- One day I was sitting with Babaji on the Math. It was a very hot summer’s day and Babaji and I were sitting in a tiny piece of shade on a rocky outcrop near to the cave where I did my sadhana. Babaji was being gracious enough to answer some of my sadhana queries when four or five men came towards us. They were poor men and from their dress they appeared to be manual workers who carried luggage and other such weights in order to make a living. As there was no room on the ledge where Babaji and I were sitting or perhaps from respect, they squatted on the sand below and sat quietly and unmoving even though the blazing sun was unbearably hot and the sand scorched the soles of ones’ feet . After a few minutes Babaji politely asked them where they had come from and what they wanted. Joining his palms together above his head one of them replied, “You know,. Governor.”
After another few minutes of silence Ganga Mai, one of Babaji’s sadhvi disciples, came running towards us, out of breath from her exertion. She shouted at the men ‘ Get it out of here, get it out of here.’ Babaji calmly asked what she was talking about and she replied in very agitated tones that the men had brought a corpse into the ashram and had laid it down on the path to the Math. She then turned again to the men squatting in the ground and repeated that they should move the corpse immediately. The men did not move an inch and continued to look imploringly at Babaji.
Babaji got up from the shade and led the way back to the main beach with the men following silently. Ganga Mai and I accompanied Babaji across the Math beach and onto the narrow path in front of Hanuman Shila which led to the tiny wooden plank acting as a bridge to the main part of the ashram. On the path lay a motionless young woman on a simple bamboo bier. She looked very much like a corpse. As Babaji drew level with her, he stopped and looked at her compassionately. ‘She has little children, Governor,’ said one of the labourers.
As we stood looking at her a strange thing happened . Suddenly a cow appeared and came and stood in between Babaji and the young woman’s body. Even though there were cows at Babaji’s ashram, it was very unusual that a cow should have been going to the Math along that path. The cows did not usually go to the Math at all and certainly not along this path. However there was a cow appearing to be walking towards the beach of the Math and she stopped between Babaji and the body. Babaji took her tail and passed it three times over the woman’s body from her head to her feet. The cow walked on and to our utter amazement the woman sat up on her bier.
Looking as if she had just woken up from sleep, she looked around and then said, “I’m hungry.’ The men fell on their knees bowing to Babaji and shedding tears of joy. Ganga Mai and I were staring at the scene dumbfounded. Babaji was absolutely calm as usual and said to Ganga Mai, ‘ Didn’t you hear her, she is hungry. Bring her some food.” Babaji continued to stand there while Ganga Mai ran over to the dharmashala and brought her some puris. The young lady sat and ate them hungrily.
As she was eating Babaji started to walk towards the bridge. The men bowed to Babaji again and again and asked what they could do to repay him. Babaji replied that it was the grace of Gaumata ( the cow) and of Hanuman ji (as we were standing at the base of Hanuman Shila). He said that the young woman should cook a rota and bring it for Hanumanji and for the cow the next day. He also cautioned them all not to tell anyone what had happened.
The young woman stood up and walked away with the men who were carrying her empty bier. Very soon after they left many people rushed down to the ashram speaking of the miracle that had just happened but Babaji looked most disinterested in the matter and made no comment.
Nani Mai
Reflection by Kanshi Ram
The supernatural powers are a byproduct of self-realisation and the realised saint makes judicious use of them or he decides to put into service those powers when he discerns the propriety of the use of such powers. It was Babaji’s unbelievable leela. But what is important to mention here is that Babaji remained absolutely unruffled. This incident shows Babaji’s unbounded compassion for the people who are really in distress and also gives a clear message that our possessions or abilities should not go to our heads.