The Path of Enlightenment

DIAMOND BOOKS
The Path of Enlightenment

Swami Sri Krishnanand Ji Maharaj
ISBN : 9
Author
Published by : Diamond Pocket Books Pvt. Ltd.
X-30, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-II
New Delhi-110020
Phone : 011-41611861, 40712100
Fax : 011-41611866
E-mail : sales@dpb.in
Website : www.dpb.in
Edition : 2009
Printed by : Adarsh Printers, Shahdara, Delhi-110032
THE PATH OF ENLIGHTENMENT
By: Swami Sri Krishnanand Ji Maharaj
Sadguru Dham Ashram
H-243, Kuwar Singh Nagar
Nilothi Mode, Nangloi
Delhi-110041
Sadguru Swami Sri Atmadas Ji
Dedicated to
The copyrights for this book are reserved with Sadguru
Consciousness Society, H-243, Kunwar Singh Nagar,
Nilothi Mode, Nangloi, Delhi-41, Ph. No. 9910055223. Any
person/ institution/ group may not try to re-publish this book
in some form or the other or its translated version in any
language. Anybody trespassing this warning will be
responsible for the consequences. All the disputes regarding
this will be settled in Delhi jurisdiction only.
Translated and Edited by : Acharya Jayesh Sharma
Coordination : Acharya Kunal Swami
An Introduction to the Author
Krishnanand Ji was born at his maternal grandfathers house
on 8th December 1949 at 10.00 pm. Mother left him for
heavenly abode at a very tender age. His grandfather abandoned
the worldly comforts when his father was just five and grand-
mother too followed her husband.
Swami Atmadas ji, his grandfather, was a saintly person.
He had a good command over all the four arts of Yoga ie.
Hath Yoga, Sahaj Yoga, Raj Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. His father,
once a government official in Bihar, too followed the footprints
of his parents. It seems as if Swami ji had divine qualities
from the previous birth.
At an early age of five years he adopted his grandfather as
his Guru. He was a brilliant learner. He always stood first in
class. He took higher education in science, literature and law.
He was never keen of doing job, so in order to explore the
truth he expertised the art of Tantra Vidya on the bank of the
river Brahamputra in Kamakhya, Assam. Afterwards he learned
Hathh Yoga and Sahaj Yoga at Gomukh and Nandan Van in
the Himalayas. Further he mastered Raj Yoga at Kedarnath,
Tungnath, Badrinath and Alkapuri.
He also learned yoga, meditation under great saints like
Anand Murthy ji, Sai Baba ji, Rajnish ji, Ram Vilas Saheb etc.
In the end, he reached from where he started his journey.
The Guru and disciple share eternal relation. The Guru
provides you Moksha, the salvation. At 28, he, under the
guidance of Swami Atmanand ji attained enlightenment on
the banks of the Ganga. With the blessings of his Guru he
went on the thrilling journeys of various realms. The devotees
Foreword
It all started as a pastime out of curiosity but I was sort of
sucked into the vortex of higher realms by some of the great
spiritual persons and hence I had been associated with many
spiritual personalities prior to meeting with Swami Krishnayan
ji. Meeting with Reverend Swami Krishnayan ji in Delhi was
not just by chance. It appeared as if it was pre-destined and
was a continuation of the previous lives. In our first meeting
there was not much of interaction as he had been invited as a
special guest to speak about various types of meditations in
one of the forums. Our quest was for knowing various
techniques of meditation and the intricacies involved therein.
Nearly a year after that meet, second meeting with him was
also a unique experience. I nteractions with him kept on
increasing and I found myself in a different state of
consciousness. Whenever I had discussions about any of the
esoteric fields of Yoga, Meditation, Astrology, Palmistry, Tantra,
religious scriptures like Upanishad; I found him at ease on all
the subjects. In the hypocrite world of today where most of
the so called spiritual Gurus are vying to compete with each
other using theatrics and false proclamations, and there is lack
of desire of people seeking true knowledge or the eternal bliss,
he has emerged as a true Sadguru (a Guru in real sense).
Entering his aura acts as a tranquilizer, for the agitated minds
of the people and they experience the state of eternal bliss.
In this book Swami ji has narrated the turn of events related
to his own Guru Swami Atma Das ji, who relinquished the
family wealth and lead the life of austerity, leading to
enlightenment. He did not stop there. After achieving
enlightenment at a young age, he dedicated the rest of his life
for the betterment of the society, which had set a precedent at
believe in them while the non-believers deny the same. He is a
hard believer in the truth seen with naked eyes.
He is transmitting the message of global welfare with the
creation of a harmonious society. Each of his literary creation
has a unique touch.
The books like Kundalini Jagran, Yantra Mantra Rahasya,
Swar Se Samadhi, Kahe Kabir Kuchh Udyam Keeje, Ek Onkar,
Yogion Ka Path, Shiva Tantra, Mere Ram, Rahasyamai Lok,
Lok-Parlok, Uma Kahun Main Anubhav Apna, Guru Hi
Muktidata, Shiva Netra, Bihar Ki Vedna etc. are marvellous
creations. A single reading can clear many doubts in ones mind.
He has deeply analyzed the divine mysterious science
through which a meditator can attain the highest state of
meditation in a short span of time.
His Asharams are established at various places in Bihar,
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Badrinath
(Uttrakhand), Jharkhand and Delhi. His followers are spreading
his messages and teachings all over the world. Sadvipra
Samaj Sewa is a spiritual institution which is practicing to
bring out the real essence of life and to create true peace,
under his guidance. The institute treats the whole world as
one family.
Jati-paat ka Rista Chhodo !
Bhai-bhai se nata joro !!
that time. Even after so many years, since he left his physical
body, the way people living in and around Varanasi still
remember him, is remarkable.
Similarly lots of literature is available about Gautam
Buddha, but the way Swami ji has narrated the saga of
compassion and eternal love touches the inner core of heart,
particularly the conversation between Prince Gautam and his
charioteer Chhandak is remarkable. It is possible that some
one may find the answer to his unanswered questions which
may be the turning point in his life.
Similarly Swami ji has described the biographies of Sheikh
Farid, Devotee Narasi, Pundit Jajali and Guru Nanak dev in a
way which is an eye opener for most of us as few of them are
lesser known amongst us, although the achievements in their
lives are not less than any one. Importance of the book increases
multi fold when written by a Sadguru and the taking a cue,
reader can transform his life. Once transformed he can work
for the betterment of the society and the whole world as a
Sad-Vipra (=< l = +| |-- lz|| a||- l+-) - a person having
special knowledge of the absolute truth since eternity.
Let us all feel obliged for his creation for the betterment
of the society and the world. I hope that this will act like a
torch bearer for the people who seek the absolute truth and
have already taken a few steps on the path of enlightenment. It
is also my belief that this book will also help in transformation
of those people, who are still neck deep in the complexities of
the material world and have never sought the absolute truth.
His original work in Hindi was widely proclaimed as a great
work. In an attempt to translate and give the correct message,
which Swami ji wanted to convey to the masses, I have tried
my level best to do justice to his original work called z| +| |.
If there are any shortcomings, they are because of my limited
knowledge of the highly technical words used by Swami ji.
But if the message is correctly conveyed to the masses then it
is due to the divine grace of Swami ji.
Eng. P.S. Rai
Preamble
It takes thousands of years, before Buddha incarnates
on the earth, for a very specific task, to strike at the roots of
the corrupt values and practices prevailing in the society. They
are the sources of enormous and never ending wealth
KNOWLEDGE. Their knowledge is not worldly, nor is full
of phrases or literary or ritualistic, but is very simple, natural,
and full of realities of life. It is true, that, at times, they have
freed the society from the clutches of fallacies of the rituals,
double standards associated with the religion at that time. Their
preaching is even more revolutionary than the verses (Shlokas)
of the prevailing religious literature, e.g. Upanishads, and strike
at the root of the evil without fail. Whatever they say, is because
of compassion and for the betterment of mankind. We may
call them Buddha (The enlightened person) or a Sadguru
(A guide in the true sense or real teacher).
The word Guru is basically an Indian invention. There
may be several enlightened persons but, a Sadguru is very rare.
At the time of Gautam Buddha, there were 24 equally
enlightened persons, and at the time of Kabir there were 40
such enlightened souls, but Sadguru is very difficult to find.
Enlightened person is one, who has discovered the truth,
but the Sadguru is the person, who after knowing the truth,
guides and helps others also to know the truth. Enlightened
ones acquire the knowledge, but the Sadguru, not only acquires,
but passes on the knowledge to others. Enlightened one is a
small boat which carries him only to the other side of the journey
called LIFE, but the Sadguru is like a fleet which carries many
more. One who dares can cross over to the other side. The
crowd misses the Sadguru, and follows the enlightened ones,
strung by the miracles taking place near them.
Sadguru becomes a fleet on the voyage towards eternity,
where, there are no boundaries, no bindings, no limits, and all
the religions dwarf against the infinite. All the religious
literature seem untrue, or incomplete, all knowledgeables look
blind. That is why all the so called religious preachers, get
enraged because of the preaching not conforming to the
religious literatures, like a bull gets charged up after sighting a
red cloth. Preaching of all Sadgurus is alike, be it Gautam
Buddha, Mahavir, Kabir, Nanak, Mansur, Jalaluddin, or Rabia.
Name or faces can be different but their message, language,
music, feelings, is same. One, who recognizes one Sadguru,
recognizes all.
All the Sadgurus of the past, the present and the future
are present in him. Since Sadguru is ultimate and pure light,
like God, darkness cannot exist in his presence. To meet a
Sadguru Ego is the biggest obstacle. One who surrenders,
receives the light of knowledge. Door remains closed for
persons having Ego, Stubbornness. Ego blinds a person,
whereas humbleness gives him an Eye to see and feel.
It is sufficient to stay in touch with the Sadguru. Even
one step along side him can usher in a new era, and full moon,
otherwise full moon and no moon (Dark) nights are fifteen
days apart. The gap can not be overcome in several lives, but
if one surrenders at the feet of the Sadguru, light of knowledge
is showered upon him. On the contrary if one bows at the feet
of a Sadguru, with Ego, the darkness will engulf him. One
who dares and takes risks with love, passion, and bows at the
feet of Sadguru wins. His life becomes successful and his
journey, called life, gets completed. Enlightened ones cross
over to the other side and never look back, as they merge into
completeness. A Sadguru is one, who after attaining
enlightenment, returns back due to compassion and love for
the mankind, like an ordinary person. They are called
Bodhisatva (Essence of knowledge) by the Buddhists
(followers of Gautam Buddha) and Tirthankars
(reincarnations in Jain religion).Their compassion is limitless.
Renouncing the happiness of truth, pleasures of Brahm state
(being a creator), Tirthankars return back, where they tread
the path full of thorns, along with those who are lost in the
journey for so many lives and alert them, guide them, correct
their course of life towards completeness, they are Sadguru.
By doing so, they face the dangers from all quarters of life. So
called religious preachers and leaders denounce them, berate
them in the name of religion, caste, creed, knowledge, or
learning of the previous lives (called Sanskar). They are called
irreligious, and are sometimes, hanged, or poisoned, or stoned.
In such adverse and difficult circumstances or conditions,
comes a Sadguru. He transforms Doubt into Respect &
Faith by the fire of his attained knowledge. Now Respect
does not yield Doubts. Appearance of doubt is an indicator
that you have saved & protected your acquired knowledge.
When the doubt is covered in the veil of argument, respect is
not worth a penny. Sadguru brings you closer to truth. He
lives his life, by staying awake. He combines awakening with
living. He lights the flame of meditation (|-) in the darkness
of life. Now slowly you start to recognize, the God.
Recognition turns into acquaintance which strengthens the
bond. Embrace becomes stronger and of long duration. Finally
this embrace becomes eternal and this results in his merger
into infinite, the completeness. Then there is no darkness in
life, it is brightness all over. Now death becomes Nectar,
towards immortality, eternity.
Because of all this Sadguru appears to be, a crooked one
and the preacher looks simple. Sadguru appears against the
religion and the person who performs the religious rites at the
place of worship appears to be religious. Truth can only be
achieved through means, which appear contradictory to the
established laws. Sadguru appears to be opposite to the
established laws i.e., rituals, thats why Sadguru Kabir also
appeared to be opposing the basic tenets of the religion
prevailing at that time. Swami Atmadas ji was also a similar
Sadguru; he still exists and shall continue to exist in the time
to come. Sadgurus physical body may be bound by the time,
but in fact he has crossed all boundaries of time. He has in
fact crossed over to the other side, but due to compassion he
returned back for the mankind. His each molecule is free and
this was the basis of tradition that his mortal remains / physical
body was not consigned to flames and was enshrined. The
place where he meditated and attained enlightenment remains
charged up, for at least a couple of thousand years. This may
be the reason for establishing a place of pilgrimage, where a
Sadguru has attained enlightenment and similar tradition is
probably, being adopted by major religions in different forms.
Since time immemorial, he is not recognized by the people
living in his close proximity, as they consider him as one of
them. Even Krishna was not recognized by his son, grandson,
relatives and friends. That is why Arjun asked many questions
from Krishna. Even Guru Nanak was not recognized by his
family members. Only the lucky ones or those who have
performed good deeds can recognize the sadguru. As Gautam
Buddha initiated all the family members and obliged them,
Sadguru Swami Atmadas ji not only initiated his father, brother,
wife, son, but also initiated the village folks and helped them
on the path of self realization.
Whenever hypocrisy peaks and so called perpetrators of
the religion start exploiting the common man in the name of
the religion behind the garb of false rituals, rites, violence,
coercion , nature looks at the Buddha or Sadguru of the past.
Then only they reincarnate as super human being endowed
with the extra ordinary capabilities to lead the masses in the
form of Buddha, Devotee Narsee Mehta, and Sheikh Farid or
as Guru Nanak. To reach the infinity each of them may have
treaded different paths but they all had the same experience.
In spite of different social backgrounds, different circumstances
they unshackled the masses from the false hood of the deep
rooted beliefs, in their own way. They all reached the same
destination and re established truth. They all preached about
union with God and saw him in each particle of the universe.
Service to mankind has been described by them as the service
to God and welfare of mankind as the supreme Welfare. This
is the true path. The path treaded by the enlightened souls.
Any one who sincerely and earnestly followed the Sadguru,
crossed over to the other side, got enlightened; but those who
miss shall keep wandering for several lives. You are free, to
decide the path, you will tread in the present life.
31.8.95 Evening 4.20 Swami Sri Krishnanand Ji Maharaj
Contents
1. Swami Atma Dasji 17
2. Swami Shree Das ji 130
3. Lord Buddha 142
4. Sheikh Farid 183
5. Devotee Narasi Mehta 197
6. Pundit Jajali 217
7. Guru Nanak Dev ji 229
8. Guru Amar Das 240
9. Guru Ram Das Sahib 240
10. Guru Arjun Dev 240
11. Guru Har Govind ji 241
12. Guru Hari Rai ji 241
13. Guru Harikrishan Sahib 241
14. Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib 242
15. Guru Govind Singh 242
16 17 The Path of Enlightenment The Path of Enlightenment
Swami Atma Das ji
Swami Atma Das jis date of birth is not exactly known,
but whatever could be found from his place of birth, place of
action, place of meditation, and place of Nirvana, is being
documented below.
Swami ji was born in a village in Shahbad district in Bihar.
The village is located in the present day Buxar district. The
village is called Kopwan and is 8 Km south of Dumraon sub-
division. It is a prosperous village surrounded by numerous
varieties of trees, plants, shrubs etc, at a small distance from
the highway. Therefore the village cant be seen from the
highway. On the eastern flank of the village there is a temple
of Ma Bhagwati (Kali), and a beautiful pond nearby. There is
also another temple of Ratoi Ma, at a short distance from the
temple of Ma Bhagwati. Ratoi, word is derived from the word
Roti (|-i- Hindi word for crying / weeping). Swami ji explained
that Ma Parvati wept here and the tears accumulated, forming
this pond. This pond is situated near the temple of Ma Ratoi
and is the only temple of Ma Ratoi on earth. When Sati (Chaste
Lady, who is pure from within and name of consort of Lord
Shiv) Parvati disguised herself as Sita (consort of Lord Ram),
he recognized her and asked her chuckling: Ma! Why are you
wandering in the forest? Where is Lord Shankar? Hearing this,
she was deeply in remorse and came to this place. She repented
for not taking the advice of Lord Shankar*, and started weeping.
Villagers took her as an ordinary lady crying for some reason,
so they started calling her roti (the crying lady). Later on the
word roti got distorted to Ratoi in the long run.
Our reverend Sadguru Swami Atma Das ji used to say that
Ratoi Ma is the family deity of the descendents of Vishni clan
of Kopwan. Swami ji also used to say that the family, which
does not propitiate its family deity and ancestors, starts
regressing. Kopwan is also a part of the character forest and
also called Siddhashram (living place of Ascetics). From here
Sati went to attend the Yagya being organized by her father,
Daksh Prajapati (Skillful and Expert lord of the public). Lord
Shankar also left for Mt. Kailash from here. When Sati
committed suicide by jumping in the fire of the Yagya, after
receiving ill treatment from her father, Lord Shankar destroyed
the Yagya in a fit of rage, which was followed by sad feelings
for losing his consort. In that inebriated state he carried the
charred body of Sati on his trident, to different places on the
earth, like an insane person. To take him out of this condition,
Lord Vishnu cut the charred body into pieces, using his disc
weapon (-+). Wherever those charred remains of the body
touched the earth, that place became the power centre (Shakti
Peeth in Hindi). Lord Shankar felt lonely and started wandering
in search of a serene and divine place to get rid of the
associated thoughts. In this pursuit he arrived here and stayed
at the Ashram of Maharshi Vishwamitra (one of the greatest
sages, named lz|ln|; Friend of the universe) and on his
suggestion, went into deep meditation at this place. Due to
his long meditation, this place became divine and prosperous.
Meanwhile taking advantage of Lord Shankars deep
meditation, a tyrant king, called Tarakasur, became very
powerful after receiving blessings from Lord Brahma, that he
could only be killed by the son of Lord Shankar (who was
deep in meditation and without a consort. If at all he comes
out of the trance and finds a consort to beget a son). Lord
Shankar was so deep in meditation that it was nearly impossible
for any one to bring him out of the trance, due to the fear that
how will he react to being disturbed? After lots of consultations
and meetings, inhabitants of all the three living worlds
approached, Kam Dev (+|n<-God of desires) who reluctantly
agreed to bring Lord Shankar out of the trance, using his skills.
But he knew that this act could get him killed. He agreed to do
this as charity in the interest of the mankind and as a divine duty.
When Kam Dev reached this place, along with his
accomplice, he almost entered into trance like state, due to
the spell casted by the deep meditation by Lord Shankar. He
was prompted by others accompanying him, O KamDev! There
is nobigger charitythan helpingothers. In this effort you mayget killed,
but even then, you will becomeimmortal without a physical body. Your
will becomeeternal. This placewill becomemost revered placeon earth.
Sages will always bewillingtoreincarnatehere.
Hearing these pleasantries Kam Dev, prayed to Lord
Shankar and started casting his own spell, as his divine duty,
with the complete awareness that going against the desires of
Lord Shankar will certainly result in his death and this may be
his last spell. As his spell started to take effect, all the living
and non-living beings surrendered, leaving all inhibitions, to
the carnal desires. Even this spell could not bring Lord Shankar
out of the trance. Then Kam Dev released his five most
complicated of his spells and went into hiding.
This resulted in Lord Shankar coming out of his trance,
and that infuriated him. Lord Shankar opened his Third Eye
(The gateway to unlimited power, which destroys everything
in the state of rage, and can create anything in the state of
bliss) and as a result, Kam Dev was burnt to ashes. Since Lord
Shankar expressed his anger at this place; therefore this place
is called Forest of Anger (+| - in Hindi pronounced as Kope
Van) by Maharshi Vishwamitra, and the word got distorted to
Kopwan (+||). Rati, the consort of Kam Dev, was brought
here by few divine souls, led by Sage Vishwamitra. Rati
prostrated at the feet of Lord Shankar and became unconscious
after narrating the plight of her husband. Lord Shankar, who
is also called Ashutosh (~|z|-|| who can easily be pleased), was
pleased with the prayers of Rati to pardon her husband and
revive him; told her, Sinceshecamealongwith sageVishwamitra,
her husband will becomeomnipresent in all lifeforms without a physical
body. Still if shewants tomeet her husband in physical body, hewill be
reborn as descendent of sageVishwamitra, son of Lord Krishna. His
namewill bePradhyumn and heshall becomeyour husband onceagain.
Till that timeyou should meditatein front of Shivalinga (phallus symbol
representingenergies of Shiv). In duecourseof timeyour descendents
will inhabit this placeand you will betheir familydeity. You shall also
protect your clan.
This truth can be seen by any person having divine vision
and he can understand the reasons, that till date, one great
sage is always present on this land. People of Vishni clan (l|i
z| Warrior clan and descendents of Lord Krishna) are in
majority here. Although people of all races, faiths, religions
live here, in harmony, they have the traits of Vishni clan. The
village has a school, a Shiv temple on the northern flank as
well on the western flank, vast expanse of land is for cattle
grazing and for children to play. There used to be a large pond
too. Pond and the grazing ground are shrinking with the passage
of time. Nearly two km. north of the main entrance of the
village, there is a temple of Kali in Karuaj. On the east of the
village, is a small rivulet called Kaanv(+| ). On the eastern
flank there is a canal and the highway too. The landscape round
the village is naturally beautiful and pleasant. People live happily
here in harmony with nature and are prosperous.
On the northern side of the village, a family headed by
Shri Ram Sakhi, having firm belief in the god used to live
here. His personal traits were like his name and the household
was prosperous by all means. He possessed several oxen, cows,
horses. Several servants and maids were ever ready to attend
to the needs of the family and their guests. He was very gentle
and generous in nature. He used to render justice with his sharp
intellect and far sight. All had faith in the justice rendered by
him, thats why the family was called the family of justice.
The house has a big court yard, where daily meetings were
held. Every thing was completed as per fixed schedule.
Religious activities were organized all the time. Discourse on
Ramayan, Mahabharat, Sukh Sagar, and Shiv Puran, were
organized regularly and were attended by all the village folks
of that area. Later on some sages, and saints started visiting
for giving the discourses in these gatherings and to stay as a
guest. They were given gifts at the time of their departure.
These activities continued for years together. Milk and curd
were always made available to the guests. A time came when
any sage or a passenger appeared in the village at dusk; he was
ushered towards the house of Shri Ram Sakhi, popularly called
Baba (Grand father). That place looked like a confluenceof
sages. Time passed by, with the singing in the glory of god. No
child was born to all the seven brothers / co-brothers in the
family, and this was the cause of concern for him.
Birth of Swami ji
Villagers started whispering that Baba pretends to be
generous, but does not have any child in the family. Anyway
the couple used to sing the glory of God and used to take
meals after offering the meals to the visitors. Days passed by,
as if by the grace of god, one day when the discourse was in
progress an ascetic arrived at dusk. Baba washed his feet and
offered him sweets. The discourse on Ramayan continued and
no body conversed with the ascetic about his native place, his
religion, or the purpose of his visit and destination. After the
nights rest when the ascetic was bid farewell after the morning
meals, he said; O noble man! You are the Dharm of the Kaliyug
(the present era, the other eras being Satyug, Tretayug, and
Dwapar yug). Dharm akin to Narayan shall soon be born in
your house. You are the blessed one and your wife is also
blessed one. The boy will be a Sadguru and you will be initiated
by him (on the journey to infinity) and your family will become
his disciples. Baba was shell shocked, as if day dreaming while
standing there. Ascetic had long gone, but Baba continued
thinking, is it true? A son is born, if he is religious and righteous
then is acceptable, but an ascetic is not. Who will inherit the
wealth of the family? Confusion prevailed. Everything got
fizzled out with the passage of time.
Happiness prevailed in the ambience of the household and
the family members were pious. The year was 1886 and bumper
crop was harvested. Couple of cows and buffalos was the
source of milk for the household. Big and healthy oxen were
tied near the entrance. Horses were making noises. Trees and
plants were supporting the veins. Birds were chirping. All the
ten directions were looking pleasant, as if nature is gearing up
to welcome a new visitor. Baba was sitting near the entrance.
It was the early morning of the full moon day and the month
was June. Main house was at a distance from the main entrance,
where ladies of the house resided. A maid servant came
running and after touching the feet of Baba, said that the moon
god has visited the house. When Baba said what are you saying?
Speak properly. Maid could barely utter few words- Baba, Baba,
God has visited the house. Then Baba called another servant,
named Hari, and asked him to find out, what is the matter? He
came back running after a few minutes and said with
exhilaration, Owner has come, a baby boy. Baba asked both
of them, what do they want? You can tell your desire. They
both asked for a calf for each of them. Baba happily granted
their wish.
Jubilation at birth
A new born arrived at home. There was the atmosphere of
jubilation for months at a stretch. Religious discourses were
continuing as usual. Sages and ascetics visited their home
regularly for discourses and chanting. Months got converted
into Year. The atmosphere was charged with joy. Even the
down trodden of the village were happy. The child had
completed one year and had started uttering a few words and
had started toddling in the court yard. One day the same ascetic,
who predicted about the child, arrived. Baba recognized him
at once and was given a warm welcome. He asked, the god of
Dharm (righteousness) has arrived? Isnt it? When Baba tried
to put the child in his lap, he put the child on his lap. Ascetic
and the child kept looking at each other, as if trying to recognize
each other. Ascetic suddenly uttered, so you have come. You
are Dharm. It is sad that, I will not be around when you will
attain enlightenment. But I will try to be there at that moment.
Since you are from the Vishni family, and born on the full
moon day, you name will be Dharm Dev. Ascetic handed the
child back to Baba, and asked him to take care of the child.
After saying these words, ascetic was on the move. He
disappeared after walking some distance. All including, Baba
kept staring in that direction, in which the ascetic had
disappeared. The child was smiling.
Death of mother and start of education
When Dharm Dev was six months old, his mother left for
heavenly abode. He was looked after by his fathers sister (Bua
or Aunt). His Bua had no one to be called of her own. So she
groomed him, as if he was her own son. He also used to cling
to her.
Time was running fast & the small kid started growing
even faster. He was dear to all in the family. He was growing
amidst lot of love and affection. When he was five years old,
he was enrolled for learning on an auspicious day. His teacher
used to come to the house for teaching. He was a genius and
could memorize the subject after reading once only. The teacher
always used to say, it seems that the boy already knows what
is being taught to him. He always ranked first in the class. He
was enrolled in a school in the Dumraon, at the age of five.
His father made arrangements for him to stay in the hostel. He
always studied in the royal manner. Monthly expenditure even
in those days was Rs.10/ -, at times when rice used to cost not
more than Re.1/ - for 47 Kg. His father used to arrange for all
that was required. Lot of children became his followers, in a
short span of time. His fellow students were king of Dumraon,
Shri Ram Vijay Singh and the Ex. Chief Minister of Bihar.
They also used to get flabbergasted, looking at his talent and
spending. He used to spend only a rupee and a quarter for
himself, but used to disburse rest of the money among the
poor and needy students. During the lunch hour, he used to
take some other students to the nearby forest, where all used
to sing hymns / devotional songs. Sometimes he got carried
away and used to miss the classes. The teacher used to scold
all the students. At a tender age of ten only, he used to immerse
in the devotion towards god and inspired his fellow hostel
mates, to singing of hymns. Thus he continued his studies.
When he was 6years old, his father succumbed to the
pressure of the family to remarry. His co-brother was born
followed his three sisters, when he was 12 yrs old. His foster
mother used to love him more than his own son. She used to
give him money without the knowledge of his father. She used
to shower maternal love on him. His father got worried after
observing the change in behavior. His father often used to tell
him, Devotion and meditation aretobepracticed in theold age. Young
ones of your agedonot singhymns or meditate. He merely used to
listen. On the way to school, he used to lead fellow students
to the nearby forest and inspired them to sing hymns and
meditate. He often used to go there alone and used to meditate
under the tree. Some times he used to meditate, whole day, as
if he arrived there, just a while ago. He used to rush toward
the school after coming out of trance, but only after the school
hours. His teacher used to make complaints to his father that,
even after having a sharp brain, he is irregular to the school.
The boys used to inform the teacher that, he goes to nearby
forest to sing the hymns and is not even scared of wild animals.
He was counseled by his father, as well as, by his teacher; but
he was always engrossed in his own world.
One day he reached the forest by 8 oclock in the morning.
He planned to go to the school, after meditating for a while. In
the deep trance he observed, that a golden object, like sun, is
descending towards him. A divine person emerged out of the
divine light and said what is there for you to study. You are
already a learned one. You should finish your worldly duties.
Young Dharm Dev asked- who are you? Divine person replied,
you can call me by any name, be it Sadguru, or sage, or hermit,
or a divine soul. You too are like us and this is the reason why
I am always with you, and shall always remain with you, in the
future also. Saying this, the divine person started to merge back
into the divine light. The ball of light started receding back.
He opened his eyes and found some flowers scattered nearby
him. He picked them up and after paying due regard to the
divine person, started running towards the school. He reached
the school around one oclock in the afternoon, after the school
closing hours. Teacher got angry with him, but as the boy
replied politely I had gone to the nearby forest and was deeply
engrossed in meditation. Hearing this, the teacher threw the
stick, lifted him up on his lap and said You are great. Alas! I
could also meditate like you. We are impressed by your
politeness and intellect. Anyway I will teach you separately. In
return, you teach us meditation.
Worries of Father
His father remained deeply worried, as if his own future is
shattering in front of his own eyes. He was smart and good
looking. He was also the first child of the village, studying in
the eighth class. Whenever he used to come home, during
holidays, there always used to be crowd of those who wanted
their letters read and replied by him. He was jovial by nature.
Grand mother always used to keep him with her. She used to
feed him with her own hands and used to smear his forehead,
to protect him against the black magic or evil spell. During the
night, she used to narrate the religious and mythological stories.
During day time, when his father used to come home, for lunch,
she used to sing lot of praise for him, saying Mygrandson is
verysmart. Hestudies a lot. Hecan read theletters for anyone. Seehow
heread theletter fromCalcutta and alsowrotethereply, immediately.
This is theright timefor himtoget married. I want his bridetobe, as
learned and smart, likehim. If sohappens, our housewill become, just
likeheaven. She was getting overwhelmed and kept stroking
his head gently. Father also said, Lot of such marriage
proposals are in the offing, and it is the right time for the boy
to get married. He does not go to school for studies. He goes
to the nearby forest, sings hymns and meditates. He also
encourages other boys to do the same. Now his teacher is also
learning meditation from him. Saying this, his father told him,
Dharm Dev, be with me during the summer vacations.
Together they rested after the lunch. In the evening father asked
him to get the horses ready, for a ride. Boy Dharm Dev saddled
two horses and brought them like goats. The horses were jittery
and were muscular. His father asked, which one would you
like to ride? The boy said politely, any one, you would say. His
father got surprised and said, ride the bigger of the two horses,
who is ill tempered and lot of expert riders are scared to mount
on him. Can you mount the bigger horse? The boy Dharm
Dev said, why not? Only your permission is required. His father
said; then what is the reason for delay. Hearing this, Dharm
Dev, let the horse loose in the streets of the village and jumped
on to the saddle, while horse was cantering. Horse started
galloping at the crack of the whip, as if riding of the wings of
wind. The horse and the boy disappeared in a few moments.
His father got worried about the safety of the child. He gave a
chase on the other horse, but the boy had gone out of his
reach. The boy returned after two hours and both the boy and
the horse were tired. The father returned after another half an
hour and he enquired about the safety of the child. Finding
him safe in the house, lifted the child in his arms and started
kissing him with words of praise for the boy, You are the
blessed one and brave. Today I have come to know that you
will make the family name, shine. Father was now assured
about his son.
Marriage
His father started thinking that, if the boy is married off
to a decent girl then, he will get involved in family life. He will
look after the business and worldly duties, leaving behind his
daily prayers and meditation. Meanwhile his father received a
marriage proposal from a family of repute. The girl was
beautiful, well mannered, and was full of virtues. She had
completed six years of studies in the school. The marriage was
fixed after consultation with the priests and elders of the village.
Dharm Dev ji got married to Vasmati Devi, with lot of fanfare,
pomp and show. Dharm Dev ji continued his studies and he
completed matriculation in due course time. In those days, it
was very difficult to find matriculates, as this was the pre-
requisite for studying law. His classmate, Sardar Harihar Singh
was, probably not even matriculate, got elected as the Chief
Minister of Bihar. Jobs started pouring in from the Education
department, Police department et al. He served the education
department during the British regime. As he had to stay away
from the family his father forced him to leave the job.
Subsequently he finished I.A. Thereafter both husband and
wife started teaching, free of a charge at their door steps, as if
the house has been converted into a school. Thus, the self
studies also continued, besides imparting knowledge to the
village folks. His wife was also aware and conscious of her
duties to be ever ready to serve the cause. It appeared that as
if the heaven has descended to their house. There was no
shortage of anything.
Tied up with Karma
Dharm Dev ji started making herbal medicines after
studying Ayurveda (the knowledge of life science). Patients
used to get cured after using a single dose of the medicine
from him. Medicines given by him were giving unfailing results.
His medicines started becoming popular. Gradually people all
around the village started maintaining good health. He used to
purchase rare herbs and he used to formulate the medicine
from those herbs. He never demanded money for the medicines
out of sheer compassion. He used to say Thepatient is already
strugglingand sufferingfromdisease, it is not justified toask money
fromhim. Thus he spent a lot of his fathers wealth on disbursing
free medicines to the needy ones. His father did not utter a
word, but stopped giving him money, for buying herbs for
medicines.
Meanwhile he came in contact with another ascetic, who
was tall and handsome and had a divine light in his eyes. He
started imparting knowledge of all types of Yoga to young
Dharm Dev including Hatha Yoga (ta |- In this type difficult
yogic postures are maintained for a longer duration, stretching
the physical bodys capabilities to extreme limits), Swara Yoga
( | Knowledge of different types of breathing techniques),
Naad Yoga (-|< | Knowledge of different types of internal
sounds used to go deep in meditation).
Ascetic used to teach him the controlling techniques
(Tantra), using sound / syllables (Mantra), & the rites to be
performed in the cremation ground. Ascetic used to go in hiding
along with him, in the night. When his father came to know
about this, he threatened the ascetic with dire consequences,
should he be spotted in the village. The ascetic left the village
silently. But the teacher and the disciple used to look out for
each other. Ascetic was messenger / incarnation of Lord Shiv,
who came as a hermit before and after the birth of Dharm
Dev ji. Now he made his appearance as the teacher (in the
garb of an Ascetic). After being scolded by the father neither
the student nor the teacher uttered their protests. Rather the
disciple, Dharm Dev ji, started making discrete visits near the
river Kaon, where he used to meet his teacher. He used to
meditate till 4 oclock in the morning. Family members thought
that Dharm Dev has now been transformed and does not follow
pursue the occult practices. Ascetic had stopped visiting the
village. During day time he used to educate the people along
with his wife, who used to educate the girls of the village.
Thus the self less service was given to the villagers.
Experience
One day he was sitting out side the Shiv temple on the
outskirts of the village at dusk. He was thinking, what was the
reason behind the creation (of the universe)? The question
was in the subconscious mind. Suddenly he visualized a turning
wheel of light. Light was very bright but, was pleasant and
attractive. He was drawn towards the wheel and was getting
oblivious to himself & surroundings. The wheel of light was
approaching him. He visualized a black man (+|n |) driving
the wheel, when the wheel came very near to him. He climbed
aboard and was enthralled about the experience. He started
wandering inside the wheel of light. The scene was panoramic.
Till then he had not explored or thoroughly studied the religious
scriptures. He only had the knowledge acquired by some
experimental rituals, as taught by the ascetic. He reached
another side of the wheel and found a divine tree, which was
full of gems and colorful lights. He started heading towards
the tree. A white person emerged from the tree, which bore a
gentle smile on his face. The white man picked him in his
arms with affection and said to him: so you have come. He
further said, this is the wheel of creation. Saying this he made
Dharm Dev ji climb down the wheel and then prompted him
to climb up the wheel. This process was repeated several times.
On being asked the purpose behind this, the white man
explained that, the black man driving the wheel, is the wheel
of time (+|n -+ Kaal Chakra), the tree in sight is Kalpa Vriksha
(The mythological tree known to have the capabilities of
fulfilling material desires of the person approaching it).
Climbing up and down from the wheel is like dying and being
born, again and again. This is an eternal law.
Taking an Ascetic as his Teacher
Whenever Dharm Dev ji faced any conflicting situation
about righteousness, there always was a divine intervention to
resolve the matter. Therefore he did not feel the compulsion
to study the scriptures. He was learning the occult from the
ascetic. The ascetic never visited their house. Now the pupil
used to reach the river Kaon. One day he left the house in
pretext of taking a holy dip in the river Ganga but instead
reached district Buxar. Earlier whenever he used to leave the
house, he was accompanied by someone, to take care of him,
but on this occasion, he was alone. At Buxar he reached the
character forest (Charitra Vana), where the same ascetic was
eagerly waiting for him under the Banyan tree. He was delighted
to see Dharm Dev and told him that tonight he will transfer
the power of Mahakaaleshwar (Lord of the Death), to him.
Ascetic told Dharm Dev that he will achieve a higher level of
ascetics, than that of him and also that he is lucky to have a
disciple like him. You have relinquished all the luxuries of the
life and have turned towards the hardship of the austerity and
self restraint. Ascetic assured him that he will not be given
flesh and blood, which is en essential part of such rituals.
Mahakaal (another name given to Lord Shiv) has instructed
him to keep you away from flesh and blood. You know that
two guards of Mahakaal are protecting you round the clock. I
feel like transferring all the powers tonight. Now you should
go to Ram Rekha Ghat (one of the Hindu cremation grounds
on the banks of river Ganga). Ascetic told that he shall start
preparations for the rituals from 6 oclock in the evening, which
will continue till 12 oclock midnight. From then onwards
rituals, using a corpse will continue. Nothing is to be left for
tomorrow. Mahakaal has preserved a corpse for you. He really
takes good care of you. Dharm Dev ji proceeded towards the
local market, bought all the material required for the rituals
and returned back to the cremation ground.
Dharm Dev ji observe that corpses were burning all around
the cremation ground. He stared at them without blinking his
eyes. The body which was tendered when alive is burning like
wood, as if there is no significance of the physical body and
each body ends up like this. He was deeply engrossed in such
thoughts, while the corpses were burning. A tall and dark man
with bare body was picking up the burning logs of wood and
was setting afire the partially or un burnt corpses, while laughing
aloud. He was uttering few syllables. People were giving him
way, in whichever direction he was going. Dharm dev ji was
overwhelmed with the thought of renunciation. The bare
bodied man approached him and asked what was he doing
there? This is the world. Take this log of wood and follow me.
I too picked up few logs of wood. Eyes of the bare bodied
man were red and therefore Dharm Dev Ji could not recognize
his ascetic teacher for a while. He followed the ascetic behind
the banyan tree. That area was covered with the layer of cow
dung. Fruits and flowers placed neatly along with other
offerings. Dogs and pigs were roaming there. He was
apprehensive that those animals may devour those offerings.
As if reading his thoughts, ascetic laughed aloud and said
Dont you see? Lord of the cremation ground is protecting
this place, and without his permission even ants can not enter
this area. Only you have been permitted to enter this area,
even birds have left this place. Look there, the lord himself is
guarding this place; pay him the obeisance from here.
On turning back, he saw a dark complexioned man, standing
guard and holding a long trident. Dharm Dev ji paid obeisance
from that place. The man thundered and said; I cant accept
the obeisance from a pious soul like you. Mahakaaleshwar
himself is protecting you and no one can harm you in the three
worlds (Physical, Metaphysical, and Spiritual worlds). The
ascetic instructed him to go to complete his daily rituals, of
meditation and breathing exercises and return back, as the dusk
was approaching. He took bath and completed his daily routine
of meditation after taking bath in the river Ganga. Time was
around 7 oclock in the evening. The ascetic was reciting certain
mantras for igniting the fire. Dharm Dev ji got up from his
place and reached the altar where all the offerings were placed.
Before sitting on the mat of grass, he bowed to his teacher and
paid him obeisance. The ascetic instructed him to follow the
instructions. He was instructed to ignite the fire. He started
looking around for burning wood. The ascetic thundered and
said: dont look around, as you arefireyourself. Look within yourself.
Firewill ignitewhen you blowwind fromthemouth. He meditated
for a while and blew from his mouth, aiming at the log of
wood. To his surprise the log of wood was set ablaze, as if
waiting for a signal from him and also as if it was made of fire.
Now the teacher was reciting the mantras and the pupil was
doing as instructed. These rituals continued till midnight. It
was pitch dark. The lord of the cremation ground was standing
guard, unnerved. Some mantras were taught, and then suddenly
the ascetic instructed him to open his mouth and take his tongue
out. Teacher wrote some mantras on his tongue using ash of
the cremation ground and a mixture of eight essences. The
ascetic announced happily that from now onward, whichever
mantra is invoked by him using the power of mind, will present
it self, along with the controlling power (Tantra). Now very
short time is left before the midnight. You should invoke the
spirits of the dead ones. Suddenly he recited a mantra saw a
lot of spirits in front of him in different forms. They were
making different noises and some were waiting for orders. The
teacher instructed Go to the river Ganga and after paying
obeisance to Ganga, request for a corpse. Bring the corpse
here with the help of these spirits. Dharm dev ji moved briskly
towards the river Ganga. All the spirits were walking besides
him. After paying obeisance to river Ganga, he requested for a
corpse. Within a few moments a corpse started floating on the
surface. He thanked the river. He also paid obeisance to the
corpse as well and touched. To his surprise the corpse was
picked up by the spirits. He led the spirits back on his way to
the cremation ground. The corpse was kept on the ground
anointed with sandalwood paste. An animal made of wheat
flour was sacrificed while chanting mantra. Blood started oozing
out of the animal made of wheat flour, which was collected in
a special pan and Water of river Ganga was used as a substitute
for wine. By the time these rituals were completed, it was 12:30
just after midnight. The ascetic instructed him to sit on the
corpse in the Lotus posture (Padmasan) and start breathing
(Pranayam). Dharm Dev ji followed the instructions & then
he sprinkled water on the face of the corpse as per instruction.
Suddenly the corpse opened eyes, as if they were emitting light.
Corpse opened mouth and asked, why has he been called?
Ganga water used as substitute for wine, and blood collected
in the previous ritual, was poured in the cavity of the corpses
mouth. The corpse had calmed down and said; Order me, Let
me get up, release my body. Dharm Dev ji said; your body has
been tied with Mantras, to prevent you from creating havoc.
Corpse replied; your teacher is a perfect ascetic, you too are
master ascetic. I cant harm you, even if I desire so. Our master
Mahakaaleshwar (Shiv), himself is protecting you. I will obey
your order. Hearing this Dharm Dev ji got up. The corpse also
got up and paid him obeisance and circumambulated around
him. The corpse asked for an order, and was told to wait for an
appropriate moment, when a suitable job shall be assigned.
After this other spirit, ghosts, vampires, devils also asked for
an assignment and they were also told to wait for the right
moment for an assignment. Then all the spirits showered flowers
on to him. Dawn was approaching. The Ascetic was watching
all this, silently, sitting under the tree. Dharm Dev ji looked at
his teacher and paid his highest regards by putting his head at
the feet of his Guru. The ascetic started stroking and patting
the head of his pupil and continued to do so for a long time as
if the time has stopped ticking. Suddenly the Guru asked him
to return to his home, and said; Your learningis complete, and I
havetaught whatever I knew. Your father is losingpatienceand is abusing
me. Heis threateningtobeat meand is sayingthat I amspoilingyou.
Thereforeyou should return back toyour home. God bless you. I will
contact you whenever thesituation demands. I amunnerved bytheabused
& threats of your father and dont and dont care. After returningyou
should continuepreachingYoga and work for theupliftment and welfare
of themasses. Your journeyis not yet finished, but has started now.
Dharm Dev ji was completely dedicated with devotion
towards his guru. He requested his guru; Pleaseallowmetostay
with you and dont send meaway.
The teacher explained him that he has to learn a lot.
Whenever your job is complete, god, the almighty will call you
back. He followed the instructions of the teacher as an order,
and returned back home. At home, he observed pandemonium.
Father had gone insane and was calling his name, again and
again. Family members had returned back after searching for
him at Buxar. Some of them had gone back to search for him.
Later on all were pacified and the situation normalized within
a couple of days.
Horse Trading
Days were passing by normally. People used to pass
comment to his father, what does your son do for living? Did
he waste money in the name of studies? Earlier father used to
say that, my son need not work. He should stay in front of my
eyes. God has given us enough. But one day he told his son
Son, you should dohorsetrading. I will giveyou moneyfor thebusiness.
You should gotoPunjab for buyingthehorses and thesamecan be
traded hereat higher price. Horses shall beused for ridingas well as for
trading, toearn profit. Although not willing, he agreed to go for
horse trading, just to fulfill his fathers wish. Whole family
started preparing for his journey to Punjab. Father gave him
Rs.10, 000 and saw him off to Punjab at railway station. His
mind was always focused on the almighty but now he left as a
horse trader. His fathers was famous even at distant places.
Since the old Shahabad district was the area catered by the
Soan canal, the area was predominantly a paddy field. Basmati
rice of this area, with the brand name, Sonchur was famous.
People from distant places used to camp at the residence of
the reputed persons, while on business trips. When he landed
in an industrial town of Punjab, an acquaintance from old days
recognized him, and asked Dharm Dev ji, what are you doing
here? Your father, Ram Sakhi ji, how is he? Is he alright? He
was looking at that Sikh with consternation. The Sikh said;
You maynot recognizeme. First you givemeyour luggage. Everyyear I
gotoyour placeas a cloth merchant and stayat your residencein theout
house. Your father is a pious soul. Whenever I staythereI get free
boardingand lodging. Mynameis Pyara Singh. I amenthralled and
feel luckytofind an opportunitytorepaythedebt byservingyou. Hearing
the name, Dharm Dev ji stressed his memory and remembered
that he is the one who presented a Dhoti (draping cloth for
men) to him and Saree (ladies draping cloth) to his mother. He
was saying that since this saree is too good and there is hardly
anyone who will buy this. His father bought the saree for two
rupees. He was wearing the same Dhoti. While he was thinking,
Pyara Sigh recognized the Dhoti and said; I supplied this dhoti.
Near a house Pyara Singh stopped and said; This is your house.
Lets goinside. He stopped at the entrance, as there were women
and girls inside. Pyara Singh said; this is Punjab. Wehavecommon
entrancefor all and dont haveseparateentrancefor ladies. Our ladies
work in thefarmland / fields. I havebeen visitingyour placebut have
never stepped insideyour house. I havenot even seen your mother. Once
I sawyour grandmother and had an opportunitytotouch her feet. Sheis
likea goddess. One girl came from inside the house and took
care of the baggage being carried by Pyara Singh. They both
went inside. For a few days it looked odd, but slowly everything
was normalized after getting the respect form the house hold
members. Pyara Singh used to accompany him while making
purchasing the horses. All this took twelve days. He started
his return journey after buying 16 horses.
Only the will of the almighty prevail. Perhaps he did not
like him as a trader. On the way back four of the horses died
due to illness. He returned back with 12 horses. Another two
died after reaching home, within two days. Now only ten were
left. All the relatives started coming as the prospective buyers.
As they were told the purchase price earlier, they also didnt
pay anything extra. They didnt even bother to consider the
money spent to bring the horses to this place. They bought the
horses at the purchase price only. Some of the relatives
borrowed the horses and promised to pay in installments, which
were never paid. Thus he lost Rs. 5,000 in the business as a
horse trader. He returned his father only Rs. 5,000 which was
kept silently.
Seeing Light
One night he was sleeping in the fields. It was no moon
night and it was pitch dark. He was thinking that even after
studying he could not help his family. He saw a ball of light
descending from the dark, but starlit sky. Then he saw a divine
person coming out of the light holding a discus, a mace, a
lotus and a conch, on a giant bird. Divine person disembarked
from the bird. Dharm Dev ji bowed to him and paid obeisance.
He was invited by the divine person to come aboard. Bird
took off for yet another flight. Divine person kept telling about
the different worlds. After a while they returned back. Dharm
Dev ji asked, what is all this? The Divine person replied; this
is the creation. You have to do something else. You have to
achieve completeness, thats why you have come. Your
Sadguru is waiting for you, thats why you cant succeed in
anything. You have to achieve the essence of success. What is
the origin of all, you have to attain that. After reaching there,
nothing is left to be achieved. Therefore you should proceed
towards your origin. We are all with you. Divine person took
off and merged back into the darkness. He thought this
incidence as a dream, as if dreaming while awake. He was
unable to sleep. Out of curiosity, he moved towards the heap
of harvested paddy, from where Lord Vishnu took off for the
journey to space. He saw few of the bright objects in the
darkness. He touched them with his forehead. There were two
lotus flowers lying there, having a strange but divine fragrance.
He kept looking at them for a long time and fell asleep. In the
morning when he looked for those flowers, he could not trace
them. He had no idea about the happenings of last night. All
that had happened was just like a dream. In the morning he
completed his daily morning rituals. The servant was holding
a glass of hot milk, at the door of the barn; and requested him;
Pleasefinish theglass of milk and then after reachinghomeshould
takethebreakfast consistingof curd and rice. Your mother was waiting
for you. He wanted to take only one glass of milk but the servant,
Hari said; Pleasefinish all themilk. Your mother has instructed that
you havetofinish thecompletemilk. You havebecomeweak. On this
he told his servant that he can not consume all the milk. The
servant pleaded; Pleaseconsumeall this thelast timeon myrequest.
I shall not forceyou in future. Dharm Dev ji said you make such
promises daily but could not refuse him at last.
Teaching to Sheetal ji
Dharm Dev ji started teaching the kids of young age and
taught them the course books and the knowledge of rituals.
Shree Sheetal ji was his cousin brother and used to praise that,
the elder brother teaches him with lot of care and affection.
