Chapter VII
Attitude to Marriage and Sex

Though Bhagawaan Ji's parents and some other relatives pressed him to marry, he spurned their advice. They had speculated that, if he got married, he would take to a householder's life, and be a bread winner for his family, but this proved only a dream.

Bhagawaan Ji was a born brahmachaari (celebate) and remained a celebate throughout his life. He must have cultivated this virtue during the course of many previous births. That alone can explain his remaining unaffected by this powerful natural urge, to which even some saints have been seen to succumb.

Just as Shri Ramakrishna Parmahansa advised people to shun kaarnini and kanchan (lust and greed), Bhagawaan Ji would say 'Where is the way for spiritual advancement so long as there is lust?'

At twenty, Bhagawaan Ji's ways were becoming visibly godly. Some of his class-mate companions, in order to test him, took him to a house of ill fame, which they visited to satisfy their carnal desires. They went to the woman's room by turns. Bhagawaan Ji's turn came last of all. He went into her room and found her lying in a compromising position. Addressing her as a witch, he bade her stand up, administered her a rebuke and advised her to give up her sinful ways. Then he flung a rupee coin at her and left the room. He felt that it was all bliss. His companions had found bliss in illicit sex indulgence while he had found it in abstinence. This fact was revealed by Bhagawaan Ji to his companions the very next day, and he pitied their lot and that of the woman.

Some saints do not allow others to touch them but Bhagawaan Ji was different. He allowed anybody (who offered to do so) to press his feet or legs, and repeatedly said that his legs were mere splinters of wood.

Once, when I was indisposed and pressing his legs and feet, he said, 'Have you thrown your senelity on to me?' Normally, saints do not allow people to touch them as, thereby, the taints or ailments of the latter are transferred to them. But Bhagawaan Ji was an ocean of grace and such things did not affect him at all; instead, he allowed people to get solace by pressing his legs or feet.

While he lived at Rishi Mohalla (1947-57), a lady once came to his place. As soon as she took her seat he started beating her with an iron pincer. As she took to flight, he followed her to the compound and also to the lane just outside the house. As he had never before shown such anger on any occasion, all sitting in his room were surprised. After he had taken his seat, he explained, on his own, that the unchaste lady had visited two friends that morning, and then she had come to him, steeped in the sin.

Once, a group of five women from outside Kashmir came to see Bhagawaan Ji, and he remarked, 'They live by prostitution. This is Kaliyuga' Once, a man fell for the blandishments of a widow, and was planning to meet her. He went to see Bhagawaan Ji. As soon as he was seated before him, he (Bhagawaan Ji) spoke out this, to all present: 'A drop of semen will produce fire all around. Why go in for such a folly?' The man understood that, if the widow conceived, the news would spread like wild fire to the great detriment of them both. The conception might result in abortion or the death of the baby. if born, by any other means. The man shuddered. This was Bhagawaan Ji's method of bringing people to the path of righteousness. Once, another man fell for the shapely legs of a lady, began to follow her and stated trying to meet her. When he went to see Bhagawaan Ji, the latter told him, 'What is the charm in fine legs' The whole body is food for Mahakaala (the god of death)'.