Shri Venkateshnath Maharaj often travelled through the cosmic realms. He was a yogi of the highest order, known everywhere as Yogabhyānand Venkateshnath Maharaj. He possessed deep inner vision and supernatural yogic abilities. He could travel anywhere — physically or subtly — simply by his will. He knew the past, present, and future of anyone.
Every morning and evening, before meals, Maharaj performed his *āhnika* (daily spiritual practices). During these times, he would take a subtle journey through the universe. He also visited all his disciples subtly, keeping constant watch over their lives. As part of the Nath tradition, he roamed the cosmos daily to ensure that the divine plan unfolded properly. If an event in the future needed to be changed, he would enter that event in advance and alter it. He also taught Narendra how such future changes can be made. These descriptions may sound unbelievable, but countless disciples have directly experienced such miracles. Even 29 years after his samadhi, devotees still feel his subtle presence guiding them.
Once, Narendra had gone to Ahmednagar for business work. He stayed in a lodge on the 3rd floor. After finishing his work, he slept early so he could catch a morning train back to Akola.
Around 4 AM, something shocking happened. The bed on which he slept began to shake violently. It repeatedly hit the wall and bounced back — as if someone was forcibly shaking it to wake him up. Just one or two seconds before this started, Narendra had a strong feeling that his Guru was present in the room. He saw Maharaj standing before him with a commanding expression, saying clearly: “Child, we are right here. Stay exactly where you are.”
The moment these words ended, the bed began shaking again. A loud rumbling sound echoed through the room. Pieces of the ceiling started to fall near the bed. The lights went out — everything was in complete darkness. The whole building was shaking like a paper house. Narendra was convinced the building would collapse any moment and he would die buried under it.
The only possible escape seemed to be jumping from the third-floor balcony. Even if he died from the fall — perhaps it was better than being crushed. He ran to the balcony in the dark, preparing to jump. At that very moment, he again saw Maharaj — just as clearly as before. Once more, Maharaj said: “Child, we are right here. Stay exactly where you are.” Narendra heard these words distinctly. Trusting his Guru completely, he gave up the idea of jumping.
He returned to the shaking bed and sat on it, repeating in his mind: “My Guru is here. I will stay.” Ceiling dust kept falling. The building continued to rock violently. It felt as if it would collapse any second. But after some time, something miraculous happened. The building suddenly stopped shaking. The falling debris stopped. Everything became still again.
It was later known that this was a massive earthquake from the Koyna region. When Narendra finally climbed down in the dark and reached the street, he saw that several nearby buildings had collapsed. But his own old lodge building had survived — untouched. This was purely the Guru’s grace.
Later, when Narendra met Maharaj, the Guru asked: “Child, if you had jumped from the third floor, would you have survived? We told you to stay right there. Why did you not obey the first time?”
A Guru and disciple may be physically far apart, but when the disciple’s heart is tuned to the Guru’s divine presence, distance does not exist. The Guru controls everything. The Guru lives in the heart — whether we realise it or not. Feeling their presence depends only on our inner awareness and purity.
Maharaj tested Narendra’s mental state, protected him, and strengthened his faith. If not for Maharaj’s intervention, Narendra — now 85 years old — would not be alive today. The Guru’s work continues even now, just as it did then. And all the experiences Narendra endured were Maharaj’s way of shaping him for the divine task ahead.