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A Casebook of Encounters with the Theosophical Mahatmas

By H.P. Blavatsky

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Case 17

Damodar K. Mavalankar
August, 1881
Bombay

The criticisms upon Mr. Sinnett’s book ‘The Occult World’ force upon me the duty of testifying from personal experience and knowledge to the fact that those whom we call our ‘Brothers of the First Section,’ of whom ‘Koot Hoomi Lal Singh’ is one, and who possess the so-called ‘miraculous’ powers, are real and living beings and not disembodied spirits as the Editor of the Spiritualist would have his readers think.  It is but by a long course of study and training that such can be attained.  It is not belief with me but knowledge, for, if I have seen one of them, I have at least seen about half a dozen on various occasions, in broad daylight, in open places, and have talked to them, not only when Madame Blavatsky was in Bombay but even when she was far away and I here.  I have also seen them at time when I was travelling.  I was taken to the residences of some of them and once when Colonel Olcott and Madame Blavatsky were with me.  Further than that I cannot say, and shall not give any more information either about them or the places they reside in, for I am under a solemn obligation of secrecy and the subject is too sacred for me to be trifled with.  I may, however, mention that I know ‘Koot Hoomi Lal Singh’ personally and have seen and conversed with him when Madame Blavatsky was here as also when she was far away.  But under what circumstances I am not at liberty to disclose.

We Hindus who know the ‘Brothers’ think it equally absurd and ridiculous to insinuate that either Madame Blavatsky is a lunatic or an impostor, or that persons like Mr. Sinnett could have ever become her dupes.  Neither is she a medium, nor are the ‘Brothers’ ‘disembodied Spirits.’