Evolution of love

The Multifarious Ways

There is always a curiosity in the general gathering, about Sri Ma's superhuman qualities and the incidents that focus on these aspects.

These qualities were all the time evident in Her zest
for life.
Her aura of spirituality always put the lesser mortals on the path to peace and spirituality and gave new meaning to life.

Sri Ma's Advaita philosophy encompassed a plethora of mood and sentiments in Her association with the Almighty.

If Her superhuman qualities were seen sometimes it was an overflow of Her majestic superhuman actions happening normally all the time through Her divine presence.

Sometimes it so happened to inspire Her devotees or to guide them to better and pure thinking.
Ma said (see note 1) that while progressing in the way of Sadhana it is but natural to attain Divine powers.

The results of such experiences are awe-inspiring.

If such divine powers are exhibited with sole intention of self-glorification, then it is dangerous for the aspirant, as powers
are lost by misuse.

But if still one proceeds further in one's Sadhana as the ego melts away so also the attitude of self glorification goes away, and at this stage the question of the downfall of the Sadhaka does not arise. The stage can be assessed by seeing the situation.

When asked how She could cure diseases Ma said (see note 2), "There had never been an attempt to display these powers. Nothing deliberate. Sometimes mere touch, glance or just giving a flower or anything else would cure but at other times, even if one tried it would not happen. When this body became a Sadhak all this has happened."
Further She said "Many such divine powers were displayed, many a time unknowingly or without prior thought, sometimes with a mix of the feeling of knowing and not knowing.
It just so happened spontaneously, automatically, as many a times a mere touch had cured the disease before so it could be cured again.

