Maharaj NibKarori 2 महाराज निब करोरी

राम

Maharaj ji had a physical form, but he was not limited by his body. Instead, it was a source of continuous, often amazing, supernatural acts. Matter never impeded his movements. He would appear or disappear in an instant, observe events in distant locations, and give darshan to different people at different places simultaneously. He could create and control all kinds of situations and circumstances. Without doing anything obvious, he was doing everything.

Hearing a call for help, Maharaj ji would appear no matter how trivial the desire. He would often respond to a devotee's distress without being called. He frequently said, "If I hold the hand of anyone, whoever he may be, I do no leave him, even though he may leave me." In these cases Maharaj ji took the welfare of his devotee upon himself. Even if the devotee strayed, Baba never forgot him. His devotees were so impressed by this reassurance that their faith continues unabated, even after his Mahasamadhi.



Baba's Darshan In London


One day I was traveling by a double-decker bus in London and had occupied a seat near the entrance. There was nobody by my seat, and the conductor was on the upper deck. The bus was almost empty. Suddenly the bus stopped and an old beggar got on. He was wearing many layers of tattered clothes and was holding a red and blue blanket in his hand. He stood in front of me and looked at me with a gentle smile as if saying, Move aside I want to sit by you. I moved aside and he sat down.

I do not like staring at people, so I turned my face a little and peered out of the window. At the time I thought, What a lovely smile he has. How nice that old man is! The words "old man" turned my thoughts to Maharaj ji. I had always heard that he was known as "the old man with a blanket," so I turned my face to see him again and was surprised to see that the seat by my side was vacant. It had only been a few minutes. Where had he disappeared? I looked outside, but the bus had not stopped anywhere. If he had wanted to get off the bus, how could he? The road was deserted, and the beggar was not to be seen anywhere. I could not understand how it had all happened, and it was not a case of hallucination.

The next day some of my friends came to me and said that the previous morning (the same time that I was on the bus) they had had a sudden inspiration to help me buy a ticket to go to India to visit Maharaj ji. It was all rather strange. Although the amount offered by my friends met my travel expenses, a poor student like me had no means of subsistence in India. Maharaj ji had to show another miracle to solve this problem. In England a student gets travel expenses from the university to go back home after the end of each term. I had applied for this, but I was surprised to see that the authorities had issued a check for double the amount that I had asked for. I pointed out the mistake to them by telephone, but going through their account books, they informed me that the amount paid to me was correct. I finally realized that Maharaj ji wanted me to go have his darshan.

I arrived in Delhi by plane within a month and went directly to Kainchi to see Maharaj ji. As I went into the ashram, I decided to ask him if he was the same old man who had met me in London. When I went to him, I saw that he was wearing the same blanket that the old man was carrying that day on the bus. Baba looked at me with the same I-know-all smile. After this there was nothing left to ask. I knew he was the same old man who had met me in London. What a benign look that was! It filled my heart and soul with bliss.

-Heather Thompson, U.K.

1. Baba's Darshan In Hanuman's Murti


I came to Kainchi with my wife and two children, aged six and four, after hearing about Baba from Devilal Sah of Nainital. After we bowed before him, our children prostrated at Baba's feet. Baba put his hand on their heads and blessed them saying, "They will make good progress in life and will attain high positions." We were pleased to hear Baba's blessing. After this Baba said to me, "You are an atheist, you do not believe these things." Agreeing with him, I said that I had no faith. Baba at once bade us farewell and said, "Go now, have Hanuman ji's darshan in the temple." On our return to the temple, we did not see Hanuman ji at all. In the place of the murti, we had Baba's darshan in person. We were struck speechless with wonder at this spectacle and had darshan for some time before leaving the temple. This event changed our lives.

-Colonel S.S. Chinvan

2.  A Visit to Varanasi

The Maharaja of Vijayanagaram and Devkamta Dixit were both on the board of directors of Prem Lal's paper mill. They were also good friends, so when the Maharaja passed away, Dixit ji wanted to go to Varanasi to offer his condolences to the family. However, he hesitated to do so since he had not met them before. After a few days Baba came to his house and said, "You didn't go to Varanasi?" Dixit ji explained the difficulty. Baba said, "Come, I'll go too. I'll also let you have Shankar's [Lord Shiva's] darshan." When they arrived at the Maharaja's mansion in Varanasi, Baba said, "Don't take the car inside. I'll go to the temple of Sankat Mochan Hanuman." Dixit ji was surprised that Baba was changing the program without any apparent reason. Instead of meeting the family or going to the Vishwanath (Lord Shiva) temple, they went to the Hanuman temple. When they arrived, Dixit ji saw that the family of the Maharaja had also come to the temple for darshan. All of them received Baba warmly and took him to their mansion with great love and reverence.

3.  A Suitable Height

We received many proposals of marriage for my elder son and wanted to make the decision with Baba's consent and blessing. One of the things my wife hoped for was a tall girl to suit our tall son. While I was in Kainchi for the 15 June consecration ceremony in 1973, I made every effort to talk to Baba alone. One day during evening darshan Baba spoke to me about this in front of many people. He said, "Now you should get your son married." I asked him, "Where?" He asked, "Where have you got proposals from?" I told him about all the proposals, but he did not approve of any of them.

In the end he asked me to arrange a marriage with the daughter of Amba Datt Tewari of Allahabad, who had never met Baba. I had received a proposal from him just the previous day in Kainchi, which I had forgotten about. Then I realized why Baba had not given me the opportunity to talk to him about it for so many days; he wanted me to receive Tewari's proposal first. Anyway, an educated girl from a cultured family was selected by Baba. He gave his consent about this girl twice and finally said in clear words, "It is my command." I took out the two horoscopes of the bride and groom-to-be from my pocket and placed them at Baba's feet. He picked them up and put them under his arm. Raising the forefinger of his right hand, he said, "Girl's height is suitable." It was a reply to my wife's desire. I was surprised that Baba had heard the conversation we had had in our house in Allahabad.

-Rajida

4.  The Ganga Gives Shelter

Maharaj was surrounded by about two hundred devotees at Sarsaiyya Ghat in Kanpur when Panwar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, and Govind Chandra, Senior Superintendent of Police, arrived and requested Baba to see Gulzarilal Nanda and Lal Bahadur Shastri, for they wanted to have his darshan. In spite of Baba saying that he would not be able to meet them, the two police officers brought them to the ghat. Before Nanda and Shastri arrived, however, Baba disappeared. Nobody saw him go or knew where he went. A search was made for him, but he was nowhere to be found. The same evening I saw Baba at the railway station and asked why he did not want to give darshan to Nanda. Baba said, "Instead of coming by himself, he wanted to come escorted by the police." When asked where he had hidden himself, Baba answered, "The Ganga Mai [Ganges River] gave me shelter." In gratitude to Mother Ganga, he asked me to arrange a bhandara. Before I could make the arrangements, people started arriving with food and sweets for prasad, and a bhandara was held.

-Bhagwati Sevak Bajpai

5.  A Tiger's Darshan

After my graduation from Allahabad University, Baba got me appointed as manager of Kehar Singh ji's farm in Rudrapur, Nainital. One day I went to Rampur for some work, and while I was returning to the farm through a grassy stretch of land, I saw a tiger, a tigress, and a cub coming from the opposite direction. I stood stock-still. I did not have any weapon with me for my protection. I could not even run away. As they were coming towards me, all of a sudden the tiger turned to one side and the tigress to the other, and the cub began to smell my body. I was terrified. Meanwhile the tigress growled and holding the cub between her teeth, dragged it away.

At that time Baba was staying at the house of Jamuna Dutt in Allahabad. A friend of mine who lived in the nearby university hostel went to see Baba. During their conversation Baba asked him about me and immediately made him write me a letter saying, "Don't be afraid of lions or tigers. They also come to meet good souls." It was the divine power of the omnipresent Baba that protected me from that perilous situation.

-Jagdish Chandra Pande, Nainital

6.  One Blurred Image

Devkamta Dixit asked Baba to inaugurate the new girls' school at Vagarka on 6 December 1960, but Baba wanted Kehar Singh, Secretary of Education for the government of Uttar Pradesh, to do it. All three of them went to Vagarka. The villagers were pleased to see Baba. There was an arrangement for lunch, and afterward a request was made for a group photograph. Kehar Singh ji did not want to be in the group photograph, for it would prove that he was not in Lucknow doing his official duty that day. However, Baba asked him to sit with the group, so he had to obey. Baba was aware of Kehar Singh ji's worry, and the next day, when the print of the photograph was received from Kanpur, all were surprised to see that the image of Kehar Singh was so blurred that he could not be identified. The images of the others were very clear.

7.  Punishment For Impure Thoughts

An army officer arrived in Kainchi and stood at the door of Baba's kuti. Vishambher of Aligarh was also standing there holding a large puja plate. They were waiting to go inside since all the ma's (women devotees) were in Baba's kuti. When Baba asked the women to leave so that his devotee Vishambher could also have a chance to do his puja, the army officer started to count the women as they came out. When all of them had left the kuti, Vishambher, the army officer, and others went into the room. Baba suddenly got up and started hitting the army officer with his fist. Vishambher's puja plate and its contents fell and were scattered all over the floor. Baba threw off his blanket, pulled the officer into the courtyard, and hit him so hard that he rolled across the ground like a ball. Everyone in the ashram was unnerved. It was clear to all present that the officer had had improper thoughts on seeing and counting the women devotees. This was intolerable to Baba, who punished the officer and told him, "Do not come here again ever." The officer continued to come to Kainchi now and then, even after Baba's Mahasamadhi, but he never entered the temple premises. He would do pranaam from outside and then go away.

8.  Tears of Joy

Many of us were sitting together inside the ashram when all of a sudden Baba said, "He has gone to Hanumangarh." Nobody understood who Baba was referring to. After some time he said, "He will come here just now. He is hungry. Prepare fresh puris and vegetables for him." He then said to me, "Go with a gas lamp and stand across the bridge. Hold the old man by the hand and help him cross the bridge carefully. His sons will not take care of him."

It was dark when a car stopped in front of the ashram gate. An old man and his two sons got out of the car. Seeing me there with a gas lamp, the old man said, "Has Baba sent you to escort us?" When I said yes, his eyes became moist. Meanwhile his two sons had crossed the bridge, forgetting to help their old father. I helped him cross the bridge carefully and took him to Baba. The old man prostrated himself at Baba's feet. Tears flowed from his eyes. He was choked with emotion, and his body trembled with joy. Baba gave him warm food to eat and sent him off lovingly.

The old man was Ram Narain Sinha. He had come to see his son at Raj Bhavan (governor's residence) in Nainital that day and had said that he would eat his meal only after having Baba's darshan. So his two sons had first taken him to Hanumangarh, and learning of Maharaj's whereabouts from there, they brought him to Kainchi ashram.

