea. Ganpati defrayed

the expenses of tea. Then they got down on Nasik Railway Station. On

the way to Nasik proper in a bus Ganpatishanker said to Nachne, "Do

not go to any of these Brahmin priests, they will charge you

exorbitantly I will make all arrangements for the ceremonies; come

with

me."

 

 

Saying so, he brought to him a priest, explained to the priest what

and how these ceremonies had to be performed. He also pointed to

Nachne a cavity in the river and asked him to stand there dipping his

wife's bones there in water. As Nachne did so the bones melted away

like sugar in water. As soon as the ceremonies were all over,

Ganpatishanker received a telegram from his Master asking him to

resume his duties. So he took Nachne's permission to leave, gave over

to him the account of Nachne's money spent by him to the very pie,

handed over to him the balance and left Nachne saying, 'I will meet

you in Andheri.'

 

On return to Bombay Nachne made all efforts to find him out but he

could not succeed. He then made inquiries at the Art School; asked

the Patewallas, the Professors and even the Principal; but when all

of them gave one uniform reply "that there is no such peon and there

was never in the service of this Art School a peon of the name of

Ganpatishanker", he realised that the peon was none other than Baba

himself. He himself had for him assumed the form of a Patewalla to

relieve him of the stunning stroke of the misery of his wife's death

and to assist him in the performance of the obsequial ceremonies. H

felt extremely sorry that he had got Baba to discharge a menial's

duty for him- but he was now helpless and could only requite him by

his steady and unfailing devotion for him.

 

(Courtesy: Shri Sai The Superman)