Maharaj
Omniscience · Omnipresence · Omnipotence · Other Divine Lilas · Mahasamadhi Lila · After Mahasamadhi
Divine Reality
Creating Murtis » A Pilgrimage Postponed » Travel Lila » Ram's Name Inscribed On Trees » Journey to the South » Meeting Baba » A Suggestion Is Sufficient » A Journey to Chitrakut » Gopal » Bhagwan Singh's Dream » Saxena's Own Tale » Baba's Age » Shiva's Darshan » A Crack In the Murti » A Strange Incident » The Darshan of Ram Naam » Absence from Baba's Durbar » The Meeting of Two Great Saints » A Mother Feeds Baba » The Desire for God's Darshan » Nobody Will Retire You » A Pilgrimage to Amarnath » Just In Time » One Bangle Less » Mantra Initiation » Changing Hearts » Will Power » The Face of Hanuman
Maharaj ji's divine lila are so diverse that they do not readily fit into categories. Some reveal his divine attributes, some his kindness and love, and others his humour and close association with those around him. The lila in this chapter describe conversations carried on with Baba, dreams in which he appeared, and journeys taken with him. Many reflect the unpredictable nature of Baba as well as the inexpressible joy of being in his company.
A Journey With Baba
Once, Maharaj talked of taking some devotees to have darshan of Badrinath and Gangotri. Baba asked Tuluram Sah to go with Sri Ma to the house of Hiralal Sah "Habba" at Pauri, Garhwal, saying, "I shall meet you there." He arranged for many other devotees to gather at Habba's house as well, but he himself did not arrive. After staying for about a week, Tuluram Sah thought of leaving Pauri, partly because he felt uncomfortable staying so long at Habba's house and partly because of his disappointment that Baba had not arrived. Whenever he wanted to leave, however, a telegram would come from Baba informing them of his arrival, so nobody could go back home. One day Baba did arrive, and a bhandara was arranged. Many local people came for prasad. Basant Lal, Habba's son, said that they did not have to organize anything extra for it. The monthly provisions for his family were sufficient to meet the requirements of hospitality and the bhandara.
The next morning Baba ordered everyone to continue the journey to Badrinath. However, there was only one bus in Pauri, and it had an engine problem. Though the driver could not get permission to drive the bus for such a long distance, he agreed to take them as far as Srinigar (a small town near Pauri). When they reached Srinagar, they found that there were no buses there either. Baba stayed on the bus they had arrived in and insisted, "We will go on this bus." Though the bus was not in the proper condition and could have broken down at any time, the police gave permission for its use. In those days the buses did not go all the way to Badrinath; they went only as far as Joshimath. The bus took them safely to Joshimath, but on its return, it was damaged in an accident in Kotdwar (a town along the way). To the amazement of the driver and conductor, no one was injured.
From Joshimath the devotees arranged two dandis to go to Badrinath—one for Baba and the other for Basant Lal's two-and-a-half-year-old son, who would have been difficult to carry on the long climb ahead. The dandi bearers were frightened when they saw Baba's huge body and said, "Does this fat man also require a dandi?" The devotees did not want Baba to go on foot and were ready to give the dandi bearers whatever fare they wanted, but the men still would not agree to carry Baba. At last they reached a compromise. The cunning porters carrying the child's dandi said they would change places with those carrying Baba's dandi along the route, though they did not plan to take their turn at the agreed interchange.
The dandi in which Baba was sitting went ahead swiftly. The porters did not feel Baba's weight at all. They felt as if they were carrying an empty dandi. The porters who were carrying the dandi in which the child was sitting trailed behind as they struggled to bear the weight. They were surprised at how heavy the child was but were too ashamed to admit it and kept quiet. Eventually, when they were not able to bear the weight any further, they had to admit what was happening. The child's parents did not believe them, but they made the child walk for some distance. Baba had gone very far ahead, so he got the porters to stop and wait for the rest of the party. When the porters carrying Baba's dandi were asked to change with the other porters, they refused. Then the child insisted on sitting with Baba. Baba allowed him to sit in his dandi, which further complicated matters, as the porters refused to carry both of them on one dandi. Baba persuaded them to try, and when they lifted the dandi, they found it as light as before. They reached Badrinath easily, with the child's dandi carried there empty.
On their arrival in Badrinath, Baba got all the devotees to stay at Kali Kamli Dharamshala, and he himself stayed at Badrivan with Habba ji. There were no settlements at Badrivan in those days. It was rough, rugged, and desolate. Every morning Shrimati Munni Devi, Basant Lal's wife, used to take a bath in the hot springs with Sri Ma. Afterward Sri Ma would leave for Badrivan, and Munni Devi would return to the dharamshala to give the devotees tea. Then after having darshan of Badrivishal, she would also go to Badrivan to have Baba's darshan. Baba gave all the visitors malpua to eat.
