I did not sleep the whole night.  My mind slipped to my younger days.  I had never expected this transformation in such a short time.  When Shiva decides, He can make anybody as a yogi in a minute. I know that divine grace has been showered on me only because of my lack of desire and attachment.  I do not anticipate anything in life.  I cross the bridge when it comes.

Before my departure, I prostrated before Baba.  He hugged me and bid me good bye.  I walked with guruji to the Rudraprayag bus station.  By the time we reached Maharaj’s ashram, it was past five in the evening.  Maharaj smiled at me.  He did not say anything.

Next day morning, Maharaj asked me to come with him and guruji.  Guruji took me to the temple where Maharaj initiated me. Both of us were waiting for Maharaj to come.  After half an hour, Maharaj came with Nalini.  I was asked to place kumkum on her forehead.  The priest of the temple brought two garlands and gave one to each of us.  Maharaj asked us to exchange the garland.  Maharaj said in the presence of the presiding Deity, guruji and the priest, “I now declare that Shankara Yogi Maharaj and Nalini as husband and wife” and the temple priest endorsed his statement. Maharaj asked me to take Nalini’s hands and go around the temple.  We came out.  Maharaj took us to the Ganges and took Ganges water in his hands and sprinkled on us. He asked us to remove the garland and put them in Ganges water.  He accompanied us to Nalini’s house.  He asked us to stay there till I get further information.  He asked both of us to see him that evening. 

Nalini is able to notice the difference in my face.  She had already prepared good food.  She served lunch for me and then she had her lunch.  After finishing her job she came and I told her, what happened till now and our proposed trip to Haridwar.

“When we are going to Haridwar?” she asked.

“We have to wait for their instructions” I said

 “I know very well. We can begin our life in Haridwar and I as your wife assure you that I will carry out all my responsibilities perfectly and will help you in all your endeavors.  As long as I am alive, I will never allow even an ant to bite you.  You have complete right over me.  If you guide me spiritually I will be grateful to you. I assure you that I will be a good disciple and a good wife.” She fell down at my feet.  I wiped her tears.

We had our bath at home itself and proceeded towards Maharaj’s ashram.  He asked us to sit. 

“Both of you are carrying more responsibilities on your shoulders. Bhagola Aghori Baba had already explained to you in detail.  To my knowledge, he had never initiated anyone into kundalini meditation and you are the first and possibly the last as well.  You now have all the qualifications of a perfect guru.  We have worked very hard in locating you, seasoning you, initiating you and have made you fit for liberation.  Your primary duty to the world is to explain what spirituality is.  You should never do anything for money.  Your primary enemy in this world should be money power. You have to prove to the world that money power is nothing before spiritual power. Spirituality and material life cannot go together.  You do not know how much we have struggled to bring out the best in you. You are too young and in order to protect you from the evils of temptations, you are also provided with the best companion. She has enormous wisdom and perseverance to make your mission successful.  Nalini will hand over her house to your guruji who will settle down there till his last breath.  You will not have difficulties in your life.  In case you have, think about Bhagola Aghori Baba and he will guide you.  You should always stay connected with him.  When you further become refined, Shiva with His consort will appear before you and liberate both of you.  I pray to Shakti that She should take care of both of you as Her own children and in fact you are indeed.  You can leave for Haridwar tomorrow morning.  Baba is waiting for your arrival to leave his body” concluded Maharaj.  It was very upsetting to know that Shilagra Baba is going leave his body.

We paid our respects to Maharaj and left along with guruji to Nalini’s house.  Nalini packed her things in a box and we were ready to leave.  I thought that many surprises are happening too fast in my life.  When the dawn appeared, I left for Ganges along with guruji to have my bath.  I went to the temple where I got married to Nalini and prayed before Shakti to give me the will power to pursue the spiritual life as desired by my four gurus.  We came home and Nalini was ready.  Someone bought a car to take us to Hairdwar.  The driver said that he was sent by Baba of Haridwar.  We reached Haridwar by about eleven in the morning.

Baba was waiting for us.  I remembered that Baba will leave his body within six hours of my arrival at his place.  I have arrived.  Baba called me.  He asked me to remove the fire pit before him and put it into the Ganges. He asked me to clear all his belongings in the ashram.  I bundled everything as per his instructions. 

