Towards Enlightenment

English translation of Shri Yogeshwarji's autobiography 'Prakash na Panthe'.

1. PURPOSE:

What is the purpose of bringing back to mind that has become the past? What
is the purpose of recollecting the moments buried in the deep recesses of the
past and narrating them in literary form? Is there any worldly motive working
behind it? Is there any desire to earn fame or a craving for wealth? Am I doing
this simply to portray me as someone great?
The answer is NO, most emphatic NO. There is no mundane purpose behind
publicizing my journey in quest of light. As far as I am concerned, I can only say
that I am doing this under divine inspiration. I can very well go ahead without
recollecting my past. Still, I have to remember it for it is His sincere wish. What
is His purpose behind it, he alone would know. I have no choice but to follow it.
A young lad was inspired to follow the path of perfection or light and he started
his journey. It is quite probable that behind this inspiration was God's wish that
the world, which is increasingly leaning towards materialism, would have a
chance to read the complete and honest account of his innumerable
experiences along the way. What he achieved at the end of his journey may
infuse them with new vigor, new light. Who can say what His real purpose is?
My duty is only to translate His wish and act upon it. What could be a servant's
duty except to abide most respectfully, by the command of his Master? In
similar fashion, I go ahead in my work as per His inspiration. I am merely an
instrument in God's hands. I am the flute, it is He, who breathes life into it and
plays the notes. My whole life belongs to Him, and is completely devoted to
Him. Following and fulfilling His and only His wish is my purpose.
I was in the habit of keeping a diary right from my childhood. I found that this
habit had its own benefits and so I continued it for an extended period. It was
my favorite way of observing life and drawing conclusions thereof. Today,
blessed by divine inspiration, it is assuming the shape of this autobiography.
There is nothing surprising that mostly the wraps and woofs of my spiritual life
have found place in this narrative. My life so far has been of spiritual nature
and continuous spiritual development and progress is its true depiction. Just as
the life story of a politician would be mostly filled with political details, a
soldier's life story would contain details of the army, bravery and battles, the
life story of the one who travels along the path of spirituality would have in it
only references to spiritualism and Sadhana - what else could it have?

Some people believe that it is not advisable to disclose publicly the secret
spiritual experiences or performance of sadhana undertaken. They believe that
such things should remain confined to the person who has gone through that
experience. Nevertheless, even those saints who believed in the exclusivity and
secret nature of sadhana have revealed their experiences to their devotees for
human welfare. They have also subsequently become public. Tales associated
with great ones like Buddha, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Raman Maharshi and
Aurobindo have become well known. Thousands of people have derived
inspiration from them from time-to-time and they have shown light to humanity
at large. On the other hand, strict adherences to exclusivity and tradition of
secret, many branches of learning and details about their experiences have
wiped out. Thereby, the world has suffered a great loss. The best course is to
bypass and rise above the fear of public slander. One must examine ones own
heart, understand the wish of God and put it into practice. In my case, it is only
after such divine inspiration that I am beginning to write this brief account of
my life.

2. Birth

Bhagavad-Gita refers to unaccomplished yogis as yoga-brashta. In that

context, I would like to make it clear that I am not a person who is described in
the Gita' as the one who has deviated from or whose yoga is incomplete. I wish
that nobody would attempt to label me by such a name, because I have not
gone through such an experience. I have to request therefore that if someone
makes such an attempt in future, treat it as misleading and far from reality. I
am only an ordinary child of God and I wish to live and be known as such.
Do the basic components of the body and the mind change drastically by the
performance of Sadhana'? This indeed is the belief of experienced saints. I
have not undergone such a severe Sadhana'. Yet, I have been experiencing for
the past several years that my body and mind have undergone a complete
makeover. I do not feel at all that I was born anywhere. I am in a state of
complete transformation or metamorphosis. It is not a mere feeling, nor a
figment of imagination. Rather, it is a concrete fact. It would be quite difficult
for an outsider to understand it. Yet, I am stating only the fact. A few
experienced people may take it sympathetically and probably can understand
it.
Let no one conclude from this that I was not born normally like everybody else
in the world. That is not at all what I mean. It is not as though my physical
existence has not been the result of the biological act of some other human
bodies, and has come into existence on this earth without taking support of any
other human being or that, I descended miraculously from the heaven. Such an
idea is totally unfounded. Like all others, my body has also come into existence

in the usual way as a physical phenomenon. However, that body and my

present body seem to be far apart. I cannot help feeling that the body that
come into being through the conjugal act between my parents has been
completely transformed as a result of Sadhana' and I have entered into a new
state of mind. That is why I do not feel attached, as I should, to my home, my
birthplace, mother, sister and other dear ones. For long, I have been
experiencing that I have been born anew or my whole existence has emerged
as a new incarnation.
Being in that state, if I should talk in ordinary terms, I can say that I was born in
a Brahmin family at Saroda, situated between Ahmedabad and Dholka. My
father's name was Manilal and my mothers name was Jadavben. Saroda is a
small village having mixed population, with a majority of Brahmins. Agriculture
is the main occupation of the people. The sacred Sabarmati River flows near by
the village. I was born on Monday, August 15, 1921. According to the Indian
calendar, it was the twelfth day of the bright fortnight in the lunar month of
Shravana. It was almost the time of sunrise. The sign of zodiac at the time of
my birth was Sagittarius (Dhan rashi). Accordingly, I was named Bhailal.
3. Rukhiba's memories

The house in which I was born was quite ordinary like a hut. My grandma
(mother's mother) used to live there. Her name was Rukmini, but village people
used to call her Rukhiba'. She was poor and uneducated, but her
understanding and practical knowledge was extensive. People used to seek her
advice on various matters. She was an idol of compassion. Her heart would
melt at the sight of others misery and sorrows and she would try her best to
help them. She was an extremely devout woman. Every night, she used to go
to the Ranchhodji temple and would sit there for hours in a state of deep
devotion. She was completely devoted to Lord Ram. Her heart was very pure
and innocent. Very often in emotional state, tears would trickle down her face.
In that way, she was very affectionate.
Rukhibas death occurred in an extraordinary manner. I must have been about
seventeen years old at that time. There was the lunar eclipse in the month of
Vaishakh. She had gone to the temple after a holy dip in the Sabarmati River.
She had fever by the time she came home and lay in bed. That was the last
fever of her life. She said that early morning she saw remarkable scenes in her
feverish state. She further described that two men wearing Pitambar'(yellow
colored silk dress) and looking like Sanyasis' accompanied by a woman
wearing lovely silk clothes came near her bed. They said that it was time for
her to depart and they had come to take her away. Rukhiba explained that she
could not immediately accompany them. She had no worldly attachments. Nor
was she sorry that she had to leave her physical frame and bid farewell to her
relatives. She knew that every single person who is born has to die one day,
but she has one thing remained to be done. Her son was at Baroda. She

expressed her desire to see him once before leaving her body. Once she would
fulfill her final wish, she would leave happily with them and discard her body in
peace.
What she said was hard for ordinary people to understand but she said that
those three persons agreed to her request and believed in her words. They
affirmed to her that they would return three days later to take her with them.
They also advised her to summon her son from Baroda at the earliest. Acting
upon her utterances, Ramanbhai arrived from Baroda. She was still in bed with
fever. Seeing Ramanbhai, Rukhiba was satisfied. She instructed to light a lamp
that afternoon. She made me sit by her side and asked me to recite the Gita'.
She talked very affectionately to everyone who came to see her that day. That
very day she passed away after midnight. She was the first person in my
knowledge who had discarded her body, knowing well in advance the timing of
her death.
On that very day, a potter in the town had a dream that a plane had descended
at the outskirt of the village and three-four divine looking figures had taken
away Rukhiba with them. In any case, Rukhiba had passed away. She left her
physical frame behind. The cage (body) was still there but the bird (soul) had
flown away. Mysterious are the ways of Nature. No one has ever been able to
understand them. Even great scientists with tons of knowledge fail to
comprehend it. Nature continues to function according to its own set rules. Not
a single mortal can escape from its influence. Only he who seeks God's
protection can free himself from its impact and understand the mysteries of
nature.
I too joined Rukhiba's funeral procession. Her body was placed on the pyre that
was prepared on the bank of the Sabarmati River. Rising flames engulfed her
body. Sitting on the quiet riverbank, I began contemplating on the mortality of
human body and transient nature of life. I resolved to scale the highest peaks
of spiritual advancement without any attachment and to judiciously use my
discretionary power for the same.
4. Condition of my parents

