Shri Babaji Bhagwan - A Manifestation of Reality

SHRI BABAJI BHAGWAN
(DEVI DAS MEHTA)
(1867-1940)

This brief introductory Writing is dedicated
to one of the Greatest Saints who
ever came upon this planet earth;
Who entered the world silently
and left it with the same degree
of silence, leaving behind the greatest
legacy he could leave the world –
Shri Bhola Nathji
his son, in whom people

experienced the Glory of God.



SHRI BABAJI BHAGWAN
HH Shri Bhola Nathji Bhagwan
© Priya Nath Mehta
January 21, 2009

"Saakiyaa denaa hai jo kuchh Nath ko
De do abhee
Kyon ke hadd se barh chukaa hai
Intazaare zindagi"


"O Divine Saki! Give to Nath what thou must,
This very moment, today,
For it has gone beyond endurance –
This waiting of our lives"



Shri Babaji Bhagwan or Shri Devi Das Mehta was the father of His Holiness Shri Bhola Nathji Bhagwan or Shri Nathji.

The complete biography of Shri Babaji Maharaj is found in the sacred Urdu and Persian book “ Zahoore Haquiqat” i.e. “A Manifestation of Reality” which was written by Shri Bhola Nathji and published in 1932. It is a spiritual revelation the likes of which has never been written before. The present book is an abridged version of the same.


The Office of the World

In the book Urdu book, “Zahoore Haqueeqat”, written by HH Shri Bhola Nathji in 1932, he had written the Persian Verse below:

“Hargiz na meerad aan ke dilash zinda shud ba ishq
Sab dast bar jareedaye aalam davaame maa”

“He never dies whose heart lives on in Love
In the Office of the World, the Seal of Immortality shall be mine”

In the above Verse, Shri Bhola Nathji had predicted
the advent of the Internet as the Office of the World.

The present book, in English, “Shri Babaji Bhagwan” has been placed
as the Seal of Immortality of
Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Bhola Nathji
on the World Wide Web by Priya Nath Mehta
where it shall hopefully endure till eternity
to guide generations to come.

* * * * * * * * * *

Universal Prayer
By
Shri Babaji Bhagwan

I adore Thee as my first beginning,
I aspire after Thee as my last end,
I give Thee thanks as my constant Benefactor,
I call upon Thee as my sovereign Protector,
Vouchsafe, O my God,
To conduct me by Thy wisdom,
Restrain me by Thy Justice,
Comfort me by Thy Mercy,
Defend me by Thy power.
To Thee I desire to consecrate
All my thoughts, words, actions and sufferings,
That henceforth I may think of Thee,
Speak of Thee,
Willingly refer all my actions to
Thy Greater Glory,
And suffer willingly
Whatever Thou shalt appoint.
Lord, I desire that in all things Thy will may be done,
Because it is Thy Will,
And in the manner Thou willest,
I beg of Thee to enlighten my understanding,
Inflame my will, purify my body, sanctify my soul,
And make me acquire the virtues proper for my state.
Fill my heart with a tender affection for Thy Goodness,
Hatred for my faults,
Love for my neighbours,
And compassion for the world.
Let me always remember
To be respectful to my superiors,
Polite to my inferiors,
Faithful to my friends,
And charitable to my enemies.
Assist me to overcome sensuality by mortification,
Avarice by alms deed,
Anger by meekness,
And Trepidation by devotion.
O, my God, make me prudent in my undertakings,
Courageous in danger, patient in affliction,
And humble in prosperity.

Amen


A BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
OF
HIS HOLINESS
SHRI BAJAJI BHAGWAN

CHAPTER ONE

On the 20th of January 1867 one of the greatest living saints upon this earth was born. His name was Devi Das Mehta, and he came to be known as Shri Babaji Maharaj. He entered the world quietly and left it with the same degree of quietness on December 13, 1940.
Through him was to come the final fruit of evolution. He left behind to the world the greatest legacy he could give the earth, his son, Shri Bhola Nathji.

Shri Devi Das Mehta

Shri Devi Das Mehta was born in Kangra on the 20th of January 1867 at 11:15 in the night. He belonged to a wealthy family of Batala, Punjab. His father was Lala Hargopal Mehta. Before he was born, all the children that had been born to his parents had died one after another. Immediately after his birth, his parents had taken him to Kangra Devi Temple, and had placed the child before the idol of the goddess, offering the babe to the Devi, and had, thereafter, given him the name of Devi Das.

When Devi Das was still a child a very unusual event occurred in his life. His father, Lala Hargopal Mehta, who had been a very righteous man all his life, suddenly decided to leave the world. One day, when he was in excellent health, he called together all his family members and relatives. He then lay down on the floor of his house and covered his body with a white sheet. His family was aghast, and asked him what he was doing.

"I am preparing to leave the world," he said, "the last moments of my life have come!"
Everyone was surprised, because he was apparently in the best of health. They began to cry with grief.
"Why do you weep? It is I who must weep. I spent the time of my life amidst attachments towards you and the world. But you still have time. Seek your salvation, energetically," he said.
"No matter whether you become prophets or Kings or Emperors, never forget that, one day, you must lie down on the floor like I am doing today. This moment must come before all. The swift current of time leaves only Death in its wake!"

And Lala Hargopal Mehta recited this Persian Verse:

"Umram bahavas guzasht, hai haat!
Yak dam ba Khudaa na raft, hai haat!
Sheeshaye umram barsange fanaa shikast, hai haat!
Hai haat! Hai haat! Hai haat!"

"My life was spent in the pursuit of desire-alas!
Not a breath was spent in the quest of God-alas!
The mirror of my existence was shattered to pieces
On the Rock of Death, alas!
Alas! Alas! Alas!"

And with the utterance of this verse, he covered his head with the sheet, and left his body. It was a self-willed death, which was the envy of even saints and sages.

His legacy to the world was this warning. Time was slipping by. When one was a child, one was too young to know of anything; when one was a youth, one was lost in the pleasures of the flesh; and when one was old, one was racked by illness and disease. There was no time to know of God. Such was the plight of man. Childhood gave way to youth and youth gave way to old age - and finally, old age gave way to Death. Man had to hasten and seek to know God before the end of life came. This was the real purpose for his existence in the world.

After the passing away of Lala Hargopal Mehta, his son, Shri Devi Das Mehta, came into his own. At a very young age he found himself in possession of enormous wealth. He had no brothers and was thus an only child. He had inherited all the wealth left behind by his father. He was doted upon by his mother, and all the family favours were bestowed upon him liberally.

Bowing to the wishes of his mother, he entered into marriage at a very young age. He was married to Paarvati, later named Durga Devi, who was renowned as one of the most beautiful women of her time, and belonged to the well-known wealthy and respectable family of the Kaura clan. Durga Devi was a deeply spiritual woman of pristine beauty and perfection, the likes of which had not been seen before. Shri Devi Das himself was a strikingly good-looking man with aquiline features and a very fair complexion, and wise, compassionate, kindly, penetrating eyes that contained a depth of spirituality in them.

Durga Devi was the only daughter of her parents, and, therefore her parents bestowed great wealth upon her at the time of her marriage. It was thus that Shri Devi Das became a millionaire two fold. He had his own wealth to look after, plus the wealth given him by his father-in-law. So much of wealth in the hands of one so young could easily have led him astray, but not so Shri Devi Das. He was an intensely spiritual person and had a unique destiny waiting for him.
Soon after his marriage, Shri Devi Das became very ill. There was little hope of his recovery.

When he lay apparently on his death-bed with his mother weeping by his side, all of a sudden he seemed to be possessed by a strange power and said in a voice that contained the strength of a lion: "Mother! Do not weep for me! No power on earth can take me away until I have completed the work for which I have come into this world!" His mother was astonished to hear the voice. It was not that of a sick child but that of a very Great Soul.

Shri Devi Das made a vow before God that should he recover he would devote the rest of his life to God’s work. A miracle occurred, and he recovered spontaneously. His mind was resolved to leave the materialistic world and to seek solitude in the forests. He opened the door of his house to step out into another world. The attractions of the world could not hold him back. Attachments to kith and kin could not lure him. But, just then, an invisible hand appeared to reach out and stop Shri Devi Das from leaving the world. He heard within him the voice of God which said:

"Where are you going?"
"To fulfil the promise I made."
"Stay! You have not to leave the world! Your vow is fulfilled! You must live in the world, within attachments and responsibilities, and show the way to others. A fountain of divine knowledge shall flow from you. And one day the time shall come when the world will receive enlightenment from you and shall come face to face with God. Truly you are blessed! "

Shri Devi Das was wise, an Aristotle of his times, and he knew how to use wealth. His entire fortune was spent for the good of people in need. He gave away almost all that was left to him – lands, buildings, shops, gold, silver, jewellery, cash – and rejoiced in the renunciation.
Wealth had little meaning for him except when it could be given away to provide help to people in need. It was not a squandering of wealth, but rather a spiritual investment for him. Wealth had become a means of spiritual attainment. It was a new lesson to the world which frowned upon wealth as corrupting and evil. His only use for wealth was the good it could do to others. And it was all the more remarkable that he did this when he was still a young man and the temptations of the world surrounded him.

There was a time when a man came to him and said: "Devi Dasji, you have that large-haveli - mansion in the town. Can I use it for the marriage of my daughter? I have no place to house the bridegroom’s party."

Shri Devi Das gave him the key to the haveli, and the man celebrated his daughter's marriage therein. Later the man came to Shri Devi Das to return the key. However Shri Devi Das said to him: “Ham dee huyi cheez ko vaapas naheen lete! I do not take back what I have given! Keep it! The haveli is yours!" And it was thus that Shri Devi Das gave away his wealth and property to those who were in need.

His was a life of action that went beyond moralizing and preaching. He showed the world what a wonderful thing wealth could become if it alleviated human suffering and brought man closer to man. In the process, perhaps, he went too far and having little regard for himself, ultimately gave it all away. It was a purposeful renunciation; wealth was made meaningful. It could not overpower him. On the contrary, he controlled it. Here was materialism under the dictates of spiritualism. Here was the flesh under control of the spirit. The element of the divine existed in this rich and powerful youth. He had realized that real happiness did not lie in the perishable things of the world. Real happiness lay only in God-realization.

His spirituality manifested itself as love – love for humanity. Was it possible for a man to feel real sympathy and affection for a total stranger? A man could feel as much for his own kith and kin. But could he go out of his way, and experience the same feelings for the humanity around him? Logically, it would be difficult, almost impossible. A man loves his son almost spontaneously. There is the bond of the flesh. But what would induce him to love a total stranger equally? Herein lies the essence of spiritual realization. Only those who have experienced such a feeling can tell us. Their actions reveal to mankind that they have transcended the human plane. Shri Devi Dasji was such a person. God realization was being made manifest in all his thoughts, words and actions.

He loved everyone including his enemies. He did not adhere to any one religion, but had equal respect for all faiths, for he considered them all as different paths leading to the same goal, like the different rivers running down to the same ocean. He was brave, fearless. He was wise, an intellectual of the first order. He contained in himself qualities that were altogether godly and spiritual. . A Great Soul had appeared in the midst of mankind. And he came to be known as Shri Babaji Maharaj. In 1902, he left Batala and went to the hills of Abottabad, in district Peshawar, Punjab.

Shri Babaji Maharaj had been a millionaire before he took to the spiritual path. He gave away all his houses, buildings, lands and kept almost nothing with himself. As a consequence he had to lead a life of extreme physical hardship and privations. To one accustomed to living in the luxury of mansions – havelis – these hardships must have been a severe physical torment. The feet of Shri Babaji Maharaj were white like marble and softer than the softest muslin. These were feet that were accustomed to walking on carpets in banquet halls and drawing rooms. And yet here they were treading the bare stone floors of cold inhospitable dwellings. His delicate body, which had been accustomed to sleeping in silken beddings and warm woolen quilts, was now exposed to the extremes of hot and cold weather. He had taken to the spiritual path, knowing well of the physical hardships that would come his way. It had been a spontaneous call from the divine.

While there were many persons who came from humble beginnings and found that taking to the spiritual path not only brought them followers, name and fame but also great material riches, here was Shri Babaji Maharaj doing just the opposite – renouncing his wealth and taking to the spiritual path to endure the physical sufferings it imposed. Shri Babaji Maharaj could have built up a large following around himself, and begun a spiritual organisation or even a new cult or faith and lived a life of luxury that many spiritual persons of his time were leading, but this was against his principles. People knew that here was one who would not be attracted by the lure of name, fame or money, for he was one who had renounced everything. It would have been easy for Shri Babaji Maharaj to have renounced the world if he were unmarried. But he had done it at a time when he had a wife and two children.

Multitudes thronged to Shri Babaji Maharaj to listen to his words, which were surcharged with divine wisdom. People experienced the nearness of the divine in his presence. Whatever he said came to pass.

Events of the external world did not move him. He was often heard saying in Persian:

"Dile daaram ke darvai gham na gunjad,
Che jaaye gham ke shaadi ham na gunjad"

"I have a heart in which there is no sorrow-
Nay! It contains no place within itself for joy as well."

He described the sorrows and joys of the world as temporary and without any significance. Sorrow was unpleasant when it came, and pleasant when it left. Joy was pleasant when it came, and unpleasant when it left. Sorrow left behind joy in its wake, while joy left behind sorrow in its wake. These two phases of life did not affect him. He had risen above both. He was fond of the verse:

Khaab kaa kaasaa gadaayi taajshaahi ek hai
Ye tannazul ye tarakki dil teraa baihlaaye kyon

“The begging bowl and the crown of thy dream are one and the same,
Let not your heart be touched by this fall or this rise.”

The innate spirituality of Shri Babaji Maharaj began manifesting itself. It started as a bud and blossomed into a flower that spread its fragrance everywhere. His voice carried a message. The highest of spiritual truths were revealed in the simplest of words. Scholars, philosophers and scientists were overwhelmed. A great seer, saint, a prophet had appeared before the people.
Shri Babaji Maharaj used to say often in Persian:

"Rishtaye dar gardanam afgandaa dost
Mi burad har jaa ki khaatir khaaye ost

My Eternal Friend has thrown a string around my neck
And leads me wheresoever He Wills."

Shri Babaji Maharaj had reached that unique stage in the spiritual world in which he had silenced his ego- his "I". And that which was manifesting itself through him was the "I" of God. It was a divine principle enunciated by Shri Babaji Maharaj himself, that when a man had emptied himself of his ego – his "I – God entered within him and proclaimed, "I am God!" The bliss and intoxication of such a state can only be narrated by those who have experienced it, and even they cannot relate it. Those who want to know what lies in that realm must reach that stage themselves. There is no other way.

Shri Babaji Maharaj had annihilated his "I" and in this annihilation had attained the bliss of union with God while still being in the body. He was filled with love Divine and a Bliss that came from God alone. He had no desires of the world left in him and no will of his own. For him there was only the Will of God.

Hargiz na meerad aanke dilash zindaa shud ba ishq
Sab dast bar jareedaye aalam davaame maa

He never dies whose heart has been made alive in Love
In the Office of this World the seal of immortality shall ever be mine!

The annihilation of the "I" was explained by Shri Babaji Maharaj using the example of the flame on a wick. The fire of the flame can only reveal itself when there is a wick which burns with it. Ultimately the wick burns itself out, in order to manifest the flame. The wick is the "I" of man which serves the temporary purpose of revealing the existence of God through itself. As soon as the "I" burns completely, there is God and only God. The voice that comes from such a personality is then not the voice of his own "I" rather it is the voice of God.

Bekhudi ke husn ko toone dobaalaa kar diyaa
Ai fanaaye range hasti kyaa teraa aijaaz hai

Thou hast made beautiful the glory of self-forgetfulness
O thou annihilating face of self, such indeed is thy miracle!

Shri Babaji Maharaj often narrated the story of the Sufi Saint, Mansur, who was killed by his enemies for blasphemy because he said: "Analhaq"– "I am God!" According to Shri Babaji Maharaj it was not Mansur who had said these words, it was God Himself. The "I" of Mansur had annihilated itself long ago and the "I" that was acting through Mansur was the "I " of God that said these words. In a silent way this was the voice of every particle in the Universe. However, the voice can be heard when it comes from living beings through whom God manifests Himself.

Before Mansur was crucified, this is what he said:

“Man namigoyam Analhaq yaar mi goyad bigo
Choon na goyam bar sare baazaar mi goyad bigo”

“It is not I who am saying ‘I am God’, it is God Himself who asks me to say it,
Why should I not say this openly in the bazaar, when it is He who makes me say so!”

Shri Babaji Maharaj also used the example of the drop of water and the ocean. The drop of water was the small limited self of man, and God was the ocean. When the drop of water falls into the ocean, there is a point when the shape and form of the drop just disappears. The voice that cries out " I am the ocean" is then the voice of the ocean itself.

Samundar men katraa fanaa ho gayaa
Fanaa ho ke laa-intahaa ho gayaa

The drop of water perished in the ocean
And perishing, it became of infinite dimensions.

Another example that Shri Babaji Maharaj gave was the example of the sun and the rays of its light. The sun was God and the rays of light were the individual souls. The essence of the Sun was light, and the essence of each and every ray was also light. In their essence they were the same. But when the rays of light started thinking of themselves as entities separate from the sun they forgot their own reality. Each ray of light was filled with a separate ego of its own – its independent "I". It was only when the rays realised that they were light, and that the Sun too was light, that union with the Sun came about. This is self-realisation – for the soul to realise that its essence is the same as that of God, that it is Divine. It is only the "I" of its separate existence that masks its real essence. As soon as it annihilates its separate independent "I" it becomes one with God.

What is ego? It is associated with the human body, which says, "I can do this, I can do that, I have done this, I have done that, I am this, I am that!" It is the assertion of an independent will based on the human body and its relationships with the world

The human soul can be likened unto a pure mirror which is inside the body. It is absolutely pure and perfect in itself and at peace when in its pure state. However when the windows of the five senses of the human mind are opened, the entire world outside becomes reflected in that mirror. When the mirror looks at itself it finds the colours of the outside world within itself. For a while it forgets its inner purity, in which no colours had existed. The reflections are a cause of the human mind and senses i.e. the human ego, which attaches itself to the things of the world. The reflections constitute the false "I", the ego of the human body. When the soul gives up these desires and thus annihilates this false "I" it comes back to its pristine state and realises its divine essence– and the voice of God then becomes the voice of the soul.

The way to annihilate the ego or the "I" is to give up all desires which bind the soul to the world outside. It means shutting out the windows of the mind which was reaching out to the world in the form of desires. And the way to give up the desires of the world is to evolve a desire for God alone, to give up one's own will, and to accept the Will of God in everything that happens. Man must realise that he is nothing and that God is everything, that man is like a zero and God is like One, who can convert the zero into ten. It was thus that Shri Babaji Maharaj had said:

"I am convinced there is no condition higher than that silence
Which comes of the abandonment of all latent desires."

Realisation is that state in which the ego or "I" vanishes. When the desire for God enters our hearts to such a great extent that no other thought remains within, then we rise above the ego and its associated "I". And this apparent annihilation of the "I" then takes us to that stage of realisation which can be understood only by those who have attained it.

The spiritual state of a devotee who genuinely desires God is no different from the state of a lover yearning for his beloved, as Shri Babaji Maharaj often explained. The whole concept of devotion can be understood if one looks at the relationship between a lover and beloved. The lover yearns for the beloved, night and day. Eating, drinking, sleeping, working, all he can think of is his beloved. He has this constant ache in his heart to be close to his beloved, to think only about his beloved. Nothing in the world can compare with his beloved. Nothing in the world matters any more. All the desires of the world vanish when he thinks of his beloved. The desire for his beloved throws out all other desires from his heart and soul. He can find happiness only in the thought of his beloved and in the nearness of the beloved. All the time there is but one thought in the mind of the lover– and that is to be close to his beloved, to recite the name of the beloved, to think over the beauty of the beloved.

The lover is so lost in the thought of his beloved that he has no thought for himself. His "I" ceases to exist. The beloved fills his entire being. He lives only for the sake of his beloved. The temptations of the world have no meaning for him. Deep within the heart and soul of the lover there is only the beloved. The lover ceases to exist for his own sake; he does not live for himself any longer, he lives only for the sake of the beloved. His "I” is completely merged in the "I" of his beloved. He is happy only in the will of the beloved. He wishes to do only that which pleases his beloved. He identifies his will with the will of the beloved and becomes one with it. In such a relationship no contradictions can exist. He is willing to make any sacrifice for the sake of the beloved, even to give up his life. His entire being is possessed with the thought of the beloved. Union with the beloved is his life and separation from the beloved worse than death.

It is only when such an intense love for God fills the heart of man that he can have said to have truly annihilated his ego, his "I" and to have God within him. Ordinary love has a colour of divine love within itself. Shri Babaji Maharaj often said: God is Love. If a devotee can have even a fraction of the love for God that a lover has for his beloved then he shall have truly acquired a devotion for God.

Yet there is a difference between ordinary love and love for God, also known as Divine Love. While ordinary love brings phases of intense happiness, it also brings phases of intense sorrow. When the lover is separated from the beloved the pain of separation gnaws away at the heart of the lover. It is a pain which is excruciating. However in Divine Love, even in separation, the remembrance of God does not give pain. On the contrary it fills the heart and soul with intense happiness, for in this remembrance there is the thought of God who is the source of bliss and strength. The devotee does not feel any separation from God in the first place, because God is ever present inside him, and therefore there is no pain of separation either.

In the love of a lover for his beloved there is fear even in moments of intense happiness. Even in union his happiness is not complete, because of the fear of separation. After every union there is a separation, and finally there is the inevitable separation that is brought about by decay and death. This must be so, because everything in the world is perishable. The lover knows that one day he shall have to part from his beloved and will have to bear the agonising pain of the final separation. This fear of the future destroys even the happiness of the present. However, in Divine Love, there is no such fear, because God is eternal and ever present, in life as well as in death. He is a companion who never separates from us, and who is not subject to decay and death. The devotee knows that he, too, is immortal when he is united with God, in life as well as in death. There is a constant feeling of union in all states, which fills the soul with happiness that is everlasting. God is the final culmination of Love. He is the Eternal Friend who is always with His devotee.

Yaarin beguzeen ke bevafaayi na kunad
Dil khastaa turaa dar aashnaaayi na kunad
Paibastaa dar aagoshe kinaarat gardard
Hargiz za to yak gaam judaayi na kunad

Make such a Friend in life who will not betray thee,
Who will not break thy heart in love,
Who will keep thee ever in His embrace
And never leave thee for even a single step.

However, during the initial stages of this Divine Love, the devotee has much to learn from the feelings of an ordinary lover. If the devotee cannot find the feelings of love for God within himself, which an ordinary lover has for his beloved, then, indeed, his devotion is far from complete and he can never attain God. The essential thing is the desire for God which must be intense before one can reach God.

Yet, in a deeper sense, it is impossible for a man to develop a love for God through his own efforts. A man can love his near and dear ones because he can see them and talk to them. How can he love someone who is Invisible? It is against human nature to do so. Therefore, has it been truly said that the love of God or the desire for God can come to a person only through the Grace of God. You can see the sun only with the light of the sun. You can see God only when He reveals Himself to you. You can love God only when He sends His love to you.

Man must not only purify his heart by removing the desires of the world from it, but also pray to God with faith to give him His Love and to enter within him. It is only by becoming a zero before God that one can hope to secure His Divine Grace. When the wires of faith connect the bulb of the heart to God, the Divine Light manifests itself therein. And yet faith is not all, man must learn to purify his heart and then lead a life of absolute righteousness, love and service, which must be revealed in all his actions. It is only then that the Grace of God comes to him. This was what the life of Shri Babaji Maharaj had shown to the world.

The Guru and Disciple in Water

Shri Babaji Maharaj used to narrate this parable of the guru and his disciple.
A certain man went to a holy man and asked him: "How can I find God?"
"Wait a while," said the holy man, "everything takes time. A seed must wait for years to become a tree. I will give you your answer when the time is ripe."

The man accepted the holy man as his guru and came to live with him. Many days passed in close association. The man forgot the question he had asked.

One day the guru went to swim in the river. After he had finished swimming, he came out and asked his disciple to jump into the water and swim as well.
"But I don’t know how to swim," said the disciple.
"You can only learn it in the water, not on the ground," said the guru.

Since the man continued to hesitate, the guru gave him a sudden push into the water. The man sank like a rock, and was on the verge of drowning, when the guru lept into the waters and rescued him. The disciple was angry.
"Why did you push me in?" he asked, "Did you wish to harm me?"
"I was not your enemy to have done it to harm you," said the guru.
"If you were my friend, you would not have pushed me in."
"If I were your enemy, I would not have pulled you out," said the guru.
"But why? What does all this mean?"
"This is an answer to your question. You had wanted to know how God could be found."
"Is God to be found by drowning?" said the irate disciple.
"You must merge completely into the thought of God; you must drown your ego in the intensity of your desire.

Baihrest baihre ishq ke hechash kinaaraa nest
Een jaa juz een ke jaan basupaarand chaaraa nest

"The Ocean of Love is one without a shore,
He who swims in it must drown in it."

"How is this related to God-realisation?" the man asked.

"When you were drowning," said the guru, "what was the great¬est desire in your mind? To become a great Yogi?

A great intellectual? An Emperor? To acquire name and fame in the world?"

"No," said the man, "there was only one desire within me at that time – the desire for air!"
"Was there any other desire mingled in that desire?"
"No."
"And if you had not been given air, what would have happened to you?"
"I would have died."
"You are alive at this moment because you obtained air!" said the guru, "In a like manner, you will only find God when there is an intense desire for Him in your heart, when all other desires have submerged completely in the desire for God, when you desire him like a drowning man desires air!"

Tum mere pass hote ho goyaa
Jab koyi doosra naheen hotaa

Thou art with me, when-
There is no one else!

Koozaa kai pur aab shud taa az havaa khaali na shud
Tan choon shud az jaan tahee labrez jaanaa mi shavad.

A cup cannot be filled with water unless the air go out,
The Beloved can enter within thee only when thy ‘I’ has gone.

Shri Babaji Maharaj had often said: "The world will look upon one with perfect knowledge as imperfect, and one with imperfect knowledge as perfect. This is so because the world being imperfect cannot understand someone who is perfect, and will think of him as mad. However it will readily accept anyone who is also imperfect like itself and will call him perfect."

Shri Babaji Maharaj used to say in a light vein:

"Gyaaniyon ke ham guru hain aur agyaaniyon ke daas!
I am the teacher of those who are knowledgeable, but bow before those who are ignorant!"

Shri Babaji Maharaj had annihilated his "I" and God had entered within him. He now lived in the world and performed his worldly tasks with an apparent worldly "I" which was associated with his body and which was necessary in order to live in the world. The worldly "I" was merely an assumed "I" and had no reality of its own. It was like the "I" of an actor who plays the part he is ordained to play, knowing that such an "I" does not exist in reality. For example, the actor plays the role of Julius Caesar and uses the stage "I" of Julius Caesar to perfect his part onstage. But he does so in an absolutely detached manner knowing that such an "I" does not exist at all. In his mind he has annihilated the "I" of Julius Caesar and knows of his real "I" which will exist long after the drama is over and the curtain has fallen. It is his real "I" which is associated with the Director of the Play who has given him the part to play.

People were astonished at the absolute fearlessness of Shri Babaji Maharaj. No sorrow in the world could shake him; nothing in the world could make him afraid; the worries of the world did not exist for him. He was lost in a world of bliss and was giving bliss to others with an unbounded benevolence. He was happy and content in all circumstances of life. The sorrows of the world could not touch him. Whatever came before Shri Babaji Maharaj was a manifestation of the Will of God and therefore he was happy in it.

Ghame duniyaa kaa guzaaraa mere maskan men naheen
Ashke maatam ki jagah deedaye roshan men naheen

The sorrows of the world cannot dwell within my heart,
Tears of mourning have no place in eyes that are filled with Light

Azeen masaayibe dauraan manaalo shaadaan baash
Ke teere dost ba paihlooye dost mi aayad

Be not afraid of the sorrows of the world, rather be joyful!
For it is the arrow of a friend that comes to the embrace of another friend.

The Army Officer and his wife

Shri Babaji Maharaj was fond of the parable about the army officer and his wife aboard a ship, and often narrated it before people, for it disclosed a vital principle of spiritual life and made a man fearless.

An army officer and his wife were aboard a ship when the ship was hit by a violent storm. There was panic amongst the passengers on the ship. The wife of the army officer started crying loudly with fear. Her husband tried very hard to quieten her, but could not succeed. As she persisted in being hysterical, the army officer told her to be quiet or else he would kill her. Since the woman would not stop crying the army officer took out his sword and brandished it in the air. He advanced threateningly towards her. When the woman saw her husband come towards her with the sword in his hand, she suddenly burst out into laughter. The army officer was surprised and asked her what had made her laugh.
Wife: I am laughing at the sword you are brandishing at me.
Officer: It can kill you.
Wife: No, the sword cannot kill me. It is lifeless
Officer: But the sword is in my hand, and I can use it!
Wife: That is why I am laughing. The sword is in your hand but you cannot kill me.
Officer: Why not?
Wife: Because you love me! And you cannot even think of harming me.
Officer: Yes, you are right. I cannot harm you because I love you.
Wife: And even if you did, I would consider myself blessed to die at your hands.
Officer: Then use the same logic for the storm and quell your fears. The storm by itself is lifeless, like the sword, and cannot harm us. It is controlled by the forces of Nature, and the forces of Nature are controlled by the orders of God. In other words, the storm is in the hands of God. And since He loves us why would he wish to harm us?
On the other hand if He has sent the storm to take us, then we must welcome it, and surrender ourselves before His Will. How blessed we shall be to die at His hands!
The wife of the army officer understood. She stopped crying and bowed her head before the Will of God.

Mussavvar kench laa tasveer vo jis men dikhaayi ho,
Udhar talvaar khenchi ho idhar gardan jhukaayi ho

O artist make thou a picture in which is shown
An upraised sword on one side and a head bowed on the other.

Shri Babaji Maharaj always said: "The troubles you are facing have either come of their own accord or they have been sent by God. If they have come of their own free will then they cannot harm you in any way, because your Saviour is more powerful than they. If, however the troubles have come in accordance with the Will of God then you must bow your head before them with joy! Thus, in either case, there is no cause for fear!
The troubles that God sends on you are like the bitter quinine that breaks a fever, or like the friendly knife of a surgeon who is cutting away the disease. Sorrows and sufferings are meant to increase the strength of the soul and are a blessing in disguise."

Gussaa teraa davaa hai, raihmat teri gizaa hai
Shaanen hain jitni teri jaane jahaaniyaan hain

Thy anger is our medicine and Thy mercy out nourishment,
All Thy glories are for the upliftment of the soul.

Dancing in sorrows

Shri Babaji Maharaj used to say: "Maine jis din se janam liyaa hai mujhe pataa naheen gham kis balaa kaa naam hai! Ever since the day I was born I have never known of that menace which they refer to as sorrow!"

There were occasions when the troubles of the world surrounded Shri Babaji Maharaj, and the more these troubles increased, the more joyful he seemed to become. His face lit up with an unearthly divine glory. And when the troubles were at their worst he was even seen dancing with joy! He saw the Will of God working in everything that happened around him, and, because he had surrendered himself before His Will, he was always content and blissful.

Once he said: " I have befriended sorrow, suffering and pain. These are my treasures for which I have no rivals – for no one desires them!"

When he was asked: “But Babaji, how can you befriend such dreadful things?"
Shri Babaji said: “How can they be dreadful when I love them?"
Shri Babaji Maharaj also said:

“There is no state higher than mine,
There is no state lower than mine,
And there is no state like mine.”

Shri Babaji Maharaj would frequently say:
" I can never be content in my own salvation for as long as I feel my other selves enfettered in the bondage of sorrow and suffering."

His overflowing love for humanity, his compassion and mercy, endeared him to all. People of all religious faiths came to him and derived solace from him. Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say:
"I have experienced upon my own body, heart and soul, the truths propounded in the Vedas, Upanishads, Bible, Koran, Granth Sahib, and, indeed, in the holy books of all faiths, and can say without a shadow of a doubt that these are absolutely correct and real."

Shri Babaji Maharaj would frequently say in Persian:

Haq jaane jahaan asto jahaan jumla badan
Tauheed haminasto deegar haa hamaa fan

The Lord is the Soul of the Universe and the Universe His Body,
This alone is truth and the rest is all cant."

Shri Babaji & the Unemployed

When Shri Babaji Maharaj was in Simla, he would often ask unemployed persons to come and live with him. He would serve them with all his heart and all the means at his disposal, saying: "Actually the entire world belongs to you, because it has been made by the same Creator who made you, and you are welcome to live anywhere. But you may find the concept too difficult to understand. Therefore I offer you my home. Consider it to be your own. Stay here for as long as you like."

People would live with Shri Babaji Maharaj for long periods of time and later leave when they had obtained employment or were able to stand on their own feet.

Once a man came to Shri Babaji Maharaj and said to him in a plaintive tone: "Babaji! Main bekaar hoon! Babaji, I am without work!"

And Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him: "Shukar kar beemaar naheen hai ! Be thankful that you are not ill!"

Shri Babaji Maharaj laid great emphasis on thanking God for the numerous kindnesses he had bestowed. The wealth of good health was often forgotten until the health was lost. Man seldom thanked God for this wealth which was always with him. If a person were sick, all his energies would be spent in merely fighting the illness and trying to cure himself. Everything else in the world would become meaningless. Rather than complain about other shortcomings in life man should always thank God for the wealth of a disease- free, healthy body. This was Shri Babaji's short message. Instead of complaining about any shortcoming one should learn to thank God for the numerous favours he had bestowed.

Wealth–Daulat

Shri Babaji Maharaj often said: " The word for wealth is daulat. This means do-lat i.e. two jolts! Jab tak aati naheen ek laat lagaati hai, aur jab aakar chali jaati hai to doosri laat lagaati hai! For as long as it does not come, it gives a jolt, and when it has come and gone, it gives another jolt! Rather than run after the wealth of the world, a person should run after God."

The Woman and the Bazaar

Shri Babaji Maharaj often used to narrate the parable of the woman and the bazaar.
There was a king who laid out a beautiful bazaar for his subjects. The bazaar contained numerous shops in which a large number of expensive and attractive things were placed. The king thereafter made an announcement to his subjects: "You are free to pick and choose from the things placed in the shops. You can place your hand on any one thing and it shall become yours. But having placed your hand on any one thing you shall not be allowed to select anything else."

Immediately afterwards, crowds thronged at the bazaar, each person running wildly to the shops and selecting whatever held his or her fancy. There was a woman who was watching the scene. She saw the beautiful jewellery, the expensive silk sarees, and numerous beautiful things, each more expensive than the other, and her heart yearned for all of them. No sooner would she extend her hand to select any one object when she would see something even more beautiful and would instead go towards it. In her heart of hearts she wished she could possess them all. And it was in that state of uncertainty that she reached the end of the bazaar.

At the end of the bazaar a man sat on a chair lost in thought and looking very sad. The woman went up to him and said: "What are you doing sitting on a chair! Why don’t you go and select something for yourself from the bazaar! The king has opened the bazaar for everyone!”
"I am the king,” said the man.
"The king!” said the astonished woman, "then why are you looking so sad?"
"Today I have found out that the subjects of my kingdom love only the things I can give them, and they have no love for me!"

The woman thought for a while and then said: "What is the condition that you have laid out in the bazaar?"
The king said: "Place your hand on any one thing and it shall be yours."
On a sudden impulse the woman placed her hand on the back of the king.
"What are you doing!" said the startled king.
"I have placed my hand on you and you now belong to me!" said the woman.
"What good will that do? Why don’t you select something from the bazaar?" said the king.
"To whom does this bazaar belong?" asked the woman.
"To me,” said the king.
"And to whom do you belong now?" said the woman
"To you!" said the king.
"The bazaar belongs to you and you belong to me – therefore the entire bazaar is now mine!" said the woman.

This is the secret of success. If we establish a relationship with the Creator of the world, the world belongs to us. If a person walks towards the sun, his shadow follows him. In a like manner, when one walks towards God, worldly success follows him. It was thus that Shri Babaji Maharaj explained a great spiritual truth with a simple and touching parable.

Tujh se maangoon tujhee ko to sabhee kuchh mil jaaye
Sau savaalon se fakat ek savaal acchaa hai

If I ask of Thee Thy own Self, I gain everything thereby,
One question is better than a hundred asked!

The Pandit and the Chaarpaayi

A very learned pandit, who was well versed in the scriptures, came to Shri Babaji Maharaj and said to him: “Maharaj! I have heard people everywhere sing your praises and therefore I have come to you!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “Panditji, all praise must go to that One. If you are seeing Him being praised in this body of mine then it is all right; but if you are praising some existence other than His, then you are making a mistake.”
The Pandit continued: “Babaji, I will believe in God if only you can make this chaarpaayi –bed of ropes – say 'Ram! Ram!' "
Shri Babaji was amused and said: "Panditji, it surprises me that your learning has led you to ask this question! But let me tell you that it is the chaarpaayi that is speaking, but you who are not listening!”
The Pandit asked with surprise: “But how can that be, Maharaj?”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “Listen! – If your soul, or your life were to leave your body, would you not become as inanimate as this bed – with two arms and two legs? Are you therefore not a chaarpaayi that is saying 'Ram! Ram!’ Ye chaarpaayi hee to bol rahi hai Ram, Ram!"
Shri Babaji Maharaj concluded with the words: “Panditji, every day you listen to this chaarpaayi, and yet you would desire to hear it speak!”
The Pandit was greatly astonished at the logic of Shri Babaji Maharaj and repented for his question.

Miracles

These were the days when unbounded miracles followed Shri Babaji Maharaj wherever he went. He did not consciously will these miracles to occur, nor did he ever try to inject faith in any person with the aid of miracles, but these miracles followed him all the same. The incurably sick were cured, hopeless failures succeeded, barren parents conceived. It was like the fragrance of a flower that followed the flower wherever it was taken. Shri Babaji Maharaj always said that faith injected through the use of miracles could never endure unless it was accompanied by the Grace of God.

He always said: "The greatest miracle in my eyes is imparting a faith which can never be extinguished under any circumstances of life!"

A man came to Shri Babaji and said to him: "Please show me some miracle to prove the existence of God!"
Shri Babaji said to him: "We live in miracles all the time. The world around us is a miracle, what further miracle would you want to prove the existence of God?"
The man said: "If you can tell me what I have in my coat pocket, I shall believe in God!"
Shri Babaji laughed and said: "Even if I told you what you have in your pocket in what way would that establish the existence of God? You would only be led to bow before me unnecessarily, believing me to be some weird person, or maybe even a magician. No, I do not think that such a small miracle will convince you of the existence of God. If you really want to see His Miracles then look at the world around you.
Can you understand anything in the world in its entirety? Can you tell me how a large tree with leaves and fruits emerges from a tiny seed? Can you tell me how the sun stands in the sky without falling? Are there any chains that hold it up there? Is the law of Gravitation not a great miracle? How does a child receive nourishment when it is in the womb of its mother? Why are the breasts of the mother filled with milk the moment the child is born? And why does the milk in her breasts dry up when the child has grown big? Why do the seasons change with time? Who is regulating the scheme of the Universe? ? Is it being done by the small intelligence within your mind? Look at an oyster, how does it produce a pearl within itself?
How does the flower acquire such a beautiful colour and scent? Do your dyers and perfume sellers give the flower these qualities? Look at the flower and watch it bloom, and hear it say in a silent voice: 'O passers-by! Have you ever seen Him who gave me the colour and scent?' And when people fail to recognise the Creator in the flower, the flower hangs its head with shame and fades away in grief!
Have you been able to understand the working of the Universe? And if so, then how much of it have you understood? And if you have not been able to understand all these things then they are all miracles for you! For the definition of a miracle is that it is something that the mind cannot understand or explain.
You live in the world and know very little about it, you have a body but are totally unaware of its working. Are these not miracles enough to prove the existence of God? And if these miracles are not sufficient to prove the existence of God, how will my exhibiting a small miracle establish His existence for you!
O my brother! Listen, therefore! Whenever your mind prompts you to seek a miracle then look at the world around you, and you shall see it full of the miracles of God!"

Jee men ye hai ke hoon sanate saane pe nisaar
But ko bithaa ke saamne yaade Khudaa karoon

My heart could sacrifice itself for the love of the Creator,
This world is the idol through which I worship God!

Another person in Shri Babaji's place would have used his powers for the purpose of self-glorification. However for Shri Babaji Maharaj these powers were of no consequence even though miracles followed him in abundance wherever he went.

Shri Babaji Maharaj used to say: "Remember this world and its profits are not permanent. They are to go away just like everything else in life. The world ceases to exist when you go to sleep. A dream world appears before you, which appears to be real for as long as it lasts. Eventually even that disappears when you go into deep sleep. Yet there is something permanent that exists in each of the states – the world of the wakeful state, the world of dreams, and the world of deep sleep – something that experiences all these states and which is permanent, while all the three states are temporary. That is your Real Self, your Soul.
‘What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?’
It is not wisdom to run after the temporary profits of the world and to forget the real profit of life. It is not wise to gain the world but to lose God.
The truth is that which remains permanent. That which is temporary can never be the truth. One plus one is equal to two. This is an eternal truth that will remain permanent for as long as the world lasts. This world is changeable and perishable and will not last. God alone is permanent and imperishable.

Cheest duniyaa sar ba sar purseed az farzaanaye
Guft, yaa khaabast, yaa baadast, yaa afsaanaye

A Wiseman was asked: what is that which we call the world?
And he said: 'Tis either like a dream, or like the wind, or like a story that ends.'

Keest aankas ko baro shaidaa shavad jaan mi dihad
Guft, yaa devast yaa golast yaa deevaanaye

Who would give up one's life for the love of this world?
The reply: a devil, or a will-o- the- wisp, or a madman!

Remember: never alienate yourselves from God, and keep away from all evil. Chhoti se chhoti buraayi barri se barri buraayi ki maa hoti hai! Even the smallest wrongful action is the mother of great misdeeds to come. Therefore maintain a scrupulous honesty in everything you do.
Use the things of the world taking them to be given by God. If you assert your own ownership on the things of the world and become attached to them, the objects of the world will become like fire; tempests and storms will come in your way, earthquakes will shake your resolve.”
“The things of the world are meant to be like medicines for one's vital needs. Beyond that when you give your heart to them you are inviting trouble."

Babaji's Income

Someone asked Shri Babaji Maharaj what his income was. And Shri Babaji Maharaj replied: " My income is greater than that of all the kings and emperors of the world! This is so because I do not need anything more than I possess. I am content with what has been given to me, and think of it as the greatest wealth in the world! I have no desires within me. Any person who wishes to change his state, or desires something, is in fact that much poorer."

The man asked: "If we give up all desires will we not be halting progress?"
Shri Babaji Maharaj replied: " No, on the contrary when you cease to run after the things of the world, you will discover that success and progress will follow you! When you have no desires within you, your mind is always at rest and when your mind is at rest you can do greater work than otherwise, and success follows as a natural consequence. When the ocean remains content with the water it has – the result is that all the rivers and streams flow down into it!"
The man asked: " But, Sir, if we give up all desires and cease to have a will of our own, will that not make us like stone?"
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: "When you give up your own will, then the Will of God begins to act through you, and you do your tasks in the world with unfailing success. This is so because there is no mistake in His Will!"

Shri Babaji’s Wealth

A pandit of repute – a purohit – came to Shri Babaji Maharaj and asked him:
“Maharaj! Can you tell me how much wealth you possess?”
Shri Babaji: “Panditji! You have asked me a very difficult question. It is hard to say how much wealth I possess. This is so, because I am in possession of such great wealth that it cannot be counted!”
Purohit: “That is a strange reply indeed! I believe even the kings and emperors can count the amount of wealth they have in their treasuries. Do you mean to say your wealth is limitless?”
Shri Babaji: “Panditji, don’t be surprised at my answer. I shall place before you, right now, the worth of my treasury and you can see for yourself whether the wealth is limitless or not!”
Purohit: “Maharaj! I am waiting with expectancy!”
Shri Babaji: “Listen Panditji! All the wealth in the world belongs to God. And because He is infinite therefore His wealth must also be infinite. The wealth of God is my wealth also, because I am his son!”
Purohit: “But Maharaj! How can you be the only son? There are many others who can also claim to be his sons and thus claim his wealth. Even if you claim his wealth you can only get that part of it which falls in your share. As only one of His many sons, you cannot stake a claim to the whole of his wealth!”
Shri Babaji: Without doubt all who exist in the world are His sons. However each one has created a separate, independent, “I” of his own and has staked a claim to the limited wealth which his limited “I” desires. Having thus taken his share, he cannot now lay claim to the entire wealth of God! As a matter of fact he has disowned it. But I am like a child who has nothing in his own name. I have not established my own independent “I” before God. I have no will of my own and my Father’s Will guides me. Therefore everything that belongs to my Father belongs to me as well. And since His wealth is infinite, neither you nor I can count it! If you would conceive of that infinite wealth then just think of the infinity of God!”

This belief that Shri Babaji Maharaj held was not merely a belief, but it was a reality that existed in each and every action of his life. It was impossible for a third person to fathom the spiritual state in which Shri Babaji Maharaj existed all the time.

The Will of Shri Babaji Maharaj

Shri Babaji Maharaj once startled a group of people sitting before him by saying suddenly: “The entire Universe is moving in accordance with my will!”
“But Maharaj”, said the startled group, “you always told us that the Universe was moving in accordance with the Will of God! Would it not be heresy to say that it is moving in accordance with your will?
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “You are right. The Universe is moving in accordance with the Will of God. I have delivered myself to God, like a zero coming before one. I am like a child who is in the lap of his mother. The child has no strength of his own but when he is with his mother then his mother’s strength becomes the strength of the child. I have no will of my own. Therefore, whatever is working through me is the Will of God. My will is now His Will. And it is that same Will which is working in the Universe. Therefore I can say without hesitation that the entire Universe is running in accordance with my will!”

The King and the Elephant

Shri Babaji Maharaj used to narrate the parable of the king who wished to learn how to remain unattached in this world, while living in the midst of relationships. One day the king was going out into his kingdom, dressed in rich, princely robes and astride a large decorated elephant. He met a mahatma coming his way. He stopped the elephant and saluted the mahatma and asked him:
"Sire can you teach me how to live peacefully in this world without being attached to anything? My mind remains constantly in turmoil due to my numerous attachments. I cannot renounce the world because I have to attend to my subjects and my kingdom."
The mahatma pondered for a while, and then said to the king rather abruptly: "I will tell you soon. But first give me your elephant and your princely robes and let me ride on the elephant!"
The king was surprised, but got off the elephant and gave his robes to the mahatma. The mahatma got on the elephant and began riding in splendour. The king walked by the side of the mahatma. The mahatma really appeared to be enjoying the ride and the scenery, as well as the salutes he was getting from the public. After a short while, he asked the king:
"O king! Tell me, who is enjoying these princely vestments and the elephant?"
"You, Sire," said the king.
"Now tell me, O king – if the robes catch fire and are burnt, and the elephant dies–who will be grieved?" asked the mahatma.
"I will be grieved,” said the king.
"That is the secret of life," said the mahatma," I am enjoying your robes and elephant but I am not attached to them – because I know they belong to you! How can I be attached to something that does not belong to me? I am enjoying them in an unattached way. Therefore, when they go, I shall not be grieved. Rather I shall think it is your loss because they belong to you. In a like manner when you think of this world and all its objects and relationships as belonging to God, then you enjoy everything, without becoming attached to it, and taking it to be from Him! And when anything is gone, you are not grieved, because you know you had no real relationship with it, and were never really mentally attached to it. You knew it belonged to God alone. This is the way of leading a life of renunciation in the midst of worldly attachments, of living like a saint while being a man of the world."

____________________
CHAPTER THREE

Episodes of Simla

Babaji works in a British Office

When Shri Nathji was yet a child, Shri Babaji Maharaj had moved to Simla from Batala. He had a wife and two children to look after. As Shri Babaji Maharaj had given away all his wealth to the poor, he needed some means of subsistence, and, thereafter, obtained a job in Simla in the Army Recruitment Department of the British. The people in his office were all at once awed and thrilled by his personality. Never before had the British Officers there seen such an honest man. Shri Babaji Maharaj was so concerned about ethics and morality that he would never use the office ink for writing his personal letters. His superiors were almost afraid of his honesty and saw in him an unfathomable quality that they lacked. Once when he was walking home, a British Officer ran after him, waving a piece of paper and saying: "Babaji, you have dropped something!"
Shri Babaji said: "I never carry anything with myself that I can drop, and that, which is with me is something that cannot be dropped! The world which I had to drop, I dropped long ago, and, that, which is with myself, my real Self, is something that I can never drop! However if you still feel the paper belongs to me then I shall be pleased to have it."
The Britisher gave Shri Babaji Maharaj the piece of paper he was carrying. It contained the writing of Shri Babaji Maharaj:

“I am convinced there is no condition higher than that silence which comes of the abandonment of all latent desires."

Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say:

"I am content with what God has given me as my share,
And commit to my Creator my every care,
To do good in the past has been indeed His Will
He will do good as well in what is to come still."

Shri Babaji Maharaj would be seen writing out hundreds of sheets of paper at home with the words: "Honesty is the best policy" written on them over and over again. Shri Babaji Maharaj would frequently say that it was not possible for a man to make any spiritual achievement unless he had conquered the basic vices within himself. He used to say:

"He who has not given up the ways of vice,
He whose mind is not at rest,
He who cannot control himself,
Can never realise the Self,
Though full of learning of the world."

British Officers Afraid

One day a British officer came to Shri Babaji Maharaj while he was in the office, and said to him: "I am afraid of you!"
Shri Babaji said in a humorous vein, "Is my face so frightening that it should make you afraid? When I last looked at my face in the mirror it was not so bad. Perhaps the climate of Simla has adversely affected it!"
The Britisher laughed and said: "Oh, Mr. Devi Das, but I am not joking. It is not your face that frightens me. It is your honesty."
Shri Babaji Maharaj said, "Should you be afraid of an honest person?"
The Britisher replied, "We are afraid of you because we do not find ourselves to be as honest as you! And it worries us that you might someday see some shortcomings in us and report us to our superiors."
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: "It is not my part to look upon your shortcomings and to report them. My part is only to do my work here. But, yes – if it becomes my duty to report your faults, then I shall not hesitate to stand by the truth, even though it may put me or my son or any other person in jeopardy. He who is with truth is with me; I can never side with anyone who denies the truth, not even if it be myself or anyone close to me!"
The British officer was so impressed by Shri Babaji Maharaj that he developed a great love and respect for him thereafter.

The Earthquake at Kangra

One morning Shri Babaji Maharaj was going to the office when a large group of his admirers came to him. An earthquake had shaken the district of Kangra. They said to him: "Maharaj! Please pray that such an earthquake may never come again! It was a horrible day! People were afraid for their lives. Every nook and corner of the area was shaking. The houses were bowing low as if in prostration. The mountains were looking askance at the sky and appeared to be calling out to God to have mercy upon the land. The sight was unbearable. The entire district of Kangra was ravaged by the earthquake. Even now the very thought of the earthquake fills our hearts with fear!

"Oh, but it was a strange scene! Yesterday, when the earthquake was in progress, people were calling out to God to come and save them. The Hindus were saying ‘Rama! Rama!' The Muslims were saying 'Allah! Allah!' and the Sikhs were saying 'Wah Guru! Wah Guru!' The Christians were saying ' Christ! Christ!' But now that the earthquake is over, the name of God has vanished, people are once again talking about the usual petty things of life!"
Shri Babaji Maharaj listened patiently to the group and then said: "Let us all come together and pray to God, 'O Lord! Please let this earthquake remain forever!’ "

The people were astounded to hear these words.

"Maharaj! What are you saying! We could not bear even one moment of the earthquake, how will we be able to bear an earthquake that lasts forever!"
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “We have not to see what is bearable and what is unbearable, we have not to see what brings life and what brings death; we have only to accept that, which keeps His remembrance always alive in our hearts!
"You have just been saying that for as long as the earthquake lasted, people were calling out to God – the Hindus to Rama, the Muslims to Allah, the Sikhs to Wah Guru, and the Christians to Christ – and the moment the earthquake subsided, people forgot God altogether and began focusing their attention once again on the things of the world. Iss liye main to kahoongaa ke aisaa bhoochaal roz aayaa kare! I would, therefore, welcome such an earthquake everyday, if it serves to keep the remembrance of God alive in our hearts!"

Shri Babaji and the Doctor

There was a time when Shri Babaji Maharaj became ill at Simla. A doctor was called. The doctor examined Shri Babaji Maharaj.
Doctor: "Babaji, you are running a fever of 100 degrees. I will write down some medicine for you and also make out a medical certificate so that you can take leave from your office and rest at home for one week."
Shri Babaji: Doctor Sahib, can you say with certainty that your medicine is a definite cure for any disease?
Doctor: Babaji, if I do not know about medicines that can cure, then what kind of a doctor am I?
Shri Babaji: Tell me, can you make the fever come down in five days, if its natural course is to be ten days?
Doctor: No, Sir.
Shri Babaji: If Nature has intended that the fever remain for a week, and your medicine also allows it to remain for one week, then of what use is your medicine?
Doctor: Maharaj, the real fact is that we cannot cure the fever; we merely assist Nature in curing it! However if you have no faith in my medicine then you need not take it. I shall write out the medical certificate anyway.
Shri Babaji: Doctor Sahib, why are you writing out the medical certificate for me when I am not going to take your medicine? According to the common belief my sickness will very likely increase if I do not take any medicine. The government would then have to incur a loss as I lie sick on my sickbed for many days more. They would be paying me my salary when I would be doing nothing for them. Under such circumstances do you think your giving me the medical certificate would be proper and within the law? No. You must write a complaint against me and tell the government: 'This person is refusing to take any medicine and it is likely that his illness may increase and the government would have to incur a loss!'
Doctor: I am absolutely astonished at your words, the likes of which I have never heard in my entire life! Indeed such words can only come from a Personality who is Truth personified. Granted that I cannot be helpful to you in any way, would my purpose in coming here be only to complain against you? No, Maharaj! I can never do that! If that is what you wish, then you may please call another doctor and have him write the medical certificate or the complaint!"
Shri Babaji: Doctor Sahib! If according to my belief your medicine cannot help me, then I can also say that it cannot harm me either! Go ahead, therefore, and write the prescription, and the servant shall go and purchase the medicine, and I shall take it! This way you shall have no occasion to complain against me, nor shall the government suffer any loss, as everything will be in accordance with the accepted rules.
The doctor wrote the prescription as well as the medical certificate, and returned several times, thereafter, to look after Shri Babaji Maharaj. When Shri Babaji Maharaj had recovered completely and had begun to attend his office, the doctor came to him one day.
Doctor: Maharaj, I cannot help but say this, that if God were to manifest Himself in the world then it would be only through such a personality like yours – a personality which the world will scarce be able to understand."

Shri Babaji Maharaj & the Maulvi

When Shri Babaji Maharaj was at Simla, a renowned speaker came to deliver a speech there. He was a Maulvi of the sect of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a spiritual leader. Those who came to listen to him were chiefly members of his sect. One such member came to Shri Babaji Maharaj and requested him to grace the lecture with his presence and to enlighten the gathering with his words.
Shri Babaji Maharaj, who considered all faiths in the world to be the same, went to the hall where the lecture was being held. He sat inside and listened to the speech of the learned Maulvi with great interest. After the speech was over, Shri Babaji Maharaj came out of the hall to speak to the Maulvi, but discovered that he had gone out into the verandah because he had a headache. Shri Babaji Maharaj sent word to him:
"Tell the Maulvi Sahib that I have the medicine for his headache – and that is the name of Khuda, God!"
The Maulvi came to meet Shri Babaji Maharaj.
Shri Babaji: Maulvi Sahib, I was very happy to listen to your lecture.
Maulvi: Thank you for your appreciation.
Shri Babaji: Do you remember all the things which you just said in the lecture?
Maulvi: Yes, I should think I remember most of them.
Shri Babaji: Well, then, can you tell me the definition of a Musalman once again?
Maulvi: He, who fears no one except God, and who desires nothing from anyone.
Shri Babaji: Would you say you possess these qualities?
Maulvi: Frankly, I do not think so.
Shri Babaji: Then are these qualities not those of a Musalman?
Maulvi: Are you calling me an unbeliever?
Shri Babaji: No. What I am trying to say is that these qualities must come into us as soon as possible because the next moment of life is so uncertain.
Maulvi: But do you possess these qualities?
Shri Babaji: I do not wish to say anything about myself. But it is my wish that such a desire should exist within all of us at all times.
The Maulvi did not know who Shri Babaji Maharaj was, and thought that he was insulting him. It was a thought that was completely without any foundation. He did not realise that Shri Babaji Maharaj was his real well-wisher and that he wished to bring everyone from ignorance to knowledge, and from knowledge to perfection. He had accepted all the sects of the world as his own, and was speaking to members of these sects as if he were one of their own. He had to correct, without delay, what he thought was lacking in them. It did not matter to him whether they liked it or not.
The Maulvi lost his temper and began giving vent to his rage. Anger was a quality which left no room for wisdom. He called his followers around himself and all of them surrounded Shri Babaji Maharaj. They made ready as if to assault him.
Maulvi: Aren't you afraid of us? We are so many and you are all alone! Ham iss kadar hain aur aap akele hain!
Shri Babaji: It is not I who am alone, but you! Main akela naheen, balke akele to aap hain!
Maulvi: What do you mean?
Shri Babaji: Is God not present here? Kyaa Khudaa haazir naazir naheen hai? I am not alone, because God is with me. You are alone, because you have forgotten Him! You are looking upon me as alone because you yourselves are alone at this time! This thought is making you deny the existence of God!"
The Maulvi and his followers were so touched by the words of Shri Babaji Maharaj that tears came into their eyes and they rushed forward to beg forgiveness of him.
Maulvi: Maharaj! Forgive me! I could not understand your love for us! You were our real brother – haquiqi bhai – trying to teach us the important lesson that spirituality does not lie in words alone but in action. You were teaching us that we must lead exemplary lives. At this moment I feel as if a personality is standing before me who is spirituality personified. My heart bows before you.
All the followers of the Mirzai sect, who were gathered there, became very respectful towards Shri Babaji Maharaj and said to him: "Maharaj! We have seen in you the qualities which we attribute to a true Musalman. If we had not been the members of the Mirzai sect we would have become your followers!"
A river of divine waves seemed to flow from Shri Babaji Maharaj during those days in which everyone was swept away. Every action of his was dyed with a Love Divine that affected the hearts of all.

Babaji & the Office Babus

There was a time when Shri Babaji Maharaj was on a tour with some office going clerks – babus. They were all on a train. The babus said to Shri Babaji Maharaj:
"Maharaj, you always say that the entire world belongs to you. But we have yet to benefit from it. We have become sick eating the poories that are given as food at all the railway stations. Our hearts yearn for ordinary food and even that is being denied us! Of what us is it to us that this world belongs to you and that you are its owner?"
Shri Babaji Maharaj asked them: "What is it that you wish to eat?"
The babus said: " What is the use our wishing for any type of food? There is no mother here who will satisfy our needs."
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: "It is the result of your lack of faith that you do not see your mother with you, otherwise she is ever present with everyone. All right, tell me what is it that you wish to eat at this time!"
The babus laughed and said: "O Maharaj! Can you give us rotis with daal and dahi at this time?"
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: "Wait a while, let the next station come."
Even as the train stopped at the next station, Shri Babaji Maharaj got out of the train and went to the office of the Station Master. There was a chapraasi – gateman– at the door. Shri Babaji Maharaj went to him and said: "Go and tell the Station Master that his brother has come to see him!"
Within seconds the Station Master had come out of his office and he was looking to the right and the left to spot his brother on the railway platform.
Shri Babaji Maharaj went up to him and said: “Is it not strange that you cannot recognise your own real brother?"
The Station Master looked at Shri Babaji Maharaj who was dressed in ordinary clothes, and said: “How can I recognise my brother when he is not here?"
And Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him: "Am I not your bother, that you are failing to recognise me?"
The Station Master was humbled but could not understand what the words meant. And Shri Babaji Maharaj continued: “We all have one Father – God – and we are all His children. Therefore we are all brothers."
The Station Master was deeply touched by the divine personality of Shri Babaji Maharaj and the divine light he emanated. He said to Shri Babaji Maharaj: "Please tell me if I can be of any service to you."
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “My friends here have become tired of eating poories all the time at railway stations, and had wished for some rotis with daal and dahi. Is it possible for you to get it for them?"
The Station Master was very happy and immediately sent word to his home for the food. After a short while, the rotis with daal and dahi arrived, and the babus with Shri Babaji Maharaj ate to their heart's content. They thanked Shri Babaji Maharaj and said: "Maharaj had rightly said that the entire world belongs to us and that all who live in it are our brothers!"
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: "When you think of the entire world and all who live in it as your brothers then everything in the world will become yours. But there must not be any doubts in such a belief. It is your own faith that rewards you."

Raabiya Basri the Prophetess

Shri Babaji Maharaj often told this story to illustrate how the feelings within us affected the world around us.
Rabiya Basri was a legendary saint and prophetess who lived in the forest. She was always surrounded by a host of birds that loved her and fluttered around her. One day a Faqueer– a holy man – of repute came for her darshan – deedaar. He came and sat down beside her.
The moment the birds spotted the man they all flew away chattering loudly with fear.
The Faqueer was greatly surprised, and he said to Rabiya Basri: "It shocks me that the birds should have flown away the moment I came. They were playing with you only a moment before. Please tell me why this has happened. After all, I, too, am a Faqueer like yourself, and was not their enemy."
Rabiya Basri asked the Faqueer: "Tell me, do you eat meat?"
The Faqueer said: "Yes, I do."
And Rabiya Basri said: “Ah, that is the reason why the birds have flown away from you! This is so because in your inherent nature there is enmity for them. Even though there is no antagonism in your mind against these birds, yet within your body there is something that goes against them!"
Shri Babaji Maharaj elucidated: “If in the depths of our hearts we have a genuine love for the world we shall receive love in return. This principle is as apparent as the light of the sun or the height of the Himalayas."
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say: “Aap jo kuchh duniyaan ko banaana chaahate hain paihle vo aap ban jaayiye. Whatever you wish to make the world, you must first become yourselves!”

Shri Babaji resigns from his office

After working in the office for many days, Shri Babaji Maharaj discovered that he was very tired each time he went to the office and returned home. The fatigue was otherwise unexplainable as he was in perfect health. Shri Babaji Maharaj began pondering over this: "If it was the Will of God that I continue doing my work, then He would surely have provided me with the strength to do so. If the light of the sun were to decrease how would it give light to the world? If I do not have the strength left to do my office work, then how shall I continue with it? It is perhaps a sign from God that my part in this sphere is over."
Shri Babaji Maharaj sat in silence and prayed to God:
"O Lord! If it is Thy wish that I continue to do work in the office, then fill my body with strength. Otherwise I shall take it as Thy Will that my part in this drama is finished!"
Thereafter Shri Babaji Maharaj took leave from his office for fourteen months during which time he remained at home.

The Dream

Even as the leave ended, Shri Babaji Maharaj had a dream in the night:
Shri Babaji Maharaj found himself in a forest where there was not a soul in sight. After wandering for a while, he suddenly saw before him a palace which was beautifully designed and decorated. The architecture of the palace showed it was of no small worth. Shri Babaji Maharaj entered the palace but found no one inside. There was a solitary chair in the palace and Shri Babaji Maharaj sat down upon it. There was an unearthly silence all around him. After a short while, a majestic, elderly person with flowing white hair and a divine glow on his face, appeared before him. He came towards Shri Babaji Maharaj and said to him: "It is very good that you have come. I had been waiting for you. Please continue to sit in the chair!"
Shri Babaji Maharaj woke up and began to interpret the dream. Perhaps what the Grandsire had meant was: "My duty is now over. I am going away. This seat belongs to you." Shri Babaji Maharaj understood. God had ordained that he take on an active spiritual role in life.

Immediately thereafter Shri Babaji Maharaj submitted his resignation to his office. The officers and colleagues of Shri Babaji Maharaj were shocked beyond belief. They could not even think of the office running without Shri Babaji Maharaj. Never again would they see a man of such unquestionable integrity, who had been a comfort to so many and who had spread such happiness all around him. They had all fallen in love with him. They pleaded with him to change his decision because they could not bear the thought of separation from such a being. The people of the town were worried lest Shri Babaji Maharaj decide to leave their town now that he had already left his office. All the people loved him to such an extent that the very thought of separation from him became unbearable. It was a sad day for his officers when Shri Babaji Maharaj decided to leave the Army Recruitment Office to fulfil his life's mission.

Shri Babaji Maharaj had become resolute in his determination because he was hearing the voice of God speak to him in the innermost depths of his soul, which told him that his part in the office was over and a new part had been ordained for him which he had to enact in accordance with the Divine Will. As much as he loved his colleagues and officers and friends, and as much as he was loathe to part from them, yet he had to carry out the divine programme set out for him. And it was thus that he had to harden his heart and take leave from them. It was yet another illustration of the fact that Great Souls do not allow anything in the world to alter their resolve and determination, especially when these stem from God.

The Passing Away of Durga Deviji 1906

It was during this time that Smt. Durga Deviji, the wife of Shri Babaji Maharaj, left the world. She had given birth to two sons, Shri Bhola Nathji and Shri Prem Nath. Shri Bhola Nathji had been born in Abbotabad in 1902 and Prem Nath in Simla in 1904. She left her physical body four years after the birth of their first son, Bhola Nathji.
She had remained ill for almost two years before the end came at Batala. The last moments of her life revealed her intense spiritual nature. At first she was loathe to part from Devi Dasji and the children. She was worried who would look after the children after she was gone, especially now that Shri Babaji Maharaj had left his office.
Shri Devi Das said to her "Do not worry about the children. He who has sent the children into the world will also care for them!" And he added, “But if it pains you to part from us then we shall all go with you!"
At this Smt.Durga Devi said:" No, no! You must all stay in the world. It is my prayer that you live forever!"
And then Shri Babaji Maharaj spoke to her soothingly for a long time sitting by the side of her bed.
Shri Babaji Maharaj defined death in a beautiful manner:
"Maut kyaa hai? Zindagi kaa ek khoobsoorti se doosri khoobsoorti men badal jaana!
Zindagi duniyaa ko dikhaati hai - aur maut Khuda ko dikhaati hai!
Zindagi kyaa hai? Jisne chale jaanaa hai.
Maut kyaa hai? Jisne aanaa hai!”
“What is Death? It is life transforming itself from one beautiful state to another.
Life reveals to us this world, while death reveals to us God!
What is life? That which must go.
And what is death? That which must come!”
“If death separates us from the temporary joys of the world, it beings us to that happiness which never ends. Death is that silence in which the tumult of the world does not exist. It is that bliss in which there is no sorrow. One must not be afraid of death on two occasions: firstly, when it has not to come, and secondly, when it has to come!
“Death cannot come to the body – for the body is dead matter anyway; and how can death come to that which is already dead? Death cannot come to the soul either, because the soul is immortal. Hence there is no such thing as death. If at all we can think of death then it is merely a separation of the body from the soul.
“The soul has no physical relationships. It is not made of solid matter. It is not the father or mother of any soul, nor is it the son or daughter of another soul. Its relationship is with God alone, like the relationship of a part with its whole.
“We must live out our lives on earth like an actor who has two selves. The first is his real self in which the relationships of the stage do not exist. And the second is his stage self in which he is related to all on the stage. He must never identify his real self with his stage self for this would mean sorrow in every separation. He must always know that his real self is beyond the life and death portrayed on the stage. He must know that he shall exist behind the curtain even after his stage self has "died" on the stage as part of the play. He must perform his part on stage in a manner that will be pleasing to the Director of the play and he must go to him when the play is at its end, and take his reward from his hands. God is the Director of this drama of life and death upon earth, and man the actor who must go to him when the curtain has fallen on this stage of the world. The real relationship of man is only with the Director of the play.
“Man must work with two ‘I’’s. The first is the ‘I’ of his body with which he does his worldly tasks, and which forms a web of relationships with the people around him. At the same time he must remember his real ‘I’ which lies beyond life and death, and which has a relationship only with God. He must always know that the relationships he forms in the world are only temporary – like those of an actor playing his part on stage. He must play his part well, but the moment he begins to be overly affected by the sorrows and joys that his relationships bring, he must remember his real self which is beyond them, and thus be at peace within. For one who is merged in God at the time of death, and free of all attachments of the world, death becomes a union with God. For a drop of water to annihilate itself in the ocean is everlasting life.
“Man must tell himself: No one is in reality mine and I do not in reality belong to anyone upon this earth. My relationships on earth are like the relationships of an actor with his fellow actors on stage – relationships which are in fact non-existent, which are like a zero.
“When nothing belongs to you, how can you be separated from anything? Man must neither desire life nor fear death. Death exists only for one who does not wish to die. For the person who welcomes death there is no death, but eternal life. He who sees death as a measure of God's Will and identifies himself with that Will does not die, for he has given up his ego before the Divine Will. To die before one's death – in this alone lies salvation. This does not mean suicide, rather it means destroying the ego within oneself, destroying the false ‘I’ of the stage, and merging oneself into the real ‘I’ which is eternal and immortal.

“You have something with yourself. If you give it away of your own free will, you will feel no pain in its going, on the contrary you will feel happy; but if it is forcibly taken from you then you will be pained. In a like manner, death does not exist for one who willingly offers his life to God at the time of death. He becomes immortal. Death exists only for one who does not wish to die. When leaving the world one should go unattached to all relationships, and keeping the remembrance of God with him.”

On listening to the words of Shri Babaji Maharaj, his wife, Smt. Durga Devi, said:

"I am now absolutely at peace within and am prepared to leave the world! I neither desire life nor do I fear death! I am free from all attachments and am going in the thought of Him who sent me into the world!! Can ever death be more desirable than this? I have no desires within me at this time. Such a death is the envy of even the saints and sages! I am going, content in His Will, which is taking me away!"
Shri Babaji Maharaj however added; "You can become well again if you so wish. Nothing is impossible with God who is All Powerful!"
But Smt.Durga Devi said: "No, I do not wish to recover. I am going now with the peace you have given me. I do not wish to get well now and then go later at another moment when such peace may be missing. I leave the children in the care of Mother Nature."
When Devi Dasji asked her what she desired most at the time, she asked him to read from the Sacred Sikh Scriptures of the Japji Sahib. And even as Devi Dasji's voice recited the words of the holy book, Durga Devi closed her eyes to the physical world around her and entered the spiritual realm. Her voice appeared to ring out:
“Jalvaye anvaar ke darshan se main behosh hoon
Main mari naheen yoon hee zaraa khaamosh hoon
I am lost in the sight of that Glory Divine,
I have not died but have merely silenced myself!”
She was the most beautiful woman in the world, and was exceptionally beautiful even in death. Shri Nathji heard her words of consolation from another plane after her passing away, which were meant for her children upon earth
“My children, do not be afraid, I am always with you. I remain close to you like the air. I smile at you from the glittering moon. I reveal myself to you in the rays of the Sun and let you play in my sunshine. I am present in the stars. I exist as the greenery in the leaves and trees around you. I sway in the ocean as its waves. I exist in your hearts as love. I am the light of your eyes. I am the bliss of your hearts. Never think of me as separate from you because I am with you all the time in every face of the world.
“My children, I cannot bear to see you in sorrow. You are crying even though you are with me. You think that you are without a mother in the world. Let me tell you that you are not motherless. You are not in want, nor are you helpless. You are like kings and emperors. The comforts of the world are yours for the asking in a single glance. Do not cry. Your mother is before you. Wipe your tears with the fold of my love, or else I too shall weep on seeing you cry.
“Arise and be happy! I am with you. Go and give the good news to the whole world that a beautiful age is to come, in which all sorrows and sufferings shall cease to exist. Happiness shall come to every home. The name of God shall be on the lips of all, no matter what name they may use to call out to Him.
“My Son! Did you hear my voice? Do you believe in my words? Time itself shall show. Remember, you are the son of Eternity. Your reign is in the spiritual realm. Arise and drink of this milk of nectar and know that there is but One Reality in the world and that all are His children, like the numerous rays of the Sun. This realization will make all your weaknesses, faltering, hatred and intolerance end, and allow the blood of Reality to run in your veins. The heat of this flow will cause ignorance to evaporate and it shall never again show its face before you.
“Just before I go, let me tell you that it was a mistake on my part to have worried about you. At that time I had forgotten that I would be remaining with you, forever, with all my powers, to safeguard you. Whenever you wish to see my face, I appear before you in the form of the numerous mothers you see around you. Whenever you are hungry, I come to provide you with food. Whenever you are thirsty, I bring water for you. Whenever you weep, I come to wipe away your tears, and to make you laugh. And whenever you are vexed, I come to placate you in diverse ways. I worry over the clothes you wear and wash them even before they become dirty. When you are ill, I sit by your bedside and tend to you. Whenever you are sad, I come to console you.
“Alas! What a misconception you have that your mother is dead! No, I am not dead. I am with you all the time. If I were not with you then Mother Nature would never have tended to you, nor, indeed, to any other child in the world. Yes, my face is that of Mother Nature which looks after all the children of the world. And yet, Mother Nature is not merely your Nurse. She has an unlimited strength with itself. You are the children of Mother Nature and she is sustaining your existence upon earth.
“It was my principal duty to bring you to your father, and I have done that. I have left you in his safekeeping and have hidden this external face of mine from your eyes. But even then I could not simply leave you and go away. I have come before you in the guise of the world around you. Perhaps you cannot recognize me, but I know you, and you are mine.
“Remember, whenever any frightening face of the world comes before you, then try to look upon it as a face which I have assumed, and call out to me and say ‘Ma!’ I will then throw away the mask and appear before you as myself.
“If you ever need anything, simply think of me. I shall place the entire world before you. Remember I am your mother, and there can be none dearer to me than you.
“Do not despair. Become fearless. Your wealth is limitless. However let me tell you one essential thing: Always remember your Father.
“O my children! Arise! Call out to all your brethren upon earth, and tell them that they should have faith in God, their Master, and thus become free of all the fears and worries of the world, because He has provided for all their needs beforehand.
“I am going now. But I am leaving behind my words and my love for you.”
Shri Nathji’s Note: This is a message from a mother to her children. I am sure that, all those children who have lost their mothers, shall derive strength from these words, and they shall look upon Mother Nature as their Mother, and their hearts shall be free of consternation and despair. Those, whose mothers are still with them, will look upon these mothers as another face of Mother Nature and have abiding respect for them.

Shri Nathji’s Maternal Uncle

Shri Nathji’s mother belonged to the Kaura family of Batala. Shri Nathji had three maternal uncles, Lala Devi Chand, Lala Vaishno Das and Lala Munshiram. Of these, two lived in Batala, whereas the third, Lala Munshiram, had gone to America at a very young age.
Lala Munshiram wrote letters frequently from America to Shri Babaji Maharaj and narrated his experiences there. It was as if his soul had belonged to that place. Amongst the first few letters that he wrote from America, there was one which narrated a telling experience which he had there. He wrote:
“ I was going for a walk in a garden when I slipped and fell. I sprained my ankle so badly that I could not even get up from the ground. Just then, a handsomely dressed American couple appeared on the scene. They saw me groaning in pain on the ground and they rushed to my aid. They examined my foot and tended to it. Later they took me home in their car and gave me further attention. They were wealthy people of America. I was totally overwhelmed by their goodness. The thought crossed my mind: would a rich man in India have stooped to pick up and tend to an unknown stranger lying on the ground? I doubt it. His ego would never have let him bend down and help an ordinary person, far less touch his foot or tend to his ankle. I see something very great in the people of this country, not in terms of their wealth, but in terms of their absence of ego, lack of pride, and their desire to help others. I do not wish to return from a place where such people exist. I feel that my destiny lies here.”
And true to his resolve, Lala Munshiram never returned from America. In course of time he acquired much money himself through his hard work. And he established a scholarship fund for deserving students that came from India. However the scholarship fund had a condition attached to it: the money would be given to a deserving student, and after he had finished his studies and had become a success in life, he was to give a similar amount to some other person who would then do likewise, and the chain would continue indefinitely. Lala Munshiram lived and died in America, but Shri Babaji Maharaj, and later Shri Nathji, continued to tell his story ever afterwards.

Shri Babaji opens a Coal Shop

After Shri Babaji Maharaj had left his job in the British Recruitment office, he decided to open a Coal Merchant’s Shop in Simla. This was for the benefit of the people, as coal was dear during those days of the bitter cold in the mountains of Simla. However the coal shop that Shri Babaji Maharaj opened was a strange kind of shop. Outside the shop there was a board that said that anyone could take coal at any price he could afford. In addition, if the coal sacks contained any powdered coal unsuitable for burning, the purchaser could return it, and get, weight for weight, fresh coal in exchange for it. People were astonished at this new shop that had been opened, where the love of God appeared to manifest itself for the suffering humanity. In addition, whoever came to the shop obtained the divine blessings of Shri Babaji Maharaj which helped him in all moments of his life.
There was a worldly-wise person who sought to cheat Shri Babaji. He bought one maund of coal – about 100 kilos– and then sent his servant to Shri Babaji Maharaj, claiming that the sack contained two and a half maunds of powder! Shri Babaji Maharaj laughed and immediately gave him two and a half maunds of fresh coal, and later said to him: "Sethji, how is it that you took only one maund of coal but the sack contained two and a half maunds of coal powder?" The man was greatly ashamed of himself and said: "The servant must have mixed up the sack with the other sacks lying in my house!"
Ultimately Shri Babaji Maharaj closed down the shop, as he had done what he had set out to do – to give away the remaining part of his earnings for the good of the people. He then declared to his close friends who held him in high esteem: "I desire to open a Cloth Merchant's Shop now, where I can do greater good to people."

The Cloth Merchant's Shop

Shri Babaji Maharaj had always said to shopkeepers "If you follow the advice that I am giving you, you will always be very successful. Always make an effort to win the goodwill of your customers, without caring for profit or loss. Always sell at the same price to everyone and never alter the prices to suit your profits. Once you have won the goodwill and confidence of your customers, then make an effort to retain their goodwill. Shun all temptations and follow the path of scrupulous honesty. If you do so, your shop will prosper like no other shop."
Shri Babaji Maharaj gave this advice to Shri Gokul Chand of Amritsar who had just then opened a small shop. Gokul Chand had humbly accepted Shri Babaji's advice and had sought his blessings. When Shri Babaji came to Amritsar a second time, he found that Shri Gokul Chand had prospered to such an extent that he owned the entire bazaar in which his shop had been situated.
Shri Babaji Maharaj went to his shop, but found only his brother, Shri Devi Chand, there. When Shri Devi Chand asked Shri Babaji Maharaj who he was, Shri Babaji Maharaj replied: " I am the owner of the shop! I have come to see how it is flourishing and what you are doing with the profits. But I am only a part owner. I own that ten percent of the profits which were meant to be given to the poor. Have you been regularly giving ten percent of your profits to the poor? That was a condition I had made with Shri Gokul Chand when he opened the shop." Shri Devi Chand apologised for not adhering strictly to such a condition, but said that they contributed to the poor whenever they could and would do so with greater regularity in the future.
When Shri Babaji Maharaj made his intention known to open a cloth merchant's shop, those who were close to him were worried how he would get the funds to purchase the stock necessary to run the shop. The initial investment would have to be large, and Shri Babaji Maharaj had given away everything. Although Shri Babaji opened a shop, it remained without any cloth. On the contrary, the shop became a venue for seekers after truth to come to Shri Babaji Maharaj and to listen to his words which were like the nectar of life.
One day Shri Babaji Maharaj said: "If it be the Will of God, then the entire shop can become filled with cloth in one night! I have no doubt in His Powers which are Almighty."

Maharaja Hira Singh of Nabha

Someone mentioned the name of Maharaja Hira Singh of Nabha State who came to Simla every year in the summer and had his own palace there, known as Nabha House. The Maharaja was said to be a very righteous and God fearing person. He was also a spiritually advanced soul and could see into the future and solve the problems of many around him through his spiritual insight. His generosity was so great, that, at times of famine, when people were in need of money, he would give them jobs which consisted of building certain structures. As soon as the labourers had finished constructing these structures he would order them to be demolished – and then build them all over again. He did this so that he could keep the labourers employed continuously for long periods of time.

When Shri Babaji Maharaj heard of Maharaja Nabha his heart went out towards him. He decided to go and meet him. Shri Babaji Maharaj and his devotees went to Nabha House and found the Maharaja in his garden. Shri Babaji Maharaj was dressed in the clothes of an ordinary worldly person and had no spiritual trappings about him. Yet the divine light on his face was so great that the Maharaja was overwhelmed and said with joy:
Phir baade bahaar aayi, Iqbal ghazal khwaan ho
Guncha hai agar, gul ho, gul hai to gulshan ho
The breeze of spring doth blow again, O Iqbal, sing thou with joy!
If thou be a bud, become a flower, and if a flower, then become a garden now.
Since there was truth in the Maharaja, he recognised the truth in Shri Babaji Maharaj. He was a man with a pure heart and therefore he beheld God within Shri Babaji Maharaj the moment he saw him.
The Maharaja obtained a peace and happiness from Shri Babaji Maharaj which he had never experienced before in his life.
Shri Babaji Maharaj narrated the events that had brought him to Nabha House, and the Maharaja said: "It shall be my good fortune if any part of my resources can be of any use in your work! Please order me, and I shall see that the shop is filled with as much cloth as you wish!"
Shri Babaji Maharaj astonished everyone by saying, “Maharaja Nabha! I have decided not to open the shop! I was merely demonstrating to these devotees how God can fulfil in one moment even the most improbable of things. My aim was to prove a spiritual axiom and I have done that. I have no further use for the shop. And, as for your resources, you may distribute them wherever else you may want to."

The Maharaja became a great devotee and friend of Shri Babaji Maharaj. He saw in Shri Babaji Maharaj the holiest of the holy. He developed a great love for Shri Babaji's children. The young Shri Nathji – he was only eight years old at the time – was welcomed by the Maharaja of Nabha at Nabha house in Simla. Shri Nathji was wearing a beautiful orange turban and spotlessly white clothes. Shri Babaji Maharaj was with him.
"The offspring of a Guru must be a Guru as well," said the Maharaja, "Nathji, give me spiritual solace. Koi updesh karo."
Shri Nathji was about to speak, when the Maharaja stopped him: "Please forgive me, I forgot this offering, bhenta, of worship!" And, saying this, he placed a gold coin at Shri Nathji's feet.
The Maharaja had been disturbed by a vexing problem at the time, and what Shri Nathji said brought instant peace to him. Shri Nathji quoted the verse of Shri Babaji Mahara¬j, which took man above the sorrows and joys of the world.
"Dile daaram ke darvai gham na gunjad
Che jaaye gham ke shaadi ham na gunjad
"I have a heart in which there is no place for sorrow.
Nay, It contains no place in it for joy as well."
Maharaja Nabha urged Shri Babaji Maharaj to come and stay with him at Nabha House in Simla, and Shri Babaji Maharaj was so moved by his devotion that he did so. Later the Maharaja persuaded Shri Babaji Maharaj to come and stay with him at Nabha State, and Shri Babaji Maharaj agreed. The Maharaja placed a full, independent bungalow at the disposal of Shri Babaji Maharaj, which was known as Malbe Vaali Kothi.
The Divine Intoxication
Although to outer appearances Shri Babaji Maharaj was staying as a guest of the Maharaja, who offered all comforts to him, yet inwardly Shri Babaji Maharaj was passing through a phase that was indescribable, and which took him beyond the pale of worldly existence. A Divine Intoxication seemed to pervade his entire being which made him totally oblivious of his body. It was a Divine Bliss that radiated towards all who came to him, so that they also felt this bliss themselves. Shri Babaji Maharaj had forgotten what it was like to eat food or drink water, to bathe or change his clothes. His appearance became unkempt, his nails became long. If he so much as took a daatun in his hand – to clean his teeth with – in the morning, the daatun would remain in his hand till the evening. He was lost in the divine ecstasy that came from within him. His words filled his listeners with indescribable nectar of life. His very nearness was the fulfilment of many a life. He was in a state of total self-forgetfulness. He had annihilated himself and allowed God to enter within him. The verse below described his state:
Chhorro mujhe bekhud meraa aaraam yehi ha
Be naamo nishaan raihne do bas naam yehi hai
Leave me alone in my self-forgetfulness, this is my only rest,
Let me be without a name, this is my only name!
Soojhe naheen din raat tere dhyaan men pyaare
Apni to saihar hai yehi aur shaam yehi hai
Nights and days are naught before me in the thought of Thee, O Beloved!
This is my only dawn, and this is my only night!
A Muslim Faqueer who visited Maharaja Nabha was greatly touched by the personality of Shri Babaji Maharaj and would often sit with him for hours to partake of the divine bliss that was emanating from Shri Babaji Maharaj. The Muslim Faqueer was so renowned in the area that even the rajas and maharajas and nawabs of the day flocked to him and showered expensive gifts on him. However he found in Shri Babaji Maharaj a personality who was so supreme that he was beyond his conception. Fortunate were the ones who had the good fortune of obtaining the darshan of Shri Babaji Maharaj during those days. Yet there were others who could not understand this divine state and went away empty handed. As Shri Babaji Maharaj used to say:

Tahi dastaane kismat raa cheh sood az raihbare kaamil
Choon khizr az aabe haivaan tishna mi aarad Sikandar raa
For those whom destiny has left empty-handed, – of what use a Perfect Guide,
Sikander was left thirsting for the nectar of life despite being with such a one.
Maharaja Hira Singh of Nabha, who had become a great devotee of Shri Babaji Maharaj and was amazed at his spiritual power, called together a meeting of his friends and others who had known Shri Babaji Maharaj, and said to them:
"Do you know the reason for the absolute fearlessness of Shri Babaji Maharaj and his indifference to sorrows? Another man in his position would have felt afraid and insecure all the time. He has no job, no business, and no money. He has not made any society or organisation to propagate his mission in life. He has given away everything that he possessed. He has two children to care for. And he is too great a person to accept the help of others, including myself. He has no worries for his own body and its subsistence. What does he possess which we ordinary mortals lack? Can anyone give me an explanation?"
When no one could provide a satisfactory answer, Maharaj Nabha said: " Then let me tell you. The Goddess of learning –Saraswati – herself resides on his tongue. His words carry divine power. That is why no man can refute anything that he says. That is why he is so fearless and indifferent to the sorrows of life. He is the living embodiment of Love, Faith and Compassion."
Babaji–Ghulam Rue Zameen
Maharaja Nabha came to Shri Babaji Maharaj and said to him: " Babaji, there can be no doubt about the fact that you are destined to be the Imam Mehdi of our age – the Yugpurush – or the Messiah of our times, who shall bring the Grace of God to the whole world."
However, the words of Maharaja Nabha were anathema to the ears of Shri Babaji Maharaj. He went to his abode that night and prayed before God with tears in his eyes:
"O Lord! Let me become the lowliest of the lowly upon earth. I have no desire to be known as great in the eyes of the world. I do not wish to be made the Imam Mehdi of this age. All I ask of Thee is to let me remain in my humble position as Thy servant. Do not thrust me away from Thyself by giving me a position and status in the world! If at all Thou would wish to give me a title, then let it be that of Ghulam Rue Zameen, the slave of all of humanity."
And it was thus that Shri Babaji Maharaj took upon himself the title of the slave of all of mankind, Ghulam Rue Zameen, a title he ultimately transferred to his son, Shri Bhola Nathji, when he came of age.
The Railway Station & The Trunk
There was a time when Shri Babaji Maharaj was travelling by train from Nabha to Simla. He had a steel trunk with himself in which he was carrying his clothes. The train stopped at Rajpura Railway Station where Shri Babaji Maharaj had to board another train waiting on another platform. Shri Babaji Maharaj would have to take the trunk from one train to the other after crossing the platform.
Shri Babaji found that the trunk was too heavy for him to carry. He placed it on the platform and began to look for someone he could call for help. In the small hours of the morning there was not a single coolie in sight. Shri Babaji Maharaj spotted a well-dressed man walking briskly on the platform, and he called out to him: "Bhai Sahib! O Brother! Can you help me, please?"
The man stopped. And Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him: "Can you carry this trunk for me across the platform from this train to that other train? I am afraid I cannot lift it as it is too heavy for me!"
The man at once flared up and shouted at Shri Babaji Maharaj: "What do you think I am – a coolie?"
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: "No, no, I never called you a coolie! On the contrary I called you my brother! After all, do we all not have the same Father and are we not His children? That would make us all brothers. And surely there is no shame in one brother carrying the load of another!"
The man was in no mood to be placated and said angrily: "I am sorry I cannot carry your trunk!"
Shri Babaji Maharaj thereupon placed the key of the trunk on the trunk itself, and said to the man: " This is now your trunk, and here is the key! You can take it wherever you like! Surely there will be no loss of dignity in carrying your own trunk!"
And saying this, Shri Babaji Maharaj left the trunk where it was and walked away. He walked across the platform and sat down in the other train. The man was astonished beyond belief. He picked up the trunk and ran after Shri Babaji Maharaj, and, placing the trunk before him, touched his feet and begged for his forgiveness, saying: " I will carry the trunk wherever you ask me! You have given me enlightenment!"
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say:
Bani aadam aazaaye yak deegarand
Ke dar aafreenash za yak jauharand
Man is but a part of man,
For their birth is of one essence

CHAPTER FOUR
Prophecy about War

Understanding God
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say that it was very difficult to understand God through reason and intellect alone. He could be seen only with the eyes provided by Him. He would quote in Sanskrit the words of Lord Krishna in the Geeta:
Na tu maam shakyase drashtumanenaiv svachakshushaa
Divyam dadaami te chakshu pashya me yogmaishvaram
O Arjun! Thou cannot see me with thine own eyes
Hence, I give to thee an Inner Sight with which to see me
We can understand this easily. Let us suppose you have come before me and I ask you: "Who are you? What is your name? What do you do? From where have you come? What is your age? "
And if your reply is: "Sorry, I cannot tell you."
What, then, will I do? How will I be able to know you with my own intelligence?
And, if at that very moment, another person comes and asks me about you, saying: "Who is he? Where has he come from? What does he do?"– All that I will be able to say will be, "I do not know!"
But if you have disclosed yourself on me then I shall be able to introduce you to another person as well. This proves clearly that I can only know you from the knowledge you provide me with about yourself. A student can only understand his teacher with the knowledge that the teacher has given him. We can see the sun only with the light of the sun.
How then can we understand God with our knowledge which is limited and confined to the matter around it? We can understand God only with the knowledge that He chooses to give us about Himself.
Let us suppose the sun has come out and is sending its rays down upon us. However if we have shut our eyes, or if they are diseased, we shall not be able to see the sun. Even then, the sun, in all its magnanimity, tries hard to make us open our eyes. It sends heat along with its light, and the heat plays upon our closed eyes and tells us that the sun has come out. And when we open our eyes we can see the light as well.
Even as we need eyes that are open and disease-free in order to see the sun, in a like manner we need a genuine desire within us to see God. The desire must not be torn by the "disease" of worldly desires.
When a child falls, it cries for its mother, and the mother comes and lifts the child and clasps it to her bosom. When a son wants anything, he asks his father, and his father gives it to him. In a like manner, when we pray to God with a genuine feeling, our Real Father comes to us and reveals Himself to us with His own Light. Only he who has experienced this can know. Another person cannot understand it. When the intelligence of man was asked: "What did you see, what did you feel?” It can only remain silent.
There is a different sense of perception for different things. Light can only be perceived by the eyes. Sound can only be perceived by the ears. God can only be perceived through the instrument of His Grace. If someone asks you:"What is God? “Your answer will only be: "I have no words with which to describe Him."
You eat sugar. And someone asks you to narrate the taste of sugar. You cannot explain it. You can only say to that person: "Go and eat it yourself, if you wish to know what it tastes like." How helpless is the tongue in narrating the exact taste of anything. How much more helpless will the intelligence be in narrating the taste of God Realisation!
It is my loving request to those who wish to understand God through their intelligence alone that they set aside their intellect for a while, and go and sit in a quiet place with tears in their eyes and anguish in their hearts and the Love of God within themselves, and pray to Him: "O Lord, I wish to see Thee. My small intelligence, or rather, my lack of intelligence, has filled me with distress and confusion. Philosophy and arguments are not enough to take me to Thee. I am desperate for Thee. Have mercy on me! I am like a child. Thou art my Father. Give me therefore that heart and that wisdom with which I can understand Thee! Reveal Thou Thyself to me!"
The Child and the Mother
Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Nathji would both narrate the parable below:
A child fell. His mother was in the kitchen. The child tried to get up with his own efforts. He leaned against a table, but it slid away. He caught the back of a chair, but it toppled. He clutched at the curtains, which tore and fell to the ground. When all his efforts had failed, he cried out loudly to his mother in a tearful voice: "Mother!"
The mother was boiling milk in the kitchen. The moment she heard the cry of her child, she left the milk to boil over and came running to her child. She lifted him from the ground and clasped him to herself. The child said amidst tears:
"A fine mother you are! I fell a long time ago but you came only just now."
The mother looked at the things in the room:
"The table - what happened to it?"
" I had held on to it."
" And the chair, how did it fall?"
" I had grabbed it to raise myself."
" And the curtain?"
" I had grasped at it."
The mother said to the child:
"Son, when you were making your own efforts to get up, I was doing my own work. But when all your efforts failed, and you called out to me, how long did I take? I came running immediately!"
The next day the child thought of playing games with his mother. He deliberately called out to her in a loud voice. But the mother did not respond. He called out again and again, but the mother did not come. Vexed, he went to the kitchen and found his mother cooking daal!
"Mother," said the child, "you don't love me anymore! Yesterday, when I called out to you, you left the milk to boil over and came running. Today, I called you several times but you wouldn't leave this daal to come to me."
The mother said:
"Son, did you fall today?"
"Yes," the child lied.
"Did you fall yesterday as well?"
"Yes," said the child.
"Then how is it that you came over to the kitchen today, and couldn't do so yesterday?"
The child was caught, and felt ashamed of himself.
The mother said:
"When you genuinely need me and cry out to me, I leave everything and come running. But when you only pretend, then I, too, busy myself making 'daal' in the kitchen!"
In a like manner, when we call out to God, in all earnestness, with a trembling heart, and a feeling of helplessness within, with tears in our eyes and a cry on our lips, He comes running instantly and lifts us up to Himself. But when we call out to him without any earnestness or sincerity, He remains silent.

Babaji & the Poor Boy

Once when Shri Babaji Maharaj was in Chamba State, there was a very poor young man who came to Shri Babaji Maharaj and served him diligently the whole day long. Shri Babaji Maharaj smoked a hukkaa as was the prevalent custom amongst the elderly during those days. The boy would provide coals for the hukkaa and light it for him. Once Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him: "Son, for the services you have rendered me, you shall become the son-in-law, the daamaad, of some Maharaja!"
The boy said to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “Huzoor! You know I am very poor. My mother sells vegetables on the streets. How can I ever dream of becoming the son-in-law of a Maharaja! Huzoor, You are making fun of me!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him:”Son, I never make fun of anyone. If I have said you will become the son-in-law of a Maharaja, then surely it is the voice of God within me, and it shall come about one day!”
Tammannaa aabroo ki hai to kar khidmat fakeeron ki
Ye vo gauhar hai jo miltaa nahin shaahon ke khazeenon men.
If thou wouldst gain stature in the world then serve the men of God,
This is a gem not found even in the treasuries of kings.
Shri Babaji Maharaj’s words were to come true. A certain royal family of the Rajput sect was in search for a young groom for their princess. They were very particular about the exact caste, and they were even willing to accept a poor Rajput of that caste rather than marry outside of the caste. They found the young man who served as Shri Babaji Maharaj’s attendant in Chamba. It turned out that he met all the caste requirements of the royal family.
The Personal Secretary of the royal family called on the young man’s mother. Telegrams began pouring into the poor boy’s home. His mother was surprised beyond measure. Gifts and sweets arrived at his door. He was going to be made a ghar-damaad of the royal family – a son-in-law – who would become part of the royal family and live with them and ultimately be made heir to the throne.
During those days, a poor schoolmaster came to Shri Babaji Maharaj and prayed to him for three thousand rupees for his daughter’s wedding. He said to Shri Babaji: “Maharaj! You have given that young man so many riches. He is about to become the ghar daamaad of the Maharaja! Kindly ask him to give me the amount!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj sent word to the boy through a messenger: "Son, now that God has given you so much wealth, I want you to give three thousand rupees to a poor schoolmaster in need who has come to me!"
The messenger, who carried the message of Shri Babaji Maharaj to the boy, returned after a short while and stood silently before Shri Babaji Maharaj, his face downcast. When Shri Babaji Maharaj asked him what the boy had said in reply, the messenger said:
“Maharaj! The boy said: ‘Dekhi jaayeji! We shall see!’ ”
The young man had become intoxicated with money and power. Even though he had not yet become the daamaad of the Maharaja, yet the very thought of his coming exalted status had filled him with pride and a disdain for the sufferings of others.
Shri Babaji Maharaj saw the change that had come over the man, and he said solemnly:
"To phir dekhi jaayegi! All right, then, so we shall see!"
The next day a telegram arrived at the house of the young man. It contained a message from the royal family. The proposed marriage had been cancelled! The Personal Secretary of the Maharaja met the young man and said: "The daughters of Maharajas do not marry the sons of vegetable sellers of the street!"

