Parama Pujya Acharya Sri Ekkirala Bharadwaja was lovingly called as 'Master' was born in Andhra Pradesh India. At 14 the sudden demise of his nephew made him question live, death, soul, time and the very basis of creation and its workings. A decade of such sincere intellectual quest, combined with diligent practice, culminated in a profound spiritual experience at Shirdi and subsequent self realization. Thereafter, He spent the rest of His life in spreading Sai Baba's message and teachings as the cure for all ills and evils in the individual and the society. He devoted Himself to a lifetime of intensive research into the lives and teachings of several saints, traveling extensively and personally contacting many of them. Master wrote over 40 books sharing His supreme understanding of spirituality. Authentic and well scrutinized. His books strongly promote self-belief and inquiry into and for the TRUTH.

Hazarath Tajuddin Baba	Master E. Bharadwaja
Guru madhye Sthitham Vishwam Vishwa madhya sthitho Guruhu; Gurur-Vishwam Nacha-anyosthi Thasmai Shri Gurave Namah. T he Universe has it's being within the Guru; The Guru abides within the universe ( as it's essence); the Guru is the universe; Nothing exists besides him. Salutations to such a Guru. ______ Shri Guru-gita

In March 1981, at the inauguration of Shri Sai Baba Mandir at Vidyanagar (Andhra Pradesh , India), a publication entitled Dattatreya was brought out, in which the divine stories of many saints who blessed our country were included. In his article "The Great Four ", Pujya Acharya Bharadwaja recalled the divine mission performed in perfect harmony and co-operation by four mahatmas, who are contemporaries of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba. These four saints are Swami Samarth of Akkalkot, Sri Gajanan Maharaj of Shegaon, Hazarat Tajuddin Baba of Nagpur and Sri Dhunivala Dada. After this first introduction of Tajuddin Baba, Masterji published a series of articles in the SAIBABA, A Telugu fortnightly giving a biographical sketch of the great saint and his leelas. Later the same was published as a book in Telugu. Though the manuscript of the English version was finalised by Masterji as early as 1978, it could not be published during his lifetime. On persistent request of the devotees that this manuscript should be available for wide dissemination, this book is being released on the auspicious occasion of the Birth anniversary of Pujya Masterji.

In Masterji's own words, "A diligent study of lives of saints, their acts and teachings would educate all aspirants to transcend the vicious, narrow barrier of religion and race and identify a true Sadguru."
"Let uplifting thoughts come to us from all directions."

As far as Man is concerned, life is of the greatest values, especially human life; and all other things derive their value from it. Life is a compact of both the visible and the invisible forms of him, the visible comprehending his body, it's needs, the society, culture and civilization and the inventions that contribute to his mundane happiness; and the invisible comprehending the values by which Man can shape and channelize all the visible processes of life towards the evolution of lasting and healthy spiritual happiness. The latter includes such values as beauty, knowledge, love and harmonious human relationships. Man's search for progress, in the course of his history, has been oriented to this pattern, sometimes with greater and at others with lesser success. It is natural that this two-fold progress of Man should fit in well into the pattern of the theory of organic evolution of Man as a race, in the past and in the future. Man has evolved to the present state both in his subjective and objective accomplishment and has incontrovertibly proved his natural superiority to other creatures in the struggle for existence. Now that his dominance on the earth's surface is complete, the one motive that has hitherto held the progress of the whole race into some sort of a unity has disappeared. And not finding any other creature to dominate or fear, mankind has started fearing, conquering and annihilating itself on a scale which is unprecedented in history. Man, as he did several times in his long history, has once again lost sight of the fact that contentment in subjective life and harmony in objective life are the primary goals that are essential to him; and has started mistaking partial and one-sided development of the human community for real progress. Such a perversion of values has inevitably resulted in man's material progress, that infact runs even counter to his own welfare, collective and individual. It is time that we pause, assess our own standard of values and shape our life accordingly.

The perversion of the natural line of progress, mentioned above is the result of imperfect comprehension of the line along which the future evolution of man should take place in order not to bring the two into sharp conflict.

It looks as though, Man's evolution, in the physical and psychological sense, has come to a blind end where no further development is taking place, the impulse spending itself in just changing forms. Evolution seems to have shifted to the psychological plane and is manifesting itself in evolution of knowledge and technology. Even this development seems to be running to it's culmination and already we have signs of evolution shifting to the spiritual plane. We see it in the new philosophical concepts of man and his place in universe; we see new attitudes to ecological living; the ideal of conquest of the nature giving place to one of harmonious relationship with it ; we see new ideas of culture manifesting themselves in the latest shifts to simplification of man's life. The Cultural Revolution in communist countries and the latest trends in the West manifesting an ever-growing interest in spiritual culture are unmistakable signs of this process.

Among those sections of mankind, who have not yet awakened to this new trend, we find an appalling lack of direction and certitude in man's attitude to his own progress. This human crisis is nowhere more manifest than in the evolution and predominance of the pervert replicas of every positive and constructive institution that man had evolved in the past; we have real education which a few great men demonstrate in themselves as against the vast sea of pseudo-education that commences in our educational institutions ; we have dirty politics besides real dedicated political leadership; we have the merely negative and negating "isms" instead of positive constructive "isms”; we have vast shares of pseudo-religion, bigotry and charlatanism around occasional oases of genuine spiritual evolution of man into something that transcends the narrow confines of the material and the physical. It is for mankind to discriminate wisely between the two with the help of the right standard of values and regain the vision of a heaven on earth which mankind once seemed capable of achieving.

This right standard of values, I believe, is provided most clearly by the laws of Man's spiritual evolution. Man's misery is based on his physical limitations and the tyranny of his needs, which only the world outside can supply. This was, is, and would be, the ultimate limit of man's worldly achievements and when those few who could transcend it show us the way out to something fuller, mankind has therein a glimpse of the next possible, and even the more worthy line of man's future or 'possible' evolution.

Every race, nation and epoch has produced a few men of this strange power. What is interesting to note is that the basic tenets of their teaching, though they belong to different times, religions and countries, have a strange agreement, which is not based on any direct knowledge of one another on their part. The Upanishadic Rishis, the galaxy of Buddhist sages, the prophets of the Bible, and Christ and many Muslim mystics, in spite of their racial and temporal aloofness from one another, have an intrinsic "oneness" and the technique of the attainment of the transcendence they expound is one of it's essentials. In the lives of great mystics and saints we have a glimpse of the way to transcend the last barrier to man's progress and evolution. And only when this way is explored to the full can we hope to replace the present phenomenon of mere change, which passes for progress with real, infinite, progress. It has, as its hallmark, the resultant inner contentment fitting in with the external harmony. Besides, it provides us with the missing link in the chain of man's further evolution. It is an ordained fact of history that all the rest of the outward forms of religions are bound to annihilate one another and that unendingly; and, in the process, that section of humanity which does not realize the need to shed obsession with forms external has to pay dearly in blood and material happiness. The wiser section has to pick up the grain and cast aside the chaff. This is the line adopted by all the great mystics. Though forms of religion find a threat to their supremacy in the perfect mystics, the mystics have found nothing but a threat to human existence and happiness in mere adherence to forms which, by any stretch of imagination, do not contribute to man's spiritual growth.

Every religion has a demonstration of the infinite possibilities of progress it can offer mankind in its perfect saints; and the vast majority of mankind who do not attain to that sublime height only represents a failure of man to practice it properly. If a vast band of failures cling to forms of religion and reject the perfect saints, the wiser are those who reject the former and follow the latter. The future of man, I believe, is ultimately based on this essential choice and that the key to establishing the right scale of human values rests with them.

It is with this faith that I present this humble sketch of one of the foremost of saints which mankind has produced in very recent times. In this sense, I believe, he represents the superman of the future who can be realized if mankind successfully rises above dogma and bigotry; only if Hindus, Muslims, Christians and men of all other religions succeed in looking upon themselves just as fellow human beings venturing across the sea of progress in vessels of different make. But if they identify themselves too much with their vessels than with their purpose, the results shall only be mutual annihilation in which process they shall provide an easy handle to those demonic forces that threaten to destroy mankind just out of sheer instinct. Every sane aspirant for spiritual perfection has to look upon all saints of all religions as belonging to a single brotherhood, as they really do, and must seek to belong to that brotherhood, which rises above the narrow dogmas.



May the glorious life of Hazarat Tajuddin Baba of Nagpur serve this noble purpose.

In the recent history of both Islamic and Hindu mysticism of India (1861 to 1925), Hajarat Baba Tajuddin Aulia of Nagpur has been one of the most outstanding mystics of his time. He was most intimately loved and rather worshiped by both the Hindus and Muslims for his highly amazing spiritual powers and universal benedictions enjoyed by millions of the suffering humanity.

It is a great pity that nobody cared to publish his exemplary life-story and marvelous deeds ever since his disappearance from the scene of this world. I think it is his own spiritual blessing that I am inspired to publish his biographical sketch in these pages in order to preserve the glorious history of India's innumerable " Spiritual Redeemers " to uphold the eternal dignity of all ancient Religions.

The ancestors of Tajuddin Baba were Arabs. Syed Abdulla, a grand son of Hazarat Iman Askari, came from Arabia to India and settled down in Madras. The descendants of his family thus happened to live around this city for a long time. One of them, Syed Badruddin, become a Subedar in the army - Madras Platoon no. 32 and live in Kamptee. He married Mariam Bee, the daughter of one sheikh Miraan Saheb.

Syed Badruddin had a son born on Thursday, the 27th of January, 1861, at about 5-15 a.m at Kamptee and he was named Tajuddin. But they were shocked to see that the newly born child did not cry, as usual, they feared it was still-born child and according to the prevalent custom, branded it on it's forehead and the temples. The child then cried for only a little while but almost immediately stopped and kept gazing intently in all directions. The marks of that branding remained for ever on the forehead and temples of the pious child.

Hardly had the child completed one year when his father , Syed Badruddin , passed away and when he was nine years old, his mother also died. The orphan was then brought up and educated at his mother's house by his grandmother. He was admitted in a school at the age of six. Up to the age of eighteen, he studied Arabic, Persian and English.

In his 6th year when Tajuddin was at school, in Kamptee a famous Muslim Saint, Hazarat Abdulla Shah, (whose tomb is now adjoining the railway station at Kamptee) came to see him. He gazed at Tajuddin, took out a piece of sweetmeat from his bag, chewed a bit of it and thrust the rest into Tajuddin mouth. He then told one of the teachers standing by : " What can you teach him? He is already well taught in his previous life." And, addressing the young Tajuddin, he said: " Eat little, Sleep little, and Talk little. While reading Holy Quran, read as though the holy Prophet Mohammed has descended upon you."

This strange incident effected a profound change in tajuddin. Tears flowed from his eyes continuously for three days and he lost all interest in play and childish pranks. He sought solitude and was always found reading the works of great Sufi Saints and reflecting upon their profound significance. Of all that he read, the one couplet that captured his heart most was - "Drink wine, burn Quran and Kaba; dwell in the mandap (temple) but never hurt the feelings of, or cause pain to, any human heart."

Hazarat Abdulla Shah was a Sufi dervish (a Muslim mystic). Neither he nor the Sufi mystic who wrote the above lines could hardly have meant these lines literally. It must be remembered that they are meant quite differently from what they appear outwardly. The commonest examples are the use of terms of drinking , lovemaking and intoxication in their poetry to connote mystical experiences. So the above lines actually meant that one has to drink the wine of ' true and sincere devotion' and faith, and not the dirty wine of worldly life; that the holy Quran is neither the parchment or the ink in which it inscribed, nor the Holy Kaba the stone; nor is it right to be caught in the narrow religious bigotry of hating other religions (like belittling places of worship of other religions as the Hindu mandaps). The most important of all is the non-injury of the body or the religious feelings and sentiments of any human being. Indeed Tajuddin spiritual career had been an unwritten, unuttered, commentary on these lines. When he became the full-fledged Tajuddin "Aulia", he ordered equal treatment of both the Hindus and the Muslims, as his story proves.

For all outward signs nothing of significance happened in the life of Tajuddin for the next 12 years. In his 18th year river, kamhan, near Kamptee, was in furious floods and the house of his uncle was badly damaged. Young tajuddin was deepely touched at the sight of the flood victims. Owing to the consequent loss, his uncle, Hazarat Abdul Rahman, was compelled to work in the Forest office for a living and he also advised his nephew to join the army. Accordingly, at the age of 20, in 1881 A.D., Tajuddin joined the 13th Nagpur Regiment. In the course of his army duties Tajuddin traveled extensively in the country and was also sent out to foreign countries like France, etc. On it's return, the regiment camped at the Grass Farm in Hyderabad (Deccan). There, an American officer, Mr. Benz came into contact with Tajuddin who thought him the Holy Quran. Another military officer, Mr. William, was a bosom friend of tajuddin in whose company he advanced in spirituality. Later Mr. William went to live in Calcutta where his tomb can be seen even today in the graveyard at Bangmeri.

In 1884, Tajuddin's Regiment reached Saugor. All through his career in the army, Tajuddin never neglected his Namaz(Muslim Prayer). One day in Saugor, Tajuddin was lured by a melodious voice which led him to a lonely waste land nearby where a famous 'Chishti' saint Hazarat Dawood Shah lived. Henceforth he used to attend regularly to the service of this Muslim saint. He used to spend much of his time in meditation in the company of the saint every day after his army duties. Sometimes he stayed away with him in the night also. When his grandmother learnt at Kamptee that he was not staying in tent at night, she rushed to Saugor suspecting that Tajuddin had fallen into some evil company. She stealthily followed him at night but found that he was meditating with a Muslim saint. Next morning, when Tajuddin returned home, she served him with breakfast. But Tajuddin said he would eat his his own laddu and peda (two Indian sweets) and started chewing up the two stones he had in his hand. The old lady was awfully surprised at this phenomenon and realized that Tajuddin's devotional life had given him some divine powers, and that her suspicious about his character were wrong. She returned to her town happily. Even after Hazarat Dawood Chishti's death, Tajuddin continued his meditations and mujahedas (spiritual practices) often near the decease's tomb.

Tajuddin's meeting with Hajarat Dawood Chisthi marked the second important land mark in his life. His meditations and mujahedas soon become more intensified and he found his job in the army a great hindrance to his 'new' life. And so he tendered his resignation directly to his commander. The latter was, however, shocked and at once wrote to his relations about his rash action. His grandmother, fearing that Tajuddin had become mentally cracked, came to Saugor and found him quite a different man, wandering unaware of his worldly needs and responsibilities as if in quest of 'something intangible'. She took him to Kamptee where the doctors tried to cure him for madness and magicians used all kinds of talismans in vain. They could not realize that, by the grace of God, and attention of his Guru(Pir), he had attained 'the high mystical-state-of-all-existence', in which one forgets self. But the people generally took him for a mad man. Children flocked round him and threw stones at him. But he always smiled and was never offended with them. On the contrary, he encouraged them by heaping the stones they needed the place, ready for their use. If people dissuaded the children from stoning him, he would get angry with them for their interference.

