Let me describe more wonders, extraordinary ones — listen, all of you, with deepened love. Among Maharaj's great sadhus was the foremost, Santdas, who wandered alone in the northern lands, his heart free of any fear. Trusting in Maharaj's word, he set his intention inwardly upon it, and from that day he lost all bodily awareness and became one with it.
Hear his story, which I write in brief — how, while still embodied, he attained the state of perfection and wandered the northern land. Blessed, blessed is the sadhu Santdas, who had no attachment to this body; though still embodied he attained the state of the perfected, wandering wisely through this world and beyond.
To him the compassionate Lord said with grace: "Go and see Daluji, the merciful one. I must certainly go there myself, and your going will accomplish that purpose. Tell him all that has happened here — hearing it, Dalu will rejoice. There are also sixteen other liberated ones there, and one beautiful and renowned woman — give them my blessing too. Go quickly, dear one." Hearing this word, Santdas set off toward Daluji in that far land.
The path was exceedingly remote and treacherous, with many river crossings and difficult fords; ordinary men could not travel there — along the way, man devoured man. Yet Santdas set out, trusting in the great Lord's word; with a mere wish he closed his eyes, and his body rose as though on wings. In a single moment he arrived there and saw Daluji seated among the liberated ones. Santdas came forward to meet them, and they received him with love and seated him close by. They worshipped him, and the assembled devotees then had a meal prepared with devotion.
Santdas sat beside Dalu, who asked him with loving reverence, "Tell me truly, Santdas, of the renowned Swami Sahajanand." Santdas said, "What can I say — today he wields such great power! I have seen with my own eyes crores of sinful, fallen souls delivered by him. Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, or Shudra — any who look upon Swami enter samadhi. Whether man or woman, one's awareness extends beyond body and universe. I have heard such things told in many scriptures, but what is happening today is unheard of." Then Daluji said, "Listen, sadhu — today God himself has come. Other incarnations occur by the crore, but there is a reason behind this one, without doubt."
Thus they conversed with each other, and all who heard rejoiced. Talking joyfully in this way, Santdas remained six months with Daluji. Then Daluji said, "Listen, sadhu, go now and have darshan there — know that what is here is there as well, no more and no less." Santdas then asked leave, and the fortunate one set off quickly. He came to Swami Sahajanand and had his darshan there.
He then related what had happened with Daluji, and hearing it directly, Maharaj said, "Daluji is truly a liberated incarnation, and so is that one woman — know them both as divine forms; they do not embrace ordinary people." Santdas had had their darshan and stayed with them for six months. I have told one such wonder — many others like it occurred as well.
Santdas remained there some more days; then the Lord spoke to him confidentially: "Go now to Badrivan, where the sage-lord Nar-Narayan dwells in Badrivan. That is the same form as I am; what you see manifest here is another. I dwell in many forms in many abodes, and give happiness to the dwellers of each place. But the dwellers of Badrikashram are exceedingly renounced ascetics devoted to austerity, and so they are especially dear to me — go, wise one, and see them."
Santdas then set off from there toward the sage-lord Nar-Narayan. This is truly an astonishing matter — consider it well in your hearts, all of you. To go in this very body to the northern land, entering beyond the Himalayas — this body cannot make such a journey; whoever makes it must be called divine. Whatever power enables this comes from the same source as everything else. Taking leave, Santdas set off joyfully toward the northern region.
The path was exceedingly harsh and treacherous, impossible for an embodied man to travel; yet along such a path this dispassionate one went, and the fortunate sadhu crossed beyond the Himalayas. Then he came to a river of stones, which an embodied being could never cross — any metal or wooden object thrown in turned to stone the moment it touched the water. Knowing the water to have this quality, he did not dip even a foot in it, but sat on the bank considering how to cross. At that moment four sages arrived and asked, "Where are you going, muni?" He said, "To Badrikavan." They said, "Sage, come with us — close your eyes and we will cross the water." He closed his eyes without delay, and they crossed ten yojanas of water. There he saw a fine ashram, where lakhs upon lakhs of sages sat.
The auspicious mountain of Badri was there, with thousands upon thousands of caves; in the midst was one great deep cave — that of Nar-Narayan. Santdas arrived there, and the Imperishable ones themselves rose to meet him, honoring him with great affection. "Welcome," said the Lord. The sages gave him pure water, then fed him delicious fruit. Then the sage-lord asked, "Tell us of the greatness of the great Lord." The Lord Nar-Narayan asked, "What is Hari doing with the sages now?" Santdas said, "What can I say — today it is beyond telling! The power that Shyam wields, in speaking of it, both mind and speech fall silent. But you already know all this, Lord — yet since you have asked, I fold my hands and tell it."
As this exchange of good news continued, the fine and clear evening arrived. The two great ones sat upon fine seats, and the ten wise sages came before them; feasting their eyes upon the Lord, they then met with Santdas. All greeted him with affection, showing love in their hearts. Narayan said, "Listen, sadhu — these sages are exceedingly renounced. Some go twelve years and then eat but once; some go six years before hunger and thirst touch them. Some eat once a year; many observe six-month fasts. Some eat once a month; thousands upon thousands observe fortnightly fasts. All these are happy in samadhi, none suffering in any way; their bodies are wholly given to austerity, their inner attention fixed on devotion. Whenever they wish for food or water, it is given, and they attain perfection along with it."
Thus spoke the lord of sages, and the wise Santdas listened. Some days passed thus; then his mind turned toward going to Manasarovar. The lord of sages said to the sadhu, "Do not bathe in that water — your body cannot bear it. So return quickly without bathing, and after seeing it, come meet me along with the muni." Santdas then went to Manasarovar and saw the swans and the lotus groves.
Having seen it, he turned back — but Santdas bathed in it. Cold overcame him and his body froze stiff; the lord of sages had him carried back. Then, warmed by much heat, the sadhu regained consciousness. He then bowed at Narayan's feet, and remained there a fortnight more. Then the lord of sages said, "Santdas, go now to the great Lord — what is there is present here too; why remain sitting here, sadhu?" Having said this, the Lord gave him leave and sent the four sages along with him. They carried him across the river and turned back again with reverence.
The muni set off with joy in his heart and came to the beautiful land of Kailash. There the king was a practitioner of hatha-yoga, and Santdas came and gave him instruction. When the king would go into samadhi he would remain there for six months, during which his kingdom, wealth, sons, and wife would still trouble his mind constantly. Santdas made him truly happy, allowing no other thought to arise; he had him see the manifest Lord, and the king, made happy, gave up his body. His skull-suture split open and his life-breath departed, and he went, having attained satsang, to a wise state.
From there Santdas set off and came to a village called Verwal. There thieves seized him, beat him severely, and bound him, taking him for a spy and inflicting much suffering, planning to kill him. Then his relatives, taking on the Lord's form, came, met him, and had him released, and departed after giving the devotee darshan.
From there Santdas set off and, after many days, arrived in Gujarat. He rested ten days in the villages of Jetalpur and Dabhan. Then from there he came to the Lord, and Santdas met with Hari. Sitting before him, Santdas told all that Bhagwan asked of him, telling the whole wondrous story with understanding, though no one else's ear caught it fully. Maharaj said it was a wondrous tale, and the sadhu who understood said, "So says Shri Bhagwan."
Then the Lord said, "Blessed, blessed — there is none other like you. You have attained the state of the perfected, and so you are the greatest of all. Now wander throughout satsang and tell what you have seen there." Such was the renowned and capable sadhu, and this is the true account of what he attained. Great indeed is Maharaj's story — it cannot be told fully by mouth; the greatness of Hari and his devotees cannot be spoken truly in its entirety.