Also in the Panchal region, in Kariyani village, the Lord performed boundless divine plays there, and made it his own abode. Whoever lived in that village, men and women and children, whether devoted or not, all had darshan of Bhagwan. Those with understanding became satsangis; those without understanding remained as they were. Wicked men were even pleased by it -- how could such opposition ever cease? But whoever has had darshan of the Merciful One does not go in vain; at the time of death, Shri Hari surely comes and gives his aid.
Listen to their account, all of you -- I shall now tell what happened. There was a Kathi, greatly opposed to Hari, named Manshiyo, without doubt. His body was healthy and comfortable, without the least suffering. Sitting naturally outside his house, four messengers of Yama came to take him. Extremely dark and of cruel voice, seeing whom no living being could survive; very hungry, wicked, and terrifying, with nooses and weapons in hand -- two sat in an iron cart, and two more sat on a buffalo.
Then, getting down from the cart and buffalo, they seized the Kathi and took him captive. They beat him and forced him along, taking him just as he was, as belonging to Yama. There was a great commotion, yet still the messengers of Yama would not release him. They said, "Opposed one, why do you remain -- what has become of your abandoning our Swami? If you have fallen into our hands, why do you now wish for comfort?"
Manshiyo replied at that time, "I have had darshan of Swamiji. I have done nothing else -- whatever I did, this is how it turned out. Now, if Swami wishes to intervene, he will; otherwise I have no other support." As he spoke thus, the Imperishable One arrived, and the messengers of Yama fled, seized with terror.
Then Manshiyo came home and said, "Nath has saved me from this danger." As some time passed thus, Yama's forces returned. They immediately caught hold of him again, and Manshiyo raised a great outcry. Yama's messengers said, "Do not let the village wake up -- let us take him further away." Then another said, "Let us go to the outskirts"; one said, "There may be a sadhu ahead." One said, "There is no sadhu here -- why keep this fear in your mind?"
Then they took him and led him out of the village; at that time the Beloved One arrived. In anger he said to the messengers, "Why has your foolish heart gone mad? This village has people who have my satsangi's darshan as their protection. You wretches, why do you come to take him -- why are you asking for death? Go, give up hope for this village," said the Imperishable One to Yama's messengers.
Manshiyo heard all this, and recounted it exactly as it had happened. Hearing this, everyone said, "This is indeed a great miracle."
There was also, in this village, a carpenter named Mavo, who was not a satsangi. The end of his body's life came -- let me tell now what happened. Three messengers of Yama came to fetch him, seized his life, and he suffered death. When Yama's messengers had taken his soul and were returning, Swami met them in the form of a sadhu. He said to Yama's messengers, "Why have you taken this soul?"
They said, "This is an opposed carpenter -- we shall take him to Yamapuri." Then the sadhu said, "He shall not be taken -- even if you try a million ways. He has been doing our work -- we have no need to fetch him." Then Yama's messengers said, "He is not yours -- why are you delaying our taking this soul?" "Whatever work he does for you, he is afraid of someone." Then the sadhu said, "You speak truly, but the fruit of service to the sadhus is due to him. So in this matter you are greatly at fault -- go, leave him, why remain stubborn?" Then Yama's messengers went away disappointed, and the sadhu took and rescued this soul.
When Mavo came back into his body, he told everything that had happened. Everyone hearing this was astonished, and said a miracle had occurred, gathered together.
There was also, in this village, a wheelwright named Trikam, a good satsangi. A wicked seizure came upon him, entering his body and pulling at his nerves. His hands, legs and veins were pulled tight, and he became helpless, speaking incoherently. Then it immediately drew out his life, and the seizure departed, felling him. Then Trikam remembered Hari: "Come, Nath, I am dying." Hearing this, the Imperishable One came, accompanied by the devotee Mancho Virdas.
He said to the seizure-spirit, "Why have you taken this soul? He is under our shelter -- you should not come to take him. You must not enter this village, if you wish to save yourself." He cast out the seizure, driving it away -- the Beloved had come to his devotee's aid. Leaving Trikam, Nath departed, taking with him an old woman in his place.
When Trikam came back into his body, he told everyone, calling them together. He said, "Great trouble came upon me -- the seizure was taking me away. Nath freed me from its hands, and placed me back in this body. In my place, Puribai will go -- believe this true in your minds." Hearing this, everyone was astounded; at that very moment Puri gave up her body. The account matched without delay, and men and women were all astonished. They said, "This is a great miracle -- a sinner will call it false."
There was also, in Gadhada, a merchant, an atheist by lineage. He said, "Everything happens by karma" -- believing this, he kept it in his mind. He gave no weight even to Ram, Krishna, and other incarnations. Such a stubborn atheist as this one had established the path of liberation through karma alone. This sinner did a sinner's work, and thus destroyed his own prospects. Then the time of his body's end arrived, and terrible messengers of Yama came to fetch him.
They came and surrounded him inside his house, holding great clubs in their hands. They cried "Strike, strike," and the messengers of Yama said, "Take him outside." Then, gathering courage in his heart, he thought of and remembered all his atheist teachers, but none could do anything, and thus Yama's force only increased.
Then he became utterly hopeless, and remembered Swami and the sadhus. As he was thinking this in his heart, the sadhus and Maharaj arrived there. They brought an iron mace in hand, and struck Yama upon the head. Yama's messengers cried out and fled, and he saw this manifestly. He was astonished, a miracle occurred -- he did not tell anyone, understanding it himself. When his body became comfortable again, he then told the whole account in detail.
He said, "I received a great miracle -- know that our doctrine is false. If Swami and the sadhus had not intervened, I would have died, beaten to death. I saw my own death with my own eyes -- what suffering can I even recall! Nothing was revealed in our own doctrine -- I have now discerned true from false. Now, as long as this body remains, I shall worship Maharaj."
Thus there is no end to such miracles -- thousands upon thousands occur continually. However much one tells, how far can one go -- the boundless has no limit that can be grasped. The poets before have told of miracles -- but even those were only so many, that much. But today's account has no end -- though millions of poets together might sing it. I have said this, having reflected in my mind -- I am not making a boastful claim.
Just as it is, so I have told it, people -- believe my words to be true. Whoever is a truthful sadhu will accept this as true in his mind. But there will be wicked, deceitful, and atheistic people who will call it false, having searched only for fault. They will bear the consequence of that themselves -- it is none of Nishkulanand's concern.
Thus ends the one hundred and fifty-eighth chapter of the Bhaktachintamani, describing the miracles of Shri Ji Maharaj toward his devotees.