DEVOTEES' EXPERIENCES OF SRI SAI BABA BY H.H. NARASIMHA SWAMIJI - PART II

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aloud by her side, and I did. Then with "Ram Ram" on her lips, she passed away.

My second wife passed away in 1929 and I was anx­ious to do everything

necessary to secure Sadgati for her soul. So I wished to take her bones and

ashes to Nasik and dispose of them there with proper ceremonies. But I was

beset with difficulties. My father was ill. I had, amidst my feeling of bitter

loss at her departure, to make sure of the funds needed and the steps

necessary, of which I had no idea. I took a sum of Rs.80 and leaving a child of

years at home, started by train for Nasik. At

Victoria Terminus, I found I had a fellow passenger who took enormous trouble

for me and extended his sympathy and help even before the train started. He:

Where are you going ?

Arial">I: Nasik He: Why do you carry no bed ? The nights are chill. I: I find

no necessity. I am in no mood to mind these things. It is eight days since my

wife died leaving

a three-year old son to be taken care of by me. He asked me to wait. He called

out to a friend and got a blanket and a bedsheet for me. I :

How can you get these things so quickly ? He : Our quarters are very near.

It is the Bombay Arts School. Have this cigar please. I (accepting the cigar):

What is your name

? May I know who you are ? He : I am a peon in that school. My name is

Ganapathy Shankar - you may go to sleep now. Have no anxiety. I am also going

to Nasik, I shall wake you up when we reach

mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">I : What takes you to Nasik ? G.S. : Simply to

see Nasik. My Saheb is gone to Simla and I get this chance of seeing Nasik.

Then I lay down. G.S. : "Do take good care of your money; or if you like, I

will keep it for you, if you give it to me, in this steel trunk of mine. Then I

handed over my 80 rupees to him and went to sleep. At Ghoti Station, near Nasik,

he woke me up. We washed ourselves and took tea. He paid for me also. At Nasik

Road Station, we got into the bus. Then,

LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> G.S.

: Do not go to Bhatji, i.e., a priest your­self. I will settle everything for

you. Do not trouble yourself. Then he attended on me and attended to

everything as a peon would do, till the end of the twelfth day ceremony.

Throughout the proceedings he showed his special knowledge of the ceremonies,

i.e., he told the priest to take pinda first to Ramkund. He told me to retain

in my grip the bones I brought, immersed in

the waters of the Godavari at Ramkund till the close of the ceremony. The

bones should be left in a particular hollow there and kept in position by

pressure of the hand to prevent their being washed away by force of the

current. My surprise was that even as I kept them they were quickly dissolving

as though they ware sugarcandy. On the twelfth day, he got a wire requiring

his presence back at Bombay. He accounted to me for every pie he had received

from me. He took me to the chief temples at Nasik. A Sanyasi teacher at

one of the temples recognized him and to him he showed the wire. My priest

said the G.S. was a man of

extraordinary cleverness, e.g. when the priest started cere­monies without the

worship of Ganesha (considering it un­necessary for inauspicious ceremonies),

G.S. interposed and bade him start it and when the priest still entertained

doubts, made him refer the matter to a learned authority who agreed with G.S.

He parted from me at Nasik that day and promised to call at my place, i.e.

Andheri. He gave me his name and address. After my return home, seeing that

my beneficent friend did not turn up I went to the address given viz., "G.S.,

peon. Bombay Art School" and made inquiries and asked his fellow peon about

him. They all said there was no such person at all known to them. The

principal (the "Saheb") also said the same. Who was this 'man' that took such

enormous pains (without any remuneration or prospect of it) and gave me such

splendid help in securing Sadgati for my wife at Nasik by proper performance

of all the ceremonies ? Who can it be - but Sai Baba ? -- to be

contdDevotees can read this book from the Book Section

ofwww.Saileelas.org/books/exppart2.htm

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