“I was born and bought up here.  Mother Ganges only taught me to crawl, walk and run.  She is everything to me.  After my death, wrap my body in that white cloth.  In the backyard, I have kept a white marble stone.  Place my body wrapped in white cloth and tie the body strongly to the stone.  Bring a cart and carry my body to the burning ghat and push my body into the Ganges.  My body can never be found thereafter.  Now it is time for me to meditate.  I am closing this door for the first time after I entered this place.  Open the door after an hour.  Now both of you go out and bring a cart to carry my body.  Do not open the door before one hour under any circumstances.”

I felt very sad to lose Shilagra Baba.  But it is already decided and I cannot do anything about it. Moreover, he is going to be liberated forever. We went to the town and brought a hand cart man.  One hour is not over.  We waited patiently outside his ashram.  Suddenly there was a strong fragrance emanating from his room.  I thought it is time to open the room. I established connection with Bhagola Aghori Baba and sought his permission to open the door.  After obtaining his permission, I opened the door.  Baba was sitting in the same position, but from the top of his skull, fumes were coming out diffusing pleasant smell all-round.  On hearing the news of Baba’s samadhi, crowd began to swell.  I did as directed by Baba and carried his body in the cart.  On reaching the ghat, I took his body in a boat and to the middle of the river, where Mother Ganges appeared in person and took his body and vanished.  Everyone around was dumbfounded about what had happened in front of their eyes. It was not a miracle.  Mother Ganges displayed Her love for Baba openly.  I took bath in the Ganges paying my last respects to Baba and walked back to the ashram.  By the time I reached the ashram, Nalini had washed the ashram.  We did nothing for the next few days.  I have not felt so bad when my mother died.  One week had gone by. 

We have decided to begin our mission in the banks of Ganges.  At around four in the evening, we left our ashram and reached the banks of Ganges, a few meters away from the statue of Lord Shiva where aarti is performed daily at 5.30 in the evening.  I decided to begin my first lecture around 4.30.  As the first step I mentally worshipped my guruji, departed Shilagra Baba, Maharaj and Bhagola Aghori Baba.  I sought the blessings of Shakti and Shiva.  I told Him that it is His responsibility to give me confidence to speak to a crowd.  There were few sages and saints who were sitting in a scattered manner. There could be ten or fifteen of them.  The local residents normally come to the Ganges in the evening hours.  There could be twenty to thirty of them. We were also sitting one among them.  I got up and climbed to the top of the steps.

Many people had witnessed Mother Ganges appearing in person to take the body of Shilagra Baba.  People began to throng me wherever I go.  Normally I meditate in the morning at the ashram and in the evening I go to the banks of Ganges, where I give discourses and listen to people’s woes and give them solutions.  My discourses will be mainly on spirituality and realisation of the Self.

One day, when I was lecturing, a young couple came towards me carrying their dead child, bitten by a snake.  They placed the child before me.  I was sitting in lotus posture.  I looked at the child.  The child is already dead and its body had turned blue.  I sought the intervention of Bhagola Aghori Baba. I took the child and placed it on my lap and placed my right hand on the top of its head.  I started my prayers.  The child’s blue colour gradually faded away and the child began to move.  After sometime, the child began to cry.  The crowd was thrilled and the child’s parents were moved and the doctors were surprised.  Within no time I became popular throughout Haridwar and nearby places.  Crowd thronged me at the ashram in the morning.  Nowadays I come to the banks of Ganges even at three in the afternoon unmindful of the sweltering heat. Many shared their woes and worries seeking solutions and I offered them solutions.  Money is strictly prohibited in the ashram.  A few months passed by.

One day while I was meditating in the early morning, in deep trance, guruji asked me to rush to Rishikesh where he lives.  I availed the next available opportunity to rush to Rishikesh.  He was lying flat.  He has become very thin.  On seeing me, a sort of contentment was visible in his eyes.  His voice has become very fragile.  My intuitive power told me that he is in his last few minutes.  I sat by his side and placed his head on my lap.  There are tears in my eyes.

“Shankaraaaaaa, time has come for me to leave this world.  The time I had spent with you is still reverberating in my mind. Now I am able to see Shiva with Shakti in His lap.  They are going to take me with them.  They are waiting for the dotted time which is approaching.   Om Namashivaya, Om Namashivaya, Om Namas………..

His causal body along with his soul left through his crown chakra. I could see a bright and radiating light leaving his skull like a rocket racing towards the sky. I cried uncontrollably.  Guruji is the sole cause for my transformation.  Without my knowledge I shouted.

“Will you come back guruji?”

CONCLUDED