The royal family had suddenly found a groom in another Rajput household that matched their caste requirements exactly, and who was, in addition, of royal blood. They had decided at once to give up the poor boy.

The young man came to Shri Babaji Maharaj and fell at his feet. Nature’s retribution had been just and swift. Another soul had been saved from being lost.

Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say: “Those whom God punishes at once are very fortunate, because they are saved from worse transgressions later on. However those whom God does not punish immediately are left to the fruits of their karmas ¬– the results of their own actions – and ultimately come to great grief later.”

The Sting of the Faithless
Shri Babaji Maharaj always warned people about the evil tendencies within them that could deflect them from their path. These tendencies could not only ruin one whole life but be detrimental for ages to come.
He had said many a time: “Chhoti se chhoti galati barri se barri buraayi ki Maa hoti hai! The smallest of wrong acts can be the mother of the greatest of sins. “
He cautioned those with faith against sitting with those who were faithless and full of worldly desires, who he referred to as “manmukh”. He would say:
“Either tell the faithless to be silent, or else close your ears! But do not expose yourself to their words of faithlessness.”
“However, remember! If they cannot convert to faith on seeing your faith, then why should you convert to faithlessness on seeing their faithlessness!”
“Go and play with serpents and tigers if you must. If they harm you, the hurt will not go beyond your body. But if you associate with the manmukh – those who destroy your Faith, then their sting will remain with you for ages to come!”
A man once came to Shri Babaji Maharaj and said: “I will never believe in God!”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj replied: “Go ahead and do not believe in Him if it pleases you! It will make no difference to Him.”
Shri Babaji would say: “It is the voice of God: ‘Go and test the entire world, and when you find that everyone has betrayed you, then come back to me! But after you have returned to me then – I swear by my Own Self – woe be upon you if you turn your face towards the world again!’ ”
Maanaa tamaam khalk se too be niyaaz hai
Teraa niyaaz mand hoon ye mujh ko naaz hai
Granted that Thou art indifferent to the entire world,
Yet I am dependent on Thy Mercy, and of this I am proud.
There were moments when Shri Babaji Maharaj became very disillusioned with humanity. Once he said in Punjabi: “Meraa khairaa chhoro! Leave me alone in my solitude!” The ingratitude of man, his faithlessness, often led Shri Babaji Maharaj to seek seclusion. A scribbled note in Persian was found amongst his writings, in which he had written:
Cheeze ke man az jahaan bajaan mi talabam
Jaanra ba salaamat za jahaan mi talabam
What is that which I wouldst seek even at the cost of my life?
It is only this, to ask of the world, - a pledge for my life!
Az mardame duniya va za duniya hamaa roz
Deegar havasam nest amaan mi talabam
From the world and its people, day and night,
I ask for nothing else except peace!
"O people of the world! I ask of thee but one thing – and for that thing I would willingly give up my life – that I be left alone forever in my peace!"
However these feelings were transient, like a mother being temporarily vexed with her children and telling them to leave her alone, but later loving and embracing them with the same intensity as before. Shri Babaji Maharaj had too much love in his heart for the humanity around him to ever isolate himself from it, and accepted even the worst of sinners along with their faults.
Yet the verses above revealed to man how faithless the world could be even to the highest and the holiest amongst them.

Vali Ram & Aurangzeb

Shri Babaji Maharaj was very fond of this story of Vali Ram, the favourite Minister of the Emperor Aurangzeb.
One day the Imperial Court of the Emperor – his darbaar– was in progress. The Emperor, Aurangzeb, sat surrounded by his ministers and courtiers. Amongst his important ministers sat Vali Ram very close to him. Vali Ram had run the affairs of state so well for the Emperor that he had been richly rewarded by Aurangzeb with wealth and status. The comforts that Vali Ram enjoyed as the minister of the Emperor were denied even the richest of men in the kingdom.
An air of solemnity prevailed in the court even as all the persons present there sat with great respect before the Emperor. There was pin-drop silence. Just then a hornet, which had lain on the floor, entered inside the pyjamas of Vali Ram through the ankle. It stung him sharply in the calf of his leg. The pain was so excruciating that it could have caused him to scream. However, Vali Ram bore the insufferable pain in silence. He knew that if he got up abruptly or pulled the leg of his pyjamas up his calf, the Emperor would be offended, and would dismiss him from his post as minister. Not only would he lose his wealth and status and the privileges he enjoyed, but he would also be reduced to penury and be forced into a life of beggary afterwards. The thought of his dismissal was so terrifying that he bore the deadly sting of the hornet in silence without stirring a finger.
When at last the court was over, Vali Ram came outside and threw the hornet out of his pyjamas. The pain had lasted for the entire duration of the emperor’s court. Vali Ram had no idea how he had borne it. Even as he threw out the hornet he became conscious of a more deadly hornet that lay inside his shirt, and within his breast. It was the hornet of desire which was stinging him in his heart.
Vali Ram said to himself: "I have been able to cast out the first hornet, now let me also cast out this second, and more deadly hornet, from within my heart – the hornet of desire, because of which I had to endure such agonising pain today!"
Turning to the hornet of desire within himself, Vali Ram said with great feeling:
"O thou fiend! Thou wretched deceiver! Thou art a threat to my very existence! You robbed me of my wealth of contentment and made me a beggar before the Emperor. You did this because I had fallen in love with you and was not aware of your designs. But today I have seen your face! I am now bidding you farewell, forever! Get thee hence and never show thy ugly face again! I am now going to reign in the kingdom within me, which was always my birthright! It was you who robbed me of this kingdom and made me bow my head before Aurangzeb. It was you who made me endure the dreadful sting of the hornet today! Alas, what a wonderful thing it would have been if I could have endured the sting of the Love of God instead!"
Vali Ram thereafter left the court of Aurangzeb.

On the next day, when Aurangzeb held court, he asked where Vali Ram was. No one seemed to know. This was the first time that Vali Ram had absented himself from the court of the Emperor without giving any explanation. Soldiers were sent to the home of Vali Ram, but he was not to be found. The Emperor was puzzled. What had caused Vali Ram to leave the court so abruptly, and where was he?
Just then news came that Vali Ram had been found. Vali Ram was sitting in the forest. The Emperor's courtier who found him had requested him to come to the court, but Vali Ram had refused.
Aurangzeb was annoyed as well as perplexed. He decided to go to the forest himself to find out what had happened to Vali Ram. The Emperor took his royal entourage of soldiers, generals and ministers, and strode out on an elephant into the forest. After a while he came to a clearing in the jungle, where there was Vali Ram seated on the ground.
Vali Ram was sitting under the shade of a tree. His face was turned upwards as he looked at the heavens, lost in the thought of God. There was an unearthly glow on his face. His arms were folded across his chest and his legs were spread out before him.
The Emperor Aurangzeb was all at once surprised and overawed. There was something about the face of Vali Ram which suggested that he was not in the ordinary worldly plane any longer but had entered a spiritual realm.
However, the moment Vali Ram's eyes fell upon Aurangzeb, the latter got an opportunity to address him, and said to Vali Ram in a somewhat stern tone of voice:
"Vali Ramji, kab se paanv pasaare? Vali Ramji, since when have you spread your legs like this?"
Vali Ram replied at once: "Jab se haath sukerr liye! Ever since the time I have gathered my hands together, like this!"
The meaning of the verbal exchange was clear to both. What Aurangzeb had meant was:
"How did you dare to become so bold?"
And what Vali Ram told him meant: "Ever since I have renounced my desires!"
Aurangzeb was deeply touched by the state of Vali Ram and did not ask him to return to his court. He knew that Vali Ram had attained a spiritual state which came only to saints and sages. He left him sitting under the tree, lost in the kingdom of peace within his heart.
Dil dhoondtaa hai phir vohi fursat ke raat din
Baithe rahen tassavure jaanaa kiye huye
The heart yearns for those nights and days of leisure,
Sitting alone, lost in the thoughts of the Beloved!
Vali Ram had removed all the desires of the world from his heart. And the moment he had done that, he had come to his real self, his soul, in which he saw the reflection of God. The desires of a man arose because of the ego, his bodily "I”, within him. The removal of the desires meant, in effect, the annihilation of ego, which meant union with God. And Vali Ram became a renowned sage, who later wrote the following verse in Persian:
Ba maute ikhtayaari har ke murdaa
Za maidaane Haqueeqat goye burdaa
He who dies a willing death
Carries the ball on the field of Reality
To die a willing death means to annihilate one's ego. He who has annihilated his self has won the game of life.
Without Food for Days
Shri Babaji Maharaj had gone into a virtual state of divine intoxication in which the thought of his body had ceased to exist. As he had forsaken the things of the world and given up his wealth, it was but natural that various difficulties come his way, not the least of which was providing for himself and the children.
There came a day when there was nothing at all in the house to eat. The children were famished with hunger and began crying loudly. They rushed to the servants and asked for food, but the servants were helpless as there was nothing in the kitchen. The children cried loudly, and said: "We are hungry! We cannot sleep! We want roti - bread! How can we pass the time?"
The servants said to the children: "Go and ask Maharaj!"
The children came to Shri Babaji Maharaj and begged for food, but he merely consoled them with words, and had no food to give. There was nothing in the house with which rotis could be made. It was ten-o-clock in the night. The house was far away from the city, and all the shops were closed everywhere at that hour.
Shri Babaji Maharaj said to the children: "He who has given you food all your lives will give you food even now! Go to sleep!"
But the children could not contain their hunger and cried incessantly: "Roti! Roti!"
Shri Babaji Maharaj said to the children: "Say 'Rama! Rama!' instead!"
The children tried saying this for a while and then cried again, saying: “Pitaji! Father! We cannot sleep due to the hunger! And we cannot find Rama!"
Shri Babaji was not worried because he saw the working of the Divine Will behind the veil of all events that occurred. When he saw the misery of the children he said to them with assurance: "All right, then, don't be distraught, you will get food!"
The children cried: "But how?"
Their hunger had increased even as the dark hours of the night increased. There was nothing to eat in the house. The children were in a state of distress. They kept on saying to Shri Babaji Maharaj: "Pitaji, why don’t you give us roti?"
"Be calm," said Shri Babaji Maharaj soothingly, "it is coming! He who has given you the hunger has many ways to satiate it!"
Suddenly there was a knock on the door at eleven in the night. It was a group of pilgrims. They came and bowed before Shri Babaji Maharaj and said to him:" We were on our way to Haridwar and we thought we would come and take your darshan first. Please forgive us for disturbing you at this hour!”
The pilgrims had brought with them large packets of sweets, and these they gave to the children who ate them with delight, too wonderstruck for words.
Later, when the pilgrims had gone, the children said: "Our Father – Pitaji – was right! 'Rama-Rama' is a very good thing. It brought us our food!"
In the days that followed, the children developed a much greater faith in their father as also a greater strength to face whatever periods of fasting came their way. At times when there was no food, they passed their time in contentment and thanksgiving.

The Divine Attraction

Shri Babaji Maharaj would say:
"When He, who is Infinite Love, sends some apparent affliction upon us, there is always a hidden secret behind it, which is revealed at its proper time. The ocean of nectar can give nothing but life. What else can God send to us except His Love? When Lord Krishna shattered the earthen pots of the gopis – the milkmaids – it was out of Love, and when he gave butter to the cowherds, that was also His love.
“Since He loves us, we must also learn to love Him. His Love is evident in the world around us. He has given us the sky, the sun, and the stars, the atmosphere and the earth; he has given us our relatives, our food, fruits, flowers, and a multitude of attractive things, too numerous to even enumerate. He has given us our five senses, our bodies, eyes, ears etc., so that we may look upon this world and derive happiness from it.
“But what have we given Him in return for His Love? Nothing. We have given our hearts to the attractive things of the world which He has created, and we have forgotten Him.
“A time comes when He wishes to draw us close to Himself with His love. And to do this He gives us things which are even more beautiful and comforting so that we may look upon them and think of Him. But, alas! We use these beautiful things and then set them aside, and soon forget that they were from Him.
“Then comes a time when His Love for us becomes so overpowering that He has no alternative except to pull us towards Himself with Force. But when we experience this Force of His attraction, we are afraid. We forget that we must give him our hearts in return for all that He has given us. We fail to understand His Love in the magnetic force that comes from Him to draw us towards Him. We do not understand that the afflictions he has sent upon us are meant for our awakening.
“But all the same if we find that we do not have the strength to bear the afflictions He has sent, then we must weep before Him, and pray to Him, and surely he will find another, more bearable, means of awakening us. Or else He shall do whatever He thinks is best for us.”
Babaji's Prophecy About War

Those were the days, after Shri Babaji Maharaj had left his job at the Army Recruitment Office, that he made a prophecy about the Great War to come in Europe. He did not make this prophecy to attract people to himself or to be known as a great astrologer. It was a natural voice within him that spoke to the humanity around him. Shri Babaji Maharaj said:
"I am making this voice known because Nature is forcing me to do so. I cannot stop the voice even as the flute could not stifle the notes played on it by Lord Krishna.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj had become like a telephone which had to convey the voice that was being spoken into it, and could not stifle the message it was carrying on behalf of the speaker.
Those were the times when there was peace and no one could have conceived of any conflict anywhere developing into a full-scale war. And yet that was what exactly happened. There were many persons who recorded the exact date and time that Shri Babaji Maharaj had prophesied for the start of the war. All were surprised when, later, the war began at precisely that day and that hour.
The people gathered around Shri Babaji Maharaj and asked him: "Maharaj! You were right about the war, but who will win?"
And Shri Babaji Maharaj replied: "No one."
And he was right. That was exactly what happened.
The miracles that manifested themselves from Shri Babaji Maharaj were too numerous and too varied to recount. There were literally thousands of miracles that followed him wherever he went. However, Shri Babaji Maharaj attached no importance to these miracles. Anyone else in his position would have taken full advantage of these miracles to spread his name and fame and to gather thousands of followers, but not so Shri Babaji Maharaj. He would place a curtain over the miracle after it had occurred, so that people would not associate it with him, but rather think of other rational explanations for its manifestation.
Shri Babaji Maharaj never injected faith through the aid of miracles. The people who came to him did not do come to him for the sake of miracles but rather for the faith that he gave them without the aid of miracles. He would often say: “If water has satiated your thirst it has become your own realisation. No philosopher or intellectual can shake your faith in water afterwards. Faith that is based upon experience is the strongest faith of all. Faith based upon miracles alone cannot endure unless it be accompanied by the Grace of God."
Those who beheld the Divine Glory of Shri Babaji Maharaj during those days were totally overwhelmed and never forgot it for the rest of their lives. It was a sight that sent people into a world of self-forgetfulness. Truly a flower does not give a speech, but its colour, fragrance and softness attract the eye of the beholder more than any lecture could do.

Shri Babaji Maharaj at Nabha

Shri Babaji Maharaj, who had first met Maharaja Hira Singh of Nabha at Simla, and had lived with him at Nabha House at Simla, had later been persuaded by the Maharaja to come and stay with him at Nabha State. Shri Babaji Maharaj, whose programmes in life were dictated by the Divine Will, had, thereafter, shifted to Nabha and had stayed there with the Maharaja for a long time.
During this period of time, the Maharaj not only came to worship Shri Babaji Maharaj as his spiritual guide, but also grew to have great love and affection for him. His relationship with Shri Babaji Maharaj was also like that of a friend, and Shri Babaji Maharaj often advised him on the affairs of his state. Shri Babaji Maharaj even wrote a book in Urdu and Persian, which was over 200 pages long, giving wise counsel to the Maharaja on how to deal with his courtiers, ministers, and subjects, and how to rule wisely and justly.
The Maharaja was acutely concerned about the welfare of Shri Babaji Maharaj and had placed a large bungalow–Malbe Vali Kothi – close to his palace at the disposal of Shri Babaji Maharaj with all the comforts he could provide. However Shri Babaji Maharaj very seldom used these material comforts and lived a Spartan existence, oblivious of his surroundings. It was the noble intention of the Maharaja to bring up Shri Babaji's children and to look after them as his own. However Shri Babaji Maharaj would not hear of it.
Those were strange days. A wave of divine intoxication had taken possession of all who came close to Shri Babaji Maharaj, not the least of which was Maharaja Hira Singh himself. An ocean of divine nectar spread its waves in the hearts of all. Shri Babaji Maharaj had entered a state in which he was far away from himself, in another world, where nothing but divine bliss existed. The saints and sages who came for the darshan of Shri Babaji Maharaj at the time were greatly affected by his divine power. When Shri Babaji Maharaj spoke from his divine plane there were many who could not understand him.

Shri Babaji Maharaj often said: "This world shall look upon the imperfect as perfect and the perfect as imperfect!"
He said, "This must be so, because the world itself is imperfect and cannot understand the perfect. In order to understand something outside of us, we must first have it inside us. For example, let us suppose that we have learnt only the letter ‘A’ in the English alphabet. That letter exists in our minds, and when someone writes it on a blackboard we recognise it instantly. But if someone were to write ‘B’, we would never be able to understand it, because we have never seen it before, and it does not exist in our minds. The world can understand a person only to the extent that it possesses the knowledge to understand him; however if the person says something that is not in the knowledge of the world, then the world will fail to understand him."

The programmes of Shri Babaji Maharaj had ceased to be his own. He was in a state where his "I" had ceased to exist, and, therefore, he had no desires within him. As a consequence, it was the Divine Will that guided him at all times. Only those desires arose in him which were sent by the Divine Will. He had become like a dry leaf which has no programmes of its own, but is rather blown by the wind whither it willst.
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say:
Rishtaye dar gardanam afgandaa dost,
Mi burad har jaa ke khaatir khaaye ost
My Eternal Friend has thrown a string around my neck,
And leads me whersoever He Wills.
The day came when Maharaja Hira Singh of Nabha left the world. Shri Babaji Maharaj was living with him at Nabha at the time. The entire city was in a state of mourning for the good and noble soul that had left them. So great was the feeling of love for the Maharaja that men, women and children wept openly at his going, and it was said that even the horses of the Maharaja shed tears for their departed master.
On that day, the eyes of Shri Babaji Maharaj glistened with a teardrop or two, so great was his love for his friend, Maharaja Hira Singh of Nabha. These were the very same eyes that had remained dry even when his nearest and dearest loved ones – like his wife and mother – had left the world.
After the passing away of his dear friend and devotee, Shri Babaji Maharaj decided to leave the State of Nabha. He did not wish to linger on in a place from where his dearest friend had gone.
And thus began a new chapter in the life of Shri Babaji Maharaj, each and every phase of which was to be full of divine revelations that were to guide generations to come.

CHAPTER FIVE
Lahore: Amire Kabul,
Jammu: The Maharaja of J&K
Shri Babaji Maharaj goes to Amritsar
From Nabha, Shri Babaji Maharaj went briefly to Amritsar. Here he resided with his paternal uncle, his chachaa, for a while. It appears, that out of all his relatives, the one who he kept in touch with most, was this particular uncle. His uncle’s daughter, who was Shri Babaji’s hamsheera, cousin, had a great devotion for Shri Babaji Maharaj.
When Shri Babaji Maharaj decided to go to Haridwar for a while, she went with him. Shri Babaji Maharaj left his children in the keeping of his uncle at Amritsar. The journey to Haridwar was to prove to be a very eventful one for Shri Babaji Maharaj, for it was here that a vital truth appeared before him. Shri Babaji Maharaj had progressed to a spiritual stage where the world in its outer phases had ceased to exist for him and he was merged constantly in the thought of God.
Shri Babaji Maharaj falls ill at Haridwar
During those days when Shri Babaji Maharaj was progressing rapidly on the spiritual path, the forces of nature became arrayed against him to deflect him from his goal and to weaken his resolve. But there was no power on earth that could stop Shri Babaji Maharaj, as the following incident showed
While he was at Haridwar, all of a sudden he fell very ill. The illness took such a serious turn, that, for a while it appeared as if there was no hope of his recovery. Shri Babaji Maharaj had become so ill that he could not even get up from his bed. His body had become ravaged by the illness and he was reduced to a skeleton.
Fortunately, his niece was with him during this critical period, and she looked after Shri Babaji Maharaj with great love and devotion. But Shri Babaji Maharaj was not concerned about the illness at all. He appeared to be observing the scene of his illness as if it were a dream which he was beholding. Or else he thought of it as something that had come to him from his Eternal Friend, and thus grew to love the illness.
Shri Babaji Maharaj had often said: “This body is like a tavern in which two guests invariably come and go – and these are joy and sorrow. The host must greet his guests with a smile, for a guest is one who has come only to go.”
Sometimes Shri Babaji Maharaj would recite this verse of Ghalib:
Naghmaa haaye gham ko bhee ai dil ganeemat jaaniye
Be sadaa ho jaayegaa ye saaze hasti ek din
Look upon these songs of sorrow as a blessing, O Heart!
For it shall become silent one day, this Instrument of Existence!

Shri Babaji Maharaj would say: “We have not to be sorrowful or pleased with the vicissitudes of life, for it is in the nature of the world to change this way or that!
“Who does not know how to take happiness in happiness? A sage is one who knows how to take joy in sorrow, how to see life in death, how to find peace in unrest, how to find solitude amongst crowds. One who can live anywhere, who can find the joy of freedom in bondage.”

Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say to Shri Nathji:

“Beta! Son! There is no such thing as death in the world. To desire life and to be afraid of death – therein lies death. There is no such thing as poverty in the world. To desire wealth and to run away from poverty – that alone is poverty. There is no such thing as dishonour in the world. To desire honour and to be afraid of dishonour – that alone is dishonour. There is no such thing as bondage. To desire freedom and to be afraid of bondage is in fact bondage. To not to remain happy in one’s present circumstances is in fact sorrow and suffering. “

Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say in English:
“I am content with what God has given me as my share,
And I commit to my Creator my every care,
To do good in the past has been indeed His Will,
He will do good as well in what is to come still!”
For Shri Babaji Maharaj there was no such thing as sorrow in the world. Whenever any great trouble would come the way of Shri Babaji Maharaj, he would be seen dancing with joy. And he would even recite his favourite verse:
Yoon to ai sayyaad aazaadi men hain laakhon maze
Magar daam ke neeche pharrakne kaa tamaashaa aur hai
Though there be a thousand joys in freedom, O hunter!
But the bliss of struggling beneath the net is, indeed, unique!

Shri Babaji Maharaj would say about troubles: “Look! All this is coming to you from God. Try to be happy in it! No matter what comes your way, convert it into the Face of the Beloved! Look upon adversity as a means to attaining real bliss, and learn to love the adversity!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj would sometimes say: “Perhaps you think I have grown old. But I, for my part, do not even consciously remember whether my body is with me or not!”
He said one day: “People say that it is difficult to rise above thoughts and desires. But I find not a trace of activity within my heart!”
“Yogis and saints who reached the goal after numerous penances and austerities were very surprised on attaining realisation and began weeping, in lament of wasted effort, saying: ‘Oh, alas, that we had known it! The attainment involved nothing at all!’”
Shri Babaji Maharaj made the profound statement below, the real meaning of which only he could understand:
“It takes some time to pluck a flower from its stalk, but God-Realisation does not take even that much of time! It takes time for the twinkling of the eyelashes, but it does not take even that much of time to attain God!”
It was the observation of Shri Nathji about Shri Babaji Maharaj, in Shri Nathji’s words:
“I have often felt that the illusion of the material world, Maayaa, referred to by the philosophers, the Vedantis, is in fact non-existent for Shri Babaji Maharaj! The temptations of the world have no meaning for him, and the sorrows of the world simply do not exist as far as he is concerned!”

Walk in a Garden

There was a time when a wealthy Sikh, Baldev Singh of Dehra Dun, had come to Shri Babaji Maharaj and said to him: “I have built a house called Mohini Bhavan–which means: the Alluring Bungalow. If the place can attract your heart, then I shall say it is, indeed, Mohini Bhavan, otherwise I shall say I have named it wrongly.”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj had said to him: “Baldev Singh! Let alone your Mohini Bhavan, not even–Indralok- the abode of the gods, nor–Brahmalok– the abode of Brahma, can now lure my heart, for it knows of their ephemeral nature. But there is one thing you possess which can attract me – and that is your Love!”
Bachashme aashikaan gair az Khudaa hech
Zameeno aatisho aabo havaa hech
In the eyes of the lovers of God, everything is nothing, except Him
The earth, fire, water and air, all are nothing.

There were times when Shri Babaji Maharaj would recite the following verse in Persian in which he showed that the ego, or the “I” of man was a mere deception.
Aitbaare vaadaahaaye mardame duniyaa galat
Haan galat, aare galat, imshab galat, fardaa galat,
Nuskhaye beenaayiye deevaane umre maa mapurs
Khud galat, mazmoon galat, inshaa galat, imlaa galat

The promises of worldly men are a deception,
They are wrong, this night is wrong, tomorrow night is wrong,
Ask me not for the prescription that illumines the book of my life,
I am wrong, my prose is wrong, my direction wrong, and my dictation wrong!

It was merely the abject humility of Shri Babaji Maharaj that he deigned to quote such a verse, even though he was the personification of perfection itself, one without a fault, in whom everything was right and nothing was wrong, and in whom the fire of ego, his “I” had died a long time ago.

Shri Babaji Maharaj was in a state of jubilation during the phase of his acute illness. He was like the petal of a rose floating upon the surface of water, free from the fears of drowning. The life threatening illness lasted for one and a half months. At the end of this period, a mahatma, a sage, appeared mysteriously at his door, and sought to speak with Shri Babaji Maharaj.
Mahatma: I have not come of my own will, but have been sent by Guru Gorakhnath. He has sent a message for you.
Shri Babaji: What message has he sent?
Mahatma: He said to ask you whether you know why you have fallen ill?
Shri Babaji: Since I have no relationship with the illness, I have never bothered to find out why it came.
Mahatma: I have come here on his behalf to tell you the reason for your illness.
Shri Babaji: Then please say what you will.
Mahatma: Guru Gorakhnathji has asked me to tell you that, at this time, all the devtaas – angels in heaven – have turned against you. They have caused you to fall ill.
Shri Babaji: I have not harmed them in any way, why, then, should they turn against me?
Mahatma: The reason I have been told is, that the head of the devtaas, Indra, himself, had become jealous of your ascendancy in the spiritual realm and was afraid lest you displace him and take over his throne.
Shri Babaji: If that is so, then tell him that I am in a state where I covet nothing. I have no need for his throne. I have gone to that place which exists beyond the realm of the devtaas.
Mahatma: Yes, the devtaas know that now. They know that you do not covet their heaven or glory or spiritual status and that you have gone far beyond them. They had sent this illness upon you so that you may be shaken from your firm resolve out of fear and infirmity, and fall short of your goal. But now they have realised that you are indifferent to everything in the world except God, and would, therefore, have no concern for their status and glory. They are now content in this knowledge and have realised their mistake. You will therefore recover very shortly.
And that was exactly what happened. Immediately after the appearance of the mahatma, Shri Babaji Maharaj got well. The divinity of Shri Babaji Maharaj had been such as to make even the devtaas envy him. But they realised soon enough that he was not interested in them or their glory or status and had gone far above and beyond them.

Hoor par aankh na daale kabhi shaidaa teraa
Sab se begaanaa hai ai dost shanaasaa teraa

Thy lover shall not cast a glance at the fairies of heaven,
He is indifferent to all, he, who is in love with Thee!

However, what was remarkable during this period of illness was the absolute indifference of Shri Babaji Maharaj to his body, as if the body did not exist for him. The contest of Shri Babaji Maharaj against the illness was like the struggle of a powerful being against a non-entity.
Shri Babaji Maharaj would narrate in a light vein:
“A mosquito sat upon the neck of a bull for some time.
“And when he was about to leave, he said to the bull: ‘Forgive me, O friend, for being a burden on thee!’
“And the bull replied: ‘It was no burden at all. Next time you can bring your entire family along with yourself!”
This was how Shri Babaji Maharaj had been treating the illnesses and sufferings that came to his body. Diseases glanced off the rock-like faith of Shri Babaji Maharaj like hailstones from the boulders of a mountain.
Pukhtaa tabon par havaadas kaa naheen hotaa asar
Kohsaaron men nishaane nakshepaa miltaa naheen
The strong in heart are affected not by suffering,
The rocks cannot be marked by the imprints of feet.
Shri Babaji goes to Lahore
After his return to Amritsar, Shri Babaji Maharaj left his children in the care of his uncle and went to the city of Lahore. There was no apparent worldly reason for this journey to Lahore, except that it was at the behest of the Divine Will.
Those were the days when Shri Babaji Maharaj had given up all desires within himself and was being guided solely by the Divine Will. God was manifesting Himself through the personality of Shri Babaji Maharaj.

As Shri Nathji wrote in the biography of Shri Babaji Maharaj:
“A beautiful flower with colour and fragrance appears to give this very important message to the world: ‘O Thou, who look upon my colour and fragrance and my beauty, have you ever cared to look upon Him who gave me these qualities? Do not allow yourself to be totally engrossed in me for I shall wither away and drop to the ground soon enough, and the heart which you had given to my colour and fragrance shall suffer a severe fall. Alas! If only thou had seen Him who gave me this beauty, and had given thy hearts to him instead of to me!
“All the things of the world are perishable, and, therefore, the happiness that resides in them is also perishable. How can we derive everlasting happiness from perishable objects? How much better it would be if we could give up our hearts to Rama – God– who alone is imperishable.

“Everywhere in the world, the Source of attraction is Beauty, and that which becomes the Force of attraction is Love. The moth is attracted by the beauty of the flame; the nightingale is attracted by the beauty of the rose. It is the Divine Beauty of God in both that takes on the form of physical beauty, and it is the Divine Attraction in both that takes on the form of Love. It is the Divine Beauty of God that is beckoning us through all the objects of the world. And we must see God in them and develop a Love for God. However, we fail to perceive God in them, and, instead, give our hearts to their perishable shapes and forms. And when these perishable shapes and forms decay and die before our eyes, we are heart-broken. The heart then cries out plaintively: ‘O God!’ It cries out for the very God for whom it had been meant in the first place.
“How much better it would have been if we had seen God in all the objects of the world and given our hearts only to Him, who is imperishable, eternal and everlasting. The happiness derived from such an association would also have been everlasting.
“The power that attracts man from behind the veil of the Universe is that of God alone. All of creation is directly or indirectly revealing that Great Reality. Some seek the Reality in the objects of the world whilst others seek it in spiritual pursuits like meditation, prayers etc. The source of attraction is Everlasting Happiness or Eternal Bliss and the force of attraction is Love. There are some mirrors in the world which do not reveal Reality to its full extent, whilst there are other mirrors in which Reality stands fully revealed.
“Shri Babaji Maharaj was a flower of the divine creation that revealed God manifestly and openly, and captured the hearts of the beholders to take them directly to God. But not everyone in the world was fortunate enough to recognise the divinity in Him. Lord Rama revealed Himself to some but did not reveal himself to others like Ravana; Lord Krishna was loved by Radheji, by the gopis and by Arjuna and Draupadi, but did not disclose himself to Kansa; Lord Christ was recognized by twelve disciples but persecuted by others.
“These great souls, like Shri Babaji Maharaj, have never desired anything from anyone. Even salvation and heaven have no meaning for them. If the world has no need for them, then what need could they have for the world?
“If the people of the world, who are filled with hundreds of shortcomings, do not care for such personalities, then why should these personalities, who have no shortcomings within themselves, have any care for the people of the world? When the people of the world are so obsessed by their pain-filled worldly objects that they do not have any time to look at these personalities, then why should these personalities who have a fountain of bliss within them, care to look at the people of the world? Yet it is not in the nature of such personalities to give tit-for-tat.
“They have a greater concern for those who do not believe in them and are going on the wrong path. They see in them a part of their own selves. They know that these persons shall have to inevitably suffer the consequences of their wrong actions, and are anxious to bring them to the right path, and, therefore, endure whatever insults they may heap upon them. They are like the mother who endures the kicks of her child in order to save the child from the consequences of his wrong actions. Whenever any persons opposed Shri Babaji Maharaj, his countenance lit up with a divine radiance more powerfully than ever.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj often said this Persian verse:
Man am kuni za ishqe vai ai mufteeye zamaan
Maazoordaar mat ki too uraa na deedayi
You prevent me from loving Him, O you who would rule the world,
But if only you had seen Him, you would never have looked elsewhere yourself!
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say: “The objects of the world are like medicines which are necessary for various ailments. You must not give your heart to them more than that! You need food to satiate your hunger, you need water to satiate your thirst, you need tablets to relieve you of your headache etc. In a like manner, all the objects of the world are meant to satisfy the basic needs of your life, and must be used as medicines for these needs. However, when you begin using these objects as a means to happiness and luxury, and give your hearts to them as the goal of your life, you invariably invite heartbreaks and sorrow.”
Such personalities, who look upon the objects of the world as mere medicines to satisfy the basic needs of life, can never be tempted by the glitter of materialism. They can never humble themselves before anyone for the sake of worldly gain. As a matter of fact they have no need for anyone in the world. It is the world who must have a need for them.

A Walk in a Garden

There was a time when Shri Babaji Maharaj stayed in the house of a very wealthy person, a seth, who offered the hospitality of his large mansion to Shri Babaji Maharaj. The room in which Shri Babaji Maharaj lived in the seth’s house was right adjacent to a large and well-kept garden. The seth would wander out into the garden every day and take a walk there. One day the seth asked Shri Babaji Maharaj why he never ventured outside his room to take a walk in the garden.
And Shri Babaji Maharaj replied: “Baag ki sair to beemaar kiya karte hain! Only the sick need the walk of a garden. And I am not sick!”
The seth said to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “But Sir, I am apparently healthier than you in appearance, and yet I go out into the garden daily!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “You may not be ill physically, but you are ill spiritually!”
The seth was surprised, and said: “In what way?”
And Shri Babaji said: “Listen, therefore, O Seth! When your mind becomes restless inside the house, and the fine objects of the house cannot hold your heart, a desire arises within you to go out and look at the finery in the garden. You thus become a slave of that desire and are compelled to go out of the house. In other words, an illness afflicts your body and mind for the garden, and you go to the garden to seek a cure for it. And when the illness is cured, you return to your house. Thus you come back to the same place from where you had gone.
“I, on my part, do not suffer from this illness of unrest and I do not seek a cure for it by going outside into the garden. However there is a garden in which I roam and that is garden of solitude within my heart:
Andeshaye khaar ast dareen saire gulistaan
Dar khilwate dil gulshane be khaar babeened
There is the risk of thorns while walking in the garden,
But in the solitude of the heart, there is a garden without thorns

Love for sinners

Once Shri Babaji Maharaj was speaking to a group of people. After they had gone, some other persons came to see him and they said to him: “O Babaji Maharaj! Do not allow these persons to come to you. They are not good people.”
In response to this, Shri Babaji Maharaj said to them: “In that case it will be better if you also go yourselves! And please do not take the trouble of coming here again.”
The persons were alarmed and said with great fear: “Maharaj! What great sin have we committed to be thrown out of thy holy darbaar in this way?”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “Listen! God likes humility, not pride and egoism. Who can boast of his own goodness before God? Your fault lies in thinking of yourself as good, and in thinking of others as bad. Is this assertion of your own goodness not a great vice in itself? It separates you from God and brings you to that ego which is improper and false. I ask of you whether you look upon the existence of these people as bad, or call only their qualities bad?
“If you call their existence bad, then there can be no one more ignorant than you. And if you say their qualities are bad, then remember that qualities never remain the same. They can change. Those who are bad today can become good tomorrow, and those who are good today can become bad tomorrow. Valmiki was a bandit, but he became a saint in one day. On the other hand there may be a mahatma who can go to jail for stealing a petty object like a button!
“Also, if I do not allow the bad to come to me, of what use is my existence? Of what use can I be to those who are already good, and do not stand in need of reform? Does a doctor exist for those who are sick, or for those who are well? You are good and therefore have no need for me; you are neither in a hospital nor are about to come out of one, and therefore do not need to be cured. But I am needed by those people who consider themselves sick or are actually so.
“If I do not allow the sick to come to me, and the healthy have no need for me, then surely I must shut down shop and go away! But no, these are my children, and they are the dearest of all to me, because they need me and I have to make them well. I have no need for those ‘good’ persons who call themselves good after calling others bad. A mother has greater love for those children who have fallen and cannot stand up and walk by themselves.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj used to narrate the lament of the sinner who went hither and thither seeking redemption, being rejected by all, until he met the Real Master who forgave him and embraced him:

Ba tavaafe Kaabaa raftam ba haram raham ni daadand
Ki baroone dar che kar dee ki daroone khaana aayi
When I went to the Kaaba, its doors were shut and a voice rang out,
“What hast thou done outside that thou wouldst seek entry within!”

Ba zameen choon sajdaa kardam za zameen nidaa baraamad
Ki maraa kharaab kar dee ba een sajdaye riyaayi
When I prostrated on the ground, a voice came from the earth,
“O sinner! Thou hast made me impure by thy deceitful grovelling!”

Ba kumaarkhaana raftam hamaa paak baaz deedam
Choon basoomaye raseedam hamaa yaaftam dagaayi
I went to the houses of sin, and found many there who were penitent and pure,
But, alas, in the places of worship I went to, I found much hypocrisy and deceit.

Dare dair choon raseedam za daroon nidaa baraamad
Ki bayaa, bayaa, iraaqi, to za khaas gaane maayi
At last I went towards the door of my Master, and his voice rang out:
“ Come! O come within my doors! O Sinner! You are the dearest of all to me!”

And the glance of mercy from the Perfect Master washed away his sins and made him pure. Such was the love of Shri Babaji Maharaj for the sinners of the world.
Amire Kabul: The King of Afghanistan
When Shri Babaji Maharaj was at Lahore he was staying with a certain Pandit Dewan Chand, a leading intellectual of his time. On a sudden impulse, Shri Babaji Maharaj asked him one day:
“Pandit Dewan Chandji, is there any Khuda kaa bandaa – a man of God– in the city of Lahore, one who would be willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of the Divine Flame of that Reality?”
Pandit Dewan Chand said: “No, Maharaj, I do not think so.”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “Then Panditji, is there any bande kaa bandaa in Lahore – one who loves those who belong to Him?”
Pandit Dewan Chand thought for a while, and then said to Shri Babaji Maharaj:
“Maharaj, yes I think there is one such person! His name is Sardar Muhammad Ayub Khan, who is the King of Afghanistan – Amire Kabul. The British are at war with Afghanistan and have captured its king. He is being held by the British at Lahore. He has great love for God and His lovers. I think if he were to meet you, his happiness would know no bounds, and you would also be pleased with me for choosing him.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj was always waiting for such a one. He had often said:
Dil meraa jis se baihaltaa, koyi aisaa na milaa
But ke bande mile Allah kaa bandaa na milaa!
Bazme yaaraan se phiree baade bahaari maayoos
Ek sar bhi use aamaadaye saudaa na milaa.
I could not find one who could please my heart,
I met many who loved idols but none who loved God,
From the gathering of friends the morning breeze returned in despair,
It could not find even one lover of God in this bargain.
Shri Babaji Maharaj was so moved that he said to Pandit Dewan Chand: “Call a fitan –a horse drawn carriage– I wish to see Amire Kabul.”
Here was a strange sight. Shri Babaji Maharaj who could not be moved by any force in the world going out himself to meet a bande kaa bandaa – a lover of those who loved the Lord.
And it was thus that Shri Babaji Maharaj and Pandit Dewan Chand arrived at the residence of Amire Kabul. It was a huge mansion. The king had been kept under house arrest in this part of the city and was given a handsome monthly allowance for his subsistence. But he did not have the freedom to go wherever he wanted. Guards were posted at his house to ensure that he complied with the orders of the British Government.
When Shri Babaji arrived at his residence, he discovered that a young man was present there. He was the son of Amire Kabul. Amire Kabul was not at home. He had gone on a shikaar -hunt- in the forest. The young man was deeply touched by the personality of Shri Babaji Maharaj. Shri Babaji Maharaj left a message with him for Amire Kabul: “Unhen kaih denaa ke ham aaye thhe magar aap ghar par maujood na thhe! Tell your father that I had come to see him but he was not at home.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj wrote his title on a slip of paper and gave it to the son of Amire Kabul. The title read: Ghulam rue Zameen – the servant of the earth. And, after this brief meeting, Shri Babaji Maharaj left the place.
When Amire Kabul returned home from the hunt, he found his son in a strange state of bewilderment. He was in tears and was saying: “Abbaa Jaan! Abbaa Jaan! O Father! It was your misfortune that you were not at home. A Divine Being came to the house. His face was full of the Glory of God. It radiated noor – a divine light. He left this note and also said that I should tell you that he came to see you but you were not at home!”
Amire Kabul was astonished at the state of his son. An intense desire grew in him to meet Shri Babaji Maharaj. However, he lived on the outskirts of Lahore, and was not allowed to enter inside the city by order of the British Government, and, therefore, could not go to the place where Shri Babaji Maharaj lived. His son suggested that he invite Shri Babaji Maharaj to come again. Amire Kabul said: “No, son, you do not know the ways of saints. They come of their own calling, and nothing may move them to come again. But I have thought of a way. We shall call a number of people here and pray to Shri Babaji Maharaj to come here to enlighten all of us.”
Amire Kabul, thereafter, wrote to Shri Babaji Maharaj with intense earnestness and humility: “Your Holiness! You were kind enough to come to my house today, but it was my misfortune that I was not at home and could not have your deedaar. I would have come to your place myself but there are restrictions on my movements. Please do not think of me as presumptuous if I earnestly pray to thee to come to my house again to enlighten me and my family, and many others here, who are all very anxious to meet you and to receive your blessings.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj was an ocean of love and forgiveness. He was moved by the man’s humility and earnestness and he decided that he would have to listen to the man’s prayers if only to establish a relationship with him. And so it came about that Shri Babaji Maharaj went to the residence of Amire Kabul a second time.
Amire Kabul, along with his son and family members, as also a large number of distinguished guests, amongst which were learned maulvis and intellectuals, and the ministers and courtiers of Amire Kabul, were waiting for Shri Babaji Maharaj. The moment he appeared before them, they were overwhelmed by the sheer force of his Divine Personality, which radiated the Glory of God.

Amire Kabul was so touched, that he said involuntarily: “ Na maalum ye bandaye Khudaa kaun hain ke jinke deedaar se mujhe aaj vo khushi mil rahi hai jo zindagi men kabhi naheen mili! Oh, what an indescribable man of God has appeared before us – the very sight of whom is filling me with such incredible happiness the likes of which I have never experienced before in my entire life!”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj replied: “Amire Kabul if you are experiencing this happiness, then let me say that I am experiencing the same happiness myself, today!”
As Shri Babaji Maharaj spoke to the assembled group, the people present there began experiencing the same bliss that Amire Kabul had experienced.
After Shri Babaji Maharaj had finished speaking, he said to Amire Kabul: “ I am pleased with you! The Divine Power moves me to say that you can ask anything you will of me, today, and it shall be granted to you in the twinkling of an eyelash!! Chashme zadan men diyaa jaayegaa!”
Amire Kabul said to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “Hazrat, aap naaraaz ho gaye? Sire, have you become angry with me?”
“No,” said Shri Babaji Maharaj, “On the contrary, I am very pleased with you, and that is why I have asked you to pray for any boon that you wish!”

And Amire Kabul continued: “Hazrat, you have told me to ask for a boon, and you know what I will ask for. I am a man of the world and will ask for the things of the world. I will again ask for the same things which have brought me to so much grief in life; the same ambitions and desires that drove me to sorrow shall once again take possession over me. Would you wish to give these things to me again? Would you cast me back into the smouldering fires of the material world?”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “I did not ask you to pray for the things of the world. You may ask for something spiritual instead!”
And Amire Kabul said: “Hazrat, then I ask you for only one thing:
“Jab aap uss darbaare auliyaa men apne muraakbe men baithe hon to meri yaad kar leejiyegaa taake meraa naam vahaan ke jhaaroo bardaaron men likhaa jaaye!
“When you are in the midst of your meditation and are sitting in the Divine Court of the Highest and Holiest, then I pray you to think of me at the time, so that my name may be included amongst those who sweep the court!”

Shri Babaji Maharaj was immensely pleased with the humility of Amire Kabul and his love of God, and he said to Amire Kabul: “So be it!” And thereafter he blessed Amire Kabul, and left.
What Amire Kabul had asked for from Shri Babaji Maharaj was an impossible thing. How could Shri Babaji Maharaj think of Amire Kabul when he was absorbed in his meditation? To be absorbed in the thought of God meant, in effect, forgetting everything else, including oneself, so how could Shri Babaji Maharaj even recollect Amire Kabul at a time like that?
But then, as Shri Babaji Maharaj had explained:

There are two kinds of meditation. The first kind is that in which the person is conscious of himself and is reaching out to God. He is concentrating his thought on God alone but is doing so consciously. The second kind of meditation is that in which the person totally forgets himself. His “I” disappears altogether. He is so lost in God that the line of distinction between himself and God vanishes. In fact there is God and only God, and nothing else. In both the states above, it was not possible for a person to think of anyone other than God.

However, those were the days in which Shri Babaji Maharaj had attained a state of absolute and complete union with God. In such a state he was not to make any conscious effort to meditate upon God and to merge himself into Him, rather he was in a perpetual state of union with God, in which his “I” had vanished altogether and the “I” of God was working within him. Thus, while being fully conscious of the world around him, he was in a state of constant self-forgetfulness. It was with that “I” of God, therefore that Shri Babaji Maharaj thought of Amire Kabul. It was, in fact, God Himself meditating on Amire Kabul.

Lahore-Amritsar-Jammu-Lahore

Soon after meeting Amire Kabul, Shri Babaji Maharaj left Lahore and went whither the Divine Will took him. Wherever thirsty souls existed, Shri Babaji Maharaj had to go to satiate their spiritual thirst. His spiritual journeyings took him first to Amritsar. There, he went to the house of his uncle, chachaa, where his children had been staying all this while. And, after taking his children with him, he went from Amritsar to Jammu. He stayed in Jammu for a short while, where multitudes came for his darshan and blessings. And from Jammu he returned to Lahore again.

The year was 1914.
When Shri Babaji Maharaj returned to Lahore, the first thing he did was to enquire after Amire Kabul. And he was informed that Amire Kabul had left the world. At the time that Amire Kabul left the world, Shri Babaji Maharaj had been immersed in the thought of him in his muraakbaa – meditation.
Amire Kabul’s death had been a strange one. It was a death that was the envy of even saints and sages. One night he had gone into his chambers and had said to his household members and servants:
“I am going to sleep. I do not wish to be disturbed. Let no one come to awaken me in the morning.”
And, in the morning, he had left his physical body and had entered into the spiritual realm of God. His going revealed to all that surely he was one who was dear to Allah, God, as the death that came to him was the lot of only the angels. The blessings of Shri Babaji Maharaj had been with him and had drawn him to God.

Absolute Union with God in 1914

It was in the year 1914 A.D. that Shri Babaji Maharaj had attained absolute and complete union with God. It was a state in which his “I” was totally annihilated and he had become one with God. Thereafter it was the “I” of God that worked in his body. It was when he was in that state of unique and perpetual meditation that he had been merged in the thought of Amire Kabul and had granted salvation to him.
Here were the different stages of spirituality as explained by Shri Nathji in the biography of Shri Babaji Maharaj:

The moth is drawn towards the flame by the beauty of the flame. This is the first stage of faith that draws the heart of man towards God. The second stage is where the moth plunges into the fire of the flame and begins to burn with the flame. In this stage it is conscious of its own “I” and also sees itself being annihilated in the fire of the flame. In this state, the lover of God is conscious of his own “I” and is also conscious of its annihilation in the love of God. In the third stage, which is the highest of all, the “I” of the moth is completely gone. His separate identity vanishes, and he becomes one with the flame. In this state the lover of God finds his own “I” completely annihilated, and there is only the “I” of God.

This was also explained by Shri Nathji using the example of the drop of water and the ocean. The first stage is where the drop sees the ocean and wishes to plunge into it. The second stage is that in which it plunges into the ocean, but can still see its own separate boundary, its “I”, even within the ocean. The third stage is that in which the identity of the drop vanishes completely and it mingles into the ocean to become the ocean itself. The voice that says, “ I am the ocean” is then the voice of the ocean and not that of the drop.

It was that last state into which Shri Babaji Maharaj had entered in 1914. Prior to that he had been referring to himself as the son, and God as the Father, and had been looking upon all the people on earth as his brothers. In fact every living being found a relationship with him. But for how long could this state last? For how long could a moth experience its own existence inside the burning flame? For how long could the drop of water still see its boundaries within the vastness of the ocean? For how long could the clouds hide the light of the sun? For how long could the pearl remain hidden within an oyster?