9.  The Birth of a Son

Dr. Suresh Chandra Mehrotra from Gorakhpur was living in Agra when his friend Dr. Laxmi Chandra Joshi took him to have Maharaj's darshan. They did not take anything with them to offer, but when Baba saw them, he said, "Give me sweets. I would like to have some." Mehrotra immediately went to the market and got a kilo of sweets for him. Baba took a small piece and got the rest distributed among the people present. Mehrotra then asked Baba, "Why did you ask me to bring sweets for you and then give them all away to people?" He replied, "You have been blessed with a son." At the time Mehrotra's wife was in Delhi with her parents, awaiting the birth of a child. Mehrotra had no idea of the birth or the sex of the child. On hearing Maharaj's words, he kept quiet. He returned to his house and was surprised to find a telegram announcing the birth of a son.

10.  Mango Prasad at Khairna Bridge

Major Sunanda had Baba's darshan at Kainchi and then left for Ranikhet by car. On the way he saw Baba sitting at Khairna Bridge. Major Sunanda had just left Baba at Kainchi, so he was surprised to see him there. He stopped the car, and bowing to him in salutation, he asked, "How come you are here?" Baba replied, "You left Kainchi without taking prasad, so I had to come here." Baba took some mangoes out from under his blanket and gave them to him as prasad. It was not the mango season, so it came as another surprise for Major Sunanda.

11.  Saving Food Expenses

Once, when Godawari Tewari was going to Kainchi to see Baba, an acquaintance of hers named Pant asked if he could accompany her. Godawari suggested that Pant eat before going. She herself did not eat anything because she wanted to have Baba's darshan before having her evening meal. Pant said, "Food is served to everyone in Baba's ashram, so let me save a day's food expenses." When they arrived for darshan, a woman was offering Baba fresh kalakand (a sweet made with milk and sugar). Baba gave some kalakand to Godawari saying, "Have prasad." He then turned to Pant and said, "You go and take prasad in the dining room. That will save you your one day's food expenses."

12.  Come, Eat, and Go

Nandlal ji, who supplied the Kainchi ashram with ghee from his shop, had had Maharaj ji's darshan in Haldwani and had faith in him, but he had never gotten an opportunity to visit Kainchi. One of Nandlal ji's friends, who was a devotee of Baba's, had bought a new truck and was going to Kainchi to ask for Baba's blessings. He invited Nandlal ji to accompany him. Nandlal ji got ready saying, "I have never been to satsang [a gathering of devotees] in Kainchi. Let me enjoy it today." He checked the ashram ghee account and found that he needed to collect 1,300 rupees.

They arrived in Kainchi at 11 p.m. and found Baba seated on a takhat on the roof of the ashram's dharamshala with some devotees. When they got there, Baba sent everyone except for Nandlal ji to have prasad. Taking his hand out of his blanket, Baba placed it on his own shoulder and then gave Nandlal ji a wad of notes that he asked him to count. There were 1,100 rupees. Baba then told Nandlal ji to go and take prasad. After Nandlal ji had eaten, a worker at the ashram directed him to the room where he would spend the night. The thought that he had not brought any bedding with him worried Nandlal ji, and he was not sure what to do about it. When he got to the room, he was happy to see two freshly made beds—one for him and one for his friend. Baba then asked him, "How is your satsang getting on?" Nandlal ji replied, "Nothing special." Baba then said, "Why don't you go to your guru's place?" Without waiting for a reply, Baba described the guru's physique and appearance saying, "He was a saint of a very high order." Referring to Kainchi, he said, "Here the satsang is aao, khao, jao [come, eat, go]."

13.  An Experience of Indrayani ji

In 1960, when Maharaj ji was at the house of the district magistrate (D.M.) in Nainital, he suddenly asked the D.M. to send someone to fetch a lady named Indrayani from Indra Pharmacy. Shrimati Indrayani, an educated and saintly lady, came from an affluent family that had left their wealth in Pakistan and come to India in 1947. The family had a farm at Palia, where she lived, however, during the summer she usually stayed in Nainital. Her living expenses from Palia farm were sent care of Indra Pharmacy, but she had not received the money for some time and had thus been compelled to borrow. The situation was worsening because all the provisions in the house were exhausted, and she had no way of repaying the debt she owed. She was very worried and upset and went to Indra Pharmacy to try to borrow some money.

Soon after her arrival at Indra Pharmacy, a policeman came and asked her her name. Indrayani ji said, "I was startled by his question. I told him my name and asked him why he was asking. The policeman told me that I was being called to the district magistrate's house. I got anxious at this, but he said, "There is no reason for anxiety. Baba Neeb Karori is there and he has asked the district magistrate to send for you. I have been sent to escort you." I had not met Baba before, so I was surprised that he knew my name and had sent for me. I accompanied the policeman to the house, and seeing me, Baba shouted with joy, "Our Indrayani has come." It was the impact of his darshan that, like a four-year-old child weeping before her mother, I started to weep bitterly before him in anguish. Baba put both his hands on my head and said, 'Don't worry. All will be set right.' That same day I received my bank draft and all my worries were over."

14.  Vyas ji's Remorse

Pandit Shankar Prasad Vyas was speaking about the characteristics of Hanuman ji to a gathering in a large pavilion at the sangam in Allahabad. Maharaj stood behind the gathering and listened to Vyas' discourse. When it ended, Baba called a devotee and asked him to fetch Vyas. The devotee gave Baba's message to Vyas who said, "Who? Baba Neeb Karori? I have no time." The devotee stared at Vyas in disbelief. He was horrified by such curt behavior towards Baba. Dudhari Baba, who was present on the dais, said something to Vyas that made him accompany the devotee to Baba. Baba said, "You have become such a big man that you have not time?" Vyas was stunned to hear his words. As Baba was walking away, he turned back to Vyas and said, "Prabhudutt is coming by car. Tell him that I will not go." Vyas looked around. Two minutes later he saw a car stop at a distance. Prabhudutt Brahmachari ji, a well-known and highly respected holy man, got out. He had seen Baba, and as soon as he got out of the car, he started doing dandavat pranaam (full-length prostrations) all the way until he reached Baba's feet. Vyas held Brahmachari ji in high regard, so his reverence for Baba made him realize Baba's greatness. Vyas regretted his earlier behavior and later accepted an invitation from Baba to come to Kainchi in the summer.

15.  Saved From Drowning

In 1948, when the Ganges was flooding in Kanpur, District Magistrate Kishan Chand was inspecting the affected areas by boat. Many important people were on that boat with him, including Senior Superintendent of Police Omkar Singh, the district congress president, and the tahasildar (tax collector). Suddenly water began to fill the boat. The lives of everyone were in danger, and there seemed to be no way out of the situation. In desperation Omkar Singh cried out again and again, "Baba, we are drowning. Save us." Hearing him screaming, all the others thought that he had become mad with fear. Just then an uprooted tree floated by and touched their boat. Seeing it, Omkar Singh left the boat and climbed onto the tree. The others followed him, and within a few moments the boat sank. The Ganges flows in between Unnao and Kanpur. The floating tree could have been carried away to Unnao or could have been overturned by the fast-flowing water. Instead, the tree floated to the bank on the Kanpur side, and everyone was saved from drowning.

16.  A Saint Passes Away

One day while Baba was talking to people at Haldwani Furniture Mart, he suddenly became absorbed in deep thought and remained silent for some time. Then he said faintly, "Pooran, give a spoonful of water to drink. He is in great agony." I could not understand what the matter was, but I nevertheless poured two spoonfuls of water into Baba's mouth. After some time two tears fell from Baba's eyes, and he said to me, "Ramana is no more. India has lost a great saint today." This incident occurred on the day that Ramana Maharshi left his physical body in Arunachala.

-Pooran Chandra Joshi

17.  Freed From the Bondage of Desire

One night when all the inmates of the ashram were asleep, Baba called out to Sri Jivanti Ma, "Jivanti, Jivanti, make some moong dal [lentil soup] for me, I am hungry." Both Sri Ma and Sri Jivanti Ma got up and reminded him that he had already taken prasad and that it was past midnight. Baba made a show of being angry and said, "If you don't want to cook the food for me, I will wake Brahmachari Baba to do it." Jivanti Mata ji cooked moong dal and roti for him, which he ate. The two Mothers also ate again, and then they all went back to sleep. The next day Baba received the news that a certain devotee died at 2 a.m. the previous night. Baba said, "On his deathbed his mind was thinking of moong dal and roti instead of being focused on God. My devotee would have gone thinking of food. I had to eat for him to relieve him of that desire so that he would be freed from rebirth."

18.  A Sharp Reprimand For Rumors

Home Minister Govind Ballabh Pant was ill and lying in a coma in Delhi. A visitor came to Church Lane, where Baba was sitting among a group of devotees, and informed Baba that Pant ji had died. Hearing this, Baba covered himself from head to toe with his blanket and sat silently. After some time he sharply reprimanded the man saying, "You are spreading rumors among people." Justifying himself, the man said that he had heard the news at the market. Baba said, "Such things should not be spoken without knowing their truth." Pant ji died two days later.

19.  A Misleading Thought

Kehar Singh ji bought a new car with the idea that a person who had a car would spend more time traveling in Baba's company. When Baba came to Lucknow, Kehar Singh went in search of him by car with the hope that he would get an opportunity of going around with Baba. Wherever he went, he was told that Baba had just left. After looking everywhere, he returned to his house disappointed. As soon as he arrived home, he received a phone call from Baba. Baba told him where he was and said, "Choudhry [Kehar Singh], where have you been roaming today? Come and visit me."

20.  She Has Come After Writing "Aum"

Pooran Chandra Joshi's wife, Kamla, wanted to see Baba but did not get the opportunity because of her domestic chores. One day she told her husband of her desire to have Baba's darshan. That particular day Baba was visiting the house of Dr. Bhatt in Nainital, so Joshi suggested that she see Baba at Dr. Bhatt's house the next morning. She got up early the next day, took her bath, and then said her prayers. While she was writing "AUM" on Baba's photograph, which she kept on their puja, she thought that Baba would know what she was doing if he was an enlightened saint. After finishing her worship, she went to the doctor's house and had Baba's darshan for the first time. As she bowed to him Baba said, "She has come after writing 'AUM.'" She was surprised to hear Baba's words; it had not been in her mind to test him.

21.  You Didn't Go?

One day Daya Narayan Khatri went to Kainchi from his hometown of Bareilly. The next day after the morning aarti (the ritual waving of lights), Baba ordered Khatri ji to go back home. Shri Sarvadaman Singh Raghuvanshi spoke on Khatri ji's behalf saying, "Baba, he came only last evening and you are sending him off today." Baba then told him to go the next day. The next morning after aarti, Baba asked Khatri ji, "You didn't go?" Khatri ji replied that he had asked Baba's permission to stay another day and that it was still early. Baba said, "Well, you go now," and sent him back to Bareilly. When he arrived at his house, he found that his wife's health had deteriorated the previous night and that her condition was serious. She improved slightly just before his arrival. He believed that Baba took the responsibility for his wife's safety on himself when he permitted him to stay for one extra day at Kainchi.

