All World
Gayatri Pariwar

Second Journey to Mathura

After Shriram’s first attempt to go to the Himalayas, he did not even cross the borders of Aanwalkheda on his own will. He had gone to his mother’s native place but that was alongwith his father and the entire family. Mathura had always attracted Shriram. One day, after the Shraddha Karma (ceremony in the honour of the deceased) of father was over, Shriram asked Taiji, ‘Mother, if I give my word that I will return home, will you permit me to go to Mathura?’ The way he put forth his request did not give any chance to his mother to refuse. When she asked how long he would take to return, he replied that he would be back in 8 to 10 days. Taiji happily gave her consent. In those days, there were no regular rapid means of transport. The journey from Aawalkheda to Mathura and back itself would take 3 to 4 days. She was tempted once to ask the 12-year old Shriram to stay back. But she knew that it would break his heart. She suggested that someone should accompany him. But Shriram wanted to go alone. She acceded to his request and the next day arranged for clothes, bedding and money for his travel and accommodation.

Shriram reached Mathura the next day, travelling by a combination of bullock-cart, horse and rail. They had some relatives in Mathura, but he chose not to go to their house and laid his camp at Shyamji ki Bagichi instead. After visiting the temple of Dwarkadheesh, Vishram Ghat, etc he traveled through the Vrindavan Road and reached a Bagichi (a small garden-cum-rest house). There was a small well and 3 to 4 open rooms with facilities for taking bath and rest. A number of such Bagichis were located on the road from Mathura to Vrindavan. The Vraj region had many such Bagichis. Rich people spent their evenings there. The presence of trees and flowering plants gave a pleasant atmosphere to the place. Typically, near such a garden, a small temple dedicated to a god or goddess was also present. Normally there used to be an idol of Hanuman, but there were idols of Radha-Krishna, Durga or some saint or Mahatma also. The Bagichi in which Shriram was staying had a temple that had an idol of a goddess. When he enquired, whose idol it was, nobody could give a clear answer. Someone said that it was the idol of Durga while others said that it was Lakshmi or Sita. Anyway, Shriram liked that idol very much.

Shriram stayed in that place for about a week. He used to take bath in the morning and leave the place only to return in the evening. In Mathura-Vridavan, Bhandaras (distribution of food offered to the Lord) used to be organized at several places. Even if one did not work for a living, they could easily survive out of the Bhandaras served in the Ashrams. Even today, many people live on Bhandaras. Shriram used to visit these ashrams but he was never interested in the food they served. He would eat whatever his mother had packed in Aawalkheda. For a change, he would buy some light food from the shop of Phoolchand Pedewale near Dwarkadheesh temple or from Chauk, and spent all his time in seeing places.

Meeting Kathia Baba

During his daylong walks, he rarely went to the temples. Most of his time was spent in Ashrams and on the banks of the Yamuna. It appeared as though he was in search of something. As long as he stayed in the Bagichi, he would concentrate on the idol of the Goddess. He would get up, go and see it. He asked every new person who came about whose idol it was. One day he received the answer to his question in a very unique way. It so happened that a saint came to the Bagichi. His name was Baba Ramdas, but he was popularly known as Kathiya Baba because he wore a loincloth made of Kath (meaning wood). It was so arranged around his waist that it could be loosened or removed when required.

Kathiya Baba used to stay in Vrindavan but had not established an Ashram for himself. He came to the Bagichi that morning with a loud chant of ‘Jai Ambe’. He took bath near the well and went for darshan of the deity installed there. He sat in the temple for a long time. He was not doing any kind of worship but was simply meditating. Shriram was observing him with curiosity. The moment he got up from meditation, Shriram fell at his feet. Kathiya Baba immediately said, ‘No child, No’ and took two steps backward and, in a normal voice asked ‘Where have you come from?’ Shriram gave his typical introduction. Baba then asked, ‘Where are you going?’ To that Shriram replied, ‘Destination is same for everyone, but I am not able to figure out how to reach it.’ Baba’s face lit up with this answer. Baba said, ‘You are going in the right direction. So, how can you say that you do not know the path?’

Kathiya Baba speaks about himself.

A discussion began between them and continued for a long time. Kathiya Baba narrated about his sadhana and his journey till date. It was the Baba who informed Shriram that the idol in the temple was that of Goddess Gayatri. There used to be an Ashram, 300 to 400 years back, in the same place where the Bagichi was situated. Twenty to twenty five sadhaks continuously stayed in the Ashram in the presence of a Sanyasi. They used to do Gayatri Jap and study the Vedas and scriptures. Baba also told that hundreds of years back, Bhagavat discourses used to take place at the very same place. On hearing Baba’s words, Shriram felt an inspiration to do Gayatri Mantra Japa in a larger count. He was anyway initiated with Gayatri Mantra when he was invested with the sacred thread. Hence the sadhana began.

Baba did not say where he was born or who were there in his family. A sanyasi is not supposed to give an introduction about his previous worldly life. When a sadhak becomes a sanyasi (an ascetic), his ‘Antyeshti’ (ritual of cremation) is performed. He is laid on the funeral pyre and once the pyre is lit, he is lifted back. The purpose of these rituals is to create the feeling of a new life. It is advised that he forget about his previous life because it has ended. Just as death snatches away one’s personality and resources; in the same way, the previous life has also receded to the background.

Kathiya Baba said that after his studies, he returned home. There was an intense desire to do Gayatri Anushthan. There was a garden near his house that had a huge banyan tree. He decided to do his anushthan beneath this tree. He started the anushthan in a methodical way after doing ‘Kavacha’ etc. He was well-versed with the procedure of anushthan as he had learnt it from his Guru.