There was Shri Nathji’s verse which defined the final union:

Kar tark khudi kee aadat ko aur katre se dariyaa ban jaa
Ho maihav zaraa asleeyat men aur zarre se saiharaa ban jaa
Renounce all thought of my and mine and from a drop become the sea,
Lose thou thyself in Truth Divine and know thou art Infinity!

And it was thus that Shri Babaji Maharaj came to be known as Bhagwan Shri Babaji Maharaj in the eyes of the lovers of God who could perceive this distinction clearly.
Shri Babaji Maharaj had this unique quality in him: If he found that something was good, he would accept it at once, and make it a part of his life. And if he thought anything was bad, he would renounce it forever. On the face of it these may not seem to be great virtues, but when we think over it deeply we find that it is a difficult proposition for most. Generally, we note that people cannot give up a thing even when they know it to be wrong, and they cannot accept something even though they know it to be right. For Shri Babaji Maharaj this had become second nature. It was only a very tiny part of the ocean of spirituality that lay within him.
The clouds of Maayaa- ignorance – could not cover the Divine Light of Shri Babaji Maharaj for long. The Sun of Reality manifested itself in the world. People who came to him were intoxicated with divine bliss. It is a law that even as it is difficult to see in the darkness so is it difficult to see in very bright light.
And even as incessant rain washes away all the dry straws, and a burning fire reduces the logs of wood to cinders, and the nectar of life annihilate death, in a like manner this Union with Reality caused all the relationships of the world, their limitations, their separateness to vanish altogether. The separation between the son and the Father vanished. It vanished so much that only He and He remained. And it was the voice of Shri Babaji:
“Chhorro mujhe bekhud meraa aaraam yehi hai
Be-naamo nishaan raihne do bas naam yehi hai
Soohje naheen din raat tere dhyaan men pyaare
Apni to saihar hai yehi aur shaam yehi hai
“Leave me alone in my self- forgetfulness, that is my only rest
Let me be without a name, that is my only name;
In the thought of Thee, there exists neither night nor day,
This alone is my morning and this alone my night.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj would also say:
“Jidhar dekhtaa hoon jahaan dekhtaa hoon
Main teri hee hasti ayaan dekhtaa hoon
No matter where I look, no matter what I see,
It is Thy Existence and only Thee!”
He would also say in Persian:
“Ki juz oo nest dar saraaye vajood
Ba haqueeqat digar kase maujood
There is none but He in the tavern of existence,
In Reality nothing else is present therein!
Gaahe niyaaz eemaane man gahe beniyaaz shaane man
Een hardo mi zebad baman ham bandao Maulaastan
Sometimes humility is my belief, and sometimes it is indifference,
Both the states suit me, for I am sometimes man, and sometimes God!
“In limited things, objects and beings, I exist as a limited human form, man, but in reality my ‘I’ is nothing when separate from God. For there is God, and only God, in me. He is the only reality. There is no ‘I’ that is me.
“It would be blasphemy if I were to establish my own identity outside of God, and to call myself God. But when I say that I do not exist, and that it is He and only He, then there is no sin.
“If, at all, I am something, then it is equivalent to being nothing! That Reality is unique in itself. It may remain behind a veil and call itself ‘I’ in a silent way, or it may manifest itself through a form that speaks. It may speak silently through an atom or it may speak with a voice through a man.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj first renounced the “I” which was associated with his body and his family. He thought of himself as a soul and established a son and father relationship with that great Reality. He followed this principle for a long time, and, in doing this, attained the bliss of devotion. He was to say later, however:
“ I knew, even at that time, that He was not separate from me, but at the same time I also knew that I, too, had not become Him!”
He took the joy of duality in the son and father relationship. However, by the year 1914, he had merged himself so much in the thought of his Father that nothing else remained. And he said, like Jesus Christ: “I and my Father are One!”
Faani az khuresh baash taa barhi
Raahe nazdeek tar hameen deedam
Annihilate thou thyself if thou wouldst attain salvation,
This is the closest path to God Realisation.
The divine force of attraction had become so strong that it removed even the son and father relationship. The son merged into the father and there was only One.
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say: “Anyone who tries to become anything before that Reality does not understand that Reality. However, in the initial stages, the limited human ‘I’ of man is necessary because he cannot understand union with God otherwise. It is only the initial separation that makes him understand the final union.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj would say: “I never tell you anything that I have not experienced on myself.”
Such a Being like Shri Babaji Maharaj was like the living scriptures.
Lahore – Amritsar – Jammu
Shri Babaji Maharaj had so lost himself in the divine bliss of God Realisation that he seldom, if ever, moved out of his house to go out into the city. And it was thus that he remained seated in one spot in his bed in the house for a period of thirty years spread over his life span. Indeed the moments when he even looked out of the window of the house were also very rare. This was not part of any spiritual discipline or practice which he imposed upon himself, it was simply because his heart was always at rest, and no desires of any kind existed in it.

A Visit to the Bazaar

On this, his second visit to Lahore, Shri Babaji Maharaj had brought his children with him. There was a time when Shri Babaji Maharaj went out into the city of Lahore with the young Shri Nathji in a tonga – a horse drawn carriage. The people of the city were pleasantly surprised at the sight of Shri Babaji striding forth into their midst. It was as if the sun had come out unasked. However, even in this slight diversion outside, Shri Babaji Maharaj was still at rest within. Even while roaming in a world of diversity, all that Shri Babaji Maharaj had before him was the Unity of the underlying Reality, God. Shri Babaji was firmly enthroned on his seat of rest even in this apparent movement. On his way into the city, Shri Babaji Maharaj recited the following verses to Shri Nathji:
Yak chand dareen arsaa pareshaan gashtem
Guftem giraan shavem arzaan gashtem
Dar taalaye maa kasaade baazaari bood
Aayinaa farosh shaihare koraan gashtem
I roamed the world in a state of disquiet for a while,
I wished that my worth be high, but it came down instead,
It was my destiny to sell for a fallen price,
For I had come to sell mirrors in the city of the blind!
And Shri Babaji Maharaj said to Shri Nathji: “Betaa – son – I should now either shatter all my mirrors to pieces, or else give eyes to all those who are blind, so that they can see their own faces in these mirrors and learn to value them.”
The Fellow Passenger

After some time, Shri Babaji Maharaj left Lahore and went to Amritsar. After a brief stay there, he decided to go to Jammu again. While en route to Jammu by train, Shri Babaji Maharaj discovered that he had lost his purse. There was a fellow passenger in the same compartment and Shri Babaji Maharaj explained the circumstances to him and wished to know whether the man could lend him two hundred rupees.

The man was deeply touched by the personality of Shri Babaji Maharaj. Although Shri Babaji never dressed in the clothes of saints and sages and was to all practical purposes dressed as any other man of the world, there was something in his personality that all at once revealed the divinity within him.

Kab libaase dunyavi men chhupte hain roshan zameer
Jaamaye faanoos men bhee sholaa uriyaan hee rahaa
How can the vestments of the world hide the inner light?
The flame must reveal itself through the glass of the chimney

The man offered the money to Shri Babaji Maharaj, and Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him: “This is a loan, and I must repay it!”
The man said: “No, no, Sir, I shall be very privileged if you accept this money. Please do not think of repaying it.”
But Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “No, I insist that I pay it back. You have my address at Jammu. Come to my place so that I can repay the amount.”
Many days later the man came to see Shri Babaji Maharaj at Jammu. He was accompanied by Maharaja Pratap Singh of Jammu and Kashmir. Shri Babaji met the man first, and said to him: “ So you have come for the amount.”
The man bowed low before Shri Babaji Maharaj and said: “Sire I have just discovered who you are. It was my good fortune that I could give the amount to you. Please do not think of repaying it. I have come to ask you for something else. I have been married for many years. I have daughters, but no son. Please bless me so that I may have one son.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “Magar paise to do sau thhe! But the amount was two hundred!”
The man was puzzled at Shri Babaji’s words. He could not understand what Shri Babaji Maharaj meant. However, he understood later. He had two sons.

Shri Babaji and Maharaja Pratap Singh

Maharaja Pratap Singh of Jammu and Kashmir came for the darshan and blessings of Shri Babaji Maharaj with great respect and humility. At the time he entered into the presence of Shri Babaji Maharaj, he was accompanied by several of his courtiers and ministers. However, not caring for their presence, he sat down upon the ground in front of Shri Babaji Maharaj.
Shri Babaji: You can sit on the chair if you like.
Maharaja: I feel that, before you, this is my proper place. The happiness that I am experiencing at this moment is beyond expression. There was a time when Swami Ramtirth had visited this place, and even though I had desired to meet him I could not do so. I had always carried that regret in my heart till today. However after meeting you that desire is satisfied.
Shri Babaji: It is the fruit of your good karmas that has brought you here. What can I do for you?
Maharaja: Make me your disciple.
Shri Babaji: For that you will have to do two things: the first is that you must give up that which is dearest to you, and the second is that you must do that which you never wanted to do. It is only in these two things that ego lies. If you can give them up, then you have indeed united with God.
Maharaja: What would you have me do?
Shri Babaji: Leave your kingdom and your wealth and come here and live with me, and serve all those who come here with your own hands.
Maharaja: But, Babaji, I can send scores of servants to you who will serve you with their own hands.
Shri Babaji: Then it is they who will receive the fruit of their services, not you. I am reminded of a seth who sent his servants to smell the flowers in his garden. It was the servants who got the fragrance of the flowers and not the seth.
Maharaja: As much as I would have wished to, it will not be possible for me to come and serve with my own hands, because of my position as the ruler of my people.
Shri Babaji: Then, I am afraid, what you have asked for cannot be possible, either Maharaja Sahib, let me tell you, that your entire kingdom and the wealth contained in it has even less value for me than this piece of straw lying in the room. As a matter of fact the straw is of some value for I have used it as an example, but I have not even this much of a need for your kingdom and its wealth. Tell me, what is the value of all the medicines existing in the world? Their worth must be in millions. And what is it that gives the medicines their worth? Illnesses. However, if there is no illness in your body of what worth would all the medicines of the world be to you? Nothing.

In a like manner the objects of the world have worth only because they fulfil desires. If there were no desires, their worth would be nothing. I have no desires within myself so the worth of your kingdom and its wealth is nothing for me.
Maharaja: Please instruct me on how to live in this world without worry.
Shri Babaji: A person must live in the world either by giving himself up to Someone or else by making Someone his own! You can now choose whatever relationship you would like to make with me.
Sarmad gilaa ikhtasaar mi baayad kard
Yak kaar azeen do kaar mi baayad kard
Yaa tan barzaaye dost mi baayad kard
Yaa kate nazar za yaar mi baayad kard
O Sarmad, cut the story short,
Do one thing out of two,
Either give up thyself to thy Friend,
Or else turn thy sight away from him.
Maharaja: O Babaji! Please make me thy own! I cannot make thee mine!
Shri Babaji: Well, it makes no difference. We have to establish a relationship and may do it in any way.
Maharaja: Babaji! Please come with me to Kashmir. It is a beautiful place. Many people come to it from far off places for its scenic beauty. With you there, I shall get a greater opportunity of being closer to you and listening to your words.
Babaji: Maharaja Sahib! Have you forgotten what you just said? Namely that you are now mine! If that is true, then you cannot take me anywhere with yourself; on the contrary, it is I who can take you wherever I wish!
Maharaja: Yes, Babaji, you are absolutely right!
What Shri Babaji had meant by this example was that man should always act in accordance with the Divine Will, and do nothing which may be termed as an act done for his own sake. Shri Babaji Maharaj blessed Maharaja Pratap Singh, who took leave of Shri Babaji Maharaj and continued to have great faith and reverence in him thereafter.
The Parable of the Father and Son
Shri Nathji often narrated this beautiful parable of the father and son walking together in the midst of an exhibition, which illustrated the theme that Shri Babaji Maharaj had been elaborating to Maharaja Pratap Singh of Jammu and Kashmir.
This was another one of Shri Nathji's favourite parables which showed the relationship between man and God in a simple manner that everyone could understand.
A father and son entered an exhibition in which numerous shops displayed their goods. There was a large crowd of people gathered there. The father said to the son:
"Son, shall I hold your hand or will you hold mine?”
"Let me hold your hand, father," said the son.
And together they walked in the midst of the crowd. The son spotted a toyshop that captured his heart. He immediately let go of his father's hand and rushed to the shop. Once there he picked up a large number of toys, and even broke a few in his eagerness to possess them. The shopkeeper began demanding his money. The son looked around, but he had lost his father in the crowd. The shopkeeper seized him by the collar and slapped him. The shopkeeper said he would not let him go until he had paid for the toys he had broken.
The very toys, which had lured the child to the shop, now became the cause of his misery.
He cried out loudly in despair: "Father!"
The father heard his cries and came running to the shop. On seeing the plight of his son, he bought all the toys his son had selected, and paid for those he had broken, and even scolded the shopkeeper for slapping his son.
As they walked through the crowds again, the father asked his son:
"Son, shall I hold your hand or will you hold mine?”
The son who had been chastened by his experience, immediately said:
"Father, you better hold my hand! If I hold your hand I will let go of it again."
And, thus, the father held the hand of his son in a firm grip and together they proceeded through the exhibition.
The son saw another beautiful shop, and, as was his habit, sought to rush there. But his hand was in his father's hand now. And the father would not let it go.
He said to the son: "Son, why are you trying to free your hand? Take me also along with yourself and I will buy you the whole shop."
In this little parable, Shri Nathji unfolded a great spiritual truth. In this world with its numerous temptations, man holds the hand of God for a while only, and then leaves it to rush towards the things of the world. The very objects which had enticed his heart then become the cause of his misery. He cannot free himself from them and in his agony calls out to God. God comes running to his aid and liberates him. Not only does God free him of fear but He also gives him the things of the world, like the father who purchased the toys in the shop for his son and also kept the shopkeeper at bay.
Man realizes, then, that he is too feeble to keep a grip on the hand of God, and that it is God who must hold his hand through the exhibition of this world. By keeping God with himself, man gains both, God as well as the world; but by separating himself from God, man loses both - God as well as the world. Here was the highest of spiritual philosophies explained in the simplest of words by Shri Nathji, which led his listeners to exclaim with joy and thunderous applause.






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CHAPTER SIX

Dead Boy Brought to Life

Shri Babaji Maharaj in Jammu
The divine intoxication that flowed from Shri Babaji Maharaj during those days filled the public of Jammu with divine bliss. Whoever came before Shri Babaji Maharaj found himself possessed by this feeling, in which all the cares and worries of the world were forgotten, and there was only God before them.
Shri Babaji Maharaj chose to lead a life of great austerity and physical hardship. Despite the invitation of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir to live with him, Shri Babaji Maharaj preferred to live in solitude in a cave at Jammu. However, multitudes thronged to him even there. This was a great test for his delicate physical body and for his children who had been reared in the best of physical comforts and luxury. But for Shri Babaji Maharaj there was no discomfort since he was never conscious of his body. His children had already begun to accept the situation and tried to be as happy as they could be under all the physical hardships imposed upon them, in all of which they began to see the will of their father, Shri Babaji Maharaj, which was the Will of God.
Narsingh Das Singer
During those days there was a famous singer of the court of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, whose name was Narsingh Das. He was on his way to sing in the court of the Maharaja, when he heard of Shri Babaji at Jammu. He decided he would take the darshan of Shri Babaji Maharaj and obtain his blessings before proceeding on to Kashmir to sing in the Maharaja’s darbaar.
However, the moment he came before Shri Babaji Maharaj something happened to him. He was so moved by Shri Babaji Maharaj that he became absolutely devoted to him. It was as if Shri Babaji had revealed a part of himself to the man.
He said to Shri Babaji: “Babaji! I was on my way to sing in the court of the Maharaja when I stopped over here. I would like to sing for you. Please accept this offering of mine!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj replied: “I am sorry but I cannot listen to your song. I cannot accept that offering which is meant for someone else. I understand you were on your way to sing at the court of the Maharaja.”
Even though he could not sing before Shri Babaji Maharaj, Shri Narsingh Das became very devoted to Shri Babaji Maharaj and lingered on in his darbaar, instead of proceeding onwards to Kashmir, where his presence was awaited at a musical function. When he did not appear in the court of the Maharaja, an emissary arrived from the royal court reminding him of his appointment there. But by that time Narsingh Das was so lost in Shri Babaji Maharaj that he said to the Maharaja’s emissary: “Unhen kaih do ke ham naheen aa sakte! Go and tell the Maharaja that I cannot come!”
And though Narsingh Das waited for days to sing for Shri Babaji Maharaj, the occasion never came. He served Shri Babaji Maharaj and his children in every way that he could. He fetched the water, cooked the food, washed the utensils and attended to the multitudes that came for the darshan and blessings of Shri Babaji Maharaj. Those were the days of winter and the cave was freezing. Icicles hung from the ceiling of the cave even as the children shivered inside. Shri Narsingh Das looked after the children with great diligence and tried to keep the place as warm as he could. The desire to sing for Shri Babaji Maharaj disappeared from him. It became his life’s mission to serve the precious body of Shri Babaji Maharaj from whom the world was deriving such peace and happiness, and who was radiating the light of God upon earth.
Shri Babaji Maharaj had often said that the status of a devotee who actually served his master with his own hands was the greatest of all. This was what Shri Babaji Maharaj had asked the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir to do. Shri Babaji Maharaj often used to narrate how Indra, the king of the gods, and Virochan the king of the asuras, the dark angels, went to the Ruler of the Heavens, Prajapati, and sought to learn the ways of God – Brahmvidya – from him. Prajapati agreed to tell them of these mysteries provided they served him with their own hands. And he asked them both to dig in his fields. Virochan left after 25 years, but Indra continued to dig the fields for 125 years, after which Prajapati was pleased to give him a little bit of the knowledge he sought.
The longer that Narsingh Das remained with Shri Babaji Maharaj, the greater was the divine grace that he received from him. It was like an iron staying close to a magnet so that some of the qualities of the magnet became evident in the iron itself.
There was a time when Narsingh Das went to his home-town for a short time. His friends and relatives were pleasantly surprised to see him. A divine glow existed on his face, and miracles followed him. People began to revere him and to bow before him. But he would not take any of the glory for himself, and said it was all due to the Divine Grace of Shri Babaji Maharaj.
He returned to live with Shri Babaji Maharaj and continued to do so for many years afterwards. He ultimately passed away at the feet of his Lord and Master. In the words of Shri Nathji who wrote this verse:
Nikal jaaye dam tere kadmon ke neeche
Yahi dil ki hasrat yahi aarzoo hai
May I breathe my last at Thy Feet,
This is my heart’s desire, my only wish.
How fortunate was the man who died serving a personality in whom he saw the Light of God. Serving him was just like serving the Invisible, Unseen God. If a person could not serve the Invisible Electric Current, he could at least find fulfillment in serving the electric bulb, which contained the light of the electric current. Serving the bulb would then be like serving the electric current from the powerhouse.
The Old Lady at Jammu
Shri Babaji Maharaj was speaking to a group of his admirers at Jammu, when an old Muslim lady came and stood at the door and began to look upon Shri Babaji Maharaj and the assembly. She began to listen with rapt attention to every word that Shri Babaji Maharaj was saying to the gathering.
Shri Babaji: “Maayi - old lady - what are you looking at?”
Old lady: “Maharaj! I am looking at you, because you appear so good to me, and I am listening to the nice words you are saying.”
Shri Babaji: “Burriyaa Maayi! Old Mother! Is it only I who appear to be good to you or do the others sitting here also appear to be good?”
Old lady: “All who are sitting here appear to be good to me!”
Shri Babaji: “Do all appear to be alike, or do you see them as being different from each other?”
Old Lady: “They all appear to be the same to me!”
Shri Babaji: “How is it that you do not see anyone here who appears to be bad?’
Old Lady: “All must be good because their Creator is good.”
Shri Babaji: “Tell me, how do you look upon yourself?”
Old Lady: “There can be no one who is as bad as me, or who is a greater sinner!”
Shri Babaji: “Why? Is your Creator someone else that you look upon yourself as bad? Listen, old lady, you have now become good, because of your humility and your good thoughts!”
The old lady went away in a state of great happiness. Shri Babaji Maharaj had filled a gap in her life. She was good, but Shri Babaji Maharaj had made her better. Shri Babaji Maharaj always admired those who confessed their weaknesses. He said their confession made such people elevated in the eyes of God, and they ceased to be bad.
And it was thus that Shri Babaji Maharaj continued to shower peace and happiness upon the citizens of Jammu for many days at a stretch. During this time numerous persons of all faiths thronged to him and he gave them all of his nectar of life. Many become very devoted to him and became his, forever.
Shri Babaji and Sarvar Khan
It was during this time at Jammu that a certain Muslim, Sarvar Khan, came for the darshan or deedaar of Shri Babaji Maharaj. The moment he came before Shri Babaji Maharaj, he folded his hands in a reverential greeting and introduced himself.
Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him: “Why do you, a Muslim, fold your hands before me?”
And Sarvar Khan said: “I did not do it consciously. My hands appeared to come together all by themselves when I came before you. It was your Divine Grace that made me do so. It appears to me as if you have now taken possession of my heart and being!”
It was the Real Master calling his devotee to himself– just like a magnet that attracts a piece of iron to itself. The devotee knows not why he is being drawn involuntarily to the Master.
Shri Nathji had explained this phenomenon in later years; “ You tend to the flowers and do your best to make them bloom, but all this requires an effort that may or may not be successful. But there comes a time, when Spring arrives—and the flowers bloom without any effort. In a like manner, there comes a time in the life of a person which is like Spring – when the desire for God becomes intense in his mind. At such a time he does not have to make an effort to find a Guide. Rather, the Guide comes and finds him. And he recognizes the guide spontaneously.”
Such was the case with Sarvar Khan who came before Shri Babaji Maharaj and recognised him spontaneously and instantly. Sarvar Khan belonged to the well-known household of Aham Shah Abdalli Fateh Hind, the great hero of the land. He had now won a victory – fateh – over his ego, and was not any less a victor.
There was the Persian verse, which Shri Babaji Maharaj used to recite, on real victory:
Maarnaa dil kaa samajhtaa hoon jahaade Akbar
Vahi gaazi hai barraa jisne ye kaafir maaraa
To vanquish ego is the greatest Holy War,
He is a great victor who has killed this unbeliever!
The wife of Sarvar Khan became greatly devoted to Shri Babaji Maharaj as well, a devotion that was to equal that of her husband. Though she was not an educated lady, yet whenever she spoke on Shri Babaji Maharaj people were surprised to hear her voicing spiritual truths of the highest order. Whenever Sarvar Khan and his wife spoke about Shri Babaji Maharaj, a magic flow would accompany their words, and a river of love and devotion would flood the hearts of people. Whoever listened to them was filled with great faith and devotion, and marvelled at the devotion that had been granted to this husband and wife by Shri Babaji Maharaj.
Shri Babaji Maharaj would refer to Sarvar Khan’s wife as his daughter, and Shri Nathji would refer to her as hamsheera – sister. She had become so dyed in the colour of Divine Love that her devotion was beyond words. She would be found saying:
“All my wishes find fulfilment the moment I set eyes upon Shri Babaji Maharaj. He has freed me of all worries.”
Sarvar Khan and his wife stood by the side of Shri Babaji Maharaj even in some of the worst storms that were invoked by Shri Babaji Maharaj upon himself in the days to come. No one could shake them from their devotion to Shri Babaji Maharaj. Their greatest comfort in life was Shri Babaji Maharaj, and they were prepared to make any sacrifice for his sake, and to even give up their lives for him if called upon to do so. They cared not for any jibes. And often quoted the Persian Verse below written by Khusro:
Khalk mi goyad ki Khusro butparasti mi kunad
Aare aare mi kunam, ba khalk-o-aalam kaar nest
People say that Khusro has begun to worship idols!
Yes, yes, I do! What have I to do with people, or with the world!
Shri Babaji Maharaj loved them immensely. They had a daughter named, Ajiza, who was affectionately called Taj Bibi by Shri Babaji Maharaj. There came a time when the girl became very ill. The illness took so serious a turn that doctors gave up all hope of her recovery. When there was hopelessness all around, Sarvar Khan and his wife had one last hope left, and that was Shri Babaji Maharaj. They brought the sick girl to him and said to him:
“Huzoor! Respected Sire! You had granted us this child who has brought great happiness into our lives. If it is your wish to take her away from us then do so, but we would have been ever grateful if we could have had her with us for a longer time.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said to them: “Do not be worried. Go home and rest. Whatever is the Will of Allah shall prevail!”
And a great miracle occurred. The girl recovered that very day and lived thereafter to lead a normal and healthy life.
Har har kadam pe uske hai aijaaze Eesvi
Raftaar uss pari ki naazo adaa ki hai
Along each and every step of his, there are the miracles of Christ,
The gait of the Fairy Faced One is that of Glory alone.
Both, Sarvar Khan and his wife, remained devoted to Shri Babaji Maharaj for over 20 years, long after he had left Jammu and settled down in Amritsar.




Shri Babaji Maharaj & Amir Ali Shah
The relationship of Amir Ali Shah with Shri Babaji Maharaj in Jammu defined a phase in the life of Shri Babaji Maharaj that was altogether tempestuous and enlightening at the same time.
Amir Ali Shah was a great spiritualist himself as well as an intellectual and philosopher. He had been to several saints and sages of his time but had found no satisfaction anywhere. The holy men of his time had no effect on him, since he could better them in theological discussions alone. Many a spiritual master sought to convert him but failed, so great was the learning and spiritual development of the man.
The moment he came before Shri Babaji Maharaj at Jammu, something happened to him. An invisible force of Divine Love gripped his heart and soul. The divine radiance of Shri Babaji Maharaj touched him so deeply that he said all at once:
“Maharaj! You are the one I was searching for!”
“Then you must be the one I was waiting for!” Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him.
A spark of conversion shot through Amir Ali Shah’s soul and he was lost completely in Shri Babaji Maharaj. A deep and intense spiritual relationship was established. The man became so devoted to Shri Babaji Maharaj that he would instantly obey anything that Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him.
At the time, he was involved in contentious litigation to recover a sum of sixty thousand rupees. He narrated his troubles to Shri Babaji Maharaj and asked for guidance.
Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him in Punjabi, “Chhad pare mukadme noon! Leave the court case! You have an infinite treasure of happiness within you!”
Amir Ali Shah was so obedient that he immediately went and withdrew the court case he had filed. Shri Babaji Maharaj had been right. A feeling of immense peace came into his heart and soul afterwards. Shri Babaji Maharaj had often said: “In pursuit of the happiness we see in the world we often lose the treasure of happiness which lies within us!” He would say in Urdu:
Tamaan duniyaan ki raahaton se khushi dilon ki kaheen barri hai
Main usske gulshan men aaj baithha ussi ki boo se maihak rahaa hoon
Greater than all the pleasures of the world is the happiness of the heart,
I sit in His Garden today and sway with the joy of His Fragrance
The devotion of Amir Ali Shah became so intense in Shri Babaji Maharaj that very soon a radiant glow came upon his face, which reflected the Glory of Shri Babaji. People would come and bow before him and seek to be blessed by him. He had left his home and come to live with Shri Babaji Maharaj
Those were the days when Shri Babaji Maharaj had imposed great austerities and fasting upon himself and his children. Each person in the household had but only one roti to eat for the entire day. Amir Ali Shah shared this meagre food with them, but the divine food that he was getting from Shri Babaji Maharaj made his face radiant, as if with glowing health. All who lived with Shri Babaji Maharaj reflected in various measures the divine glow that emanated from him.
Amir Ali Shah later prayed to Shri Babaji Maharaj to come and live with him at his house at Jammu. Shri Babaji Maharaj consented, and went to live with him along with his children. Amir Ali Shah served Shri Babaji Maharaj with intense devotion and saw to his comforts. He appeared to have only Shri Babaji Maharaj in his heart all the time.
One day, Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him: “Amir Ali, the devotion that you possess has only been given to you. Never be proud of it as your own. You are serving me with all your heart and soul just now, but if it be my will you can turn against me, and even ask me to leave your house!”
Amir Ali Shah was startled at these words and said: “Huzoor! Such a thing is impossible! How can I ever turn against you? How could I ever ask you to leave my house? The very idea is unthinkable. I could never, even in my wildest dreams, ever think of saying such words to you.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “Amir Ali, tell me, is the devotion which you possess, your own? This faith which you possess – is it your own? How can you state with such affirmation that you will not turn against me one day?”
Amir Ali replied: “Huzoor, no matter what happens, but my respect and devotion for you are so great that I can never fall to such a depth! I am positive of it!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “If that, indeed, is the state of your devotion, then let me congratulate you, Amir Ali!”
Amir Ali Shah’s love for Shri Babaji Maharaj appeared unbounded, his faith unswerving. He could think of nothing else except the comfort of Shri Babaji Maharaj and his children.
However, one day something happened to Amir Ali Shah with a suddenness that surprised even him. He revolted against his Master, and became rude and insolent. His impertinence reached such an extent that he even asked Shri Babaji Maharaj to leave his house!
Shri Babaji Maharaj said to Amir Ali Shah: “Amir Ali! Do you know what you are doing! Do you realise who you are opposing?”
However, Amir Ali Shah was not listening to Shri Babaji Maharaj. He appeared to be possessed by some power that had him in his control, and he said to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “Please leave my house and go and live elsewhere!”
When Amir Ali Shah uttered these words it was not he who was speaking, since he was absolutely unaware of what he was saying. Shri Babaji’s prediction had come true. The man who thought he was the most loyal of all devotees, found himself turning against his Lord and Master without any rhyme or reason.
Shri Babaji Maharaj, along with his children, got ready to leave the house of Amir Ali Shah. All who saw him that day, including Sarvar Khan, were conscious of an unusually bright glow on his face. As Shri Babaji Maharaj stopped at the door of the house, he turned to Amir Ali Shah and said: “Amir Ali Shah! Have you forgotten who I am? I am your old well- wisher! Main to tumhaaraa vohi khairkhwaa hoon!”
The words of Shri Babaji Maharaj were like a bolt of lightning from the heavens. Amir Ali Shah appeared to wake up from a dreadful dream. He was astounded at what he had been saying, and fell at the feet of Shri Babaji Maharaj, weeping, and saying: “Maharaj! I am your old servant – your khaadim!”
The veil of antagonism disappeared from the heart of Amir Ali Shah as suddenly as it had come. He begged Shri Babaji Maharaj to continue staying with him, and Shri Babaji Maharaj agreed.
However, after a few days, the same veil came over the man again, and he turned against his Master again, this time with greater vehemence. The insults and humiliation that he heaped upon Shri Babaji Maharaj were more than any man could have endured. However, Shri Babaji Maharaj continued to stay with him despite the open revolt of the man and the fears his devotees had for his safety in the vitiated atmosphere. These fears were not without foundation.
One night, Amir Ali Shah hired an assassin – a Pathaan– and asked him to assassinate Shri Babaji Maharaj in his sleep. The hired assassin proceeded stealthily towards the room in which Shri Babaji Maharaj and his children were sleeping. But, just as he reached the door of the room, he was seized by a violent pain in the side of his abdomen, which made him cry out with pain and fall to the ground in agony. Shri Babaji Maharaj came out of his room, and the Pathan fell at his feet and wept with repentance, and told him how Amir Ali Shah had ordered him to assassinate his Master.
It was in such a situation that Shri Babaji Maharaj stayed at the house of Amir Ali for a period of three months. It was only the divine, forgiving personality of Shri Babaji Maharaj that could have borne the insults and humiliations that Amir Ali Shah heaped on him. Another man in his place would not have stayed in such a horrible atmosphere for even one day.
Shri Babaji’s children began to cry at the persecution and asked him to leave the place. Shri Babaji Maharaj said to them: “Do not cry! These events are meant for your progress on the spiritual path! All that you see happening is part of my own play!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj had to teach Amir Ali Shah the valuable spiritual lesson that the faith that he was boasting of did not in fact belong to him, but had been given to him by a higher power, and that if that power so willed it could take the faith back.
The day came when Shri Babaji Maharaj decided to leave the house of Amir Ali Shah, and he said to him before going: “Amir Ali Shah! Listen! No man in the world can live in the house of his enemy. But I have stayed here with you for three months. If I had thought of you as my enemy would I have stayed here for so long?”
Amir Ali Shah was silent. And Shri Babaji Maharaj knew that it was not his fault. It was a power beyond Amir Ali Shah that was proving its presence.
Shri Babaji Maharaj blessed Amir Ali Shah and left his home, never to return.
The separation from Shri Babaji Maharaj tore apart the heart and soul of Amir Ali Shah. He became restless. He went to visit many saints and sages, but he found no satisfaction anywhere. He was possessed by a restlessness and repentance that could only be abated when he had returned to Shri Babaji Maharaj. He loved Shri Babaji Maharaj intensely. Some external veil had come over him, and now that it was gone, he rushed to where Shri Babaji Maharaj was staying, and fell at his feet, in tears, begging forgiveness. Shri Babaji Maharaj embraced him and spoke lovingly to him.
Shri Babaji: “Amir Ali, I have kept with myself the fruit of all your actions. I have with myself the fruit of your service and devotion. I also have with myself the fruit of your revolt and antagonism. Shall I give these fruits to you? Would you desire them?”
Amir Ali: “No Babaji! I would be lost if I asked for these! I would have nowhere in the world to go! So great is the enormity of my sins!”
Shri Babaji: “Amir Ali Shah, tell me why had you become so fearless?”
Amir Ali: “It was you who had made me so fearless!”
Shri Babaji: “But you should have kept some fear of him who had made you fearless!”
Amir Ali: “I can only ask for forgiveness!”
Shri Babaji: “Amir Ali Shah, you served me very well. Tell me, from whom did that spirit of service originate?
Amir Ali: “From you!”
Shri Babaji: “And from whom did the spirit of antagonism originate?”
Amir Ali Shah was silent. He could not say it came from Shri Babaji Maharaj.
Shri Babaji: “Amir Ali Shah! If you cannot accept the spirit of service as originating from you, then how can you say the antagonism came from you? Be at peace, therefore, and know that none of your actions originated from you. The entire play was enacted by someone else. You must have understood by now that the faith you had was not your own, but it had been given to you! I had to endure your insults and humiliation to establish this principle. You had progressed far on the spiritual path but were deluded into believing that your faith was a result of your own achievements. No matter how advanced a person may become on the spiritual path he must always remember that all Glory must go to God alone, and that all his achievements on the spiritual path are a gift given by Him, and He may, if He so wills, take them back!”
Amir Ali Shah returned to the darbaar of Shri Babaji Maharaj thereafter. He, along with others, always marvelled at the joy and equanimity with which Shri Babaji Maharaj had borne the opposition to which he had been subjected. It was yet another instance of the divinity of Shri Babaji Maharaj manifesting itself.
Shri Babaji’s Sayings:
“If anyone serves me for a hundred years I shall not bless him for his services. And if anyone opposes me for a thousand years I shall not curse him.
You will ask me: ‘Then what is the benefit that we get from to you?’
The answer to that is: ‘Your own actions will produce their own results.’
“A Brahmgyaani – a realised soul – is one who exists beyond the realm of worldly desires, and for whom all states in life are equal. He is beyond praise and opposition, beyond love and hate. Those who come to him receive the fruits of their own feelings towards him.
Shri Babaji Maharaj used to say in a light vein: “Agar meraa kaihnaa maanoge to chaar aane faayedaa, aur agar naheen maanoge to ek rupayaa faayedaa! If you listen to my advice me you shall benefit by four annas, but if you do not listen to me you shall benefit by one rupee!”
Since four annas was only one fourth of a rupee, he was asked what this meant, and he replied: “ If you listen to me you shall go on walking on the right path and that shall be your gain, but there will be the possibility of your going astray at some later stage. But if you do not listen to me then your actions will produce some painful result. And as a consequence you shall never again disobey me or go astray. The dreadful result of your own actions shall then give you the reward of keeping you on the right path forever.”
Dead boy brought to Life
When Shri Babaji was at Jammu there was a man living next door to him who was staying with his young nephew. One day the young boy contracted a deadly fever from which there was no relief. A certain Vaid, a doctor, was called to see the boy and began to treat him. The Vaid said with absolute confidence that he would cure the boy with his medicine. The Vaid had become vain and arrogant because of the many cures he had affected and assumed that the powers of life and death lay in his hands.
One day the Vaid left instructions with the household members before leaving: “See to it that he is given only elaaichee paani –¬cardamon water–and nothing else.”
When Shri Babaji Maharaj came to know of the plight of the sick boy next door, he sent his devotee, Shri Harvilas, to tend to the sick boy and help him in any way that he could. The boy’s uncle welcomed the gesture.
Shri Harvilas began to look after the boy. While he was alone in the house with the boy, the boy asked for soda water, begged for it desperately. Shri Harvilas wanted to quench the thirst of the boy and brought the soda water for him. The boy had barely had a sip of the soda water when he collapsed and lay dead on his bed. Harvilas was too shocked for words. The boy’s uncle and relatives came and saw what had happened. They called the Vaid who made enquiries, and upon being told by Harvilas that he had given the boy a sip of soda water the Vaid immediately flared up and began blaming Harvilas for the death of the boy.
“Alas!” lamented the Vaid, “if only you had not given him the soda water he would not have died. My medicine would definitely have cured him!”
Harvilas was so disconsolate that he immediately ran to Shri Babaji Maharaj and fell at his feet, sobbing, saying: “I have committed a great sin! I gave the sick boy soda water and he died! I am responsible for his death! O Babaji, please save me!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj listened to the whole story and then said to Harvilas: “Son, do not be disturbed! It was not your fault. Can anyone die from a sip of soda water?”
Harvilas said, “But Maharaj! The Vaid is saying so, and everyone believes him!”
The uncle of the boy was convinced that the medicine of the Vaid would have cured him had he not met with this premature death. The uncle recalled, however, that the sick boy had fervently prayed for lancets to be applied to him to drain out blood as was the prevalent system of medicine at the time. However the Vaid had refused the lancets and had insisted upon his own treatment and medication.
Shri Babaji Maharaj went to the house of the boy next door where his dead body lay, cold and motionless, awaiting the preparations for the funeral. Shri Babaji Maharaj said to the people gathered in the house: “The Vaidji is saying with absolute confidence that his medicines would have cured the boy. And at the same time he is blaming Harvilas for giving the boy soda water which he claims led to the boy’s death.”
Then, turning to the Vaid, Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “Vaidji! No one can die from a sip of soda water. Do not be agitated unnecessarily. Also your belief that your medicine would have cured the boy is wrong. But if that is what you think, then you can have the chance of curing him even now. Before the boy had died he had been asking that lancets be applied to his body. Apply lancets to his body now, immediately. It is possible he may be revived.”
The Vaid was aghast and said: “But Maharaj – what are you saying? The boy is dead now! His body is cold. We Hindus never apply a lancet to a dead body.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “Do as I say! If there is any sin in doing this I shall take the sin upon myself.”
The Vaid obeyed Shri Babaji Maharaj and applied a lancet to the dead body.
Suddenly the boy sat up, and, before the assembled group could recover their wits, he began hurling invective and abuse at the startled Vaid! All were astonished beyond belief. No one could understand what had brought the dead boy back to life. It was the miracle of Shri Babaji Maharaj. However Shri Babaji Maharaj did not want it to remain a miracle and allowed the people to think that it was the lancet that had brought the boy back to life.
There were some who thought that it was possible that there was still life in the body at the time the lancet was applied. But they also recalled the words of the Vaid who had said: “ I cannot apply a lancet to a dead body.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj then turned to Shri Harvilas and said: “Harvilas, you are now free of the sin you had thought you had committed.”
Harvilas at once said: “Yes, Maharaj! It is due to your mercy and grace.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj turned to the Vaid and said: “Vaidji, the boy has come back to life. It was your assertion that if you had been given the chance your medicine would have cured him. You have the chance now to administer whatever medicines you may like. He will be with you all night. Tomorrow morning he shall die again!” And saying this Shri Babaji Maharaj left the place.
All night long, even as the uncle of the boy watched in subdued silence, the Vaid administered whatever medicines he could. But with the coming of the morning, the boy died, just like Shri Babaji Maharaj had predicted.
The Vaid came to see Shri Babaji Maharaj in the morning and Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him: “Vaidji, you are paying the price for your pride. It is God that cures and not man. Your ego has led you to believe that you have the power of life and death over your patients and can cure anyone you like, but you have seen how helpless you can be in the face of the Will of God. I have to tell you that unless you give up your pride you, too, shall one day fall a prey to the same disease and die from it despite all your medicines.”
This was not a curse but rather a prediction of the inevitable and inexorable law of Nature that shows man that his strength and intelligence are of no consequence before the Divine Will.
The Vaid was too vain and conceited to listen to Shri Babaji Maharaj and continued in his old ways, administering medicine with pride and arrogance. And in a short time he contracted the same disease that the boy had died from. He tried his best to cure himself with his own medicines and for a while even succeeded. But soon enough he had a relapse. The disease became relentless. It hit at him again and again so that his life became miserable.
Shri Babaji Maharaj who was an epitome of love and mercy heard of the plight of the Vaid and said:
“Tell the Vaid to bow his head before God and to ask for forgiveness from Him for his ego. Let him realize now that his pride was for naught, and his assertions were without foundation. There is only One who has the power of life and death in His hands, and that is God. All others are mere instruments in His hands.”
During those days there was an unending stream of miracles of this kind that followed Shri Babaji Maharaj wherever he went. But, almost always, Shri Babaji Maharaj put a veil over these occurrences so that people would not become unduly attached to them and pursue him merely for their sake. Shri Babaji Maharaj would so transform the minds of people that they would forget these miracles after they had occurred, as if they had never happened.
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say: “Such miracles surprise many people. But then there is nothing surprising about them, because they all stem from God who is All Powerful and for whom nothing is impossible.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say: “Any person who dissociates himself from God and tries to bring profit or loss to others is blinded by his own ego. He does not realize that it is not in his hands to cause profit or loss to anyone, and that it is God alone who can do this. Similarly any person who believes that anyone can cause him any profit or loss, other than God, is, likewise, ignorant. It is God alone who has this power. However if a person keeps God with Himself all the time, and relegates all his successes in life to God, then he can give any amount of benefit to the people of the world. It will be the Will of God that will be fulfilled in this way, and the credit for the good acts done will go to the person through whom these are accomplished.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj goes to Sialkot
Time came when Shri Babaji Maharaj bade farewell to the people of Jammu. He was never to return there again. His devotees felt as if their very soul was leaving them. The separation from their Master was unbearable. However Shri Babaji Maharaj’s movements were dictated by the Divine Will, and his work in Jammu was over. He had created a history with the city, and that history would remain long after he had gone. Sarvar Khan and his wife had become so devoted to Shri Babaji Maharaj that, in later days, they were to seek him out no matter where he went.
From Jammu, Shri Babaji Maharaj went to Sialkot and stayed there in a house which was at some height. People began to throng to Shri Babaji Maharaj, and many referred to him as God Himself.
A learned Maulvi of Sialkot heard of Shri Babaji Maharaj. Someone said to him “God resides in that house up there!” The Maulvi was intrigued. He belonged to a Sufi sect and was amongst those who had an open mind and respected the beliefs of all. So great was his curiosity that he rushed to the house of Shri Babaji Maharaj and said at first instance:
"Kyaa Rabb aap hee hain? Are you God?"
Shri Babaji promptly replied: "Paihchaan le! Recognise me, if I am!"
It was a wonderful reply. If the Maulvi had seen God before, he had no need to ask the question. And if he had not seen God before, how would he know whether Shri Babaji was God or not!
Shri Babaji: Who are you?
Maulvi: I am a Maulvi.
Shri Babaji: Have you read the Koran Shareef?
Maulvi: How could I have become a Maulvi without reading it?
Shri Babaji: Then you must have read the definition of God in it.
Maulvi: Yes, I have.
Shri Babaji: Why, then, are you asking me, when the answer is already with you! If you see those qualities in me, you have your answer. If you do not see those qualities in me, even then you have your answer. A man who knows another can never ask him: 'Are you the person I know so well?'
The Maulvi felt a surge of love and respect come within him for Shri Babaji Maharaj. However, despite this feeling, he put one more question to Shri Babaji Maharaj.
Maulvi: Are you the Khuda-God-of your ego, or the Khuda of the people?
Shri Babaji: Khudee o khudaayi balaa dar balaa-ast
Khulaas aan ke shud hastiyash zere laa-ast

These days I am in a state in which there is no affirmation of ego,
Nor is there any claim to being God.