Tajuddin lived in this state for four years in Kamptee during which period his grandmother died, unaware of the glorious future of her grandson. Now his uncle, Abdul Rahman, took him to Chanda. There too he was treated in vain for his 'madness' and he was sent back to Kamptee and left to his own fate. He lived under bridges and in ruins, caring little for sun and rain. When it rained, he stood under some tree or the other. Now he was completely naked and hardly had any inclination for food or drink. When any one gave him any thing to eat, he gave it away to the stray dogs on the road.

At last, when every human being abandoned Tajuddin, the "Hand of the lord" was stretched to shield him. Now miracles started manifesting themselves through him and this made the people realise the real stuff of which Tajuddin was made. Hundreds of these miracles were narrated by the amazed public and now he was popularly called 'Tajuddin Baba'. Let us see a few of these amazing miracles.

One day Tajuddin Baba briskly walked to the house of a goldsmith in Kamptee and told him : " Vacate your building, remove your belongings as soon as you can." The goldsmith who had already heared of the Baba and revered him, immediately obeyed his order. The same night the building collapsed. The goldsmith and his family were saved and they became Baba Tajuddin's staunch devotees.

On another occasion, Tajuddin Baba walked to the door of a good man and asked for food. " There was no food at this hour , Baba ", the man replied. But the Baba would not budge and said: " why do you utter lies? You have kept the food in the box." The man, who had already heard of Baba's extraordinary powers, went in and searched the box. To his astonishment, he did find some food in the box although none had been put there to the very best of his memory.

News of Tajuddin Baba's miraculous powers spread like wild fire and crowds always thronged round him, seeking his blessings for each and every kind of their wishes and endeavors. When such a miraculous help becomes so easily obtainable and does not cost anything in return, it is human nature to loose sight of the sublimity that underlies it. Instead of steadily rising to dignity and success with self-help and sacrifice, man seeks to pull it down to the level of his myriad cravings, both worthy and unworthy.

When such a mentality prevails in the crowds, a perfect saint is forced to limit his accessibility to only those who have the germ of carving for spiritual development which can be sparked by the manifestation of his divine powers, while he openly denied the same to those who see the witness them just to satisfy their idle curiosity. And the perfect saint has always an unerring and uncanny insight into these aspects of the seeker's personalities and propensities.

Accordingly, at one stage, Tajuddin Baba got fed up with this unworthy demand for miracles and, one day, he declared : " Tomorrow I shall enter the Lunatic Asylum." And next day he did what he said. But the way he did it was very strange and funny. Next day at dawn, Tajuddin Baba stood stark naked in front of the European ladies Tennis club. The English ladies naturally got enraged at his unbecoming conduct and approached the police to put him in the lunatic asylum in Nagpur. And order was, accordingly, issued by the District Magistrate of Kamptee Cantonment on 26th of August, 1892 A.D. However, it soon become evident that "Tajuddin the mad man" could never be, because sometimes when he was locked up in cell, he could be found wandering freely on the roads of Nagpur. In the register of the asylum, the age of Tajuddin Baba, at the time of his admission, was recorded as 32 years 7 months and 9 days.

A few days after he was put by the police in the asylum, the English ladies, whose wrath had earned Tajuddin Baba this reward, saw him walking on the road towards his house at Kamptee. They suspected some intrigue on the part of the police about their complaint. They proceeded straight to the asylum to blame the police for setting the mad fakir free. But their amazement knew no bounds when they found that he was not let off but was very much in the cell, securely locked up in the asylum.

This, however, was not to be a stray incident or the only one of the kind reported of Tajuddin Baba's strange powers. At that time, the Chief Doctor of the asylum was Dr. Abdul Majid. One night, when he went around the hospital, he found that while all other lunatics were locked up in their cells, Tajuddin Baba was loitering in the verandah of the cell. The doctor quietly went to the attendant on duty and took him to task for his negligence, for leaving that one lunatic free. But the surprised attendant assured Dr. Abdul Majid that he did lock in every lunatic securely. He personally led the doctor to the particular cell of Baba Tajuddin to prove his claim. Dr. Abdul Majid was stunned to see that this time Tajuddin Baba was inside the cell, securely locked up. This miraculous incident convinced the doctor of the real nature of Baba Tajuddin's madness and henceforth Dr. Abdul Majid lived only as his devotee, seeking his blessings and guidance in everything he did. Later on, his experiences of Baba's divine powers were numerous. We shall relate just a few of these experiences also.

One day one of the lunatics escaped from the asylum and could not be traced. The superintendent, Dr. Abdul Majid, was very much perturbed. At that time Baba Tajuddin approached him and said : " Don't worry, he would return of his own accord tomorrow." Next day, the mad man was found standing near the gate of the asylum and was taken in by the attendants. When Dr. Abdul Majid interrogated him about his whereabouts, the mad man replied that, after leaving the asylum, he wandered awhile and when he was going to Dr. Abdul Majid's house, he met Tajuddin Baba who brought him to the gate of the asylum and let him there and went in. While he was waiting there, guards took him in. What is more surprising about this incident is that all the while Tajuddin Baba did not stir out of his own cell. This amazing incident only reinforced the doctor's faith in the Baba's miraculous powers.

For a particular need, Dr. Abdul Majid, as usual, sought Tajuddin Baba's permission to go to Bombay on some personal business. The Baba however kept quiet. But the doctor repeated his question thrice. As though in annoyance, Tajuddin Baba said : " If you don't want to heed my warning you may go. But keep this leaf with you." He handed him a small leaf which he picked up from the ground. The doctor kept it in his pocket and left for Bombay. On his journey, he got down in the Bhunsaval Railway Yard and suddenly an engine rushed towards him. Every one thought the doctor was killed as there was no escape. But in that movement of awful fright, Dr. Abdul Majid fell down on the track unconscious. Strangly enough the engine came to a 'sudden halt' in the nick of time. The fireman and the driver got down to find out the cause of the 'sudden halt ' because the engine was not pulled by any one of them. How did it come to a perfect standstill of its own accord? They were wonder struck to see this highly amain incident and took the doctor for a saint with miraculous powers and praised him for stopping the engine in a most impossible manner. This glaring incident was witnessed by all people at the station. The doctor however revealed that it was the miracle of the leaf in his pocket and told them of Baba Tajuddin's warning.

Besides his own personal experiences, Dr. Abdul Majid also witnessed numerous other miracles experienced by a large number of people who came to seek Baba's blessings from far and near even at the asylum. For instance, he once saw a rich Seth who came to Baba Tajuddin to seek his blessing for his father who was dangerously ill in Bombay, and whom all the bes doctors had failed to cure. Before he had even a chance to relate his predicament, the Baba spoke out : " Go back, your father is well." But the Seth could hardly believ it and thought it might be just a way of dismissing him. He immediately wired home an inquiry, and got a telegraphic reply saying that his father was really all right. The Seth fell at the feet of the saint in solemn gratitude and distributed alms to the poor.

Dr. Abdul Majid was not the only doctor who had witnessed Baba Tajuddin's miracles. The manner in which Dr. K. G. Pownasker become a staunch devotee of Baba is still more wonderful.

Dr. Pownasker was originally practicing in Patna and longed to secure a good job. Once, when he was on his way to river Ganga for a dip, a Brahmachari Baba (celibate) attracted him by his very glowing countenance. After a little conversation with him, Dr. Pownasker pleaded for his blessing and promised him that if he got a good job, he would take him on a pilgrimage. Not long after, he did get his posting as Medical Officer at Nagpur. He immediately fulfilled his promise with the Brahmachari Baba, and promptly took him on a pilgrimage. The Baba was awfully pleased to hear from Dr. Pownasker that he was posted in Nagpur and, after finishing with the pilgrimage, he also proceeded to Nagpur along with the doctor. When they reached Nagpur the Brahmachari Baba led Dr. Powanasker straight to the gate of the lunatic asylum and standing there, called out loudly : " O, brother Tajuddin, here is our boy. I hand him over to you. Please take care of him." And , so saying , the Brahmachari Baba suddenly disappeared, leaving the onlookers dumbfounded in utter amazement.

It is interesting to note that Tajuddin Baba, who was at that movement sitting under a tree inside the asylum, was heard responding to the call of the Brahmachari Baba : "Yes, yes. He is our family. where else can he go?"

Dr. Pownasker was overwhelmingly surprised not only by this incident of the mystical dialogue between the two saints, but he was also amazed especially when he came to know later that they were complete strangers to each other. After some time Tajuddin Baba told Dr. Pownasker that he must go to Sakori and meet Upasini Maharaj there. When he went to Sakori, he did find that Tajuddin Baba's guidance and advice were quite correct. Thus in the life of Dr. Pownasker we see how three different great saints, viz the Pir Saheb of Patna (in the garb of Brahmachari Baba), Tajuddin Baba and Upasini Maharaj, worked together in making Dr. Pownasker advance spiritually. Their religious labels made no difference whatsoever in their spiritual careers.

After Dr. Abdul Majid's retirement, Dr. Kashinath Rao became Superintendent of the Lunatic Asylum at Nagpur. Though he was a Hindu, and an orthodox Brahmin he also became a staunch devotee of Tajuddin Baba. One instance of his miraculous experience is most interesting to mention.

Once Dr. Kashinath Rao was sitting in his room all alone. Suddenly he found Tajuddin Baba also seated before him. He was simply frightened and highly amazed at this mysterious phenomenon because he knew pretty well that at that moment Baba Tajuddin was locked up in his cell in the asylum. He had not recovered from his bewilderment yet, when a strange voice was heard through the wall of the room greeting in the Islamic way : Assalam Alaikum, Baba Tajuddin. And Tajuddin Baba immediately responded saying : Wa Alaikum-us-Salaam. And instantly a part of the plaster of the wall fell down revealing a hand with all the five outstretched fingers (the Muslims call it a panja), Baba Tajuddin approached it and joined his hand with it. as the doctor was dumbly looking on the whole episode in utter amazement, the hand vanished and with it Tajuddin Baba also disappeared. Immediately Dr. Kashinath Rao ran to Baba Tajuddin's cell to see what was happening there and found the saint locked up in his cell. He was busy with his prayer at that time.

Thus, not a day passed without even the doctors who studied modern science being made to witness Baba Tajuddin's miracles, and no wonder that they all accepted him as their protector and benefactor.

There is no end to Baba Tajuddin's marvelous miracles. Once an old man of Nagpur came to the Baba with his mother-in-law. One of his hands was badly paralysed. When he came to the asylum, he met a pilgrim from Mecca who was sitting under a Margosa (neem) tree. Te old man enquired of this Haji as to why he came there from such a long distance? The Haji replied : " I am called here by Tajuddin Baba Saheb who spent 21 days with me in Mecca and who had invited me here." Dr. Kashinath Rao, who was also there, was astonished to hear this, because Tajuddin Baba had been confined in the asylum for many years past, and there was no chance for him to escape and go to Mecca. The bewildered doctor was moved to tears and fell down at the feet of the saint in solemn adoration. The great saint then said : " Don't praise me much by announcing this to public". The Baba then held the withered hand of the old man and said : " Oh, it's a foul disease." The patient felt that in the grip of the Baba his hand got warmer. Finally when he shook it once and released it, the old man's hand was quite all right. The saint then ordered him to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca in gratitude to Allah for the cure.

One day a gentleman came to Tajuddin Baba and prostrating before him, petitioned: " Great master, my daughter is in her last moments. Pray grant her life." The Baba gazed calmly at the visitor's face for a moment, closed his eyes and was in trance for awhile. When he opened his eyes, he said : " Go home. The danger has passed. She is all right now." When this gentleman reached home, he found his daughter sitting and eating something. Overflowing with gratitude for the mercy of God and his beloved saint Baba Tajuddin, he asked his wife as to how the girl recovered so completely in such a short time. She told him that after he left for lunatic asylum, a fakir appeared at the doorstep and finding her in tears, enquired of the cause of grief. When he heard of the precarious condition of the child he said ;"Insha Allah, now she will recover in no time." As soon as the fakir left, the child sat up and asked for something to eat.

Once a batch of students from the Muslim University of Aligarh came to pay homage to Baba Tajuddin and photographed themselves with him in the group. But they were highly surprised to see that while all the students in the group came off nicely in the picture, Baba Tajuddin's image was not there.

Such miracles were countless. Every day crowds of devotees and visitors queued up at the asylum to have Baba Tajuddin's darshan and receive his infallible blessings. They offered him new clothes, fruits, sweets, beedies and snuff. But he only touched and returned them or gave them away to any one he pleased in the crowd. The strange powers of the saint had won the doctors and all the authorities of the asylum so much that they were soon obliged to permit him from all manual work which the other inmates had to perform compulsorily and later they left even his cell unlocked. But Tajuddin Baba insisted on his being treated on equal footing with the rest of the inmates, and did all the work and always insisted upon being locked up in his cell.

While such was the attitude of the Medical Officers-in-charge of the asylum, the Government took a greedy view of things. It now decided to levy a fee on those who wished to see this ' miraculous soul' at the asylum despite the fact many of the visitors were Englishmen who sought Baba's succor for their own cherished wishes.

To mention a few of the British devotees of Baba Tajuddin, Mr. Antony MacDonald, the Chief Commissioner of Nagpur and Col. Rowe, the Civil Surgeon, were among the best admirers and devotees of the saint. There were other dignitaries of the rank of Extra Assistance Commissioner (Mr. Hafiz Vilayatullah Khan) and the city Superintendent of Police (Mr. Moti) who were devotees of Hazarat Baba. Even Maharaja Raghoji Rao Bhonsle of Nagpur was one of the staunch devotees of the Baba. He was one of the very frequent visitors to the asylum also. All these big people of Nagpur sought Baba's blessings to solve their problems, private and worldly.

Strangely enough, while so many high officials came to the asylum for Baba Tajuddin's darshan and blessings, it never occurred to them that a lunatic asylum was not the fit place for a truly great saint like Baba Tajuddin.

It was however, Maharaja Raghoji Rao who first got the idea of taking out Baba Tajuddin from the asylum. With idea of taking out Baba Tajuddin from the asylum. With the consent of the saint he paid a sum of Rs.2,000/- as security to the asylum authorities and took the Baba to his own palace in 1908. He thus ended the 16-year long stay of the Baba in the Pagalkhana (asylum) to the delight of thousands of his devotees and admirers.

The Maharaja put his palatial building, viz, Lal Kothi, at Sakarddara completely at the disposal of the saint. And not only this, but he also provided a baggi (a carriage drawn by horses),servents and Pehalvans(wrestlers) for the service of the Baba. Very often, Maharaja Raghoji Rao himself used to attend on him. But this "king of kings", while staying at Sakardara, followed a particular routine of his own Sufistic way of life freely.

At La Kothi, for most of the time, the Baba remained in a state of trance. He woke up early and left the palace for his usual strolls and returned sometimes as late as 2 pm. or even in the evening. People flocked around him from far and near with garlands, sweets, costly new clothes and various other gifts. Every day was a festive day. Many shops sprang up along Baba's way. Songsters, musicians and artists displayed their skill before him wherever he went, even to the neighboring jungles where he loved to wander about. When hundreds of the devotees offered him food, in plates, he would taste a little from only one of the plates to please the devotees. All the rest was distributed, specially among the poor and the orphans. Hazarat Tajuddin Baba wore only one long tunic or shirt all the time.