Like Rukhiba, ours was also a poor family. My parents financial condition was
quite precarious. Their education was quite ordinary. Education was given very
little importance in those days. It was also widely believed that women needed
no education at all. It was rare to find a girls' school in a small village. Such an
idea was hardly relished or welcomed by the general public. Practice of child
marriages was widespread. In such an environment, parents attention was
mainly centered around settling their daughters as householders rather than on
giving them proper education and training. How could such parents be
expected to impart them good education? Farming was the main occupation of
our family, which my father had inherited. He used to work very hard in the

field. He would make great plans and put them into practice. However, his fate
was such that most of the time his efforts would bore no fruits. Either nature
would be against him or something else would happen. His hopeless condition
never improved. Still, I have to say that we never had shortage of food in the
house. Even in testing times, we had enough ghee and milk.
Though poor, my father was noble by nature. He was healthy and his physique
was strong and sturdy. He would get deeply disturbed by someone's misery and
he would do everything possible he could to alleviate it. In the past, when
bandits attacked our village, he was at the forefront in challenging them. He
possessed many good qualities. He had never harmed anyone in his life, or
even remotely thought of it. He was interested only in his work. He worked so
hard that other than his routine work, he had hardly any spare time. In a way,
he was happy in his own world. He used to spend most of his day in the field
and he was satisfied with whatever he produced and earned with his hard work.
He was a friend of everybody. He was jealous of none. Because of these
qualities, even today he is remembered and people praise him freely.
The world is greatly indebted to farmer. The farmer is rightly called the father
of the world. How would the world survive without him? Of course, these days
like in other occupations, in agriculture too some evils have crept in. Even so,
on the whole it has remained an honest occupation. At the time when I was
born, it was considered as a very honest occupation. I really consider myself
fortunate that I was born in the house of a farmer who lived an honest life, and
I am very proud of it.
I inherited a peasants Samskaras' in my blood. A farmer spends his whole life
working in the fields in the lap of the nature. Love for Nature was inculcated in
me right from my childhood. In my early years, I used to sit for hours together
in the lap of Mother Nature while enjoying its solitude. Even today, my life is
more or less surrounded by Nature. Of course, I no longer cultivate the land
that I inherited from my ancestors. And I don't possess today the descendants
of those bullock, and articles such as cart, plough, leather bucket etc. But I
have not ceased to be a farmer altogether. It is only that God has entrusted me
with another kind of farming. Now I cultivate life and its harvest is not meant
just for me but for the whole world. This spiritual cultivation is quite unique and
fulfilling. In this farming, the soil of life has to be cultivated with the plough of
restraint and faith. Then one has to sow in it the seeds of Gods love. After
letting the rain of devotion and sunrays of knowledge, one can reap the harvest
of peace, tranquility and realization of God. By grace of the Almighty, that
cultivation is still going on.
5. My father's death in my 9th year

Sankuba, my father's mother, used to help my father in his farming. She was
very brave and hard working. She had a strong physique and hence could work

a lot, diverting water to the field and sometimes even draw water with huge
leather bucket as though it were a child's play. She was illiterate but her faith in
God was evident in her life. In her later years, she had become more devout.
I knew from my mother that I used to have stomach trouble as a child. I had a
very sharp memory by the time I was seven or eight years old. In those days,
there was a devout man in our village who used to teach village boys how to
perform Sandhya. His name was Ramtashankar. It was from him that I also
learnt performing Sandhya' as well as the recitation of Shivmahimna stotra'
and Rudri'. Thereafter, it became my routine to go to the Shiva's temple and
perform Sandhya'.
The beginning of my ninth year turned out to be revolutionary. It marked its
presence with a bang of new events that shook my life. It also bought with it
many new messages and a whole new direction. I started my ninth year on the
twelfth day of the bright half of the lunar month of Shravana' and in the
following month, Bhadrapad', my father had a severe attack of small-pox. The
heat of small-pox subsided within his body and as a result, he passed away that
very month. His untimely demise at a young age dipped our family in terrible
grief. The shadow of grief cast its spell on our relatives as well as in our village.
Village people grieved over his death, remembering his good nature and
magnanimity.
Inscrutable are the ways of destiny. Who can solve its mystery? One has to take
solace believing that whatever happens, it happens for our good. There is no
other way but to continue our journey in this world. After my fathers death,
God intended a new arrangement for my future. My mother had two brothers.
Her elder brother Ramatashankar was serving as a cook of a rich family at
Chowpatty in Bombay. Close by his place, there was an orphanage. He
proposed to admit me there. He tried for it and I was granted admission there.
In those days, going to Bombay was like going overseas today and moreover,
education was not considered a priority. Village people did not like the idea but
my family stood by the decision and I sat out for Bombay. At that time, I was
studying in the fourth standard.
6. In the orphanage in Bombay

Lady North cot Hindu Orphanage was situated on a small road lying between
Babulnath and Chowpatty in Bombay. It had a very good-looking and spacious
building. The surrounding atmosphere was very peaceful. I was admitted to
that orphanage. There were about 150 students in the orphanage at that time.
They were given food, clothing and education free-of-charge. Students had to
go out for study. For those students who were not interested in attending
regular school, there was provision for various other type of training. Training in
music, drawing, tailoring, carpentry, band, physical exercise, hosiery, printing
press was given in our institution. Students were free to choose any course. As

per the rule, no student was allowed to stay in the orphanage beyond the age
of twenty years. There was separate arrangement for very young children. A
systematic planning was in place to handle all the students. They were divided
into nine batches called A, B, C, etc. Each batch consisted of fifteen students
for which a captain or monitor was appointed. A head monitor was in charge of
presenting the problems of all students to the Superintendent. We had to wash
our own clothes and clean our utensils. For the bedding, we were given a
cotton rug, a pillow and two blankets. There was a well structured schedule
that everyone had to follow that would start from five in the morning to nine at
night. In this way, the overall arrangement of our ashram was very good. Still,
one should not judge and jump to a conclusion that our institution was ideal.
An institution may have a palatial building, the finest of infrastructure and
meticulous rules and regulations in place but that does not necessarily make it
ideal. These factors of course, play a very important role in making it great but
one has to consider another important ingredient, which is of the administrator.
Lot depends on the temperament and ways of functioning of an administrator.
It greatly influences and considerably affects in shaping the life of the students.
A good administrator can become a role-model and superbly mould the
characters of his students. Our orphanage was very good in all other respect,
but it was not managed by an able and appropriate administrator. From that
point of view, how can I say that ours was an ideal institution?
Therefore, I would sincerely urge those who run the management of public
institutions that children should be entrusted in the hands of such persons who
have development of children close to their heart, who are capable of
understanding children's plight and are ready to do their best for them. Even to
those who are occupying the position of the Superintendent or administrator, I
would say that they should feel grateful to God for giving them an opportunity
to serve children. They should take genuine interest in childrens overall growth
and serve them enthusiastically at all time. They should treat children as
representatives of God. They should try to associate and involve themselves
with their life. If they will do so, they would feel a sense of fulfillment in life and
a great service to society. Their institution would undoubtedly benefit from their
noble acts.
7. Training in ashram life

In the Ashram (orphanage), we were required to wash our own clothes. I found
it hard in the beginning because I had not learnt it in my young days. Slowly, I
got used to it. If the clothes were even slightly dirty, the Superintendent would
either fine us or give physical punishment. Students were terribly scared of the
Superintendent on that account. Quite often, imposing fine or physical
punishment spoils the minds of children instead of improving them. It arouses
in them a feeling of malevolence and revenge. One could easily see such
feelings prevalent in our Ashram. Students were seen using abusive language

for the Superintendent and were rejoicing whenever he suffered any harm. On
one occasion, the situation reached to an extent that the students switched off
the electric lights and beat him up with 'chapals'. No doubt, that whole incident
was unfortunate and deplorable but it was an indication of the widening rift
between the students and our Ashram superintendent. Such shameful incidents
would never take place in an institution where the relations between the
students and the management are full of affection, cordiality and harmony.
There used to be annual functions at the Orphanage. Reputed persons from
outside were invited for the occasion and many others formed part of the
audience. The students staged plays and sang songs. They also gave musical
performances and display of physical exercises. Those performances were very
popular with the general public. Those who gave excellent performances
received prizes. I was very fond of those annual functions. For several years, I
regularly participated in those functions. I had a special aptitude and liking for
dramas. It so happened that once an expert coordinator of the event was
convinced about my latent theatrical abilities. He gave me a small role when I
was quite young. I was asked to play the role of 'Karan Ghelo'. At another time,
I played the role of 'Shivaji'. Yet another time, I played the role of Arjun in a
dialogue between Krishna and Arjun. It proved memorable for me as on that
day; I received the prize at the hands of Lady Brabourne, the wife of Lord
Brabourne, the Governor of Bombay. Shaking hands with me in the Western
style, she had asked my name and praised me. That was a matter of great
encouragement for me.
I also acted on stage when I joined the G. T. Boarding after leaving the Ashram.
I played the role of a poet in a famous comedy drama named Lagna no
Umedvar (Marriage Candidate). It was written by the well-known Gujarati
comical writer, Shri Jyotindra Dave. Had I continued cultivating that childhood
aptitude and talent of mine, the result would have been something different.
However, the course of my life somewhat changed in later days and as a result,
that interest was not nurtured.
Even today, if we give up our narrow mindedness and take a somewhat broader
view, the drama, the acting and the actor that trio still exists. What else is life
if not a great drama? The only difference is that the acting on the stage is
illusory and artificial in a sense that the actor remains intact and untouched by
his acts. In real life, it is not so. Acting in the drama of life strongly binds the
actor with the Samskaras of his Karma and when the time comes, also
releases him from those bonds. This acting is genuine and if the actor is
capable, it can also be beneficial to him. It goes on till the last stage of
perfection. Till that point is reached, the curtains of life and death continue to
fall and rise, but the drama does not end. The same actor has to come back to
play his part. There is no choice or alternative.
8. Hygiene & Physical Exercise