Main apni fanaa men apni najaat ko dekh rahaa hoon.
I am looking upon my salvation in the annihilation of my own self.
The Maulvi thereafter developed a great reverence for Shri Babaji Maharaj, and he and the followers of his sect thereafter continued to visit Shri Babaji Maharaj to obtain divine grace from him.
Shri Babaji Maharaj did not stay for long at Sialkot, and soon went to Lahore again. This city was to draw him to itself again and again.
_________________

CHAPTER SEVEN

Shri Nathji, Babaji at Amritsar

Third visit to Lahore
Shri Babaji Maharaj stayed at a house in Lahore, where again people thronged to him in multitudes. The state of his divine intoxication was like that of a surging ocean without shores. His “I” as well as the external world had been lost within it like a tiny mustard seed lost in a forest without bounds.
In later years, when Shri Nathji wrote the biography of Shri Babaji Maharaj he explained the spiritual stages through which Shri Babaji Maharaj had been passing during those years. Shri Nathji explained the concept of separation and union using the beautiful example of a shamaa and parvaana, i.e. a moth and a flame.
A parvaana is born in this world. It looks at the objects of the world around itself, but finds that nothing holds its mind. It appears to be in search of something but knows not what. All it knows is that what it seeks is not present in the things around him. There is some feeling of unconscious separation in his heart but it knows not for what.
Then one day the parvaana sees the shamaa. Intuitively its heart tells it that this is what it had been searching for. Its heart is drawn towards the flame. Its heart tells the parvaana that it was meant only for the flame. In this stage there is a union, when the moth sees the flame. And thereafter there is a restless desire to unite with the flame. This desire to unite is a form of separation that exists in the heart of the moth. This separation comes about only because there had been a union first. Thus it is essential for union to exist before a feeing of separation can come about.
In a like manner when the feeling of separation from God comes within man with great intensity, then he must understand that he has been especially chosen by God and that God has in fact given him his darshan -Divine Glimpse- and made him his own. This is the first stage of union with God. It is because of this initial union that the desire for God springs up within man and he seeks Him with great intensity. If there were not this initial union, man would never have felt an intense separation from God.
In the second stage of union the moth goes to the flame and falls into the flame, and begins to burn in the fire of the flame. While the burning lasts, the moth is conscious of its own separate existence along with the flame. Here the “I” of the moth sees itself burning in the flame. The moth does not die at once on falling into the flame. This is a stage of conflagration in which the moth sees the burning sparks of its own existence within the flame. It is not fully in union yet. It is an intermediate stage.
Then comes the third stage of union in which the moth burns completely and is nowhere to be seen. The “I” of the moth is completely annihilated. It has become one with the flame. And this is the final stage.
Ye nihaal sholaye husn kaa teraa barrh ke sar ba falak huaa
Meri kaahe hasti ne mushta-al ho usse nashvo numaa diyaa
The Soaring Flame of Thy Beauty reached the depths of the sky,
My straw like existence mingled into it to heighten its Glory!
In the first stage the moth had not seen the flame but the feeling of separation had existed within it; in the second stage the moth saw the flame and felt a conscious separation from the flame. In the third stage it fell into the flame, but for a while saw itself burning in the flame. However this was a temporary stage after which there was a blissful final union.
The intermediate stage of burning gave some joy but the bliss of final annihilation was boundless. The final stage of union is to go beyond the boundaries of the limited “I” or rather the annihilation of the “I” altogether.
In a like manner, there is an initial stage in the life of man when he is not aware of God, but feels that the objects of the world cannot give him the fulfillment that he seeks. He does not even know where the fulfillment of the search within him lies. Then comes a stage when he begins to experience a separation from God. This comes about only when God reveals Himself to him. Thereafter the feeling of separation becomes so intense that man can think of nothing except God. In the third stage man loses himself so completely in God that nothing else remains. So absorbed does he become in God that there is no subject and no object left. There is but the unity of the two.
It was that last stage of union which Shri Babaji Maharaj had attained.
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say:
“Even after the annihilation of the self, do not say: ‘I am God’. Do not say: ‘This is God, that is God!’–– Just say: ‘There is God and only God!’
Those were the days when the generosity and benevolence of Shri Babaji Maharaj had reached a divine peak. Even as people thronged to him, he declared openly:
“Let all come and take what they desire, for the Ocean of Divine Grace is surging forth to give!”
His Divine Grace would flow out boundlessly, flooding the hearts and souls of people, and then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it would shut itself off, leaving people bewildered and thirsting for more. It was a beautiful phase of his life that few could understand in its totality.
The Shaking of Babaji’s Bed
Shri Babaji Maharaj would recline on his bed, chaarpaayi, for hours on end, giving of his divine nectar to the people who came to him. There were moments when he would simply sit there silently without uttering a single word, sometimes puffing at the hukka he kept by the side of his bed. His personality was radiant with the Glory of God, and few could look at the light on his face and yet retain their consciousness. Many a sceptic and unbeliever would come before him only to fall full-length on the ground before him in prostration. The Divine Power that emanated from Shri Babaji Maharaj was so great that agnosticism and disbelief had no place to exist within its orbit. People found themselves lost in a sea of divine intoxication and bliss, which came from Shri Babaji Maharaj and penetrated deep within their souls. For as long as they were before him they had no consciousness of their own beings and were conscious only of God. And when they left, it was as if they were taking God with them in their hearts, in the form of peace and happiness.
There came a time when the bed of Shri Babaji Maharaj began shaking with vehemence as if being shaken by an earthquake. The vibrations of the bed were like the swaying of a swing. Shri Babaji Maharaj thereafter put the question to the forces of Nature:
“Why is my bed being shaken?”
And the reply came from Nature itself: “Maharaj! The world of matter can no longer bear the weight of the spiritual world which you represent. It is trembling before the latter. Maharaj! It will be better if you contain the weight yourself. Let the spiritual world bear its own weight rather than depend upon the world of matter, or else change the world of matter to a spiritual world!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “All right, so be it!”
And soon, thereafter, Shri Babaji’s bed stopped shaking.
As Shri Nathji later put it: “Either the significance of this incident was as noted above, or else it meant that the world of matter was simply swaying with ecstasy at the presence of Shri Babaji Maharaj on it, rocking his bed with a gentle rhythm as if it were a swing.
Shri Babaji gives up food
As time progressed there came a phase in the life of Shri Babaji Maharaj when he gave up eating food. For three months he did not take a morsel of food and subsisted only on little sips of milk. On the physical plane, he exerted himself for almost 20 hours a day, speaking continuously to the multitudes that thronged to him, giving them such peace and beatitude as they had never experienced before in their lives, bringing back to life hearts that were dead, and filling with sunshine faces that had withered away with sorrow. Shri Babaji Maharaj had become oblivious of his body in the divine intoxication that possessed his very being. It was a great miracle that he survived for so long without any food.
A doctor came to see Shri Babaji Maharaj and was very concerned. He said to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “Maharaj! You are eating nothing at all and exerting yourself beyond all limits! Don’t you ever get tired?”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “Does a flute ever get tired?”
The doctor replied: “But surely he who plays the flute must get tired!”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj said:” He died within me a long time ago!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj continued:
“I never get tired. Do you ever get tired while breathing? No. You breathe day and night continuously, but you never feel tired. This is because the breathing is being done by you unconsciously. But try and breathe with a conscious effort – and see how soon you get tired of breathing! You open and shut your eyes the whole day long but your eyes never get tired of this unconscious blinking. But make a conscious effort to open and shut them repeatedly and you will get tired soon enough! When you make a conscious effort at doing anything at all, your actions stem from your ego or your ‘I’ and consequently they fill you with fatigue. When you carry out your works in life after associating these works with your ‘I’ or your will, you find yourself getting tired soon enough in this effort. In my case, there is no ego or ‘I’ that does my works. My ego or ‘I’ which gets tired, died within me a long time ago, and He who works within me is One who never gets tired!”
The doctor was surprised at this incontrovertible argument. How could he say the situation was impossible when he was witnessing it himself! There was no need for Shri Babaji to reveal that which was already being made manifest openly.
The Parable of the Two Artists
As Shri Nathji was growing up, he was beginning to ask more and more questions regarding spiritual truths from Shri Babaji Maharaj. One day Shri Nathji asked a question which had never even been thought of by anyone before. Shri Babaji Maharaj listened to the question and then replied to it within seconds, giving a reply that was so perfect that it astonished the young Shri Nathji.
Shri Nathji asked him: “Huzoor! How did you know the answer to a question that has never been asked before!”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “Beta! Son! At this time I have the entire knowledge of the Universe within me. From the smallest of ants, to the Creator Brahma, all stand revealed before me. This knowledge is appearing before me all by itself, unasked, and I can answer any question that anyone may put to me!”
Thereafter Shri Babaji Maharaj narrated the parable of the two artists and the king.
Two artists, who lived in the kingdom of a king, went to the king to tell him of their skills. The king, who was a lover of art, asked them to give a demonstration of their painting ability. He asked them what they would require to give this demonstration. The artists said that all they required were two walls on which they could paint, instead of canvasses. The king placed them in a large hall with two facing walls. Each artist selected a wall, and a curtain was placed between the two, so that they would not see each other’s work while it was in progress. The king declared that he would give a prize to the artist whose work he liked the most.
One of the artists made a beautiful picture on his wall, painting with a splendid array of colours. The other artist merely rubbed his wall and polished it for the length of time that he was there.
When, finally, the king arrived, he looked at the painting of the first artist. He was so deeply moved by it, that he declared at once: “Beautiful! Enough! This is enough! I have made up my mind! Nothing can be more enchanting than this painting. I wish to give the prize to the artist who did this painting on the wall! There is no need now to look at the second artist’s work.”
Just then the second artist pulled the curtain away. The king was compelled to look at his work. Lo and Behold! There existed a painting which was exactly like that made by the first artist but which appeared to be in three dimensions and extended deep inside the wall! It was therefore several times as beautiful as the first one. The king was so won over by the painting that he gave the prize to the second artist!
The entire painting of the first artist had been reflected in the mirror-like surface of the wall of the second artist. The latter had polished it with such great perfection that it had become like a mirror.
Shri Babaji concluded the parable with the words: “The entire knowledge of the world is like the painting of the first artist. My heart is like the polished wall of the second artist - like a mirror. I have cleaned my heart to such an extent that it reflects the entire knowledge of the world within it!”
Shri Nathji would elucidate on this further in later days, and say:
“Wherever God exists, His knowledge must also exist. Thus, when God is within someone’s heart, the entire knowledge of the world surges within the man’s heart. As it has been stated in the Vedas, the heart of man contains within itself – like the four spokes of a wheel – the four Vedas, Rig Veda, Saama Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda. However this divine knowledge is only made manifest to a man when purity of heart is attained and man has united with God.”
As God Incarnate Himself, Shri Nathji would often say:
Baandhe hue haathon ba ummeede ijaazat
Hain khare sainkaron mazmoon mere aage
Their hands folded in obedience, awaiting directions,
Stand a multitude of subjects before me.
The Girl with the Fan
There was the time when Shri Babaji Maharaj was walking through a narrow crowded street along with some of his devotees in Lahore. The street had tall houses on both sides. As Shri Babaji Maharaj proceeded down the street he heard someone call out to him. It was a girl on the fourth floor of a building.
The girl said: “Maharaj! Please wait awhile! Let me catch a glimpse of thee! Let me take thy darshan! Apne darshan dete jaayiye!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj stopped. The girl had a fan in her hand and she began to fan Shri Babaji Maharaj with it from the fourth floor.
Shri Babaji Maharaj was greatly pleased with the girl’s devotion.
Suddenly the girl realized what she had been doing. The fanning from the fourth floor could scarcely have reached Shri Babaji Maharaj. The girl said in distress:
“O Maharaj! Please forgive me! I am such an indolent, absent minded and stupid person! I am fanning you from the height of the fourth floor of this building without realizing that the air from the fan is not reaching you! Please don’t go away! Let me come down and fan you from where you are!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj blessed her and said: “Beti! My Daughter! Stay where you are and continue to fan me from there. There are many down here who can fan me—but there shall never be one like you who will fan me from such a great height!”
In later days Shri Babaji would ever recall the devotion of the girl who had fanned him from the fourth floor of the building, and say:
“The coolness from the girl’s fan is reaching me even now. To perform an act while lost in love is indeed to please God, no matter how odd the act may appear to be. When Lord Krishna visited Vidur at his home, his wife, Viduraani, was so moved by the presence of Lord Krishna, that she forgot herself, and, instead of giving the bananas to Lord Krishna, she gave him the banana skins – which Lord Krishna ate with relish, because of the love that accompanied them. The bananas that Vidur gave him later were mere bananas and nothing else, but the banana skins that Viduraani gave were offerings of love.”
Shri Babaji moves to the Shiva Temple
Those were the days when Shri Babaji Maharaj decided to leave the large house in which he was staying and to shift to a Shiva Temple which had a large open space beside it. When people found out that Shri Babaji Maharaj had shifted to the temple they thronged to him in large numbers to seek his darshan and blessings there. The multitudes that came consisted of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and generally people of all faiths and sects. So great was the intensity of their love and devotion for Shri Babaji Maharaj that they rushed inside the temple for his darshan and forgot to remove their shoes at the entrance.
When the Pujaari - priest- of the temple, saw this, he was irked beyond measure and he came to Shri Babaji Maharaj and spoke in a tone that was altogether intemperate, saying:
“Listen Maharaj! You are not permitted to bring your chaarpaayi here and to lie down on it here in the temple, and neither are these people permitted to come inside with their shoes on! This is a place of worship!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj replied: “You refer to my presence here on the chaarpaayi. But let me tell you that, while you can see the chaarpaayi, I do not even exist on it! As for these people they should be excused for their transgression. They are not even conscious of their bodies, let alone be conscious of the shoes they are wearing!”
The Pujaari was not convinced and went away muttering words of discontent, asking Shri Babaji Maharaj to leave at the earliest.
The next morning, when Shri Babaji Maharaj was preparing to leave, he saw the Pujaari come running towards him and fall at his feet crying:
“Maharaj! Please forgive me for my impertinence of last night! I did not know who you were! Last night Lord Shiva appeared before me in a dream and was very angry with me. He said to me: “You do not know who Shri Babaji Maharaj is! He has annihilated his self and become one with me! Go therefore and purchase a new chaarpaayi for him and lay it out with your own hands!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj merely smiled at the Pujaari’s narration, but the Pujaari rushed out to the bazaar to procure a new chaarpaayi for Shri Babaji Maharaj, which he brought and placed before him. By that time he had completely forgotten that a chaarpaayi was not allowed within the temple!
Even as a flame attracts people to itself without a voice, and light shows the way without letting people know from where it came and how it came, in a like manner, Shri Babaji Maharaj had become like a flowing river filled with the nectar of life which was reviving, resuscitating and giving new life to people all the time.
No matter who came before Shri Babaji Maharaj, he benefited from his nearness, even if he could not understand him. Sometimes people were not even made aware of the fact that the benefit that they had derived had come from him. Shri Babaji Maharaj went on doing his work regardless of whether people understood him or not. This was like the Law of Gravitation which was doing its work continuously and silently even before Newton discovered it.
Whoever came before Shri Babaji Maharaj felt the taste of self-forgetfulness. His words carried such power that even the greatest of intellectuals, philosophers and theologians found themselves bowing before him. He would speak for hours on end without food and yet remain alive and well. It appeared that the laws of Nature simply did not have a chance to operate on his body. He was not a slave to eating, drinking, sleeping, or waking up, all of which he could hold in abeyance as he liked. It appeared as if all of Nature was working in concert with the designs of Shri Babaji Maharaj. As he would say in Persian:
Az maahtaab maahi haakim toyi o shaahi
Thou art the Lord of all, the moon as well as the creatures below
Shri Babaji and the British
At first Shri Babaji Maharaj had been very pleased with the Britishers for their punctuality and courage and forthrightness of character, but later, after the massacre at Jalianwala Bagh in 1919, and the atrocities that the British were committing, he became very angry with these rulers of India.
“Unfit, unfit! Totally unfit! Get out of my India! Nikal jaao mere Hindustan se!” he said to the British who were in power in the country. Soon, thereafter, the foundation of the British Government in India began to shake.
A police officer visited Shri Babaji Maharaj and said to him: “Aap mardam aazaari karte hain! It is learnt that you are you are hurting the sentiments of people! You will have to come with us!”
“Why should I go with you? “said Shri Babaji Maharaj, “Police ke paas to chaahi yaa gunaahi jaayaa karte hain! Only those who want something, or those who have done something wrong, go to the police. I want nothing from you, and I have done no wrong, therefore the question of my going with you does not arise! There is no law under which you can arrest me!”
The police officer said to him: “We have a Section 155 under which we can arrest people on suspicion, if they are found to be inciting the public.”
And Shri Babaji replied: “I have a Section 156 with which the entire face of Lahore can be changed. Mere pass ek dafaa ek sau chhappan hai jis se saare Lahore kaa takhtaa palat saktaa hai.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj narrated to him the story of a Faqueer who was harassed by the Moghul police during the days of the Moghul Rule in India. He slept on a chataayi, a coir matting. When the police asked him to get up and leave the city, the Faqueer got up and lifted his chataayi with a flourish, and flinging it outwards, said:
“Tthoon thhaan thheen—Tamaam Mughliyaa khaandaan barkhaast! The entire Mughal dynasty stands discharged today!” And very shortly the Moghul dynasty came to an end in India. If worldly men could boast of their power and status, the holy men could lay claim to a special power and status of their own, and were the representatives of a divine kingdom, to which all worldly kingdoms were subservient. The kings and emperors of the world were like chess pieces before them, and could be crowned or discharged at their asking.
The police officer was amazed at the courage of Shri Babaji Maharaj. As he listened to the words of Shri Babaji Maharaj and saw the divine glow on his face, he realized soon enough that he was in the presence of a great spiritual personality. His heart and mind were touched, and he saluted Shri Babaji Maharaj and left.
Shri Babaji Maharaj goes to Amritsar
After giving freely of his light to the people of Lahore Shri Babaji Maharaj left the city and went to Amritsar. It was Amrit – the nectar of life – returning to Amrit. It was like the sun rising in the East and passing over several lands to rise again from the East, or like the first point of a circle completing the circumference and returning to the place from where it had started. The light of Shri Babaji Maharaj continued to illuminate the hearts of people, working in a revealed way at times and in a concealed way at others.
The world of matter, which had emerged from an invisible source, merged once again into that source, but for the body of Shri Babaji Maharaj, which was left to do its work in the world, but within which there was nothing but the Invisible left:
Na rahe dhyaan kucch taayyun kaa
Laa-taayyun bhee ik taayyun hai
Let not even the thought of the Unlimited remain,
For even this is a limitation!
Divine personalities like Shri Babaji Maharaj could only be understood by the world when they acted like ordinary people, but the moment they took on a face that was out of the ordinary, the world failed to understand them. Shri Babaji Maharaj had entered into a spiritual realm where his actions were no longer like those of worldly men. For as long as he had remained within the limitations of the world, people could understand him, but when he set foot in his own world, people were left bewildered.
Arjuna could only understand Lord Krishna when Lord Krishna was like an ordinary human being like the rest – when he was a relative, a friend or a guru. But Arjuna failed to understand Him when he showed His Viraat Roop – Universal Form – to him.
When the world fails to understand such divine personalities, it calls them magicians, mahatmas, or prophets. But such personalities do not need certificates of recognition from the world; neither can there be any teacher who can put them to the test. They have been taught by a Teacher who transcends all teachers of the world.
This was Shri Babaji Maharaj’s word of caution to those who set foot on the spiritual path:
“Do not desire the praise of the world. Would you wish to be praised by the blind? Would you place on yourself the worth which the world sets on you? Are you one with eyes, or are you blind yourself? The praise of even one man with eyes carries greater weight than the praise of a thousand without eyes, whose description has no meaning.
“Why must you seek a certificate of recognition from the people of the world in order to establish your spiritual worth? Is your heart not witness enough?
“If you have lakh - a hundred thousand- rupees with you and someone announces to the world that you have ten lakhs–will that increase the amount you have? And if someone says you have gone bankrupt and have not a single penny – will that cause you any loss? Finally, even if someone says you have exactly one lakh rupees, how can it affect you?
“You must, therefore, always look at yourselves with your own spiritual eyes. You must so merge yourselves in the bliss of your spiritual state that the praise or jibes of the world have no effect on you. This is the only way to secure your spiritual status. Any person who tries to walk on the spiritual path using the eyes of others has lost the right to walk on that path.
“How blessed are those spiritual souls who walk on the path of righteousness but are reviled by the world for no faults of theirs. The thorns they walk through shall make their flowers more secure; their spiritual state shall not be touched by the criticism of the world.
“One of the greatest enemies of a man on the spiritual path is the praise given to him by the world. It is this which makes him fall when he is weak. On the other hand the disparagement of the world serves to save him.
“Spiritual men prefer criticism and disparagement to praise and honour. If this comes naturally on the path, they welcome it, and there are even times when they deliberately create situations in which criticism and opposition mount against them. They thrive in such an atmosphere.
“If a person is called good by the people of the world will he, in reality, be good? If a person is called a great intellectual by a child studying in the first grade, will that make such a man an intellectual?
Nek baashi va badat goyand khalk
Beh ke bad baashi va mi goyand nek
If thou art good, but the world calls thee bad,
It is better than thou being bad, and the world calling thee good!”
“A moth must burn in the flame; it does not care whether the people think of it as good or as bad.”
If the knowledge of a person in the second class is identical to the knowledge of a person in the first class, then there is, in fact, no difference between the two. For a difference to exist, the knowledge of the person in the second class must be higher than that of the person in the first class. The personalities who exist on the spiritual plane can never be understood by those who exist on the worldly plane. It is for this reason that the world looks upon them with curiosity and thinks of them as unnatural and extraordinary and even bizarre and eccentric, referring to them at times as magicians or prophets.
It is written in the Upanishads that the world shall look upon one who is perfect as imperfect, and shall look upon the imperfect as perfect. This is so because the world itself is imperfect and cannot understand the perfect. In order to under a person with an M.A. one has to be an M.A. oneself. Jesus alone could understand Christ. Only you can understand yourself. Only God can understand God.
Tujhe jaane jo hove naheen bande men ye taakat
Ke laa-maihdood men maihdood hi kyonkar rasaayi ho
To know Thee is beyond the power of man,
The Unlimited cannot be understood by the limited
When Hazrat Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, was asked: “Have you seen Rabb – God?”
He said: “Yes, I have!”
When he was asked again: “How did you see Rabb?”
He replied: “I saw Rabb through Rabb! Main ne Rabb ko Rabb se dekhaa!”
Only a friend can understand a friend. It is surprising how the people of the world, who are bound by limitations, can find fault with those who are beyond limitations. If people cannot say anything good about them, it would be appropriate if they did not say anything bad about them either. It does not harm these great souls to be reviled or condemned, but it is of great harm to those who behave in such a way against them.
It is written in the Sukhmani Sahib that those who revile holy personalities receive severe retribution at the hands of God. However it is also written there that if these persons sincerely and genuinely repent for their sins and beg forgiveness from the holy personalities they have wronged, they shall be forgiven at once. In reality such holy men are never angry with anyone. Those who receive retribution at the hands of Nature are in fact punished by their own actions.
The persons who cannot understand these spiritual personalities are like the frogs in a well who cannot understand the ocean. They see the limited water of the well around them and cannot think of anything greater, nor even vaguely understand the vastness of the ocean. But, one day, the rain falls and brings the water of the well to its brim, where it overflows. The frogs come up with the water and see the ocean around them and are astonished at its vastness, which they had not been able to understand when they were inside the well.
The vastness of the spiritual world cannot be understood by those who live in the world of materialism. The sky appears to be blue from a distance but is actually colourless when close; the waters of a river appear to be coloured when seen from a distance but become transparent when close. In a like manner, the lives of these Great Souls appear to be strange when seen through the eyes of worldly men, but appear to be completely different when seen from the eyes of those who live with them and serve them.
When Shri Babaji Maharaj turned his radiant gaze at the city of Amritsar, his inner light appeared to spread everywhere, lighting up the hearts of innumerable persons who had been stumbling in the darkness. People were drawn to Shri Babaji Maharaj spontaneously as if brought there by an unseen power. And all who came to him found their desires in life being fulfilled. They were made rich, materially as well as spiritually. No matter what a person desired, he obtained it at once from Shri Babaji Maharaj. The peoples’ faith in Shri Babaji Maharaj began to soar.
Shri Babaji’s fame began travelling far and wide, and multitudes thronged to him. People even began coming for his darshan from places as far off as Kabul and Nepal.
Shri Babaji Maharaj stayed at first with Lala Gokul Chand Kapoor, Cloth Merchant, in the bazaar. Later he stayed at a house at Ramtalaayi, and then shifted to Namak Mandi, from where he went to live with Lala Kaahan Chand Sahib Maheshwari who lived near the Jaure Peepal area.
Lala Kaahan Chand was in great worldly difficulties at the time, and it was only the sustaining spiritual power of Shri Babaji Maharaj that kept him at peace while these difficulties lasted, and then took him out of this difficult phase of life with ease. The flame of faith was kindled in the heart of Kaahan Chand. While the troubles had lasted it was as if he had been walking in the hot sun but Shri Babaji Maharaj had placed a protecting umbrella over his head.
And it was thus that Shri Babaji Maharaj continued to shower his nectar of life – his Amrit – on the residents of the blessed and holy city of Amritsar, and decided to stay on there for a longer period, the longest he had he stayed in any one place since many years. The devotion of the people there was so strong that it would not let him go and he remained a prisoner of their love. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, all came to him in large numbers and each found in him his own. It was as if he were their nearest and dearest loved one.

Shri Nathji’s Prayer to Shri Babaji
Shri Nathji was growing into a young man. However, all this time he chose to remain in the background so that the glory of Shri Babaji Maharaj could spread in its full effulgence. It was not yet time for him to disclose his real divinity in the divine drama which had been ordained.
In order to give all possible reverence to Shri Babaji Maharaj, Shri Nathji would repeatedly ask Shri Babaji to give him the experience of God Realisation! This was very amusing for Shri Babaji Maharaj, because he knew Shri Nathji was the Supreme Being Himself. However, he allowed Shri Nathji to play the part that he wished to play – that of the obedient, self-effacing son and devotee of Shri Babaji Maharaj. Shri Nathji would always say that Shri Babaji Maharaj was his Spiritual Guru as well as his Father. No son in the world ever respected and adored his father as much as Shri Nathji did.
There was a time, when, filled with an apparent intensity for God Realisation, Shri Nathji wrote this short poem in Urdu and handed it to Shri Babaji Maharaj in which he expressed his littleness before Shri Babaji and begged for enlightenment from him. It was a part that only Shri Nathji - the perfect son- could have played. Though being Almighty God himself he had humbled himself to such an extent before Shri Babaji Maharaj so as to be non-existent. The poem written by him as a boy was:
Saaf ab ashk se aankhon ko Maseehaa kar de
Raunake bazme muhabbat ko dobaalaa kar de
Wipe away these tears from my eyes, O Messiah,
Fill thou the gathering of thy lovers with Thy Love
Dhoondataa hoon jise main goshaye veeraane men
Mujhko uss soorate zebaa kaa shanaasaa kar de
He whom I seek in the silence of the wilderness
Reveal thou to me the Glory of His Face
Deedaye dil men zaraa apna ujaalaa kar de
Zulmate jehal se phir meraa kinaaraa kar de
Fill the eyes of my heart with the Light of Thy Glory
Set me free from the bondage of ignorance
Kore chasmi ne mujhe muztiro hairaan kiyaa
Khaake darbaar se Nath ko beenaa kar de
These unseeing eyes have caused me anguish enough,
From the dust of Thy feet give thou to Nath a sight that sees.
Shri Nathji also wrote a prayer on a slip of paper which he handed to Shri Babaji Maharaj which carried the same theme as the poem above. Every morning Shri Babaji Maharaj would read the little slip of paper on which Shri Nathji had written the Urdu Verses even as Shri Nathji came before him. It was in fact a prayer on behalf of the entire world:
Dil gariftaare balaaye daame gesoo kab talak
Aur maihroome sadaaye khandaye roo kab talak
For how long will the heart remain entrapped in the locks of sorrow
And for how long will it remain bereft of the blissful voice of the soul
Dil men ye shoro fugaan hai kis liye paidaa kiyaa
Aur mizgaan se girenge gham ke aansoo kab talak
Why hast thou filled the heart with the cries of pain,
And for how long will the tears stream from the eyelashes
Chashme baatin men nihaan ho baadaye vaidat magar
Saakiyaa khaali rakhegaa jaame dil too kab talak
Within the eyes of the heart lies hidden the wine of Truth,
But, O Saaki, for how long willst thou keep the cup of the heart empty
Nath ko qaide tavaaham se ai Shaah aazaad kar
Yoon rahe maihroome naaze naghmaye hoo kab talak
O Shah! Release thou Nath from the prison of ignorance,
For how long will the voice be bereft of the songs of joy?
In these Urdu Verses Shri Nathji was in fact pleading for all the genuine seekers of the world, for whom the separation from God had become unbearable. This was the voice of a genuine devotee who had understood the greatness of God and who wished to see Him within Himself.
Shri Nathji and God Consciousness
Shri Nathji used to narrate a state of God Consciousness which he experienced during those early days with Shri Babaji Maharaj. The experience, as narrated in his own words, has been taken from his book “Zahoore Haqueeqat” i.e. “The Manifestation of Reality”, which he wrote many years later in 1932. Shri Nathji was God Incarnate and therefore did not have any need for such an experience. However those were the days when he had hidden himself completely and allowed all Glory to go to Shri Babaji Maharaj alone. The experience was written by him to serve as a guiding light to all genuine seekers after truth. In Shri Nathji’s words (as translated from the original Urdu):
Many years ago I found within myself a glowing flame of Divine Love which remained kindled even in the midst of the attractions of the world, and which was so filled with Divine Beauty that the entire Universe appeared to derive its attraction from a little spark of it. The desire grew within me that such a Divine Source of Beauty had to be seen.
People say that He is everywhere, but when we look at the world around us we find only the material objects of the world, He is nowhere to be found. What a strange phenomenon is this:
Behijaabi ye ke har zarre men jalva aashkaar
Aur pardaa ye ke soorat aaj tak dekhi naheen
He is so unveiled that every atom reveals His Light,
And yet He is so veiled that no one has ever seen His face!
Look around yourselves! Everywhere there is the world and the thoughts associated with it. There is the sky, the earth, the stars, the sun and the moon etc. And everything appears to assert its own existence and to say, “I exist” while saying, “He is nowhere”.
But the question will arise: if their assertion of their own existence is correct, then from where has such an existence come about?
Hence we are inevitably led to accept the fact that there is some Hidden Source of Beauty, from where all the beautiful objects of the world have come, and for which the heart of man is ever restless.
He has hidden Himself, for He knew that if the world saw Him it would lose itself in an intoxication of Divine Bliss.
Guftam Shaaha dar pardaahaa khudraa chiraa daari nihaan
Guftaa ki gar beroon shavam seesad to choon Majnoon kunam
I asked: ‘O King! Why hast Thou hidden Thyself behind a veil?’
And He said: ‘If I came out, all would become insane lovers like Majnoon!’
He, for whom the heart is restless, must exist. We must, therefore, make an effort to see Him. The agony of this feeling rent my heart and I ran to the feet of Shri Babaji Maharaj and began to weep.
I said to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “O Divine Father! Extinguish this fire within me which threatens to burn my very existence! Give me but a glimpse of God – Rama. The entire world comes to Thee with difficult questions which thou canst solve, willst thou not solve my difficulty?
I was filled with such an intense feeling of separation from God that I had become the very picture of restlessness. Sometimes I would even say: “O Lord! If you do not exist, then come and tell me that Thou art not!” Then again I would laugh at my own words and say: “If He comes Himself to tell me that he does not exist, would not His very coming prove to me that He exists!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj was very pleased with my query, but said: “Why are you interested in getting a glimpse of God? This is the time of your boyhood, go and enjoy yourself!”
However I persisted: “Huzoor, Divine Master! Please do not turn me away from my quest! Please extinguish this fire within me!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “All right, then! I shall give you some instructions. Follow them and you will get to see God for yourself!”
However I was mush too restless to follow any spiritual discipline at the time and cried: “O Babaji! Please do not prolong my agony anymore! Have mercy on me! “
I also said to him: “Huzoor! Thou art my Father. Thou did not leave the wealth of the world for me, and willst thou keep me bereft of this spiritual wealth as well?”
Shri Babaji Maharaj was greatly moved by these words and said: “All right then. Go and sit inside your room and you shall get what you want!”
I obeyed his order and went and sat inside my room all alone. I waited with great expectancy for God to reveal Himself to me, and wondered what kind of a face He would assume.
But instead of any Face appearing before me, the world around me began to vanish, and I found myself in a state which was impossible to describe in words. I do know, however, that what appeared before me, instead, was a world of indescribable bliss, a world where there was no diversity and where sorrows did not exist even in name. I was lifted up to an unimaginable height, and then dropped, all of sudden.
How and why did this happen? I cannot explain it, but I do know that as soon as the state had gone I said:
Kadhe balabam bood va shikasti Rabbi
The cup neared my mouth, but Thou broke it, O Lord!
It was with a feeling of separation within me that I went to Shri Babaji Maharaj and said to him: “Maharaj! Why did you take away the treasure from me just when it appeared within my reach?”
And he said to me: “Beta-son! Leave Him to His mysteries! What need have you to pursue them!”
Shri Nathji had entered into this spiritual exercise only so that he may explain to people what the experience of God realization was. In this state, the outside world of matter did not vanish; rather it took on a form that was inexpressibly beautiful and filled with bliss that was not of this world, in which all the cares and the worries of the world ceased to exist. The world of matter converted itself into a spiritual world.
In the Hindu Vedas it had been written that God was Sat-Chit-Anand, meaning thereby that He was Sat – Knowledge, He was Chit – Consciousness, and He was Anand – Bliss. Man experienced Sat and Chit i.e. Knowledge and Consciousness in the world around him, but did not experience Anand – a never-ending bliss.
This bliss, according to Shri Nathji, could only be experienced in God. In a state of God Realisation, the attributes of the world remained as before i.e. Sat and Chit remained as before, but Anand, a unique Bliss, was added to them, which showed to man that the real state of the world around him was that of Absolute Happiness when God revealed Himself to man. Real Anand lay only in God. Having found Him, the world became beautiful and ceased to have a face of apparent sorrow and suffering. God did not appear before man as a separate Being, rather, the world around him converted itself to a face of God. If only man could understand the significance of this, he would learn to seek God within the world rather than outside of it. If man were to see God in every phase of the world, he would learn to love the world, and all who dwelt in it.
Shri Nathji sees the Divine Form of Shri Babaji
One day Shri Nathji saw the Divine Form of Shri Babaji Maharaj. The narration is recorded in his own words in his book, Zahoore Haqueeqat, written in first person by Shri Nathji:
“One day when I was sitting before Shri Babaji Maharaj, I found that His existence appeared to span all of infinity. It was full of Divine Light, Divine Power and an Agelessness. I was frightened. Fear gripped me to such an extent that I almost fainted. I realized, then, how great a Being He was and how infinitely small I was in comparison to him. I also thought of my numerous shortcomings and impertinences. If this divine vision had persisted for even a few seconds longer I would have lost consciousness. But Shri Babaji Maharaj soon closed my eyes to that vision and appeared again in his usual self. The conclusion that I drew from this revelation was that it was impossible to see him in the fullness of his divinity. Even though people frequently asked him to reveal himself yet they did not know that the sight of that revelation would be too much for them. Even when he is veiled, the sight of him is too dazzling to look upon.
Baa to yak dam nami taraanam zeest
Beto-am nest ham shakebaayi
I cannot exist beside Thee for even a moment
And without Thee I cannot have a moment’s peace
When the thought of Him enters the heart, the entire Universe is forgotten; but when we forget Him, our ego fills us with unrest.
Ab kyon Moosaa hain gash men khaamosh
Paihle naa sambhal ke guftagoo kee
Why is Moses silent now in unconsciousness?
Why did he not converse with Him with care!
The verse bears reference to the Prophet Moses who was bold enough to speak to God, but collapsed in a faint when the Light of the Lord appeared before him.
The Seat of Shri Babaji Maharaj
A few days back I had asked Shri Babaji Maharaj: “Maharaj, why did you bring me into the world?”
And he had replied: “Beta-son! I have to make you sit upon the seat upon which I am sitting just now.”
Har kase raa baihare kaare saakhtan
Maile oo dar khaatarash andaakhtan
Every man has been born for some purpose in the world,
And the same inclination has been put into him
And I said to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “No, Maharaj! I shall never sit on it! How can one disposed to the frivolities of youth dare to sit upon a seat where there is only peace?”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “Beta - son! I did not seek your consent when I brought you into this world; there is no reason why I should seek your consent when I want to make you sit upon this chair!”
Shri Nathji’s return from Simla
In Shri Nathji’s own words:
There came a time when I went for a short while to Simla. When I returned, Shri Babaji Maharaj took me by the hand and led me to his own seat and asked me to sit upon it. I demurred. I had far too great a respect for Shri Babaji to sit upon his chair.
I said to Shri Babaji: “Prabhu! O Lord! How can I put my feet in that place where I always put my head!”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “He, before whom you used to bow your head, now sits within you! There can be no hesitation on your part in placing Him in the seat where He belongs!”
I had no alternative but to obey Shri Babaji Maharaj. And so I sat down upon the chair indicated. The moment I had rested my back against the chair this verse rang in my heart:
Madhosh ba yak saagar ai peere mugaan kar dee
Tan burdi o jaan burdi betaabo tavaan kar dee
With a single cup Thou didst fill me with self-forgetfulness, O Master,
My body, my life and my strength were all taken away by Thee.
I began to cry and said to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “Bhagwan! Take back this seat from me. I do not feel myself worthy enough to sit upon it as yet!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “I have not given you a seat with a mere cushion. I have given you a seat with permanent sovereignty.”
I bowed my head in silence.
Tere vaade par jeeye ham to ye jaan jhoot jaanaa
Ke khushi se mar na jaate agar aitbaar hotaa
I lived on Thy promises knowing them to be false,
For would I not have died with joy had I known them to be true!
Shri Babaji’s Edicts to Shri Nathji
During the days when Shri Nathji and Shri Babaji Maharaj were undergoing intense austerities, Shri Babaji Maharaj had said to Shri Nathji:
“Do not despair. The difficulties in which I have placed you shall have a result that will be golden!”
“Son, I am your father, I will not mislead you. Therefore, whatever I am doing is for your betterment. Go on obeying my orders regardless of whether this life remains or not.”
There was a time when Shri Babaji Maharaj wished to leave something for his children so that they would not suffer in the days to come. And this was the wealth that he bequeathed to his children on a sheet of paper. It was in Persian:
Matalab gar tavangari khwaahi
Do not desire, if thou wouldst become rich!
Shri Babaji Maharaj had already given this wealth to Shri Nathji who was without any desires in life.
Shri Babaji Maharaj once said to Shri Nathji: “Beta! Do not read too many books. They will create various kinds of doubts in your mind which will not allow your mind a moment’s rest. As far as possible, go on cleaning the slate of your heart. All the subjects shall appear within thee, all by themselves.
To kitaabi dar to mastoorast ilmo har che hast
Cheest aan ko dar kitaabe lauhe to mastoor nest
Thou art a book in which all of knowledge is contained,
There is no subject not written in the book of thy heart!

Shri Nathji at Taran Taaran
Although Shri Nathji had remained in the background and concealed His real self from most during the early days of his youth with Shri Babaji Maharaj, yet his divine light was not such as to be hidden from people. The very divine glow on his face and the unique beauty which accompanied it were enough to attract humanity to him. Something within the hearts of people told them that Shri Nathji was their nearest and dearest loved one. In his personality they experienced God. Never before had the world seen a person as beautiful as he nor experienced such a force of love as emanated from Shri Nathji.
On one occasion when Shri Nathji took the permission of Shri Babaji Maharaj and went from Amritsar to the holy city of Taran Taaran, the effect of his personality on the people there was beyond description. He was only sixteen years old at the time. The unspoken, unseen, voices of the Sikh Gurus appeared to welcome him to the city. Shopkeep¬ers, merchants, the young and the old, men, women, and children stepped out of their homes to catch a glimpse of this Divine Being. When he spoke, multitudes flocked to him. People were captured in a sea of bliss. They followed him wherever he went; they would not leave him. They wept as if possessed by a strange wave of love divine. When Shri Nathji left Taran Taaran a sea of humanity followed him to the outskirts of the city. Everyone was in tears as if they were parting from their nearest and dearest loved one.
Shri Nathji had this effect on people during those early days of his youth. He would forget himself in an ecstasy of Divine Love, and the people would forget themselves. A spiritu¬al intoxication would take possession of all. Bliss would rain down on Earth. Many would ignore their worldly chores in this bliss of self-forgetfulness and later complain to Shri Nathji of worldly loss. But when the bliss was taken away from them, when the light divine was turned off by Shri Nathji, they would thirst for it again, and beg Shri Nathji to restore it to them. Whenever Shri Nathji left any town, the entire folk of the area followed him in a last farewell to the outskirts. Railway stations would be full of people, weeping. Such touching scenes had seldom been witnessed before.
What strange power gripped the hearts of people so that
they found separation from Shri Nathji unbearable? It was as if Shri Nathji was their nearest and dearest relative. This, he was, since God who was within him, and He was the nearest and dearest relative of each and every soul that exists in the Universe.

The qualities of God: Sat Chit Anand found expression in the personality of Shri Nathji. He was the personification of: Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram. He was Truth, He was the Universal Soul, and He was beautiful as no mortal ever was.

Shri Nathji and the Amritsar Maulvis
Shri Nathji was about sixteen years old. He had been living with Shri Babaji Maharaj at Amritsar, rarely manifesting his divinity. But, even then, many persons had begun to see the Divine Light in him, and he was loved and respected by people of all religious faiths. People were astonished that so much of divinity could exist in one so young an age. Whenever he spoke, his words carried such an indefinable power and love that they went directly to the hearts of his listeners and converted them.
While Shri Nathji was in Amritsar, a group of Maulvis sent a challenge to him asking for a debate. His fame had travelled far and wide. Shri Nathji was greatly admired and loved by the Muslims and this had led the Maulvis to try and decipher the cause of this admiration and love. What did Shri Nathji possess which could grip the hearts of people of all religious faiths? Shri Nathji had spoken to the Muslims on the Holy Koran and re-enforced the precepts laid down in the Holy Book. More than that, the Muslims had been drawn towards him because of his personal charm and the magnetic attraction of his divine personality. The Sufis, in particular, considered Shri Nathji to be a great Sufi. To the Muslims he was a Muslim, to the Hindus a Hindu, to the Christians a Christian, and to the Sikhs a Sikh. To each he was his own.
Shri Nathji never did anything without the permission of his father, Shri Babaji Maharaj. He asked him whether he should go and converse with these intellectuals. Shri Babaji gave him permission.
Shri Nathji wrote a letter to the Maulvis: "Honoured Sirs! You are all very great and very learned, and, furthermore, you are all greatly advanced in years, while I am still a youth. How can a debate between us be befitting? If you will forgive me, it appears to me that this challenge of yours carries with it notions of victory and defeat. If this is the motivation, then let me tell you very clearly that I have never desired to score a victory over anyone, and that I am not ashamed to lose. Although you are very learned, still there is a possibility, howsoever small, that I might win, and that would make you unhappy. But my principle in life is to give happiness to others - my victory lies only in this. Therefore, I submit my defeat, here and now, in writing. You win and I lose. Victory is yours and contentment is mine, for I have made you happy."
In reply to this letter, the Maulvis stated very humbly that they merely wished to hear him speak.
Shri Nathji agreed to speak to the learned Maulvis. He was welcomed amongst them with great respect, and given a seat in their midst. But, despite the outer civilities, their intentions appeared clear enough, and these were to try and embarrass Shri Nathji. The divine attraction in Shri Nathji was such that it caused all to stare at him with awe even though they regarded Shri Nathji as a Hindu and considered themselves to be of a separate faith. Such boundaries did not exist for Shri Nathji.
Shri Nathji said: "Thirst forces one to think of water, hunger forces one to think of food - but what could have caused you learned intellectuals to think of me?"
The head Maulvi of the group replied: "We wish only to hear your words."
"Should I speak as I wish, or should I answer your questions first?" Shri Nathji asked.
"We would want you to answer our questions," said the Maulvi.
"Ask, therefore, whatever you wish to ask," said Shri Nathji, " if I can answer your questions I shall be happy, otherwise your questions shall become mine, and I shall attempt to seek out an answer from somewhere else."
The head Maulvi in the group said: "We want you to prove the existence of God."
Shri Nathji smiled and said: "Maulvi Sahib, I believe you have accepted Islam. Tell me, which came first, God or Islam? Did the existence of God establish Islam or did Islam establish the existence of God?"
The Maulvi was badly shaken. "No, no," he said, "God came first, Islam was established later."
And Shri Nathji said: "Your existence as a Muslim proves the existence of Islam, and Islam exists because God exists. Therefore, your very existence is proof enough of the existence of God. One need not seek to establish the existence of That One Thing which is the foundation of every religion and everything else that exists before us. It is like the fourth storey of a building asking whether the foundation exists, or like the bubble of water asking whether water exists. The world need not seek to prove the existence of That Thing which proves the existence of the world. The movements of the orderly Universe around us are proof enough of the fact that something is controlling it. The poet of this divine poetry lies concealed, but to look upon the poem is to visualise the wonderful poet hidden somewhere. The Artist is revealed in his art. The mirror of the world reflects the face of God. The existence of sorrow in this world and the search for eternal happiness prove the existence of God. These and many other examples can give us ample proof of the existence of God - if, indeed, proofs are needed."
The gathering of Maulvis was greatly pleased with Shri Nathji, and somewhat irked at the head Maulvi who had put the question.
"Oh, I certainly accept the existence of God," said the embarrassed Maulvi, "I was merely interested in listening to his learned and intellectual descriptions."
The Maulvi then put another question, "Can you tell me which religion is the best?"
Shri Nathji laughed: "The best religion must be the one you chose, or did you choose it in doubt? Go on walking on the path you have chosen. There is but one religion. There are different roads that lead to it. The goal is one, the routes different. Let one go on walking on his chosen path and do you walk on yours. The final goal is the same. All the rivers flow down to the same ocean."
After this, Shri Nathji said the time had come to discard questions and to listen to the voice of his heart and soul.
And he began speaking. His words came out in an overpowering deluge that took his listeners to another world. He spoke continuously for one and a half hours. There was peace in the atmosphere, a divine calm. When Shri Nathji stopped, the people awakened from a divine meditation.
In the ensuing silence, Shri Nathji said: "Can you tell me how much time has elapsed? Were you aware of your existence, or my own? Had you a thought for yourself or for me? Did you know which religion was yours, and which was mine? Did you know who was greater, you or me? Did you know what I was saying and what you were listening to? Were you aware of the differences in religion amongst the people assembled here? Were you aware of space and time? Were there any questions in your mind, and were you waiting for any answers? What was that state in which you and I existed? That is all that I wish to ask of you!"
The assembled group said:
"We have no answers! We can only say that we were not aware of either space or time, we were not conscious of our own identities or yours; we were not conscious of what you were saying and what we were listening to! It is a great wonder, indeed! Our watches tell us now that one and a half hours have passed, but we were not conscious of the passage of time. We were taken away into a world of intoxication.
An ocean of bliss appeared before us and had drowned our selves. There were neither questions nor answers before us. It was a heavenly bliss that absorbed us. It was an unforgettable experience which shall always bring our minds back to this day!"
Shri Nathji said: "This was the answer to your question - the best religion is that which takes one away from one's 'I' and which obliterates the differences between the various diversities that exist before us. The best religion is that which brings a feeling of oneness, of unity, and which raises man above his ego, and takes him to God; which causes the bubble-like entity of man to burst and mingle into the Ocean of Existence."
"Yes," said the learned assembly," that is what we feel. We have but only one question that we would like to ask you: when can we have the fortune of listening to your words again? You are young, but your soul is Great. You have brought a message of love, of truth, and faith, which can efface the diversity that exists in mankind, which can bring man closer to man, and which can bring all of mankind to God."
Here was the revelation of an indefinable, divine bliss that no worldly happiness could ever match. It was a bliss that could only be experienced in the presence of God.
In later years, a man came to Shri Nathji and marvelled at his prowess in winning over people of all religious faiths. He was Goswami Guru Dutt, then president of the Sanatan Dharam in India.
“How is it that you can win over such orthodox and bigoted religionists whom we cannot even touch despite numerous efforts?” he asked.
"The reason I can win them over, “said Shri Nathji, “is because I do not try to convert them. I reach out to their hearts, not their minds. I have come to give myself to them, not to take away their beliefs. I do not think of anyone as being different from myself."