One day when Shrimati Munni went to Baba, he said, "You did not have Badrinath's darshan today?" As she had already had darshan, she kept quiet. Baba then said, "Go and have darshan again." Due to the number of people waiting for darshan, the time that one could stay in the temple was limited. However, none of Baba's devotees was asked to move on. When Munni arrived again at the temple, instead of the Badrinath deity, she saw Baba enshrined there. She stared motionless at the spectacle. After sending her to the temple, Baba also sent her father-in-law, Habba, to have darshan. He was standing near her, and he also had Baba's darshan in place of the Badrinath murti for a long time. Tears flowed from his eyes. Sometime later both of them returned to Baba, and Habba said, "Sarkar, you have made us run there for nothing. We had your darshan in that murti as we have your darshan here."
They all left Badrinath, and on their way to Gangotri, Baba sat at a place by the Bhagirathi River. He said to Habba, "In Satyuga [the golden age] this was the Ganga of milk." Habba replied, "Sarkar, it is even now," to which Baba said, "Do you see a river of milk?" Habba answered, "Sarkar, while with you it is seen as that of milk." Baba asked him to bring a tumbler full of Ganges water and a handful of sand. Habba brought them. When he opened his hand, the particles of sand had changed into precious stones, and the water was milk. Maharaj ji told him to distribute those gems among the devotees, but Habba did not agree to this. He felt that the gems had no value in comparison to the grace of Maharaj. With Baba's permission he consigned the gems to the Ganges.
Later in the afternoon they reached Gangotri, and Maharaj made the devotees stay at a house while he stayed elsewhere with Habba ji. In the evening Sri Ma and the accompanying ladies went to the Gangotri temple for darshan. While the other ladies proceeded towards the shrine, the beauty of the Himalayas drew Sri Ma's attention, and as she turned around, she and Munni Devi had darshan of Lord Shiva. Standing with their backs towards the temple, they were enchanted by the sight. People were surprised to see them standing with their backs to the temple, and after some time Tuluram Sah joined them. However, he could not have darshan because the clouds once again covered the mountains. A man standing nearby told them that the clouds always covered the mountains. He said a saint had certainly come that day for whom the mountains had made themselves visible for darshan.
From Gangotri they traveled to Rishikesh. On their way they stopped at a place called Dharali at about eight at night. Most of the devotees stayed in a dharamshala; Umadatt Shukla spent the night in a tea shop, and Baba rested in a timber storehouse at the back of the tea stall. In the morning, when Girish went for Baba's darshan, he saw a snake and a scorpion fighting on Baba's blanket on his chest. He cried out in fear at the sight. As soon as Baba uncovered himself, the snake and the scorpion moved away.
From Dharali they arrived in Rishikesh and stayed for about fifteen days. One day Shrimati Munni was coming out of the Ganges after having a bath. She and Sri Ma were standing with their backs towards the river when Munni turned and saw that Tularam Sah was being carried away by the current. She yelled and drew Sri Ma's attention to the situation. Ma did not know how to swim, but she jumped into the fast-moving current to save her husband. Munni was frightened. She did not know how to swim either, but she decided that if the two of them drowned, she would drown herself as well. Habba was nearby but was unaware of the situation. He was in deep meditation after his bath. Baba was in his kuti at the time. Munni then saw the impossible happen. Ma pulled Tuluram Sah out of the midstream and brought him to the bank. Munni was wonderstruck. She had forgotten her resolve to drown herself and came back to join them. Tuluram Sah did not take much time to recover. Afterwards when everyone went to Baba, he said, "Three lives were saved today. Siddhi saved her husband."
The next morning Baba ordered everyone to continue the journey to Badrinath. However, there was only one bus in Pauri, and it had an engine problem. Though the driver could not get permission to drive the bus for such a long distance, he agreed to take them as far as Srinigar (a small town near Pauri). When they reached Srinagar, they found that there were no buses there either. Baba stayed on the bus they had arrived in and insisted, "We will go on this bus." Though the bus was not in the proper condition and could have broken down at any time, the police gave permission for its use. In those days the buses did not go all the way to Badrinath; they went only as far as Joshimath. The bus took them safely to Joshimath, but on its return, it was damaged in an accident in Kotdwar (a town along the way). To the amazement of the driver and conductor, no one was injured.
From Joshimath the devotees arranged two dandis to go to Badrinath—one for Baba and the other for Basant Lal's two-and-a-half-year-old son, who would have been difficult to carry on the long climb ahead. The dandi bearers were frightened when they saw Baba's huge body and said, "Does this fat man also require a dandi?" The devotees did not want Baba to go on foot and were ready to give the dandi bearers whatever fare they wanted, but the men still would not agree to carry Baba. At last they reached a compromise. The cunning porters carrying the child's dandi said they would change places with those carrying Baba's dandi along the route, though they did not plan to take their turn at the agreed interchange.
