Last year, Mahashivaratri was on 11 March. I was at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar and an amazing incident happened on that day. I share it here, because I feel it can be inspiring and may help, not to judge sadhus too quickly in a negative way.
I was standing at the roadside with other people, watching the Akhara of Naga Sadhus passing by to Har-ki-Pauri for Ganga Snan. There were some Babas on horses, some in carts and the majority walked, most of them naked and smeared with ash, some in saffron cloth.
One of the naked Babas stopped before me and asked for 100 Rupees. I gave him a note of 100 and he walked on.
A little while later, a saffron clad Sadhu stopped before me and also asked for 100 Rupees. I opened my purse and gave him a note of 50 and one of 20.
He said “30 baki hai” (30 are missing).
I told him that I don’t have 100, only a 200 Rupee note. Could he give back?
He said, I will give – mai de dunga.
So now he had 3 paper bills, of 20, 50, and 200 Rupees.
He put them one above the other and folded them small. Then he asked me to open my hand and he put this small paper parcel into my hand and asked me to close it and keep it closed.
Yet somehow, I opened it soon after and the paper opened up again.
He folded the 3 bills again, placed them again into my palm and told me to keep my fist closed.
After some 4 or 5 seconds, the paper in my hand suddenly felt different, somehow smooth. I opened my hand and lo…. I couldn’t believe it, a tiny shiva lingam was in my palm. It had replaced the 3 notes.
A couple from Kutch, Gujarat, stood next to me and they were also stunned. In fact, the wife went spontaneously several steps away and told me later, that she is frightened of such sadhus. The sadhu said a few things, but i don’t remember what. Then he joined the others walking.
I was glad that at first, I had opened my hand quickly, as I could see that there were really the paper bills in it. Otherwise, I might have doubted, if maybe he had distracted me and put the lingam into my hand though I could feel the paper.
On the next day, I attended the Arti in the ashram of Anandamayi Ma in Kankhal and went afterwards into the ashram shop. I didn’t look for it nor did I expect it, but right near the entrance there were some plastic pouches with the same type of tiny spatic Shiva lingas.
I asked the price… Rs 160.
The sadhu had said he would give back and had kept his promise.
But I have no idea what happened to the money and if or how it reached him…. Nor do I have any idea how the Shiva lingam got into my closed fist.
So many things we don’t know….
By Maria Wirth
Would like to inform: Since my book “Thank you India- a German woman’s journey to the wisdom of Yoga” got very good reviews, but hardly anyone knows about the book, I would like to let you know that it is available under the below link of the publisher for Rs 349. It’s also available on Amazon.in (they charge more). On amazon.com only the Kindle version is available.
https://www.garudabooks.com/thank-you-india-by-maria-wirth/
(actually i was advised by someone who likes my book and wants more people to read it, to add this para to my articles, and no, it was not my publisher…:)
10 Comments
Astoning
Surprising!
Dear Maria, Thank you for sharing this miracle. Its quite amazing how even now these type of sadhus still exist. We have had quite few coming to the Ashram. They have given shiva lingas and vibhuti etc Quite strange. Im still in KL. trying for another extension. My sister pleads with me to stay. Dont know how long I can stay. lots of love and blessings, mataji
woah…
Hey Maria
read ur book. fascinating stuff.
do u know any living enlightened master? Would like to experience the same silence, tears rolling down for no reason , tranquil feeling
can’t say for sure… but i feel if one is sincere in bhakti and wanting to know the truth, what is needed, comes one’s way. i also feel, the best sadhana apart from Yog, Pranayam, Dhyan is to be aware in the present as often as possible.
Thank you for sharing your experience/s.
Baba Neeb Karori (Neem Karoli baba) in his thousands of miracles, did a similar deed to teach a lesson to a (fake) sadhu.
Maria ji, you might have definitely surprised by that Sadhu Maharaj act, most of the Indians not (I mean Sanatana Bhaktas). I had at least 2-3 times such experience with myself and witnessing others with such incidents. Those are called Siddh Shakti attained with Gor Tapas by these Sadhus. Generally, once attained such power, they don’t reveal to anybody unless there is immense need of it. In your case, it is really Shiva Kataksham. Be blessed! Hari Om.
Try Vipassanna by S.N.Goenka ji at Dhamma.org. It is a ten-day residential workshop with certain restrictions. You cannot carry mobile, books, radio. For ten days, you will not be talking to any of the co-meditators. From morning 4 till evening 9, meditation with proper breaks. First two days, you may feel like running away. From fourth day second half, you will expereince real bliss, if you are lucky. Centers are spread across the globe. Two months Befpre you decide to go, start pradticing sitting on the floor from thirty minutes to two hours. So that, you can get the full benefit of your course.
Truly divine!