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CHAPTER EIGHT

Mata Laxmi
During those days in Amritsar, an old lady by the name of Mata Laxmi came for the darshan of Shri Babaji Maharaj. She carried the name of the goddess of wealth, Laxmi. As soon as she came before Shri Babaji Maharaj, she received an inner light that filled her with unbounded devotion. Her life changed completely. Her devotion to Shri Babaji Maharaj became so great that people began to revere her and to come for her darshan. Outwardly she had no wealth and lived in penury, but Shri Babaji Maharaj always referred to her as Laxmi thereby denoting wealth.
On her first day, Shri Babaji Maharaj had asked her: “What would you want form me?”
In reply to this, Mata Laxmi responded by saying: “Let all the people in the world have homes to live in, let the singers sing the songs of joy. Let the fires in the kitchens keep burning, and let the poor come and eat to their heart’s content! That is all that I desire.”
Mata Laxmi fell in love with the young Shri Nathji as well. She would frequently pray for his health and happiness as also for all the children of the world.
One day she came to visit Shri Babaji Maharaj and sat down upon the floor, peeling potatoes. Shri Babaji was touched by her devotion and said to her on a sudden impulse:
“You can ask for anything you like at this moment and it shall be granted to you!”
Mata Laxmi said: “Babaji! Please release my children Dr. Kichlu and Dr. Satya Pal from prison!”
Those were the days when people in India were agitating for independence from British rule. Dr. Kichlu and Dr. Satya Pal were Indian leaders who had been jailed by the British Government. There was no hope of their release. A pall of gloom had come over the entire land at their imprisonment.
Shri Babaji Maharaj said almost instantly: “Mata Laxmi! Your wish shall be granted!”
The next day the jailed leaders were released by the British Government. It was a miracle. This was at a time when repression by the British Government was at its peak and hundreds were being kept in prisons for indefinite periods of time.
Shri Babaji Maharaj called Mata Laxmi and said to her: “God accepted your prayers and released both your children from jail!”
Mata Laxmi then said, “O Babaji! Will all the prisoners of the world be now released?”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “Mataji! Why did you not ask for that yesterday when you asked for the release of these two?”
Mata Laxmi was silent. She had no reply. But her heart had been made manifest by her prayer. She could not bear to see the sorrow or suffering of any person in the world. She loved every creature in creation whether it was a man, a fowl of the air, an insect, or a beast. She was rich without possessing any wealth. Whenever she was in any difficulty she would immediately say:
“This trouble has been sent by Baba! It is all His Will!”
And whenever she was passing through happy times she would say: “Baba has given me this happiness!”
She called Shri Babaji Maharaj, “Baba” out of affection. No matter what the problem that confronted her she would always come to Shri Babaji and go to no one else. She had a great love for Shri Nathji and always prayed to Shri Babaji Maharaj to give all the comforts of life to Shri Nathji.
Shri Nathji on his part had great respect for Mata Laxmi and always touched her feet.
Shri Babaji had declared one day that the Avatar would reveal Himself on a particular date and a particular time. As a consequence, a large number of persons had assembled at his house on the hour specified. Though everyone sat in great expectancy, nothing happened at the hour which had been predicted by Shri Babaji Maharaj.
All throughout this period Shri Babaji Maharaj had sat calmly in his bed, puffing away at his hukkaa. When nothing happened, the people asked him the meaning it all, and Shri Babaji Maharaj replied: “Friends, He was about to reveal Himself, but then for some reason known only to Him, He changed his mind at the last minute! No one can bind God to anything! He is Master of His Will, and can change His decisions at any time that he wants to! No man must ever try to make God subservient to any Law or Dogma!” Shri Babaji Maharaj had revealed a vital truth which had never struck the minds of people before, who were all accustomed to thinking in terms of God being bound by their dogmas and beliefs.
Shri Babaji Maharaj had placed a veil over the golden age that was to come, as predicted by him. Mata Laxmi came to Shri Babaji Maharaj and said to him: “Babaji! When will that promised golden age come when the Avatar shall manifest Himself and peace shall reign over the earth! My eyes have become weary from waiting for that time!”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj said to her: “Mata Laxmi! Do not despair! God Himself has been preparing patiently from four yugaas –ages–for that time! If you are waiting for the time with great restlessness, God, too, is anxious to manifest this most glorious of all ages!”
Chaudhary Navi Bax
Chaudhary Navi Bax was a distributor of vegetables and fruit in the market- Sabzi Mandi- and when he heard of Shri Babaji Maharaj showering his divine pearls near Jaure Peepal in Amritsar, he came for his darshan, and was at once overwhelmed by the divinity of Shri Babaji Maharaj and became his, forever.
At his first meeting with Shri Babaji Maharaj, he had come with some fruits and vegetables. Shri Babaji Maharaj asked him: “What is your name?”
“Navi Bax,” he replied.
“Why did you take the trouble of bringing these fruits?”
“Because your Divine Benevolence has made me the king of all fruit sellers in the market. I thought it was my duty to bring these for the devotees that come here for your deedaar. I am merely bringing to you that which is yours!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj had made a home in the man’s heart. No matter where he went, he could think of nothing except Shri Babaji. Even in his shop, all he talked about was the Divine Grace of Shri Babaji Maharaj. Navi Bax had become a living example of the saying: “That, which resides in the heart resides on the tongue as well”.
His faith In Shri Babaji Maharaj had become so great that he openly proclaimed before all: “Maharaj is a world of Divine Light – Maharaj noor ki duniyaa hain! It is not a simple task to understand Him!”
Navi Bax had, in the past, served his own Spiritual Master–Murshide Paak– with great diligence. Shri Babaji Maharaj often told him that it was for that reason that he had been granted this special divine grace now.
Navi Bax had a nephew, Taajjudin by name who heard about Shri Babaji Maharaj from Navi Bax and who came to meet Shri Babaji Maharaj. Taajjudin was also won over and obtained the same faith and devotion which his uncle had. He fell so deeply in love with Shri Babaji Maharaj that he could not think of leaving him, ever. All who saw the faith of these two men in Shri Babaji Maharaj were astonished beyond measure.
In later days, when Shri Babaji Maharaj had allowed a very difficult phase to come over him as part of his drama in life, a phase that was altogether heart-rending and dreadful, these two men stood by his side, loyally, ready for the greatest sacrifices. They were not affected by the negative emotions of others, because the image of Shri Babaji Maharaj was permanently enshrined in their hearts. They had become a part of Shri Babaji Maharaj, and His generosity flowed out towards them in abundance.
Indeed it would be very hard to describe the extent of devotion of the devotees of Shri Babaji Maharaj, so numerous and so varied were their experiences and their expressions of faith.
Din Muhammad Sahib
Din Muhammad Sahib was a weaver by profession. When he heard of Shri Babaji Maharaj in Amritsar he came eagerly for his darshan. The effect upon him was marvelous to behold. It was as if iron had been turned into gold with a single glance. This was the magical effect of Shri Babaji’s Divine personality on all who came to him during those days at Amritsar.
It was a great wonder that Muslims were holding him in such great reverence, despite the fact that Shri Babaji Maharaj was regarded as a Hindu because of his Hindu name and his way of life. Only the great inner attraction of Shri Babaji Maharaj could convert such orthodox people of other faiths. It was a rare occurrence to see Muslims following a Hindu saint with such great fervour and devotion as these Muslim devotees had in Shri Babaji Maharaj. However Shri Babaji Maharaj did not appear as a Hindu to these Muslims. He was a Being who existed beyond the narrow confines of religion. He was meant for all. He had never thought of Himself as belonging to any particular faith and always accepted all the religions of the world as his own. Whoever came to him was at once converted to him. A world of faith appeared to loom large before the devotee, and before he knew it, he had been merged completely into it.
Paaras men aur sant men barro antaro jaan
Vo lohe ko kanchan kare ye karen aap samaan
There is a great difference between a philosopher’s stone and a saint,
The first maketh iron into gold and the other maketh like himself!
The legendary philosopher’s stone was said to convert iron into gold. However the saints and sages had the power to convert people so that they became like their own selves.
Shri Babaji Maharaj would sometimes use the fabled insect- the Bhringee- as an example. It was said to be an insect which would catch hold of lesser insects and take them to its lair, where it would sting them again and again until they lost consciousness of their own selves. Thereafter it would whisper: “Bringhee! Bringhee!” in their ears, until they would become like the Bringhee itself! This was how God converted man to Himself. At first, He would allow people to pass through sorrow and suffering and pain, until the their ego was totally annihilated. Then he would whisper His own name in their hearts and convert them to Himself so that they became like Him.
The situation was described by Shri Babaji Maharaj in the following Persian Verse:
Man too shudam, too man shudi, man tan shudam, too jaan shudi
Taakas na goyad baad azeen man deegaram too deegari
I am thou, and thou art me, I am a body, and thou art Life,
So that, after this, no one can say that I am this, and thou art that!
Shri Babaji Maharaj would let his devotees endure the sting of his Love Divine as well as the travails that came in their way, so that their ego would be totally annihilated. After that he would place within them the final fruit of spiritual evolution, when nothing was left in their hearts except him.
A devotee once said to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “A real spiritual Master is one who brings a host of trials and tribulations upon his devotee!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj was pleased with the man’s definition and added: “You are right thus far! But remember, the sufferings remain as sufferings only for as long as you think of them as sufferings! When you begin to accept them with joy then they cease to be sufferings!”
He added: “Everyone loves the happiness given by his Beloved. But he who can love even the pain given by his Beloved is truly a lover!”
The life of Din Muhammad was completely changed after he met Shri Babaji Maharaj. He became wholeheartedly dedicated to serving Shri Babaji Maharaj, while his own life became free of all fears and worries. Even the ladies in his household acquired the same faith as he had in Shri Babaji Maharaj. The one chant that remained on the lips of all of them was “Babaji! Babaji!” They would speak, but little, before Shri Babaji, but whenever they said anything, it was full of love and devotion. Their only worship appeared to be to serve Shri Babaji Maharaj They became like moths that flew around the divine flame of Shri Babaji Maharaj. It was the light of Shri Babaji Maharaj that held them to himself.
Din Muhammad and his family stood by Shri Babaji Maharaj even in very adverse circumstances, knowing everything to be a measure of His Divine Will. No matter what phase of life Shri Babaji Maharaj entered into, these loyal devotees followed him unquestioningly.
Dosh az masjid sooye maikhaana aamad peere maa
Cheest yaaraane tareekat baad azeen tadbeere maa
Yesterday our Master left the mosque and entered a drinking tavern,
O Thou Orthodox Believers! What else could we do after that, but follow him!
Sardar Aroor Singh
Sardar Aroor Singh was a genuine seeker after truth. He had thirsted for spiritual truths ever since he was very young. There was oven a time when he had left home and gone into the forests to lead the life of an ascetic. However, he had found no satisfaction, and ultimately his parents had brought him back home. When he heard that Shri Babaji Maharaj was in Amritsar, his soul thrilled with an invisible recognition. He rushed for the darshan of Shri Babaji Maharaj and was instantly converted to him. The divine recognition from within him was overwhelming. He became so devoted to Shri Babaji Maharaj that he would never leave his side. It was a relationship that was to last forever. He remained steadfast in his devotion to Shri Babaji Maharaj even during those severe times when Shri Babaji Maharaj had imposed trials and tribulations upon himself.
Aroor Singh would frequently say: “Everything that we have– our wealth, our honour, our status, our peace and comfort – everything is Shri Babaji Maharaj!”
Aroor Singh would try to remain happy in the will of Shri Babaji Maharaj in all the circumstances of life. Shri Babaji Maharaj, on his part, loved him intensely. He had entered within the hearts of this young man and made him his own.
At times Aroor Singh would say: “Babaji has everything with himself! We are all his children and are proud of the fact!”
Sardar Aroor Singh served Shri Babaji Maharaj with great faith and devotion and perseverance. In every word that he uttered, there was the divine touch of Shri Babaji Maharaj.
One day, Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him in a light vein: “Beta! Son! Leave me and go away! Lead your own life!”
Aroor Singh immediately replied: “I shall do as you order, Maharaj! But tell me which place I must go to, where you do not exist!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj began to laugh. He had merely been testing his young devotee. And the two continued to be together for a long time. It was a relationship that was to continue for years afterwards with Shri Nathji as well, in whom Aroor Singh had full faith as well.

Sai Shinumalangji
During the days when Shri Babaji Maharaj had been residing in Jammu, Sai Shinumalangji, who was a mahatma of repute, used to come for his darshan. He had become so devoted to Shri Babaji Maharaj that when he discovered that Shri Babaji Maharaj was going to Amritsar he followed him there. He was a Pathan, belonging to the fierce race of warriors who remained steadfast on any path that they chose in life. He had become a saint since a very young age but had not found fulfillment in life. The moment he came before Shri Babaji Maharaj, he found the Reality he had been seeking. He would often say to people: “ He who comes to Shri Babaji Maharaj can never go anywhere else!”
He left his hometown Jammu and began to live in Amritsar just so that he could be close to Shri Babaji Maharaj.
Pandit Mutsaddilal
Pandit Mutsaddilal was a resident of Amritsar. When news reached his ears that a mahatma of repute had graced the city, he came immediately for the darshan and blessings of Shri Babaji Maharaj. The moment he came before Shri Babaji Maharaj he felt himself drowned in an ocean of divine love. All his worries vanished. He was a very learned man, a Gaur Brahmin of a very high caste. He would not ordinarily partake of food anywhere outside his own home. But whenever he came to Shri Babaji Maharaj he would eat whatever was offered there. He would think of it as a parshaad- a divine offering- which he could not refuse and which was a token of the blessings of Shri Babaji Maharaj. He would say to people who wondered how he had consented to eat outside his home: “How can I refuse what is offered here? It comes direct from Him. Yet I must confess that I cannot retain this feeling when I go downstairs, away from this divine atmosphere.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj lived on the first floor of the house.
One day when Pandit Mutsaddilal was returning home after attending the darbaar of Shri Babaji Maharaj, he suddenly slipped and fell off the tonga that was taking him. He hurt himself severely, but was saved miraculously from any grievous injury. He said: “O Bhagwan! To turn away from Thee is to endure the pain of the world! Would that Thou had given me a pain in the heart for the Love of Thee instead!”
However these words only depicted his humility. For, as Shri Nathji was to comment: “How could such a devotional thought have come to you if you had not been given the pain of His Love in the first place?”
Maya Ram
Shri Maya Ram lived in a town which was between Lahore and Amritsar. He had first had the darshan of Shri Babaji Maharaj in Lahore and had thereafter begun to frequent Amritsar for the express purpose of meeting Shri Babaji.
His love and devotion for Shri Babaji Maharaj reached such a peak that, one day, he shut down his shop permanently, and sold all his goods and property, giving away everything to the poor, and came to live with Shri Babaji Maharaj at Amritsar. He was unmarried. The love of Shri Babaji Maharaj had entered within his heart so deeply that he forgot everything else in the world.
At Babaji’s house he took upon himself the task of cooking, and diligently made food for Shri Babaji Maharaj and his children as well as the devotees who came there. For him this work entailed greater happiness than any other work he had ever done in his life. From morning till night he would toil laboriously in the kitchen, washing the utensils and dishes as well. There were even times when he wore only ragged clothes. He would always be seen laughing and making others laugh. A divine bliss seemed to emanate from him all the time, which gave happiness to everyone else. Whoever came before him was at once filled with devotion for Shri Babaji Maharaj. It appeared as if his very veins and arteries carried the name of Shri Babaji Maharaj.
People with wealth and status could not influence his mind. No temptations of the world could draw his heart away from Shri Babaji Maharaj. It was as if he were a child who was sitting all the time in the lap of his father. The divine bliss with which he was seized never left him even for a moment.
However there was one desire that was left in his heart, and that was the desire to spread the name of Shri Babaji Maharaj to all corners, to tell as many people as he could of the divine personality who was in the midst of humanity. He would often go on a tour to spread the message of Shri Babaji Maharaj to as many people as he could. During his journeyings, he once met a mahatma of repute who was famed for his learning and intellectual knowledge, and who began to confound him with his discourse. Shri Maya Ram said to the mahatma: “Your learning and knowledge cannot shake my faith, because my faith does not stem from the intellect, it stems from the heart!”
While living with Shri Babaji Maharaj, Maya Ram once wrote a one-line verse in Hindi, which said: “Chhalni banaa diyaa hai mere jism ko! My body has become like a sieve!” It was a verse written as a protest to God for giving him such a weak constitution. A few days later he fell very ill. And he laughed and said: “There are poets who write hundreds of verses every day expressing their protests against God’s Will but nothing happens to them! I wrote but one line and am having to pay for it!”
In this state of illness he said to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “Bhagwan! There is only one thing that I ask of you– and that is to give absolute faith to the world; because without such a faith, life can have no meaning, and death, too, will become meaningless.”
The day came when he breathed his last before Shri Babaji Maharaj. Even during the last moments of his life he had the image of Shri Babaji Maharaj before his eyes. It was a beautiful death. On the day that Maya Ram passed to higher regions, Shri Nathji recalled how the rain had begun to pour down in an unending deluge, as if it were a sign of Divine Grace showering upon earth.
Just before he closed his eyes, forever, he said to Shri Babaji; “Maharaj! Give the wealth of faith to everyone!” He was a true friend of the world who had the welfare of the world in his heart even during the last moments of his life upon earth.
He had great love for Shri Nathji, and, during his lifetime, would say, numerous times, to Shri Babaji Maharaj, “Maharaj! Never separate me from Shri Nathji!”
When he passed away, his soul mingled into the Divine Soul of Shri Nathji and attained eternal peace.
Baikunth Nath
Shri Baikunth Nath was a relative of Shri Babaji Maharaj. However, he had a deep and abiding faith in Shri Babaji Maharaj, as also a great love and affection for Shri Nathji. He spent a large part of his time serving Shri Babaji Maharaj. And there was only one thing that he continually asked of Shri Babaji Maharaj: “Please let me remain always with Shri Nathji!”
Although he was like an elder of the family to Shri Nathji, yet he served him with the same devotion with which he served Shri Babaji Maharaj. When people would ask him: “Why do you serve someone who is so much younger than you?” He would reply: “He, whom I serve, you cannot see in him, and he, whom you see, is not the one I serve!”
He stayed with Shri Babaji Maharaj for a very long time. The last moments of his life were spent in the service of Shri Babaji Maharaj, and he passed away blissfully at the feet of his Master. His death was the kind of death that all righteous men crave for. He firmly believed in the words of Shri Babaji Maharaj, that the time would come when the Avatar would appear on the earth, for whom people of all faiths had been waiting. He knew that the Avatar was Shri Nathji, and he said so openly. When he passed away, Shri Nathji prayed to Shri Babaji Maharaj that he be granted eternal life, and his soul mingled into that of Shri Nathji to remain with him forever.
Those were the days when almost all people knew that Shri Nathji was the Avatar but it had not been made manifest openly by Shri Babaji Maharaj. Also, Shri Nathji had wished that all the faith and devotion be reserved for Shri Babaji Maharaj during those early days, and diligently kept himself in the background, despite Shri Babaji’s exhortation to him to reveal himself.
Mahatma Shanti Swaroop
Mahatma Shanti Swaroop was a mahatma who had become greatly devoted to Shri Babaji Maharaj at Amritsar. But it had been his brain, more than his heart that had come close to Shri Babaji Maharaj. This was so, because the words of Shri Babaji Maharaj carried an unsurpassable logic that baffled even the best of intellectuals and philosophers of his time. Mahatma Shanti Swaroop loved to engage in debate with Shri Babaji Maharaj on spiritual themes.
He had renounced the world at an early age in search of truth and had become a Faqueer. He had searched for a spiritual master who would divulge the truth to him in a manner that he could accept. Though he met many a person who showed him various paths, he was not satisfied with any of them. At last he found his goal in Shri Babaji Maharaj. He became like a moth that had found its beloved, the flame. He would often say: “I have found Him who I was seeking!”
He would be seen frequently standing by the side of Shri Babaji Maharaj, fanning him with a hand-fan in the hot weather. He had forgotten all the cares and worries of the world and had merged himself completely in Shri Babaji Maharaj. One day he said to Shri Babaji:
“Bhagwan! Even if the kings and emperors of the world come before me and offer me their entire wealth, and in return ask me to give them this service of fanning thee, I shall refuse to give it to them! The happiness that I find at your feet cannot be found anywhere in the world.”
He would often say to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “Bhagwan! If ever I should go astray, please bring me back by force if necessary!”
He became a prisoner of Shri Babaji’s bond of love and remained close to him for a very long time.
Lala Guramal
He was the brother of Lala Baikunth Nath. After the passing away of Lala Baikunth Nath, Lala Guramal became greatly attached to Shri Babaji Maharaj and began to serve Shri Babaji Maharaj with the same zeal and devotion with which his brother had served him. During those days he was passing through numerous difficulties in life, and he would always come before Shri Babaji Maharaj and prayer to him: “Please remove my troubles. I am in great distress!”
Mareeze ishq par raihmat Khudaa kee,
Marz barrtaa gayaa joon joon davaa dee
May the Lord have mercy on the one afflicted by the pain of Love,
The affliction became worse, even as the medicine was given
His troubles did not go away, and, one day, he said in great despair to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “O Babaji! Please send me away thyself, so that I may turn to the world! It is impossible for me to leave thee because of the manner in which thou hast captured my heart!”
However, Shri Babaji Maharaj was like a doctor who had his duties to his patient and would not leave him even if the patient wanted to run away. The doctor had to do whatever he thought was best for his patient. As time passed, Lala Gurumal’s devotion to Shri Babaji Maharaj reached such a peak that he forgot the sufferings of the world altogether. He became perfectly at peace within. Nothing existed for him now except Shri Babaji Maharaj.
Nand Baba and Mata Yashoda
Nand Baba and his wife, Mata Yashoda, were a Brahmin couple who had one son and one daughter. They were greatly attached to their son. One day the son became very ill. Even though they gave him the best of medical aid, yet he appeared to become progressively worse and worse. When all hope appeared to have been lost, someone came to them and told them of the great saint who was living near Jaure Peepal at Amritsar – Shri Babaji Maharaj– who had relieved many persons of their incurable sufferings.
The couple came before Shri Babaji Maharaj and fell at his feet, weeping bitterly. Shri Babaji Maharaj said to them: “Do not despair! Whatever God will do, will be for the best!”
The words of Shri Babaji Maharaj had an electrifying effect on them and their hearts became at peace. They began to come to him every day. One day Shri Babaji Maharaj said to them: “Tomorrow your son will be released from his suffering.”
The next day their son died. This did not lessen their faith in Shri Babaji Maharaj, for they had understood what he had meant, and they knew that their son had gone to God Himself. However, since they were old and weak they could not bear the shock of the passing away of their son. They wept and cried in great agony. The boy was young and had been a student in a college. All their hopes had been pinned on him.
Shri Babaji Maharaj said to them: “Do not grieve so much! Look, I am giving you a son! Here is Nathji! From today you are his parents! Love him as you would have loved your own son!”
And, turning to Shri Nathji, Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “Look upon them as your parents!”
Shri Nathji was about the same age as their boy who had passed away. Shri Nathji began to shower his love upon the aged couple, and very soon their grief had vanished and their hearts lit up with a joy that they had never experienced before in their lives. An inner realization came to them spontaneously, and they began to look upon Shri Nathji as the young Lord Krishna. They would call him “Krishna! Krishna!” the whole day long. Shri Nathji in turn would call them “Nand Baba!” and “Mata Yashoda!” who had been the foster parents of Lord Krishna.
The couple ceased to grieve over their son and they began to live in a world of untold bliss and happiness, as if they had gained everything they had to gain in life. They would derive great solace and comfort from embracing Shri Nathji. They ceased to desire either heaven or earth, so great was the happiness which they found in Shri Nathji. He, on his part, loved them even as a son would love his parents.
Whenever they came before Shri Nathji, Shri Babaji Maharaj would say with great happiness:
“Nand ghar anand bhayo! Jai Kanhayiyaa Laal ki!
“Joy has come to the house of Nand! All Glory be unto Kanhayiyaa Laal – Lord Krishna!”
The couple would frequently say: “There is nothing that we desire now, in this world or the next! We have found the bliss of salvation in this life itself!”
As time passed, they gave their daughter away in marriage and continued to reside with Shri Nathji and Shri Babaji Maharaj, content in every way.
After a while, Mata Yashoda fell ill, and very soon, lay on her deathbed. As the last moments of her life came upon her, she called Shri Nathji close to herself and embraced him with great feeling, passing way with the bliss of this last embrace enshrined in her heart, and content in the knowledge that she had embraced Lord Krishna before she left the world.
Nand Baba left Amritsar and went to live elsewhere. Shri Nathji had begun to go out of Amritsar himself during those days, and when he returned to the city, after a while, he discovered that Nand Baba, too, had left the world. He, too, had attained the final goal of life due to his faith and devotion in Shri Nathji.
As their devoted son, Shri Nathji prayed to Shri Babaji to give peace to their souls, and indeed, to the souls of all the devotees who had left the world one by one. Shri Nathji would ask Shri Babaji Bhagwan to bring these souls back upon earth to witness the advent of the golden age of the revelation of the Avatar upon the earth.
There was Shri Nathji’s verse on this theme:
Jo baadaakash thhe puraane vo utth-te chale jaate hain
Kaheen se aabe bakaaye davaam le Saaki
The older lovers are leaving the world one by one,
O Saki, bring forth Thy Wine of Eternal Life!
Sardar Sohan Singh
Sardar Sohan Singh was a renowned photographer of Amritsar. When he discovered that the sun of spirituality had risen over Amritsar, he immediately came for the darshan of Shri Babaji Maharaj with an ocean of divine love surging within his heart. The moment he came before Shri Babaji Maharaj he was granted an inner sight, which was to remain with him all his life. He said to Shri Babaji Maharaj:
“I have come to take both from you– the material world as well as the spiritual world!”
Shri Nathji said to him: “Sardar Sohan Singhji, there is nothing lacking in the darbaar of Shri Babaji Maharaj! You are welcome to take whatever you want! People come and complain to God that He does not give, but it is His complaint that no one comes to Him!”
The divine intoxication that Sohan Singh derived from Shri Babaji Maharaj was so great that he soon forgot himself. It was in that state of divine intoxication that he would come to Shri Babaji Maharaj every day, and return home in the same state. One day when the divine intoxication appeared to be wearing off, he came to Shri Nathji and said:
“O Nathji! What a strange drama is this! First you fill me with intoxication and make me absolutely dependent on it, and then you take away the intoxication from me, and ask me to make my own wine! How can I make it, and where can I get it!”
His faith in Shri Babaji Maharaj was beyond bounds. His faith in Shri Nathji, too, was identical to his faith in Shri Babaji Maharaj, and, in addition, he loved Shri Nathji from the heart and soul.
He was the first person ever to have been permitted by Shri Babaji Maharaj to take his photograph with his camera. He coloured the portrait beautifully and it was published in Shri Nathji’s book “Zahoore Haqueeqat” in 1932, which was the biography of Shri Babaji Maharaj. The taking of that first portrait of Shri Babaji Maharaj was a privilege given to Sardar Sohan Singh which he remembered all his life. Shri Nathji always congratulated Sardar Sohan Singh for the unique relationship that he had been given by Shri Babaji Maharaj.
It is that rare photograph of Shri Babaji Maharaj taken by Sardar Sohan Singh which finds its place in the first page of this book
Lala Kirpa Ram Advocate
Lala Kirpa Ram was an old friend of Shri Babaji Maharaj. He loved Shri Babaji greatly and in turn was loved greatly by him. He had been separated from Shri Babaji Maharaj for a long time until he found out by chance that Shri Babaji Maharaj was at Amritsar. He rushed over to see Shri Babaji Maharaj.
He went to the room of Shri Babaji Maharaj and sat down on his chaarpaayi –bed– next to him. The persons sitting in the room were aghast. They always sat on the ground in front of Shri Babaji Maharaj, and no one could ever have thought of sitting on his chaarpaayi next to him. It was a liberty that no one would dared have taken. It would have been irreverence of the highest order for them.
Shri Babaji Maharaj, on the other hand, was so happy to see his old friend that he did not even notice where the man was sitting. When the devotees saw Shri Babaji Maharaj talking with joy to the person sitting with him on his bed, they remained silent and did not protest to him. Very soon they discovered that he was an old friend of Shri Babaji Maharaj and was sitting close to him on the basis of that relationship.
The next day, Lala Kirpa Ram came again, but this time he did not have the courage to sit on Shri Babaji’s bed alongside him. Instead, he sat down on the ground, below the bed, at the exact spot where Shri Babaji kept his wooden sandals. Shri Babaji Maharaj, who was very conscious of the feelings of all who came to him, immediately said: “Lala Kirpa Ram! What are you doing! Come sit up here on the bed, close to me!”
Lala Kirpa Ram said: “O Babaji! Please forgive me! I cannot now look upon you as I used to before! I must look upon you now, even as Arjuna looked upon Lord Krishna, when Lord Krishna had revealed his Viraat Roop – His Divine Form – to him.”
Shri Babaji was so pleased with him that he gave freely of his divine bliss to him, so that the man was filled to the brim and lost himself completely in Shri Babaji Maharaj. He was so affected by the divine bliss that Shri Babaji had sent towards him, that, for a while, he even became an ascetic and roamed the forests! However, since renouncing the world was not in conformity with the teachings of Shri Babaji Maharaj, he hastened back soon enough to his home and began practicing law again, as Shri Babaji would have had him do. At the same time he continued to drink of the divine nectar that Shri Babaji Maharaj was distributing so freely to all seekers. Though he remained immersed in his worldly tasks, he never forgot Shri Babaji Maharaj for even a moment. The verse below applied very aptly to him, and to all similarly placed devotees:
Go main rahaa raheene sitamhaaye rozgaar
Lekin tere khayaal se gaafil naheen rahaa
Though I remained immersed in the cares of the world,
Yet I was never oblivious of the thought of Thee

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CHAPTER NINE
Mata Saraswati

Mata Saraswati
This chapter in the life of Shri Babaji Maharaj was one of the most poignant, and one that revealed spiritual truths with an overpowering reality. It was a chapter that was a turning point in the history of Shri Babaji Maharaj, after which his glory spread everywhere with greater power and his work upon the planet earth appeared to reach a zenith, even as the work of Shri Nathji began to commence. Some of the greatest secrets of spiritual life were revealed in this touching sequel in the life of Shri Babaji Maharaj. The stages through which Shri Babaji Maharaj passed would have shaken even the most steadfast of saints. It was the spiritual power of Shri Babaji Maharaj that made him endure the unendurable. He would often say: “Everyone knows how to be happy in happiness, but blessed are those who can take joy even in the midst of sufferings.” And of sufferings there was no dearth in this chapter of his life.
Those were the days when the ocean of divinity was surging at Amritsar and people were flooding in the multitudes merely to get a glimpse of the Sun of Spirituality, Shri Babaji Maharaj, which had risen in the area close to Jaure Peepal. One day Shri Babaji Maharaj made the important announcement to his devotees:
“I am waiting for a true seeker after God to come to me, through whom divine revelations shall be made manifest before the world!”
A few days later an elderly lady arrived at his darbaar accompanied by her companions. Her name was Bhaagdeyi. Because of her age, people referred to her as “ Mataji”, a term of respect for the elderly.
Mataji: Pranaam Maharaj! Salutations to Thee.
Shri Babaji: (Turning to those gathered around him): “Here is the one who I had been waiting for! Remember, she will take me away from you! If any amongst you have strength enough in your faith then snatch me away from her!
Mataji: (To herself): O Lord! Who is this I am beholding today! Is he the one I had been seeking? Or is he merely one who knows Thy way? There is something in him that is attracting me like a magnet. O Lord! I am convinced that, by Thy Benevolence, it is Thou who hast appeared before me in this form!
Thereafter there begins a struggle between reason and faith that wages in her mind and which reflects the query of every seeker after truth on the spiritual path:
Intellect: Stop! You are being deluded. How can the Infinite appear before you in a finite human form?
Faith: He, who exists in all forms in the world, can also appear especially in any one human form of His choosing.
Intellect: But how can the Unlimited become limited?
Faith: The Infinite can never become limited. Nor has it done so now by appearing in human form.
Intellect: Explain yourself.
Faith: Look at this stick of wood lying before you. Fire is hidden in each and every part of it. If fire manifests itself in any one part of it that would not mean that the fire does not exist in any other part of it. The fire is there in each and every part of the wood, but in a concealed form. The moment any part of the wood is ignited, the fire reveals itself. And even as fire can reveal itself at any one place in the wood and yet be present everywhere in a concealed form at all other places, in a like manner, God can reveal Himself in any one human form of His choosing and yet be present everywhere in the Universe in an Invisible form.
Intellect: But the manifestation of God in the human form reveals a shape that is limited to all outer appearances.
Faith: The limitation is merely an illusion. Even as the Unlimited Space which exists everywhere, cannot be caught and made limited in an empty glass, in a like manner the Unlimited God can never become limited by appearing in a human form.
Intellect: Why does the Unlimited manifest Himself in a limited human form?
Faith: Let us think of the Unlimited God like we would think of the Light of the sun. The Light of the sun falls upon all the particles upon earth. However even though it reveals the particles, it does not reveal itself. But if a clean mirror be placed there, amongst the particles, the mirror shall reflect the light of the sun. In a like manner, whenever the light of God falls upon a heart that is pure – which is bereft of ego, with no thought of its “I”– the Light of God is reflected and revealed. The manifestation of God from such a personality is due to the absence of his “I”. Otherwise that Reality is present everywhere in a concealed form.
Intellect: But how did you know that he - Shri Babaji Maharaj - is the one you were seeking?
Faith: My heart tells me as much!
Intellect: How do you know that your heart is telling you the truth?
Faith: Because God has, in all His kindness, told me. I had often in the past prayed to God to reveal Himself to me. He has heard my prayers. I am convinced that today I am seeing Him before me in answer to my prayers. I cannot listen to anyone now. I have understood His Reality with a uniqueness that comes from realization alone, and which is not based on intellectual reasoning. This realization is now as permanent as the Pole Star which remains always to the North.
Beniyaazee hadd se guzari bandaa parvar kab talak
Ham kahenge haale dil aur aap farmaayenge kyaa
Thy indifference has gone beyond all endurance, O Merciful Lord,
I shall narrate before Thee my heart’s sorrow and what willst Thou say in return!
Aaj vaan tegho kafan baandhe hue jaataa hoon main
Uzr mere katl karne men vo ab laayenge kyaa
Carrying a sword and a shroud with me I go before Him,
What excuse will He give for not beheading me now!
Mataji came before Shri Babaji Maharaj and expressed the yearning of her heart.
Mataji: O Lord! Please accept me and reveal to me Thy Real Self!
Shri Babaji: This path is a difficult one. One has to sacrifice everything that is dear to oneself.
Mataji: I have not come before Thee with any pride or ego within me. I have nothing now that I need to sacrifice. I leave everything to Thy Will.
Shari Babaji: Remember, this is a very difficult path.
Mataji: But only up to the time your love has not been obtained!
Shri Babaji: One may even have to die on this path.
Mataji: If one has Thy Love then there is life in such a death.
Shri Babaji: One has to separate oneself from all relationships on this path.
Mataji: When one has attained Thy relationship the lesser relationships will cease to matter. When a drop falls into the ocean it sees no shortcomings anywhere.
Shri Babaji: On this path there may be loss of one’s respect and prestige. One may have to face disgrace and disrepute and numerous trials and tribulations.
Mataji: When Thou art with me these thorns will become like flowers.
Shri Babaji: Think over it once again.
Mataji: I have thought over everything already.
Shri Babaji: Why do you come to me? Look at the world around you. See how beautiful it is.
Mataji: But He, who I see before myself, is much more beautiful.
Shri Babaji: Are you not satisfied with the world?
Mataji: No, because my peace does not lie in it.
Bishnau az nai choon hikaayat mi kunad
Vaz judaayi haa shikaayat mi kunad
Ask of the flute why it sings a mournful song,
It is but a cry of separation within it!
Kaz naistaa taa maraa ba bareedaa and
Az nafeeram mardozan naaleedaa and
Since the time I have been cut from my stalk in the jungle,
The sound of my notes makes men and women cry
The seeker after God yearns for a heart that is filled with the pain of separation from Him. The seeker has shed tears before the world in all the phases that came before him. He met many who were in happiness and many who were in sorrow. But he discovered soon enough that all who met him did so for their own selfish ends. No one could understand the secret pain of his heart.
The soul sees within itself a feeling of separation which is there because it has been separated from God. A proof of this separation is that it cannot find peace in anything else. If the feeling of separation were from the things of the world, it would go away as soon as the things were attained. Every person in the world is crying for something or the other and showing that he is incomplete. Thus it is clear that the feeling of separation is for something else, which is not of this world of matter, but which belongs to a spiritual world.
Since the soul is spiritual, the Whole from which it has been separated, and of which it is a part, must also be spiritual.
Mata Saraswati said at once to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “My happiness lies not in this world but rather in Thee! Remove Thou this separation and make me one with Thyself.”
Important Note: When a devotee addresses a human form with these words he is in reality addressing God. It is like a man who prostrates upon the ground but is in reality prostrating before God.
Shri Babaji: But have you experienced this separation?
Mataji: Yes.
Shri Babaji: What proof do you have of this?
Mataji: My heart is far removed from the things of the world and I feel a restlessness now only for God.
Shri Babaji: This path appears very easy in the beginning but becomes very difficult later.
Mataji: I am not afraid when you are with me.
Shri Babaji: Are you willing to enter into such a bargain?
Mataji: That is what my heart desires.
Shri Babaji: And if you cannot pay the price?
Mataji: Then I shall ask for it free of cost!
Shri Babaji was pleased with her faith and devotion. The fire of divine love burnt in the heart of Mataji and she yearned for union with Shri Babaji Maharaj. And even as a flame inspires love for itself in the heart of a moth, and later leads the moth to itself with its own light, in a like manner Shri Babaji Maharaj had filled the heart of Mataji with His Love and then guided her towards himself with his own Light Divine.
The dormant divine love within the soul of Mataji was awakened at first sight the moment she came before Shri Babaji Maharaj, and it caused Mataji to burn in the flame of this love like a moth.
But there was still a separation. Shri Babaji Maharaj had kept the chimney of the world between his light and the moth that yearned for it. Because of this chimney Mataji could not at first give up her “I” at once. For some time she had to struggle against this barrier, and was frequently hurt as she sought to break through it.
Mataji was beside herself with joy and said to herself:
“O what an enchanting world I have come into. It is a world in which this world and its desires have ceased to exist. What a beautiful scene! The senses and their fleeting pleasures do not exist here. The air is filled with happiness and the atmosphere captures the heart. There is no turbulence here nor any restlessness or conflicts. Every thorn has taken on the shape of a flower. What enduring peace exists here! O God, what a beautiful world I had been separated from all these years! How can I leave these priceless pearls for the sake of pennies now? I never knew how beautiful my home was till now!”
Mataji was a widow. Her husband had been a Tehsildar, a court official, at the time he had died. She also had grown up sons with whom she lived. She was a widow and subject to the limitations that the society of those days imposed upon widows. Two feelings arose within Mataji during those days. The first was one which came from her physical nature and which sought to take her towards the world from which she had emerged, and the second stemmed from her soul which sought to bring her to Shri Babaji Maharaj, in whom she saw God. A struggle began to take shape within her.
She began to see her past husband in the form of Shri Babaji Maharaj, whom she regarded as God. It appeared to her that her husband had united with God and then returned to her in the physical form of Shri Babaji Maharaj. But old habits persisted for many days. She would rarely eat the prasaad – food offerings– given at Shri Babaji’s place and would instead give it to others outside. However this was a passing phase and very soon she forgot all the habits with which she had encumbered her life in the past.
In the path of devotion man has formed a variety of different relationships with God. These relationships have ranged from those of a seeker, a devotee, a son, a mother, a friend, to those of a wife or lover etc. And God has always replied to every relationship in the manner suited for it. It is the voice of Lord Krishna as stated in the Geeta:
Ye yathaa maam prapyadante taanstahaiv bhajaamyham,
Mam vartmaanuvartante manushya partha sarvasha
No matter which path a man may choose to come to me,
I go to meet him along that very path
Shri Nathji explained this in the following words, when he wrote the biography of Shri Babaji Maharaj, Zahoore Haqueeqat, in later years:
“In this one verse of Lord Krishna the conflicts of the world cease to exist. Strife, struggle and wars disappear. When we discover that the entire world is going towards the same goal through different paths we shall cease to despise others. This would not mean that we would have to give up our own path. The question of changing paths would arise only if the path that we had chosen was wrong. However, when we convince ourselves that all the religions of the world are right in their own ways, then conversion from one faith to another would become unnecessary.
“Shri Babaji Maharaj used to give the example of a man in search of water who went to dig a well. He dug for a few feet in one spot, but was stopped by another who came and told him that it would be more profitable to dig in another spot. The man went to the other place and began digging there, but just then another man came to him and told him to dig elsewhere where his chances of finding water would be better. And this happened again and again whenever he began digging at any place.
“The net result of the wasted effort was that he did not find water anywhere, and was not able to dig a well. If instead of going from place to place, he had remained firm at any one place and dug deeply, then surely he would have found the water he was seeking. Everyone was convinced that water existed, but was merely seeking for it in different places. In a like manner all the religions of the world are going towards that Reality through different paths, and there was no necessity for people of one faith to leave their faith and go to another.
“Are the words of Lord Krishna not enough to bring peace to the world? Do all the virtues of the world not exist in this one verse? Can anyone say, after reading this verse, that Lord Krishna could have had prejudices of any kind in Him, or that he looked upon different people differently? Lord Krishna lived the life of this verse. When Arjuna was in need of protection, Lord Krishna became his charioteer in the battle of Mahabharata; when Arjuna stood in need of spiritual guidance, Lord Krishna became his guru and expounded the Gita, which was a philosophy that few could have understood.
“In the days of his early youth, Lord Krishna had donned a turban and a peacock plume and had played and danced with the cowherds, gavaalaas, and the milkmaids, gopis, of Brindaban, stealing butter here, and smearing it mischievously on the mouths of the calves there, teasing, laughing and crying, hitting out playfully and being hit in turn, chiding and consoling. Did he not respond to the feelings of the gopis and gavaalaas in the manner they desired? Did He not assume the form of an awesome warrior before the evil Kans?
“On the one hand, He exhibited such apparent helplessness before the gopis and gavaalaas, and on the other hand he showed his great strength before the evil Kans when He flung him to the ground. His romantic dalliance with Radheji at Brindaban, his elopement with Rukmini at Amravati; His washing the feet of the guests at the Yagna – the life of Lord Krishna revealed that the Lord goes out to meet His devotee in the manner that His devotee yearns for him. No matter which path a man may choose to go towards God, He meets him along that very path.
“This became such a paramount principle in the religion of the time that diverse paths to God developed in Hinduism itself. Everyone began to worship God in the manner he liked. And this was as it should have been, because, in truth, human nature is so diverse that different people cannot look upon the same thing with the same feelings. No particular food or colour is liked universally by all.
“Alas! Men of ordinary faith soon forgot the significance of this verse of Lord Krishna. Each sought to adopt his own path and to oppose the paths of others. But they did not ask themselves – was Lord Krishna right or wrong? If they had said he was wrong, then they could not have laid claim to being believers in any sense of the word. And if they had said he was right, then they had no reason to condemn the paths that others walked upon.
“Lord Krishna allowed himself to be a son to Mata Yashoda; He allowed himself to be a friend, a husband, and a father to others in later times. If all this is proper, then it is only right that we walk silently on whatever path we have chosen and allow others to walk on the paths of their choice.”
It was thus that Mataji established the relationship of a wife with Shri Babaji Maharaj who she looked upon as her husband. Her own husband had died some time ago. She was a widow. The wife of Shri Babaji Maharaj, Durga Devi, had died a long time ago. There was nothing wrong in such a relationship between the two. If she had loved someone else, other than her husband, one could have found fault with her feelings, but she loved only her husband and no one else, and she saw her husband in Shri Babaji Maharaj, merged into Shri Babaji like a drop of water is merged into the ocean.
The devotion of Mataji in Shri Babaji Maharaj became so intense that, Shri Babaji Maharaj, in keeping with the divine laws, was obliged to respond in the manner that his devotee wished, and so he had to become a husband to her.
Numerous were the questions that filled the minds of people at the time. People who had thought of Shri Babaji Maharaj as an ascetic, who had renounced the world, were appalled at the thought of his marrying again. They thought that by doing so he had become a worldly man and had betrayed the world of spirituality.
There were many who violently opposed the re-marriage of widows during those days and saw in the union of Mataji with Shri Babaji Maharaj an open defiance of all the norms established by the society of that time. There were yet others who had been inwardly jealous of the popularity and rise of Shri Babaji Maharaj and of his absolute purity and greatness. They found an opportunity to denigrate his spirituality and to even suggest that the relationship between Shri Babaji Maharaj and Mataji was a sensual relationship with physical desires. And thus began a wave of persecution against Shri Babaji Maharaj and Mataji by people who were ignorant as well as motivated.
Question: How can the invisible God have any relationship with any human being when He is not of this world and is without form?
Answer: In what way do you address Shri Babaji Maharaj?
Question: We think of him as God and of ourselves as His created beings.
Answer: Is this not a relationship too? Even though He is beyond all relationships when He is alone by Himself, yet He has to assume any relationship which a devotee invokes in Him. Look upon water. It has no face of its own. But place it in a vessel and it assumes the shape of the vessel. Thus it can assume as many shapes as the number of vessels that seek to contain it.
Ba naame aan ki oo naame nadaarad
Ba har naame ki khwaani sar bar aarad
What is the name of Him who has no name?
In truth, He answers to every name with which He is called!
There is but One Existence in the Universe. And it is free of all diversity and differences. It cannot have any relationship with anyone else. This must be so because nothing else can exist outside of that Existence. A relationship comes about only when there are two separate beings.
In the Hindu Scriptures -Shastras - three types of relationships are defined:
(1) (1)Sajaatiye Bhed: this is the relationship between two similar persons or things, i.e. like the relationship between man and man.
(2) (2)Vijaatiye Bhed: this is the relationship between two unlike things, like the relationship between a man and an animal.
(3) (3)Svagad Bhed: this is the relationship that exists between different parts of the same thing – like the relationship that exists between the different limbs of a man which appear to be separate from each other but are united in the body of the man.
We cannot think of God having a Sajaateeye Bhed with anyone, because this is a relationship between two similar beings. Since there can be no one similar to God He must be above such a relationship.
We cannot think of God having a Vijaatiye Bhed with anyone either, because this is a relationship which exists between two separate, unlike beings. Since there cannot be any unlike being who is outside of God and separate from God, there can be no question of His having any relationship with anyone separate from him.
Question: We cannot understand this, because side by side with God there is this world which is unlike Him and appears to be separate from Him. Therefore there must be a Vijaatiye Bhed between God and the world.
Answer: But this world is not a reality – it is a mere illusion. It is non-existence appearing as existence. Therefore no relationship can exist between God and that which is nothing. Spiritual philosophy looks upon the world as something that is perishable. The beginning and the end of the world are steeped in non-existence. There is but One Reality, who is Absolute Existence itself, and that is God. The Hindu philosophy of Vedanta looks upon the world as Maayaa – an illusion, something that appears to exist but does not exist in reality. We cannot therefore look upon this world as a real existence existing outside of God or existing separately from Him. It cannot exist side by side with God. Even those who think of the world as real must admit that it is nothing as compared to the unfathomable infinity of God. Therefore, even then, it is of no significance, and cannot be said to have any relationship with God.
Aab men dhoonde se hargiz bulbulaa miltaa naheen,
Aur gar miltaa bhee hai to vo judaa miltaa naheen
The bubble cannot be found in water search as we may,
And if found, it is not found separate from water!
There cannot be diversity in the reality of God. He is Infinite, Unbounded, Limitless. We cannot divide the Infinite into parts. If we think of the Infinite as being composed of parts then each part will become finite, and each part will appear to be different from the other. The parts will limit the Whole. Since each part will be limited, it will be subject to decay and destruction, like all limited things, and therefore all the parts will become perishable, and we shall be imposing perishability on an Imperishable God. But this is an impossible situation. God is Infinite and Imperishable. He cannot be subject to decay and destruction. Therefore He is an Infinite, Whole and Indivisible.
We see, therefore, that Svagad Bhed cannot exist for God, as that is a relationship of a whole with its parts. Here there is just the Whole and there are no parts.
Thus, in all the three relationships described above, God can have no relationship of any kind with anyone or anything. This must be so, because there is nothing which can exist outside of Him or can be separate from Him.
In a situation like this, can we establish a relation with Him as the Creator and of ourselves as His created beings? Would this relationship not imply that we exist separate from Him? And would this not negate everything that has been said of His Infinity and Limitlessness? If we can call ourselves His Creation and look upon ourselves as existing separate from Him, then all the relationships we have been discussing must also become real! Therefore we are forced to give up even this relationship with God.
Question: If there is nothing separate from Him then what is the meaning of this world?
Answer: In reality this world does not exist separate from Him. It is His play, His Leela. It is His thought, which is not separate from Him. There cannot be a real world which is outside of Him and which can exist side by side with Him. Such a world can only be imaginary or illusory. The imaginary world could not have created itself. It exists only in the imagination of the One who gave birth to it. We can do one thing: we can establish an imaginary relationship with God while living in this imaginary world of His making, and in doing so we can choose any relationship that appears most appropriate to us!
Question: If this world is but an illusion which is purely imaginary then how can we perceive Reality in it? And why should we attach any importance to any event in it?
Answer: It would be good if we did not attach any importance to any event in it. But in real life we find that this is impossible. This is so because the illusion before us has the semblance of reality and appears to bear the face of truth. In a real sense, the world will become an illusion only when we have realized God. Before that, it shall appear to be a reality in itself. A dream is known to be false only when we are awake. Before that it shall appear to be a real world in itself.
Every object that is based on imagination must have some foundation from which it stems, and it is one with that foundation. The world of dreams has for its foundation the real world, and it is, in fact, one with it. The thirst for water in a dream world is based upon real water in the real world. Imagine for a moment that you are thirsty while asleep. You run hither and thither in your dream world and drink from jugs, goblets, ponds and rivers but your thirst is not satiated. This is because your thirst is for real water which exists only in the real world. You wake up and drink water in the real world and your thirst is satiated. The thirst of the dream world could only be satiated in the real world. Therefore in order to understand the imaginary world we have to come to the real world.
That, which brings us from the imaginary world to the real world, is Faith. The faith must be of two kinds: Hakkul Yakeen – a faith derived from experience, and Ainnul Yakeen – a faith based on actually seeing. Up to the time that we acquire such faith, we shall have to live in the world in accordance with the rules that govern its existence and establish such relationships within it as appear suitable to us.
Question: In an imaginary world will it not be wrong to give credence to any imaginary belief? What can we hope to gain from an illusion?
Answer: The tiger of a dream serves to awaken a person from a dream – and then vanishes along with the dream! In a like manner, we can derive benefit from the imaginary figures of the world when they serve to awaken us to God, and then disappear themselves. Thus it is that living in the world of Maayaa, illusions, we have to seek out the means within it that lead to God realization.
The existence of the real and the unreal lies in our sense of perception. That which we see, we call real, and that which we cannot see, we call unreal. For as long as we see the world around us it appears to be real to us, but when we begin to see God, only God becomes real and everything else becomes unreal. And when God becomes real for us, the world becomes unreal. This does not mean that the objects of the material world disappear from sight, it only means that our sense of perception changes. That which we had earlier perceived as the “world” we now perceive as “God”. That which we had earlier called the drop, we now call water.
We have to seek out a path to God-Realisation while living in the midst of the world of illusions–Maayaa. For as long as we live in ignorance, this world of Maayaa seeks to assert itself and becomes the only God that we know. At the same time it presents before us a world of feelings and emotions in the midst of which we can find a way to the Real God. We are forced by circumstances to choose a path from the diverse pictures of the world displayed before us. And we can choose whatever path is in conformity with our faith. We cannot say that any particular relationship with God is right or wrong. All that we can say is that either no relationship at all is possible with Him, or else all relationships are true and correct.
If we say that He is the Creator and we are His created beings, then how can we explain the fact that nothing can exist outside of Him? If He is the only existence then who are we to assert our own existences before Him? If we say that He is the Father and we are His children then again we cannot explain how we can exist separately from Him?
When we are merged in Reality or God, these relationships have no meaning. They have, however, been allowed to exist in the world in different times and different places, because they serve to bring people to that Reality. Therefore if one establishes the relationship of a wife with God as the husband, how can such a relationship be considered wrong?
As a matter of fact such a relationship is endowed with a beauty of its own. In this relationship there is humility, for a wife is the weaker of the two; here there is absolute dependence on the husband for the rest of one’s life. In this relationship there is love, there is even self-assertiveness, and finally there is surrender before the will of the husband. The wife is like a devotee who serves her Lord and Master; she is like a beloved when she submits to her husband’s love; she is a wise counselor when she tenders advice; a companion who is constantly by the side of her husband. She always tries to please her husband by appearing as beautiful as possible for his sake; she has no cares for her own happiness and she looks at no one else except her husband. Whatever she does is meant only to please her husband. Her own happiness lies only in seeing her husband pleased with her. If on any day the woman feels that she has not been able to please her husband, she looks upon that day as being inauspicious and ill-omened.
Question: Can a visible, limited being form a relationship with an Invisible, Unlimited Being?
Answer: Certainly. Let us take the powerhouse as an example. The electric current that exists in the powerhouse is invisible. It cannot be seen even in the electric wires connected to the powerhouse. However the electric current reveals itself when it enters a bulb where it appears as light. The glass bulb then becomes a source through which the electric current is made manifest. It is a representative of the invisible powerhouse. Even though one cannot fathom the mysteries of the invisible powerhouse, one can form a relationship with the small limited bulb. However, even then the relationship is with the invisible electric current inside the bulb which has come from the powerhouse, and which reveals itself as light. The relationship that exists is not with the physical shape of the glass, even though to outer appearances it may appear to be so.
In a like manner the Invisible, Unlimited God is like the powerhouse, and can make His appearance through some limited human form of His own choosing, from which the Light of God begins to manifest itself. When a devotee establishes a relationship with such a personality, the relationship is not with the body, but with the Invisible God.



