Tapasvi Baba's Life Story

A SEEKER'S JOURNEY TO SELF-REALIZATION

There was another woman in the village that would often ask me to leave the village and return only after becoming famous. I have no idea why she would give me such advice. I only laughed since as a child I did not understand her. Perhaps some unforeseen force was causing her to utter these words. That fateful morning, I saw her also. She smiled and asked if I were leaving forever. I smiled back and said, " I am leaving for now. I don't know if I am going away forever or if I will return." I passed by the temple of our family deity whom we called Edaju and I paid my respects to Him. The darkness had decreased and I could see Nanda Devi mountain. The sun rays were falling on it. I felt as if mother Nanda Devi, wearing a yellow sari, was very happy. I bowed my head in reverence and left the village.

I had no clue as to where I would go and what would I do. As someone is pulled by a rope, I was being pulled by destiny. As the night drew closer, I became apprehensive. I was very young then and I was very scared. However, I kept walking. That night I rested somewhere. Where?, I don't remember.

The next day, I reached Bhuwali town, where there was a tuberculosis sanitarium. It was a very big hospital for treatment of TB patients. Towards evening it started to drizzle and I had no place to stay. I decided to enter a ward where there was a TB patient. The poor man was in great pain. He was crying and there was no family member with him. I served him through the night. During those days TB was considered an infectious disease in our area. The families used to abandon those who developed TB and the patient was sent to a hospital. With his eyes on me, this patient died at about 4 in the morning. Then, hospital workers came and took the body away. This was my first encounter with death and it had a deep effect on me. Well, it was morning now and I left that place. Later that day, I reached the city of Haldwani, where one could get transportation to go to other places.

Previous | Home | Next