On one of our pilgrimages to Himalayas, we stopped over at Rishikesh. The foothill town of Rishikesh, is a halt point for pilgrims traveling to any of the four dhams (spiritual centers) i.e. Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamnotri and Gangotri. As it is advisable to travel in Himalayas during daylight, by noon our group took rooms in a guesthouse located at Lakshamn Jula, overlooking Mother Ganga. We were to start early the following morning for our uphill journey to Gangotri. Visiting the ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga, situated at a height of 3,048 meters (about 10,000 feet).

Finding ourselves free during the evening hours, we left for Ram Jhula to join in the evening Ganga Aarthi held at Parmarth Niketan. It was a lovely bright evening in the month of September, the streets were filled with pilgrims who were either buying devotional articles or preparing for a holy dip in Ganga. Cows, colors, beggars, sellers, loud music, horns and pedestrian traffic competed for attention. I was beginning to question the purpose of our evening expedition to one of the most crowded parts of the town. “Lord, should be sort in solitude and within”, my mind had affirmed.

As we crossed the hanging bridge at Ram Jhula, the recital of Hanuman Chalisa (poem in the praise of Lord Hanuman) had already begun at the Ghats. Recognizing the deep devotional fervor associated with the holy words of Hanuman Chalisa, my tongue reverently joined the chorus, and the attention was lifted to the Kuthatha (third eye). A sense of spiritual aura and calmness now prevailed. Walking towards Pramath Niketan, my attention was abruptly drawn towards a normal looking man, who came from behind, dressed in casual pant and shirt. He was of medium height and built, darkish skin, wore soiled clothes and sported a moustache. His countenance appeared quite ordinary and there was nothing physically impressive about the person to recall, except that he was holding a japa mala (prayer beads) in his right hand and was drunk with the joy of chanting Hanuman Chalisa. So much so was he intoxicated, that he bumped into a stationary cow, who had made the center of the street her permanent residence. Observing his state, I was in fact surprised that he didn’t collide with other inert things on the busy avenue.


Recognizing the collision with the cow, he lovingly caressed the animal, sort her forgiveness and blessings in the traditional Hindu manner. As if to convey, that the Lord is present in every thing and being around us. Like a magnet he attracted me and I wanted to catch up, so that I could watch him in this state for a while longer. But, as he had appeared unannounced, so had he vanish in the midst of crowds. After a futile search for the stranger, I continued to hasten my steps towards the Ghat where the Aarthi was to be performed. Observing my self, I realized that the stranger through his Bhava (trace like state) had already guided me into higher mystical spheres. I was humbled, to realize that the Divine is as present in chaos as much as he is present in solitude. Lord! I prayed fervently, could our gross eyes ever recognize your devotee? For you are the true dwellers of our hearts.


Next morning we left for Uttarkashi, a city sheltered in deep Himalayas, sanctified by the presence of ancient Vishvanath Temple (Lord Shiva) and several Himalayan saints who have made it their winter home. Uttarkashi is also a base-camp for pilgrims, mountaineers and ascetics traveling to higher and mystical ranges of Himalayas. Our party reached its destination for the day before sunset and lodged at the Sivananda Ashram managed by Swami Permanandji en route to Gangotri. After an energizing cup of tea, inspiring chat with Swamiji and shower, I sped to my room. Filled with the joy of visiting the holy shrine of Mother Ganga at Gangotri, I sat in silent meditation. No sooner had my mind rested in its due place, Lo! Before my inner and outer gaze I beheld the glorious form of an ascetic. Dressed in an ochre colored silk shawl with lustrous gold embroidery and highly precious gems and stones the ascetic sucked my entire being as if “only it existed”. Regaining my self, after a while I shifted my gaze upward. Long mattered black hair and flowing beard dressed his highly serene face. He was deep in contemplation, as if he had been in that state for eternity. His bodily frame was healthy and well built with glowing fair-colored skin and well-shaped facial features, resembling that of an innocent looking mountain girl. He (or ‘it’) was a prefect blend of masculine and feminine energies. “Oh! Who is this glorious one?”


The mind instantly suggested that this ascetic was none other than Mahamuni (Great Sage) who was in tapasaya (rigorous spiritual practice) in surrounding regions. Often, in my previous pilgrimages to sacred spots, visions and vivid images of ascetics involved in deep mediation flashed before my inner eyes. Later, in mysterious ways I would discover their identity on the physical plane, and that these great sages blessed seekers with their silent presence.