The importance of hygiene was taught to me right from my childhood. Not only
that it was hammered into the minds of other children like me that unhygienic
and filthy things needed to be got rid of and condemned. Dirty clothes, dirty
utensils, dirty bedding, dirty hair, dirty nails and dirty teeth always brought
punishment for us. Thus I grew in an atmosphere in which strict rules of
hygiene were observed. For years I had taken training in hygiene, which were
both, inside and outside. I had known the benefits of both. Hence, how could I
ignore it even during my life of solitude in the Himalayas? I do not accept the
view that the life of an ascetic nurtures filthiness and neglects cleanliness. It is
actually the temple of purity. How can an ascetic be a worshipper of impurity?
An expert teacher came everyday to give us training in physical exercise. We
had to do physical exercise on all days except Sundays. In the beginning, I was
not at all interested in it. The change came after fourteen years. I came to
know about an incident in the life of Tilak Maharaj. It said that at first Tilak
Maharaj had a very weak body. Then one day he felt disturbed by that fact.
Hence, he resolved to become healthy, strong and sturdy. With a mad frenzy,
he started doing the dand-bethak (sit-ups) exercise. It brought beautiful
results. His whole physical constitution changed. Reading about that incident
had a very good effect on my mind. Around that time, I came across Maharshi
Dayanand's biography 'Zandadhari' in which the incidents about his physical
strength had been described in great detail. I also had a chance to read about
the life of his great disciple Swami Shraddhanand. I was convinced that it was
not right to neglect the body. If one wished to make life great and serve himself
and others, it was necessary to keep body strong and healthy. Even for reaping
the benefits of a happy life, it is necessary to have a lovely and strong body.
Physical health is absolutely essential even for the pursuit of religion and
spiritual attainment. The body is the foundation. How could one hope to build
the high edifice of spiritual development by showing disrespect to the body?
These thoughts generated in me love for physical exercise. I had a very weak
physique. After reading some literature on Yoga and about the lives of some
yogis, I felt the need for physical training in the beginning. Hence, I resorted
to the training. I started doing Dand-Bethak, Suryanamaskar and
Shirsasana with great enthusiasm. My indifference to physical exercise was
gone for good. My love for physical exercise continued to grow. It had a
beneficial effect both on my body and mind. The body and the mind are
mutually related. Hence, the one necessarily affects the other. My physical
constitution changed because of physical exercise. Today I possess a good
body. It cooperates with me in my work. Hence I recommend to every man and
woman to develop love for physical exercise and practice it and take pains to
make the body beautiful and strong.
9. Mahatma Gandhis darshan

When I came to live in the orphanage in Mumbai, the freedom struggle was
going on in the country. It is well-known that the struggle intensified in the
years that followed. Whenever Gandhiji visited Bombay, thousands of people
thronged to have a glimpse of him. I too had a chance to see him. It made me
happy.
One year, Gandhiji came to our Ashram ground for a whole week, every
morning for prayers. He was accompanied by a group of reputed leaders. I was
very young at that time. There was no one in that Ashram who could explain
to us the meaning of Satyagraha and non-cooperation movement. I knew
nothing about the Congress and its objectives. My mind was then immature.
Still, if those in charge of the Ashram or the teachers at school had explained
those things in simple language, I could have acquired at least some idea
about them. But they were utterly indifferent. As a result, we remained
deprived of a great benefit.
What has been inculcated in childhood sticks to us and stays with us all
through life. Those who were in charge of the Ashram were well aware of it. Still
they gave us no information at all about the situation in the country. They
hardly found time even to sit and talk to us. Hence we could not know about
other things that would lead to the betterment of life. However, much though
we were living in the dark, we had at least come to know that Gandhiji was a
truly great man and he was working for the good of the country. He longed to
put an end to the British rule in India. He went to jail for that purpose if it was
found necessary and underwent many hardships. He was a man of purity. I
started having respect for Gandhiji after learning those things about him. I was
convinced that he was doing really good work. When I thought about him, I too
had a desire to be a great man and work for others.
The literary-minded senior students in the Ashram had started bringing out a
hand-written monthly magazine. Shri Shankarlal Choksi was the editor. He was
a very genuine student with many virtues. I too felt inspired to write something
after seeing that monthly magazine. One day I picked up the courage and
wrote a small article about village school master. Shankarlal was very pleased
to read it. He encouraged me and praised me before other students. That
appreciation of my small article further encouraged me. Had the article been
harshly criticized or ignored, my enthusiasm to become a writer would have
vanished forever. The praise of the article was like an inspiration that nurtured
my hearts desire. After that I wrote a couple of more articles and also
composed one or two songs. Gradually, I became a subject of discussion
among the students.
Later, when I was about fourteen, we started bringing out independently a bimonthly called Chetan. The students of the eight (English fourth) standard,
and particularly my student friend Narayan Jani had helped me in that venture.
It was thus that I made a modest beginning in literary writing, which gradually

picked up and continues till today. The proof lies in the fact that what began as
a small article about the village school master has now reached the stage of
the writing of this autobiography.
10.

Prayer for Superintendent's health

When I came to Bombay, my mothers elder brother lived very close to the
Ashram. About a year later, he went to live at Andheri. I visited him almost
every Sunday. I felt quite good with those visits. He showered a lot of affection
on me and gave me whatever help I needed. Once my mother came to Bombay
to enquire about my welfare. I had conveyed to her that I was not comfortable
in Bombay and requested her to take me home. But her elder brother was a
very sensible man. He gave me strength and courage. For a couple of years
after joining that institution I felt uneasy at heart and seemed to be passing
through an unpleasant experience. But later on, I settled down.
I used to go home during the vacations. In course of time, I had come to like
the institution so much that the idea of leaving it to go home did not
particularly attract me. It is almost the same in case of every new thing or new
atmosphere. The mind resents it at first, but gets used to it in course of time
and ultimately that alone gives him joy. This is how the mind normally reacts.
This is universally true. But it is necessary that one should remember the
essence of it and inspiration to life it provides. It is beneficial for one to
continue to look at the old with gratitude and loyalty. Above all, one must learn
the art of remaining happy and cheerful in all circumstances.
*One year an unusual incident took place. Our Superintendent died and a new
person was appointed in his place. He was a good natured and educated man.
He also made certain improvements in the institution. Still, the students were
dissatisfied with him. Once he fell ill. It turned out to be a serious illness. His
family members got very anxious to hear the doctors diagnosis. The
atmosphere was very grim.
Then, it occurred to me that all the students should get together and pray for
the Superintendents health. I made that proposal at the evening prayer. I said
that the Superindent was in a critical condition and it was necessary to pray for
his health. We would forget about our dissatisfaction with him. In the face of
serious illness and death, we must forget our greatest differences and have
kind thoughts in our minds. We must stand together; allow the feelings of love
and service to grow in our hearts. God would definitely listen to our sincere
prayer. Some sensible students greeted my proposal. Others did not approve of
it at all. They smelt in it the desire to flatter the Superintendent. Still, willingly
or unwillingly, all sat quiet. Most of the students quietly sat through the prayer
till the end.

God certainly listens to a genuinely offered prayer. Our prayer also brought the
good result. The Superintendent fully recovered after a few days. He was very
happy that we had prayed for him. He was overwhelmed. His attitude towards
the children changed.
11.

Beginning of life in solitude

With that desire in mind, I started spending more of my time in solitude,

keeping away from the students. I devoted my leisure hours to good reading
and good thinking. That routine got further confirmed as time passed. Mostly I
would be at school only until the afternoon, after which I went to the Hanging
Gardens. There used to be a spring. I enjoyed sitting by the spring. I would sit
in the beautiful and peaceful atmosphere for hours, dipping my feet in the
spring. I often spent my evenings there. Sometimes I would stroll on the wide
Chowpatty beach. When I went to the Hanging Gardens, I felt as though I were
entering a great university. What else is Nature if not a great university? What
man learns from Nature is by no means less that what he learns within the
stone and brick walls of a university. If man keeps his eyes open and if he has
an eagerness to imbibe things, he can acquire tremendous knowledge, sitting
on the lap of Nature. Rivers, brooks, oceans, sky and trees, flowers and the
colors of dawn and dusk can give him remarkable lessons in wisdom and show
him ways of changing his life. That has been my own experience.
This does not mean that I dislike school subjects. I had a special liking for
school studies. However, because I had confidence in my intellectual capacity, I
did not worry too much about my studies. I worked very hard at the
examination time, so that I got good results. Mostly I used to be one of the first
three top students. The teachers treated me nicely for that reason.
In those days, I had formed a habit of getting up in the small hours of the night
and praying. Hence, as a rule, I slept alone on the terrace for which the
Superintendent had granted me the permission. I would get up at about one
oclock at night and pray to God regularly. I knew of no particular method of
meditation. I mostly tended to stop the breathing process because I believed
that that led to the state of Samadhi. Like Ramakrishna, I had also started
meditating after discarding all clothes. But how can one reach the state of
Samadhi so easily? It needs extraordinary practice. Nevertheless, I did find joy
even in that state of mine.
I did not have any idea of the methodology of prayer either. All I knew was that
God was the Mother of the World and I was Her child. God was present
everywhere, but it had become extremely hard to realize God for want of purity
and love. To attain the state of purity and love and reach God, One must pray
from the depth of heart. One must open up his heart before him. I felt
overwhelmed while I engaged myself in prayer. Sometimes I would be so
overwhelmed with emotion that I would start rolling on the terrace or in the