Dr. Abdul Majid khan was the Greatest devotees of the Baba. Dr. Kasinath Rao actually worshiped him as if he was a Hindu Deity. He put flowers on his head, applied sandal paste to his forehead and performed such other rituals to which Baba Tajuddin never objected.

It must be mentioned here that fakir Tajuddin Baba's stay in the palace of the prince was a most unwilling condescension on his part. This was tolerated by the saint only because of the persistent appeals of Maharaja Raghoji rao. But in spite of all the comforts of the place, he always slept on the floor. When he walked out even in the burning heart of summer, he went without shoes. In fact, this gilded home was also a prison for Baba Tajuddin. He performed to be a humble fakir and loved wandering in the jungles of Nagpur.

One day he left the palace, as usual, and walked straight to Waki (a suburb of Nagpur 16 miles from the city) and stayed there with one Patel Kashinath Rao who welcomed him and served him well. The people of Waki saw him walking bare footed and remaining exposed to rain, sun and cold. If his shirt was drenched in the rain, it dried on his body only. Here too, as at Sakardara, many miracles took place. Here he named a mango tree as his "hospital" and directed all who sought his help in curing elements to sit under it and use that earth as medicine, and they were unfailingly cured. He named another spot as mosque. Spiritual aspirants were asked to stay there and perform mujaheda. Many performed penance in this mosque, the most famous among them was Mehar Baba, the Parsi seer of Ahmednagar, and Upasini Maharaj, the great saint and disciple of Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi". Similarly those who craved for justice in litigation etc. were directed to assemble at another spot which he called the " Court of Justice". There was a "school" also where students craving for distinction in examinations were asked to stay.

The most remarkable of the countless miracles that happened during his stay at Sakardara and Waki were the cases of reviving the dead and of curing incurable diseases.

The most famous of such cases was the case of "Sheru" his dog. This dog displayed an unusual awareness of the saint's greatness and regarded service to him and his devotees it's duty. Every day Sheru used to go to the Railway station punctually at the scheduled times of trains to receive and guide the devotees to his Master wherever he might be at the hour, in Waki or in the neighboring jungles. This became such a regular feature of this dog's life that visitors first looked out for Sheru immediately on their arrival at the Railway Station.

On one occasion, a certain gentleman got down from a train. As usual, he looked out for Sheru but it could not be found anywhere near the place. He then joined a couple of other people who were also going to visit Tajuddin Baba. All along, the visitors went on taking of the dog Sheru and wondered why it did not receive them that day. When finally reached Tajuddin Baba's tent, they found that the saint was not there. They had to search him out in vast jungles that were at a little distance. They keenly felt the absence of Sheru because the dog used to spare them the pain of vainly searching for the Baba, for Sheru used to lead them straight to him. As they went about searching Tajuddin Baba in the jungles., they were shocked to see the dead body of the dog Sheru. They were awfully grieve at this sight. Finally when they met the Baba, they broke the sad news of Sheru's death to him. But Tajuddin Baba bluntly said : " That's impossible; come let us see." and the party proceeded along with the Baba to the spot where the dead body of Sheru lay. There he ordered one of them to put the body in a basket and he then covered it with his own long shirt. Then he asked them to carry it to his tent. But hardly had they walked with the basket to the stupefaction of one and all, and ran to his Master affectionately. Later it lived for quite some time, and when finally it died, Tajuddin Baba covered it's body with his own white shirt and got it buried. This place is specially preserved and marked even today and is considered to be a spot efficacious in curing dog-bites.

Another famous instance of this type is that of a lady named Girija Bai who was a courtesan and suffered from a dreadful disease which defied all treatments. Finally she resorted to the service of Tajuddin Aulia. One day Kashinath Patel's men found her dead in her tent and they reported the master to the Patel. The later sent a message to Tajuddin Baba and wanted to know whether her body was to be cremated or buried. But before the messenger reached the saint, who was sitting at a spot in the jungle, the latter had already sent tea through one of his devotees for Girja Bai. The two men met on the way. The Patel's man told Baba's man that he need not take the trouble of taking the tea to the tent of Girja Bai as she was dead. But the Baba's men was a staunch devotee of Hazarat Tajuddin and refused to believe the Patel's man and decided to carry out he order of his Master under any circumstances. He proceeded to Girja Bai's tent and found dead actually. Three or four ladies were sitting near the dead body, lamenting and wailing. Regaining his own composure at this mournful scene, the tea bearer from Baba Tajuddin slowly approached the dead lady and called upon three times, that Tajuddin Baba had sent tea for revival at Baba's name by opening her mouth and sipping the tea slowly. Soon after, she sat up and enquired where Tajuddin Baba was, and she came out of her tent. While all those who gathered there were awfully amazed, Tajuddin Baba himself came there and asked her to sing a devotional song which she rendered quite melodiously. News of this remarkable miracle spread all over the city like wild fire. Girja Bai lived for many more years and died a natural death.

Cases of miraculous heading are no less wonderful. For instance, one Tukaram suffered from a most obstinate type of cough for over 30 years. It not only deprived him of a peaceful sleep but also defined all attempts of curing it. One of Tukaram's friends advised him to seek the blessing of the famous Muslim saint of Waki. At first he did not take his advise seriously but, perhaps, it was Tajuddin Baba who willed that Tukaram must go to him. He happened to accompany his Seth (boss) to Waki. During their stay, suddenly Tukaram had an impulse to take tea for Tajuddin Baba, and as he poured it in a silver tumbler and started for the Baba's abode, his stingy Seth objected to the tea being taken out in a costly silver tumbler for fear of losing it. Tukaram, however, stuck to his own wish and managed to take the tea to Tajuddin Baba in sliver tumbler only. When he was still a hundred yards away from the saint, the latter asked him, " why bring the tea in that tumbler?" Those words immediately revealed the saint's omniscience to Tukaram who at once prostrated before him and begged him to accept his humble offering. The merciful Baba accepted the same and taking the tumbler in his hand, said; "If only you had brought this tea 30 years ago, you would not have suffered so much all these years." While Tukaram was marveling at the saints intimate knowledge of his ailment and its exact duration, the later took up a pinch of dust and gave it to him asking, "Eat it, You will be all right." Tukaram ate it and was instantaneously cured of his age-long disease, and that night was the first in 30 years when he slept soundly, undisturbed by his virulent cough. Even his Seth was surprised at this cure.

There ere other kinds of petitioners to Baba. Many of them who were childless were blessed with children and almost in every case there is an unmistakable evidence that the miracle happened expressly at the command of this Man-of-God. For instance, once two ladies came to Waki from Amraoti. when they approached him, Tajuddin Baba was sitting on the steps leading to the river. Saluting him respectfully, the ladies revealed their sad plight to him. Both of them were married for over 12 or 13 years but were not blessed with children. Hearing their plight Tajuddin Baba picked up two laddus (balls of sweets) from sweets offered to him and gave one each as his prasad(token of blessing). One of the women ate it then and there with faith in the powers of the saint, but the other had little faith, so she stealthily let slip the laddu given to her in the sand below and cover it up cleverly so as not to be noticed by any one. After a while the ladies returned to Amraoti. In the course of the next year, the one who had eaten the laddu had a so but wondered why her companion was not blessed with a child. They once again started together and went to waki, one to put her child at the feet of the saint in thanksgiving and to secure his future blessings for it. While the other was repentant at heart for her folly. Envious of the good fortune of her companion th unfortunate lady decide to seek Baba's blessings again. When they arrived at Waki, the one happily got her child blessed by Tajuddin Baba but the other was naturally full of shame. So she slapped her own cheeks before the saint as a sign of her repentance and pleaded with him ; " Baba , where is my child?" And Baba Tajuddin coolly replied: " It is in the sand, take it out from there." She then frankly confessed her folly and imploringly begged his pardon. The saint was the embodiment of God's love. So he forgave her and again gave her something to eat. This time she too was blessed with a child within an year of her return home.

There is another wonderful instance of Tajuddin Baba's amazing spiritual powers. Once one Abdul Hassan, a fruit merchant came to Waki to fulfill his vow of feeding the poor there. But when the cooking was going on, it rained very heavily and the fire in the hearth was extinguished and even the firewood floated in the pools of rainwater. The fruit merchant was at first slightly perturbed but later decided to set up another hearth and cook the food again.

In the meanwhile, a convict turned up before Hazarat Baba Tajuddin, securely bound hand and foot and flanked by two police constables. As soon as he saw the Baba, he burst out in tears and fell down at his feet crying : " Merciful Baba, they are going to hang me, I am now brought to you because this was my last wish which the court has been pleased to grant. Pray bless me with my release."

The father of Abdul Hassan the fruit merchant, was also standing by. Tajuddin Baba looked at him and ordered him to take the convict to the kitchen and feed him with what was cooked there. There was such authority in the Baba's command that none had guts to tell him that the rain had washed out the hearth and there was no food. So they silently took the convict to the kitchen. When the lid of the cooking cauldron was lifted, they were simply amazed to find the food ready duly cooked when there was no fire or fuel. Only then they could understand the reason for the great authority that charecterised the Baba's voice. They fed the convict in spite of continued rain and not only him but every one assembled there was fed to his heart's content. Later, on inquiring, the convict revealed his story of conviction. He said, that he was extremely enraged at the sight of one of his employees having illicit intercourse with his daughter and so he hacked the man to death. On hearing his story, Tajuddin Baba directed him to appeal to the higher court and assured him of acquittal. The convict obeyed and he was acquitted with the blessing of God.

Such miracles were countless and countless were the people who came to Waki every day to see the blessings of Baba Tajuddin. One of the many distinguished visitors of the Baba was Maharaja Raghoji Rao Bhonsle, Ex-Ruler of Nagpur. He had several times requested the saint to go his palace and stay there but it was ignored. He once again pleaded him to accept his offer. The Baba had, on two occasions, already graced two Hindu houses by his stay; his first stay was at the "Lal Khoti" and his second one was with Kasinath Patel. This was the third occasion of a Muslim saint's stay at his Hindu devotee's Place. The reason for this is not far to seek. Tajuddin Baba was not merely his body; He was really the "Spirit" of all religions, a man-of-God, and had transcended the narrow man-made communalism. The Sufi couplet, quoted in the foregoing pages, had struck his heart ever since his boyhood. It directed him to transcend all narrow communal barriers and he he did so liberally. While this fact surprised the common Muslims who could not see the spirit of his actions, the actions of Maharaja Raghoji Rao no less surprised the vast number of unenlightened Hindus who worshiping and serving a Muslim Pir so devoutly.

However, not to disappoint the Maharaj this time, Baba Tajuddin acceded to live in his palace and the prince put not only the palace but also a Baggi (horse-drawn carriage), servants and all at the complete disposal of the saint. What is more, he himself also served him dutifully. This phase of Tajuddin Baba's life marked the hight of his fame, which had already gone far and wide throughout the country.

In 1961 Sri Chincholkar of village Pusad (District Yeotmal) was one of the visitors of Baba Tajuddin. He says he found the Baba in a furious mood, throwing burning sticks and bricks at the people who tried to approach him. Now and then he lost all senses in mystical absorption and on waking up he flew into a rage. He even started setting fire to the clothes offered to him by devotees. None knew why he did so and none dared to ask. We have a close parallel to this feature in SaiBaba of Shirdi also. On certain occasions, there were hints left by these Godmen to the public indicating that they were furious at the internal enemies of man and external manifestations are only symbolic of this state , because their actions also seem to have a magical effecting the necessary internal burning up all evil propensities.

The promise of divine protection in return for true repentance for one's sin is the promise of God in all religions but it was put forth very emphatically by Jesus Christ. But that this divine protection can extend right up to the repair of the material loss suffered by the victims of sin is best illustrated in Tajuddin Baba's miracles. For instance, a man who committee theft in a sweetmeat shop ran to Tajuddin Baba and prostrated before him in true repentance. The Baba gazed into his eyes for a moment and said : " Your business is done, go". Later the owner of the shop also ran to Baba and complained to him of his heavy loss on account of the theft. The Baba coolly said : " Go and sit at home". The petitioner at first did not understand whether his petition was granted, but he had returned to his shop and resumed selling the remaining two baskets full of sweetmeats. Strangely enough though he went on selling from morning to evening, the sweets were still there in the baskets and in no time his loss was made good. Even subsequently, his fortune rose high and, by the grace of God and blessing of the Baba, he earned profits running into thousands of rupees.

The powers of Sufi dervish are extended no less to the nature's forces. We have seen in one of the foregoing paragraphs,how, with no fire in the hearth, the meal was ready by Baba's order. Similarly, a group of peasants ran to the saint and complained of the much delayed monsoon. They prayed to be saved from ruin. Hazarat Tajuddin ordered one of them to get a pot water. He sat there sprinkling the water, drop by drop on the fire in the hearth for five minutes. Immediately the clouds hovered in the sky and it started raining abundantly. It was not the much advertised kind of rain, which our modern scientists have been trying to command at will. It was a real divine miracle.

While Baba Tajuddin was staying at Sakardara palace, people saw many instances of his reviving the dead. Ram Gulam Pandey of Jail Road, Nagpur, became Baba's devotee through such an experience. He bought a buffalo of good breed from the Punjab as he was very fond of this animal and set high hopes on its giving birth to a fine offspring. It did give a fine calf but it died and Ram Gulam was very much dejected. One of his neighbors suggested him to take the dead calf to Tajuddin Baba. as though in response to Ram Gulam's lighter vein, people found the saint himself approaching the crowed in his Baggi (coach). He got down, approached the dead calf and kicked it and, lo, the calf stood up alive. Leaving the crowed stunned, the Baba left the place hastily.

Those who have read the miracles of Jesus Christ might wonder whether such things are possible in this age of Kaliyug also; in Hazarat Baba Tajuddin's life , which was an open book to lakhs of people only a half a century ago. But here is a living example of that possibility with Indian saints, for this scientific world to take a notice of.

Many were the people who flocked to Tajuddin Baba to cure them of deformities of body. A wealthy Marwari Seth came from Delhi to Sakardara. His legs were mere useless appendages and he had to crawl his way to Baba whom he found in a restless mood: At the approach of the Seth, he sprang to his feet in a rage and kicked him saying : " You buffalo, do you play tricks with me? Run away." The marwari Seth was so frightened at this unwelcome gesture. But Baba Tajuddin did not calm down. He shouted: " Don' you hear? I will kill you if you don' obey. I say run or I will beat you". The Seth immediately ran from the place to the wonder of the people who saw this amazing feat of the saint.

There are many classes of miracles. The brother of one Bhadur Prasad Tewari was a famous Hakeem (Unani doctor) , who was posted to Nagpur as Deputy Commissioner. One day his brother took him to Baba Tajuddin at Sakardara to pay homage to the saint. Afterwards he proceeded to Saugor where he met three Sadhus (Hindu sages). In the course of conversation with them, he mentioned the illustrious greatness of Tajuddin Baba. But, as the sadhus were sectarian Hindus, they paid little attention to the praise of a muslim saint. The Deputy commissioner told them how once one of his Hindu friends had the darshan(Ziarat) of Lord Rama and Lord Shankara at Sakardara. But this too did not touch the minds of the Sadhus.

