PERFECT MASTERS - Hazrat Tajuddin Of Nagpur Part 03

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Hazrat Tajuddin Baba was one of the five Perfect Masters (Sadgurus)

of his Age. Such is the play of nature known as maya (illusion) that

this Perfect Master was declared a lunatic and kept in confinement in

the Nagpur Lunatic Asylum for more than sixteen years. However, Baba

Tajuddin started his divine play from this place and virtually

converted the asylum to a place of worship.

 

Baba Tajuddin was born on the 21st of January in the year 1861 at a

place called Kamthi situated near Nagpur in the state of Maharastra.

From the birth itself, there was something unusual about the child,

for the new-born baby would not at all cry. He would, at times, open

his eyes and look at people and again go to sleep. All normal

methods to induce the child to cry having failed, the parents took

recourse to a traditional shock method of touching hot iron to the

forehead and ear of the child. With the application of this method

the child jerked out of its stupor and started crying. The burnt

marks thus made on the head and ears of the child remained on his

body till the last.

 

More often-than-not, it is seen that highly developed souls become

orphans in their early childhood so that they become free to operate

in their spiritual world. This had happened with Shri Shirdi Sai and

this also happened with Baba Tajuddin. His father expired when he

was about one year old and his mother expired when he was only nine

years old. The care of this orphan was taken over by his maternal

grandmother and maternal-uncle Abdul Rahman. As a child, Baba

started his education at the age of six in a local madrasa in

Kamthi. During this time a spiritually - developed soul, known as

Hazrat Abdulla Shah, visited the madrasa and saw the child Tajuddin.

He immediately told the teacher - " Why are you teaching this child.

He has got all knowledge from his past life. " Saying thus, he took

out a dry fruit (Khumani) from his bag, ate half, and put the other

half in the mouth of the child saying " Eat less, sleep less and speak

less. Read Quran " .

 

As soon as the child ate the dry fruit, God - consciousness dawned on

him and for about three days he remained in a state of spiritual

ecstasy. Obviously Hazrat Abdulla Shah had given Tajuddin the

spiritual power or consciousness known as " Shaktipata " in Hindu Yoga

system. Thereafter, the child was found to be always in a state of

contemplation in secluded places.

 

At the age of 18, the financial condition of his maternal - uncle's

house deteriorated due to floods. As a result, both Baba and his

maternal - uncle searched for a job. In 1881, at the age of 20 Baba

joined the Nagpur Army Regiment. Soon a contingent of the Regiment,

where Baba was serving, was sent to a place called Sagar. At Sagar,

Baba used to manage his duties as an army sepoy (soldier), somehow

spending the best of the time in doing namaz and contemplation. Most

of the nights he used to spend with a highly developed spiritual soul

known as Hazrat Baud Saheb under-going spiritual practices. Hazrat

Baud Saheb is, therefore, recognized as one of the spiritual masters

of Tajuddin Baba. His absence from the army camp at nights, and his

least regard for the service created problems from the higher

authorities. One day, in a God-intoxicated state Baba suddenly

submitted his resignation from the army and left the camp.

 

He then roamed about in the streets of Sagar like a mad man; without

any sense of body. Soon his maternal grandmother heard of the news

and took him away to Kamthi. She tried to get him cured through

doctors and Hakims thinking that he was mad. The doctors and Hakims

could hardly improve his condition as Baba Tajuddin's consciousness

had, by that time transcended the gross and subtle body and was

floating in the vast ocean of divine consciousness - beyond

multiplicism and dualism of Nature. As the destiny of many spiritual

seekers, children started throwing stones at him to which he would

never react. The society around him discarded him to be useless for

their purpose and declared him as mad and, therefore, humiliated him

whenever and wherever they could.

 

However, miracles also started taking place around him. He would

suddenly tell people about their past and warn them about future

problems. One day in that Videha State (Beyond body state) he went

near a British woman in a naked state. The horrified woman complained

to the army authorities about such uncivilized behaviour. An army

officer caught hold of him and got him admitted in the lunatic asylum

of Nagpur on the 16th of August 1892. This is one of the biggest

illusions of Nature (Maya) the mad people of the mad world declaring

the Knowledge- Incarnate, who had come to redeem them of their

worldly madness, as mad. But how could the authorities, confine a

soul that is in a state of pure consciousness within the four walls

of a lunatic asylum. As was the practice, the inhabitants of the

asylum used to be locked up in barracks and cells at night.

Similarly, Baba was also put in confinement under strict vigil.

