Wild animals recognize true Sadhus; do not try to imitate such sadhus and try taming wild animals

(from "The Journey Continues: A sequel to Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master"):

Maheshwarnath Babaji

Sri M.: Here is a true story to show you how even wild animals recognise a specially evolved being who has touched the ultimate source and lives as one with nature. In those days, Maheshwarnath Babaji and I lived in Mouni Baba’s cave, which is in the middle of the forest between Rishikesh and Neelkant Mahadev. The forest was then thicker than it is now and leopards and elephants roamed freely especially at night. Sadhus and pilgrims who occasionally frequented the locality, carried drums and gongs to frighten the animals and avoided travelling at night. I had seen elephants walk past as I sat near the mouth of the cave but never once did they come close or behave destructively.

One day, three Bairagi sadhus came to meet Babaji. A rogue elephant was behaving violently and had turned terribly destructive, they said. It had killed at least six people, including two forest guards. The forest department was at its wit’s end and was unable to capture it. Only the day before, they said, it had raided a sadhu’s kutir and trampled him to death. People were afraid of travelling to Neelkant because the elephant lurked, hidden in the forest midway between Rishikesh and Neelkant, not far from Mouni Baba’s cave. It would even attack in broad day and could Babaji help in some way?

Babaji smiled and said, “Today, I shall not do anything about the elephant God who is angry. Tomorrow, being the full moon, I shall see what I can do. Meanwhile, please stay here tonight and have no fear. Hari Om.” With that the conversation ended and Babaji turned to me and said, “Tomorrow night, come with me. We need to teach Gajnath a good lesson and calm him down.” 

Around midnight Babaji woke me. The full moon was out in all its glory. We walked down from the cave and entered the forest. We walked for a while and then sat down on a flat surfaced rock. After a while, I saw a full grown leopard come out of the bushes in front of us. It looked in our direction and stopped.

Babaji said, “Put your palms together in namaskar and bow to the leopard. Say in your mind, you are a manifestation of the Divine, you are the companion of Durga. We mean no harm. I bow before you.” I did as instructed. The leopard stared at us for a long time and then walked away. 

We waited for the elephant. He appeared suddenly from nowhere and burst forth from behind us. He trumpeted and charged towards us. Babaji and I turned around. I froze with fear. Just before he reached us, Babaji put up his right hand and the elephant froze. It stood still and looked at Babaji with complete attention, with one of his front legs lifted up and moving his body back and forth with his three legs in a swaying motion.

Babaji spoke to him firmly but softly in Hindi. I know this sounds insane but I shall not desist from reporting the incident. “So,” said Babaji, “is this the way to behave dear friend? I know you resent the presence of noisy human beings who disturb your solitude but this is no way to react. You are in the state of mast. I can see it. The excess male hormones are influencing your actions. I’ll make all that subside and you will soon become normal. Here!”  

Before my astonished eyes, Babaji stepped forward and placed his right hand on the elephant’s forehead. With the left, he stroked his trunk. The elephant stopped swaying, went down on his knees and touched Babaji’s feet with the tip of his trunk. He then stood up and raising his trunk high up, trumpeted with joy and moved away. He gave up his violent behaviour and thereafter it was safe for pilgrims and sadhus to move freely. 

Later, when I heard a similar story about the inimitable Akkalkot ka Maharaj, Swami Samarth, I had no difficulty believing it. It is said that the great Swami tamed an elephant who had gone mast, and was wreaking havoc by walking up to him and landing a hard slap on his cheek, saying ‘behave yourself’.

Before I end, a note of warning. Do not hypnotise yourself into believing that you are a highly evolved yogi or spiritual being and try taming wild animals. The results would most likely be disastrous. There was this young sanyasin who went to perform austerities in the Kodachadri peak, close to the famous Mookambika Devi temple in Kollur. He was warned that a leopard was frequenting the cave, but he took no heed. He had heard of the tiger which used to come to the Virupaksha cave where the great Sri Ramana Maharishi meditated, and who is said to have petted the tiger according to an old lady who witnessed the act from afar. 

The young monk tried to attempt the same feat when the leopard appeared, but was unfortunately torn to pieces. They found his mutilated body after many days. So watch out. Not everyone is highly evolved spiritually. Steer clear of wild animals. If you don’t disturb them they generally leave you alone. In any case, don’t walk up to a wild elephant and transmit loving thoughts. It will most likely not work.