The dandi in which Baba was sitting went ahead swiftly. The porters did not feel Baba's weight at all. They felt as if they were carrying an empty dandi. The porters who were carrying the dandi in which the child was sitting trailed behind as they struggled to bear the weight. They were surprised at how heavy the child was but were too ashamed to admit it and kept quiet. Eventually, when they were not able to bear the weight any further, they had to admit what was happening. The child's parents did not believe them, but they made the child walk for some distance. Baba had gone very far ahead, so he got the porters to stop and wait for the rest of the party. When the porters carrying Baba's dandi were asked to change with the other porters, they refused. Then the child insisted on sitting with Baba. Baba allowed him to sit in his dandi, which further complicated matters, as the porters refused to carry both of them on one dandi. Baba persuaded them to try, and when they lifted the dandi, they found it as light as before. They reached Badrinath easily, with the child's dandi carried there empty.
On their arrival in Badrinath, Baba got all the devotees to stay at Kali Kamli Dharamshala, and he himself stayed at Badrivan with Habba ji. There were no settlements at Badrivan in those days. It was rough, rugged, and desolate. Every morning Shrimati Munni Devi, Basant Lal's wife, used to take a bath in the hot springs with Sri Ma. Afterward Sri Ma would leave for Badrivan, and Munni Devi would return to the dharamshala to give the devotees tea. Then after having darshan of Badrivishal, she would also go to Badrivan to have Baba's darshan. Baba gave all the visitors malpua to eat.
One day when Shrimati Munni went to Baba, he said, "You did not have Badrinath's darshan today?" As she had already had darshan, she kept quiet. Baba then said, "Go and have darshan again." Due to the number of people waiting for darshan, the time that one could stay in the temple was limited. However, none of Baba's devotees was asked to move on. When Munni arrived again at the temple, instead of the Badrinath deity, she saw Baba enshrined there. She stared motionless at the spectacle. After sending her to the temple, Baba also sent her father-in-law, Habba, to have darshan. He was standing near her, and he also had Baba's darshan in place of the Badrinath murti for a long time. Tears flowed from his eyes. Sometime later both of them returned to Baba, and Habba said, "Sarkar, you have made us run there for nothing. We had your darshan in that murti as we have your darshan here."
They all left Badrinath, and on their way to Gangotri, Baba sat at a place by the Bhagirathi River. He said to Habba, "In Satyuga [the golden age] this was the Ganga of milk." Habba replied, "Sarkar, it is even now," to which Baba said, "Do you see a river of milk?" Habba answered, "Sarkar, while with you it is seen as that of milk." Baba asked him to bring a tumbler full of Ganges water and a handful of sand. Habba brought them. When he opened his hand, the particles of sand had changed into precious stones, and the water was milk. Maharaj ji told him to distribute those gems among the devotees, but Habba did not agree to this. He felt that the gems had no value in comparison to the grace of Maharaj. With Baba's permission he consigned the gems to the Ganges.
Later in the afternoon they reached Gangotri, and Maharaj made the devotees stay at a house while he stayed elsewhere with Habba ji. In the evening Sri Ma and the accompanying ladies went to the Gangotri temple for darshan. While the other ladies proceeded towards the shrine, the beauty of the Himalayas drew Sri Ma's attention, and as she turned around, she and Munni Devi had darshan of Lord Shiva. Standing with their backs towards the temple, they were enchanted by the sight. People were surprised to see them standing with their backs to the temple, and after some time Tuluram Sah joined them. However, he could not have darshan because the clouds once again covered the mountains. A man standing nearby told them that the clouds always covered the mountains. He said a saint had certainly come that day for whom the mountains had made themselves visible for darshan.
From Gangotri they traveled to Rishikesh. On their way they stopped at a place called Dharali at about eight at night. Most of the devotees stayed in a dharamshala; Umadatt Shukla spent the night in a tea shop, and Baba rested in a timber storehouse at the back of the tea stall. In the morning, when Girish went for Baba's darshan, he saw a snake and a scorpion fighting on Baba's blanket on his chest. He cried out in fear at the sight. As soon as Baba uncovered himself, the snake and the scorpion moved away.
From Dharali they arrived in Rishikesh and stayed for about fifteen days. One day Shrimati Munni was coming out of the Ganges after having a bath. She and Sri Ma were standing with their backs towards the river when Munni turned and saw that Tularam Sah was being carried away by the current. She yelled and drew Sri Ma's attention to the situation. Ma did not know how to swim, but she jumped into the fast-moving current to save her husband. Munni was frightened. She did not know how to swim either, but she decided that if the two of them drowned, she would drown herself as well. Habba was nearby but was unaware of the situation. He was in deep meditation after his bath. Baba was in his kuti at the time. Munni then saw the impossible happen. Ma pulled Tuluram Sah out of the midstream and brought him to the bank. Munni was wonderstruck. She had forgotten her resolve to drown herself and came back to join them. Tuluram Sah did not take much time to recover. Afterwards when everyone went to Baba, he said, "Three lives were saved today. Siddhi saved her husband."