Chowpatty sands. Moreover, sometimes, remembering my blunders, would rub

my head on the ground in remorse. Hours would pass like this in prayers. That
experience of feeling love grew more intense day by day. Then I started feeling
the presence of Mother in every leaf and every tree. I felt Mother was
embracing me in the form of the waves of the Chowpatty sea. I felt only the
presence of Mother in the sands on the shore, in flowers, in wings of butterflies,
in the melodious tunes of birds. I experienced only Mothers love. I had got into
the habit of bowing to a woman on the road, thinking her to be Mothers
manifestation.
Inspirational incidents
Aim of Penance

Bhasmasur was a well known devil. He started hard penance for Lord Shivas
grace. Satisfied with his penance Lord Shiva appeared before him. Lord Shiva
asked Bhasmasur what he wanted. He immediately said O Lord! Bless me with
power. He asked further Anything upon which I put my hand should turn into
ashes. Lord Shiva was surprised with his demand. He asked Bhasmasur again
if he really wants the same but Bhasmasur was adamant. Shiva smiled for a
moment and then blessed him with whatever he asked.
Bhasmasurs happiness knew no bound. But at the very next moment, he had a
doubt in his mind. He thought that even if Lord Shiva blessed him with the
power, why he would believe until he actually experiment and prove that he
has the power!
At once he asked Lord Shiva, "How can I believe that I have such power? Wait,
Let me first test my power then only would I believe in what you say!
And.....Who would be better one than you to have that test! I want to test my
power upon you."
Bhasmasur at once started running after Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva already knew
what was going to happen. He started to run and Bhasmasur began to follow
him. The chase took Lord Shiva to his holy abode, Kailash.
Gauging the impending impasse, Lord Vishnu came to rescue and assumed the
form of a beautiful lady - Mohini. Bhasmasur was not a saint. He had not
mastered his senses. His anger, his lust, his animosity was as it is. A beautiful
lady was enough to lure him. Moreover, Mohini was so extraordinary that
Bhasmasur was attracted towards her at a first glance. Now Bhasmasur began
chasing Mohini.
Mohini knew that Bhasmasur was mad after her and would do anything to get
to her. She started dancing and Bhasmasur began replicating her every move
blindly. Soon, Mohini performed a posture in which she put her hand on her

own head. Bhasmasur was just blindly following her, so he also put his hand on
his own head.
That was it. Bhasmasur turned into ashes! What else would be an end of a
blind folded person running after beauty and flash?
The moral of the story is that the aim of the penance should be noble. It should
be aimed at the benefit of the self or for the betterment of others. Penance is of
no use if it keeps evil instincts in us. In fact, it should be performed with an
intention to remove such vices from us. The aim of penance should be to purify
our mind and intellect, and then only it is meaningful. Otherwise, like
Bhasmasur it would lead us towards our fall.
Amazing Powers
This incident took place during 1936-37. My age was about 15-16 years at that
time. A saint along with his disciples stayed for a brief period at the famous
Chawpatty in Mumbai City. As people knew about the saint, they started
flocking there to have his darshan. I use to regularly visit Chawpatty and
meditate there facing the sea for hours. So I also came to know about the saint.
Saints and sages fascinated me during those days so as soon as I knew, I
visited the place. The saint was young in age but he had an aura of peace and
compassion on his face.
This happened during the days of his stay at Chawpatty. Disciples used to cook
daily on the sea shore so for cooking purpose, they once needed water. They
asked in the neighboring locality for the same but nobody favored them. Some
of them were even welcomed with offensive words. Disheartened, they came
back to their place and told everything to the saint.
The saint gave them a patient hearing and then calmly said, There is no need
to go anywhere for water. Dig a small pit in this sand and there will be water."
The disciples expressed apprehension at the suggestion of the saint. They were
on the beach so they said that the water would be salty and it wouldnt be
useful for the purpose of cooking and drinking. Yet, the saint told them to have
faith in his words and to follow as per his direction.
The disciples dug a bit in the sand and there came water! Everybody tasted the
water and to their astonishment the water was sweet, it wasn't salty! On
hearing this news, many people started coming over there. Some of the people
even tried to dig nearby but the water turned out to be salty.
Another interesting incident took place during those days. The disciples wanted
to have a feast of Malpuva. Everyone knows that Malpuva is made from ghee
and neither the saint nor his disciple had it. The saint once again displayed his
amazing power.

He told the disciples to use the water that came out from the pit and use it as
ghee! He further instructed that "when we will have ghee, we will return the
ghee to the ocean god."
The disciples followed the saints utterances and actually made Malpuva from
the water! Lot of people ate that Malpuva as Prasad. People kept talking about
the incident long after the saint and his disciples departed from Mumbai.
The saint however was very simple. When asked about his supernatural powers
he said that sainthood does not lie in supernatural powers but it lies in
devotion, purity and love. The real power is to control ones mind and to realize
the God. How true was his message!
Association of Saints
Chaitanya Mahaprabhus disciple Swami Haridasji performed penance at
Jagannathji. That place is near the Radhakant Math at Jagannathji. Haridasji had
immense love for Lord Krishna. He was impatient for the divine vision of Lord
Krishna. Some of the devotees were not happy with this, so they decided to
disturb him. Once they assembled and prepared a scheme.
They convinced a prostitute to approach Haridasji and entice him. In the
bargain they offered her a great monetary reward. She agreed to the scheme.
She became ready without hesitation as she thought that it would be an easy
task for her to accomplish. She did not foresee any obstruction in her way.
Dressed to the best of her ability and overconfident about the task ahead she
approached Haridasji at his place. Haridasji was seated in the meditation at
that time. A stream of tears were flowing through his eyes. The prostitute
waited for hours but to no avail. Next day she dressed herself even better
thinking that she might get a break but the same thing happened. She was
dejected but not disappointed. She came the day after but the third day also
passed in the same way. It was the fourth consecutive day when Haridasji
opened his eyes.

Haridasji was surprised to see a lady at his place. The prostitute at once falls at
his feet. When Haridasji asked the reason of her arrival, the lady revealed the
entire story.
She said, "Some people have sent me to malign your character. I have been
coming since last three days but each time I found you deep in meditation.
Leave alone the plot of maligning you, after watching you for three days my
mind has changed! I wonder, what have you found internally so that you are
not interested in looking outside?"

Haridasji clarified, "The love of God is such a thing that once you taste it, you
would not like to look at any other thing in the world no matter how beautiful it
is."
The prostitute was in tears. She asked Haridasji, I have committed
innumerable sins. Is there any way I can also live a sublime life?
Haridasji replied, The holy name of God is all powerful. Once you surrender
yourself to thy, you never have to worry about anything.
Looking at the prostitutes readiness to leave her old lifestyle, Haridasji blessed
her with the new mantra Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare; Hare Hare
Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare. Thereafter the prostitute dedicated
all her wealth at Haridasjis feet and led a simple and restrained life as a
disciple of Haridasji . She also changed her name to Haridasi as a mark of
remembrance of her spiritual master Haridasji. Even today in Jagannathpuri,
beside the Samadhi of Haridasji lays the Samadhi of Haridasi.
The association of holy saints is very powerful. What it can not do? It can do
everything. It has been said in Ramayana that association of saints' changes
the life of an individual. Tulsidasji even elaborated this by an example; if a crow
comes in contact with a true saint, it becomes a cuckoo. How true!
Astrologer vs. Saint Baba Kali Kamliwala
This happened during the time when Rishikesh was surrounded by a dense
forest. During that time many saints and sages were dwelling in and around
Rishikesh but there was no arrangement for their food. They had to leave their
solitary places and to travel far in order to have something for their food. Some
of the saints managed to live upon fruits in the surrounding forest.
When Kali Kamliwala first came to this area, he decided to serve the saints in a
novel way. He started collecting food articles from the public and then
distributing them in remote and solitary places. This activity proved to be of
immense help to the saints as they were able to concentrate on their sadhana
without much thought about their livelihood.
As the time passed by, Baba Kali Kamliwala extended this service for the poor,
downtrodden, students, widows, ill and handicapped also. Later on it took the
form of Kali Kamliwala Institution where thousands of people are given free
food for their sustenance.
As if this was not enough, Baba Kali Kamliwala also started a dispensary,
library, water fountains, Sanskrit College, Spiritual guidance center and Cowshelters. On an average about thousand plus Sadhus use these facilities daily
and 500 plus people use the raw material for their food. During the Yatra days,
these numbers increase manifold.

