DIVINE GRACE - WHERE TO GET UPADESA?

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DIVINE GRACE – WHERE TO GET UPADESA?

Nachne asked Baba to give Anugraha saying, "What japa shall I do?" He hoped that

Baba would give him some Mantra. But Baba’s reply was, "Go to Devpur, a

village 20 miles away from Kopergaon and begin worshipping the stones there

which your ancestors worshipped".

What a wonderful knowledge Baba had unlike other thought-readers knowledge which

would only read the thoughts of those present. Nachne knew nothing about the

stones at Devpur and his ancestors worshipping there. But he quoted

Baba’s words to his father, and learnt from his father that it was the

family custom.

Whenever any Anugraha or upadesa was wanted, a member of Nachne’s family

would go to Devpur and beg from their family Guru – the descendants of

Baba Bagavat – the usual upadesa. A copy of Jnaneswari written with he

hand was presented to some fifth ancestor of this Nachne by the Baba Bagavat of

those days and that Jnaneswari is still kept as an heirloom in the family and

that copy would be taken to the Guru at the time of upadesa. At that time they

would worship the images, the stones at Devpur. Baba knew all this on account

of his Rithambara prajna unlike our modern thought-readers who have to find out

some connecting link to catch at the ideas, which they express. So, Baba

respected the conservatism of the family, and accordingly Santaram

Nachne’s Anugraha was postponed till the usual traditional mode could be

adopted.

As for the various members of his family, Baba gave his blessings for spiritual

progress in a marked degree. Santaram’s mother died in 1926, a very happy

death from the spiritual standpoint. She kept a photo of Baba up to the last

moment in front of her. As the end is nearing, she asked Santaram to sit by her

side and read the Vishnu Sahasranama aloud. Santaram did so and when she passed

away, the last word she uttered were Ram, Ram. According to the Bhagavat Gita,

this denotes sadgati, the attainment of a high spiritual state, Yamyam vapi

Smaran Bhavam.

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

(Vasuki Mahal Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Trust, Coimbatore-641025, India)