One day he went to school when the result was declared. He
was promoted to the next grade. He came back home, running
and looking for Dharm Dev ji. Not finding his elder brother
there, he went to meet him at the farm house. On being asked
about the result, when Sheetal ji said I could not pass theexams,
Dharm Dev ji suddenly flared up in anger and started beating
him with the thick rope leaving the marks on his back, said to
him You havestarted lyingalso. He came back home crying and
complained to his parents about the incident. They said Dharm
Dev is like a god, you must have made some mistake. Then
Sheetal ji acknowledged his mistake and vowed that he would
never speak lie in the life again. Later on he became the disciple
of Dharm Dev ji. In the old age also Dharm Dev ji looked like
an icon of truth. Shri Sheetal ji used to say, I am nearing
seventy years of age. I have traveled a lot but, have never seen
a person who is as divine, devout, pious, religious, and as
knowledgeable in the fields of Astrology, Tantra-Mantra, as
Dharm Dev ji. Now he is not our elder brother, but he is our
reverend Sadguru. Similarly every body in the village had
something to say about Dharm Dev ji.
Childhood memories of Sheetal ji
Swami Dharm Dev ji had become an exponent in the filed
of Tantra (the controlling techniques). A man becomes slave
of his desires and weaknesses. On the other hand he can also
become lord of his own senses if he leads a disciplined life.
Every body has six drainage points in his life Laziness,
Excitement, Lack of courage, Indiscipline, Excessive Sleep,
and Tiredness / Drowsiness.
One who plugs these drains i.e. controls all these traits, he
gets the nectar, called knowledge. Swami ji had complete
control on these six traits.
One day Dharm Dev ji was sitting in his farm house after
completing his daily rituals, some women of the village
approached him. He asked them what the matter is. What is
bothering you? Mother of Sheetal ji said, I have a son like you,
even then I am sad. Your younger brother and disciple Sheetal
is sick for the last one month. You are not taking care of him.
Sheetal is under the control of some spirit. For the last one
month he has been shackled and the moment he is released he
starts creating chaos. Exorcists have been called, but all of
them have run away after confronting him. If someone dares
to stay, he gets beaten by Sheetal. Almost all the exorcists in
the nearby vicinity have been beaten by him. Yesterday one
pundit, who is also a practicing exorcist, was invited on a
palanquin, from the village Arianv and he performed some
rituals. When Sheetal was released, he started mauling the
exorcist, like a hungry lion. He was beaten blue and black by
Sheetal. Blood started oozing out of his nostrils. It took a
Herculean effort by at least ten people who have tied Sheetal
with thick ropes. Pundit asked the spirit humbly, his
introduction and the purpose of doing all this. The spirit replied
in the voice of SheetalI ama representativeof Lord Shankar and
a bodyguard of theperson livingin thefarmhouse. I liveon thetreein
front of that house. This boyused togoin theserviceof theman living
in that farmhouse(DharmDevji). Onedayheinstructed theboyto
keep theplacebeneath thetree, clean and never pass urinethere. In spite
of his warningthis boypassed urineunder thetree, in theprideof
beinga wrestler. I havenowpossessed himand this is thepunishment
for not obeyingtheinstruction. Whoelseexists on theearth other than
Lord Shankar? If you want anybetterment in life, takerefugeunder
his shelter or elseyou will alsobecomean evil spirit.
Mother of Sheetal said, today I have come to you. Please
protect us. Swami ji said in a laughing manner, you areworried,
just for this. Go, releaseSheetal and ask himtotakea bath. Todayyou
preparefood for me. She said, son you have a diet, like that of a
bird. It will not be a problem. Even then I will check up with
your aunt and prepare the food with my own hands. You please
come in time.
Swami ji reached at 10.00 a.m. He was offered the seat
with honor and respect. He was served different varieties in
the meals. Once Swami ji started eating, he did not stop before
finishing all the meals prepared for about 10 persons. On being
asked what has happened to you? Swami ji said, today I feel
hungry. What ever is available in the house, please bring. He
finished all the rice, milk etc. available in the house. After
washing hands he returned to his place.
His aunt asked, have you finished the meals? He replied,
not yet. His aunt started a brawl with the mother of Sheetal,
for keeping him hungry for so long. She didnt bother to listen
what was being said. Swami ji intervened and said, Sheetals
mother is telling the truth and she had fed me enough. His
aunt retorted, even you are favoring her. Your diet is too little,
how you can eat so much. He started laughing and said, aunt,
I did not eat anything. Whoever was possessing Sheetal, has
eaten all that. You can verify this and see in your backyard, a
large pig is still devouring the meals. The women rushed there
and found a large pig eating, all that was offered to Swami ji.
Some of the women fainted after seeing that. Since that day
Sheetal became an ardent follower of Swami ji.
Horse trading again
Few days after that incident, his father gave him Rs.10000
once again for the horse trading and sent him to Punjab. This
time he went to the Sindh province (now in Pakistan). There
also a Hindu family was his host and became the family
member. He bought 18 horses this time. As the destiny can
not be re written, and he was destined to tread the path of the
God, four of the horses died on the way back home, after
reaching the North Eastern province. Another two died after
reaching home and four fell sick. Large amount was spent on
their treatment. This time also he did not trade the horses
properly. He used to accept any offer price without bargain,
considering that as the will of the God. This time also, he lost
Rs. 5000. He felt sorry for the loss in the business. His father
consoled him with soothing words and said dont bother about
theloss. All themoneywas earned byme. You could not havedone
better. Dont worry, just enjoythelife. He tried his luck in other
business, but there also he incurred losses. At the end he re
started what he was best at, devotion, considering it to be
gods will.
Birth of Son
With the passage of time Swami ji was blessed with two
sons. All in the family were happy and the house was filled
with joy. Atmosphere was charged with happiness in and
around the village. As he was dear to all, nobody from any
caste had any complaints or ill feelings against him. He also
loved all and never used bitter language with anyone. Of late,
he started to remain aloof from the family life and started to
dislike the family life. While sleeping he used to stare upward
as if some one is calling him. He was getting restless and
developed a strong desire, about eternal union with god, the
almighty, and the state of total bliss. He was not attracted to
anything and the whole world looked like an illusion, far from
the truth. He was listening to the call of god from each
molecule of his physical body. He decided to leave the house
and move to the place where, there is nothing else, but devotion
to god. One night, he saw a shadow emerging from a corner of
the house, which was not clear and it was saying something to
him in very low voice. To day is the right time to initiate the
renunciation (of the world). This will be your first of such
journeys, which will hurt your father. During the second of
such journeys he will be devastated and start thinking of being
strong enough to take care of him and the dependents. Third
of such journeys will be last. On being asked, the shadow
replied, Yes; but also added Pleasehurryup, I havebeen keeping
an eyeon you for thelast coupleof months. You arethinkinga lot. Now
is thetimetostop thinkingand toact. Lets move. Thedoor is open.
Your father is sleeping, theservants aresleepingand thedogis also
sleeping. All will continuetoremain asleep till you reach thesafedistance.
Swami ji asked the shadow, Whoareyou? Pleaseidentifyyour self.
WhereI amsupposedtogo? Pleasetell me. Shadow replied, Thisismy
jobtotakeyou toa placewhereyou aresupposedtogo, introduceyou tothe
peoplewhoyou aresupposed tomeet, inspireyou todowhat you are
supposedtodo. Theintroduction can wait; consider methewheel of time.
I dont wait for anyoneandalwayskeepmoving. Pleasecomeout with me.
Swami Dharm Dev ji, somehow got up from the bed and
started to follow the shadow. He found that the door was ajar,
which he closed himself. The servant was asleep. The dog was
fast asleep, who was always alert. With each step he started
moving away from the house, the street, the village. He was
thinking, the ways has been cleared for him. He was unaware
of the fact, how he reached Kashi (holiest of the places on the
earth). Dawn was breaking and the saints were taking a holy
dip, in the river Ganga for their daily rituals. He too had a bath
and changed the clothes. He was about to move after paying
his obeisance to river Ganga, he heard the voice, Dharm, you
havecome. Followme. He turned around and saw a sage wearing
red clothes. His face was away from him. He followed the sage
on the banks of the river. They reached an isolated place, which
was devoid of any habitation. The sage stopped and said, sit
here. Swami Dharm Dev followed the instructions. The sage,
who was dark, had a glow on his face. He introduced himself
as Shivanand (One who is always in a state of bliss of Shiv)
and said; todayyou will begiven theShivSadhana (a yogicpractice
which can empower its practitioner, as powerful as Lord Shiv). You
havecompleted Sadhana of theAghoreshwar (another nameof Lord
Shiv, which associates himwith theintenseTantrik practices involving
dead bodies), this is alsoan instruction fromlord Shiv. Swami Dharm
Das took his seat facingeast and thesagesat in front of him, facing
west. Knowledgeof ShivSadhana was given tohim. Immediatelyhe
was directed tomovetowards east, towards Buxar, alongsidebanks of
theriver Ganga. Swami ji asked, I have come from Buxar only
and I am being asked to go back in the same direction. The
sage told with a chuckle, yes but you need not argue. Accept
all, whatever you get on the way. Make night halts where ever
you reach. Keep moving in the direction and also keep practicing
what you have been taught. Till now you are not used to accept
the things given by others and you dont beg. Now you have to
change this habit. Swami ji paid his regards to the sage and
proceeded in east, general direction.
Now he was doing all, mechanically without giving a second
thought. He got the feeling that he is merely a tool and the god
will get the things done as he wishes. Henceforth the journey
became pleasant. At meal times, he used to go to some village
and used to sit in front of any house. People offered him food
and after meals, he used to leave the place silently.
He used to follow the same routine in the evening. He
used to maintain complete silence. He used to chant mantra,
without giving a break. People used to comment; In spiteof
havinga healthybody, Hehas becomea sageduetofear of hardships
of thelife. Some used to comment; Helooks likean ascetic. He
used to listen to all, without emotional feeling, silently. People
used to offer him food, clothes, blanket in the night due to
compassion, mercy or due to formality. He started talking mono
syllables in reply to the questions in Yes or No, as if he had
lost all desire to speak. He stopped a few miles after Gazipur,
near a banyan tree. He used to bathe in the river Ganga, and
took rest below the tree. Sooner, people from the nearby villages
started gathering there. They used to discuss about his spiritual
progress. He never used to peach or given sermons. Yes, he
used to accept whatever was offered to him, but used to return
the remaining food. He never touched money. He stayed there
for about fifteen days. In the name of clothes he had only the
clothes he was wearing, but due to stay under the tree, people
offered him another set of clothes and a sheet along with a
blanket. He was spending all his time for devotion. He was
least bothered for his future and also never repented for anything
done in the past. He used to practice, as told by his guide.
Returning home with father
One morning while he was meditating beneath the tree, he
heard some noise. As he opened his eyes, he saw an elderly
man lying on the ground, surrounded by a group of people.
His favorite servant was staring at him and was crying with
folded hands. He was trembling, but was unable to say anything.
Wiping tears, he said You ran awayfromthehomesilently. Your
father has stopped takingfood, sincethen. Healways keeps cryingand
keeps utteringyour name. Hehas becomeinsane. See, hehas reached
herelookingfor you. Havingseen you in this condition hecould not stop
himself and has lost his consciousness. Whenever hegains consciousness,
utters your name. Hehas been completelytransformed froma jovial
person whoused togivea lot in charity, toa person whoseems tohave
lost everythingand is broke. Hecan not survivewithout you. Your
mother has alsostopped eatingand is preparingtoleaveher bodynear
Lord Shiv. Your wifeis alsoutteringthenameof Lord Ram. Shehas
lit an eternal flameand is always thinkingabout you. Your housewhich
was likeheaven has becomelikecremation ground.
Swami Dharm Dev ji got up and approached his father
and called him. His father opened his eyes and after collecting
all his remaining strength murmured in a faint voice, Dharm
what has happened? NowI can not besaved. Whycant I leavemy
physical body? I had raised you likea princeand you haverenounced
everythingand livingyour lifelikea hermit. Having said this he
fainted once again. Crowd kept swelling in size. All men and
women were crying and the scene all around was full of
compassion and cries. All were seemed to have been carried
away in the stream of compassion. Chief of that village was
also in the crowd and he recognized the father. He touched his
feet due to respect and took stock of the situation. Removing
the crowd he asked the fatherson duo to accompany him.
Father of Swami Dharm dev ji said Nochief, I dont need anything.
Heis myeldest son, you must haveheard about. Nowseewhat heis
doing. You pleasepursuehimtoreturn back home. Chief of the village
made arrangements for their travel and instructed his people
to bring the horse driven cart. Meanwhile he arranged for the
food for everyone. He requested the fatherson duo to take
bath and food. But the father refused politely the offer of food,
for the fear that any delay may turn their house into a cremation
ground. He requested the village chief to help them reach home
at the earliest. As soon as the transport arrived they all started
their return journey. No body spoke a word throughout the
journey back home. They all reached home by dusk. Whole
village looked like a graveyard. Everybody had tears in his/
her eyes. Every person in the town was apparently running,
possibly to inform their house about their arrival. The whole
house looked like a morgue. Food was not cooked since the
day he left the house. Somehow all seemed to be living. All
living being had their eyes filled with tears, but nobody could
say a word to him. The situation normalized after a few days.
Interruption in Practice of Hatha-Yoga
He started practicing yoga while staying in the village.
Evenings were spent in the religious discourse on Ramayana
and he was the narrator. All used to listen with full devotion
and concentration. At 03:00 in the early morning he used to
go out of the village. Sometimes near the well on the western
flank of the village or sometimes to the banks of the river
Kaon. Both the places were notorious for being under the
influence of spirits and ghosts. He always used to carry a small
urn and rope for pulling water from the well, a towel, a spare
set of clothing, muslin cloth, and small flexible cane stick;
which were required for yogic practice. Once he got up, in the
middle of the night, at 12:30 and moved towards the well on
the western flank of the village. He kept all his belongings on
the parapet of the well and went to relieve himself. He selected
this place for being lonely as the people of the village were
scared to come there, particularly in the middle of the night.
He used to start his cleansing process after washing hand with
the sand, eleven times. Then he used to clean his throat deep
inside for special yogic practice, called Khechari. This was
followed by sprinkling of water on the eyes and forehead. Then
he used to clear the nasal passage using a thread. This was
followed by drinking of 5 litres of water for cleaning the
stomach using a special movement of the stomach muscles.
Whole process used to take one hour. Then muslin cloth was
swallowed using the flexible stick and the water was expelled
from the stomach. He was about to do the last of the steps to
cleanse the body, he heard shouts Dharm Dev, Dharm Dev.
The voice sounded like his fathers. He became little nervous.
He thought that his father never came in this side of the
village. Who could be there at these odd hours? He moved
away from that place with lot of effort and came near the Fig
tree and tried to spot the person who called him. But he could
not see anyone. Suddenly a strong breeze resulted in the fall
of the muslin cloth and the flexible stick in the well. He
immediately understood that it was the game plan of some
forces, who never wanted him to tread this path of attaining
enlightenment. He was worried of the water lodged in the
stomach and wanted to expel the water at the earliest as this
could result in the permanent illness. He lowered the urn with
a rope to retrieve the cloth and the stick, but after reaching
bottom the knot opened up, resulting in the fall of the urn into
well. Then he remembered that he had forgotten to protect his
body and all his belongings. It was past midnight and the dawn
was about to break. But what could be done? Whether to leave
the water in the stomach or try to expel? He decided to make
use of some make shift stick, made from the branch of the
nearby bush, which was not as smooth as the cane stick. Only
some of the water could be expelled out of the body. Then
suddenly blood started coming out of along with water, the
stick had damaged the respiratory tract and part of lungs. He
tried to stop the blood by shutting his mouth, but the blood
started to come through nostrils. He was unable to comprehend,
what to do? He had heard that a Yogi becomes sick for life, if
he errs. His life was in danger. He went to the hut inside the
field and through someone he got another utensil for water.
Somehow he took bath and started to meditate. He used his
inner strength to stop the blood, oozing from his nostrils, but
he could not stop bleeding from his mouth or rectum. He was
envisaged that he is nearing the end of his life. He used to
think that it is better to leave the physical body. He started
looking weak, as he had lost all desire to eat. He was always
sad. Family members were worried about his well being. His
father, who never used to enter his room, became a frequent
visitor, he was restless. His father used to ask repeatedly, What
is the matter? Why are you becoming weak? Why dont you
eat? Why are you sad? His mother also used to ask the same
questions? Whole family was bit agitated. His father gave him
some money to get himself treated by a doctor in the town.
He went to the doctor and told him the truth. After knowing
the whole truth doctor touched his feet and said Nowonly
Lord Shankar can saveyou. Your lungs and part of theheart is
damaged. Howcomeyou arealive, it is a marvel. Then he prayed to
Lord Shankar Pleasesavethis Yogi. With these words he
returned his fees and with full regards, asked him to return
back. On reaching home, when his father asked what did the
doctor say? He was unable to tell the truth about the diagnosis.
He was thinking that if he tells the truth, then life of all the
family members will be difficult. So he said, Lord Shankar will
treat him to good health. Mother kept quiet but his father had
doubts. His wife was like sati (pure), whose happiness depended
upon his liking. She used to follow the instructions given by
him. She used to keep quiet in public, but when alone, he used
to tell You areknowledgeable. Pleasedoonlythat, which is good for
your future. I amyour shadow. Your well beingis mywell being. It is my
dutytoassist you, in all walks of life. I can not becomean obstacleon
your path towards enlightenment. Beingthemother, I havethe
responsibilityfor upbringingthechildren also. I want toseeyou happy.
I dont haveanyother desire.
Journey to Mount Kailash
After losing all hopes of regaining health, he was waiting
for what was an imminent death; he received the instruction
Movetowards Mt. Kailash. Lord Shankar will bless you. Next
day he kept thinking about the consequences and ultimately
decided to move towards Mt. Kailash. He left home silently
without telling anyone. Once near Kailash, and about to enter
the thick forest ahead, he was called by a shopkeeper Swami
ji, whereareyou going? WaytoMount Kailash is theother way. You can
havethis Beetleleaf. Followthepath ahead; you mayeven catch up with
Gorakhnath. Hehas just nowleft. He was surprised to hear that,
as he knew that Sage Gorakhnath had left his physical body,
long back. How is it possible? Anyway he had the beetle leaf
and moved ahead on the path as guided. He reached the edge
of the thick forest. There he saw few huts. To his surprise he
found remains of cinder as if someone has cooked meals a
short while ago. He sat there. A sage with a divine glow came
out of the hut. He offered Swami Atma Das ji, some butter
milk. He said SageGorakh nath has just left alongwith his disciples.
I tooshall goafter them. Swami ji accepted the butter milk, and
when the sage was about to leave, Swami ji asked Who does
these these huts belong to? The sage replied, this one in the
front belongs to Kabir Saheb. Next one belongs to Guru Nanak,
Buddha, Mahavir, Paltu, but you would not find anyone, as
they all have gone for giving the message to the masses. When
asked by the Swami ji, how can they be alive, as they have
died long before? He was asked that how can a yogi or realized
soul die. Although they leave the physical body, they remain
in the metaphysical body. Out of compassion they keep passing
the knowledge to their devotees, when it is needed most. After
saying this, that person left the place. Swami ji consumed the
butter milk. It gave the feeling as if he was offered nectar in
the guise of butter milk. Each cell of his body was charged
and energized. He slept there for long time and when he woke
up in the morning, he left for Mt. Kailash. There he took a
holy dip in the lake Mansarovar, and met Lord Shankar, who
offered him some herbs (details of his journey to Mt. Kailash
are given in the book Awakening of Kundalini, hence it is
only being hinted at this point). Now he was completely
healthy. He meditated there and felt no physical discomfort.
He was filled with divine strength and was thinking to take
some rest, but left that place after being prompted by Lord
Shankar. Now he was always in trance and wanted to remain
like this. He used to make a night halt at the place, where he
reached at dusk. Next morning he used to move ahead for
journey back home. This journey took six months.
Meditation at Markandeyshwar and being
spotted by his father
One day he was staying at Markandeyshwar (Lord of Sage
Markandeya) near Kashi. He was resting under the tree after
taking dip in the holy river Ganga. If someone offered him
food, he used to take meals; otherwise he used to sit quietly.
Hymns and devotional songs used to be regular feature at the
place of his stay. He suddenly heard the agitated voices of
some people, who were coming towards him. He saw his father
was accompanied by five six people. His eyes were swollen
and the face was sullen. He ran towards river Ganga, and
jumped into stream. He had taken vow to remain under water
for three days. He emerged out of the river Ganga on the other
stream after three days. He was wringing his clothes dry and
was oblivious of a boat which stopped nearby. As he was about
to leave, some one grabbed his arm, and said Swami ji, please
havemercyon your aged father. Howyou survived for threedays after
jumpingin theriver. Look at theother river bank. Wholevillageis
waitingfor you. All thefishermen wereasked tolook out for you, but
you could not bespotted. Your father is standinglikea statuefor thelast
threedays. Look there, twopeoplearebringinghimthis side. He turned
around and saw his father was dragging his feet somehow. His
father asked him Our life is in your hands. We have been
searching for you for the past six months. Look at me and take
a stock of health of all the family members. You can stay at
home and meditate. Who is there to stop you? He was oblivious
to all the words being said to him. Meanwhile village folks
arrived in several boats. They all put him on the boat and a
community feast was organized on this occasion. All elders of
the village were vouching for his father. They said, why do you
do all this, after studying so much? These things are to be
done in the old age. You are physically fragile and so young. At
home you have old parents, and an innocent child who does
not understand anything. You should take care of them. All
the women folk of the village started crying after looking at
him. They said You should think about the woman, who has
been brought here by you. Whole village was in a state of
mourning. That day they all stayed in the village. Next morning
he was escorted by some boys, who were guarding him like a
prisoner and two of the boys were taking care of his father.
On the way back home, all were counseling him. They took
two days to reach, back home. This time whole village was
waiting for him. He was surrounded by the villagers from all
directions. Everybody started crying after looking at him.
Somehow they all reached home. Cots were placed near the
entrance. All were wiping their tears. He started looking
downwards as if he was a criminal. What could he do? Some
women brought water in a tray and they all started washing his
feet, thereafter he was offered the ceremonial worship, which
is received only by the most reverend persons of the
community. Meanwhile his mother and aunts also arrived. He
touched there feet and in turn, they tried to embrace him. They
had forgotten all social inhibitions and started crying like a
child. Till that day people had seen, a child crying in the arms
of mother, but now the mother herself was crying. All the
eyes in village were filled with tears. Those, who were holding
back, started crying after seeing the union of the souls. He
also could not hold back and started crying in the arms of his
mother. He told his mother, Please dont cry. Look, where are
you standing? Please oblige me and stop crying. After lot of
counseling she stopped crying. Wiping his tears, with the corner
of her sari, she said Whyareyou crying? Howcan weseeyou crying?
You areour strength. Whole village stopped crying, after the ladies
of the house were sobered. All were awestruck. Mother took
all the women of the village, inside. She said, Wehavetoprepare
thefood for Babu (Nick name of Swami ji). Dont knowwhether he
has had anydecent meal for, god knows, howmanydays? Men folks
sat on the ground. Boys, who accompanied swami ji, were
offered food and place to take rest, by the villagers. After meals
swami ji entered his private room. The ambience was emotional.
Recluse at home and disturbance by black
magic
He started practicing yoga, at home. He was spending life
like a hermit in recluse. But he was not interested in the powers,
which would come to him as a result of his life style. He always
kept brooding about the uselessness of Tantra, Mantra or any
other powers, which would come by. He used to go to the well
at the western flank of the village, even before dawn. He used
to return only after he would complete his daily routine of
meditation and other yogic practices. One day he was relieving
himself in the morning at around 4 oclock in the morning. He
spotted a woman, around 100 yards from the well. She had
lighted the lamp, and was doing something with it. He didnt
pay any attention to that. Suddenly he saw two giants. There
faces were capable of frightening anyone. He started thinking
about them. He observed that they did not have any shadow,
indicating that they were the insatiate spirits (demons), who
could not find a proper resting place and are being controlled
by some other person. He understood that they are here to kill
him. Somehow he saved himself and returned to the well. He
sipped water from his palm (called ~|-n- AACHMAN, a ritual
in prayer) and after reciting mantra he spotted them behind
him. He heard them saying, Todaywearegoingtokill you. The
ladywhois invokingus for thelast ten days is sendingsomeother
spirits, vampires, and draculas alsokill you. Swami ji told them
that he has not harmed anyone. Those spirits replied Sinceyou
haveaccumulated lot of powers and prowess through meditation, the
ladywants tokill your physical bodytomakeyou, her chief deityof her
tantrik rituals. Shehas been chasingyou for thelast somanydays, but
sinceyou havealways been protected bytheguards of Lord Shankar,
shecould not harmyou. TodayseemtohavegonetoMt. Kailash. It is
theright opportunityfor us toperformthedeed. Saying so one of the
giants (n |-|=), charged at him. Swami ji recited some mantras
and sprinkled the energized water at them. They started yelling
and said that it is not our fault. It is the wife of Judawan (|-)
who has sent us. Swami ji set them afire with mantras. Seeing
this, other spirits vanished from there. He immediately returned
to his farm house after taking bath. He immediately asked for
yellow mustard, as he intended to put an end to all the dark
forces associated with the wife of Judawan. He immediately
sat in meditation. When he opened his eyes, it was dusk. His
grandfather, Shiva Deni ji, was weeping non stop. His mother
and aunt were crying too. He enquired from Sheetal about
yellow mustard. Sheetal replied that after leaving this place,
he forgot to bring the mustard. When grandfather asked, what
is the matter? You were meditating and you have opened your
eyes after two days. Swami ji told that hehad sent Sheetal to
bringyellowmustard. I was waitingfor him. As Sheetal did not return,
I kept waitingfor him. When I burnt thespirits sent bythewifeof
Judawan, shegot theindication that her existenceis threatened. She
used her full forceand started dancingnaked. Sheinvoked all her black
forces tokill me, and aimed with her most lethal weapon of her arsenal.
I would havebeen hit with that, but for thepresenceof theguards of
Lord Shankar, whochanged thedirection of her weapons. Guards of
Lord Shankar protected mefromthespirits sent byher. Nowthose
guards havegonetokill her. Nowthat shehas becomeinsane, I have
opened myeyes. Hearing this, his father and grandfather took
their swords out of sheaths, and called for servants. They
ordered their servants to bring the horses. All the relatives and
servants gathered in very short notice. They were saying that
being a person living on their charity, how could she dream of
such a thing. Let us go, and teach her a lesson. We will drag
her, after tying her with the legs of the horses. They were all
charged up and ready for action.
Swami ji asked, where are you going, to beat a woman?
She is being punished by the guards sent by Lord Shankar. She
will arrive here in a few moments. Just wait for some time. In a
few moments, all the present persons heard the commotion
and the cries of a woman Save me! Save me! Hearing this all
the persons rushed to the exit of the farm house. They all saw
a half naked lady running like mad. She entered the house and
started crying after putting her head on the wooden slippers of
Swami ji. She cried Pardon me! Pardon me! I shall not repeat,
such a mistake, again in my life. Swami ji opened his eyes and
looked at the wife of Judawan. All were stunned. Some people
shouted slogans Kill her, as she is a witch and has killed lot
of youths from the village. She wanted to steal the gem of
the village and put us all to shame. There was a pandemonium
and all were shouting kill her. She is a witch. She is sinner.
Swami ji stopped them all. He said From today all her black
powers will be rendered useless for her. From now onwards
the spirits, she controls, will finish her off. All were pacified
hearing this. He put his sheet and covered her half naked body.
He told her respectfully Pleasereturn back toyour placeand always
remember thegod, if possible. In troubleyou can call upon me. The
lady started crying and said Howcan I goback home? Thereare
twopersons thereand theycall themselves as followers of Lord Shankar
and your protectors. Theysaythat nobodyother than you in theuniverse
can protect me. See, thereis a mark of beinghit with thestick. Blood is
oozingfrommybody. Theyhit myhead on thewall. Theythreatened to
hangmewith a ropeon thesamefigtreewherethespirits attacked
swami ji. All will seeyour fate. SomehowI escaped fromtheretoseek
your protection. Swami ji assured her to go back, and said Wrap
mysheet around you. Theywill not harmyou. Theywill moveawayfrom
you after seeingmysheet. After she left that place, the life returned
to normal as everybody started there daily chorus.
In search of Sadguru
Now Swami ji was fed up of the Mantra-Tantra, Riddhi -
Siddhi (Wealth and Prowess). He loved being alone. He used
to gaze at the unseen, as if some one is calling him. His used
to question himself, whether he is destined to get a Sadguru,
who will guide him to attain freedom from all the abnormalities
of the life. Time passed by, in the thoughts of an unknown
Sadguru. Learned ones of the village used to say that you already
have a guru, then why are you worried? He used to reply
When I needed to learn, I studied. When I needed Tantra
and Mantra, my guru was a tantrik (a person who is
proficient in all the controlling techniques). Now I need a
Sadguru who can guide me to become a free person, from
all which I hav e accumulated and giv e me infinite
happiness. No I need permanent happiness and nothing
else. He was living his life with these thoughts. At last god
showed some mercy. One day early morning he had a vision
of a person. He said Tomorrowyou should reach myplaceat
Belpathara. Mynameis Kewal Das. Peoplecall meGosain sahib. You
must beinitiated tomorrow, before0800 hours. He was wondering
whether it was a dream or a reality. He got up from the bed
and after finishing his daily routine work, started enquiring
about the place called Belpathara. Nobody could tell him the
exact location of the place. In the evening a sage appeared at
the door steps. After offering him food and place to rest, Swami
ji asked that sage humbly about the location of Belpathara
and asked whether there is a saint in that village? The sage
replied laughingly, yes son! You go to the other bank of the
river Ganga and go to Bharwali by boat. Once there move on
towards Isupur and few kilometers from there is the village
called Belpathara. A divine soul lives there whose house is
like hermitage. His family lives with him. All villagers are his
disciples. He is not only a saint but a Sadguru also. Please see
him. You will consider your self lucky after meeting him. But
on the other hand he does not belong to the upper caste like
you. He is an illiterate, whereas you are educated. How you
can pay obeisance? How you can surrender to him? Have
another thought. Pride of belonging to the upper caste is the
biggest detrimental force in ones development, followed by
pride of the lineage, and self esteem, that I am supreme, I am
educated. Evaluate all this. He does not belong to your class. I
know both of you. Your fame is spread like the moonlight.
Who does not know your father and grand father? Your father
accepts food, only from the Brahmins and Kshatriya (belonging
to warrior clan). He does not accept water which is touched
by any person, not belonging to the above mentioned casts.
Your grand father does not allow the cowherds and like him to
touch his personal belongings. Since he is respected by people
from all casts and creeds, all his necessities are provided at his
doorstep. Think of all this. He belongs to Koire (+| i)
community. Koiries cant imagine, even to muster at your
doorsteps. How dare you ask his address? On being asked how
do you know him, Sage replied I havearrived fromKashi and
belongtoBrahmin community. I keep wanderingfromplacetoplace. I
renounced world ten years back. OnceI reached that village. Having
seen his level of renunciation and theglowon his face, I decided to
becomehis disciple. I followed himtohis villageand enquired about
him. Hebelongs toKoireycommunity. I was stunned. Howcan a Brahmin
accept a person fromKoireycommunityas his guru? Somehow, I reached
his hut. I stayed therefor sometimebut did not accept even water. I
could not muster enough couragetotalk tohim. When I was about to
leavehecameout and asked me, what was thecasteof Shabari (an
elderlytribal woman character in Ramayan)? Towhich caste, Valmiki,
Vidur, Ravi Das, and Kabir belong? I could neither look straight into
his eyes, nor replytohis questions. I could not muster enough courageto
stop and offer myobeisance. I moved on fromthat placeand till dateI
amon themove. Till todayI remember each of his words. I strongly
yearn tobewith him, but thesocial standingprevents mefromaccepting
him, as Guru. I havechurned out lot of books, havebeen in thecompany
of lot of learned peopleand cametoconclusion that it is foolish to
enquire about the origin of a riv er, and the caste /
community of a Sadguru. A person searchingfor truth should
desireonlyfor thetruth. If a thirstyperson does not jump intotheriver
toquench his thirst, then theriver can not doanything.
Swami ji (Dharm Dev ji) said, I am obliged to hear all this
from you. Please take rest and meanwhile food will be arranged
for you. I shall make a move around midnight toward that
village. Let us see whether the caste, community, education,
creates hurdles or removes them. Whatever creates hurdle in
the quest for knowledge should be renounced. Seeker of truth
should get truth. To remove darkness one needs light, it does
not matter what is the source of light? Be it Sun, or Moon, or
Lamp or Electricity. Whatever removes darkness for us is
reverend. Who has given me the caste, so that I can return
back his caste? I think that I am only a truth seeker and nothing
else. We are the creation of God almighty; even a person
belonging to a lower caste is also made by him. Orthodox
thinking is given by the people of low esteem to satisfy their
ego. A person, who does not know anything, does not do
anything; talks only big and cites his ancestors for everything
to prove himself, a superior being. A capable one will never
look back, he will only look ahead. I am in search of a Sadguru,
wherever I find him. I am searching for a lotus, irrespective of
its place of origin. Thorns are also associated with roses, but
does it make people, hate them? I want a blooming flower,
that too, a smiling one. Branch, on which it blooms, is
irrelevant. You please take rest. Thanks a lot for guiding me.
He went to his room after meals and tried to sleep. That night
sleep eluded his eyes. He was able to see the path ahead. He
yearned to be with his mentor of the future. Around midnight
he left the room and took a major step towards his future. He
left the house without informing any one. Without a shred of
fear in his mind, he was fully charged up with energy, which he
never felt earlier in his life. He was heading towards his destiny,
to meet his Sadguru. Suddenly all cobwebs cleared and he could
feel the inner peace, as never before. He treaded on the path,
cutting through the silence of the night. He followed the path
parallel to the canal. At one place he had to cross over, to the
other side of the canal. As soon as he was on the bridge, he
encountered a pair of king cobra. He was thinking of the ways,
how to cross over to the other side of the bridge? He
remembered his future Sadguru and prayed to him, Please
dont take my test now. If at all you have to test my allegiance,
then it should be done after the initiation process. I cant be
stopped now. I have to march ahead. Now, nothing can become
a barrier between you and me. Suddenly he started uttering
the words Jai Guru Dev! Jai Jai Guru Dev (Salutations to
the guru). All of a sudden the pair of the serpents disappeared
as if, being attacked by a giant eagle. Now he was care free,
full of vigor. He reached Buxor by 4 oclock in the morning
covering a distance of nearly 20 kilometre. He started the
journey by boat, after taking bath at Ram Rekha Ghat
(Embankment on the river Ganga). By 5 oclock he reached
Bharwali. After paying obeisance to river Ganga, he walked
briskly and reached Belpathara by 8 oclock. He enquired from
a person near the hermitage about Gosain sahib. That person
guided him to the hermitage. He rushed towards the person
sitting on the wooden plank, and paid obeisance by prostrating
in front of him. He had forgotten about his existence and was
completely overwhelmed with joy. Gosain sahib got up from
his platform and embraced him. Gosain ji asked about his well
being. Swami ji replied that he had come from Kopwan. Gosain
ji said I was waiting for you only. Today itself the initiation
process should be completed. There is very little time. Y ou
are Sat Chitt (Pure heart) and the Anand (eternal
Happiness) is waiting for you. Few paces from there, in the
hut, two blankets were neatly arranged. An urn filled with water
was kept and the incense stick was burning, as if the preliminary
preparations were completed in anticipation. Gosain ji asked,
Dharm Dev, do you want to ask anything. The reply was
prompt that nothingis tobeasked now. Pleasetakemeunder your
shelter. Pleaseignitetheflameof knowledgein me. I dont want anything
else. Hearing this Gosain ji said happily, You will becomeenlightened
and fromtoday, your namewill beAtma Das. Saying this he
instructed Dharm Dev to sit in the lotus posture in front of
him. Reciting some mantra he touched the forehead of Dharm
Dev with his hand. All of a sudden Atma Das ji was covered
with light, as if happiness was being showered upon him. He
was overwhelmed with joy and happiness, he never felt in his
life. Within few moments, he was not aware of his existence.
He stayed with Gosain ji for the next three days, and
practiced under his guidance. He had an opportunity to do
service for Gosain ji for three days. On the fourth day he was
instructed to return back to his native place, after lunch. He
was told that his father and his aunt wereverymuch worried about
his well being. Donot torment themlikethis. Practicewhileat home. If
possibleask for alms fromyour home. After acceptingalms noonewill
haveanyexpectations fromyou. Hearing this he was disturbed a
bit, but accepting this as a divine instruction he marched
towards his house. He reached home by evening. His aunt
embraced him and complained to him that heshould not leavethe
houselikethis, without informinganyone. You aremylife. Howcan I
livewithout mylife? Nowyou aremyonlysupport. He remained
silent. In the evening he meditated after taking bath.
Taking Alms, year 1935
While staying at home and remaining engrossed in his own
world doing introspection, he converted his own house into
hermitage. Now he was either meditating or living in the
company of like minded people. After some time he cut himself
off from the society. A young fellow from his village came in
contact with him and was slowly drawn towards spirituality.
He lived in the neighborhood. He was tall and handsome, but
he was also obsessed about renouncing the world. He always
remained in the company of Swami ji. His name was Kapil
Dev. Swami ji consulted Kapil Dev and decided that it is
justified to start taking alms from his own house. He could not
indulge in the daily chores, as doing the daily chors was like
entrapment in the cobweb. He decided to renounce the family
and the world after accepting alms from his house. Thereafter
he shall be practicing, what was taught, on the banks of the
river Ganga or near Sadguru. He was still in a dilemma, as to
where from, he should start taking alms. Family members will
not give him alms. Also families from the upper caste will not
offer him alms. He decided to start from families belonging to
the lower cast, living in the south of village. Next day he
directed Kapil Dev to start taking alms from his own house
and told him that he will start from the south of the village.
Bare foot and bare bodied, he headed towards the south end
of the village. He was holding a dried shell of red pumpkin.
He said in loud voice; Ma! Please give me alms. There was no
response from within the hut. And how can some one respond
to such a call? There was hardly anything to eat in house, for
days, in a row. The house hold was at the mercy of the villagers,
who used to support them by giving them the left over meals
of the previous day. After three four repeated calls, Subba,
keeper of the cremation ground, emerged from the house. He
was stunned, as he could not believe his eyes. Was that a dream?
How is it possible? All the house hold members came out one
by one. They were all stunned. Slowly each living person of
the colony gathered over there. Atma Das (New name of
Dharm Das after being initiated by Gosain ji) begged, Please
give me alms. Whatever is left over of the night, please
give me. Subba was witnessing all, hearing all, but still he
could not believe his eyes or ears. Suddenly he started shouting,
Oh god! What has happened? Is hethelord of thevillage? No! No! It
is not possible. Lord of thevillagecan not bein this condition. Welive
on thealms given byhis family. Howcan wegivehimalms? See, is he
Dharmdevji? Noit is not possible. Lord of thevillage, and in such a
patheticcondition. Till today, nobodyfromhis familycametothis side
of thevillage. Howcould hecometothis side? Atma Das was silently
watching as if saying, please give me some alms. Subba could
not bear all this. He fell on to the feet of Atma Das ji. All the
remaining villagers followed suit. There was pin drop silence.
All were silent. Atma Das ji said, So! You will not give me
anything. You all are disobeying me. I am going ahead. Hearing
this, all the people moved, and brought everything they had in
their household. They said in a chorus O Lord! What can we
offer you? All were crying. They said You were a saint while
you lived in your house. Why are you doing all this? Why are
you killing us by such acts? What will happen to your father
and grand father? They will never accept you in this condition.
They will die of shock. Why are you seeking alms from us? All
that we have is given by you and your family. You can take all.
Your words are enough. Atma Das ji politely kept handful of
rice in the pumpkin shell.
Having received alms, he moves on to the colony of the
Koirey community of the village. They were all surprised to
see the family of Subba, the keeper of the cremation ground.
Then they were all surprised to see Dharm Dev ji, the most
educated and respectable person of the village. People took
out their cots to offer a seat to him and brought water to wash
his feet. Meanwhile this incident spread in the village, like a
forest fire. All the elders of the village gathered to counsel
him to reconsider his decision. All were saying what are you
doing? You have all the respect, standing in the society. Why
are you seeking alms? Suddenly some one shouted, Take him
to his place. His aunt and uncle have become unconscious
after hearing that their beloved is seeking alms from all the
down trodden of the society. All in the village were crying
loudly, unashamedly, and they were all saying that please forgive
us for whatever mistakes we have committed. If we have done
some good deeds then take the credit of that. But, he was
standing there without any emotions and saying Hari Om! Tat
Sat! (Oh Lord! You are the only truth). His face was
expressionless. He was uttering only few words that you all are
like my parents. Please give me alms and also the blessings for
renunciation. He was made to sit on the palanquin after several
requests and was alighted only at his residence. Villagers
informed his grandfather about his arrival. Someone sprayed
cold water on his face. He got up, embraced him and said Did
we provide education to you, just for this day? What are you
doing? He kept saying that Please give me alms. His
grandfather snatched the dried pumpkin shell and threw away.
All the gathered people were crying, as if their next of kin is
begging. Now, Atma Das (who was not Dharm Dev, any more)
had become very humble and was sitting on the ground, silently.
Taking alms from the wife and family
It was noon and the sun was at its zenith. Whole village
was surrounding him as if no body had any job to attend to. As
if all were beyond thirst and hunger. He sat there as if he was
meditating. After several requests he broke silence for saying
few words I will keep sittinglikethis unless I receivethealms, even
if I die. Then silently he went back in the meditative trance.
All the elders of the village had gathered around him. No
decision could be taken on that day. Condition of his
grandfather, father, and aunt was beyond reconciliation, as they
had not sipped water ever since the news broke out, that he is
renouncing the world. His elder son, Sukh Dev and the
younger one Hare Krishna, were watching the whole episode
with astonishment. Elder one was ten years old at that time
and used to preach like a veteran philosopher. He was counseling
his mother, Whydont you givealms tofather? Renunciation is a
noblething. Urmila, wife of Dharm Dev ji, was also of the
opinion that alms be given. It is better that he stays alive, doing
whatever he likes to do, rather than sitting at the door steps
without food and water. But his aunt and his grandfather will
not tolerate this. His son said, mother please request the other
family members to give him alms. Wife replied, No my son!
His aunt cant listen to all this. She will rip that person apart,
like a tigress, whoever goes with this request. She is the one
who raised him, since his mothers death. She cant see him
facing hardship of any type. Whole village worships and adores
her like goddess Durga and no one can look back into her
eyes. Therefore leave her alone to take the decision.
Third day has arrived. Atma Das is sitting quietly like a
statue. Whole family is sitting around him without eating. All
the women folk of the village came out openly, abandoning all
inhibitions and started to pray to him as if he is god. People
started gathering from the near by villages also. All were
discussing, what shall be done? At last on the third day at
around five oclock in the evening the decision was taken that
the whole village should give him alms. Pay obeisance, anoint
him and pray to god for success, in his new life as a hermit and
for his enlightenment. But who will give this message to his
grandfather and his aunt? At last all the elders of the village
went to convince his grandfather and said that he is very lucky.
Your glory and greatness is known to all. Dharm Dev ji is
sitting like a statue for the last three days and nights. Please
give him alms and your blessings. Also please allow us to pay
our obeisance and give him alms to share the glory; he is going
to bring to the village. His grandfather unwillingly agreed. After
getting approval from the grand father, all the villagers stormed
in to give him alms. After being informed by someone, that
the villagers are giving alms to Dharm Dev, his aunt came out
roaring as if some one is trying to snatch the cub from a lioness.
She said Howdareyou givealms tomyson, in front of me. Hearing
this people started running for cover, as the clouds are dispersed
by strong wind, and the animals run for the cover hearing the
roar of a lioness. Aunt lost her consciousness after saying this.
She was brought back to senses by sprinkling water on her
face. She comes back to senses and retorts Givehimalms.
Nownothingcan saveme. Whoshould I livefor? On being asked
by father, what are you saying? She tells him about the dream
that when she started scolding him what she saw was, Young
DharmDevaround twoyears old requestingher that alms begiven to
him. Heis sayingin a child likevoicethat till todayI havenot asked
anythingfromyou. Pleasegivemealms. She tells all that it is all
beyond her tolerance limits. Please give him alms. With these
words everybody started giving him alms. At last his aunt gave
five rupees and five kilograms of rice. His wife also gave him
five rupees and five kilograms of rice and paid him her
obeisance. The scene was beyond comprehension for most of
the village folks. All the elders left the place. There was an
eerie silence prevailing in the village. Fourth day in the morning,
he got up at four oclock, paid his respect to all the people
present at that moment, while standing at the same place. He
picked up only five rupees and five kilograms of rice from the
heap; and marched in the north direction. It appeared as if the
soul of the village is leaving its body (the village), sun was
also hesitating to rise above the horizon. Swami Dharm Dev,
now Atma Das was walking as if freed from all the shackles
of life; towards freedom, infinity.
In another house of the village father of Kapil Dev was
telling him Look you dont havethepersonal traits of DharmDas.
Heis leavingthevillageafter renouncingtheworld. Hewill return as
Buddha. You aretryingtoemulatehim. You will drop your guards at
theslightest provocations bydesires and affection. If you dont want to
listen tous then you shall leavethevillagewith him. Weall, including
your wifeshall giveyou alms. You shall goafter him. Hehas not gone
very far fromthevillage. You should not leavehimunder any
circumstances. Heis akin togod, Lord Shankar. Todayonly, I have
keenlyobserved him, judged himveryclosely.
At the outskirts of the village a beautiful girl was standing
with eyes full of tears. She called him with a gesture and gave
a golden coin as alms. She blessed him and also gave regards.
She said in a broken voice I amhappyand at thesametime, sad
also. I amyour familydeityRati (Ratoi Devi). Happy, becauseyou will
bringlaurels tothefamilynameand will attain enlightenment. I will be
honored. Sad, as all thechildren and thegrand-children, will become
orphans. Howcan I seemydaughter in lawin whiteclothes? You tread
thepath of Dharma. Blessings of thealmightyand your Sadguru are
with you. You aremypride. Saying so, she kissed his forehead
and saw him off with tearful eyes.
Reaching again at the door steps of his Guru
Atma Das ji reached at the door steps of the Guru, full of
happiness, as if received the kingdom of the universe. Gosain
sahib was a realized and enlightened person. People used to
say, he has been blessed by Saint Kabir in person and had
learnt the Swara Yoga (Breathing techniques), Naad Yoga
(Knowledge of using different internal sounds for meditation),
Surati Yoga (=l- |- focusing all energies and thoughts towards
the goal of merging with God) and various meditation
techniques form him. He was desperate to teach all that he
had learnt, to some one. But he was unable to do so, as he
could not find a suitable disciple. Accepting him as a disciple,
Gosain sahib was so happy as if a blind person gets eye sight.
His wish was fulfilled. He could not stop him after spotting
Atma Das, and ran towards him with the same eagerness of a
cow full of milk, which is always eager to feed her calf. Gosain
sahib hugs him with the eyes full of tears with the words You
area braveperson. You area perfect yogi. I ammerelya channel. You
area Sadguru yourself.
After spending the life like a prince, he renounced the
luxuries like Buddha and Mahavir did. His feet and body were
bare but his face was glowing with joy. Gosain sahib said Your
physical bodyis manifestation of Yoga. O Sadguru! Pleasepass on, all
that I haveearned through yoga and meditation, tohim. Atma Das ji
prostrated at the feet of Gosain sahib to pay obeisance. Gosain
sahibs hands spontaneously reached for his head. Both were
brimming with affection. The whole village was witnessing
the rare phenomena and was wondering, what has happened
to Gosain sahib? He is such a serious person. He never been
seen to bless nor curses a person. He did not offer food or
water to this young hermit. He got carried away, like a river
brimming with water sweeps away all the shrubs and the nearby
habitation alongside its banks. Kapil Dev, who came along
with him and all the villagers were awe struck and witnessing
perhaps once in many life times phenomena.
Divine Union of souls
Atma Das jis head was on the feet of his Sadguru and in
turn Sadgurus hands were on the head of his favourite disciple.
Energy started flowing from the feet of the Sadguru. It
appeared as if the flood of energy from the feet of Sadguru
was inundating the physical body of Atma Das from below
and the flow of energy from the hands of the Sadguru was
like heavy downpour from above. This situation can only be
described by a person who is treading the same path. It
appeared as if the time had stopped. Both had forgotten their
physical existence. They had become one. Slowly a circle of
bright light formed around their bodies. No body could believe
their eyes. Was that a dream or reality? They have all been
living with Gosain sahib for years, but never witnessed anything
like this. What was happening was beyond anyones
comprehension. All those who were present there
spontaneously fold their hands and bowed their heads in
respect. Chants Jai gurudev! Jai Jai Gurudev! (Salutations to
Sadguru!) were charging the surroundings.
This condition lasted for more than hour, as if Atma Das
ji was in the trance, lasting few eons. It appeared as if he has
come out rejuvenated after taking dip in Mansarovar (A
legendary lake created by the creator himself with will power,
or the power of mind.), the lake called Sadguru. His physical
body was brimming with the energy and the aura of divinity,
which was seemingly emanating from his physical body. He
attained that state in a moment, which normally takes many
lives to attain by others. His face was smiling and it appeared
as if he had become infinite after merging with infinity. While
separating, Sadguru said Atma das, you aremysoul. Let us go
inside. Once inside, Gosain sahib introduced him to other
disciples as A Paramhans (nt= - a realized and enlightened
soul), and told them, You should consider yourselves luckythat Atma
Das is present here. You should all payyour obeisancetohim. Then
he announced that there shall be a community feast in the
evening. By evening thousands of people gathered in the village.
Devotional songs were being played. Atma Das was draped in
new clothes, was garlanded and the masses paid obeisance by
prostrating before him. This was followed by the community
feast. I t appeared that moonlight has descended in the
hermitage. Moon himself seemed to have taken refuge at that
place and wanted to make that place his permanent abode,
along with his cool vibes. Moon seemed to embrace his
descendant. Whole place was inundated with a divine
fragrance. It appeared that moon is showering its light and
flowers are being offered by the demi gods. Whole night
devotional songs continued along with the feast. Atma Das ji
never imagined that he will attain divine bliss, so soon. Now
he was seeing every person as his own image. He was
looking at others, as his own god in different forms,
performing different deeds. He was enjoying every
moment of it. He had nothing left to meditate upon. The
difference between the object (of the meditation) and the
subject (one who meditates) was eliminated. Now a
blissful peace and happiness was omnipresent.