One more noteworthy contribution by Baba Kali Kamliwala of which most of the
people hardly have any knowledge, is the reconstruction of the Laxman Zoola
bridge. During those days the famous Laxman Zoola bridge was made of
strings and was very difficult for the tourists to cross as the force of Ganges is
tremendous at that place. Baba Kali Kamliwala decided to improve the bridge
and at the same time he met a rich person namely Soorajmal Zoonzoonwala
who wanted to donate some money. Babaji told him that the best use of his
money was to build a permanent bridge across the Ganges. The Seth Soorajmal
agreed and the Laxman Zoola Bridge, as we now know it, came into existence.
In the year 1880, he traveled to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yanunotri.
He saw lots of people facing hardships. His heart melted and at once he
decided to do something for them. He traveled to big cities like Meerut, Delhi,
Calcutta and asked rich people to donate generously. As a result of Baba Kali
Kamliwala's efforts, enough funds were collected. He used it to build
guesthouses, libraries, food distribution centers and solitary places for spiritual
aspirants to stay. Later on this activity spread to Haridwar, Ramnagar,
Kurukshetra, Praygraj, and Kankhal etc.
Baba Kali Kamliwala was born in 1831. His original name was Biswasinh. He
was married but when he was 32, he decided to renounce the worldly duties
and devoted his remaining life for the benefit of the masses. He was named as
Vishuddhanand after sanyas. He used to have black shawl around his shoulder
so he became popular by the name of Baba Kali Kamliwala. One can get
immense inspiration as a karma yogi from his life.
Behaviour of Saints
It is very difficult to recognize true saints and to have deep faith in them.
Usually people misunderstand and distance themselves from realized saints.
But for those who identify and take shelter unto their lotus feet, everything
becomes easy.
Swami Nityanandji was dwelling at a place called Vajreshwari near Mumbai. He
was a very powerful saint but he didn't want people to know about his
supernatural powers. Most of the time he kept his distance from the crowd and
hardly spoke with any of them. Nityanandji's outward appearance was not too
impressive at first sight. However, his eyes were very attractive. One could
easily guess that he remained submerged in his inner world for the most of his
time.
Nityanandji used to behave strangely with the public. Sometimes he used to
throw stones at people and sometimes he even used to abuse them with mean
words. But there was a reason behind all this. Most of the people who used to
visit him were not spiritual aspirants. In fact, many of them were gamblers and
came there to expect favor from Swamiji in order to be rich!

Once, a spiritual aspirant visited the place where swami Nityanandji was
dwelling. The aspirant was vigorously practicing Yoga and was interested in
entering into the Nirvikalp samadhi. After years of strenuous efforts he was not
successful in opening the temple doors of samadhi. He was earnestly seeking
the guidance and blessings of a realized and powerful spiritual master. Thats
how he came to Swami Nityanandji's place.
That young aspirant remained seated after the gathering of devotees
disappeared. Suddenly Nityanandjis attention was drawn to that young
aspirant. In his characteristic strange behavior, Swami Nityanandji rose from
his seat and approached the young aspirant. He asked in an angry voice, "Why
you have come here? Go. Go. Swamiji raised the young aspirant from his seat
and pointing towards the middle of his two eyebrows said, Concentrate here,
Concentrate here. Light. LightPeacePeace.
What a strange way to give guidance! However that young aspirant did not feel
bad. He considered himself fortunate as Swamiji exchanged a few words with
him. The young aspirant happily went home and the very next day when he sat
in his routine meditation, his mind submerged into divine happiness and he
entered into the Nirvikalp samadhi.
This incident speaks volumes. Firstly, unlike most people who approach saints
for fulfillment of their worldly desires we should approach saints and sages with
the sole aim of spiritual advancement. Secondly, the outward appearance or
behaviors can be misleading for judging any saint.
Catch the middle one!
This incident took place in the famous ancient city of Haridwar. On the banks of
holy Ganges, a Pundit was seated on the corner of a house. He was repeatedly
uttering one sentence in Hindi - 'Agli chhodo, Pichhali chhodo bich wali lo
pakdi', the meaning of which was Leave the first one, Leave the last one, but
catch the middle one!
None of the passers by had any idea about what this Pundit was repeating time
and again. People understood the literal meaning of this saying but nobody
could comprehend the underlying meaning behind the utterances of this
Pundit.
Some of them thought that Pundit was thinking about girls and so they
commented that despite Pundit's old age, his attraction towards women has
not ceased. Some commented that even on the banks of holy Ganges the mind
of Pundit is impure and filthy.
This continued for quite a few days. Once it so happened that three girls
passed by and heard the words of the Pundit. They immediately became angry
and decided to teach a lesson to this aged man. The girls started to beat him

with their sandals. In no time, people assembled there to inquire about what
happened.
The Pundit clarified, "I was just repeating a quote of a saint". Everybody was
taken aback. A quote of a saint?
The Pundit then clarified, "I visited a saint some time back and he gave me this
message: 'There are three periods in a persons life childhood, youth and old
age. The best time to worship God and to achieve His grace is the middle one
youth. The reason: most of our childhood passes in play and when we are old
we are bound with so many limitations. It is only during our youth that we can
achieve whatever we wish. So we should maximize our efforts for the
realization of Gods grace during that time.' The explanation to my words is
that simple. I meant nothing foul by them.
The people who assembled there, including the three girls, understood the
meaning of that sentence and apologized to the Pundit for their behavior.
The incident demonstrate us that the presentation of the material is also as
important as the content therein and hence one should refrain away from using
such ambiguous words.
Darshan of a naked ascetic
Ive come across many saints during my lifetime. I have not only seen, but
have conversed with them and have received their blessings, their guidance.
They have helped me from time to time whenever I wanted their help. I
possess reverence and admiration for such holy sages and saints.
I prayed for years together for their assistance when I was staying in holy
Himalayas conducting penance or religious austerities with an unquenchable
thirst for self-realization. A time came during my lifetime when I wanted to
open the doors of super-consciousness. It was not easy for me. I meditated
daily and regularly with enthusiasm but I could not open the celestial temple
doors of super-consciousness. I could not travel beyond the ego sense and
dive deep in a super-conscious state, so I prayed to the almighty saints residing
in the Himalayas for their assistance. One day to my bewilderment, I had an
experience which I put before you.
I was residing in the holy place of Dev Prayag during those days. Dev Prayag, a
small town in the Himalayas is situated some 45 miles beyond Rishikesh on the
way to Badrinath. During those days I observed silence and prayed intensely
for the assistance of the Almighty Lord and asked for the divine help of realized
saints. It continued for months together. As a consequence of such constant
regular prayers, I had a unique experience.
It was a time after midnight. I was seated on my couch praying. My eyes were
open. There was darkness in the room; in fact nothing but darkness was

surrounding me. I could hear the sweet auspicious sound of the Ganges. To my
astonishment, I saw one illuminated figure in front of me, seated on the floor of
the house where I resided. It was a naked figure, there was no cloth wrapped
around his body and there was illumination all around his body. I was
bewildered to behold him. I got up from my couch and went before him and
prostrated to him and with my amazement he kept his thumb on my spinal
cord a place where yogic scripture say there is Muladhar Chakra.

He kept his thumb just at the bottom of the spinal cord. As he touched me with
his thumb I entered into a Samadhi State (Awastha) within a minute or so. I
lost my body consciousness without my knowledge or predetermination. It was
the power of that great saint. I could not recognize him because I never saw
his photograph anywhere previously nor have I heard about his name. But, he
was a great saint and that was sufficient for me. As a consequence of my
prolonged and constant earnest prayers he appeared before me in order to
help me and he indeed helped me in his own way.
I lost my body consciousness. I dived deep. It was Nirvikalp samadhi, a superconscious state - a state without any Sankalp-Vikalp. My mind became tranquil.
After half an hour or so, I came into a wakeful state. Again I felt the touch of
his thumb at the bottom of my spinal cord. He was seated in front of me. He
told me, your prayers have been answered. Ive come to help you as a
consequence of your earnest prayers. Now everything would be all right in
your sadhana. Whatever needs to be done has been done and its consequence
or results will be achieved afterwards. This experience is sufficient for you. My
blessings are with you. My congratulations are with you. You shall proceed on
the path of spiritual progress day by day and you will become superman.
The figure of that saint disappeared gradually from the surrounding
atmosphere. The illumination ceased gradually and again there was darkness
pervaded in the surrounding atmosphere. Nothing was there.
This was a very astonishing experience for me and as a result of that
experience I was very happy. My mind became peaceful, I felt tranquility of
mind and afterwards whenever I sat into meditation I lost body consciousness
in a minute or two. There were no endeavors to be made or any strain. It was
all on account of the divine grace showered by that great saint who appeared
before me. Im not aware who that great saint was. I do not know him. I could
not meet him again but that is immaterial. He helped me. The assistance was
needed and it was provided by that divine personality.
There are so many divine personalities dwelling in the auspicious land of the
Himalayas, but earnest seekers are needed. Many strive for worldly pleasures,
worldly enjoyments, worldly happiness, prosperity, grandeur, etc. but very few

people seek for spiritual advancement or dream of attaining the Supreme Self.
They have no thirst for self-realization.
(From Shri Yogeshwarji's lecture on "Self-Realization" at Reservoir Hills, Hindu
Seva Samaj, South Africa)
Experience of astral bodies
One winter, I was in Mumbai. My stay was at a Sanatorium at Valkeshwar in
Mumbai. The place of sanatorium was very attractive, as the sea was visible
from the window. On the first day of my stay there, a strange experience took
place.
It was nighttime when I was performing my regular prayers. Dim light from the
window was coming into the room. When my eyes opened, I saw an unknown
woman before me. Her age must have been around 30-35 years. Her face was
fair. She looked and calm and composed. She wore a pink sari.
At first I felt strange. I was surprised, as I had not seen her before. At that
moment the woman raised her hand and said, The bed on which you are
sitting is mine.
I could not follow what she said. She further clarified This is my bed. Two-years
back I died on this bed during my delivery. I love this bed and this room too. I
used to see my face in the opposite mirror all the time. I had a tragic death.
After my death I am staying here.
I asked: "What do you do here?
She stated, "If someone comes here, I make them ill. That satisfies me.
"To make someone ill makes you satisfied?
Yes. But believe me, I will make others sick but not you.
I asked, "Do you like this kind of life?
"Initially I did not like it but now I am accustomed to it.