The appearance and intensity of this ascetic was unparalleled and never ever experienced in this life. Still the mind’s chattery won over by its convincing argument, and I bowed low to the Mahamuni, to venture communion with the love of our hearts, Babaji. But, as the Mahamuni zapped my entire being, his form remained with me. I made numerous attempts. Contemplation while keeping my eyes open, half-closed, closed, mantra-japa(nam-smaran), pranayama and Kriya. But all these instruments, which were time-tested keys to spontaneously divert attention inward, were of no use in front of this grand ascetic seated in his magnificent form. Yet again the mind came up with a trick. It suggested to ‘just observe’ the thoughts or the form of the Mahamuni and by doing so, I could transfer my attention to its desired aim. Hours flew by as I shifted physical locations, carried out mundane activities, interacted with people, but this form never seemed to leave me. I even tried to keep the portable alter and Masters asana (seating mat/place), at close proximity so that my attention wouldn’t be drawn to this intense drama. However, after numerous futile attempts, I finally gave up and surrendered to this great one, whose identity was not yet known to my ‘ego’.


Following day we started early morning for the sacred shrine at Gangotri. Mysterious valleys, snow clad peaks, crystal clear Ganges, apple orchids, beaming school children that told us most innocently “Bhaiya (bother) we don’t have any summer holidays in our school as there is no summer here”. Welcomed us on the rather unfriendly road, which was wrecked by recent monsoon rains. Many a times people in our party exclaimed, as they couldn’t see physical signs of a motor able road ahead. With faith and prayers we continued on our journey and wondered how strenuous Himalayan pilgrimages would have been in the pre-roads and pre-motor car era. No wonder, people in my grandparent’s generation told their family members while saying adieu, not to search for them if they didn’t return from the pilgrimage. Many of these pilgrims and ascetics felt blessed and even at times intended to leave their bodies in these sacred spots. Every curve of the narrow steep road to Gangotri revealed new vistas of Himalayan grandeur and filled us with aroma of devotion, surrender and stillness. “Surely, now I know for certain why the great once make Himalayas their living abode”, I said to myself after viewing one of the Shiva Linga(abstract form of Lord Shiva) shaped snow clad peak.


For long these snows clothed Himalayan peaks played hide and seek with us, as if to say, strangers we only give darshan (holy view/site) to the genuine truth seeker. They disguised them selves quite skillfully behind huge green colored mountains and snow-like smoky clouds. Alas! How small and insignificant we mortals were in the presence of these staring Mountains and astonishing Mother Nature.
We had the first darshan of Goddess Ganga at about noon the same day. Seeing her majestic physical form for the first time in this life, I realized that Goddess Ganga’s attire was strikingly similar to that of the Mahamuni’s, whose contact presence hallowed me. Tears of joy and gratitude sped my checks as I chanted the glory of the Masters. On the piercing sound of the big temple bell, a dominant current rushed through my spine till the top of the head, and for time the ‘I’ was lost in the silence of ‘nothingness’. After gaining physical awareness, I expressed gratitude to the Mother for her grace and promised to come to her “as often as you call me”. We sat for a while by the Ganga Ghat adjacent to the temple; admiring steams of water descend from the upper reaches of Goumukh, the physical source of Ganges. Legend narrates that sage Bhagirathi did several years of tapasaya (rigorous spiritual practices) to please Mother Ganga to descend on earth from the spiritual plane. To minimize the destruction in this transition process (from spiritual to physical), Sage Bagirathi prayed to Lord Shiva. Who obliged all his devotees on earth by beholding the celestial river in his mattered hair. This manifestation of Lord Shiva is known as Gangadhara or Gangadhar.


There was some thing mysterious in the air as we watched pilgrims bathe, pray and conduct yagna. Immersing my body in to chilly magnetic waters, I exclaimed; “Surely, Babaji, Mataji and Lahiriji are near by”. With joy filled in our souls, we started on our downward journey to Uttarkashi. Although, in some corner of my heart, the question of Mahamuni’s identity still remained. Certainly, the attires of the Goddess Ganga and the Mahamuni were strikingly similar, but how can the Mother appear with a beard, mattered hair and in a male body? Or even if she has appeared in such a form, what was the meaning or the message she wanted me to realize. With these thoughts I prayed fervently to Babaji.


