We are indebted to the kindness of the learned President of the Adi Brahmo Samaji for the following accounts of two Yogis, of whom one performed the extraordinary feats of raising his body by will power, and keeping it suspended in the air without visible support.  The Yoga posture for meditation or concentration of the mind upon spiritual things is called Asana.  There are various of these modes of sitting, such as Padmasan, &c. &c.  Babu Rajnarain Bose translated this narrative from a very old number of the Tatwabodhini Patrika, the Calcutta organ of the Brahmo Samaj.  The writer was Babu Akkhaya Kumar Dalta, then editor of the Patrika, of whom Babu Rajnarain speaks in the following high terms—­“A very truth-loving and painstaking man; very fond of observing strict accuracy in the details of a description.”

Sishal Yogi

A few years ago, a Deccan Yogi, named Sishal, was seen at Madras, by many Hindus and Englishmen, to raise his Asana, or seat, up into the air.  The picture of the Yogi, showing his mode of seating, and other particulars connected with him, may be found in the Saturday Magazine on page 28.

His whole body seated in air, only his right hand lightly touched a deer skin, rolled up in the form of a tube, and attached to a brazen rod which was firmly stuck into a wooden board resting on four legs.  In this position the Yogi used to perform his japa (mystical meditation), with his eyes half shut.  At the time of his ascending to his aerial seat, and also when he descended from it, his disciples used to cover him with a blanket.  The Tatwabodhini Patrika, Chaitra, 1768 Sakabda, corresponding to March 1847.

The Bhukailas Yogi

The extraordinary character of the holy man who was brought to Bhukailas, in Kidderpore, about 14 years ago, may still be remembered by many.  In the month of Asar, 1754 Sakabda (1834 A.C.), he was brought to Bhukailas from Shirpur, where he was under the charge of Hari Singh, the durwan (porter) of Mr. Jones.  He kept his eyes closed, and went without food and drink, for three consecutive days, after which a small quantity of milk was forcibly poured down his throat.  He never took any food that was not forced upon him.  He seemed always without external consciousness.  To remove this condition Dr. Graham applied ammonia to his nostrils; but it only produced tremblings in the body, and did not break his Yoga state.  Three days passed before he could be made to speak.  He said that his name was Dulla Nabab, and when annoyed, he uttered a single word, from which it was inferred that he was a Punjabi.  When he was laid up with gout Dr. Graham attended him, but he refused to take medicine, either in the form of powder or mixture.  He was cured of the disease only by the application of ointments and liniments prescribed by the doctor.  He died in the month of Chaitra 1755 Sakabda, of a choleric affection.*—­The Tatwabodhini Patrika, Chaitra, 1768 Sakabda, corresponding to March, 1847 A.C.