That night the Deputy Commissioner had a dream in which he saw Tajuddin Baba approaching him. He stood up and saluted him. Then the saint said: " Come , I will take you on pilgrimage. Tell the three sadhus also to follow us." Then the four friends followed in the foot steps of Baba Tajuddin who briskly walked ahead of them. Thus they visited many holy places like Gaya and Prayag. Then the Baba turned around and said : " Come we will go to Jagannath". When the party reached Jagannath , one of the sadhus wanted to purchase a Kamandal (a sadhus's water vessel). The Deputy Commissioner accompanied him to a roadside shop and purchase a Kamandal for the Sadye. Later they returned to the party and here the dream ended.

Next day, the Deputy Commissioner wanted to communicate his dreams to the three sadhus, but when he went to see them, they had already left Saugor. Then he proceeded to Sakardara to pay homage to Hazarat Tajuddin Baba who had graced him in his dream. So he asked the Sadhu as to how he got that 'Kamandal'? The Sadhu replied: " How could you forget so soon? It is the same Kamandal which you had purchased for me in Jagannath." While the Deputy Commissioner was still lost in wonder, Tajuddin Baba walked towards him and said: " Oh my dear child, of wealthy parents, why did you pay so much for a Kamandal that only costs Rs.2-8-9?". The deputy Commissioner now realised that what they had experienced was not a simple dream He fell down at Baba Tajuddin's feet in overwhelming gratitude for the wonderful experience and the mercy he showered on him.

The years 1920 and 1925 marked the height of Baba Tajuddins widespread reputation as the greatest Sufi saint of recent history. Lakhs of people visited him and Maharaja Raghoji Rao made all the necessary arrangements to meet the needs of this multitude of visitors. All the offerings including clothes made to the Baba were collected and distributed to all kinds of people, especially to the poor and the needy during the Ramzan month (the sacred month of the Islamic fasting). The Maharaja also saw to it that a mojaor part of the gifts or money offered to Baba was given over to his uncle, Abdul Rahaman Shah and Jabbar (another of his kinsman) and the Baba's public kitchen and dining hall.

But,alas some misdirected Muslims dazzled by the money and rich gifts that flowed endlessly through the hands of the Maharaj simply because the saint stayed in his palace, became victims of greed and jealousy. So they resolved to drag Tajuddin Baba away from the palace somehow. To end, they did not even hesitate to fan the flames of communinal hatred. They had little regard for the colossal, divine and historic role which the great saint was playing in demonstrating by his own example that differences of caste, creed or community, and even the external show of religion, have little to do with the real spiritual advancement and devotion to God. In the light of the attitude of Jesus Christ to those who crucified Him; he said : " Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

In this controversy, the first demand of the Muslim brethren was that they must set-up a Muslim symbol on Tajuddin Baba's dargah. Hitherto, both Hindus and Muslims received equal treatment there. Now the Muslims wanted to limit and confine Tajuddin Baba's glory to Muslims, alone, and brand it symbolically too, not realising how terribly they belittled the saint's noble mission by such narrow mindedness. Gradually, Abdul Rahman Shash and Jabbar were all persuaded to fall in line with them. So in 1925 a committee was formed with one Nazar Khan as its president and one Mr. Yusuf (a barrister) as its secretary. Among the members of this committee were those who wished to be recognised as Tajuddin Baba's chief disciples. Their ultimate intention was to take the saint away from from Maharaja Raghoiji Rao who was nothing more in their eyes than a mere Hindu, despite the fact that he looked after him only as a devoted servant of the one they called a Muslim saint. But, as a matter of fact, their chief motive was the money and the rich gifts that were offered to the saint.

Naturally, the Maharaja was quite heart-broken at the hue and cry raised by this controversy and the drift of the subsequent events. Yet he continued to serve the great saint as faithful as ever. One day Baba Tajuddin was obliged to express his inner agony to the Maharaja when he said: " Who can take me away from you? My couch will be here, in your house, for lakhs of years." And the result of this resolve is that even today the saint's cottage is kept sacred, securely preserved, in the Lal Kothi. And, as we shall see, at the end of this chapter, there have been certain miracles to prove that even now when the holy saint is no more in his physical body, he has kept up the assurance he gave to Maharaja Raghoji Rao. Whether the narrow minded communalists liked it or nor, Baba Tajuddin did thereby declare himself to be more than a human frame, and certainly above all factionalism, communism and this 'ism' or that 'ism'. In one word, he was a Godman born to serve the noble cause of the suffering humanity irrespective of caste, creed, or nationality.

Yet, outwardly, there was enough nuisance and this matter even went to the law court. The Muslims objected the Baba's stay in the Maharaja's palace. So, as if to lessen the tension and pacify the people, Tajuddin Baba started staying in a tent raised at the cross-roads on the Muncipal lands.

It was in 1924 that one day Tajuddin Baba started walking on th Dighori Road, Nagpur, and sat on a small roadside culvert. As usual, a large crowed of people gathered round him; Shah Farriduddin Taji, alias Karim Baba, one of Baba's disciples, was also close-by. Baba Tajuddin addressed him and said : " Do you know who is Taj-ul-Arifin? " (the crown of Sufi mystics). To this Karim Baba replied: Who else can it be save you" Tajuddin Baba asserted : " Yes, I am that". Then he closed his eyes for a while and said,"Oh, Id moon is seen now."

Karim Baba was surprised at these words because it was long since the sacred festival of Id was over. So he asked : Master, even the month of Ramzan is past. Is it not the "Bakr-Id" moon that is to appear?" To this Baba Tajuddin emphatically replied: "No more the Id moon shall we see!" It was only much later that the people realised that this was Tajuddin Baba's veiled prediction of his own final merging into the Infinitude of the lord God.

As the month of July of 1924 drew to it's close, the health of Baba Tajuddin began to fail and showed no improvement for 10 days. He grew very weak and could not even move out in his usual fashion. Maharaja Raghoji Rao was extremely upset at his condition and started visiting him very frequently.

The communal rivalry, set able by a few perverse individuals, was continuing unabated. Some of the Muslim devotees of the Baba encamped themselves on the road. But as they were private lands, the owners had them evicted. Then they settled on the land granted to them by one Niyazuddin. With Tajuddin Baba's consent, Karim Baba was first to raise structure there. Soon many others followed, and thus came into existence the present Taj-abad Sheriff. And now the Baba ordered that the bell that used to be sounded every day at sunrise in the palace of the Maharaja be rung henceforth and Baba went there and sat in the mosque and asked some food. All the devotees brought food but he ate a little and then slowely walked along a road towards the city. On the way, he stopped in an open plot of land and sat there. He then picked up a handful of dust, smelt it and declared : " This soil is good." If you raise a building here for me, it will be good." After a moment's pause, he again said: " No, No, Keep quite. A hut will be enough."

In the following days, Tajuddin Baba's health steadily deteriorated. Yet he kept loitering a little in the evenings. Now the holy month of Bakr-Id commenced. On the sighting of this months moon every year, the devotees of the Baba used a new Lungi (a wrapper round the lower parts of the body) and used to go to every street of Nagpur to grant his darshan to one and all, including those who could not go to his place. But this time, the Baba strictly ordered that he should be offered no new garments, nor did he move out. The whole month passed in a state of suspension till the month of Moharrum commenced.

As usual, on the 10th of Moharrum, Baba Tajuddin wore the green jubba (long shirt) and went to the 'Karbala'. The taboots are buried after 10 days mourning and some religious ceremonies performed by the Muslim community. On this annual festival, the Maharaja of Nagpur, who considered himself as nothing more than a servant of the saint, also used to proceed in a procession with all his equipage and royal insignia. First the Maharaja used to proceed on his elephant with his retinue followed by Hazarat Tajuddin Aulia, his mureeds (disciples), devotees and the common crowds. But this year (1925) Baba proceeded to the outskirts of Sakardara. Then he took a paper from the Waeer, lifted his hand up and recited and relevant hymn. At the end of the recitation, he seemed throughly absorbed in deep contemplation and there was a complete change in his demeanor as the people around cried out the holy names of Hassan and Husain in defending applause. After a little while, the Baba returned to his tent.

The deteriorating health of Baba Tjuddin became a continuous source of anxiety and fear of an impending crisis for his disciples and devotees. Here and there, even the words of the Baba sounded notes of warning of the approaching end. Famous doctors like Jaffer Hussain and Dharm Vir Munje attended on him continuously but they could not diagnose or decide upon a proper line of treatment. Mharaja Raghoji Rao however, had feeling that the saint would not retain his physical frame. Yet the Baba's countenance was calm and serene. When the Mharaja approached him the Baba looked up at him affectionately and the former politely begged : " Sir, many people have come to see you. Shall i allow them to come in?" Baba smiled and said : " Yes, do".

It was the evening of Monday the 17th of August, 1925, a large number of birds gathered on the Maharaja's palace but, contrary to their natural behavior, they were all unusually quiet and still. The Baba raised his hands up and prayed for the welfare of all, blessed them, lay peacefully down on the couch and, with a slight gurgling sound in his throat, he let his 'spirit' merge into the Infinite. ----Inna Lillah-e-wa Inna alaih -e-raaj-oon. (To God we belong and to Him we return)

The news spread to all parts of Nagpur city like wild fire. The whole city was terribly shocked and upset. Every soul felt as if the city was deprived of its study support on which it had, consciously of unconsciously, learned to lean. Both Hindus and Muslims felt the loss too deeply and burst into wailing and tears. They thronged to Sakardara yearning to have the last glimpse of their beloved saint who was a symbol of the Lord's grace and blessings to them, a most dependable friend to silver their wordly troubles and avert misfortunes, for half a century.

There was unfortunately a contention about the last rites that were to be accorded to Hazarat Baba Tajuddin's mortal remains. The bone of connection was the location of the dargah or the shrine of interment. The Maharaja wished it to be nearer to his palace but knew very well that his rivals would not let it happen. And it would not let it happen. And it would be located at the site on which the Baba once sat and said that " A hut should be constructed there". The holy body was taken in a procession by nearly half a lakh of people. The religious dignity who read out the appropriate hymns at the time to interment the coffin saw in a vision that Tajuddin Baba was standing by the side of the grave. By the time the coffin was entombed, it was Thursday evening of the 18th of August, 1925.

Just as he was born without a cry, he passed away without a cry too-- he who displayed an unusual bearing at birth was bound to have it in leaving the world also. Ana what was this? It came to light a few days after his death. In the Evening news dated 25th August 1925, Mr. Narayana Rao Hadan recorded that tears flowed continuously for twelve hours from the eyes of the idols of Lord Vithal and Rukmani Devi in the Padurang Mandir (Temple), and the many devotees, who were there in the temple, witnessed this highly amazing scene. Leading newspapers of the country, like the Madras Mail and Andhra Patrika of 22nd August 1925, glaringly wrote that he, who was Lord Rama, had reappeared in the world in the soul of Baba Tajuddin Aulia and when his work was finished, he left the earth and he was recognized.

But the meager sketch of Hazarat Baba Tajuddin's life does not end here, because he gave two promises most emphatically, one to all mankind at large, and the other to Maharaja Raghoji Rao. The latter prince amply testifies to the truth of the former promise and supplements it unambiguously.

Baba Tajuddin's promise to mankind is that he will be here till he makes 1,25,000 saints. What the dimensions and implications of the sainthood of each of these saints are, can be easily gauged in Tajuddin Baba's own sainthood. There is, in the Hindu Scriptures, the statement that the perfect Master (Sadguru) makes his disciple equal to himself in all respects.

(Note:- This exemplary similarity is glaringly evident in the life-story and grand mission of India's great Sufi monarch - Hajarat Khwaja Muyinuddin Chisthi of Ajmer whose ' Five ' spiritual successors (top disciples) namely 1)Hazarat Khwaja Qutubuddin, 2) Hazarat Baba Fariduddin, 3) Hazarat Makhdoon Allauddin Saabir, 4) Hazarat Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia and 5)Hazarat Khwaja Nasuruddin Chiragh, were as perfect in Sufism as their distinguished Master.)

To return to our continuing subject, the assurance which Baba Tajuddin gave to Maharaja Raghoji Rao was that his couch would remain in his house for lakhs of years. These statements put together reveal that Tajuddin Aulia would be available to us for spiritual guidance for lakhs of years and is waiting our resolve to attain the spiritual glory he promised so that he might step into our lives and guide us to sainthood. " Ask and thou shalt be given". But is there a tangible proof of his words? or, are they only words of mere inducement to spur us to spiritual endeavors? Man wants proof for all things, except for things on which dogma, bigotry, ignorance and pride are based.

First of all, let us take note of a case which shows that Tajuddin Baba does honor scrupulously his word even after his demise.

Subhanuddin was one of the disciples of Baba Tajuddin who constantly stayed with the saint. He used to get milk from milkmaid who lived in Beerpet. She used to supply milk to Tajuddin Baba and a few of his disciples. Once Subhanuddin could not pay the milkmaid in time and so she stopped the supply of the milk. Then Tajuddin Baba ordered her to continue the supply to his disciple and when the lady complained of the nonpayment of money, he said: " Give him milk regularly and I shall pay for that ". So she continued the supply till the Baba left his physical frame and the women gave up all hope of receiving her dues. On the 4th day after the Baba's samadhi(death), the milkmaid came out of her hut for her child's morning bath in the open. She found a fakir before her, who said : " Here is the money for the milk you had supplied to Subhanuddin at Tajuddin's assurance" and gave her a sun of Rs.78-0-2.

When we take a panoramic view of human history, we perceive the vague outline of an underlaying pattern of man's destiny with its warnings and its hopes. There is a coming together of people of different nations, races and creeds through improved means of travel, through the evolution of an international language and the introduction of mass media. This brings about conflict and rivalry owing to the predominantly primitive trails of mankind. Yet the very strife tires the 'spirit' of man and forces him to learn to tolerate, understand and fuse in a richer synthesis. Perhaps the same process is at work in India on a smaller scale. In the form of Invasions, different races came to settle down in this country and through initial rivalry they are already on the way to evolving a mighty synthesis. This is most predominantly noticed in the realm of the 'spirit', of religion. Kabir and Nanak are types of this trend. The communal tension between Hindus and Muslims was accentuated in the early 20th century. Viewed in this context and background, Hazarat Tazuddin Baba seems to be the luminary of the day, risen to rekindle and fulfill the same mission in modern India. While he was ministering to the need in the North Saibaba of Shirdi was doing the same work in the west of India. They were contempories and what more, they are a witness to the supernatural potentialities that are dormant in man, ready to be fully awakened, the 'TRUTH' which was demonstrated already by the great medieval saints, sages and seers (both Hindu and Muslims). But their authenticity came to be denied by the faddists of modernity.

Viewed in the context of the foregoing paragraph, Baba Tajuddin's glorious mission assumes a dimension, which is far superior to the narrow concept of personal salvation devoid of any wider humanistic significance. He demonstrated that the saints are the only true witness to the truths of Religion; that they cannot be tied down by dogma, bigotry or ritual forms of religion. Though a Muslim by birth, the great saint never treated Hindus as aliens; He never criticised or condemned their faith, never discriminated against them in showering his grace and the gifts. Instances speak better than words.