With this thought the patient if touched would be cured. At other times
the patient was touched with knowledge that he would be cured by that. Now these divine powers have gone. A person who expects this body to be supernormal always in its dealings will be disappointed.
This little girl acts according to Her 'Kheyal'."
Once Bholanath was repeatedly requesting a cure for one person. The man came himself. At that time Kirtan was going on. He was asked to roll on the floor which he could not do; nobody even helped him. The patient died returning home. So if God is unwilling, no one can help."
"It happened many a times that there was no introduction, and no one even asked for the internal communion, which is with all, and it worked."
There were incidents when Ma would leave behind a cloth or something else or Ma would inflict wounds on Herself and the patient would be cured (see note 3.)
There are endless incidents of worldly achievements by Sri Ma's grace.
About fortune predictions Ma once said it involved many factors and so there are different types of fortune tellers. Some are spontaneous while some bring in an element of doubt. Some may try to develop their skill for forecasting, but cannot and without it, their will power makes blunders.
But those who look at the future as divinity, do not err. Careful pondering can help to fathom situations, bringing out the abilities of the exponents.
Ma once told how a lady visited Her. As is customary Ma welcomed her and was about to apply vermilion on the lady's forehead. The lady retorted "apply vermilion only if you think I will never be a widow". Then Ma told her that it would not be proper. In this way from that time She would not apply sindoor to a woman whose widowhood She could foresee. Imagine the plight of that unfortunate woman who would have to live in sorrow even before fate had brought it about.
The lady who made the remark was now convinced of Ma's logic. Obviously it takes a lot of courage to accept the vagaries of fate and so nobody would like to know their destiny."
Sri Ma's staunch devotees Bhaiji and Didi in their respective books have vividly discussed Her various superhuman powers. Almost all Her devotees recount incidents that are astonishing.
The anguished call of a devotee never goes without a response from the merciful Ma whose benign look is ever focused on the welfare of all. Maybe sometimes we fail to perceive it.
A youth visited Ma to ask Her views on Man's service to God. He was first sent to Baba Bholanath.
But Baba's answers did not satisfy the youth. Then he was asked to go to Bhaiji. At that time many needy people used to see Bhaiji for getting a job. The youth was not in need of a job, hence he did not see him. So he offered Pranams to Ma and left the place disappointed.
Ma sent him a green coconut full of water. The youth refused to accept it. On being told by Bholanath that the coconut
was symbolic of Ma's blessings, the youth still politely declined it saying he did not desire worldly
well-being or prosperity. At the devotee's query he said he had not yet finished his daily Sandhya-
Puja and if he took it back home he would be forced to tell all that had happened. The youth left
without accepting it.(See note 4).
After his departure, Ma asked that the green Coconut (daab) be cut open. This was done and
surprisingly there was not a drop of water inside. The devotees concluded that as he had spurned
the blessings of Sri Ma, She had attracted the entire coconut water subtly. How unfortunate the
youth must have beee to ignore Ma's blessings.
As the Kalki Puran says "The Lord (Sri Hari) does not give to others, nor do His devotees
ask for anything but the mutual love and association that is enduring and unending."
Ma was in Vrindavan. Accompanied by Pushpa Didi and Dr. Panna Lal, She visited Hari
Baba's Ashram. Rasleela was in progress there. The day's theme was Radha's dream in which for
the first time she saw Sri Krishna. She was yet to see Him in person or even hear about Him. The
divine presence in the dream kindled the love in her for Sri Krishan. She was lost in His thought.
Seeing her in this state her friend, Chitralekha started drawing the portraits of several men. As soon
as she saw Sri Krishna's portrait she cried "He is the man!" That was for the first time she heard the
name 'Sri Krishna'. At once she became one with her lord. His name resonating through her body
and soul. Sri Radha's exalted emotional expressions were enacted through Ras-Leela that day.
While the episode of Ras-Leela was being enacted, Pushpa Didi noticed Ma's lips
trembling. Her face radiating, became flushed and red. Only after some time did Ma become
normal. Ma went to Shri Haribaba and said "She is not feeling well and would like to go". Hari
Baba touched Her hand and found it was ice-cold. Dr. Pannalala too noticed this change. Ma later
said "today This body somehow could control the changes, as suddenly the Kheyal came that here
big Advaita Sadhu's are sitting and no such thing should happen here. Only then this body returned
to normal."
In 1955 Shri Narsimha Chatterji was then the District Magistrate of Mirzapur.(See note 5)
Ma was at Vindhyachal Ashram. Shri Chatterji went to pay Her a visit. It looked as if She was
waiting for him. Immediately She took him to the western veranda of the ashram and pointing to
a site below (20ft x 16ft) Ma said, "underneath are lying innumerable idols of gods and goddesses
who are stifled and should be taken out. Can you do something?" "Yes" he said. Labourers were