"Do you possess any specific power?

"Not much. I can move around, within my capacity, at will. I can foresee events
and I can also perform some extraordinary tasks. I am not fully satisfied with
this life but I enjoy it somehow. I knew that you were coming here, thats why I
appeared for your darshan. Now I shall go. With that she disappeared in the
surrounding atmosphere the same way she appeared.

The next morning when I inquired, I came to know that a woman had died two
years back during delivery at the same place. It was also a known fact that lot
of people fell sick at the sanatorium.
Many people have similar experiences of astral bodies. Even I have come
across many such incidents in my life. It establishes the fact that such things
are in existence on this earth. Many people strive to have a relationships or
contact with such souls. I would advise that rather than striving for a
relationship with such souls, one should concentrate oneself on having contact
with the Almighty Lord from where all power originates.
Experience of unknown saints
I was staying at my birthplace Saroda during that time. Every evening I used to
do "Gita Path" (Recitation of Bhagvad Gita) and many villagers used to attend
it. During those days I used to sit in meditation during the night.
It was some time after midnight. My mind submerged in to eternal peace and in
that state I had one wonderful experience. I saw the closed doors in front of me
open automatically and the whole area filled with light. The next moment I
could see two saints in front of me.
I began to think about their identity as I had never seen them before. One of
the saint was very young may be 12 years of age and the other one was blind
and aged. I could guess from their dress that they belonged to the
Swaminarayan sect. They had red colored clothes and had a twisted headband
similar to the one worn by Swaminarayan Sadhus.
Irrespective of my amazement, they came forward and sat before me. I
prostrated to them. The aged saint said, "We are going to Gadhada (albeit by
air route) and your place came in between. We know that you are dwelling here
so we came here to meet you. You are doing Gita path everyday and many
Swaminarayan sect followers are also attending it. We are very happy with
that.
I wished to continue the conversation with them but they said, "We have to go
now. We have to reach Gadhada before the morning hours.
They rose from their seat. Soon the room was filled with light. In moments, they
disappeared in the same way they appeared. I opened my eyes. The image of
two saints was as it is in my mind. Their darshan was very enlightening.
This incident reinstated my faith that realized souls still exist in this universe
and they are working in their own way to help spiritual aspirants irrespective of
their religion or sect.
Guru

Many years back we visited the famous Badrinath temple. At that time we
visited many places with the sole purpose of having a darshan and meeting
with any Siddha dwelling there. We could not come across such great
personality, but we met one mahatma, who was very simple.
He took us inside his place and welcomed us with a smile. We saw in his small
room that there was nothing no picture nor idol of any God or Goddess.
However, there was a table on which a small handkerchief was spread, upon
which a bottle and small container was placed. We were surprised to observe
that.
We asked that Mahatma about it. He clarified, "they are my Guru and provide
me inspiration."
We were astonished as to how a bottle and a small container could possibly be
a Guru. In order to clear our doubts he added, "these two items provide me
with inspiration and constantly awaken me. Just like Lord Dattatrey had 24
Gurus from whom he got inspiration, I also believe these two articles as my
Guru."
How? We could not resist ourselves from asking.
He said, "The bottle contains water of the Ganges. It reminds me to keep my
life pure and sublime. The small container (dabbi) contains ashes of my wife.
When she died, I took it and renounced the world. This ash constantly reminds
me about the transitory nature of the world and all objects therein."
He added, whenever my mind is attracted towards any worldly object, it
reminds me that one day everything will turn into ashes. So I am able to
worship consciously and to my satisfaction. Whenever I go, I carry them with
me and worship them."
Having heard his clarification we had high respect for him.
The entire universe is a big university. In order to get inspiration and in order to
march forward on the path of spirituality, Guru in a human form is helpful. But
even in absence of a human form or in the physical absence of a Guru, a
spiritual aspirant can derive inspiration from his surroundings. If we keep our
eyes and mind open and if we are truly awake, we can get inspiration from
everywhere.
Himalayan Siddha
One Gujarati gentleman went to Rishikesh to perform sadhana. He stayed there
for two years. He came into contact with many good saints and sages but his
desire to meet an extraordinary Siddha remained unfulfilled. Due to this the
gentleman was not only disheartened but his faith was also shaken. He thought

that such Siddhas exist no more in the Himalayas and whatever stories he had
heard about them were imaginary or illusive.
That year during Mahashivratri a fair was organized at Virbhadra, few miles
away from Rishikesh. The gentleman decided to participate and so he started
on foot for Virbhadra. Soon there were clouds in the sky and it began raining
heavily. He did not know about the forest route and thus lost his way.
The gentleman could not decide what to do. He walked a few steps and saw an
assembly of woods burning at a distance. As he walked in that direction, to his
astonishment he saw one ascetic seated with only langoti worn on his body.
More amazing was the fact that the place at which the ascetic was seated was
totally dry. There were no raindrops in the surrounding area.
That Gujarati gentleman was speechless. He bowed down to that ascetic. The
ascetic smiled and said, I know where you are going. You are going to
Virbhadra, isnt it? You lost your way due to my will. Nobody can see me
without my wish.
The Gujarati gentleman asked, "who are you?
The ascetic replied that I am Avadhoot. I can move around as per my wish. In
order to remove your doubts I appeared before you. Now take this Prasad and
eat it. All your fatigue will be gone.
The ascetic further asked, Why do you want the darshan of a Siddha?
The Gujarati gentleman said, "I wanted to take Diksha.
The ascetic said, "Why do you want Diksha? Having my vision is enough. You
have already been blessed. Now you do not need Diksha. You will now march
forward on the spiritual path. I give you this mantra. Recite it.
The Gujarati gentleman bowed down again. The ascetic asked, "You wanted to
go Virbhadra, right?
The gentleman nodded and said, "Now I do not have much desire to continue.
The ascetics said, But you must continue since you are already half-way
there.
The ascetic put his hand on his head and when the Gujarati gentleman glanced
in the direction of the ascetic, he only saw only the burning sticks. The ascetic
was no more there. He again bowed down and collected ashes from there and
easily found the way to Virbhadra.
Later on, that Gujarati gentleman met me. He said "The Himalaya is still filled
with such siddhas but they appear before only those who sincerely desire for

their darshan and guidance. Who has such thirst? Who has such hunger for
their divine vision?"
Karma and akarma
Once the Gopis needed to go across the river Yamunaji to serve food to
Durvasa Muni. It was impossible for the Gopis to cross Yamunaji that time, as it
was flooded with water. To seek a solution they went to Lord Krishna and asked
for a favor. Lord Krishna gave this solution: "Go to the river and pray to
Yamunaji, 'If Lord Krishna is ever celibate, give us way.' The Gopis did exactly
what Lord Krishna told them and to their astonishment Yamunaji gave them a
way!
They crossed the river and reached the other side to serve the food to Durvasa
Muni. Durvasa Muni and his disciples finished all the food. Now the Gopis
needed to cross Yamunaji in order to come back home. The Gopis were worried
as to how they would cross Yamunaji again. This time they asked Durvasa Muni
for a favor. The Muni asked them how they cross Yamunaji the first time to
serve the food. The Gopis told him the whole incident.
Durvasa muni used the same trick. He told the Gopis to go to Yamunaji the
same way and pray, If Durvasa Muni is ever fasting, give us way. The Gopis
did exactly the way they were told and to their astonishment, the river Yamuna
again gave them a way!
It was an established fact that Lord Krishna was married and had about sixteen
thousand women in his service. How can he ever be said to be ever celibate?
The reason was that his mind was not dwelling even in even one of them at any
point of time. His was physically present with them but his mind was
submerged in brahma the eternal existence.
Similarly, the Gopis served food with their own hands to Durvasa Muni and he
finished all their food. Who would believe that Durvasa Muni could be labeled
as ever fasting? It is equally true that the river Yamunaji would never give way
in case the above statements were false. The only reason Yamunaji gave way
to the Gopis was that the mind of Durvasa Muni was not in food. He performed
the act of eating but his mind was forever engrossed in God.
The essence is that it matters the most how any act is performed. For those
whose minds are attached to God or Brahma the eternal existence, the
performer is not considered as real doer of the act. They are considered as
mere observers and hence their acts are described as Akarma (Non-action) in
the Bhagvat Gita.
Kundalini
An American doctor was interested in Yoga. He had read many books on Yoga
and had read about various chakras and the Kundalini in particular. He was

very curious and very enthusiastic. He decided to find out the existence of the
chakras and Kundalini by himself.
From what he had read in books, the doctor collected information that Kundalini
resides at the bottom of the spinal cord. He was a doctor by profession so he
managed to obtain a dead body for his experiments. He cut the dead body and
tried to find out the location and to visually check identification of each chakras
and Kundalini. However, after diligent experiments on the dead body he was
not successful in his goal.
He did not lose heart and decided to carry out the same experiment on few
more cadavers. He experimented on 4-5 dead bodies but remained
unsuccessful in physically finding or visually locating the Kundalini or any
chakras.
He reached to a conclusion that the illustrations about chakras and Kundalini in
all the yogic literature are false and baseless! He lost his faith in the subject
and advertised his negative findings to all.
However during those days great Indian yogi namely Swami Yoganand visited
USA. This doctor came into contact with Swami Yoganand. He expressed his
negative thoughts about Kundalini and the chakras. He told Swami Yoganand
that he had done enough experiments and has reached a conclusion that there
is nothing like Kundalini or chakras and that they are fictitious or mere illusions.
Swami Yoganand then illustrated the correct way to awaken Kundalini. The
doctor followed Swami Yoganands instructions vigorously and ultimately
realized the power of Kundalini.
Thereafter he started believing that everything written in ancient Yogic
scriptures is not baseless. Not only his faith in ancient Indian scriptures
increased manifold but thereafter he wrote a book on Kundalini entitled The
Serpent Power.
Many literates, in the similar way reach to an early and false conclusion that
some of the doctrines illustrated in our ancient spiritual scriptures are false and
baseless. They do not know how to verify them and therefore hurriedly give
false impression to the outside world that the information is false. Will they
learn something from this incident?
Learn to visualize God's grace
It has been said in our ancient scriptures that whatever happens to us, it for
our own good. Saints and sages also repeat this message to us. I also had an
experience emphasizing the same point.
It was 1956 when I was dwelling in the Bharat Mandir in the pious land of
Rishikesh. Once it so happened that a gentleman came all the way from