Directive by Sadguru and living austere life
(ri)
He remained in this state for a while. He used to stay in
the house of his Sadguru and used to attend to his needs.
Whenever he used to go to touch the feet of Sadguru, Gosain
sahib used to say, Nowdont touch myfeet. Goout and dosomething
for thebetterment of thepoor souls in thesociety. Y ou are a Sadguru
yourself. Start the job for which you have incarnated on
earth, and never ever you should care for fame. Y ou should
guide poor souls who are desperate for communion with
the Supreme Being. Y ou become there guide and the
medium. Lots of souls have lost there aim in life and are
deep in the muck, as a result of sins committed by them.
Bail them out of that situation. God is keeping watch on
you with hope. Weexpect this thingfromyou. Yes, stayherefor a
while. Although I dont feel likeleavingyou, but I havedueregards to
thedirectiveof SupremeBeing. Three months after, Atma Das ji
requested to be in solitude for six months. His follower Kapil
Dev also underwent the initiation process and used to follow
Atma Das ji like a younger brother. The instructions of their
Sadguru were very clear, Staywith Atma Das likehis shadow, as
heis likelytoforget his physical existence. As a result of this hemay
fall anywhere. Dont panicat that time. Caress his feet, and sprinkle
cold water on his head and face. Heis likelytoignorehunger, therefore
offer himfood, milk, water and soft drink timely. Otherwiseheis likely
toleavehis physical body, anymoment. Hedoes not need this body. He
has alreadyattained metaphysical body. We, as well as somanyother
souls need his physical body. Thereforehis physical bodyis a legacyfor
us. Kapil, you should takecareof his physical body. This is your supreme
duty. Your physical bodyis strongas you areyoung. Your emotions are
alsoyoung. You should takeit as dutytotakecareof his body. If you
will behonest then you will deservehis blessings. You need not doanything.
You can get anything, oncehedecides tobless you. You arefortunate
enough that you haverenounced this world alongwith him. It must be
thefruit of thegood deeds donebyyou in your previous births. Sodont
let this opportunityslip out of your hands. You should bein his service
and you can receiveanythingin return. Just followmyguidance. This is
thehighest formof meditation for you.
Sadguru instructed to Atma Das You should gooutsidethe
villageand meditateon what ever is left tomeditateupon. Rather you
should takecompleterest. Diga burrowof 8-10 feet deep for you.
Cover it fromthetop. Makea small exit. Kapil shall guard from
outside. Whenever you will not emergefor twodays, Kapil shall caress
your feet and trytobringyou back tosenses and sprinklecold water on
your face. It is Kapils dutytoescort you for bathingand feed you totake
careof your health. A burrow was dug up, just outside the village
as per instructions of Sadguru. Whole village was ready to do
anything for him as if mesmerized by his charms. Atma Das ji
entered the burrow by 6 oclock in the morning, sat in the
lotus posture and forgot the sense of his physical body in no
time. Kapil Dev kept waiting for him outside the burrow. His
physical body was strong which demanded three full meals a
day and two heavy breakfasts at different times. His breakfast
included half a kilo, ground roasted grams and two blocks of
jaggery ( ) which is concentrated and solidified form of
molasses obtained from sugar cane). Syrup made from the
jaggery was also a constituent of his breakfast. At ten oclock
he needed 1 kg rice, pulses, cooked vegetables, curd. Around
2 oclock in the afternoon, similar food was required by his
body. In the evening around 5 oclock his body demand
included meals consisting of rice, maze, pulses and jaggery.
Some times his meals included powdered roasted grams, green
chilies, radish etc. He also consumed lot of cane juice three
times a day. He always used to think that when is brother Atma
Das, coming out of his borrow. There should be limit to
meditation. Food is more enjoyable with Atma Das as lots of
things are offered when both are dining. Morning meals included
urn full of curd and in the evening large quantity of milk is
offered. Atma Das ji used to eat only that much which was
necessary to sustain his physical body, as if just tasting the
food. When he used to say in the burrow till noon, Kapil Dev
used to get impatient. He used to rush to the hermitage and
make complains about long stay of Atma Das ji in the burrow.
Gosain sahib said in a humorous manner Wait for twodays
beforeyou trytowakehimout of thetrance. Kapil Dev used to say
Hedoes not feel hunger but I amhungryall thetime. What will bemy
fate? Gosain sahib assured him of food availability and said
that he has to eat properly to take care of Atma Das. Kapil
Dev said Waitingfor himtocomeout of theburrowis a Herculean
task, which causes lot of tiredness. You pleasetell mewhat is this
special meditation? Hewent in at 6 oclock in themorningand till noon
hehas not comeout of burrow. Nowyou aresaying, wait for twodays.
I shall diein twodays. HowI can wait, without eating. Gosain sahib
assured him of continuous supply of food to him and that he
will get meals outside the burrow. He also instructed Kapil
Dev to sleep near the exit of the burrow and vigilantly guard
the entrance. Hearing this Kapil Dev was elated and happily
accepted the arrangement, as suggested by Gosain sahib. Out
of curiosity he peeped inside the burrow to see whether Atma
Das ji is awake or asleep. As he opened the hatch of the burrow,
he was confronted with very bright light, as if the sun has
descended into the room. He got frightened and after closing
the hatch returned to his place thinking about the bizarre vision.
After a short nap, he still found the door locked. Door remained
closed till the next morning. The word spreads like jungle fire.
People from the nearby places start pouring in to have a glimpse
of the sage engrossed in deep meditation. That place started
to look like a pilgrimage. Kapil Dev took position on a cot
near the burrow and started to give instructions to people, to
maintain calm. He instructed all to pay obeisance from a
distance and leave the place quietly. He threatened of dire
consequences, if peace in that area was disturbed.
People started to make offerings like they do on their
pilgrimage. Fruits, rice, sweets, pulses and cash were gathered
at the end of the day. Now Kapil Dev was a happy man. He
enjoyed being in the controlling position to take charge of the
situation. His physique ensured that all the visitors used to
follow his instructions without arguments. He used to enjoy
the eatable and used to keep the money. Now he did not have
any grudge with this life. After another two days he opened
the hatch of the burrow hesitantly, to find, a smiling face of
Atma Das. Kapil Dev went inside and said Brother, you are
sittingherewith a smilingfaceand I amon theguard, sittingoutside.
First daywas traumatic, but nowthereis noproblem. I can sit likethis
for rest of mylife. You can stayinsidetheburrow, as longas you like.
Slowly Atma Das ji opened his eyes and came out of the burrow
with a smiling face. There was a sea of people waiting outside
the burrow. Kapil Dev said at the top of his voice Swami ji
will gofor a bath. Swami ji took a glass of milk after bath and
re-entered the burrow. Kapil Dev asked Howyou can surviveon
a glass of milk? You should takefull meal. If you like, I can leave
somefruits and sweets for you toeat later on, whenever you feel like. Or
shall I send all this, later on, but pleasedonot releasethebrightness
likethat of thesun. Swami ji asked him to leave him alone. He
said he does not need anything and if required he will ask for
that. He told Kapil Dev to enjoy his meals. He said Leaveme
aloneand dont wastetheprecious time. Kapil Dev latched the
door from outside. People standing outside; consider
themselves lucky to get an opportunity to touch the feet of
Kapil Dev.
Enlightenment and sighting of the giant
serpent
Swami Atma Das ji made giant strides on the path of
enlightenment and made tremendous progress as he got
completely engrossed in meditation. Sometimes he used to stay
inside the burrow for two days, four days, or for weeks together,
but he always used to come out at 4 oclock in the morning
with a smile on his face, hail and hearty. He spent very little
time outside the burrow. After attending to the natures calls
and routine bath, he used to go back inside without taking
more than a glass of water or sometimes a glass full of milk. It
appeared that he did not like being out of the self imposed
confinement. Neither had he liked talking to others nor did he
like to listen to others. He was completely engrossed within
himself. As if sayings of Kabir had come true, word by word
Onceyou areengrossed within yourself, thereis theneed totalk to
anyone. His face was glowing with radiance, like that of a
blooming lotus. Outside the burrow crowd started to swell in
size. Last day when he emerged from his burrow he instructed
Kapil Dev Now only a fortnight is left before end of the
stipulated period of six months of meditation. I shall come
out on the full moon night. Therefore do not come inside.
I will come out on my own. After giving the instructions he
entered the burrow. Kapil Dev used to think, Swami ji has also
comewith mefromthevillagebut henever feels thepangs of hunger or
thirst. Even then his faceis glowingwith radiance. I dont knowwhat
does hekeep doinginside? Ten days were past like, blinking of
an eye. A community feast was being arranged by the people
outside on the occasion of full moon night to celebrate the
occasion. Sages, hermits and prominent personalities were
invited from distant places. Preparations were also made for
religious discourses. People were willingly contributing for
charitable cause. Crowd outside was continuously swelling in
size. On the 10
th
night Kapil Dev opened the door slowly out
of sheer curiosity to check well being of Atma Das ji, but he
was confronted by a giant wheatish serpent. He was knocked
out his senses. When he mustered enough courage and opened
his eyes once again, he saw a colorful giant serpent having
over thousand hoods, right in front of him. He retreated his
steps and closed the hatch of the burrow slowly. He could
merely cover a few steps before falling like a dead tree. When
he opened his eyes, it was already 6 oclock and the sun had
already come up above the horizon. People were standing
outside the burrow, holding silent prayers and staring towards
the burrow, without blinking. Having seen Kapil Dev lying on
the ground, crowd also prostrated. With fear written all over
his face, the ruffled hair, and totally disoriented, Kapil Dev
and narrated the whole incident to Gosain Sahib. Gosain sahib
laughingly told Kapil Dev, Why did you open the hatch?
He has attained the enlightenment and his energy
(Kundalini-cosmic energy) has arisen from the ROOT
(ewykkkj p) to the CROWN (lglzkj p). He has succeeded in
gaining the control of the universe within himself, in a
way he has conquered the universe. Since you were taking
care of his needs, you could see the Serpent and come out
of that room alive, otherwise your death was imminent.
Kapil Dev asked while stammering, Howcould this happen? I
cant concentratefor a minute. I feel thepangs of hunger all thetime.
Gosain Sahib told He is an ascetic since his previous birth.
Therefore he could achieve all this at such a young age,
which even I could not achieve in my life. He has become
Supreme Being. He has attained the state of cosmic
consciousness. Therefore, it is in the interest of all of us, to
be his humble servant. I am his guru for the name sake. He
is the only true Sadguru. Kapil, you should be in his service.
If he shows compassion, then you will also achieve some
milestones in the journey, called life. Never ever, dare to
open the door, unless asked for. Dont allow anyone to make
noise. He will emerge out from the burrow on the full moon
night. Still four days are left to full moon. Number of
sages and the hermits was increasing and all were awestruck
with his determination to achieve the ultimate.
Community Feast
Preparations were in full swing for the community feast to
be held on the full moon night. Around 15000 people took an
early morning bath and they were all waiting outside the burrow
for Swami Atma Das, holding garlands in their hands. Even
numbers of people were waiting at the hermitage also. The
place looked like a camp where lots of tents were erected for
the people camping there. For some of the prominent sages,
temporary huts were constructed. Some of the people were
praising Swami Atma Das, where as some of them were calling
the event, a farce and they were skeptical about the whole
show. There were few ascetics also who made vows, not to let
the successful completion of community feast. At 4 oclock,
when Swami Atma Das got up from meditation, there was an
inexplicable divine halo around the burrow and the cosmic
sound of OM! seemed to be reverberating in the
surroundings. All started looking in the general direction of
the burrow. Swami ji emerged out with a smiling face.
Everybody started showering flowers from the place, where
they were standing. Kapil dev ji paid obeisance to him and
escorted him for the routine cleansing and ritual bath. He also
instructed people to stay clear off the path and not touch the
feet of Swami ji. After bath Swami ji reentered the burrow.
Kapil Dev also followed him into the burrow and asked Swami
ji, what next? Is therestill anythingleft tobedone? Todaythereis a big
communityfeast in theevening. A discourseis alsobeingplanned. You
should alsogivethediscourse. Swami ji said I dont feel like
talking. Just leave me alone for a while. Kapil dev said
Swami ji you arean accomplished ascetic. But I request you tocomeout
in theevening. Theyareall standingout just tocatch a glimpseof you.
It appears as if you havenot even looked at them. Nowpleaselet me
know, what would you liketohave? Swami ji replied he does not
need anything. Anything leftover of the feast should be
sufficient. Now dont bother about me. Y ou should look
after the arrangements for the evening community feast.
Let me sit alone for some more time. Kapil Dev iterated
Themoment hewill leavetomakearrangements for thefeast, the
crowd will start pouringin. His dutyis tolook after this placeonly. I
shall tell themall that Swami ji will comeout at 12 oclock in the
afternoon. Pleasetakerest but pleasedonot meditate, otherwisethe
wholeprogramwill go haywire. I shall go out and look after the
arrangements outside.
Spell by an ascetic during the feast
Feast started at the hermitage. Simultaneously, the
discourses also started for those, who could not get place in
the first sitting. All were yearning to catch a glimpse of Swami
ji. Number of people started to swell and their patience also
started to ebb. Stipulated time of emergence of Swami ji was
already over. The village folks were washing the feet of the
reverend sages and guiding them to a vacant place for meals.
Meanwhile a devotee came running in inebriated condition
and told to Mahant (who looks after the cooking arrangements
during the community feasts etc. on contract basis) Ram Dev
sahib, a strange thing has happened. There is an ascetic sitting
below the tree. We offered him food, but he said that dont
give me alms, as I am hungry. On being told like this, he was
given food which was sufficient for 20 people but within a few
minutes all the food disappeared. Mahant assured the
messenger not to worry and give him more food. Food normally
consumed by fifty people was offered to him. But all the food
given to him disappeared in a few minutes. Now the ascetic
started thundering Shall I goback emptystomach? Whois this
man, whoclaims tohaveattained self realization? What does hethink
of himself? Heshould comeand fill up mybowl, or elseI shall consider
this feast incomplete. Thousands of the villagers surrounded him
and started to flatter him in various ways. Everybody was
spellbound and praising the miracles performed by the ascetic.
All were paying full attention towards the ascetic. His stature
had been elevated to the seventh heaven. A message was sent
to the Mahant that it is just 1 oclock and the feast is going to
be a flop show, unless some measure are taken. Mahant sahib
gave instructions to increase the number of cooks and also, to
prepare more food, vegetables, and sweets. This feast is to be
continued till midnight. Meanwhile some people came rushing
there and informed that the bowl of the ascetic is still not full,
even after 20 kilos of rice was giving to him. Mahant assured
them, and offered one quintal of rice for the ascetic, but even
after two quintals the bowl of the ascetic was still empty. This
was a miracle. All those who were present there, were singing
in the praise of the ascetic. Ascetic sensed victory and his
eyes were changing into fire balls and he was taking an attacking
stance towards the organizers of the feast. Another message
was sent to the Mahant that the bowl of the ascetic is still
empty. Now Mahant himself approached the ascetic and
requested him with folded hands O reverend! You arecapable
and great. Pleasebless us sothat our feast is completed successfully.
Ascetic thundered again and said when you could not fill my
stomach then I demanded rice to be filled in the bowl. I shall
prepare and eat. But you could not do so. How can you organize
a feast? Who has made you the supervisor? Fill up my bowl or
else your feast will be finished. All the pleas made by Mahant
were turned down. He returned like a defeated soldier, who
has lost the battle. He headed towards the burrow of Swami
ji. He was murmuring O god! What have you done? Let us see
what can our brother do? Atma Das ji is younger to us. Whether,
can he save our prestige? Seeing him near the burrow jolts
Kapil Dev. He gets up and asks Mahant what is the matter?
Why is he here? Mahant requests him an audience with Swami
ji. Once inside, Mahant narrated the incident to Swami ji and
pleaded with him to protect and save the prestige. Swami ji
gets up with a smile on his face. Kapil Dev escorted him and
led him to the resting place where the ascetic was sitting. People
made the pathway clear for swami ji. Now Swami ji was in
front of the Ascetic. Swami ji said with a smile on his face
Please accept the ambrosia (In the community feast meals
are generally called as ambrosia, due to the belief that it is
left over of the meals taken by the Supreme being). Also,
please accept the parting gift (nf{k.kk) . If you cant bless
Mahant, then please do not curse him.
Putting an end to the evil spell of the
Ascetic, by Swami ji
The ascetic roared So here you are. You are the one, for
whom this feast is being organized. You are a boy. Here I am,
practicing and meditating for the last forty years and you are
the one who claims to be an accomplished one. You have
attained realization, overnight. How come? Fill up this bowl
then I shall consider you as a great soul, or else, this feast is
not to be considered complete. Swami ji replied calmly Yes
you arean accomplished one. I amjust likea child toyou. I request you
tokindlyput an end toyour spell & Tantra and allowus tocomplete
this feast. The ascetic thundered once again and invoked Kaal
Bhairav (+|n | fearful form of Shiva as controller of the
Tantra and its practices) & Mahakaaleshwar (God of Time or
death) and asked them to teach this boy a lesson. He murmured
some mantras and threw some sand towards Swami ji and
challenged him to protect himself. The sand transformed into
a flame after reaching near Swami ji. It was a miracle that crowd
which was witnessing the scene started running, whereas Swami
ji was standing there with a smile on his face. The flame got
extinguished and fell, just short of Swami ji, as ash. Ascetic
said So you know the mantras also. Then let us see how you
can handle this it is the killer Tantra (called =t|l|i +l-|+| in
Tantrik terminology). Ascetic chanted some mantras and
released his trident, aimed at the neck of Swami ji. Kapil Dev
and Mahant also started fleeing from that place. It was chaos
all around. All the women secured their houses. Every body
was scared with premonitions, but the trident changed its course
after reaching near him, towards the ascetic himself who
released it. The trident struck the ascetic on the neck and he
started bleeding profusely from his mouth. Ascetic lost his
consciousness. Swami ji pulled the trident away from his neck
and drove that trident in the ground, near him. After gaining
consciousness, the ascetic saw the crowd looking at him and
the smiling face of Swami ji. He roared Soyou havecalled me
heretokill me. Swami ji replied with folded hands It is not so.
Weshall all look after you. The ascetic roared Then why dont
you fill up my bowl. Swami ji raised his hands put some rice
grains in the bowl and also on the plate made of leaves. All
that had been served to him came out of the bowl, covering it.
The ascetic said so you know the mantras also. Swami ji replied
I dont know anything, but from today, all the powers
associated with you will not be of any use to you. Y ou
have harmed many people using these powers, but not any
more. All the powers and the spirits, which you have been
controlling till now, shall not remain with you. Saying so,
he quickly returned to the burrow. Mahant Ram Das said to
Swami ji You are our soul. Today you have saved the prestige
of the village. You should also take the meals. Still cooks are
preparing the meals. Swami ji said All right, then send a glass
of curd for me and pass on instructions to stop cooking.
Hearing this, Mahant Ram Das said Then how will the feast
continue. Swami ji gave some rice grains to Mahant. He
instructed to mix them with the prepared meals and cover up
with a sheet of cloth. After that feed as many number of people
as you wish. Saying this he quickly retracted back to the burrow.
The crowd started shouting slogans in praise of Swami ji.
Mahant stopped further preparations of meals. Village folks
continued enjoying the feast till midnight and they returned
back to their respective native place, completely satisfied. The
ascetic fell down, as if life has been snuffed out of him. He
kept roaming in the village like a mentally sick person.
Worries of the family and death of the close
ones
Now the family members came to know about the existence
of Swami ji, but they could not muster enough courage to
approach him. His aunt lost her voice and was bedridden, since
the day he left the village after taking alms. She always used to
curse herself and used to think; shegavealms tohimwith the
samehands which tended himin thechildhood. Shepermitted with the
samemouth toallowhimtorenouncetheworld, which used tokiss him
with affection. Shesawhimmovingaround thehousewith her eyes and
thesameeyes sawhimleavingthehouseand village. What is theuseof
theseeyes now? Whyhavent theseeyes lost their sight? WhyI cant be
deaf, when I cant hear his voice? When heused tocomeback fromthe
outside, heused totouch her feet, whytheselegs dont get broken? What
is thepurposeof mylife? What for, I amstill in this world? Whyis
god thealmightysocruel tome, whydoesnt hecall meback? She
kept thinking only this and exactly six months after Swami ji
left the house, she left for heavenly abode in 1936 on the day
of community feast. Was he instrumental in the liberation of
his aunt, who tended him during childhood and played the
role of his mother? Was the community feast dedicated to her?
These were mere speculations only and people kept pondering
over this for a long time.
Death in the family was like a blow to his grand father
(Shiv Deni). After Swami ji renounced the world, he seldom
spoke to any one. He only used to whisper few words to his
daughter. He stopped visiting places and confined himself to
the house only, as if a king has lost his kingdom. Everyday
hundreds of people used to visit, religious discourses were
also held almost daily, sages and hermits used to visit, but he
was not at all concerned with any such activity. He used to
shed tears continuously and lost his physical strength. He had
no desire to live any longer and his desire to face the death
was getting stronger every day. His sons were ready to take
care of him but he used to refuse to take their services and he
stopped taking medicine. He used to say Whyshould I live
anymore? What is thepurposeof mylife? Whoshould I see? My
grandson is beggingin front of myeyes, should I seeall this? This is not
possiblefor me. God has forcemetoseeall this. Wifeof mygrandson
is spendingher lifelikea hermit in whiteclothes, this is beyond
comprehension and I amforced toseeall this. God is socruel. What he
wants metosee? Was I supposed toget all this as a result of my
religious deeds? I amforced toseemyprincelikea beggar and his wife
likea hermit. This is not goingtobe. He always used to beg for an
early end to his life from God, the almighty. Anyone who used
to visit to console him, used to cry after hearing his
compassionate voice. Thus he too left for heavenly abode after
a year in 1937. Responsibility to look after the family fell on
the shoulders of his father, who was forced to perform the last
rites of his sister and father with pomp and show. It was the
matter of prestige for the family. After his father finished last
rites of the deceased ones, he came face to face with education
of his younger brother, who was 12 years younger to him. Who
will take the responsibility of his education? Why should he
also carry on with studies? Elder brother has renounced the
world after higher education. Now the family members used
to get irritated, at the mere mention of higher education for
anyone in the family.
Emotional detachment of his father
His father lost all the desires in life. He lost interest in
farming. He used to start crying the moment he saw his
grandsons (sons of Swami ji) or his daughter-in-law in white
clothes. He had lost all interest in horses and sold them off.
He used to cry like his father, (grand father of Swami ji) while
sitting near the entrance of his house. After some time he
stopped visiting the house as at home he was forced to see his
daughter-in-law like a widow and grandsons like orphans. He
was not able to see all this. Once he reached home for the
meals. His grandson came running to him Baba, let us go,
meals are ready. Hearing this he fell like a dead tree. He was
taken into the house with lot of efforts by the women folk of
the house. He stopped going out of the house after the incident.
His farming, business, family started to disintegrate. As a result
of this younger brother of Swami ji could not finish his studies.
He hated studies. His father left the house for pilgrimage, along
with his wife, daughter-in-law and children. Whole family
wandered for two years like nomads and went around the four
main places of pilgrimage. After returning to the village he
performed a Yagya. He donated lot of money in charity, which
gave him some peace. He tried to give education to his
grandsons. He got his daughters married off in the families of
repute. He married of his second son, half brother of Swami
ji, with a suitable girl and then he was once again off to a
pilgrimage along with his wife and daughter-in-law. All wore
white cloths like hermits. This time they went to different
places. They used to camp at the same place where they
reached at dusk. Next morning they used to start their onward
journey after their morning prayers. Their eyes were searching
for their beloved Dharm Dev, now Atma Das. They met lot of
religious people, sages and they spent lot of time in listening to
the preaching of various saints. This pilgrimage lasted for three
years. Household affairs were being somehow managed by the
younger son. He had firmed up in his mind that his wish and
management will not yield anything against the wish of god.
Swami ji : a wandering monk
After the feast Swami ji stayed at the hermitage for some
more time and then he left for an unknown place. Kapil Dev
stayed there for almost a year some how and then returned
back to his home. Swami ji started wandering like a nomad on
the face of earth. He used to stay at a place at his own will. He
used to inspire the villagers for meditation and religious
discourse. He as adored by villagers, wherever he stayed. When
he used to sense that the villagers are getting attached to him
beyond a certain limit, he used to leave the village quietly, in
the middle of the night. He never touched money with his
hands. He used to eat whatever was offered to him. He only
had a spare set of clothes. He used to walk long distances, but
whenever he had to travel by train then somebody would buy
him the ticket to the destination. If the ticket was not arranged
then he used to tread on foot. This journey on foot continued
for years together. Villagers used to build a hut for him, wherever
he stayed for more than two-three days according to his
requirements. He walked the entire length and breadth of the
country on foot. He visited Nepal, Tibet, Burma (the present
day Myanmar), and Bhutan. He stayed at the Buddhist
monasteries and studied there literature thoroughly. After
studying their literature, he developed an understanding and
established rapport with their religious leaders. He traded the
essence of Hindu and Buddhist philosophies, wherever
required. In the Himalayan ranges, he met lots of enlightened
sages and hermits, and it is not appropriate to mention about
them in details. He had become a wandering monk.
Arriving at Hastinapur
It was the year 1938, and Swami ji was walking down
towards Hastinapur. He was alone and totally engrossed in his
thoughts. He reached the desert area. He felt the pang of thirst.
There was no village within sight. The area was arid and there
were no signs of a tree or a pond. It was noon of the summer
month. Sun was at its zenith and it appeared to be showering
fire balls on earth. He was looking for a village in that area.
After about an hour, he reached a village. As he entered the
village and was on a lookout for a place to take rest, three
youths from the village approached them and told him in a
rude language You area hermit, a monk, a swami? Haveyou stashed
awaysomeof your earnings in this village? Whyhaveyou cometothis
village? You haveentered this village, and found a sittingplace. You
will ask for water, then somethingtoeat. Then you will say, you want to
takerest here. In theeveningand after sunset, you will intoxicatethe
villagers with thereligious sermons. You havesuch a healthybody. Why
dont you work somewhere? You arerunningawayfromthehard labor.
Get moving, and vacatethevillage. Meanwhile few more villagers
arrived on the scene and they all seemed to express the same
view. Being helpless he moved on, but thirst and fatigue was
not allowing him to speak or walk even a few steps. Somehow
he reached another village and as he was planning to take a
shelter, he heard same voices Now you will sit in this village.
We are chasing you since you left the previous village. This
whole area belongs to us. We dont allow any beggar or a hermit
to take shelter in this area. Swami ji moved on to the another
village, and the time was around 3 oclock in the after noon.
His feet were full of blisters. It appeared that the head was
getting roasted in the fire being showered from sky. His eyes
were red from heat and exhaustion and it appeared that his life
was getting snuffed out of his body. His body was rebelling
against any further movement. There also he was scolded by
those three youths, who were chasing him out of every village,
he entered. He moved out of the village. He spotted a tree
and he involuntarily moved in that direction. Near the tree his
body apparently lost all its strength and collapsed. There also
those three youths challenged him, Get moving. Does this tree
belongs toyou or has been gifted toyou byyour ancestors. Wewill not
allowyou totakeshelter here. He was unable to utter a word. One
of the three youths marched ahead and pushed him with his
foot. He also told him to keep moving and vacate the village
area. Somehow he opened his eyes and saw their faces staring
at him, but he was so helpless to speak in his own defence. He
thought even if they kill me I will not leave this place.
Meanwhile other youths also started to kick him. Suddenly he
could not control himself and said Y ou have gone insane. I
have pardoned you enough. Y ou are chasing me out of
every village. Do these villages belong to you? Y ou must
be the descendant of some sages. Repeatedly, you all are
telling me that if I have to meditate then I shall go to the
jungle. Now, come what may, I will set afire this whole
universe, because of you. Let me see who comes and saves
you? When I will not get a place to stand, then what is the
use of this village or the world for me? Now get yourself
burnt in the fire. Saying this he slept. He woke up after
some time hearing the shouts of the villagers O lord! Please
save us. Please forgive us. He saw the whole village burning in
devastating flames. As if the doomsday fire wants to engulf
everything in the universe, to destroy everything. He got up
gathering all the remaining strength and saw hundreds of men,
women and children crying in front of him. The three youths
were also standing there, like a statue and shouting for mercy.
Their feet, which kicked his body, were frozen and they were
not able to move at all. Their noses were bleeding and the
whole upper body was full of agony. Within no time the scenario
resembled doomsday. He closed his eyes and saw Lord Shiv
performing TANDAV (A dance of death by Lord Shiv which
is believed to destroy the universe). Lord Shiv was saying that
wherever there is no place for my Yogi, that place and the
creation around do not deserve to remain in existence. He
requested Lord Shiv with folded hands O Lord! Pleaseforgive
themand stop theTANDAV. Lord Shiv said that he is simply
trying to fulfill the wish of his yogi. Swami ji replied I dont
know how I uttered these words. Even I am unable to
comprehend. Lord Shiv agreed to stop the TANDAV, and
offered him an urn full of water from river Ganga. He opened
his eyes and saw that the flames had started to scale down. He
looked back and found the urn. He drank water to his
satisfaction. It had a soothing affect on him. Then he saw people
prostrating in front of him. Some of them were crying. Few
elders of the village came forward and said O reverend! We
are the heads of the villages. These young people here have
formed a cartel and created havoc. They dont allow any sage or
hermit to take shelter in the village, thinking that most of these
sages and hermits have run away from hard work and there
presence will affect the youth of the village. Now please pardon
us all. We will not let this happen in future. All of them were
standing like a statue and with repentance in their eyes.
Swami ji listened to all this quietly. He said that Pleasego
back toyour homes. Let metakesomerest here. One gentleman
prostrated in front of him. He requested Swami ji to visit the
village and oblige them. Swami ji told in unambiguous words
NowI can not goback toyour village. Thereis nopoint in returningto
thevillage, wherefromI havebeen driven and kicked out of thevillage.
All were scared and said that these boys are paralyzed below
the waist as if buried in the earth up to waist. They have become
immobile. Please have mercy and pardon them. Swami ji said
these feet must have hurt lot of sages in past and in future also
they will continue to do so. What is the need of such feet? On
being requested by the villagers repeatedly, he said that in
future if anything like this happens again, then nobody in the
universe can pardon them. Immediately after this the three
youths fell down like dead. They were attended by the villagers.
When they gained some of the strength, they repeatedly vowed,
not to repeat the same mistake of chasing out the sages. Swami
ji neither did enter the village in spite of repeated requests by
the villagers, nor did he accept their food. He returned
everything back. He took rest in the night under the tree and
left for Hastinapur early in the morning.
Reaching Hastinapur and Meeting
Ashwatthama
Swami ji was marching ahead while holding religious
discourses, meeting the elevated people at different places.
He came to know about a congregation of sages, hermits, and
realized people at Hastinapur. He moved towards that
confluence of the sages with enthusiasm. There was proper
arrangement for the stay and food for the sages and saints. He
too joined the confluence. One day, he was resting under the
tree after meals. The spot was having a well in the vicinity.
The place was beautiful and no one was around. He was thinking
of staying at that place for a few days more. At that time he
saw an elegant horse approaching in his general direction. Since
he used to enjoy the horse ride, it was but natural to pay
attention towards the horse. The horse was not being
accompanied by any one. He approached the horse, which
looked divine. Horse also bowed its head, as if paying
obeisance. He was looking at the horse without batting his eye
lid. He was wondering, why this horse is passing through this
lonely garden. It must be accompanied by its owner. While he
was thinking like this, a strong person appeared behind the
horse, and said Swami ji, why are you holding the horse? Swami
ji said that he is merely looking at the horse and not holding it.
Swami ji asked him about his antecedents. He introduced
himself as Ashwatthama. Swami ji was jolted out of his
thoughts and said Hari OmTat Sat! (O Lord! You are the only
truth) with folded hands. Swami ji asked him, Whyareyou
wanderingin this wilderness? He replied, Swami ji Karma can be
destroyed onlywhen their fructification process is complete. I was attached
toHastinapur. Sometimes I comeherefor a short visit. Whenever I
cometoknowof anyYagya (Fireritual whereofferings aremadetothe
deities through fire) beingorganized here, I visit this place. Everything
has changed. Thosepeoplearenomore, that palaceis nomore, conditions
havechanged. All this appears tobefalse. NowI amtryingtodissipate
theKarma and tryingtoprevent theformation of newKarma, bysinging
in thegloryof God, thealmighty. Sometimes I feel ashamed of whywas
I doubtful about anyone? Whydid I lovesomeone? NowI can feel that
doubt and lovecan not co-exist, in thesameheart. Swami ji said,
But you were so strong and immortal too, where did you
err? Ashwatthama replied in a gentle but repenting tone
Swami ji, the powers offered in the service of the people
are immortal. Y ou are great. In spite of having everything
in this world, you have chosen the path of renunciation
and wandering place in the service of mankind. All your
karmas are burnt as if grams are roasted in fire. Now there
is no possibility of sprouting of the seeds of Karma. I feel
highly obliged having met you like this. Swami ji asked
him O reverend, you are from the era of Lord Krishna. You
must have seen him, understood him. He replied with moist
eyes Yes, I have seen him, but understood him, no. If I had
understood him then my plight would have been different. Still
I am trying to understand him. No one is elder by age. Only
through knowledge, one can be superior to others. After this
both greeted each other with Hari Om Tat Sat! and went
their own ways.
Stay at Madras (Chennai)
Wandering here and there he reached Madras. One evening
he gave a religious discourse and decided to stay there for a
four month period called Chaturmas (four months). He
walked for years together. Some times he used to get food, but
some times he did not get even water. Each cell of his body
was dead tired as if no energy is left in them. He fell sick
because of continuous traveling and climatic changes. His
condition worsened with the time. He refused to take medicine
also. Villagers started to consider him as burden on them. They
used to think that if he dies then who shall take the blame of
his death? Everybody used to talk about his health. The villagers
collectively took care of him in the beginning, but in the end
only a poor couple was left to take care of him. Their means
of earning was hard labor in the day time, even that was not
on regular basis. He took Swami ji to his home and attended to
his needs without asking anything in return. Both husband and
wife used to stay awake one by one and take care of him.
They used to attend to his personal needs also, taking care of
his daily bath, washing his face, taking him to the toilet, and
making arrangements for drinking water and fruits for him.
They spent all their savings on his treatment, but earned well
being for them. They borrowed 100 rupees from the
moneylender and the remaining 100 rupees were collected from
the sale of their ornaments. In 1938 Rs. 200 were spent on the
treatment of Swami ji. At last they purchased the herbs as per
directives from him and prepared the medicine from the goose
berries. The medicine was supposed to be taken with the cows
milk. It took four months for complete recovery. Villagers used
to think that the poor couple has lost his fortune to take care
of this wandering sage. But the making or losing the fortune is
in the hands of the lord himself. That poor couple was so
discreet in taking care of Swami ji that they did not let him
know, how he was looked after. Swami ji recovered completely
after a period of four months. Swami ji told that couple You
havelooked after mesowell, that if you had not attended methen I
would havedied. Nowpleasepermit metoleave. Hearing this, the
couple looked at him with eyes full of tears, and said Where
will you go? Please stay back. We will take care of you. Swami
ji asked them Iyer, you aresopoor. You feed your self after a hard
days work. Of late, you havenot been working. Tell mehowdid you
meet theends, and wherefromyou purchased themedicines? Iyer couple
was quiet and they were looking at him with eyes full of love
and affection. Swami ji visualized the truth in no time and
said Oh! So, this is the matter. Y ou hav e sold your
ornaments, including your Mangalsutra (An auspicious
Gold ornament woven in black thread, which represents
well being of a married lady). Y ou have taken loan also.
How will you repay the loan? All right, now I shall make
a mov e. Y ou will get ev erything in return along with
interest, what ever you have spent on me. Y ou will become
a prominent person of this locality. Also, you dont have a
son now. Y ou will have a son also, who will be very capable
and shall devout his life for you. Y ou will have all you
wish, fulfilled. But you should look after the sages and
saints like you have done for me. Do not try to look out for
me. Saying so Swami ji walked out of the house and moved
ahead briskly. The couple held on to his feet to stop him, but
Swami ji blessed them and moved on towards unknown. **
** This incident came into light when Swami ji was in the process of leaving
his physical body. His health was deteriorating rapidly and he was admitted in
the hospital at Varanasi (Benaras). I was also present in his service. An old
couple and their son used to cry near the feet of Swami ji. They some how
approached me and on being asked by they narrated the incident. The old man
said After thedepartureof Swami ji, Goddessof wealth, Laxmi enteredthehousebyall
means. Thisson wasborn after oneyear. Nowheisin thelocal legislativeassembly.
Somehowwehavereachedherewithlot of difficulties. Everydayweusedtoworshiphim,
asper hisimage, aswesawhimlast time. Everydayweusedtopraybeforesleeping. Every
dayweusedtoseek blessingsfor onemorechancetohavea glimpseof him. Last night
onlywesawhimin our dreamthat heisin theprocessof leavinghisphysical body. When
I toldmyson, heagreedtocometothisplacein notime. Pleasegiveusan opportunityto
doservicetohim. Wewill alwaysbeindebtedtohim, even if weoffer our livesin return.
Not only, I kept listening quietly, but also I turned down their offer as there
was no need to accept their offer and I wanted to be in his service, myself. They
were asked to return back to their native place after one day. Since they re-
quested their identity to be kept a secret, it is not being mentioned here.
Visit to Kanyakumari and meeting with father
Swami ji continued his journey southwards like a person
who would neither accept nor retain anything for himself. He
reached Kanyakumari, the southern most tip of the country,
and stayed there for a couple of years. When people started to
know about him he moved in north direction, following a
different route. He moved to Girnar hills of Gujarat state and
stayed there for some year. He made a temporary hut near the
banks of one of the rivers in the state of Gujarat and stayed
there for a year. During the course of his stay in different parts
of the country he passed on the knowledge to lot of people
and guided them. On the way towards north he meditated at
Vindhyachal range of hills for some time. When people used
to get some hint about his prowess, he used to move on to the
next place. During this journey he visited all the four main
pilgrimage centres situated at four corners of the country.
During one of such visits to the places of pilgrimage, one day
he came face to face with his father. They were staring at each
other without batting an eyelid, as if trying to recognize each
other. Father recognizes his son. He feels emotional about his
son, but very soon emotions turn into fits of anger and he
loses consciousness. Realizing his duty, Swami ji sprinkled some
water on the face of his father, from his Kamandala (a bowl
made from shell of pumpkin fruit). Father opens his eyes for
some time and again loses consciousness. This scene was
enough to pull the crowd. Father told his son that he had come
there to fetch some water from the river Ganga. He was
accompanied by his wife and daughter-in-law. They are staying
in the inn. He prompted his son to meet his family. He told his
son, not to spend the life like this. He offered to build a
hermitage for him in the garden at his native place, which he
can use for his rituals. He told his son that seeing him like this
is heartbreaking scene for him. Swami ji told his father in clear
words that he is now a free person. He also advised his father
to continue the onward pilgrimage along with the family. Father
repeatedly requested him to return back to the native place,
but he firmly stood his ground. His father gave the logic and
asked Whether Buddha, Mahavir, or Kabir did not return back
to their places. He firmly stated What is your, what is mine?
If I come toward that direction, then I promise to come
back home for a few moments. Now the whole world is
mine. I have no animosity with anyone.
No feelings of belongingness. If you have someone as
your own, some one else will also follow the suite. Saying
so, he quickly moved, merged with the crowd and then
disappeared.
Visit to the place of birth and blessings to
the family
It was the month of May in 1940. His father was going to
marry off his eldest grandson at a tender age of 15. Their
marriage was being solemnized with the daughter of a family
of repute. Every member of the family was concerned, whether
the newly wedded couple will receive the blessings of Swami
ji or not. Swami jis wife remained composed, most of time,
and took care of the kids and the family. She never cursed her
fate. She never discussed the shortcomings of her life with
anyone. She always used to say, Whatever happens is always for
good. If god wishes toget somethingdonethrough me, let himfulfill his
wish. Let himkeep mein anycondition. Whyshould I worryabout
that? She was the only child of her parents and the most
beautiful girl in the village. She was educated also and she
used to teach the village girls, in her spare time. She used to
recite chapters from Ramayana and Shrimad Bhagwat. On such
occasions women of the village used to opine, where ever
Swami ji is, he should visit here to bless the newly wedded
couple. This was the wish of every one in the village.
After the marriage was solemnized, the family was returning
with the newly weds. In the lead was the palanquin of the
head of the family, father of Swami ji. It was being followed
by Swami jis son. Eight to ten palanquins were in the caravan.
The caravan was passing through the main road. Suddenly a
divine figure appears in front of the procession. Every body
starts looking in that general direction. Father gets down from
the palanquin and calls his grandson, Comehere. You arevery
lucky. Run, it is your father. Takehis blessings, and touch his feet.
Everybody in the procession requests Swami ji to visit the
village, but he turns down their requests. When the crowd
requests him to bless the bride, he calls up his son and says
pick up the sand from this place and throw on the
palanquin of the bride, god will bless the bride. Saying so,
he quickly marched ahead. Some of the villagers tried to give
him a chase but they could not keep pace with him. He told
them This is not thetime. I will return tothevillageat an appropriate
time. Nowyou should stop chasingme, and return back tothevillage.
Villagers kept chasing him, but he was beyond their reach and
villagers returned empty handed.
Superiority of being a Family man
One who takes shelter of the name of God, gets his all the
wishes fulfilled. No body other than the God knows, what is
going to happen next? Swami ji had no more desires left of his
own. Whatever took place through him was the wish of God.
He moved towards him according to the wish of the God. He
took the path along the river Ganga. Ganga was the beloved
river for him, and he spent the night alongside the river banks.
Early morning he moved ahead after his daily routine of
cleansing and the meditation rituals. He used to get food, just
enough for survival and clothes as per his requirement to cover
his body. He did not need any more. He was always busy within
his own world. Neither he had friends, nor did he have enemies.
Walking in his own thoughts, he reached the hermitage of his
Sadguru. There he stayed for slightly over three months. He
came to know about Kapil Dev, that he had returned back to
his family. Some of the fellow disciples of Gosain sahib used
to make fun of Kapil Dev by equating him with the rat, which
ventures out for some time and returns back to his own burrow.
Swami ji said in a jolly manner House hold or the family
life is the root or origin of all the religions. All the religions,
hermits, sages, and the incarnations are the coming into
this world because of the family man. Had there been no
family man, world would not hav e come to existence.
Being an ideal family man is the following superior most
religion of the world, where ideal family man only gives
and expects nothing in return. He wants to give all to the
family members attached to him. He only knows to give.
He takes care of the needs of all. If you want to meet Brahma
Vishnu Shankar than one must turn towards a family
man. He is very divine, very pious, and very ideal - Bright.
He does not need anything for him. Whatever he does, is
for others. Birth of the trinity Brahma Vishnu Shankar
is the result of a family man. In past there have been some
egoists, and selfish saints who have denounced the family
life as the lowest form of existence. They have become pests
for the society and sucked blood out of the earnings of a
household man, like a parasite. They called the family men
irreligious, and sinners. These titles have been given due
to env y, fear which do not hold ground. In this whole
world, it is very difficult to find a person who is more scared
than a so called sage, or an ascetic, or a hermit. He is the
slave of his desires, anger, greed, and so called attachment
with the status he enjoys due to his life style, but to prove
his superiority he rebukes a common house hold man. A
family man has the calmness of the earth and the stillness
of the mountains, placid like the middle of an ocean. There
seem to be ripples on the surface on his interiors, which is
placid like a lake, due to his eagerness to fulfill his duties.
On the other hand, these so called sages are like a barren
tree that can never yield flowers or fruits, even if they are
irrigated with the nectar. These so called sages would rather
finish off the fruit yielding trees (the people who can
contribute for the betterment of the society), like cancer.
T his is the reason, that all the enlightened people,
reincarnations and the iconic people have been family men.
House hold life is like a mine, which contains diamonds as
well as coal. It all depends on the capabilities and needs of
a miner, what he can derive from this life. Find of the
Indian society, which is utmost pure, the family life.
Therefore whatever is said about it would not be sufficient.
These so called sages never get tired of being called Superior
most and Reverend, whereas these family men are always
silent. A superior person never boasts about being the best.
Diamond never evaluates itself, but coal will boast I am
diamond. We are basically same; there is no difference
between coal and diamond. Coal will boast about its
virtues and may even write autobiography, to prove its
superiority. A diamond will always shine with a smile,
where ever it is, like a family man.
Hearing this, fellow disciples of Gosain sahib were
speechless and were thinking that it has never been penned
down. Were all those great people, like coal, who have been
described in the religious literature? Thinking all this they all
dispersed in the darkness of the night. Hearing all this Gosain
sahib hugged Swami Atma Das and said You are blessed
one. Your talent is great. Whenever you speak, your whole
body gets charged up with divine aura. Whatever you say
becomes divine sermon, the truth, and nothing but the truth.
Only enlightened ones have the right to say anything about
the truth, enlightenment. So called learned people have veiled
the truth with their false understanding of the truth. They
have trapped the truth within the maze of words. God save
us from the so called learned ones, who appear in the garb
of sages or hermits in front of the society.
They have the oratory and writing skills, which will make
them the known face in the time to come. Everyday flowers
are blooming. No body knows about their existence, and
without coming in limelight they spread their fragrance in their
surroundings. It offers smile to all the people who cross their
path. Gives the pollen and nectar to the bees & butterflies,
and dries up silently on the tree or shrub. He does not have a
wish. The one who thinks of building a house here or this
world is ultimate truth is a common man a house hold man.
The one who thinks otherwise and that the only truth is the
Almighty and his ultimate abode is near him, is a hermit, a
monk in true sense. The flower which is the creation of these
so called learned ones, with their imagination stays here for a
long time to come. The next generations accept that as the
only truth by sifting through those pages from the history. The
passage of time only adds to its authenticity. Till today, this
belief keeps on repeating. The one, who is not capable of
seeing the truth, or who has not seen the flower in full bloom,
will have to accept the flowers described in the books of the
history. These so called sages, monks are the poorest of all the
creatures, and deserve mercy.
Dwelling in a hut
Arrival of a Sadguru ushers in a new era and miracles start
to happen at that place, even if people do not notice this.
Development gathers momentum. Some people became his
disciples. Harinam Yadav was among the first ones to among
his followers. Waves of development and change became
stronger. People started living their lives in a disciplined manner
and became vegetarian. They started to follow the instructions
as given by Swami ji. Swami ji used to see men and women as
equals, and because of this the women of the village started
becoming hid disciples. The area where he started to dwell
was backward and underdeveloped, witnessed a tremendous
increase in the development activities which resulted in the
economic development also. Life style witnessed a change.
With the passage of time the hutment of Swami ji got converted
into a pilgrimage. People used to visit him during the day but
they never stayed for night as they were scared of the spirits,
reptiles and insects. Hence he used to be alone in the night.
There was a mosque nearby and a graveyard too, having around
1,00,000 graves. Muslims used to offer their prayers (Namaz)
in the mosque every Friday. People were scared of the spirits
of the dead ones and were living life like zombies. They used
to grow maze and bajra. Some people used to grow beetle leaves
and nuts. The so called rich ones used to grow paddy in their
fields, but that was not sufficient to make their ends meet.
Hence the poverty was natural.
Pathan of Imambara (Mosque) of the
Baraipur in the service of Swami ji
Swami ji used to be all by himself in the night and he used
to spend time in his own self. He used to be surrounded by
reptiles, wild animals, as if they all were guarding him. They
used to disappear with the rising sun. Swami ji had given strict
instruction that nobody will trouble the creatures here, as all
the living beings have a right to live their lives without fear.
One night as he was busy meditating he heard some voices
and the canter of the horses. He thought that whoever is riding
the horses shall approach in a few moments, but no one
approached. He asked his disciples in the morning, about the
people keeping horses in the area. They replied with
astonishment, who can keep horses here? No one is wealthy
enough to maintain the horses in this area and no one can dare
approach this place in the night. Same incident was repeated
on the next two nights and he heard the noises and the canter
of the horses. He did not utter a word. On the next night he
heard the same voices and their leader seemed to give command
Look, Swami ji is meditating. Ensurethat heis not troubled byanything.
You should bealert all thetime. If heis troubled byanythingthen we
will not beabletogivejustification for lapsein our duty. Hearing this
Swami ji asked aloud, who is standing outside? Please come
in. Hearing this, a Pathan (People living in the area of
Afghanistan are called Pathan) entered the hut. After
prostrating he sat in front of him with due regards. He was
having a long beard, wearing a turban and was holding a dagger.
He said in a respectful voice, I amthegroup leader of thedjinns
of this area. Swami ji asked him where do you live? I have not
seen you in this area during daytime. I hear the sounds of your
horses in canter. You belong to which place? He replied
respectfully Swami ji, we live in the adjacent Kabala. When
you arrived here from Ramnagar, we were assigned this duty
by the attendant who is in service of Allah. Hence eight of us
are on a roaster of three shifts to take care of you. You are
being watched every moment. We are keeping an eye on the
wild animals, as well as on the small insects. In the dark when
you go for early morning bath to the banks of river Ganga,
whole path and the river Ganga is sanitized, so that even the
smallest of the insect can not cause any discomfort to you. All
the visitors should not face any hardship. Please see for yourself
that path to the river bank is also repaired by our people and
the thorns are also plucked from the route you take to the
river banks. Swami ji told him that from now onward they
should not take any trouble for him, take rest and stop worrying
for him. The Pathan replied How is it possible, Swami ji? We
have been given this assignment to serve you, due of our good
fortune. Being in your service can bring good fortune for all
the souls deputed to be in your services. Therefore we request
to you, please do not take this opportunity away from us. If
there is anything else we can do to help you then please tell us
without hesitation. Everyday, I listen to the sermons delivered
by you from the tree or the top of the hut, and while listening
I take care that neither you nor the visitors face any hardship.
We are lucky and reap the double benefit of being in your
service. Well being of us is a certainty, if we are in your service.
We all are very happy. Almighty is very happy with us, thats
why he has sent us to a pious soul like you. Saying so, the
group leader started crying. His tears were full of affection.
