Some Random Ruminations - 2

Though it has been the desire of everyone to fix the precise instance when the bundle appears, no one has been privy to it. They have seen her just a second or two before, but never at that precise instant! We generally allow Shanthamma to have her interactions with her Guru in peace and try not to intervene as it is happening. If any questions are to be asked, it will only  be later after she has collected herself.

This time she told us that she happened to see a 'madman' sweeping the corridor leading to the rooms at the rear of the marriage hall. She is supposed to have crossly told the madman to scoot from the scene as the Rudrabhishekas were about to start or were underway. The 'madman' is supposed to have glared at her in rage and shouted back 'You ask ME to leave? Who do you think I am?' and is supposed to have grown immensely tall and caused the building to heave and shake violently. That is when she turned back and shouted for support and cried "Sai Shiva, Sai Shiva". We just saw her turning back and running towards us with a huge bundle wrapped in bottle-green cloth.

Much later, after she collected herself, she carefully opened the bundle to see what it contained. We were also around her. We noticed that there was a bundle for Poorna-Aahuthi; a black coloured bowl with grains of rice and wheat and burnt out match sticks which is actually supposed to be a Begging Bowl (Kapaala); a blue coloured cotton lungi with checks; a smaller green bag with vibhuthi, rudraksha etc.; a green scarf or hand-cloth; dates and figs, cashew, almonds, onions and Dharwad peda; a packet of chappathis with Chutney-powder wrapped in a Marathi or Hindi Newspaper.

Later she was given the inspiration that her son was to carry on the good work after her. She is supposed to have queried "But he is a grihastha (householder) with a wife and two children...?" and Baba is supposed to have told her "Everything will be in order after he comes to me as a sharanagatha (one in a state of complete surrender)"