Babaji and Bahin
Many cows came to eat daily at Babaji’s ashram. Some of them belonged to the local villagers, some to ashrams and some were strays. It was not unusual for cows to give birth at the ashram especially in the winter months when they would lie in the sun and sometimes being heavily pregnant they could not bring themselves to return home. When this happened the babas would help with the birth and send a message to the cow’s owner to come and fetch the cow and the new born calf.
One winter’s day an elderly and sick looking pregnant cow slowly made her way up from Babaji’s ashram and entered the garden of the house where Babaji’s devotees stayed. As she went into labour the babas helped her but soon after she had given birth to a little female calf, she left her body.
When the situation was reported to Babaji, he told Nani to look after the new born calf that night. The calf cried plaintively all night while Nani tried to keep her warm and feed her with a bottle. In the morning Nani took the tiny calf down to Babaji’s cave where Babaji nursed her and gave her milk to drink from a bottle. Babaji also dipped his fingers in milk and the little calf licked and nuzzled his fingers. Showing his characteristic compassion Babaji nursed her during the day time and at night sent her to sleep with Nani. Babaji called her Bahin, which means little sister.
As Bahin grew up she became healthy and utterly devoted to Babaji. When Nani brought her down to cave in the morning she would run across the clay platform and jump from the doorway of Babaji’s cave onto his lap. Babaji always gave her a loving welcome even when she started to get bigger and her morning leap into the cave was not as easy for everyone as it had been when she was smaller. When Babaji walked around the ashram Bahin would follow him everywhere and she would dance around him in delight.
When Babaji would go to the Math in the afternoons she would follow him there and play or sleep in the sand near him. On day in the summer, Gangaji ‘s waters had risen while Babaji was sitting with devotees over on the Math and in order to get back across to the mainland the babas put a plank between two rocks over the rising stream flowing around the side of the Math. Babaji’s human devotees walked across it to the other side. Babaji also walked across the plank. Bahin tried to follow but she couldn’t navigate the plank because it was too narrow. She was frantic as she saw Babaji reaching the other side while she was still on the Math. Before anyone could stop her, she jumped into the stream and tried to swim towards Babaji. The current, however was too strong and she started to get swept away into the main stream of Gangaji. Seeing this Babaji ran over the rocks calling her name and started to wade into the river towards her. Hearing his voice, she gained strength and courage and swam towards him until they met in a loving embrace and came out of the water together, each as happy as the other.