Swami ji was also filled with compassion. He told him to
continue his duties and all the possible support will be extended
to him. Hearing this, Pathans face was brimming with
happiness. He got up and moved out of the hut after paying
regards to Swami ji.
Making hermitage in Baraipur
Number of followers started swelling. His hut started taking
shape of meditation centre, place of pilgrim and hermitage.
All the illiterates also started talking about meditation.
Hundreds of people started to gather near his hut for meditation.
Those who never went to school and held a pencil started
reciting shlok and hymns in Sanskrit while praying. Popular
adage Parrots start calling names of god in the company of
humans was practically being witnessed. Some youths of the
village renounced the world to join him and started pursuing
their studies in the hermitage. All were in the state of eternal
bliss. All the youths associated with the hermitage used to
work for the cause of their Guru and in their free time, used to
meditate. This started the chain reaction and lot of people
from the nearby villages started to approach Swami ji for being
initiated for meditation, to become his disciples. Villagers
started to de addict themselves from liquor, became vegetarian
and adopted the life of a hermit. People started to have merciful
feelings for the animals. Caste barrier got shattered, and was
being replaced by the feelings of love, compassion for each
other. People started to emerge out of the shell of false egoism.
Feelings of brotherhood were on the rise. Now, every body
was their own. There was no theft, no treachery, and no
violence towards the animals. All the directions were
reverberating with the chants of Sadguru Sharanam
Gachchami (Going under the umbrella / protection of
Sadguru). Every day used to bring new experience to the
devotees and the practitioners of meditation. Children of the
villages memorized Ramayan by heart, even Muslims of the
area memorized verses of Ramayan. Illiterates of the villages
not only started talking of Kundalini (the hidden serpent
power, lying dormant in the physical body) but started to have
experiences too. Ramayan of within started to emerge. These
are wonders, miracles, or inquisitiveness for those who dont
follow a discipline life of meditation. Men and women of the
village were learning the yogic techniques of self purification;
physical and metaphysical. They stopped ringing the bell of
the temples, instead started to listen to the music hidden within.
They started to remain blissful round the clock and enjoyed
the feeling of nectar within their own body. It was but natural
to have changes physical level, while the changes were taking
place on the metaphysical level.
Taking people of lower class as his disciples:
A revolution
Till now who were fishing in the river Ganga, but used to
remain empty stomach at the end of the day, started to meditate
while bathing in the river. They left their profession of fishing
and switched over to other professions, like selling grocery,
milk, or vegetables. Children started to go to school regularly.
People changed and so did their family atmosphere. An ordinary
person wandering on the village street became rich and famous
in the city Varanasi, by their standard, but there was no sign of
ego. Everything they earned was dedicated to the Sadguru. It
was all given by the Sadguru, and hence it all belonged to him.
With the increase in the noble thoughts, their wealth also
increased. It is a fact that Offerings madetothealmightynever
result in diminishingwealth. As oneshouts in themountain, his own
sound is echoed somanytimes. Mountains dont keep scorecard that the
sound is tobeechoed onlya limited number of times. It is in natureto
return back manifold and sois thenatureof Sadguru that anything
offered tohimwith love, affection, and dedication is returned bySadguru
thousands of times. It depends on the devotee. Sadguru only
returns manifold. Ocean never tells I amfathomless. Whyhave
you brought a small bucket tofetch water? It is an insult tome. Whatever
utensil you havefill it up, dont goemptyhanded. Only those return
empty handed who go to the sea shore with a bottomless urns.
They try to get their urns filled up, just trying to emulate others.
They see their urns being filled up also but when they come
out, their urns are empty. We dont inspect our own capacity
to collect and start cursing the ocean for not giving us as it has
given to others. It is an irony. Ocean also feels pity on such
persons. It calls through the waves and shouts Pleaseinspect
your urns, just transformyour self intoa receiver and then collect as
much as you like. I dont haveanyobjection and I dont want anythingin
return also. Myonlydesireis togiveyou all sothat you dont haveto
return tomefor more. Myhappiness is in givingyou all that I have.
But how much one collects, depends upon his capacity. So
does Sadguru Kabir say O Sadguru! Your glory is beyond
infinite and can not be written down as a manuscript. One,
who is infinite, can not be confined into limits.
Blessings for a disciple
Sadguru does not know mantra, tantra, or rituals. Or say,
he has left them far behind on his journey to meet the almighty,
which he does not realize. Now he remains engrossed in his
own world. Devotion is the first step and almighty is the last
one. Physical body is one end of the soul, which can be held.
Soul is the last end of the physical end of the body, which is
invisible and beyond the reach of most of the people. For
Sadguru body and soul become one, there is no difference
between the God and the material. Everything becomes unified,
what should he define as god and what should he call material.
God is omnipresent. Once he reaches this level, incidents start
taking place involuntarily, which people call as miracles.
Sadguru remains oblivious to these so called miracles.
The year was 1950. There was a devotee named Kallan,
who had blind faith on Swami ji. He married off his daughter
Raman to a person from a Yadav family, belonging to Varanasi.
Her husband was bedazzled with the modern ways of life.
Somehow, he wanted to get rid of his simple wife and he was
looking for an opportunity to do so. After some time he got an
excuse that he is not getting a son from her, and he drove her
out of his house. Raman returned back to her parents. She
told her mother everything about her husband. Mother told
the story to the father (Kallan). Kallan was highly demoralized
and dejected. He had good reputation in the nearby villages
also. Once he thought of teaching his son-in-law a lesson, but
changed his mind. Wish of his Sadguru is supreme, thinking
this, he kept his mind composed. Next day he consoled his
daughter Sheshould not bother about this event. Sheshould stay
back with themand bein serviceof Swami ji. Gototheriver Ganga
everydayand after takingbath in theriver, preparefood for Swami ji.
After offeringhimfood, accept theleft over as ambrosia. O daughter!
Swami ji is your god. If thegod himself comes and says that heis the
god. Hehas comeherein person, then I shall saythat nowI dont need
you. I havemet mygod. However heis heis completefor me. Next day
his daughter takes a holy dip in the river Ganga, prepares food
for Swami ji. After prostrating in front of him, requests Swami
ji to accept the food prepared by her. Swami ji quietly accepts
the food, and maintains his silence. The girl asks him whether
he needs anything else to be done. Hearing this, Swami ji lifts
his fork and angrily says Although correct, but I shall not
do anything against the public opinion. Then he hits with
the fork on her back. She never anticipated this and started
crying. Swami ji said Go now. Dont come back without
your husband. She reached home crying. Her parents
demanded the full story and asked who has done this to you?
Girl replied in short, Swami ji.
Parents of the girl were stunned by the revelation as if the
raging fire was extinguished by torrential rains. There was an
eerie silence. After some time mother asked the daughter What
happened? Swami ji is reverend to us and if he sets us afire we
will not utter a word. We have completely surrendered to him.
Why we did so, we dont know, just we did surrender to him.
The daughter said Swami ji told me not to come again, to
the hermitage without husband. Just go away. Saying so,
he hit me with the fork. Hearing this her mothers eyes filled
with tears, but those were the tears of joy. Mother told the
complete story to father. Father Kallan said I will escort the
daughter to her in-laws. Punishment of Sadguru is also
like blessing and it will not go in vain. He hit our daughter
once, it means that our daughter was not destined to have
a son but she has been blessed with one son. Salutations
to Sadguru! Early next morning Kallan escorted their
daughter to her husband. She stayed with her husband for about
fifteen days and returned back to her parents. After about two
months she showed symptoms of pregnancy. Her husband took
her to the doctor. After preliminary examination the doctor
said, it is nothing but gastric symptoms. Raman was
disappointed. Her husband was sarcastic about the incident.
She returned back crying to her parental house. She narrated
the whole incident to her parents, but they were so adamant
and had blind faith on Sadguru. They refused to listen anything
against Swami ji. Everyday they used to take holy dip in the
river Ganga early morning, followed by visit to the hermitage,
to offer prayers to Swami ji with flowers and incense stick.
They used to offer the holy water used for prayers, to their
daughter. Whenever she had pain in the abdomen area, she
was given the holy water to her. After full term Raman gave
birth to a son. Her husband came rushing to their place. He
was surprised to witness the miracle. The young couple started
to visit the hermitage regularly and later on got initiated by
Swami ji. They requested Swami ji to name their son, who
is well settled and doing business in Varanasi (at the time
of writing this book). Each disciple was witnessing such
miracles every day. Each disciple was being blessed according
to his capacity.
Request by disciples to visit his place of birth
Some how the disciples came to know the birth place of
Swami ji. All the great people and the flowing river dont get
tied up to one place. They continuously keep moving from
one place to another. Wherever they find the people who need,
what they have, they give them everything. A lotus always
keeps smiling and never tells its place of origin. A person like
Krishna never waits for a palace to be born in; cellular jail is
also an appropriate place. A person like Kabir shall appear
even near a pond, no matter, if he gets weavers as parents. For
the enlightened people there is no difference between a house
or a slaughter house or a brothel. They will convert these places
into places of worship, where as the so called preachers of any
religion convert the places of worship into the trading places
of falsehood, where they trade faith of people with devotion.
It all depends on personal traits. Some of his disciples started
requesting him to show his place of birth, but Swami ji used to
dodge the question and said that they will be taken there
at an appropriate time. Wait for an appropriate time. I
dont teach you to get anchored to one place or a person.
I teach you to become a free person. If you want to get
tied up to a place, then having seen me in person, what
else will you achieve after visiting that place? Now if you
request a lotus to show his place of birth, he will never
tell. If by mistake he tells you his place of origin, then
you will never have any desire to visit that place. It is quite
possible that either you may get stuck in the mud or even
your clothes get smeared. You will start hating him for its
place of origin in spite of being beautiful, unshackled,
and being the most pious. Therefore before you visit the
place, have enough courage, leave likes and dislikes. This
deed is very courageous. If you go to see the birth place
of Krishna, possibly Kans will put you behind the bars.
First you should learn how to free yourself from being
shackled.
Finally swami ji had to give in to the requests and demands
of his disciples. He, accompanied by around 20 of his male
and female disciples, left for his native place in the morning.
Their journey took almost full day. Natives of the village were
shocked to see so many visitors at a time. Villagers were
wondering, who they were and what was the purpose of their
visit? Elders of the village looked at the crowd closely and
they recognized Dharm Dev ji. They did not call him by name,
as he has become a sage, a hermit. Some people were prostrating
and some bowing in respect; where as some young people of
the village were making lewd remarks Look this swami is moving
with somanygirls. Different people had different feelings and
different thoughts. The disciples were thinking Perhaps this
was thereason, Swami ji asked us togather all thecouragethat we
have. The year was 1954. Some people ran towards his house
and informed about his arrival in the village, accompanied by
lot of people. People considered them lucky and stated cleaning
the house. A podium was set up for him and carpets were
spread in the courtyard. All the preparations were made for
the evening prayer. Meanwhile Swami ji arrived at the house
in composed manner. In a matter of few moments all the people
of the colony gathered there. His father came to the door to
welcome him. His father had become old. He stopped his father
from performing the rituals for him. Other villagers performed
rituals. Everybody accompanying Swami ji was given befitting
welcome. After the evening prayers, Swami ji gave discourse.
Earlier disciples of Swami ji also attended the discourse and
requested him to be their guest. Evenings were kept for such
engagements. Thus he stayed in the village for ten days. Whole
village was experiencing the unprecedented wave of devotion.
The atmosphere of the village was charged with the divine
energy. Villagers used to question him about the incidents of
Ramayan and Mahabharata. Everybody in the village wanted to
become his disciple; they were shackled up with their customs,
their culture, their family traditions and their family Guru.
Initiating his Son
During his stay in the village, a spiritually evolved person,
who happened to be a relative of Swami ji, arrived in the village.
He was very much impressed by the sermons delivered by
Swami ji. In spite of having a spiritual guru, he got initiated
again from Swami ji and accepted him as his Sadguru. He also
encouraged the eldest son of Swami ji, Shuka Dev, also to be
initiated and accept his father as Sadguru. He said that As per
familytradition I alreadyhavea guru and I was followingtheinstructions
given tome. Hewas Guru / Guideof thewholevillage. It was his
familytradition tobecometheGuru of thewholevillageand this was
goingon for generations. When myGuru was on thedeath bed, his wife
(myGuru ma) called meup totakea youngcowand inviteMr. Tiwari
at theearliest. Upon beingasked byme, about theurgency, shereplied,
Guru ji is on the death bed and is very soon have his last
breath. Whole life we have been initiating the villagers
and nev er thought about ourselv es. We thought, the
journey of life is very long and what is the urgency? We
can get initiated some day. Now Guru ji is on his death
bed, please call Mr. Tiwari at the earliest so that we can
get initiated. Please hurry up otherwise it will be very late.
Shuka Dev, what could I havedone, under thosecircumstances? Earth
seemed tohaveslipped beneath myfeet. Sincethat day, I was in search
of a Sadguru. Never ever trust a familyguru. An elevated soul is the
onlyonealive; nomatter what is his cast, or creed. Oneshould be
initiated fromsuch an enlightened soul only. See, howluckyyou are?
You area government officer and happened tobeon leave. Coincidentally,
your father has just nowwalked in likeBuddha. Nowpleasehurryup
and donot wastethis opportunity. You should accept himas your Sadguru.
Tomorrowmorningyou should takeinitiation. Havenofear of your
familytraditions. I will tackleyour familyGuru. Ocean of divinityhas
cometoyour placeand you want todiga well. Freeyourself fromthe
shackles of tradition. Takea plungein theocean. I shall return tomorrow
morning. You, alongwith your wifeshould takeinitiation.
Whole night Shuka Dev was engrossed in the internal
conflict. He kept thinking, whole life who was father till
yesterday, all of a sudden how to accept him as his guru? Most
of the night he was fighting with himself and he slept very
late. He got up early in the morning at 4 oclock, and he had a
vision that a streak of light has descended to his forehead and
a voice addressed to him You should stop thinkingnow. You should
takeinitiation today; it will begood for you. You aretheblessed one.
Sadguru has cometoyour door step. Riseabovethearguments. You are
devoteeof your mother and fromnowon you should alsobecomea
devoteeof a Sadguru. Hearing the voice he was enthralled. After
his daily routine, he went to his mother and informed her that
he will take initiation. His mother was stunned and asked From
whomand when? he said Buddha has cometomydoor step. I need
not search for a Guru. Mothers eyes were moistened with
affection. She stroked the head of her son and suggested Take
theinitiation alongwith his wife. I was goingtosuggest toyou totake
theinitiation alongwith your wife, but you can nowthink better than
me. I shall makethepreparations. Saying so, she disappeared in
the house and brought five sets of clothes, and fifty one rupees
for each to be offered to Guru. She said she will send the
flowers and sweets later on. Whatever is offered to the Guru
is not enough, in return to what he gives to you. Shuka Dev
prostrated at the feet of his mother with devotion. She always
lived her life like a peasant, but she never complained about the
difficulties of life to anyone. Even if she cried, she did so in
isolation. Whenever the son asked his mother about her needs,
she used to say I need you happiness, a smile on your face.
Hearing this he also could not say anything in return. She always
wanted to give as if she never had any personal desire.
Shuka Dev along with his wife went to that part of the
house where Swami ji was camping with his disciples. All the
servants were shocked to see them early in the morning and
asked them about their purpose of visit. He politely replied
We want to be initiated by Swami ji. The person who prompted
Shuka Dev was discussing with Swami ji, perhaps requesting
him to accept Shuka Dev as his disciple. The all of a sudden al
the disciples were very happy and they brought variety of
musical instruments to mark the occasion. After the
ceremonial prayers of the Guru, they all started dancing and
were enthralled. He followed the instructions given to them
by the senior disciples. After the prayers both the husband and
wife were asked to make the offerings to the Guru. This was
followed by the requests made by the disciples on their behalf
for the initiation.
Swami ji looked in their eyes and called them to come
closure. He told them the mantra for meditation and transferred
the energy through eyes. Both the husband and wife were very
happy to have undergone the initiation process. Swami ji
instructed them to meditate twice in the day, in the morning
and in the evening. Swami ji also told them to contact, should
they have any query or difficulty at times. Shuka Dev felt, as if
he has transformed in a moment. He felt that he is no more
the same person. He offered his salutations to other disciples,
which he never did earlier and returned back to the house.
After reaching home he prostrated at the feet of his mother,
who in turn blessed them with well being in their life. Now the
wave of spiritualism swept the whole village. During his
wandering years, Swami ji used to visit his disciples and their
respective villages. People of all the sections of society started
to become his disciples. Forgetting the difference of their social
status, they all started to spend more time in singing the
devotional songs. When Swami ji used to come out of his
hermitage to alert the disciples, hundreds of his followers, men
and women used to accompany him. It looked as if Gautam
Buddha was moving along with his disciples. The ambience
used to get charged with divinity.
Initiating his wife
It must be the year 1956. The fields were full of the grains
and paddy. Farmers were reaping the harvest. Suddenly some
one came running and shouted that Swami ji has arrived in the
village accompanied by his disciples and is camping at the
residence of Khalifa. As soon as people came to know about
him they all rushed to the camping site to have his glimpse.
He was surrounded with sages, hermits, ascetics etc. and was
looking as if Jupiter, teacher of the gods was sitting there.
During this visit youths of the village became teetotalers and
relinquished non vegetarian food, alcohol. Even the elders of
the village accepted him as their Guru. All were being carried
away by the tsunami of divinity. After four days swami ji came
to the western flank of the village and camped at the door of his
father. Every day, the community feast was being organized by
some one in the village and the person organizing the feast used
to invite every one in the village. One fine day, on the fourteenth
day of the waxing moon wife of Swami ji and mother of Shuka
Dev expressed desire to be initiated. These words spread charged
up the disciples with a new vigor in their life.
All the disciples were happy. Their Guru Ma (wife of Guru
is treated as mother by the disciples as per tradition) will be
with them. Perhaps this was the second incident after Gautam
Buddha, who not only initiated his family but his father too.
Buddha initiated his all the family members, but could not
initiate his father. Till the last moment of his life, father of
Buddha kept opposing his son. It was a special occasion on
the night of 14
th
lunar day (waxing phase of the moon), when
the community feast was being organized. Wife of Swami ji
emerged out of the house in white dress. All present on the
occasion started dancing and the chants of Jai Guru Dev, Jai
Jai Guru Dev seemed to pierce the sky. It appeared that
goddess of wealth, Laxmi was renouncing the world. All the
disciples were showering the flowers as if the elders and the
gods were blessing her. Swami ji was sitting as composed as
ever. Al last he initiated his wife and told him the Guru Mantra.
Every body started calling her Mai Ram, who had love and
affection for all. All were delighted to be in her company, and
considered themselves lucky to have an opportunity to touch
her feet. Now all that happened was beyond tolerance, for his
father. Early morning he asked one of the disciples of Swami
ji, Cant I beinitiated? NowI dont seehimas myson. When he
initiated mygrandson, it looked strange. I thought of tellinghimof
leavingthevillagefor ever, and dont spoil our familybond. NowI have
started tolook at himas myGuru. Pleaserequest on mybehalf togive
mealsoGuru Mantra. All preparations were made and father
was also initiated on the 15 lunar day of the bright phase. This
was the end of the journey. All the family members were his
disciples. His home got converted to a hermitage. All the family
members started to live like a sages who have renounced the
world. Their family was now called the Family of sages.
Only his younger brother Ram Yuga did not accept him as
Guru. Whenever Swami ji used to visit the village he used to
touch his feet and move away. He never came face to face
with him although he used to make all the arrangements for
the community feast which were organized in the village. He
always used to say Wehavenot studied. Our learned bother has
spoiled thehousehold, byrenouncingtheworld. Had hebeen an officer
then wealsowould havebeen in good position. Wholefamilyhas been
destroyed. Heis elder and likea father figuretome. I amunableto
arguewith him, but it is truethat our familyhas onlyregressed. My
nephews, whocouldhaveachieveda lot, I couldnot doanythingfor them.
Our wholefamilyalwayscriedfor him, when heleft home. Howcan such
a lossbecompensated? When everything was swept in the wave
of devotion to renounce the world, he silently stepped aside.
He always longed for the family reputation, wealth, position.
Expansion of the hermitage
His followers started to grow in number and so did the
number of cottages in the hermitage. Whenever Swami ji used
to visit Kashi, people used to lone up on both sides of the
road to have a glimpse of him and to offer him prayers. They
always carried pitchers full of water and the same was sprinkled
on the entourage using mango leaves. Land lords in the vicinity
of his hutment encouraged him to establish a hermitage in
Baraipur village. Land lords of the area willingly donated the
land adjacent to the highway, for constructing a hermitage.
Swami ji himself laid the foundation stone and the hermitage
was ready in 1956. He always used to live in the hut on the
banks of river Ganga, but all the programs were organized in
the hermitage. All the disciples used to live near his hut during
day time but used to shift in night to hermitage. A temple of
Sadguru Kabir was constructed on this land. Wife of Swami ji
also left her residence and made hermitage as her permanent
home. During day time she used to worship her Sadguru like
other disciples and in the night she used to take rest along
with her fellow disciples. Meanwhile some landlords of the
area donated few fields for farming. Some more farms were
purchased. Management of the hermitage was entrusted to
Mahatma Chandra Das. He was a stout man and also a disciple
of the Guru of Swami ji.
Rebellion by Chandra Das
Chandra Das was also a celibate person. In the name of
treading the path of spirituality, he only studied the books
written by Kabir, and eating a lot. He used to pray in the
morning and in the evening but he was far from the meditation.
Swami ji used to take very good care of him. He was the first
person to be provided all the things he needed, be it grocery or
clothes. He used to accompany Swami ji and used to carry the
utensil filled with water. Since the construction of the
hermitage he was made the caretaker of the establishment.
Now that Swami ji used to stay away from the hermitage, it
was but natural to face the shortage of the food material. Still
a lot of people become hermits or sages for the lust of getting
good meals and for getting the respect of the common man.
They are least bothered about the real spirituality and
meditation. They are suffering from the pangs of poverty.
They neither have anything to eat nor are they capable of
fulfilling their material desires through hard work. To
fulfill their ambitions, they comprehend becoming the
disciple of a famous hermit and try to maneuver towards a
position to become the caretaker of the hermitage. Only
one or two in millions are real seekers of truth, rests all are
just trying to satisfy their lust. They neither tread the path
of meditation and nor are they conv ersant with the
techniques. They some how learn few tricks and cram up
some of the religious epics and some of the chants / mantras.
They adorn their foreheads with sandal paste and make
fool of the general public. They are glib talkers who can
preach and they set up their shops. They hire some disciples,
who pretend to worship them and spread words about the
so called mystical powers acquired by their master.
Seasoned hermits / sages, just smile, but dont say anything to
them. They pity these so called sages, due to compassion.
Pseudo sages then start criticizing them, scolding them, and
start to spread rumors about the real seekers. General public
adore them like a messiah, presume them to be their saviors
and completely surrender to them. Society is bearing the brunt
of influence of such pseudo sages.
Chandra Das also used to behave like an obedient disciple
in presence of Swami ji, but in his absence he used to envy
Swami ji. He used to curse himself for his status in spite of
being elder to Swami ji and possessing bigger physical frame.
He used to think I eat likea sageand I ama celibateperson since
childhood. Although it is true, that myparents died in mychildhood. I
never possessed anythingother than ruins of a house, oncepossessed by
myparents. I was born in a upper cast family. I had tocometothe
hermitageduetopoverty. I planned toget married but duetopoverty,
could not find anybridefor myself. Hetried tobecomea wandering
monk and lived on thealms of thepublic. But in theend hewas forced
tocomeunder theaegis of Swami ji. Sincethen hewas gettinggood food
and clothes. This was thereason that hetook permission fromSwami ji
tobein his personal service. But this is known onlytome. Others know
meas a celibate, and a person whohas renounced theworld. But I
wonder whypeopledont becomemydisciples. I havememorized epics
and thepreachingof Kabir. He used to envy with the inferiority
complex. The result was explosive. He started criticizing Swami
ji in his absence. Some thing went in his favor also and some
people became his disciples also. He started initiating the simple
and illiterate village folks. He used to receive some funds also.
Now he was emboldened by this. He along with his disciples
started a campaign against Swami ji.
Swami ji having soft corner for Chandra Das
All the disciples of Swami ji decided to hold a meeting
and passed a unanimous resolution that Mahant Chandra Das
ji, you dont get alongcordiallywith Swami ji. You havestarted a tirade
against Swami ji. Hearinganythingagainst Guru is sinful. Weall are
not socapableof listeninganythingagainst Swami ji. This hermitage
was built byus. Onlythosepeoplehavetheright tostayhere, whoarein
theserviceof Swami ji, wholeheartedly. Thereforeyou arerequested to
leavethis hermitageand moveout toanyother placealongwith your
followers. One of the inebriated disciple of Swami ji announced
that if Mahant Chandra Das is not moving out we will throw
him out. Now Chandra Das was at a loss of words. He asked
for a weeks time. After giving ultimatum to Chandra Das, all
the disciples went to the hut of Swami ji. They found him
preparing to move out to unknown place, with his stick and
his umbrella. Disciples prostrated in front of him and requested
him to tell his destination. Swami ji answered I amleaving. You
all should livein harmonywith each other. I will find shelter. You all
haveasked Chandra Das toleave. Tell mewhereyou will send him.
Whowill givehimfood and shelter? I will get hundreds of shelters.
Now all the disciples were standing with their heads bowed in
respect. One of them mustered enough courage and said We
dont like to listen to the false criticism of our Guru. Swami ji
replied You should always keep theperson whocriticizes you, within
theshades of you placeof living. Sayings of a Sadguru arenot onlyfor
reading; theyshould bepracticed in thereal lifealso. Haveyou ever
heard that thesandal treedrives awaythepoisonous snakes? Nomatter,
if thesnaketakes a biteat thetree, healways gets a cool and secure
shelter on thesandal tree. Hearing this, all the disciples felt the
humiliated and they all prostrated in front of Swami ji. They
all said in a chorus, Swami ji please do dont leave us, else we
all will be orphaned. Swami ji asked them to repent for their
mistake and request Mahatma Chandra Das to kindly stay back.
Mahatma Chandra Das said Hewas confident that Swami ji will
dojusticetomeand hewould not ask metoleavethehermitage. Heis a
great and pious soul. When wemakecomplaints tohim, healways
keeps his cool and deep likean ocean. It is truethat duetomyown
ignoranceI havebeen criticizinghim. O Lord! Pleaseforgivemefor this
sin, unknowinglycommitted byme.
Guru Poornima and prayers for the Guru
After the incident the routine meditation and the discourses
continued as earlier. On the occasion of Guru Poornima (Full
moon night dedicated tothegloryof Guru is celebrated oncea year in the
rainyseason. It is considered tobethebirth dayof sageVed Vyas,
famous Guru of Kuru Dynastyof theMahabharat era) the hermitage
was decorated like a bride. Disciples reached there one week
in advance. Meditation sessions and discourses were being
regularly organized in the morning and in the evening. During
the day all the disciples used to spend their time giving their
services for maintenance of the hermitage.
Even I (The author of the book, Swami Krishnayan) had
gone to the hermitage on that occasion. Devotional activities
had already started early in the morning near the hutment of
Swami ji, on the banks of the river Ganga. The small area
comprising of some trees and shrubs looked like a dense forest.
It appeared as if all the sages and the demi gods had descended
on earth to pay their obeisance. It appeared as if the trees
were also singing devotional songs in their rustling sounds and
making offerings as leaves and fruits. Swami ji was blessing
them all silently. Some of the disciples arrived at around 1100
hours from the hermitage and requested to him to visit their,
as a strong crowd of 10000 was waiting for a glimpse of him
and to pay their obeisance. Within no time, Swami ji got up
and started to move towards the main hermitage, covering a
distance of about 2 kms. The crowd was standing on both
sides of the road ready to shower flowers and to pay obeisance.
A disciple was leading the way as if trying to clear the path for
his easy movement. Seeing him, the crowd used to start slogan
of Jai Guru Dev! Jai Jai Guru Dev!! in deafening roars. He
was being followed by thousands of disciples. At places some
boys, girls and women were carrying earthen pitchers filled
with water and bunch of mango leaves. On the way, Swami ji
used to stop for a few moments and used to sprinkle water on
the crowd as blessings using mango leaves. People considered
themselves lucky, if those droplets fell on them.
When the procession arrived at the Baraipur hermitage,
flutists started playing auspicious tunes. Some of the disciples
welcomed him and guided him to the Dias. There five young
girls carried a big flat utensil which was having eleven silver
coins. All of them washed his feet and offered the water as
nectar from the feet of the Sadguru to all. This was followed
by the prayer using different types of musical instruments. After
the prayers everybody prostrated in front of him to pay their
obeisance. Each disciple made offerings of money, fruits,
flowers, clothes to him as per his capacity and was overwhelmed
after having a close glimpse. I also waited for my turn and
offered him clothes, fruits and sweets. Having seen me there
he said Soyou toohavearrived. Dont gowithout meetingme, on the
dayafter tomorrow. I took my seat near the troupe singing
devotional songs and was overwhelmed. Few of the inmates
were serving water, sweets to the visitors, where as some were
busy preparing the ambrosia. Some of the inmates were making
arrangements for stay of the disciples, arriving from far off
places. All were feeling themselves as the humble servants
and the lord simultaneously, far from the cast or status feelings.
Discourse by Swami ji
Around 10:00 oclock in the night all the activities were
put to halt. An announcement was made by one of his disciple,
for every one to take their respective place, as our reverend
Swami ji will give his message and blessings to all. Swami ji
started with a small phrase: Everybodysays tomovetowards
Vaikunth (abodeof Lord Vishnu, as per mythological belief), without
knowingwhereVaikunth is? Thosewhoknowa littleabout it, describe
as a complicated discourse. When thedesiretoknowabout Vaikunth
arises, then thedesiretolivenear thefeet of Hari (Another nameof
Lord Vishnu) alsobecomes stronger. Theytalk a lot about thewayto
Vaikunth, but in theabsenceof strongdesire, theycant gotheir. Saint
Kabir has said that thecompanyof theenlightened persons is like
livingin Vaikunth.
Sayings of Sadguru Kabir, was made to understand by
another Sadguru of the recent times. All present there were so
overwhelmed that they seemed to have forgotten their
existence. They seem to have merged in the divinity. When
Swami ji said that you all are nothing but the extension of the
supreme being, and hence I give my respect to all of you.
Hearing this, everybody present there came out from the spell
cast by the discourse and they all started to sing
You are like mother and father to us
You are our friend and relative,
You are knowledge and the provider, and
You are everything to us, even the god.
All present there started dancing in frenzy, forgot their
existence and it seemed that the time stood still there. It was
well past midnight but no body believed their own eyes after
looking at their watch.
Community feast
Swami ji then moved towards his place near the bank of
the river Ganga, and this was followed by the community feast.
Feast and the devotional chants were being organized
simultaneously. It all continued till 4 oclock in the morning.
Swami ji went deep in meditation immediately after reaching
his place. He got came out of the trance at six oclock in the
morning. All present there had a glimpse of Swami ji and
continued feasting till 4 oclock. After taking bath at 6 oclock
in the evening, all took there position and sat for group
meditation. After they came out of the trance at around 9
oclock, Swami ji started his discourse which was nothing but
the blessings in the form of words coming out from his mouth.
He said These discourses and the meditation are for self
realization. Y ou will not become a realized one by simply
performing some rituals e.g. taking holy dip in the river
Ganga, or by making offerings in the temples. Y ou will
achieve everything within yourself. Y ou start the inward
journey and you will become a realized one. If you have
any doubts you can seek clarification from me. I will guide
you. I shall help you, provided you are ready to take a
plunge, and help yourself. My help solely depends on your
preparedness. If you keep sleeping then how can you see
the infinite? Hence you have to be alert all the time. Take
every breath with complete awareness. Carefully observe,
as you can be transformed within a moment by the Supreme
Being. It may be possible that next breath may be your last
one and probably you may cease to exist while it returns.
If you will cease to exist then only He will exist, one
who is omnipresent, and is present since eternity and shall
exist for ever. Y ou just have to be alert all the time. Hari
Om, Tat Sat (O Lord! Y ou are the only truth).
After the discourse was over every body went to there
designated place for the night rest. All those who came from
far off places started returning back from morning. Some
people stayed back for few more days and utilized every
moment with Swami ji. They were eating very little of what
was being prepared and drinking the water from the river Ganga,
but they all were full of enthusiasm and energy. The desire
was, always be at the feet of their Sadguru.
Giving order to Fire (Controlling by Words)
This incident took place in 1960. With the blessings of
Swami ji a community feast was organized and it was the full
moon night of the month of Vaishakh (According to Hindu
calendar, and equivalent month of February). Saints from all
over the country were invited. Lot of followers of Kabir, were
also invited. Tents and camps were organized for the visitors.
Everybody was being looked after by the devout volunteers as
per their status. It was the sight of the biggest congregation of
Hindus, called Kumbh. I (author) had also gone to attend the
same. Head of Kabir Chaura (hermitage where Saint Kabir
used to live along with his family and followers) Acharya Ram
Vilas sahib was due to lead the Chowka Arti (-|+| ~|-i -
Traditional ritualistic prayers performed by followers of Saint
Kabir, in which the devotees and the guide sit around a square
platform adorned with earthen lamps, flowers and fruits amidst
chanting of mantras). Devotional songs were being sung and
the atmosphere was brimming with spirituality. Acharya Ram
Vilas was given a welcome, around three kilometers from the
hermitage. Amidst the tumultuous sounds of drums, trumpets,
chants and people eagerly waiting to have a glimpse of him,
he reached the Baraipur hermitage while blessing the crowd
lined up on both the flanks of the road. Swami Atma Das ji
was standing at the main door of the hermitage and welcomed
Acharya Ram Vilas. Acharya in return also paid respect to
Swami ji in a tradition, as being given by the followers of Saint
Kabir. The atmosphere got charged up with the echoes of the
welcome phrases. Acharya was guided inside the hermitage
and after the traditional washing of feet, he was offered the
refreshment. Devotional songs and the discourses continued
for the whole day. Acharya Ram Vilas praised Swami ji, O
supremebeing! You arenot onlythephysical manifestation of confluence
of threestreams but of theinfinitestreams. I amwitnessingfor thefirst
timein mylife, that follower of various traditions, sects havegathered
at thesameplaceand that all havethesamefaith in you. Prayag(one
of theholyplaces in India) is said tobetheconfluenceof threerivers
only, but you aretheconfluenceof infinitestreams. You area perfect
Yogi with prowess. Divinepowers seemtobefollowingyou.
During night, a ritual called Chowka Aarti was about to
start. The platform was decorated with flowers and earthen
lamps, in a bid to recreate the divine world which is supposed
to be filled with light and fragrance. It appeared as if, the
Supreme Being was about to make an appearance. Suddenly
trumpets drums, bells and the conch started playing in manner
which charged the atmosphere with the divine energy. It was
the time Swami ji along with Acharya Ram Vilas was about to
make an appearance. Atmosphere was filled with the chants
of Jai Guru Dev, Jai Jai Guru Dev!. As a kid, I was following
Swami ji like his shadow. The rituals were performed successfully
in a grandiose manner. All the saints and the ascetics were taking
rest at there designated places. After consultations with the
Acharya Ram Vilas, Swami ji instructed his disciples at around
4 oclock, Makepreparations for thedepartureof thevisitingsaints
and thehermits after givingthemsuitablegifts.
The disciples were giving parting gifts to the sages as per
their superiority. Lots of people were still sleeping on the roof.
Suddenly there were shouts of fire. Body of one of the sages
was engulfed in flames. Swami ji was sitting along with Acharya
Ram Vilas in the court yard. All were stunned. Swami ji said in
a manner as if scolding some one What is happening? Hearing
these words, the flames were dowsed as if there was no fire at
all. Swami ji immediately went to the site and found out that
the victim was a wealthy and an influential Mahant (who looks
after the cooking arrangements during the community feasts
etc. on contract basis). He immediately folded his hands in
salutation and said I dont understand howI survived. Mywhole
bodywas engulfed in flames a fewmoments ago, nowthereis nothing.
Was that a dream? Wholebed and thepillowwerecompletelyburnt.
Therewas a gallon full of petrol and all theclothes werecompletely
doused with petrol and thesmell of petrol vapors is still in the
atmosphere. I havesurvived, becauseof your blessings. TodayI am
born again.
All the disciples were furious and they presumed this to be
handy work of some of the anti social elements living adjacent
to the hermitage. They all departed to settle the score without
informing Swami ji. When Swami ji came to know about, he
stopped them and told his disciples This Mahant is a wealthy
person. Heowns thousands of hectares of land. This is thehandywork
of hi rival Mahant whois involved in a legal disputeover a pieceof
land with him. Pleasedonot over react and dont doanythingunjust.
All the disciples were respectful towards their Gurus wish.
By ten oclock all the guests had departed the hermitage.
Acharya Ram Vilas said in his discourse You have seen it all
with your own eyes the prowess of Swami ji. A blazing fire
was extinguished after hearing the scolding from him. Flames
were extinguished as if there was no fire. This is called
controlling by the prowess of words, to accomplish anything
by saying few words only. Such personalities can not be
recognized by external and physical means.
Miracles of Tantra-Mantra and Astrology
I had an opportunity to stay with him. As I tried to delve
more into his domain, I found even more expanse of him.
Whenever I discussed about astrology, he used to talk like an
exponent of astrology. He was the physical representation of
the confluence of devotion, yoga and spiritual knowledge. I
had never seen a personality like him. Outwardly he was a
very simple person but he had an in depth knowledge of Tantra
and Mantra. He had developed a different technique of the
ascetic practices. He used to say that an ascetic is a person
who does not need a physical body to meet the objectives of
his life, i.e. he is not bound by the laws that govern the physical
bodies. It was an incident of 1970 when the eastern part of
the country was reeling under famine. Most of the water bodies,
even in the forest area were dry. Rivers and the ponds contained
very little or no water. The tribal of the forest area were also
reeling under the famine attack and were no better than the
wild animals, which were dying due to non availability of water.
A disciple of Swami ji was a forest officer, who wanted to dig
water well in the forest area where majority of the land mass
was covered with huge rocks and boulders. Hence it was very
difficult to drill a well.
One of the disciples of Swami ji was sent by his senior
officers with the sample of clay from the area, which was
earmarked for the water well. He stayed at the Baraipur
hermitage for three days. He participated in the meditation
and discourse sessions, but never dared to ask about the clay
samples. One day when Swami ji was alone, he narrated the
hole story and the plight of the people living in the forest area.
Hearing this Swami ji asked him, Howdid you got entangled in
theweb of Tantra-Mantra. You arean ardent follower of mineand the
devout person whobelieves in theSupremeBeing. Howcome, you have
developed faith in theprowess of Tantra and Mantra? You haveto
search for everythingwithin you. Everythingis an expanseof your physical
manifestation. You arepresent in all theforms. Saying this, he kept
silent for a few moments and took the clay in his hand. He
closed his eyes and started saying Y our officers are talking
about you and are waiting for you to return. Al right, now
move forward a little distance..the sign board says it is a
village called Katoria.this area has water reservoir.now
move on towards Jagatpur (he described the terrain of the
area)..now move towards the place where water is being
explored..drilling is going onboulders are being blasted
away usi ng dynami t e..mov e ahead by fi v e
kilometershere is a narrow passage..it is leading to the
interiors of the forestthick forest.here is a pond.clear
water.wild animals are drinking water from it.have
you ever seen it?...go there on foot or by using a cyclejeep
can not go therenow let us go back to the well which is
being drilled dig a little more dont stop.five feet
moreafter this you will find a huge aquifer.dont
pani c..hav e pat i ence.wat er i s pure and i n
abundancethat it will never last. Saying so swami ji
opened his eyes, and said please do not tell anything about
this to anyone, as I dont know what I said. Now you should
return back to your work place. Do good service for the society
and keep meditating for yourself. He never performed miracles.
He used to say A dev out person should not chase the
miracles performed by the Tantra (Controlling) techniques.
These powers are the followers of the people who are
treading on the path of enlightenment.
Meeting with the Imam
Once a disciple named Satyanarayan Yadav (Now
Satyanand ji) went to meet Swami ji. The moment he entered
the chamber of Swami ji, on the banks of river Ganga, he
observed a peculiar fragrance of Kewra (type of flower) and
other scents. He was stunned and asked Swami ji, Till today I
have not experienced such fragrance in this room. O reverend!
Is there any special reason for this? Swami ji replied in a smiling
manner Look Satyanarayan, you are devoted to me, so I
will tell you all. Last night Imam (head priest) of the local
mosque (called Imam Bara, or the residence of Imam)
accompanied by Jamal Sahib of Jamalpur visited here. Lots
of serv ants were accompanying them. Those serv ants
cleaned this place in no time and sprayed this fragrance.
This was followed by the visit by Imam Sahib. He said
that a congregation of thousands of Djinns, Vampires and
spirits is taking place, and they had come to invite me as
their chief guest. They said that the dais is set in front of
your place. He was accompanied with his brother. His
brother also prostrated in front of me. When I went out of
my place, I found that lot of people are showering flowers
and spraying perfume. Some people were playing different
types of musical instruments. Some of them were singing
devotional songs. When I went out, all of them prostrated
in front of me. I was escorted by Imam Sahib & his brother
and I was walking like an emperor being escorted by Kings.
Those two were mov ing with the grace of kings with
complete devotion. There was no sign of jealousy or hatred.
Few steps ahead of us a chariot with five horses was waiting
for us. Ev en the charioteer was wearing white dress. I
climbed on board and we all started mov ing, as if
controlled by some mechanism.
The chariot came to halt in front of a giant door. I got
down and was welcomed by a crowd of thousands of people
with garlands. On a huge platform only three chairs were
arranged for us. One in the middle was made of gold and
the chairs on the flanks were made silver. I was honored
and was offered the middle chair. Imam Sahib and his
brother occupied the chairs on my flanks.
A person called Aslam held the stage and started the
proceedings It is a matter of great pleasure and honor that in
our function, which is held once in ten years, his holiness
Paighambar (Messenger of God) Swami Atma Das ji has
consented to chair the proceedings. After he decided to shift
to this place, our reverend Imam Sahib joined us, as per
directive from Allah himself. People say that religion teaches
us hatred, loathing towards others, but we find that Swami ji
loves us as much as we love him. Now I will request Imam
Sahib to welcome him with garland. From now on, Imam Sahib
will conduct the proceedings.
Jamal Sahib, who was around six feet tall, fair, having
white beard, wearing a crown, and a pearl necklace, came
along with four people who were carrying a huge garland
made of white flowers having a divine fragrance. I stood
in my place. Imam Sahib and his brother Jamal Sahib
offered the garland to me. The garland which appeared
very huge was weightless and the whole tent was getting
illuminated with the aura emanating from that garland.
ImamSahib said Our reverend Swami ji!, havingseen you among
us, wehaveforgotten our own existence. Sincethedayyou haveincarnated
on theearth, this placehas transformed a lot. Under your aegis all the
djinns, spirits etc. havestarted workingfor thebetterment of mankind.
Weall havestarted tomeditateregularly. Wehavestarted toparticipate
surreptitiouslyin thediscoursedelivered byyou for themasses. Weall
havetaken oath toprotect you byall means and bein your service. We
all request toyou, tokindlytell us themethod sothat wecan alsoachieve
ultimatein life, and can communicatewith theSupremeBeing, theAllah.
Wecan alsobecomebeloved ones for him. Wecan get freedomfromthis
lifeform, and moveon tothehigher realms. Wherewecan bein eternal
bliss and help others toachievethestateof eternal bliss. Elseweshall
try to get thelifeformas human beings and further explorethe
possibilities, ways for achievingspiritual advancement. Weall request
toyou tokindlyenlighten us with your views, and oblige.
After that I addressed thegatheringfromthedais My dear Imam
Sahib, Jamal Sahib and friends. I never considered you
all, as different from myself. Y ou all are different forms of
my own soul. What ever you do, think as the job is being
executed under the aegis of Allah and you are merely the
medium. He only does ev erything in the univ erse.
Everything is an extension of him. Everything is nothing
but his manifestation, his own image. My physical body is
merely an instrument to achieve his goal. For example,
there are hundreds of branches and every branch has many
leaves. All are different in shape, size, texture, and design.
Even if a single leaf may consider itself unique, due to its
ego, or ignorance. If the leaf does any introspection, then
it can see who is providing food for existence? What is its
base? Then only it can realize that the food is supplied by
small veins, which are fed by the tiny branches, which in
turn are being supplemented by larger twigs, which are
not t he ult i mat e prov i ders of food. T he food i s
supplemented by the trunk and then by the roots. Roots
get the nourishment from the soil. Soil gets energy
supplement from the sea, which in turn get energy from
mother earth. Mother earth gets energy from the solar
system. Solar system gets energy from sun and the sun gets
energy from the cosmos. This is the perpetual supply chain,
which get terminated only at one point i.e. Supreme Being,
the God. What is the existence of a person or a religion,
you can very well imagine. I request to you all that, be
under the aegis of the Supreme Being, the creator of the
universe, where the duality ends and he only exists. This
can be realized by the finer aspects of the knowledge, and
movements. From now onwards you have to feel and keep
thinking that I am an extension of him (the Supreme Being),
his image and one day I will achieve him. Thought of
duality is my foolishness. I hope that you will imbibe these
words in your daily life. I salute the Supreme Being, who
dwells within all of you. After this, thecongregation cametoan
end and theydropped meback with all duerespect, a fewmoments ago.
Leaving the Spiritual Legacy
Swami ji was all set to leave his physical body in 1978. He
told his disciples I wish to depart from this world. No
one took it seriously as he was hale and hearty. His sensory
and internal organs were working fine. He is delivering the
right discourses to the disciples. What is prompting him to
leave for heavenly abode? He said I dont seeanylogicfor staying
anylonger. Whatever I knew, I havegiven you. Someoneelse, will
spread theknowledgeat an appropriatetime. I amjust leavingmy
physical body. Yogis livein thecosmicbody. For thebetterment of the
world, should anythingberequired then I will get that accomplished.
You all know, towhomI havegiven everythingI acquired. I have
transferred all myprowess and powers totheperson whowill inherit my
place. Theperson, whowas beinggroomed bymein thehermitage, did
not learn what I wanted toteach him. Theperson, whohas studied
whilelivinghere, has nointention todelvedeeper in spirituality. Because
of his bad habits, hehas lost his character. I appointed himas Acharya
(As per Hindu tradition Acharya is theteacher who moulds the
personalityof his disciples bylivinga lifewith austerityand his disciplined
lifein thehermitage, becomes an examplefor his disciples, tobeemulated
byall), and madehimthecaretaker of thesehermitages, but heis
causingdestruction likea man possessed. I suspect that heis goingto
bringan end totheexistenceof thehermitages under his control and the
tradition beingfollowed here. This person is ambitious and hecan not
practiceself restraint. Henever behaved likea Brahmin. Henever
accepted anythingthat I wanted togivehim. Heonlygrabbed theland,
wealth, place, etc. Hebecameinsaneafter acquiringall thewealth. On
theother hand this person, whowas not groomed byme, nor was taught
byme, never expected anythingfrommein return, used totend myfeet
till midnight and used tobeinquisitive. I alsofelt that heis dedicated,
has faith and gives dueregards too. InitiallyI told himthetechniquefor
Kundalini (Serpent power) awakening, a 21 days practice, but I observed
that heshowed signs of couragewhich was not suppressible. I was looking
for such a person. It was not appropriatetomakehimwait anylonger.
In just threemonths I gavehimall what I earned in mywholelife. I
havegiven himdirectiveand thework plan for thefuture. Hewill
accomplish thetask and moveon ahead in his life; fromtherehewill
work for thebetterment of thesociety. When one of the disciples
asked about the identity of the person, some of the disciples
pointed said Perhaps he is Swami Krishnanad ji, who has
come here recently. He keeps sitting out side the cave of Swami
Atma Das throughout day and night. He comes out only for
paying obeisance to his Guru after taking bath, and then returns
back silently to the cave. He has been entrusted to accomplish
a task in Nepal and Bihar. He is grandson of Swami Atma Das
and look wise he replicates him. It appears that Guru Dev
himself has molded him and appears to be present in him. He
has entered the world of spirituality and renounced the world
after studying a lot. He does not need anything, as Guru Dev
has not given him any thing belonging to the material world.
Having seen the possibilities in him; Guru Dev, Swami Atma
Das ji has reincarnated in his form. One day he is likely to
light the torch of enlightenment in the world. Supreme Being
is getting eager to spread his message to the world, through
him. It is also true that some of the disciples are jealous of
him due to inferiority complex.
Process of leaving the physical body, by
Swami Atma Das ji
Accompanied by two of his disciples, Swami ji left for
Gorakhpur, in eastern Uttar Pradesh. He stayed there for a
couple of days at the place of one of his disciple. From there,
he left for Nepal and initiated few more people and told them
the method of meditation. After a journey of one month, he
returned back. He informed his disciples that it was time for
him to leave the physical body, and hit the bed at the Baraipur
hermitage. All his disciples gathered around him. He was
admitted in the hospital of Kashi University. Most of the
doctors and the officers were his disciples. Every body attended
to him considering as there duty. I was in Patna at that time. I
was meditating, after taking a dip in the river Ganga, when I
had a vision of Swami ji in the hospital and also that he wanted
to talk to me. After telling my friends I boarded the train for
Buxar. As soon as I reached Buxar, I saw one of his attendants.
He approached me and informed that Swami ji is in Varanasi
and is eager to see me. On being asked about his state of
health, he said that everything is all right. Swami ji wants to
talk about some important issue. I had purchased the ticket up
to Mughalsarai but I was advised to go to Varanasi. As I was
nearing the hospital, I heard the chants of Jai Gurudev! Jai
Jai Gurudev!! Near his room which was surrounded by hundreds
of his disciples, everybody willing to do anything for Swami ji.
One of his disciples came running and prostrated in front of
me. He ushered me to the room of Swami ji.
Having seen me, Swami ji got up in the bed and asked me
Doyou want toask anythingfromme? Is thereanyquestion left tobe
answered? Nowit is thetimefor metoleave. PleasetakemetoBaraipur
hermitage; I shall leavemyphysical bodythereonly. I informed that
some people are coming to see him. I supervised the
arrangements after that. All the doctors were in his service.