22.  Two Lives Saved

In the winter of 1962 Ramesh Chandra Sah's wife and daughter were sleeping in their house in Mukteshwar, Nainital. It was a cold night, coal was burning in a grate, and the doors of the room were shut. They became unconscious as the room filled up with toxic gases from the burning coal. Meanwhile Baba got a grate of burning coals brought to him in his room at Vrindavan ashram. Baba closed all the doors and windows and stayed inside. Surprised at his behavior, the devotees opened the door sometime later and found Baba in a bad state. They opened all the doors and windows and took the grate out. In a little while Baba became well, and miles away in Mukteshwar, the two women regained consciousness. When the family came to know about Baba's compassionate act on their behalf, they considered themselves blessed with the kindness Baba showered on them from such a distance.

23.  Suffering From Dropsy

A woman was very worried about the serious illness of her brother-in-law and went to Church Lane to see Maharaj. The woman was weeping and holding Baba's feet saying, "Baba, my brother-in-law has seven daughters. He is lying sick in his village, and his condition is very serious." Baba said, "He is suffering from dropsy." The woman agreed with Baba's statement and asked him to bless her brother-in-law for his survival. Baba's eyes moistened, and he said, "Don't make me tell lies. I can only pray for him." His reply indicated that the omnipotent Baba did not think it proper to interfere with the laws of destiny in this instance.

24.  Late By Half an Hour

When Bhanu Pratap Singh arrived at the residence of his uncle, Commissioner Lakhpat Singh Raghuvanshi of Bareilly, his uncle sent him and his cousin to the Bareilly railway station to meet Baba and escort him to their house. Baba's train arrived on time. They searched for him on the platform and in the train, but there was no sign of him. When they returned home, they found Baba talking with Raghuvanshi ji.

Bhanu Pratap said, "I was meeting Baba for the first time, and I did not know anything about his divine powers. I just thought that the mistake was ours and that we had missed him at the station. Baba had to go back the next day. A ticket was bought in advance, and he had to board the train at 1 p.m. My uncle asked me to see Baba off at the station, but Baba delayed our departure for no reason. With only five minutes left before the arrival of the train, Baba said to me, 'I am going to visit Dr. Bhandari, he lives in this neighborhood.' I was worried about the delay, so I told Baba that he would then miss the train because we were already late. Saying that the train was half an hour late, he went to Bhandari's house. I called the enquiry office to find out the correct arrival time and learned that the train was running half an hour late. I was amazed at Baba's divine powers."

25.  The Operation Is Done

Maharaj ji, Bhagwati Sevak Bajpai, and some other devotees went to the house of Santosh Kumar Choudhry, who had been appointed the controller of Athalton West Cotton Mill. Choudhry was not at home, so his wife received Baba and the devotees. She phoned her husband to tell him of Baba's arrival and sent a car to collect him. Tunis West, the owner of Athalton Mill, and Choudhry were in the middle of an important discussion at the time. As soon as Choudhry received the phone call, he told West that he did not appreciate the interruption and asked him the reason for it. Choudhry told West about the arrival of his guru at home and invited him along. Although West was not interested in spiritual matters, he did not say anything and accompanied Choudhry to his house.

On seeing Tunis West, Baba said to Choudhry, "Why have you brought him? He didn't even want to come." When Choudhry asked West if that was true, he said, "I was very disturbed by the interruption at the time." Baba then said, "Tell him that his wife has reached England. She has been operated upon. There is nothing to worry about. She will get well." On being told this, West said, "She was quite healthy. There was no question of her undergoing an operation." Later on, when he phoned his wife in London, he was surprised to hear that she had indeed been operated on the previous evening.

26.  Saved From Suicide

Baba and Umadatt Shukla were going to Shukla's house by tonga (horse-drawn carriage). When they came to a wooden bridge over the Gomti River, Baba said, "Shukla, you were going to drown yourself in Gomti one day? Why? Tell Me." Shukla felt ashamed to answer his question, so he kept quiet. Baba repeated the same question three times. Finally Shukla told the story: "When I was about sixteen years old, I did not know you Baba. I was determined to commit suicide by drowning myself in the Gomti. When it was very dark, I stood on the bridge at a place where the river was very deep. I was about to jump into the river when the wind blew very hard and a bright light illuminated the darkness. This unusual phenomenon startled me. My body trembled so much that I lost the courage to commit suicide and I went back home." He also told Baba the reasons why he wished to end his life. When Baba heard this, he quoted from the Ramayana, "A strong wind blew. That was God's light." Baba had saved Shukla's life twenty years before he knew him.  

27.  A Car Deal In Germany

In 1967 Shri S.D. Ganda, the personnel manager for the State Bank in Kanpur, was sent to Germany for training. He went with Baba's permission, and his family stayed in India. One day Baba went to their house in Kanpur and said to his wife, "Write a letter to Ganda immediately. He must not buy the car in Germany that he is in the process of buying. This is my command. The car will have an accident." Having said this, he left at once. Four hours later on the same day, Baba arived at the house again and asked, "Have you written or not?" Ganda's wife replied that she had not written yet but would write the letter straightaway. Baba said, "Write it at once and post it." She immediately wrote the letter and posted it to his address in Germany. Ganda was in the process of negotiating the deal, which would be completed on Sunday. Though mail is not delivered there on Saturdays, Ganda received the letter on Saturday evening, and following Baba's instructions, he cancelled the deal.

28.  Maharaj Ji's Justice

When the news of Baba's arrival in Bhumiadhar reached Nainital, Pooran Chandra Joshi and his close friends decided to go see him. All his friends left by bus but did not ask Joshi to accompany them. Joshi was hurt by this. When he went home, he was distressed. He became angry with his wife and son for no apparent reason and behaved harshly towards them. With a heavy heart he set out for Bhumiadhar alone in the rain. He did not get a bus. He met up with a laborer along the way who also wanted to have Baba's darshan, but when they arrived, they found that Baba had already left for Gathia. They eventually got a lift in a truck and went to Gathia as well.

When Joshi had Baba's darshan, Baba was indifferent to him but showered his affection on the laborer. Baba gave him food to eat and sent him off with a lot of prasad to carry home for his family. Baba said nothing for some time and then picked up a copy of Kalyan, a monthly magazine, and asked Joshi to read from it. Joshi opened the magazine to an article entitled "Anger" and read it to Baba. Baba asked him to read it five times. While he was reading it for the fifth time, he realized that he had left his house in a state of anger. After that Baba treated him as usual. Joshi's friends were not able to have darshan until later.

29.  Immunity From Conscription

During the Second World War, the government of Uttar Pradesh declared a special ordinance that those in the medical services were to be conscripted for war duty. Dr. M.U. Khan did not want to go to war, and he was worried because there seemed to be no way of escaping it. One of his friends advised him to get the blessing of Baba Neeb Karori. Dr. Khan was not able to find Baba, but Baba came to Lucknow and gave Khan darshan. When the doctor told Baba about his concern, Baba said, "Offer laddus [an Indian sweet] to the Hanuman ji. Everything will be set right." Dr. Khan at once took laddus to the Hanuman temple in Aminabad and offered them to Hanuman ji. Soon after, the government cancelled the conscription and made war services optional.

30.  Cured With a Laddu

On one occasion Dr. Khan's wife became ill, and although various treatments were tried, her fever would not come down. Dr. Khan felt very sad that there was nothing he could do, and in desperation he remembered Baba. Unannounced, Baba arrived at his house. When the doctor told him the problem, Baba said, "Offer laddus to Hanuman and give her the prasad to eat. She will be cured." The doctor did this but was still somewhat worried about this form of treatment. He told his wife of his concern, but she had faith. She had a few laddus and then slept soundly. Her fever came down while she was asleep.

31.  The Dumb Child Speaks

Maharaj was staying at Dak Bangalia (his family residence) in Akbarpur when his relative Shyam Sunder Sharma came to see him. All of a sudden Baba said to him, "You go into the garden. Someone will come looking for Baba Neeb Karori. His son, who is dumb, will be with him. Tell him that there is no baba here. You say anything you like, his son will be cured."

Shyam Sunder said, "As soon as I arrived in the garden, a car drove up and stopped. Dr. Beg of Firozabad and his son got out. He asked me, 'Where can I find Baba Neeb Karori? We are looking for him. My son has been dumb since birth. We have taken him for treatment to various places, but there has been no improvement. Someone advised us to receive Baba's blessing and gave us this address.' I repeated Baba's words, and on an impulse I asked the boy his name. Dr. Beg was amazed at his son's reply. I told him that he should speak to his son and that he would be cured by Baba's grace."

32.  Pavan

One day I was sitting with Baba at Dak Bangalia in Akbarpur when all of a sudden Baba looked at me with a smile and said, "Your aunt has given birth to a son. Tell her to name him Pavan. He will survive." The boy was given the name Pavan and grew up healthy. None of my aunt's previous children had survived.

-Shyam Sunder Sharma, Akbarpur

33.  Baba Disappears

One day Maharaj ji was sitting under a tree at Hanumangarh with Jagdish Chandra Pande, Hiralal Sah 'Habba', and many other devotees. They were talking about Adi Heriakhan Baba, who Habba said used to disappear in the twinkling of an eye. During the discussion Baba got up and said to Jagdish, "Pick up your jacket. Let's go." As Jagdish turned to pick up his jacket, everybody's attention was diverted to him. When Jagdish turned back to Baba, Baba had disappeared. They searched for him at Hanumangarh for half an hour, but Baba was not to be found. Later he was seen on the top of a distant hill. When the devotees got there, Baba just smiled at them.

34.  Avoiding a Meeting

One day while Baba was talking with people at Karanvir Singh's house, he suddenly got up and said, "I am leaving." When asked why and where he was going, Baba replied, "Some people are coming. I don't want to meet them," and then went out. By the time Karanvir Singh got up from his chair and reached his lawn, Baba was not to be seen anywhere. He had disappeared in a moment. Karanvir Singh was surprised at his sudden disappearance, but he did not pay any attention. A short while later five people called at the house asking for Baba. Learning from Karanvir that he had just left, they were disappointed and went away.

35.  The Monkey Took the Form of a Mosquito

Tularam Sah, Sri Ma, Nandan Mai, Girish, and some other devotees went from Nainital to Allahabad to have Baba's darshan. When with Baba, Tularam would sometimes recite, "The monkey took the form of a mosquito," from the Ramayana. Maybe this was a way of saying that Baba was Hanuman. One day after the distribution of the morning prasad, Baba walked across his own room and went into a small adjacent room, where he got his bed made on the floor. He said that he was not well. He also said that no one should come to see him and that he wanted to take some rest alone. He got the room closed on all sides. It was then locked on the outside, and the key was given to Tularam Sah so that the room could not be opened by anyone else.

