Chhaganlal Yogi says that once Sastri and he were walking together in Bombay. The tar roads of the city got very hot in summer and he found it hard to believe that anyone could walk on them without footwear. He asked Sastri whether his feet have not got burned walking on the road. Sastri answered in the negative and added, “I have already got 'ravi raksha' (protection from the sun) from Bhagavan. I may walk in any amount of heat but nothing ever happens to me.” Then Sastri told him how he got 'ravi raksha':
One day, right in the middle of the afternoon, Bhagavan took his kamandalu and asked me to accompany him on a walk about the mountain. When I protested as to how we could move about in such weather, he said,
“You can move just the same way as I do. Am I not a man with two feet, just like you?” Having realized that it would be useless to argue any more, I started walking with Bhagavan Who never wore any footwear. The exposed stones were terribly hot because of the severe heat of the sun, and walking on them made my feet burn. For some time I bore the suffering, but when it became unbearable I cried out, “Bhagavan, my feet are burning so much! I cannot walk one more step. Even standing here is difficult. On all sides it is raining fire! If I remain in this terrible heat any more, my head will crack open and I will die.”
Bhagavan smiled and said in very quiet and deep voice, “Jagadeesa, give up your fear and listen. You must have the bhavana (mental conviction and attitude) that you are the sun. Start doing japa of the mantra 'Suryosmi' (I am the sun) with the conviction that it is really true. You will soon see the effect of it. You yourself will become 'surya swarupa', that is, you will have the characteristics of the sun. Can the sun feel the heat of the sun?”
I followed Bhagavan’s instructions and started doing japa of the sun mantra. In a short time, I began to feel the effect of the japa. The severity of the heat lessened and eventually I began to experience, instead of the severe heat, a pleasing coolness. As the burning sensation diminished, I found that I was able to walk quickly alongside Bhagavan. Later, I was astonished to discover that the effect of chanting this mantra was permanent. Though I no longer chant it, I have never again suffered from the heat of the sun. I can now walk in the summer on tar roads with bare feet without discomfort.
Face to Face