CHAPTER TEN
The Fulfilment

Mataji established a spiritual relationship with Shri Babaji Maharaj, which, on the worldly plane, was that of a husband and wife. The people who were shortsighted and worldly-minded could not understand this relationship, but those who knew of divine secrets readily accepted this relationship as being most sublime and the holiest of the holy.
Since Mataji was a woman, she established the relationship of a wife with Shri Babaji Maharaj. She saw in Babaji her former husband who had died some time ago, and who, according to her belief, had merged into God and had re-appeared before her in the form of Shri Babaji Maharaj. It was a spiritual relationship that transcended the boundaries of physical relationships and was divine in nature. Both Shri Babaji Maharaj and Mataji were elderly persons at the time.
In keeping with the eternal spiritual laws, Shri Babaji Maharaj had no alternative but to respond to the feelings of Mataji in the manner that she had expressed them. It was a relationship in which physical emotions had no place. In course of time Mataji conceived and was with child. This was a great miracle, for she had had no physical relationship with Shri Babaji Maharaj whatsoever, and her devotion had existed purely on the spiritual plane. Her marriage to Shri Babaji Maharaj was not consummated on the physical plane.
In Christianity, there is the Virgin Mary who gave birth to Jesus Christ without any physical relationship with her husband, Joseph. Mirabai the legendary Indian saint considered herself married to Lord Krishna even though Lord Krishna was not in physical form. There are numerous instances in spiritual literature where children were born to mothers upon earth who conceived from divine intervention and not from any physical relationship. People cannot understand how such a birth came about, but accept it on the basis of their faith.
If people say that these events are impossible and defy reason, then they should be asked whether their knowledge is perfect or imperfect? Do they know of all the events that took place in the past and that have yet to take place in the future? Is the entire knowledge of the Universe known to them? If they admit that there are things that are beyond their knowledge then they must allow for the existence of events that they cannot understand but which are possible. At most they can merely say that they cannot understand such events, but they cannot say that such events are impossible.
A person is walking on a long road and has travelled a certain distance, but he still has a long road ahead of him. Some mysteries of the world have been revealed to man, but there are many that still remain unrevealed. What appears to be impossible to man has certain laws of its own under which it manifests itself, even though these laws may not be openly revealed. In the grand scheme of creation nothing is impossible for God.
Rukmini had yearned that Lord Krishna become her husband, and he married her despite severe opposition by her relatives and detractors. In a like manner Shri Babaji Maharaj allowed himself to become the husband of Mataji on seeing the intensity and purity of her devotion. There was dissent from those who did not understand the significance of this union. Most of the criticism was directed against Mataji because she was an elderly widow; however, nothing could shake her from her resolve. She knew that the person she looked upon as her husband was really her departed husband in fact. On the physical plane there was nothing wrong with such a union. Shri Babaji Maharaj had lost his wife many years ago, and Mataji was a widow. There were the orthodox and the bigoted amongst the dissenters, those who looked upon widows re-marrying as a sin; and those who thought that Shri Babaji Maharaj had forsaken his spiritual path to become a worldly man, by re-marrying at so old an age. These were the ones who were opposed to this spiritual union between God and his devotee in the form of a husband and a wife.
Even the grown up sons of Mataji from her first husband failed to understand the union, and joined the ranks of those bent upon opposition. Mataji said to her sons: “This is not a second marriage. Shri Babaji Maharaj is none other than my first husband. He is your father.” However the sons of Mataji failed to recognize their father in Shri Babaji Maharaj because they had not received spiritual insight. It was perhaps the will of Shri Babaji Maharaj that they remain unenlightened, for it was thus that his drama upon earth was to unfold itself. Shri Babaji Maharaj made the supreme sacrifice of inviting opposition against himself by accepting Mataji as his spouse. Shri Babaji Maharaj had to come down to the level of Mataji in order to bring her up to his level.
Persecution mounted on an unprecedented scale. There was a conflagration that threatened to engulf Shri Babaji Maharaj and Mataji. Their lives were in danger. There were moments when frenzied mobs came to attack the house where Shri Babaji Maharaj lived. Rioters forced themselves into his house through the windows. At that moment Taajjudin and Navi Bax stood loyally by the side of their Master, and battled with the mobs, throwing out physically those who broke into the house, and protecting Shri Babaji Maharaj and his family in every way possible. All those who were loyal to Shri Babaji Maharaj were willing to give up their lives for him if needed; however, since conflict was not the mission of Shri Babaji Maharaj, he quietly left the city and went to live in the outskirts at the mazaar – tomb– of the spiritual preceptor of Navi Bax.
It was a strange sight, Muslim devotees protecting a Hindu saint from Hindu mobs. These were the difficult times that Shri Babaji had predicted. Shri Babaji Maharaj himself made the rather cryptic remark when he moved to the tomb: “No living person can keep me with himself at this time! Iss vakt koyi zindaa mujhe apne paas naheen rakh saktaa!”
The more vociferous elements amongst the dissenters soon found out where Shri Babaji Maharaj and Mataji had gone, and the threatening mobs made their appearance felt even at the mazaar. The divine power of Shri Babaji Maharaj was such, however, that not a single person could touch him or Mataji. They would come and jeer and hurl invective at him from a distance, and then leave. The situation continued for days and months. Shri Babaji Maharaj and his children, Shri Bhola Nathji and Prem Nath, who had been accustomed to living in comfortable homes in protected surroundings, found themselves exposed to the harsh elements of the weather. Shri Babaji Maharaj slept on one side of the mazaar and Shri Nathji slept at his feet. They were exposed to the biting cold of the winter, when the temperatures touched zero, and the scorching summer heat with temperatures so high that even birds and animals perished. They went without food for days on end. There were fevers and illnesses, all of were endured in the exposed atmosphere of the mazaar, where even medical aid was scarce, or not possible at all.
Another spiritual leader in the place of Shri Babaji Maharaj would have given up his spiritual path, but not so Shri Babaji Maharaj, who stood firm to his principles and endured the greatest of physical sufferings without a demur. There was a time when the children were so starved for food that they wanted to take the “satto” fruits from a tree. As they tried to do so, they touched a beehive inadvertently, which released a mass of bees upon them. As a result of this they could not even go to the nearby well to fetch water. Shri Babaji Maharaj laughed and said: “It was the Will of God that we remain hungry. But you sought to go against that Will and to bring fruits from the tree. As a consequence these bees fell upon you, preventing you even from drinking water!”
Those were the days when Shri Nathji served Shri Babaji Maharaj with unswerving devotion. His delicate body, unaccustomed to physical work, was put to such exertions as would have tired even the strongest of men. He would cook for Shri Babaji Maharaj, wash the utensils, get water from the well, and do all the chores necessary for their subsistence at the tomb. At one point he thought he would collapse from sheer fatigue if called upon to do another piece of work. Just then Shri Babaji Maharaj called out to him. Shri Nathji decided there and then that if he were going to collapse he would do so while serving Shri Babaji Maharaj till the end.
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say: “Any person can be happy in congenial circumstances, but a real faqueer, a saint, is one who can take joy even in the most adverse of circumstances that surround him. All that is happening around us is the Divine Will, and from this play which is being enacted, a great spiritual revelation shall come forth to guide humanity for ages to come.”
For Shri Babaji Maharaj this storm of opposition was a mere play which could be begun and halted at will. His spiritual radiance shone even more brilliantly than ever before during this period. It was the first time in his life that Shri Babaji Maharaj had to witness such persecution, which appeared to be bent upon to destroy his life’s mission. However he bore it all without demur for the sake of Mataji who had taken refuge in him. The divine personality of Shri Babaji Maharaj was miles away from the attractions of the physical senses, and his relationship with the elderly Mataji existed purely on a spiritual plane. It was divine love manifesting itself as such on the worldly plane, and, as always, being misunderstood and maligned by the ignorant.
Taanaye agyaar hai rusvaayi hai naadaari hai
Kyaa tere naam par marne kaa ivaz khwaar hee hai
Jibes of the foes, torments and dishonour,
Is this the reward for dying for Thy Name?
There were moments when even the strong will of Mataji was shaken by the turn of events and the opposition. Shri Babaji had said to Mataji before these events occurred: “There is a hidden secret behind all this. There is going to be great opposition in which you shall have to make many sacrifices. Later the world shall be astonished at the divine revelations that come before it.”
Now that the persecution was upon them, Shri Babaji’s words instilled greater hope than ever in the heart of Mataji. He said to her:
“Listen to my words! I can change this entire scene in a moment, but that will not bring me any joy. If no time is allowed to elapse between the onset of hunger and the coming of food, then there shall be no joy in eating.
“If the evil Ravana had been destroyed even before he could abduct Sita Maharani, the Ramayana would never have been written, nor would millions have gained salvation from it. If Lord Rama had not allowed himself to be banished into the forests through the machinations of Kekayi, his step-mother, the drama would never have been enacted for the benefit of the world. If Lord Christ had not allowed Himself to be betrayed by Judas Iscariot, and then to be crucified, the Bible would never have been written. The Will of God had to find fulfilment.”
Kekayi and the Ramayana
Shri Nathji often narrated the rarely told story of Lord Rama and his stepmother, Kekayi, at a time when Lord Rama was just a child. Kekayi remains the arch-villain in the story of the Ramayana, as the wicked woman who sent Lord Rama into exile, so that her own son Bharat could reign on the throne of Ayodhya. However, as Shri Nathji explained it, there was a divine plan behind her actions. It was ordained by the Divine Will that she would become the cause for the banishment of Lord Rama so that the Ramayana might come to be written and the world derive benefit from it. The story that Shri Nathji narrated was as follows: -
Maharani Kekayi was sitting all alone in her room when someone came from behind her and closed her eyes with his hands. Kekayi was mother to Bharat, Shatrugana, Rama and Laxman. Out of these, Bharat and Shatruguna were her real sons, while Rama and Laxman were her stepsons.
A Voice: “Mataji, can you guess who I am?”
Kekayi: “Shatruguna?”
Voice: “No.”
Kekayi: “Laxman?”
Voice: “No.”
Kekayi: “Bharat?”
Voice: “No, wrong again!”
Kekayi: “Then is it..is it Rama?”
Voice: “Yes, mother! You guessed it correctly this time! But it took you such a long time to recognize me!”
Kekayi: “O Rama! How could I ever have guessed that it was you! You never play such games! What does it mean?”
Rama: “Mother Kekayi, please listen carefully to what I am going to say. Today I am closing your eyes so that you will henceforth fail to recognize my divine self. And you shall be instrumental in banishing me to the forests from Ayodhya!”
Kekayi: “O Rama! What are you saying! How could I ever think of banishing you! No, no, I could never do that!”
Rama: “O Mother! Please accept my prayer and do this – for in my banishment shall lie the enactment of a drama which shall grant salvation to many souls! But you, O dear mother, shall have to make a very great sacrifice for this. By banishing me you will become the most hated woman of her time, perhaps of all times! People shall speak of you in bated breaths as a vile and scheming woman who exiled me! But it will be for the good of humanity; and from my banishment shall emerge an epic which will guide humanity for generations to come!”
Kekayi: “Rama! If that be your wish, then I willingly acquiesce! Who am I to refuse anything you ask for? I am merely an instrument in your hands.”
Rama: “Mother, you are truly blessed for the great sacrifice you have agreed to make. While the world will revile you, I, alone, will know your secret.”
And in the days to come, a veil came over Kekayi, and she failed to recognize the divinity of Lord Rama, and had him banished from the kingdom so that her own son Bharat may rule the kingdom. And it was thus that the Ramayana was made for the salvation of the world. Only those who knew of the secret knew the great sacrifice that Kekayi had made so that the Ramayana may be written. It was thus that human beings upon earth enacted the part they were called upon to play so that the Divine Drama may unfold itself.
Az husne maleehe khud shore ba jahaan kar dee
Har zakhmi o bismil raa masroofe fugaan kar dee
Thou hast, with the salt of Thy Beauty, filled the world with unrest,
Those with wounds can do nothing else now but cry
Be jurmo khataa katlam az naazo butaan kar dee
Khud teghzadi bar man naamo deegaran kar dee
Faultless though I was, Thou didst destroy me like a statue
Thou struck me with Thy Sword and let others bear the blame!
It was like Lord Krishna who would steal the butter and then smear it on the mouths of the calves, who then bore the blame. This verse depicts the lament of a devotee who says: “O Lord, for how long willst Thou go on playing hide and seek? And when willst Thou allow Thyself to be caught?”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “What is transpiring and what is to transpire is my Leela – my drama. In the opposition and persecution you shall attain the real goal of life. The world shall know the meaning of Divine Love. And the day shall also come when they who oppose me today shall know the truth!”
After some time Mataji gave birth to a girl who was beautiful beyond compare. The whites of her eyes had a blue tinge in place of the white. It was as if she had come from another world. She was Shri Nathji’s sister. She was named Subhadra Devi. She lived for a few months and then died. In Lord Krishna’s time the sister of Lord Krishna born from Mata Devki had also died soon after birth. Indeed the travails that Mataji was facing had gone beyond human endurance.
There was Shri Babaji’s verse to describe the situation:
Parvaana nestam ki ba yakdam adam shavam
Shamaa-am ki jaan gudaazam va dam bar niyaaram
I am not like the moth that perishes in a single moment
I am the flame that burns the night long without demur!
Whenever Mataji would become distressed at the happenings around her Shri Babaji Maharaj would awaken her from the unreal nightmares of the world, and she would return to the state of divine bliss where no opposition existed. However, as it had been said by Christ: “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak,” – and Mataji pleaded with Shri Babaji Maharaj to stop the heart-rending drama which had gone on long enough. She said one day to Shri Babaji: “O Bhagwan! Please stop this drama now! I lack the strength to endure it any longer!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said to her: “Do you think these hostile crowds come here of their own free will? No. It is I who call them here! And whenever I wish it, they shall stop coming!”
And a miracle occurred. The crowds vanished. The opposition died away after smouldering like a fire for months. The detractors of Shri Babaji Maharaj and Mataji were filled with a sudden spark of realisation. They saw their own folly and were filled with untold remorse. They came to Shri Babaji Maharaj, but as changed men, with contrite hearts and repentance in their souls, and they fell at the feet of Shri Babaji Maharaj and Mataji and wept and begged for forgiveness. The dreadful drama, that Shri Babaji Maharaj had endured for months, came to a sudden end. Shri Babaji Maharaj had completed his play. In the silence of the mazaar there was the soul of Mataji freed completely of its ego. Her “I” had now merged completely into Shri Babaji Maharaj.
People began to worship Mataji who came to be known as Mata Saraswati. Even her sons and relatives rushed to her side to beg forgiveness of her. It was a great victory for Shri Babaji Maharaj who had undergone tremendous opposition and physical torment for the sake of his devotee, Mataji, who had become his spouse on the worldly plane, but whose soul had merged into the divinity of his soul, forever, on the spiritual plane. Shri Babaji Maharaj had placed before the world the true meaning of a spiritual relationship. A devotee had to pay the price for securing his Beloved Lord. And the price was his ego, the “I” of the devotee, which had to be silenced forever through various trials and tribulations.
Jesus Christ established the relationship of a son and a father with God and had to undergo the pain of crucifixion. Radheji and the gopis established a relationship of love with Lord Krishna and had to shed numerous tears of separation. Meerabai was given poison to drink by her husband, the Rana, when she would not give up her devotion to Lord Krishna.
A moth loves the flame and asks nothing of the flame. All it wants to do is to merge itself into the fire of the flame.
Ye nihaal sholaye husn kaa teraa barh ke sar ba falak huaa
Meri kaahe hasti ne mushta-al ho usse ye nashvonumaa diyaa
The flame of Thy Beauty rose and soared to the skies,
And my straw-like existence fell into it to increase its Glory
As the clouds of dissent and opposition disappeared, Shri Babaji Maharaj and his family returned to the city, where multitudes came for their darshan and blessings and a new wave of divine bliss appeared to spread into the hearts of all. The dark clouds of ignorance disappeared even as the sun of spirituality shed its radiance everywhere. Time came when the story of Mataji – who came to be known as Mata Saraswati – became known far and wide. People came especially for her darshan and blessings in large numbers. Great saints and sages, as well as worldly men of renown and status, came and prostrated at her feet. A curtain had fallen over the tragic drama enacted by Shri Babaji Maharaj, and a new and beautiful scene came into existence.
Later, Mata Saraswati gave birth to another child which was as beautiful as the first one who had died. She was named Prem Pyaari. The whites of her eyes also had the blue colour which her sister had. At the time when she was still in her mother’s womb, she would speak to her mother in some unknown tongue. She began to speak in English at an incredibly young age. All who saw her felt her endowed with an undefined divine attraction. As she grew up, she began to love all who came to her, but the one whom she loved most of all was her elder brother, Shri Nathji. Whenever anyone would ask her who the dearest person in the whole world was for her, she would instantly say: “Shri Nathji!” Shri Nathji on his part treated her with great love and affection as a younger sister, but at the same time would even bend down and touch her feet with reverence and humility. At the time that Shri Nathji wrote “ Zahoore Haqueeqat” the biography of Shri Babaji Maharaj in 1932, his little sister was eight years old, as he wrote in the book. All the events recorded above have been taken from that same holy book written in Urdu and Persian by the Divine Hands of Shri Nathji.
Shri Babaji Maharaj had exalted all of womankind by giving a divine status to Mata Saraswati. Shortly, thereafter, an era dawned upon the people of the world wherein they developed a greater respect for women and widows, who found their rightful place in the world, free to re-marry as they chose and to be accepted in society without being considered inauspicious.
Shri Babaji Maharaj, who always held womenfolk in the highest esteem, had always said about women: “ A woman will not allow her heart to be given to anyone, but if she does, then no power on earth can make her swerve from her path. There was a time when God had become very angry with men because of their attachment to money, and He would well nigh have wreaked havoc on the world, but for the women. When he saw their loyalty, faith and devotion he forgave even the men. One of the great Sikh gurus had cursed the menfolk at Amritsar by saying: ‘Ambarsarriye andarsarriye – the people of Amritsar are burning within.’ But he later forgave them when he saw the devotion of the women and said: ‘Maayiyaan Rab rajaayiyaan – the womenfolk have pleased God.
Sohini and the Maulvi
Shri Nathji would narrate the parable of Sohini going her way, lost in the thought of her beloved, Mahiwal. Along her path there was a Maulvi offering namaaz –prayers to God. Sohini was so completely absorbed in the thought of Mahiwal that she did not see the Maulvi and passed close to him. The Maulvi was at once enraged. The woman had disturbed him when he was in communion with God. He got up and shouted angrily at Sohini telling her of the great sin she had committed by breaking his communion with God.
He said top her: “I was absorbed in the thought of Allah but you passed close to me and disrupted my prayers. Woman you are surely accursed and deserve the fires of hell!”
Sohini was very apologetic and begged for forgiveness from the Maulvi. She said to him: “Maulvi Sahib, please forgive me for disturbing your prayers. But the fact is that I was so absorbed in the thought of my beloved that I did not even see you.”
But the Maulvi would not be placated. He continued shouting at her much to her great distress. Just then a thought occurred to Sohini and she said to him:
“Maulvi Sahib, I was so absorbed in the thought of my beloved that I failed to notice you along my path– but, tell me, was your absorption in your God so weak that you deigned to notice me?”
The Maulvi was taken aback. He realized then how correctly the woman had spoken. He lacked the absorption and love for God which the woman had for her beloved. His was a life of mere preaching and moralizing, but the life of a woman was one of steadfastness and real devotion to the object of her love.
The Woman and the Pandit
Shri Babaji Maharaj also used to narrate the story of the woman who went to listen to the learned discourses of a Pandit who always spoke on the Ramayana. One day when she was returning home, she came to the shore of the river which she crossed daily. She saw the Pandit also there. The Pandit approached her and said to her: “Daughter, have you seen the boatman today? I can’t seem to find him. I have to go across the river.”
The woman looked at the Pandit with amazement and asked him: “Panditji, do you go across the river in a boat?”
“Yes, of course,” said the Pandit, “isn’t that how you also go across?”
“No,” said the woman, “I don’t go across in a boat!”
The Pandit was taken aback: “Then how do you go across?”
The woman said: “I go across in the manner in which you told us that Hanumana had gone across the ocean in the Ramayana. I take the name of Rama and go across in a single leap!”
The Pandit was astonished and humbled. He realized then that his was a life of mere preaching and philosophy, but here was a woman of true faith who believed in every word of the Ramayana and the power of God.
Shri Babaji Maharaj declared before the people: “I have given Mata Saraswati all that I had with me. I am in a spiritual state where all thoughts and desires have ceased to exist. And she is the divine power – the shakti – through whom I must do my work!”
Truly did Shri Babaji Maharaj illustrate the theme that when an intense devotion develops in the heart of a devotee, God appears before the devotee in the human form of a Spiritual Master, who gives the devotee the strength to pass through some of the most difficult phases of spiritual life.
Shri Nathji on his part bowed before Mata Saraswati and regarded her as his mother in every way. He would often say: “Mata Saraswati is the source of my spiritual inspiration and wisdom, and resides on my tongue when I speak.”
Shri Nathji was gradually coming into his own as time progressed. Shri Babaji Maharaj was drawing to a close the drama of his creation and was persuading Shri Nathji to take the leading role in the scene yet to be enacted. However Shri Nathji was still reticent, and was much too respectful of Shri Babaji Maharaj to assert his own divinity in any way and preferred to live in the background. He would often, in his humility, express his helplessness to take on the mantle of Shri Babaji Maharaj.
Shri Babaji Maharaj would say to Shri Nathji: “Beta – Son! Remember, a son does not have to earn the wealth of his father; ¬it comes naturally to him as an inheritance. There is no need for you to follow any spiritual disciple to attain a divine status. The spiritual status is your birthright. Your parents have accumulated a vast spiritual treasure for you and you have not to make any effort to attain it. It is yours for the asking. No more shall you need to undergo austerities and penances; poverty and hunger shall be vanquished if they come to you!”
Rama maren to ham maren hamri mare balaaye
Satpurushon kaa baalakaa mare na maaraa jaaye
If Rama dies, only then shall we die, or never die at all
The son of the righteous can never be killed nor ever die.
The Wine Merchant’s House
Shri Babaji Maharaj had an ardent devotee in Sardar Sohan Singh in Amritsar. He had a wine shop in the city. His residence was above his shop. He beseeched Shri Babaji Maharaj to come and stay with him. On seeing the love of his devotee, Shri Babaji Maharaj had no alternative but to accept his invitation and to go and live with him.
Indeed, it was a strange combination – that of worldly intoxication and divine intoxication. Here was a merchant distributing worldly wine, and there a Divine Saaki – Shri Babaji Maharaj – pouring forth his goblet of spiritual wine. The difference between the two wines was that the wine of the world made one forget one’s “I” and “mine” for a short while only, whereas the spiritual wine made one lose one’s “I” and “mine” forever. The first wine gave a temporary self-forgetfulness followed by despair and loss, while the second wine filled one with a bliss that was never-ending, and which also brought prosperity in its wake.
Though there were many who desired the wine of the world, there were few who had a thirst for spiritual wine. Sardar Sohan Singh had forgotten that his wine would cease to be attractive when once people had tasted of the spiritual wine of Shri Babaji Maharaj – which was free in contrast to the high priced bottles of the wine shop.
In a few days, the people had forgotten all about the wine of the world and were craving for the spiritual intoxication of Shri Babaji Maharaj. Multitudes began to throng to Shri Babaji Maharaj for his darshan and blessings. The divine radiance of Shri Babaji Maharaj was at such a peak during those days that no one could stand before him and still retain his consciousness. One glance from the Divine Saaki would be enough to make people forget the world. The wine of Reality was no less powerful than the wine of the world. Shri Babaji Maharaj was like a seasoned singer who could not restrain his singing when confronted by the discordant notes of others.
There was the voice of Shri Babaji Maharaj personified in his verse:
Bayaa ai Sheikh dar khumkhaanaye maa
Ke sharaabe khur dar kausar na baashad
Come, O Sheikh, into my drinking tavern,
And drink of that wine not found even in Heaven
Very soon Sardar Sohan Singh’s shop became bereft of all customers. Sardar Sohan Singh found himself all alone with no one prepared to drink his wine. However this did not distress Sohan Singh, because he, himself, had, during this time, turned to drinking the divine wine that Shri Babaji Maharaj gave, merely with his presence in his house. The intoxication that Sohan Singh derived from this spiritual wine made him forget the profits and losses of the world.
Shri Nathji, who had been carefully keeping himself in the background all these years, found himself possessed with a divine wave of intoxication that surged forth and engulfed all who came to him. He was distributing the spiritual wine with the same generosity and extravagance as Shri Babaji Maharaj.
All who beheld the face of Shri Nathji at the time were totally overwhelmed. The Divine Light that radiated from his countenance could have belonged only to God. It was unlike any light ever seen in the world. Alas! That Shri Nathji had had a mirror with him at the time to have seen his own face! The words that flowed out of Shri Nathji engulfed the hearts of his listeners to such an extent that they found themselves lost in a world of divine bliss where even space and time ceased to exist.
Thousands thronged to the house for a glimpse of Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Nathji. It was a rare occasion– the two distributing together! The words that came from Shri Nathji had an unending flow. It was as if they flowed from some perennial source that had no beginning and no end. The feeling of divine intoxication was so all pervading that it touched the hearts of all – the believers and the unbelievers both, the intellectuals as well as the illiterate, the knowledgeable and the ignorant. No matter who entered into the divine presence of Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Nathji, he was swept away by the divine wave. Even those who chanced by casually could not contain themselves.
Shri Babaji Maharaj on his part was generously pouring forth jugs and goblets of this divine intoxication in rare moments of spiritual revelation. The atmosphere thrilled with his presence as he recited the words of Omar Khayyaam in Persian:
Aamad saihare nidaa za maikhaanaye maa
Ki ai rinde kharaabaatiye deevaanaye maa
Barkhez ke pur kunem paimaana za mai
Zaan pesh ke pur kunand paimaanaye maa
Early in the morning I heard a voice within the Tavern cry,
O thou sinful seeker, thou who art my lover,
Arise! Let me fill thy cup with wine,
Ere my cup of life be filled, let me fill thine!
The state of those affected by this divine atmosphere was indescribable. And yet there were many who did not understand what was happening. They were filled with doubts and misgivings and feelings of discord. They attributed the intoxicated state of the people there as being due to the wine in the shop, and raised an outcry that the public was being deluded by a great fraud. The detractors openly began to say that the people who came there were being given ordinary wine to drink and were being intoxicated with it, and that a clear proof of this was that the place was a wine merchant’s shop. They called the divine intoxication a hoax. They did not know that it was something for which even the kings and emperors, as well as the saints and sages of the world, thirsted.
The crowds which had thronged with genuine seekers soon gave place to unruly elements that sought to disturb the peace. The opposition mounted to such an extent that the life of Shri Babaji Maharaj was in danger and the police had to be called for security and protection. When the police asked Shri Babaji Maharaj whether he would like to have the dissenters arrested, Shri Babaji Maharaj refused, and said: “It is not their fault that they have come to create a disturbance! All this is my Will!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj could have stopped the voices of dissent in a fraction of a moment but for some reason he allowed them to continue till they became so vociferous that his devotees could no longer endure them. Shri Babaji Maharaj had but to give a signal and his devotees would have risked even their lives to quell the opposition. But Shri Babaji Maharaj told them that whatever was happening was his leela – his play which would continue for only as long as he willed it.
Shri Babaji Maharaj had a unique message for them:
“If people go against you when you are on the right path, then do not be perturbed by their jibes and insults. On the contrary, be happy that the world is pointing out those faults which do not exist in you! Secondly, do not allow hostile thoughts to cross your mind against those who oppose you, because they are your real friends. They are pointing to a fault that you must avoid, and are indirectly cautioning you against a great pitfall that could come your way.”
After some days had passed in this kind of a vitiated atmosphere, during which time the devotees of Shri Babaji Maharaj had learnt the valuable lesson he had been teaching them – of non-violence, tolerance, patience, restraint and acceptance with gratitude of an unwanted situation – Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “No man shall come to oppose us any longer!”
And verily a miracle occurred. The rioters disappeared. The voices of opposition and dissent fell silent. It was like a cloud that had poured forth its rain and gone.
Sardar Basant Singh
During the days when Shri Babaji Maharaj was at Amritsar, Shri Nathji had gone out for a walk into a garden in the city. While he was sitting on a bench in the garden, a young Sikh was brought to the garden by his parents. The youth was very weak and appeared acutely depressed mentally. He had suffered a great shock in his life which had practically made him an invalid. He had been in love with a beautiful girl; however the fulfilment of such a love had not been possible since the girl was already married. The affair had taken a tragic turn and Basant Singh’s noble heart had been broken irreparably. He felt he could not live without the girl and at the same time he knew that he could not be united with her. It was the kind of situation in which many a lover had been known to commit suicide. This was to be a turning point in the life of the youth, whose name was Sardar Basant Singh.
Basant Singh had always been a lover of beauty. It was such a love that had brought him to grief in the physical world. However, the moment he cast his eyes upon Shri Nathji something happened to him. The Divine Beauty of Shri Nathji entered deep within his heart and soul, and he found himself bound by an attraction that was divine. The pent-up love in his soul for Beauty found its source in Shri Nathji, who was the most beautiful being in creation. Sardar Basant Singh found himself entirely engrossed in the divine beauty of Shri Nathji. A miracle happened, his grief for his lost love disappeared and he found himself a new man with a new desire to live. He fell at the feet of Shri Nathji and shed tears of happiness.
Vo jo hosho akal havaas thhe teri yoon nigaah ne urraa diye
Ke sharaabe sad kade aarzoo khume dil men thhee jo dharee rahi
The mind, intellect and senses flew away in a single glance of Thine
The wine of desire that was in the heart, remained where it was, untouched.
Sardar Basant Singh hailed from Faridkot but his wanderings in life had brought him to Amritsar. Destiny had brought him to his real goal in life. He became intensely devoted to Shri Nathji.
Basant Singh came for the darshan of Shri Babaji Maharaj at his house at Amritsar. He knocked at the door which was opened by Shri Nathji. Even as Shri Nathji was greeting Basant Singh, Shri Babaji Maharaj called out to him and said: “Son! Tell the person at the door to come at some other time. I am not seeing people these days.”
Basant Singh heard the voice of Shri Babaji Maharaj and immediately said: “Sat Bachan! Truly hast thou spoken!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj was greatly pleased at the words and said to Shri Nathji: “Open the door to the satbachaniye– the truthful one!”
Sardar Basant Singh entered within and prostrated at the feet of Shri Babaji Maharaj.
“What is your wish?” Shri Babaji Maharaj asked him.
“I wish to go to Patiala to seek guidance from a learned Pandit there,” said Basant Singh innocuously.
“All right, then,” said Shri Babaji Maharaj in an angry tone, “go, then! Go and study what you will! And if you are still dissatisfied then you may come here!”
Basant Singh simply stared at Shri Babaji Maharaj without uttering a word, and Shri Babaji Maharaj said angrily: “Why don’t you go?”
Basant Singh was so deeply touched that he said at once: “Bhagwan! I cannot go anywhere now!”
After that one meeting he became wholly and solely devoted to Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Nathji, and began to live with them to serve them. People were astonished to see his faith which nothing in the world could shake. Day and night he would live with Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Nathji. He would cook for them, wash the utensils, bring food from the market and serve as their secretary and bodyguard.
There was a time at Amritsar when he was beset upon by a group of hecklers who ridiculed his faith in Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Nathji. When he boldly rebutted their words, the large group of men fell upon him. Basant Singh had a brass lotaa- vessel- in his hand. He swung the lotaa around himself with such ferocity that the group of men were quickly subdued and fled with fear. The body of Basant Singh was weak and frail, and he himself marvelled at the strength that had come into him at the time. He knew then that it was the divine power of Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Nathji. It was like the strength of God that had come into the body of the legendary Samson when the armies of the Philistines fell upon him.
Amongst all the devotees of Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Nathji, Sardar Basant Singh was to be the one who was to live with them continuously for a period of twenty years. He would occasionally go to his home town at Faridkot but would always return to the divine darbaar from where he had obtained a new life.
Din Muhammad Sahib Multani
Din Muhammad was from Multan. He was a very learned person and also a man of status. When he was still a young man he had been exposed to western philosophy and had been so affected by its colourations that he had turned into an agnostic, and denied the existence of God. However deep within him was a genuine search and he was not satisfied with the path he had chosen. Someone had given him a book by Swami Ramtirth and he had read of the high spiritual attainments of saints in Hindustan. After that he began to read the books of Swami Vivekananda and made some progress himself. He even stayed in the company of Vivekananda’s brother and became more and more inclined towards spiritual truths.
After some years he came to Amritsar for some personal work of his own, where he heard people speak in glowing terms of the Divine Glory of Shri Babaji Maharaj. He immediately went and presented himself at the darbaar of that Highest Glory. The divine personality of Shri Babaji Maharaj touched his heart and soul, and he began asking penetrating questions of Shri Babaji Maharaj. Shri Babaji Maharaj heard his arguments and then said: “Son, for how long will you go on reciting the words of others! You must experience something yourself!”
The words of Shri Babaji Maharaj penetrated deep down into the innermost recesses of his soul and he began to experience the divine power of Shri Babaji Maharaj right there and then. It was already evening. He asked for permission to go, and went away.
He returned after two days and said to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “Please grant me the favour of staying with you for a few days and serving you with my own hands.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj gave him permission, and he began to serve Shri Babaji Maharaj with all his body and soul. The longer that he stayed with Shri Babaji Maharaj the greater was the change that came over him. One day he wrote a letter to his Guru, saying:
“I have had the rare privilege of coming into contact with a mahatma here in the Punjab who represents the combined glory of all the saints and sages, past and present! I pray to you to come to Amritsar and seek His Blessings yourself.”
One morning he prayed fervently before Shri Babaji Maharaj: “It is not past thy benevolence to give a poor man like me a little part of thy unsurpassed wealth!”
There was something in the demeanour of the man that day that pleased Shri Babaji Maharaj, and, instantly, Din Muhammad found himself filled with a divine intoxication and bliss that was different from anything he had ever experienced in his life, and which was difficult to contain.
Din Muhammad would burst out into laughter and weep in turns. At times he would sit before Shri Babaji Maharaj and place a veil over his face, like the bridal veil, ghunghat, of a bride. He was so lost in divine bliss that he was no longer conscious of his bodily actions. People who looked upon his strange behaviour knew only this much that his body, mind and soul, appeared to be possessed by some indefinable power.
Vo ajab ghari thhee ki jis ghari liyaa darse nuskhaye ishq kaa
Ke kitaab akl ki taak par jo dhari thhi yoon hi dhari rahee
It was a strange hour when the lesson of love was taken,
The book in the niche of wisdom lay there, unread, as ever
Chali simate ghaib se ik havaa ke chaman garoor kaa jal gayaa
Vale shamaa khaanaa jalaa ke sab gule surkh saan hee hari rahee
A wind, from a direction unknown, came and burnt the garden of pride,
But, burning down the house, it remained as fresh as ever, like a rose in full bloom
Din Muhammad stayed for a few days with Shri Babaji Maharaj in this state of divine intoxication and then, taking leave of Shri Babaji Maharaj, he returned to his home town, Multan. The people of the city could not understand what had happened to him. Many thought he had gone mad. There were some who became so afraid of him that they even had him tied in chains.
At this, Din Muhammad cried out: “Why must I be kept in chains? I am no captive!” And even as this thought entered into his mind, the chains fell away all by themselves in a wondrous miracle. He left the city and went away into the surrounding forests, but soon found himself beset upon by intense thirst and hunger. There was no one around him who could help. However, miracles kept on happening – food came to him without the intervention of any human agency; fountains flowing with water appeared mysteriously before him to quench his thirst. No matter what he wished for, that very thing appeared before him by itself. When he was all alone in the wilderness, kindly spirits came to comfort him. He discovered that the forces of Nature appeared to obey him. Things which would have been impossible for him to obtain with his own efforts now appeared to dance attendance upon him. He knew that some Divine Power was looking after him, and that it was the power of Shri Babaji Maharaj.
A time came, however, when Shri Babaji Maharaj took back the divine intoxication he had given him, and he ceased to live in a world of miracles. All of a sudden, he appeared to come to his senses, and wished to return to the darbaar of Shri Babaji Maharaj. He rushed back to Amritsar and presented himself once again at the door of the Source of Divine Glory.
Shri Babaji Maharaj said to him: “Narrate whatever you have experienced to your brethren here so that they too may know of the various stages that come along the spiritual path!”
And Din Muhammad narrated the altogether divine and miraculous events that he had experienced, which have been mentioned above.
Shri Babaji Maharaj then said: “Beta! Son! These miracles are of no consequence! There are people who can accomplish all these things through their wealth alone. You were accomplishing the same things with your will power. The real destination lies elsewhere. It lies in annihilating your ego. What you have experienced is the initial stage and what you have yet to experience is the final stage.”
Din Muhammad returned to his usual self again and continued to serve Shri Babaji Maharaj with great reverence and humility, trying to understand the divine mysteries that the Master unfolded before him from time to time. It was only Shri Babaji Maharaj who could have given such a divine intoxication to a man who had only a few days before been a confirmed philosopher and atheist.
Falsafi ko baihas men hargiz Khudaa miltaa naheen
Dor ko suljhaa rahaa hai aur siraa miltaa naheen
The philosopher can never find God in his arguments,
He is unravelling the string but cannot find its ends!
Maarfat khaalik ki aalam men bahut dushvaar hai
Shaihare tan men jabki khud apnaa pataa miltaa naheen
The Creator’s address in the Universe is difficult to find
When we cannot even find ourselves within the town of our body!
The Bengali Saints
A group of saints from Bengal happened to come to Amritsar where they heard of Shri Babaji Maharaj. They first met Shri Nathji and prayed for the darshan of Shri Babaji. When Shri Nathji told Shri Babaji Maharaj about the intense desire of the Bengali saints to have his darshan, Shri Babaji immediately said:
“Beta! Bring them here at once! I, too, am very eager to meet them!”
Shri Nathji brought the mahatmas before him. The moment they came before Shri Babaji Maharaj, he began speaking to them on spiritual themes without even asking their names or antecedents. His words fell like lightning from heaven into the depths of their hearts and souls. One amongst them, who was the guru of the others, wept so intensely and so copiously that his clothes become wet from the tears. He and his companions found themselves in a new world which they had never experienced before in their entire lives. It was a strange kind of meditation without an effort, in which they were experiencing the presence of God. Each time the eyes of the first mahatma would begin to close with divine bliss, Shri Babaji Maharaj would awaken him by placing his hand on his back. At last Shri Babaji Maharaj asked him: “What do you wish?”
And the mahatma replied: “Simply keep your hand on my back! I want nothing more!”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “This hand which I have placed on your back I shall have to withdraw – but I am keeping an invisible hand over you which shall always be with you!”
As the Bengali saint came out with his friends, he said to Shri Nathji:
“O Nathji! You have not to go anywhere in the world – for God Incarnate is present in your home!”
When Shri Nathji asked the mahatma why he had wept so copiously, he replied:
“It is a secret between him and me! How can I relate the feeling in words? He is a saint who is complete and absolute in all respects – he is all-knowing and perfect. I had been in search of a saint who could answer all my questions unasked. Today I have met him! He answered all the questions I had in my mind without my asking a single one of them! He is the saint I had been searching for. All my wishes have been fulfilled on coming to him. It is only good fortune that can bring one to such a Realised Soul!”
A Mahatma’s Pride
A certain mahatma was able to attain some special spiritual powers, which included the power of miracles, through his tapasyaa – austerities and penances. However, when he came to hear of the unfathomable spiritual prowess of Shri Babaji Maharaj, he came for his darshan at Amritsar. The moment he came before Shri Babaji Maharaj he was totally overwhelmed by an intangible spiritual power which he had never experienced before in his entire life. He prayed to Shri Babaji Maharaj that he be permitted to stay with him for a while and Shri Babaji Maharaj allowed him.
The entire day long Shri Babaji Maharaj sat with the mahatma and spoke very lovingly to him. But with the coming of evening he suddenly became very angry with him and said:
“Leave this place at once! I do not wish to look upon your face any longer! You are proud and egoistic! This place is meant for the poor and the humble, not for egoists like you! If you wish to secure entrance here then first go and serve the sinners of the world who have been shunned and hated by the world! Then you may pray to be admitted here!”
After the mahatma had gone, Shri Nathji said to Shri Babaji Maharaj: “Maharaj! Why were you so angry with him?”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj replied: “Beta! He had come to the door of God– Haridwar – so I had to give him something for his trouble!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj had illustrated with this example the different ways he had of giving his divine grace to different people. For some, this divine grace would take the form of love and kindness, whereas for others it would have to be a reprimand.
Shri Babaji also said: “A king will only punish with his own hands those who are closely related to him. For the others there is the police!”
Yogiraj Ji
Here was a different kind of mahatma – a great yogi who had devotees of his own, but who recognized the divine supremacy of Shri Babaji Maharaj and came humbly before him, after divesting himself of his pride. He obtained such great faith in Shri Babaji Maharaj that he would come daily to the darbaar of Shri Babaji and serve there with his own hands in full view of his own folowers, and he would say to his followers:
“Now is the time for you to serve Shri Babaji Maharaj when he sits in disguise before you, In later times when he reveals himself in the fullness of his glory, not even kings and emperors shall get the chance to serve him!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj would test the Yogi, sometimes through his love, and sometimes through his sternness, and the Yogi would accept both with happiness. He remained steadfast to Shri Babaji Maharaj even during the days when Shri Babaji Maharaj had enacted the dreadful drama of opposition against himself. If even the least of Shri Babaji’s devotees would go to visit the Yogi he would serve them with his own hands in full view of his own followers. He had great love for Shri Nathji, and Shri Nathji in turn loved him deeply as well. He served Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Nathji very faithfully for a long time.
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say: “If you obey me you will profit by one paise. But if you disobey me you shall profit by one rupee!”
By this Shri Babaji Maharaj meant that he who obeyed him received his reward immediately, but he who did not obey him had to suffer the consequences of his actions, and would, thereafter, learn a greater lesson, and thus reap a richer reward!
Shri Babaji and the Poor
Those were the days when the scourge of untouchability existed in the country and people had a tendency to look down upon those very people who kept their homes and cities clean. These poor folk made immense sacrifices for the comforts of society. And yet the thanklessness of society was such as to give them the lowest ranks amongst them. They were shunned and denied even the basic comforts of life. These people, who did cleaning jobs for the higher strata of society, usually lived in acute poverty in colonies and hovels.
People having a high status and a high caste did not deign to enter into their colonies and to fraternize with them. These poor folk who were an essential part of society lived the life of derelicts. As a consequence of the injustice perpetrated upon them since centuries, these persons lived a live of segregation from the rest of society. The thankless society paid its debt to them by looking down upon them and not giving them a chance to rise in life.
Shri Babaji Maharaj had a special love for these people, and wished to show the world that they were equal to the rest of mankind for the immense sacrifices they made. He had often said that these poor folk had little or no egos within themselves and were therefore dear to God.
There was even a time when he had prayed to God: “O Lord! I do not wish to be made a Yugpurush or a Messiah!! Make me the lowliest of the lowly, instead, if you will, and I shall be happy!”
During the days when multitudes had been coming for his darshan, he wished one day that large numbers of such poor folk come to his darbaar. And lo and behold! That very day his darbaar was filled with them, anxious for his darshan and blessings.
Shri Babaji Maharaj went a step further and decided that he had to visit them in their colonies and homes, which the people of the higher strata of society scrupulously shunned. He made his intentions known to Shri Nathji, and the two of them together went into their colony and met them in their homes. They rushed to touch his feet, and many wept at his great love for them – a love such as they had never experienced before in their lives.
Shri Babaji Maharaj said to Shri Nathji:
“Can you see God in them and touch their feet?”
And, saying this, Shri Babaji Maharaj bent down and touched the feet of the poor people there. Shri Nathji willingly followed suit immediately. Shri Nathji wrote later about this experience and said: “At the time when I touched the feet of these poor folk I felt as if I had reached the pinnacle of my glory!”
People, who had long been accustomed to touching the feet of Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Nathji and seeing multitudes prostrate before them, were astonished at this new revelation. Truly, Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Nathji saw God in every person in the world. Worldly status was of no consequence to them.
Shri Babaji Maharaj said: “It is easy to see God in those who are great, but real glory lies in seeing God even in those who are placed lowly in life.”