One Hanumantha Rao came to Baba Tajuddin and devoted himself totally to the worship of the saint. He learnt that several Harijans were becoming Muslims and were benefiting by rendering service to the Baba. He was an employee in the Secretariat. So he hoped that if he too became a Muslim, Baba Tajuddin would grace him. No sooner these thoughts arose in his mind than the Baba turned to him and asked him to get some book. Hanumantha Rao had a copy of The Bhagvad Gita with him, which he gave to the Baba. The saint glanced through it, turning it from side to side and said: " What, We are in this?" Hanumantha Rao understood what the saint implied and was thrilled. The implication is that the spiritual truth of devotion to God leading to perfection which Baba symbolised is there in the Bhagvad Gita also, a Hindu scripture. He at once prostrated before Baba Tajuddin. Baba made no distinction between religions. He even indicated that the followers of all religions should adhere to their own traditions and that there was no need for any one to become a Muslim for salvation or to earn his (Baba's) grace.

Once, during a communal strife. a muslim complained to Baba Tajuddin that the Hindus were killing the Muslims and said : " Please save them." The saint grew furious and said : " Go away. None can kill a 'True Muslim'." The implication is obvious. A Muslim is one who brings credit to the teachings of the Holy prophet through complete trust and dependence on Allah, the Merciful, the compassionate. All others are sinners and do not deserve to be called Muslims, Islam is like all the other revealed religions in that it is based on love and peace and not on hatred. Religion is only a means and God is the only end. Such a man of complete faith will be protected by God while while on earth; and when the hour of death, chosen by God arrives, the true devotee would attain immortality in heaven. No mortal can kill him. Only one, who has no faith, can be killed by another. Such is the profound meaning of Baba's terse reply. It is also relevant to note the readiness with which Baba Tajuddin graced the homes of two fortunate Hindus by his presence, viz. Maharaja Raghoji Rao Bhonsle and Shri Kashinath Patel. The latter even worshiped him in traditional Hindu manner by applying sandal paste to his forehead and garlanding him and the Baba never objected to it. This does not, in the least, mean that he preferred Hindu ways of worship as against the Islamic traditions. The Muslims followed their own ways and he accepted the same with equal grace. It is interesting to compare Tajuddin Baba's catholic attitude with that of Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi. From his appearance Sri Sai Baba was considered by most of his devotees to be a Muslim. Abdul Rangari, a Muslim devotee, asked Sai Baba : " Baba , how is it that sandal paste is applied to you, and you allow it? This is not our custom." Sai Baba replied: "Jaise desh waisa besh"- (i.e., we have to dress according to the country we live in), The Hindus worship me as their God. I allow them to do so. But i myself am a devotee of GOD."

As we have seen in the foregoing pages, some erring Muslims and contrived to trouble Maharaja Raghoji Rao by raising a hue and cry and by rousing communal passion and hatred. Although Baba Tajuddin had to leave the Maharaja's palace physically in order to avert communal clashes, did he not assure the prince: " who can drive me from here? My bed will be in your house for lakhs of years." indeed, later when the immortal Tajuddin Baba laid down his physical body , did not the marble idoles of Vithal and Rukmani at Itwara Nagar shed tears for full 12 hours and thus demonstrated that the grace of the great saint was there and could melt even marble stone into tears of sorrow?

Thus Tajuddin Baba didn't merely acquiesce to the persistent practice of orthodox people. On the other Hand, he demonstrated his transcendence over narrow factionalism by actively helping men of other religions also in their troubles and spiritual progress. Among his disciple was the great Parsi saint Mehar Baba also, whom countless people hailed as a perfect spiritual Master. And there was the Hindu sadhu Upasini Maharaj, the famous saint of Sakori. The spiritual attitude of Hazarat Baba Tajuddin is evident from the fact that he and Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi acted in tacit union in the shaping of several spiritual giants and the two saints, mentioned above, Upasini Baba and Mehar Babaare the products of their united efforts.

This discussion will be incomplete unless a close picture of Tajuddin's attitude to his Muslim devotees is given here.

One Sarfraz Husani was a very intimate visitor of Haorat Tajuddin Baba. He could, therefore, ask him questions much more freely than others. One day he asked: " Huzur, what is the truth about Sufi saint Mansur who was crucified for declaring Anal Huq (I am God)? Is he recognised as a great saint?"

Baba Tajuddin replied : " Yes son, he is a great saint; but he was a child; he opened his fist too soon. This fist of Tajuddin (he showed his fist as he said 'this') will not be opened till the day-of-Judgment." He thereby implied that it is nature of saints to impress upon people the truth of their complete union with God and identity that is thereby revealed to them. Yet he felt that they should not verbally which, of course was true. But Tajuddin Baba never made a similar claim though his spiritual status and attainments were not less exalted. Opening the fist implies revealing of Divine secrets entrusted to great saints by the Almighty God to carry out their Divine mission on earth.

Once at Sakardara Tajuddin Baba was strolling on the bank of a tank at about 2 p.m He was followed by a group of devotees. One of them was one Chand Khan. The Baba stopped at the place and asked Chand Khan: " When such a great saint is going, why don't you recite any praise? " Chand Khan obeyed and sang a song which was a verse in praise. On hearing its last line, Baba suddenly said: " Keep quiet, you are hitting me with big stones. " Chand Khan was surprised at this mysterious remark. The remark obviously implied that Baba Tajuddin could not stand the distinction between 'I' and 'HE' in the scene of difference. He implied that the difference between the ''I" and "HE" (Almighty) must be annihilated in the lord. He corrected 'them' for confining Divinity to his physical frame, for the Lord is immanent in 'all' including the devotees. This was the teaching of all great saints tsat men should try to tear down the 'veil' that hides HIS face. Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi also used to say " Pull down the wall of difference and distinction ".

Mrs. Sultan Bai, a famous singer, Once came from Benaras to Sakardara for the 'darshan' of the Baba. Whenever she visited him, she would sing in praise of his supreme qualities of sainthood. On this occasion also she sang describing Hazarat Imam Hussain as Shehan Shah (King of Kings). Baba heard and said: " I am HE." On another occasion, she was praising the Holy Prophet Mohammed as:

When Baba Tajuddin heard this, he immediately tied a blanket around his own waist and said : " Mother, this is the throne of God." Then he fell into a state of trance while she continued her song and all those present looked upon him as the Lord in that form.

Like Chisti Sufi saints. Baba Tajuddin was also very fond of music. Once when some singers were singing in his presence, he was over-powered with ecstasy so much so that he took the bells, tied them to his feet and started dancing and singing. On another occasion, he was lost in ecstasy for three days and didn't come out of the Lal Kothi palace which disappointed over a thousand visitors who were waiting for his darshan. Then Hazarat Hakim Naimuddin called a courtesan named Lakshmi Bai and asked her to sing devotional songs. She sang the following song inviting the Baba to come out:

..,On hearing the concluding lines of this song, Baba came out on the balcony. Lakshmi Bai went on repeating the same line which made the Baba swinging tune with it. And, at last, in the same state of ecstasy. he came down to the satisfaction of the waiting visitors. It is this ecstasy which the Sufi dervishes call Hall and the Hindus call samadhi or total annihilation of senses.

It is useful to note some of his teachings to his devotees. Once a fakir (mendicant) wanted to become Baba Tajuddin's disciple and sought the initiation. The Baba replied : " Kill the dog and get; we will eat it together." because the saint knew that the fakir was immersed in worldly desires which he called 'a dog' The Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) made the same comparison: "This world is like a corpse and dogs only search for it." The Holy Quran also says : " One who searches for the world is a women; one who searches for destruction is a eunuch; but the one who searches for God is the only man." The Baba evidently advised the 'fakir' to kill his desires(appetitive soul) so that he might get his real reward.>

Another seeker complained before the Baba: " Master , my mind is caught up in duality."He replied: It is because the six wicked ones have taken shelter in your heart. Loneliness is needed to be free of them." On another occasion, Baba clarified that " solitude does not lie in the forests but even while being in the world, the mind should be alone, aloof of all worldly enticements." To another devotee, who made the same complaint, the Baba said" Free the captive pigeons" which implied that his desires, like the captive pigeons, are making noise in his heart, and that driving them out is the only way to leave the heart quiet and clear, as expressed in these lines:

Chand Khan, a great musician, came from Indore to meet this great saint who come out even through a securely locked door" and saw him at Waki. He stayed for many days in his holy company. One day, Baba asked Chand Khan to do likewise and said: " I am with you". Henceforth Chand Khan used to sweep the Dargah. Once the saint noticed by his intuitive power that Chand Khan was eager to earn money by singing. He warned him not to do so; " Music is a wonderful means to experience Divine bliss and not to earn one's livelihood."

Once a certain Nawab came to seek Baba Tajuddin's blessing in the success of his litigation concerning his Rs. 18 lakhs worth of property. One day the Baba was going out in his couch and there was a Harijan eating roties (Indian Chapaties) from an old cloth on his head. He advance towards the Baba to pay his homage. Baba Tajuddin, got down from his couch , took the 'rotis' from the Harijan, sat down under a tamarind tree and started eating them. He divided one roti into two parts and gave one piece to the Nawab who was with him, and said : " If you take too much you will have motions." He then asked for beedies (a cheap Indian smoke made with leaf and tobacco)and the Nawab offered the same. At the same time, the Nawab placed his legal document before Baba for his blessing. The saint kept the burning beedi upon the papers and said : " This is our seal." The Nawab later learned that the property had to be divided like the Baba's roti. The Baba warned : " Dot take what is not yours."

Abdul Rahman, the city Kotwal of Nagpur, brought some nuts to be presented to Baba Tajuddin at Sakardara. But the Baba did not even touch them. At the same time, a poor man bought roties and offered them to the Baba who said: " We will eat them" and took the roties heartily. The Kotwal too wished that Baba should accept his nuts, but the later turned to the former and said: " I can't digest it". Later the Kotwal realised that the saint didn't accept his nuts because they were purchased with the ill-gotten money as bribe and not by his legitimate money earned by honest labour.

Besides verbal teachings and signs, Baba Tajuddin's glorious life itself is a long and direct teaching which is too high and subtle for the common people to comprehend. Only some portions of it are within our comprehension and we shall briefly describe them here.

Hazarat Baba Tazuddin always showed sympathy and kindness to the old, the poor, the downtrodden and the sick and oppressed. He could read the silent agony of the tormented souls at the very first glance. His solacing balm was spontaneous, direct, sweet and pacifying. It need no lengthy rationalisation.

One day The Baba was walking along a street in a village 14 miles away from Nagpur, followed, as usual, by hundreds of devotees. There in Shariff he saw an old mad and women in front of a dilapidated house grinding grain with extreme difficulty, panting with exhaustion owing to old age. The soft- hearted saint at once went to their aid, removed them from the grinding stone and did the grinding himself to the uprise of all onlookers. He then gathered up the flour for them and left the place without uttering a word. His followers could not help shedding tears at this divine love of the saint for the poor and feeble humanity.

On one occasion, a pauper came walking all the way from a long distance to see Baba Tajuddin Aulia. But, on arrival, he found a big crowd of aristocrats or dare to rub shoulders with them to get through and have darshan of the Baba. So he sat under a tree and patiently waited for his chance. Up to nightfall there was no hope of his getting a chance. The poor man had nothing to eat, nor any money to buy food with nor any one to approach for food in a strange place. But, when it was time for Baba's meal, the devotees arrived with dainty dished and placed them before him. But the saint did not touch any of them. On the other hand, he spoke to the people around him : " First let our guest be served and then we shall eat." But they did not understand as to whom he was referring to and went out searching all over the place. Yet they found none worthy of being Baba's guest and returned and served the meal once again in the hope that he would accept it at least the second time. But the Baba once again repeated his order in a more stern voice and this time he also gave a description of the guest who was none other than that poor and hungry man sitting under the tree outside. When they informed the poor man of Baba's order to serve him with food, he broke down into tears of gratitude and told the Baba's men: " Many thanks, I have had no meals for the last two days; I came walking from long distance to have the great saint's darshan and here i find him and his gracious hospitality's driven as it should be for great "saints". It was Kabir who said:-

More was Baba Tajuddin's love and sympathy for another invalid. There was a disabled boy, with his hands and feet quite useless, who was brought to Sakardara by his parents who had lost all hope for his cure after every possible treatment. In great desperation, they left the boy there and left away. Hundreds of devotees of the Baba were moving about Sakardara daily but none cared for, or took any notice of, the poor boy, who could not even speak or cry. They brought all sorts of tempting gifts for the Baba and the poor boy saw them. But one day Baba Tajuddin walked straight to the boy and ordered food for him. When it was brought, he fed the boy with his own hands and patiently waited for over half an hour till the boy swallow properly; then he helped him to drink water. Later he directed some of his devotees to take care of the boy and his orders were carried out scrupulously.

Such kindness of Baba Tajuddin was not confined to human beings only. Once he was wandering in Dighori, miles from the city of Nagpur. It was the custom of the people of Nagpur to offer drinking water to all the devotees who followed Baba Tajuddin on his wandering excursions. So on that day also they brought pots of drinking water. This time , the Baba directed them to give the water to a thirsty horse that was standing a hundred yards away. When they took the water which showed how thirsty the poor animal was. But who except the Baba could know the thirst of the dumb horse- a creature of God?

The callous indifference of the society in India goes to those unfortunate people who live by their lowly professions, the ' untouchables' as they used to be called and it is with them that the heart of the god man dwells. Ganga Bai, a Harijan woman, cooked her offering for the merciful Baba Tajuddin and started for the darshan of the saint on foot. At that time the Baba was staying in the palace of Maharaj Raghoji Rao. When she arrived there, she lost her initiative and hesitated to serve her poor offering to the great saint who was entertained luxuriously by his rich devotees and visitors. She was more afraid of the social consequences that might befall an "untouchable" for daring to serve her poor food in the house of a great Maharaja. Anyway, she tied her offering in a piece of cloth and hung it on the branch of a nearby tree, sitting herself at a distance from the man-of-god, and waiting for his darshan. After a little while, the Baba asked for his meal. The devotees hurried to vie each other in serving him ever richer dishes. But the saint refused to eat what was offered him. On the contrary, he asked for the meal 'that was hanging on the tree'. The devotees were perplexed at what appeared to them to be cryptic words. They searched all about the place for any trace of the meal he described. When they found nothing, they offered what they had brought for him once more. But the Insistence on his previous demand being met. The perplexed devotees stood dumbfounded for they did not know what he meant. At last, the Baba himself got up and walked straight to the tree, untied the meal that hung there in a piece of cloth, brought it down and ate it. He left a little of it and returned to his seat. The woman, a scavenger by birth, was watching the whole incident from a distance. When the Baba left the spot, she gathered up what he had left as a "token of his blessings.". Those who espied and envied her good fortune, asked who she was, and she told them of her identity with great reluctance. They asked her what she knew about the great Baba and how she was inspired to bring an offering for him? She replied: " The one who incarnated as Rama and once again descended in this form; only we cannot recognize him". Truly, as Jesus Christ said. those who are learned do not know and the innocent ones know.

