Vihangam YogaThe true spiritual path…

Sadguru Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj,

A Divine Affinity…..

A journeyWith

God’s ownMessenger…

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Foreword

Even while Yogiraj Sadguru Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj was alive, he had directed me to write about his life-story. Accordingly while participating in his memorial services at Vritikutta Ashram, I had declared that I would soon write and publish his biography. But my tours across the country, propagating the yogi’s sacred teachings delayed the execution of this work.

The first twenty-five years of the yogi’s life had been recorded in the shape of a biographical sketch during his life-period itself. Based on my study of that biography and on whatever knowledge and information I have gathered of the Saint through the personal contact that I have had with him (it indeed was a privilege), I have completed this book for the benefit of those interested in getting a true and authentic account of the life of the great Saint. If accounts of all the travels undertaken by the yogi and if all his teachings and discourses were to be compiled it would turn out to be a big volume. Therefore, I have given a short and concise account of only the salient features of his life and teachings in this book. In this book, I have covered all the stages of Swamiji’s life from the time of his early detachment till the time of him renouncing the body including the period of his yogic practices, so that the readers may benefit from the unique and superb teaching of the yogi and the memories of his great life. Besides, subjects relating to experiences truth directly felt by a Vihangam yogi have also been accounted in this book.I have completed this glorious account of his life today after eleven days of continuous work taking meticulous care to see that nothing important is left out.I hope the readers will find this book eminently suitable for the purpose for which it has been written. I also hope that human beings all over the world will assemble under the ‘a’ marked white banner of the Brahmavidya propounded by the Sadguru Maharaj and shall make a continuous endeavour to attain spiritual enlightenment not only for themselves but also inspire others to achieve the same in life. I am confident that the Almighty will bring fulfillment to Swamiji’s determination for universal propagation of the Brahmavidya. May God keep me true and sublime in the fulfillment of the great mission of my life under the patronage of the Sadguru..This is all I pray for!!!

-Acharya Shri Dharamchandradeo Ji Maharaj

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The Birth of the Eternal Guru

The great saint Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj was born on Thursday at 9 A.M. on the fourth day of the first fortnight of the month of Bhadra in Year 1945 corresponding to 1888 A.D., in the family of Baba Lal Ji Rao of the dynasty of Kshatriya Sangers. His father's name was Rajarshi Hanuman Singh and his mother's name was Maharani Mukti Devi. The place where he was born i.e. the village Pakari is located at a distonce of 25 Kilometers towards the North West direction from the northern bank of the Ganga, in the district of Ballia in Uttor Pradesh. The Kshatriya-Sanger-dynasty is a dynasty of saints and it has its origin from Shanto the daughter of Raja Dasrath of Ayodhya, who was married to the renowned Rishi Sringi. This dynasty has produced a galaxy of Yogis, saints and seers from time to time. But the Yogic excellence and the sphere of influence of Yogiraj Maharshi, Sadafal Deo Ji has been the most spectocular of the whole lot. People all over the country hold him in the highest esteem and his enumerable disciples worship him as Kabir incarnate. There is an unmistokable impact of Yogi Ji's prowess, knowledge and philosophy on Yogis and searchers of spiritual truth in India. The eternal flame of the Brahma-Vidya of Sri Sadguru Deo Ji will always enlighten their hearts.

Sri Nath Baba, Sri Junglee Baba and Mahatma Bulaki Das have been some of the luminaries in this dynasty of Sanger Khastriyas of the Gautom Gotra in which Swami Sadafal Deo Ji was born. Sri Nath Baba was born near Rasera and his Samadhi can still be seen in that village. There are a number of places in districts of Azamgarh, Chhapra and Ballia where one may come across Matts set up by him. Even today his posterity offer Roto (a special kind of large size bread) in his holy memory. The sphere of activities of Mahatma Bulaki Das has also been close to Rasera. Even now one comes across people, singing his poems that contain the refrain “so says Bulaki Sanger”. He was a saint and he composed his poems based on his experience and self-knowledge.

There had been the advent of one more saint in this dynasty, that of Mahatma Junglee Baba, who was a recluse of the first order and was amongst the category of saints who, though not literate, are possessed of the divine light of Brahma-Gyana. Usually the saints of true realization are unfamiliar with language or customs of the society, but they are possessed with the internal and secret knowledge of the divine, in the light of which they roam freely about in the universe. Sri Junglee Baba was a saint of this order.

Sadguru Sri Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj had great respect and admiration for Junglee Baba, who lived for fairly a long period during his life time. He was widely known throughout the district of Ballia and there are numerous stories pertaining to the Baba's bountiful mercies to his disciples and others who went to him seeking fulfillment of their desires. Normally saints and pious souls show reluctance in doing miracles for the benefit of people, but kind hearted and full of compassion as they are, their stiffness melts before prayers of distressed and suffering folk made to them in the expectation that they would be fulfilled. It is on record that the wishes of a lowly devotee of the Baba were fulfilled at the mere asking of it.

The fame and reputation, of Bhagwan Maharshi Sadafal Deo Ji is spread over not only the districts of Ballia and other adjoining areas; it extends to far off States like Assam, West Bengal, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat and Maharashtra. A great number of people in all these States have disciplined their lives in accordance with the teachings and the ways of life propounded by Swamiji and are striving to attain spiritual bliss in life. He has been the most spectacular and the most illustrious among the saints of this dynasty, both from the point of view of depth of spiritual attainments and the extent and range of his impact and influence.

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Rani Bodha junglee nath Jila tin maanhi |Bharat ke kone kone me Dev Sadafal jaahin ||

~*~

Junglee Baba enlightened the esteemed Maharani of Hathwa, Nath Baba's message was spread over the three districts of Ballia, Azamgarh and Chhapra, but Sadafal Deo Ji would disseminate his divine knowledge throughout the length and breadth of India.

Yogis and pious souls are recluses in life and then renounce all that is worldly. But for the benefit of mankind these great souls roam about the world telling people how they can tread in the path of peace and glory. The position of Maharshi Sadafal Deo Ji is that of the Sadguru fully immersed in Brahman, thoroughly versed in scriptures and perfect in all the knowledge. He was like the brightest celestial story radiant with experience of the vastest personal knowledge. One can become a saint or a pious soul through a process of laborious dedication and the pursuit of principles but it is among the millions of such saints that one ever attains the height of Swamiji, who was the knower and preacher of all knowledge contained in the Vedas and Upanishads. He was like Yagyavalkya in the Court of king Janak, whose spiritual knowledge far exceeded the knowledge and wisdom of thousand of Rishis and Vedic scholars assembled in that distinguished gathering. Renunciation of the Joys of life, therefore do not alone make a Guru or a seer. It is only the Guru, who has the internal and external knowledge of the animate and inanimate world, who is thoroughly versed in the glory of internal Yoga, who has a transparent vision, who is a knower of all the phases of time-the past, the present and the future, who can renounce the human frame at will and who has mastered the states of Samadhi is one who can claim to this dignified position of Sad guru and the fountain head of Brahma-Vidya. The Sadguru traversed a wide part of the Indian Territory and met and spoke to a cross section of its people and taught them to live a life of glory by following his teachings on Brahma-Vidya. Devarshi Narada used to roam about the three worlds singing the lore of Lord and initiating and guiding the people to take the righteous path (Satya-path). The ever young great Yogis like Sanak, Sanandan and others have always been moving about; and it is therefore, that saints have been called as the moving centers of pilgrimage. Yogeshwar Bhagwan Maharshi Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj has propagated the sacred message of true spiritual knowledge for the resuscitation of mankind all over the world by traveling through the length and breadth of the country. Swamiji's mission was to bring the message of Brahma-Vidya to the remotest corner of the globe.

Real peace and happiness can be established in the world only through the knowledge of Brahma-Vidya. This Vidya has been the chief possession of India in the field of knowledge by virtue of which this country has always been held in the highest esteem. I think I should make it clear to the readers that Sadguru Deo Ji was not a saint or scholar of ordinary clay but he was the supreme possessor of all the direct and indirect knowledge and the preacher

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of the mystic realization of the external and internal experience. Swamiji was the Jagat-Guru (the Guru of the world), in whom the perennial few of divine knowledge eternally flowed.

With this introduction of Swamiji and this brief account of his teachings and messages, it should not be difficult for anybody to peep into the depths of his spiritual knowledge. It is in no way an emotional or a sentimental account of personal attachment, but a matter-of-fact statement. This is clearly brought out by his teachings, by the books composed by him, by his renunciation of the boy while sitting in the posture of Yoga-Mudra and by his instructions resounding in the skies after he left the mortal frame. This is an introduction to the external facet of his magnanimous personality. It is only a Yogi, who can fathom the inner depths of another Yogi or a person, who receives the benign blessings of a Yogi, who can gauge the exalted stature of a Yogi.

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The Yogic Dynasty

In verses 41 and 42 of chapter VI of the Bhagavad-Gito, Lord Krishna has said:

Prapya punyakritom lokaanushetwa shashvatih samaah |Shuchinaam shrimatoam geyhe yogbhrastoabhijaayte ||

~*~

Those, who have fallen from Yoga after having attained spiritual heights to which men of meritorious deeds alone are entitled and after having resided there for countless years, take birth in the dynasty of Yogis or in the family of wealthy and powerful men.

Athwaa yoginamev kuley bhavti dhitoam |Yetodhee durlabhtoram loke janam yadidhsham ||

~*~

If one has developed dispassion he may be born in the family of enlightened Yogis; but this kind of birth is very difficult to obtain in this world.

In the verses that follow it has further been stated that though attached to the worldly pleasures such men feel drawn towards God and finally attain Akshar Brahman (indestructible Brahman) through the force of the acquisitions of their previous birth. Akshar Brahman is the final limit to the physical world. The Upanishads have called the profounder of Brahman Vidya the Great sages or the Maharshis - “Param Rishi Bhyo Namah".This verse of Mundak Upanishada declares the Rishis of Brahman Vidya as the greatest Rishis the Param Rishis, and they have been treated to highest eulogies.

Swami Sri Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj was born in such a Yogic dynasty of distinction. An ancestor of this dynasty, Baba Lal Ji Rao was a perfect Yogi. It is said about him that he had practiced Yoga for an uninterrupted period of twelve years on the bank of river Saryu at Ayodhya and it was only after his people entreated him to return home that he came back to the place of his birth and thereafter throughout the rest of his life he continued to do his meditation and Sadhana (spiritual practices). Like a true Karma-Yogi (Yogi of unattached actions) Baba Lal Ji Rao attended to all his social and other responsibilities to the fullest degree and yet he lived a life of total detachment. He used to sit on one Yogic Aasana for as long as six months. It is also said that white ants would collect round his buttocks when he would sit on Aasana for long periods. Another story commonly told about Baba Lal Ji Rao, the forefather of Sadguru Deo Ji, is that once he preached his Yogic sermons to one of his disciples Abhiram Rao by laying his hand on his head whereupon Abhiram Rao immediately went into a state of Samadhi as a consequence of entry of his Prana into Shushmana and his breadth never returned to him. The village folk took him to have died in that state and they buried him at a place known as Mathiya, east of village Pakari, the birthplace of Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj. It is also likely that Baba Lal Ji Rao may have done his Sadhana at Mathiya itself, as the name of the place "Mathiya" (monastery) indicates. Yogi Baba Lal Ji Rao had thus attained a high position as a Yogi and a spiritual man.

Yogiraj Sadguru Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj was born as the sixth descendant to Baba Lal Ji Rao. His father, in the tradition of his family was also a sincere devotee of God, who honored and served the devotees and saints. He had built up his spiritual stature by giving up householder’s life and staying in the Vanprastha stage along with his wife for quite some time. It was he who was known as Baba Skambha Muni. Even today people talk his good character, honesty, simplicity and devotion to truth and God. He had practiced Yoga and devotion at different places such as Ayodhya, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Saharanpur,

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and Ballia and on the bank of Ganga at Barkakheto. He wound up his life's activities on the twelfth day of the first half of Kartika in the year 2007 during the lifetime of the writer of this book. His samadhi is situated at Pakri Ashram on the eastern flank of the Samadhi of Maharani Mukti Devi, the mother of Swami Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj.

The mother, Maharani Mukti Devi had achieved pinnacle of spiritualism by associating herself in the Yogic sadhana of her husband. She had practiced many a penances of six months duration, both during her stoy at home and in Vanprastha stage. Her printed life story is available where in many anecdotes of her life are there which inspire and educate the devotees. She was a Yogi of rare distinction. Both Baba Skambha Muni and Maharani Mukti Devi led spiritual life in the best traditions of their family and under the spiritual influence of Swami Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj. It was in such a Yogic family background that Maharshi Sadafal Deo Ji was born whose spiritual influence is so vast that thousands of men, women and children are shaping their lives and destinies in accordance with his teachings and practices and enjoying the inner bliss.

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His Childhood

There is a famous proverb, which says "A child shows its feet in the cradle". This stands uniquely proved in the case of Maharshi Sadafal Deo Ji. He had a natural devotional tendency from his infancy. In his very infancy, Sadguru Deo Ji started doing strange works. Even as a child he would sit on a rectangular wooden plank and command the children to salute him as he was a Mahatma. He would toke the children to the mango orchard, inmitote the Satya Narain Katha (a religious story of the Hindus), proclaim the glory of the Lord in chorus and distribute the pieces of mango as the Prasad (pious food offered as oblation to God). Then there were rehearsals of the acts of Lord Rama along with his companions in which he would immerse himself. When he started going to school, he was very intelligent and diligent in his studies, but whenever he felt distracted he would sit in some lonely place and meditate or go to a temple of Shiva and reverently bow before the Lord and recite Shiva-Shroto. During his childhood he was a stounch devotee of Shiva. Early bath, Pranayams, recitation of Shiva-Mantra and Havana were the daily routines for both morning and evening. At the age of nine, when he once forgot the Guru-Mantra, he approached the Kul-Guru (the Guru of the family) who was a devotee of Shiva, for dictating to him the Mantra again and offered the Guru grains in token of this gift. The Guru obliged him by dictating to him the Shiva-Mantra. Once when he was five year old, he was drowning in a pond when incidentally Pandit Sri Rambaran Choubey of village Meuli, who happened to pass that way, saw him and rescued him from the water.

Thus leading a pure and sincere life according to the dictates of the religion, he continued his early studies. Whenever he felt distracted in the mind, he would humbly pray to Lord Shiva "O Lord Shankar! I do not know what duties I should perform. I have sought refuge under you, restrain my mental perturbations and direct and employ me in such deeds which may be of everlasting and genuine welfare". In this way having spent a period of his life in total dedication to prayers and his studies, he became thoroughly proficient in social and domestic affairs. Though formally educated only up to the primary standard, his scholarship and behavior at the age of eleven years was that of a highly educated and religious man and people were astonished to see his conduct and behavior. At that tender age, Swamiji proceeded to Kashi for learning Sanskrit, which was his ardent desire, but the bigot and cattiest Pandits expressed unwillingness and did not allow him to study the Sanskrit Vyakarana. With this disappointment coupled with sincere and loving devotion to God, Sadafal Deo Ji started roaming about. In the days gone by, as far back as 58 years from now, when the propagation of education was almost nil and almost the entire society was illiterate, such an ardent desire for learning Sanskrit and the Vedas, in a Kshatriya boy of eleven years was a definite indication of his previous life's culture and a potent proof of an eventful life ahead. During those days when even ordinarily educated men in Hindi were rarely found, Sadguru Deo Ji's motivation in acquiring such abstruse scholarship showed what a vast background of culture he had in his previous birth, which in philosophical language may be termed as Pratibhigyan.

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Vairagya

Being detached from the world, Sri Swamiji was always on the look for learned saints and Mahatmas and whenever he came across any such men he used to discuss matters relating to Satsang, Vairagya (renunciation) and preaching with them. When he attained the age of fifteen, people started approaching him with proposals for marriage of their daughters with him. Once when such a proposal came Sadafal Deo Ji ran away to an orchard towards the west of his village, and it was only after a great amount of persuasion by the elderly people that he was cajoled into agreeing to preliminary celebrations of the settlement of marriage. When the Barat (the marriage party) went to the bride's place and the Brahmin priest started performing the marriage rituals, the Sad guru got lost in deep thoughts and it occurred to him that it would not be proper for him to go in for a marriage, so that he could free himself from the bondages of the world and devote himself exclusively to God. On being asked by the priest repeatedly he finally condescended to vow for the marriage, but in the heart of his hearts a feeling lurched in him that he was taking the vow under strong social compulsions and contrary to his will. His mind turned to God in prayers that he was doing so in utter helplessness and that God forgive him. Though not formally educated he had attained a high degree of erudition and a great capacity to discern at a tender age. Though living in the society, he was unattached to it. He recited five hundred Mantras everyday in the morning and the evening, which gradually went up to the startling figure of five thousand each day. This was the routine of his life during the period of his adolescence. He once recited a Mantra eleven thousand times over for its perfection. He almost lost sense and appeared to be lifeless through continuous Japa. Though everybody treated him lovingly, they were not pleased with Sadafal Deo Ji's complete indulgence in the work of this type, as he had attained an age wherein he could be of much help in household work. But undauntedly he continued his regular practice of Dhyan, Japa and prayer in the secluded room in his house and always used to have spiritual discussions with truth seekers. Though he had not studied the Vedas or the Upanishadas which deal with Para-Vidya, he uttered during Satsanga, many a time spiritual secrets from his own experiences which could be found only in the Vedas. Those days he read Bhartrihari-Satok at the house of one Pandit Rajpati Tiwary of his village and he used to have Satsang with some interested persons in a secluded place. One day Swamiji met a Sadhu who talked about Yoga-Marga. Swamiji developed great interest in Yoga thereafter and he started going around saints in order to know the methodology of Yoga, more intimately. On one such occasion he met Swami Keshawanand of Karanghanto locality at Kashi with whom he had spiritual discussions. Here he came across a Sanyasi who advised him to study the Vedanto. A great desire arose in Swamiji for the study of the Vedanto and he went through ten Upanishadas, Vyas-Sutras, Patonjali Yoga Sutras, Geeta, the modern Shio Sanhito and such other scriptures. But he could achieve neither realization nor mental peace for want of a Sadguru. So he was always in search of saints and Mahatmans. Swamiji approached a Mahatma who lived in the village Pur near Pakri and who, though not scholarly, was a good Mahatma of his time in that locality. He had perfected the Unmuni Mudra and the practice of Trikuti and had the usual achievements of this practice. He taught the same to Swamiji who practiced it in full faith and devotion. Swamiji had come across a book which propounded that the human soul realizes God after detaching itself from the four inner equipments and the sense organs. All actions performed at the level of four inner instruments and the sense organs are the artificial acts of the individual soul and its effects are transitory. Around that time Sadafal Deo Ji studied a number of books based on spiritual experiences of a number of saints. He had developed Vairagya at a very early age and at the age of sixteen he was fully established in the practice of Unmuni Mudra. Although he practiced this Mudra, there used to arise a number of doubts in him as to its efficacy as it is practiced by the sense organs and the five Mudras of Brahamand are destined to decay. The limitations of this practice were fully known to Swamiji at that time itself, but finding no

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way out he continued practicing it and was always on the look out of saints and Mahatmans of true realization.

He once went to one Hari Ram Brahmachari of the district of Ballia, who was a famous Mahatma and who used to live on the bank of the Ganga and was visited by a number of people. Swamiji had a discussion with him and the Mahatma advised him that if he recited the Mantra "Hare Rama, Hare Rama" thirty million times over and practiced Chandrayana Mahabrato, he would achieve realization. Swamiji was not convinced by this advice as he was fully conversant with the philosophy of Vedanto. Not only did the visit to the Mahatma prove futile, it also caused him much physical hardship in that he lost his way while going to him in the night. Swamiji went to Kashi in search of true method of realization, and used to have spiritual discussions with learned saints. At that time one Swami Manishanand, who had once been a Professor in a College, used to live in the Tedhi Niva area at Kashi. He had renounced the world, and was living in seclusion. He advised Sadafal Deo Ji to cultivate Shama, Dama, Daya, Dan the four basic qualities which lead to the redemption of the human soul. There lived another Mahatma Magani Ram Brahmachari, an erudite scholar, at Asi Sangam in Kashi. He explained to Swami (Ji that there was absolutely no difference between God and his creation and that the cultivation of this attitude led to Salvation. Swamiji also had a Satsang with Pandit Anant Ram, a renowned scholar saint of the same area in Kashi. The Sad guru then went to the most famous scholar Pandit Shiva Kumar Shastri of Kashi and enquired of him as to which of the three philosophies- Dwaito, Adwaito and Vishistodwaito was the correct one. Thus meeting and discussing with almost all the learned and famous saints of Kashi, Swamiji finally went to Kabir Chaura at Kashi itself but there too the clue evaded him. He went to all places at Kashi but the knower of truth was nowhere available. There were scholars galore but a true Mahatma having the full knowledge of direct spiritual experience and whose instructions could lift the veil off a meandering soul was nowhere to be seen.

Swamiji then proceeded to Prayag (presently Allahabad), took a dip in the holy confluence of Ganga and Yamuna and visited different places such as Balmiki Ashrama. Bhardwaj Ashram, Akhhayabato etc. and roaming and meeting saints on the Way, dropped in at a cave finally at Jhunsi on the opposite bank of the Ganga where he met a Mahatma. On being enquired by Swamiji as to the period of his stoy there and how he managed his food, the Mahatma replied that he had been living there for two years and used to go to a nearby village at about 10 AM in the day where there was a free supply of food. On being further enquired about the exact nature of his practice, the Mahatma replied that he was meditoting and thinking of his real self as different from the four inner equipments, namely the mind, intellect, Chitto and Ego. This Sanyasi was a believer in the Adwaito philosophy. Swamiji then proceeded further and on the bank of the Ganga, he met an old Sanyasi and many other saints there but he could neither get peace nor the true method of achieving it from any one of them.

At one place Swamiji happened to meet a Mahantha (the owner of an estote attached to a temple) who had a huge amount of wealth and landed property and had sixty other temple estates under his command. The Mahantha requested Sri Swamiji to stoy with him and become the Mahantha to which he replied that he had enough of such landed property at his native place and that he was moving about in search of truth and not for acquiring wealth and landed property. This stunned the Mahantha. On the bank of the Ganga at Kaithi, there was a Sadhu who was commonly known as Brahmachari Ji or Karariya Baba. Swamiji met him and had the usual discussion with him. This Mahatma was a veteran smoker of Ganja (a variety of intoxicant) and bathing in the Ganga and the Japa (recitation) of Gayatri was his routine spritual practice. He was very famous among the rural folk there and was initiating people in his faith hither and thither. Thus Swamiji was moving about and meeting and discussing with saints of all sects and Sampradayas but was not getting the peace of mind. Once he met the Mahantha of Bhurkura, the place associated with Bhikha Saheb. But there also satisfaction was far away from him. While moving through Barhal, the place of Topaswi Ji, Swamiji went to Paramhansa of Barhaj in the districct of Gorakhpur, who was the most

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famous Tyagi (one who has renunciated the world) and learned Yogi of that time. The Yogi was a perfect master of Pranayam of Hathayoga and had direct experience of Pranava. He informed Swamiji that he had attained the age of two hundred and seventy five years and that he perfected Khechari Mudra after a continuous practice of twenty-five years. The Yogi further informed him that in the early stages he suffered an ego of learning and scholarship, but could get nothing out of it and whatever he had achieved was through Yoga only towards this later stage of his life. Swamiji then requested the Yogi to teach him that Yoga, as he was a sincere seeker of the truth. Impressed by Swamiji's sincerity and his dedication to pursuit of truth and also the sublimity of his conduct, the Mahatma taught him the methods of Hatha-Yoga like the Samput-Pranayam and Mahamudra in all their details. Swamiji used to speak in very high terms of that Mahatma and would say that although he had traversed through the length and breadth of India and had met a number of saints and Mahatmans, he had never come across a Yogi as thorough in Hathyoga as this Mahatma. The Yogi used to tell Swamiji “O Sadhu! Please sit here for sometime till I come back after taking a dip in the cave”. By dip he meant having a feel of spiritual experiences in seclusion inside the cave. Swamiji stayed with the Mahatma for the whole night and had Satsang and discussions with him.

In the same district there was another Mahatma who was a disciple of the above Paramhansa. Swamiji went to him and had a Satsang with him. He said that the word ‘Soham’ was pervasive. Swamiji retarded that the word ‘Soham’ was a transient sound originating from a particular locality and could not therefore be pervasive. The God is neither ‘Soham’ nor ‘Onkar’ nor ‘Rarankar’ nor ‘Shakti' nor ‘Niranjan’. All these five sounds were destructible because they are within the confines of the four inner elements viz. mind, intellect, Chitto and Hanker and are located at a particular region in the physical zone of Brahman. That God is different from four inner elements and is beyond the five-brahmandi sounds and above the Akshar Brahman. It is Niha-Akshar and beyond description and hence it cannot come within purview of the mind, intellect etc. That we perceive through sense organs is not permanent and true. How can then the physical Prana realize this? This Mahatma practiced Pranayam and meditation on the sound of ‘Soham’. Swamiji had satsang with his Mahatma several times but he never impressed him. Swamiji visited the centers of all sects and sampradayas such as the four sects of vaishnavies viz.those of Ramanuja, Madhva Nimbark, Vallabhacharya and Shankaracharya, and different saintly orders of Dadu, Nanak, Kabir, Dara, Shio Narayan, Radha Swami, Bikha Saheb and others. At these centers he studied their scriptures and had discussion with their learned saints and exponents but he could get neither peace nor the real method of spiritual realization. Swamiji thus got disgusted with fruitless discussions. There were learned logicians and bookish scholars devoid of internal knowledge and bliss of self realization. They were themselves in doubts and attached to worldly pleasures, and as such their advice produced no impact on Swamiji who was a true seeker of truth. This perplexed him more and more and he wandered about in Search of true method of rea1isation. At times when he felt greatly dejected he would go to the Mahatma living close by in the village of Pur, who would rejuvenate him with the practice of Unmuni Mudra. Those days Swamiji practiced Pranayam and Unmuni Mudra in seclusion. He used to shut himself in a room at his native house and practice yoga. Sometimes he would go out to a thickly grown field of Arhar plants or to a garden or Jungle nearby and sit in meditation for hours together. If per chance some one went near, he would entreat him to leave him alone or alternatively he would himself move out and sit in Sadhana at some other place. This was the state of his total vairagya and he preferred to be alone and at isolated places. This state is known as the Awadhooto state of mind. His body had been reduced to a pale frame of skeleton. He would neither talk to anyone nor would look towards anything. Day in and day out he would remain lost in Sadhana. Many-a-night during the rains he would stoy out under the wide-open sky without food and water; lost in Sadhana to the core. His kith and kin went about looking for him and not succeeding 1n locating him, they would all feel unhappy. Some thought he had turned insane, as he was found practicing in such awe-inspiring and dreadful places as Jungles and burning ghats in the dead of night in torrential rains. Swamiji used to sit

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in a particular posture of Yoga for 6 hours at stretch. At other times he would keep himself shut in his cave in a particular Asana for days together. He was sometimes so much absorbed in Dhyana that he would become completely oblivious of rains outside. Ants, red ants and other insects would crawl over his body and he would toke no notice of them. He had neither desire nor even mental inclination towards any external object and he was lost in his practices with full devotion and in an attitude of total renunciation. In the nights he used to go to a pond or to a nearby jungle, more often to the jungle that was situated towards the east of the village and do his Sadhana. Some people say that he was heard talking to some one in the jungle in the dead of night. Sometimes, in the dead of night he would go to a lonely place towards the south of his village where lay the Samadhi of a Fakir and after hitting the ground few times with a small stick that he used to carry with him, absorbed himself in his Bhajanas. During the last days of his life Swamiji narrated to me how he had attained a particular mystic knowledge at that place. It is a known secret that yogis have contact with many Sidhas and persons who have mastered Yoga’s and have control over the physical forces. Such Sidhas and Yogis appear before a Yogi and give him their blessings.