At noon Sri Ma looked out the window and saw Maharaj ji on the road going towards Allenganj. She immediately told the others. Tularam Sah was compelled to unlock the door to see whether Baba was in the room. He was not. Tularam Sah and Girish followed Baba and saw him climbing up the stairs of Prakash Chandra Joshi's house. Joshi ji came out and welcomed everyone. Later, while food was being offered to Baba, the Mothers and other devotees arrived from Church Lane. Baba smilingly looked at Tularam and hummed, "The monkey took the form of a mosquito."

36.  Another Disappearance

When Baba used to give darshan at the house of Commissioner Ramrup Singh, the commissioner attended to Baba and did not like to leave his company. Once, he asked Baba to rest at his house after dinner. Baba agreed. The commissioner believed that Baba had fallen asleep, however, he knew that Baba wandered around day or night. The commissioner wanted to have Baba's darshan in the morning, so he bolted the door from the outside. When he unbolted the room the next morning, Baba was not inside. He had disappeared.

37.  The Ghost

In 1963 Nasir Ali, a retired sub-inspector of police and long-time devotee of Maharaj, came to meet Baba at the home of Suraj Narayan Mehrotra in Lucknow. He was eighty-four years old at the time and wanted to narrate an important event in his life to Baba. Baba, putting his finger to his lips gestured to him to keep quiet, but Nasir Ali was so overwhelmed by emotion that he carried on and began his story joyfully:

"Many years ago when I was young, I was the station officer at a village police station. One day I had to go and investigate something far away and got back at about 11 p.m. When I asked the head constable about the day, he told me that a man had been put in the cell under Section 109. I peeped inside and saw a tall, well-built man there. I went home and after having my supper went to sleep."

Early in the morning the two night-duty constables were at my door, shaking in their boots and wanting to resign. When I asked the reason, they told me that the man held under Section 109 was a ghost. He was in and out of the prison all through the night. When he came out, the lock and the door opened automatically, and when he went back in, they closed. As soon as it was daylight, I went to the station and saw the same man I had seen the night before. I thought that he could not be a ghost, so he must be a saint. I accepted my mistake and offered my apology for the disrespect shown to him. The man said, "Neither have you made a mistake nor have I been insulted. So there is no need for an apology." I asked him to join me for a meal, for I would then know that he was not displeased with me. He agreed and came to my house.

"He rested for the whole day and then went out in the evening to attend the call of nature. I sent my two sons with him. On the way he took apples out from under his blanket and gave them to the boys to eat. He asked them to go back home, but they were not prepared to leave him. Then he went behind a mound for ablutions and disappeared. He was not to be seen anywhere on that flat land. That man [pointing to Baba] was our Baba."

"After this incident Baba was always kind to me. He came to our house once or twice a year, and he protected me from worries and troubles. Whenever I was in distress, I would fast for the whole day. Then I would take a bath and shut myself in my room. Sitting on the floor in the darkness, I remembered Baba and he would come and sit beside me. I would tell him my problem, and he would give me a solution. He himself helped me and steered me out of all troubles."

38.  An Invisible Arrival

Long ago many devotees went on a pilgrimage to Badrinath with Baba when the journey was more difficult and buses only went as far as Pipalkoti. Tularam Sah, Habba and family, Girish, and Umadatt Shukla were among those who accompanied him. Advance information about their arrival had been sent to Mr. Nautiyal, the manager of the Kali Kamli Dharamshala in Badrinath. Mr. Nautiyal arranged for a grand reception for Baba at a place called Devdarshan, and a crowd of people gathered there to receive Baba. When Baba arrived, riding on a dandi (a seat carried on the shoulders of four men), he and the devotees following him on foot walked through the crowd unseen.

Once in Badrinath, Baba asked the devotees to stay in a dharamshala, and he himself rested in a cowshed at Badrivan. When Mr. Nautiyal came to know that Baba had arrived and was staying in the cowshed, he went there for darshan. He did not understand how people who wanted to have Baba's darshan simply did not see him and the group of devotees pass through such a small place. Baba just looked at him and smiled.

39.  The Appropriate Medicine

One day in Almora, Diwakar Pant became seriously ill, and by midnight his condition was critical. In the hills it was not possible to send for a doctor at night, so the members of the family sat around Pant waiting for daybreak. He was fading fast, however, so his wife became upset and lost all patience. All of a sudden she felt Baba shaking her violently by the shoulder with one hand. Pointing to a medicine with his other hand, he said, "Give that medicine to him. He will be alright."

In her anguish she was not surprised at Baba's arrival nor did she bow before him. No one else in the room saw him. She at once gave an uncertain dose of the medicine to her husband, and in the meantime Baba disappeared. There was a peculiar change in her husband. He became violent, and it appeared from his excitement that he had lost his mind. All the members of the family became frightened and regretted the foolish act of his wife. She did not know the name of the medicine, nor did she have any knowledge of its use or the quantity to administer.

The next morning Dr. Khajan Chand arrived. He calmly listened to the story of the patient's condition and examined the medicine, a bottle of Coromine. He called Pant's wife to him and asked her, "Daughter, why did you give this medicine?" She was very ashamed and sad and could not reply, as she was weeping bitterly. The doctor, patting her on the back, told the family that she saved her husband. It was the only medicine that could have been given at that time to save the life of the patient. The doctor said, "He will be alright now. There is nothing to worry about."

40.  Ask Your Guru

A man living in Bhowali often came for Baba's darshan accompanied by his guru. The man was impressed by the number of people who were devoted to Baba and was curious to find out the reason. Baba's attitude towards him was one of indifference, which was always the case with those who wanted to test him. Despite his efforts on different occasions, the man was disappointed at not getting an opportunity to talk to Baba. At the same time he was not able to suppress his desire to be near him. One day while he was waiting for a bus to go to Kainchi, the thought came to his mind that Baba would give him darshan of his own accord if he was an enlightened saint. That very moment Baba came and stood before him and said, "What can I tell you? You ask your guru whatever you want to know."

41.  Sincere Call

One morning in 1958 Damyanti Tewar was walking with her husband from Brook Hill to Hanumangarh to go see Maharaj. By the time they got to Tallital, they were tired. They walked up to Kishanpur with great difficulty. There Damyanti told her husband, "I am not able to walk any further. If only we could have Maharaj ji's darshan here." Perhaps Baba heard her sincere call. She saw a man lying on a cot in an old garage by the roadside. He had covered his face with a cloth and was lying on his back, unaware of his surroundings. When they went near him, he uncovered his face. They felt happy and amazed, for the man was none other than Maharaj ji. Damyanti said, "I could not believe my eyes. We sat at his feet, and Maharaj said to me, 'Are you very tired?'"

42.  See You In Bareilly

In 1959 I went to Nainital with my wife and stayed at the India Hotel. One day Choudhry, the hotel manager, told me that Maharaj had just arrived in Bhumiadhar and that I should go and have his darshan. I was surprised to hear the word Maharaj and asked, "Maharaj who?" He told me that he was a sadhu who would know me by name. I immediately went there. I saw a big man sitting in the outer room, but he was not dressed like a sadhu. When I asked the people in the ashram about Baba, they pointed towards the man. They also expressed their surprise at my knowledge of Baba's whereabouts saying, "Baba has just arrived; how could the news have reached Nainital so quickly?" Anyway, I had Baba's darshan, and he sent me off, telling me to see him the next day at Dr. Bhandari's house in Bareilly.

I set out for Bareilly early the next morning and went straight to the doctor's house. I was surprised to see that Baba had arrived before me. He said to me, "I am going away for some time. You will see me again after five days." I told him that I also had to go away for some work and that I might not be able to have his darshan. He said, "I will wait for you."

I went to Gonda and from there to Allahabad. I had to go to Varanasi as well, but the thought of meeting Baba came to my mind. I took the night train to Bareilly instead. The train made a stop in Lucknow the next morning. When we started moving again, I saw Baba running with the train all the way to Bareilly. I was totally amazed. Whenever the train stopped at stations, Baba would disappear. On arriving in Bareilly, I went straight from my house to Dr. Bhandari's. I had Baba's darshan and came to know that he had arrived just before me. I was astounded to see him there, but I could not ask him about what I had seen on my way to Bareilly. Baba then came to my house with me and took a simple meal of dal and roti. After some time Kishan Chandra Tewari and Tularam Sah also arrived from Dr. Bhandari's house and had prasad.

-Pyarelal, Bareilly

43.  Baba's Saving Grace

Suraj Narayan Mehrotra's son fell from the upper story of their house in Lucknow and was badly hurt with severe internal injuries. The doctors treated him as best as they could, but his condition deteriorated. Shrimati Mehrotra was worried and remembered Baba. He was at Church Lane in Allahabad at the time, and some devotees were busy preparing his meal. Suddenly Baba got up and wanted to leave. Despite the earnest request of the householders, Baba would not stay for his food. He said, "The condition of my son is bad. I am not going to have my food now." He went out alone and in an instant arrived at Mehrotra's house in Lucknow. Baba asked for milk, drank some of it himself, and soon improved, and he eventually regained his health.

44.  Seeing Baba In Different Places

Nandan Mai was going from Nainital to Bhumiadhar to see Baba. She used a footpath to get from the Nainital-Bhowali Road down to Bhumiadhar. From the footpath she saw that Baba was sitting with his devotees at a bend along the road, some distance from the temple. Since she was tired after her long walk, she thought that it would save her a lot of trouble if Baba gave darshan at the temple. When she got closer, she clearly saw Baba sitting on the platform of the temple. This pleased her, but by the time she reached the temple, Baba had disappeared. She looked for him everywhere and at last asked Brahmachari Baba, who pointed down the road to where Baba was sitting. Surprised, she walked to the bend in the road to have Baba's darshan.

She thought she would say something to Baba in front of the crowd of people and decided to quote from the Ramayana, "I saw two children, here and there. It was the aberration of my mind that I could not understand the mystery." She thought Baba would certainly appreciate the purpose of her quote, while the other devotees would not understand anything. But as she got closer to Baba, he laughed loudly, and she forgot all about what she had decided to say. This was another instance of Baba's divine play. It was difficult to say anything in Baba's presence unless he willed it.

45.  From the Narmada to Bareilly

One night Lakhpat Singh Raghuvanshi was resting at his house. He could not sleep since he was very worried about an operation he was to have the next day. Being upset, he was remembering Baba in his heart when someone knocked loudly on the door. All the members of the family were puzzled and thought it might be thieves. Realizing that thieves would probably have broken the door in to gain access rather than knock on it, they decided to open it. It was Baba. He went straight to Lakhpat Singh's room and said, "You remembered me and I had to come from the bank of the Narmada River." Baba told him to go and have the operation done without fear. The operation was successful and he was cured.