pressed into excavation work. It was an arduous task. Removing huge stones was strenuous and as
the work went on the labourers were restless and thought their efforts would go to waste. But Shri
Chatterji had full faith in Ma's words. He ordered that the work be continued and soon one by one.about 200 idols, (some of them 10 to 12 mounds) were discovered. The news of the excavation
spread like wild fire. People from far off places, including national and international geologists,
historians, press reporters and curious onlookers thronged the site to witness Ma's miracle. Ma
watched the scene casually.
One evening at Vrindavan ashram in 1955 Ma was taking a stroll when a body in human
form emerged out of a stone and paid obeisance to Ma. With clasped hands Ma stood still and calm.
Soon the body disappeared. A devotee, Deen Bandhu Parikh who witnessed the scene, asked Ma
about the person. What transpired between them is not known. But Deen Bandhu built a cottage in
that place and pledged his life in the service of God leaving the material world.
There is another old incident when both Bholanath and Bhaiji were alive. Ma accompanied
Bholanath on his annual visit to Tarapith, the temporal seat of Tara Devi where another famous
devotee Bama Khapa practised Tantrik Sadhana.
It was a cold winter night, around 3 o'clock. Ma suddenly got up and started walking this
way and that way until She stopped at someone's courtyard. Some devotees followed Her. Ma
squatted on the cold ground and starting singing "Harinam" (Hymns). At that late hour on a cold
winter night, how blissfully melodious those hymns would have been from the lips of the
compassionate Universal Mother - it can only be imagined!
Probably woken up by Her singing, a man with a lamp in hand came out of a nearby hut. He
did not utter a word and returned back to the hut. In a couple of minutes two or three persons
brought a middle-aged man from the hut, physically lifting him. The man was paralytic and had
been immobile for some years. He was made to sit on the ground near Ma. Soon, this man, who had
lost his speech, started crying 'Ma, Ma, Ma' and joined Ma in singing hymns. After he sang for
some time, Ma asked him to go home. Lo and behold! The man, who was totally paralysed for
years, started walking all by himself and returned to his hut.(See note 6).
In 1951 Ma's birthday was being celebrated in Punjab at Hoshiarpur, Jallandhar, Ambala
and other places. During its conclusion Ma requested Avadhootji to arrange for the meals for the
poor and needy. He arranged the function at Ambala's leper asylum and took Ma there. Among the
ashram's lepers was a brahmin well-versed in the Vedas who recited from the holy scriptures.
Avadhootji remarked to Ma, such an enlightened brahmin was cursed by the deadly disease. Ma
had a 'kheyal'; She embraced the leper brahmin and held both his mangled hands. Days after the
incident, Avdhootji wrote from the Punjab about the published reports of how the poor
brahmin leper was completely cured after Ma had touched him.(See note7).
On a Ramanavami day at Kashi ashram Ma was distributing oranges to those assembled.
Everyone present got one fruit, the women with children got two oranges. More and more people
came along to have oranges from Ma's blessed hands and She gave them to everyone. Only what
was surprising was that Ma gave hundreds of them from only two small baskets. Such miracles
were part of Ma's nature. There was a similar incident in 1971 at the Prayag Kumbha. A devotee
brought some fruits (Ber) and offered them to Ma at the camp. Ma asked them to be distributed to
all. Everyone got his share though those assembled far outnumbered the fruits in the basket.
A lady once presented a basket full of fruits. Ma asked a devotee to distribute them. The
devotee thought there were not enough for those present and wanted the fruits to be cut into pieces
for a fair distribution. But Ma said there was no need to do so. The devotee followed Her
instruction. At the end there was one fruit left and two people to share it. Ma commented "He is
only one, think of only one." And suddenly the lady who brought the fruits pointed out that She was
given two fruits. Now Ma said "you know now where the one that was missing was". So, again
everyone got one fruit..Ma was to proceed to Vindhyachal from Kashi by train. But someone arranged a car and Ma
delayed the departure. Meanwhile, she was informed that at a nearby Jain Dharmashala, a Jain
Sadhu Brahmachari was breathing his last. "Come, let's go to see him, quick", said Ma. On
reaching there Ma saw the Sadhu and asked Didi to put Ganges water into his mouth. She then
asked for the quilt covering him to be removed. There was a cloth tied around his waist Ma Herself
untied the knot and touched his 'umbilical cord'. Then came the end. Indeed, he must have been a
great soul to be fortunate to have Ma's divine presence before his end. Was it not that by untying
that knot Ma had disentangled the soul from the cycle of rebirths? And maybe She delayed Her
journey to Vindhyachal only for this task. If She had taken the train, She would not have been
there.
It is said that the sight and touch of Ma had the effect of enlightening many a sinful soul, on
the path to salvation.
A 20 year old youth at Sri Ma's ashram was proving to be a big nuisance through his bad
behaviour. Everybody complained about it and all ashramites were unanimous that he should be