Donating Blood to Swami ji
After spotting me, the doctors told me with a chuckle, We
wish to transfuse some blood to Swami ji. Are you willing to
donate some blood? I showed my willingness and said Even
if mylifecan beof someusetohim, I amreadyfor that also. Doctor,
pleasedonot ask likethat. I amindebted tohim, and trytorepaysome
of thedebt towards theGuru (as per Hindu tradition, a person is
indebted fromhis parents, fromGods, and fromhis Guru. It is the
supremedutyof a person tosquareoff all thesedebts in his lifetime
only, sothat hecan befreefromthecycleof lifeand death.) On being
informed by the doctor that blood group of Swami ji is B +ve,
I also volunteered my blood for match. Incidentally our blood
group matched. I was elated. Although it was the first instance
in my life that a needle would pierce my body and should lie
on the bed in a hospital, but I was enthralled to the extent that
I was thankful to the almighty that at least I could be of some
help to my Sadguru. At least some of my blood will be useful
to him. Thinking this I was engrossed in the thoughts of Guru
Dev. It appeared as if he patted me on the head and lovingly
said So you have given blood to save my life. But I shall
not accept that. Since you have donated blood in my name,
it will not go waste. It will be the biggest donation given
by anyone. What do you want from me? I replied that I
need only love from you. He replied Sobeit. I got up and
found out that one of the doctors was laughing. All the nurses
had gone. I asked the doctor about blood which was supposed
to be taken from my body. Doctor replied, It is over ten minutes
sincetheblood has been collected. Wedid not giveyou anesthesia. You
weresmilingall thetime. After that thereweretears in your eyes and a
smileon your face. I was stunned tolook at you. You must behaving
deep emotional bond with Swami ji. At least I could dosomething
worthwhilefor him. Saying so the doctor hugged me and he was
overwhelmed with tears in his eyes. On being asked by me
about the time of blood transfusion, doctor replied that the
process will be completed tonight.
Yielding to the Requests made by the
Acharya
After that I went to Kabir Chaura (main hermitage where
all time great saint Kabir used to stay and from there his
followers are presently spreading his message to the world),
and after giving due regards to the Acharya Mahant Amrit Sahib
asked about his well being. He enquired about the health of
Swami ji. He was informed that Swami ji wants to reach the
hermitage and leave his body there itself. Hearing this Acharya
Amrit Sahib instructed Shri Ganga Sharan to seek his company.
Swami Atma Das ji is an enlightened person and a pure soul.
Shri Ganga Sharan was asked to do the needful, whatever was
appropriate for the occasion. Shri Ganga Sharan accompanied
by five of the inmates of the hermitage met Swami Atma Das
ji and after giving due regards exchanged pleasantries. Shari
Ganga Sharan said Swami ji, areyou in anykind of discomfort?
You havegonebeyond theboundaries of this physical bodyand dont
haveanyconcerns for it, but wewill takecareof your physical body. It
does not makeanydifferent for you, whether you stayhereor at the
hermitage, as you arein thestateof eternal bliss. You arelikean
eternal flamefor our sect (followers of Kabir). You arebeyond thesects.
Swami ji kept listening to their words without showing any
interest. All of them left after some time. I started to attend to
his needs in a devout manner, with a new vigor. In the night
around 10:00 pm, doctors returned and they were very
disappointed. Doctors informed me that change in the blood
group of Swami ji had changed to B negative. They were
astonished to see the change and were wondering, what does
Swami ji want? Suddenly I remembered the words of Swami ji
as he told me your donation is supreme, but now I shall not
accept the blood. Knowing this, I sensed that he may leave
his body by the next morning. All the doctors were stunned.
Leaving the Physical body
It was around 6 oclock in the morning. Swami ji said All
thedisciples haveleft, but you arestill here. Look, a person with thousands
of eyes is standinghereand saying, Swami ji, if you agree, then
shall we leave? Look, heis sayingthat thetimeallocated tothis body
is over. It is timetoleave. Myregards, toall of you, Sahib Bandagi.
Saying these words, he was out of the confines of his physical
body. His body started to loose warmth from feet upwards.
Doctors and nurses were ready for any eventuality along with
there life supporting apparatus, but Swami ji breathed his last
and left the body in a fraction of a second, though the Sahastrar
(Crown chakra). It was seventh day in the bright half of the
moons phases in the month of Jyeshtha, Vikrami Samvatsar
2035 (third month of Hindu calendar called ==), on 13
th
June, 1978 at 08:00 oclock in the morning, the day of salvation.
Suddenly all the devotees and disciples started crying. I was
also standing there among the crowd. I did not cry when my
mother left for heavenly abode, suddenly I too was shedding
tears, for the first time in my life. My heart skipped its beats as
the most reverend person in my life has left for heavenly abode.
For next half an hour I forgot everything as if the time has
stood still. Then I was jolted out of that state to perform my
duties. My father was also standing alongside. He was the last
person to make a visit and half an hour after meeting him
Swami ji left his physical body. Accompanied by my father I
came to the main market opposite the Benaras Hindu
University, and purchased 16 yards of muslin cloth, garlands,
incense sticks, and an earthen lamp etc to start last rites. After
that I arrived at the main Baraipur hermitage along with the
physical body of Swami Atma Das ji.
Enshrinement of Swami ji
All the saints at the Kabir Chaura and the places around
were informed. They all arrived in time for the last rites. Body
of Swami ji was bathed in the water of river Ganga at his hut
in the small Mirzapur. Then his body was brought to the main
hermitage of Baraipur. Acharya Ganga Sharan Shastri was
supervising the last rites. Thousands of his disciples arrived at
the Barai Pur hermitage to have the last glimpse of their
reverend Swami ji. A small pit was being dug in the main
hermitage. There was no sign of rigor mortis till the time his
physical body was buried in the evening at 06:00 pm, with a
lot of fan fare. Some very astonishing incidents were taking
place. Exact number of bricks was received from an unknown
source, not even a single brick more or a brick less. Leaving
the 1/ 2 km radius of the hermitage, it was raining heavily as
if Lord Indra supposed to contribute to total rain fall on earth.
Thus a supreme person left earth, for his heavenly abode. Till
today any one, who goes there with pure heart and with a pure
intention gets his desires fulfilled. That place is most suitable
for those who tread the path to attain enlightenment. Since
each atom of Swami Atma Das was free, any one who
meditates near him (it is believed that Swami ji is always present
there in the etheric or the metaphysical body) attains high
energy level and prowess to perform miracles. This place is
heritage for all the persons seeking enlightenment. That place
is still charged with his energies and all the activities in the
hermitage take place as per rules made by him. Till now anyone
who offers flowers, fruits, with pure heart gets his all desires
fulfilled and a person with malicious intentions or tries to
misuse the belongings of the hermitage for his personal gains,
gets destroyed. His appearance turns devilish and turns into
zombie, a dead man walking. Any one who donates in his name
gets wealth in return manifolds. The hermitage is surrounded
by the djinns, spirits, and other divine souls who take care of
the belongings of the hermitage. If any one tries to damage
the items donated to this hermitage, these souls destroy him
by all means. On the other hand, if any one tries to protect the
interests or belongings of the hermitage, these souls become
their guardians and bring him all round happiness, wealth, and
honor in their lives. He is protected by these guardian angles
from all evils. Even till today, such miracles can be witnessed,
that anyone who performs charity for the interests or inmates
of the hermitage is inundated with wealth and happiness. Any
one who makes arrangements for the community feast, he
experiences unexpected windfall in very short time.
In the year 2001 Shri Banwari Lal Yadav (Ex Chief justice)
visited the hermitage. He meditated near the place where his
physical body is preserved. As per his experience I havevisited
lots of shrines and places of pilgrim, or even totheburial places of
saints, but this placeis socharged with positiveenergies that anyonecan
goin thetrancewithin a short time. An ordinaryperson experiences
upward movement of theKundalini (thehidden serpentine) energy, which
mayresult in completechangein his outlook. Hemayseek or indulgein
physical pleasures all thetimes. Donations and theservices given here
will bereturned tohimmanifolds. It is myfirmbelief.
Any one who treads the path of liberation / enlightenment
can achieve anything in mere thirty one days, even if he could
not achieve any thing in the last one year. This is the special
feature of the hermitage where some one has achieved
enlightenment. This place can be very intimidating for the
persons with evil intentions, but on the other hand can bring
about sea change in the personality of a pious soul who is
seeking enlightenment. Any one can witness this and can
achieve as per his karmic balance. Till today, this place is
protected by the guards of Lord Shiva. It is charged with divine
energies. You are all invited here to meditate.
!! Hari Om !!
Swami Shri Das ji
Sorrows of our life are our own creation. We want to attach
ourselves with everything in our life. This is the beginning of
sorrow. All types of sorrows are, because we limit ourselves. I
am incomplete. I need so many things to become complete
person. As we go on possessing worldly objects, success; our
ego acquires bigger dimensions but we still remain incomplete.
I will remain incomplete, even after achieving everything. As
long as we are dependant on others even for a small thing, we
will remain dependent, slaves. Joy can not exist under the aegis
of slavery. Root cause of sorrow is, dependence. Eternal bliss
is the result of Independence.
What is independence?
Controlling the mind and hence becoming master of senses
is independence. Being contended within the self is
independence. This independence is called salvation or eternal
freedom. This is enlightenment. This transformation is, being
complete in all aspects. There are four types of such people
who become liberated or enlightened due to
1. Their own Efforts: These are the people who have attained
the highest level of energy. Even then they return to the
earth due to compassion for their followers and devotees.
They want their followers, disciples, friends, relatives to
attain freedom. Their followers want to fulfill only the
material desires. Such people, who are ensnared in the
worldly muck, put the blame on their Sadguru and
disassociate themselves from him. They advertise What
have we achieved? Position in the society, wealth, worldly
desires etc. Whereas, the Sadguru deprives him of
everything attached to them. First of all he takes away
associated personal traits e.g. self esteem or ego, position
in the society, honor, wealth, attachment, and desires.
These traits are the most powerful shackles, which keep a
man trapped in them for many lives.
Such people look very ordinary, down to earth. He performs
rituals just for you, although he is worshipped by all the gods
and demi gods. He is the ultimate creation in the universe.
2. Inheritance: These are those people who attain
enlightenment due to their own efforts in all their previous
lives, or by inheritance or by the blessings of their Sadguru.
Such souls are invited by extra ordinary souls (as parents),
e.g. Lav and Kush inherited from Lord Ram, Pradhyumn
from Lord Krishna, Rahul inherited from Gautam Buddha,
Kamal inherited from Kabir, Shri Chand from Nanak. Lord
Krishna said in Bhagwad Gita All those who leave their
physical bodies while practicing Yoga, are sent back to the
families of Yogis or in the royal families.
It is myfirmbelief that theenlightened or thefreesouls return
tothis world, onlythrough thesouls whohaveattained enlightenment,
becauseordinarysouls can not contain theaura of such enlightened
souls. It has never happened that peoplelikeLord Ramareborn in the
familylineageof Ravana, or Lord Krishna is born in thefamilylineage
of Kansa. KingJanak was born in thefamilyof enlightened souls.
Lord Krishna has imparted theknowledgeof Raj Yoga (kind of Yoga
practiced bytheyogis havingRoyal temperament) onlytothosebelonging
toroyal families. Lord Krishna himself was fromroyal lineage, his
audienceArjun was fromroyal lineage. Thesameknowledgewas shared
bySanjay, Dhritrashtra, Bhishma all belongingtoroyal families. Thats
whyfirst of all I tell mydisciples tobehavelikeroyals do(meaningset
veryhigh goals in life, and donot get bogged down bythedifficulties of
life) and then impart themwith theknowledgeof Raj Yoga.
3. Blessings of Guru: This is the result of the blessings of
the Sadguru Enlightenment due to the blessings of
Sadguru. The disciple serves his Sadguru with all his
resources, physical or financial; and with complete
dedication without expecting any thing in return. He does
not have his own desires. All that is desired by his Sadguru
becomes his sole aim of his life. He sees his Guru all the
time. One day his Sadguru blesses him all of a sudden
Attain enlightenment. Be unified with the universe, e.g.
Vivekanand, Uddalak, Aaruni, Shruti Gopal Das (Disciple
of Kabir). There are so many saints from this tradition. Meera,
Shabari and Sahajo Bai were also from the same tradition.
4. Efforts: These are the people who make lots of efforts on
their own. Their efforts take several lifetimes to achieve
the enlightenment. They crawl on the path of enlightenment
like a snail. They remember the happenings of their
previous lives. They are not influenced by materialism. They
have lot of patience. They tread the path on an eternal
journey. At the time of dusk (i.e. when they leave their
mortal body) they take some rest (i.e. in the fluid state of
hibernation they search for the appropriate parents, who
will assist them in their next life and will not cause
impediment). Once born they again continue their journey.
They are very determined and nothing can lead them away
from their goal; neither relation, nor any other form of
distraction. On the contrary, the happenings around them
propagate them towards their goal. Examples of this kind
are, Gautam Buddha, Mahavir, Raman, and Tulsi Das.
Buddha has narrated several incidents from his previous
births to his disciples (as mentioned in his biography). Lastly
he attained enlightenment and he became the Buddha.
Swami Atma Das ji attained enlightenment as a
combination of third and fourth category. He was completely
devoted to his Sadguru. Although he belonged to an upper
cast family than that of his Sadguru, but he was not deterred
by that. His Sadguru was forced to say You area clairvoyant.
You haveseen your inner self. You arean enlightened soul. You are
Narayan. After that he achieved all that was said by his Sadguru
and attained enlightenment. The physical body he acquired
was cleansed by following the path of Hatha Yoga (Yogic practice
with very strict regime) and very intense Tapasya (penance).
His eldest son was five years old and the youngest one was
four years old. His wife was a teacher. His father had six brothers
and he was the only one, who was educated. Even then he
relinquished everything and became a saint. Under these
complex family circumstances eldest son Shuka Dev attained
adulthood and gradually came face to face with the ground
realities of life. He received renunciation as inheritance.
His mother took her father-in-law for pilgrimage after
leaving the well established job. Since his grandfather was
shattered person as his son had renounced the world, his mother
took charge and played the role of a responsible son. As he attained
the age of 15 years, he was married off and soon after, his mother
too renounced the world. His mother accepted her husband as
her guru, her mentor; as in the lineage of Lord Buddha.
His mother attained liberation and merged into the infinite
while worshipping her husband in the same manner as Laxmi
(the goddess of wealth) merged into Narayana. From such
parents, Shuka Dev was born. He worked for the Government
of Bihar and was often referred to as an honest officer. He
arrested a judicial Magistrate, an Engineer, a Doctor and a
businessman for illegal hunting of a deer. He was threatened,
offered bribes, but he took his guard and firmly held on his
stand, which resulted in their punishment. He was a topic of
discussion in the Bihar assembly. He was offered promotion
and an extension to his services but he took voluntary
retirement. For a short period he helped his son in the business,
but soon after his son renounced the world and embraced
sainthood, he too renounced the world and his name changed
from Shuka Das to Shri Das.
During his service tenure, he used to donate ten percent
of his earnings at the feet of his Sadguru. His brothers used to
suggest to him to refrain from doing so but he never
compromised with his devotion towards his Sadguru. Mother
became the Guru ma (as per tradition wife of the Sadguru
becomes mother to the disciple). He took the words of his
Sadguru as the words of God, the Supreme Being. He never
saved for his remaining life. He neither enquired nor bothered
about the education of his children. He remained aloof for
the marriage of his sons. On being asked about this behavior,
he used to reply Everythingwill happen as per desires of Sadguru.
It is his domain. Whyshould I bother about such trivial matters? He
never built a hut for himself or for his children on this earth.
He did not even bother to save a penny for old age. He did
only one thing, that is, he constructed a shrine/ memorial at
the hermitage and a temple. That was his whole lifes earning.
He distributed all his wealth among the saints and held
community feasts at regular intervals.
While leaving for another hermitage at Buxar, he told one
of the inmates called Ghasi Baba at the Baraipur hermitage,
I amleavingthis placefor ever, and shall never comeback. Ghasi
Baba took this as a joke. Buxar is the place where Lord Ram
helps in the transformation of soul from one life to another at
the time of death and Sadguru Vishwamitra gives a mantra,
which helps the soul in overcoming the difficulties after death.
Hence this place is invaluable for the mankind on the earth.
On 15 October, 2004, on the occasion of Nav Ratri (a Hindu
period of nine nights which recurs twice in a year and is
considered auspicious from the point of view of performing
special meditative practices for spiritual ascension) he
organized for chanting the hymns in praise of Lord Ram for 24
hrs, without a break. Sumeshwar Rai, his beloved one took
active part in the chanting along with other devotees; Janardan,
Govind, and Akshay Kumar who used to be in his service all
the time. On the next day, that is on 16 October, 2004; he
organized a community feast and then at the time of bidding
farewell to the visiting saints, he told the people assisting him
Nowyou should bid farewell tomealso. I toowant togoback home.
He was giving hints, that the place of his Sadguru is permanent
dwelling place for a soul, a heavenly abode. But alas! That was
not understood by any one present there.
On 17 October, 2004 he said you people are not getting
me. I have to return, back home. If you are not sending me
then I will go on my own. On 18 October, 2004, Akshay Kumar
helped him during bath and Janardan helped him in getting
shaved and offered him the breakfast. Akshay Kumar told him
that he is going to get the vehicle and then he will take him,
back home. He informed Akshay that he has no more desires
left, and will go on his own. In the presence of Janardan and
Govind he chanted in very low voice Jai Gurudev! Jai Jai
Gurudev!! (Hail the Sadguru) and then real Sadguru took him
along with him. At 09:30 in the morning he left for his heavenly
abode happily, carrying Mala (stringed beads) worn in the neck,
Sumirani (=lnl- short string of beads held in hand), and Beejak
(book based on the preaching of St. Kabir).
I got the message at 11:30 in the morning of 17 October,
2004 and immediately left Delhi. On the way, I was thinking
He has got a temple constructed for him and also he has
liberated the land of his mother. Why not get him enshrined in
the temple constructed by him. I reached Mughal Sarai railway
station at 03:00 in the morning along with Kunal Swami and
Sunil Tiwari. We were received by saddened Acharya Gulab
along with a group of people. I quietly followed them and
reached Barai Pur hermitage. He was seated on a chair with
serene expressions on his face, in between the tombs / shrines
of Swami Atma Das and his beloved mother, as if he is very
happy to be with them. Inmates of the hermitage were chanting
in the praise of Sadguru and an incense stick was burning to
keep the environment pure.
I offered him the last bath with the Ganges water. His body
was anointed with sandal paste and prayers were offered on
his behalf. All the prominent persons of the hermitage offered
him last clothes. He was finally entombed between 04:30 and
06:30 in the morning of 18 Oct, 2004.
There was a big community feast on 04 Nov, 2004 and
was attended by a large number of sages and hermits. Each
one was offered appropriate gifts. In the night special prayers
were held, headed by Acharya Ganga Sharan Shastri.
There is no place on earth where the disciple son is
enshrined along with his parents who happen to be his Sadguru.
Saint Kabir was entombed in the Kabir temple, which is at a
distance from the place, where his parents were entombed.
Therefore this place will be a place of pilgrimage in the times
to come. Any efforts made by a seeker e.g. meditation, charity,
donation etc. will return multifold, back to him.
Obituary- Swami Shree Das
One may call it a coincidence or is it the eternal law of the
nature preparations start taking place, three generations in
advance, for the arrival of a Sadguru. Today we have all
gathered for an obituary of a person who was the link between
the Guru and the Sadguru, a bridge to bring in the Sadguru to
this world.
When river Ganga was scheduled to descend to the earth,
Emperor Sagar perished while praying for the descent. After
him, it was the turn of his son Anshuman, who also perished
while praying to bring the Ganga to the earth, but could not
succeed in his efforts. He passed on the responsibility to his
son, Bhagirath. Subsequently Bhagirath also handed over the
reigns of the empire to his son Dileep and made his whole
hearted efforts to bring Ganga to the earth. Ganga agreed to
descend down to the earth from the tarn Mansarovar, after
several requests from Bhagirath. Bhagirathi (another name of
Ganga) was reincarnated into the world.
With the urge to have Lord Vishnu as a reincarnation in
their family, Raghu (son of King Dileep) started his arduous
efforts. These efforts were continued by his son Ajj, followed
by Dashrath, who ultimately succeeded in pleasing Lord
Vishnu to reincarnate as Lord Ram. King Dashrath proved
out to be a lucky father and Lord Ram, a lucky son.
Exactly the same pattern was initiated by Swami Atma
Das. He acquired the coveted status of Sadguru. He not only
laid the foundation stone of the hermitage-but simultaneously,
he brought in another enlightened soul Swami Shree Das in to
this world. His simplicity, gentleness, and generosity, was
known to all, but he preferred to remain anonymous. He was
blessed by the guru in his life time, and reaped the fruits of his
fathers yogic accomplishments. He preferred to remain a silent
spectator. Meanwhile the present Sadguru was born and he
directly inherited everything from his grandfather and guru.
Swami Shree Das never got the opportunity to serve the
mankind (humanity) independently and he considered it as a
blessing in disguise. He was always giving honor to the Sadguru
of the time and remained in the state of eternal bliss.
Only a handful of people could actually recognize him,
that, he too possessed all the traits of Swami Atma Das. Those
who recognized him were blessed by his generosity. During
one of his visits at the Buxor hermitage, when I went to see
him he was elated. When I tried to touch the feet as a mark of
respect, he (Baba) said This is not our tradition. Weonlytouch the
ground in front of thereverend and offer thesalutations thrice. I replied
in a laughing manner But you are our father. I am not a follower
of the Kabir sect. As far as I am concerned this is the only way
to show respect to our father. I feel elated after seeing you.
Hearing this he laughed like a child. Although he talked with
every one intimately but every one felt that he had a soft corner
for me. Even I too believed this as Sadguru Swami Atma Das
also used to make my arrangements in the same room where
Swami Shree Das used to stay. He used to keep me in his room
and used to say that, I cant understand most of the things
swami Atma Das says but I like your sayings more.
One day I was adamant to hear his memoirs. I told him
that he evades this request very cleverly and also that I suspect
that he hides a lot of things from us. Baba started laughing
Only the subject which is worth telling is talked about. The
subject that can not be explained is not worth talking about.
Some times I used to doubt about his achievements, but when
cornered he used to cleverly evade the topic by saying that he
feigned his ignorance and that was the indication, that he is
not interested in sharing his experience. He had tremendous
self control. A very much liberated soul, who was also known
as a very noble person. He used to hide the experiences of his
life, his journey within. Only about 15 days before his soul
departed for heavenly abode, he called up every one and said
Let menarrateoneof themost memorableincident of mylife, which
is unforgettableand on that mybelief got thestrength that, god is within
all and helistens totheprayers of his devotees.
I was a forest officer and I was transferred to Assam.
The basic problems in that part of the country were, illegal
felling of trees and theft of the treasures of the forest. My
well wishers requested me to get the transfer deferred as
the place is very dangerous. I told them, if the god is sending
me to that place then he will make the place suitable for
me. When I joined there, I found out that none of my
predecessor used to visit the forest due to fear of the poachers.
But I decided to stop the theft and in fact, I could succeed.
Prev i ous offi cers used t o encourage t heft for ext ra
commission. All the inhabitants there are basically very
honest. People used to call me Kabir Sahib, which was
very embarrassing for me. I used to tell them that St. Kabir
was a great person and it is not justified to compare me
with him, just because I work with honesty. But I was
always given the jobs which required accountability.
Today we saw him crying for the first time in our life and it
was impossible for any one of us to gauge the depth of those
tears. Comparison with St. Kabir had shaken him, from deep
within. I wondered whether he is the reincarnation of the great
saint. On being further prodded, he started narrating the
incident That incident was not an incident, but was tte-
-tte with certain death, encounter with the king of the
forest. On that fateful day, I was going with a handful of
forest guards to inspect the area of the forest which was the
territory of tigers. All the forest officers were scared to enter
that area. I told them, Tiger is thekingof thejungleand I tooam
a son of theking, called man. Let us goand meet him. It was not
necessarythat therewill bean encounter. Wewill return in a short
time. We all boarded the jeep. On one of the turnings, we
actually encountered a fully grown tiger that was bigger
than the bull and was resting in the middle of the road.
All the people accompanying me became pale with fear.
They started saying today is the last day of our life. Even
that was my first experience with the tigers. Vehicle had
stopped. When I told the driver to start the vehicle, he
started stammering and replied that if the tiger wakes up,
we will all be killed, so let us reverse the vehicle. I told
him how are you going to reverse, there is hardly any space
for reversing the vehicle and we may tumble down into
the gorge. Driver saidKabir sahib, death has trapped us fromboth
theend, solet us praytogod and turn back. I persuaded him to
blow the horn and told him that even the animals have
basic understanding, and the tiger will give us path to move
ahead. Driver saidwewill diebut will not blowthehorn. I silently
prayed to Sadguru and asked him Are you testing our
faith? All right then, I shall not let anybody die. If it is
your desire then I shall alight from the vehicle. Seeing
this, the staff tried to prevent me from getting down from
the vehicle. I replied back that being a man I can not return
back. If he is the lord of the forest then I am also a king.
Thinking this I started moving ahead in the direction of
the tiger and was feeling that Sadguru is accompanying
me and nothing will happen to me. The tiger was nearly
50 yards from us. I said Oh lord of the jungle, accept my
salutations. We are requesting you; to kindly let us move
ahead. If you are truly a king then you will give us the
way. I requested like this, 3-4 times. Tiger flipped his tail
and looked in my direction. Once again, I requested him
I am your brother and requesting you to let us move ahead.
I am here to protect the forests. If you are happy with my
arrangements then kindly permit us to move ahead. Even
till toady, I cant figure out the source of strength on that
fateful day. Tiger silently got up and went in to the forest.
I returned to my v ehicle. Forest guards touched my
feet and said Kabir Sahib, the tiger listened to your
request , you are t ruly Kabi r sahi b and you hav e
insuppressible courage.
I was overwhelmed by the blessings of my sadguru.
In the evening we returned back to our camp.
Accompanying guards spread the details after
exaggerating the incident that Kabir sahib talks to the
tiger and tiger agreed to his request. He is like god, a
true saint. People kept pouring in to meet me. Till evening
all the tribesmen gathered in the camp and started
shouting slogans. They did not even listen to me. Without
deserving I was honored beyond my imagination and that
became an unforgettable incident of my life. But my faith
got strengthened, that even if the bodies are different in
case of men, animals, or even birds, but the soul in them
is same and also that the soul understands others
language. My faith in the sadguru became so strong that I
felt, sadguru blesses all his disciples evenly. After that he
answered many more questions put up by me and in the end I
was assured of his greatness and also that he is a realized soul.
Just two days before his death devotional songs were being
chanted when I visited him. There I came to now about his
illness. I prostrated and asked him about his well being. In
reply he said I am going. When I asked about the destination
he repeated the same thing. When I called up Akshay Kumar
and with his help shifted Baba to his room. Akshay informed
that he is losing his memory. Now I started wondering that
whether his statement I am going is the prediction about his
departure from this earth? He was ready to depart at the call
of sadguru and that his statement of his departure was the
forecast about the inevitable. When I asked him that the
devotional songs are being sung by the devotees, when will he
go. He replied that let thedevotional songs becompleted, and only
after sendingoff thesaints, hewill depart.
The devotional songs and the community feast were
concluded without any problem, but Baba was determined to
move on to his last journey. He was being called upon by his
destiny. The supreme authority, god the almighty with thousand
eyes was smiling at him. I never imagined that this was the last
meeting with him. Next day whoever heard the news about his
demise, was sad. Baba left for heavenly abode, leaving us
behind, on our own.
!! Hari Om !!
Lord Buddha
Lord Buddha was born at around 4 oclock in the morning
under the Saal tree in the forests of Lumbini on the day of full
moon night in the month of Vaisahkh (Indian calendar month),
563 years B.C. Ritualism, false projection and the religious
bigotry was at its peak. Keepers of the religion were sucking
the blood of the believers and the common men, in the name
of religion. The common public was at the cross road and
there was no one to give them direction. Violence, intimidation,
erosion of values, nepotism was at its peak. Religion was the
originating point of all this. Perpetrators of this cult dissociated
themselves from the so called religion. They started blaming
the sins of previous births for the loss their character. Preachers
in the society tried to divert the minds of the common man
towards past lives, traits of the so called upper class people,
etc; but no one dared question their arguments, as to, who was
responsible for planting this poison ivy in the society? No one
dared to question, whether the perpetrators of the religion
planted the trees of nectar, which got converted into poison
ivy? Were the perpetrators of the religion, responsible for the
erosion of the social values? Or this was indeed the tree with
nectar, which was polluted by the deeds of the previous births.
Discourses were held on the Vedas, Ramayana, old scriptures;
but the resultant was coercion, loss of character. Under these
grueling circumstances Lord Buddha came to this world.
His father Shuddhodhans kingdom was spread on the Indo-
Nepal border. He belonged to the Shakya dynasty and the
capital was Kapilvastu (Name of the place was based on one
of the all time great, sage Kapil). Lord Buddhas birth was
resultant of the deeds performed by the sage. Shuddhodhan
was a light hearted person who believed in justice to all. He
was married to Mahamaya, daughter of the Koliya dynasty
king, Anjana Koliya. When king Shuddhodhan proved his valor
and strength, he was permitted to marry one more time. He
took Mahaprajapati, younger sister of Mahamaya as his second
wife. Both the sisters used to love each other. Shuddhodhan
was very happy to live with both his wives. Even after a long
period of time, none of the queens could give him the heir to
the throne. Then Mahamaya decided to take part in the
ceremonies and special religious rites in the summer season.
She participated in the rites after taking holy dip in the river
and getting anointed with the fragrance of the flowers. On the
seventh day she took bath in scented water and after adorning
the make up of married woman, she donated 400000 gold
coins to the needy ones. That night was the turning point in
her life. She saw some divine spirits in her dreams. They carried
her along with her bed to a tarn named Mansarovar (pond
created by the power of mind). They anointed her with divine
paste and decorated her with flowers. Then those spirits carried
her to the forest of Saal trees. More divine spirits encircled the
bed and she was approached by an enlightened spirit named
Sumedh. He asked her whether she would like to be his mother,
as he has decided to be born, once more and last time on the
earth. Mahamaya replied in affirmative, CertainlyI would be
veryhappytohaveyou as son. At that moment, Mahamaya came
out of the slumber. She narrated the dream to her husband,
who in turn consulted his astrologers about the dream. After
analyzing the dream and the place described in the dream, they
prophesied O emperor! A son will be born to your wife and
certainly the spirit who asked the question has entered the
womb of the queen. If he stays back in the house then he will
be the undisputed Emperor on the earth. But is he decides to
leave then he will attain enlightenment. As he himself has
told, that this would be his last birth. Last birth is only assumed
by the enlightened souls only. Mahamaya kept the baby in her
womb for ten whole months. Sensing the delivery date
approaching; she expressed her desire to visit her father as per
her family tradition. King Shuddhodhan made all the necessary
arrangements for the journey, and her father was informed
about the visit. Preparations were in full swing for the reception
of the newly born.
Queen Mahamaya started her journey in her palanquin (a
housing carried by four or eight people).She was escorted by
the protective guards and accompanied by an experienced mid
wife and several maid servants. The whole convoy proceeded
toward Lumbini forest. She entrusted her younger sister
Mahaprajapati to look after their husband. Younger sister saw
her off, to their parents house, and told her sister coyly I ama
bit hesitant tosaythis, but pleasecomeback with a son, whois heir to
thethrone.
Meditation by Mahamaya in the Saal forest
Mahamaya was being carried in the golden palanquin. She
was very happy and the result was the glow on her face. By the
time she reached Lumbini forest, she was completely
mesmerized by the charms of the forest. Birds were chirping
on the trees laden with flowers and fruits. Black wasps were
causing reverberations in the forest with there humming noise,
as if the nature was getting ready to welcome the divine person,
like a bride. It was nearing dusk and the sun was peeping from
the western horizon in their general direction. Moonlight started
covering the forest area after sunset. That was the full moon
night. Mahamaya suddenly ordered to stop. Her palanquin was
put down on the ground. She came out and having seen the
forest beauty, she decided to make their night halt in the forest.
All the attendants started making arrangements for erecting
the tents and preparing for the meals. Mahamaya starts taking
a stroll. She takes a seat under a tree after some time and
suddenly goes into trance. The attendant maids surround her
for protection. Trees start dropping flowers on her. Her face
suddenly starts glowing with the divine aura. Cool wind was
blowing, spreading the fragrance all around. There was a divine
serenity in the atmosphere. When the soldiers came looking
for her, one of the maids signaled them to keep quiet and
return back to the camp.
Birth of Siddharth
Mahamaya remained in that state for nearly three hours.
She suddenly returned back to senses as if she went into trance
only a few minutes ago. She found all her maids surrounding
her. She asked them, Why are you sitting here? One of the
maids dared to speak and said, If permitted, shall we return
back to the camp? We are already very late. They reach back
to the camp, where a spacious white tent was erected for her.
The bed was covered with satin bed sheets. A part of the tent
was open in such a way that portion of the sky was always
exposed. Being the full moon night, the tent was illuminated
with the moonlight. After the meals queen expressed desire to
take rest, alone. Maids kept an eye on her from some distance.
She was resting like the goddess of the forest. She was fast
asleep in a few minutes. Early morning she went into labor
and the heir to the throne was born. The boy walked seven
steps and then started crying in the lap of her mother. All
the maids were alarmed by the wails of the crying baby. They
all rushed towards the queen and her son to take care.
The queen returned back towards home, instead of moving
towards the parental place. A messenger reached ahead of the
caravan to inform his majesty and received the pearl necklace
as a reward. Whole of the capital city was decorated as a bride.
All the citizens flocked towards the palace to have the glimpse
of the queen and the prince. Shakya dynasty celebrated the
birth of the prince with pomp and gaiety.
Arrival of sage Asit
Sage Asit was meditating in the Himalayas. He saw through
the divine vision that all the divinity was in the festive mood
and was dancing with joy. They were all discussing today
Buddha has incarnated on the earth. It is the good luck of the
earth. He visualized that the divine child has taken birth in the
family of King Shuddhodhan. He left his place and reached the
palace, accompanied with his nephew. He found a large crowd
in front of the palace. He sent the message through the messenger
about his arrival. King invited the sage immediately, after getting
the message. After blessing the king, sage expressed his desire
to see the prince. King informed him that the prince was sleeping.
In reply the sage said that the boy has not come here to sleep.
He is here to awaken the sleeping people. Hearing the cries
of the prince King himself brings the prince. Sage spots 32 traits
of divinity and 80 other characters. He moved around the boy
in a circle and prostrated in front of him. He got charged with
joy and then suddenly he started crying. King Shuddhodhan was
startled and asked the aging sage in a pleading manner, the reason
for his contradictory reactions.
Sage replied back, O king! If this boy will stay back in
the palace, he will become an emperor but if he decides to
leave the house, he will become attain enlightenment and
become Buddha. But I am certain that he will become
Buddha. When he will attain enlightenment and establish
the wheel of Dhamma. This body of mine has become
fragile and I am afraid, I will not be around that time. I
am crying on my fate, because I came ahead of his time. I
will be deprived of the happiness. Then he told his nephew
Whenever you hear, that this boy has attained the status
of Buddha, come under his aegis. At least you can do
yourself a favor. Do not miss this once in the lifetime
opportunity. Saying so, the sage made a move. King offered
gifts to the sage.
Prophecies by eight Learned ones
The king was shocked hearing the words of the sage. He
was thinking that a heir to the throne was born in the old age
and the son would become a monk. It is not fare. He could not
sleep in the night and early in the morning he summoned upon
eight of the most learned persons of his kingdom. King himself
carried the prince to the chamber where the leaned ones were
offered the seat. They checked the child thoroughly and seven
of them declared that The child has 32 signs of a v ery
superior personality. He has complete circles on all his fingers.
Therefore, the child will become an emperor. If he chooses to
renounce the world; he will attain enlightenment and
become Buddha. King was shocked hearing the last sentence.
At that time the last of them stood up as if in a trance and
declared Excuse me your highness! I am Kanva and I an
am exponent in the fields of Astrology and Tantra. This
child will be the greatest of all the people who hav e
renounced the world. He will not only attain enlightenment
but he will also alleviate people from their miseries. He
will observe four things in his life and after seeing the
fourth one he will renounce the world. Saying so, he sought
permission to leave the chamber. King asked him, what are
those four things? Kanva (+) replied, Illness, old age,
death and a monk.
Death of Mahamaya
The king was worried and thought how could he plan the
future of his son so that he becomes an emperor. On the fifth
day the child was named as Siddhartha. Since the king
belonged to the Gautam clan, the child was called Siddhartha
Gautam. King was always thinking If theperson born in the
dynastydoes not rule, or does not expand theboundaries of thekingdom,
and alsoif hedoes not protect and feed thecitizens of thekingdom,
then his lifeis useless. Becominga monk looks all right in theold age.
He then thought, let the child grow a little bit, and then he can
be made to understand the intricacies of life. Normally a
person thinks something else and actually some other thing
takes place in life. Suddenly Mahamaya fell ill and her condition
deteriorated. No treatment was effective. At last probably she
got the insight that her end is inevitable and very near. She
called upon her sister and her husband and said I believethe
prophecyof sageAsit and alsobelievethat his words arefinal. I am
sorry, becauseI will not witness theachievements of myson. That would
bethemost beautiful dayof mylife, if could seemyson as Buddha, the
enlightened person.
Oh sister! I nowhand over myson toyou. I amconfidant that you
will givehimmoreaffection than I could ever givehimin mylife. Let me
diein peace. Now, you havetolook after thekingand family. Angels
arewaitingfor me Saying this, she breathed her last. That day
Siddhartha was seven days old. Same day Prajapati, sister of
Mahamaya, also gave birth to a son, who was named as Nand.
Siddhartha had several cousins named Devdatta, Mahanaam,
Anand, Prajapati used to breast feed Siddhartha and her son
was fed by their maid. She also used to nurture Siddhartha
herself and her own son was looked after by the maid. She
was just like mother to Siddhartha.
Childhood of Siddhartha and his education
Siddhartha was very well looked after by Prajapati. She
used to ornate him, and used to send him to the temple. When
Siddhartha was eight years old, his education was started. All
those seers, who predicted his future were his primary teachers.
Devdatta, Nand and Anand also used to study with him along
with other children. Siddhartha was genius and hence he could
understand the complicated issues with ease. Teachers also
were very happy with him, and used to feel obliged for getting
a pupil like him. Siddhartha always used to keep smiling. His
big sleepy looking eyes, curly hair, reddish cheeks and a broad
forehead were instrumental in attracting others towards him.
Siddhartha had an image of an ideal student. His second teacher
was Sabbmitra (=ln-), who taught him complete philosophy.
His third teacher was Bhardwaj, who was a disciple of Alar
Kalam (~n| +nn). Bhardwaj taught him the techniques for
focusing the mind on the way to Samadhi, enlightenment. His
father arranged for him to learn the martial techniques, for
becoming a warrior, but he was never comfortable with
weapons. He used to think This will lead to violence. What
type of trait is this (of a warrior). Compassion, non-violence,
affection developed within him spontaneously. He used to
accompany his father to the jungle, but never used to hunt
animals. He often used to meditate, as if guided by the inner
self. Whenever his friends used to ask him, what keeps his
mind occupied all the time? He used to reply Look at these
workers. Theykeep toilingall day, even then theydont haveenough
clothes tocover their bodies. Theyhaveverylittleblood circulatingin
their veins. Peoplefromsocalled upper class; enjoytheir lavish lifestyle,
becauseof their hard work. Howfar, this is justified.
He started looking young at the age of sixteen. He was
well built and healthy. Due to compassion and affection towards
all he became popular among the masses. His cousin Devdatta,
used to envy his popularity and always used to keep planning
to enhance his status in the society, to become more popular
than Siddhartha. He felt the pangs of inferiority complex. He
always used to invite Siddhartha for a hunting expedition,
justifying it as the traits of a warrior. On the other hand,
Siddhartha used to encourage his friends to meditate, maintain
silence in order to talk to ones inner self. Mother of Siddhartha
used to worry for him.
Counseling by mother
One day, Gautami, another name of the foster mother of
Siddhartha, called him up and tried to explain him that Look
son, you arethefutureruler of thecountryand you aredeviatingfrom
thetraits associated with therulingclan. You donot gofor hunting
expeditions. Whyis it so? Howwill you rulethecountry? I amworried
a lot. Siddhartha replied back politely Is it justified to kill
an innocent bird in the trait associated with the ruling
clan? Is killing of other people in the name of fighting
aimless war a trait associated with the ruling clan? His
mother says Yes myson, it is thetrait of therulingclan. If you are
not strongand powerful, howwill you fight wars? Howwill you inflict
fear in thehearts of others? Howwill you rulethestate? Siddhartha
replied back Mother, if an intellectual person also kills
another one, like an illogical person, then what is the
difference between the two? If we can not create, we do
not have the right to destroy some one elses creation. Cant
we rule the world with love? Cant we eradicate jealousy
with love? Mother, violence begets violence and love begets
love. Now you tell me which path should I tread? Mother
kept looking at him, speechless.
Saving a swan
One day Siddhartha accompanied his cousins went to the
paddy fields. Celebrations were in progress on the first day of
sowing the paddy. As per tradition of the Shakya clan he
ploughed through the field. During the noon hours, he was
taking rest under the tree. He used to love nature and was
happy as usual. He was thinking Cant weextend theboundaries
of love? Wedifferentiatebetween thedomesticand thewild animals.
This leads togivingpartial treatment toboth of them. Onlythrough
meditation, wecan bridgethegap between our own and others. Is it
justified, that a warrior has tofight a bloodybattleall thetime? He
should makeefforts towin over his enemies with love. When hehas no
enemies, thereis noneed of weapons. While he was thinking like
this, a wounded swan fell in to his lap. He hurriedly stood up
and inspected the swan, which was hit by an arrow and was
bleeding profusely. Siddhartha was filled with compassion. He
took out the arrow and poured some water in the mouth of
semi conscious swan. Swan started looking in his eyes. Perhaps
the swan was thinking that one prince shot him with arrow
and the other is nursing the wounds. Siddhartha tore up his
sheet and dressed the wound. He was holding the swan close
to his chest, to keep him warm. Meanwhile his cousin Devdatta
arrived there and inquired about the swan. Siddhartha told
him that the wounded swan is under his custody and is being
taken care of. Devdatta sarcastically said that You area fool. Is
this theonlyjob for a warrior tonursea wounded swan? Givemethe
prized trophy, as I havehunted theswan. Warriors aretrained touse
theweapons and hunt for thepreys. Siddhartha refused to hand
over the wounded swan to his cousin. Both started arguing
and the matter was referred to the court.
Justice by the king
Devdatta started narrating the incident O king! I was
hunting. The swan got wounded by the arrow fired by me.
Hence it is my right to claim for swan, but Siddhartha is not
giving me the same. The king was sitting with the council of
ministers. He asked Siddhartha to give his version to clarify
the situation. Siddhartha said O king! Please tell me, who is
the lord of a living being? A person who tries to kill or the one
who is the savior. King said One who is the savior.
Siddhartha said O lord! The justice is done. His basic concept
was wrong, that is why I kept the swan in my custody. Hearing
this argument, the king and the council of ministers were
dumbfounded. Devdatta felt envious and from then on he became
enemy of Siddhartha. Siddhartha also felt it better to save the
swan and in turn, he became the target of his brothers anger.
Marriage
The king was worried after observing the compassionate
and caring thoughts of Siddhartha. He was thinking that even
at the young age of sixteen, Siddhartha is devoid of the tenets
of the warrior clan. He becomes the savior of hunted animals,
and gives logical arguments also. He easily proves that the
basis of the all the laws of the material world are wrong. To
prevent him from veering off the royal way of living, he should
be burdened with the responsibilities of the family by marrying
him off. If Siddhartha gets entangled in the cobweb of the
luxuries of the life, then he will be trapped. Considering this,
the king started to spin the web of luxuries and ordered that
prince Siddhartha should always be surrounded by young and
beautiful girls, dancers and all his advisers, friends should be
young boys and girls. Meanwhile king of the Shakya clan Danda
Pani, visited the kingdom with the proposal for marriage of
his daughter Yashodhara through the ritual called Swayamvar
(where the would be bride had the liberty to select the
prospective groom based on his capabilities). King
Shuddhodhan sent prince Siddhartha along with one of his
trusted aide Chhandak. Chhandak had virtues of a noble and
intelligent being. Also he was the charioteer and an adviser to
the prince. Swayamvar was attended by lots of princes from
different kingdoms, including cousins of Siddhartha.
Yashodhara had the garland of flowers and kept ignoring all
the prices till she reached Siddhartha. Seeing him she was
delighted as she had already accepted Siddhartha as her future
husband, by heart. Although lot of girls had desire to become
the wife of Siddhartha, but the destiny had already selected
Yashodhara as his wife. Father of the Yashodhara was not
happy with her selection, and tried to convince her by saying
that Mychild, you arestill tooyoungand alsoyou donot knowanything
about Siddhartha. Heis not theright person for you. Healways prefers
tobealoneand lives in thecompanyof sages and hermits. Heis devoid
of tenets of theroyal family. Still thereis timetoreconsider your decision.
Heis accompanied byhis cousins whoarealsobraveand good looking.
You should reconsider your decision. Her mother also tied to
convince, but Yashodhara did not deviate from her decision.
At last the dejected King declared Siddhartha as the husband
of the princess Yashodhara. Hearing this, all the princes got
furious and some of them even suggested that there should be
an archery competition as per tenets of a great warrior. One,
who comes out as winner, should be declared as the husband
of the princess. King should check himself that whether the
prince is really capable or he will hand over his daughter to a
sage. This was the insult to Prince Siddhartha. King Danda
Pani agreed to this suggestion but the prince did not agree.
Siddhartha also agreed to the suggestion after being counseled
by Chhandak. Prince emerged as the winner. All other princes
were envious about the turn of the event. Now the king and
his queen were happy and Siddhartha was married off to
Yashodhara. At that time both were sixteen years old.
Starting a family life
On the arrival of Yashodhara the whole country celebrated.
King and the queen counseled her personally Y ou have to
be alert as there are certain predictions about your
husband. Now it all depends upon you, how you mould
your husband. Yashodhara was completely dedicated to her
husband. Whole palace was converted into a citadel of luxury
and material comforts. Siddhartha stayed with his wife for a
ling period. She never allowed any one near Siddhartha who
was old, sick, sage and also never allowed him to see a dead
body. After several years a son was born to them, who was
named as Rahul. Now the king was very happy and he used to
think that everything is possible if efforts are made earnestly.
Now that the prince is trapped in the cobweb of family life
and the luxuries of life, predictions of the hermit have been
wronged. Onenever knows when happiness turns intosorrow.
Transformation of prince
At last the fateful day arrived in the life of the prince which
was most feared about. The prince moved out of the palace
on a tour. The chariot was being driven by Chhandak and they
were moving out of the city rapidly. Both were talking and
enjoying the journey. Suddenly Chhandak pulled the reigns.
Chariot came to a stand still. The prince was no more laughing.
He was looking at the dilapidated and human like figure, which
fell down in front of the chariot. He was the remnant of a
human and was reduced to a skeleton with white hair. His
clothes were torn and untidy. He was searching for the stick
and the begging bowl. Chhandak jumped from the chariot and
told the old man Howdareyou comeon this path? Didnt you know
that theprinceis comingon theway? Just run away, or you will be
severelypunished. Old man some how uttered few words in the
feeble voice Please get me severely punished, but please
make sure that I get the death sentence. Life has become a
burden. I will be extremely grateful to you. Somehow the
old man looked in the general direction of the chariot and
kept on looking at the prince, as if he was dreaming. He thought
of saying few words but could no do so, due to fear of
Chhandak. Old man dragged himself out of site behind the
tree line.
Prince was simply aghast. His face was drained of life. He
asked Chhandak, What was that? Who was that creature, who
looked like a human? Chhandak cursed himself, but ignoring
the question he moved on with the journey. The prince
determinedly asked him once again You havetoanswer me.
Unwillingly Chhandak replied that he was as human as we are.
The prince asked how can he be human? He was like a
skeleton, wearing torn and untidy clothes and his hair were
white. He was trembling and was not able to speak
properly. How can he be a human? Chhandak replied O
prince, he was an old man. He has attained the age of being
old. Prince asked Do all of us get old? Do all of us will
become like this. Chhandak replied while cursing himself
for not being careful Yes my prince. Prince asked Will I
too, become like him, one day? Chhandak said Why are
you asking all this? Shall we move on, if you please permit?
Prince said No, first please answer me. Chhandak started
crying and replied in affirmation. Prince again asked Will
my wife Y ashodhara, also get old? Will all the beautiful
people of the palace get old? Chhandak replied while crying
Yes prince, it is the fact of life that one day all of us become
like this. The prince got extremely worried and with the heavy
heart, ordered Chhandak to move ahead. Chariot was moving
at a great speed. Siddhartha was physically sitting on the chariot
but mentally he was some where else. Suddenly prince shouted
Chhandak, please stop. Chhandak pulled the reigns. Prince
said Y ou are my best friend and are very close to me. Also
you are my well wisher. I completely want to know the
facts of life. Will you please help me? Saying so he opened
his moist eyes and also found tears in the eyes of his friend.
Chhandak was filled with compassion. Words of prince
mesmerized him and he said Yes, I promise you, that I shall
not hide anything from you. Prince said You aresoniceand
intelligent. You understood even beforeI asked you, what is in mymind.
Nowfriend, takemearound in thevillages nearby, sothat I can seethe
realities of lifewith myown eyes. Chhandak said As you wish
my prince, but this is against the orders of the king. Saying
this Chhandak turned the chariot towards the nearby village.
All the villagers rushed towards them in the hope of getting
the glimpse of the some one from the royal family. As they
approached them villagers started shouting slogans after
recognizing the prince Siddhartha. As the chariot was passing
through the middle of the village, prince shouted Chhandak,
please stop. What is there on the cot and being carried
away by some people? He is shouting and saying - I will
not survive, O god please save me. Chhandak replied that
he is a patient. When a person does not live a disciplined life
and does not practice self restraint, he becomes sick. He is
going to a doctor. Prince asked himWhat is sickness? Does
it make a person so weak that he cant even walk? Are we
susceptible to it? Chhandak replied Yes my prince. All the
sick reduce to a skeletal structure. When the sense organs
become weak due to overindulgence, a person can be reduced
to this state. The physical body that looks so beautiful when
healthy becomes ugly and useless. The prince was transformed
into a worried person. His face had lost the luster and the
smile. When Chhandak looked at the grave face of the prince,
he was repenting for being so truthful about the facts of life.
