Sri Sadguru Mahime

Author: Charana Dasa

Translator:Shri.Ganesh Prasad

Chapter 25: My sisters Marriage

It is necessary to recall an earlier incident here. A girl, distant relative in Gurunatha’s family had not found an alliance. The search for a suitable groom was going on for quite some time. One day Gurunatha called one of his devotees and both parties spoke to each other, agreed it was a suitable match and within a matter of days the marriage was also over. Later while discussing this, Gurunatha assured me that my sister’s marriage will also happen in a similar way within the next six months.

Shortly after this, an alliance came through my second sister who resided in Bangalore. The groom was working in Tamilnadu and his sister happened to be my sister’s neighbor. My sister had told them that the alliance is possible only if Gurunatha agrees to it. The groom along with his sister, brother-in-law and nephew came to Sakharaya Patna.

It was a Monday; there were hundreds of people gathered for darshana. I served lunch to the visitors along with a few of my friends and collected the plantain leaves and leftovers. I had no idea that one of the visitors would be my brother-in-law.

Before they could talk to Gurunatha, I had left for Shivamogga taking areca nut load from Gurunatha’s estate. When I was near Bhadravati, Gurunatha called me and asked “people have come here seeking your sister’s hand, we are in favor of the alliance, what is your opinion on this”?

I replied, “Your wish is my wish Sir”

That night, they were asked to prostrate before the padukas at the puja room, were given some flowers, fruits and other items meant for worship and asked to visit an advaitha mutt near Shivamogga. By the time I came back to Sakharaya Patna after my work was over, they had already left.

The next day as usual Gurunatha worshipped Padukas and rang the bell. Later he was resting for a while and then he got up and rang the bell a second time. From my experience there, I had seen if he rang the bell a second time some major event/happening were to take place on that day.

Shortly after that, Gurunatha came out and started scolding me for no apparent reason. He shouted, “What have I got to do with your sister’s marriage? If you wish to get her married, start off now”. I knew what he was hinting at, so got ready and reached Shivamogga around 3.30 pm. I got a call, was instructed to visit one of the devotee’s house there and was asked to collect a saree for the bride, a dhoti and a gold chain, a ring and a thali (Mangalya, an auspicious pendant). I only had about Rs 500/- which Gurunatha had given me, that devotee helped me in purchasing everything that was required. I reached advaitha math around 6pm and got myself introduced to the person who was to be my brother-in- law.

A little later my mother, sister, my brothers and a few other relatives came from Bangalore.

I recalled, when starting from Sakharaya Patna, Gurunatha had told me “relatives of the bride and groom should exchange pleasantries in front of the seer; later a date for the marriage can be fixed.”

The seer came and sat on his peetam(throne), he asked the bride and groom to be seated together and the bride to be given new bangles. My sisters quickly got it done. Later he specifically asked for each of the items I had brought like the ring, dhoti, saree for the bride and made sure bride and groom were given those.

Lastly he asked, “Do you have thali?”, I nodded and gave him. So he asked, ”then why the delay?”, he touched it and gave to groom and asked the priest present there to recite the mantras required for the marriage and the groom tied the three knots around the bride’s neck. Probably the whole event might have lasted for about 30 minutes. Later we came to know, it was an auspicious moment formed out of a rare celestial combination that happens only once in 12 years.

We saw the groom’s house a day after the marriage and the groom’s family saw ours three months later” It should be noted that there were no traditional customs followed here. Avadhutha is not bound by our social customs and traditions. He has the entire creation under his control.

By the blessings of Gurunatha, the couple is leading a happy family, it is very hard to find another example of such a Guru who was grace and kindness personified.

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