Autobiography of a Yogi

Babaji was Lahiri Mahasaya’s guru. He is reputed to be immortal, having “retained his physical form for centuries, perhaps for millenniums” (332). There is no historically verifiable reference to him; he does not appear openly, preferring to work in obscurity. Babaji’s birthplace is unknown. He appears as a fair-skinned young man of about 25.

Swami Kebelananda, Yogananda’s Sanskrit teacher, spent time with Babaji and told Yogananda some details about him. Babaji lives with a few disciples in the Himalayas and moves around from time to time, sometimes on foot and sometimes by means of astral travel. He can be recognized by others only when he desires it. Swami Kebelananda relates a miracle Babaji performed. A man asked to be Babaji’s disciple, and Babaji turned down his request, telling him instead to jump off a cliff. The man obeyed, jumping to his death. Babaji then raised the man from the dead and took him on as a disciple because of his faithful obedience.

Ram Gopal Muzumdar, the “sleepless saint,” tells Yogananda about having met Babaji. He also met Mataji, Babaji’s sister, who has lived for centuries. Babaji told his sister he was about to shed his physical form, but Mataji persuaded him not to.