46.  Multiple Darshan

After having Baba's darshan, I was driving my bus along the road when I saw Maharaj walking ahead of us. I was at my wits' end because I thought that I was hallucinating. A man cannot walk faster than a bus. After having covered some distance, I saw him again. This time Baba was climbing up a hill. Now there was no reason for any doubts. After this I saw him several times at many different places along the route. This confounded me and helped me accept Maharaj's divinity. I became his devoted servant and have been serving his ashram and the devotees ever since.

-Sardar Ranjeet Singh

47.  An Unusual Experience

On 4 November 1971 an American devotee of Maharaj, to whom he had given the name Radha, was in a rickshaw with her American friend Anjani in Vrindavan. The rickshaw puller was moving very fast. All of a sudden Radha closed her eyes with fear and had Maharaj ji's darshan in that state. She had never had such an experience before. She said:

Maharaj ji said to me, 'There is going to be an accident. Jump off.' I immediately obeyed his command. I did so knowingly, with a cool mind and without hesitation. I was not at all afraid or anxious about my safety. There was no apparent reason for my impulsive action, and any spectator would have considered me insane. Just then another rickshaw collided with out rickshaw at the crossing. It all happened so quickly. I had not had time to say anything to Anjani. She was slightly injured, but was fine after receiving some first aid. All this while, I strongly felt Maharaj ji was with me. Returning to the ashram, I wanted to express my thanks to him, but he did not give me an opportunity. Whenever I was in his presence, either he changed the topic of conversation, or he did not pay any attention to what I said.

48.  Agra to Jhansi

One day some rich men were taking Maharaj from Agra to Jhansi. The train was crowded, but with the help of his constables, Mahavir Singh secured a separate compartment of the train for Baba and the devotees. Mahavir Singh had Baba sit on a seat near the window and instructed the constable traveling in the train to take care of him. He then stood on the platform, talking to Baba through the window. When the train was just about to leave, an old man arrived and asked Mahavir Singh to help him get into the train through the window. The old man was not able to board the train through the door because there was a large crowd there. He said he had some urgent work and had to travel on that train. Baba at once jumped out of the train. He lifted the old man himself and made him sit in his place.

Mahavir Singh was in a quandary. He had gotten that seat for Baba with great difficulty, and it was not possible to find him another one. Then Baba said, "Come, let's go home. I want to meet Karanvir Singh." Mahavir Singh said, "You meet him regularly, why especially today?" The train started, and they returned home, where Baba enjoyed conversation with Karanvir. He had a meal at about 8 p.m., and then asked what time the train would arrive in Jhansi. When he was told that it was just about to reach the Jhansi station, he got up at once and said, "I am going." He left and disappeared into the darkness. The next day, when the constable on the train returned from Jhansi, he told them that Baba was not to be seen at all on the train journey but that he appeared at Jhansi station.

49.  The Hand of Blessing

Bhushan Chandra Joshi had a heart attack in Delhi and was immediately admitted to the Medical Institute. The doctors found him to be in critical condition, so he was given oxygen and taken to the ward on a stretcher. Joshi said that he saw Baba's hand of blessing on him and felt that he did not need any more oxygen. He removed the tube and despite the remonstrances of the doctors, refused further oxygen. He soon recovered his strength and returned home from the hospital.

50.  An Offering of Kheer

One day when Baba was away from Allahabad, Sudhir Mukerjee of Church Lane, Allahabad, offered kheer (Indian rice pudding) to Baba's photograph. Leaving a bowl of kheer in front of the photo, he went into another room to work. When he returned, he saw kheer dripping from the photo. Surprised, he drew everyone's attention to this miracle. I was visiting Church Lane at the time and went into the room to see for myself. I asked for the remaining kheer as prasad.

51.  Taking Ram's Name

Like Hanuman ji, the recitation of the Ramayana and the name of Ram were very dear to Maharaj ji. When the devotees organized the chanting of the Ramayana, Maharaj was often present, even if in an imperceptible form. Sometimes devotees would organize the recitation of the Ramayana or the chanting of Ram's name with the hope that they would have Maharaj ji's darshan.

Maharaj had not been to Bareilly for a long time, so Pyarelal Mahajan decided to organize a non-stop kirtan (chanting) of Ram's name. Pyarelal's guru, Swami Vidyanand ji, came to his house and started the kirtan of "Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram Ram, Hare Hare." Pyarelal and his wife enjoyed singing the kirtan until late at night. His wife then went to sleep in her room on the upper floor of the house, and Pyarelal rested in a room downstairs. He was sleeping when Baba knocked at the door. When he did not wake up, Baba went upstairs and knocked on the door of his wife's room. She woke up but was afraid to open the door so late at night. Baba turned away and went to Dr. Bhandari's house. He phoned Pyarelal from there, and Pyarelal went with his father to get Baba. When they returned, Baba told them about his visit that night. Pyarelal's wife corroborated the incident and said she had heard the knock on the door but had been too afraid to open it.

52.  Be Here Now

With Maharaj ji's permission, Ram Dass published the book 'Be Here Now' in America in 1971. He gave instructions to the publisher to print the book and came to India with the first copy to present to Maharaj ji. Maharaj had not studied English. Yet five months later he drew Ram Dass' attention to some untruths in two passages of the book and said, "Lies should not be mentioned in this book. They will hurt you. Delete those passages from the book."

Ram Dass became anxious because a long time had elapsed, and the book might already have been published. He expected that about thirty thousand copies would have been printed. He contacted Steve Durkee and found out that the next thirty thousand copies were, in fact, in print. Explaining the situation to Baba, he said that the changes could only be incorporated into the next edition. It would be a loss of $10,000 to reject the thirty thousand books. Maharaj ji said, "Money and truth have nothing to do with each other. When you printed it first, you thought it was true, but now that you know it isn't true, you can't print lies. You will be hurt by it. You must correct it now."

Ram Dass sent a cable to Steve. After a week he received a reply reporting a strange incident. The book could not be printed because Baba's photograph, which was to be printed on a full page, was missing. The original was also missing, so a new plate could not be made. The printer had pulled the job off the press to await further instructions.

53.  Baba Appears

The Kumbha Mela (a large spiritual gathering) was on at Prayag. One night some sadhus from a certain ashram were talking on the bank of the Ganges. During the course of their conversation, someone mentioned Baba Neeb Karori. One sadhu said that Baba could go anywhere and that he was endowed with such powers that he could appear from wherever he might be if remembered wholeheartedly. Other sadhus were not ready to accept it as true. They argued that anyone with a bodily form would certainly take time to move from one place to another. Another sadhu pointed out that arguments would not serve any purpose; the matter would be regarded as true if Baba appeared when called, otherwise it was false. At this the sadhu stood up and called Baba loudly. When he had called several times, even he was surprised to see Baba talking to someone just near him.

-Swami Vijayananda, 'In the Steps of the Yogis'

54.  Now See, He Is Saved

Baba was sitting on his takhat at Hanumangarh when he suddenly got up and raised both of his arms as if holding someone. He came out of his kuti and said, "See, he is saved." Nobody understood the significance of his apparent playfulness, and some devotees laughed in ignorance. Pooran Chandra Joshi said that three days after that incident, a woman came to Baba and offered pranaam. With a deep sense of gratitude, she told Baba about an accident that had taken place in Kanpur three days earlier. She said, "My five-year-old son fell off the roof. I called out to you Baba. A man who was passing by spread his arms and caught the boy, who was unhurt. The man said to me, 'See, he is saved.' He handed my son to me and went away. I couldn't even ask him his name." Baba listened to her story with a smile. The devotees remembered what had happened three days earlier.

55.  The elements of nature lost their fundamental properties at Maharaj ji's will. Like Hanuman [Hanuman is lord of the ashta siddhis (eight powers) and nava nidhis (nine treasures), granted to him by Sri Sita; see glossary for listing.], he could transform his body—one minute becoming as small as a mosquito, the next as large as a mountain. Sometimes one could not bear the weight of his one hand, and other times his large body would become as light as a flower. His body appeared tender but sometimes became as hard as a vajra (a weapon).

He could make a king a pauper and a pauper a king. By his will, earth and fire produced currency notes, and when he wished, water turned into milk. At times he brought the dead back to life. As it says in the Ramayana, "The glory of his divine deeds cannot be explained."

Baba often used his power in less apparent but no less miraculous ways. A simple glance, word, or touch from Baba communicated pure love in a way that changed people's hearts imperceptibly, subtly leading them towards the path of right action. He would erase the innate tendencies of people and bring about a change in their character. In this context he said, "I possess the key to all." He inspired hope in the distressed and gave comfort to the grief-stricken. He took away illness, blessed the childless with children, and saved people from impending accidents, generally without the beneficiary's knowledge.

Baba did everything without any desire for personal gain, acknowledgement, or reward. He used to say, "Why beg from a man, what can he give? God and the saints are all powerful but no one has to beg anything from them. They know all and so they themselves give what is appropriate."

A Sadhu's Bank

It was a cold day in October and some devotees at Kainchi ashram had made a fire in a portable grate for Baba. He was sitting on a takhat, and his devotees were sitting before him, clustered around the grate. Meanwhile a sadhu who had been wandering the countryside came to Kainchi ashram for the first time. He was pleased by the picturesque location of the temple and was told that it was the ashram of Baba Neeb Karori. Conflicting thoughts arose in his mind; he could not reconcile the apparent prosperity of the place with the simplicity of the word baba, meaning sadhu. According to him, a sadhu should live in a hut by the riverside. Anger stirred within him, and asking about Baba, he went to see him. The sadhu pointed his finger at Baba and said reprovingly, "Baba and this wealth." Baba's face was calm, and he smilingly asked the sadhu to move closer to him. He went over and stood by Baba who took some dirty and crumpled money from the sadhu's waistband. The sadhu was too stunned to say anything. Baba said, "Why are you carrying money with you? Fire is a sadhu's bank." So saying, Baba threw the notes into the grate. As the flame rose, the sadhu became angry and muttered to himself. Laughingly Baba said, "You are going to Badrinath. Ask it from fire there. It will return your money." These words further enraged the sadhu. Baba picked up a chimta (pair of tongs), took new notes out of the fire in the sadhu's presence, and gave all his money back to him. Baba then sent him for food and bidding him farewell, gave him a blanket. The sadhu felt ashamed, and bowing before Baba, he sincerely apologized to him.