The uncanny ways by which his great Sufi saint of Nagpur taught the various spiritual lessons through experiences are no less amazing. One day a respectable visitor asked Baba Tajuddin: " Master, how can Hall (ecstasy) be experienced? What is the way to get it?" To explain this practically, the saint removed his own cap and put it on the floor upside down,Topsy-turvy. And so, suddenly the visitor was over whelmed with the actual experience of hall or wajd. In this state, he stood Topsy-turvy on his head and began to jump upon his HEAD AND HANDS ! It was only when the Baba turned the cap and put it in its normal position that the visitor got out of the ecstasy and stood upright. Hazarat Tajuddin then asked him: " Have you realised how Hall is experienced?" The man fell down upon Baba's feet in solemn satisfaction. This gesture has a two-fold significance. The Baba, as the spiritual Master, can cause ecstasy in his disciples or even in laymen by his own spiritual magnetism in order to them actual experience of Hall or wajd. This incident also shows that mystical experience can be transferred to others by a perfect spiritual Master. He can at this will, impart it to one who could not experience it through his own spiritual endeavors. This finds a parallel in Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa, who gave an experience of God to his beloved disciple Vivekananda at his sweet will. SaiBaba of Shirdi also referred to such an experience when he said that his Guru tied his feet and hung him into a well upside down for hours during which period he had experienced 'ecstasy'. Sai Baba also administrated direct experience of a true fakir (Vairagi) to a Beedi vendor merely by a wave of hand! and took it back after some time by another wave of hand. So too he effected a complete metamorphosis in a septic by just throwing on him a garment with which he - (Sai Baba) covered himself.

On another occasion, Tajuddin Baba was wandering in the jungles of Waki followed by the usual crowd of his devotees. From a distance q Qawwali (Sufistic devotional song) was heard with the following nation :

On hearing this, the Baba exclaimed: " That's how I lost myself". He implied that so long as one does not forget and lose one's individual self and existence in God's omnipresence through constant remembrance of Him, so long all efforts to realise Divine grace and beauty are Marvelous. Once when some courtesans were singing before him, Baba had the hall and remained in this condition for two consecutive days.

Orthodoxy in every religion tended to look upon such spontaneous and direct sainthood as of Tajuddin Baba. Sai Baba or Jesus Christ as heterodoxy. In fact, on a deeper realisation, it is easily seen how they fulfill but not destroy the scriptures. Like Christ, Tajuddin Baba also had to cure the scribes and some orthodox Muslims of their pride of scholarship. Once, at Sakardara, some scholars were arguing about the meaning of a passage of the Holy Quran. They were obviously very proud of their knowledge and scholarship. Then Baba came out of his Mahal and recited to them these words from the Holy Quran: "If any one expressed gratitude to you for bringing him to Islam, ask him to be grateful to God for having given both of them the reverence for Islam". For the Baba, the Holy Quran was his very life-breath and his object was to enable scholars to imbibe the " spirit of the Holy Book rather than spend themselves in wrangling about the letter of it.

It was, and still is, supposed by the orthodox that the etchings of saints like Tajuddin Baba are opposed in spirit to absolute faith in, and obedience to God supreme. But, as a matter of fact, the saints are the only witnesses to the divine Glory which is the reward of their absolute and complete dependence on the Lord. They are intermediaries between God and humanity, and they are content to be the beacon lights to othodoxman souls to their original harbour. The following incident bears out this attitude of Hazarat Tajuddin Aulia.

One evening Baba Tajuddin was sitting at the Bund of a tank at Sakardara with some of his devotees, including Muslims, At the proper hour, the Muazzana's call for the Maghrib (evening) prayer (Namaz) was heard from a nearby mosque. Baba immediately said: " Go and offer your Namaz to the Lord; the call is herd." Many of the Muslims readily obeyed and went to the mosque but some of them did not. They said: " Lord Tajuddin is enough for us." The saint, however, questioned them-" One day people will be judged by their righteousness". He also wanted them to remember that although the saints were powerful, they were only servants of Allah. So the disciples, inspite of having their pirs (spiritual guides) must pray to the Almighty God. He never asked people to worship him in God's stead. Yet he allowed Hindus to worship his as they do to their deities because they are well instructed by their tradition that though it is the mother (God) that suckles the child (the devotee)at her breast , the saint (a vehicle of God's grace or the mother's milk) is the immediate channel of her milk(the grace). He advocated the Hindu tradition to Hindus and the Muslim one for Muslims. He never unsettled their mind by an indiscriminate muddling of the two traditions with each other.

Healing the sick and such other such miracles are common enough even among saints of a lessor order and the skeptic's mind is not much touched by the replacement of medicine with faith as a means of a cure. Other worldly blessings might pass for happy coincidences. There is a realm of miracles which defies all comprehension and needs the out most disbelief, verging on dogma and superstition, to brush them aside heedlessly. Baba Tajuddin repelled in them and thereby the world knew that he is one of the greatest saints.

.The most striking of the these is Huzoor Tajuddin's presence in more than one place at the same time and in diverse physical forms. Even while he sat at Sakardara or Waki, in another from he would go to some one's house or office and help them out of a difficulty or do their office work for them! Once this 'mysterious double' form went as a lawyer to argue a case at the court and, on another occasion, he even sat as a Judge in a court. This type of miracle is indeed found in the accounts of great saints like Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi. Such cases are recorded by Sri Paramahamsa Yogananda in his Autobiography of a Yogi. Similar Occurrences have been reported in the lives of saints in Israel and Arabia too.

These are strange instances when the saint concerned often traveled thousands of miles in the wink of an eye and even took his devotees with him! Sri Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi has many such miracles to his credit. Hindu scriptures, and in fact all of world's scriptures, speak of such miracles as the grace of God that he mercifully bestows on the seekers as a reward for his piety, humility and zeal to serve the suffering people materially and spiritually.

Nagina is a town in U.P. where a Kaji by name Ahmad Ali Shah lived. He worked as a Kuriti Officer i.e., he looked after the auctioning of insolvents property. His pay was low and he compensated it by accepting bribes freely. When he was transferred from that place he found that in the accounts there was a deficit of Rs.24/- and he was charged with misappropriation of money. He spent thousands of rupees in bribing superiors to escape punishment but it was all in vain. In desperation he started seeking the divine intervention of sadhus and fakirs through their blessings. When he almost grew desperate even in this endeavor, someone suggested to him to seek the protection of Hazarat Tajuddin Baba. So he promptly arrived in Nagpur and went to the saint. Immediately on seeing him Tajuddin Huzoor said, " Stay! ". Accordingly he stayed in Nagpur for four days and on the on the fifth day he again ordered " Stay! " After some more days, Huzoor Tajuddin gave him permission to go home saying, " I am with you"

..Ahmed Ali sahib returned home full of apprehension and knocked his door. To his utter surprise when the door was opened for him no one in the house expressed any curiosity regarding his trips or absence from home for so many days. When he asked his wife to pay for the coachman she picked up a quarrel with him and asked him whether he had brought the earrings for her which he had been promising her every day and did so even the day before. The Kazi was amazed at her remark. He told her that he was just then returning home after nearly one year of wandering from fakir to fakir. But none in the house believed his words. For they saw him every day, going out in the morning and returning in the evening. They saw him repeating the Lord's name himself incessantly through the nights. The Kaji brushed aside everything they said as sheer nonsense.. Then they even told him that the case of misappropriation was decided in his favor and that he even drew his pay for the period. The Kaji could not understand anything. He went to his office but there was too he was surprised to see that no one in the office expressed any curiosity about his long absence from his seat. When he looked into the office register, there was his daily signature! The same day his superior officer sent for him and expressed him sympathy and regrets for the worry the case and caused him. But he did not say a word about Ahmed Ali's long absence from the office! then he remembered the parting message of Tajuddin Sarkar," I am with you". He realised that, assuming his form, Huzoor Tajuddin had been mysteriously attending to the court affairs and the office all through last year!

Ahmed Ali was overwhelmed with gratitude and wanted to express the same personally to the great Fakir and left for Nagpur. He had to change trains at Delhi. There was met by a man and a dog, who walked by his side. The ticket collector asked the Kaji for their tickets too; for the stranger said that he and his dog were the companions of the Kaji and that he had their tickets with him! The Kaji was exasperated and protested that he is not answerable to them as they were not his companions. When he came out of the station he could not see the dog and the man anywhere. He felt relieved of the nuisance. Later he reached Nagpur and approached Huzoor Tajuddin to touch his feet in homage. On seeing him Baba laughed loudly and said," Did I not tell you that I am with you? But at the Delhi Railway Station you disowned me and broke off from my company!" The Kai was again shocked to learn that the man with the dog whom he encountered at the Delhi Railway Station was Tajuddin himself and that he had stupidly disowned him. He shed tears and with folded hands begged to be pardoned. Tajuddin Sarkar was only too ready to pardon him and comforted him with a smile and blessing.

Once a Madrasi Brahmin came to Sakardara for Baba's darshan after obtaining leave from the office for four days. He spent the four days blissfully in the service of the great saint and on the last day, sought his leave to return to his headquarters. But the Baba did not grant him permission to leave Sakardara. One week passed. The Brahmin was worried about his office and so he once again sought Huzoor Baba's permission but the latter had kept silent. This time, however, the visitor brushed off all thought of seeking his leave and stayed on in the service of this supreme lord of all bosses for one month, when he was granted permission to go home. Though at the time of his homeward journey he was calm and unperturbed, on the way he started brooding over the awkwardness that he would have to encounter on facing his officer to explain his long absence from duty without leave. However, when he long absence from duty without leave. However, when he arrived at his home, neither his wife nor his children referred to his long absence. Even at the office no one expressed any surprise at it. as usual, in the evening, the peon came to his seat and said, " The officer wants you to send him yesterday's files". Then the brahmin understood that it was all a miracle of Tajuddin Baba and that none of them knew of his absence, that Baba Tajuddin Himself acted as his substitute both at home and in the office all the time. Then he divulged the whole thing to his colleagues and the officers, who were all utterly amazed at the miracle.

.An old Muslim gentleman by name Jan Shah was wandering in the Afganistan hills in search of Light. In course of his wanderings, he once went on a pilgrimage to Mecca. There he met a saint in green robes and marveled at the spiritual radiance of his face and prostrated before him. The saint said in a foreign accent, " Not here; come to wake near Nagpur, which is famous for santhras (a variety of oranges grown around Nagpur). There you will know everything." Before Jan Shah could ask him what and where Waki was, the saint vanished.

.Jan Shah came to Nagpur and was inquiring about Waki. His foreign accent made it impossible for any native to follow his pronunciation and so he was told that there was no such place thereabout. When Jan Shah stood there perplexed Mr. Ahmed Khan, a devotee of Tajuddin Sarkar at the very fist sight; for he was indeed the saint that had directed him to go there. at the mountains of Afganistan! Jan Shah become his disciple and stayed away in the service of Baba for the rest of his life. He moved along with the latter to Sakardara. Whenever Tajuddin Sarkar was in an ecstatic mood, abusing someone vehemently, Jan Shah used to ask, "Baba, why do you abuse him?" Baba used to reply very lovingly, " No, I am not abusing him; I'm blessing him". The way Baba drew the old man from Afganistan is indeed Marvellous!

Saints are direct witnesses to the glory of Godhead and the rewards of life lived in the pure spirit of the holy texts. They are a necessary phenomenon because, as though owing to some inherent twist in Man's nature, mankind had insisted on an persisted in misinterpreting even the simplest of holy teachings and perverting them in practice. Any and every feat religion preaches total and absolute dedication and love to God and His creatures and a pious and truthful life as the inevitable means of realizing the Truth of Godhead. But there is hardly any religion, which did not degenerate into an insincere adherence and impious life of untruth. Its is to correct this that saints are in constant need to appear amidst us to salvage as many people as possible to the proper path. Religion lives and rests on the shoulders of Saints.

.Tajuddin Sarkar is one of the the foremost saints of Islam. He proved himself a pillar of piety when he declared on one occasion that he will make 1,25,000 saints before leaving this world. we know that saints do not die but are immortal and even their toms are potent spiritual forces capable of inspiring and guiding true seekers. This statement implies that till a 1,25,000 of his devotees become potent saints, his tomb will retain its power.

.To make a saint of man is no joke. Merely inspiring faith through general oral preaching might make people believing; but to make them whole heartedly dedicate themselves to the spiritual quest, against all bondages, needs the constant care of a perfect saint. Tajuddin Sarkar was one such and it is interesting to note how well he rendered this duty to his disciples and thereby to the society at large.

. One Abdul Azeez was in search of a spiritual guide. Many peers tried to make a disciple of him but he did not easily submit to them. One day he saw a saint in his dream and described him to one of his friends. The latter told him that the description agreed with Hazarat Tajuddin Baba of Nagpur and recounted the miracles that took place at the lunatic asylum and at Sakardara. Then Abdul Azeez yearned to meet Tajuddin Baba and went to Waki in 1908.

.When Azeez arrived, Tajuddin Sarkar was sitting under a tree. On seeing Azeez, Tajuddin Sarkar picked up a blade of grass from the ground and inscribed with it, the full name of Azeez on his own lap and smiled at him. Azeez wondered how the fakir knew his name. This incident developed spontaneous faith in him. He stayed for days at Waki and he understood that by inscribing his name on lap, Tajuddin Sarkar accepted him as his spiritual child i.e., he agreed to be his spiritual guide or nurse. As days passed, his faith in the Baba grew intense.

.Tajuddin, in moments of spiritual exaltation or ecstasy, exhibited uncontrollable anger and even beat people. Devotees knew that the beating was really a form of blessing. On such occasion the devotees took one pious lady Mariambi Ammasaheb before him; for on seeing he he used to calm down.

Azeez was the witness of one such of Huzoor Tajuddin's moods. Tajuddin sarkar was very angry and his face was aglow with a mysterious radiance. He did not calm down even though the pious lady was brought before him and, in fact, started beating her also. After a few moments he grew calm, went to Azeez and taking the latter's hand in his, recited the verse, " Who ever comes and becomes your disciple becomes a disciple of God Himself. God's hand will ever be on such a disciple's hand. The hand of God will be there in the days to see. Even the one, who takes tobait(deeksha or initiation) today, is your disciple. The hand of this Sheikh being yours, is also benign". Thus the great saint accepted Azeez as his disciple and renamed him "Nasiruddin". Nasiruddin stayed for a long time in the presence of Tajuddin. Later he also became famous as a saint.

How literally true and complete is Baba Saheb's teaching; One morning Huzoor Tajuddin was sitting at the main gate at Sakardara. He wore a long overall at that time. One Karim Baba went to him at about 5 p.m and prostrated before him. Tajuddin asked him," How do I look now?" Karim said," You shine bright in the glory of God." Then Tajuddin Sarkar stripped himself completely naked and repeated the same question. Karim answered, " You shine in the majesty of God". Tajuddin then kept the hand - leaves of his garment in Karims hand and said," Hold fast ! You need fear nothing either here or hereafter.". So saying he would the rest of the shirts around Karim's head. Then he put some sweetmeat in his hand and said. " This is the gift of marriage." Thus Tajuddin gave Karim a unique place among his disciples.