We were at Uttarkashi ashram by sunset the same day. As I retired into my room and sat in contemplation, lo! The mystic again appeared before by inner and outer gaze. He didn’t speak, didn’t move and made no gestures. This time his eyes were not closed but wide open and fixed on me. Like two simmering Suns, his eyes penetrated my entire being. Subsequently, his head swung cyclically on both sides and his form grew more and more powerful. I was now experiencing a hurricane of energy and light emanating from everywhere and nowhere. While swinging I noticed that, the mystic’s head had transformed into the head of a Lion (from that of a human), the constant companion and carrier of Goddess Durga. The Lion-headed mystic now swung his head in a rhythmic fashion, as if dancing to the eternal beat of the creation. During this period of intensive energy flow, the ego could only ‘watch’ and ‘dissolve’.


Next morning we left for Rishikesh and the subsequent day we embarked for Delhi, where our group was to part ways. In the mean while venerable master Sri Lahiri Mahasaya, appearedin dream-state and gave advice on some concerning family matter, which had occurred during the period of my pilgrimage in Gangotri. He also enlightened, to my utter relief that the strange but powerful ascetic who blessed me on the entire journey was a feminine-masculine manifestation of Babaji, blessing the regions of Gangotri by its presence. I was filled with ecstasy and gratitude to the Eternal Master of the universe. But, why did he reveal to me in such a strange form? I still wondered.


On the auspicious day of Lahiri Mahasaya’s birthday and the first few days of holy Navratra (Nine days devoted to Mother Goddess, especially to Durga), this insignificant self was graced with the darshan of Mahamuni Mahavatar Babaji in his celestial formless-form on astral and physical planes. Unlike earlier occasions, this time no verbal conversation ensued between the Gopi (lover) and his Krishna (beloved). All my anxieties and queries were answered and calmed instantaneously. It was as if the questions and their respective answers came together from the same source.The ‘ego’ was so much at ease with the Light, that as if to say that it had ‘originated’ from that source and would ‘merge’ with it almost naturally. The ego said to the soul, "Oh Soul (Jiva) after all, what is all this fuss and drama all about, don't you know all this from before?"


Babaji’s face exuded light of a thousand- million Suns, yet it was extremely calming and soothing. The aura and symbols on Babaji’s celestial frame resembled that of Lord Shiva, and at times that of Lord Vishnu. Standing before the source of all love, I bend on my knees to touch his eternal feet. Mahamuni Babaji was seated in Padmasana (crossed-legged position) on an elevated height, which had no visible form of support, raised his hand in blessings. Oh! What joy filled my entire being, days after that meeting; I was and am in bliss. The Master assigned certain task for spreading the eternal love to his children.


During such moments of grace, Masters bestows many revelations and multitude of blessings on the devotee (ego and soul aspect), but they also use their power to limit the recall of many such revelations by the ego. These revelations are meant for the soul (jiva) and would be channelised at the right time at different planes (physical and non-physical). The ego can only rumble and recall few incidents from such moments, again purely at the mercy of the Master. Subsequently, natural choices, yearnings, random thoughts, spontaneous actions and decision taken by the devotee in various crucial phases of life are termed as ‘intuitive’ by the ‘ego’. Ego rumbles, “I can well remember that many messages were conveyed by the Master, but I can recall only a few of them, well! Better luck next time, I should certainly pay more attention during such experiences”. The Lord gives exactly (nothing more or nothing less) what is required by the ego at that point of existence. Of the few revelations, which can be recalled by the ego-state, only a very tiny number can be shared on physical plane, again entirely at the discretion of the Master.


In less than a week of earthy time, Mahamuni Mahavatar Babaji had revealed in three different forms. First as a normal-looking person at Rishikesh, the second as feminine-masculine manifestation of Mahamuni at Uttarkashi, and third in the celestial formless-form in which we all adore him in this plane nay, creation!


Lord! After all wasn’t it a refreshers course on Trinity for this novice child of yours? I muttered with a chuckle to the Master!
Bolo Satchitanand Mahamuni Mahavatar Babaji ki Jai!