Chapter XI
Last Days
The peculiarities in
Bhagawaan Ji's behaviour during the last two years of his mortal existence were
many and varied.
Bhagawaan Ji had usually a pillow behind him and one,
about two feet high, on his right side, too. In front was his iron sigdi and the
other paraphernalia of his dhooni. So he could stretch his legs on the left side
only, if he wanted to lie down. Two years prior to his giving up the gross body,
he got pillows fixed high up on his left side also, and there was, thus, no room
for stretching his legs or lying down. The result was that his knees got so
stiff, that he could not stand up; he was thus confined to his aasana seat.
Somewhat similar advice had been given by him to a lady saint, Shrimali Raadhaa
Devi (wife of Shri D.N. Raina), at Guptaganga, Srinagar. She first started
criticising the vibrations Bhagawaan Ji was emitting from his chillum and the
various parts of his body. (It is surprising that there can be such a difference
among the actions of saints; she could not feel what the vibrations were about.)
Bhagawaan Ji told her in a peremptory manner 'Go, break your knees' i.e. stop
moving about and takeee e to an aasana at one place. About a month after this
incident, she locked herself up in her room and did not leave it until the time
of her death a few years later. It is also said, but not confirmed, that she had
placed fetters on her legs.
About two years before his giving up the gross body,
Bhagawaan Ji sometimes remarked casually that he had grown old. This was an
indirect hint that some great saints of Kashmir like Kh. Lassa Sahib and Swaami
Sona Kaak also gave before their departure from this world.
About a month and a half before his giving up the gross
body, a devotee was sore to see Bhagawaan Ji's physical condition and thought
that he might give up his body. Bhagawaan Ji, divining his thoughts, told him 'Amar
chhaa maraan ?' ('Does what is immortal die'?)
Shri S. D. Dhar recalls that a few days before
Bhagawaan Ji's giving up the physical frame, he called at his place in the
morning and found him physically very weak. After enquiring about his health,
Bhagawaan Ji remarked, 'I should like to go to Kshirbhavaani now'.
A few months before his giving up the gross body,
Bhagawaan Ji had a swelling in his genitals. I asked him why the swelling
persisted. He said, 'What else is going to happen to this body? It will get
shattered piece by piece'. On many occasions, previously, he had had swelling on
his face, feet etc. and some had thought he was in his last days. But such
swellings would miraculously disappear overnight to everyone's astonishment.
Whenever he had fever, he would take hot water boiled
over his dhooni. On rear occasions, he would take a water decoction in which
Kahzabaan (Macrotomia Benthami) leaves had been boiled over his dhooni. Before
his giving up the physical body, some devotees requested him to take pills for
free urination, but he refused straightaway. During the last thirty years of his
life, he did not take any medicine.
Every year, Bhagawaan Ji would have cannabis (bhang)
and some other aromatic plants brought to him and keep them boiling in water in
iron trays for two or three days; the boiled mixture was pounded and prepared
into big balls, dried and then stored away. He would use these balls with
toabacco for his chillurn; the balls were not intoxicant. He regarded these as
very sacred and whoever was allowed to help in their preparation was considered
fortunate by him. During the last two years of his lire, however, he did not
order any leaves for the purpose.
Musicians sang before him every Sunday to the
accompaniment of various instruments. They would stop late in the night, but he
never in his life time asked any musician to stop. On Sunday, the 26th May,1968,
his last Sunday on Earth, however, he directed the musicians to stop,
remarking:- 'We shall not listen to any more music.'
About a month before giving up the gross body, he
remarked, 'The dhooni is not necessary now.' But, when his devotees requested
him to be allowed to continue it, he did not object.
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