After completing a part of anushthan, he received an inspiration to complete the rest of Jap at Jwalamukhi (Shaktipeeth in Himachal Pradesh). The nature of inspiration was such that it appeared as if someone was standing in front of him and asking him or the voice was coming from the banyan tree. Jwalamukhi was 60 Km from his residence. He got up from his seat beneath the banyan tree and headed for Jwalamukhi instead of going home. One of Baba’s nephews also used to meditate along with him. He too followed Baba to Jwalamukhi. Both of them began to walk in a non-stop manner. On their way, they met a Mahatma. Without even a preliminary introduction, he asked him ‘Will you take sanyas (renunciation)?’ Kathiya Baba did not give a second thought and agreed to it. The preparations for the sanyas began and the nephew got worried and tried to dissuade Baba. His cries and pleas had no effect on the Baba. The nephew ran back and brought his grandfather- Baba’s father.

By the time his father arrived, it was too late. The son had become a sanyasi. He was grief stricken and pleaded with his son to return home. The son told his father that there was no scope for retraction from sanyas ashram. The father tried to explain that nobody had seen him becoming a sanyasi and hence they could come up with some excuse to defend his shaven head. Kathiya Baba remained unflinched and refused to even recognize his father as per the rules of Sanyas. His father returned home deeply dejected.

Baba chose to sit beneath the banyan tree where he was initiated into sanyas. He continued to meditate till late in the night. He slept for a few hours past midnight and began to medidate again in the morning. In the course of meditation, he had the vision of Mother Bhagvati who asked him to seek a boon. Kathiya Baba replied that he did not have any desires left. He told the Divine Mother that he had taken sanyas and that there was no desire remaining in his being. He sought Her blessings so that no desire would ever arise in him in future also. Kathiya Baba was endowed with various spiritual attainments (siddhis). Whatever he uttered became manifest. Whoever came to him for refuge were relieved of their sufferings.

The remarkable orchard and meeting with Booti Siddha Baba

Kathiya Baba told several astonishing things related to the place where the Bagichi stood. One of the interesting facts was that Sage Durvasa had done Gayatri Sadhana here in Treta Yug. Sri Krishna and Balram had stopped here to do their Sandhyavandan on their way to Mathura to kill Kansa. Kathiya Baba also told Shriram about several Yagya Anushthans that had been performed in the place from time to time. Baba then asked Shriram to follow him and they went to a hillock that was three kilometers from the Bagichi. These days there is a college near the hillock. The elderly know of this hillock as ‘Gayatri Teela’.

Baba took Shriram to the top of the hillock. In a hut, an elderly saint was lying down. Both of them offered their salutations to him. The name of the saint was Booti Siddha Maharaj. He had gone into silence (Mauna Vrat) for the past 30 to 40 years. He never spoke to anyone and communicated through gestures when he needed something. Sometimes, he even used to communicate through writing. He was a native of Alwar but had settled there for several decades. Kathiya Baba had been told about Booti Siddha Maharaj that he had done a one crore japa. His remarkable devotion had won him the grace of Mother Gayatri and he had attained self-realization. 

After attaining Siddhi, he installed an idol of Gayatri on the hillock and offered food to all scholarly Brahmins of Mathura. Whatever took place after the installation of the idol was a wondrous happening on its own. How the required resources came in, nobody knew except Booti Baba himself. People believed that Baba had a special gadget that bestowed him with the required resources on worshipping it. The deprived, grief stricken and diseased people also visited the Baba. He never spoke anything to them but raised his hand in the form of a blessing. People believed that if Baba blessed them, then that was the end of their sufferings and it used to come true in the lives of many people who received his blessings.

The kings of princely states of Dhaulpur and Alwar used to come to Baba. Booti Baba himself never traveled to any place. If he wanted solitude, he went into the cave near his hut. Kathiya Baba introduced Shriram to Booti Siddha Maharaj. He was overwhelmed with Shriram’s faith and Sadhana. He raised both his hands and blessed him and also embraced him in a hug. After this, Kathiya Baba went his own way and Shriram returned to the Bagichi. A few days after the meeting, Booti Siddha Baba left his mortal body.

The blessings of the sages

In the Bagichi, Shriram had heard from a devotee that a saint had come to the Banks of Yamuna in Vrindavan. The saint never went anywhere leaving the banks of Yamuna and Ganga. He used to construct a raised platform (machan) on the bank and stay there. He used to speak to people from there. At times, he would stay in a hut built near the raised platform. Whatever time was left after the sadhana and upasana was spent in talking to people. In addition to these details, Shriram heard many more things about the saint - that he was not affected by hunger or thirst; nobody had ever seen him eating food; that he did not attend to nature’s calls.  Lot of time was saved because of being devoid of hunger and thirst, which was spent on dhyan dharna.

People had told strange things about his age too. Some said that he was 200 years old, while some others said that he was 600-700 years old. The folk tale was that even their grandparents and great grandparents had seen the Baba in the same physical state. Looking at Baba’s healthy body, one would say that he was no more than 30 to 35 years old. People said that he maintained his health through yogic siddhis. Whenever he desired, he could transform his body.

He either made the same body new or assumed a new body that looked similar to his earlier body in all respects. Shriram listened to these with lot of interest but never expressed any reaction. He was overcome by curiosity and started on his way to Vrindavan. It was summer then, but Yamuna was not dry as it would today. Plenty of water flowed in the river. These days, during the months of May and June, the river dries up so much that one can easily walk across the river. But in those days, there was plenty of water.