Читать книгу I am Harmony - Radhe Shyam - Страница 17

While Vishnu Dutt Mishra was working on "Shrisadashiv Charitamrit," his brother Giridhari Lal - having had visions of and 'talks' with 'Old Haidakhan Baba' - gathered stories of 'Old Haidakhan Baba' and published them in a book called "Bhagwan Shri Haidakhan Wale Baba." Mahendra Baba, Giridhari Lal and Vishnu Dutt Mishra all came to the conclusion, on the basis of their research, visions, and spiritual insight, that 'Old Haidakhan Baba,' the Babaji of whom Shri Yogananda and Shri Yukteswar wrote, and the (then - coming, or foretold) Haidakhan Babaji of recent manifestation are all manifestations of Lord Shiva and all are the same Entity.

Mahendra Maharaj spent twenty years after his experience of Shri Babaji at Siddhashram telling people of this Babaji, developing a degree of unity among them, caring for the ashrams, creating and teaching people a sung service of worship of Babaji as the manifestation of Lord Shiva, and telling people that Shri Babaji would re-a­pear, and that they could hasten that appearance with their prayers. Many miracles are attributed to Mahendra Maharaj, which he always insisted were the blessings of Haidakhan Baba - not his. Illiterate people, with his blessing, became learned scholars or composers; the literate Vishnu Dutt Mishra became a powerful and widely recognized religious poet and prophet; dying devotees were restored to health; poor people attained riches; childless couples had children. And he continued to predict Shri Babaji's return in physical form; in 1968 or 1969, he is said to have told some people that Babaji would come in 1970; others say he told a few people Babaji would come "soon."

In the summer of 1969, Mahendra Maharaj felt somewhat unwell and decided to go to hill stations (the 5000 -7000-foot, cool resorts in the foothills of the Himalayas) for his health. He left Vrindaban with two devotees and went to Haldwani, then on to Almora for about twelve days. There was nothing particularly wrong with him and the cooler weather restored his good feelings. He came back to warmer Haldwani, on the plains, and stayed at the home of his devotee Mistrilal.

Giridhari Lal Mishra died, in Rajgarh, unexpectedly, of a heart attack, on June 11, 1969. Shastriji wrote a letter to Mahendra Maharaj telling him of Giridhari Lal's death. The letter took twelve days to catch up with Mahendra Maharaj. When he received it, in Haldwani, Mahendra Maharaj commented to disciples around him that when his best disciple has departed, "What is the point in my staying here?" Mahendra Baba then sent one of his devotees to deliver his condolences to Vishnu Dutt. That evening, at about 8 p.m., Mahendra Ma-haraj became very sick. Doctors were called to Mistrilal's house, but they could do nothing; at 8:30 Mahendra Maharaj had left his body.

A decision was made to take his body to Vrindaban for cremation, and telegrams were sent to devotees in Bombay, Gwalior, and Gujarat. A wooden carrier was made; Mahendra Maharaj's body was given its ritual bath and dressed, and chandan (sandalwood paste) was applied to his forehead. The body was put on blocks of ice and covered with flower garlands and driven off to Vrindaban in a truck.

When the truck and the devotees reached Vrindaban, they drove all around the town so that all who knew him could have Mahendra Maharaj's last darshan and pay their respects. At about twelve noon, the body of Mahendra Maharaj was cremated on the banks of the Yamuna River in the town that he had loved all his life. With hundreds of weeping devotees gathered, soon after the fire was lit, Mahendra Maharaj's hand lifted up and gave his final blessing to his mourning friends and devotees.

"Hail, hail to Lord Haidakhan, Who incarnated for the liberation the world!" From the Haidakhan Aarati.