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Kashmir Journey with Yukteswar

20:15 recording · EN · 1 speaker

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Brief overview

Sri Yukteswar's Kashmir journey reveals a master's foresight and his willingness to absorb disciples' karma.

  1. A guru's forecasts reach far into the futureThe sour strawberry refused at Shimla became the delicious one eaten in America years later, exactly as predicted.
  2. Kashmir's beauty measured against the whole worldHaving toured many lands, the narrator ranks the lakes of Kashmir and Xochimilco in Mexico as the loveliest spots on earth.
  3. A master can carry a disciple's karmaSri Yukteswar's fever halved his body weight, the same bargain Babur made when he took Prince Humayun's mortal illness upon himself.
Executive Summary AI
  • Two days after the narrator recovers from Asiatic cholera, Sri Yukteswar announces he will accompany him to Kashmir, and their party of six entrains north, stopping first at Shimla.
  • At a Shimla marketplace the narrator spits out a sour English strawberry and declares he can never like them, and his guru forecasts that he will like them in America, a prediction he recalls years later when he tastes them there.
  • On the seven-day land-door trip from Rawalpindi to Srinagar, Sri Yukteswar reads Oddi's mind, telling the narrator that Oddi wants fresh smoke and not fresh air, and moments later Oddi is caught exhaling rings of cigarette smoke beside the driver.
  • At the Srinagar hermitage of Swami Shankara the narrator falls into an ecstatic trance and sees a hilltop mansion he recognises years later as the Mount Washington building in Los Angeles that becomes his Self-Realization Fellowship headquarters.
  • After the narrator returns to Serampore College, Sri Yukteswar falls dangerously ill in Kashmir, keeps his promise to stay, and comes back with his body reduced to half its usual weight, having burnt his disciples' karma in the fire of a severe fever.
Key Quote
“I will accompany you to Kashmir.”
— Shri Yukteswar
Key Quote
“English strawberries for sale”
— an old woman
Key Quote
“Sir, what a sour fruit!”
— Narrator

Transcript

0:00 chapter twenty one of autobiography of a yogi this is a librivox recording all librivox recordings are in the public domain I will accompany you to Kashmir. Shri Yukteswar
0:26 informed me two days after my miraculous recovery from Asia to cholera. That evening, our party of
0:32 six entrained for the north. Our first leisurely stop was at Shimla, a queenly city resting on the
0:38 throne of Himalayan hills. We strolled over the steep streets, admiring the magnificent views.
0:44 English strawberries for sale, cried an old woman,
0:47 squatting in a picturesque open marketplace.
0:50 Master was curious about the strange little red fruits.
0:53 He bought a basketful and offered it to Kanai and myself, who were nearby.
0:58 I tasted one berry, but spat it hastily on the ground.
1:02 Sir, what a sour fruit!
1:04 I can never like strawberries my guru laughed oh you will like them in america at dinner shri yukteswar's forecast vanished from my mind but she appeared there many years later shortly after my arrival in america i took a mouthful what delicious strawberries i exclaimed at once my goodest prediction in shimla emerged from the fathomless cave of memory it was staggering to realize that long ago shri yukteswar's god-tuned mind had sensitively detected the programme of karmic events wandering in the ether of futurity
2:10 our party soon left shimla and entrained for raulpindi there we hired a large land-door drawn by two horses in which we started a seven-day trip to srinagar capital city of kashmir the second day of our northbound journey brought into view the true himalayan vastness as the iron wheels of our carriage creaked along the hot stony roads we were enraptured with changing vistas of mountainous grandeur scenes in your holy company. I felt a throb of pleasure at Odi's appreciation, for I was acting
2:46 as host on this trip. Sri Yukteswar caught my thought. He turned to me and whispered,
2:52 Don't flatter yourself. Odi is not nearly as entranced with the scenery as he is with the
2:57 prospect of leaving us long enough to have a cigarette. I was shocked. Sir, I said in an
3:04 undertone, please do not break our harmony by these unpleasant words i can hardly believe that oddy is hankering for a smoke
3:12 i looked apprehensively at my usually irrepressible goodo very well i won't say anything to oddy master chuckled but you will soon see when the vando halts that oti is quick to seize his opportunity the carriage arrived at a small caravanserai as our horses were led to be watered oti inquired sir do you mind if i ride a while with the driver i would like to get a little i-tide air permission, but remarked to me, he wants fresh smoke and not fresh air. The land door resumed
3:46 its noisy progress over the dusty roads. Master's eyes were twinkling. He instructed me, crane up
3:53 your neck through the carriage door and see what Oddi is doing with the air. I obeyed and was
3:58 astounded to observe Oddi in the act of exhaling rings of cigarette smoke. My glance towards Shrik
4:04 Deshwar was apologetic.
4:06 You're right, as always, sir. Odi is enjoying a puff along with a panorama.
4:11 I surmised that my friend had received a gift from the cab driver.
4:15 I knew Odi had not carried any cigarettes from Calcutta.
4:18 We continued on the labyrinthine way, adorned by views of rivers,
4:22 valleys, precipitous crags, and multitudinous mountains.
4:25 Every night, we stopped at rustic inns and prepared our own food. adorned by views of rivers, valleys, precipitous crags and multitudinous mountain tiers.
4:30 Every night, we stopped at rustic inns and prepared our own food.
4:35 Shri Yukteswar took special care of my diet, insisting that I have lime juice at all meals.
4:41 I was still weak, but daily improving, though the rattling carriage was strictly designed for discomfort.
4:45 Joyous anticipations filled our hearts as we neared central Kashmir. Paradise land of lotus lakes, floating gardens, scaly canopied houseboats,
4:51 the many-bridged Chelum River and flower-strewn pastures, all ringed round by the Himalayan
4:57 majesty. Our approach to Srinagar was through an avenue of tall, welcoming trees. We engaged
5:03 rooms at a double-storied inn overlooking the noble
5:06 hills. No running water was available. We drew our supply from a nearby well. The summer weather
5:12 was ideal, with warm days and slightly cold nights. We made a pilgrimage to the ancient
5:18 Srinagar temple of Swami Shankara. As I gazed upon the mountain peak hermitage, standing bold
5:23 against the sky, I fell into an ecstatic tr trance a vision appeared of a hilltop mansion in a distant land the lofty shankara ashram before me was transformed into the structure where years later i established the self-realization fellowship headquarters in america when i first visited los angeles and saw the large building on the crest of mount washington i recognized it at once from my long-past visions in kashmir and auswa
5:50 a few days at srinagar then on to gulmarg mountain paths of flowers elevated by six thousand feet there i had my first ride on a large horse rajendra mounted a small trotter whose heart was fired with ambition for speed we ventured on to the very steep killenmarg the path led through a dense forest abounding in tree-mushrooms where the mist shrouded trails were often precarious a moment's rest even at the most perilous turns on on untiringly came rajendra's horse oblivious to all but the joy of competition
6:32 our strenuous race was rewarded by a breathtaking view for the first time in this life i gazed in all directions at sublime snow-capped himalayas lying tier upon tier like silhouettes of huge polar bears. My eyes feasted exultingly

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