56.  As a Guide

Hari Kishan Tandon's son was preparing for his B.Sc. exam and was living at the Bannerjee Hostel in Allahabad. At that time Baba was in Kehar Singh ji's house on Drummond Road in Allahabad. Baba had finished taking his meal and was talking to people around him when the telephone rang in an adjacent room. It was Tandon's son. He said to Kehar Singh ji, "Uncle, I have not seen Baba for a long time. Can you tell me where I can meet him?" Kehar Singh ji invited him to come to his house and gave him the address. The boy did not know where Drummond Road was, so Singh directed him to take the road to the A.G. office from the Hindu Hostel, turn right at the crossing, and continue walking down that road.

Kehar Singh ji returned to Baba, who asked him, "Who was that on the phone? What did he say?" Kehar Singh ji told him. About twenty minutes later they heard a rickshaw stopping in their compound. The boy was paying the rickshaw puller when Kehar Singh said to him, "Did you have any problem finding the house?"

The boy replied, "How could I? You posted a man near the A.G. office. He got the rickshaw stopped and asked me if I was going to Kehar Singh ji's house. When I said yes, he walked in front of the rickshaw and guided me here."

Kehar Singh ji said, "I have not posted anyone there. Where is that man?"

57.  In the Guise of an Attendant

M.B. Lal, who Baba called Ramesh, worked with Prem Lal in the Titagarh Paper Mill in Lucknow. When he found out that Baba was in Kanpur, he went to have darshan and stay with Baba for a few days. However, his daughter Dolly, who was a student in Standard X at the Loretto Convent, had an examination fee that was past due. While Lal roamed about Kanpur with Baba, he was worried that the unpaid fees might prevent his daughter from appearing for her exam. Baba read his thoughts.

When Baba left Kanpur, Lal returned to Lucknow. As soon as he arrived at his house, he went to his daughter's school to pay the fee. The headmistress knew him and asked him the reason for his visit to the school. Apologizing for the delay, he told her that he had come to pay Dolly's fees. She told him that an old man paid his daughter's fees on time, four days earlier. The man had been asked to take a receipt, but he would not wait, saying, "I do not require it." Hearing this and remembering Baba, Lal started to cry.

58.  The Story of the Uttis Tree

The entry to the ashram in Kainchi is at the boundary of the temple premises and just inside, about twenty-five meters away, there is a big stone that Baba would often sit on, surrounded by devotees and other visitors. By the side of the stone, a big Uttis tree stood that had died. It was old and bent, and people feared that it would be uprooted in a storm, possibly injuring someone if it fell.

One day Baba was sitting on the rock with some devotees when someone expressed his fear about the tree and asked Baba if it could be chopped down. Baba simply said, "Pour some Ganga water at its roots. It will become green again." Sri Ma brought the Ganges water in a can and gave it to Purnanand, who poured it on the roots around the tree. After some time the tree became as green as before. It still stands to tell its wonderful story even after so many years.

59.  A Rich Harvest

One morning, Shyam Sunder, who lived in Baba's village of Akbarpur, was going to his fields to sow mustard. On the way he met Baba who asked him, "What are you carrying?" Shyam Sunder took out the mustard seeds from the pot he was carrying and showing them to Baba said, "I am going to sow these." Baba took the seeds from him and put them in his mouth. When he took them out again after a minute, they had sprouted. He said, "See, they have sprouted. The seed is good. The harvest will be rich." Shyam Sunder said that the yield of mustard that year far exceeded previous years and following years.

60.  Achal Samadhi

Baba was always in the state of supreme soul consciousness (paramhansa avastha). He gave brief experiences of achal samadhi (a static state in which consciousness transcends the body) to some people, including Kishan Chandra Tewari, Nandaballabh Joshi, and Gurudatt Sharma.

After putting Gurudatt Sharma into such a state at Church Lane, Baba turned to a doctor who had just arrived and asked, "See, what has happened to him?" The doctor was puzzled and confused because Sharma ji did not have an obvious pulse and did not seem to be breathing. Baba told some other devotees to carry the completely inert Gurudatt Sharma into another room. After some time Baba went into the room and touched him. Sharma ji then regained consciousness.

On another occasion Baba put Sharma ji into samadhi in Major Rikhi's house in Delhi. Someone doubted his state of unawareness and decided to test it by cutting his foot with a razor blade. Blood flowed onto the floor, but Sharma ji was completely unaware of it. When Major Rikhi saw what was happening, he cleaned and bandaged the cut. It was not until Sharma ji regained consciousness that he noticed his bandaged foot.

61.  Gandua the Dog

When Maharaj lived in the village of Neeb Karori, he would at times go around riding on a dog named Gandua. A dog cannot bear the load of a man, but Gandua moved around effortlessly with Baba on his back. Obviously Baba was capable of increasing or reducing his weight as he wished.

62.  The Incarnation of Hanuman

One evening in Kainchi, Shankar Prasad Vyas was walking with Baba along the road in front of the ashram. Baba seemed to be in a pensive mood, so when he put his hand of Vyas' shoulder, Vyas kept quiet. All of a sudden a thought flashed into his mind that people regard Baba as the incarnation of Hanuman. Then he thought, 'But how can it be believed?' While he was thinking this, he felt the weight of Baba's hand slowly become so heavy that he could not bear it anymore. Baba's hand was placed on his shoulder in a natural way and its size was unchanged. Vyas was very perturbed and hesitated to try to remove the hand so lovingly placed on his shoulder. In this state of uncertainty he silently prayed to Hanuman ji and asked forgiveness for his doubts. The situation immediately became normal, and his doubt was removed.

63.  The Divine Form of Hanuman

Once, Shankar Prasad Vyas told Baba that he had given discourses on the story of Hanuman so many times but had not been able to see him in his divine form. Baba said, "Will you be able to bear the sight of him?" and kept quiet. Vyas also remained silent. That same night Vyas woke up with a start at about midnight. He opened the door of his room in Kainchi, and just as he was going out through it, a form as bright and huge as a golden mountain appeared before him. The spectacle frightened him, and he immediately closed the door and fell down on his bed. After this Baba entered his room and rubbing him gently, asked, "Are you alright?" Vyas recovered and bowed before Baba.

64.  The Unruly Mare

While Maharaj was living at Neeb Karori, an inspector of police would come to see him. He came riding a beautiful and spirited mare that had been a great effort to break in. On his visits the inspector would remove the saddle and reins and leave the mare to graze and rest. One day, motivated by his childlike temperament, Baba insisted on going for a ride. Though the inspector tried to dissuade him, Baba mounted the dangerous mare without reins or saddle and made her run at breakneck speed. The mare tried to shake Baba off, but he held on, sometimes hanging on the left side, sometimes on the right, sometimes even underneath the mare. At last the mare became very tired. When Baba dismounted and walked away from her, she followed Baba instead of going to her master.

65.  Light As a Flower

Maharaj ji was in Prem Ballabh Pande's house when a dandi was arranged to carry him down the hill to Tallital. While the porters were carrying Baba down the slope, Baba unexpectedly said to the devotees, "Who will carry my dandi on his shoulder?" Looking at his build and assuming his weight, none dared to offer. Kehar Singh ji also did not offer to carry Baba, which he later regretted. When Kehar Singh mentioned this incident to other devotees who had actually carried him, they told him that it was easy to carry Baba's dandi because Baba would make himself weightless. Haridas Baba said Maharaj ji became as light as a flower.

66.  Conversing With Hanuman

When Baba Shri Ram of Badrinath was about eighty-six years of age, he came with his devotees to Kainchi ashram after his pilgrimage to Manasarovar and Kailash in October 1985. He had had a close association with Maharaj and related an incident that he had witnessed years before. He said, "I saw Maharaj conversing with the murti of Hanuman at Sankat Mochan temple, Varanasi, in the same way as we are now talking to each other."

67.  Baba's Will Prevailed

Maharaj addressed the murti at the Hanuman temple in Rambag, Allahabad, as "Controller General." One day Sri Ma was at the temple with Maharaj and saw an old woman climbing the stairs with great difficulty to have the darshan of Hanuman, who was on the first floor. She felt great pity for the woman and drew Baba's attention to her. Baba asked the manager, "Why cannot Hanuman ji come down? Mothers find it difficult to go up the stairs." The manager and the priest of the temple knew Baba, but the manager said that since the murti had been installed upstairs, nothing could be done about it. Baba heard this and left. He had only asked a question, but God's will is supreme and must be materialized. Shortly thereafter it rained so heavily that the back portion of the old temple, where the murti had been installed, collapsed. The rest of the temple remained intact and undamaged. When the back walls collapsed, the murti descended to the ground floor in a standing position, as if Hanuman ji had been carefully placed there. The murti was not damaged at all. Keeping Hanuman ji there on the ground floor, the whole temple was reconstructed around him.

68.  Tears From a Murti

A devotee came to Vrindavan to have Baba's darshan and brought a friend along with him. The friend, an atheist, was not interested in meeting Baba. He had come only to keep his friend company. Maharaj made his devotee sit by him and asked the friend to sit on the platform in front of the Hanuman temple. The man sat there for a long time feeling bored. Then turning around, he glanced at the murti of Hanuman and saw tears in the murti's eyes. The tears began to fall, drop by drop, onto Hanuman's chest. This sight confounded the atheist, and a total change took place in his feelings and thoughts. The murti that he had considered a piece of carved stone changed his heart and attitude.

69.  The Ramnagar Bridge

The late Indira Gandhi laid the foundation stone of the Ramnagar Bridge at Varanasi. However, there was great difficulty constructing the bridge because the first pillar sank every time it was built. Since the engineers could not think of a way to solve the problem, people consulted the well-known guru, Bijlia Baba of Varanasi, for his advice. He advised them to invite Sri Neeb Karori Maharaj, saying the work could only be completed by his grace. At Kamlapati Tripathi's request, Maharaj went to the site. He told Tripathi ji, "Pandit, get a small Hanuman temple built here. All work will be done." A temple was immediately erected, and a small murti of Hanuman ji was installed and consecrated by Maharaj. After that, construction of the bridge was easy. The Hanuman temple still exists today.

70.  Baba's Feet

In April 1970 devotees gathered at Vrindavan ashram for the festival of Hanuman Jayanti. I had come from Aligarh for Maharaj ji's darshan. At one point I looked towards Baba's feet, which were hidden under his clothing, and remembered that Radhay Shyam Sarraf from Firozabad had said that Baba's feet were not at all affected by what he walked on. The more I thought about it, the more I was inclined to doubt it. I was not able to understand how it could be possible.

