Yogi Sri Balanand Bhramachari

Pranams at the lotus feet of Baba Balanand Bhramachari!

Chapter -6

Balanandji after staying seven or eight months in the Gangoji Ashram, he started for the auspicious Narmada Parikrama,  during his journey he met with Gaurishanker Maharaj, who takes Narmada Parikrama on every yearly basis, his Yoga Siddhi was well known for all.  They together conducted the Parikrama, he could witness the blessings of  Riddi and Siddhi during this trip.  He had a close association with Bhramanand Maharaj, he took great care of Balanand when he came to know that he is the disciple of Bhramanandji.  He spent nearly seven or eight years with Gaurishankar Maharaj, during this period he learned knowledge in various Shasthras from him.  After this, he conducted a spiritual tour to various sacred places, in the meantime, he makes a regular visit to Bhramandji, and it was continued until the Mahasiddhi of Bhramanand Maharaj.

Once he was taking Parikrama of Narmada, he reached in Mandala, there was a pious saint with him, and they had necessities like one pair of clothes and prayer beads and shoulder bag. During those days there were notorious thieves who lived in this area. Therefore the Police Commissioner took a personal visit to this place and settled in the wood, he saw two saints near his bungalow, he asked his men to catch them and produce before him.  Their shoulder bags were thoroughly checked and found a knife and sword; Police commissioner got angry and assumed them as thieves who were missing so long.  Balanandji said “Sir, We are holy men, we do not stay in a single place for long, and we keep moving place to place and visit sacred lands.   We do not carry any meals or even cook, whatever we get as alms we consume or use these weapons to take out rooted vegetables to prepare meals, and we do not stay in a place for long, this sword we will use for building shelter wherever we feel like to settle for a day or two.” But nothing was gone into the ears of Commissioner; they continued an investigation of these saints. They found some spirituous substances, it annoyed the Commissioner. He blamed the saints are thieves and influences people with these spirituous substances.  Finally, the verdict arrived that the two saints will spend three years in prison.  Balanandji said spirituous substances are not poison, it is an inevitable part in saintly people’s life.  It is used as a medicinal herb as the saints have to travel a long way by foot, it helps them to remove their exhaustion and cure illness.   He asked to show him that it is consumable; Balanandji immediately swallowed the whole spirituous substances.  The two saints came out of the Bungalow of the commissioner, Balanandji was feeling anxious and sick of consuming the whole spirituous substances, he was feeling terribly ill, his eyes were becoming dark, and he realized that his death is nearer.  He requested the fellow saint to leave his mortal coil in the waters of Narmada.  Soon Balanandji felt the presence of Ma Narmada in the ray of light; some miracle happened Balanandji regained his consciousness, at that very moment young son of Commissioner died.   The son of Commissioner was just got back from hunting, while taking a cup of tea he was feeling anxious and vomited, before the arrival of the doctor his death happened.  One respected person in the society arrived after hearing the death of the son of Commissioner, on his way to Bungalow, he saw two saints, one was terribly ill fallen unconscious on the ground, the other saint narrated all that happened and concluded after consuming the spirituous substances at the order of commissioner the saint collapsed.  The gentleman met the commissioner and said “You have not done the right thing, you have unnecessarily punished a renounced soul, therefore bring the doctor to attend him and release them immediately.”