Satsang Who that Beggar was? by A. P. Tripathi

Satsang Who that Beggar was? by A. P. Tripathi

But the father of the boy had many other attractive proposals to choose
from. There were some staggering offers. My offer compared most unfavorably
with them. Persons told me that it was a very good and prosperous family and
I will have to spend at least forty thousand to win over this groom. But my
BABA was helping me in His own way. A very pious Sai devotee, mother of the
'groom's fast friend Shri Ramesh Shukla (Advocate) joined hands with another
Sai devotee Principal B.H. Pandey and came to my rescue. Here I may mention
that then the Mishra family was not believer of SAI BABA as was the case
with Krishnamoorty's prospective inlaw's. This is how BABA tilted the scales
in favor of my daughter and me.

One night Shri Shrikant Mishra, Advocate was sleeping. He saw in his dream a
big photo of BABA hanging on the wall. Baba unmistakably and emphatically
told him that if he married the girl from BETUL, only then his life would be
happy and prosperous. The happy outcome was that though I had a paltry sum
to offer, be changed his mind, accepted our offer and approved of my
daughter and thus the marriage was settled. I could not give the customary
rich gifts to ray Samdhee Shri Kamalakar Mishra and nothing except a golden
ring and a wrist watch to the groom. Still they were all very pleased and
well-satisfied. At the time of 'DwarChar’ I had put Shri Sai Baba's and Shri
Sathya Sai Baba's photos sanctified with garland and agarbathi in the
'Mandap’ and they presided over the nuptial ceremony. Neither my ‘Samdhee'
Shri Kamalakar Mishra demanded anything in the form of 'dowry' nor my
son-in-law Shri Shrikant Misra pressed for any gift. I could not help
sheding big tears of joy and gratitude for I could not give them anything
worthwhile, befitting their status as Ex-Zamindar. But Shri Kamalakar
Mishra, now a 'devata’ to me wrote from Mandla that all the 'baraatees'
during the return journey expressed their satisfaction again and again and
commended my hospitable treatment. At Mandla, the ladies were also very
happy and satisfied. When I received that letter, I wept in joy and
gratitude before BABA, because really speaking, I had done but little, spent
ever so little, instead of incurring forty thousand rupees as predicted by
my well-wisher S.D.M. Shri K. S. Chauhan Saheb and his wife, I had spent in
all only Twenty five thousand rupees and still received such appreciation
from my 'devopam' Samdhee Shri Kamalakar Mishra. Indeed our BABA motivated
all this.

My daughter Indu Tripathi has now become Smt. Indu Mishra. When my
son-in-law Shrikant Mishra came to BETUL a second time to fetch her with him
to Mandla, he himself asked for BABA's Udi (Vibhooti) in a good quantity for
his daily use. By the grace of Shri BABA my daughter is happy in her new
environment and is also thankful to BABA and to us for giving her such an
angelic ‘Shwasur' like Shri Kamalakar Mishra. Whenever I remember Shri
Kamalakarji tears wail up in my eyes in gratitude. So merciful is our Lord
Shri SAI BABA. Immediately after marriage I rushed to Shirdi to offer my
heart-felt gratitude and thanks to Lord Sai Baba on 19th May, 1981. The date
of marriage was 13th May, '81.

It is noteworthy that soon after my daughter's Vidai (farewell) on 14-5-81 a
poor man is tattered and dirty clothes came direct to me while I was weeping
in sweet memory of my daughter and tears were rolling down incessantly and
He asked for only one 'ROTT (bread) to eat. I provided him with a sumptuous
meal. He took it and went away. Suddenly it struck us who he could be. But
where he came from and where he went away, none could find out. All attempts
to trace him out were in vain. WHO that beggar was? My Sai-brother Shri T,
A. Ramanathan will vouch that the mendicant was none else but my God-father
the Lord of Lords Shri Sainath and how can anyone refute it ?

A. P. Tripathi
Head of Hindi Department
Betel. M.P.

Source Shri Sai Leela Magazine June 1982)