I Will Keep My Word

For reasons known only to Maharajji, sometimes he would seem to bargain with death and push it away from one of his devotees, while at other times he would not intercede and the devotee would die.

Because Maharajji knew the time of each person's death, but hated to be the bearer of bad news, he would often be absent at the time when one of his devotees must die.

In some cases, when pressed, he gave a subtle clue, but often it was merely his absence that was the clue for the devotees who had come to know his ways.

Once a neighbor lady came to my wife and said she was going for the darshan of another local baba. She asked my wife to accompany her, so my wife went along.

The neighbor showed her hand to the baba, as he was considered an expert in palmistry, astrology, and such things.

But the baba said, "I don't want to see your hand, I want to see her(my wife's) hand." She didn't want to show it, but he insisted and he told her that she would die in six months.

My wife told this to Maharajji, who immediately exclaimed, "Sub gulat(It's all wrong)! Why did that baba say that? Will you not die? A time will not come when you will die? Everybody will die! Why didn't you say to him, 'What - will you not die? Are you immortal?' He will also die. Everybody will die. Why does he say such things? It's very bad that he says such things. Wicked!"

Then Maharajji narrated another story about a saint. I was there to hear it.

"Well, there was a saint. A woman came to see him. Her husband had just died. She bowed to his lotus feet, and he gave her his blessing and told her that she would have five sons. She said, 'But Maharaj, I have come to you because my husband has just died. How will I have five sons?' The saint replied, 'I have told you that you will have five sons and I will keep my word.' And her husband came back to life." Then Maharajji said, "And I will do the same thing. Since I have given my word, I will complete it. You will not die. You will live for senety-five years. Don't be worried." That was eight years ago. She is still alive.