 

Soon after he was locked up in the asylum that a strange incident

took place that spread Baba's name far and wide. Baba was admitted in

the lunatic asylum on the 26th August 1892. On the same day many

people saw him moving freely in the streets of Kamthi, even after he

was locked up. On the next day i.e. 27th an army sepoy, who, under

the orders of the magistrate had brought Baba to the lunatic asylum

the previous day, saw Baba roaming in the street. The shocked sepoy

ran back and informed the British officer of the regiment, about it.

The officer immediately rode his horse and searched for Baba. He

ultimately found him sitting under a tree smiling at him. British

officer was so enraged at seeing him moving freely that he straight

away rode to the lunatic asylum at Nagpur situated at half an hour

distance from Kamthi. He asked the doctor on duty " Where is that

insane whom I sent here yesterday? " The doctor informed that he was

in a locked room and also showed the officer where Baba was locked,

and behold, the officer found the Baba Tajuddin was sitting inside

the room in the same posture in which he had seen sitting under the

tree only half on hour back smiling at him. On seeing the officer,

Baba said. " Brother, you are doing your work and I am doing my

work " . The officer was so influenced by the divine personality of

Baba that he instantly became his disciple and started visiting Baba

on every Sunday with his family members. Thereafter, the asylum

authorities were reconciled with Baba moving at various places inside

the asylum compound and outside. Gradually, Baba's name became so

famous that thousands of people from near and far started lining up

before the lunatic asylum everyday to have Baba's darshan, blessing

and help. During his 16 years stay in the asylum, Baba cured

thousands of people of diseases , granted children to the childless

and took on his shoulders the responsibilities (both temporal and

spiritual) of lakhs of his devotees.

 

Miracles are the way of functioning of the Masters. Since more often,

they work through the subtle and mental mediums than in gross which

ordinary mortals cannot perform, they are termed as miracles. The

forces creating miracles are subtle forces of nature not yet

discovered. Since the work of the Perfect Master precipitates

hundreds and thousands of actions at different place at the same

time, they employ the subtle methods. Those who have become mediums

of miracles know for sure that there are definite principles on which

the so called miracles operate. For them they are not miracles but a

normal way of functioning at their levels of consciousness.

 

The Perfect Master are not confined by any religion, any creed, caste

or even by scriptural injunctions or prescribed methods of worship

etc. They are in a state of total 'freewill' without any limitations

of nature. This is not to be misunderstood, as a negative state of

assertion for free will. Baba's fame and love for people had been

drawing thousands of people daily to the lunatic asylum. Even the

staffs of the asylum including the doctors were his devotees. The

doctor gave report that Baba was not mad but a person of unusual

qualities which medical science cannot explain. In the meantime,

Maharaja Bahadur Shrimant Raghoji Rao Bhonsle, the Maharaja of Nagpur

had become an ardent devotee of Baba and started visiting him

regularly. One day, in the evening, he thought of getting Baba

released from the lunatic asylum and bring him to his palace at

Shakardara. The same night, he saw a vision in the dream in which

Baba appeared and pointing towards Red Palace said " Oh, elder

brother, let me stay here. " It was early morning- (3.00 AM) of 9th

July 1908, a Thursday. The Maharaja immediately called his officials

and discussed about the steps to be taken to get Baba released. The

Council decided that the Maharaja should immediately make an

application for release to the Governor, Central Provinces.

Ultimately after depositing a security money of rupees two thousands,

the Maharaja secured the release of Baba on the 21st of September

1908 and brought him to his palace. From his palace Baba started his

divine work.

 

Once Baba was lying down on the sands of the river Kanhan when two

ladies by the name of Shantabai and Subhadrabai from Amaravati,

approached him. While touching the feet of Baba they mentally prayed

to him for children, as they were childless. The omniscient (Pragyan

Ritambhara) Baba heard their inner prayers and gave a ladoo (a type

of sweetmeat) to each after testing them. He blessed them to have

sons. While they were returning, Shantabai ate the ladoo as a blessed

prasad, but Subhadrabai did not because Baba had tasted the ladoo and

was Muslim by birth. She quietly got the ladoo buried in the sand. As

the Divine Will could have it, Shantabai got a son nine month later.

When the child was about two-month-old, she came to Baba with the

child for his blessings. Subhadra, who had not conceived even by that

time, accompanied her. When Shantabai put her child at the feet of

Baba, Subhadra could not control herself. She fell at the feet of

Baba and cried - " Baba where is my child? " Baba told her to search

the child from beneath the sand (indicating that he knew where the

ladoo was) Subhadra immediately realized her mistake and repented

profusely before Baba. The Perfect masters are incarnation of

kindness. Her repentance and plight moved Baba. He blessed her to

have a son, which she got after a year. The perfect master is a wish-

fulfilling tree Kalpvriksha who even shower unconditional grace

(Ahetuk Kripa).