Kolagadh near Dehradoon to invite me to visit his place. I accepted his

invitation. As per our talk, he was supposed to come to take me with him on
the day fixed. We were supposed to take the bus departing from Rishikesh at
11:30 AM on that day.
The day arrived on which I had to go to Kolagadh to that gentlemans place. I
waited for the gentleman but he did not turn up. I missed the 11:30 AM bus
fixed for our departure. It was 3 PM when I decided to proceed without that
gentleman thinking that he might have encountered some problem coming to
Rishikesh.
The bus started from Rishikesh to Dehradoon and there came the Shong river
on the way. In those days, there was no bridge over the river for the bus to
cross. During the monsoon the route used to remain closed to all commuters
and on other days the bus used to cross the river through its shallow.
When my bus reached near the river, the traffic was jammed. We saw that a
bus had fallen down into the river waters. On inquiry it was found that it was
the same bus which departed at 11:30 AM from Rishikesh.
If that gentleman had come to take me, we would have been in that bus. When
I reached Kolapur and told the whole incident to that gentleman, he was
surprised. By Gods grace I was saved from a misfortune. I could see Gods
hand in the gentleman not coming to take me along. His faith in the God and
me increased manifold.
If we also cultivate a habit of acknowledging Gods grace behind every action in
our life, we would have nothing to irritate about and nobody to curse. All the
incidents happening in our life are for our own good, we should only learn to
visualize God's grace in them.
Maa Anandmayi
Can women progress in the spiritual field the same way as men? People often
express their comprehension about this. But let me tell you that with their
emotional power, dedication, intense loving nature and strong will power,
women should be able to progress faster then their male counterparts.
Maa Anandmayi was one such illuminated women saint. She actually hailed
from Bengal but her works were not confined to Bengal but crossed the
boundaries of India. I have a reverence and admiration towards Maa
Anandmayi.
It was June of 1956. Mata Anandmayi was dwelling at Solan in the famous
Shimla Hills on the invitation of the king of Solan State. Incidentally, I was also
at that place and stayed for few days with Mata Anandmayi. The following
incident took place during that time.

One devotee came to see Mata Anandmayi. He had brought a sari for her.
Mataji said, "I have enough saris. What I will do with this one?
The devotee said, I know that you must have many saris but I have brought
this with so much love and affection. I would be so happy if you accept it.
The devotee had tears in his eyes. Watching this, Matajis heart was moved.
She took that white sari and went inside the room. When she came out of the
room, she had put on the new sari and was holding her old sari.
Maa Anandmayi gave her old sari to that devotee and said, "I have accepted
your new sari. Now take this one in place of the one you gave. What will I do
keeping all these saris? God takes care of my needs. That devotee took Maa
Anandmayi's sari as a Prasadi.
This incident left a lasting impression on me. Mata Anandmayi was not
delivering any lectures, yet her mere presence and her actions were enough to
fill one with enormous inspiration. Her renunciation was commendable.
Mahant Gambhiranandji
Gambhiranandji was a Mahant (a title used for revered saints) in the famous
Gorakhnath Temple at Gorakhpur. But before he became the Mahant of the
temple he stayed in solitary places. After years of penance Mahantji had
achieved extraordinary powers. He was a Siddha. The following incident, which
took place at Gorakhpur, is an ample proof of his powers.
A rich devotee visited him and said, I am worried about my son who is in
England. I have received a letter in which my son has informed me that he is
sick and his condition is very serious. But thereafter there is no news of my
son. I am impatient. Please favor me and let me know how my son is doing."
Gambhiranandji at once went inside and sat in meditation. After few minutes
he came outside and told his devotee, "Your son is ok now and he is coming
back to India by steamer. You will meet your son very shortly."
The devotee was very happy on hearing this news. He went home and truly, a
week later, his son returned from England. The devotee at once realized the
power of Gambhiranandji. He narrated the whole incident to his son and
insisted him to visit Mahantji. His son, however was not motivated yet
reluctantly went to visit Mahantji.
As the son saw Gambhiranandji, he was taken aback. He told his father, "I have
seen him before!"
His father asked "What do you mean? Where have you seen him?"

The son explained in detail, "A week ago when I was coming back to India by
steamer, I met him one evening. He talked with me for a while and then
disappeared."
His father immediately remembered the conversation that took place between
him and Mahant Gambhiranandji. He narrated this incident to Mahantji.
Mahantji clarified; "There is nothing to be astonished about. I have such
powers. Its true that I met your son on the steamer and asked about his wellbeing. With advances on the path of yoga one can instantly move around the
planet, at will and converse with anyone." After hearing the explanation, his
son became a devotee of Gambhiranandji.
Mahantji was never interested in the publicity of his extraordinary powers. He
believed that such powers are not the ultimate aim of sadhana. Rather, the
realization of self is what one should aim for.
Renunciation
I was staying at Rishikesh during those days. An American gentleman was
staying there as well. He came to Rishikesh three years prior to our first
meeting. Once acquainted, he started visiting me regularly. He was young and
wealthy. He used to keep a beard and wore a saffron kafni. He was interested in
Yoga. He met lots of saints and sages in India during his stay.
Once he asked, "Are there any self realized, all-powerful saints dwelling
currently in India?
I replied, "Yes, of course. But they meet only those who earnestly seek them.
He said, "I have not taken sanyas (renunciation of worldly objects) formally. I
am in search of the right Guru who can give me sanyas.
I said, Sanyas is not something that is taken from someone. It is a state of
mind and when the appropriate time comes, it comes from within. External
sanyas does not necessarily mean the inner renunciation. I advise you to not to
take sanyas.
Why? He asked with surprise.
I said, "You are not prepared for that. Your heart and mind is not ready. They are
not filled with renunciation.
My heart is full of renunciation, he argued.
No. There is something else in your heart. Let me tell you. You are in love with
an American girl of about 25 years of age. Even though you love her, you left
her. She is ill and is in a hospital in New York.
He was simply stunned. "How you know all these? he asked.

That is irrelevant, but tell me frankly, is it true? I asked him.

Yes. Absolutely true. he confirmed.
Next day he came to my place with an album of that girl. The photographs
depicted her in different yoga postures Shirsasana (headstand),
Sarvangasana (shoulder stand) etc. The album contained other photos of her
as well.
I asked, "The girl seems to be very educated and with good morals. Still you
want to leave her alone and want to take renunciation? Until and unless your
heart and mind is free from any material desires, you will not succeed in
sanyas. It would remain outward and formal only.
He said, Bless me so that the girl will get well soon. I will do as you said.
His doubts were satisfied.
We should learn from this incident that one should strive for inner renunciation.
Once internal renunciation awakes, external renunciation takes place
automatically. An aspirant should try hard for preparing his mind for true
renunciation.
Sai Baba's grace
Saibaba took samadhi in 1918 but his followers have had innumerable
experiences of his grace even after his physical departure from this earth. I
consider myself fortunate to have Saibabas love and affection for me. Saibaba
has given me so many darshans and guidance during my days of sadhana. I
have also visited his place Shirdi many times.
Once while going to Shirdi I thought, 'At Shirdi, I am Saibabas guest, so
shouldn't Saibaba welcome me? During all my previous visits to Shirdi I have
had a hard time finding a place for my stay. I go to Shirdi only with the inner
inspiration of Saibaba and still I had to struggle to find accommodation.
Shouldnt Saibaba help me in finding a place to stay?'
We arrived at Shirdi on Thursday. There were lots of devotees from all around
the places. It looked to me that this time also I would have to struggle to find
lodging. As I descended from the bus a person approached me. He looked like a
farmer. He asked, Are you going to stay here? My reply was positive. He said,
"Do you want a place to stay? Today, many people have come so it is very
difficult to find a place. I have a nice place for your stay. I welcome you to
Shirdi. Come with me."
I was a bit surprised. I asked, "Where is your place?
He said Near Samadhi temple.

