Hari Giri Baba roamed freely in the countryside near Vaijapur, Maharashtra, where he lived. This was close to Yeola and Suki, where Baba Muktananda spent most of his intense sadhana years. Whenever Baba had a difficult time in his sadhana, Hari Giri would appear to give him comfort and explain the significance of his experiences.

Harigiri Baba came up to me, and I bowed to him. I loved Harigiri Baba very much, and he loved me, too. I said, "Baba, things are going badly for me. I am not in a good state." He said, "I know. Give me two rupees, and I'll tell you." I knew the way he liked to make jokes. Whenever he came, and you asked him something, he would demand money. Even now he asked for some. I gave him two rupees. He spoke to me in Marathi. "O Emperor, you are in a good condition. Things will be very good for you. You will become a god. You've got a beneficial fever. Through coming into contact with it, many people will be freed from their sickness and suffering. You will meet many people."

Hari Giri Baba was an ecstatic Siddha He lived beyond all social conventions. He would collect small stones from the river and place them carefully in his pocket When people asked him for blessings, he would give them one of the stones, and extraordinary blessings would come into their lives.

Excerpt from Play of Consciousness by Swami Muktananda ©SYDA Foundation