A human body is formed from the five great elements (Pancha-Mahabhutas). Without these elements, no physical body can exist. For ordinary people, the body can move only through physical space and physical time, and travelling from one town to another demands vehicles, effort, and time — the body becomes tired and limited. But Yogis are not bound by these limitations. They can dissolve their physical form into the five elements and re-create it instantly anywhere. They can also travel physically from one location to another in a single moment.
About Lord Dattatreya it is said: “Smrutru-gami kshane kshane” — *Wherever a devotee remembers Him, He appears there instantly in physical form.* In the Nath tradition, Swami Vyankatnath Maharaj possessed the same yogic mastery. He could appear anywhere, at any time, in any form, and return effortlessly to his original body.
This incident occurred in 1972. I had recently built my first house in Akola and named it *Girnar*, because my wife and I had just returned from Mount Girnar. I wanted only my Sadguru, Vyankatnath Maharaj, to perform the house-entering ceremony (Vastu Puja). When invited, Maharaj came to Akola, and I brought Him personally in my car. Many devotees from nearby towns also gathered.
After completing His morning rituals and lunch, the devotees sat for their meal. I went to inform Maharaj, but He instructed me to close all doors and windows of His room from inside, and then shut the main door from outside. I followed His instructions exactly.
A few minutes later, people suddenly gathered near Maharaj’s window in confusion. Someone whispered that it looked like Maharaj was not inside the room. Since the window was shut but not bolted, I pushed it open and was stunned — the room, which was locked from inside, was completely empty. Devotees brought a long bamboo stick and searched every corner through the window. No one was there.
But as the bamboo passed through the centre of the room, something extraordinary happened. Maharaj appeared instantly in the middle of the room, standing calm and composed. He opened the door from inside and asked, “What are you all doing?” I told Him we had been searching everywhere because He was not in the room. Maharaj replied, “I just went to Kolhapur and came back. A pregnant woman slipped and fell. Her family was terrified. She cried out loudly, ‘Maharaj, save me!’ So I went there. Everything is fine now. You will receive a letter from them in two days. Her delivery will be safe.”
Exactly two days later, a letter arrived from Kolhapur, confirming that Maharaj had appeared there physically and had helped exactly as He described.
To travel from Akola to Kolhapur by train takes nearly one and a half days. Maharaj travelled there and returned in seconds, in full physical form, right before our eyes. Such Yogis are extremely rare. To witness even one such event is considered the fortune of many lifetimes.
Any seeker may learn yogic practices, but true yogic accomplishment is possible only through Guru’s grace, correct initiation, and constant inner refinement. Without a Siddha Guru, such mastery is impossible. This incident reveals what a true Sadguru truly is.