Maharaj

Gopal Datt Pant Shastri, a Sanskrit teacher at the Government Intermediate College in Allahabad and a great devotee of Maharaj, died when his children were in junior school. After his death the economic condition of the family worsened, and their only source of income was the rent from their house. Baba looked after the welfare of his devotees. Even in the absence of Shastri ji, Baba remembered to visit his family every year when he went to Prayag.

Once, when Shastri's son was in Standard X at school, he saw Baba coming towards him from some distance away. The boy went forward and bowed before him. Baba said, "Let's go, I will take you to visit Vindhyachal." The boy was happy at the thought of going on his first visit out of town, but the thought came to him that his mother did not have any money to give him and without money, he would not be able to bear Baba's expenses as well as his own. Just then Baba said, "Look, what is there under that stone at the roadside?" The boy walked about ten steps, picked up the stone, and found one hundred and fifty rupees in new notes underneath it. The boy was surprised and wondered, Who put those notes there? If someone dropped them, how could they be under the stone? He picked them up and showed them to Baba. Baba gave them back to the boy. At that time one hundred and fifty rupees was a large amount of money, and they boy was happy to receive them. He eagerly explained the whole situation to his mother and assuring her that he would be back by evening, left immediately with Baba. Baba's devotees welcomed him at Vindhyachal, and the boy wandered around with Baba all day, getting many delicious things to eat. In the evening Baba returned him to his home.