Shri Vasudevanand Saraswati Tembe Swami Maharaj

A compact Biography.

• Evil spirits
  They are Known as Pishacha, the ghosts are responsible of some of the worst suffering to humanity. These evil spirits usually afflict subjects that are related to them and are directly or indirectly responsible for their condition. They, because of their superhuman powers are capable of causing a variety of troubles that can be very difficult to recognise. Only men or women with special powers can recognise and deal with these spirits.
  One common manifestation, of course is physical ailments. At Havnur, a young married lady, suffering from stiff joints and loss of sight, was brought on a stretcher by her brother to Shri Maharaj. As Shri Maharaj sprinkled some water in his Kamandalu, and asked his brother to apply it to her head and feet, the spirit started shouting that it was ready to leave the lady. With an assurance from Shri Maharaj of release from the evil state, it left the lady and she got up and walked to her home, apparently cured of all her ailments. Such miracles took place in several other places also. 
  In another instance, a rich man was told by Shri Maharaj to spend the money owed by his forefathers to the spirit on feeding Brahmins, which released his wife from that malady. 
  At Banvasi, in Karnataka, a man complained that every time he builds a house, an evil spirit destroys after forewarning him. On carrying out some religious services as advise by to Shri Maharaj, he succeeded in building the house.
  One Shripad Shastri Iyer brought his sister to Shri Maharaj with complaints of recurrent fainting, which was not amenable to any treatment. When to Shri Maharaj diagnosed her case as Pishacha affliction, the Shastri doubted it saying he believed in the existence of ghosts but did not think they could interact with human beings. Shri Maharaj suggested an experiment. He gave Shastriji a brick with a mantra inscribed on it and asked Shastriji to recite the mantra 21 times a day burning some incense in front of it. As predicted by to Shri Maharaj, the ghost started speaking through the sister after 21 days, stating the reasons for his getting the Pishacha yoni and troubling Shastriji’s sister. It finally conceded his inability to further stand the assault by to Shri Maharaj and left resulting in the curing of Shastriji’s sister.
  The evil spirits often interfere with conception and even cause abortions and stillbirths. One Bhairav Prasad from Mandalamahapur had lost five sons when he came to seek the grace to Shri Maharaj. He was advised to carry out the last rites of the spirit (Narayanbali), read Shri Vishnusahasranam regularly and perform some atonement rituals. 
  Sometimes, people failed to carry out the advise of to Shri Maharaj or in some transgressed the prescribed code of conduct. This resulted in their misfortune. The evil spirits are wily and always try to divert their victims from the virtuous paths. Those who are steadfast succeed in getting rid of the spirit whereas the unfortunate ones, who willingly or unwillingly, are led astray, succumb.