Why did you approach me instead of approaching others? I wanted to clear

my doubts.
Saibaba inspired me.
Saibaba inspired you? I asked.
Yes. Saibaba sent me towards you. I became speechless.
I asked my accompanying devotees to look at that gentlemans place. They
said that the place was comfortable. We stayed there. Since the place was
near the Samadhi temple, we enjoyed our stay.
My faith in Saibaba increased manifold after this incident. I still cannot and will
never be able to forget that farmer-like person. Its true that real saints are allpowerful and can do anything for their devotees. Saibaba's place is
undoubtedly among them.
Supernatural powers
I went to Almoda from Devprayag in order to have the darshan of Mata
Anandmayee. I went from Devprayag to Haridwar; from Haridwar to Bareily;
Bareily to Kathgodam and from Kathgodam, I reached Almoda. I was very
happy on reaching the ashram but unfortunately Mata Anandmayee was not in
the ashram. I inquired with the organizer of the ashram but to my misfortune,
he informed me that there was no possibility of her coming to the ashram in
near future. To stay at the ashram would be meaningless so I decided to
proceed back towards Dev Prayag.
But how could I go back? I searched my pockets and found that I had only had
two rupees with me. How could I reach Dev Prayag with only two rupees? I
prayed to God, as there was nobody known to me who could help. I had
immense faith in the infinite power of the almighty God. He had time and again
showered me with his infinite grace in the hours of my need.
An unknown sadhu approached me the next morning. His age was about 20. He
looked very young. He had long black hair and wore a zhabhbho. He saluted
me.
I asked,Where are you coming from?"
He replied on his slate as he had taken a vow of silence from KailasMansarovar
I doubted how he traveled in this cold season from Kailas Mansarovar. As if he
knew my thoughts, he wrote,I was staying there since a year. Now I want to go
to Badrinath, so I have come here.

I sang my recently composed song. Upon hearing it, he became very happy.
He said,I want to help you. Let me be of any service to you.
I said "You seem to have nothing with you. How can you serve me?
He laughed and said Trust me. I really want to serve you.
He took out a small cloth bag and said, How much money do you need? Until
you say NO, this bag will churn out the money! I have nothing except this to
serve you at this moment.
I was astonished. Was it possible? But he did not give much time for me to
think. He took out new and shiny coins from the small bag. I actually needed 35
Rupees to reach safely but he gave me 40 Rupees.
He said I do not let anybody know about this supernatural power. In fact, this
is one among many such siddhis I possess. I have love and reverence for you,
thats why I used it for you. I was speechless.
We traveled together up to Ranikhet. When it was time to depart, I asked,
"What is your name?
He wrote on his slate Ramdas. He left but put away his memory in my mind.
Was he a yogi? Was he a form of the Almighty God that appeared to help me?
Was he a Siddha? Did he appear to answer my prayers? Whoever he was, he
helped me at a time when I was in need. My faith in the infinite powers of God
increased manifold.
The power of prayer
This incident took place in 1951. After finishing my Amarnath yatra, I reached
Jagannathpuri via Calcutta. I was very happy to be at the pious place of
Jagannathji. I stayed there for few days.
Navratri was approaching and I was wondering where I would perform my fast
during that time. My dwelling place in the Himalayas Shantashram at
Devprayag was in a miserable condition. Rain and storm had done much
damage and in addition all the approach roads were broken. I also had the
option of going to Gujarat, my native place, for Navratri Sadhana.
I could not reach to a conclusion. In such an indecisive state, I left the decision
to the Supreme Power and began prayers for His direction. I sat at the temple
of Jagannathpuri and started intense prayer. I also decided that I should get
firm direction within three days.

One day passed, a second day also passed without any grace. On the third day
when I was praying in my bed in the early morning hours, Sharda Devi
appeared before me.
She asked, Why do you looked tense?
I told her, I could not decide where to stay and observe Navratri fasts this
year.
She immediately said, Observe fast taking only water and stay at Dev
prayag.
As she finished, I asked where do I stay in Dev Prayag?
She guided me, "You are not going to stay at Shantashram, but there is a house
near the bus-stand, stay there.
I asked,Is the house empty?
She replied, Its not empty; an officer is residing there. But you will be staying
in his house. All the arrangements will be made for you.
Sharda Devi disappeared. My happiness knew no bounds. My mother was with
me at that time. I told her the whole incident.
We departed for Devprayag. On reaching there, I temporarily put my luggage
at an acquaintance's place near the bus stand. Next day in the morning I
walked up the hill towards my place at Shantashram. On my way up, I saw a
house in which the inspector was staying. Half of what I had in my experience
proved true but the most important thing was yet to be proved.
As I walked passed the house the officer came out. He offered his salutation to
me and asked, Do you stay in that ashram?
I nodded in affirmative and added Yes, but at the moment it is not in good
condition.
Yes, I know. The approach road is also damaged. He said and asked me to
come into his house. As I went inside, he said, Please listen to my humble
prayer.
What? I asked.
Please stay in this house and grace me.
But I will observe complete silence during these days I said.
Doesnt matter I will be happy even if I get an opportunity to see you once a
day the inspector told me.

I accepted his invitation and passed not only my Navratri days there but
stayed for one and half month! Such is the grace of God and His powers!
spiritual Question & Answers

Japa
Bhasmasur was a well known devil. He started hard penance for Lord Shivas
grace. Satisfied with his penance Lord Shiva appeared before him. Lord Shiva
asked Bhasmasur what he wanted. He immediately said O Lord! Bless me with
power. He asked further Anything upon which I put my hand should turn into
ashes. Lord Shiva was surprised with his demand. He asked Bhasmasur again
if he really wants the same but Bhasmasur was adamant. Shiva smiled for a
moment and then blessed him with whatever he asked.
Bhasmasurs happiness knew no bound. But at the very next moment, he had a
doubt in his mind. He thought that even if Lord Shiva blessed him with the
power, why he would believe until he actually experiment and prove that he
has the power!
At once he asked Lord Shiva, "How can I believe that I have such power? Wait,
Let me first test my power then only would I believe in what you say!
And.....Who would be better one than you to have that test! I want to test my
power upon you."
Bhasmasur at once started running after Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva already knew
what was going to happen. He started to run and Bhasmasur began to follow
him. The chase took Lord Shiva to his holy abode, Kailash.
Gauging the impending impasse, Lord Vishnu came to rescue and assumed the
form of a beautiful lady - Mohini. Bhasmasur was not a saint. He had not
mastered his senses. His anger, his lust, his animosity was as it is. A beautiful
lady was enough to lure him. Moreover, Mohini was so extraordinary that
Bhasmasur was attracted towards her at a first glance. Now Bhasmasur began
chasing Mohini.
Mohini knew that Bhasmasur was mad after her and would do anything to get
to her. She started dancing and Bhasmasur began replicating her every move
blindly. Soon, Mohini performed a posture in which she put her hand on her
own head. Bhasmasur was just blindly following her, so he also put his hand on
his own head.
That was it. Bhasmasur turned into ashes! What else would be an end of a
blind folded person running after beauty and flash?
The moral of the story is that the aim of the penance should be noble. It should
be aimed at the benefit of the self or for the betterment of others. Penance is of
no use if it keeps evil instincts in us. In fact, it should be performed with an

intention to remove such vices from us. The aim of penance should be to purify
our mind and intellect, and then only it is meaningful. Otherwise, like
Bhasmasur it would lead us towards our fall.
Fasting
This incident took place during 1936-37. My age was about 15-16 years at that
time. A saint along with his disciples stayed for a brief period at the famous
Chawpatty in Mumbai City. As people knew about the saint, they started
flocking there to have his darshan. I use to regularly visit Chawpatty and
meditate there facing the sea for hours. So I also came to know about the saint.
Saints and sages fascinated me during those days so as soon as I knew, I
visited the place. The saint was young in age but he had an aura of peace and
compassion on his face.

This happened during the days of his stay at Chawpatty. Disciples used to cook
daily on the sea shore so for cooking purpose, they once needed water. They
asked in the neighboring locality for the same but nobody favored them. Some
of them were even welcomed with offensive words. Disheartened, they came
back to their place and told everything to the saint.
The saint gave them a patient hearing and then calmly said, There is no need
to go anywhere for water. Dig a small pit in this sand and there will be water."
The disciples expressed apprehension at the suggestion of the saint. They were
on the beach so they said that the water would be salty and it wouldnt be
useful for the purpose of cooking and drinking. Yet, the saint told them to have
faith in his words and to follow as per his direction.
The disciples dug a bit in the sand and there came water! Everybody tasted the
water and to their astonishment the water was sweet, it wasn't salty! On
hearing this news, many people started coming over there. Some of the people
even tried to dig nearby but the water turned out to be salty.
Another interesting incident took place during those days. The disciples wanted
to have a feast of Malpuva. Everyone knows that Malpuva is made from ghee
and neither the saint nor his disciple had it. The saint once again displayed his
amazing power.
He told the disciples to use the water that came out from the pit and use it as
ghee! He further instructed that "when we will have ghee, we will return the
ghee to the ocean god."
The disciples followed the saints utterances and actually made Malpuva from
the water! Lot of people ate that Malpuva as Prasad. People kept talking about
the incident long after the saint and his disciples departed from Mumbai.

The saint however was very simple. When asked about his supernatural powers
he said that sainthood does not lie in supernatural powers but it lies in
devotion, purity and love. The real power is to control ones mind and to realize
the God. How true was his message!

Guru
Khechari Mudra
Kundalini
Life after death
Lust
Meditation
Prayer
Supernatural powers
Temples