"Viewed through the light of the Murdha, one gets the vision of Sidhas, so said Patonjali in his

Yoga Sutras.’’(Patonjal-yoga-Sutra 3/32)

There is a pond towards the west of the Village Pakri and it was there that Swamiji had performed his initial Yogic practices of six months duration. During those days this place was considered a dreaded one and yet Swamiji used to swim in the pond in the pitched dark nights of Bhadra the peak period of rains. Those days he read Gito with rapt attention. At that time Swamiji developed a deep friendship with a co-villager with whom he used to sit occasionally and at whose house he would sometimes recite the Ramayana. Swamiji would also sometimes reveal his thoughts and feelings to him. Later this Satsangi served Sri Sadgurudeo with great devotion during the period of his practices and he also dedicated his life to the pursuit of Sadhana under the dictates of Swamiji. It was this villager who was later known as Santji and it was only a few years ago that he died. During those days Swamiji was keeping himself detached from the world and was practicing meditation on his conscious self as different from the physical entities and their functions. This was the first stage of his Yoga. He was hearing the Anhad sounds appearing to him owing to the practice of Unmuni Mudra, visualizing the five basic elements and was having experiences of spectacular phenomena within himself. Once when he was practicing Yoga in a dense field of Arhar plants, he was so absorbed in meditation that he did not observe when the day had fallen, right then he saw the glow of light in the whole atmosphere around him from the earth to the heavens. His eyes were shut and he was filled with strange sensation of a thrill. His hairs stood on ends. This was the stage of his deep devotion to God and dedicated practice of total indulgence. In those days he was so much absorbed in his practices that he would become completely oblivious of his physical existence. Nothing but Bhajanas appealed to him and all that he demanded of his soul was devotion to God. This was a perfect example of what is known as total unflinching trust in God. Even today the devotees and other intimates of Swamiji speak high of his complete dedication and austere penances as a way to emancipation of the soul. Swamiji himself sometimes talked about the appearance of the vast aura of light mentioned earlier, during his discourses and wanted that sincere practioners should Endeavour to achieve the same. He always practiced Yoga in fields, forest and such other places and it is this Yoga that is now days being propagated as the first and initial course on Yoga. In addition to the time he devoted to the Practice of this Yoga in fields and jungles, Swamiji spent a period of three years over this practice doing it day in and day out in his cave. It was at the age of sixteen when he had ascended to this Yogic stage about which I have talked earlier. Swamiji’s complete indulgence in Yoga was not liked by some members of his family and by others in the village and them also sometimes used harsh language against him. These worldly people had no knowledge of and regard for Vairagya and bliss of Yogic experiences

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and it was therefore that they used such language against him. Common worldly people always come in the way of Yoga and devotion and they cause obstacles to people practicing them for their ends. Swamiji always remained out of his house and had no contact with anyone and as such common men did not know of his state of renunciation and complete devotion to God. Swamiji never bothered about anyone's opinion of him, but kept himself detached from the society and absorbed himself in Yogic practices round the clock. This state of Yogic experience is unattainable by millions of common men, logicians and bookish scholars and is achieved by one who has acquired virtues through acquisitions of many previous births.

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Awadhoot

One day the Sadguru was sitting at a lonely place in a garden. At that time an innocent looking person came to him and asked him who he was, where he came from and what he was doing there. Sri Swamiji told him that he did not know who he was that he had forgotten where he came from and also that he did not know where he was at the moment. He was only looking for a way to go ahead. Hearing these words, the man kept silent. He then went a few steps ahead and asked of people gathered there who this gentleman was. A number of people then flocked around Swamiji. Seeing the gathering Swamiji left the place and moved over to some other place. Similarly there is another anecdote of Swamiji encountering a person who having seen him sitting alone in the jungle asked others around who he was and what he was doing there. He was told that Swamiji was in the habit of sitting alone at burning ghats and Sugarcane and Arhar fields for days together like this and it was difficult to know why he had been doing so. If he were a knower, he could discover the secret of it himself. Thereupon the man went to Sadgurudeoji and asked him his whereabouts. Swamiji smiled at the innocence of the questioner and told him something for his satisfaction. The man then tried to fathom Swamiji’s mind through his Mantras, but he could get nowhere. Swamiji smiled at the helplessness of the man and the man went away thoroughly ashamed and dejected. How can one fathom the depth of a saint when even Brahma and other deities are incapable of peeping into the secrets of the glory of a saint?

Swamiji was conscious even while asleep as is the case with dogs (Swan-Nidra). One night while doing his spiritual practices in a closed room at his native place; he fell into a slumber. When after a while he opened his eyes he saw everything inside his room in full dimension as if they were glowing in daylight. This was the preliminary stage of the Yoga of the Sadguru and his grasp over this stage had become perfect. He started wondering how everything was looking so crystal clear to him in the darkness of the room. After some time the light disappeared and Swamiji engaged himself in his usual practices once again. A practioner of Yoga experiences such a phenomenon in the early stage of his Yoga. The Sadgurudeo has talked of the outer manifestation of this inner vision and experience of these phenomena in his book "Astonga-Yoga". A Yogi attains this state, when he develops the capacity to Control his thought waves where after serenity pervades all around him. This knowledge can be obtained only through practice of Yoga and under the patronage of the Sadguru. Swamiji had attained this stage of development but felt that the Anhad sounds that he heard or the five elements that he saw were through his sense organs ears and eyes only. The flashes of lighting that he saw now and then were through his eyes only. But how could the all powerful, all pervading and formless God be perceived through the sense organs and the subtler four elements, namely the mind, intellect, chitto· and Hanker. The Samput Pranayam and Mudras are practiced within the four walls of the four inner equipments. But God has been declared to be beyond the access through sense organs or the four subtler equipments in the Vedas and Upanishads. All the functions of the jiwatman at the level of the body and the mind are artificial and hence their effects are transitory and waneful. How therefore to obtain unimaginable, the unmanifest and the all-conscious Parah-Brahman? Which is the way through which the soul can pull itself out of the confines of the four subtle equipments and experience Parah-Brahman? Thoughts like these worried Swamiji continually, and he kept on visiting saints and Mahatmans in states of great mental depression. But the way of truth was sti11 beyond him. Every Mahatma whose guidance he sought advised him to practice Yoga within the confines of the mind and the body, which brought him no peace. So the conflict in him continued unabated. Out of frustration over not finding an alternative mode of practice, he sat one night in his usual practices with his heart bleeding in agony and his soul invoking the benevolence of the All- merciful.

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Akashvani(The voice from the void)

And then a voice supremely resonant in its appeal and soothing like the bliss of nectar, reverberated through the air, ‘‘this will not lead thee anywhere. It is a different way that they have to traverse.’’ Sadguru Bhagwan was astounded to hear this heavenly voice from the void at this hour of the night and in the secluded corner of his room. It was not the voice of a man nor had he ever heard a voice like this before. It must be the compassionate, merciful lord who has bestowed this blessing on him. Sadguru Bhagwan was thrilled to ecstasy and tears of love flowed through his eyes. Choked with emotions, Sadgurudeo knelt in prayers ‘’O Lord! I am bereft of all virtues and am obsessed with ethereal desires. I have no knowledge and intellect, nor do I have any piousness in my conduct or any vigour in my nerves. None of my actions can bear any fruit nor am I capable of anything. 0 Lord! , I have resigned myself to thy will. Thou art omnipotent. Send me where thou desireth to heaven or to hell; or merge me into thyself. Thy will only rein supreme, o savior of the distressed! I have come unto thee a thoroughly dejected and forlorn man, and I know not where to go. Do, as ye will. I am at thy feet. 0 Lord compassionate! The woes of life are telling upon my nerves and cannot bear them any longer. Thou knoweth everything. Nothing is concealed from thee. O lord! I am at thy mercy. There is nothing more that I can say unto thee. Thus having prayed to God in full sublimation and in an attitude of total resignation, Swamiji felt greatly relieved within himself and he started roaming about places in search of the true method. Till then Sadgurudeo had not studied the Vedas. It was much later that he wrote a commentary on the Vedas. At that time he used to study the Upanishads, the Gito and other treatises on Indian philosophy. It is remarkable that in spite of having attained such erudition, perfection in Yoga in all its manifestation, SadguruDeo Ji had not been able to find the truth, nor had his soul been able to achieve peace. It is ironical that people who attain some bookish knowledge and succeed in learning the rudiments of linguistics claim themselves to be perfect masters of knowledge even though they are devoid of the fundamental knowledge of the secrets of life. How can such ignorant people, who are always obsessed with sensuous desires, can gauge the depth of a saint or a Mahatma and see through their glory and comprehend their principles of truth? Such people should pray to God to bless them with the patronage of a Sadguru and after they have been so blessed to toke to the way of inner realization through Yoga and prayers so that they could attain peace and holiness in life. Sad guru Deo Ji had little formal education. He had gone to Kashi at an early age to receive some education. But a number of obstacles marred his way. So, Swamiji instead diverted to the path of Yoga. During those days facilities for formal education were not as abundant as now. The Vedas and the Upanishads were learnt at the feet of Gurus. The Modern method of education had not developed at his time. Even then Sad guru Deo Ji studied deep into the Vedas, Upanishads and other philosophical treatises and scriptures, and he had a great discerning capability even at that immature age. This explains Sadgurudeo Ji's literary education and his deep philosophical knowledge. He had intimate knowledge of all the writings of the Rishis and of modern religious and historical books. But be obtained true knowledge and full realization only after he attained a state of Samadhi after realization of the Brahman through protracted practices in his cave. Scholars who had the privilege to be close to him and who had accessions to listen to his scholarly discourses and to peep into his phenomenal knowledge and experience vouchsafe for Swamiji’s unique personality. The study of the books written by him also shows the impregnable discriminating faculty that Swamiji had. It is only a Yogi who can be a true scholar. Mere recitation of Shastras without the knowledge of Yoga does not toke one anywhere. Readers may comprehend the height of Swamiji’s spiritual attainments through the study of the numerous treatises and commentaries that he wrote in Hindi language. His writings and his eloquence were extraordinary and they had deep impact on people whosoever came across him. He spent most of his time in the pursuit of truth and in evolving a methodology for attainment of Brahman, and he propagated it for attainment of direct realization through a continuous process of Yoga for the benefit of men all over the world.

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In course of his wandering in search of truth he met a Mahatma with an immensely radiating countenance in a forest. Swamiji’s eyes were filled with tears at the sight of this unique Mahatma and he fell on his feet invoking his mercy. The saint pulled Swamiji to his side and told him in a voice soaked with compassion “Child tells me thy mission”. Swamiji Sadafaldeo ji said, ‘’O Lord! I am suffering from the pangs born out of worldly life since time immemorial. Lead me unto light through this deluge and show me the path of Brahmavidya. Only thou art capable of redeeming me of this perpetual misery. It is therefore that I am seeking thy grace. The Mahatma said, ‘’It is infinitely difficult to attain this object. Ask for something, which he does not possess. Swamiji said, ‘‘Is there anything permanent in this world that I could ask of thee? Everything is transient, destructible and transitory. Everything will vanish with the passage of time. I ask for nothing of these. Only thou art capable of pulling me out of the debris of the worldly life in which I have been rotting since time immemorial.’’ The compassionate Mahatma was greatly moved at these words of Sadafaldeo ji brimming with intense renunciation, and he started preaching him the way to attain truth in life. He told Swamiji that Sachidanand Parah-Brahman (Brahman which is ever-existent, ever-conscious and ever-blissful) cannot be attained through Japa (recitation), Topa (austerities) or through physical feats of Hatha Yoga like Samput Pranayam etc. The method to attain it is different from the methods of physical practices done at the level of the four inner equipments (mind, intellect, chitto and ahankar), and can be had only of Mahatma, ever attached to Brahman. It is through this method only that they impart full knowledge to souls yearning for liberation, give them a feel of the ever-blissful Brahman and redeem them of their bondage. Thus the unknown saint apprised Swamiji of the fundamental principles of the cult of the saints (Sant-Mat), which brought profound pleasure to him. Secret knowledge is an invaluable property of the Sadguru, which is rarely available to common men in the world. Many a scholar talk of Brahman-Vidya on the basis of their studies into the Vedas and the Upanishads, but real knower of truth is to be found among millions of sadhakas and saints. Just as lions do not move in a flock, nor is there the forest of Malayagiri, nor an elephant possessing a Gem in its forehead to be found everywhere, similarly Mahatmans who have a transparent vision and are knower of truth, are not found at every place. Such saints who have true knowledge of the hidden truth are one among hundreds and thousands of holy men and it is by the grace of such a Yogi that miseries of life are ameliorated. The world swings the way such a Mahatma wants it to move. After having achieved bliss of a peace at the feet of the above Mahatma, Swamiji returned to his Vritikutto Ashrama.

There is a deep impact of this saint on the life of Sri Sadgurudeo Ji. He had attained peace at the feet of this Mahatma after meanderings into several paths. It was only after he had met the Sadguru that he attained full knowledge of the mysteries of Sadhana and also achieved full realization and contentment in life. But this saint placed him on a sound footing from where he could have a vision of the immaculate halo of the Sadguru. This helped him ascend the path of truth, which led him ultimately to full realization and sublime bliss after he had a full view of the Sadguru later. This I have described in detail in the following chapters. Swamiji achieved full knowledge only through rigors of Yoga, and it was only after he had mastered Yoga, in all its aspects and manifestations that he entered the field of propagating his faith. The internal state of Yoga of Swamiji was full and complete, which cannot be comprehended by scholars or professional Sadhus and recluses. It is only those who enjoy the blissful grace of the Sadguru who can gauge the depths of this mystery. This knowledge is not to be found in any cults nor is there anyone outside the periphery of Sadguru's disciples who can claim its possession, One does come across knower of some elements after they have been distorted, but it is only rarely that we meet people who have a full knowledge of all the facets of Brahman-vidya or have deep intrinsic experience of the truth or are capable of generating forces which lead to mystic realization. This knowledge has been for nearly five hundred years, and Swamiji has been repeating it off and on. One can know it through travels into the country, through establishing contact with saints and Mahatmans and through researches in the subject. These days it is difficult to come across a saint or a Mahatma, who

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is conversant with all stages and manifestations of Brahman-Vidya, others are at a different plane. It is, therefore, that full knowledge of the inner techniques of sadhana of Brahman-Vidya is not found anywhere.At the place where the Vritikutto Ashrama is situated today, there used to be a small cottage in which Sadguru Sadafal Deo ji used to meditate. Later a cave was dug inside the cottage. Swamiji practiced meditation and yoga there for a long time. Having been dejected he moved to a forest after sometime. The village folk heard of him and they dug a cave for him at a lonely place towards the south of the forest. Swamiji lived in that cave for several years. He used to come out of the cave in the mornings and in the evenings, and lay inside the cave for the rest of the day. Every morning and evening scores of people came to him for an interview, and he told them stories of Vedanto everyday. Thus there used to be sermons and discourses everyday in the morning and evening. For the first few days Swamiji would not allow anyone to sit by him nor did he toke notice of any visitors. But once he had established himself it occurred to him that he should lead these people to the path of truth, because they were ignorant. It was this thought that prompted him to spend some of his time with the rural folk. The reverence in the minds of the rural folk for Swamiji started growing with passage of time. But Swamiji was like a recluse, unattached and dispassionate to whether or not or how much the people were revering him. It so happened that· once a gentleman came to the cave to see Swamiji. There were already several people sitting there. An informant came and told Swamiji that a famous man was coming to see him; he should be seated on a high platform. Sad guru Deo Ji told him that it did not matter to him what status one had, because God was omnipresent and was equally present in all living beings. Whom then to consider high and whom low? Let everyone sit at the same platform at the same time. This was the etiquette of this place. Having noticed the attitude of total renunciation of Swamiji some bigots of the Hindu religious class raised much furor against him. They got envious of him and they went about talking ill of Swamiji saying that he was doing what had never been done or heard before. So, therefore, let no one go to the Swamiji. This way they raised unnecessary controversies against him. Sad guru Deo ji used to pacify them, but they would not keep peace and mend their habits. Around that time there was one famous Pandit, named Sri Jayantri Prasad in that locality. These bigots carried the flame of the fire to this Pandit He sent word to the Sad guru through a student that he wanted to visit him, and that Swamiji could either call on him himself or let him come to him. Sri Sad guru Deo Ji replied to him that he was not in the habit of going to anyone nor would invite anyone to his place. The Pandit was free to do as he chose. Later, however, Swamiji changed his mind owing to relentless criticism by his adversaries and he sent word to Panditji that he could visit him on a particular day. Hearing to this a large number of people assembled at Swamiji’s Ashram on the day the Pandit visited him with a posse of his disciples for a dialogue with him. A short while after the dialogue had begun the Pandit became enamored of the exemplary sobriety of Swamiji’s nature and his attitude of renunciation towards life, and he started eulogizing Swamiji’s virtues. He composed a sloka in Sanskrit at the spur of the moment in praise or Swamiji's manifold qualities. The spectators and the devotees were gladdened at the words of praise uttered by Pandit Jayvantri Prasad in honor of Sadgurudeo Ji and the adversaries went away hanging their faces in shame.

Sri Swamiji practiced Vihangam Yoga day in and day out in his cave in the garden. He would hold Satsangas every morning and evening with his disciples. This went on for years together. That place is still there as a memento of Swamiji’s spiritual domain. A day, however, came when it became difficult for Swamiji to stoy on at that place owing to increasing number of people thronging at his Ashram, and he left that place and came over to his old cottage. His disciples made a brick built cave for him there and he started doing his Sadhanas there. It is this cave, which his disciples all over India now know as the Vritikutt cave. It was the year 1963 when Swamiji had moved into this pucca cave and had got himself engrossed in the pursuit of the Ever Blissful. He had performed the Tobt-Krischa Chandrayan Mahabrato (a hard penance for self purification observed in the style of lunar cycle) towards the early phase of his Sadhana in the cave. It is this cave in which he attained full knowledge

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and experience and total realization of the Supreme Soul. It is this cave in which he achieved the state of Jeewan-Mukto (a state of total freedom from the bondage of life even while living in mortal frames) and freedom from all dualities of life, and it was here that he had the privilege to see the Eternal Guru in his full form. It was in this Vritikutto Cave that Swamiji achieved the highest, the purest and the most supreme form of bliss, The Brahmananda.

Virtikutto cave and continuous Samadhi

Sadgurudeo Ji used to keep himself shut in the cave all the twenty-four hours. He used to enter the cave at about three hours before the daybreak after a bath and he would come back for a short while after sunset for attending to calls of nature. People had been asked not to come near his cave or to come close to him even during the time he would come out for a bath or for attending to calls of nature. Therefore nobody went to him for an audience even at times like these. There was a saint in the village Sri Ram Subhag Singh. He would keep a glass of milk or some Halwa (a sweet, preparation of wheat powder) or some fruits on the window of the cave. Swamiji would eat that food inside the cave itself and would continue his secret practice as usual. People from far off places would come to Swamiji for an audience, but they too had to go back disappointed. During that period Sadguru Sadafaldeo Ji had to face a number of odds, which only Mahatmans who have an intimate knowledge of the secrets of Sadhana can know. After having kept himself confined in the Vritikutto Cave for a long time and after having practiced Akhand Samadhi (a Samadhi without a break) with infinite pains, Swamiji succeeded in having a direct realization of Para-Brahman, the Ever-Blissful and All Pervading, and attained total liberation from bondages of life and stage of inexhaustible and non-decaying. Even while Sadguru Deo Ji would come out for answering the calls of nature etc, he would keep his consciousness always attached to the Guru Mandal (the sacred abode of the Eternal Guru). Not a breath was wasted for anything other than the remembrance of God. The inner flame of Divine Light continuously burnt within him without any interruption.

Chatok aathoyam ka,shashi chakor ki ritie|Bhringi swar miriga range,ahi mani jaisi priti||

Papiha teikahi na toje, shalabh deep tonu naash|Aisi priti jo sant ki, darshan chatovan maas ||

~*~

{‘’ A continuous remembrance of God for all the twenty four hours just as a Chakor (a bird) constantly looks towards the moon; concentration of thought on God just as a deer is absorbed in listening to the music of the lute: attachment to remembrance similar to that which a moth has for the flame the moth which burns itself to death but does not shrink from hugging the fire; remembrance as intense as that of Papiha (a bird) which uninterruptedly looks towards the sky for a drop of water; love for God like that of a snake for its Jewel, shall lead a practitioner to the vision of God within six months)" } Swamiji used to delve deep into the perennial bliss in the shade of a Bato tree in the night. There is a garden at this place now. SantJi, who attended on him, used to say that he kept food for Swamiji on the window of his cave and when he went there later after performing other household duties, he would find the food lying as it was. He had no instruction to tell Swamiji that he was keeping his food on the window. This way Sadgurudeo used to keep himself absorbed in continuous Samadhi for days together. He would toke no notice of his food or other physical needs of his body. Sometimes he would sit in Samadhi for as long as a week or fifteen days at stretch in one particular Asana (sitting posture). Thus Swamiji attained perfection in a state of Samadhi after a tortuous of penance. One day Swamiji came out of his cave and asked Santji, his attendant, as to why he had not been serving him his food. He told him that he had last token food a day before. The fact was that whenever the attendant carried food to him, he always

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found Swamiji deeply engrossed in meditation in particularYogic posture. How could then he have the audacity to interrupt Swamiji in his Sadhana? The food that would become stole the next day used to be given away to the dogs or the crows. This would occur number of times continuously through the week. Once when Swamiji asked Santji why he had not served him food, Santji told him he had been keeping food for him everyday on the window of his cave, but it was for two days and two nights continuously that Swamiji had skipped his meals. Perhaps there was no need for Swamiji to satisfy his thirst for food with cereals and grains-he had the supreme satisfaction of drinking the nectar of bliss when he sat in continuous Samadhi. This state of bliss attained by fully realized Yogis after prolonged Samadhi is a rare feat of achievement. Blessed are those that have attained such heights! Swamiji would become so oblivious of the physical environment around him that reptiles of the most venomous species would assemble down his thighs bent in Asanas. He would find them in plenty whenever he would open his eyes, but finding them all coiled meekly below his legs he relapsed into meditation. This way the snakes would be lying under him for days together without doing him any harm or obstructing him in his Sadhana. After he had practiced Sadhana in his cave for some time, Swamiji was bitten by poisonous snakes many a time but no effect of the poison was seen on him. However, it so happened once that a cobra entered his cottage in the Vritikutto Ashram and bit Swamiji while he was engaged in religious discourse with his disciples. No one noticed how the snake had entered there and when it had bitten Swamiji. Swamiji retired to bed after meals and when he got up to pass urine after some time he felt his head reeling violently. He then told people that he had been bitten by a snake and the poison had permeated his veins. Previously when he had been so bitten by snake, the poison would not affect him, as he was fully awake. This time the poison spread through his veins as he had relapsed into sleep. However, immediately thereafter Swamiji washed the poison out through a process of water and after preliminary purging. Later he purged himself clean of this virous of the poison through a special treatment of water at Jhunsi in Prayag. Yogis have inner vision and power which it is difficult for others to gauge from outside. Swamiji had shared this secret with me at the time of his renouncing of the human frame, and I am now confirmed of his vision and strength on the basis of my own experiences and realization. It is only a Yogi who can know a Yogi or it is those who receive the benign grace of a Yogi who can know him. It is extraordinary to know a yogi or to comprehend the infinite magnanimity of God. This is beyond the reach of people of ordinary clay.

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Vritikoot Ashram - Mahamandir

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Appearance of the Guru in complete form and total realisation

The place of Guru in the spiritual domain is of the highest order. The need of a Guru and his guidance is felt in every field, and no work can be done without him irrespective of what nomenclature one gives him. Many of us know that just imparting secret knowledge does not elevate one to the status of a Guru. Had it been so, anyone studying the Vedas and other sacred scriptures containing the secrets of such knowledge explicitly, could have become a realized soul overnight, but it has never happened like this. The Vedas and Upanishads contain a description of all the knowledge, everyone reads them. But does reading them alone bring in knowledge. Knowledge is obtained only after the secret of Brahman is realized by the soul in its active and pervasive from. If knowledge could be gathered like this, then how is it that a number of scholars, well versed in the Vedas, go issueless, although the Vedas contain the knowledge of progeny? The Vedas also contain knowledge of geography, astronomy, naval architecture, aeronautics and geo-physics but only a theoretical reading of the text does not make one a scholar in the above sciences. One has to have deep practical knowledge of these sciences to master them. No one can have perfect knowledge without realizing the apparent and absolute aspects of a thing. This will be dealt with in detail later.

When a Yogi starts feeling the inner experiences within him, he desperately feels the need within himself of a great soul who could toke him out of the physical bounds and guide him unto the Supreme Soul. At this stage knowledge obtained through recitation of the Sastras and through accumulation of jugglery of religious terminology does not come to his rescue. It is only a Sadguru possessed of the Supreme knowledge of spiritualism that can pierce through the mist of ignorance of a scholar and guide him unto the divine light. The so-called Gurus we come across in life cannot accomplish this. It is only a great soul fully immersed in the knowledge of Brahman who can accomplish such a feat. It is, therefore, that the world needs a Sadguru who can dissipate the glow of divine light through the frontiers of the world.

It was in such a state that Sadguru SadafaDeo Ji Maharaj had confined himself in his cave at vritikutto. As I have already enumerated, he had become fully conversant with the techniques of all rituals and penances and had also obtained direct realization of the inner self. What then was the exigency owing to which the Eternal and the Immortal Sad guru appeared before him in the garb of a saint, and opened unto him the flood gates of Eternal Peace and the Indestructible word (Niha Sabd). This need not be written here because those immersed in this technique and those who have knowledge of the secrets of Yoga can get an inkling of it. The Sad guru was apparently lost in his Sadhana but uneasiness permeated through the fountain of knowledge flowing within him. He felt the need of a light within him, which could guide him to fruition. It was at that time that a person possessed of special power of uplifting the wayward souls appeared before him at the Vritikutto Ashram in the garb of a saint. It is him whom Sad guru Deo Ji refers to in his discourses as his Sad guru and the Supreme Acharya of the Brahman-Vidya. A couplet composed by the Sadguru, who forms part of the Swarveda confirms this fact. The Sad guru himself speaks as follows:

Sant roop sadguru mile shabd ke dwar lakhay|Mein balak nasamajh tha mahima samajh na paae||

~*~(I got the holy glimpse of the Sadguru in the garb of a saint who opened unto me the gate of the Word. I was like a child immersed in ignorance and as such could not comprehend the grandeur of the Guru).

In the early hours of dawn one day, much before the Sunrise, when Sadguru Deo Ji was returning to his cave after performing morning oblusions, he met a saint who opened the

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gate of Sushumna for him and revealed to him the secrets of realization beyond the physical plane. But at that time Swamiji could not know who the saint was. He only took him to be a kind Saint and he took his Charanamrito (the water purified by the touch of the feet of the saints and holy spirits) and drank at it.

