The reposted video in the post above, ‘Swami Bawra speaking about Yogis and walking on water’ is shared here for reasons that will become apparent in later posts. Swami Bawra shared these stories with me many years ago but I never heard him tell of these saints openly in a talk until I came upon this recording.   In a world of hard nosed scientific realism this is a precious gem.

This is a word for word transcript of Brahmrishi Shri Vishvatma Bawra Ji Maharaj.

speaking on HATHA YOGA and YOGIS in a discourse on Chapter 6  of the Bhagavad Gita – Talk Part 2.

Part 1 can be viewed here:

 ... all are related with these. In our Hatha Yoga all must be, you know, special subject and you can describe, you can be master, and real yogi. If you can be master for that, of that, then you can be a real Yogi.  And [a] Hatha Yogi has great power. But that is related to material power.

One day I taught you that there was one Yogi, Hatha Yogi, and his name was Chan [Gyan] Deva in India then. He lived fourteen hundred years, okay, fourteen hundred years, old he was when Gyan Deva was born (0.42) in 500 years ago [he was]. There are so many other yogis too; they are living in India and they are doing.  I met one yogi and he was 300 years old and he was sitting, he was controlling his breath and I wrote this in my one book about his life. So there are so many Yogis still now in India.  They are, you know, living and so many years; maybe a thousand years old.  They are living in Himalaya and some other places too. (1.00) I met so many yogis in my life. 

Once [when] I was [a] very young boy I was studying and doing penance; very hard penance and …… I was drinking only Ganges water. I was not taking any other thing. Okay. And I was living in Vindhyachal, that was a big holy place in Uttar Pradesh. One day [in the] early morning I came to [the] Ganges and I was taking that holy water because that was my food. And I was taking Ganges water twice.  Early morning and in the evening – twice a day. So there was only my skeleton only not flesh or any other thing. Okay. This is 1954. This is 1954.  One day when I was drinking water I saw a Yogi and he was standing on the bank of the Ganges river.  And he saw me and smiled and he called me, ‘Oh my boy.’ 

When I saw I prostrate him and I forget who is he but I prostrate him and I follow him.  He indicate, ‘Come.’ And I follow – he started and he was walking and I was following him.  He went about three miles on the bank of Ganges River.  And after that he walked on the water and I was seeing and [he] entered on the water. When he went some extent, then he sleep on the water and call me, ‘Come my boy.’

I was stunned.  How I can go there? I told, ‘No sir I can’t. I have no strength. I can’t tread.’

 ‘You know how to swim.’

 I said, ‘Yes I know but I have no ability.  I am very weak now and I can’t be.’

‘But I am here, come. You come.’

I said, ‘No sir I can’t.’

 ‘Oh!’ then he laughed, ‘Okay stay there. I will come.’

 And he was sleeping on the Ganges water. And after maybe one hour and some one or two hour. And I was sitting and looking [at] him. And he was sleeping.  And you [will] be surprised and Ganges water was flowing but he was not flowing with water. He was sleeping there. I was stunned.  But after some hour he came out and he touched my head and he told me, “Oh my boy. You scared? Okay. Okay.”

 And he do in this way, [holding up his hand in a reaching gesture] and got a book, a small book and gave [to me and said], “You are doing very hard austerity. Okay? I know, so I giving you this blessing. Take this book and one day you will be very learned person my boy.  And you will be great Yogi too.”

 Oh! I was stunned. And he blessed my head and then blessed me and he told, “Go now.”

And then I went some extent and then I saw, you’ll [be] surprised when he touched my head, my head was up to here, [pointing to the bottom of his rib cage] okay, here.  He may be seven foot tall.  ?both of that too …. I remember still now my head was up to his this place, stomach only. And I am six feet and he was so tall person. 

When I left him I went some extent I thought, because at that time (5.25) and [from when] he called me and when he allowed me to go, between those times I was spell bound.  I was unconscious. I was not in my sense.

 And when I went outside and I thought, ‘Who is he?’

Then I, you know, memorise [recalled] all these things, whatever happened, how he walk on the water, how he sleep on the water?  And who is he?  Then I come again there.  And I was searching, searching, and I couldn’t see him again.  And then I cried. I thought maybe God (6.00) came to me, [laughed] and I cried, I cried there, but I didn’t find him again.  Then I was searching him again on the Ganges River [but] I didn’t see him again. 

Then I got his book, whatever he gave me. Okay? And I pacified myself, okay, he is in the form of book. Okay.  I just held my heart and whole day.  Not only whole day.  So many days (6.28) I was thinking about him only.  I have seen such kind of yogi.  And I told some other person and they told there are so many yogis living in Vindhyachal.  This mountain is a very old mountain…….. “  talk continues…

A full word for word transcript of this entire lecture is available by email from malcolm@gaiatechuk.com.