 

A poor scheduled- caste woman called Tara once wished to feed Baba

but since Baba was staying in the palace. Tara did not know how to

approach him and was also afraid that some people may not take it

kindly. So, she cooked the food and tied the food in a piece of cloth

with a tree near the palace. Sometime later, people from high classes

kept the best of dishes before Baba for his lunch. Baba Said, " I

will not eat all these. Get my food tied in the Jamun tree " .

Everybody started searching but could not find the food. Ultimately

Baba got up from his seat, brought the food from the tree and ate

only that with utter satisfaction. The Perfect Master are hungry not

for the food offered by the people but for the love behind such

offer. The spiritual masters never encourage anyone to change his

religion. They are above all religions. They only see the theme of

humanism, which is the basis of all religions.

 

There was a prostitute by the name of Giriji who was a devotee of

Baba. Suddenly, she caught some disease and remained sick for long.

Another devotee of Baba, Kashinath Patel, one day sent a person to

the house of Giriji to enquire about her health. The man came and

found Giriji dead and informed Kashinath accordingly. Kashinath

directed him to go and ask Tajuddin Baba whether to bury the body of

Giriji or to burn it. On his way to Baba's place, he found a close

attendant of Baba carrying tea in a pot. During discussion, Patel's

man told the attendant of Baba that Giriji is dead. When Baba's

attendant heard that Giriji is dead he told the other persons that

Baba has asked him to ensure that Giriji drinks that tea. Therefore,

he insisted on carrying the tea to Giriji, Both of them reached

Giriji house and found her body surrounded by mourning women. The

attendant of Baba, said in a loud voice - " Giriji, Hazur has sent tea

for you. Take it. " He repeated the sentence thrice. After the third

time Giriji opened her mouth and little by little tea was poured in.

After taking the tea, she came back to life and lived for a few years

more.

 

The love of a Perfect Master for his devotees is somewhat like but

more than the love of the mother towards the child. Whosoever

surrenders to him, he takes care of his biggest and even the smallest

problems. Since his words are the ultimate truth, whatever they

promise is fulfilled, even after they have left their body. Let us

see one example. Sometimes, Baba used to travel in a horse-driven

cart to distant places. One devotee named Hiralal used to be his

driver (coachman). When Baba once declared that he would leave his

body in few days (he left the body on the 17th of August 1925),

Hiralal started crying. He asked Baba " Huzur, under whose protection

are you leaving us and going " . Baba told him " you always stay in

front of me (the driver sits at the front in a horse cart) and I will

always stay behind you " .

 

It so happened that in 1965, on the day of the Moharram, the annual

procession i.e. Baba's Tazia started from Baba's place by now name as

Tazabaad and moving towards the main square (called Jhad Square) with

people shouting 'Allah ho Akbar'. Suddenly the people carrying the

Tazia heard the cry 'Ram naam satya hai' from another procession

moving in front of them. Those who knew what Baba had told Hiralal

during his last days, found that the procession in the front was

carrying the dead body of Hiralal. Tears rolled down from their eyes

when they saw Hiralal's body going in front and Baba's Tazia

following a promise kept by Baba forty years after his departure. One

of the main functions of a Sadguru is to stand by his devotees at the

times of their death, in gross or subtle form, to lead the soul

towards further evolutions. None else - i.e. no other Guru, parents,

relatives, or even yogis have the power to render such help to the

souls once they have left the body.

 

By 1925, Baba had completed his 64th year. In the month of August his

health started deteriorating. Maharaja Raghoji Rao pressed the best

doctors for service, but which doctor could cure Baba who only had

decided about his departure. Raghoji Rao understood that Baba is

getting ready to depart. He asked Baba to allow people to have

darshan even if medical advice did not permit. The ever-benevolent

Baba just smiled and agreed. As the news spread thousands of people

came to the king's palace and had last sight of their beloved master

who had served and protected them for decades. The stream of visitors

continued till the last moment of Baba's departure on the 17th August

1925. On that Monday, Baba lifted his hand as blessing to all,

looking at them lovingly and quietly laid his body on the bed. By the

time doctors could check him he had already left the gross body for

its universal abode. But, today the experience of people visiting the

Samadhi of Baba establishes the truth that the Perfect Masters always

exist, in whatever form, in the time continuum for they are in the

Beyond state.