Stranger still is the manner in which Baba Tajuddin blessed Fateh Muhammed Shah with sainthood. The latter came from Afganisthan and loved in a village mosque at Darva in Yeotmal District. He used to be immersed in meditation day and night and he used to be in a mystic trance. It was said that Tajuddin had sent him there.

earlier, he attended on Baba Tajuddin at the lunatic asylum. At that time Tajuddin Baba once said regarding that cell in the asylum. "This place will never be vacant." His words came literally true. For when he left the asylum, he kept Fateh Shah there in his place and latter too became a famous saint. After Tajuddin Baba left this world Raja Raghoji Rao tried to get Fateh Shah also released from the asylum and prayed him to go over to Sakardara in the place of Baba Tajuddin. Fateh Shah replied, " That place should be approached on one's head. Do you wish to make me there so soon?" Superficially the statement means that Tajuddin's place is so exalted that it amounts to blasphemy if one walks thither on his legs. Fateh Shah continued to live in the asylum till the end, after his demise, his body was brought to Tajuddin's place (Tajabad). Perhaps Fateh Shah's words also signified this going of his to Tajabad, i.e., carried on the heads of his followers after death ! He might also have meant that it is not possible for others to attain the exalted spiritual state of Tajuddin Baba before the falling off of one's body.

Once Hazarat Hisamuddin wished that Tajuddin should take him as his disciple even while he was sitting at his own home. That night he saw Sarkar Tajuddin in his dream. The latter was seated near a tank of water and was washing his feet, as Muslims do, before performing Namaz. The water in which he dipped his leg was illuminating every spot on which it fell ! Next morning Hisamuddin contemplated on the significance of his dream and concluded that Baba Tajuddin and accepted his as his disciple. However, later in the day, he approached the Baba and verbally expressed his wish. Immediately Tajuddin Baba replied, " The meeting took place last night. it it not enough?" Hisamuddin was surprised and overjoyed at his words. This time he made a silent petition." Now that you have accepted me as your disciple, give me a sign of it!" Immediately Tajuddin Baba turned to him and said, "evidence? That will be given by Khwaja Hasa Nizami ! "

Hazarat Nizami was famous saint of Delhi, the pontiff of the seat of Khwaja Nizamuddin Chisti, a medieval Sufi saint. Hisamuddin was surprised to note that Tajuddin Baba was spiritually connected with saint Nizmi. But the next moment he was assailed by a doubt: " Is Nizami, to whom Baba Tajuddin is directing me, equally a perfect saint?" So he immediately thought of testing him. He wrote a letter to Delhi in a very ambiguous tone - " I am ordered to become your disciple. Let me knew when I should come to you ". He did not sign it, nor did he mention his address therein. Yet, after some days, he received a reply from Hazarat Nizami which was follows.: " Hisamuddin, you come here in accordance with the order of Baba Tajuddin. Hazarat Nizamuddin's monthly festival falls on 17the of every month. Come and take the vow on that day." This letter confirmed the Omniscience of Nizami and also his close alliance with Baba Tajuddin. He went to Delhi. When he entered the Dargah (mausoleum) of Hazarat Nizamuddin the first Nizami, the then pontiff of the shrine called him by his name without being introduced to him by anybody and said, " Hisamuddin,have you come? Take the vow tomorrow morning". The next day he became the disciple of Nizam !.

One of the disciples of Huzoor Baba who blossomed into a famous saint is Hazarat Khadar Valli Baba of Vizianagaram (Andhra Pradesh). His pious parents descended of a royal family of Trichinapalli and they settled at Vijayanagaram. His paternal uncle is said to have lived as fakir and endowed with miraculous powers at Visakhapatnam.

Khadar Shah was born in 1900 and he seemed to be under divine protection since his infancy. He was mysteriously saved from a ferocious cobras by a wild mongoose and the house in which he was left sleeping escaped singularly from a fire that burnt down all the neighboring huts. Everyone who was cruel to the boy suffered almost immediate retribution. As a boy he was charmed by the tales of saints and Godmen belonging to all religions. As a pupil of high school he realised the futility of a mere bread winning education and was convinced that spiritual perfection is the genuine object of life. He grew indifferent to play, school books, kinsfolk and even to the comforts of his body. He spent more of the time pondering over the way of attaining spiritual perfection. His father being of a religious bent knew the stuff of which his boy was made and never interfered with him. A few years latter, when a flourishing business firm tried to lure the boy with tempting offer of a job, his father reminded him that he was destined for a different role in life. Later, one day, he told Khadar Shah to offer five copper coins to five fakirs and to fulfill the vow he made to Baba Tajuddin and concluded, " This evening, I shall go away. Take good care of your self." That evening the pious old man passed away quite peacefully.

Now Khadar Shah's mind was pining to contact a perfect saint that could show him the way to inner perfection and was perplexed by the countless hypocrites that pretend to be masters of spiritual knowledge in the society. At that time a devotee of Baba Tajuddin, one Hazarat Baba visited Vijayanagaram to spread his master's message of divine love in that area. Khadar Baba heard his discourse and, shortly after, visited Nagpur.

At first sight of the great saint, Khadar wondered how a mad, nacked, fakir like Baba Tajuddin, who heaped foulest abuse on his visitors could be master of spiritual wisdom. Tajuddin Baba went off driving his horse-drawn coach, heaping abuse on the crowds of devotees that ran after it. Khadar Shah stayed behind to answer nature's call and to finish his daily routine. When he was walking towards a secluded spot, Tajuddin mysteriously appeared before him and demanded, " What is your doubt? Why do you falter like this" There is no scope for any doubts ! " and vanished mysteriously before he could pull himself together sufficiently.

Next day Khadar Baba, Hazarat Baba and other disciples were seated around Baba Tajuddin. The latter, suddenly turning to Hazarat Baba, commanded him, " Lay a few stitches to that soft robe". Hazarat Baba at once went out to obey the order. Khadar Baba followed him and said: " Baba's order is cryptic. He means that a wealthy man. soft as the robe, is soon to arrive and that you have to receive him and say a few words of wisdom to him ". Hazarat Baba could not understand how the Baba's words could ever be interpreted in that manner. But soon a wealthy man arrived in his car, with precious gifts in silver plates. When Hazarat Baba received them and took him to Huzoor Baba the latter said to the disciple," Can't you understand unless the visitor from Vijayanagaram(i.e., Khadar Shah) explains it ? " .

Among Huzoor Baba disciples was one Jabalpur Baba. He was an embodiment of dispassion right from his infancy. One day he was expounding religious wisdom to a group of devout visitors. When his eyes fell on young Khadar who stood in a corner, he went into a sudden ecstasy, and prostrating before the young man, he muttered, " Show me your power, holy one ! " Young Khadar was frightened at the crazy gesture and quietly left the scene. Later when the disciples approached Huzoor Baba, he turned to Jabalpur Baba and said: " Do you wish to see my power? " Do you suspect my mystic powers? " Every one realised that the great saint identified himself with young Khadar shah.

On other occasion, Hazarat Baba ordered Khadar Shah to cut wood for fuel and the later obeyed. But his hands were sore with that unwonted labor. When Hazarat Baba met Huzur Saheb, the latter burst of, " You rascal, see how my hands are sore ! Do you order me to cut Wood? "

Strange it may seem but the young Khadar did not speak a word to the Master even after three days of his stay in Nagpur. Early in the morning, on the fourth day, Khadar dreamt that he saw two big chests and their keys being handed to him ! He opened the chests and found one of them to be fall and the other half-full of sacred books. Soon Khadar woke up and found Hazarat Tajuddin standing by his side. An old woman who was cleaning the place also saw the Baba and called out to the other disciples who were still asleep. But Huzoor Baba at once disappeared. Later Khadar Baba innocently recounted his strange experience to fellow disciple Hazarat Baba. When he later approached Huzoor Baba, the latter said: " Child, you should never disclose such to others. However, do not fear ! " and blessed him with a smile.

Soon Khadar Shah returned to Vizianagaram and devoted himself to severe spiritual exercises and he soon became famous as a holy saint. Countless people flocked to him fro spiritual and material succor and even today, long after he left off his physical form, devotees continue to experience his powerful blessing. Baba Khadar Valli is one of the lights that the supreme saint Baba Tajuddin had gifted to mankind. And the worthy disciple, in his own turn, has disciples of renown in several parts of the country.

When Jesus Christ appeared to save mankind from sin and its wages of death, when the Buddha vowed to find a way out of death, disease and old age, the common folk, and wherein lies their success. And when the latter are answered that prophets and saints had been quite different in their life from the common people, and that they do not 'die' away but remain immortal spiritually, the commoners do not it easy to believe. At last, the modernists often laugh away such a faith. Fortunately no amount of laughter can annual a truth. It betrays their ignorance.

The prophets and Godmen have, however, prescribed for their followers a code of "spiritual discipline" which, if practiced under the eternal ' Divine law', shall raise them also to the same heights and perfection, which they embodied in themselves. The various 'forms' of Yoga of the Hindus (enumerated elaborately by the Rishis in the Holy Scriptures); the noble eight-fold path of the Buddha; the " Sermon on the mount " of Jesus Christ and the illuminating tenets of Islam are such forms. These prophets and saints were born among the common mortals but had, through the grace of God and their own vigorous self-discipline and unbounded piety, raised themselves to their supreme statures. They are the witnesses of the veracity of their teachings and evidence of the infinite potentialities of man. When Jesus said: " the kingdom of Heaven is within " - " Seek ye the kingdom of Heaven" - " Be ye perfect even as the Father in Heaven is perfect ", he did indeed imply that even common mortals like us, through perseverance and staunch and faithful devotion, can become like Him and hence his teaching. The common man finds a convenient excuse to evade his duty by brushing aside the whole thing with the notion that none can become like Christ or the Buddha. Lest mankind should thus lose a most precious gift of the 'spirit' through ignorance and blindness, saints appear from time to time to guide them. They successfully accomplish discipline and become truly like the great prophets in all respects and thus inspire humanity to do likewise by following their example.

Hazarat Baba Tajuddin Aulia is one of such great and immortal saints of our times, as his glorious history proves in these pages. Besides showing his spiritual glory when he was alive, he did and does demonstrate even now that prophets and saints do survive death, that their death differs from the common man's death in that they respond to the petitions of their true devotees even after their physical death as really as when they were alive, and that they in some cases, even appear physically before some of devoted. It should be remembered how he appeared in different forms at different places in flesh-and-blood when he was alive.

..The case of Ahmed Ali Shah, mentioned herein , is an illustration. If it is such a trifle for him to assume different forms at will while alive, why should it be difficult or impossible to do so when he drops off his body? That Hazarat Tajuddin Baba was sure of his own survival after relinquishing his physical body, is clear from his assurance to his devotees that he would not leave the world till he made 1,25,000 saints, that his first shall remain closed till the day - of - Judgment, that ' his bed shall be in Maharaja Raghoji Rao's house for lakhs of years '.

..Therefore Baba Tajuddin Aulia actively guides spiritual aspirants even today as he did when he was in his physical body. Sometimes he appears to his devotees in their dreams and sometimes he appears before them in flesh-and-blood and gives them the necessary guidance. Whether the modern world believes this or nor, his staunch devotees, irrespective of their religious labels, do believe in his everlasting spiritual blessings and guidance in their intricate problems under the grace of the Almighty God.

We have already noted in the foregoing pages that Hazarat Tajuddin Aulia is one of those saints who are particularly relevant to their times. His is the time when different religions of the world, being called into fellowship through historic changes, urgently needed to realise the importance of shedding all bigotry and learning of true fellowship and brotherhood with one another. We shall now note how Baba Tajuddin's biography shows instances of the truth that all saints os all religions always work for a single purpose(which is the Divine purpose) in close coordination and harmony.
A disciple of a famous saint, Hazarat Niyaz-bin-Niyaz, came to Nagpur from Utter Pradesh in 1920 to attend the Congress conference that was in progress there. One day Tajuddin Baba was going on his coach followed by the crowd of his devotees as usual. Incidentally, the saint, on seeing this stranger in the crowd, broke a bread and offered a piece to him. But the man hesitated to take it and reflected : " If I take anything from anyone it must be from my own master. Why should I take from another? " Immediately the Baba said: " Don't you know to make the 'two' into 'one'? The man's doubt vanished, and he fell at Baba's feet in obeisance. These remind us of the words of Ramana Maharshi that all realized Saints constitute a unity in knowledge which all of them embody.
The famous Parsi saint, Mehar Baba, who passed away recently, was mysteriously initiated by Baba Jan, the woman saint, in 1913-14 in Poona. After he attained some progress spiritually, she directed him to spend a long time with Baba Tajuddin. Accordingly he came and stayed with Baba Tajuddin for along time. One day the Baba said: " Close your eyes and then see God's word". Maybe, this made Mehar Baba remain silent ever after, as he did for the rest of his life.

.When Mehar Baba again visited Nagpur in 1958, Maharaja Raghoji Rao sought his blessing. Mehar Baba wrote on a slate: " You are already blessed by Tajuddin Baba. What more can I do? " Later he went to " Tajuddin Hall " and sat in meditation for some time. Karim, one of the chief disciples of Baba Tajuddin, also went there and prayed silently " Mehar Baba, pray for me also". Immediately Mehar Baba kept his hand on Karim's heart and pointed at Baba Tajuddin's portrait in the hall, meaning, " How shall I pray for one whose heart is full of Tajuddin" ? This reveals how deeply Mehar Baba revered Hazarat Tajuddin Baba.
Mr. Nilakantha Rao of Maharashtre was an employee in an office in Jabalpur. He had a photograph of Baba Tajuddin to which he regularly offered incense and salutations daily. One day he was so much engrossed in meditation that he forgot the Baba's photo, his house and everything, when suddenly Baba Tajuddin appeared personally before him. Nilkantha Rao was overpowered with the state of Hall (ecstasy) and became unconscious. Every one in the house was awfully frightened and even a doctor was summoned. But he regained his consciousness only the next day. The effect of Hall could be seen clearly on his face. In that state he went to Baba Tajuddin and remained in his service for several days. One day the Baba ordered him to visit another saint, Keshav Dadaji Dhuniwala of Saaikheda, who was a Hindu guru.