The Eternal Guru went westward from there instructing Swamiji that he did not have to disrupt his Sadhana and leave his cave howsoever great the difficulties in his way. Accordingly, as he had been directed, Swamiji got absorbed in Samadhi in his cave. I am describing an interesting incident, which took place later. A six months continuous practice is prescribed for attaining perfection in Sadhana inside a Cave. During the tenure of this practice holding discourse with outsiders or moving out of the cave is prohibited. Swamij was aware of this but he had been specifically advised against taking such liberties during that period. A couplet in the Swarveda describes this as follows: -

Brahman muhurto kaal mein, mila gyan updesh|Baas sareih ekant mein, paya sadhu bhesh||

~*~

(Hours before dawn, I received instructions, which revealed knowledge to me. I found the Guru in the appearance of a Sadhu when I was alone in a solitary field). The Swarveda describes the appearance of the Sadguru in the Brahma-Muhurto (the period of morning three hours before sunrise) before Swamiji and it also describes how he opened the floodgate of Divine light for him for direct realization. Then there is another couplet in Swarveda relating to this audience with the Sadguru at Vritikutto Ashram: -

Vritikutto mama dhaam par, sadguru darshan deenha|Mein agyan abodh mein, charan pakadi nahin leenha.||

~*~(The Sadguru gave me a Darshan (audience) at Vritikutto. How ignorant I was that I could not recognize him and hold him by his feet?) Even prior to this Swamiji expressed his reverence for the Sadguru at his adolescent ago like this:

Balapan abhyas mein, mam shir angul raakh|Tab mahima jana nahin, anya kaban dun saakh||

~*~(Even when 1 practiced as a child, I felt as if some Divine force had laid its fingers on my scalp. In my ignorance I could not realize the glory of it. What other proof I can furnish of this Divine Grace?). There is a village named Khari about four miles to the west of the Vritikutto Ashram. There the Eternal Sadguru appeared in the form of Swami Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj. The people there took him to be none else but Swami Sadafal Deo Ji himself. The secret was revealed when an opponent of Swamiji told a disciple of his that Swamiji had violated the principle of observing penances in the cave (Guha-Anusthana) by leaving the cave before the completion of six months time and had gone to Khari. He dilly-dallied about Swamiji and tried to put the teacher disciple of his to shame. It is a tenet of the cave penance (Guha-Anusthana) that whosoever performs it does not have to appear in public till before the completion of six months of the penance. He does not have to go anywhere nor speak to anyone but keep himself shut in the cave in an uninterrupted state of Sadhana. The appearance of Swamiji at Khari naturally drew prostration from his adversaries. At this stage Jagdeo Singh, the teacher disciple said that Swamiji had not gone anywhere and that he had served him food only a short whi1e ago inside his cave. Immediately thereafter the adversary, who had started the tirade against Swamiji and a couple of other people who had assembled at Khari, went to the

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Vritikutto Ashram to unveil the mystery of this episode. At the Ashrama they told the village saint, to whom I had referred earlier and Sri Cheton Das, another recluse who attended on Swamiji; that Swamiji had gone to Khari. How could it be then that he was also in the cave simultaneously? The tone of their query was rather sarcastic and indecent. Swamiji’s underwear (a triangular shaped lion cloth mostly used by Sadhus) was hanging outside the cave for drying up in the sun. His disciples told the adversaries that they could see for themselves that Swamiji’s underwear was drying up there and that he had just had a small course of fruits. Swamiji had been overhearing this dialogue between the two groups from inside the cave itself. The cave had two layers, and at that time Swamiji had been sitting in a posture of rest at the upper layer of the cave from where he could hear the fuss that the opponents were making outside the cave. At this Swamiji produced a sound as if he were clearing his throat, so that all those who were there could know that he was inside the cave. People were filled with wonder and excitement at finding Swamiji both at Khari and at Vritikutto at the same time. Observing the tenet of cave-penance as a sacrosanct principle, Swamiji did not move out of the cave and he let it be known to the people that he was inside the cave all through. He had been warned by the Eternal Guru not to stir out of the cave whatever the cause otherwise his mission could be frustrated. Owing to this restriction imposed on him by the Eternal Guru, Swami Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj could not go to Khari to have a look of the holy feet of the Sadguru. But he had already had an audience with the Sadguru at Vritikutto cave. The simultaneous appearance of Swamiji at Vritikutto and khari filled people with wonder and excitement and everyone started talking high of Swamiji's capacity to do miracles when he chose. But when Swamiji came out of the cave and told the people that he had always been inside the cave and had not appeared anywhere else, people started eulogizing the miraculous powers of the Eternal Guru who was the most divine, the most benevolent God himself. The readers should know that the Vedas described a Guru who has been coming in all the four Yugas (Ages) to deliver unto the earthly beings obsessed with tortures of the cycle of transmigration, the message of redemption of their soul. The same Eternal Sadguru appeared in person before Swamiji Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj and revealed to him the secrets of Brahman-Vidya and brought to his life full realization and eternal bliss. He it was who was the founder Acharya (the teacher and propagator) of the Sant Swami (the cult of saints) and its most Venerated Deity. He it is who is addressed as the oldest Guru or the Eternal Sadguru. It is he who is worshipped everyday by the saints. A fuller account of the Eternal Sadguru will be given in the chapter dealing with Swamiji's principles of Vihangam Yoga. Swamiji has referred to the Eternal Guru's appearance at Khari in the following verse in the Swarveda.

Sadguru sukrit deo ji khari pragatein aaye|Chanchal mann avichal kiya sanshay doore bahaye||

~*~(The Eternal Guru Sukrit Deoji appeared in person at Khari. He settled my turbulent mind and removed all my doubts) This is confirmed by a later verse in the Swarveda, which reads as, follows:

Mamm swaroop mein pragat ho khari mein vaha aaye|Mamm swaroop abhimaan kya yah rahasya batolaya||

~*~

(He appeared at Khari in my physical form. He demonstrated to me the secret of the glory of my human form). Now after this interview with the Eternal Sadguru and the revelations of the secret of his form, it becomes redundant to enquire as to who was Swamiji’s Guru? Every conscientious person should pray to God for the removal of his doubts. God grant them true knowledge so that they could follow the noble precepts of Sadguru Sadafal Deoji Maharaj with unflinching faith and accomplish the mission of his life. It is a rare phenomenon to have a direct audience with the Eternal Guru. It was after this audience and acquisition of the experience that Swamiji's life turned into one of eternal peace and perennial bliss. It was in the dark fortnight

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of the month of Phalguna in 1970 that the Eternal Guru Sukrit Deoji had appeared before Swamiji at the Vritikutto Ashram and later at the village Khari. Khari is now a place of pilgrimage for members of the Sant-Samaj's (the cult of saints). If God so wills and help is available from disciples of the Sadguru a memorial may be erected at this place in course of time. A function should be organised every year in the holy memory of the Swamiji's meeting with the Eternal Guru there and congregational prayers and other devotional programmers should be organised.

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On the Banks of Ganga

Once Swamiji went to a village called Barkakheto on the banks of river Ganga (in the district of Ballia). He stayed there in a cavity of the steep bank of the Ganga for several days. Some one spotted him there after some time. Then a number of people dug out a cave for him inside the steep cliff of clay on the bank of the river. Swamiji stayed there for four months. Many scholars, saints, seekers of truth and devotees came to him for audience and discourse. But Swamiji always kept himself lost in his inner experiences. People say that it once so happened that the Ganga started flowing with great velocity towards Swamiji’s cave and the outer walls of the cave started giving in. People ran to Swamiji with folded hands and entreated him to move to some safer place. The currents of the water started rushing into the cave from three directions. This naturally caused great anxiety among his disciples. But Swamiji was not to be deterred whatever the ferocity of the currents. He continued to sit in his usual posture of Sadhana inside the cave and the holiest among the rivers, the Ganga, had to recede to its original course. People of that locality say that Swamiji came and lived a number of times in that cave on the bank of the Ganga. There was a disciple of Swamiji in that village who had renounced life and was at that time living on the bank of the river Saryu. He had lived at the Vritikutto Ashram during the period Swamiji was engaged in his cave-practices there. He was the one who was known as Cheton Das, and of whom I have spoken above. In the earlier phase of Swamiji’s cave practices there used to be another attendant on him who was named Raton. Raton had later made a small cottage for himself on the bank of a pond towards the south of the Vritikutto Ashram. Swamiji's Guha Anusthan had first begun inside this cave on the bank of the pond. A big congregation of scholars, saints and devotees had also been organised at this place. It was on this occasion that Sadguru Deo Ji had delivered his first discourse on his Yoga.

There is another incident to which I have forgotten to refer. This relates to the period when Swamiji had the glimpse of the eternal Guru. Some time before that memorable event when Swamiji was deeply engrossed in his inner Brahmandi practices at the Vritikutto Ashram, a voice from the void was heard for the second time that no useful purpose will be served by that practice. I do not exactly recollect when this had happened, but there definitely was a voice from the skies for the second time. As far as I remember Swamiji used to talk of this some times. It was from that time onward that Sadguru Deo Ji's mind turned towards the propagation of this Yoga. This is being described in the subsequent chapters. There is one thing more of which Sadguru Deo ji used to talk so often. I think I should clearly state it. This has occurred to Swamiji during the period of his cave practices at Vritikutta Ashram.

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Yogic Consciousness

The determination of a Yogi is great and unfailing. He can perform the strangest and most difficult work through his deep and penetrating knowledge of the cosmos and through the application of the power of the Akshar Brahman (The divine force that regulates and sustains the universe). Yogis are possessed of such astounding powers. He has knowledge of the sequence of the fundamental atoms of creation. He can disseminate his thoughts throughout the globe through his control over the fundamental atoms. The great Yogi Swami Sadafal DeoJi Maharaj typified in him the power of the Akshar Brahman. It was towards the last stage of his life that those close to him could have a peep into the impregnable magnanimity of his soul and his impeccable knowledge of the mysteries of the universe. He knows what was happening around the world every fraction of the second. It appeared as if he would enter others bodies and reveal the innermost recesses of their minds. I have direct experience of this power of Swamiji at the time of his renunciation of the mortal frame. I had no knowledge of this during the earlier part of his life. He used to charge energies in the whole universe in the men inhabiting it, in the society and the country. I have a fair recollection that at the time he was leaving the human frame, he was passing orders to people living far away from prayag (Allahabad) for making necessary arrangements for the Bhandara (community dinner after the death of a saint) and attending on other errands, and he told me that he had ordered such and such people to meet such and such expenses on his last rituals and that I could either go there myself to make necessary arrangements or get them done through others. I wondered how sitting there at Jhunsi, he could pass orders to people so remote from him but when after his passing away, everything turned out as he had ordered, the darkness before me was dispelled. Exact amounts of expenditure, which he had asked some people to meet, were delivered to me without my uttering a word to them. Besides he had announced it in clear terms number of times at the last moment of his life that he was propagating the Brahman-Vidya through his own will power in the entire human society. I have heard this from people unknown to me and from those who have no contact with the Sant-Samaj. There was one thing which Swamiji used to say so often. It was that one's spiritual power could be used in its fullness only among one's devotees and disciples. The power does not work on those who nurse opposite feelings. If at all it does, it does so with some difficulty. Or it may just not work at all and the force may retreat am witness to a number of such situations on the basis of which I can vouchsafe the truth of the above observation in my own 1ife. I do not think it necessary to explain all this in detail. As far as my knowledge of these subjects is concerned, I know it for certain that this; power can act on1y on bonafide devotees and on those who are knower of this Yogic art. It is not advisable to the ill-informed people. It was in the context of the recollection of some moments of Swamiji's last hours of life that I diverted to this discussion. 0therwise revealing such secrets to those who are not concerned with it smacks of incompetence and lack of tact. This is also not advisable from the point of view of secrecy, which a saint is supposed to observe. What I mean to say is that the determination of a Yogi to seek the liberation of his mother land provided a sufficient ground work over which the edifice of a relentless battle for the emancipation of the country could be designed. It was as a consequence of this that India could achieve liberation from her bondage extending over a century and half and the flag of independence could unfurl over its horizons. This liberation from the bondage could be achieved only through the determination of the great Yogi, the manifold sacrifices of the country's brave sons and the indefatigable prowess of its enumerable heroes. Given a spiritual determination and its proper canalization, the goal is sure to be achieved. It is therefore that I say that the spiritual motive power alone was the base of India’s Independence so I revert to my old topic.

After having lived on the bank of Ganga for four months, Swamiji’s devotees persuaded him to return to the Vritikutto Ashram in his homeland. It was at that time that he brought out a book named "Bhed-Sar (the gist of the secrets) in which he gave outlines to seekers of

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spiritualism in the form of couplets. He has discussed in this book the truths that can be experienced through Yoga. Another of his book 'Shabd Prakash" (the light that emanates from the word) and the third "Stri-Moha-Timir-Bhaskar" (the sun that dispels the darkness caused as a result of obsession with women), which was composed for the benefit of seekers living within the confines of the family and the society were also written around this period. But this third book is not in circulation. The first two books are available in print and practitioners of Yoga are benefiting from them. Similarly he composed one or two more books, which unfortunately are not available now.

Once Swamiji was sitting in meditation in his cave, a thought arose in his mind that he should undertake some religious reformation work for the benefit of the people because doing them good was his fundamental obligation and guiding them unto righteous path his chief duty. Para-Vidya (knowledge pertaining to the obtainment of the path of Enlightenment) is an absolute and a subtle thing and it has almost disappeared today. The genuine seekers of this Vidya and those deserving its obtainment are scarce these days. The common folk should first be preached on the preliminary level of awareness. With this thought in mind Sadguru Deo Ji started campaigning among people against eating of meat, slaughter of animals; sacrifice of buffaloes and goats on alters of deities, castration of bulls, sale of girls for marriages and other social evils. Later, when he found that some of his disciples had grown mature of age and, experience, he started preaching to them the true stage of BrahmanVidya i.e., the Vihangam Yoga. First he called in batches of people from his own village and preached to them that they had to abstain from non-vegetarian food and other social evils. This had salutary effect on them and a great number of them vowed to shun these vices and pursue the righteous path. People of all ages and sex started thronging at his Ashram for his guidance. This lasted for several days and the crowd grew into such multitude that the heavens resounded with thunderous applause of Swamiji. Swamiji was greatly moved at this spectacle. A large number of people turned his disciples and were initiated into the cult. Hundreds and thousands of people from far off places ran to Swamiji for redeeming their life. Thus propagating his yoga, Swamiji reached Cachar (Assam) and there he held four or five congregations. A large number of educated men and women benefited from his sermons. Then he went to Cuttock via Calcutta, where he gave sermons to a large number of men and women. His preaching washed the dust off people's life there and they felt a strange air of purity blowing through them. Thereafter he returned to the Vritikutto Ashram. During the early stages of his propagation of his faith; Swamiji would not touch any metals, i.e. he would not accept any offerings.

He would always be dressed in a single piece loincloth and would be moving about from one place to another in a pure and serene state of mind. Or if he were camping at one place he would be absorbed in Yogic practices with highest degree of concentration. One day an affluent person came to have an audience with Swamiji and he touched Swamiji’s feet and made some offerings of some money. Swamiji told him that he should give away that money to some poor man. He further informed him that he did not need any such offerings because for a recluse like him it was detestable and harmful that he should accept such offerings. For one who has renounced life and has experienced direct realization, all such mundane objects are within easy reaches. The man was greatly surprised at Swamiji's word. This was the final stage of Vairagya (renunciation) to which Swamiji had by then raised. Swamiji used to keep himself absorbed in secret Yogic pursuits. Completely oblivious of the environment around him and of the mirage that money creates for a man.

There is no denying the fact that a time will come when corers and corers of rupees will be needed for bringing the message of Swamiji Sadafal Deo Ji to the remotest man on the globe. The massive scheme to unfurl the white immortal flag of Brahman- Vidya with the letter 'A' embalmed on it through the length and breadth of the world will certainly necessitate canalization of a number of resources. Howsoever magnificent the work, whatever the benefit a certain programmed is going to bring to people; no endeavors can succeed unless there is

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sufficient money to boost such a program. Nature works its own way where human assistance is of no avail. Propagation of a faith and spreading of knowledge has to be done on a physical plane for which a vast sum of money needs to be defrayed at several stages of its execution. The real utility of money is its use in such noble causes.

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Adherence to Truth

During the period Swamiji was camping in his cave at Vritikutto Ashram, he performed a remarkable act of social good. He was very true to his words and would see to it that if he made any promises to anyone, the promises were fulfilled whatever the cost or obstacles in his way. He was a very saintly and compassionate Guru. He would be moved to pity at the sufferings of people. A small anecdote of that period exhibits some of these rare virtues of Swamiji's. A certain affluent person of the village of Pakri filed a suit in a court of law against one of his close relatives claiming proprietary rights over his lands on the basis of his false decree which he hand maneuvered to obtain from the court in a earlier suit involving payment of some loan to the poor man. In retaliation of this the poor relative filed a suit against the wealthy person alleging that his father had been kidnapped by the latter. The wealthy man was in a hot soup. He ran to Swamiji and fell at his feet praying that his adversary somehow withdraw the case. Swamiji was moved to pity at the entreating of this person and he called in the poor adversary and ordered that he withdrew the proceedings. The poor man was afraid that if he withdrew the case, his rich adversary would have all his property confiscated. This was the hitch in the settlement of the issue from the two sides. Sadguru Deo Ji told the poor man that if in the event of his withdrawal of the case, the rich man made a breach of trust and demanded any money of him, he i.e. Swamiji himself would give him all the money. The poor man did as he had been asked to by Swamiji. But as he had apprehended, the rich man did not part with the hand note through which loan had been paid to the former. In fact he went a step ahead of this. He started saying that the poor man should pay him all the money that the court had decreed for. It was, therefore, proper that Swamiji kept his promise and pay the poor man the money he had promised him in the event of the rich man not keeping his promise. That was a period when Swamiji was observing total abstinence from money or any of its dealings. But here was a predicament when he had to violate his cardinal principle. He had some rupees four hundred and eighty two collected through his well wishers and devotees and he gave the poor man all this money so that he could escape the confiscation of his property at the hands of his adversary. This knave, the rich person created several hindrances to propagation of Swamiji's cult later. In another incident in which Swamiji had welcome back into social fold a Brahmin boy who had been declared an outcaste by the society, this wealthy person had created a number of mischief’s.

This isolated incident reveals one fact of the magnanimous personality of Sri Swamiji. Normally indulgences in such social activities are forbidden to a Yogi, as they are hindrances to his attaining true realization. But some times there are social pulls and compulsions, which make a Yogi, leave the ivory towers of his heaven for a short while to fulfill the entreating of people in distress. This relates to the year 1971 .It was during this period that Swamiji had to face stiff opposition from a section of the communal forces in the society. This section had left no stone unturned to put impediments in the way of propagation of Swamiji's teachings. The impasse continued for some time when the opposition accepted its defeat and had to subdue itself before the mighty prowess of Sri Swamiji. His adversaries later started soliciting Swamiji's grace and Swamiji accepted them into his fold and showered his blessings on them. The root causes that had spurred his opposition were Swamiji's teachings asking people to abstain from eating of meat, liquor, the practice of offering sacrifices of animals on alters of deities and such other evils. It was clear that a ban on use of such degraded practices would be strongly resented by vested interests in the society and hence the reactions.

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Meditation Cave – Shunya Shikar Ashram

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Elimination of the Scourge of Untouchability

An orphan Brahmin boy of fifteen had drunk water at the hands of a low caste Hindu during the period he was sick and indisposed. When he recovered and returned to his mother at his village home, people of his clan turned him out of the caste for having drunk water at the hands of a low caste man. His widowed mother appealed to the Brahmins of the village not to toke such a drastic action against her son for a fault, which he had done inadvertently and in a state of poor health. But her entreating fell flat on the Pandits. Ultimately the poor mother went crying to Swamiji, who was moved to pity at the harsh pronouncement of the Brahmins. Swamiji assured that the boy need not leave the house and he would make the Pandits accept him back into the society. Sadguru Deo Ji called in scholars of repute and told them where the Sastras had laid down provisions of extradited persons after making them undergo some rituals for penance and purification. The scholars veered round to Swamiji's view and the young boy was reaccepted into the fold of the Brahmins after undergoing the prescribed processes of such a purge. Sadguru Deo Ji had left a small treatise on this process of purification based on scriptures and other classical texts. The news of the Brahmin boy having been accepted into the society and repurified with the sacred thread infuriated the conservative section of the Brahmins in the neighborhood and stiff opposition arose to Swamiji's rulings castigating them as interference in their personal affairs and domain. It was an uneasy state of affairs for Swamiji but he was determined he would find a way out of the malaise. In the meantime the Brahmins started preparing to hold a big congregation of their yes men with a view to seeking oneness of opinion that the Brahman boy be deprived of the use of his sacred thread and turned out of the society. They also started collecting massive proofs to the effect that the scriptures did not sanction reacceptance of such depraved souls and whatever Swamiji had done was sacrilegious. Hundreds and thousands of people thronged to the meeting place to see what strictures the congregation was going to pass against Swamiji. The Pandits had called in their supporters from far off places. The entire congregation resented in one voice Swamiji's attempts to redeem the depraved Brahmin. But just as a forced decision was emerging a messenger from the Sanaton Dharma Maha Shabha, Ballia arrived at the scene with the pronouncement that the sick Brahmin boy who had been purified by Swamiji had been accepted into the Society of Brahmins. The pronouncement also said that such a reacceptance had the sanction of the scriptures and Swamiji had not violated any tenets of the Sastras by so doing. The pronouncement further warned that if this decision of the Maha Sabha were not accepted by the Pandits, they would be proceeded against under the law. This had a paralytic effect on the Pandits and them all started dispersing in desperation. A thrill of joy and excitement filled the spectators and they all started singing the glory of Swamiji in high-pitched tones. But the Pandits had not laid their arms yet. But the truth always emerges victorious. The handful of dust that one throws on to the Sun returns to his own scalp. The adversaries finally accepted their defeat and they begged pardon of him, which Swamiji did in his typical humility. The entire human race is one unit. Everyone progresses or declines according to, as he is equipped for these results. No one is untouchable or detestable in the society. Everybody is entitled to equal rights in an egalitarian society. This was the outlook on life and society, which Swamiji wanted his disciples to develop.

It was around this time that a saint sought refuge under the feet of Swamiji after meandering through a number of holy places and having had contacts with a number of spiritual men. Swamiji always used to be surrounded with admirers at that time. But the saint could get an interview with the Swami and that opened a new way for him. Swamiji asked him to observe Brahmacharya (celibacy) for sometime and after this ordeal was over he initiated him into the Brahma-Vidya Sri Brahmananda, as this saint was known, observed cave practices for six months which brought him the bliss of peace known only to the saints of his order. It was Sri Brahmananda who arranged to publish, Sabd-Prakash, and the first book written by Swamiji, which contained his Bhajans of deep philosophical and spiritual import in Sambat

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1970. In this way several people who came in contact with Swamiji were redeemed of their sinful past.

Once Swamiji was camping on the bank of river Ganga where lived a very mean minded person. He had accumulated so much sin through the ages that redemption seemed to be impossible to him. Once he met Swamiji and worshipped at his feet. The result was that he started dissociating himself from all criminal indulgences, which had been his routine obsession, and he took to a life of piousness and sanctity under the patronage of the Sadguru. He performed the toughest ordeal of Krischa-Maha-Chandrayan Vrato (a ritual in which the practitioner gradually increases or decreases the quantum of his food as per the phases of the moon) and thereafter he spent the latter part of his life in devotion to the Sadguru. It is true that iron turns into gold with the touch of Paras- Madi (a legendary stone), so also the touch and contact of Sadguru converts lowliest and sinful into pious and righteous souls.

A disciple of Swamiji once asked him to enlighten him on Sidhi-Bibhuti (Miracles performed by Yogis). Swamiji considered miracles to be as dreadful as poison. It is only those obsessed with finding modes of fruition of their physical desires that run after miracles. Ethereal glory and social recognition are like poison to Yogis whose true objectives of life should be to attain the eternal bliss. These create distraction for him. They are obstacles to his attainment of his goal in life. The great sage Patonjali had advised Yogis to discard such distractions in life.

Te samadhavupsarga vyathane sidhayah ||~*~

--Patanjal- Yoga-Sutra 3/37

(Sidhis are obstacles to the attainment of Samadhi and are responsible for falls and digression)

To assume various manifestations, to jump out of a closed room, to come out of a closed cave after having been in it for some time, to disappear and be unseen, to walk across a river or a pond with the help of wooden sandals or to demonstrate such other feats behave a magician and do not enhance the stature of a Yogi. The Rakshas demons showed great illusion in the battle of Sri Lanka. They would assume various forms and garbs and would most often disappear from public view, so much so that even Ram's own troops would not know where they were. Could all these monkeys and Rakshas be designated as Yogis and Mahatmas?

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Wandering…

Once while Swamiji was going somewhere dressed in a loincloth with his body besmeared with dust, he met a Brahmin who was an Acharya in Sanskrit Grammar at Azamgarh. The Brahmin saluted him and requested him with folded hands to story with him for some time. The Pandit asked him later as to what was the way to attoin God. Swamiji told him that it was a difficult way to attoin God and it were only the saints who knew it and it is only those who deserve this destination that get it. That way cannot be obtained through the study of the four Vedas and the six Sastras. That Para-Brahman can be obtained only through the grace of the Sadguru and through secret practice of Brahman- Vidya. Even if one becomes conversant with the Vedas and other Sastras and qualifies himself otherwise for receiving the grace of the Sadguru, he has to resign himself completely to the will of the Sadguru and devote himself to the internal secret spiritual practices through which he realizes himself as a pure conscious soul free from all the physical bondages. It is only then that he proceeds to merge his pure consciousness in the supreme consciousness that God is. It is only through pure self-realization and total renunciation that one realizes God through the grace of Sadguru and internal secret practices tough by him. The Pandit was greatly moved at the words of Swamiji imbued with deep personal experience and renunciation and spoken in nectar like voice, and a strange bliss of peace cast its spell over him. He looked at the ill-clad Sadguru, carrying no provisions with him and asked of him as to how it was that he did not feel inconvenienced. Swamiji told him that the physical joys and sorrows are transient. It is only through the mind that one feels them. For one who has left the physical plane and merged himself in the bliss of the Brahman, there is no feeling of joys and sorrows. For him the earth is the bed, the arm the pillow, the sky the canopy over him, the directions the garb, the moon, the lamp and the two palms the bowl wherewith to quench his thirst. Hearing these ascetic words of Swamiji, the Acharya told him that he was a great saint that he had kicked the world. Swamiji retorted that it was not he who was great but it was his questioner, the Pandit who was great for he had kicked devotion to God and glory of life even though he was such a great scholar. The Pandit felt ashamed at the blunt rebuttal of Swamiji and with folded hands he entreated him to initiate him into the Brahman Vidya. He vowed to carry out all his dictates. Moved by his dedication, Swamiji initiated him into the first state of the cult and then moved away to another place.

Thus moving like an awadhoot (a state when a Sadhak becomes oblivious of his Surroundings) Swamiji reached a village in the district of Gorakhpur. On the way a certain Sanyasi was addressing a religious congregation at a place. A number of scholars and religious preachers from various places had assembled there. They were struck by the glow radiating through the countenance of Sri Swamiji and they started wondering as to whom he could be. But it did not toke them much time to discover that there was a great saint standing before them. The Sanyasi who was preaching sermons proposed that the Sadguru address the convocation. Swamiji spoke on religion as propounded in the Vedas. All present were spell bound to hear Swamiji’s learned discourse on such an abstruse subject and they all showed him the greatest honor. From there Swamiji proceeded to the place in Gorakhpur where Yogi Gorakhnath had set up his Ashram. Thereafter he went to the Kshatriya College. A certain student of that college saw him reclining on the ground with just a loincloth on and his face beaming with a splendid glow. The news reached other students whereupon a large number of them thronged there and started touching his feet with their heads. On student's request, Swamiji lectured to them on Vidya Brahmacharya (abstinence to be pursued by the pursuers of knowledge). Swamiji had a liking for Sanskrit schools and other educational institutions. Wherever he delivered such lectures, teachers and students felt greatly morally resuscitated and immensely benefited. From there Swamiji went to Magahar in the district of Basti (in U.P.) where the great saint Kabir had addressed the nine Naths like Gorakh and others and the eighty-four Sidhas (the accomplished) and had struck the river Ami deep through the hard crust of the earth for quenching the thirst of these Sidhas. Then Swamiji moved to the railway station of that place. The stationmaster of that small wayside station

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was struck by Swamiji's splendid physical looks and his duskc1aden body and he asked him if he was a saint. Swamiji told him as to how he could be called a saint, because a saint who was one whose glory was not known even to the Trinity-Brahman, Vishnu and Mahesh. The station master touched Swamiji's feet at his humility and in a voice choked with emotion he told Swamiji that he was not finding a way through the mare of conflicting ideologies and practices prescribed for attainment of God and that Swamiji would do him a great favor if he could guide him to his destiny. Swamiji could see that he was inquisitive and accordingly he preached to him the importance of Vedant as the first course of the spiritual journey. Thereafter he described to him the importance of the Vihangam Yoga which was the only way through which saints of the ancient Vedic lore had ascended the pinnacle of infinite glory. He further told the stationmaster that it was only through this Yoga that a Sadhak could attoin godhood and the position of indestructibility and no decay. There after Swamiji initiated him into the first stage of Vihangam Yoga that is the Pipil Marga (the way of the ants) and told him that it was only after accomplishing the prescribed practices of this stage that he could be initiated into the actual Vihangam Yoga. The stationmaster was thus initiated into the way of truth by Sadguru Deo Ji.

