The Story of the Atma-Ram

This is a story about the Sadhana Saptaha program in 1970. Rashtra-Sant Tukdoji Maharaj’s disciple, Shri Mohod, had been invited to this program. By then, Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar had stopped giving as many discourses. 

“You all should do everything, let me appreciate you and the efforts from the side.” This was Baba’s idea. 

But all of Baba’s disciples and close acquaintances felt a little restless, that they wouldn’t get to hear Baba’s vani (voice). By any means, they wanted to hear Baba’s words. They tried for this themselves, but were unsuccessful.

So finally, some spiritual seekers (sadhaks) asked Shri Mohod to plead Baba. As a result, Shri Mohod went to Baba, and earnestly said, “Baba, speak for an hour tonight [please]…I also want to hear your discourse.”

Baba spoke that night. He spoke for the whole hour.

Shri Mohod said, “Baba chose the Tulsi Ramayana and he took the story to such heights that the story was no longer that of Lord Rama in King Dashratha’s times. It became the story of the Rama within the inner atma of each listener, and Sita, Manthara, Bharat, Lakshman, Urmila, Kaikeyi, they began to clearly see all of these characters within themselves. 

I saw the entire audience become overwhelmed with emotion and introspective. I saw them in tears. I also blended into that river of people. I never realized or knew how and when I got up from my seat. After a while, when I regained my senses, I realized that I was washing Baba’s feet, his charan, in my tears. Baba stopped his explanation in the middle, and patted my back. He was patting my back in the way that a parental Mauli, a mother, would do to console their child who is crying uncontrollably.” 

Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar says that no knowledge or discipline can be truly attained by just reading the Guru’s words. Through the grace of the guru (guru krupa), all knowledge is naturally attained.