I was reading about the saints of the yore – Neem Karoli Baba and many others – and was marveling at their miraculous powers, pondering over their teachings and lamenting at my fate at the same time to be born in an era where no such divine saint is present.
Then I came to know about Siyaram Baba, a saint who was known to be about hundred years old or more, a Brahmachari (celibate) and who has performed various tapasya (severe penance) all throughout his life starting from his youth.
He observed Maun Vratta (vow of silence) for 12 years and the first word he spoke after breaking his vow was “Siyaram”, that’s how he got his name as Siyaram Baba. He also performed khadeshwar tapa (standing on one feet) for years, during that time, once there was a flood in Narmada River and water had come to his chest level and everybody urged him to stop his tapasya and leave the village or else he would drown.
But baba was adamant and said that Narmada is just not a river but is his mother and his mother would never harm him, As if Maa Naramada had herd him, her water started receding from the very next day and Baba continued with his tapasya without any further trouble.
Before coming to the banks of Narmada where his ashram is located, baba had also performed tapasya in Himalayas in his youth.
It was in May or June that I embarked on my journey of more than a thousand kilometers to meet Siyaram Baba in the scorching heat as I thought that Baba was very old and who knows if I delay my journey I may not be able to have his darshan in this life.
I couldn’t get a confirmed train ticket so I took a waiting train ticket and travelled whole day sitting and sleeping on the floor of the train. Then after reaching the Khandwa railway station, I changed several buses and autos and hitchhiked to reach Baba’s ashram situated in the village Bhattayan on the banks of the Holy Narmada river.
I first took bath in Narmada river and got myself cleaned and changed and then I went to meet Siyaram Baba and have his darshan first time, I was offered tea by one of his devotees who used to serve him daily for 4-6 hours and a Doctor by profession – Dr. Harsh Birla. The tea had some herbs mixed in it and I never had tasted such a delicious tea in my life that I asked for another cup of it.
I told Dr Birla that I had come from very far and I need a place to stay. He was very kind enough to offer me a place in a Dharmashala nearby Baba’s ashram where I stayed for a couple of days and food was offered to me for free.
Siyaram Baba was very thin and very old and was reading Ramacharitmanas as he used to do most of the time when he was awake. I tried talking to him and asked him a question but he couldn’t hear my question as he was hard of hearing due to his old age.
But I wrote down my question in a piece of paper and gave him. He immediately dismissed my question as it was a worldly question. Panicking that I would miss my chance to get something out of him. I immediately wrote down another question related to sadhana, the answer to which is still stuck with me and I try to follow it in my life. It was a saying of saint Kabir – “Aike Sadhe Sab Sadhe” (If you focus on one thing then you’ll be able to do everything).
He used to take ten rupees in donation only no matter how much amount of money you try to give him. I tried to give him five hundred rupees but he took only ten rupees and returned four hundred and ninty rupees. I meditated for hours in his presence chanting Ram Naam in my mind.
At night when I went to meet him again, there were about forty or fifty tiffin boxes from various houses. All the tiffins were opened and their contents put in one giant plate and everything was mixed. Baba then ate one or two rotis (bread) and the rest of the food was given to dogs who were also present in his ashram.
Baba didn’t only have compassion for humans but also for animals, as he took care of animals and rats in his ashram and feed them.
His close devotees would message his legs. I requested them if I could do that as well. I was lucky enough to get a few seconds to message his legs after which Baba told me, “Bus ab rehne do” (Now you can stop). I feel very lucky to be able to touch his feet and even message his legs, something which only his regular devotees from his close circle could do.
After spending two days in the ashram, I pranamed (prostrated before) Baba and left for pilgrimage to Omkareshwar and Mahakaleshwar jyotirlinga.
My thoughts and fears about meeting Baba as early as possible so that I shouldn’t miss the chance of meeting him in this lifetime came true. I met Baba in June of 2024 and after suffering a brief span of pneumonia, Baba left his body in December 2024 on Mokshda Ekadashi (It is believed that those who leave their body on Mokshda Ekadashi gets Moksha or liberation from the cycle of birth and death).
Baba’s simplicity, compassion for humanity and even for animals, his devotion to and constant remembering of god by reading Ramayana all the time inspires us to have faith in god and live a pure and simple life devoted to service and humanity and to be free from sin. Siyaram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram!