Prince was staring blankly in the general direction and was
being followed by the crowd of semi naked, weak and sick
people. He had tears in his eyes and was broken from within.
Chhandak remorsefully asked the prince Shall we return
towards the palace? Prince refused to oblige and ordered him
to move on to the next village. Chhandak moved on towards
the next village, however unwillingly. When the chariot was
still outside the village, horses went out of control, because
of the tumultuous sounds of conches and trumpets. Somehow
Chhandak controlled them and stopped on one side of the
road. Prince got off from the chariot and went closer to the
procession. A man was being carried away by four people on
their shoulders. Prince could not come out of the shock, when
a saw a wailing woman who was being chased by other women.
Other women were trying to control and console her. When
the procession went a little far from them, prince turned towards
Chhandak with lot of questions written all over his face.
Chhandak understood the questions written on the face of the
prince. He requested prince to board the chariot and said he
will explain everything. Prince was trembling with shock and
was in no position to talk. Prince was ushered on to the chariot
and the chariot started moving ahead. Prince asked in an
inebriated state What is this Chhandak? What creaturewas that,
whowas wrapped in thewhitecloth, tied with theropes? Helooked like
a man. Who werethosewailingwomen? What is all this about,
Chhandak?
Chhandak- O prince! The man is dead. He is being carried to
the cremation ground and persons accompanying are his relatives.
After death body is not kept at home. Human body gets
converted into corpse and starts rotting, and therefore is burnt
in the cremation ground. Wailing woman was his wife, and she
has been widowed. Ladies counseling her were there relatives.
Prince - Please stop Chhandak. Just stop. Will I also be
burnt like him? Will my wife also cry like that lady? Shall
we all be burnt like this? Oh what will happen now? Saying
so prince closed his eyes. All that happened in the day was
haunting him. Chhandak some how brought him back to the
palace. Prince was thinking about an old man, a sick man and
the dead man. In spite of being surrounded by the young and
beautiful people he considered himself old, sick and dead. Whole
world was seemingly burning for him. Was it right to celebrate
in the world? Now celebrations were almost impossible.
Prince always kept brooding that all the living beings are
slowly approaching death, but still they are ignorant about
everything. They are least bothered about anything. Are they
in the state of unconsciousness? What is the secret of old age,
sickness, and death? Is the man destined for such sorrow? Is
there any way out of all this? Cant we overcome death? All
such questions kept bothering him.
On another day prince moved out of the palace for enjoying
the beauty of nature. Once in the forest he spotted a healthy,
young, and monk wearing white clothes. He had a Kamandala
(+nn-small utensil made from the shell of the fruit/ vegetable
which resembles pumpkin), begging bowl, and was radiating
with the divine aura. He was standing below the tree and was
smiling, as if the sun was radiating bright light. Presence of a
monk answers many questions. Probably, Siddhartha also got
the answers of all his questions. He continuously stared at the
monk. He asked Chhandak, Who is he? Chhandak got scared
as he knew the prophecy, but he answered He is a monk.
Prince asked What is a monk? Chhandak replied that Monk
is the person, who has won over all desires, anger, attraction
and illusions of the material world. For him the world is
not everlasting. He always remains in the blissful state and
he glows with aura, radiating from himself.
Prince said I got theanswers toall myquestions. As far a I am
concerned, a monk is thehappiest person on earth. Heis beyond thecycle
of lifeand death. Just a glimpseof himhas a soothingeffect on meand
I experienced happinesswithin. I feel satiated. Hearing this Chhandak
sought permission to move ahead. Prince said NoChhandak,
wherewill you takemenow? You havebrought mewhereI was destined.
Let mehavefewmoreglimpses of himtofulfill mydesire. Saying
this when prince looked in the direction of the monk, he found
him missing from under the tree. Prince wanted to talk to the
monk so he told Chhandak to go look for him. With these
words prince started crying.
Chhandak consoled the prince and said Monks have
renounced theworld and theykeep movinglikeflowingriver. That is
howtheymaintain their serenity, holiness. Sincetheyarepious and
pure, theyarealways in thestateof bliss. Siddhartha said I have
found out the answer to all my questions. Without having
a word with the monk I have got everything, which I was
yearning for. I too will become a monk. This is the only
plausible way to get out of the cycle of sickness and
death. Saying so, Siddhartha started looking towards the sky.
Seeing this, Chhandak started trembling from within. He
lost his nerves and was not sure of his next move. Both of
them returned to the palace. Siddhartha started pacing to and
fro, instead of going to the room of his wife. He was then
informed about the birth of his son. He joined the celebrations
organized by his father Shuddhodhan. This he did outwardly,
where as he had renounced the world, at the core of his heart.
Now leaving the palace was merely the formality. He reached
the room of his wife in the midnight.
Leaving the palace
Yashodhara had fallen asleep after a long wait for her
husband. She was holding her son close to her chest. Mother
and the son were in deep slumber. Prince takes a glance at
them and mumbles Now it is time for me to leave, in search
of truth, which is the aim of my life. It was a coincidence
that we met on the way, but now it will be better that we
move on to our respective journeys. O Y ashodhara! Please
forgiv e me. Saying so, he moved out of the room. He
summoned for Chhandak. All the servants including Chhandak
were surprised and confused, Wherewill theprincegoin themiddle
of thenight? Todayis thedayof celebrations as an heir tothethroneis
born. Wholenation has celebrated thebirth of thenewprince, but there
is nosleep in theeyes of theprince. Chhandak gets up and prepares
the reins of the horse, named Kanthak. Gates of the palace
were opened for the prince. He moves to the border of the
kingdom and after crossing the river he cuts his own hair using
the sword. He hands over his royal dress and ornaments to
Chhandak. Chhandak was numbed by the actions of his master,
his face lost all the sheen and he started crying. Some how he
could utter few words What is all this, myprince?
Prince consoled him Chhandak, nobodyaccompanies anyone
in distress, but you havecomewith me sofar in theforest, as you have
someaffection and regard for me. You havewon over myheart. But I
cant help you on thebanks of theriver Amona. All therelatives remain
with you becauseof someself interests. Theyalways expect something
fromyou. Nooneis selfless. Myfriend! You aretheonlyexception.
Pleasereturn tothekingdom. Thekingwill not beabletotolerateall
this and henceI request you topleaseberateme, curseme; sothat hedoes
not feel toobad about all this and gets fed up of me. I haveneither come
herewith thehopeof goingtotheheaven, or duetolack of affections
frommyfamilymembers, or duetosomemomentaryanger. Nobody
should feel sorryfor this. Even if we are destined to be together
for a long time, we have to part from each other, as parting
is the way of life. If we are destined to part one day, then
why not today? Instead of destiny separating us, we should
part willingly and happily. Every body gets an heir to his
wealth, but you will not find anybody as an heir to the
deeds done by you. Myfriend! Pleaseexplain this tomymother
alsothat her affection for meis beyond anydoubt, but I amnot worthy
of her affection.
Chhandak replies while crying My prince! It is not possible
for me to do all this. Now your condition is beyond my
comprehension. I am unable to return to the kingdom. Who
will believe me? Who will accept me? What face will I show to
the King, the queen mother, and to your devout wife? Kanthak
also started licking the feet of the master due to affection.
Siddhartha consoles Chhandak Dont feel sorryfor me. Partingis
theeternal truth for all thosewhoareborn. Today, if I stayback dueto
affection even then death will dous apart. It is likesomebird taking
refugeon a treein thenight, but theyflyawaytheir own wayin the
morning. This separation is certainty. Chhandak got the cue that
the prince has determined to renounce; he bowed his head in
respect for the prince as a wandering monk. Siddhartha moves
on to his journey.
Arriving at the Abode of the kings
Now Siddhartha moved ahead on the path of enlightenment
with a great determination. On the way he made a halt at the
hermitage of two monks. After crossing the banks of the river
Ganges he arrived at the kingdom of Bimbisaar, called abode
of the kings. He was 29 years of age at that time and had
travelled 400 km from Kapivastu to this kingdom. He built up
a hut at the foothills of the Pandav hill range. Next day he
went to the town for alms (l|-||). He was waiting outside the
palace of the king of Magadh. People of the town surrounded
him as they had never seen a young and good looking monk,
who looked like a prince. Everybody started gossiping and the
words reached the king. He chased the monk up to his hut and
sat on a rock. The king asked about his welfare. He asked
Siddhartha You areSiddhartha, son of Shuddhodhan, arent you?
You arefromtheclan of Sun. Your face, looks, & familystatus, are
not suitablefor becominga monk. Our kingdoms havea treatyof
friendship. Whyareyou doingall this? This will result in insult toyou.
If you donot desiretobein your kingdomthen pleasetakehalf of my
kingdom. Takecareof your part of thekingdom, whybecomea monk?
You areat theprimeof your youth and as per religious literature, this is
theagetoenjoythematerial lifeand pleasures associated with it. When
a person is youngheshould earn and amass wealth. In theold age,
when all thesenses aretired and you havenointerest either in pleasure
or in thewealth, thetimeis ripefor religious pursuit. You arethesuperior
most of theGautam, and henceyou should changeyour mind and enjoy
theworldlypleasures. Becomea monk in theold age. This is theright
thingtodoas per religious texts.
Siddhartha Gautam said O king! Y ou have rightly said
what is appropriate of you. Y ou are born in the clan whose
royal emblem is Lion. I have no greed or fear. I also do not
fear any thing that belongs to this world. I only fear the
shackles of the senses. There is no bigger calamity than
falling prey to these senses in this world. Due to ignorance
most of the people remain engrossed in them. Any wise
man, once fears them would not like to yearn for them. My
friend! One, who lives on the alms received from others,
does not deserve sympathy. He is the happiest man in this
world. He has attained the state of bliss and has secured
peace for future also. The person who indulges in the
material world in spite of having everything is the one
who needs sympathy most. He is neither happy nor at peace
in this world. There is no end to his travails in future also.
I am hurt by the disturbances of the world. I am in search
of real peace. In lieu of bringing an end to this disturbance,
I would not even dream of the kingdom of heavens; not to
talk of the kingdom of this world.
King bowed in respect for him and said O Gautam!
Whenever you meet your objective, please do visit us and
oblige. Please assure me that you will visit this kingdom at
least once. King returned back to his palace along with his
council of ministers.
Search for Sadguru
Young Gautam took refuge in meditation, the way he used
to practice in his childhood. What ever impressions are made
on the mind during childhood, they all stay for the rest of the
life. At times he used to go deep in the trance like state, but at
other times he used to start thinking of the time spent with
the family members. He used to get worried for the welfare of
all acquaintances during those moments. His physical body
used to be in the forest, but his mind used to be wandering
back to his family. Those were the frustrating and testing times
for him. At time he used to get confused and was not sure of
his further course of action. It is truethat a Guru is required to
acquireknowledgeand totread thepath of findingtheSupremeBeing.
Without a Sadguru, it is not possibletovisualisetheeternal truth.
Gautam used to sit again for meditation as per acquired
knowledge, with renewed determination. He wasted lot of time
in doing this without significant achievements. Ultimately he
left that place in search of a Sadguru.
Halt at the hermitage of Bhrigu
He travelled all the way to the hermitage of sage Bhrigu,
accompanied by his friends. There he observed that lots of
monks are collecting wood, dried grass, flowers and other
material for making the offerings through the Hawan (Sacred
Fire ritual). Having seen Gautam, every one in the hermitage
gathered around and welcomed him. Sage Bhrigu explained to
him the secrets of various meditation techniques and there
expected outcomes. He met numerous monks who were
practicing various meditation techniques in their own ways.
Someweresurvivingonlyon water; whileothers weresurvivingon roots.
Someweresurvivingon thegrass; whiletheothers weresurvivingon air
likea snake. Somewereofferingtheir hair in thefire; whileothers were
standingin water, wheretheir bodies werebeingdevoured byturtles. He
was explained that the extent of the physical torture experienced
during meditation by the monk decides, what he is going to
get in the end. More torture will result in the life in heavens
and medium torture will result in life in the human form.
Undergoing physical torture is the essence of all good deeds.
Gautam replied This is thefirst time; I havecomeacross such a
hermitage. I could not understand thesequenceof your ways. It appears
that your soleaimis togotoheavens, whereas myaimis tofind out the
root cause, which results in sorrowamongst thelivingbeings. Can I seek
your permission to leave? Bhrigu said You are talking of
achieving beyond heavens; hence you should meet Alaar
Kalam, who lives in Vindhyachal (Hill range) region. He
will tell you about salvation and the ways to achieve that.
You should not stop there but move ahead. Learn as much
as possible from him. You are a brave man.
He went to Alaar Kalam who was available at his
hermitage at Vaishali. He was initiated by Alaar Kalam after a
formal request. He learnt meditation techniques as per
Saankhya Y oga (=| | - It expresses thelevels or spheres of all
existence, thecommon sourceof all that becomes manifested, and its
unitingthread in all things, it is thepurelight within us, it is
consciousness, energyandthefiveelementswhich formall matter.). After
practising those techniques for some time, he enquired What
is beyond this. Bhrigu replied that what ever I knew, I havetaught
you. Gautam moved ahead after taking permission from him.
Gautam learnt the breathing techniques from the sage
Uddalak and became an expert in those techniques within a
short span of time. He sought permission from there also as
he could not achieve real peace of mind.
Meditation at Uruvela
After departing from the hermitage of Bhrigu, he arrived
in the forests of Uruvela, along with his five companions and
started meditation as per techniques of Uruvela. First he
relinquished one meal and later both the meals. He was
surviving on water and air only. He tortured himself to the
extreme. Earlier he was used to the royal life of extreme comfort
in the palace, and now he was at the other extreme of life;
torturing his physical body to the extent of abuse. His body
was reduced to a skeleton and was devoid of any energy in it.
He became unconscious. Coincidentally he was spotted by a
cowherd passing along with his herd of cows. Some how he
brought Gautam, back to his house, with the help of his friends.
He looked after Gautam and brought him back to life. After
recouperating his health he went in search of his friends and
told them about his new resolution that they will not achieve
anything by torturing oneself. His five friends, when came to know
about him that he stayed with a shepherd and took meals there,
they chided him and abandoned him saying that hehas veered off
fromthepath of themonk. It is a sin tobein companywith you.
Gautam felt sorry for this but he consoled himself Hehad
renounced theworld aloneand this was his own decision. His friends
arealsothefellowpassengers on his longjourney. Theywerealsodestined
topart fromhim. Somymind! Pleaseleavemealoneand let mehave
somepeace. After renewing his resolve and refreshing himself,
he sat below the Peepal (botanical name -Ficus religiosa) tree
and started meditation. Whenever he used to come out of the
trance, he used to go to the village for alms. After having meals,
he used to start meditation again. In spite of living a very
austere life, he could not attain enlightenment. He was dejected
and vowed to meditate for a longer duration. He became very
weak and started thinking of ending his life. If the physical
body is not capable of helping him achieve his goal of his life,
what is the point in maintaining it? He lost consciousness and
fell down from the pedestal.
Offer of Rice pudding by Sujata
Gautam spent six years like this. Neither he acquired
knowledge nor did he attain enlightenment. Even while resting,
he maintained standing posture. Sujata was the lady of the
village Uruvela. She had vowed to offer Kheer (a special
preparation of rice and milk) every year to the deity of the
Peepal tree if she was blessed with a son. This year her desired
was fulfilled and after preparing the Kheer she sent her maid,
Pushpa to make the offering. When Pushpa spotted Gautam
beneath the tree, she thought the deity of the tree himself has
incarnated to accept the offerings. She informed Sujata. Sujata
herself came with the offering in a golden bowl. She also saw
a young monk in the unconscious state below the tree.
Sujata kept looking at him for some time and then called
him Who are you? When she did not get any reply, she
took some water from his Kamandala and sprinkled on his
face. His body stirred and Sujata said omonk! Pleasewakeup. I
havebrought RicePudding(Kheer) for you. Gautam opened his
eyes a little and asked her Who are you, who is trying to give
a new lease of life to a monk? Sujata replied O monk! I shall
replytoyour queries, but first you should accept theoffering. Gautam
gathered some energy and in spite of his ordeal he was going
through; he said O lady! I have already decided not to take
any food or water. I am fed up of this world. Think over this;
if I can not achieve my goal, then what is the point in becoming
a liability on the earth. Saying so he felt as if, the whole world
was spinning, due to weakness in his physical body.
Sujata tendered him like a mother and said Nowyou will
not utter a singleword. First eat someKheer. Gautam some how
opened his eyes and compared the lady to a goddess, a doting
mother, who would not settle for anything less than feeding
her child. She supported the monk with one hand and with the
other hand she offered him a morsel to eat. Mesmerised Gautam
opened his mouth and slowly he finished all, which was offered
to him. After that he felt a new surge of energy within himself;
as if he was filled with vigour, hope, and strength. Sujata wiped
his mouth like a child. Gautam asked O lady! May I have your
introduction?
Sujata said Certainly. O monk! Saying so, she took her
seat in front of him and started uttering in sweet words I am
a part of the super consciousness, which is omnipresent in
all the atoms of the creation. Y ou are also a part of the
same super consciousness. Then the question does not arise
of desperation. Y ou are the same super consciousness, in
search of which, you tortured your self. One which is
separate from you is worth searching. Things that are very
close or within you become invisible. Hearing this Gautam
was overjoyed and said O lady! You are my guide, my guru.
Whatever was told by you has been imbedded in the core of my
heart. Now please, be kind enough and tell me the methodology,
so that I am in unison with the eternal truth, for ever.
Sujata said O monk! A look at you reveals that you belong
to an affluent family and are treading this path in search of the
eternal truth. After going through the hardship you are asking
this from a very simple village girl.
Gautam said O lady! Please do not put me to shame. It is
better to imbibe the knowledge received from any source. Any
one, who learns the truth, is really a learned person. He
is beyond all the boundaries and limits of the universe. I
am already grieving because of the mortal nature of the world,
and the curse to the mankind in the form of sickness, grief,
old age and death. Please let me teach the technique so that I
become one with the eternal truth, the supreme power. Please
oblige me.
Sujata narrated O monk! That eternal truth is within
you. Y ou focus all your consciousness within you and
stabilize yourself on that. Free yourself from all the external
distractions. Distance yourself from the pledges and
alternatives. Retract all your consciousness close to the super
consciousness by following the breath. Y ou will attain the
state of eternal bliss. From there your consciousness will
move closer to the super consciousness. Then you will find
answers to all your questions. Y ou do it your self. Y ou will
be enlightened; and attain the eternal bliss.
Gautam was mesmerized by those words and was
awestruck. Suddenly he asked O lady! Is it possible? Sujata
replied in affirmative Yes. O Monk! This is as true, as I am
sitting in front of you. Now is the time for me to move. My
family must be waiting for me. Gautam stood up and with
folded hands he said I amhighlyobliged. You havegiven methe
right direction. Sujata said O monk! I am not a knowledgeable
one. I am illiterate. Whatever I knew I have told you. People
of this world want to know the supreme truth through
arguments, through knowledge or through literature. I
am not find comfortable with that. O monk! It is not as difficult
to know the ultimate truth as believing and merging in that. I
wish that you succeed in finding the truth and merging yourself
with the ultimate. You may attain completeness, the state of
being a Buddha.
Gautam said I feel obliged and my heart seemed to have
filled with joy and love. You are the end result of all the hardship
I have gone through. I feel invigorated with newly acquired
knowledge. You have opened many more vistas for me. Now
please help me realize the truth which is omnipresent in each
atom of the universe. I will be highly obliged.
Sujata became serious after listening to the humble words
of Gautam. She thought that this monk is the able candidate
for sharing the knowledge. She said O monk! Please take a
seat and listen to me very carefully and start practicing from
this very moment.
Becoming Gautam Buddha
Gautam took his seat like a child. She started giving him
instructions and Gautam started meditation. He started to
focus on the incoming and outgoing breathing. Now he
started progressing on the finer body level. Suddenly he
became an observer of what was happening around him.
He started moving ahead towards the supreme consciousness.
Each atom of his physical body started to vibrate with the
thrilling sensation. He was getting pulled towards the divine
light. He started listening to various sounds and
simultaneously he started experiencing various delicious
tastes. He started moving ahead towards the source of light
effortlessly. He felt as if his body is getting filled with divine
light and also he was being showered upon from outside, with
the divine light. Things are happening and he was merely an
observer. He was overwhelmed by the experience and said O
mother! I haveachieved thestateof bliss. I feel initiated and I will
never part with this. O mother! You arethemother of myknowledge,
myguru. You aregreat. Sujata told him O monk! Now you
continue meditation. I shall make a move. Today I am very
happy. You will certainly be enlightened.
Gautam started meditating as instructed. Sujata used to
feed him daily and was fulfilling the duties of being a mother
and was giving instruction like a Guru. He meditated for four
weeks and crossed last four hurdles namely
1. In the first of the stage, he conquered the importance of
arguments and thoughts.
2. In the second stage, he was more focused.
3. In the third stage, emotional stability and awareness
were achieved.
4. In the last stage, there was union of stability and purity
of thoughts as well as union of stability and awareness.
Now in the transcended state he bypassed the world of
experiences and the world of wealth & Prowess (+lzl=lz).
One day Sujata arrived there and found him in deep trance.
His face was bright and his body was radiating with the divine
aura. She was very happy and returned back. After that she
used to visit him frequently and seeing him in deep trance
used to return back.
Gautam was in deep trance for seven days. He observed
the absolute zero in the universe. He became one with the
universe, like a drop of water merges in the sea. Now he
observed himself as omnipresent. He opened his eyes and
found the supreme consciousness every where around. He
witnessed bliss in each atom of the universe and nothing
else. Compassion was all around him. Supreme knowledge
was observed by him, every where. Now he had become
BUDDHA, person having complete knowledge.
Buddha was pondering on the epicenter of Dharma
(religion). He realized following four things
1. Mind is the epicentre of all matters. Hence it is
mandatory to keep it under control.
2. Origin of all the good or bad is mind only. Whatever is
created within us, is manifested outside in the world.
Therefore, it is mandatory to keep it pure and clean.
3. It is better to renounce all the evil deeds.
4. There is nothing worthy in the religious literature. It
is better to lead a simple life while doing all the duties.
Anguish of Buddha and Starting Dhamm
Siddhartha became Buddha at the age of 35 years. Some
people argue that he attained enlightenment at the age of 41.
Age is not important. Important thing is the path he treaded
and enlightenment. He kept brooding under the Peepal tree, I
haveundoubtedlydiscovered a newwayof life. It is verydifficult to
explain thenewlyacquired knowledgetothecommon man. Common
man is trapped in the cobweb of the soul and the super
soul (the god). They are not able to free themselves from
t he clut ches of reli gi ous ri t es, t radi t i ons, and t he
Brahmanism. All are confused in the cycle of Heaven and
Hell due to their own vested interests. Thereis nothingcalled
humanityand compassion. If I preach themabout this and if theyare
unabletocomprehend or theydonot accept or theycould not livetheir life
as per this knowledge, then theywill beunnecessarilyburdened and
also, I will beperturbed. Thinkinglikethis, hedecided tolead his life
as a listless monk.
When Brahma observed that Buddha wants to become
listless, he immediately appeared in front of him. With the
folded hands he requested, Now you arenot Siddhartha Gautam.
You areBuddha, a completeknowledgeableperson. You areTathagat
(-||- One of the names of Buddha, means A person whoarrives
in difficult times). Howcan you shirk your duties toguidetheworld?
Lots of people, whoarenot socorrupt, will get totallyshattered if you
will not guidethem. Thepresent formof thereligion beingveryold, has
becomeorthodox, has shortcomings and lacks manythings; henceneeds
tobetransformed. If you will not reformit then whowill doit? ?
~| =|||t (Saarthwah leader of a union or group) ! ~| |l- -| (one
whois beyond and abovecastes and creed)! Pleasestand up toit and
think about thewelfareof theworld. You arecompassionate. Look
around you and seethat everybodyaround you in theworld is far from
beinghappy. All arelookingup toyou in expectation. Buddha said
O Brahma! O the superior being! I thought so just to avoid
the hassles of life. O the superior amongst the mankind! When
the world is full of sorrow; then sitting idle like the so called
monks and just being an observer of the happenings around
you is not appropriate. By torturing ones body in various ways
and projecting oneself as the superior in the society has become
the trait of being a monk. Hence it is better to change the
world. Serving the mankind will be the only religion. I accept
your suggestion.
Brahma circumambulated (l+n|) around Buddha and
departed after offering salutation to him. Buddha started
pondering as to whom he should preach first. First of all he
thought about Alaar Kalam and son of Ram, but soon he came
to know about their demise. Then he thought about his five
companions who deserted him on the banks of the river
Niranjana and found out that they were living in Saarnath
(Varanasi). He started his journey to Saarnath. When all the
five saw him approaching them, they thought that since Gautam
has been corrupted, no one will ever talk to him or welcome
him. But as Buddha approached them, they suddenly stood up
and each one offered him a place to sit, water to drink and
unwillingly washed his feet with water. Such was the welcome
given to Buddha, an unwanted person. When they asked him
Do you still stretch your body to its extreme limits and torture
it as it is the only way to go to heavens or you have changed
your ways.
Buddha replied Friends! Themind believes in thetwoextremes.
Oneextremeis indulgenceand theother is torturingoneself. Onesays
enjoylifeas lifeis short lived and tomorrowweall havetodie. Thereis
nothingleft tobedonein this world. Theother says this world is not ever
lasting; it is full of tortureand is theroot causeof thebirth and re-
birth. Thephysical bodyis an obstacletoreachingtheheavens and hence
theytorturetheir bodies. Both thesethoughts aredead. I havestarted
believingin treadingthemiddlepath, which is neither indulgencenor
torturingyourself. As longas thereis desiretoenjoythecarnal or the
heavenlypleasures, all thepenanceand themeditations will not yield
anything. You see, not even a singlesageor hermit could mollifythe
desires bypenanceor bytorturingtheir bodies. It resulted in thestronger
desires tosatisfytheir lust, carnal pleasures. Then what is thepoint in
spendingthelifelikea poor and full of torture. O friends! All types
of desires are exciting and a person harboring them is a
servant of his desires. But thereis noharmin satisfyingthebasic
needs of thephysical body. This will result in healthybodies, a strong
will power, and a societywith values. This will result in lightingthe
lamp of thehigher intellect.
All the wandering monks felt enlightened and together they
said O Buddha! Please let us know your Dhamm (Rules or
Laws of religion for living). Buddha said Thereligion is not at
all concerned with thediscussion on therelation of soul-supremebeing.
All therituals havenomeaning. Man is the centre of all the
religions. Hence each man loving another man is the only
supreme thought. Whyshould a man hateanother man? Next is,
acceptance of the existence of sorrow and finding out ways
to overcome this sorrow is the foundation of this religion.
All those monks, hermits, Brahmins; who do not understand
the root cause of grief and the ways to overcome such grief
are not monks, hermits, Brahmins in true sense. This world is
full of peoplewhoaredowntrodden and theywant torisefor better
living. Helpingthemraisethemselves is our religion, our duty. O
wanderingmonks! Henceforth you all should tread thepious path of
Dhamm. Conduct yourself, sothat thegrief is overcome.
Buddha initiated all of them and gave them eight principles
or eight folded path of even mindedness:
1. Samm Dihi (=-n l<lt) - Clear vision. Agitated mind be freed
from the shackles of thoughts. View the world in right
perspective and do not get entangled with the thoughts of
your expectations from the world.
2. Virtuous Pledge (=-+ =+-) - Mans desires should be of
the highest level.
3. Upright Voice (=-+ ||i) - A man should always speak the
truth without fear and should never ever take shelter in lies.
4. Truthful Actions (=-+ +n| -) - Should always teach
appropriate and just actions. Do not try to manipulate
situations according to ones preconceived notions.
5. Truthful Earnings (=-+ ~|il+|) - For earning livelihood
one must honestly perform his duties without giving
troubles to others.
6. Proper Exercise (=-+ ||n) - Exercise is mandatory to
ward off laziness and to remain healthy on the physical
and mental level.
7. Conduct (z|in) - Always be righteous, precise, clear and
mindful of what you speak or do.
8. Renunciation (-+-) Relinquish all the worldly desires
on the mental level -detachment.
Then Buddha emphasized on charity, remaining steadfast,
peace, truth, determination, compassion and friendship. He
said O wanderingmonks! Till todayall thereligions wereimposed in
thenameof god. All thereligious tests arethepreachings or orders of
thegod. Whatever guidelines or thedisciplines weregiven, werebased on
theunderstandingof thebasicneeds or requirements of theman. Before
nownooneinterpreted themeaningof salvation as thestateof eternal
bliss, which can beattained on this earth byhis own efforts and can live
lifeas per guidelines of theDhamm.
Involvement of Kings as well as with
common man
Buddha used to preach at all those places, where he used
to accept meals along with his disciples. His teachings
impressed not only the common man but also impressed the
kings of that era and they all accepted him as there Guru. He
reached Rajgriha (The abode of kings). There he initiated
Kashya brothers. There lived a monk called Sanjay, who had
over two hundred disciples. Few of his disciples were not
satisfied by the preaching of Dhamm. One day a disciple of
Buddha, named Ashwajit, went out for alms. He was followed
by two of the disciples of Sanjay, named Saariputra and
Mudgalyayan. They were impressed by the mannerism of
Ashwajit. They inquired about him and his Guru. Ashwajit
replied that he had become a monk recently. On further
prompting he explained Once a person starts detesting
his unruly behavior or actions then his desires get
diminished. Diminishing of desires prompts a person to
work hard. Hearing this both the monks became disciples
of Buddha. Thereafter Sanjay along with his followers became
disciple of Buddha.
When the monks started becoming disciples of Buddha,
then he became the epicentre of all discussions. One day king
Bimbisar was pondering over these incidents, he was informed
that 12000 monks of Magadh have became disciples of
Buddha. Hearing this Bimbisar also became his disciple along
with one hundred thousand people. Thus he initiated nearly
all the kings and there countrymen. He preached O monks! You
can havevarious desires likeBeauty, Smell, Taste, Women etc. Wherever
therearedesires, thereis sorrow. Atmosphere reverberated with
the chants
I take shelter with Buddha (zn z||n -|ln)
I take shelter with Dhamm (religion in Paali language)
(-nn z||n -|ln)
I take shelter with Union (=|n z||n -|ln)
Arriving at birth place
Buddha stayed there for two months. His glory spread like
the sunlight in all the directions, as if he has incarnated equally
for all. Peoplefromall walks of lifearefindingsolaceunder the
auspices of Buddha. When this message reached Kapilvastu,
King Shuddodhan started yearning to meet his son. He lost his
sleep. He used to hear many discourses given by Buddha. He
was overwhelmed with love for his son. He got desperate to
have a glimpse of him and to hear his voice. He sent many
messengers to Buddha but did not receive any reply. Lastly he
sent one of the childhood friends of Buddha, named Kaalu
Dai. Buddha received him with affection. Kaalu said O
reverend! Your father wants to have a glimpse of you before
death. He is as eager to have a glimpse of you, as a Lily flower
(+nlnl-) longs for the sunrise.
Tathagata accepted the invitation. Next day he departed
for his fathers kingdom along with his disciples. Kaalu gave
the message that Buddha is arriving with his disciples, while
giving discourses on the way, to Kapilvastu. This message
spread like fire in the forest. King made arrangements for
Buddha and his disciples where there were lots of banyan trees.
King Shuddhodhan along with his council of ministers waited
outside the limits of the capital city. Having spotted Buddha
both the king and the queen got overwhelmed and started
shedding tears. They could not find words as their throats were
choked due to emotions. As Buddha was approaching them,
step by step, their feeling got stronger that Gautam is no more
their son. He has become Buddha. Complete knowledgeable
person. He is the Sadguru of that era. Hence he got down from
his chariot and offered him salutations. King said It has been
seven years since we saw you last. I always thought that you
might remember me one day. Saying so king and the queen took
seat in front of him. They were unable to speak but hey were
only crying. After gathering some courage king said I wish tooffer
you mykingdom. But if I dosoyou will not treat that morethan dirt.
Buddha consoled the king and said I knowthis. O king!
Your heart is brimmingwith love. But you arealsosorryfor your son.
But thethreads of loveyou aretryingtouse, tohold your son, will snap
oneday. Whydont you usethesethreads of lovetolink wholehumanity?
Then you will achievesomeonebigger in staturethan Siddhartha. Heis
thesame, whois thefounder of thetruth. Heis theguideof theDhamm.
Hewill placateyou fromwithin. Hewill help you realizesalvation.
Hearing this, Shuddhodhan started brimming with love.
He was crying. He said I feel completechange, and a strangejoy
within. I amcompletelyplacated. NowI can tastethefruit of your
renunciation. I wanted you torulelikea righteous kingtobecomethe
founder of such state, and guidethemasses toattain salvation. King
along with his queen returned to his palace in the night. Buddha
rested there in the park of banyan trees, during the night, along
with his disciples.
Next day Buddha moved to the town with the begging bowl.
Every one in the town came to know about this, that the prince
who never toured the town without the chariot, was walking on
the streets with begging bowl. When this information reached
the king, he immediately reached the spot where Buddha was
and requested him with folded hands Pleasedonot put us to
shame. You knowthat I can arrangemeals for all of you.
Buddha replied O king! This is the tradition of our
lineage. How is it possible that no one from my lineage
moved on the streets looking for alms ? O king! Y ou and
your clan belong to the warriors, but my lineage is from
enlightened ones, who have always depended on alms.
King had no answer. Tathagat said O king! If an able son
finds a treasure, then he hands over the same to his father.
I too offer you the wealth of the Dhamm. If you could ever
free yourself from the clutches of the illusion then you will
find never ending happiness. King replied that he will try
to adopt in his daily life.
Meeting with Yashodhara and Rahul
King Shuddhodhan requested Buddha to visit the palace
so that family members could also take the benefit of his visit.
Buddha agreed to that. He was accompanied by Saariputra
and Mudgalyayan, who used to accompany him all the time to
protect him to the extent that no one could even touch Buddha.
They were ever eager to be in his service. Buddha met every
body and all the inmates greeted him. King Shuddhodhan sent
a message for Yashodhara and Rahul. Yashodhara sent back
the reply If I amconsidered worthyof meetingthen Siddhartha will
comeand meet mein myquarters.
Hearing this Buddha immediately got up, and headed for
Yashodharas room. Saariputra and Mudgalyayan also
accompanied him. On the way Buddha told them I ama free
person. Yashodhara is still shackled in theworldlymatters and also
been missingher husband. Henceshemaystart wailingor throwing
tantrums, which will help her, overcomeher grief. Shemayeven touch
me. Pleasedonot stop her.
Buddha entered her room, where Yashodhara was deeply
engrossed in her thoughts. Seeing him she fell on to his feet
and started wailing like a flowing river. She asked him What
is mycrime? WhyamI beingpunished? Your son has becomeseven years
old and hedoes not even knowwhohis father is. Hedoes not even know
that howit feels tobein companyof father. Heconsoles himself by
callinghis grandfather as father. Whois moreunluckywoman than I
amwhocan not even meet her husband and can not even introduceher
son tohis father? She washed his feet with her warm tears. She
was not even herself. Everybody present there was dumbstruck
with compassion.
Suddenly Yashodhara became aware of King Shuddhodhan
and composed herself. She got up shyly and took her seat on
one side of the room. King Shuddhodhan said O Tathagat!
Sincethedayyou haveleft thepalace, followingyour footsteps, shehas
alsoled thelifeof a monk and underwent atonement. Her tears arefull
of compassion, loveand devotion for you. When sheheard that you
haveshaved your head, shealsofollowed your footsteps and got her head
shaved. When sheheard that you haverenounced ornaments, perfume,
etc.; shealsostopped usingmakeup. When sheheard that you takeonly
onemeal a dayand that tooin theearthen utensils, shealsodid exactly
thesame. This is not her sudden outburst of anguish, but is theresult
of her seven years of self punishment and courage.
Tathagat said While I was a wandering monk and trying
to attain Buddha hood, her pious nature, her tenderness,
and her devotion were her strength. This was the result
of her deeds of past and the greatest nobility. Sufferings
of Yashodhara were very harsh, but her patience and her
courage contributed divinity, glory to my spirituality.
Next day Buddha went to the palace for collecting alms
along with his follower monks. Yashodhara was watching
through awindow. The moment she spotted him, she started crying
with love. She called upon her son Rahul and said Son, do you
know, who is your father? He replied Yes, heistheonewhoisgiving
food tothemonks. Hehas becomeold and his beard has alsoturned
white. Helovesmea lot andheismygrandfather aswell asfather.
Yashodhara told No! Son, today I am going to reveal the
truth to you, which was hidden from you for the last seven
years. Your father is the person, who is like Brahma and taking
alms along with his followers. King Shuddhodhan is not your
father. Y ou go and demand your inheritance from him,
which is yours. He has got unlimited wealth, which is not
even known to me. Do not delay. He left the palace on the
day you were born and has returned after seven long years.
I dont know what future holds in store for me. Therefore
it is not advisable to further delay for the noble deed. Go
now. I am watching you from here. Rahul obeyed his
mother. He approached Buddha and asked Areyou not myfather?
AmI not worthyof your loveand affection? O monk! It gives me
immense pleasure to be in your company. Cant I live with
you? Buddha kept mumfor sometimeas if hedid not hear him.
After meals Buddha left the palace along with all other
follower monks. Rahul followed him and no one dared stop
him. All the eyes were brimming with tears. A little kid was
demanding his birth right in words which were not pre
meditated. He was demanding his inheritance from the person
whom he saw for the first time in his life. Gautam took his
seat in the garden specially arranged for the group of followers
of Buddha. Rahul stood in front of him and asked with folded
hands O father! Will you not pass on the heritage to me?
Y ou please t ell me, who shall I approach for t he
inheritance?
Saariputra could not contain him and requested with folded
hands O Tathagat! You are not only my Guru but also the
Guru of the masses. Rahul can demand the inheritance
only from you.
Tathagat said O Rahul! I do not possess the wealth of
gold, silver, diamonds; but I have the spiritual wealth. Are
you capable of taking care of this? I can not give you the
worldly wealth which brings along all sorts of worries. I
have the everlasting wealth which is eternal bliss, which
is the root of a superior way of living. Spiritualism is the
priceless wealth of my Dhamm. Can you take this? Rahul
boldly said Yes Tathagat! Certainly I can take it. Tathagat
said once again Those who want to attain highest morale,
infinite pleasure can achieve so through our Dhamm. Are
you willing to enter the Dhamm?
Rahul replied in a serious and firm voice Yes Tathagat!
Right now I want to join Dhamm. It is not appropriate to delay
it any more. All monks were dumb struck. Tathagat instructed
Saariputra Please tonsure his head. Replace his royal dress
with rags. Give him a begging bowl. This is the appropriate
time to initiate him into Dhamm. Saariputra did exactly as he
was told.
Rahul took initiation and became the youngest monk of
that time. Now adorned in rags and carrying the begging bowl
he entered the palace with the chanting of Dhamm I take
shelter with Buddha (zn z||n -|ln); I take shelter with
Dhamm (Religion in Paali language) (|-nn z||n -|ln); I
take shelter with Union (=|n z||n -|ln). His mother saw
him like this and she was overwhelmed with emotions. His
grandfather also spotted him and was also shocked to see him
as a monk. He could not believe his eyes and asked his council
of ministers Who is this young monk? Ministers confirm that
the monk is Prince Rahul. Hearing this King Shuddhodhan
fainted. After some time when returned back to senses he was
mentally disturbed. He had been witness to the destruction of
past and the future in a very short time. This sorrow was
unbearable to him.
Initiating Mother, Wife and Brother
Gautam moved out from the kingdom. His cousin
Aniruddh, son of uncle Shuklodan also joined Dhamm. All
the learned used to argue with Buddha and used to prompt
him to take over the reigns of the kingdom. Buddha used to
reply I have come to know the truth of life through atonement
and meditation. I can not accept any such throne, which is
based on lack of knowledge and is inverted with legs up. I can
not accept any such argument which is based on pre
assumptions. Man has got used to walk like a blind in the dark.
Like this Buddha moved on, while initiating Brahmins and
other lower strata of the society and prompting them to join
Dhamm. Anand also became his disciple and used to stay close
to him. Mother of Buddha, Mahaprajapati; also came along
with hundreds of women to be initiated into Dhamm, but she
was turned away by Buddha. Buddha even turned down the
request of Anand. Mahaprajapati was ready to accept all the
norms. Later, Buddha strictly imposed all the eight basic rules
of Dhamm on women also. After Mahaprajapati accepted all
the norms, Buddha initiated her on behest of Anand. Five
hundred women, who came along with Mahaprajapati, were
also initiated by Nandak, a disciple of Buddha. Yashodhara
was also one of them and was re named as Bhadraa Katyayana.
Thus Buddha converted all his family members into monks.
Buddha was unhappy due to the sorrows of the mankind.
Therefore he had equal compassion for all, irrespective of their
cast or creed. He was an icon of compassion and a super
human being.
Initiating Angulimaal into Dhamm
King of Kaushal was Prasenjit. Angulimaal (he used to
wear the stringed little fingers of his victims around his neck)
was one of his countrymen. King and all the countrymen were
fed up of his ways of torture to the general public and King
used to feel helpless for that.
One day Buddha was camping in the Jet Vana (- -, Forest
in the province of Shravasti) and he was taking rest along with
his disciples. He was touched by the gory tales of murders by
Angulimal and said Killing of a man by another man is the
extremely unfortunate. Same day after lunch, he moved on
towards the area which was considered citadel of Angulimal.
As shepherds saw him heading towards the area which was
the refuge of the gang of Angulimal, they tried to warn him
for venturing into that area. They warned him that whoever
goes in that area does no return back. Angulimal kills that
person. Buddha did not give any attention to their advice. As
he moved into he forest Angulimal spotted him and he was
tempted to kill the young and healthy monk. He tried to chase
Buddha. When he thought he was nearing Buddha, he used to
find himself way behind. He was wondering, what has
happened to him? He was capable of chasing and hunting a
deer or a lion, but this monk is always way ahead of him. In the
end Angulimal shouted Stop, O Monk! Stop. You havemademechase
you a lot. Dont you knowthat thisarea belongstoAngulimal? Trespassing
isa crime. Buddha did not stop and kept moving. Angulimal
shouted once again O monk! Stop or elseI will behead you.
Gautam stopped. Angulimal approached him and picked
up an axe. Buddha was calm as he opened his eyes. He looked
into the eyes of Angulimal. There was a miracle. Whole body
of Angulimal started shivering. First time in his life Angulimal
was restless. He dropped the axe. He could not understand
what has the sight of the monk done to him? He almost lost
his senses. He got the shock of his life and all his bravery was
gone in a moment. Buddha said with a smile I stopped long
back, but when will you stop, Angulimal? I have come all
the way to you so that you should also desist from
committing more sins. Y ou should also become the follower
of the truth, the ultimate truth. Y ou have also inherited
the same truth. Just give me a chance, I will transform you.
Angulimal said Soyou havewon meover. Thereis magicin your
voice. Divinityis there. Pleaseallowmetostaywith you forever. Pardon
me! Please.
Buddha took him along with him. He was also given the
rags and the begging bowl, and was converted into a monk.
King Prasenjit was a worried man. As the general public
was about to revolt, that the king is resting in the palace and
tyranny of Angulimal was at peak. No one was safe in the
country. One, who has survived, could do so only at the mercy
of Angulimal. The king paid a visit to the Buddha on the day,
Angulimal was transformed into a monk. Buddha enquired
the well being of the king. In reply king explained his worries
in detail that he was not in a position to contain Angulimal.
Buddha once again asked If someonetells you that Angulimal
has got his head tonsured, has taken towearingrags, and becomea
monk, neither hekills anyonenor herobs or tortures anyone, leading
solitarylifeand takes onlyonemeal a day; howyou will treat him.
King said O god! I will welcome him. I shall stand up at
his arrival. I will also carry his belongings and will make all the
arrangements to protect him. But, how could this transformation
of a tyrant take place.
Buddha indicated towards his right side and told the king
The man sitting next to you is Angulimal. The king was
stunned and his skin had goose pimples. He never thought of
that in his life. The king was scared. Buddha assured him that
there was no reason to fear. The king also got the strength
from the fact that he was in front of Buddha. King approached
the monk and offered him everything at his disposal, but the
monk refused to accept anything. King approached Buddha
and told him O my god! You have transformed a wild beast
into a pet. It is unbelievable.
Buddha said with a smile It is true that when the curtain
of falsehood is lifted, then only truth is in front of you.
Then Angulimal went to the town of Shravasti Kids pelted
stones at him, kicked him, and he got drenched in blood.
Returned back and prostrated in front of Buddha. Buddha told
him to bear anything and everything. He was on the way to
become an icon of compassion. He was not scared of being
beaten or being killed by the public. He started seeing his own
image in everyone around him.
One day Angulimal went to the town for alms. People came
to know that he is the same dreaded dacoit who used to wear
a necklace made of little fingers of 9999 people who were
killed by him. Buddha had gone there to give him last finger,
and transformed him into a monk. As Angulimal reached the
town for alms, people started pelting stones at him. He fell
down in the pool of blood. Nobody cared to help him. When
Buddha came ot know his plight, he went there himself and
asked him O monk! How do you feel? Angulimal replied in
humble voice O Tathagat! When a singlelook fromyou could make
mefall ontoyour feet and I asked tobepardoned, you told meIt was
all dream, O Brahmin. Y ou are a Brahmin. All the evil
deeds done by you were like a dream. Similarlytakingthe
beatingand tumblingis likea dream. I amnoat all sorryfor myplight.
In thedream, sadness or happiness is not significant. O lord! When
your loveand blessings arewith methen thedreamcan beof anytype.
Buddha breathed his last after serving the mankind for 45
years and preaching the common man the ways of getting
freedom from the sorrows of life, on his birthday at the age of
80 and in the same Saal (=|n) forest of Lumbini, where he was
born. Buddha returns back to life on this earth, in one form or
the other; but we have formed an image and we dont accept
anyone as Buddha. The need of this time is to recognize the
Buddha of the present times, and surrender at the feet of the
Sadguru. We will be completely filled with joy.
!! Hari Om !!
Sheikh Farid
Gods are not so many, there is the only one god, but
he manifests himself in many forms. He can be seen in
different forms, or can be experienced in many ways; but
the experience will be of one god. Hence all the sects,
religions, are left behind and only things that remain are
eternal truth, love. All are brimming with the love which
is derived from the eternal truth, Sheikh Farid.
Sheikh Farid was born in the village of Kothiwala in the
district of the province of Multan (now in Pakistan) in the
year 1175 AD. Hs father was Sheikh Jamaluddin and mother
was Kursam (or Kulsoom, Mariam). He was a devotee of Allah
and used to follow the saints whenever he spotted them. He
was well cultured and well behaved child. His childish pranks
used to mesmerize his father. Whenever his father used to
return from work, Farid used to climb up his fathers lap while
speaking in unclear voice. Fathers attachment increased with
the child with the passage of time. While going out of the
house he used to give lot of instructions for his wife, to not
allow the child go out of the house as a precaution against bad
omens. The son also used to wait for father eagerly. His father
died at an early age and there was scarcity of everything in the
house. For a long time Mariam used to cry while clutching her
son near her chest. So called relatives and the friends also
deserted them when they needed help. Everybody avoided them
for the fear of giving some help. Some rowdies used to look at
them with ill intentions. Mariam used to look at them with the
hope that someone will help them, but all used to turn their
faces or used to curse her. Mariam diverted her full attention
towards Allah and used to console Farid also by saying that
Allah is everythingfor us. Weshall always remember and turn tohim
for help. Earlier your father used toprovideus everything, but now
Allah will provideus everything. Heis our benefactor, as thepeopleof
theworld areselfish. Nowthat theyhaveseen that wearealone, they
havedropped us likea treedrops thedried leaves. Allah is theonly
savior, soyou should seek shelter with him. Hewill certainlybless you.
It is rightly said that mother is the first guru or teacher in the
life of any child. In whatever way she teaches, the child is
groomed up accordingly. Mariam also fulfilled the role of the
first teacher. She never expected anything in return. She
propelled her son towards the greatness. Sheikh Farid made
his first move towards the kingdom of god, unknowingly.
Mariam used to prompt her son for the Namaaz and after
the Namaaz she used to give him sweets. When Sheikh Farid
used to get up after Namaaz, he used to feel extremely happy
and used to tell his mother Look mother! Allah has given methe
sweet. Fromnowonwards I shall performNamaaz fivetimes a day.
Whenever he had the yearning to eat sweets, he used to recite
Namaaz. This way he memorized Kuraan at the tender age of
seven. He was regarded as Haafiz. He became reverend among
the Muslims. Gods grace was now oozing from his mannerism.
Slowly he developed the true love for the god. Now he was
not satisfied only with the sweets and he started yearning for
the god. He used to become restless for god and used to think
that reciting Namaaz was not worth. He was getting detached
from the world. One day he asked his mother How can I meet
God? Will he not be kind enough to meet us? His mother
replied that son he is waiting for you only. He is in the
forests and is looking forward to see you. The delay is
from your side.
Hearing this Sheikh Farid got extremely impatient and
immediately made his move towards forest. He used to recite
Namaaz without any formal guru. Some times he used to sit with
closed eyes and at other times he used to shout Allah! Allah!!
He became a real devotee of god. When he felt hunger
pangs, he used to eat whatever was available; else he used to
consume wild fruits or flowers. If that was also not available,
then he used to eat grass and leaves of the tiny shrubs to defeat
the pangs of hunger. This way he atoned himself. But it was
likechurningwater for butter, his atonement alsobecameseedless which
did not yield anything. Three years of atonement weakened his
body but he could not see god. He was restless. He returned
back to home. He narrated everything to his mother and asked
her Mother! I could not seegod. Nowpleasetell mewhat shall I do?
NowI dont need sweets. I alsodont need items of luxury. I want pure
and divinelight. Mother took the cue and understood that her
son is now really yearning for god. It is the guru who first
initiates the desire in the disciple to meet the god. Once the
desire is ignited the disciple himself goes in search of water to
quench his thirst, but where do we find such desire?
