King Cobra touches Dada's feet
There was a king cobra snake that used to guard Dadaji's garage. Nobody knew where it came from and it was very poisonous. It used to live in his garage and everybody used to advise him to kill the snake. But Dadaji said, "Why? Why kill the snake, he has come here for a greater purpose. He won't do anyone any harm."

The cobra used to be there in the morning and Dadaji used to say, "Please come out, I have to take out the car." The snake would simply come, go very near to just touch Dadaji's feet and then go out into the garden.

Dadaji would then take his car and the snake would not come back the whole day. As soon as Dadaji returned his car to the garage, the cobra returned also.

Some people brought a tennis racket to drive the bat away, but Dadaji sat up and signaled for them to wait. Again he reclined on the divan and stretched out his legs and feet as if he were asking someone to offer Pranam. The bat came very close to his feet. The circle became very small as the bat flew just above Dadaji's feet. Four or five times it circled extremely close to Dada's feet and then it died on his feet. Dadaji picked up the dead bat, took it out and covered it with some soil.

One day photographers asked to take Ram Thakur's picture and he said, "This body is meant to perish. Why take my photograph? What's the use of running after this body?" They persuaded him and he said okay. When the film was developed, three different pictures came out. One was a picture of Satyanarayan. The second was Kaivalyanath. The third was of Ram Thakur as he actually appeared.

Dadaji says the first state is Krishna. That is Prema (Supreme Love). After that is Vrindavan Leela (Divine Love Play), where there is sorrow, joy, happiness, unhappiness, all with Him of course, not with the world. That's why they say He plays, He is playful....the joy, happiness, quarrels, all these things. Kaivalya is the stage after Vrindavan Leela, where there is some sort of vibration, of course, some sort of feelings, but not to a great extent. It's much calmer. And, Satyanarayan state is the Absolute state, where there is no vibration, no good, no bad, no evil, no joy, no sorrow. That's the Supreme State where it is Zero.

Dadaji was often very playful in the early 1970's and was usually in a very jolly mood. However for some days while the case against him was in progress, he was continuously in a very nasty mood, very serious, very quiet. He spoke very rarely. At that time, those close to Dadaji were not accustomed to seeing him in such a mood.

Mr. Gautam Mukerjee found a photograph showing baby Krishna being scolded by his mother who was pulling his ears. Krishna was looking at her and crying. Gautam felt desperate about Dadaji's dark mood, took the photo to him, saying, "This is your photograph in one of your previous births. I hope you recall how your mother used to pull your ears when you were very naughty. You are being very naughty and very moody now. I think we have to bring someone like this lady here, who can pull your ears and bring you back to your own Light." As soon as Dadaji heard this, he started clapping joyfully and laughing.

Dadaji said, "More delay won't do." He was driving the car and as if he were deep in thought, Dadaji asked which way would be the quickest. Right after saying that, he said, "See where we have come." Dr. Sarkar was stunned to see that they had then and there arrived at their destination.

Dr. Sarkar called Roma and asked, "Did you receive Dada's phone call?" She replied, "Just now Dada phoned and asked what I was doing. Where is Dada?" Dr. Sarkar said, "Dadaji is right here. Did you receive a letter to which you have just finished the reply?" Roma replied, "Yes, but how did you come to know that?" To which he replied, "Dadaji told me. That is why I wanted to confirm it with you."

The young man had it framed and kept it hidden behind a curtain in his home. One day Dadaji was at home talking with a young woman, and was telling her the exact floor plan of Dr. Mukerjee's house (although Dada had never been there). He said, "You'll find all my photographs and photographs of Satyanarayan there."

Later that day when she accompanied Dadaji on his first visit to the Mukerjee's house, she confirmed Dadaji's description of the house was accurate to the last detail. All of a sudden she said, "There is another photograph. There should be a photograph behind a curtain." Without being told, she went directly to the picture hidden behind the curtain and brought it to Dadaji.

Dadaji smiled at Gautam, who protested, "Why did you bring it? Keep it away. It is not Dada's photograph. It does not resemble Dada." Dadaji said, "Why? I see nothing bad in this. It's a beautiful photograph. Put it in front of me and you all leave." They left the room for about three or four minutes. When Dada called them back, he had transformed the photograph into a beautifully perfect and radiant likeness of himself.

