THE YEAR OF DROPPING HIS BODY

 
We were going to Delhi from Madras by Grand Truck Express. It was a long journey and on the way Baba encouraged us to entertain Him with stories, talks or skits just to pass time.

Baba said that He had a year in His mind. In that year a very great event would take place and the whole universe would receive a shock thereby. The year might be anything between 1950 and 1999 and the one who gave the exact year in His mind would receive a five-rupee note as reward. Everyone made a try for it and Baba would say, "No, not that."

When my time came I said, "1969."

Baba at once said, "Exactly, you are right. I have fixed up that year in my mind. How did you come to it that I have that year in my mind?"

"Even now I don't know what is there in your mind. Perhaps you want to give me the prize and have therefore confirmed my conjecture," I submitted.

"No, it is not so; you must have come to this year by some thinking and what is it?" enquired Baba.

"Baba, you like numbers 1, 7 and 9 and consider them to be important. Figures 1 and 9 were already supplied to you by others. By figure I mean the sum total of all the numbers. I have arrived at the figure 7 by adding all the digits in 1969," I said. The prize was given to me.

On the 31st January, 1969, when Baba dropped His body, I recalled to my mind this incident and then realised the significance Baba had attached to the year 1969 and the great event that would give a shock to the whole world was the dropping of His body.

This was how He suggested the year of dropping His body.