Maharaj went out of his room and asked me to go with him. I picked up a blanket in my left hand for Baba to sit on and went. Holding my right hand, Baba went towards the fields at the back of the ashram. I was worried when I saw the rugged field, filled with stumps of corn, jumbled bushes, shrubs, and thorns, but Baba was unconcerned about them. Looking straight ahead, he walked on that thorny field at normal speed. Neither of my hands was free and my feet, pricked by thorns, were soon bleeding. When it became too difficult for me to walk further, Baba took me by the hand and said, "Why don't you walk, what's wrong?" I told him my problem and he said, "How has this happened? Why have thorns pricked you and not me? I am also walking on the same ground." Seeing me at a loss to answer, he asked me to take out the thorns. When I had done so, the burning sensation subsided. Baba again held me by the hand and started walking towards more thorny ground. Gokhru, the thorny seeds of a plant, stuck all over the soles of my feet and it again became impossible for me to continue walking. Scolding me, Baba said, "What has happened now? Thorns have pricked only your feet. Mine have not been touched at all." When he said this, I openly expressed the doubt I had had in my mind. I apologized for my lack of faith and inability to understand the divinity of Baba's holy feet.

-Hotridutt Sharma, Aligarh

71.  Producing Puri From Under the Blanket

My son received low marks in the mathematics exam of his B.A. Part II degree, and he was preparing for a re-test with the hope of improving his grade. When my sister informed us that Baba had arrived at her house in Allenganj, Allahabad, I asked my son to go for his darshan. My son said that he did not want to go for Baba's darshan for the sake of passing his exam and that he would prefer to see Baba after the results had been published. I agreed to this and went alone for Baba's darshan. When I was bowing before Baba, I heard my sister asking him to bestow his blessings on my son, so I told Baba about the conversation I had had with him earlier. Baba was overwhelmed with emotion. Shaking his head, he said, "You do not understand, he is very shy." We were surprised to see how such a thing had moved Baba. Then I remembered something Baba had once said to Sudhir Mukerjee, "Who comes to me for my sake only?" The unselfishness of the boy pleased Baba.

As Baba was leaving the house, I went out with him. He took a piece of puri from under his blanket, and giving it to me, he said, "Give it to your boy." By his grace my son not only passed his B.A. and M.A. exams but also got a job in the State Bank of India before the M.A. results were announced. One day in Kainchi my younger son informed Baba of his brother's new appointment, and Baba said, "I have made him manager."

72.  The Satisfaction of a Child

A boy in Shri Hariram Joshi's house insisted on eating only sweets and refused to have food. Baba arrived at the house and asked why the boy was crying. The members of the family said that the boy had become obstinate and did not listen to anyone. When everyone had bowed before Baba, the boy also came to offer pranaam to him. Baba asked him to open an empty cigarette packet lying on the floor in the room. Inside, the boy found five rupees. The boy became happy. A lot of sweets could be bought with five rupees in those days. The boy bought the sweets and offered them to Baba. Baba gave the sweets to the child and made him eat to his heart's content.

73.  Puris From His Hand

One evening I went to Church Lane with my wife for Baba's darshan. Everyone was having prasad in the house, but since we had already eaten our meal, we went to the outer room instead. Maharaj was sitting there on a takhat alone. I took his feet in my hands and gently massaged them while Baba sat silently. He rubbed his hands together and then put two soft, warm puris into my hands. I was more happy than surprised to receive that unique prasad from him. I wrapped the puris carefully in a piece of paper and on my return home, shared the prasad with the members of my family.

-Rajida

74.  Producing Money From the Ground

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

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

75.  One Thousand Rupees In an Empty Purse

One day I went to Kainchi to meet Baba. I had kept some money in my purse, but after buying sweets and fruit for prasad and paying my bus fare to Kainchi, I had only five rupees left. I was very worried. If I had to spend more money on my return journey, I would have a big problem. When I went to Baba and bowed before him, he said, "You do not have money in your purse?" I replied casually, "Baba, there is enough." He said again, "Ask if you need it." I did need it, but I remained quiet because I thought it would be improper to take money from Baba. Instead of taking from a saint, money should be offered to him. On my return journey I purchased a ticket with the five-rupee note, emptying my purse. I arrived home, and later when I opened the purse, I found ten one-hundred-rupee notes in another compartment of the purse. I was amazed at this divine lila of my generous Baba.

-Shrimati Savitri Devi, Begumpul, Meerut

76.  Baba's Generosity

Sri Swami Mohanand ji lived near Maharaj's ashram on Parikrama Marg in Vrindavan. One day at the time that Swami ji was getting his ashram constructed, the money he had kept for the work was stolen. He had no money left to pay the laborers or to buy food. He was worried and remained without food. Baba went to him, but before Swami ji could tell him about the problem, Baba took puris and potatoes out from his blanket and made him eat. Then Baba said, "You have not lost your money, look under your pillow." When Mohanand lifted his pillow again, he was surprised to find more money than he had lost.

77.  Satisfying Curiosity

On one occasion Choudhry Mihilal of Lalpur was massaging Baba's feet at the Vrindavan ashram while Baba was lying quietly. Mihilal started wondering how Baba met the expenses of the ashram when Baba suddenly said, "Fetch that blanket from the wooden stool." When he picked up the blanket, he saw a lot of money under it. He replaced the blanket, covering the notes as they were, and returned to Baba quietly. Seeing his face, Baba laughed and said, "You wondered how we were meeting the expenses of the ashram. Have you seen it now?" Choudhry held Baba's feet and apologized.

78.  Prasad For All

One day in 1956 Kehar Singh ji invited Maharaj to eat at his house in Allahabad. Baba said, "I shall eat at your house tomorrow evening." When Kehar Singh ji got home, he told his wife that Baba was coming the next day and asked her to prepare food for two extra people. His wife prepared two vegetable dishes ahead of time and prepared everything for the puris in order to make them fresh later. Kehar Singh ji bought sweets from the market, and then he himself went to Sudhir Mukerjee's house in Colonelganj to escort Baba. About ten people came with them.

As soon as Baba got into the house, he asked for food. Kehar Singh ji served him a plate containing two hot puris, vegetables, and sweets. Baba said, "Serve food to all." Kehar Singh ji was in a fix, but he put nine plates and small bowls in the kitchen and told his wife what Baba had commanded. She was perturbed because it would not be acceptable if food was not served to everyone, but her husband had only asked her to cook for two people. Since there was not enough time to prepare more food, she left the kitchen in a state of helplessness. Kehar Singh ji asked their servant to cook food and start frying puris with the dough that was already there. Kehar Singh ji started serving food in the outer room. The food automatically increased to such an extent that everyone had as much prasad as they could eat. There was even food leftover for the family members.

79.  Food For Two Fed Fifteen

One day Umadatt Shukla brought Maharaj and a gentleman accompanying him from his shop in Hazratganj, Lucknow, to his house. His mother-in-law was preparing fried puris with cooked vegetables for two, and she had also brought some sweets from the market. While Shukla was serving food to Baba and the person with him in the outer room, R.K. Trivedi and his father and family arrived. Trivedi was Shukla's cousin and his father was a great devotee of Baba. Baba asked Shukla to serve food to the visitors. After everyone had dinner and left, Shukla's mother-in-law said to him that the Trivedis should also have been asked to dinner. When Shukla told her that everyone had eaten their fill before they left, she was surprised. She could not understand how twelve people were fed with the food prepared for only two, especially as there was still enough food left for the three members of the household. Really, Baba fed all.

80.  Eight Oranges

One evening in 1973, after traveling in the hills of Uttarakhand, Swami Chidananda, head of the Shivananda ashram in Rishikesh, came to Kainchi with some devotees for Maharaj's darshan. Swami ji wrote: "The revered Baba Neeb Karori was seated on a cot, wrapped in a simple blanket. He received me and my party with a very kind and benign look and motioned us to take our seats on the carpet spread near a cot. I knelt down beside the cot and paid my homage, laying my head upon his lap, where he had tucked up his foot, being seated cross-legged."

Shri Yogesh Bahuguna, who came with Swami ji, had brought eight oranges to offer to Baba. He put them in an empty basket near the cot, and after conversing for a little while, Baba distributed those oranges as prasad. By this time some devotees and workers in the ashram had gathered at the door. The visitors were astonished to see that Baba had given an orange to each of the eighteen people present. Swami ji wrote, "From where the additional oranges came into the basket is something we could not explain. Perhaps only Baba ji knows this."

81.  Petrol Increased

Maharaj went to Kanpur in Raja Bhadri's car with Ramanand, the driver, and stayed there with his devotees for some time. One day Maharaj told Ramanand, "Take the car to Allahabad." There was, however, only enough petrol in the car for about ten or twelve kilometers. Explaining the situation to Baba, Ramanand told him they would need to get the tank filled. Baba paid no attention to what he said and again asked him to go ahead. The driver was worried all the way because the car could have stopped anywhere at any moment, leaving them in trouble. No such thing happened. The petrol was sufficient for the journey, and they arrived at Church Lane, Allahabad, where Ramanand told the story to everyone present.

82.  Will You Have Tea?

During the Kumbha Mela at Prayag in 1966, Maharaj camped at Jhusi, on the other side of the sangam. Late one night Maharaj's durbar was still going strong. Brahmachari Baba whispered into the ear of another devotee that it would be good if everyone could have some tea, for it was quite cold. There was tea and sugar but no milk. Just then Baba said, "Will you have tea? Take a bucket with you and fetch milk from the Ganga. Tell Mother that I am taking milk and will return tomorrow." Brahmachari Baba immediately obeyed him. As soon as he came back with the bucket full of Ganges water, Baba told him to cover it. Reminding Brahmachari sometime later, Baba said, "Why don't you prepare tea now?" Brahmachari immediately put water on to boil but was feeling anxious about how he would make the tea without milk. When the water had boiled, he lifted the cover of the bucket and found that it was full of milk. Everyone enjoyed hot tea on that cold winter night and was amazed at Baba's lila. The next day when milk was brought to the camp, Baba got one bucketful poured into the Ganges.

83.  The Glory of the Ganges

One evening at the Kumbha Mela, Baba was boating with some of his devotees. Speaking about the glory of the Ganges, Baba told them, "Milk, not water, flows in the Ganges." The devotees kept quiet because they found it difficult to believe.

Baba asked Umadatt Shukla to fill a lota with Ganges water and then to keep it covered. The devotees spent a lot of time in discussion with Baba and it became dark. Baba ordered the boat to be taken back to the shore near the camp and then said to Shukla, "Give everyone Ganga water to drink." To everyone's surprise, the lota was full of milk. Everyone tasted a little of that delicious, nectar-like milk.

84.  Milk For Girish

Once, Bhagwati Sevak Bajpai, Girish Chandra Joshi, and a personal assistant to a senior official were with Baba at Sarsaiyya Ghat, Kanpur, when Baba got a boat called to ferry them to a dry island in the middle of the Ganges. The assistant told Baba that it was not safe to go to the island, as bootleggers ran their illegal winemaking operation from there. Baba did not listen to him. When they approached the island, the bandits drew their guns and loudly asked who was approaching. Baba answered in a thundering voice, "Baba." By the time they reached the island, all the scoundrels were calm. Baba went to fulfil the call of nature, and after resting for some time, he said, "Girish is on a fast today. He is hungry. Go and borrow a lota full of milk from Mother Ganga and give it to him to drink." The assistant brought a lota full of Ganges water as instructed, and it turned into delicious milk, which Girish drank.

