Page 87 - Kailaspati: Paramhans Hansdevji Avadhoot

told by him did not have anything but a loin-cloth. he never lived near any human habitation. One day he was sleeping in a retiring position and moved his hand from time to time. his hand touched something cold due to which he opened his eyes to see a snake on his body. after snake darshan, he again closed his eyes. When he got up from his meditative state he could not see the snake again. he was least perturbed seeing it. The snake caused no harm. hearing this story from Babaji i remembered a similar incident which i told him about shri shri Gurumaharaj.
about four miles from Deogarh, on the hill named Tapovan, Gurumaharaj was engrossed in his dhyana (meditation). at that time he saw a huge poisonous snake with its hood spread. Closing his eyes he was again engrossed in his dhyana. Later when he opened his eyes he saw that the snake was not there. Residing in that Tapovan for years shri shri Gurumaharaj had himself fed tigers with ladoos. When i related that story to Babaji he joyfully told how he had beheld srimat Balananda swami and even resided for some days at his ashrama at Karnibag. Babaji said that he was like Lord shiva.
hearing the stories of the snakes from the old and aged atten- dant of shri shri Gurumaharaj, we wanted to know about its authenticity and thus queried Gurumaharaj. To this he nodded smilingly thus authenticating the truth. sadhus and Mahatmas do not fear or dread when confronted by wild animals. When we expressed our surprise at this fact, Babaji explained that the Parmatman pervades everywhere in this universe and all forms of being. if a man free from fear and jealousy, can confront a wild animal in the same unperturbed and non-violent manner then his feelings will be reflected in the heart of the wild animal. it is due to this reason that they do not harm such people. But if our mind is corrupted by jealousy or fear then the wild animals are also affected due to which they will attack us. Babaji also told us that when they sacrificed their “shikha” and “sutra” to accept Sannyasa, they had to promise that no human being would be perturbed or frightened due to them. They had to be engrossed in non-violence, love and compassion for all beings. after a long discussion with
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