One day Mariam was trying to find lice in his hair. Suddenly
she plucked a hair from his head. Sheikh grimaced in pain and
said Mother what you are doing? Why are you plucking my
hair? It hurts. As if she was waiting for this question, she
replied Son, you tell me. When you pluck leaves from the
tree, then do you feel pain? Was that not created by god?
Samegod has created you. Hehas onlycreated thetrees, livingbeings,
and thewholeworld. If you keep on givingtroubletothepeopleand
other livingbeings then you can not seegod, never. Beforeyou lovegod,
learn tolovehis creation. Hewill bepleased. On onehand you are
tormentinghis creations and on theother hand you areaskinghimfor
clemency. Howis it possible? Heis omnipresent and all you need is the
vision tospot him. Hecan beseen through theeyes of heart and not
through normal vision. Onlyif you can seethrough your heart and learn
tolovegods creations, hewill takecareof everythingfor you. Look, all
thosewhokill in thenameof god, theycan never seehim. Theysimply
wastetheir life. Thosewhocall others kaafir and call for jihad, are
thereal enemies of thegod. To meet himonehas to acquire
unprejudiced vision.
Atonement without food
After that encounter with his mother he returned back to
the forests. He started showing compassion towards every from
of life and was torturing himself. This is also not correct for
the practitioner of atonement. Not taking proper care of the
physical body weakens it but the mind becomes stronger and
attacks the self. Same happened with Sheikh. He stopped
eating. He brought a log of wood and consoled himself that it
is the only thing to eat. In his words
|i ni +|a +i n|| ni ||
l- ||l<| -l| |- =t <|
i.e. Themorsels of wood aresubduingmypangs of hunger, even
then mymind is perturbed and I feel remorse. What will be the extent
of sorrow of those people, who live a life of luxury? Without
proper food his physical body was reduced to the skeleton. He
was not able to move on his own, not even able to sit. He fell
down under a tree. With efforts he used to open the eyes and
look around. He used to coerce his mind to love god, but his
mind was not able to keep focus on god. His physical body
was under the tree but his mind was roaming around at all
places. He became a zombie. All the scavenger animals were
waiting for his last breath. One day a flock of crows attacked
him and started to eat his flesh. He was unable to move but
his mind was able to think
i<| -- l| || -ln~| | +|
~n =| -ti |tnt| <| -< < ||
i.e. The physical body has been scaled down to the skeleton
and the crows are eating flesh from the sole. I am so unlucky
that till today I could not see god. He is repenting for his
misfortune. Crow is about to attack his eyes, which appear to
be his favorite food, even then Sheikh thinks
+|| = -- ||:| -- -- ||:| n|=
<| --| n- ||:| l| lnn- +i ~|=
i.e. O crow! You can devour all the flesh of my body, but
it is my request that please leave these two eyes as I still yearn
for seeing my love (God).
Flame is still flickering. One day he will be able to see god.
Turning into a termite mound
Atonement of Sheikh became so intense that he forgot
the existence of his body. He somehow managed to sit under
the tree without even moving. His sitting posture was so still
that he was surrounded by the termite mound. His body
appeared to be a heap of sand. He remained in that posture
for 12 years. He went past the boundaries of time and forgot
the existence of himself.
One day a woodpecker was passing by and he noticed that
termite mound. Two folded hands of Sheikh were protruding
from that mound and were giving the looks of branch of the
tree. Just out of curiosity he removed the sand and was
surprised to see the head of Sheikh Farid. He could feel a
strange glow from the body of Sheikh. Woodpecker thought
that he has disturbed a saint in his meditation. Out of fear, he
prostrated in front of Sheikh and requested to be pardoned.
Sheikh got up from there and moved ahead, but even after this
atonement his mind was still not calm. Whatever he used to
think was getting accomplished. His body was radiating with
divine glow. He had become adult but his inner self was still
yearning for the god. He thought Perhaps his efforts arenot yet
sufficient, that is whyhecould not seegod. Considering his own
shortcoming he again consoled his mind for even more rigorous
atonement and thinks O mymind! What will you dowithout seeing
thegod? Even if you get somesolacebut myinner self is still not at
peace. I amstill yearningtoseeAllah, and I dont need anythingless
than seeinghim. Onecan achieveanythingin theworld with atonement,
but seeinggod is not possiblewithout theblessings of a guru.
Atonement in the well, while hanging
upside down
Sheikh thought that, Tocalmmymind, whynot hangmyself
upsidedown in thewell. Thereis water in thewell. At anytimetherope
might snap and I mayend up in water. This maypleaseAllah or the
mind can becalmed down. One day he did what he was thinking
and hung himself upside down in the well. For the next five
years he remained in that posture, hanging upside down.
His fame spread around and people started pouring in to
have a glimpse of him, but neither could he see god nor
he his mind calmed down. Diversion of mind from the
point of focus is akin to calming of mind. Only calm can
result in the eternal bliss. Bliss is the only true love and
that love is the ultimate form of the God.
Farid returned back to his mother with a disturbed mind.
He asked his mother that I shall see the God. I underwent
most rigorous atonement that I could do but still I could not
see him. Are we not going to find him? His mother said Son
you tell me, if torturing your body can help you find the
God, all the mountains and trees would have found him.
Since their birth they remain still in all weather conditions.
They bear all types of physical torture, but they dont find
God. If you torture your body then the mind always
remembers the discomfort, which results in ego and the
physical body feels pain. This has no relation with finding
god. If you really want to meet god then you should find
an able Guru. Serve him like a slave. If he gets pleased, you
will meet god in a fraction of a second, else not only this life
but your atonement of several lives might go waste. You should
go and search a Guru. Only a Sadguru can help you reach
the destination.
Farid gets the shock of his life and thinks Why my mother
did not tell me this earlier? But without arguing he prostrated
at the feet of his mother and go on to search for a Guru. That
mother is great which does not bind her son in the shackles of
her affection, but ignites the desire to meet god and sends him
out in search of God. Now Farid used to think about finding a
Sadguru. He asked every one and kept on moving in search of
an able Sadguru.
Preaching by a woman
It was evening time and the birds were chirping while
returning to their nests. The atmosphere was charged with joy,
but Sheikh Farid was gloomy. He was sitting on the sill of the
well under a tree. He was continuously thinking about finding
a Sadguru. All the birds were enquiring about welfare from
their fledglings. Some were jumping and playing on the tree.
Sheikh did not like this as it was disturbing his thought process.
He thought that these birds are making fun of his gloomy
situation. He was filled with anger. He looked up at them and
said You all are making fun of me. Dont you know that I am
a very big sage (-i)? All of you must die. As he spoke all
the birds started falling dead. Seeing the dance of death, Sheikh
his heart melted with compassion and thought What did I do?
These birds died for no reason. Mother has told him that all
living beings are created by god, and it is not justified to torture
anyone. He started repenting and he uttered few words All of
you return back to life and fly away. All the birds returned
back to life and flew away. Seeing this he thought that my
atonement has given me powers and whatever I think
materializes. This satisfied his ego, but his mind was still not
at peace. He moved ahead on to search for Sadguru.
One day while on the move and he felt thirsty. He moved
to the nearest village and found a girl pulling out water from
the well. That girl was pulling out water and was splashing on
the ground. He requested her to offer her some water. The girl
asked him to wait. He waited for some time while the girl was
continuing with the same act of pulling out water and splashing
on the ground. Once again Sheikh requested her for water, but
the girl continues her act. Seeing this Sheikh got furious and
he said Cant you hear me? I am asking for some water and
you are splashing water on the ground. Do you think I am a
beggar? I am a sage (-i). The girl again splashed water on
the ground next to her and said with a smile Have you thought
that I am the bird of the forest that will die if you say so?
Hearing this all his anger was evaporated. He started staring at
the girl.
Sheikh started thinking I have undergone atonement for
years and got inflated ego in return. This girl has learned at
such a tender age. What does she do? It appears that she has
found a Sadguru, who has given her the powers to know
everything. He became happy with the thought that this girl
will guide him to his Sadguru. He asked her in changed tone
Sister, what do you practice and how do you know everything?
Girl replied humbly O fakir! You are Sheikh Farid, isnt it?
You are roaming in search of a Sadguru. Look, after receiving
knowledge from my Sadguru, I serve my husband with all my
honesty. As per Gurus instruction I see god in him. This has
given me ability to know everything. This is because of the
blessings of the Guru, but I am not bothered about them. Then
comes the next thing, I was splashing water on the ground. My
sister lives at a distance from this place. Her house was on fire
and I was dousing the fire. You were thirsty, but could have
waited. My sisters house would have burnt, if I had offered
you water for quenching your thirst. You would not have been
harmed, thats why I assured you to please wait for a few
moments. Fire is doused, your quench is also fulfilled and your
anger has also gone. Next is the topic of Sadguru. Looking at
you gives the feeling that you are yearning to meet god and are
devoted for that. You please go to Delhi and you will find a
true fakir Khwaja Sharif. Please seek his shelter. If you be in
his service with complete honesty, you will be able to see god.
He is a true Sadguru for all. Fakir! It is easy to undergo most
difficult type of atonement, but it is very difficult to be devoted
to your Guru. During atonement process still some of the ego
remains, the mind also remains, but while in the service of
Guru, all the ego and your mind leave you. If you devote
yourself completely to your Guru, then there is no looking
back. You can cover the path of several lifetimes in few
moments. Now please do not delay and proceed to Delhi.
Meeting with Guru
Sheikh Farid could not contain his happiness as if he had
received the eternal wealth. He repeatedly bowed his head in
front of the girl and said Sister, you aremyguru. You havemademy
lifeworthwhile. I had veered off thetrack but a glimpseof you has
fulfilled mydesire. You aregreat. I amindebted toyou for therest of my
life. He moved on towards Delhi. He used to halt in the evening
and each passing moment was like many lives for him, but the
desire to meet the Guru was always growing with each passing
moment. Somehow he reached Delhi (Present name of the
place is Nizamuddin). Sheikh Farid approached Khwaja sahib
and prostrated at his feet, as if the river has completed its
journey with the desire to merge into the sea. Sheikh also found
solace at the feet of his Guru. He forgot his existence. Khwaja
sahib also understood that he is a devotee and has lost the
bearing. He asked Sheikh Son, wherehaveyou comefrom? Sheikh
replied O Sadguru! I have come here to be in your service. To
be in your service will give me solace and I request you to
kindly give me a chance. Khwaja sahib does not ask any more
questions about his antecedents, caste, creed etc. as they are
not important. Guru had seen that what type of was candidate
Sheikh was? Can the energy be transferred? Whether he will
be able to contain, what will be transferred to him in future?
If the candidate was not seasoned then some more work would
have to be done to make him good recipient. In the seasoning
process, most of the disciples simply run away as they can not
pass the exams set by there Guru. On the other hand, Sheikh
was ready to appear for any exam and he promptly got into the
service of his Sadguru.
Taking exam by Guru
Sheikh got into the service of his Guru by heart and was
ever ready to take care of his needs. He was always worried
that his guru should not face any problem due to deficiency on
his part. Thus he spent 24 years in the service of Khwaja.
Now a days, when a disciple goes to a Guru, he is always on
the look out that what is there for a grab. They are not interested
in the real knowledge that his Guru has acquired, but are always
on a lookout for acquiring the wealth of the hermitage. Who
will wait for 24 years? Khwaja sahib used to smoke tobacco
(Hookka) for which fire was required and it was the duty of
Sheikh to keep the fire smoldering so that smoke can be offered
to Guru instantly, whenever asked for. There was no deficiency
in the service of Sheikh, but even then guru decided to take
exam of the disciple. One day weather of Delhi got
deteriorated and it started raining heavily, along with thunder
storm. It was pitch dark and the dawn was approaching. Sheikh
noticed that the fire, he used to keep ignited for the smoke of
Guru, got extinguished due to overcast sky. It was necessary
to offer smoke to his guru when he got up. How could he say
to his Guru that the smoke is not available as the fire has
extinguished. Since there were not enough means to ignite fire
in old days due to lack of technology, people used to keep it
burning continuously. In case if fire got extinguished, they used
to borrow from others. Sheikh went out in search of fire in
dark. He could not find fire in the nearby area so he moved on
little further. He spotted a burning lamp and moved in that
direction. He reached the house which belonged to a prostitute.
She was smoking tobacco. After seeing a fakir early morning,
she asked O fakir! How come you are here, early in the
morning? The Fakir said O mother! Our guru ji is habitual of
smokingwhen hegets up. Sincethefirehas extinguished, I request you
topleasegivemesomeburningcoal for fire. Prostitute said Here
you dont get anything without paying a price and you have
come here early in the morning. Sheikh Farid replied Mother!
Whatever I haveyou can ask for that. I amreadytogiveanythingfor my
Guru. The prostitute was habitual of cracking jokes, she said
If you are a true devotee and you need fire for your Guru,
then you can barter fire for one of your eyes.
Sheikh Farid picked up a knife and without hesitation took
out one eye and offered to the prostitute and said Pleasegive
mefire. If Guru ji wakes up then hewill feel uncomfortablein the
absenceof smoke. She promptly gave him fire as she never
thought even in dreams that some one can go to such extreme.
She started thinking Today I have taken one eye of a fakir. O
god! I have repeatedly committed sins in this life. Please have
mercy on this fakir. Sheikh covered his eye with a bandage
and returned to the hermitage. He saw that his Guru ji is still
taking rest. He immediately prepared smoke and promptly went
in the service of his Guru. Khwaja was wide awake now and
seeing Farid, he felt elated. He asked Sheikh Farid! Why have
you put the bandage on your eye? Sheikh replied Gurudev! I
have put the bandage due to eye inflammation. Khwaja said
If there is inflammation, there is no need of the bandage.
You should remove it. Gurudev was clairvoyant and he knew
everything. Sheikh Farid removed the bandage and was
surprised to find that the eye was healthier than before. Farid
prostrated at the feet of Gurudev and started crying.
Spontaneously hand of Gurudev reached the head of Sheikh
Farid and he said Son! TodayI amverypleased with you. You can
ask for anythingyou need. I amreadytogiveyou anything.
Request by Farid
Sheikh humbly replied O Gurudev! You are happy; this
is the biggest blessing for me. What else can I ask for other
than being in your service, and your happiness? On persuasion
Sheikh said I could not get anything even after years of
atonement. My body became weak and the only things which
got strength are restlessness of mind and my ego. If you are
pleased and you want to give me then please help me see the
god, so that I move from darkness to the divine light. My
wandering should end. Gurudev was very pleased to hear
this and took him in his arms for a hug. Sheikh was transferred
the knowledge of Noor-E-Elahi and Kalama-E-Pak and
instructed him O Sheikh! You should not search for Allah on this
earth. Heis not sittingin themosque. Alsoyou should not look for him
in theskies, as hedoes not dwell therealso. Helives in thehearts of
Momins. Helives in each breath wetake. O Farid! You maybeobserving
that a Muslims search for Allah in themosques and theyhavebuilt big
buildings in his name. On theother hand, Hindus aresearchingfor
God in thetemples. Theysearch himin theenclosures of bricks and
sand. Theyburrythelives of humans in thefoundation of thewalls
theybuild around them. Theyprayin thoseboundaries, what theycall
as religion. Each religion has its own boundaries. Allah can not be
confined to the boundaries, but ego certainly has some
boundaries. T his ego turns into a demon and then
strangulates the humans. Hearing this Sheikh iterates:
i<| +|a n n|l~| (- - n| ln-
ln i : ~-| ni +| : -| t| =i ln-
| - l= =|: -| l- =| l= +i +|:
+ - t l n| : | n| =< | | :
i<| n |l|| <| n+| <| =-|: l
-- -l+ <l|~| -| |l|l (t| ~l
i<| l--| n+| || l-| l=|l| - -|-
(| <| ||l| ~| a - a|-
l-| = ~+| || |i lt| n|i~| n-
( | | | = +i -| l= ~|l + -
The head which does not prostrate in front of the god
should not be burnt as the fuel. Those parents are also gone
who gave birth to the child. This world is devoid of support
and there is no friend. All are sad in this world. Every house
is burning. Faces of those people are fearsome, who do
not recite the name of the God. Beyond the present place
they do not have any where to go. Who is rich here? Those
who have adopted humility, patience and good conduct are
really rich. There is no point in asking the antecedents. When
we will recognize our master, then our master will be with
us. We will not see any other person. The master is present
in many forms and is omnipresent. This is the path of the
enlightened ones; path of Buddha.
Shiekh had 5 sons and 3 daughters and he was heir to the
throne of Chishti, but he never used to touch the money which
was collected as offerings. Due to this he never got along with
his children. At the end of his life he sent his sheet (n=n|, on
which he used to sit while performing Namaaz or prayers) and
Tasbih (n|n| stringed beads) to Nizaamuddin Aulia through
Mohemmad Kirmani. He left his physical body on 15 October,
1265 at Pakpatan.
A Buddha belongs to all and all belong to him. It is a
strange situation that we all pray to god as a ritual only
and not whole heartedly. Mind remains disturbed and
we all keep moving around with hearts full of sorrow. As
if there is no unison between illness and the medicine. Every
one worships the God, a devotee as well as a demon. One
worships him and makes offerings and the other to keep
himself alive. Both are restless and worried. Why is it so?
Both do not recognize Lord Ram, whether he is
Parashuram or knowledgeable Ravan; Krishna as also not
recognized by either Shishupal or Kans. Why?
A man has got used to look for everything outside. We
too look for the God outside and it is like; the illness is
within and we are giving medicine for external use only.
Termites are destroying the roots and the tree is drying
up whereas we are spraying medicine on the leaves to
keep the tree green and alive. This is the root cause of
sorrow. We dont meet the Sadguru, and are stuck
somewhere. It is but natural to get disturbed. If we meet
a Sadguru, then he guides us to the place where mind
belongs. He helps us communicate with mind. The same
mind makes its move towards the Supreme Being through
an image. At one point mind also becomes devoid of all
feelings and the devotee crosses all the limits. There are
no boundaries for him and he expands to infinity. He
achieves the state of eternal bliss. Resting in the infinite
is the rest for all those who become Buddha. The journey
to infinity is the path of the enlightened ones.
Sheikh Farid used to say: I used to think that I am the
only person on the earth, who is sad, but I have fond that
everyone in this world is filled with sorrow. When I climbed
up, then only I realized that this fire is raging in each house
(physical body).
In connection with the ways to get rid of sorrow, Khalil
Gibran said Your sorrow is like a shell which needs to be
shattered, which has shielded your knowledge.
All the devotees may speak different words but there
essence is same, compassion and love.
!! Hari Om !!
Devotee Narasi Mehta
River Ganga has been flowing since eternity. She keeps on
flowing till the destination is reached. After reaching the
destination, spontaneously she goes on to take rest. Her origin
on one hand is Himalaya and on the other hand is the ocean.
Origin is very serene place, where everyone attains tranquility,
naturally. Anyone can achieve his own ocean through
atonement at the banks of Ganga, and is reverend for the
common man. Banks of the river were turned into places of
pilgrimage. All the sages started describing the greatness of
Ganga. They started using its holy water for ritual, for
performing rites, for spiritual bathing, or for atonement. Some
of them made hermitage alongside the river, while some others
sing in the glory of her holiness, worship her and take the holy
water along with them while traveling abroad. Her water is
used for various rituals and her water is poured into the mouth
of dying persons. All rituals are considered incomplete without
the holy water.
On the other hand there are some people who scoff at
these feeling of the people and just to prove them as modern,
have established industries which are spewing poisonous gases
like their mouths which also spew venom against the popular
belief. They started hunting animals on the banks of the river
to satisfy their lust for eating meat. Those who denounced
their cruelty were called backward and superstitious. They
started cutting trees for their luxuries. They were polluting the
river with effluents of their factories and defacing the earth
with their deeds. Existence of the living beings is endangered
due to ecological imbalance. Even then these so called modern
people dont hesitate to call them progressive, refined and
successful developers. It is difficult to comprehend, who is the
hero and who is the villain? People are even scared to take
bath in the river, not to talk of drinking it. We are heading
towards a catastrophe.
Under these difficult circumstances, saints and
elevated souls arrive and they march towards their
destination. Initially some obstacles try to hinder their
path like small stones and pebbles, but they are not
sufficient to halt their march and get swept off like pebbles
by the rivers. A river follows the saint in which flows the
water of love, compassion. Banks of that river are
knowledge and renunciation. Only devotees of that time
bathe in that water. People from all walks of life take a
plunge in their own way in that stream but they get their
peace of mind to the extent of their efforts. A river does
not hate any one but takes pleasure in watching others
bathe in its water and feels obliged. How can she be
prejudiced to others who start their journey from the
unknown? The path thus treaded which leads to unknown
destination is, the path of the enlightened.
Birth of Narasi Mehta
Narasi Mehta was born in the Junagarh district of the state
of Gujarat in an ordinary family. His father was a pious
Brahmin. Brahmins were in majority in the village. Vanshidhar,
elder brother of Narasi Mehta was of jovial nature. Their
parents married off Vanshidhar to a Brahmin girl named Durati
Gauri. Parents of Narasi Mehta died when he was just a child.
His brother wanted see him educated, but his sister-in-law was
not in favor of higher education for Narasi Mehta. She used to
say Whois your brother? All areborn separate. Howcan you remain
united even if you makeefforts? It will bebetter if hedoes not get
education. If hewill study, hewill get a good job. Hewill marryand
livewith his wife. Then whowill takecareof his brother and sister-in-
law. His sister-in-law started ignoring him. His brother never
used to go against the decisions of wife. His brother could not
oppose his wife but on the other hand he used to sing to the
tunes of her. Meanwhile Vanshidhar got the job as, In charge
of the state prison. Financial condition of the family improved
but, Narasi Mehta became a victim of apathy from his family
members. He did not find anyone, who he could call his own.
He was feeling dejected with life. He lost all interests in studies
and he got the feelings that he can take shelter only with god.
Unknowingly his inclination towards god started to increase.
Village of hypocrites
Narasis inclination towards god was increasing but his
village was full of hypocrites. Although the village was full of
upper class Brahmins but were dead against any form of
devotion. They used to get irritated at the mere sight of religious
artifacts. Their conduct was totally against the basic tenets of
the religion. According to a devotee
l- - |- +i
nt|n|- n| |l+- nnz| - |-
n|n| n<| <l| -|= l+ l-<| a|-
(= +n --- || ||- lz||nl|
-= - = l+| |-< <||lt ||| ll-
-=i tl |- | - l|-
-= - = l+| ||i |-
|| ln| = n| = -ti |l+- +| nz|
| | |l+- l<| + n| <|| +n|
All those should who talk about the caste and creed should
learn a lesson from this. Whole village was full of Brahmins of
upper class, but they all were devoid of devotion. Whole village
was indulged in all sorts of immoral and corrupt practices,
although most of them were highly educated. People from so
called upper caste, were indulged in irreligious activities,
whereas people belonging to the lower class were god fearing
people but could not hold religious gathering due to fear of
being reprimanded from the people belonging to upper class.
Hermits used to visit their homes secretly and used to depart
after teaching them various techniques of meditation. People
from the upper class used to jeer at them (people from lower
class) and also used to unleash their pet dogs at them. All the
devotees were considered fools. Narasi used to sneak in to
their homes and for a few moments of love and religious
discourse. With the passage of time most of his time was spent
among the people from other than his cast. He used to spend
his time with the hermits and used to take meals with them.
His studies were almost over.
Renunciation by Narasi
Narasi was feeling neglected by his own people and
Brahmins of the village also used to treat him as if he belonged
to lower class. He was being taunted at and was subjected to
derogatory remarks like If you live with beggars then you will
start behaving like them and you thinking will become like
them. Narasi had become the laughing stock for the village.
He was fifteen years old.
Narasi had attained marriageable age, but was worried
about his marriage prospects as no one in his caste was ready
to marry his daughter with a person, who was being shunned
at by his own community. He used to think
<z| n| ||i =-- +| < |i
+ai n|n| l-n+ <l| + l-<| +- -|i
(= +n n a: n|lt -||| +t| l-|i
-=i +| -| - |l+- ==l- n| -|i
Narasi was feeling dejected and complaining to god O
god! Why you have sent me to such a family. Here people are
hypocrites and they abuse the saints. The moment they spot
mark on the forehead, or stringed beads they start criticizing
all. On the other hand I like the company of the saints and
like devotion. Meanwhile a visiting saint recognized the state
of mind of Narasi and consoled him with compassion Son
Narasi! Dont worry. Sorrow and happiness, both are
dreams. Both are guests sent by God. A doctor is needed
among the sick, as Vibhishan was required in Lanka and
Prahlad in the kingdom of Hiranyakashyap.
Narasi prostrated at the feet of the saint and said O
Gurudev! I dont have anyone else than you in this world. I
salute to you and I am your follower. He went home after
taking blessings of the saint. Blessings start showing the effect
immediately. When he reached home his brother and sister-in-
law were talking about him only Narasi doesnt studyand spends
most of his timeamongthepeopleof lower class and hehas tarnished
thereputation of thefamily. His sister-in-law told his brother
excitedly It is becauseof your leniencyonlythat Narasi is behaving
likethis. I would havethrown out of houselikea heap of garbage.
Vanshidhar left for the job while grumbling. Meanwhile Narasi
returned home and he asked for a glass of water with respect
and affection, as he was hungry and did not eat or drink for a
long time. Hearing this, his sister-in-law hissed like a snake
You areworthless. Haveyou taken meas your servant? Haveyou
returned back after earningsothat I giveyou water? Just get out of the
houseas thereis noplacefor you in myhouse. Thereis noplacefor you
in this house. Narasi said Please dont say like this. You are
like my mother. Who else can I call my own in this world?
Where shall I go? You and brother are the only two people
who mean any thing tome in this world. Saying so, he fell on
to her feet.
Hearing this sister-in-law of Narasi spoke with angry
outburst You fool, whoI amtoyou? You just get out of this house.
Our reputation is gettingtarnished becauseof you. You can gotoyour
hypocriteSatguru or toyour worthless god, but in futuredonot return
back tothis house. Duetoyour conduct our child will alsoget spoiled.
Just get lost. With tears in his eyes, he surrendered to god and
silently took his first step on the dark and unknown path. He
reached a hermitage in the dense forest and there he falls down,
unconscious. There was an old Shiv temple.
Returning home as per instructions of
his Guru
When Narasi returned back to senses, he saw Gurudev
and guru ma. Gurudev bent and caressed his forehead and
spoke with compassion. He is allowed to stay at the hermitage
and there he learnt yoga and devotion. Narasi proved himself
as a good disciple. He completely merges in devotion with his
heart and soul as if he suddenly found everything which was
lost in this world. He completely forgot his physical existence.
He started visualizing gods grace in every aspect of the life.
That was the empowerment by Gurudev. Suddenly Gurudev
takes back the energy from Narasi and he was returned back
to senses. He pleads with guru Pleaselet melivelikethis. I amin
thestateof bliss. Gurudev instructs him O Narasi! Still you
have to do some deeds; if not for yourself, then for the sake of
the society. You should return back to your home. Get married
and establish yourself as a family man. Pray to god and you
will find him there only. Narasi was shocked as if fell from the
sky. He started crying No, pleasedonot givesuch orders. It is not
possible. I cant goanywhereelse, leavingyou. You areeverythingtome.
I dont want toget intothevicious circleof household chorus. I want to
liveas unattached person. Pleaselet mebelikethis. I will singtothe
gloryof thegod and spread themessageof god.
Gurudev said If you regard me as everything for you, then
consider this as my order. It is a myth that one can become a
saint without a wife. Renunciation means a person who
has no yearning for any worldly desire. That is why all
the incarnations were with wives. All the sages in the past
were also family men. All the so called bachelor saints
have polluted the society, in one way or the other. To hide
their weakness they have taken the help of the women.
They can not find god, but they become the slaves of
lust. They project themselves as the conqueror of lust
and claim to be a superior person. When lust is
suppressed, it erupts as anger. Greed and infatuation
overcome their senses and the moment they spot an
ordinary girl then she finds permanent place in their heart
and she captures their heart (moZ'kh- one who has captured
the heart). He chants the name of god to show off, but
his mind is full by lust. Hence O Narasi! You return back to
your home and live like a saint. Yes, it is true that your brother
and sister-in-law will not give you shelter, and that does not
matter. You should build a hut in another locality and settle
down with your wife. That place will be like hermitage for
you. You will live their like a hermit and will sing to the glory
of god. In stead of you searching for the god, he will be
searching for you. You become a sage and renounce the world
by heart. You can do it. Common man will take a lesson from
you. Misconception will be eradicated from the society. Now
you should leave at once. Your hut will be the temple and god
will knock at you door. I will stay with you in the finer body.
Those who have relinquished family and worldly desires, or
have taken a vow to shun married life, and also have
determined to stay with their Guru and work for self liberation
while serving the society are certainly great. They are
Ajaatshatru (a person who has won over all his enemies). They
are liberated in this world. The whole world is their family.
Order of their Guru is Mantra for them. Serving the world is
their atonement and meditation. Their conduct is
Brahmacharya (conduct of Brahma).
Returning to village and getting married
Narasi Mehta prostrated the feet of his Guru and returned
back to the village. He settled down in Junagarh with a family
in different locality. Since Brahmins used to hate him he got a
hut constructed with help of people belonging to lower class.
Devotional activities and religious discourses became a daily
routine involving people belonging to all strata of the society.
All those people who used to come for the discourses also
used to provide food for him. With the help of those poor
people, a poor Brahmin married his daughter to him. All the
Brahmins of the village rejected the marriage and they called
him an evil person with loose character and insult him in many
ways. Narasi used to engage himself in singing to the glory of
the god along with the working class people. By the grace of
god his wife was also very cooperative lady and she was always
ready to help her husband. With the passage of time two
daughters and a son were born to the couple. They all used to
welcome the saints and the guests to the best of their capability.
They used to accept anything to make their end meet as the
blessings of god, far from any type of greed. They never had
any desires for material comforts. His wife used to live in the
state of bliss along with him without giving heed to the taunts
of the fellow villagers (Brahmins).
Slowly his family started to swell in numbers. Villagers used
to send all beggars who used to come to their village, to his
house, but Narasi used to welcome them considering his good
luck. He was able to sustain the extra burden of visitors by the
grace of god. All the Brahmins of the village including his
brother used to discuss about him This is our biggest worrythat
Narasi has tarnished theimageof all theBrahmins. Wedont know
howdoes hemanageall theexpenses? Thereis nodearth of evil people
in theworld and thepeoplearesofoolish that theymaybegivinghim
donations in thenameof religion, thus spoilinghis mind. Oblivious
to all this, Narasi used to sing in the glory of the god.
In due course of time both the daughters were married off
to grooms from well to do families. His wife also left him for
heavenly abode. He started living with his son, Shyamal Das,
after the demise of his wife. Shyamal Das used to prepare
food for all the visitors but he never showed any dissent and
used to consider this as god sent opportunity. He also used to
study at the local school. Other students used to treat him as
an outcaste and used to avoid sitting with him in the class. At
occasions Shyamal used to feel dejected but Narasi used to
console him with his discourse Son! This is the grace of god
that on one hand he makes others hate us, but on the other
hand he inspires some other people to honor us. Hate and
honor are two sides of the same coin. We should remain
aloof from both of them.
Detached lifestyle of Narasi and Visit to
his daughters place
Narasi lived in the state of eternal bliss and he used to
welcome everyone as if the visitor was god himself. Slowly
the number of devotees started swelling and very soon the hut
was not sufficient to accommodate the gathering. Every one
used to get swayed by the wave of devotion that they used to
forget their physical existence. They were all physical labors
and they used to spend their daily earnings for the community
feast in the evening. All were happy and their faces were
glowing with love and affection. The tree of renunciation and
atonement started growing and lots of people were taking
refuge under that tree. Meanwhile on the occasion of the
marriage of sister-in law of his daughter Nanhi Bai, all were
invited but Devotee Narasi was not invited at the behest of
mother-in law of his daughter. Nanhi Bai felt humiliated for
not inviting her father and one day she requested her mother-
in-law for sending an invitation to her father, so that she could
catch a glimpse of her father. Hearing her request her mother-
in-law got furious and started shouting Your father is a fraud.
Everydayhekeeps singingwith theblinds and other lower class people.
Neither hehas placetolive, nor does hehaveenough food. What gifts
hewill bringif invited? On top of it hewill beaccompanied bya dozen
of his fellowbeggars and depleteour food stock, which has been kept
asidefor theguests. His visit will tarnish our imageamongour relatives
and thewholesituation will bespoiled. It is better that hedoes not come
for theoccasion.
Nanhi Bai started crying due to this humiliation. Her father-
in-law felt sympathetic for her and after consoling her, sent
the invitation letter to Narasi. When Narasi received the
invitation he consulted his blind friend and started preparing
for the visit. He borrowed an old dilapidated cart from one of
his poor disciple and a pair of oxen from other disciples. Sixteen
of his blind friends took their place on the cart. They all were
carrying various musical instruments and on the way they
started singing devotional songs. Somehow the old bulls were
pulling the ensemble of seventeen people on the way to the
city of Anjaar. On the way the cart broke down and all the
people fell down. Suddenly a carpenter appeared from nowhere
and repaired the cart. Cart continued to move on towards
destination. A person who devotes himself to the Supreme
Being never faces any hardship in his life. In case if the
devotee passes through difficult times god himself comes
in and steers his devotee out of the difficult situation. One
who was dancing with Meera Bai who consumed poison
which was meant for Meera, one who dropped a bejeweled
bracelet in the plate of saint Ravi Daas, or the one who
took care of all the arrangements of community feast
arranged surreptitiously on behalf of saint Kabir, was once
again present to steer his devotee out of the no-win situation,
repairs the cart and drives the troupe to the destination.
All the relatives and in-laws spot them at a distance from
the village. They start murmuring among themselves Look,
here comes the supreme beggar (|n |), along with his troupe,
holding musical instruments in his hand. As if they have come
for a concert. Brother-in-law of Nanhi Bai taunted at Narasi
Here come the Emperor along with his escorts. Mother-in-
law of Nanhi Bai said I told you all, it is better not toinvitethe
beggars and street urchins but this daughter of thebeggar wanted tosee
her father. Shehas put us all toshame. Nanhi Bai goes to her
father and narrates her vows to him. Narasi told her My
daughter! We may be poor but our god is not poor. Go and tell
your mother-in-law that your mother has died and father is
unaware of the customs and rituals. Therefore if any thing is
required for any custom; then she should prepare the list and
hand them over to me. Also tell her to make arrangements for
my stay at any place. Daughter returned to her house and when
she told her mother-in-law about the material required for the
customs; her mother-in-law got furious and she gave the list
of all the villagers and told that her father should make
arrangements for new clothes, ornaments, and shoes etc. as
gifts to all. Nanhi Bai hands over the list to her father with a
heavy heart. Her father looked at the list and asked is that
all? She replied that as per custom gifts are given only to the
family members but her mother-in-law has included the names
of all the villagers. Narasi ji said with the chuckle Noproblem
mychild, but pleaseconfirmthelist onceagain with her mother-in-law,
if anythingis left out that is tobegiven as gift. Nanhi returns to her
mother-in-law and requests her to check the list once again.
Her mother-in-law got furious and while trembling with anger
she said Heis a beggar but is pretendingas if heis wealthy. Yes one
thingis left out, a largeplatformmadeof gold for metotakebath. Add
this in thelist and get out of mysight. Dont wastemytime. Nanhi
gave the list to her father. Brother-in-law of Nanhi made
arrangement for the group in the hut out side the village so
that there social status is not tarnished.
Gifts to the villagers
Two hours before the start of the custom of giving gifts to
the relatives, his daughter Nanhi visited him and with the sob
asked him O father! Todaymyimagewill befurther tarnished. There
is verylittletimeleft and you havenot arranged for thegifts. I havecome
herein thepretext of fetchingdrinkingwater. Meanwhileif no
arrangements can bemadethen I will jump in theriver and takemy
life. Narasi ji was singing the devotional songs in Raga Kedar
(oneof manybasicforms of music), while his eyes were shedding
tears of love, love with the god. Now who else is going to
come to take care of me? This world is full of selfish people
and every affair is useless. O god! Y ou are our guru, our
mother, father, brother and brother to my daughter, Nanhi.
Do what ev er you want . Narasi ji was engrossed in
devotional songs with his blind friends and had forgotten the
existence of his physical body. He appeared in some form, for
whom Narasi had forgotten his existence.
There was unprecedented activity in the village. All the
villagers were rushing towards the place where Narasi and his
friends were staying. Everybody was discussing about Narasi.
All the villagers gathered around the hut as if that place was a
place of confluence. A princely looking boy, calling himself as
a servant of Narasi, was distributing sweets, clothes and gifts
among the villagers, by name. All the villagers were obliged
after receiving the gifts and were praising Narasi. God himself
completed the rituals on behalf of Narasi, posing as his humble
servant. At last Golden platform for bathing to the mother-in-
law of Nanhi (the little one), and costly gifts to other in-laws
were distributed. Those who felt humiliated, for being relatives
of Narasi, were feeling pride in calling themselves as his
relatives. This is the ways of life in this world. Narasi ji along
with his fellow devotees was not aware of the events of the
day. He was in the state of bliss and was busy singing to the
glory of the almighty.
Giving trouble by Brother and maternal uncle
It is our illusion that we think that this world belongs to
us. Every one is looking for an opportunity. How can any one
belong to us? Only he can be called our own. Relation with
this world is possible only through him. Narasi ji was busy
singing the glory of God, and was totally engrossed in the act.
All were highly charged. Crowds were swelling and all those
who were joining, were also getting charged with the devotional
energy. All the young ones were also joining for the
congregation every evening, and this was a surprise for rest of
the villagers. Some time they used to continue till wee hours
of the night as if they have lost the sense of time. While earning
their livelihood during day time, they were continuously
murmuring devotional songs as if they are linked with someone
else, from within. This was being looked upon by the so called
people belonging to upper class as derogatory and they used to
feel jealous. They used to wonder what theseyoungboys and girls
weredoingin thenight, surrounded bythebeggars. As per religious
scriptures, youngagewas not for devotional music, this was theagefor
fun and frolic. Religions is tobepracticed in thefourth and last legof
life. Wehavestudied thescriptures; theseyoungkids and theilliterate
Narasi alongwith his fellowdevotees havenot studied anything. Since
theyarebeggars theyhavenothingtodowith religion. Someeven called
themcorrupt and characterless. Someeven blamed their activityfor the
death of Narasis wife. Theycould not comprehend youngones involved
in religious congregations, as it was nowheredocumented. Theseyoung
peoplehavebeen runningamok and will spoil our next generation, if
not checked. Hencetheseshould bepunished as per religious dictates, or
our prestigewill beblemished. All the Naagar Brahmins conspire
against Narasi and his associates.
They approach the king and they all collectively complain
against Narasi. Each one narrates thestories of widespread
corruption and troubles caused byNarasi and his friends. Theyall said
that behind thegarb of devotional activities, corruption is flourishing.
If not checked early, all theyoungones will becorrupted. Wehave
matured whilestudyingthereligious scriptures and understand theessence
of thereligion and religious activities. Wehavenot comeacross any
situation whereyoungpeopleenjoybehind thegarb of religious activities
through out thenight. O king! It is thelimit. Pleasestop Narasi and
hanghimfor his sins. Heis a sinner and it is not appropriatetodelay
thepunishment. Hearing this, king got worried. He offered to
hold enquiry into the matter and asked for some time to
investigate. Brahmins insisted on directly pronouncing the
verdict. Anant Rao suggested O king! Your prime minister is
the maternal uncle of Narasi, and he will tell the truth. Why
not ask him?
King turned towards his Prime Minister Shri Sharangdhar,
who replied In relation Narasi is mynephew, but callinghimmy
nephewis sinful. Heis runninga centreof corruption in thenameof
religion. In which religious scriptureit is written that youngboys and
girls attend discourses, singand dancetothedevotional musicduring
night in thenameof religion. It is all his doublestandards. If you want
anymoreconfirmation, you mayask his elder brother, whois in charge
of thestateprison. King addressed to Narasis brother, who
told Narasi did not studyduringchildhood. Hehas destroyed all the
familytraditions in thenameof devotion. After gettingfed up with his
ways of living, I havedriven himout of myhouse. Helives aloneand
none of our relatives ever visit him. All the villagers have
excommunicated him. Heis characterless. Anytypeof punishment will
bemuch less that hedeserves. When being asked for proof by the
king his brother said Narasi makes a flower garland usinga very
weak thread, and adorns thestatueof Lord Krishna with that. All
boys and girls dancein front of theidol and enjoy. Garland breaks due
toweight of theflowers which is considered as miracleand peoplegathered
thereshout praises for Narasi. This miracleis duetohypocrisyof Narasi.
Thepoor and illiteratevillagers, whoknownothing, arebeingexploited
byhim. Hearingthis, thekingordered his minister topresent Narasi
in thecourt.
Narasi being cross examined by the Kings
council
Narasi reached the court next day and ordered by the king
to defend the charges leveled against him. Narasi replied Yes,
it is truethat peoplefromall walks of life, of all agegroups comefor
thereligious discourses and devotional songs. Theyall prayand meditate
therewithout differences. Hypocrisy and corruption is beyond my
comprehension. Hearing this his maternal uncle and brother use
foul language and challenge him to hold a discussion with the
learned Brahmins. Narasi replied humbly I enjoythestateof
bliss in devotional songs and dont wastemytimein discussions
+|n +| n< n|| +| nl | n ||-
+| l- +| n | <| -| (+ =n|-
| |i l l || |i nl- || |i + <nin
+| |i n +t| ~| i |- l-| nin
When sensual desires, anger, arrogance and greed take
shelter in the heart, then illiterates and learned ones are at the
same. There minds are devoid of intelligence after reading the
scriptures and their arguments are also baseless. Without
knowing my identity and my origin, I am being insulted.
His brother and uncle pleaded repeatedly that Narasi is a
hypocrite, but the king was not convinced. He ordered the
court to be adjourned till the next day with the condition that
the king himself will offer a garland made of silken thread, to
the idol of Lord Krishna. Narasi Mehta will sing the devotional
songs and if the garland snaps then Narasi will be declared as
devotee, else he will be punished. Decision of the king is praised
by all, who were present there.
A Brahmin named Harakhu was a devotee of Bhairav and
was holding a respectable position in the Brahmin community.
He was approached by all to please Bhairav and when Bhairav
is pleased, request him to take the life of Narasi. All the offering
for Bhairav viz. alcohol, non vegetarian meals and other
offerings were made available to Harakhu. He made it a prestige
issue and immediately started attempts to please Bhairav. All
the villagers also joined the ceremonies to assist Harakhu.
Next day the court assembled at the predetermined time.
People from all over the town gathered there to witness the
almost certain death sentence to Narasi. All Brahmins from
Naagar clan were very happy. King offered the flower garland
to the idol of lord Krishna. Narasi was ordered to start singing
the devotional songs. Every one was eagerly waiting for the
garland to snap as widely believed. Narasi started to sing:
t |: -n l- ~| - +|:
<|| =|i - t <zn- n|n| ~| ||:
t <||- +|| +i n-i n| ||| tn|i
=|| - li- t~| +la- i-|| t --t|i
-n t| |+-| + ||n <i- <|- ||n ||n
+ <| +| := |i ~l+--
~ l- ln- +| n- ||n
t |: -n l- ~| - +|:
O lord! There is no one else for me. Everybody, including
brother and uncle has turned foes.
O merciful! Idol of compassion, please save my prestige.
Whole town is against me, and it is testing time for you. You
are the protector of the devotees. Please oblige this sinner and
non entity. Please do not be late. O lord! There is no one else
for me.
Tears from eyes and words were flowing from mouth out
of Narasi. Heart was brimming with the love for God. Suddenly
a strong gush of wind lifted the garland from the idol and fell
around the neck of Narasi. Color was drained from the
faces of all the Brahmins. All the innocent people started
praising Narasi.
Narasi was still in trance, when Harakhu came rushing
towards him and fell on to the feet of Narasi. Narasi opened
his eyes in surprise. Harakhu said O divinesoul! Pleaseforgive
me. I was tryingtoappeaseBhairavtotakeyour life, but hescoffed at
meand told metotakeshelter with you and seek pardon, elsehewould
kill meand shall drink myblood. Narasi Mehta smile and said
Harakhu ji! A person, who repents for his sins, is absolved
of all his sins. On the other hand if some one commits a
crime and tries to shield himself as per dictates of
scriptures, is always at risk, as no one pardons him. We
accept the arguments given by scriptures as complete
knowledge, and nurture our ego.
z||| l-| l- l- |n tl -| - |-
- - | | | |=| - -
Those who do not understand the grandeur of the god and
repeatedly utter the verses of the scriptures accumulate sins
and can not attain salvation.
Marriage of Son of Narasi
Narasi was engrossed in the devotional bliss. He was as
detached from the world as a lotus is from the water, where it
grows. He was completely immersed in the love of god and
was above the human traits like sensual desire, anger, greed
and attachment. His son Shyamal Das was now grown up and
was of marriageable age. He used to think that some one should
come and take care of the household, prepare food for them.
He used to think again that how come this thought ever came
in my mind, as this is the job of the almighty and he may do as
he feels appropriate.
Madan Rai Mehta was a Brahmin of repute and he was in
the council of the king. He was searching for a suitable groom
for his daughter for the last so many years. He could not find
any suitable groom. He instructs his family priest Pt. Dixit to
go to Junagarh and look out for a suitable groom as there are
over 700 Naagar Brahmin families. He also told Pt. Dixit to
meet his friend Sharangdhar, who will help him. Pt. Dixit
reached Junagarh and met Sharangdhar, who introduced him
to lot of young and eligible bachelors, but Pt. Dixit did not
approve any one of them. He found most of them as illiterate
and devoid of cultural values. He got dejected and was planning
to return back home. Friends of Sharangdhar suggest Pt. Dixit
to see son of Narasi Mehta, with hope that he may approve of
Shyamal Das due to his virtues. Pt. Dixit agreed to visit the
house of Narasi Mehta and requested for the address of Narasi
Mehta, but friends of Sharangdhar told him to go there on his
own as no one was willing to accompany him to the house of
Narasi, as it was the matter of prestige for them. They give
him general guidance to reach there and request him to enquire
on the way. Pt. Dixit got dejected and had the feeling that
those people were now making fun of him. Pt. Dixit bids them
adieu and reached the house of Narasi, which was surrounded
by lot of people who were enjoying the devotional songs as if
they were under the spell.
n -| ll | |n ~| - +| : i
n -| =<| <i|-| | +| ti n- ||| i
| +| || < + =t| i
= + == i- n || i
~|z|| i -|| lni n- ||| n-|n| i
-=i +| -|-| + n |n = ~| - l+=i = ~|z|| i
There is no one else than Giridhar (one who has lifted a
mountain) for me. I have always been obsessed by god as he is
the only one I like. I could find him because of my Guru and
could find the essence of life in his company. I could liberate
from expectations, my thirst was quenched and my mind was
in the state of bliss. Narasi is related to Ram only and there are
no expectations from any one else.
Having seen this, Pt. Dixit took his seat in one corner and
he too got carried away in the wave of devotion. He returned
back to senses when the devotional songs end. He got up and
prostrated in front of Narasi and told him the purpose of his
visit. He requested Narasi to call up his son. Narasi told him
of the unequal status of the Prime minister & the beggar and
expressed doubts about the sanctity of the marriage.
Nonetheless he requested Pt. Dixit to take meals before he
goes and lookout for another perspective groom. On request
from Pt. Dixit, Narasi told him that there is no need for calling
his son as he was the one who was singing the devotional songs
and he was present there. Pt. Dixit had some discussions with
Shyamal Das and requested for the token gift to be accepted
as a mark of new relationship. Narasi ji also accepted this as
divine wish and agreed to the new relationship. Day of the
marriage was fixed by Pt. Dixit.
Pt. Dixit returned to Bargain a happy man and explained
everything to Madan Rai Mehta. He was not happy with the
relationship as he feared loss of prestige. He asked Pt. Dixit to
return the gifts. His wife requested that if the perspective groom
is worthy of their daughter then they will financially support
the groom and persisted on expediting the marriage ceremony.
Madan Rai ji finally gave consent half heartedly but refused to
invite any one of his relatives who were financially well off.
The king was also not invited for the ceremony. He presumed
that all the beggars will come as their guests which will tarnish
their image in the society. Thinking so he wanted this ceremony
to be over at the earliest.
Saanwal Shah made all preparations like clothes, gifts,
tents, transport etc. on behalf of Narasi Mehta and was ready
to proceed towards the brides place. He shook Narasi Mehta
out of his trance and requested him to get ready for the
procession. Narasi was asked to ride the elephant and lead the
marriage procession. No one in the procession was aware of
the fact that who was making all the arrangements. Who was
funding the events? Some people thought that since brides
father was quite influential, he must have made the
arrangements. Some people speculate that since Narasi is tricky
person, he must have duped some rich and religious person.
The procession reached Barhgaon.
Madan Rai Mehta was a worried man. He was repeatedly
telling Pt. Dixit Thegroomand his companions havenot arrived till
now, and heshould goand enquire. First themarriagewas fixed with
thebeggar and nowtheprocession has not arrived in time. Mysocial
standingis tarnished. I never thought even in dreams that you will cheat
melikethis. O god! Nowyou aretheonly savior under these
circumstances. Suddenly a servant entered the room and
announced while panting, that the grooms procession has
arrived and no one has seen such a procession since long. It is
very difficult to count the number of elephants, horses, and
palanquins. Madan Rai Mehta got furious and scolded the
servant and asked him togoenquireabout themarriageprocession
which was scheduled toarrivefor their daughter. Goand look out for
themarriageprocession havingbeggars and blind people. Meanwhile
another servant came running and requested him to go to the
main entrance and welcome the marriage procession. Madan
Rai Mehta was also informed that all the servants were not in
a position to feed the horses of the procession. Madan Rai
could not believe his ears. Till then the whole village gathered
around their house. Every one was congratulating him for the
elegance of the marriage procession which was even better
than the kings procession. People were complaining him for
keeping such elegant marriage proceedings as secret. As father
of the bride he rushed to the door to welcome the groom and
accompanying procession. He sought pardon from Narasi and
requested him to take charge of the proceedings. In reply Narasi
said You are now our family member and your prestige is our
prestige. In addition Narasi asked Saanwal Shah to take care
of the all the proceedings, who took charge of all the rituals
on behalf of both the sides, brides as well as grooms side.