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CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Divine Prophecy

Shri Babaji’s Mission
Many of the devotees who came to Shri Babaji Maharaj wished to leave their jobs and to remain unmarried so that they could dedicate their entire lives to Shri Babaji’s mission. However since Shri Babaji’s mission was not renunciation, but rather action in inaction, he urged them to take up their jobs and vocations in life and to get married. And most of all, he remained in their hearts so that even the worst conflicts of the world had no effect on them.
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say: “There was a time when Laxmi – the goddess of wealth, always remained in conflict with Saraswati – the goddess of learning. Wherever there was Laxmi, Saraswati kept away. But I have changed things so that Laxmi and Saraswati can remain in the same place together. This means that people can remain in the midst of worldly prosperity and yet attain salvation.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj would never convert people into Faqueers who had renounced the world. Rather he would let them remain as worldly men and yet be Faqueers within.
All desired salvation – men, women, children, and the elderly. This was so because sorrow remained supreme in the world. Therefore it was necessary that some easy path come their way, on which everyone could tread. Shri Babaji Maharaj had opened such a path for all. This path was such that even the most ordinary persons could walk upon it along with the learned and special folk. The devotees of Shri Babaji Maharaj included the young and the old, men, women and children. Entire families were devoted to him. They were all filled with a devotion so unique that even the mahatmas of the time were filled with astonishment at it.
Too jinse muhabbat hai keemat hai giraan teri
Kam aayaa hai saudaagar iss desh men arzaan ho
Thou art a treasure grove of Love, and great is Thy price,
Expensive is the merchant who comes to this country, lower thou thy price!
Shri Babaji Maharaj had created living examples of his devotees that reminded people of Kabir and Raja Janak, who lived in the world as worldly men and were yet mahatmas within their real selves; who lived in the world fully without being attached to any of its faces, accepting the Will of God in everything that came their way, whether good or bad, and thus remaining content in both the states.
There had been a time when Shri Nathji, too, had wished to renounce the world, but Shri Babaji Maharaj had stopped him and had urged him to live in the world fully and actively, and to give of his spiritual wealth to countless thirsty souls.
Shri Nathji, on his part, wrote in his book,”Zahoore Haqueeqat”:
“A time will come when the world will remember the sacrifices of Shri Babaji Maharaj for the sake of humanity.”
Teachings of Shri Babaji Maharaj
A Devotee: Babaji, tell us of that name of Rama – God – which grants salvation.
Shri Babaji: Look at the word RAMA. If you pronounce it backwards you will get MAAR. This means, ‘kill’. But kill what? It means you should kill your ego. Then read RAMA as MARA which means that which is dead.
We must remember that in this raging conflict of the world there is but One Existence and that is Rama. And everything else that appears to exist outside of it, is, in reality, NOTHING, i.e. that which is dead.
And if you remember this, you shall never die but shall instead become immortal – AMAR.
After you have attained immortality you shall find yourself become part and parcel of God; you shall then be absorbed in Him and become RAM-A.
In other words RAMA and only RAMA shall remain.
Yes, it is by taking the name of Rama in such a manner that you can attain salvation.
Na thhaa kuchh to Khudaa thhaa
Kuchh na hotaa to Khudaa hotaa
Duboyaa mujhko hone ne
Na main hotaa to kyaa hotaa
When there was nothing, there was God,
If there were nothing, there would be only God,
I was drowned by my own Existence,
If “I” were not, there would have been naught else!
Son! You live in God all the time and He lives within you in this world. Even then you evince a fear of the world and yearn for the things of the world!
It is better to worship Khudaa – God – than to worship your own ego – Khudee.
Always consider your own worth with your own mind. Do not follow the worth that others place on you.
Try to see Rama– God– in everyone.
Never perform any action in secret.
Never tell a lie.
Never think ill of anyone.
The only way to be free of conflicting desires is to look upon them as being meaningless.
I shall take away the good and bad qualities of all those who come to me.
Until and unless I can see all my fellow creatures in salvation I shall remain always in bondage, even though I am free.
The differences that exist in religion are like the differences that exist between two persons who both desire the same food to satiate their hunger, but each wants it cooked differently.
To seek to change one’s present condition is to invite sorrow and suffering.
The absence of contradiction in the present is peace of mind.
There is nothing more valuable than honesty.
Honesty is the best policy.
Look upon the worth of a man as greater than the worth of money.
Knowledge is that which comes from within the purity of the heart.
Perhaps even a tiny atom can assert its own existence before the Existence of God, but I can make no such assertion.
Death has no claim over me. I can leave my body whenever I choose to.
Shri Babaji ill
There was a time when Shri Babaji Maharaj had become very ill and the doctor said he would not survive for more then three or four days.
Shri Nathji, who was a young man at the time, began to cry, and Shri Babaji said to him:
“Son, why do you cry?”
“Maharaj!” Shri Nathji wept, “you are about to leave your body!”
“Do you need my body? All right, then, I shall keep it!”
Immediately, thereafter, he recovered miraculously, and remained with Shri Nathji for a long time.
There was a time when Shri Babaji Maharaj exhibited a strange and inexplicable countenance. He did not bathe for about a year or so, and he allowed his nails to grow long, his hair to become unkempt and to hang on his shoulders, his clothes to become worn out and torn. He was lost in a world of his own where no one could disturb him.
Later his devotees preserved the clothes and nails of Shri Babaji of that time.
Shri Babaji would say:
I love you more than you love yourselves.
Nirguna – who is defined as the Lord beyond all qualities – is not one who has no qualities in Him, rather, Nirguna means, He, who has all the qualities within Him.
See Rama in everyone and love him.
Your religion is that which is God’s religion as well.
Whenever anyone bows before anyone else, He bows, in fact, only before God.
If there is Rama and only Rama, then who are you afraid of?
If there is you, and only you, then who are you afraid of?
If you are nothing, even then why are you afraid?
If you are one with God, then why do you fear?
Instead of saying “I”, “I”, say “Thou”, “Thou”. After that your “I” shall convert itself into “Thou”.
Do not say Anal-Haq – “I am God”, or “You are God”, or “ He is God”. Instead, say only: “God”, “God”. Then no one can find fault with you.
Gyaan ki baaten to agyaani kiyaa karte hai
Gyaani agyaaniyon ke karma kiyaa karte hain
Only the ignorant talk of wisdom
The wise but do the work of the ignorant!
Think of illness as the Love of God.
Look upon the Will of God in everything that comes your way.
Do not elevate yourself. This is the only way to success.
Duality and Diversity are in reality ignorance, but without them Oneness cannot manifest itself.
To know one has sinned and then to repent for the sin is the surest way to secure forgiveness.
The heart has no face of its own. It is like a mirror. It acquires the face of anything that comes before it.
The way to satiate a desire is to give up the desire altogether.
Intense desire and its fulfillment are one and the same.
Become thou that, yourself, first, which thou wouldst want the world to become.
Leave aside thy “I” and say “Rama”.
The thoughts of the world enter within you because you have no thought of your own within yourself.
Even the tiniest bit of Faith in God can make the entire world shake.
God in the String
There is a string in my hand. Where does God reside in the string?
He exists in each and every part of the string because He is Omnipresent – present at all places.
Look! I am spitting the string into parts. Is God present in each part of the string as before?
Yes, He is present as before.
Now I cut the string into a hundred thousand pieces. Is God present in each part of the string as before?
Yes.
Now I convert the string into atoms. Is God present in each of the atoms?
Yes.
Now I break up even an atom into millions of parts. Is God present in each and every part?
Yes.
Will He be present in all His even within the tiniest part of an atom?
Yes.
If God is present even within the “Isness” of the tiniest part, then how can that part exist separately?
And if you say that “it exists”, then how can there be any space for God to exist there side by side?
If you can give any existence to this little particle side by side with God, then it would mean that the particle is not God, but is something outside of God! This would mean that God is not everywhere, namely that God is limited to that extent.
However since God is Unlimited and Omnipresent therefore we have to admit that the particle does not exist at all and there is God and only God – Rama and only Rama everywhere and in everything. As a matter of fact nothing else exists, there is only Rama.
The Second Prophecy of Shri Babaji Maharaj
Those were the days when Shri Babaji Maharaj made a second prophecy, after his first prophecy about the war which had turned out to be true. In this second prophecy, Shri Babaji Maharaj said:
“A golden age shall dawn upon the earth in which all the sorrows and sufferings of the world shall cease to exist. There shall be peace everywhere. All differences shall cease to exist. People shall love each other like brothers. This shall be the time when the Avatar of God upon earth shall reveal Himself. He shall be the one for whom people of all faiths have been waiting, in accordance with their own beliefs. This Divine Personality shall be filled with love for all of humanity. No one shall be a stranger for him. One religion shall come to reign upon the earth and God shall take His children into His fold.
“No more shall mothers lose their sons before their eyes, and no more shall there be any war. This shall be the age for which the angels had been waiting, the age in which the saints and sages had hoped to be born so that they could get a glimpse of God upon Earth. This will be the age of Kaliyuga in which the Avatar was expected to reveal Himself. This is a time, the likes which has not come upon the earth since four ages—four yugaas. Aisaa time chaar yugon men naheen aayaa hai!
“Yes, even God was eagerly waiting for this time to come. The coming of this time is the final fruit of the Law of Evolution. It is the last great revelation which this world shall be granted. It is the time for which the prophecies of all the saints, sages and prophets have been existing. It is a time in which all shall have One Father and all shall be His children. There shall no name for the new religion to come. The faith of God shall reign supreme in the hearts of all. All shall be free of bondage while alive and shall gain salvation when leaving the world.
Shri Babaji Maharaj said:
“But, before this golden time comes, there shall be a period which shall be of the utmost dread, a time which shall be agonising and unbearable for the people of the world. It would be better if at that time all remain asleep and unconscious of what transpires, and deliver themselves to the protection of God. If we die, we shall die in the thought of Him, and if we survive, we shall live in freedom.”

IMPORTANT NOTE
Shri Babaji Maharaj had been predicting the advent of the nuclear age when the people of the world would be faced with the danger of annihilation from these weapons of destruction. It was a time which was to come in 1984. It was also the time when Shri Nathji was to save the world from total annihilation and to usher in a new era of peace.
The advent of this golden age was described in the verses below:
Zamaanaa aayaa hai behijaabi kaa aam deedaare yaar ab hogaa
Sakoot thhaa pardaa daar jiskaa vo raaz aashakaar ab hogaa
This is the age of revelations when all shall see the Eternal Friend,
The secret that was behind the veil, shall now stand revealed to all
Guzar gayaa vo daur Saki ke chhup ke peete thhe peene vale
Tamaam jahaan banegaa maikhaana har koyi baadaa khwaar hogaa
The times are a-gone, O Saaki, when those who drank did so in hiding,
The entire world shall become a drinking tavern now, and all shall drink to their fill!
Safeenaye barge gul banaa legaa kaarvaan more naatvaan kaa
Hazaar maujon ki ho kashaakash magar ye dariyaa ke paar hogaa
The petal of a flower shall become a ship for the caravan of the weak,
And though the waves try their worst, it shall deliver them to the shore!
Shri Babaji Maharaj continued:
“In short that golden age is coming. We must remain in preparation for it and must ever wash our hearts with the tears of His love.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said to Shri Nathji one day: “ Betaa, son, the words that I have uttered today can never turn out to be wrong, even if the skies and the earth cease their rotation! This must be so, because this is not my voice, it is the voice of God!’
Shri Babaji Maharaj asked all the people to pray to the Invisible God to manifest Himself in some human form of His choosing.
He said to them:
“For the satisfaction of the heart the Invisible Form of God is enough, but for the satisfaction of the eyes a visible human form is necessary.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj added:
“Let me congratulate you, my brethren, that that Reality has already come upon earth, in human form but shall manifest Himself only at His appointed time.”
“When Uddhauji pleaded with the gopis – the devotees of Lord Krishna – to not to weep in separation from Lord Krishna because He existed within their hearts, they said to him:
Teri sab baaten saanchi hain naheen shak ismen Naaraayan
Jo ho soorat kaa mastaanaa vo kaise parche baatan men
Thy words are true, there can be no doubt in them, O Lord,
But for one who is in Love with a Face, words are not enough!”
Shri Babaji Maharaj himself set down questions that all were asking and provided the answers to them as follows:
Question: Will God come upon earth Himself, or will He send some messenger?
Answer: The question is not very relevant. It makes no difference whether He comes Himself or sends some messenger. If He comes Himself it will be wonderful, but if He sends a messenger then the messenger will only reveal Him. So in either case there is no difference. A moth is concerned only with the light and not with the clay Deepak or lamp from which it comes.

I say this with absolute confidencer and knowledge. It is the voice of a Brahmgyaani – a realized soul- who may appear to be separate from God because of the limitations of the body but who is in fact one with him. It is written in all the religions of the world that some Being shall appear upon this earth whose coming shall free the world of all its sorrows and sufferings.

The Hindus say that the Poorna Brahm Nishkalank Avatar – the Kalki Avatar – shall appear upon the earth. The Muslims believe that the Imam Mehdi shall manifest himself. The Christians believe that Lord Christ shall come into this world again after becoming One with His father. The people of all faiths are waiting for someone to come, and, in a greater sense, all the people of the world are waiting for someone to relieve them of their sorrows and sufferings.
The question will arise: will all these beings appear to be different from each other, or will there be just One such Being who each shall call his own?
The answer is: there shall be just One Being who shall be accepted by people of various faiths as their own. Hindus shall look upon him in accordance with their beliefs, the Muslims shall look upon him in accordance with their beliefs, the Sikhs and the Christians will look upon him in accordance with their beliefs. This One Being shall appear to each his own and shall be loved by all.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj said:
“The time for the coming of this Being was ordained for the distant future. However when the Lord saw the sufferings of His children upon earth he curtailed the waiting and decided to come before His time!”
“If there be some who say that they cannot understand the logic behind this, then they can be asked: ‘Do we not want Him to come as soon as possible?’ And, secondly, how can we mere human beings know what His plans are? If we were to know them with the same degree of fulness as he Himself, then there would be no difference between Him and us!
“We must therefore be filled with boundless happiness at the thought of His coming.
“Yes, He has already come into this world and is doing His work in a concealed way. He shall reveal Himself whenever He so wills.
Mubaarik ho makeene laamakaan aayen hain duniyaan men
Zameen kaa charkh se paayaa dobaalaa honewaalaa hai
Good tidings be to all, that He, who was without a dwelling, has come into the World,
The status of the world shall soar higher than the heavens now!
“The final scene of unbounded beauty is to unfold itself before the eyes of the people of the world, in which there shall be nothing but love and peace.”
The Parable of Akbar and Birbal
Why must God come down to earth Himself? Could He not send one of His prophets or messengers to ease the sufferings of mankind? This question must have been on the lips of many. And Shri Babaji Maharaj had a novel answer. He explained the situation in a parable.
Akbar, a King, asked the same question of his Prime Minister, Birbal: "Why must God come down to earth himself? Why can he not send His messengers upon earth?
Birbal pondered over the question and then asked for some time. A few days passed, but no answer was forthcoming from Birbal. The question as well as the answer appeared forgotten. And, then, Akbar, Birbal, and a host of courtiers went sailing. In the middle of the steam, a figure was seen falling into the water.
"The crown prince!" Birbal shouted, "The crown prince has fallen into the waters!"
Without waiting to hear more, Akbar jumped into the waters in pursuit of the drowning figure. No sooner had he grasped it, when he exclaimed: "What! A dummy! Birbal! What kind of a joke is this!"
When Akbar had climbed into his boat, Birbal explained: "Sir, a few days back you had asked me why God must come down to earth to save mankind. I have given you the answer today. When you thought your very dear son was drowning, you lept into the waters to save him yourself. You didn't wait to instruct your courtiers or to send someone else to save him, you went yourself. Similarly, when God sees his very dear devotees in suffering, He comes down to earth Himself – He doesn't wait to send prophets or messengers!"
Question: What is the proof that such a time is about to come?
Answer: The proof lies in the fact that the world is in need of such a time.
Question: Who shall be the one called the Avatar?
Answer: He shall become known by Himself.
Question: How will we be able to recognize Him?
Answer: He shall grant recognition of Himself to whoever he likes, just like Lord Krishna granted recognition of Himself to Arjuna.
Question: To whom shall he grant recognition of Himself?
Answer: To those who wish to know Him. And if He so wills he may grant recognition of Himself to all, so that all may look upon Him.
Shri Babaji touches the Feet of Shri Nathji
During the early days when Shri Nathji was a child, and, later, a young man, he had remained scrupulously in the background so as to allow the glory of Shri Babaji Maharaj to spread. Yet Shri Babaji Maharaj was deeply conscious of the divinity of Shri Nathji and knew him to be the Avatar for which the people of the world had been waiting. He had not, however, openly disclosed this to the public, perhaps because he knew that the time was not yet ripe, and Shri Nathji was much too young and delicate to cope with the inevitable crowds that would follow. Shri Babaji Maharaj was waiting for the appropriate time when he would make this announcement. Till that time he allowed Shri Nathji to enjoy the anonymity of his youth.
One day Shri Nathji was asleep in bed when he awoke with a start. Someone had touched his feet. He opened his eyes and saw before him Shri Babaji Maharaj, his head bowed at the feet of Shri Nathji, and chanting the words of the Hindu Arti, oblation to God:
Tumev Maataa cha Pitaa tumev
Tumev Bandhu cha Sakhaa tumev
Tumev Vidyaa Dravinam tumev
Tumev Sarvam mam Dev Dev
Thou art my Mother and my Father,
Thou art my Brother and my Friend,
Thou art Learning and Wisdom,
Thou art my Everything, the God of all Gods.
Thereafter Shri Babaji Maharaj led Shri Nathji to the seat on which he always sat and asked Shri Nathji to sit upon it. At first Shri Nathji was reluctant to do so, but later obeyed Shri Babaji Maharaj, who was preparing him for the great destiny that lay ahead of him, for which he had come into the world.
At another time Shri Nathji was sitting in a room talking to some mahatma when Shri Babaji Maharaj walked into the room. Instinctively Shri Nathji stood up as a mark of respect for him. However Shri Babaji Maharaj protested at Shri Nathji standing up for him, and said:
“Nathji! Never stand up for anyone!
“Jis gaddi par aap baithhe hain vahaan saakshaat Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh bhee aa jayee to bhee aapko khare naheen hona hai!”
“The throne you are occupying is so great that you are not to stand up even if Brahma,
Vishnu, Mahesh come before you in all their Glory.”
Shri Nathji
Years earlier, on the 23rd of June 1902, Shri Babaji Maharaj had entered into a new phase of spiritual life, even as God Incarnate had taken birth as his son upon earth. He had been named Bhola Nathji and was affectionately called Shri Nathji.
All of Nature paid homage to this most Beautiful Being upon earth. Even though Shri Nathji had remained in the background all these years the time had come for him to reveal himself in the fulness of His Glory.
And Shri Babaji Maharaj said:
“Nand ghar anand bhayo, jai kanhayiyalaal ki”
“Joy has come to the house of Nand,
All Glory unto the Lord!”
Shri Babaji knew of the divinity of Shri Nathji from the day he was born. God could only have come to the home of such a great soul as Shri Babaji.
All these years Shri Nathji had kept himself in the background letting all the glory go to his father, Shri Babaji Maharaj. However the time had come for Shri Nathji to come into his own, and to appear before the world in the fulness of His Glory.



The Divine Prophecy Day May 18, 1926
On the 18th of May 1926, at Tehsilpur, Amritsar, Babaji heard a voice from the Heavens that dictated the following words. These words were like the Ten Commandments that had come down to Moses, or like the Vedas that had been revealed to the rishis of old. It was a voice that declared openly and clearly that God, the Everlasting, Eternal, Immortal Creator, had come down upon the earth in the human form of Shri Nathji.
The actual prophecy was in Urdu and Persian which is given below in the original handwriting of Shri Babaji Maharaj:


THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF BABAJI’S PROPHECY
Let the whole of creation, along with all its creatures, vegetation and matter know through this prophecy of great joy that the Eternal Promise made in goodness and great faith, has been fulfilled. If I should prove unfaithful, then seek thou one more faithful than I.
These tidings of great joy announce to the whole of creation that God, the Everlasting Soul, the Lord of Creation, has through His Divine Grace and Mercy, for the service of humanity, made Shri Nathji, Ghulaam Rue Zameen, The Servant of the Earth. And Shri Nathji shall take note of this Divine Behest through each and every breath of life. The whole of creation, along with all its creatures, vegetation and matter, has been called upon to obey this Divine Command, that, all of it, from the smallest of its creatures to the greatest of its Gods, Brahma, from the poorest of its inhabitants to the richest of its Kings, shall look upon and accept Shri Nathji as Shahenshah Rue Zameen – the Emperor of the Earth, and, knowing this through the mind and heart, all of creation shall, by obeying Him with all its instinct, and by observing the Divine Command of the Creator, secure for itself salvation in life as well as in Death.
Briefly said: God, the Everlasting Soul, has taken upon himself, in the bodily frame, the name of Nath, Ghulaam Rue Zameen, as well as Shahenshah Rue Zameen.”
D. D. Mehta
For
Nath
Ghulam Rue Zameen


Shri Nathji goes to Lahore:
On a sudden impulse, Shri Babaji Maharaj asked Shri Nathji to go to Lahore, even though there was no apparent reason for it. Shri Nathji obeyed his father unquestioningly and went to Lahore.
Once there, he found himself possessed by an overpowering divine light that seemed to flood the entire city. People rushed to Shri Nathji and were filled with an indescribable divine intoxication which was beyond their control. Multitudes began to throng to the young man who had just entered the city. Everyone felt the inexplicable presence of God in the young man. Word spread, all by itself, that the Avatar of God upon earth had appeared in their midst.
People thronged to get a glimpse of this Being who appeared to have descended from the heavens itself. His Divine Beauty was so enthralling that all who looked upon His Face were transported to another plane altogether. Never before had one so Beautiful and so Divine appeared before them. His overpowering love captured the hearts of all. All at once they knew they were in the presence of their Eternal Friend, God.
People from all walks of life, men, women and children rushed to Shri Nathji. The poor and illiterate, as well as the rich and intellectuals, fell at the feet of Shri Nathji. People wept in a divine ecstasy that possessed them. The mere sight of Shri Nathji was such as to intoxicate humanity. They followed him everywhere and would not leave him alone for a moment. They left their homes and jobs and prepared to sacrifice even their lives for him if necessary. It appeared that the Messiah had come, who would lead the country out of the bondage of slavery, and indeed lead the human soul out of the bondage of the human flesh. Shri Babaji’s prophecy about Shri Nathji was coming true, all by itself, in a very miraculous manner. God was revealing Himself through the personality of Shri Nathji.
People would burst out into tears the moment they came before Shri Nathji, and they found separation from him unbearable. It appeared as if he was their nearest and dearest one, the heart of their hearts, the soul of their souls. His words showered the nectar of life on people and took them beyond space and time. People felt as if heaven had come down upon earth. Since they could not go up to an Invisible God, it appeared as if He had come down to them in the form of Shri Nathji.
There was Pandit Ram Lal Sharma who was a professor at Alwar Rajrishi College, and there was Shri Hardeo Prasad Sharma M.A., who had become very attached to Shri Nathji and would not leave him day or night. They were convinced that the destiny of the world lay in the hands of Shri Nathji and that he was God incarnate upon earth.
The Revelation at Sanatan Dharam College
The two devotees of Shri Nathji, Hardeo Prasad Sharma, and Ram Lal invited Shri Nathji to address the students at the boy’s hostel at Sanatan Dharam College.
Shri Nathji sat in a verandah outside the hostel rooms and met the students. What had at first begun as a casual meeting, took the form of a deeply moving and powerful spiritual experience.
Even as the students gathered around Shri Nathji, spiritu¬al waves of love divine appeared to engulf their hearts. Their inner beings thrilled with a bliss altogether inexpressible and unique. A divine intoxication overpowered them and a spiritual ecstasy appeared to flood their souls. The gates of a mighty revelation appeared to open, and the full glory of Shri Nathji’s Divine Form made itself manifest. It was a feeling much too powerful for any human being.
Some students fell down upon the ground in a semi-conscious state, some wept and laughed, in turns, spiritual radiance came over their features. God had revealed Himself to them, suddenly and powerfully.
"Enough!" they said, "enough, we cannot bear to look upon thy real form any longer! Conceal thy real self! Switch off the light!"
Shri Nathji’s face had an unusual glow upon it. His eyes were shut and his hands raised upwards in a gesture of blessing. Upon hearing their pleas, he got up and switched off the light in the verandah.
"Your divine radiance floods our souls even in this darkness,” the students said, “it is blinding; we cannot bear it any longer. Shut off your inner light. Its brilliance is too much. Your real form is too overwhelming!”
The principal of the college, Shri Raghubar Dayal, arrived on the scene when he heard of the strange phenomenon. He was introduced to Shri Nathji, and immediately begged that he, too, be granted a vision of the inner light.
During those days, the incident gave one of the strongest proofs of Shri Nathji’s divinity. Arjuna had been the only one to have seen the Divine Form of Lord Krishna, but here were many being granted the same vision. It was the Will of God to reveal Himself whenever He wanted to, to as many people as He liked. If a college hostel was an odd place for such a revelation, so was the battlefield of Kurukshetra in which Lord Krishna had revealed Himself as God to Arjuna.
When Shri Nathji finally left Lahore to return to Amritsar, crowds followed him to the Railway Station in tears. They could not bear to be parted from him. It was as if their very soul was going away, so great was the intensity of the love and devotion they had for Shri Nathji.
Shri Nathji returns to Shri Babaji Maharaj
Shri Nathji returned to Lahore to be with Shri Babaji Maharaj again. But his destiny seemed to lie ahead of him. The time had come for him to reveal himself to the world. It was the time when the advent of the avatar was to manifest itself. The prophecy of Shri Babaji Maharaj had to be vindicated.
As soon as Shri Nathji was with Shri Babaji Maharaj again he assumed his original stance of obedience and silence before him. The Divine Light that had burned in him so fiercely at Lahore was shut off. Before Shri Babaji Maharaj he was ever the obedient son and the ever-eager pupil wishing to learn more. But within himself he knew who he really was, as Shri Babaji Maharaj had predicted.
Shri Nathji at Dalhousie, Chamba
Thereafter Shri Nathji left Shri Babaji Maharaj at Amritsar and with his blessings went out on a tour. This time he went to Dalhousie and then to Chamba and then back to Dalhousie. At Dalhousie and Chamba multitudes followed him, weeping, wherever he went. The word Avatar was on the lips of all. It appeared as if people everywhere had come to know of Shri Nathji’s avatarhood without a word being said. The forces of Nature were working to make their creator known wherever he went.
When Shri Nathji spoke at a temple in Dalhousie, the Hindus and Muslims together laid out the carpets in the hall. Dalhousie and Chamba were deluged by a flood of his Love Divine.
Shri Nathji at Jullunder
From Dalhousie Shri Nathji went to Jullunder where again the same phenomenon was witnessed. Shri Nathji stayed at the house of Shri Devi Chand who was a judge. It was said that he had seen the vision of Lord Krishna in his home many years ago. He had built a temple at the spot where Lord Krishna had appeared to him.
When he saw Shri Nathji for the first time he recognized him immediately as Lord Krishna and became his ardent devotee. His son, Barrister Kewal Kishen also became greatly devoted to Shri Nathji.
The brother of Kewal Kishen, Dwarka Nath, was also a barrister, freshly returned from London. He was a confirmed atheist and had refused to even come before Shri Nathji. But the moment he came before him he was converted and began having as great a faith in Shri Nathji as his brother and father. The conversion astonished everyone.
Crowds thronged to the house of Shri Devi Chand to get a glimpse of Shri Nathji and to listen to his words, and Shri Nathji gave of himself freely to all. The entire city received a showering of his nectar of Divine Love. People who set eyes upon him felt that their birth upon the planet earth had found fulfillment. They had found God upon earth.
Shri Nathji at Mussoorie
From Jullunder, Shri Nathji went to the hill station of Mussoorie in the Himalayas. The year was 1929. Mussoorie was a place which was to draw him to itself again and again, and which was to become his home in the years to come.
In Mussoorie, Shri Nathji’s divine light began to manifest itself even as he converted Nawab Istafa Khan, an orthodox Muslim, who had at first refused to accept any faith other than his own. After his conversion, he became so enamoured of Shri Nathji that he purchased a large sized portrait of Shri Nathji from Julian Rust, the famous Italian photographer of Mussoorie, and placed it in his house with the verse written beneath it:
Kyaa khoob shakl iss bute kaafir adaa ki hai
Hindu bhee kaih rahe hain ke ye kudrat khudaa ki hai
What beauty exists in this face of the unbeliever before me,
Even the Hindus do see the Glory of God in it!
Shri Nathji’s mission in life began to manifest itself with the conversion of a hardened atheist, Ram Rattan Khanna who was an M.Sc., a scientist by training, and the Registrar of the Lucknow University. He had at first refused to even come for the darshan of Shri Nathji at Mussoorie. However when he was persuaded by Professor Wali Muhammad a devotee of Shri Nathji, he came to meet Shri Nathji. The meeting lit up a spark within his soul and his agnosticism vanished. For the first time in his life he felt that he was face to face with God. A flood of tears washed away the separation of the ages and he became Shri Nathji’s forever. He declared openly before everyone:
“When I first heard the voice of Shri Nathji, I knew at once that this was the same voice that had been coming to humanity throughout the ages.
“Ye vohi aavaaz hai jo yug yug men aati rahi hai!”
He also declared openly before all:
“Yehi Ram thhe, yehi Krishna thhe, yehi Nanak thhe, yehi Hazrat Muhammad thhe, yehi Christ thhe, yehi Sakkshaat Bhagwan hain!
“He was Rama, He was Krishna, He was Nanak, He was Muhammad, He was Christ, He is God Incarnate!”
By this, R.R. Khanna meant that it was the same Universal God who had appeared upon earth throughout the ages in various garbs, either as an Avatar or as a Messiah, Messenger or Prophet.

Shri Nathji at Lucknow
Shri Nathji went to Lucknow at the invitation of Khanna. The entire city of Lucknow and all the intelligentsia there were astonished at the conversion of this confirmed atheist, even as R.R. Khanna introduced Shri Nathji to the public there. The members of the judiciary and great intellectuals of the day all became greatly devoted to Shri Nathji. His fame began to spread far and wide in the state of U.P., United Provinces, as it was then called.
Dr. S Radhakrishnan, who was then the Vice Chancellor of Andhra University, had come for the convocation address at Lucknow University. He was so impressed on meeting Shri Nathji that he said: “Inke paas vo shakti hai ke ye ek nazar se doosre ki zindagi badal sakte hain. His spiritual power is so great that he can change a person’s life in a single glance!”
Miracles followed Shri Nathji wherever he went, people were raised from the dead, the inconsolable received consolation; hopeless failures succeeded, barren parents conceived, the forces of Nature appeared to be held in abeyance by him, peace was given to those in sorrow and suffering; the spark of God realization was lit in the hearts and souls of people in an instant. And yet he said:
“Speak not to me of miracles
For I have left miracles behind.”
The world had never witnessed such a beautiful Divine Being before on the planet earth. He was Satyam Shivam Sundaram – God, in all His Knowledge, His Absolute Existence and His Beauty. Intellectuals were astonished at his irrefutable arguments. All of a sudden, the mysteries of God and his creation became so easy to understand. People of all faiths began to have faith in him and each believed him to be their own. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Parsees, all flocked to him for his darshan and blessings.
There was an indefinable force of Love that emanated from him which was not seen in any other human being in the world. It was a clear revelation of the fact that God was Love. Shri Nathji came to be known as Premavatar – the incarnation of Love. All who met him came to the conclusion, all by themselves, that they were meeting God face to face. In his presence people experienced God.
Here was a miracle in which people were accepting Shri Nathji as God, not because of any proselytization or preaching, but because of an inner voice that told them from within their own hearts.
Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, who was the Founder of the Banares Hindu University, was so astounded by the Divine Beauty of Shri Nathji that, when he met him at Dehra Dun, near Mussoorie, he exclaimed:
“Aah- haa, aah-haa! Aisee moorti kahaan banti hai , kahaan banti hai,
Karorron janmon ke apne punya udai hon,
Aur karoron janmon ke maataa pitaa ke punya udai hon
Tab aisee morrti banti hai!
“Where in the world can one find an image like yours!
It is only the fruit of thousands of ages of righteous acts
Of oneself and one’s parents
That can produce such a Divine Being!”
R.R.Khanna meets Shri Babaji
R.R. Khanna came to Amritsar for the darshan and blessings of Shri Babaji Maharaj. The impact on him was so profound that he could not contain himself. He wrote later in the foreword to Shri Nathji’s book, Zahure Haqueeqat:
”It was only after many entreaties and prayers that I was able to obtain the darshan of the holiest of the holy, Shri Babaji Maharaj. The divine light that emanated from him was indescribable. I was so touched by his presence that I could hardly contain myself. I had read in holy books of saints and sages that had raised their devotees to heaven in the physical body, but I had not believed those stories. However Shri Babaji Maharaj with a single glance raised me to a heaven that I cannot describe, while my body remained upon this earth. The divine bliss and intoxication that filled me was so great that when I left the darbaar of Shri Babaji Maharaj this feeling accompanied me.
“I was to go to the wedding of my brother in Lahore. When I reached there, I was so filled with the divine bliss and intoxication of Shri Babaji Maharaj that no matter who I embraced that person became filled with the same divine bliss himself! All began to wonder what strange power had accompanied me, and all were overwhelmed at the divine bliss they acquired from my touch. This continued till the feeling was taken away from me by Shri Babaji Maharaj or else I would never have been able to continue with my worldly tasks. It was all his leela, his divine play.”
Lahore Permanent Home
Those were the days when the life style of Shri Nathji was completely changed. He would leave Shri Babaji Maharaj and Jagatmataji at Amritsar and would go to Mussoorie, and from Mussoorie he would go to Lucknow and stay there for a while, and, thereafter, return to Amritsar to be with Shri Babaji Maharaj again. This developed into a routine from 1929 to 1934.
In 1935 Shri Babaji Maharaj and Jagatmataji and Shri Nathji shifted to Lahore which they made their permanent home. Even then Shri Nathji would go from Lahore to Mussoorie and then to Lucknow and would thereafter return to Lahore. All this time Shri Babaji Maharaj and Jagatmataji remained at Lahore.


The Bhatts at Raipur
Shri Nathji was with Shri Babaji Maharaj at Lahore. Hundreds of miles away in Central India in the regions known as Berar, there was a lady, Gangabai Bhatt, by name. She was the wife of sub-judge Ganesh Prasad Bhatt of Raipur.
One day she got up early in the morning and looked at the sky. Suddenly the heavens appeared to part and she saw a Face almost as large as the sky itself, looking down upon her. The spiritually intensity of the moment was so great that she fell unconscious. She felt her soul go up into the heavens where a unique scene presented itself before her eyes.
She found herself in a divine court where there was a large throne. And upon the throne was seated God in the form of Lord Vishnu, the deity she had always worshipped. She prostrated herself before the Figure on the throne and prayed that she be allowed to remain there, always. However Lord Vishnu said to her: “Gangabai Bhatt, you will have to go down to the earth to complete your part in the drama ordained for you.”
Gangabai Bhatt pleaded that she be allowed to remain in heaven where she could be close to the Lord all the time. However the voice of Lord Vishnu said to her:
“Gangabai! Do not fret! I have come down upon earth in human form and you shall have the opportunity to meet me in the world.”
“But how will I recognize Thee, O Lord!” Gangabai asked.
And Lord Vishnu caused a divinely beautiful figure to appear before her. It was a incredibly Handsome Being in a turban, a shervaani and chooridars, who looked like an Emperor.
“Look upon this figure,” said Lord Vishnu,” this is the face I shall have upon earth!”
Gangabai Bhatt found herself back upon earth. Thereafter she commenced a search for the God she had seen in the heavens. She travelled all over India for three years and finally came to Lahore in the Punjab. The year was 1937. The moment she cast her eyes on Shri Nathji she knew him to be the form that Lord Vishnu had shown her in the heavens. Shri Nathji was none other than Lord Vishnu.
Her joy knew no bounds. Her husband, who was a sceptic and agnostic, came to meet Shri Nathji, and was at once converted, miraculously. Gangabai Bhatt and Ganesh Prasad Bhatt were to become the foremost of Shri Nathji’s devotees who would spread his name to thousands of people in the years to come.
Shri Babaji Maharaj would often say about Gangabai Bhatt: “Ye Shri Nathji ko pragat karne aayi hai! She has come to make Shri Nathji known to the world!”
Shri Babaji’s prophecy was rapidly coming true. People were recognizing Shri Nathji to be the avatar all by themselves in a manner that was nothing short of miraculous.
Shri Nathji’s Marriage
It had been the wish of Shri Babaji Maharaj that Shri Nathji get married rather than lead the life of an ascetic.
Shri Babaji had said to Shri Nathji:
“Hamen aur Nath chaahiyen.”
“I want to see more Nath’s in the world.”
Savitri Devi was selected by Shri Babaji Maharaj to be the life partner of Shri Nathji. She had many unique divine qualities that at once gripped the heart of Shri Babaji Maharaj and Jagatmata Saraswatiji. It was as if she had been ordained to be the life partner of Shri Nathji. She had had no thoughts of marriage in her heart, and had wished to spend her life for a noble cause. She had often imagined herself marrying Lord Krishna. She was a graduate with a degree in Economics and would often write essays on a multiplicity of topics which ranged from spirituality to law and economics. She could not bear to see the sorrows and sufferings of the world and wished she could alleviate them.
The father of Savitri Devi was Lala Hargopal Khanna, a renowned senior advocate of Lahore, who was the Legal Adviser of the Punjab National Bank and an honoured citizen of the city, well known for his unquestioned honesty and integrity. The brothers and sisters of Savitri Devi all had great faith in Shri Babaji Maharaj and Shri Nathji.
The Vision of Sri Krishen at Amar Nath
One of the brothers of Savitri Devi, Sri Krishen Khanna, had had a vision in the Holy Cave of Amar Nath a year earlier, in which Lord Shankar had spoken to him and told him that He had come down upon earth in human form. When Sri Krishen went to Mussoorie he met Shri Nathji and instantly recognized him to be Lord Shanker, the Lord in human form. His faith in Shri Nathji was so great that at times he would place his forehead on the doorstep of Shri Nathji and remain in that pose for hours.
Lala Hargopal came before Shri Babaji Maharaj and placed before him the proposal for the marriage of Savitri Devi to Shri Nathji with the words: “Can we consider ourselves fortunate enough to be accepted by you?”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj replied: “Mubaarik ho, Lala Hargopal! Aapki beti sooraj banke chamkegi! Your daughter shall shine as brightly as the sun!”
And thus it was that the marriage of Shri Nathji to Savitri Devi took place on the 7th of May 1939 at Lahore.
Shri Babaji Maharaj fulfilled his last duties towards Shri Nathji as a father. He joined the baaraat, wedding procession of Shri Nathji, wearing a traditional pink turban, as was the custom, and walked alongside the mare on which the bridegroom was seated. Shri Babaji Maharaj had always said that worldly duties and worldly relationships had to be nurtured with the greatest of care:
“Rishtedaari moti ki aab hoti hai!”
“Worldly relationships must be preserved like the lustre of a pearl.”
It was a strange baaraat. Rajas and maharajas walked alongside the poor and illiterate. Muslim Faqueers with hukkaas walked side by side with Hindu saints and sages. There were advocates and intellectuals and the common folk. All who saw the baaraat of Shri Nathji wished to join it. Shopkeepers came out of their shops and became a part of the wedding procession. Very soon the baaraat had swelled into a group of more than a thousand people walking together. People described the baaraat as the wedding procession of Lord Shankar, which had all manner of beings in it.
Shaihzaade kaa jaloos hai ab takhte zaat par
Har zarraa sadke jaataa hai naghmaa saraa hai aaj
The procession of the Crown Prince is at its Glory,
Every particle showers itself upon Him and sings with joy
Lala Hargopal Khanna, the bride’s father had asked Shri Babaji Maharaj before the marriage: “Please tell me what I can do for the wedding?”
And Shri Babaji Maharaj had said: “Meraa koyi baaraati naa-kush na jaaye! Let no member of the wedding procession go away displeased!”
Lala Hargopal had called cooks from Kashmir for the wedding, but the arrangements had been made to feed only a few hundred people. The size of the baaraat was unprecedented. He fretted how he would be able to feed the entire baaraat. Lala Hargopal recalled the words of Shri Babaji Maharaj and for a while he was worried. However he had intense faith in Shri Nathji and Shri Babaji Maharaj. He shut his eyes and prayed to them to resolve the difficulty. And a miracle occurred. The food appeared to multiply itself. The multitudes ate to their heart’s content and no one went away hungry.
Shri Nathji continued to live at Lahore and Dehra Dun after his marriage. His mission in live began to spread even more powerfully after his marriage to Savitri Devi. People who had earlier thought of Shri Nathji as a mahatma began to think of him as an Avatar like Lord Rama and Lord Krishna who, too, had been married.
Smt. Savitri Devi, who came to be known as the Divine Mother, Maha Mateshwari, had been the Shakti, the Divine Power in feminine form, of the Lord upon earth since ages.
The Birth of Pran Nath
The first son born to Shri Nathji and Savitri Devi was named Pran Nath. He was born on the 22nd of February 1940 at Lahore.
Shri Babaji Maharaj was so delighted that he distributed laddoo sweets all over the city of Lahore. Shri Babaji took joy in the birth of Pran Nath whom he held in his lap. When the child almost pushed Shri Babaji backwards, Shri Babaji said laughingly:
“Betaa tum to mujh se bhee taakatvar ho gaye ho!”
“Son, you have become even more powerful than me.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj leaves his physical frame
The work for which Shri Babaji Maharaj had come upon the planet earth had come to an end. He had given peace and bliss to countless souls and relieved mankind of its sufferings; he had brought Shri Nathji into the world, who was the Avatar of the twentieth century, and he had seen the birth of his grandson.
And it came about that Shri Babaji Maharaj willed that he leave the world. The events that followed were in accordance with His Will and Divine Plan which no one could alter. A devotee used to come for the darshan and blessings of Shri Babaji Maharaj at Lahore every morning. He would come at an early hour even in the severe winter and enter the bedroom of Shri Babaji Maharaj, where he would wrap up the quilt that Shri Babaji wore in the cold weather, and then he would sit at his feet to listen to his words. On one such occasion Shri Babaji Maharaj caught a severe chill, which later turned into pneumonia.
Shri Nathji got the best doctor in Lahore, Dr. Nihal Chand, to attend upon Shri Babaji Maharaj.
When Shri Babaji Maharaj was very ill, the doctor said to him:
“Babaji, you are very ill.”
And Shri Babaji said, “If I were, I would have the desire to get well.”
“Babaji, you are dying,” said the doctor.
“If I were, I would have the desire to live,” said Shri Babaji Maharaj.
And, on the 13th of December 1940, even as Shri Nathji held the head of Shri Babaji Maharaj in his hands, Shri Babaji opened his eyes, but once, looked at Shri Nathji and then closed his eyes forever. He went into a deep meditation from which he was never to emerge. And thus one of the greatest saints who ever came to this planet earth left his mortal frame. His legacy to the world was Shri Nathji, the Avatar of the Age.
The Birth of Priya Nath
On the 7th of October 1941, exactly nine months after the passing away of Shri Babaji Maharaj, a second son was born to Shri Nathji and Savitri Devi. He was born at Mussoorie in the Himalayas.
When Mata Saraswati, or Jagatmata as she was then known, who was the grandmother of Priya Nath came to Mussoorie and saw the child Priya Nath she said at once:
“Ye Babaji phir aa gaye. Babaji has come again. Look at the long tongue the child has. The goddess of learning Saraswati herself resides on his tongue. There shall be no greater speaker than him.”
Shri Babaji Maharaj had completed the work for which he had come upon earth. His Life’s mission was carried to the world by his beloved son, Shri Nathji, the most beautiful personality of the 20th century.
Shri Babaji’s words about Shri Nathji’s avatarhood were to ring out to be true. Intellectuals and atheists were converted into believers by a brief glance of Shri Nathji, saints and sages of repute saw God in Shri Nathji, the entire city of Akola in Maharashtra saw him in the form of Vishnu, Panduranga, Dattatraiya, Muslims saw in him the highest tenets of their faith, and Sikhs saw the Granth Sahib and the ten Gurus come alive in His teachings. The Parsees saw in Him the Eternal Flame of Light of Ahura Mazda. To each he was his own, and His voice rang out:
“I have no mission except Love in this world,
My mission is Love and my work is Love.”
Shri Nathji’s advent upon the earth was in keeping with the laws of creation. Whenever the world needed a saviour, God had to come down in human form to save the world. When the evil of Ravana was rampant, Lord Rama came down upon earth; to vanquish the evil Kansa, Lord Krishna came down upon earth. And in every corner, every region of the earth saviours came whenever the time was ripe.
The 20th century was the most dreadful period in the history of the world. The nuclear weapons could have destroyed the entire population of the world a hundred times over. The nuclear bomb was the Maha Ravana and Maha Kansa, the greatest evil power in existence, and Shri Nathji was destined to save the world. He was the Avatar in the Age of darkness – the Kaliyuga. He was God Incarnate manifesting Himself as the Kalki Avatar. He fulfilled Shri Babaji’s mission, gave peace to untold souls, gave relief from sorrow and suffering to all who came to Him and above all gave of His Divine Love to humanity which raised people to heights of Divine Bliss never before experienced. And it was His promise to take people across the Bhavsaagar – the ocean of life and death – Nay, he had gone a step further and said: “Main Bhavsaagar ko hee samaapt karne aayaa hoon.”
“I have come to finish the Bhavsaagar once and for all.”
In March 1984 Shri Nathji appealed to the people of the world to observe a World Prayer Day for Peace to avert a nuclear war upon earth. His appeal went out in a miraculous way to all corners of the globe, even as God entered within the hearts of the media persons who volunteered to take the news to the people of the world for the cause of peace. Shri Nathji wrote personal letters to 170 heads of state in the world asking them to observe World Prayer Day wherever they were. Shri Nathji’s appeal was simple and the most secular appeal made in the history of the world. Here was Shri Nathji using Prayer to unite all the religions of the world and indeed all the people of the world. His appeal wanted nothing from anyone, it was the most unselfish appeal made in the history of the world, and the first massive attempt to bring the entire world together in a Prayer for Peace. Shri Nathji’s voice rang out to the people of the world:
“Pray wherever you are,
In whatever way you like.”
Shri Nathji said: “He who created the world in a single wish can also save it in a single wish. The greatest superpower is God. The time has come for all of humanity to turn towards God in a big way. Perhaps the collective prayer of mankind can move Him to save the world from a nuclear war.”
Shri Nathji said during the worst phase of the crisis when all the intellectuals, philosophers scientists, journalists, politicians and the common folk everywhere were saying that the end of the world was at end:
“Badle hai koyi aan men ab range zamaana
Aataa hai aman jaataa hai ab jange zamaana
Someone shall change the face of the world in an instant,
Peace is on its way and the age of war is about to go.”
On the 28th of April 1986 Shri Nathji wrote a historic letter, jointly, to President Reagan of America and President Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, urging the two world leaders to come together in peace. His letters went out to them at a time when they were not even on speaking terms with each other and their representatives had walked out on each other in the Salt II disarmament talks in the United Nations.
In the letters Shri Nathji wrote, amongst other things, ”This world is God’s world. We are all here like guests residing in the house of the Host, who is God. No guest has the right to destroy the house of his host. Far better it will be, if instead of missiles of war, you aim missiles of peace at each other…”
A miracle occurred. The moment his letters reached the two world leaders their hearts were changed overnight. Two long-standing foes were changed into friends through the divine power of Shri Nathji in a single day. It was an arrow of Divine Love that entered their hearts – an arrow that came from Shri Nathji’s heart.
Thaa kuchh na kuchh jo phaans see iss dil men chubh gayi
Maanaa ke uske haath men teero sanaa na thaa

There was something that came and pierced the heart,
Even though His hand carried neither a bow nor an arrow.
On May 15, 1986 much to the surprise of the world, Reagan wrote a letter of peace and friendship to Gorbachev, which was followed by an equally friendly reply by Gorbachev. A new era of peace dawned upon the planet earth even as the two superpowers who had been antagonists only days before came together in peace. In December 1987 they signed the historic Helsinki agreement agreeing to eliminate the nuclear weapons of mass destruction that threatened all of mankind.
World leaders and the United Nations lauded Shri Nathji’s peace initiative and the World Prayer Day.
Even as Shri Nathji continued his World Prayer day crusade from 1984 to 1992, the entire face of the world changed. The Soviet Union gave way to a non-communist Russia, Communism vanished from Europe, and the era of the cold war came to an end in one of the most bewildering changes in the history of the world. Two long standing foes, America and Russia, who had held the fate of the world in their hands with their stockpile of nuclear weapons, came together in peace and friendship.
Shri Nathji had saved the world in a silent, invisible way, remaining in the background like a puppeteer who holds the strings of the puppets dancing on the stage but remains unseen himself.
In the past, as Lord Rama and Lord Krishna he had had to destroy the evil-doers. But in the twentieth century His drama was more powerful. He did not destroy those on the wrong path, rather He changed their hearts and changed the world.
By the time Shri Nathji left the world, the danger of a nuclear war had disappeared from the face of the earth thanks to his crusade of the World Prayer Day. A dramatic, miraculous change had come about in the face of the earth – the Eastern and Western Super Powers had joined hands in friendship and peace was reigning in the world. The prophecy of Shri Babaji Maharaj had been fulfilled.
Shri Nathji’s work upon the planet earth was complete. It was time for him to return to the celestial abode from where he had come. He left his physical frame on the 6th of September 1992, at the age of 90. He had mingled into the Universe as the Universal Soul.
He left behind his two sons, Pran Nath and Priya Nath to carry on with his work. Both the sons had taken to studying science in accordance with the wishes of Shri Nathji, who saw in science the bountiful hand of God. Priya Nath had become a nuclear scientist at Harvard University, America, before he left his lucrative job there to join hands with Shri Nathji in his mission. Pran Nath, an electronics engineer, lived in London in deference to the wishes of Shri Nathji and appeared to be possessed with an unbelievable knowledge that encompassed all the subjects upon earth. The two sons remain as living citadels of Shri Nathji in the world:
“Ham to zindaa hain ke duniyaa men teraa naam rahe
Kaheen ye mumkin hai ke Saaki na rahe jaam rahe?”
“We are alive today so that Thy name may live in the world,
Can it ever be possible that there be no Saaki and only the cup of wine?”
In 1932 Shri Nathji had written the fascinating biography of Shri Babaji Maharaj, “Zahoore Haqueeqat” by name, which means, “A Manifestation of Reality”. People who read the book are at once transported to another plane where only Divine Bliss remains Supreme. Shri Nathji always considered writing a sequel to the biography but never did so. Perhaps the book was complete in itself. The present website is entirely based upon the contents of the said book.
Three generations of the family have worked for the ideals that Shri Babaji Maharaj stood for, and perhaps generations shall continue with this work which is complete and yet incomplete for many.
Both these Great Souls, Shri Babaji and Shri Nathji, who have merged into each other and have become One, shall forever remain as the Guardians of the Universe in their invisible form. They answer the prayers of anyone who calls out to them. But one thing that mankind shall miss, forever, shall be those beautiful Divine Human Forms which these souls assumed upon earth, and which shall never come again.
One can only pray to the Eternal Saaki, Nath – the Creator of the Universe – the Lord God of the Universe:

“Jo baadaakash thhe puraane vo utth-te chale jaate hain
Kaheen se aabe bakaaye davaam le Saaki”
“The older Lovers are leaving the world, one by one,
O Saaki, bring forth Thy Wine of Immortality which shall bring them back to life again.”

JAI SHRI
BABAJI BHAGWAN

THE END