Babaji was in the habit of visiting a nearby village. One evening he came to the house of a devotee where he often took his food.

The lady of the house came out crying bitterly and said, "The person who used to serve you your food is lying there."

He lay dead, surrounded by the people who had come to arrange for his cremation.

Babaji sat down by the man, put a part of his blanket over the man's body, and began talking to the people around him.

He could be so very affectionate, behaving just like a son to the mothers. His great power, the miracles and such, no doubt were there, but the very soft, delicate, sweet and innocent impressions left by him provided a perennial source of joy -that human aspect.

At night in Allahabad, Baba would take his food in his small room and the mothers would sit with him.

Didi would be busy preparing the chapatis and my duty was to carry them one by one to him.After he finished his food he would go on talking to those mothers in a very relaxed mood. Sometimes he would take two spoons and begin to play on the head of one of the mothers.

When Maharaj-ji had drawn anyone to him, he cared for and protected that person. He would provide whatever was needed.

Whether you took it or not, that was up to you. Occasionally, however, he did force.

One winter, a relation of Dharm Narayan Sharma came to Allahabad to see Babaji.

That evening this man was to go to Calcutta for a job interview with the railway board. He was seeking Maharaj-ji’s ashirbad so that he would be successful.

When he was to leave, Babaji said, "Don't go"

 The man said, "No, Baba, I must go. "

But Babaji was insistent. They argued, but ultimately the man had to give it up.

He said to me, "Dada, I came to him for his ashirbad, so I could get that job. Now he has stopped me. " He was very bitter.

The next morning the man ran into the house, shouting, "Dada, see how Babaji has saved my life!"

The newspaper had come and he learned that there had been a very serious accident at the Mogul Serai railway station.

When we first arrived there was a big tent for a yagna that was being celebrated.

Many priests were engaged in doing the puja, and the number of visitors was increasing daily.

Bhandara was going on everyone was fed or offered prasad to carry away with them. Everyone was happy, but there were some exceptions.

 One day a few political leaders came after visiting some cities in the area. They were welcomed and offered prasad, but their reaction was hostile.

Seeing so much ghee and other ingredients being used for havan and the large number of people being fed puris, some of them flared up and said to me,

"There is such a food shortage in this country and so many are faced with famine. It is a sacrilege to waste so much food. How this can happen in an ashram is beyond our understanding.'

Babaji was not there at the time. Later he asked me about the episode.

He said, "These are the persons who have become the guardians of the people. They do not know where the food comes from.

We were sitting with Maharajji near the front of the ashram when a sadhu came walking in the gate.

He had a big jata and a beard, was wearing rudhraksha beads and carrying a trident.

As soon as he saw the man, Babaji jumped up and ran toward him.

Babaji met the man, spoke to him for a minute or two, and then the man disappeared. He just disappeared! Usha Bahadur cried, "Who was that person?" Maharajji never said a word about it.

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