Saint Bhaktaraj Maharaj, who taught His devotees through His spontaneous speech and behaviour

On the occasion of Saint Bhaktaraj Maharaj’s Mahanirvanotsav on 13^th November 2025

Shri Anil Jog

The spiritual experiences I had while being with Saint Bhaktaraj Maharaj and the incidents I have heard about Him are shared in this Article.

– Shri. Anil Jog (Trustee, Shri Sadguru Anantanand Saish Shaikshanik Evam Paramarthik Seva Trust), Indore, MP

1. The teaching of Saint Bhaktaraj Maharaj that devotees should visit Saints after surrendering their ego

An incident narrated to me by Param Pujya Ramanand Maharaj has remained etched in my mind. It is as follows – Major Kale used to visit Saint Bhaktaraj Maharaj (Fondly called Baba). Once, he came to meet Baba at Bhaktavatsalya Ashram in Indore. As there was a large gathering of devotees, he said to Baba, “I wish to meet You alone. I shall come later.” Baba replied, “Alright.”

A few days later, Major Kale returned and Baba was also alone. Seeing him, Baba said, “You wish to meet me alone, don’t you ? But now there are two of us here. Solitude means the ‘end of one’, that is, ‘the end of ego’ ! When the ‘I’-ness is gone, our name, that is, our very existence, is gone. Then who will you converse with ?” Through this incident, Baba taught Major Kale that devotees should visit Saints only after surrendering their ego.

2. The devotee’s chanting continuing automatically after receiving the Gurumantra from Baba

Once, I went to meet Baba at Bhaktavatsalya Ashram in Indore and offered obeisance. Suddenly, He said, “I gave it to him, and it began on its own !” I never used to ask Him for anything, but I wondered what He meant by those words. I left the room and met Mr RK Mehta in the Ashram corridor. He was the owner of a cement factory. His face was radiating indescribable Anand (Bliss). Overwhelmed with Anand, he said to me, “Jog Sahab, it has started !”

After a while, I went back into Baba’s room, and He said, “Today, I blew it into his [Mr Mehta’s] ear.” Then realisation dawned upon me that Baba had given Mr Mehta the Gurumantra, and his chanting had begun automatically. Thus, I understood the greatness of the Name imparted by Baba.

Baba sometimes entered the Samadhi state, because of which a renowned Ayurveda Acharya could not feel His pulse !

In Indore, Vaidya Sharma managed the Golok Chikitsalaya. Once, he went to a Government hospital to see a patient, where doctors were discussing amputating a young girl’s leg. Vaidya Sharma did not allow the amputation and cured her through Ayurvedic treatment. Being a propagator of Ayurveda, he often held press conferences.

Once, this well-known Vaidya came to meet Baba at the Ashram. He stood outside Baba’s room, looking anxious. I asked him, “Vaidyarajji, what happened ?” He replied, “I cannot feel Baba’s pulse in His hands or feet at all.” I too became frightened, as the pulse is not felt only in one who is near death.

After a while, I went into Baba’s room. He said to me, “Oh ! I had gone out (of the body) for a while; that’s why he couldn’t find anything.” This was beyond the comprehension of my intellect. I felt – ‘This was all Baba’s Divine play. He must have gone into the Samadhi state (Oneness with the supreme consciousness)’.  – Shri. Anil Jog

3. The Omniscient Saint Bhaktaraj Maharaj, who recognised the thoughts in devotees’ minds and acted accordingly

A. Once, we accompanied Baba to Vishakhapatnam. He was speaking to the devotees there in Hindi, and a lady interpreter was translating His words into Telugu. After she translated one of His points, Baba suddenly said, “Not correct !” She then rephrased the translation, upon which Baba said, “Now it is correct !” Baba did not know Telugu, yet He could perceive others’ thoughts. Thoughts arise in the mind first and are then expressed through various languages. Baba was beyond all language barriers; He was Omniscient.

B. Once, my wife (Mrs Asha Jog, now aged 75) bought a new pair of slippers. Before leaving for the Ashram, she thought, ‘There will be a programme and a large crowd. Where will I keep my slippers ?’ She went to the Ashram and sat in front of Baba. Suddenly, Baba called her and said, “Today, everyone should keep their slippers in Dada Dalvi’s room; there will be a crowd in the Ashram.”

I was unaware of this conversation. Coming straight from the office, I went to the Ashram and offered obeisance to Baba. He said, “I understand what is in people’s minds, but no one understands Me.” I did not know then what He was referring to, so I only smiled. After the programme, when my wife and I left for home, she narrated the incident. From this, I realised that Baba had perceived the worry in my wife’s mind about where to keep her slippers. Only then did I understand the meaning of Baba’s words.

4. Baba’s teachings understood through the incidents narrated by Mr Anjani Kumar

A. Performing sadhana as advised by the Guru, by understanding that He is beyond our ability to understand, is the disciple’s duty : Mr Anjani Kumar was a senior officer with the Income Tax Department in New Delhi. He was an ardent devotee of Saint Bhaktaraj Maharaj and visited Him often. His colleagues had become curious about Baba. They would ask him, “What does your Maharaj teach ? Which sect does He belong to ? You never tell us anything about Him.” He would reply, “I never asked. I experience Anand, and that is why I go to Saint Bhaktaraj Maharaj.”

Once, when Baba visited New Delhi and stayed with Mr Anjani Kumar, he told his colleagues, “Baba has come. You may ask Him everything now.”

When they met Baba, they requested Him, “Please tell us about Yourself”. Baba gestured towards Mr Anjani Kumar and said, “He has understood that this (pointing to Himself) is beyond understanding and that is what must be understood.” Hearing this, no one asked further questions. Through this incident, Baba taught that Saints of the highest order cannot be comprehended by the intellect. A disciple must understand that the Guru is beyond one’s ability to understand. The disciple’s duty is only to obey the Guru’s instructions and perform the sadhana (Spiritual practice) He advises.

B. Rather than getting entangled in understanding the meaning of the bhajans, constant Namasmaran (Chanting of God’s Name) is more important : As Mr Anjani Kumar was a Hindi-speaking devotee, he did not understand Marathi. Sometimes Baba spoke to him in Marathi. Even when He spoke in Hindi, Mr Anjani Kumar did not always grasp the meaning and would ask others to explain. One day, Baba told him, “Sir, when you try to understand a bhajan, it gets upset !”

In reality, Baba Himself had composed and sung numerous bhajans. Hence, Mr Anjani Kumar wondered why He said so. Then Baba explained, “When you sit analysing the meaning of a bhajan, you get stuck in it and forget to perform Namasmaran (Chanting of God’s Name). Therefore, one must continue chanting without getting entangled in bhajans.”

– Shri. Anil Jog, Indore, Madhya Pradesh (25.6.2025)

Rather than getting entangled in understanding the meaning of the bhajans, constant Namasmaran is more important !