Later when he was leaving the house a dog was waiting outside. Stretching out his legs the dog came very near Dadaji, as if he were offering Pranam at Dada's feet. All sorts of sounds were coming out of the dog's mouth as if he were saying something to Dadaji. Dada stood there absolutely calm and said, "OK friend, you need not worry now. I assure you, you have got Mukti. You remember the Mahanam, that is all. And, don't worry."

Dadaji turned to the person next to him and said, "He is a great devotee." The dog looked up at Dadaji so happily as if he didn't know how to express his joy. He was licking Dada's feet and licking Dada's toes. With his paws he was trying to play with Dadaji. Then Dadaji again patted the dog and he said, "Friend, you'll do me a favor? Will you come regularly and guard these bricks and sand which are lying there?"

The dog, just as if he understood each and everything Dadaji said, looked at Dada and went over near the bricks and sat on the sand. Everyday, until the entire construction was finished, that dog came at exactly the time Dada came to the house. The dog would sit at the entrance to the house until Dadaji came out. He would let Dadaji pass, come and just lick his feet and stand back as Dadaji got into his car.

One day several of the people who used to come to Dada were not very happy about my Pranam. So they told me, "You do this thing to Dada and he feels very annoyed. You are hurting him. He might get hurt and then we'll hold you responsible." They said it in such a way that I felt very bad and, of course, I was feeling guilty.

Dadaji used to come downstairs around nine in the morning to the large room on the first floor of his house where people would gather. That day he didn't come down until eleven-thirty. When he came down, he sat there looking directly at every person who had told me all these things about my Pranam. Dadaji looked at me and said, "It has been more than 24 hours since you did Pranam to me. Come and do Pranam."

I couldn't control my tears, so I just went up to him and without touching his feet even, I just put my head on the divan and came away. Dadaji had a very pained expression on his face. He smiled a pained smile and said, "I didn't relish your Pranam today. I am not happy about this Pranam. Don't worry for people who are jealous of you. Have I told you anything? You will come just now and do the Pranam as you do it. And, if you don't do it, I won't accept Pranam from any of these people. May we do that Pranam again?"

I offered my Pranam the playful way I usually did and Dadaji was again very happy.

LEFT: Gautam Mukerjee & Ann Mills, Calcutta 1986

On several occasions, after the woman handed the young man the metal container of cheese, he noticed that as he walked to Dadaji's house, the container became lighter and lighter. Halfway there, it was so light it felt as though it was empty. When Gautam arrived at Dadaji's house, he observed that Dada was not talking to anyone gathered there. He was sitting with his hand covering his mouth. Not speaking directly to him, Dadaji said, "I am feeling very hungry. Give the cheese immediately. It is very late!"

Gautam handed the cheese container to Dadaji, who opened it and said, "You have stolen the entire thing! You have eaten the entire thing!" The container was totally empty, with just a few crumbs of cheese remaining.

Dadaji was still not looking directly at Gautam and still had his hand covering his mouth as he said, "He knows that Dadaji eats nothing else in the evening except his cheese. Why does he have to steal this thing? You could have asked me, I would have given it to you also."

Dadaji would not let him see his face fully. Getting suspicious, Gautam reached for Dadaji's hand and pulled it away from his face, saying, "Open your mouth." Dadaji playfully tried to turn away and keep his mouth closed. "You have to open your mouth!" Dadaji reluctantly opened his mouth which was full of cheese.

It happen several times and Dadaji used to tell the young man's father Dr. Mukerjee, "He's coming with my cheese and he'll get wild at me. I'll take the cheese. Don't say anything. Don't laugh. Make a very grim face. You shouldn't let him know that I have done this." His father watched as Dadaji somehow ate the cheese out of the container his son, Gautam, was carrying in his hand some distance from Dadaji's house.

This continued to happen and everyone used to laugh at the embarrassed young man. Even Boudi (Dadaji's wife) used to say, "See this container is absolutely empty." One day the young man finally said, "Dada, I am not going to take false accusations when you are calling me a thief. I will eat the cheese and then I'll be called a thief. So, if you try this again, I will eat the cheese!"

One day when Gautam was to take Dadaji his cheese, he and his father and mother overslept their customary afternoon nap. Mrs. Mukerjee got up around 4:15 p.m., and she shook her son and husband saying, "You rush immediately to Dadaji's house." Gautam was quite concerned as it was very late and he feared Dadaji would be waiting for his cheese. When he finally arrived at Dada's house with the cheese, it was at that very moment Dadaji woke up from his afternoon nap.

A lady was there and in front of Dadaji she said to Gautam, "You are very late today." Immediately Dadaji said, "It is my fault. I forgot to wake him up."