Sri Sadguru DeoJi had the unique faculty to describe even the most abstruse and deep philosophies in the simplest of language. He was of the view that it was a test of one's discernment if one could describe in brief what otherwise could have been dealt with in detail. The Rishis and the Sages have defined some of the most abstruse subjects through Sutras and Mantras (poetic Verses). All great People have been brief and forthright in enunciating their view points. The entire volume of Swamiji's thoughts and philosophies in some of which he had enunciated the highest degree of mysticism, is available in the shape of small articles and treatises.

Once a Maulvi (a Muslim seeker) came to see him and asked as to which those two were and a half letters, which the sages and the Aulias (Muslim ascetics of high order) alike used to search within themselves. The Maulvi said that he would become a disciple to whosoever answered him his query and he would revere him as his Peer (teacher next in order only to prophets).

The Maulvi had been roaming about places like Calcutta and other towns for forty years asking saints and others answer to his question, which he had composed in a verse form. But no Maulvi or Hafiz (one who has learnt the entire Quaranic Verse to his heart) could answer his query. That the question he had posed concerned a domain, which ended much before his (Swamiji's) domain started and that it was beyond the reach of two and a half letters. Swamiji answered to the Maulvi in a verse as the Maulvi had done. All those who were in the company of the Maulvi were astounded to hear this reply from Swamiji and they thanked their stores that they had encountered such an accomplished saint.

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The Modern VEDANTA – A Critisism

Swamiji reached Ayodhya in course of his visit. He met a Sadhu there on the bank of the Saryu. He used to keep his two ears and one of his nostrils closed with cotton pads. Swamiji and he spoke to each other with the help of writings on chits of paper, as the Sadhu was then observing silence. Thereafter Swamiji visited all the sacred places at Ayodhya, but he did not meet any Mahatman worth the name. There was no one who had any divine light in him or was capable of holding any discourse with him on the secrets of knowledge. The Mahantha of Tulsi-Chaura was teaching the Geeto to a boy. At one stage he told the boy that the world was a mirage. Swamiji who was passing that way heard him interpret the Geeto this way and interrupted him to enquire as to how he thought that the world was a mirage. The Mahantha gave him an absurd answer. Swamiji gauged his shallowness and kept mum. Right at that time Swamiji met one Mukti Devi on the way who was a disciple of Baba Prithu Saha. She told Swamiji a couple of good things on the Yoga. Mukti Devi had practiced the Pipil Marga for some time. From Ayodhya Sadguru Deo Ji went to Mahakumbha congregation at Haridwar. He had a holy dip in the Ganga and had occasion to see several lakhs of Sadhus assembled there. These included Sadhus assembled from all the fifty two sub-sects of the four major Sampradayas (major cults of Hindu Vaishnavas), all robed in their distinctive attire. Swamiji was surprised to see them all attired in such fashion and behaving so queerly. What an irony that except for a handful of saints and scholarly Mahatmans, such a great multitude of men had been meandering into fruitless pursuits? Could all this bring about any good to the country? Could it contribute in any way to the uplift of the nation?

On a request by the teachers and the students of the Gurukul University, Swamiji spent a night in the student’s hostel there. He tought them the techniques of Pranayama with full details. The following morning as he crossed the Ganga to move to some other place, he met a recluse who had practiced Samadhi and was surprised to hear him call him by his name. Swamiji went closer to the Mahatman and could immediately decipher that he was a great saint. The two discussed the Vihangam Yoga for some time. Swamiji felt happy that he had seen such a great soul. In that entire congregation at the Mahakumbha at Haridwar, this was the only saint who impressed Swamiji. There is a saying that lions do not move in a flock nor do the Mahatmans move in a group. Similarly there are no many trees of the famous Sandalwood Malayagiri. It is only one among crores of Sadhus who fathoms the depths of secret knowledge. It is only through such great souls that waylaid humanity can be resuscitated and better order established in the world.

A great number of Sanyasis live at Rishikesh on the bank of the Ganga. They have made out huts of their own in which they live and eat the food supplied them from adjoining areas. Swamiji went to that colony also. At that time there was a famous Sanyasi of the name of Nepali Ji living at Rishikesh. He used to deliver discourses on the Vedanto everyday to a number of Sanyasis who assembled at his Ashram. Swamiji had an interview with him. He told the Sanyasi that vedanto as it was being practiced by them was devoid of the glow of direct personal experience which formed an inalienable part of the real Vedanto. The techniques that are practiced in the modern Vedanto are based on the mind, intellect and the sense organs whereas the Brahman that they were seeking to attoin was beyond the grasp of the physical entities like the mind, intellect and the sense organs. The three techniques of hearing, meditation and concentration, the importance of which is stressed in the modern Vedanto are not beyond the purview of the four basic elements the mind, the intellect, the Chitto and the Ego. How then to realize the Brahman which is beyond the limits of these physical instruments? To this Nepali Ji said that there was nothing which one had to aspire to realize beyond one's own self. That which is unattainable cannot be obtained. Swamiji then asked the Sanyasi as to how it was that if one were the Brahman himself, he was suffering so many miseries and ignominies in life and also from ignorance, which was incompatible with the very definition of the Brahman. And if one were to suffer all these, where then was the

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ever free, the faultless, the immaculate Brahman? Then there was the question of delusion. There could be no delusion at any stage of time in the entire cosmos as far as the All-Knowing Brahman was concerned. One can have delusion about something out of his own entity. When the modern Vedantist does not admit of any existence outside his own, the question of delusion about any thing beyond it does not arise. And if one says the delusion is about Nature, where then does Advaito (non-duality of soul and God) exist? This way Swamiji advanced many an argument on the new Vedanto, which is devoid of Sadhana and realization. The Vedantists are themselves deluded in that they have declared themselves Brahman. The Vedanto, which is devoid of realization, is only an inferential knowledge. The infinite Brahman can be realized directly through the practice of 'Sahaj Yoga' at the feet of the Sadguru and not through vedantic studies of the Vedanto.

Enjoying the bliss of Brahman Swamiji moved to the hill top five miles beyond Rishikesh. That was a place of great scenic beauty with dense forests all around and a waterfall breaking the silence of the fall. Swamiji rested there for sometime in peace and serenity of mind. He asked the Mahatman what practices he used to observe in the cave. The Mahatman told him that he used to recite the name of Rama day and night. Then Swamiji enquired of him whether he thought he could attoin Rama by just reciting his name or whether some special efforts needed be made to attoin him. Can uttering the word sweet alone bring sweetness to one's mouth? Can the recitation of the word 'Water' quench one's thirst? Can the uttering of the word food or wealth bring one satiety or wealth? Objects could not be achieved in this fashion. If one were to aspire to attoin Rama, one would have to make special efforts to achieve this end. Rama is one who is pervading all human beings. He is beyond perception through the four types of words…the Para, the pashyanti, the Madhyama and the Vaikhari. Whatever can be perceived through senses is destructible. When the five elements and the three Gangas (Satwa, Rajas and Tomae) did not have a form or a name, through what 'Word' was the universe created? The Rama whose name the Mahatman was reciting was born in the Treto Era. What name was it then that the Sages and the seers used to recite since the creation of the universe, which helped them transcend the limits of physical existence and enter the eternal plane of perennial bliss? The Mahatman's heart was filled to ecstasy at these words of Sri Swamiji, resonant with deep personal realization, and he asked Swamiji who he was and where from he had come. He had traveled across the country in all the four directions and had met a number of luminaries. But he had not met anyone with a voice full of so much of wisdom and resonance. His heart had been filled to the brim with inexplicable joy and he wished he were always listening to his wise words soaked in nectar-like bliss. He had been living at that place for a long time, but no Mahatman of his stature had come his way. He entreated Swamiji to live in the cave with him so that he could have the pleasure to have his company in meditation. Swamiji obliged him by staying with him in his cave for some time. On returning from there he spent a night at the Rishikul at Haridwar.

Later at Muradabad, Swamiji had a religious discourse with Pandit Jwala prasad Mishra. Swamiji enquired of him as to what it was that was known as the Sansar (the world). What was the Jeeva (the individual soul)? Was Jeeva Chidobhasa (image of God in the Chitte) or

was it a part of the Supreme Being? The Jeeva, the Brahman and the prakriti were all eternal or were only the prakriti and the Brahman eternal? As for the Sansara (the world) the Panditji

said that the Sansara had neither been created nor will it ever be created. Then Swamiji asked as to how it was that when Sansara did not exist, it was named as such. It is only

something existing that has a name when there is no Sansara how is it that the Vedas and the other scriptures prescribe renunciation from worldly miseries and knower of Truth

ceaselessly Endeavour to cross the morass of the worldly life? If there be no water, why should there be need to cross it with the help of a boat or a ship? If there were no maladies why should there be the need to have any remedies for the ills? To this Pandit Mishra said that there was only the delusion of Sansara and nothing as such really existed. In deserts sands give the mirage of water, but water in fact does not exist there. The shell gives the appearance of silver and a rope of a snake but it is not so. Similarly the Sansara does not

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exist in any phase of time but its existence seems to be very clear and vivid. To this Swamiji said that to those who have never seen water before could never have a delusion of water in the mirage. Those who have not seen silver cannot toke shell for its mirage. Similarly those who have never seen a snake before cannot toke a rope for it. So could the Pandit kindly tell him as to which was that true Sansara first seen whose image was being observed in this

unreal Sansara? By the words of the Pandit himself creations of two parallel Sansars one of truth and the other of delusion, was established. In the new Vedanto in which the Pandit

believed, the shell gave the delusion of silver and the rope that of a snake, but as far as the Sansara was concerned who had the delusion of it and in what? If the delusion is of

Brahmanin in Brahman then where is the all knowingness, omnipresence of that All-Knowing Brahman? If as the Pandit believed, the delusion of Sansara is in the Jeeva (individual soul)

and not in the Brahman then, which is that other entity in the Advaito philosophy other than the Brahman, whose reflection the jeeva is? If Jeeva is the reflection of the Brahman on the

Chitto, then how could the Jeeva be the immaculate and undistorted reflection of the formless, the all-pervasive, the immaculate and the infinite Brahman? Extent body would also

be limitless and extent. It cannot be a localized reflection confined to the periphery of a limited cabin. This way Swamiji presented many an argument on the new Vedanto in his

discourse with Pandit Mishra, as a consequence of which the Pandit became dumbfounded. Doubts cannot be dispelled without the focus of the spiritual knowledge of the Sadguru. It is

only after one attains the beacon light of secret Yoga that he can have the eternal peace and permanent bliss. All doubts and distraction can be dispelled by renouncing pedantic logic

acquired through academic pursuits and by seeking refuge at the feet of the Sadguru through practicing Yoga and acquiring of BrahmanVidya.

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Satsang during Sojourn

At Naimisharanya on the bank of Gomati where King Nimi and the legendary King Manu and his queen Satrupa had performed penances and where the great sage Vyas had composed some of his epics, Swamiji met two Dandi Sanyasis (recluses who hold symbolic sticks) and a number of other religious people from Gujarat. Swamiji summoned to them on the basic tenets of spiritualism. At the Mani-hill-top there, he explained to a group of Vaishnava Sadhus of Ayodhya and Mathura the importance of Satsanga and rested there on the riverbank at the Ashrama of Brahmachari Atma Ram Vedanti. The Brahmachari introduced himself to Sri Swamiji as a meanderer of places and told him that he had met Vishudhananda, Bhaskarananda, Dayananda and other great personages and had lived with them for varying periods of time, Sri Swamiji told the Vedanti that he was of too immature an age to see such old great personages but had surely seen Mahatmas who were still alive by virtue of the strength of their Yogas. There was for example, a Yoga practioner, who was aged two hundred and three quarters of a century. Then there was another Mahatman who had lived through a Kalpa (a period of time equivalent to 4320 million years). Swamiji had met them. He had also met the Supreme saint to whose abode is through the skies. What else could he say?

There is vast difference between power to do miracles and the power attained through yogas. The powers to do miracles are mundane and of the physical plane, whereas the Yogic prowess is an absolute attribute of the pure individual soul. A Yogi can do many an impossible feat through the seer force of his Yogic prowess. Miracles are of a lower category. Readers could refer to the Swarveda and Yoga-Rahashya of Swamiji’s for clearer elucidation of the difference between the two.

Swamiji went round places connected with Suto, Sanake and other sages thereafter, which fell on his way, and he reached the railway station. There a Mahatman from Mathura met him in great reverence and enquired as to how Swamiji would have his meal; because his train was to steam off and Swamiji would not accept a paisa from anyone. A person who was overhearing them passed an uncalled for stupid remark that it was all fake and there was no one who did not accept money. Swamiji gave a mild smile at the interrupter’s comment. The Mahatman from Mathura rebuked him like anything and told him that ignorant as he was be did not know what a great recluse and a saint was standing before him. Fear ran down the spine of the man and he fell on Swamiji's feet. He entreated Swamiji to forgive him his trespasses. The saint among the saints, the All-Knowing, the greatest among Yogis, Sadguru Sadafaldeo ji Maharaj told him that he had done him no offence. Where then was the need to pardon him? What he had done was the consequence of the powerful force of the time-cycle and the darkness of ignorance. Swamiji then moved to Mishrit from there. The legend is that King Dadhichi had donated his bones to the Davas at Mishrit for the cause of Dharma. He had collected waters from all sacred places in a well there and after having a dip in it, had renounced his boy. Swamiji remembered the great Donor who had renounced his mortal frame for the cause of Dharma and was lost in grateful remembrances for quite some time. At a short distance from there i.e. at Sito Kund, Sadguru Deo ji gave a discourse on devotion to a congregation of Vaishnava Sadhus. This was the place where Sito had lived after having been expelled by Rama. The legend goes that it was here that the great sage Valmiki lived and it was here that Lawa and Kusha had fought the battle of Ashwamedha with the forces of Lord Rama. Moving alone like this, Swamiji reached a place Sarsaiya on the bank of Ganga near Kanpur. A number of Vaishnava Sadhus used to warm himself near the fire as a way of worship and used to keep his body besmeared with ashes all the time told Swamiji that it was from Karma alone that everything could be achieved. Swamiji retorted that the soul was not the result of Karma. It was the reverse i.e. the Karma was the actions of the soul. Karma is inert and insentient while Atman is conscious and knowledgeable. Swamiji gave a talk there on Karma to the people who had assembled there to here him. On Mahatmans requests he gave a

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discourse on the Chhandogya Upanishad, which enlightened them on various facets of this philosophy. At that place Swamiji met a Mahatman from Mansar who was carrying a Jem of marble. He told Swamiji that there was a Mahatman at Mansar who could observe Samadhi for six months at a stretch. As he was passing through a village on his way back from Kanpur Swamiji decided to camp at a Shiva temple in a village as the Sun had set in. But he changed his mind owing to the unwelcome demeanour of the villagers. A short while later he met a Brahmin named Sahdeoji on his way. The Brahmin asked him his name and whereabouts. Swamiji could gauge that the Brahmin was a scholar and he, therefore recited a sloka from the Upanishad. The Pandit could immediately understand what a great recluse Swamiji was and he fell on his feet and entreated him to go and stay with him. Once people came to know of Swamiji's visit to the Brahmin's place, a large number of men and women thronged, to have his holy Darshan. Sadguru Deo Ji gave discourses and sermons for two days on various aspects of spiritualism and Yoga. Many a people were initiated into basic practices of Yoga. Swamiji initiated Pandit Sahdeo Ji also into the first stage of Yoga commonly known as the Pipi1-Marga and the Pandit thereafter became one of the Swamiji's staunchest disciples. Long rows of people started coming to Swamiji for initiation thereafter, Sadgurudeo ji could understand what feeling was motivating them for such an initiation and he told them that he did not believe in turning out disciples of a particular Sampradaya (cult). His mission was only to impart the fundamental knowledge of spiritualism to those who were true seekers of the way of Yogas, his chief mission being helping people redeem themselves from the miseries of life and attoin perennial bliss.

One evening Sadgurudeo ji rested at a place on the bank of the river Pani. There he gave a discourse on the eighty-four lakhs of Yonis (species). He explained how the Manav Yoni (the race of homosapiens) is considered to be superior to the other species and how it has a distinct characteristic of enjoyment and bliss.

There was a dense forest of Babul trees at that place in which a large number of peacock birds used to live. The peacocks would flock in groups to the riverbank and quench their thirst and dance to their satiety. Swamiji would derive great pleasure at such scenes.

There was a Vaishnava Sadhu in the village Maniar in the district of Ballia who believed in the cult of Ramanuja's faith. He used to roam about Ashrams and place of leanings and was in a way thoroughly conversant with the fundamental principles of cult prevalent at the time, but in spite of having known and met a number of saints and Mahatmans, he had not been able to find peace of mind. One cannot have peace of mind unless he is so blessed by a Sadguru. Irrespective of how profound a scholar is, one cannot have peace of mind if he does not have the true knowledge of the soul and its mysteries. This Vaishnava Sadhu used to practice the Unmuni Mudra. To an extent he had also achieved the fruits of his labor, but internal peace still deluded him. So in a mood of surrender and enquiry, he went to Sri Sadguru Deo Ji Maharaj. Discovering that the Sadhu was a deserving seeker, Swamiji detained him at his camp for sometime and imparted to him the secret knowledge of Vihangam Yoga, which opened unto him the floodgates of eternal bliss.

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At the Confluence of Yaminua and Betwa

At a distance of about sixty Kilometers towards northwest of Chitrakutto, there is the famous confluence of the rivers Yamuna and Betwa, Sadguru Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj had observed penances for a long period there and had tested the bliss of eternal happiness. The place is surrounded by a dense forest of Karil and other trees. There are plenty of caves and dens of tigers and other ferocious animals. Peacocks also are found in plenty over there. Learning that Sadguru Deo had been camping there at the confluence, a certain Pandit named Thakur Prasad came to seek refuge at his feet. In his early stage of renunciation he used to go to saints and Mahatmans in search of truth. He had learnt the technique of pranayama from some Mahatman and he had practiced it for twelve long years. He picked up courage to visit Swamiji at his lonely and dreadful abode and entreated him to share his knowledge of the secrets of the truth with him. Swamiji first discouraged him from paying him visits so often but when he found him stubborn, he asked him what exactly his wish was. The Pandit expressed the desire to know how he had been doing the Pranayama for a long time. Finding that he deserved to be guided Swamiji told him that Pranayama alone could not help him attoin Brahman because Brahman is beyond the reach of mind, intellect and speech, and the Pranayama was within the confines of the Pranas (life force) and the inner equipments like the mind, intellect etc. The pleasure one derives from observing sporadic flashes or from hearing the Anhad sounds or from percolation of saliva through guttural region, are all illusions of the mind. The Anhad sounds, which one hears through sense organs, are flippant and transient. Just as blowing air through the hole of a piece of bamboo produces certain vibration in the wood, pranayama also makes air vibrate through the nerves of the human body. The sounds that one hears as a result of these vibrations are all temporary and destructible. A continuous Pranayam charges heat into the head and the eyes, as a result of which some flashes appear before the eyes. The flashes in fact are most transitory and artificial. In a similar fashion when air enters the Brahmanda (the head); the thrust of it produces a liquid like substance on the guttural region of the head, which the Pranayami mistakes to be nectar. How can nectar be formed in a body vitiated with such earthly substances as bones, blood; cough and plasma etc? The way to truth lies elsewhere. It is through Vihangam Yoga as enunciated in the Vedas. It is through this Yoga alone that scores of sages down the ages have attained liberation from the cycle of life and achieved permanent bliss. Unfortunately it is in the absence of the appropriate Vedic knowledge of Vihangam Yoga that other physical Yogas have been propagated. Methods have been shown in the Vedas also for harnessing the bodily and mental forces, but the sages have described a particular way for realizing the Brahman different from those for physical acquisitions. A Maharshi is one who is truly immersed in the absolute knowledge of Truth as propounded in the Vedas. It is such a Maharshi whom the saints of the modern times have called a Sadguru.

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The Holy Sermons

The first requisite to self-realization is pacification of the body, for if the body is pacified, the Pranas are controlled. Consequently the organs of the body and the mind become pacified. And once the mind has been pacified the intellect gets illumined. It is after the intellect has been illumined that a Sadhak (practitioner) becomes entitled for receiving sermons from the Sadguru. A blurred mirror or a perturbed surface of water does not exhibit the true appearance of the viewer. Similarly if the mind is disturbed the true self evades the viewer's eye. When the Chitto becomes steady and the mind becomes fully under control, the Kundalini, with the power and guidance of the Sadguru goes aside its way into the inner light in which the Sadhak can see his own true self. This is the secret, which the Acharya of the Brahman-Vidya reveals only to those whom he considers fit for receiving instructions on the external and internal aspects of spiritualism. Once such a light is kindled in the Sadhak through the blessings of the Sadguru, his entire inner self becomes radiant with Divine light and he starts feeling an inexplicable bliss of joy (Brahmananda). The soul (Atman) is entirely independent of the mind, the intellect and the organs. It is in the light of the Atman alone that the four inner equipments namely, the mind, the intellect, the Chitto and the Ego and all other exterior organs of the body are generated into action. It is only when the Atman quits the body that the body is declared devoid of life and a corpse. When the soul realizes itself as a fully conscious entity independent of all its physical adjuncts such as the mind, intellect and the body etc., it attains perennial bliss through the secret guidance of the Sadguru. It is only when the Atman tries to attoin Brahmananda by withdrawing all its channels of its consciousness and directing them towards the Supreme Being that it can redeem itself of the cycle of rebirth and the resultant miseries of the world. The Vedas and other scriptures composed by sages also prescribe no method other than this for realization of the supreme soul. On the physical plane we have the four subtle entities, which cannot lead us to the attainment of Brahman. All that the Atman does within the confines of the four physical entities that is, the mind, intellect etc. are its mundane actions and are not of the natural or pure order. It is only through these mundane actions of the Atman at the physical level that it has to suffer miseries resulting from the cycle of regeneration. It was therefore imperative that the Pandit should not get himself lost in the physical methodologies nor should he suffer from the delusion that he is himself the Brahman as the new-Vedantis mistook themselves to be. Eternal peace and perennial bliss can be had only through realization of the Truth obtained as a consequence of continued service and dedication to the Sadguru and devotion to God. The way to attainment of God is through pure and subtle consciousness different from the material objective world. It is through this subtle and pure consciousness that the Atman tastes of the divine nectar of the Brahman and frees itself from the chains of regeneration. The secret of this bliss can be had at the feet of a Sadguru; fully immersed in the knowledge of the Brahman and thoroughly versed in the import of the Vedas. It is only then that the soul can free itself from the bondages of life and enjoy Eternal Bliss.

On having been enlightened by the Sadguru's pious sermons, the Pandit sought refuge at his feet and took to the way of Brahman-Vidya in true dedication and sublimity. He expressed profound gratitude, to Swamiji for having had his Darshan (personal audience) and for the deep compassion Swamiji had shown him. A number of people at Hamirpur are disciples of Swamiji’s Another Pandit of the name of Hari Prasad Shukla were a staunch devotee of the Sadguru. Swamiji had practiced meditation on the confluence of Yamuna and Betwa in the year 1972.

During the period Swamiji was camping at that confluence, a certain inquisitive person came to see him from a far off place on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadra, which fell on a Monday. He saluted the holy ground and sat in total sublimation before the Swamiji and asked him what has been baffling his mind. Swamiji could recognize that he deserved to be shared some secrets with, and accordingly he recited to him preliminary Vaishesik Sastra

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Texts. This was followed by discourse on Dharma and Ethics. The discourse continued till late in the night, when it suddenly started raining with a great velocity shaking Swamiji’s cave to its foundations. Swamiji asked the new comer and another disciple of his who was in the cave at that moment to leave the cave and sit in the rains outside. The two did accordingly as the Swami have bid them. The rain had become more torrential. The waves in the Yamuna were striking the bank with greater ferocity than ever. The storm too had assumed frightening proportions. This was enough for the new comer to lose patience. His heart seemed to be sinking under the impending deluge. He cried out to Swamiji, “0 Swami, when does one meet death-when the period ordained for him on the earth is over or can he die also prematurely for some reason?” Swamiji could easily see that he had lost patience and had become uneasy, and he therefore, told him what Prana (life force) was. The Prana Was the force of life. It was protected through the Kshat Kriya (the six physical actions practiced by Hathayogis), the Pranayama and other yogic exercises. Penance, Brahmancharya, discipline and practices of Mudra and Kalpa led only to bodily growth and longevity whereas immortality could be attained only through the practice of Vihangam Yoga. The discourse lasted through the night and when Swamiji had said his last word, the sun had risen in the eastern horizon. Swamiji enlightened him on various aspects of Karma and fate and the importance of individual initiative in achieving the goal of life. What was most important in the field of Karma was to keep on doing Karma. No worldly behavior is possible without Karma. It was for performing the Karmas that Nature had given men, Indriyas (the organs). The great leveler, the Supreme Brahman was the sole arbiter of all human actions. One should therefore never shun labor. It is only through contact with mind that the soul suffers or enjoys pains or pleasures. When the soul purifies itself by burning all Karmas in the fire of true knowledge; it roams about freely and unhindered. It is then like a lotus, which keeps itself, detached from water from which it draws its sustenance. It is therefore wise to live within the confines of the society and practice Yoga under the guidance of a Sadguru.

The new comer expressed his desire to be initiated into the divine cult of Vihangam Yoga. Swamiji initiated him into the first lesson of the Brahman-Vidya. This marked a turn in the spiritual course of this disciple's life and he attained further heights in due course of time.

Around the same time after about a fortnight on a Monday, an Awadhoot Mahatman named Atma Ram who used to live in a cave near Chitrakutto on the foothills of the Banda hills, met Swami Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj. The Mahatman possessed Anima and other Sidhis. Swamiji told him that for those who were sincerely pursuing Brahman-Vidya, Sidhi and other miraculous powers were impediments to full realization of Brahman.

During the period Swamiji had been practicing in the cave, he had realized all the Sidhis, but he renounced them all together. Before he had met the Sadguru in person, he had recited Mantras a thousand times over to master the Sidhis. But after he had attained full knowledge and the secret of them he developed a detachment towards the Sidhis and concentrated himself exclusively on devotion to the All-Pervading Brahman.

After he left his camp at the confluence of the Yamuna and Betwa rivers, Swamiji performed a great Yagna on eleventh of bright lunar period in the month of Kartika. A large number of modern Vedic scholars and Pandits had attended this function. The function, which lasted for two days, had been presided by Swamiji himself and he delivered a series of discourses on the occasion. On the third day, the scholars who had assembled for the Yagna started putting forward their own view points and arguments in support of the faiths they professed. This led to heated debates among the Pandits, whereupon Swamiji gave them an illuminating discourse on the fundamentals of true knowledge, which alone could toke them to the realization of the Supreme Soul. This had desired effect on the learned audience, and all assembled rose in union to pay Swamiji the regard he deserved for lifting them from the morass of conflicts. A large number of people from the adjoining districts of Banda and Faithful including the tehsil of Hamirpur became his disciples and took to righteous path

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under his blessings and patronage. Swamiji next moved to Chitrakutto from where he returned to his Vritikutto Ashram in Ballia via Prayag. Thousands of his disciples and other devotees thronged to his Ashram to have a holy audience with him. He would come out every evening to give them sermons on Yoga, which provided spiritual sustenance to the knower and seekers. This continued for a long period and with passage of each day, large number of people started flocking to the Vritikutto cave.