turned out. After listening to everyone Ma gravely said, "If nobody wants him here then he needs
Me most. Can a sick child be left alone or discarded? Will it do any good to him or to the world?
How can he be left deserted in the world?"
The inmates were moved by Ma's sense of deep love and had nothing to say in reply. The
youth remained in the ashram and grew up as an esteemed devotee.
Vasantapanchami of 1947 was being celebrated at Vrindavan. Haribaba's disciple Manohar,
who was always ridiculed for being an idler, gave Ma Rs. 3, which he had earned by his day long
labour, for Bhog. Tahri (rice cooked in ghee with vegetables) was prepared in a small vessel and
Manohar pleaded with Ma to distribute it Herself. Oriyababa announced it was Lord Jagannath's
prasad. And, as Ma said later, "this request passed like an electric current and this body started
distributing Bhog Prasad moving involuntarily."
The mouth of the small vessel containing the Bhog Prasad was partly covered with a
handkerchief and was held by a devotee. Everybody present came running to Ma to get a spoonful
of that Mahaprasad from Ma's hands. Sri Haribabaji's hands were not clean, so he opened his mouth
and Ma dropped prasad into it. Haribaba also wanted to reciprocate but could not do so as his hands
were not clean.
Later when Didi was going to feed Ma, She suddenly remembered that Haribaba wanted to
put prasad into Her mouth but he could not do so. She hurriedly went to the kitchen where the
vessel was kept for cleaning. Only one glowing particle was sticking to the vessel. Ma went to
Haribabaji with the Prasad vessel and asked him to put that single glowing grain into Her mouth shouted that he was leaving. Ma sent him an orange. But the deranged person reacted angrily and
threw the fruit, aiming at Ma and hurting Her. This created a flutter in the crowd assembled but Ma
sat unperturbed.
However two of Her devotees grabbed the deranged person and dragged him out, one of the
devotees even hitting him. Later Ma called the two, disapproving of their act, and said "you cannot
stop anyone from coming to This body. And you had no right to hit him. If that man wanted to
return my offering, he was free to do so." She told those two devotees to atone for their violent act
by keeping a fast the next day. The one who hit was told not even to drink water for the whole day.
And the following day, the man who hit Ma with the orange, attended the satsang. On that day he
was well dressed and looked totally normal. That streak of madness had disappeared. He sat
through the satsang, later met Ma and on Her request stayed on for lunch. Ma said afterwards: "His
act of hurting this body shocked the man so much that it restored him to sanity and normality". Ma
would always say: "if you are angry, be so with this body then you will not be able to keep it up for
long."
If someone cries for Ma in desperation, Ma would reach that person without fail.
Some 40 years ago, at Kashi, Ma was attending a satsang in a school building. Everyone
was engrossed in the kirtan when Ma suddenly got up and walked out to the gate. Two devotees
followed Her. As she reached the gate, She saw another devotee disembarking from his car. Ma
asked him, "Will you drop us at the railway station?" The devotee drove Her to the station. There
She asked for train tickets to Sarnath. She was told there was no train for Sarnath until the next day.
But Ma insisted the tickets were purchased. In a few moments a train arrived and Ma along with the
two devotees boarded it. She ignored the devotees' pleadings that it was a mail train and would not
stop at Sarnath. The train did stop just before Sarnath at a signal and Ma with her attendants got
down. Neither She nor the two following Her knew the way to Biria Dharmashala where Ma
wanted to go but Ma kept walking. On reaching there Ma straight away went to a room where an
old and ardent devotee, a distressed widow Maharatanji, was found. The poor lady was crying and
calling out to Ma. On seeing Ma in person, Maharatan could not control her tears. They were tears
of joy, of prayers being heard. She had been wrongly informed that Ma would be at Sarnath. On
reaching there she was told Ma was not scheduled to visit there. The crestfallen devotee found
herself in a helpless situation as the train had left and there seemed no way to reach Ma. Totally
upset she started crying in despair. When Ma arrived before her She said "Now stop crying, I am
here". Was it telepathy that brought Ma to respond to that anguished call?
and said later, "That grain of rice was like a beacon of light. Baba had desired that not a grain of
that Mahaprasad be wasted."
Dr. J.K. Sen had built an annex of two rooms specially for Ma at his residence at 48,
Hanuman Road, New Delhi. So, Ma's devotees had a place in the city where they could gather and
seek Her blessings. Various functions were held at this place and from time to time Ma was seen
here in Her glorious moods.
It was here in 1948 that Ma's birthday was being celebrated. Saints and Seers had assembled
and people would throng for the Satsang held thrice a day. Once during a morning satsang, a man
looking insane and wearing a strange costume entered the place. First he went to the ladies side and
shouted that all women should cover their heads. No one paid heed to his order. Then he went to
Ma and told her the same thing. Ma complied and signalled the ladies present to follow Her. The
intruder, with a triumphant smile, went to the men's enclosure and sat there. After some