DIVINE GRACE - FORMAL APPROVAL FOR CEREMONIES

[Guest guest]

DIVINE GRACE – FORMAL APPROVAL FOR CEREMONIES

I was formerly ignoring Shradha and other ceremonies, being carried away by the

social reform ideas that these were meaningless as I revere Sai Baba and as one

Mr. Nana Nachne, (a Prabhu) clerk in the Presidency Magistrate’s Court, Kurla,

Bombay and devout Sai Bhakta gave me the following account of his experiencing

the kind mercy of Sri Sai.

Very recently, Mr. Nachne’s wife died, leaving him, her little child to take

care of. The loving husband wished to be assured of her getting sadgati and

therefore, resolved to go to Nasik and perform all the required ceremonies on

the bank of the Godavari. But, being unaccustomed to these, he hardly knew what

steps should be taken and whether he would have sufficient funds to cover all

the expenses. With such fears, he started, taking 80 Rupees with him. In the

train he suffered other troubles and a fellow passenger gave him great help.

The passenger, learning of his fears, told him that he would see to every

ceremony being properly performed within the funds in hand. This kind friend

accompanied Mr. Nachne to all places and directed the ceremonies and controlled

the expenditure – displaying a knowledge very wonderful for one, who belonged to

a Sudra (Mahratta caste) and was merely a peon in some Bombay institution (the

address and particulars of which he

gave) as the friend described himself. After a great deal of self-sacrifice,

that friend, without gaining a single paise or advantage, accompanied Nachne

for several days and parted company with him promising to meet him again within

a fortnight. But he did not. So, Mr. Nachne went to the place described by that

friend and found there was no such peon in the institution mentioned by him.

Mr. Nachne was convinced that the kind and very wise ‘peon’ was only a form

taken by Sai Baba to help him in his distress. I felt sure that as the all wise

Sai Baba helped this devotee to perform the funeral ceremonies successfully.

Such ceremonies must have a real use and must be worth performing. I am now

performing them ever since I heard Mr. Nachne’s account.

(Written by HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji in Devotees Experiences)