It was Karim Baba, who also accompanied Nilakantha Rao to Saikheda. But even before they reached the place, Nilakantha Rao was in ecstasy and went on singing and dancing with the following verses:

.When they reached Saikheda, they saw Dadaji even from a distance, sitting among his devotees on a chabutra(platform) and the devotees were singing the praise of Dadaji's powers of transforming any one at a glance. Nilakantha Rao was charmed at this sight and approached him on his knees, awaking in ecstasy, climbed the chabutra, prostrated to him and cried out loudly "BABA TAJUDDIN". Dadaji laughed and said : " Tajuddin fell in a pot, take him out if you can." Then he put a piece of Jalebi(an Indian sweet) in Nilakantha Rao's mouth. The implication is easy to grasp for those who understand spiritual language. The 'pot' is the heart wherein, through right knowledge, Nilakantha Rao was asked to realise the 'Truth'. Or Nilakantha Rao must have seen Baba Tajuddin himself in the image of Dadaji and this must have made him cry" Baba Tajuddin" in utter amazement. Dadaji then asked him not to mistake Tajuddin to be only his Physical Body, but to know that in 'spirit' all saints are one. The intimate spiritual liaison which Baba Tajuddin had with Baba Jan (the great woman saint of Poona) and Dadaji of Saikheda, existed even between Tajuddin and Sai Baba of Shirdi. The Sai Baba used to say to some of his devotees "Now is the reign of Tajuddin, go there," and sent some of them to Nagpur. Similarly Tajuddin Baba also used to send many people to Sai Baba for their spiritual development.
..This Saint of Sakori, who was a famous disciple of Sai Baba of Shirdi, used to visit Baba Tajuddin frequently at Waki and Sakardara. Tajuddin Baba also had great regard for Upasini Maharaj. He sent Dr. Powanaskar to Upasini Maharaj. for his spiritual guidance and benediction. As Dr. Deshpande writes : " Dr. Pownaskar was not a man who would easily bow his head to adore miracles. The incredible miracles of Tajuddin Baba, apart from what the great Fakir told him, made the learned doctor kneel down before him. On account of what Tajuddin Baba told him, Dr. Ponasker became a staunch devotee of Upasini Maharaj also. He ordered the doctor to accept Upasini as his Guru. Indeed the doctor saw all the signs and indications mentioned by Tajuddin Baba at Sakori, and hence his faith in Upasini Maharaj became unshakable. It must be remembered here that the peer Saheb of Patna, Brahmachari Baba, Tajuddin Baba and Upasini Maharaj all had worked together for the spiritual uplift of Dr. Pownasker. Saint Harnath Kusum of Bengal and majzoob Kallow Badshah of Ajmeer- one of the two famous majzoob saints of Baba Tajuddin's blessings. Thus, irrespective of caste, crest, creed or race, all true saints work in perfect harmony and brotherhood and it is a very sad comment on the various communities of our day if they persist in narrow bigotry and behave without tolerance and love for one another. We are reminded of Sri Sai Baba statements that he, Baba Tajuddin, Dhuniwala Baba of Saikheda, Narasingh Maharaj of Nasik, Swami Samrth of Akkalkot, and Shri Ganjanan Maharaj of Sheogaon were all manifestations of Lord Dattatreya working with a common mission and in close cooperation.

Be it in Islam or Hinduism, when a man lives a pious and ordered life, devoted to God Almighty, He, in His love and infinite mercy, graces His beloved ones with some of his divine powers through spiritualism. All saints are indeed friends of God. They are the illuminating models of ideal religious life. When they are free of narrow bigotry in their mutual relations, why should we differ and entertain mutual hatred specially while professing the same religions as they do?
Today the world is thirsting for peace. But, to the religious, the omens are not good despite all the best efforts of man. Kipling said: " East is East and West is West. Never the twain shall meet." He was not wrong. because East always worshiped the eternal and immortal DIVINE POWER through its various "revealed" Religions, while the West, dazzled and enticed by unprecedented 'scientific materialism' of this kaliyug, is now forgetting the noble teachings of the Holy Christ. Result : there is over increasing greed, mutual hatred, rivalry, all-round indiscipline and suspicion- the better enemies of society and world-peace.

Only resurrection of 'religious faith and discipline' can save the world from it's irreligious trends and progressive nuclear inventions which defy and often insult Divine Powers in the current world affairs. After all man is only a humble creature of God. He may conquer all material world but he shall ever be, in the almighty Hands of his "CREATOR, the call- powerful Maker of this most wonderful universe, and not in the hands of significant scientists. May God, in his infinite mercy and grace, grant us due wisdom to realise His Powerful Might, and may He bless us with Mutual love to create peace on earth.------Amen.
God is Love. Therefore, the saints too become embodiments of Lord's Mercy to the same degree as they merge their ego in Him by constant meditation. When the ego is totally absorbed in Him, such a saint's mercy would also be infinite like the Lord's. This was what Jesus told his disciples when he said," be ye perfect even as the Father in Heaven is perfect", For the Lord does not judge, and sends rain and sun on all people alike, irrespective of their merits or sins. Such was the mercy of the Buddha, of the Christ and of Mohammed. The greatest of saints produced in each of the religious are thus the nearest approximations to these prophets of truth and love. Baba Tajuddin is undoubtedly one such. Let us illustrate the point.

.One day a prostitute visited Huzoor Tajuddin to do homage to him and sung thus ----" Here stay good ones Where can sinners go?" Huzoor Baba immediately replied, " Good ones must go there; all sinners must come here. Oh merciful Lord be it so !"

.On another occasion Baba Tajuddin sat leaning against a Mandir, in the outskirts of Sakardara. Thousands of devotees flocked around him. He looked at them, and raising his eyes towards the sky said. " Lord, ask me for explanation regarding their sins and not them, for they are mine ! " How merciful of him to make himself accountable for all their sins !

.While Tajuddin Baba was a great spiritual teacher to his disciples, he was more loving than a mother to his devotees. He never left them sad on any account. He fulfilled all their pious wishes such as to serve him and he uplifted them spiritually and even cured them of their ailments.

.One Mr. Jalalaluddin Khan saw some people massaging the legs of Baba Tajuddin and cursed himself as a sinner for not getting such a chance. Immediately Baba Tajuddin sat up and said, " I never keep any of my friends unlucky. I am an enemy t none." Jalaluddin was thrilled by these words and he prostrated before the saint in gratitude.

Another Sahab Baba prayed that he should be made to know meaning of the verse in the Quran: 'Soora-i-Muzzammil Sarkar Muzmil' . Tajuddin laughed and replied, 'Yes dear, even these blind ones read in our presence' as he pointed to his disciples. He meant that though they were not learned enough to read the Quran, he induced the spirit of Quran in them and that they will be oblivious of their physical bodies by his grace and would be alive fully to God alone. Baba Tajuddin meant that direct experience is more valuable than learning and that he graces his disciples with it.

"This shop of spiritual wisdom spread by me is such that the more you acqire from it the nearer you would be to the Divine self."

A Perfect saint lives in his teaching. In this chapter we shall note some of his teachings to spiritual aspirants.

.A little after Raja Raghoji Rao had brought Hazarat Baba Tajuddin to Sakardara (now known as Raghoji Nagar) about the year 1908, a Sadhu visited him. The Sadhu had a bag around his neck. It contained small bottles of medicines.

.In those days Huzoor Baba mostly remained in a state of Samadhi(ecstasy) and whenever he returned from hat state he used to answer the questions and prayers amide to him by the devotees who thronged round him in thousands. He hardly gave a few minutes to the devotees and used to return to the state of Samadhi. On some occasions he used to leave the palace and roam about in the close -by jungles and fields . Baba Saheb advised the Sadhu to live in a small village and devote himself to prayers all the 24 hours in a day without forgetting the omnipresence of God for a single moment. Baba Saheb told him, " The real path for a devotee to realise God is service to Humanity, and you are given this service by me." He then recited a couplet which means: The only way to realise God is service of Humanity. Merely putting on the garb of a Sadhu or Fakir, merely uttering the daily Puja and Namaz cannot lead one to God Realization". Baba Saheb also told him: " If you succeed in removing the misery even of a single man, this noble act of yours is a thousand times better than going to Haj and performing Namaz at each stop during the course of the pilgrimage." Why? He added: " The best Haj or Pilgrimage for a devotee is to win one's heart by serving him. Because man's heart is a thousand times better than Kaba (holy place at Mecca)."

Before quoting the teachings it may be worthwhile to point out that his teachings were quite synonymous with those of the Gita and Quran Shariff. These teachings are reproduced below.

An Arab saint came to Baba Saheb in 1920 at Sakardara to receive his blessings. At the time of his meeting, Baba Saheb was walking briskly to and fro near the place. Finding an opportunity to be near to Baba Saheb, the Arab Saint followed behind him and all the while uttered Darud Shariff in honour of prophet Mohammed. Baba Saheb suddenly turned round and said to him, " control thy desires; then alone thou shall get Light to tread on the Divine path to attain God. All miseries and obstacles befall a man through mortal desires; particularly lust fro woman; otherwise life is only Bliss and Bliss".

At another place Baba Saheb told him, " He alone is a man, indeed, who has conquered all human desires and anger. In the path of Divinity these two are man's foremost enemies. Anger and lust for woman make a man blind. There is no other way out for man but to conquer these deadly enemies if one wants to tread on the path of divinity and attain God".

Similar instructions were also given to many Sadhus and Fakirs, who had the good fortune of seeing him in that period. Karim Baba narrates how he was taught by Huzoor Baba:

A Saint from Jhansi visited Baba Saheb at Sakardara. He used to stay with Kareem Baba. They always discussed Vedanta. " Once I questioned him if he could show me an easy way to attain Salvation. He told me to recite the name of Huzoor Baba Saheb viz., Tajuddin, Tajuddin in a Kabrastan(Graveyard). Being interested in the path I started visiting a Kabrastan. On the third day, I could hear the angry voice of Baba Saheb. When I opened my eyes, there was none. I could hear the some voice again when when I started the Japa again by closing my eyes. I got nervous and left the place and reached Sakardara late. AT about 3 a.m. I saw Baba Saheb standing near my hut. As i went quite close to him he uttered," Who asked you to dig out big big mountains?" he then gave me a match box saying, why do you knock about here and there?" He also spoke out a few more words, which i could not follow. There upon i spoke to him within my mind itself, " Huzoor, I could not understand you". No sooner I uttered these words in my mind than Huzoor Saheb slapped me saying, " Why pretend ignorance?" Thereafter, taking a shawl from one bystander, he gave me one end of it by holding the other one himself and asked me to spread it out on the ground and said, " This is a shop". He then read out a couplet: " This shop of spiritual wisdom spread by me is such that the more you acquire from it the nearer you would be to the divine self." He added, " He is within my heart which is in His Hands just in the same manner this mirror is in my hand in which i can see my face"; "He exists in my heart (which is a mirror) whenever I have a glimpse of Him. I have a glimpse of Him. I have only to look within and the Divine self is seen crystal clear." He further recited : " Oh Ignorant ! Why roam about unnecessarily here and there? The mirror you carry within you carries the Beloved in it" and,



..Once he said, " One who sees himself and realises who he is and does not stop there but goes on his quest for Truth and knowledge(divine) till he becomes perfect, he realises God". At another place he has said, "If you want to see God, the only way out is to know yourself ".

.Huzoor Baba Saheb always taught his disciples and devotees to practice breath control and taught the simplest methods od practice in Yoga and Bhakthi. He often taught, " Recite the name of God with each breath you inhale and exhale by keeping the image of your master fixed before your mental eyes."

If you have accepted your master in real faith by surrendering all your desires at his feet then you know without doubt that you have attained both God and Prophet Mohammed. Why? Because there is nothing in this 'Seen and Unseen' world which your master cannot bestow on you in a twinkle, at his sweet will and at any moment he likes." He further makes it clear by reciting the verse: " To live in this world always feeling the pangs of your (God's) separation and leave this world out of sheer Love for you is real martyrdom." To follow thy path is the real real path to Heavens."

"To see and hear you alone, to forget one's own existence (or identity) in your deep and sincere Love is Shariyat, Marifat, Ahle Tarikat".

.."Thy sweet remembrance at each breath, keeping thy image always before the mental eyes is the real Bhakti. He further says: " perch on thy heart in the same manner as a bird perches on its egg. This practice alone will transform thee and give thee wonderful experiences."

..In the Quran Shariff there is praise for that man who always keeps himself composed both in pleasure and pain.

..Neither I get overjoyed in happiness, nor do i sink within my heart in unhappiness. I keep such strength of mind that visitations by happy and unhappy moments meant nothing to me but visits by guests who came, stayed a while, and departed."

."Complete renunciation of freedom from desires is the real path for a fakir (saint). If you surrender yourself at the feet of God in this way and solely depend on His will, then rest assured. He will take care of you in all respects and bestow on you everything on earth and Heaven irrespective of whether you crave for them or not."

The contents of this Appendix were communicated to me by Sri Kareem Baba alias Baba Sherduddin Taji of Tajabad (Nagpur) who is one of the living disciples of the great Baba Tajuddin. He mentions the source of his information regarding the visit of the Sadhu known as Sai Baba thus : " The aforesaid incident was narrated to me by one Sevi Gopal Gouli (milkman) of Nagpur. He was a servant in the palace of Raja Raghoji Rao Bhonsle. Baba Saheb had permitted Gopal to remain in his service throughout the day.

On this account the Sadhu who visited Huzoor Baba is mentioned as Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi: This I need a correction. The Sadhu evidently was not 'Sai Baba of Shirdi'. For the latter appeared at the village of Shirdi as perfect Saint first in 1854 and again in 1856, and never stayed away from that village even for the a day till he attained mahasamdhi in 1918. And from 1896 onwards, an ever increasing stream of devotees was pouring into Shirdi and SaiBaba was well known all over Maharastra. So there is no question of SaiBaba having ever visited Baba Tajuddin in 1908 and still less a Sadhu in need of a teaching. The reason for this confusion can be easily understood. 'Sai' is the word which is used as the common appellation of any wandering Sadhu and the further addition of 'Baba' is made to a Sadhu who looks a Muslim in his dress. Thus as the said Sadhu probably answered to this description, everyone must have spoken of him as Sri Sai Baba thereby meaning 'a wandering Sadhu or Fakir'. Later, as Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi was also known by that name, the two got confused. Hence I take the liberty of making this alteration.

 Glossary 

Baggia horse drawn carriage(coach)

Beedia cheap Indian cigar made with leaf and tobacco

Brahmachari Babacelibate saint

Chabutraplatform

Dargah..shrine of interment, mausoleum

Darshan1). a vision of divine form involving an expansion or extension of one's level
                                of consciousness resulting in the functioning of supra-sensory perception.

                            2). to-go, meet and workshop a holy saint with devotion and faith.
                                 The devotee receives the invaluable blessings from the saint according to his devotion.

Dervish.Muslim mystic

FakirMendicant, Viragoes

GuruSpiritual guide; In Islam pir

HallSpiritual ecstasy, Wajd

Haazpilgrimage to Mecca during Ramzan

HakeemUnani doctor

Jubhalong shirt

Kamandala sadhu's water-vessel

Laddua ball of sweet

Leeladivine play

lungia wrapper round the lower parts of the body

Maghrib..evening

Mahatmasdivine souls

Mandap..Hindu place of worship, temple

MandirTemple

Margosa.neem (neem tree)

Muazzanaspiritual practices

Mureeds.disciples

NamazMuslim prayer

Pagalkhana.asylum

Peda, JalebiIndian sweets

Pehalwanwrestler

Pir..Spiritual guide

Prasad..consecrated food, a token of blessing

Pujaworship with flowers, sandal paste etc.,

Quwwali.sufistic devotional song

Ramzan.sacred month of Islamic fasting

RotiIndian chapati/bread

Sadguru.Perfect Master

Sadhua Hindu sage

Samadhideath , ecstasy, total annihilation of senses, Hall

Santhrasa variety of oranges

Shehan Shahking of kings

Tobait..initiation (deeksha)

The Bhagvad Gita Holy book of the Hindus

Vedanta.a system of Hindu philosophy

Viraktidejection