85.  Water For Petrol

One time at Kainchi ashram, Habibulla, the driver of Baba's car, told Baba that there was no petrol in the car. He asked permission to go and get the tank filled in case Baba wanted to go somewhere. Baba said, "I do not have to go anywhere." The next night Baba got into the car and asked him to drive. It was a cold night, and Baba had covered himself with two blankets. Habibulla kept his blanket on one side and started driving. He said, "Baba, you did not allow me to put petrol in the car. How will it move now? Where do you want to go?" Baba said, "I have to go to Almora. Now drive."

The car ran for about five kilometers, and after crossing the slope at Ratighat, it stopped. There was no petrol. The driver was very worried, for they had no alternative except to spend the night in the desolate forest. He picked up his blanket and sat huddled in a corner of the car until Baba said, "Bring water from the nearby spring and pour it into the petrol tank." On hearing those words, Habibulla said, "Maharaj, the car will be damaged. I am ready to do whatever you say, but I shall leave this job tomorrow morning. I will not stay with you anymore." Baba coaxed him saying, "Not much, pour only three cans of water in." The driver did as Baba told him. Baba said, "Now start the car." Habibulla said, "The car is ruined now. It will not start." Baba again politely asked him to start the car. As soon as he started the car, it moved without any problem. He drove all night with Baba and brought the car back to the ashram in the morning. Habibulla regretted telling Baba he would leave his job.

86.  Gram Flour

Baba went to the house of Nand Kishore Joshi and said to Joshi's wife, "Give me food to eat. I shall eat roti made with gram flour." She was happy that Baba had come and given them an opportunity to serve him. However, she was upset because there was no gram flour in the house to allow her to make the rotis that Baba desired. She knew very well that Baba would go away without having food if there was the slightest delay. She also knew that there was no time to get more gram flour from the market, so she decided to mix whatever gram flour she had in the house with wheat flour and then prepare rotis for him. As she opened the can containing wheat flour, she was surprised to find that all the wheat flour inside had turned into gram flour.

87.  Checking Baba's Store

Baba once selected Hotridutt Sharma and two other devotees to check the store in the ashram. He sent them to the storeroom one by one and asked them to check the contents of five big cans. All three came back with different reports. One said that there was sugar in all five cans. One said that there was rice in all of the five cans, and the third saw raw sugar in two cans and rice in three cans. Baba laughed.

88.  Swallowing LSD

After talking about LSD with his American devotee Ram Dass, Maharaj took three 300-microgram pills of pure LSD from him and put them in his mouth. One of these pills was plenty for an adult, but Baba consume 900 micrograms with no apparent effect. Ram Dass was surprised and thought it over for some time. At last, disbelieving his own eyes, he concluded that Baba could not have swallowed those pills.

Three years later, when Ram Dass was back in India, Maharaj asked him again for LSD and this time took 1,200 micrograms. He drank some water and then asked, "Will I become mad?" Ram Dass replied, "It could be." All of a sudden Baba's countenance changed, and he started to behave like a mad man. Ram Dass got worried and felt that he had misjudged Baba's powers, but the next moment Baba appeared to be his own self again. In a normal way he asked Ram Dass, "Is there any medicine more powerful than this one?"

89.  Eating Arsenic

The Indian saint Swami Rama wrote in his book Living with the Himalayan Masters that he was with Baba one day when a pharmacist in Nainital stopped and bowed before Baba in salutation. The pharmacist was carrying arsenic powder from Tallital to Mallital. Baba said to the man, "I am hungry. What are you carrying with you?" The man answered, "This is arsenic powder. I shall bring some food for you." Baba snatched the powder in one stretch and ate a handful of it. He then asked for water and drank it. The pharmacist became worried. He thought it was not possible for Baba to stay alive. When he saw that Baba's condition remained unchanged, he felt amazed.

90.  Arsenic Became Ineffective

A sadhu came to meet Maharaj ji at Kainchi ashram with arsenic hidden in his clothes. Maharaj ji called the sadhu to him and cleverly removed the arsenic. He swallowed a large quantity of it and drank some water. The sadhu became very worried and said, "None can stay alive after consuming so much arsenic." Nevertheless, it had no effect on Maharaj ji, who told the sadhu smilingly, "Before the love of God, all other intoxicants become ineffective."

91.  I Shall Change the Season

The marriage ceremony of Hotridutt Sharma's daughter was to be solemnized on 18 June 1973. On 15 June, Sharma went to Kainchi to have Baba's blessings and invite him to attend the ceremony. Baba said to him, "Pandit, tell me something I can do." With his hands joined in reverence, Sharma said, "Maharaj, you are doing everything." Baba said, "I shall do the work that nobody else can do." Hotridutt ji became thoughtful, and then Baba clarified his statement. "There is no electricity in your village. The marriage party will be uncomfortable because of the heat, so I shall change the weather. Make arrangements for proper bedding as it will be very cold on 18th and 19th June." The marriage party arrived at the appointed hour. It drizzled during the day, and a wind started blowing from the east. By night it became as cold as it usually was in the months of November and December. Hotridutt ji, as was his nature, told others what Baba had said in Kainchi, and everyone who attended the marriage was amazed. After the marriage party was sent off, the weather reverted to normal and became extremely hot.

92.  Changing the Wind

Kehar Singh ji had a large farm in Rudrapur, Nainital, and Jagdish Chandra Pande lived there as the manager. The sugarcane crop was ripe at Kehar Singh's farm and at his neighbor's. One day the neighbor's crop caught fire and could not be saved. Jagdish Pande was worried because only a small footpath separated the two farms. By some unknown inspiration, he picked up some soil, and remembering Maharaj, he threw it towards the neighbor's crop with the faith that it would somehow save their own crop from the devastating fire. The wind changed direction instantly, and Kehar Singh ji's crop was saved.

93.  Go, Take Everything

The maize crop at Omkar Singh's big farm in Baharaich had just been harvested and was lying on the threshing floor. Suddenly the sky became overcast and it started drizzling. Omkar Singh became restless, for he had no means of saving that huge crop. If the rain continued, he knew that the whole crop, worth thousands of rupees, would be ruined. Whenever there were crucial moments in his life or things were beyond his control, he always remembered Baba. It had been his experience that wherever Baba might be, he would save him. So when it started raining heavily, he remembered Baba in his distress, however, when he did not see any change in the weather, he lost patience and became disheartened. Then he became angry and said, "Go, take everything." It immediately stopped raining around Singh's threshing floor but continued to rain heavily in the village.

A long time after this incident, Kehar Singh ji reminded Baba of this lila and said, "You saved Omkar Singh's crop from destruction." Like a child, Baba very humbly said, "What could I do? He had lost his self control and in anger he was shouting, 'Go take everything.'"

94.  A Cool Breeze

One night in May 1958 Maharaj's devotee Kehar Singh ji was at his house in Lucknow trying to sleep. It was quite hot, and he restlessly turned from side to side. The electricity was down so the fan was useless, but suddenly the weather changed. A cold wind like the one that blows in the hills of Shimla and Musoorie started blowing, even though there were no clouds in the sky and no apparent reason for the change in weather. Kehar Singh ji slept soundly and woke refreshed the next day. After completing his daily chores, he made his way to the house of Mehrotra, where Baba had been staying for the last two days. As soon as he offered pranaam, Maharaj said, "You were not getting much sleep last night. You were tossing and turning all night." Kehar Singh ji replied, "Why, I did sleep. You caused a cool breeze." At this Baba burst into laughter. The secret of his divine power was revealed.

95.  The Lighting of Aarti Wicks

On one occasion some women devotees came to Bhumiadhar to worship Baba but did not see him in the ashram. Baba was sitting on a roadside parapet a little distance from them. They waited for some time and then decided to go and worship him by the road. As they went towards him, Baba waved his hand, signaling them to wait. Gurudatt Sharma, who was with Baba, requested him to allow the women to do their puja. Baba gave his consent, and after the ritual worship they got ready to do aarti. As they were about to light the wicks of the lamps, they realized that they had forgotten to bring a box of matches. Baba teased them, took the ghee-soaked wicks from the plate in his hand, and saying "Ma, Ma," moved his hand around; all the wicks immediately lit up. The women then performed aarti to him and went away happy.

96.  Feeding a Flame With Water

One day when Hanumanghar was under construction, Maharaj was sitting at the puja (place of worship) in Shivdutt Joshi's house at Kishanpur, Nainital. An earthen lamp was burning near Baba and a small bowl containing water and a spoon was before him. Many devotees were sitting by him talking about havan (a ritual during which offerings are thrown into fire). One devotee was describing how Adi Heriakhan Baba performed havan with water. Shivdutt's daughter Munni Devi said that while everybody was listening with rapt attention, Baba was using the small spoon to pour water onto the flame of the wick in the earthenware lamp. Whenever he poured on the water, the flame rose higher.

97.  At Neeb Karori and Vrindavan

In 1920, when Maharaj was living in his old cave in the village of Neeb Karori, he did not mix freely with people. Nevertheless, one day some people from the village were going to Vrindavan, and they asked Baba to go with them. Baba had never been to Vrindavan before, but he sent them off with assurances that he would join them later.

Baba's devotee Gopal used to leave a plateful of food at the entrance to Baba's cave daily, as Baba had instructed him. After eating his meal Baba would leave the empty plate at the mouth of the cave since Gopal was never allowed to go inside. This day was no different from any other. Gopal left the plate of food and collected the empty plate as usual. When the villagers returned from Vrindavan, they told Gopal that Baba had been in Vrindavan with them and had made them have darshan of some temples there. All of them had enjoyed the journey. Gopal was surprised to hear their accounts and later told Baba everything that he had heard. Baba told Gopal that he should not believe what the people told him. He often concealed his powers in this way.

98.  At Allahabad and Kanpur

S.K. Shukla was very eager for promotion. Maharaj blessed him, and he became deputy director of industries of the government of Uttar Pradesh. One day his friend Bhagwati Sevak Bajpai went to Allahabad to have Baba's darshan, and during the course of a conversation Baba expressed his annoyance with Shukla. After staying the night, Bajpai took leave of Baba and reached his house in Kanpur within a few hours. No sooner did he arrive home than he phoned Shukla to tell him about Baba's displeasure. Shukla, who had built a new house in Kanpur with a special room for Baba upstairs, asked him to come to his house at once. On Bajpai's arrival, Shukla said, "You were talking about last night. Well, Baba was here with me then." As proof he showed him Baba's footprints. The floor in front of Baba's room had been newly plastered the previous day. Baba had walked on the wet floor going into the room, so his footprints made a permanent impression there.

राम