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LakhShahuti(A hundred thousand Havans)

Some time later, Sadguru Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj performed Lakshahuti (a hundred thousand oblations into the fire), where after he undertook the arduous physical task of bringing in social and religious transformation of the society and of bringing good to the people all over the world through the propagation of the Brahman-Vidya.A plaque on a piece of stone at the Vritikutto Ashram has the following inscription: - Lakshahuti began on Wednesday, the fifth day of the bright lunar period in the month of Agrahan in 1974 on recitotion of the Bij-Mantra by Sri Sri 108 Swami Sadafal DeoJi.

According to this inscription the Lakshahuti Was performed in 1974. Offerings in the Havana Kund (the rectangular pit in which the fire is lit for Havan) began with recitotion of a Lakh of Ved-Mantras, and this gigantic celebration continued for several days. For many years later, people used to talk highly of this historic Yagna. Near about same time, Swamiji had spent some months in meditation at a place named Jabahi near the Ganga, in the district of Ballia. One evening when Swamiji was returning from the Ganga after a dip, he found his Ashram in flames. His book on 'Nayaya-Darshan' had turned into Ashes with his Ashram. At the same time a disciple of Swamiji, one Sri Brahmananda, who had endeared himself to Swamiji died at his Yusufpur cottage near Indara in the district of Azamgarh. The saintly Yogi of Indara, Sri Ramvaran Singh was in good books of Sri Sadguru Deo Ji. Swamiji always advised him to devote himself to spiritual practices in complete isolation and in total detachment from worldly indulgence. But Sri Singh could not detach himself from worldly pulls and instead kept up doing his practices in his house itself till the last years of his life.

There is a garden at Indara, which Swamiji used to call Mukti-Dham (the place of liberation), where parents of Swamiji, reverend Skambhamuni and Mukti Devi had spent some time in devotion to God. Part of Swarveda was also composed at this place. I have it on the authority of teacher Sri Chandradeo Singh, a close disciple of Swamiji, that Swamiji used to visit Indara regularly since his childhood and had made a place for him in total seclusion where he used to practice Yoga. Sri Chandradeo Singh and his family always enjoyed the bliss of Swamiji's love and blessings. There are large number of disciples of Swamiji in and around lndara who have shaped the destinies of their lives in accordance with his teachings and the cardinal principles Brahman Vidya as tought by him.

The same year i.e. in 1975, on Friday the Shiva Ratri day falling on the thirteenth day of the dark, lunar period in the month of Falguna, the writer of these lines saw the light of the day at 2pm in the village of Pakri. Swamiji intended to set up a Vedic school with the consensus of opinion of the local people. Swamiji let his opinion be known to others, and he started making suitable efforts for setting up the institution. But later he gave up the idea and started roaming about the length and breadth of the country for propagation of Brahman-Vidya. About this time, nine months after I had been born, my grand parents Sri Skambhmuni and Maharani Mukti Devi took to the Vanprasths Ashram (A stage of sanyas in which the Sanyasi frees himself from family and social bondages). The couple left home and went to far off places like Ayodhya and Rishikesh and dedicated the remainder of their life in devotion to God.

Swamiji left Pakri thereafter and went to Danapur where he made fiery speeches before troops, as a consequence of which he was taken to custody under the section - 131 Indian penal code.

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The Danapur case

Around the year 1920 A.D., there was not much political consciousness among the Indian masses as to their civil and political rights and privileges. No one dared raise his voice against the tyranny of the British Empire. The tyrannical British Imperial rule had Swamiji arrested under section 131 I.P.C. for attempting to cause rebellion among the forces. The case, in nutshell was that Swamiji had instigated the troops through his speeches to rise in rebellion against the British Empire. The case assumed so much importance and publicity that everyone in the country came to know of it. This was the first case of this type in the history of struggle for India's independence. The Non-co-operation movement of 1921 A.D. also began with Swamiji's courting arrest against the repressive measures of the alien rule. A week after Swamiji had been in Jail; the British Government started arresting national leaders all aver the country for their participation in the Non-co-operation movement. When Swamiji courted arrest; the movement had not picked up as such, and the Government was bent upon crushing the movement with all its might. As had been apprehended, Swamiji's arrest caused wide spread consternation all aver the country. What to talk of Danapur and other places in Bihar, the whale country was agog with reports that Swamiji had token the lead in liberating the motherland from the yoke of the foreign imperialism. The newspapers would carry full-page reports on his arrest and his messages to freedom fighters under the caption "The case of Vigyananda". Swamiji's followers, who used to work for him without charging any honorarium, wanted him to place concocted and untrue pleas in the court. But Swamiji would not budge an inch from the way of truth. The pleaders made desperate efforts to persuade him to dissociate himself from the case and to depose before the court that he had made his speeches in the city of Patna and not at the Cantonment at Danapur. But the embodiment of truth that Swamiji was, he not only accepted the allegation leveled against him by the Government but also defended the steps he had taken to drive home to the British imperialists that freedom was every Indian's birth right, A number of Swamiji's disciples and other gentry from Ballia had gone to Danapur to depose in his support. The Government had paid these witnesses traveling and other allowances. Some of Swamiji's disciples had discussed his case with Pandit Moti Lal Nehru and Deshbandhu Chitaranjan Das at Arrah when they had visited Arrah in connection with a state case. These leaders told the disciples that the case assumed great publicity in London. Moti Lal Ji had said that it was only recently that he had returned from London. The Case (Swamiji's case) had won glory to India. The British Minister had informed the House of Commons that his Majesty's Govt. had asked for a full report from Mr. Mantague, the Minister in charge of Indian affairs, on Danapur Troops rebellion case. Pandit Motilal Nehru told Swamiji's disciples not to worry on this account. He and others on the national front of the Congress Organization would soon be going to Jails to press the demand for an early independence to the country. He wanted them to convey his regards to Swamiji.

One of Swamiji's disciples Sri Ganga Bishnu Singh of Azamagarh was working for him in this case. There was another pleader from Bihar in the court whom Swamiji had given his power of attorney. All arrangements had been made by Swamiji's pleaders and his witnesses to absolve him of the allegations leveled against him. But no one deposed. Finally the Judge sentenced Swamiji to two years of rigorous imprisonment under section 131 I. P.C. (Treason) on Dec.22, 1920 A. D.

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Life in Jail

Days at the Danapur jail:-

26-12-1920 Letter to Sri Shyam Lal, Deputy Magistrate Danapur 02-01-1921 Repair of road in the oil-milling compound14-01-1921 Fevers21-01-1921 Grinding 20 Kilograms of wheat22-01-1921 In the cell 01-02-1921 Put to work on Sunday05-02-1921 Served a paste of rice for meals11-02-1921 At Buxar Central Jail20-02-1921 Met visitors21-02-1921 Grinding wheat21-04-1921 Had a vision of Yoga04-05-1921 Suffered fever06-05-1921 Wrote letters21-05-1921 Dispatched letters29-05-1921 In the Gaya Central Jail-grinding 10 Kilograms of wheat10-06-1921 Bound in chains for seven days14-06-1921 Bound in chains for seven days22-07-1921 Sent letters25-07-1921 Fever09-08-1921 Met visitors25-08-1921 Sent letter to Vritikutta Ashram31-08-1921 Handcuffed for there days01-09-1921 Handcuffed for thirteen days03-09-1921 Bound in chain for fourteen days05-09-1921 Fever12-11-1921 Fever23-12-1921 Letter to Ramraj Singh19-03-1921 Letter to Ramraj Sing03-06-1922 Met Raj Kumar Singh09-07-1922 Letter to Seth Shyam La!18-08-1922 At Bhagalpur Central Jail25-08-1922 Put on duty at Dhenki (a wooden device to remove the husk off the paddy)28-08-1922 Penalised for not showing teeth chain for 30 days04-09-1922 Did not show teeth-wrote to I.G.22-09-1922 Visit to hospital06-10-1922 Special punishment12-10-1922 Release (Remission-two months and 9 days)

The Session Court Danapur gave verdict on Swamiji's case, but the real verdict came when India was declared independent. I have already described in the preceding pages, how Swamiji had taken the solemn pledge in his cave to free India from the chains of foreign bondage. He had been put behind the bars on the 12th day of the bright lunar period. It was therefore that the 12th day of the bright lunar period of every month was observed as a sacred day for offering prayers to God for emancipation of the motherland. This practice came into vogue after Swamiji had been released from the Jail. The years that he had spent in the Jail had left a deep impact on the struggle being waged all over the country for its independence and it would be no exaggeration to say that with India having emerged independent after Swamiji's efforts and guidance, his spirit of independence exerted great influence over the countries all over the world for their liberation. The teams of dedicated disciples that Swamiji had were always prepared sincerely for fighting for the political independence of the country. Swamiji had started writing a book on his spiritual experiences

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while in the Jail. It was this book that came to be known later in a developed and enlarged form as the Swarveda. Swamiji used to call his cell in the Jail as Krishna-Bhavan (the dark cell where Lord Krishna had seen the light of the day) and he considered it another place of penance next to his cave. While in Jail he composed the following prayer for independence of the country.

National Prayer:This is the day of mourning, my Lord,

I pray unto thee for justice,Thou art the arbiter of the World,Give unto me what is due to me,

Grant freedom to India and give me the position that thou had ordained to me,I shall have nothing short of that,

Unto whom shall I cry, who shall listen to me?O Lord, on whose feet shall I fall?

There is prohibition here on propagation and preaching,There is restriction on my tongue,

And thou know, my Lord, that there is no remedy for miseries without a free flow of thought,There is vitiation in every walk of life in India, in its morals and its ethics,

How shall I then deliver unto its men the message that thou desired of me,There is cow-slaughter, drinking of alcohol and all the other vices, and the spark of religion

has waned,The unclean have flooded the land, and the God-fearers have been relegated to non-entities,

Purge them of their vices, my Lord, or drive them out of the globe,Take India unto thy fold, thou Lord of compassion,

I entreat you to give us this divine-grace,If thou had ordained that the glory of India was to be mortgaged to the aliens,

Then why did you send me unto this land of perennial flow of milk,If it is my land, give it unto me,

And make India a piece of paradise on earth;Listen to me Lord, this prayer of Sadafal,

And take me unto thy fold… This is the prayer that Swamiji used to recite in the prisons. Even after he was released, it formed a part of the programmed of prayer that he and his disciples would offer to God. Again after the fall of the state of Hyderabad and its amalgamation with the Indian Union, a prayer was composed which became popular all over the country. During that period efforts had also been made to liberate India from alien rule through spiritual means viz: determination, Sidhi (acquisition) etc. Swamiji was also then known as Swamiji Vigyananand and this was the name that occurred below the code of conduct prescribed for observation by members of the Sant Samaj during those days. But Sadguru Sadafal deo Ji Maharaj always preferred to call himself by the name given him by his parents. Yogis and the Lord have many a name. Vishnu has a thousand names. Swamiji served terms of his sentence in different Jails in Bihar like Danapur, Bhagalpur, Gaya and Buxar etc. In the Jail also he continued guiding people through spiritual knowledge. There are several of his Jail companions who have still retained contact with the Marga (the path) till date. I met one such person at Gaya some time back. There was another gentleman from the district of Palamu in Bihar, named Satyanand Ji, whom Swamiji had initiated into the faith while in Jail, and who later settled in Varanasi. After his release from the Jail, Satyanandji stayed for some time with Swamiji's permission at the Vritikutta Ashram and then left for studies in Varanasi. Later he came in contact with some leaders of the Extremist Party and he became a canker in the eye of the Britishers. He was implicated in a number of cases of treason, and finally when he was rounded off by the Empire, he was sentenced to death by the Sessions Court at Varanasi. Swamiji was at Azamgarh on the day the verdict was

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pronounced. Satyanandji conveyed his Pranams (Salutations) to Swamiji through a messenger before he kissed the ladders of the gallows. After his release from the jail Swamiji tried to keep himself away from direct encounter with the Government, even though there had been no recession in his endeavors for freedom of the motherland. He was always a supporter of the Indian National Congress, as far as his views about means to India’s independence were concerned. He always considered Political unity to be of utmost importance and it anguished him to find that political rivalries and multiplicity of parties were frittering away the leader’s energies. He was an epitome of patriotism. It was one of the chief missions of his life to drive the imperialists out, howsoever continuous or engaging the battle. On Swamiji's advice his disciples took to the use of Khadi and took vigorous part in the constructive programmers of the congress party. It is the normal conduct of a member of the Sant-Samaja to be a nationalist in his outlook, to abjure foreign goods, to abstain from liquor and other intoxicants, to wear and propagate the use of Khadi and to eliminate untouchables from the society. For Sadhaks, of Brahman-Vidya it is a preliminary to his initiation into the faith. All those who received initiation at Swamiji's hands had such a clean conduct. Swamiji himself put on Khadi till the last day of his life and till he finally relinquished his mortal frame, he was engaged in an incessant battle to bring unto the land some or the past glory it had lost through the process or time.

Swamiji always used to talk of his plan to liquidate the British Empire from India on the basis of his spiritual determination. The chief factors that brought about India's independence were Swamiji's unflinching spiritual determination, his Yogic prowess, the prayers and penances of the members of the Sant-Samaj, the organizational strength of the country and the sacrifices of her illustrious sons at the altar of the Freedom. The acquisition of India's freedom was the culmination of Swamiji's efforts to bring in an order of truth at a time when moral and ethical values had fast been disintegrating. The Victory was achieved with the English packing their goods for good after a hundred and fifty years of escapade into this country.

For the period Swamiji had been in the Jail the Sant-Samaja had temporarily been disorganized. But once he was back, the Samaja felt recharged with his divine energy and a new ray of hope emerged for the Samaja for taking on greater strides in the future. Swamiji had developed a thick lock of hair on his head during his period of confinement, which he resolved to carry on his head till India did not attained independence. Swamiji had this lock cut out at the Vritikutta Ashram six months before he relinquished his body. The lock is contained in the shape of a sepulcher, which Swamiji had bequeathed unto the earth six months before his death.

Around this time, i.e. in 1980, some Sadhus sought Swamiji's grace and were initiated into the cult. Swamiji moved to Delhi the same year and was engaged for some time in propagation of Brahman-Vidya there. He had formed a group of some of his closest disciples to carry on this mission at different places. Gazipur, Azamgarh, Ballia were some of the places which Swamiji used to visit frequently in this connection. A time had also intervened during this period when Swamiji had observed Maun (Silence) in a garden at Ballia. In fact Ballia was then the centre of the propagation of this Yoga.

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The Sant Samaj

Thereafter Swamiji moved to the Vritikutta Ashram where he founded the Sant-Samaj for propagation of the Para-Vidya Yoga Marga. The first annual convention of the Samaj was held on 5th, 6th and 7th of the month of Agrahan in the bright lunar fortnight in the year 1981 at the Vritikutta Ashram. Many people were initiated into the afternoon. Sadgurudeva and other saints and scholars delivered speeches on different aspects of Brahman-Vidya. On the first day of the convention, the white banner of Brahman-Vidya with the key words “SAAR-SHABD” prominently displayed on it was unfurled at the Ashram. The chief purpose of the establishment of the Sant-Samaja was to disseminate the spiritual knowledge of the Brahman-Vidya Yoga Marga throughout the universe so that men all over the world could achieve the goal of their life through spiritual enlightenment, peace of mind and direct realization of the Brahman. Peace in the world and welfare of mankind cannot be had only through Brahman-Vidya and its secret unique practices. There had been a phenomenal degradation in the moral standards of men all over the world. Everyone has gone crazy for material comforts and pleasures. This has created a void in their lives, which is taking them further away from the path of spiritualism. In order to contain this steady decadence and rechannelise people's energies towards attainment of real peace and progress in life, it is imperative that spiritual knowledge is disseminated all over the world. After the convention was over at Vritikutta Ashram, Swamiji went to Gorakhpur, Gonda, Bahraich, Lucknow and Kanpur, on the request of students and members of the faculty of D.A.V College Kanpur, swamiji camped there for some time to propagate Brahman-Vidya. It was there that famous treatises Astanga Yoga Darpan, Adhyatma Yoga and Vihangam Yoga Prakash were composed. Swamiji then went to Mathura to take part in the centenary celebrations of Swami Dayananda. Among Swamiji's disciples, there was a person from Lahore who had lived with him for nearly six months, practicing Yoga under his guidance. It was on his initiation that Swamiji had made the trip to Mathura. At Mathura Swamiji had it proclaimed through notification that anyone was welcome to ask him any question on Vedas and spiritualism. A number of scholars of the Arya Samaja held dialogues with Sadguru Deo Ji on various aspects of the Vedas and Yoga, which have been published as a compendium in another of my book Sahajopanishad. Those interested in knowing the details may glance through the pages of this book. The centenary celebrations of Swami Dayanand proved a good venue for the propagation of the Brahman-Vidya Yoga of Sri Swamiji. The book Yoga Rahasya was written during this period of Swamiji's sojourn. True knowledge develops only when the knowledge of Vedas and devotion go together. The sapling of knowledge that may arise in a barren heart devoid of devotion will soon wither away. Scholastic knowledge without being backed by devotion is destined to disappear in no time. It is, therefore, imperative that an aspirant for knowledge feels a stir within him of true dedication to his mission in all its facets. Such scholastic pandits who live on a plane devoid of true spiritual experience cannot comprehend the dimensions of truth contained in the Vedas. Where there is only stark development of the intellect without any blossoming of the soul, it is inevitable that a number of conflicts and doubts will arise in the mind. It is such a state of misbalance that leads to degradation in life and it is owing to this that the soul moves far away from the truth. It is for this reason that after the Rigveda, emphasizing the need and importance of Gyana (knowledge), the Yajurveda was composed which underlined the importance of Karma, and after the Yajurveda was composed, the Samveda was compiled which set into flow the perennial spring of devotion, as sacred as the Ganga. And to round off the process, the Atharva-veda was composed which again stressed the importance of Vigyana (total knowledge). Full knowledge can be obtained only after one has had direct realization of the Atman. Therefore, after one has gone through the process of knowledge and Karma, he must also go in for devotion, after which only he can taste of true scholarship and totality of the knowledge of the Atman. It is not hidden from Vedic scholars that even the great sage Narada, who was so thoroughly conversant in the Vedas and the scriptures, had to seek refuge at the feet of Saint Sanat Kumar who was immersed in the Brahman. It was at the feet

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of this Saint that Narada could feel the glow of the Atman and attain Bhuma (the all-pervading Brahman). Hence after one has attained knowledge, he must dedicate himself to continuous and unflinching practice of Vihangam Yoga so as to achieve perfection in life. The Vedas do not only impart to us logical and objective knowledge, they also prompt to take to Yogic Practices for attainment of direct personal realization. The Rishis saw the Vedas trickle into their souls from the All-knowing Brahman in the form of layers of spiritual experience. This was like the beacon light of spiritual introspection gleaming through their soul. The Vedas appeared only when there was pure conscious divine light radiating the souls of the Rishis. There are four categories of this knowledge pure knowledge of the Brahman, knowledge of the Brahman intermingled with that of the Jeeva (individual soul), pure self knowledge and knowledge of the Jeeva blended with that of the Prakriti. With the decline of Vedic knowledge, scores of schools and institutions grew in the country along dialectical lines drawing their sustenance from sheer intellectualism and scholastic knowledge.

To turn to the subject matter, while returning from Mathura, Swamiji stayed at Dayalbagh (Agra) for sometime. In course of his dialogue with the Guru of the Radha Swamy Sampradaya there Swamiji asked him whether Surati enters the “word” or whether it merges in the 'word'. The Guru was astounded at this question and he told Swamiji that it was only an examiner who could ask such a question. He entreated Swamiji to reveal his identity to him. He offered Swamiji a seat behaving his exalted position and called in some Sastri Ji who could help him reply to Swamiji's question. Swamiji could see the utter desperation of the Guru and to ease him out of the crisis he withdrew his query and left Dayalbagh. He returned to the Vritikutta Ashram after visiting a number of places on the way.

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Poisoning

There is a cottage in the district of Ghazipur where Swamiji used to give discourse on the Upanishads. There was a section of local population there, which was envious of the growing popularity of Swamiji's messages; and they demonstrated their meaness at their first available opportunity. They offered a glass of milk to Swamiji with poison mixed in it. Swamiji drank the milk but immediately after he had drunk it, he could know that he had been made to eat something contrary to nature. He therefore, vomited the milk in the meeting itself through the process of Gajkarni (a Yogic device to clear the stomach), and moments thereafter he felt as normal as before. This greatly disparaged the adversaries. The message of Sadguru Deo Ji had a wide impact at Ghazipur and its vicinity. All disciples of Swamiji and all other followers adhered to the discipline of the faith in all sincerity. The above incident had taken place around the year 1982. The same year work started on the construction of an Ashram for Swamiji on the bank of the river Saryu in the district of Ballia. Swamiji had given a long discourse on the Upanishadas there, which had immensely benefited the local people there.

Commentaries on the Vedas

Swamiji's dissemination of the knowledge contained in the Vedas and the Upanishadas was based on his own personal experiences and the teaching of the saints. Many people objected, that there was nothing like the ‘Sant-Mat' (the cult of the saints) in the Vedas and that the Vedic knowledge was the best in the world. On the advice of some people, Swamiji read all the Vedas and the commentaries written on them by different scholars. After his study was over he compiled the Mantras from the Vedas relating to Brahman-Vidya, and then wrote commentaries on them. The commentaries are in the simplest of language in Hindi. There is no such compilation of spiritual Mantras available till this day. May be in the past there were treatises composed by the sages but they are not available now. The Vedas contain Mantras which have deep spiritual import. The Rishis had composed the Vedas after they had realized Truth in their own lives and it was with a view to doing good to the society that they revealed the secrets of their knowledge through the Vedas. There is nothing matching the Vedas in the whole gamut of Sanskrit literature, nothing that can compete it in its communicability as far as its literary impact or divine content is concerned. It was therefore a great contribution that the Great Rishi Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj made to the posterity when he brought into limelight the essential spiritual knowledge contained in the Vedas. First he composed commentaries on the selected Mantras from the Sam and Yajurvedas. After some interval he wrote a treatise on some Mantras collected from the Atharva-Veda. The process culminated with his commentaries on select verses from the Rig Veda. The last of the series, that is his treatise on the Rig-Veda, was written at his camp at Wadhwa-Nala in Kashi on the bank of the river Baruna. I had the privilege to be with him during the period he was engaged in writing his commentaries on the Atharva Veda. I used to help Swamiji locate references and other explanatory notes in Nighantu (a famous Sanskrit book) and other reference books. The treatise on the four Vedas, which Swamiji had written was later, published by me.

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Commentaries on the Bijak

After Swamiji had written his treatises on the Yajur Veda and the Sam Veda, he started writing his commentaries on the Bijak. The Bijak is the central and the most important work of Sadguru Kabir. The basic doctrines and experiences of Sant Kabir, who was the first and the foremost propounded of the 'Sant-Kat’, have been elucidated in the Bijak. Sadguru Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj completed this treatise on Sant Kabir's momentous work on eleventh of the month of Agrahan in the year 1988. This treatise has now been published. After the treatise was written, Swamiji gave a discourse on the Bijak for a continuous period of one month, and after the completion of this period, which was considered to be a sacred period of great rejoicing. I was married at an early age to Miss. Kamla Devi, daughter of Sri Sheopujan Singh of Garwar (In Ballia) at 10am on the thirteenth day of the bright lunar period of the month of Chaitra in 1989. The same year my mother died in the early part of the month of Paushya. After the last rites and other commemorative functions of my mother were over, Swamiji wrote a commentary on the 'Yoga-Darshan' at Mukti Dham in the district of Azamgarh. These relate to the year 1932 A.D. Due to the shortsighted behaviour of some of Swamiji's own men a feeling of opposition grew in some people. This fire of opposition was fanned by castes adversaries and a case was instituted against Swamiji in the court of Mr. J. Nigam, district Magistrate Ballia, alleging violation of Marriage Act in having me married to a child bride. The court however dismissed the case on 19th July 1933 A.D. The victory that Swamiji won disparaged the adversaries and the event brought more reputation to Swamiji's name and fame. Swamiji lived for two years till 1934 and 1935 A.D. in the Vritikutta Ashram. In the year 1935 A.D. he composed 'Yoga-Chandrika' a rare book on Hathayoga.

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At Jhunsi on the banks of Ganga

Swamiji used to go to Jhunsi, on the bank Ganga, quite often. He had camped once in 1980. He used to call his camp at Jhunsi his college, and whenever there, he used to spend his time in perfect serenity of mind. Ardha Kumbha (half Kumbha i.e. mini Kumbha congregation falling 6 years after the Kumbha) had fallen at Prayag in the year 1992. Slightly down the place where Swamiji's Samadhi now stands, he had dug up a cave on the ground in which he used to hide himself and do his practices. A milkman from a near by village used to come and offer him milk everyday with the scant food that was brought to him. Swamiji kept himself alive and engaged in his meditations. None of his disciples knew of this camp of his, nor did any Ashramite or any old acquaintance know where he was residing those days. Swamiji used to perform Jal-Kriya (a process of purification of the body through water) both the times and sit in meditation in his cave and occasionally he would come out to have a sitting with saints and Mahatmans who had assembled at the confluence of the three rivers at Prayag. He had a wooden pan in which he used to eat his food. There were no attendants on him. In this state of total renunciation from the world, Swamiji wrote down the contents of the 'Swarveda'. His mind was also absorbed in some issue related to the publicity of the Yoga-Marga. On one such occasion, one evening when he was returning to his cave from the Ganga, Swamiji met a Saint whom he had never seen before. The saint walked with Swamiji to his cave and the two were engrossed in deep spiritual discourse. Swamiji requested the great saint to enlighten him and initiate him in the way of his Yoga. The great saint resolved the conflicts in the mind of Swamiji and said, "You are sitting at a higher place than me. You should raise my seat also for proper decorum and then listen to my teachings". On hearing this, Swamiji made the saint sit at his place and he himself sat down and started offering him pieces of oranges after peeling off their skins. The saint accepted orange pieces from Swamiji with great pleasure and said that he was feeling very cool. That great saint who was the Hiranyagarbha (the Eternal Guru) himself and was the supreme knower of Brahman-Vidya, revealed to Sadguru Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj the mystery of the highest plane of Vihangam Yoga. When asked for an introduction by Swamiji, the saint said "I live everywhere". And saying this, he left. After the saint had left, Swamiji felt within himself vibrations of having met the most compassionate Eternal Guru in person, and the feeling became abundantly clear and deeper soon afterwards. It was thus that Swamiji had a second meeting with the Eternal Guru at Jhunsi. In his own words, Swamiji has described his impressions of his second meeting with the Eternal Guru in the following manner:

Ganga tat Jhunsi guha, teerath raj prayag|Aja Sadguru darshan diye, jaaga puran bhag||

~*~

(At Prayag, the holiest of the pilgrimages, at my camp at Jhunsi on the bank of Ganga, the Sadguru gave me his Darshan which opened up vistas of infinite bliss to me).

After Swamiji had camped at the Jhunsi cave for some time, he met a devotee from Sind. The devotee recognised Swamiji immediately on seeing him and he lay prostrate in full devotion before him. It was through him that Swamiji had it be known to his disciples that he was camping at the Jhunsi camp. This is the history of Jhunsi camp on the bank of Ganga. Swamiji used to visit this camp often. He had named the place Sukrit Dham. Later, on initiative taken by some local people, a pucca structure was raised at Munshibagh, somewhat towards the east of the place and altar of Brahman-Vidya was also constructed. Swamiji used to camp there and devote his time in meditation and other propagation work of the Yoga. This place was later declared as an Ashrama. It was this place where Swamiji had to take his final Samadhi. His Samadhi stands at a place close to the Ashrama, up the slope, on the bank of

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the Ganga. Swamiji's cave on the bank of Ganga and his Samadhi there shall remain as a memento for all time to come of the manifold penances that he had suffered in order to enliven the hearts of scores of his disciples through spiritual regeneration and of the great meeting he had with greatest of the Gurus the Eternal Guru. That is a place sacred to the memory of Swamiji where he had the epochal meeting with Sri Sukrit Deo and had received from him the authority to propagate the sublimes among all teachings, the Vihangam Yoga. I shall always cherish the memory of Swamiji's cave at Prayaga, the straw cottage in which he relinquished the mortal frame and the Samadhi that was erected in his holy remembrance at that place. The spectacle of that place has a deep impact on me and it was there that I had the first feel of Swamiji's immense spiritual heights. I consider that place as one of worship and its memory always refreshes my mind. As to the period of the appearance of the Eternal Guru before him, Swamiji recites the following Verse:-

Unish Sau hai baanwey, Magha Krishna hai paksha|Sadguru mohi apnaiya, nijmat kar Gaye Daksha||

~*~

(During the dark lunar period of Magha, in the year 1992; the Sadguru took me into his fold and made me accomplish the art of Yoga.)

After the Ardha Kumbha congregation at Prayaga was over, Swamiji moved to the Drongiri hills in the Himalayas, and after roaming about different places in the district of Almora, he reached Nainital. Then when the rains started, he returned to the Vritikutta Ashram. The Sunya Sikhar Ashram in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas was established in 1937 A.D. Swamiji made trips to different places in the hilly range to educate people on Brahman-Vidya. A year later, in 1938 A.D., the Maha Kumbha festival was observed at Haridwar in the month of Vaishakha (April-May). On that historic occasion on the morning of the fourteenth Chaitra Shukla day in 1995, Sadguru Deo Ji bequeathed to me the rights of the Sadguru in presence of a large number of his disciples on the bank of the Sapia-Sota-Ganga (original stream of Ganga at Haridwar). I have a vivid remembrance that at the time Swamiji was putting the Tilak mark on my forehead, he had faintly said that it was fifteen years too early. I could hardly then understand that what he meant to say by this was that on the close of fifteen years from that auspicious moment; Swamiji would leave his mortal frame. Perhaps Swamiji had uttered this sentence deliberately to keep me guessing about its significance. Similarly he had given me a premonition about his leaving his body three years before he took the Samadhi and then again six months before his end was to come. But even then I was oblivious of his forewarnings. I have some times had doubts and feelings in my mind which Swamiji resolved even after he had left the physical world.

On the conclusion of the Mahakumbha celebrations at Haridwar, Swamiji returned to the Sunya-Sikhar Ashram, where he completed the text of Swarveda, the most sacred of his books imbued with deep spiritual import. He then came back to the Vritikutta Ashram. There were certain people whom Swamiji expelled from the Sant-Samaja for their gross violation of the discipline of the Samaja. Envious of growing popularity of Swamiji's faith and being devoid of the fulfillment of their selfish motives, they started bringing in obstacles to Swamiji's path and bring the Samaja into disrepute. But everyone had to bow down before the effulgent glow of Swamiji's personality. In this battle among the gods and the demons Swamiji emerged triumphant in true colours. There was never a battle that Sadguru Deo Ji did not win. He had infinite strength, which few people could know or gauge. He was a lover of independence and he knew what Atman really meant. As for his independence of views, he was most uncompromising. He could work untiringly and go on struggling against odds all his life in pursuit of high ideals. His was a life of a Mahatman dedicated to pursuit of Karma in true manly order. Freedom flew in his veins. It was this spirit of independence which was responsible for many an odd that he had to face at various stages of his life in propagation of

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his faith. But Swamiji knew no binding, howsoever insurmountable the odds. He was a perfect Yogi. Because he had full knowledge of the secrets of the forces of Karma and Nature, he could stick steadfast to his principles. This denoted greatness of Swamiji as a great sage possessed of unassailable Yogic strength. No one can match Swamiji's superb power over the soul. He was knower of infinite knowledge and of all the mysteries of Yoga. He was like the bright transcendental fountain of energy radiating ceaseless spiritual glow over all that fell into the radios of his impact. It has been seen that all those who opposed the Sadguru disintegrated in course of time. Life became a scourge for them. They were inflicted with many a disease and many of them died premature and untimely deaths. And such of them as are alive are devoid of strength and are living a miserable life. One such account of one of his adversaries suffering ignominable miseries of life is known to many of us. Hundred and one such instances, where people who opposed Swamiji had to suffer untold miseries, may be cited. It is not the purpose of this biography to give an account of it here. I digressed into it because the context so warranted. This covers the period of Swamiji's life till 1947A.D.

In 1942 A. D., Sadguru Deo Ji went to Gaya and started propagating his mission there. He had gone to Gaya on an earlier occasion also. With his second visit to this place, the propagation work picked up. During his sojourn through different places in Gaya, Swamiji had stayed at Hazipur-Dhangawan Ashram for some time. A well dug up there at Swamiji's initiative still stands as a testimony. As far as the state of Bihar is concerned, Swamiji's propagation of his faith has begun, from the year 1982 itself. In the year 1983 A. D Swamiji left for Jabalpur on the bank of Narmada in Madhya Pradesh after completion of an event of auspicious nature in his family. It was there that Swamiji composed the excellent book Madhumati containing verses dealing with his unique spiritual experiences in 2000. A few years earlier also, that is in 1936 A. D., Swamiji had visited a number of places in Madhya Pradesh like Nagpur, Bilaspur, Raigarha etc; but rains had then intervened and Swamiji had to return home. On his next lap of tour, Swamiji went to Gujarat. He first reached Kabirbata in the district of Bharooch. There on the bank of Narmada he composed Yoga-Sikha, a book of verses on 10th of chaitra Krishna in 2001. From there he went to Bansda in the Dandakvana. After a short stay in Gujarat, Swamiji returned to the Vritikutta Ashram. Then the following year Swamiji made another trip to Gujarat after he had halted for one month at Bombay. He lived at Ahmedabad for some time and much propagation work was done in the belt adjoining Baroda, Surat and Bansda.

For a period of five months from Ashwina to Magha i.e from September to January in the winter of 2002, Swamiji kept on moving to different places in Gujarat, Kathiawada, Maharashtra and Katchha for propagation of his mission, and then he returned to Vritikutta. The long tour had impaired his health and so he went to a place Kishunpura Dwayava (an area lying between two rivers) in the district of Ballia to recuperate his health for two months. The full account of Swamiji's tour to Gujrat and other places can be had from the Sant Samaja of those places, and the same may be published in book from. I have only mentioned the important places and details of his itinerary. About the same time, in the dark lunar period of the month of Kartika in 2002, corresponding to 58 Sadafal year, Swamiji had Composed ‘Sukra Prabha’ at Panchabati near Nasik on the bank of Godavari. The book is in the form of couplets expounding Swamiji's spiritual experiences. He then went on a tour Malwa, where he attended the Maha Kumbha at Ujjain. While there he composed ‘Sadguru Jiwian' on second day of Chaitra Shukla 2002 , on the bank of the river Chhipra. After that Swamiji went over to Bihar, Bengal and Utter Pradesh to meet his disciples of the Sant-Samaja, and on the conclusion of this extensive tour, he reached Gaya. When there was the Ardha Kumbha in Prayag in 1948 A.D., Swamiji returned to his Ashram at Jhunsi there. The same year, I had Swamiji's treatise on Yajurveda published in the month of Agrahayan at Kashi. Good propagation work was done at the Kumbha congregation. One evening when the Sadguru was sitting with his devotees at his Prayaga Ashram, word reached that someone had assassinated Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi. A week before Gandhi had been assassinated, Swamiji had sent a note, to a daily published from Allahabad, that there was danger to

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Gandhiji's life and that necessary precautionary steps were needed to be taken for him. Unfortunately the editor did not believe in the prophecy and withdrew its publication. When on Friday the 30th of January 1948, Gandhi succumbed to Nathu Ram Godse's bullets in Delhi. Swamiji muttered "have the presswallas published my note? It was a sad event". This distrust on the part of the editor of the daily in Swamiji's prediction caused him great anguish. The editor apologised for his shortsightedness. He became one of the foremost believers in Swamiji's infinite capacity to peep into future. Whenever there was a program of lecture or a discourse by Swamiji at the Mahakumbha congregation, the editor used to publish it daily. Swamiji had a condolence message sent to Mr. Nehru on passing away of Mahatma Gandhi and all Ashramites observed fast and other rituals in memory of Gandhiji and prayed for peace to his soul.

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Kaya Kalpa(Rejuvenation of the body)

Sadguru Deo Ji practised Kaya-Kalpa at the Vritikutta Ashram from the 7th day of Magha Shukla to 11th of Chaitra Krishna (i.e. for a period of fifty days) in the year 2004. Then he went to Bihar for some time and on May 11, corresponding to 2nd Shukla in the month of Vaishakha, 2005, he reached Kotdwara. He stayed at the Sunya-Sikhar Ashram from 7th Shukla Vaishakha to 15th Krishna Ashadha and practised Maha-Kalpa there. But on account of his constantly being on tour on propagation work and necessary facilities having not been available to him, the Kalpa Yoga practice could not bring him full rejuvenation. On returning from the Sunya-Sikhar Ashram he initiated one of his disciples to renunciation on 8th of Asadha Shukla. After having stayed at the Vritikutta Ashram for sometime, Swamiji left for Bombay on the 28th July with one of his devotees from Bihar. He lived in the state of Bombay for three months doing propagation work of Brahman-Vidya. He then went to the state of Gujrat and after propagation work he returned to Delhi by plane from Ahmedabad on 18 th

September 1948. On 20th September he left Delhi by air and reached Gaya at 11am. After spending sometime at Gaya on propagation of his mission he flew to Calcutta. After about a week’s stay in Calcutta he returned to Patna by plane on 27th October. From Patna Swamiji went to Darbihanga, where the All Bihar Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Sant-Samaj were held at Lahariasarai from 31st October to 2nd November 1948. From Darbhanga, Swamiji went to the famous fair at Dadari in the district of Ballia, and on 24th November 1948, he returned to the Vritikutta Ashram. The Silver Jubilee function of the Vritikutta Ashram was observed with great éclat and enthusiasm on 5th, 6th and 7th of December 1948. Many scholars of fame and saints and Mahatmans gave learned talks on this occasion. In the night I would recite the Vedas and Sadguru Deo ji would give his discourses. The Jubilee celebrations had been planned in a grand manner. A large number of devotees had come from the states of U.P. and Bihar. A day after the celebrations were over, Swamiji left again for Gujarat and reached Bansda on 12th December. Functions were held there on 14th, 15th and 16th December 1948, in which Swamiji gave enlightening discourses on Sushumna Pravaha (explained in detail in the next chapter), recognition of the Sadguru, devotion of God and Brahman-Vidya Yoga Marga. The banner of Brahman-Vidya with the letter “a” embossed on it, was unfurled at Dandakaranya on 20thDecember, 1948 and planes were initiated for construction of an Ashram there. Swamiji used to visit Dandakaranya every year and it was from there that he used to go on rounds to different places in Gujarat for propagation of his mission. A Samadhi containing part of his nails and his beard was erected at Dandakaranya Ashram in memory of his frequent visits to the place. From there, Swamiji went to Surat and Ahmedabad. After about two and a half months of his visits to different places in Gujarat, Swamiji returned to the Vritikutta Ashram in the month of Magha via Delhi. After having spent some time at Vritikutta, Swamiji went to his Ashram at Prayag on the bank of Ganga. During this period Swamiji camped in Gujrat, Sardar Sardul Singh of Bansda gave an exemplary account of his devotion to the Sadguru.

On the full lunar day· in Magha in the year 2006 , the Adhyatmic Yantralaya (the printing press founded with a view to publishing spiritual literature) was set up at Gaya. I had the 'Sahajopanishad' and Swamiji’s commentary on the four Vedas published in the press. Under Swamiji's stewardship, publication of Sadguru Sandesh (the message of the Sadguru) a monthly magazine devoted to dissemination of spiritual knowledge of the mission was also undertaken for publication. This journal is doing commendable work as far as propagation of Para-Vidya is concerned. It is sacred duty of all devotees of this Marga to see to it that this Journal, which had been started by Sadguru Deo Ji, reaches the remotest corners in India.

After Swamiji's cave practices were over in early years of his life, he roamed about the whole country all through his life bringing his message of Brahman-Vidya to everyone who came his way. As a result of his tireless efforts and deep impact of his messages, hundreds and thousands of men and women all over the country are now living a life of deep spiritualism

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and are fast moving towards attainment of their goals in life. The chief Purpose of Swamiji's visits to the length and breadth of the country was to bring home unto the people of the world the importance and relevance of Brahman-Vidya Yoga Marga so that people could be inspired to take to righteous path and attain permanent bliss in life.

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Sushumna Pravaha (Flow through the Sushumna)

Ingla and Pingla are two nerves, which flow through the two nostrils. The body is the court of illusion hiding the soul inside it, and it is through the mind that the soul experiences pleasures and pains. Between Ingla and Pingla there is a nerve known as Sushumna, which passes through the forehead into its own region, which is located in the Brahman-Randhra (an aperture in the upper region of the head). The Prana flows through the Ingla and Pingla nerves and the Sushumna remains closed. It can be opened only through a Yogic device at the mercy of the Sadguru. When contact is established with a Special Power, the two nerves start closing in and the Sushumna starts stirring inside for an upward flow. But the Kundalini obstructs the flow through the Sushumna. Therefore the moment the Kundalini is displaced and the Brahma-Nadi opens up, a strange Vibration is sent in the body. This is the stage that is known as the stage of the flow through Sushumna. The Hatha yogis enter their Prana through the Sushumna after long years of continuous Pranayama and after driving their Prana up through the six chakras in their spinal cord. But in the Vihangam Yoga the moment contact is established between the consciousness of the soul and the Prime potential force a vibration sets in the whole body. The moment the consciousness enters the internal subtle zone; the practitioner starts feeling a stir within him. It is this vibration, which is the causative force of all activities in the universe. The universe cannot exist without this force and its resultant vibration, and it is only so long as there is this force in the universe that it does not get extinct. When there will be a cessation of this force; the atoms will lose their vibrations and will become static and immobile as a consequence of which the universe will disintegrate. It is such a state, which is known as the period of Pralaya (annihilation). The great Sadguru Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj used to charge this flow through the Sushumna in one of the most pious of his disciples through a special spiritual sanction, the authority of which he had as Sadguru. When the glow of the Sadguru thus enters the soul of a Sadhak (practitioner of Yoga), his total consciousness shall converge at a particular point and shall head towards its ultimate goal. That internal force has the characteristic to move continuously inward in which the phenomenon of the opening of the Sushumna shall be clearly visible to everyone. The opening of the Sushumna is the elementary stage in the Vihangam Yoga and it opens almost effortlessly with the blessings of the Sadguru. Swamiji helped many of his disciples open up their Sushumna through his benign grace in many states of India. By virtue of this magnanimity of the Sadguru, scores of his disciples witnessed spectacular changes in their lives and were prompted by him to aspire for the sublime in life. The Vedas also describe the vibrations that set in on the opening of the Sushumna. The modern books on Hatha-yoga also give an account of this vibration. For lack of space I am not mentioning those Mantras and sayings here. When the consciousness moves to the sublime, there will be an automatic vibration, which a Sadhak will immediately feel. But it must be noted that the Sushumna also is a physical object. The Yogis have called it the Maha-patha (the grand road) because it is through the flow in the Sushumna alone that the process of detachment from the physical world begins. It is through the Sushumna again that the light of life is received on the physical plane. It is in Sushumna that the centres of activities of the mind, the Pranas and the Prakriti remain. It is for this reason that the Yogis have called it the Maha-patha. The Sushumna-flow is the preliminary stage of detachment from the physical zone. This is also preliminary to the stage of the contact of the consciousness with the centre of consciousness. This is the process through which the practitioner of Vihangam Yoga transcends the Sushumna on to his way of attainment of Eternal bliss. It is only when two things come into contact with each other that a movement is generated. Similarly when such a contact is established between the consciousness of the practitioner and the conscious centre regulating all movements in the universe, the practitioner feels a vibration within himself. The Brahman however is still far off from this vibration and movement. The vibration is caused in the atoms, which are the fundamental physical particles owing to the contact with the Akshar Brahman from where the process of composition of the universe emanates. This yogic science is the exclusive domain of the Sadguru immersed in the Brahman, the use

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of which Swamiji made on devotees on whom his benign grace fell. The opening of the Sushumna and the Brahma-Nadi can be experienced by any practitioner in the process of his practices under the guidance of the Sadguru. Only such of the devotees as have the priviledge to enjoy the blessings of the Sadguru, experience the flow of such power in their bodies. It is strange logic to say that what one has not seen or heard of cannot be true and sanguine. The light of Brahman-Vidya has unfortunately been out for the past five hundred years. In the mess of modern approaches to theology, people had lost sight of Vedic knowledge and the immaculate hallow of Brahman-Vidya. What to talk of India, Sadguru Sadafal Deo Ji is a unique person in the whole world to divulge to people the internal and the external secrets of this Vidya. There are very few people in the world today who have some knowledge of this Yoga and their knowledge also is very scanty. Depending on their acquisition and their own personal experience some people may have some knowledge of this Vidya but there is no one who has total and full knowledge of Brahman-Vidya and the secrets of this yoga. Therefore, it was a surprise for many to observe Swamiji charge the flow in his disciples through the Sushumna leading them to attain divine bliss. It must be understood that this flow of Prana through the Sushumna is part and parcel of the age old Brahman-Vidya, which the ancient sages used to employ for the benefit of their true devotees and sincere seekers. A certain scholar, an ancestor of whose had been a Yogi, once came to me and told me that whenever a disciple would come to his grand-father the latter would wave his hand in such a manner that vibrations would immediately be caused in the disciple. It is apparent that the yogi must have been charging the Sushumna flow in the disciple. The devotees of this yogi later formed a sect. At one stage some one in the lineage of that Yogi had come to the Vritikutta Ashram to have an audience with Swamiji and to know the secrets of Brahman Gyana from him. The Sushumna flow is, therefore, a special device, which yogis have from time immemorial used on their devotees. There are references of this flow in the Vedas as well. The tenth canto of the Atharva-Veda says "whose vibration doest ye feel within thyself?”. The All-knowing and All-Pervading Brahman which is the prime cause of all motions in the universe is latent in the entire universe and all the souls inhabiting it, even though it is totally detached from all the physical objects and entities.

Gati dae gati mein hai nahin purna Sachidanand|~*~

"The All pervading and ever blissful God, who has caused motion in the whole universe is Himself motionless and unattached". (Swarveda)

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Rishi (The Sage)

The Mahabharata war brought in its train the total disappearance of the Vedic knowledge from the social plane. Culture, philosophy and knowledge, which had permeated to the society from the Vedic period, disintegrated at the thrust of the Kaurava-Pandava wars. At that time itself Lord Krishna had told Arjuna of the disappearance of the Brahman-Vidya.

Sakalneh mahtayogo nastah prantap|~*~

Gita: “With the passage of time, O Arjuna, the secret knowledge of Brahman-Vidya has vanished”.

It was due to the disappearance of the ancient Vedic knowledge that intellectualism based on logic and pragmatic doctrinaire were spread during the past five thousand years only, and it was during this period itself that hundreds of sects and Sampradayas cropped up in the society. In the past Rishis and Maharshis used to spend their lives in devotion to God without severing connection with the society. The practice of Brahman-Vidya and acquisition of the secret knowledge of the All-pervading was the mainstay of their devotion. The Upanishads say that Brahman can be attained only through Para-Vidya. Brahman-Vidya or Para-Vidya is what helps one attain the Akshar Brahman. All scriptures-the Vedas, the Upanishadas and other shastras converge on the need to practice Brahman-Vidya as a way to attain the Brahman. It is the yoga, which has been termed as Bhakti (devotion) and Upasana (way of realization). In the ancient times Vihangam yoga was considered to be the sublimes way to attain God. With the decline in knowledge of this Vidya and the resultant fall in the standards of yoga practiced by Sadhakas, a number of yogic techniques based exclusively on the physical plane cropped up. The yoga-Mudras, the Pranayams, the Khat Kriyas of Hatha-Yoga, the control and regulation of the vibrations of the mind of Raja Yoga, the hearing of Anhad sounds of Laya Yoga and other practices on the mental and intellectual planes, are all basically the components of Brahman-Vidya. The practices of all religions, observance of all traditional disciplines, Yogas, Japas, control of the organs, the Astanga-yoga and all other techniques of spiritualism fall within the periphery of Brahman-Vidya and hence they should be practiced in the light of Brahman-Vidya only. The Para-Vidya and Brahman-Vidya are synonyms of the same knowledge. The Para-Vidya is the soul of all knowledge. Therefore, irrespective of whether a practice is deserved on the physical plane or on of the spiritual level full benefits can be had only if it is observed in the light of Brahman-Vidya under the guidance of Sadguru. The practices that have been mentioned in the Vedas and other scriptures and texts, all for that matter in modern books dealing with the subjects, have all been described differently for different Sadhaks according to their special needs. They may have their relevance, depending on where they were needed to be practiced or with what angle of importance their need was felt. The Brahman-Vidya incorporates all the Sadhanas, all Yogic techniques and practices, all Japas and all other devices that are prevalent in the numerous systems. The foundation of the Vedic social system is the knowledge of essential spiritualism. All knowledge and arts spread over the universe and beyond it have sprung up in the light of spiritualism. The Material and the conscious are two different planes of yoga but between the two the Brahman Vidya or Vihangam Yoga of the conscious plane is fundamental and more important. It is through this path alone that all Rishis and Seers have attained salvation and eternal bliss. The Upanishadas have called the Vihangam Marga the Devayan Marga (the path of Gods) and the Prakritik Marga (the physical path) the pitriyana (the path of forefathers) Marga. Pipil, Kapil and Vihangam are three different phases of yoga. Vihangam yoga is also known otherwise as the Sahaja-Yoga, which has been described in the Vedas and other religious texts as the way to attain true knowledge and bliss. It is only through Vihangam Yoga that one can attain the Supreme level of identification with Brahman.

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Sadguru Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj was the exponent of Vihangam- Yoga and the chief yogi to propound it on the earth. Readers must know that five different levels of yoga have been enunciated in the Rig-Veda. These five planes incorporate all the yogas and all knowledge and science of spiritualism. All knowledge and glory from Para-Brahman down to Prakriti are covered under these five planes. A Sadhak can practice Yogas of physical plane in the absence of guidance from a Sadguru, but this can not lead him to realization of soul and to salvation. Therefore, it is incumbent upon seekers of eternal bliss that they search for a Sadguru who can guide them along the path of Vihangam Yoga to help them attain their motto. The way of Vihangam as propounded by Swami Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj is the way of Sanatan Yoga (eternal Yoga) as enunciated in the Vedas. It was through this path only that Swamiji had attained para-Brahman and the state of Jivan-Mukta (liberated while living) through a process of continuous practice and his personal exemplary prowess. The status of Swamiji was that of a sage and not of a Sadhu of the enumerable modern sects. The path of Sadguru Sadafal Deo Ji was the same as that adopted by Atharva, Bhrigu, Unamochan, Kutsha, Wen, Narayana and other all-knowing sages of the Vedic lore. All sects and Sampradayas came to stay during the past five thousand years of this era of Kaliyuga. As a consequence of the thrust of these numerous Sampradayas, the basic spiritual knowledge contained in the Vedas and the secret of Brahman-Vidya disappeared during the span of this period. But Swamiji's teachings crossed across these thrusts of the modern era and through his propagation of the path of Vihangam Yoga he resuscitated the link with ancient Brahman-Vidya as was practiced by the galaxy of sages in the ancient times. The knowledge contained in the Swarveda composed by Swamiji is not the exclusive property of a particular faith or sect. No preacher of the modern age ever wrote anything resembling a fraction of this masterpiece. The way of attainment of spiritual knowledge has been discussed in detail in the Swarveda. A Rishi is one who can see the mantras of the Vedas (Vedic invocations). Swamiji compiled Mantras dealing with Brahman-Vidya from all the four Vedas and he wrote his own Independent treatises on them on the basis of direct personal realization. It was therefore, that Swamiji was revered as a Maharshi (a great sage). A Rishi who can see and experience the Mantras dealing with Brahman- Vidya is called a Maharshi.

The Rishis used to live in all the four Ashramas (different social orders) in their life depending upon which Ashrama they chose to live in. There used to be two types of Grihasthas (household Ashramites) in the past, one, the ordinary Grihasthas, and the other, the sage Grihasthas. In both the categories there used to be men who would observe the Brahman-charya (celibacy), the Grihastha Ashram, the Vanprastha and the Sanyas Ashrama. The Rishis also used to take to the Sanyasi Ashrama. The sage Yagya Valka had two Wives, Maitrayi and Katyayani, but he also took to the Sanyasa Ashrama. Similarly sages like Vishwamitra, Gautam, Atri, Atharva and others lived amongst men in the society as householders and it was while living in the society that they had full realization and knowledge. They were not like the modern recluses from the society or the so called Mahatmans who put on garbs of Sanyasis and pass as such. Living within the confines of Karma yoga, these Rishis of the ancient times disseminated the knowledge of spiritualism in the spheres of their contact and thus through bringing good to the society, they achieved the ultimate goals of their lives. In a similar fashion Swamiji by observing all social codes of conduct and etiquettes of the society, brought spiritual fruition to his life and propagated the Brahman Vidya Yoga Marga for the benefit of men and women distracted the world over from the path of spiritualism. The grandeur of Swamiji's stature as a Maharshi should therefore be looked at in the light of the momentousness of the great Social uplift that he brought about through his personal acquisitions and the social transformation work that he did during the span of his life on earth. This is the short introduction to Swamiji who is the living epitome of all that is the highest and the best in the Vedas.

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The Saint

The Vedas give an account of an angel of the Supreme Brahman. A messenger of God has appeared in all the four Yugas (eras) in the form of a Sadguru to teach men the secrets of Brahman Vidya so as to help them redeem their lives. The Upanishadas have called him the Amanava Purusha (the unmanly man). There are references to him at several places in the Vedas. At one place he had also been mentioned as Atri Jyoti. Rishi Patanjali should not be confused with this apostle of God-at his best he only disciplined the yogas and did not create any of his own. It was this Vedic Guru whom the Mahabharata and Upanishadas have also called Hiranyagarbha. The Atharva Veda has called him the saint.

Anti santam na jahatyanti santam na pashyati|Devasya pashya kavyam na mamaar na jeerrayati||

~*~

That saint is so close to everyone that no one can detach himself from him nor does anybody see him. Look to his power of knowledge; he neither dies nor does he grow old.

The other Vedas have also given a vivid account of this saint of Brahman-Vidya. It was after him that Maharshi Sadafal Deo Ji Maharaj named his Samaj as the Sant-Samaja. The Taitriya Upnishad has also called the knower of the Para-Brahman a Saint.

Asti Brahameti veda cheta santmenam tato vidurati||~*~

- A person who knows that Brahman-exists is a saint.

The assumption that the word saint is modern is erroneous. People subscribing to such connotation of the term should have no misgivings about its true meaning and significance. The nomenclature of Swamiji's Samaja as the Sant-Samaja, therefore, establishes beyond doubt the capacity of this Samaja to identify the true character of Brahman-Vidya and to help its members to attain complete realization. The Rig-Veda has described the Eternal Guru in the following verse.

Tawadoot magne amritam yuge yuge havyabaham dadhire paayu meedayam|Devashcha martascha jagravi vipum vishwapatim namsha nishedire||

~*~

"O Ye Supreme Lord resembling the glow of light, thy messenger, the Eternal Sadguru, who is immortal, ever conscious, all-knowing and indestructible, and who has been coming to the world in all the ages and taking unto his refuge all the pious geese (souls) for you to redeem them, deserved to be revered by all living beings on earth. 0 Ye all-pervading Eternal Guru, thou art the protector of life, of all living beings on earth. The Devas, the saints and the men revere you in heart of their hearts and worship you with deepest of devotion".

- Based on Swamiji’s Bhashya on the Rig-Veda.

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The Ultimate Goal

Physical forces short of spiritual knowledge can not bring about the uplift of the world. The progress of life and the knowledge of all duties to be performed thereafter can not be accomplished without the knowledge of of spiritualism. It has owed its rich treasure of spiritualism only that India has held its head high in the comity of nations in the past and it shall continue to hold this status in future. It is alone which has brought to the world the massage of truth, com-passion and love. The country can therefore prosper only with the help and strength of Brahman-Vidya. The tradition established by Rishis is compelling me to go ahead and forge a brighter future of India. It is through this Vidya alone that we can obliterate ignorance and bring in awakening among its people and give them a new impetus to live a fuller life. Arjuna’s ignorance was washed in the Mahabharata war through spiritual knowledge. It is, therefore, imperative that Brahman-Vidya which is the soul of all ethics, viz, diplomacy, religion, social affairs etc. should be propagated throughout the world. The chief object of the life is assignment of all pleasures on the physical planes and thereafter to aspire for the relation of the Brahman. The two objects can be achieved in full through Brahman-Vidya alone. The basic knowledge of Dharma can be had from Brahman-Vidya Dharma does mean a religious or sectarian group. Such an interpretation takes away the sprit of Dharma. Dharma is what can help one to achive happiness both on the material and spiritual planes. The ten codes of conduct as pronounced by Manu for observance of Dharma are meant for entire human society all over the world. Dharma relates our life on earth so that by observing it in its thousand totality we can make our life really happy and glorious. Dharma teaches us to defend our country and to overcome obstacles on the way to its progress. Dharma and god do not ask us to detach ourselves from the society and close our eyes from duties which enjoins on us to perform. In fact Dharma provides guidance to the society to shape itself along the path of development. On individual plane it equips us with sufficient strength to develop ourselves so that we can head for high spiritual attainments. Dharma is the external form of inner spiritualism. It provides a façade of defense to our community life and helps it sustain itself. It is through spiritualism alone that we can achieve full development of our individual souls and strive for permanent bliss. It is the fountain-spring of all knowledge which brings in the peace and tranquility in the world. Evil forces can not bring about development of individual souls. A synthesis should be established between material forces and spirituals forces which ultimately bring development of the souls. This is how the cycle of progress has bees moving on since the universe was created. The latent faculties in men can aroused only through contact with Brahman-Vidya. The fruition in life can be attained without the knowledge of spiritualism. It provides impetus to growth of the body; the mind, the intellect and the prana. In a way material strength and glory are also essential to life. But the ultimate aim can be achieved only if two are directed towards attainment of the eternal bliss. It is only Brahman-Vidya that regulates and controls the karma-yoga and gyan-yoga. So people all over the world should realize the supreme importance of Brahman-Vidya in their lives and assemble under its aura for emancipation of their souls. The time is not far off when people, the world over, will refuge under the banner of Brahman-Vidya in their desperate struggle of existence against savage forces of modern-day vitiated life. And beg of knower of secrets of Brahman-Vidya of India to lead them up to a life peace and tranquility.

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The Sadguru (True teacher)

There are three types of teacher that one comes across in life. The first are those who teach us about the worldly knowledge. This knowledge’s are essential for one’s existence in society. One becomes efficient in social dealings through this knowledge. Such teachers are called Laukik Gurus (social teachers). These gurus are connected to one through one’s family traditions. The second are those types of teachers who give us knowledge of the different aspects of the material world. They teach us Vedas and all other worldly knowledge’s such as astronomy, geology, knowledge of forefathers and gods, techniques of warfare and such other things. They make us efficient in different learning’s so that we can deal with social and material problems of life. Such teachers are called as Vedic Gurus. After these two types of teachers one need third teacher who has full knowledge of the Vedas and Yogas and is immersed in the knowledge of the Brahman. A perfect master of yoga and Brahman-Vidya, who has realized the Brahman and is satiated with divine bliss, is called a Sadguru. It is through the Sadguru that one gets knowledge of Prakriti (Nature) and Atmam and then attains the final goal of life. It is the Sadguru who diesels the darkness enveloping the soul and gives a feel of true knowledge and divine bliss. Brahman-Vidya, which is the divine force of nourishing the life, is acquired at the feet of Sadguru. No one can attain self knowledge and realize peace in life just by reading the Sastras and mental broodings. It is the secret knowledge of Brahman-Vidya alone through which one attains full knowledge and realization. A Yogi alone is a real man of learning as he has directed experienced everything in the state of Samadhi through yoga. It is a yogi who has seen the things tet-a-tete and realized and harnessed the power of soul. It is the sun which dispels the darkness. Similarly it is Sadguru who dispels the darkness off the soul and guides one along the correct path. Brahman-Vidya is learnt at the feet of a Sadguru and it is alone who generates the force of Brahman-Vidya in a disciple. Hence the knowledge imparted by the Sadguru is of paramount importance for every human being. The objectives of spiritualism can be achived only under the guidance of a Sadguru. The Upanishadas have indicated the necessity of Brahman-Vidya and have laid stress on the impotence of a Sadguru in the realization of true knowledge. The inquisitive souls desiring the knowledge of Brahman-Vidya have realized the truth after taking refuge at the feet of Sadguru, fully immersed in divine knowledge. The great sage Narda had realization under the patronage of Sanat Kumar. The great king Prabahan taught Brahman-Vidya to Rishi Gautam. The Rishi Sukesha and others learnt the secrets of spiritualism at the feet of Maharshi Piplad. Budil and other Rishis learnt Brahman-Vidya from the kinhg of Kaikay. There are descriptions of discussions between the king Ajat Satru and Balaki Shastri. The bookish and pedantic scholarship of Balaki Shastri is thoroughly exposed before the king who had direct realization of Brahman. These stories are found in Chhandogya and Brihada ranakya Upanishadas. No body had ever received true knowledge nor shall ever receive it without the sermons of a Sadguru.

There are similar references of princely dynasties which the knowledge of Brahman-Vidya as traditional heritage. Lord Krishna enlightened Arjuna. This knowledge is handed over from father from son or to an able disciple as a traditional heritage. Brahma taught this knowledge to his son Atharva, Udalak to his son Sweketu and Baruni to his son Bhrigu. This way this knowledge is preserved as a traditional heritage from time immemorial. The perfect masters preach this knowledge to those inquisitive disciples who are possessed of calmness and allied Virtues. Brahman-Vidya can not be learnt without guidance of a Sadguru and it is therefore that a Sadguru is so much eulogized and his importance stressed in the field of spiritualism. A Sadguru is possessed of special power and force of life. The Sadguru activates and enriches the inner lights of a disciple and guides it towards a particular spiritual direction.

I have already mentioned earlier that Sadguru Sadafal Deoji Maharaj was a perfect master of Yoga and all its secrets. Brahman is realized through Yoga alone and

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one may peruse Swamiji’s commentaries on the four Vedas dealing with Mantras concerning yogas in confirmation of this fact.

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Prakrati-ka Yoga(The yogas of the physical plane)

All the yogas that are done within the confines of four inner equipments, i.e. the mind, intellect, chitta and Ego and through their association with the fundamentals physical atoms are all mundane physical actions. The chachari, bhuchari, agochari, Unmuni and Khechari, which are the Mudras of Raj-Yoga, are practiced physical exercise and the way to realize Brahman is different from them. The vision of sporadic flashes and such other twinkling lights within the Brahman (the upper portion of the head) and many similar practices are all within the physical zone. The hearing of the ten types of Anhad sounds which one does after the mind and pranas are steadied are all flippant and transient, only a temporary mental concentration is obtained from these practices all of which fall within the preview of Raj-Yogas. The powers of mind are strong enough. All the Sidhis and Bibhutis (miraculous powers) crop up and are acquired when the power of soul appears refracted and mitigated from the inner material zone. They are all hindrances to practitioners of Yogas and drag one into the cycle of birth and death. Those possessed with a discriminating and discerning intellect should never fall a pray to those booby traps. When the pure power of Atman develops, one gets a natural life force and a serene light even within the physical zone from which vast powers are acquired. The glory of this power is much superior to Sidhis and Bibhutis. It is therefore that a practitioner of yoga discards these miraculous powers taking them to be poisonous and keeps himself devoted to God and performs his ordained duties.

All the practices done through the mind and Shunyas (temporary absence of mental activities) are within the material field. The powers of mind are also fall within the same physical zone. The knowledge of fundamental particles of nature the knowledge of space and perfection of speech (a special type power acquired through practices), power of seeing far off things, knowledge of intervening periods of time and space between different fundamental practices of nature; are all within the scope of the Yogic science of the physical zone. The Yogic possessed of such powers are physical Yogis. Only a Vihangam Yogi, knows the secrets of Atman and fully devoted to Brahman can know well the dimensions of the subtle physical extensions and their association with the soul. The physical Yogic sciences are vast and extent their knowledge can be had through the practice of yoga and discriminating intellect and only those manly souls who possessed of strength and vigor acquire this knowledge through yoga.

Even the knowledge of these physical yogas has disappeared from the world now-a-days. Spiritualism does not exclude all such practices which develop physical powers. The fundamental particles of nature are invisible and they are known only to seer of the suitable world and the yogis. The Shktichalim Mudra, Bhastrika Pranayama and such other practices of Hatha-yoga that are done for forcing the flow of prana through the Sushumna are all physical exercises. The acquisition of powers of mind through the control of prana is but a physical power. The power of reading of through waves of other persons, which is acquired through control of heart beat, is not of higher form of yoga. This is an insignificant achievement obtained from physical practices. The six important practices of Hathayoga such as Neti, Dhauti, Nauli, Basti, Tratak and Kapalbhati are all practices meant for purification of the body and pranas. They are immensely beneficial to the body and are highly effective in awakening the mind and improving the health. They should be learnt from an experienced Guru otherwise many complications may arise. The powers that harnessed by recitation of matras and their application at the eight chakras namely Muladhar, Swadhisthan, Manipur, Anahat, Brahmarandhrakhya, Ajna and Shahastrar are not much helpful in development of the soul and the realization of Brahman. The practices of Mutabandha, Jalandhar bandh, Uddyan bandh Maha Mudra, Mahabandha and Mahabedha give a long life and are helpful in observance of celibacy but do not contribute much to the upliftment of soul. All the pranayamas increase the life force, develop the intellect and give glow to the body, pranas

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and mind. The lungs and the nerves are strengthened by the retention of breath in the pranayam. But all the practices that are done through the body, prana and the mind are not the true way to realize the Brahman. One can know the secrets and knowledge of prakirti (nature) and Atman by learning yoga after surrendering oneself fully to the Sadguru. Sadguru Sadafal Deo ji Maharaj was superb master of yoga and a man of perfect realization. It is through his initiation and guidance in the practice of yoga that I have known the secrets of Yoga and have achieved full knowledge and bliss. There is none in the world who can match him in explaining in full the import yoga. He was a true knower of yoga in all its facts. It is not that other yogas are not to be desired. They are useful in their own spheres. One should practice them, as long as one does not get a Sadguru, after learning from some experienced person. But the way to realize the Brahman is Vihangam yoga only as stetted in Vedas. There is no other way out.

A full detail of all the practices of physical yogas have been given by Maharishi Deo ji Maharaj in his book entitled “Yoga Chandika”. Those desirous of learning them can do so under the guidance of a Sadguru. It is only then that one can derive the full benefits of these practices and develop one’s physical capacities. But it is only after one has received sermons from a Sadguru in the practice of Vihangam yoga alone that one can get direct experience and true knowledge.

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Vihangam Yoga

ihangam yoga is the highest conscious plane of yoga. It is through this yoga alone the a soul frees itself from the bondage of Prakriti (nature) and attains the permanent bliss. ‘Vihangam’ is the Sanskrit synonym of a bird. The scriptures contain references to a bird known as ‘Alal’, which has the sky as it’s abided and which lays its egg in the sky itself. As the egg falls down towards the earth. It develops into the full mature bird just it touches the outer fringes of the atmospheric belt, it flies back to its haven in the sky without ever touching the ground. Similarly men and women desirous of savoring permanent bliss dissociate themselves from nature through their knowledge of the way leading to the conscious plane and float freely in this plane of pure consciousness. It is therefore that this way of yoga has been known as Vihangam yoga. Just as a bird floats in the air without any ostensible base, counteracting forces of nature, similarly consciousness floats in the limitless purely conscious space in the light of experienced Sadguru’s plethora of knowledge, unhindered unimpeded by any force whatsoever.

“Achieve ye the great glow of light of Supreme consciousness and bathe in its perennial flow of bliss like the bird that flicks on its golden wings…”

Yajuveda 12/4

There are a lot of such references in all the four Vedas pointing to the grandeur of Vihangam Yoga.

To a common man yoga means the practice of the six Kriyas, Mudras, the pranayamas and Vajoli. But they are all physical excurses and are in no way conducive to the attainment of Brahman. Raj-Yogis take the Concentration of mind as yoga. In this yoga philosophy, Patanjali defines yoga as the cessation of all mental activities. The literal meaning of yoga is union and co-relation. The co-relation between the Brahman and the Jeeva is termed as yoga. For those who believe that there no entity other than that of Brahman, there can not be any yoga. Devotion is intense love felt for the Almighty. This is the love conscious soul for the all conscious Brahman and blossoms only when the soul is free from all its physical moorings. So yoga is what can otherwise be called as devotion, the mind and speech are physical entities. So whatever is done through them are physical action and not at all the devotion. Devotion is far suitable than physical action. It is only those whose vision permeates through the physical zone into real state of consciousness of Brahman, who know what true devotion means. Since Atman is conscious, the physical devices can not be its real appliance. Therefore, when the soul dissociates itself from all the physical attachments and realizes its own nature, the efforts made from this level through the pure consciousness is what is called devotion. This is also called Upasana, a Sadhaka aspiring after the state of yoga, devotion or Upasana, must as a matter of course understand this fundamental dialectics of the modes of spiritual practices, otherwise he may well digress into the morass of physical practices, denying himself the pleasures of the metamorphosis of his soul and the bliss of the Brahman. A true yogi shall consign himself to the will of the Sadguru and shall gradually rise to the heights of the consciousness through the five planes of yoga and then attain the supreme union with the para Brahman.

The Brahman-Vidya is Vihangam yoga therefore, the only way to attainment of Brahman and this can be so accomplished only through the adoption of secret technique of Sant-Mat as laid down in Vedas, which are the repositories of the wisdom of scholarship of stages.

I hope the above account of the mode of initiation, as propounded by Sadguru Deo ji Maharaj; will make it abundantly clear to the readers how they have to move in this direction. I do not think a deeper knowledge of swami ji’s cult and philosophy is needed at this stage of initiation and ascendancy. For this who wishes to go deep into the subject, I would

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recommend a discerning study of his masterpiece yogic treatise “The Swarveda”. It will take me long time and will cover much space to go deeper into the subject here. I would therefore, leave it at it. What the readers should, however bear in mind is that Swami ji has discussed in the detail the six external entities, the Purusha, Kala (time), Brahman, Sadguru, Atman and the Prakriti, in the knowledge of which the total knowledge is manifest, in the Swarveda.

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Towards the End

Baba Skambhamun; breathed his last on Kartik Krishna 12 in the year 1607, at Vritikutta Ashram. I was then camping at Gaya. I had been responsible for the publication of books on Vedas and the monthly magazine Sadguru Sandesh. I had taken upon myself the responsibility of supervising the working of press and other propaganda work of samaj. Swamiji used to travel extensively across the country, guiding the Sant Samaj and bringing his massage of love and yoga to the people. During summer he used to move to Shunya-Shikhar Ashram. But irrespective of where he used to come and at what time of the year, he used to direct and co-ordinate all publicity and propagation work of the samaj. But gradually he started pulling out of these responsibilities, in the year 2010, during the rain, when Swami Ji was camping at Vritikutta Ashram with two his grandchildren. I was busy in supervising the publication of the Bijak at Adhyatmik press at Gaya. I was not in the best of my health then and indisposition made me to Ballia from Gaya. One a particular day during that period of Shravana (July-August) Sadguru Deo Ji made a Samdhi of the locks of his hair and went over to Gaya. I was present when he consigned the locks to the earth and he directed that I erect a memorial at Vritikutta in commemoration of the Samadhi of his locks. But I could not understand what type of seculars he wanted me to build and why, finding me gazed, Swami Ji told me in plain, simple words I would keep alive for six months more; I am leaving the Ashram now. His grandson, Yogendra, had not been keeping fit and Swami ji was making him under go a water-purification, so as to help him resuscitate his health. When he parted company with the boy, he said” Where shall I now meet him? The poor boy does not know anything” Swami Ji had thought of teaching him the Vedas. The same night, Swami Ji made Ravindra read out the Mantras to him. He kept half-awake the whole night and around three in morning he got up from his bed and shrove to railway-station on a horse-cart. A short while later he wrote two letters in quick succession from Gaya; the purpose of which was to drive home to me his massage that I should now look after everything myself and not bank on other’s support and guidance. During the occasion of the Kumbha congregation at Prayaga, Swamiji had called in a relation of his to keep an eye over the Annakshetra (community kitchen) and make other necessary arrangements. I had already sent word to Swamiji that I would join him at the kumbha at Prayaga. He had left Gaya leaving the publication of his commentary on the Bijak incomplete and had reached sufficiently in advance with a host of his disciples from Gayaand other places. A number of small straw huts had been erected there for the conference and for recidence of the participants. An erratic disciple from Gaya caused Swamiji much annoyance. Mr.Rajarshi Bhbaneshwar Singh and his compatriots from Bihar renderd great service to Swamiji and made an untiring effort to bring success and publicity to the programme. Baring few disciples from all over the country had assembled on the occasion. Every afternoon lectures were delivered by Swamiji, other scholars and me, which where fully reported in the “Bharat Kumbha Mela.” News letter Sadguru Deo ji’s lecture where also noted in English by certain scholar, which where later passed on to press for necessary coverage. Extensive arrangements have thus been made for publicity media and for camping, board and accommodation of saints, sadhus and other scholars. Several hundred people would feast daily at Swami’s Annakeshetra and profit from his talks and discourses: The Saint Samaj white banner with letter “A” prominently embossed over it was flown from confluence of Triveni to another end of the Kumbha fair. I had been directed by Swami Ji to address the “Adhyatma Sarbabauma Sammelan” (a congregation of spiritualists and saints). But in the tight schedule of programmed and activities, my turn for a talk could not materialize. All eyes had turned to Swamiji, who had made known his resolve to leave the mortal frame. I was always at his back and call, attending to whatever he would want me to discharge. He would call me in his cave every one or two hours to tell me how I have conduct myself, how to keep the flame of the faith burning how to organize camping for the propagation of the yoga in future and such other things. He seemed to be in a dilemma and would ask me” What should I do now? Where to go? I feel like renouncing the body. But I have not yet decided,” and half-thoughts like these. It is relevant to give this account of how Swamiji’s mind is working at that time, but it is perhaps not important any

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longer to recapture those moments of history. I have published the detail of the epochal event in the “Sadguru Sandesh”. SwamiJi’s resolve to give up the body did not appear to be final. He would occasionally mutter,” How to go? What is the need of me to be here?” and sundry other things. Death is like a sport to him. He would often say “Death is like a sport to a yogi. I have not yet decided I shall leave my body. I do not feel like doing so now. When I think it is time, I shall wind up……… I have given you a set of rules, you have to observe. The propagation work and the maintenance of the Sant-Samaj have to go on.” Discrimination, fortitude and tranquility where described by him to be the Guru Mantras, which he explained to me several times. He asked me emphatically to get them by heart like the vadic Mantras. And he would check at intervals if I had really got them inside of me, and I would tell him they were a part of me.

At this point I remember an anecdote. At the time of departure for Gaya from Vritikutta Ashram, Swami ji had told me “The kumbha congregation is due. All kumbhas will merge in it. All planets and satellite will have aconfluence at a celestial path. This kumbha (pointing to his body) will also have its finale”. He muttered this last of his soliloquy in half-tones.

On another occasion when he had visited the Ballia Dadri fair return from Gayaa certain bank-employee disciple of his had asked him “When shall I have the privilege of your Darshan again?” Swamiji had told him,”Have my Darshan now.” Then he turned to us (we had been there with him for two-three days) and asked as if the man had followed him. But the bank-man had not made head or tail of what Swami Ji had told him. In evening when we met for prayer session that day, Swamiji told us, “Two and a half months are to go. You must all understand what you have to do. I am the spiritual ruler of the whole world. He who will sit at my place will be the emperor of the kingdom of Adhyatma (spiritualism)”. And then he recited the following verse in his won inimitable way and said that these were the parting words of advice his sin-heir.

O son! Follow my dictates,And I promise the kingdom of Gods,

And liberation from the chains of ignorance.Pay thou need to what I say,

I shall show thee the Beginning and the End.Be liberated while though lives;

And be the own master,And merge in Supreme Bliss thereafter.

None can do thee any harm then,Nor shall thou be born again,

None of the past actions shall bind these,Take for granted the words of Kabir.

The following night Swamiji left for Gaya. This had happened three months prior to his relinquishing the body.

At the Prayaga River camp, while giving me the heir ship of Sant-Samaja Swami ji bequeathed to me the right to preach the last stage of Brahman-Vidya. I remember he had called me in a several times, but as I would approach him, he would keep mum. Then finally in a tone soaked in ephemeral rhythm, he told me he was giving me authority to preach the sar-sabdha. As he told me this, his voice chocked and his words sounded fainter. Then he lay down on his bed for while and then told me how I organize campaigns for reaching the message to distant part of the land. He also told me how the Bhandara Mahayajna (community feast) was to be organized as a part of rituals after his passing away, how money was to be collected for erecting a Samadhi after him and for organizing the feast, how I had to conduct myself in public as a true heir to his illustrious self etc. He also advised me to

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complete the book named ‘Vigyan Darshan’. At that time he unfolded to me the secrets of some mystic experiences which I had never known of. All these Swami Ji had started doing, as one would do when he packs. But he would still say, “I do not think it is time yet to leave the body. But I am frequently being asked from above to do so.” Two days later, he called me in snd told me that he had received a reminder. Appeals had become in fructuous. The ‘high court’ had passed its verdict. Now there was no alternative to finally giving up the ghost. But where was the hurry? A great man is he who had a field day who had all his plans met fruition. It was not yet time to go. He won’t go. How could he go without pulling in his nets exposed to the winds in mid-day? This state of undetermined ness continued for sometime. But as for briefing me for the onerous responsibility that I was to inherit from him, he was rigid and head fast. He wanted me to know all I should before his strength failed him. Some times he would fill in with emotions he would hardly control. The words that he uttered to me at that time his body passing into oblivion are like passwords, which I can not, for obvious reasons, share with any one they where between him the given, and me, at the receiving end. He went on briefing me on these and other aspects from Magha Krishna 9 to Magha Shukla 5 full 12 days at a stretch. During those days, if he were to speak under the canopy of a public gathering, he would say “The world will change. The course of nature has been reversed. No one knows what is all happening about. 5th of Magha Shukla should, some how pass well.”

Five days before he left his body, he came out to address an assembly of people. He said it was now time to recline on the bed. As he was walking down the stairs of the cave, his legs fluttered and he almost fell on the ground. But his routine of life continued unabated. But would get up at 3a.m as usual, converse with us on how to mount up programmers for speeding up propagation activities, taking up other organizational work and attending to other Samaj activities consequent upon his leaving the scene. On evening when I forgot to lay down the programmed of a Satsang meet in black and white before Swami ji, he showed his displeasure and told me that it was time I had know what I had to do at what point of time. He said he had his time out. Inside the cave he once told me, “The old order changeth, giving place to new. What a strange spectacle was this phenomenon of God!”

His parting words of advice to me were, “I have acquired the treasure through great toil and perseverance. You will preserve and protect it and it most discerningly. If you can acquaint yourself well, there shall be no need for me to come and guide you. A Yogi’s Sankalpa (determination) never fails. You can not do all single handedly. But when I am with you, we both shall accomplish the mission.”

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Blessings and Grace!!

Swamiji blessed the tenure of stewardship that I was to inherit from him. He told me that I had qualities of greatness ingrained in me. I had the natural radiance of a Guru, a preceptor of men. My fame would spread across the bounds of the country. I had perfect personality. I was the Sadguru (he said this in a tone lower than the usual pitch of his speech). Wherever I would go wherever the dust would fall off my feet, the earth would be sanctified and the air cleaned of its pollution. I was the redeemer of souls suffering agonies of worldly life. Victory was insured for me. I had infinite verve and energy. There would be immense propagation of the faith (he said this in a jocund manner). Riches and abundance of wealth would come my way, but I was to avoid getting stuck up in Maya (illusion). I had Albright future ahead of me. I have to bring home the external message of the Guru to all men and women very continuously and dedicatedly. He warned me from laying out any plans for making trips abroad in connecting with propagation work. When I said that I had no such thought, he said that I would be tempted for tours abroad in times to come. He said that I should first propagate my mission in India and other countries of Asia, and then only think of going to the west. I should never think of going to the west without accomplishing this work at home. One should light’s own home first before illuminating others mansions.

I am quoting Swamiji almost verbatim. It was like a command. I was receiving from him. In fact, he wanted to note down whatever he was telling me, least I forgot them and did as he said. Life is at the mercy of God and God gets done what he will. All that I am to do is to adhere to the path of the truth with a strong belief in God and the blessing of the Sadguru; I could perform any task howsoever difficult. During and after Swami Ji’s renunciation of the bodily frame, I had felt a strange spark of energy entering the pores of my body and invigorating me to a degree I had not felt before. A new vista of a horizon had opened up before me and I had felt as if I had a rebirth. As day rolled by, I felt I was steadily growing to perfection. Swami ji had; in fact, predicted when the fruition would come about.

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Entering the Body

Swami Ji had said at what time he would do the “Kaya Pravesh” (entering a new body). And it happened exactly as he had said. The body would merge not through blood but through water. The ‘Virat Dharshan’, the future prediction and many other manifestation of his great life power, turnedout exactly as he had prophesied. It is with great reluctance that I am referring to this super-human human of Sadguru Deo ji. He wanted me to declare in public this will of his reappearance in a body, which I did on the first day of the 31 st annual conference of Sant-Samaj at Viritikutta Ashram at 2 p.m. before large gathering. It was like a duty I had been ordained to perform. A fuller account of this is not being given here, as it is no longer needed.

So revert to our topic, Swamiji lay down on a hard wooden cot. Then he got up and started murmuring, “What happened to my strength?” I was so strong. It is only because of my strength that I am sustaining myself. Otherwise I would have been dead now. Time is running out. I must hurry up. Have bricks and other materials been collected for my Samadhi? The city is far off. Everyone would know it. I can not see with my eyes or hear with my ears. I hope no one is crying. Does a Yogi ever die? It is only a mesmerism he performs on the onlookers. What is bad about shifting from an old house to a new one?

He had wanted me to stand by him when he would leave the body. So, I sat on his bed towards the last moments of his life. He told me that bookish knowledge did not one a Guru. A Guru inherited the power of life from his processor; I should go on propagating his faith in a fearless manner. And there were very many other things that he told me to do or caution against. As for his commentary on the Bijak, he told me that I should soon get it published and then undertake other work. And then again he slipped into a reverie.” Why it is being delayed? Alright I look to this as well.” After saying so, he desired that he and I be snapped together. Earlier also, he asked for such a snap. Ultimately, a snap was taken of him in company with others. That was four days before he left his body. He would be dieing to all others, but to me he would say, “Do not reveal to any one the secret of my passing away; because whosoever will learn of it will throng around and that will create an uneasy scene.”

As for his leaving the body, he had directed that a Samadhi be erected soon after his death. But then his body should be carefully handled. Sentries’ should be posted to keep a watch over the body. It was after all the body of great man. I should be formally declared his heir-apparent immediately. This should be announced over the radio and in newspapers through out the country. Let this place not remain vacant even for a while. This should precede the building of the Samadhi. The announcement should be made simultaneously with Swami Ji closing his eyes. Thereafter Swami Ji came out of the cave and settled himself in the straw-hut outside. I had been massaging Swami Ji’s body for over a week from his forehead down to the tip of his spine in old Ghee. Even one thought he had caught cold. His health had been fast declining. Once he fell on his cot in a state of fit. A disciple and I brought in a doctor from the nearby township. The doctor’s thermometer did not record high temperature. It was around 97F or bit higher. Those were days when Swami Ji used to talk with great confidence and in a highly dignified manner. This style continued till his last breath. On great persuasion; Swami ji swallowed a spoonful of medicine, but he warned me not to serve him another dose of the drug. He said he had never taken any medicine all his life. Why should we then force him into changing his principles? For a Yogi, yogi was the best remedy for ailments. We never pressed him again to take the drugs. A short while later, he said, “There is only one remedy for all ailments. It is now time I had wound up my wares. But how I do so?”

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Two days before he closed his eyes, Swami Ji told us to get ready with the erection of his Samadhi, as longer found it easy to hold the body. The work should start insight earnest. He had passed all instructions that were to be carried out there was nothing to worry about. A Yogi is never dead. His mortal remains perish, but his words keep ringing. Whatever a yogi wills is bound to be fulfilled. On that occasion he said, “Now I wish scientists of the world, of Russia and America, were here to see how I am leaving the body.” At least four prominent persons of the world or at least three great men of India could be here to watch the spectacle of my leaving the mortal frame. The yogi dies within the confines of a great knowledge. It is a great yogic feet. Let you record this and make it known to other later. I shall not return in this frame to give you any more instructions.”

At night he would occasionally ask for water. I would tell him that it was not yet day-break. But he would repeat the demand, till it would be day-break. I got him a tumbler of water, which drank as he used to every morning before sun-rise. He told me that he had never interrupted this routine, be it a journey by train or a drive in a motor-bus. He had carried it on even while he was in the Krishna Bhawan (jail). He told me that it was this way that principles were to be observed in true steadfastness. Then he went out to attend the call of nature. A person was deputed to help him walk the distance. On return he performed the ‘Surya-Sanyam’ (a yogic practice) and then sat in his usual yogic posture. He said he had been experiencing the vibrations of Sabda (words). I told him there was nothing unusual about it. Every yogi heard it. To this he replied; ‘No, it is not that Sabda. This is a foreboding of death. I am getting signals of death. It is close on the heels. Hurry up with the Samadhi arrangements. There is no time left. I have kept it in check; otherwise it would all have been over by now. Write down everything as I am saying. The ‘Prana’ is in disarray. The ‘Apana’ was already in disorder. Everything is getting topsy-turvy. I can not hold it any longer. Nature is reversing its course. It is like a revolution in me. The mind and Pranas are getting out of control. It is escaping my grip. O, my God! His speech was steadily falling. His neck had reclined on one side. I massaged it in ghee and tried to lift it up to its normal state but it was not moving. Then I thought I should lift the neck first and then apply the ghee. But Swami Ji was not agreed. He said it was no use lifting it up again. At 12 in the mid-night two mild sounds were heard. He asked me when Bhishma Pitamah (the great legendary warrior sage of the Mahabharata) had left his body. His memory had been failing him. It was either 8 th of magha shukla or 14th of magha vadi. It was long time bach that I had read the Mahabharata and did not remember the date. Swami Ji said that I could answer from any one who knew. But there was none who could answer Swami Ji’s query. Then he asked which day of the week it was. I said Thursday. He said it was on a Thursday that he had seen the light of the day. It was the 5th of Magha today. The mahakumbha yoga was there. The saints were giving him company. He was on the bank of sacred Ganga on the confluence of triveni. It was the place where Gautam Rishi lived. The sun was on its northern course. This was an excellent time. He felt that he should have stayed for some time more but then again he remembered that he was not going anywhere. It was around 8.00 A.M. in the morning that Swami Ji had said the above words.

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The Earth Bed (A state of meditation in sidhason posture on the ground)

It was early morning. A blanket was spread over the ground in front of the straw-hut. The sun was still very soothing. Swami Ji sat on the carpet in a yogic Asana in perfect serenity of mind till 8A.M. His eyes would always be closed. He stopped me from applying the ghee on the Brahma-Randhra, which he said was as soft as that of a child. There were many other secret things he told me at that time, which for obvious reasons, I can recount here. He opened his eyes at 2 p.m. He asked me almost in panic what time of day it was. I said 2 p.m., to which he said there was little time left. It was as if a train were leaving and passengers rushing to it to board. He got up from the blanket and squatted on the cot and in a short while later he relinquished his bodily frame.

There is one thing more I would like to tell my readers. In fact I had announced it to his all disciples and other members of the Samaja. The ‘Kaya-Pravesha’ (entering the body) had happened two days before his death. At that time itself he had made predictions of major events in the world about me. He had said, “Let us see what happens after I leave my body.” Then he predicted even the minutest details of my life, as were to happen. It appeared as if he were reading from a book. He descended to the lower plane of yoga and asked me with life’s detail I wanted to know, of life on the earth as of now or of life spent. He said that Bhrigu-Sanhita had been composed in this fashion. Only yogis were equipped with the vision to see through different ages. Bhrigu had predicted events for a hundred thousand and quarter different division of time. He must have visualized time as be Swami Ji talked of predictions and future and past events. I have started above how every now and then Swami Ji used to take over reins of the samaja. However I never felt the urge to undertake this onerous responsibility. Swami Ji used to loose his temper on me and would repeatedly tell me that I had the stamina to do it all; that I should not sit tight and do nothing. I should first move around and publicize the mission, and then have the Bijak publication. It seemed to him that I was not very much convinced about my capacity to carry forward his mission. Doubt still dominated my mind and a firm resolves to go ahead with the have programmed was still missing in me. Swami Ji seemed to know all thoughts waves sweeping across my mind. He would tell me what I would do on a particular day, at a particular point of time, ten years from then. I never asked him any question, verbal or written, but he seemed to know all that arose in me and would resolve them all. This is also a yogic feat. A true yogi, to my mind is one who has control over life and death, who can regulate and keeping check physical and spiritual forces and is a Trikalaya- a knower of all the three phases of time, the past the present and the future. Only a yogi possessed of such vision and power in the yogi in the truest sense of the term. The recites of Shastras and the Vedas are not Guru and I have never treated as such, these where the three things baffling my mind, and Swami Ji could easily gauge them. He told me that it was nothing extra-ordinary for a yogi to know the secrets of life and death on the earth. Now was time for me to see how a yogi relinquished his body bodily frame. As for a yogi being the seer of three Kalas (time-spans), he said that there was no extra ordinary about being such a visionary. Any saint or Mahatman or for that matter, any folk of ordinary clay, could do this miracle. In fact true yogis should avoid getting embroiled in such a miracle-making and earning cheap popularity, and then to convince me, he drew up before me a complete picture of my life from my life till death and sarcastically said that he had proved himself to be a knower of past and future for me. He then told me the secrets of the fundamental atom of nature and the absolute, omnipresent Brahman.

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Swami Ji predicted the future course of life. I do not remember the predictions normally, but whenever a particular event happens, I do recapture the revelations made by Sri Swami Ji.He would keep on telling me what publicity work I had to do for the faith, but I would never tell him back how I would do this or if I would have any problems about its execution etc. Once he asked me positively but I kept mum when he charged me with the mission. He seemed to be disturbed in mind why I was not reassuring him of my resolve to execute his wishes. He wanted me to speak up so that he could leave his body peacefully. He always used to say that he would carry on his mission even if he were not physically alive. It was perhaps now time, I had told him of my resolve to carry on the work and I spoke up as determinedly as I could. A smile beamed on his countenance and he felt retrieved that he could now renounce his frame in comfort and peace of mind. He told me that the task might appear difficult as of then, but as I would begin it, would become lighter. It would become lighter with him leaving his body. It was like a current, a divine current which knew no halt. The flow of knowledge would pass into me. Therefore I was not to fear. This he had told me a week before he left the body. When I had received full briefing, we had a snap taken of Swami Ji in company with others, where after he returned to a hut. In the hut he again talked of need and modalities of propagation, of his entering a different body and the event that he predicted would come about. Earlier, while in the cave he had told me of yogic experiences and other samaja publicity work. On another occasion he warned me against being hoodwinked by persons, who could come to me after his passing away and tell me that Swami Ji had not passed down all the knowledge he possessed to me, I was to beware of such detractors. As for him, he had not hidden anything from me. He had parted with all the knowledge that he possessed and there was nothing he was talking away with him. And now that he felt lighter after shedding the load onto my shoulders, could he (he asked me in humanity) now part company? He said he was asking my formal permission, because I could say he did not ask me when he left. He had emptied himself of the load and he could now travel light. This had happened a week before he left the body. As he was resting on his bed in the straw hut, he heard some one saying that he could not get the ticket. He asked me to find out who it was who had said so, I went out and looked for him but he was no where about. And I reported back to Swami Ji. He said,” How strange that he had not got the ticket. As for him he had not only had the ticket but he was going to board the train. In fact, he said, he had already boarded it and no body else would accompany him Swami Ji had this in a lighter vein.

A short while before he relinquished his body, Swami Ji asked me to call in an old acquaintance of his, a Pandit ji. I sent for him and he came in soon. Swami Ji told him,” You see, what has happened to me?” The pandit ji asked Swami Ji to lay on the bed with his legs towers the south and he started, after murmuring a mantra, passing a straw bunch over him slowly. Finding Pandit ji passes the straw over him (which is so done in order to scare away the evil sprits and diseases), Swami Ji told him, for his satisfaction, that he was feeling better. Then he told Pandit ji to sit down and pointing to him he told me that he was his devotee and he would help me erect the Samadhi and dispose of other business.

On eleventh February, 1945 when Swami Ji was sitting on the ground at around 2 P.M, he told me, “Struggle is life. I have set up this all with relentless effort. You should look after the Ashram and other things. You should see to it that nobody suffers any trouble. Great people have patience and perseverance. You should stick to truth. A conscientious person does everything with an eye on future. There is nothing that can not be accomplished with devotion to god.”

Now it was for him to relinquish the body. He said “I was lying on the ground. But there is no time to keep lying down. I must now sit in the Asana on the ground. Spread a leaf or some straw on the ground so that I can sit on it and give up the gost.” I was shaken to hear this and Pandit ji’s eyes were also filled with tears. I asked Swami Ji why he wanted to sit on a leaf or straw, to which he said that according to Hindu customs, one must lie down on the ground at the time of his death. He must not lie down on as such, but he must sit on an

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Asana like this. Pandit ji told him that he was a yogi and therefore, he need not to do it.Swami Ji said that was the practice, but he would do as they would desire. He said in

an endearing tone. “The cot is also on the ground. What is the difference between the cot and the ground?” And then after some time, he asked if he could have something to eat. When one embarks on a journey, he eats some food to keep going. Anything that was ready could be given him. I enquired if some food be cooked for him. “No, fruits would do” About half liter of Mihidana fruit juice was served to him in a tumbler which he drank slowly. After he had drun the juice, he said. ”Yes, I now feel strong.” After about two minutes he asked if some cow-milk could be arranged. It was around 3’O clock in the afternoon then. Fortunately, for us, a Sadhu had a cow in the Ashram in the orchard nearby. He was asked for milk but he said the cow would not give milk at that time. We told him to collect as much milk as the cow cold then give, where upon he mulched the animal and sent Swami Ji about a tumbler-full of fresh cow’s milk Swami Ji started drinking the milk. But after he was half way trough the beverage, his hands started shaking and he dropped the tumbler down. Milk started gurgling out of his mouth. He asked if milk was flowing out of his mouth to which we said,” yes” He then said that his Pranas (the life force) were losing and were no longer capable of digesting food or water.

A day earlier, Swami Ji was found to be very restless. I entered him to move away from there. But ha said, “No, this is my own place. I will never like to give up my body at a disciple’s house or a railway station or a train. That would be a big mistake. There is no need moving out now.” A motor-car which had been called in for journey was sent back. Earlier he had planned to go to Vritikutta Ashram about this time. When I reminded him of this, he said I could think over it myself and decide. As for him, he had no time to waste on such petty matters as to where to relinquish this body of clay. He would have to descend down to the sphere of intellect to think of the disposal of his body. The body is after all a carrier. He would have to part with treasures he had accumulated over the years to think of such petty matter as where or where not to shed his body. The way was now open. Why should we bother about how or where the body is to be shed? The only taught preoccupying his mind was how to leave it.

There is one thing more which relates to an earlier period. I think I should tell my readers about it. It was the last day of Swami Ji’s talk in the meeting and his last public view. Besides this; one day he came to the meeting for a short while for preparing me for a lecture on the occasion of the Sarbabhaum Maha Sammelan. These were two speeches given around that time prior to Swami Ji’s death. At the end of his speech, Swami Ji said, “Let us all beg pardon of each other. These are formal but let us do.”

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Pardon

Swami Ji continued, “All our people are not here. Many people come in contact with during my life-time, but they all could not come here on this occasion. Nevertheless, I treat them all as my own folk, wherever they are now. All those who have been initiated by me are my own people, wherever they are. It is a new world I have set up. I do not think there are any old people around. Is there any over here from Ballia and Gazipur?” Those from Pakri and Azamgarh stood up and said “We are all here.” Then Swami Ji said that almost everyone was there. He then pointed to some people and said, “They are from my birth place.” He asked them if they desired anything from him. They replied that they are alright by his grace, towards the end of his life, while sitting in cave in my presence, Swami Ji remembered members of his family and many disciples of Sant Samaja and blessed them something or other through his special yogic power. He also named the prominent members and disciples of Samaja. And at the end of it all, he begged pardon of every one. He said, “If I have ever caused any harm to any one during my life, I would beg of him to pardon me. God is omnipresent. Convey this to every one.” This he said after raising his hand and pointing out in every direction.

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The voice from the skies…

To pick up the thread from where I had left it, Swami Ji expressed the desire to stand up after he had abated the cow’s milk. We helped him stand up, but he preferred sitting down. After he had sat up in the usual Asana he enquired which people were there around. On being told that every one was there, he expressed a sense of satisfaction. Then he opened his eyes and looking at me, said, “Every one is present. So it is now time I had left.” He started talking slow and then heavy breath. After three heavy breaths, he drew his Prana down inside him. A hiccup emerged out of his throat and he left body. He had told me once before that he would draw all the forces of his soul through Prana and place it about his heart, but he would have great trouble in pushing the Prana out through the mid-zone. The exit of Prana was a very painful experience. He had seen death a number time. It was all open beyond and he would move out in ease. This he had told me on an earlier occasion as well. When he had given up the ghost, everyone present said that he had left. I told them that Swami Ji had told me that he would announce at the time of his leaving where he is going. I could know the importance of it only later. His heart and pulse beat had stopped. I screw close to his ears and shouted the word Swami Ji, a sound was heard,” Are all astounded. Did you follow what I had said?” Some people said that Swami Ji was no longer in the body and the sound is coming from somewhere else. I said “No, he is still in his body.” A saint pointed out that the sound had not come from mouth of Swami Ji. I shouted the word “Swami Ji” again into his ears. Prompt came the words. “I am here, outside the body. Yogis can talk in air.” I then told the people there that when sense-organs stop functioning after the exit of soul from the body, speech also stops. How it was then that Swami Ji was talking as if he was talking as if he were alive. Swami Ji himself solved the riddle through his voice ringing in the air slowly:-

Binu pag chalai suni binu kana | Kar binu karam karai vidhi nana ||Apranan rahit sakal ras bhogi | Binu bani vakta badha yogi ||

~*~

He walks without feet, can hear without ears; can do hundred, thousand things without hands. He tastes of a hundred pleasures without mouth. Another voice louder than before appeared, “A yogi can speak without the tong.” A Sadhu then observed that Swami Ji was hearing our talk. Once again a voice rented the air, “You say hear, I am seeing each one of you even though you can not spot me. This only is a feat only yogis can do.” Everyone bowed in prayer to Swami Ji. As people were bending with folded hands, a voice again resounded in the air, “Are there no flowers?” Some one said that flowers were not available. The voice again rang, “Bring flowers.” When some time passed and flowers were still not available, the voice again quivered in the air, “Do you hear? What happen to flowers?” Some one replied they were not available. Again a voice echoed, “Why do you not say so?” A reprimand came from the air “It is all so mismanaged.” I felt a shiver of fear run down my spine. But the voice said,” You need not to fear. It is great man’s body and you should dress it up properly in sandal wood paste and flowers and place it in the Samadhi.” People once again bowed in reverence before his body. Only I had not so far. The voice commanded, “Let the Acharya do the Pranam.” People said that since Swami Ji was himself speaking, I must bow before him in Sastanga manner (with all eight limbs of my body prostrate in prayers). I then offered my pranam, looking to skies beyond me. The voice said, “Here I am speaking. The voice is emanating from the Askhar Mandal. Now you have known it.” I bowed down in reverence and touched Swami Ji’s feet. And then another voice from the heaven,” Yes it was for this reasons that I was waiting. Now I am going. Listen thee!!

I have already spoken of Swami Ji’s declaration to do Kaya Pravesh (enter some other body) and of the place where he would do so. After the above broadcast from heaven, there was a sudden thundering sound and flash of a lightening in the sky. I have told my disciples in the detail about this ‘Mahanad’ (the great sound) and the lightening. It was terrific thunder

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accompanied by a dazzling flash of lightening. We know that such a sound is always accompanied by light. Sadguru Sadafal Deo ji Maharaj was propagator of Sabda-Marga and he was an ‘Abhyasa Sidha-Sadguru.’ Therefore, he demonstrated ample proof of his mastery over two basic aspects of spiritualism. After two days of lying in rest the Yogasana in which he had left the body in the straw hut, his body was consecrated to the earth, with his face facing the north, in the Samadhi already chosen and approved by him the early hours of the day amidst chanting of hymns and shouts of ‘Jai’ by enumerable disciples who had gathered by then.

It is in this way that yogis leave their body in the world. Those who have no knowledge of mysteries of death are shaken out of their existence at the time of death. The yogi who can travel across limitless skies after his death and can speak and express his thoughts as if he were still living; is a real Sadguru who can give people true spiritualism knowledge and guidance. It is through his divine light only that darkness can be dispelled and human lives illumined. These days a whole crop of guru has grown up who have very little knowledge and very small sacrifices to their credit. This partly explains the darkness that is pervading our life. Hence true seekers of spiritualism knowledge should avoid getting trapped in jugglery of these meteoric apostles and should seek instead the patronage of true Sadguru immersed in the knowledge of Brahman. The cow-web of bookish knowledge and the oratorical charisma of a guru devoid of spiritual experience can not lead one to the enlistment of soul. All discerning and conscientious readers should note that the true test of life is in its last hours. One can impress others through erudition but the pedantic knowledge does not come to one’s rescue at the time of death. A Guru who can not guide his disciples through death is distracter. Death is like a fort which only yogis know how to conquer.

So, Sadguru Deo ji remained fully conscious, alert and alive till the last hours of life with sheer force of his divine power he moved freely out of the shackles of his body and assumed another state. This is a test of a yogi. It is on the basis of the knowledge imparted by such Gurus that men and women take to righteous paths and attain happiness and peace in life and beyond. Both the birth and the death of such great yogis are important events of the world. The yogi knows the art of death. Swami Ji thus fully demonstrated the glories of the life and death of a perfect Yogi.

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Giving Up

Sadguru Sadafal Deo ji Maharaj gave up the ghost at 4 P.M. at Sukrit Bagh Ashram on Thursday, Magha Shukla 9 in the year 2010, and Correponding to February 11, 1954 A.D. He had come out of his cave and sat in yogasana under the thatched roof of the Sukrit Bagh Ashram, his face facing north. It was in the posture that he left this body. I was always there with him during last few days of his life. During the 15 or odd days that I spent with him I learnt everything that I could from him from the technique of propagating the faith and formal behavior and etiquette that I was supposed to follow to the secret of all knowledge direct and indirect. He asked me to keep these conversations with him over passing of his body a secret. And I kept it a secret as he had directed. He himself kept on revealing every-thing to his disciples directing them on their behavior, but very few could guess what the last hours of his life would be like. When he last left the body, people were filled wonder. Nursing and attending on him during those last days of his life was my responsibility and privilege and it was under my supervision that others part book of his honor. Sadhu Yoganand, who was a favored disciple and attendant of Swami Ji, was not present during that period. Advaittananda of cource was my corade-in arms in attending on the Swami Ji those days. He was honored to have been of service to Sadguru Deo ji. When Swami Ji left his body, all the sundry came to have is last great look; they all felt as if a light had gone out of their life. All his devotees who had enjoyed the prevailed of his love and patronage broke at the sight. The giver of supreme knowledge and beacon light that had lighted their hearts was no longer there to cheer and guide them. The pangs could be subdued later by holding of sat sangas and discussion on swamiji’s excellent work for emancipation.

Aradhya(The one whom he worshipped)

The Param Purush, who is the creator as well as the regulator of the universe, is beyond the reach of the sense organs and verbal dies descriptions, and have been realized as the word divine. The Para-Brahman (the supreme Brahman) is pure consciousness and infinite bliss. He is ever existent and resplendent in his unique light. He is light of all lights, all illumination of all illuminated. He is all pervading, indivisible and is of the form of light and sound. He permeates even the minutest part of space and is the support of the universe. It is he who activates the Akshar Brahman which gives motions to the dormant fundamentals particles of Prakriti for the creation of the universe. He is master of entire universe and it is he who sustains the controls Hiranyagarbha or Prajapati. He is the basic cause of Akshar Brahman, the mind, the animate and inanimate creations, and is the knower of the inmost soul. He, the ‘word’, is the creator and the fundamental inspiring force of Anahad and other destructible sounds he is the origin of all the visible and audible creations. It is he who has been described as Kasha, Bhuma and Parvman. He is his own creator and is the one who provides bliss to the soul and is its lord, pervading and enveloping it from all sides. He is experienced by yogis in the Biradham which lies in three quarters zone of his pure nectarine bliss and is much beyond

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his one quarter zone of physical world. He is the soul of all the souls and the basis of all lives. He, the sound Absolute, is beyond everything, yet supporting and pervading them all. The Vedas call him ‘Kasha’ and ‘Mayura’. He is different from Sat and Asat (maniest and unmaniest). He is all powerful and existence in finite, without a beginning or end of the forum of pure Consciousness. He is total bliss and and has a unique sound. The Rigveda describes him ‘Param Akshar’ (the supreme word).

“According to the Vedas the Param Akshar pervades everything just as space pervades the entire universe.”Much beyond the reach of mind, intellect, Parana Prakriti, the Param Akshar is realized by the pure conscious power of the Atman as pervading the entire creation and supporting it in his one-quarter-zone. The Param Purusha is the only object of worship and devotion for all. This Param Akshar is described as Brahman in different scriptures. The gita says, Akhar Brahman param i.e. the supreme word is Brahman. The Mundakopanishad says.

“The Supreme Brahman is far beyond and much more subtle than Akshar Brahman which is itself unattainable by mind and prana.”

It is the Param Akshar whom Swami Sadafal deo ji speaks as his lord. It is he whom Swami Ji worshipped and was and devoted to. This supreme word can not be realized by any effort at the level of mind and intellect which function in the physical world only. His yogic experience and realized him by the pure consciousness of the pure Atman after dissociating their consciousness from the physical plane of mind and intellect and all other physical adjuncts of their gross and subtle bodies. When realize this way through the pure consciousness of the Atman, it is found that Brahman is different from Nad, Bind Anahad and other destructible lights and sound. How can one describe him accurately when he is beyond Prakriti and unconceivable from mind and intellect? He is non dual, unique and indescribable.

Whatever is done through mind and speech is physical function of the Atman and not its pure conscious devotion. The all conscious god who is beyond the physical entities can not be attained by any physical effort. The yogis experience him in their souls as unique sound and light, unknown to the physical world. So the Vedas, the Upanishads and other sacred scriptures of saints describe him as Word. The Vedas say that the Para-Brahman is of the form of light and fire. That light is experienced as sound. But are not the sound touch, form, taste and smell experienced in the physical plane. That is not the physical sound, but the origin and the basis of all the sounds.

There is reference in the Samveda- Sawarnnam chase i.e the word full of golden light and sound is to be seen. A sound is only heard, but the Samveda directs one to see the sound. Thus Para-brahman has been described as ‘Name’ (the word) which is the subject of experience of Atman only. There are two types of words one that can be thought of in the mind and expressed by the tongue, and the other which cannot be imagined and expressed. All the words which deal with some quality and attribute and which are expressed with different epithets through the tongue are the manifest names of the Para-brahman. But, he cannot be realized through these words. The evolutes like “Aum Bhurobhuvaha Swaha”, the words like ‘Om Tat Sat’ and such other mantras are manifest names of God, but the Akshar or Hiraanyagarbha which has been described in the Vedas, is the object of vision and experience by the soul only and the saints have therefore described it as Akaha (Un-expressible) and Adivani (original sound). But the Para-brahman who is this soul of all souls and also Akshar-brahman is inexpressible supreme sound which support of everything, animate and inanimate. The yogi’s experience him as sound only and it is therefore that the Vedas and the other scriptures dealing with experiences of saints have mentioned him as Sabd (word) although it is not sound or light of the type we know of:

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Sabd nahi par sabd swarupa |Jyoti nahi par jyoti anupa ||

~*~ (Madurmati)

He is of the nature of sound, yet not the sound we hear. He is unique light yet not the light we come across. If he is to be described in words the description can be nothing other than the world. One can refer to the Vangabhrini Sukta of the Rigveda for description of the Word.Swaha, Sabd and Ame are synonymes. In ‘Nirukhta’, ask has taken ‘Swaha’ as synonym of ‘Sabd’ (sound) ‘Swaha’ is also the synonym of bliss. Thus that Para-brahman is of the nature of sound and bliss. I Yajurveda the Para-brahman who is existence-absolute, Total consciousness and infinite Bliss and Unique sound, has been described as follows:

Shukra jyotischa chitra jyotincha satya jyotischa|Jyotismascha sukrascha rityaschatya goham ha ||

~*~ (Yajurveda 17/18)

‘The Para-brahman is of the nature of light. This light is sacred, unique, eternal and absolute; he is attainable only from the purely conscious state of soul. He is far from evil actions and protects the truth’The Vedas have thus described him to be of nature of light. But this light should not be confused with ordinary lights which are a physical entity and the quantity of the fire element. The Para-brahman is not manifest in the nature and form. He is present everywhere but can be realized under the guidance of a Sadguru only after the soul separates its consciousness from the physical entities. All the names that we describe to the Brahman and which we utter through our mouths are just indicative of him and not his actual name. Tasya vachkh pranvh That Gods describable name is Pranava i.e. ‘Aum’. The manifest nane just symbolize the Brahman which is the subject matter of speech and mind. He is experienced by Vihangam Yogis in the state of Samadhi as the ‘Word Divine’, full of sectarian bliss. The light which has been described to the Brahman by the Vedas is not the light we know of in the physical world. It is just to describe in words that it has been so indicated although he is indescribable. It is therefore that the Brahman has described as ‘Unman fest’.

It is in the last and highest level of yoga that one directly experiences God. This stage has been called as the state of Samadhi. This has also named as ‘Saket’ in Atharvaveda. Only when one gets a perfect Guru that one realizes both direct and indirect, the internal and external aspects of yoga and one attains the stage of liberation and peace under his guidance. The Niha Sabd is the object of devotion for every human being. It is through the practice of Vihangam Yoga, which consists of effort of the conscious soul through its level of pure consciousness that Sar Sabd can be experienced. It is he, the Sar Sabd, who is the inmost knower, controller, and base of everything. Life is glorified and satisfied only through the acquiring of his knowledge and bliss. It is he whom the seer and devotees have been worshipping from time immemorial.

Whatever the soul does from the level of the physical plane is Karma (binding actions) when the soul separates its consciousness from this zone and attains its purely conscious state, it is only then that it devotes itself to all conscious Brahman. This is what is called devotion. I humbly bow before the Supreme Being and conclude this divine life story. He, the Niha-Sabd, the Param Purus, was the object of devotion of Maharishi Sadafal Deoji Maharaj. Being devoted to him and immersed in his supreme bliss the great Maharishi preaches Brahman-Vidya for welfare of the man-kind all over the world. The essence of his teaching is the

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devotion of a conscious soul to all conscious Brahman which is the highest goal of self-upliftment. This is the teaching of Sanatan Brahman Vidya as propouned in the Vedas.

~~*~~

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