Bride was given the warm send off and groom left for their
home with fanfare.
Fame of Narasi was increasing everyday and lots of people
started witnessing miracles. One night his Guru visited him
in astral body and instructed him O Narasi! How long
you will remain aloof from God. Overcome duality and
merge your self in him, and become infinite. After merger
you will not survive, but whatever will be left, will be the
eternal truth, eternal bliss. Then life will be like Shiv and
Shiv is always beautiful. Everything will be divine. As
directed by his Guru, Narasi delved deep into meditation and
attained unification with the Supreme Being. It was like an
adage an ocean merging into tiny drop. Narasi became quiet
and attained eternal bliss. He overcame duality and the only
thing that was left was, eternal truth, which was beautiful (=n
lz|n =-<n). Route can be different but the destination is
same. Experiences may be different but the eternal bliss
will be same. Expression may be different but the climax
will be same. There is nothing else but eternal peace and
nothing but the peace. I n these situations there is no
language. Only the feelings remain, devoid of any expressions.
!! Hari Om !!
Pundit Jajali
Since time immemorial, man has nurtured the wrong
notion that a hermit does not live in a house, lives naked
like a cave man, like a wild animal and eats grass or leaves.
He is far from the society and is uncultured. There is no
difference between a hermit and a wild animal. Has he
become an exhibit which belongs ot zoo? Has he nothing
to do with the society? If a hermit is like or as per general
perception by the so called religious men about the
hermits or sages then let us pray to god that such a hermit
or sage should never be born on the face of the earth.
Probably the world appears to be ugly because of such
hermits who live in imagination only. Perhaps such
thoughts originate from the likes of Shankaracharya, who
rejected the world; saying This world is false and should
be renounced in order to reach the eternal truth. The
world seems to be shackled in thoughts of caste and
creed. It is ironical that on one hand the world is false,
caste is the basic truth, there exists an army of the hermits
who live completely naked, Buddhists were made to flee
from their homeland for no reason and on the other hand
eighty percent of the population is kept in dark and
illiterate in the name of religion and cast. Some people
declared them as perpetrator of the religion and there
were atrocities all over the world in the name of the
religion. This resulted in the collapse of the social
infrastructure. As a result of this relation between a mother
and her son has become loathsome on one hand and on
the other hand brother-sister, father-daughter relation
drifted far away from humanity. Animal instinct was ruling
the roost. Why did that happened? Did Shankaracharya
plant a mango tree which got converted into thorny shrub?
These so called, Gurus of the world have planted many
such trees or unknowingly some mistake has been made
by prominent people of the society.
When we project the hermits as a caged animal in the
zoo, this will go on for ever. It appears that the time has
come for the hermits to come out in open. A hermit can
be in every house. A hermit will sit in the office. A hermit
will run the grocery shop. A hermit will plough the fields.
A hermit will work in all fields from being a cobbler to
tailoring the clothes. A hermit will work in all spheres of
life, and then only the mankind will survive. Else complete
destruction is near certainty. Being complete is another
name of being a hermit. That has nothing to do with the
so called ornaments, which are for the body and not for
the soul. Art of transforming the mind and soul is called,
renunciation. Even if there is a single hermit in the family
then it may be possible that taking a cue from him the
whole family can get transformed, which in turn may
become a source of inspiration for the whole village. This
is the need of the hour, and then only we can see, smiling
faces around us. The time is ripe to introduce the qualities
of hermit to the society and spread them. Light thousands of
lamps from one, so as to eradicate the darkness from not our
lives but from the lives of others also. Changes in the
legislation, alone is not sufficient to transform the society
as it is not possible to renovate the house by simple
changing the plaster every year. Introduction to more and
more legislation is a sign of fall of values in the society. If
each one of us, adheres to moral values and social
responsibilities, then there is no need of the legislation
and hence the civil courts.
Jajali was a hermit, whose father was a Brahmin and an
exponent in the ritualistic ways of life. Following the foot steps
of his father, Jajali also opted for the solitary way of living. He
did not need the society and the society also did not need
people like him. Jajali was a hermit and hence he took pride in
seeking alms for living. Society was also full of religious bigots
who considered their duty to give him alms, for the greed of
earning some goodness from the so called charity. No one
argued with him due to fear of being cursed. He used to live in
the jungle and whenever he needed he used to make a visit to
the nearby town and collect the material he needed from the
town dwellers. Since he always was proud of his austere life,
he decided to even go for a more rigorous penance. He decided
to skip one meal a day but later on he started living on roots
and wild fruits. It was but natural that his fame spread around.
A person who is more unnatural and pretends a lot about
his prowess, religious bigots recognize him as an ascetic.
This false praise starts nourishing his already inflated ego,
and after being on high, he starts torturing himself even
more. This self torture takes him closure towards his
animal instincts and he starts behaving like an animal.
This becomes an endless cycle and results in mental
tension for him. He loses his temper even on very trivial
issues. This is the reason that most of the sages have
been short tempered, and as a result of this the society
has suffered a lot.
Same as discussed above happened with Pundit Jajali. With
the increased stature, his ego was nourished by false praise.
This resulted in Jajali being even harsher with self. One day he
thought he should remain standing for his penance, and he
became a standing monk. He used to feel restless and sleepy
as a result of standing for a longer duration. His legs and feet
started getting sore but his ego told him not to take rest. When
the pain exceeded the bearing limits, he made arrangements
for a swing at the level of his chest and used to take rest on
that while standing. This resulted in reduced load on his feet.
His nails grew and his hair got matted. He started discarding
his clothes one by one and in short time he was wearing only a
loin cloth. When he used to feel cold in the middle of the
night, he wondered O god! Arenot happywith me? If you were
happywith me, thesun would never havegonebelowthehorizon resulting
warmth all thetime. With continuous exposure to harsh weather
conditions his skin became like leather like an animal and he
got used to all type of weather. His fame spread in all over.
People from all walks of life started gathering to catch a glimpse
of him as a mark of respect and he became demi god. His ego
got a fillip and it was natural that self torture also increased
proportionally.
Bird making a nest in matted hair of Jajali
Jajali got used to standing on feet. One of his feet got
injured due to continuous stress and the wound got infected.
There were worms in the wound and it was really painful. All
his thoughts and attention were centred on the wound, but he
ignored the feelings due to false pride. He was always worrying
about how to get the treatment for the wound. With the passage
of time he was becoming insane due to worsening condition
of the wound. He face got distorted and his hair looked like a
shrub. One day a sparrow was feeding her fledgling which was
jumping with joy and was probably going to take its first lesson
in flying. Coincidentally that young bird fell into the matted
hair of Jajali, and soon the mother bird also followed her young
one. Even after several attempts the young one could not fly
out of the matted hair of Jajali. Both the birds decided to stay
there for the night. Meanwhile Jajali had got accustomed to
sleeping while standing on his feet. When he got up in the
morning, he heard the chirping of bird on his head. While he
was contemplating to throw out the birds, few devotees arrived
there. After spotting birds on his head they said You are great.
You are god. Birds are dwelling on you head but since you are
so much engrossed in meditation, you did not even notice
them. Now Jajali got another certificate of his greatness and
prowess. The hand which he raised for throwing out the birds,
stopped there and he started protecting the bird to prevent
them from falling. He used to think; because of the birds my
status has been elevated. Whole day he used to think about
the welfare and arrival of the birds after there daily flights
after the young bird learned flying. He stopped taking bath
and he always used to worry about protecting the nest. Young
bird also grew up and also delivered an egg. The bird used to
leave the egg which became another object for Jajali to worry
about. He paid his complete attention towards the nest to
protect the egg. Within few days egg was hatched and the next
generation of birds also started flying. When the birds did not
return, Jajali waited for the birds for over two months. He felt
pangs of attachment. He felt hurt and got mentally disturbed,
even more. He plucked out the nest and threw away the same.
Hearing a broadcast from the skies
Jajali was very much worried and sad. For the peace of
mind and cleansing his physical body he moved in the direction
of the river. On the way village folks worshipped and praised
him. They complemented him as one of the best of the sages
on earth. These words full of praises fuelled his ego to hit yet
another high. He was thinking Whoelsecan beas great a hermit
as I am? I amthebest. For years birds havedwelled in mymatted hair,
but I continued with mypenance. I amuniqueon this earth. I have
understood thesecrets of thereligion, thats whyI kept thebirds on my
head for years, likemyown soul. He cleansed his body like never
before after a long time. When he filled his hands with water
for an offering, he uttered spontaneously I ama uniquehermit
on thefaceof theearth. I havebecomesynonymwith religion.
Immediately there was a broadcast from the sky O sage!
You do not even know the first letter of the book called,
religion. You have wasted your life like a tortoise or a tree.
You have accumulated ego till now. His self image got
shattered and he asked while repenting O god! Howcan I know
about religion? Another broadcast is heard You should
immediately go in the shelter of a Sadguru who is also a
family man. Without a Sadguru not only you but no one
else can achieve any well being. Key to the doors of the
god is in the hands of a Sadguru. Only he can unlock the
doors to the supreme being.
In search of a Sadguru
Jajali was very sad. He felt as if he lost all his earnings of
many years. He returned back to his hermitage, which was full
of devotees who were shouting praises for him. But Jajali was
quiet and was thinking that may be it was the right time to
move to Kaashi. He slept for three days and nights after several
years. When he got up he felt a bit tranquil. He felt the pangs
of hunger and had a sumptuous meal. Thus he rested and had
regular meals for a month. He felt hale and healthy after the
rest of one month. He came out of the shell he was confined
to. After a month he moved on to Kaashi. On the way he was
thinking Hewasted manyyears in penance. I shared all theemotions
with thebirds duringtheir staywith me. When theywerehappyI used
tofeel happyand felt sorrowin their grief. I missed their companywhen
theyleft me. Theyalsolived barebodied with mein all weather. Was my
effort not morethat a bird or a tree. In fact I did not acquireanyknowledge
about religion. I was becomingas staticas a tree, fromwithin, without
anyprogress. What did theworld achievefrommypenance? I took from
themin onewayor theother, without givinganythingtothemin return.
It was myfoolishness that I took mybeingstaticas beingreligious.
Mulling over his past and facing hardship on the way he
reached Kaashi.
He sat on the banks of river Ganga after taking a bath. He
was considering the ways, how to enquire about a Sadguru?
He was looking for a learned person, a hermit wearing black
robe with matted hair. Meanwhile two ladies went past him
and they were talking about a lady who was devoted to her
husband, has many prowesses and she has all the traits of being
a Sadguru. Jajali immediately got up and asked the ladies about
their Sadguru. They pointed out in a general direction and
showed him the way. Jajali moved in that direction and to his
surprise he found no hermitage, or hermits. Only few families
were living in that area. After hesitating for a few moments he
decided to enquire. He knocked on one of the doors. A person
opened the door and was having a divine aura around him.
Divine calm and light adorned his face. He enquired from Jajali
Yes please! What do you need? Jajali informed him that he is
on the look out for a lady who is devoted to her husband.
Please go and inform her about my arrival and tell her that a
sage has come out of trance of meditation and wants to meet
her. The man goes inside the house and returned with the
message O sage! The lady has sent the message that she is not
free as she is in the service of her husband. You have not done
real meditation, but spent life like an animal. She has also asked
you to go meet Tuladhar Vaishya (trader).
Jajali first got infuriated when he came to know that an
ordinary lady was not willing to meet him. He was thinking
that the lady deserved to be cursed, but when he heard the
message further that he has not meditated in real sense, his
anger evaporated. He was wondering that how did that lady
know about him without even seeing him. She must be an
elevated soul having many prowesses. He got the feeling of
churning within how could she learn about everything living
an ordinary life as a house wife? What type of divine law is
this? I have not got any thing even after so much of hardship.
I have not achieved any thing. Is there a flaw in the divine
rules and have all the gods gone berserk. I am a sage, a celibate
and I possess all the virtues of being a great person. I also
know what religion is. Meanwhile the person said What areyou
thinkingreverend Jajali? It is not justified tothink likethis. Religion
can beknown in a moment provided you meet theSadguru and thereis
yearningin you toseek thetruth. Jajali got yet another jolt and
asked him, who are you? The man replied I am an attendant.
Let us go and let me introduce you to Tuladhar Vaishya.
Meeting with Tuladhar Vaishya
The attendant showed him the shop of Tuladhar Vaishya
from a distance and told Pt. Jajali to meet him in person. The
attendant returned back and disappeared after some time. Jajali
was perplexed and started thinking; what is all this about? Is
god really not in the jungle? Not even in penance or meditation
or in hermitage? Is god sitting in the shop? Is god in the family
life? These are strange ways of god. We relinquished family
life and the family men have come to know about god. He
waited for a while, at a distance. Suddenly he came out of
trance and moved forward. He spotted a person in the crowd,
who was communicating with the customers cordially and was
trading goods with money. He was addressing every one as
Narayan. Jajali also merged in the crowd as a customer and
waited for his turn. He was thinking - O god! What typeof
sacrament is it? On onehand thereis world and on theother hand there
is god. Both arepoles apart. This person neither belongs toupper cast
nor is hedoingsuperior deeds. Healsoappeared, not highlyeducated.
Howcan I accept himas an elevated soul? Howto initiatethe
conversation? He was getting confused about everything
happening around him.
Tuladhar Vaishya got up from his seat. With folded hands
he approached Pt. Jajali and offered him salutations. The crowd
was watching in composed manner. Tuladhar Vaishya said
Reverend Jajali ji! You havecertainlybeen born in socalled upper caste
familyand this fact has been theroot causeof egoin you. Second reason
for egois theextent of penanceyou haveperformed. Third reason for the
egois theknowledgeof scriptures and rituals. Just onecauseof egowas
sufficient for becominga barrier in your pursuit, but you havethree
reasons. Anyway you please take rest for some time. Let me
perform my duties as a trader, then we will have detailed
discussion in the evening. Jajali was stunned by the revelations.
Tuladhar ji instructed a person to offer him snacks and later
take him for a guided tour of Kaashi should he so wish. The
attendant guided him to a separate area and offered him snacks.
Later the attendant offered to him a guided tour of Kaashi.
Brain of Pt. Jajali had stopped working by then and he was
trying to recall the events of the day. Summoning courage Jajali
asked for the introduction of the attendant. He replied that he
was a humble servant of Tuladhar. Jajali again said Areyou no
thesameperson whomet meat theresidenceof that lady. Nowyou are
present heretoo. The attendant replied Wheretherearedevotees
of thealmighty, his dutyis toprovideserviceat all thoseplaces. Those
devotees areoblivious totheworldlyconduct. TheyseetheSupremeBeing
in each creation. Theyarein this world for namesake. Theyperform
their duties as offerings togod. Their worldlydutyis their penance
(Tapasya). This is theessenceof thespiritual knowledge. Saying so,
the attendant disappeared. This event stirred Pt. Jajali once
again and triggered another thought process. He was wondering
at the turn of the events as he had never experienced such
miracles in his life, and also whether he wasted all the years of
his life chasing a mirage. At dusk Tuladhar Vaishya pulled the
shutters down of his shop. He addressed Pt. Jajali and sought
pardon for the inconvenience. He further said I could not help
as the Karma is assigned by the god himself and running away
from the assigned duties is escapism. Shall we move on to my
house? We shall talk there in detail. At the house of Tuladhar
Vaishya family members meet him with due regard. Every one
touches his feet as a mark of respect with a smiling face. Pt.
Jajali was observing that all the family members are very well
cultured and there is no sign of ego in there action. Whereas
the so called elevated people dwelling in the hermitage
are like golden urns which are full of anger, they are still
trying to overcome material desires; they are full of envy
for others who would not show respect to others. All remain
listless as if they are not living in the hermitage but among
the graves. Do they repent for renouncing the world?
Tuladhar ji said Thinking like this is also not justified. Thinking
about god and analyzing your relationship with almighty is like
prayers. A person becomes as he thinks. You kept standing for
years, birds built their nest on your head, they laid eggs which
were successfully hatched. Fledglings grew up as birds and
they abandoned you. People used to shower praise on you and
you kept thinking about that only. You were always thinking
what else can be done which is unconventional and unnatural
so that my image gets a boost. You were thinking about your
fame and assumed that this is the only truth of life. You
presumed that you have completed introspection. O reverend!
This is not the truth, but it can be called sighting your inflated
ego. This can get you material pleasures or patronage from the
king, but this has no bearing on the real truth and
enlightenment. These carnal pleasures can be achieved but
they initiate the downfall of a person.
Jajalis face got drained of all the vital energy and he felt
the pangs of pain. He showed respect for Tuladhar with folded
hands, perhaps for the first time in his life. He asked O
enlightened one! How can the eternal truth be witnessed?
Tuladhar replied in composed manner Taking shelter with
a Sadguru can help you reach your destination. Jajali got
up and prostrated in front of him. Spontaneously he said You
are my Sadguru. Please guide me to attain self realization.
Oblige me. For the first time in my life I have found myself
helpless and have taken shelter with a Sadguru. Some how, I
have got rid of ego. O Gurudev! I was having the illusion
that only a Brahmin deserves to attain realization. God
can be reached only by relinquishing meals & water, by
maintaining standing posture, by renouncing the family
life, by living in the jungle. I am surprised with your
knowledge. Now I have no illusion or ambitions. My mind has
been cleansed. I just want to know; how can I become a yogi?
How can I live like a yogi? How can the worldly duties be my
prayers? How can I practice yoga without desire? I am in your
shelter, please enlighten me.
Tuladhar ji replied O superior one! There is no need to
panic. I too have attained this knowledge from my Sadguru.
First of all you should understand one fact that god is
complete. If he is the pleasure then he is sorrow also. If
he is day then he is night also. If he is good then he is evil
too. If he is heavens then he is hell too. He was roaming
in the jungle searching for Sita as Ram and he abducted
Sita as Ravan. He reached Mathura as Krishna and he
was living in Mathura as Kans. We just understand half
truth and ignore the other half of the truth. That is why
we can not achieve the other half of the truth. He is in
the family and he comes to the shop as the customer. He
is omnipresent. Through the knowledge of completeness
only, his omnipresence can be felt. Salutation to the
omnipresent, who manifests himself in each living or non
living beings. Please sit in the erect posture. Focus all your
attention on your breathing. Take your consciousness and
all your senses upwards along with the breath. Feel the light
ahead this is the abode of Supreme Being. This is the
eternal truth. This glow is present in all the living or non
living beings. One can live life by remaining in this state also.
Jajali sat in meditation and for the next two hours he forgot
the sense of his being. His face started to glow with radiance.
Contorted face transformed into a smiling face. He was in the
state of bliss. He was being initiated by Sadguru while receiving
the blessings of the Supreme Being as divine light from above.
After two hours he came out of trance and prostrated at the
feet of Sadguru. Tears started flowing from his eyes. He said
Gurudev! This was not possible by my own efforts, at least
not in this life. This has been made possible by your blessings
only. Today I feel that my life is successful. I will be indebted
for ever for your kindness. My whole life is dedicated to you.
You may use it as you feel suitable.
Tuladhar ji was very happy and he said Now that you have
seen god. You should see him every where. Who is small, who
is large; all are droplets from the ocean called God. All are
linked with the common force called love. This link is severed
by the hypocrites by the sword of hatred. One, who recognizes
him, also recognizes his droplets. Also as a rivulet becomes
ocean after merging in it , one should try to merge himself in
the ocean called god. You have to perform your duties with
the physical body but simultaneously should always keep god
in his mind. Always keeping your consciousness, focused
on god, is like remaining in the communion with the
almighty. Duties performed in that state is called
desireless communion. One remains free from the
shackles of Karma. Now no rituals, religious rites,
pilgrimage, or penance is required. Where ever he lives
becomes a place for pilgrimage, what ever he does
becomes his penance. Whatever he eats becomes offering
for the god. Such a person makes himself free of all the
shackles and only a free person can help others achieve
freedom from their Karmic shackles. His actions become
guidelines for others and the path he treads becomes the
Path of the Enlightened.
Gateway to knowledge was opened for Pt. Jajali and his
ego evaporated in the shelter of a Sadguru. He found the key
to the eternal bliss and the eternal truth. His aim of the life
was fulfilled. A person is sent by Govind (one who is reverend
by all the living beings) to the shelter of a Sadguru, when all
the karma of previous lives are ready to yield their fruits.
Devotion without any desire towards, Sadguru is the result of
all good Karma of the previous lives. Under these conditions
the god himself will be very eager to fulfill all the desires of
the devotee. A devotee should only desire that even if the
world goes against him, be it so. O Sadguru! You should never
turn away from me.
!! Hari Om !!
Guru Nanak Dev Ji
(1469-1539)
A Buddha person is above all caste and creed. He is
beyond all the prevalent beliefs. They can not remain
anchored to defined set of rules and usually, they go
beyond the traditional values. Since Onkar (vksadkj) is free
from all shackles, it is neither true nor false. Words are
like pointers to indicate in the general direction of Onkar.
One who does not know anything about the Onkar gets
trapped in the various discourses on the topic, and in the
pursuit of proving himself as a superior person, carries
the burden of his acquired knowledge & intelligence on
his head and at last, leaves his physical body. In due course
of time, his discourses which are compiled as books are
sufficient to misguide the so called literate people of the society.
A Buddha person does not repeat the sayings and
experiences of others, but believes and talks about, what
he has witnessed. They have realized there inner self and
they want others also to attain self realization through
introspection. They try to light the lamps for the quest for
self realization and tryst with the inner self. In their efforts
for the same they generate a wave which is sufficient to
exhilarate the people around them. People surrounding them
start singing and dancing. They start forgetting their own
existence. Now they do not care what is said by a Pundit
or a Maulana or what their preaching says. They do not
belong to any sect. They create their own path with their
care free attitude, which in turn becomes path for others
to tread. When people start treading that path, they leave the
path after some time. With the passage of time experiences of
the enlightened ones get, translated into books which in turn
fades from the memories of the people. What is left is tradition.
Now the man comes out of the old traditions to enter into
new ones. The mind always looks out for the novelty. Mind is
not worried about real knowledge or meditation. Mind is never
ready to enter into new realms of meditation, and gets stuck
into the muck of new traditions. In time this new mess becomes
more dangerous than the old one. Using the name of a
Buddha as a mask, people invent new ideologies to suite
their interests. There is a perpetual noise created by new
voices, even if these voices are external, enemy to the
internal voices, or they are inimical to the interests of the
society. Now there is an issue of self prestige, or ego.
During these difficult times a Buddha has to face the
humiliation and has to face the opposition from the so called
wise men of that time. Nanak Dev ji was one of the few
people who treaded such path.
Nanak ji was born on 15
th
April, 1469 on the full moon
night. His father Kaalu Bedi was an influential person belonging
to the Kshatriya (warrior clan) family from a village called,
Talwandi. His mother Tripta was a pious lady. His uncle Lalu
Bedi used to take care of the agricultural interests of the family
and Kaalu Bedi was the collector, which was considered as a
noble and reputed profession. There was a wave of happiness in
the family when Nanak was born. Pundit Hardayal gave him name
as per astrological calculations. Nanak grew up like a normal child
but he never took interest in playing with other children. At the
age of seven he was sent to Pundit Gopal for formal education.
He completed his education in a short time. He used to discuss
religion with his guru. Geeta comprising of seven verses
introduced him to his inner self. He narrated this to his father.
~| ln +|-| n |t-n|n- n- :
|l- -<t = |l- n| l-n::
The word Onkar which belongs to Vedas is also called Pranav
(|.-the sound of Om!). The same Supreme Being which is
represented by Onkar is also called a supreme persona (||-|n).
He takes the form of vocal sounds or Brahma and creates into
new dimension. He created the universe with the power of
sound. Devotion towards him is pious. In Gods own words
Onewholeaves his physical bodywhilerememberingOnkar (or me) or
whilechantingOm, attains thesupremeposition and is eligibleto
reach myabode. I amthesmallest of all (Even finer than the time)
and in theformof soul I dwell in thehearts of all thelivingbeings.
Thus he completed Geeta with seven verses. This one Onkar
became a catalyst for the change in his life.
In his childhood Nanak took cows and buffalos for grazing.
He used to give helping hand in household works which are
suitable for a child. When he used to take the herd for grazing,
he used to leave them on their own and used to sit under the
tree for meditation. He also used to distribute the snacks given
to him, among poor people. He used to remain unhappy in his
house. He felt the pangs of compassion in his heart which
resulted in pain in his chest. His father got worried at his
condition and a doctor was summoned for his treatment, but
the doctor could not diagnose the cause for the pain. He used
to enjoy the company of the wandering monks and hermits.
Even in his youth he seldom found interest in the household
chores. It was but natural for a father to get worried. One day
his father counseled him and said Look son, you belongtoa warrior
clan and belongtoan upper class family. Our prestigedepends on your
actions. Nowthat you aregrown up, you should carryforward thefamily
tradition and dosomegood business. Nanak agreed to do good
business. He was given twenty rupees and some instructions
Son, you should takealong, our trusted servant Bala, whois smart
and educated. Gowith himfor thebusiness and buysomegoods. When
he reached a short distance from his house, he met a group of
sages. He engaged himself in singing to the glory of the god.
He instructed Bala Father had instructed metostrikea good deal.
What could bebetter than this? He later donated all the money to
those hermits and told them to buy blankets, sheets and
groceries items. Those sages were doing penance for the last
seven days and were living without food. They asked him to
give food in place of money as who will go and buy groceries
for them in the jungle. Nanak ji did as he was instructed. Sage
Renu was a fakir with many prowesses. He asked Nanak What
doyou want? Nanak replied I want theSupremeBeingwhois
Nirankar (formless SupremeBeing). If you arepleased with methen
pleasegivemethat SupremeBeing. Renu replied that you are the
same Supreme Being. He is taking a peek through you.
You are Nirankari (without a form) Nanak. When the
dirt settled outside is cleared through meditation, then
true and complete Nirankar emerges. Nanak returned
with the technique to achieve the Nirankar as blessings.
Nanak went into deep meditation in a pit outside the
village, using the technique as told by Renu. Bala returned
back to the village and narrated the incident to his father. His
father started fuming with anger and went on to look for him.
The moment father spotted is son, he slapped Nanak. Kalu
was so furious that he was thrashing Nanak in blind rage. Nanak
was silent and was taking the beating without any reaction.
Nanaki, elder sister of Nanak came running to the rescue of
her brother. When the king of that place came to know about
the incident, he warned Kalu strictly against repeating the act
and also retuned twenty rupees to Kalu from the state fund.
After this incident Nanaki was married off to a well off young
man belonging to warrior clan, named Jairam.
Visit of Nanak to the sisters place
Nanak ji used to remain engaged with groups of saints at
his birth place, Talwandi. He was then a young man of twenty
years of age. He used to donate whatever he had, to the saints
he came across. One day he donated his golden ring and his
urn used for carrying water. His father scolded him and asked
him to leave the house for ever. Nanak ji accepted the anger
of his father without reaction. After prompting from the king
Ram Dular, young Nanak was sent of his sisters village. His
father sent Bala also along with him to look after him, to
prevent him from meeting saints and from donating his
belongings to saints. He also sent the message for Nanaki to
find a suitable job and prospective bride for Nanak. His brother-
in-law felt elated after seeing him. Using his contacts he
managed to appoint Nanak as an officer with Modi mines,
belonging to Nawab Daulat Khan. Nanak looked after the job
very well. He donated lot of money to the needy but there was
no shortage of funds. In his free time he used to enjoy the
company of saints. He used to donate everything he earned.
Marriage of Nanak
Jairam, brother-in-law of Nanak found a suitable bride
named Sulakshani for Nanak; who belonged to Batala. Father
of Sulakshani was the collector for the ancestors of Nanak.
The message was sent through a Brahmin for engagement and
the marriage was solemnized after one year. Nanak ji lived in
Talwandi for one month with his wife and then he migrated to
Sultanpur. Meanwhile Nanak was charged with swindling of
funds, but after enquiry it was revealed that the money was
due to him. This incident enhanced the reputation of Nanak
in the court of the kingdom. In-laws of Nanak ji used to visit
their daughter every month. In spite of every facility in the
house, Sulakshani complained Nanak ji does not return back home
for several days and does not loveher likeother husbands dototheir
wives. Healsospends lot of timein thecompanyof saints and hermits.
Reacting to the complaints of their daughter, the in-laws of
Nanak vent out their anger on Nanaki. One day Nanaki
counseled Nanak and requested him to spend more time at
home with wife. Nanak agreed to that. At the age of 22 years,
their first son Shree Chand was born and their second son Laxmi
Das was born after another 4 years. Bala was always there
in their service.
Leaving home by Nanak
As Nanak used to be in the company of saints and hermits,
his home was converted into a hermitage. At the age of 26
years and 8 months, he had experienced eternal bliss. Nanak ji
was sitting on the banks of the river Bei after taking a bath in
the year 1499. While he was meditating he visualized a divine
light and entered new realms of deep meditation. Due to the
disturbance from family members he started to live like a monk
and for some time he lived outside the town of Sultanpur. For
this he had to bear the brunt of anger of the family members.
Now that he found inner peace, he became quiet from outside
also. His wife left for her parents house taking her children
with her. Nanak ji had become Nanak Dev ji. He was left
with only Bala and Mardana, two of his most trusted attendants.
He used to roam around every where as per wish of the
Supreme Being, as he had no personal wish, left to be fulfilled.
Mardana used to play Rabab and Nanak Dev ji used to spread
the message of the god to the masses, through Rabab.
Attending a Yagya by Nanak
Brahmins were conducting a Yagya for the King Maluk
where he was also invited, but he preferred to take simple
meals from the house of a down trodden carpenter called Lalu.
Brahmins complained to him about this. At last Nanak Dev ji
visited the venue of the Yagya. He addressed the king Whydo
you think and saythat, in spiteof belonginga warrior clan, I have
taken meals in thehouseof an untouchable. I ama fakir and donot
belongtoanycasteor creed. You havecastethat is whyyou haveorganized
feast for Brahmins only. Saying so Nanak held the food prepared
by the Kings chef and in the second hand he held the morsel
from the food prepared by Lalu the carpenter. Then he squeezed
both the preparations. To the surprise of the gathering, blood
started to trickle from the food prepared for the Yagya and
milk started to trickle from the simple food prepared by Lalu,
the carpenter. Nanak said O king! I donot accept thefood which is
soaked in blood. Simplefood offered bya poor fellowand prepared
fromhis hard earned moneyis as if it was prepared in milk. All
those who were gathered bowed their heads in shame. This
way he denounced caste system and untouchability prevailing
in the society. He started roaming all over spreading the message
Thosewhoremember thegod, areloved byhim.
Requests by parents and Uncle for
returning back home
While wandering, Nanak reached his home town Talwandi,
along with Bala and Mardana. He took his seat near the well
outside the village. All the villagers came for a glimpse of him.
His father was deeply hurt and was accusing Nanak for
tarnishing the image of the family. His mother was crying for
losing her son and was requesting him to return back home.
Nanak said Nowthewholeearth is myhome. Your houseis toosmall
for metolive. NowI amresidingin thelargehouseof God. When
his uncle requested him to return back, Nanak said
Now pardoning (l|n|) is my mother and satisfaction (=-||)
is my father. Truth is my uncle which can help me win over my
mind. Listen Lalu the traits should be those who link every
body with the bondage of brotherly love. So uncle, please have
patience, as it is my company as per my choice. Peace is my
friend and understanding (nl-) is my disciple. Such is my family
and mother-in-law is my playmate. One Onkar ((+ ~|+|) is
like my husband which has been described in religious scripts.
If you will abandon him then I feel sad.
Thus consoling every one at Talwandi, Nanak returned
back to the house of Lalu. He stayed there for five days along
with Bala and Mardana. After that he left for his journey towards
Bengal, considering the journey as the desire of the God.
Stay at Kartarpur
Nanak used to preach while roaming all over and he used
to narrate the glory of Hari (one of many names of god) and
the name of Hari. He also shattered established beliefs with
his knowledge. Some time he used to meet Nanaki and at other
times his parents. He used to preach his family members also
about the importance and glory of name of Hari.
While on the move Nanak ji observed that a Brahmin was
meditating on the Shaligram (the stone is considered to be a
form of Lord Krishna). Nanak ji asked his disciples to remove
the Shaligram and all the offerings placed around. When the
Brahmin opened his eyes, he started crying after not finding
Shaligram. He complained to Nanak ji. Nanak ji said You claimed
topossess theknowledgeof all times (past, present and future) if you
meditated on theShaligram, but you could not knowabout Shaligram.
Brahmin pleaded with him that he used to tell lies about the
god for food, required for the family. Hearing this, Guru Nanak
ji said Donot tell lies fromtodayand trytofind theenormous wealth
hidden within you. Brahmin accepted Nanak ji as his Guru. His
preaching is
+i-- n l--| n| l-- - n- -i- l|:
=n | +| -|= +|: n| ---n tl <~|::
Guru Nanak used to preach and he started living in
Kartarpur. His wife moved in with him along with their two
sons. Guru Nanak ji lived in Kartarpur during last 18 years of
his life. Kartarpur a abode of the doer (God is considered
to be the only one who does all in the universe). Nanak is
only the performer and he dedicated all, what he did to
the almighty. He used to prompt others to remember the name
of Hari and used to say-
-|n -|n +n ~|| +n ~||
He used to preach and also used to tell the same essence
of the chanting the glory of the name of Hari. He helped people
visualize the real truth. He used to see Hari every where.
~-< |t tl +| |=| t a|- -|:
-|-+ l- ~|| l--tln- |n +i +|:
While removing the algae of confusion, he was living in
the state of eternal bliss. Only thing that remained was the
doer, (+-| the doer)
Inheritance to Angad Dev (1504-1552)
Nanak Dev ji was worried and was looking around for a
person who was like him and will continue the tirade against
the wrong traditions. Since his elder son had become a fakir
and his younger son was too young to continue what he had
started, although he was full of devotion and faith. Meanwhile
a Kshatriya (warrior clan) named Lehna came to visit the
shrine of a goddess and got attached with him for ever. Nanak
handed over to him all that he had earned in his lifetime. Being
happy with his devotion Guru Nanak said Since you are born
out of me, from now onwards you will be called Angad. You
return back to your native place Khandur, meditate and spread
my message to the masses. It may be possible that you do not
get along with Shree Chand or Lakshman Chand, hence you
will start your tirade from your place. Angad Dev prostrated
in front of him and returned back to his native place. Meanwhile
parents of Guru Nanak Dev ji expired and their family wealth
was transferred to his sons. Nanak Dev ji was absolved of the
debt from parents (as per Indian traditions a man is indebted
to the god, the parents and to the Guru and he has to repay
them by his deeds and rituals). Meanwhile Shree Chand ji also
became a saint and started his own sect. He was considered as
reincarnation of Lord Shankar and lots of temples have been
built depicting him as deity.
Nirvana of Guru Nanak Dev
Principal message of Guru Nanak Dev was Nooneis
superior or inferior based on status of his family. Declaring some
one as inferior or superior is a result of the being narrow
minded. It is better for a person for treading the path of honesty
and simplicity. He emphasized on the building a strong
character and then further developing it. He said that One
shall gain knowledgelikea Brahmin, becomestronglikea warrior,
earn wealth likea businessman (trader) and shall servethecommunity
likea servant. It is not correct torun awayfromthedifficulties of lifein
this world. Thus he gave his doctrine for remembering the God
to the common man and left for his heavenly abode at the age
of 70 years on 22
nd
September, 1539. He was a guru in
true sense. His traits flowed through Angad Dev for the
common man.
Sikh religion
Guru Nanak was the founder of the religion. In Sanatan
(eternal) religion whenever traditions and superstitions become
more prevalent, masses blindly follow the distorted
interpretation of the religion then great people arrive on this
earth. These people shatter the falsehood of superstition, rituals
using the sword of their words. He was a guru of the same
tradition. He embraced Hindus and Muslims with the same
affection. He gave the same message of prayers to God to all
the sects. He tried to pull the common man out of the mess
created by the distorted beliefs and traditions, but it is sad that
with the passage of time common man could not stick to the
values introduced by him. A man becomes the mouth piece
for some one elses ideology using his acquired intelligence
and arguments, while using the crutches of falsehood and
popular adages to satisfy his ego. Using the media, he tries to
enhance his own image Truth dies its natural death, and is
buried under falsehood and hypocrisy. In due course of
time no one dares to speak against that, as the same
hypocrisy and falsehood gives impression of truth. Masses
are ready to do anything for their false and rigid notions.
Religion is no more practiced and remains confined to
the religious literature. Common man gets used to the
scenario like a drug addict. One who dares and opposes
such conditions is called an atheist, but when the so called
atheist leaves his physical body, he and his ideology is
used as the base for yet another tirade, this time for the
personal gains of the preacher. There ideology appears
to be priceless. This cycle has been going on since
eternity, that there is no dearth of the people who fight
against the established norms, No dearth of people who
will hang such people, and then there will be no dearth of
the people who will worship the victim of mass hysteria
or opposition. Even temples will be built in the name of
the person who is hanged. Guru Nanak also belonged to
the same tradition who gave importance to a persons
intellectual capabilities and not to the family status. Although
his son Shree Chand was not only a great saint but a Guru
also; due to some reasons he preferred to pass on the spiritual
inheritance to Angad Dev. He also instructed his other disciples
to accept Angad Dev as their Guru. His disciples were also
called Sikh, which is nothing but the different dialect and
distorted pronunciation of the word disciple (or lz| is
pronounced as lz| which was further shortened to l=|). Angad
Dev ji also developed the preaching of Guru while staying at
Khandur as per instructions of Guru Nanak and passed on
the inheritance to brother Amru in1552, before his merger into
eternity on 29
th
March,1552. He also had two sons but he chose
to make brother Amru (later he was called Guru Amar Das) as
his successor.
!! Hari Om !!
Guru Amar Das (1479-1574)
Amar Das was called Sahib. He became the third guru and
he was born on 5
th
May, 1479 in a Kshatriya family belonging
to Vasare village. He was related to Angad Dev as his nephew
was married to the niece of Angad Dev. He accepted Angad
Dev as Guru at the age of 72 years and served him. In 1952
passed on the spiritual inheritance to Guru Amar Das. He shifted
his base from Khandur to Gahadwal. Now Sikh religion was
spreading very fast. He involved his sons and grandsons for
collection of Guru Vaani (Voice of Guru) and passed on the
inheritance to his brother Jetha at the age of 95 and attained
nirvana on 1
st
September 1574.
Guru Ram Das Sahib (1534-1581)
Jetha Bhai was called Guru Ram Das Sahib. He was the
fourth Guru and was born on 24
th
September 1534 at Chuna
Mandi (whole sale market of Lime) Gram in Lahore. He too
belonged to Sodhi family (another one of the warrior clan).
He was married to the daughter of Guru Amar Das ji. He
served Guru Amar Das as a Guru and not as father-in-law. He
got the spiritual inheritance in September 1574. He established
a town called Wheel of Guru in 1577 which was later given
the name of Amritsar. He founded the Har Mandir sahib and
the foundation stone was laid by a Muslim called Mian Parvesh
Mir. He only compiled the voices of Guru (Guru ) and got it
printed for distribution for the first time. He nominated his
third son Arjun Dev as the next Guru and merged in the eternity
at the age of 47 years on 1
st
September 1581.
Guru Arjun Dev (1563-1606)
Guru Arjun Dev took over as fifth guru at the age of 17
years on 1
st
September 1581. He was born on 15
th
April, 1563
at Goindwal. He too compiled the preaching of all the Gurus.
He worked for spreading the message of all the Gurus and as
a mark of this he got several water wells drilled, several ponds
built at various places. He also renovated the township of
Kartarpur. He was martyred at Lahore by the order of Muslim
ruler Jehangir on 30
th
May, 1606 at the age of 43 years. His
son took over as the sixth Guru.
Guru Hargovind Ji (1595-1644)
Guru Hargovind ji took the reigns at the age of 11 years as
sixth Guru. He carried two swords, one to take revenge for his
fathers martyrdom and second for the protection of Hindu
religion. He was the first guru after Guru Nanak, who moved
out of Punjab to spread the religion. He not only provoked
youth for the battle against Muslims but actively participated
in it by leading the forces. He left his mortal remains on 3
rd
Mar1644 at the age of 48 years 9 months and merged into
eternity after handing over the charge to Hari Rai ji.
Guru Hari Rai ji (1630-1661)
Guru Hari Rai ji was born on 30
th
January 1630 at Kiratpur,
took over as seventh Guru and at the age of 13 years. He
started the tradition of community feast and mass prayers. He
passed on inheritance to his son Hari Kishan ji and got merged
in the eternity at the age of 31 years 8mongths at Kiratpur.
Guru Hari Kishan Sahib (1656-1664)
Guru Hari Kishan Sahib was born on 7
th
July 1656 at
Kiratpur and at the age of slightly over 5 years took over as
the eighth guru. His elder brother Ram Rai could not accept
this and declared himself as Guru with few of his followers.
Those who knew the decision of the previous Guru, refused
to accept Ram Rai as Guru, who then approached the court of
Mughal emperor for arbitration. Due to betrayal of his elder
brother Ram Rai, in the hands of Muslims ruler Aurangzeb, he
developed very high fever which manifested into small pox
and left for his heavenly abode on 30
th
March, 1664, but before
that, he expressed his desire that Teg Bahadur be made
next Guru.
Guru Teg Bahadur sahib (1621-1675)
Ninth Guru Teg Bahadur was born on 1
st
April 1621 in the
Sodhi clan. He took over as the ninth Guru at the age of 43
years. He roamed over the places of eastern India including
Bihar, Bengal and Assam along with his family. He left his
pregnant wife at Patna and left for Dhaka. His son Govind
Singh was born at Patna. He founded the township of
Anandpur sahib. He was moved by the torture of pundits of
Kashmir by Aurangzeb. As he was about to initiate the tirade
against the oppression of Aurangzeb, he was summoned by
the message of Aurangzeb to Delhi where he was detained.
He accepted martyrdom along with his disciples. While he was
making prayers in the morning at Chandani Chowk, Delhi; he
was beheaded by the assassins of Aurangzeb at the age of 54
years 9 days on 11 November 1675. His followers were also
killed by the henchmen of Aurangzeb.
Guru Govind Singh (1666-1708)
Guru Govind Singh was the tenth Guru and was born on
26
th
December, 1666 at Patna in the Sodhi family of Guru
Teg Bahadur and mother Gujari. He took over as guru at the
age of 9 years. He inherited the grace of being a Guru and
pangs of torture to his parents. He chose Anandpur sahib as
his work center. He established the Khalsa Panth (Thepuresect)
in 1699 on the day of Baisakhi at the age o 33 years, at
Kesargarh, where one Kshatriya and four of the oppressed
community came forward for supreme sacrifice of their heads
for the sake of religion. He slaughtered five male goats and
showed the blood to his disciples. Those five were called the
Fiveloved ones. He offered them the nectar. He changes his
name from Govind Ram to Govind Singh. He also declared
that all his disciples will be called Singh (The Lion). He
conveyed the message of universal love to the people
=|- +t| =- nt = l- n l+| l-- ti | ||
I am telling the truth which should be heard by all, one
who loves all can only be closed to the God. He passed on
knowledge in the form of books. Two of his sons were
martyred while fighting against the tirade of Islam. He sent
other sons aged 8 and 6 years and his wife along with few
jewels to Delhi, along with Gagu Brahmin, who betrayed him
by swindling the wealth and passing on the information to the
forces of Aurangzeb and they all were arrested. Aurangzeb
forced them to convert to Islam, but they all refused and as a
result the young boys were sealed in the brick structure
which was built around them. Mother of the children also
jumped to death.
Appointing Madho Das as commander of
the forces
Guru Govind Singh escaped from the battle and reached
Muktasar, where he battled once again. Most of his disciples
were killed in the battle. He met a person, named Madho Das
(distorted word for Madhav Das) who had renounced the public
life and was in penance. He persuaded him to take over as
commander of whatever was left of the army and reorganize.
He also made him his disciple and instructed him to, remain a
Yati (knowledgeable person) and never try to become a Guru.
Follow the instructions of the Khalsa (the pure one). He
instructed Madho Das to eliminate the sinners and preach the
general public.
Stabbing by Gul Khan and declaring
Granth Sahib as the last Guru
Hatred was being nurtured by both the Muslims and Sikhs.
Two Muslims named Gul Khan and Ataaul Khan approached
him to serve him, whose fathers were killed by Guru Har
Govind Sing in a battle. Oblivious to the fact, Guru Govind
Singh permitted them to be with him. They were always on
the look out for the opportunity to eliminate him due to malice.
One day, while Guru Govind sahib was sleeping in his tent
and no other guards in sight, Gul Khan stabbed him in the
stomach. He declared Granth sahib (Compilation of the
preaching of all previous Gurus) as the last Guru
~|a| |: ~+|n +i -n -n|: |:
= l=|- +| t+n t n|l-| |::
At the age of 42 years, on 7
th
October, 1708 on the banks
of Godavari River at Nanded, his mortal remains were
consigned to flames. His last words were
>i |t i +| ||n=| |t i +i -t
Khalsa (the pure one) belongs to the supreme Guru and
victory to the guru.
Worshipping Granth Sahib
Thus the Sikh sect progressed and was converted in to a
religion, as strict traditions. No one was allowed to become a
Guru. Rituals of worship for the Granth Sahib were initiated.
Follower of Guru Nanak Dev ji , who convinced a Brahmin to
pray to Go instead of worshipping a Shaligram, started
worshipping a book of compilations (Granth). Did Guru
Nanak envisage the Nirankar (the shape less and form
less god) in this form? Some narrators say that since
everything was compiled in the Granth Sahib. Where is
the need for the Guru? All the knowledge is available in
the books about the medicines, surgery, but does it mean
that there is no need of a Guru or schools or colleges?
Can a sick person read the books and take the
prescription from the book? Is everything not said or
compiled earlier, prior to arrival of a Guru or a Buddha?
Vedas and Upnishads have been written even before the
arrival of Krishna and he said Arjun! Whatever I am
going to tell you is not new. It has already been narrated
earlier also. The need is not for the book, but for the
prowess. It all depends that who is uttering those words.
Same words coming out from Krishna and from Kansa
have different meanings. Destructive power in the hands
of Krishna or Hitler will have different repercussions.
Is it destiny that the preachers come at regular interval
and sacrifice themselves? Shall we always try to negate them,
kill them, hang them on cross and once they depart, build
temples, churches in their names interpret their
preaching in our own way and get the books printed as
per our understanding? Spread the teachings of a Guru
in the way it suits a hypocrite? Is it not religious euphoria
leading to bigotry? Is it not a condition like stupor? Those
who fear accepting religion are scared of their own ego,
which might get shattered. We step aside the wall and declare
ourselves as the protectors of the religion. This can not be
anything other than snuffing the religious truth.
Meditating on the Supreme Being, remembering the
Supreme Being is a better option. The flower which will
evolve will be of devotion, respect, love for all. The same
flower will yield the fruit called GOD. What ever is
spoken after that will be voice of knowledge, voice of a
Guru (Guru Vaani)
tks cksys lks fugky] lR; Jh vdky
Means that one who speaks about him (Supreme
Being) is in the state of eternal bliss and this is
eternal truth.
It is my intention to tell you that to reach to the truth, you
need to keep all your senses and mind open. There should be
no preconditions. He makes himself available to those who
are free, egoless and those who love all. This journey to find
the Supreme Being becomes very difficult for those who follow
traditions, who are communal, or who are intellectuals and is
as difficult as trying to pass a camel through the eye of the
needle. You should just try to free yourself from the shackles
of preconceived notions and behave normal. He will present
himself in front of you. Guru is not like a wall, but the door to
the eternity, door to the God. Since it is possible to find him
through a Guru that is why he is called Guru Dwar (,|)
!! Hari Om !!
Sadguru Dham Ashram
H-243, Kuwar Singh Nagar
Nilothi Mode, Nangloi
Delhi-110041
Phone: 011-28351513, 64171741
Mob. 09868886830
Swami Sri Krishnanand Ji Maharaj
1. Kranti Mahavishva
2. Charam Nirdesh
3. Kudalini Jagran
4. Yantra-Mantra Rahasya
5. Swar Se Samadhi
6. Kahe Kabir Kuchh
Uddyam Keeje
7. Ek Onkar (Nanak Bhagta
Sada Vigasu)
8. Buddhon Ka Path
9. Shiva Tantra
10.Mere Ram (Kabir Guru
Base Banarasi) (Setting of
Sadvipra Samaj based on
the Ramayana)
11.Rahasyamaya Lok
12.Lok-Parlok
Other Literary Creations of Swami Shree
13.Four books on Divya
Gupt Vigyan (Divine
Secret Enlightenment)
(To be issued to people
learning meditation) Apart
from this, Lakshmi Yantra,
Vidya Yantra, Kundalini
Divyaastra, Madhuram
Divyashastraare also given.)
14.Shiv Netra
15.Uma Kahun Main
Anubhav Apna
16.Guru Hi Muktidata
17.Bihar Ki Vedna
18.Third Eye
19.Awakening of Kundalini
Divya Gupt Gyan - This is the supreme state of meditation. This
art is taught by the Acharayas trained by Sadguru Swami Krishnanand
ji Maharaj which is imparted through Shaktipaat to give Divyaastra
and Devastra. These are capable of providing the immediate salvation
fromphysical and materialistic things in this scientific age and one can
fulfill his/ her wishes and attain joy. Through this, you can have protection
shield (SurakshaKawach) for yourself as well as others. You can also
invoke the Kundalini Power to get rid of tensions and diseases.
Madhuram Divyashatra - This will help you to create harmonious
relation on the family and social fronts.
Vidya Yantra - In this, Shaktipat is provided to the students to
enhance their memory and concentration and the process to use the
yantra to get job is also imparted.
Samridhi Yantra - This Siddha Yantra is provided for happiness
and prosperity.
To get your copy, contact:
SADGURU DHAM ASHRAM
H-243, Kunwar Singh Nagar, Nilothi Mode, Nangloi, Delhi-41
Telephone : 09910055223, 09868886830

The Path of Enlightenment

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Originalbeschreibung:

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

The Path of Enlightenment

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

DIAMOND BOOKS

The Path of Enlightenment

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen