Babaji has new relevance for me as well as all lovers of truth in the pso covid era.

Republishing some of the material from.this blog again because of it

BABAJI

HAIDAKHANDI

PROFESSOR ASHOK MALHOTRA, PhD

GODS AND GODDESSES OF NAINITAL

Welcome to spiritual Himalayas and one of the most beautiful of its districts - Nainital

Who was Babaji or Baba Haidakhan?

July 31, 2008

Article Updated May 6 , 2019

If one were to select a likely abode of Gods on our planet, it would likely be highest mountains on the planet, Himalayas- including its greener hills, valleys and caves in lower ranges fed by pristine waters of melting snows of the highest peaks and lakes. Here the air is fresh, cool and crisp and because it is relatively close to equatorial regions, not so cold as to be inhospitable even in the depths of winter. Indeed, fresh air, pure water to drink, green fields, wild flowers and groves of Oak or Pine have created areas within these vast ranges that might be most akin to what one might imagine of heaven. However, over centuries, even the Himalayas have not remained untouched by greed and lust with its associated evils. It is a process that seems to have been set in motion several thousands years ago. Just as it is in the nature of humans to begin forgetting God and goodness with prosperity so it is with civilizations made up of them. As evil increased, many an ancient spiritual order in Himalayas did not remain untouched just as Christian institutions in West suffered. Nevertheless, there remain pockets of purity in central Himalayas, especially around districts of Nainital and Almora. They are the seeds for a return to an age of love and truth.

Himalayas, home to numerous Monasteries and Ashrams (Hindu Monasteries) to the north of India has been marked by appearance of saints and divine personalities since times immemorial. In recent history, in 1970, a youthful saint of about twenty years appeared near Haidakhan in Nainital district. So full of love and beauty was his countenance that soon after he became famous as Babaji of Haidakhan despite his very young age. He attracted the pure and bold of heart not just from India but also from around the world. It included persons like Steve Jobs who came looking for Baba Neem Karoli a predecessor of Baba Haidakhan and found him instead, returning to change the way the world communicates.

Baba or Babaji is a general term often used for saintly personalities in India as also for father. Ji is added to names from respect in Hindi. When humans find another for whom their respect and love overflows in South Asia a reflexive action is to bow to touch the feet of the revered person for all know that even if they may not get to touch the bosom of a great person, he would at least allow a charan sparsh, a touching of the feet. Those overcome with the emotion that overflows fall prostate face down on the floor, some to hide the tears that begin flowing, not of sorrow but of lifting of a stress and burden that humans carry in the world of gain and activity.

ia Much of early life of Babaji is hidden from the world but this author is aware that the first few years of his life were spent under the loving guidance of a great Christian Mystic of Nainital - Robert Llew. who followed and upheld the tradition of Dame Julian of Norwich, the first Christian Mystic to regard God not just as father but also as a mother. It was a tradition much honored and loved by Queen Victoria too, albeit the Greatest of Queens the planet has seen in five thousand years or even since the beginning of human civilization, for under her long rule Great Britain changed form a destitute impoverished Kingdom to the most prosperous one in the world, an empire over which the sun never set, the jewel in its crown, India, including the Kumaon region that is focus of our present attention. She and her husband kept much of their mystic beliefs private although she gave a clear indication of it to those who understoodd by issuing a gold five pound Uma coin that showed her as a Goddess with the lions, perhaps a western reincarnation of Ma Durga, known as Naini Mata in Nainital and as two - Nanda Devi and Sunanda Devi in surrounding areas. This was a time when Baba Neem Karoli was the greatest of Hindu influence in the area, a devotee of the much loved Lord Hanuman through much of Asia. So deep is the belief of those who develop a familiarity with this representation of the divine that many become life long devotees of Lord Hanuman (This likely includes President Obama who proudly says and carries a locket of Lord Hanuman in his pocket at all times despite his Muslim and Christian influences. All persons are required to state their official religions as also to pay full regards and respects to it, but nothing stops them from disagreeing with some of its modern interpretations as also to accept what is good in all major religions of world. It is precisely same with this author who too has carried an image of Hanuman ji, all through his life in travels across the world and in India and dsiplays proudly symbols of others religions in his home.

Baba Neem Karoli undoubtedly had considerable influence on early spiritual learning of Babaji. It is possible that Babaji spent school vacation time in this period with a certain major Wilson in Rani Khet with a Sikh wife. This author has suspected that he played a major role in assisting Mahendra baba in fulfilling his divine vision of a new avatar to be born in Kumaon region. . Babaji in adult life has spent time in Tibet as well as in Sufi Iraq (this author did too at a much later stage and that exposure forms a huge part of this author's spiritual understanding). He has wandered acroos religious destinations of India alone or in the company of just one more ascetic even till as late as early eighties when he dropped in incognito tonthe author;s home in New Delhi.

A reincarnation of the Lord does not need any knew spiritual learning but the physical brain that is a part of their temporary human existence does in order to express it in a language that may be understood by the many. Only a few of the most advanced of mystics can communicate directly with the heart, and these are those who can then communicate not just with other humans but with all life, even plants, animals and birds even as King Solomon did and I too began to in 1995 as described in several posts of my blog on life and spirituality.

In general, it has been found that great spiritual personalities face a tough childhood, something that prepares and hardens them for their later role in life in the sight of man and God, and so it was with Queen Victoria too, She was nowhere near the crown when her near destitute father and mother from Germany were given a room to live in palace property out of compassion for a relative who has fallen on hard times. However, the ways of the Universe are mysterious and when it ordains that something must happens, it happens against the greatest of odds that all of human might can not change. It is His Universe and even though many a human regards them as great, they are but a speck in the vast infinite ocean that our universe is and that is only the visible part of God for everything else that is not visible is also God. -La Allah IL Allah - there is nothing but God and the entire created universe is His temporary, transient leelas of His that none but He understands fully.

Baba or Babaji is a general term often used for saintly personalities in India as also for father. Ji is added to names from respect in Hindi. When humans find another for whom their respect and love overflows in South Asia a reflexive action is to bow to touch the feet of the revered person for all know that even if they may not get to touch the bosom of a great person, he would at least allow a Charan sparsh, a touching of the feet. Those overcome with the emotion that overflows fall prostate face down on the floor, some to hide the tears that begin flowing, not of sorrow but of lifting of a stress and burden that humans carry in the world of gain and activity.

Often a Babaji will not disclose their place of birth or origin and are simply known by the name of the place they appear in. Haidakhan Babaji inspired creation of a well-known Ashram at the site. When a Babaji stays in more than one place, the same Baba ji may be called by different names by different people. The famous city of Jaipur is said to have been constructed due to the inspiration given a few centuries ago by a saintly Baba to the King of Jaipur State (Jai Singh). The Babaji was called Tadkeshwar Baba because he was found meditating under Tad trees (a variety of Palm). The same Baba probably lived at other places at different times (including the Himalayas) and would have been known by other names at such other places.

There is a reason for a genuine Babaji not discussing human origins ( there are many not so genuine in the modern world in it for the money just as their are many politicians in it for the money while claiming to be in there for service) . It is something this author has discovered for himself during his early mystic forays into the Himalayas and presently now also in the plains - becoming a saintly personality requires a human to empty mind, often by focus on a divine center (image or word) or by surrender to the Lord Almighty. In this latter case the Lord takes over and does it for you. It is only then that the Lord may speak through one's heart. Talking of one’s origin leads to activities of mind and the gross human state. In my case, alternating between largely professional and largely mystic states, I had to keep repeating a mantra in mind in the mystic phases or union and help from Universal consciousness was interrupted until i too surrendered to the Lord in 1995.

Therefore, it seems, asking saintly persons of their origin is not appropriate. It may distract them. It produces a meaningless answer. Baba Haidakhan was no exception. He gave different replies to different people. The fact that he was a saintly being is of no doubt since thousands witnessed his miraculous powers. Even if we are to assess him from a purely human perspective, it is a miracle that a youth of twenty, with no money or resources, apparently little or no worldly education can inspire such a worldwide following as Babaji did during his brief lifetime. Babaji supervised construction of huge ashrams in remote Himalayan locations. His many miraculous powers can be found in various books and publications about him.

Many claim him to be an avatar of Lord Shiva Shankar – Hindu interpretation of divine force that supervised creation and will also supervise its dissolution as visualized in human form. Many regarded him as a reincarnation of the ancient sage Shankar or Bhole Baba (the master of simplicity), increasingly over the last decades as last days draw closer and more is revealed

Adideva Bhoothnath in ancient times meditated at mount Kailash. As a devout worshiper of the Formless Almighty many as an Avatar or human form of Siva regarded him. His is the form chosen by disciples of Siva when they wish to visualize the formless creator in human form and they call this representation Shiva-Shankar. Other worshipers of Siva visualize Shiva as the lord of dance Shiva-Nat raja, ever engaged in the dance of strings to create the universe and keep it alive, or as the Shiva-Linga, (for the lord is in all things and the lord may be viewed as anything that inspires) the male force for the creation of life, at the point of evolution when sexual distinction becomes necessary for the propagation of life. The chanting Mantra of sage Shankar was 'Om Namah Shivay' the same mantra that Babaji advocated to disciples. One of the powers sage Shankar had was his command over ghosts i.e. disembodied spirits (Jesus too had this power according to the Holy Bible). Because of it he was also called the Lord of the Ghosts - Bhuth Nath. Babaji too had this mystical power in huge measures. While Jesus Christ and Maha deva had identical powers, the focus was on healing ones in case of Jesus but in the case of Mahadeva as also Babaji it was on expelling evil spirits. On one aspect the Shiv Shankar Avatars have differed much from Jesus and even Buddha. It is in their attachment to family values. I recall asking why it was so from Babaji, he said had he not done it the institution of family would have disappeared from the world, for the many follow example of their leaders, spiritual or political.

Note: Hindu literature describes appearances in the highest heavens with eight arms, with four at the next level and two arms at the human level. The multiple of two in central to creation as one becomes 2, 2 becomes four and so on until we end up with the huge diversity of forms in the created universe.

In 1984 and for sometime after, some regarded him as merely human because he died in their presence on the 14th of February 1984 assuming that the physical body is eternal not just the soul. He on occasions displayed human childlike tendencies but this is in keeping with simplicity.

Babaji himself gave different answers to different people at different times saying yes to all of the above answers on one occasion or another. All of the answers can be true if one understands spirituality from the point of view of saints as explained next.

All souls are from God and dwell in God. An individual soul is a part of the universal soul but functions as separate because of individual desires, experiences, ego and for fulfillment of karma (retribution) born out of individual free will granted by the Lord. An individual soul takes birth numerous times in numerous life forms including animal or human ones until karma and desires are exhausted. The soul then looses its individual identity and merges in the Infinite from whence it arose. Beings such as humans, that are capable of reason and logical thinking, can hasten this process through practices such as meditation, chanting etc. A human can affect the state partially for brief or long periods of time. When submergence and destruction of individual karma, desires and ego is complete, the soul is said to achieve union with the infinite and is not reborn again. Buddha is said to have achieved this final liberation. If a human is able to suppress his or her individual desires, ego and thoughts through meditation temporarily while still alive, one may ask who is it that is acting in that body. Who is using the same human hands, eyes, legs, mouth etc if personal ego has been banished? Here the concept of surrender comes in. Through one’s individual free will one may submit ones body to divine forces for their use. Thus at different times different divine souls may use (or occupy in a manner of speaking) the same body. In this case a saintly person will give different answers at different times – all true. At times when not in divine meditation, the same person may become distinctly human displaying human weaknesses. It is the opinion of this author that most saintly personalities are in precisely this state. Thus Babaji too was many different personalities while he lived, and all his answers were absolutely truthful even though contradictory in purely human terms.

Hindu philosophy and mythology are ancient, even confusing and complicated or has become so over the centuries. Babaji himself spoke very little but whatever he spoke was an utter return to simplicity of the highest order. Babaji was a living example of simplicity. Babaji however did say that of all those who come to him few would understand him. Perhaps they were looking for something complicated but it was absent here. The ultimate reality of the Universe has to be extreme simplicity and any complications seem to be approximations in trying to understand it.

What a Mahavtar meant was also misunderstood at first. What it means for Babaji in my humble understanding is that it is an avatar of the Lord himself and not one of His angels, which too are numerous. Often there is an erroneous assumption that the Almighty who is infinite and formless can become a finite human. Essentially, all consciousness of everyone is a part of universal consciousness. A person who harmonizes with universal consciousness briefly and partially may be said to be charged with the Holy Spirit during that period. Sages, mystics and evolved personalities who understand this and function in harmony with the universal consciousness for a large part of their lives are avatars of a facet of the infinite universal consciousness. When one tries to assume that a transient human body that changes every second will live forever, one is perhaps expressing love for something material. The body is meaningless to a saint; merely a temporary vehicle or a piece of clothing one changes from time to time.

Virtue of truth was upheld highly by Babaji along with those of love and simplicity. Perhaps the best answer that Babaji gave about himself is following, - I am no one and nothing, this body is a temporary and transient vehicle for the soul presently here to serve humanity.

Babaji could also be a mirror or vehicle in which other divine personalities including Goddess Naina Devi and Lord Shiva as imaged by Hindus reflected from time to time. Babaji worshipped Naini Mata with the name Haidakhandeshwari (meaning the goddess of Haidakhan) because it was she who mothered him at Haidakhan.

Note the word transient in Babaji reply indicating a certain death of the physical body. It is ridiculous to think that there is a physical body in the universe that does not die. It has never happened. The physical part of the universe itself does not escape repeated and cyclic death as per Hindu philosophy, albeit after a very long time.

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Because Babaji became famous as a young man in a popular book, many of his disciples presumed that he would live forever without aging or dying. While this can be true for the spirit of saints it can never be so for the physical body that they occupy from time to time. It has been so with all saints including the most revered ones like Jesus and Buddha. Their bodies aged with time and the body died. But their spirit lives on as indeed it does for ordinary mortals too, only they do not know it.

In my other blog on life and spirituality, it is described that those who believe in reincarnation are not afraid of death and when their present duties for example taking care of children, family and aged parents is over they are not afraid of death and look forward to new lives in younger bodies that are more agile and energetic. This is especially true of saintly personalities who have the ability to recall previous lives. They stay no longer than their mission in their present bodies requires and as regards the young Babaji of Nainital this was especially true. It has been so with many other saints like Swami Vivekananda and Jesus too. Some like Gandhi and Buddha undertook much lengthier mission and stayed on until their bodies aged.

Amongst the unusual powers of Babaji was one in which he could make himself appear at more than one location simultaneously. What do disciples that witnessed this power not know is, that Babaji only created an illusion of that in the mind of disciples while his actual physical body remained at one place. Another method Babaji used was to occupy the body of a willing disciple for various multitasking works he was engaged in, that combined with the impression he could cast on the mind of observers gave the impression of Babaji being present in more than one location. The illusion is not maintained in photographs where one can clearly see different persons. Nevertheless it served the purpose because the illusory body could communicate with the disciple and it was the eternal Babaji that was communicating.

Another power of Babaji was that through meditation he could also make his body immune to heat or cold and at times meditated in the nude in cold winter on the banks of the Gautam Ganga River that flows by the Haidakhan ashram.

Readers who are intrigued by this concept of eastern yogis wearing nothing more than the sky as their garment even in winter may wish to read the novel – Nude besides the Lake,

Thus one night of February 1984, at an age of a little over 33, he left the physical body he occupied to consequences. It coincided with his prevailing mission coming to an end at Haidakhan. The physical body acquired pneumonia. Soon after it met its end.

Adhering to principles of Love, Truth and Simplicity, shunning idleness and the love of God were the main tenets of Babaji philosophy. Babaji did not insist on any one particular view of God, Disciples were free to choose their own, He himself, as a Hindu though viewed God in his formless aspect (as during Havan) and also in humanized view both as a male (Shiv-Shankar) or female (Mother Goddess; see a post on that here

http://nainitalgoddess.blogspot.in/2012/11/sunanda-goddess.html)

PS: To read about my first personal encounter with Babaji in adult life - read the post - Encounter with a Himalayan Mystic in this blog - You will find a link in the side column.

Most of this post in its original version (and much more) has been included in my book - The Babaji Affair - available at amazon.com

www.amazon.com/Babaji-Affair-Dr-Ashok-Malhotra/dp/149232955X/

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https://nainitalgoddess.blogspot.com/2019/06/what-is-my-relationship-with-haidakhan_4.html

The author snapped this picture in 2010 from the road to Haidakhan

Female voice in video that of author's daughter Ketaki, charged with love, truth and simplicity as Babaji recommended all through his numerous avatars on Earth and in the heavens.

LABELS: BABA HAIRAKHAN BABAJI HAIDAKHAN HAIRAKHAN HIMALAYAS

Comments

Unknown said…

haidakhan is fake please be aware of such businass

baba left his boby 25year's ago now. now everry one is doing their business on behalf of baba of the sake of their profit.

the day will come when babaji himself will come on earth to punish those who perform business in his name.

i think that the people who come from europe are all insane because baba is just a wind.the wind will follow you whereever you remember him.

now you tell me that where people sell baba's photo,his mala and many other things at ten times more price ,why would the power of baba will reside at such place. i think the true power of baba must be in our heart not in haidakhan.

all people who are residing in haidakhan are just concern with money and profit from crazy europeans.i even sometimes laugh at the people who are looted here in haidakhan in the name of baba.whenever you came here ,you would have noticed that no indians come here because they know that there is nothing like baba,its all fake for them.

the truth is that the true mahavatar baba exist today and forever.these people here in order to increase their business renowned the new haidakhandi baba as mahavatar.but mahavatar never take samadhi and never dies.

when kalayug will finish,then only the mahavatar will take new bodies.indians do believe that the new haidakhan baba was just the power of god but he was not the god.when he died the power too went away with him.p reply me please forward this message to every one who have confuse . [hairakhan baba is mahavatar baba.] p protect our mahavatar babaji devotee thank you. please be aware of such businass

September 3, 2009 at 2:28 AM

ProfAshok said…

I had left in this comment for a long time because of not feeling any need to respond to it. The spirit of Babaji speaks for himself. However, since today I am planning a new post on the Kriya Yoga as taught by Babaji, I shall post my response. Within quotations are the qouted portions from Om's comment,

“Haidakhan is fake”

This is utterly false. Baba Haidakhan while he lived was a virtue of love, truth and simplicity and did no more than spread these things around.

“Baba left his body 25 year's ago now”

That is true Babaji left his last body in 1984. That is because THE SPIRIT of Babaji has lived in the Nainital region for innumerable years in a young body most times and he prefers to discard his CURRENT BODY AS SOON AS IT BEGINS TO AGE. In the last instance it was at the age of 34. Babaji was born on July 20th 1950,as far as my knowledge goes.

Disciples who were disappointed by his departure erroneously believed that since Babaji is eternal his body will live on forever. That never happens. The human body has been designed to age and it has been so with the greatest of spiritual masters such as Buddha and Jesus too.

“Now you tell me that where people sell baba's photo, his mala and many other things at ten times more price, why would the power of baba will reside at such place. I think the true power of baba must be in our heart not in haidakhan.

All people who are residing in haidakhan are just concern with money and profit from crazy Europeans.’

This is utterly false. I have myself gone and lived free at the Haidakhan ashram more than once and been given a free room, free meals and not a thing was sold. One is not approached for money at the haidakhan ashrams ever.

“But mahavatar never take samadhi and never dies. ”

This is utter misunderstanding. The body always dies for everyone including all avatars. None has ever survived. It is the spirit that lives on and may take several new bodies. As per my information that is not widely known Babaji may have reincarnated. He appears to have been born at the end of 1984 in the home of a poor village mason in Rajasthan by the name of Sua Lal. I came to this conclusion through a set of chance occurences that were difficult to explain otherwise. If this deduction was correct he should be around twenty-five years old now. I met him last as a boy in 2001 and do not have any information of him since.

Now to address some of the contentions of the previous comment,

“Haidakhan baba was just the power of god but he was not the god.”

This is absolutely true.

“When he died the power too went away with him”

This is absolutely false. His power lives on. The power of avatars lives on forever.

I propose to post a new post on the Kriya Yoga as taught by Baba Haidakhan today. Please if you have any new comments kindly post it under that.

September 3, 2010 at 8:41 PM

Anandita said…

Thank u Mr. Ashok for ur article on Babaji. I wish i could share my expirence with him and Fakira Baba but cant express them in words . I wish babaji bless me with wornderful power of words n thought to write about him. Just wanna say the day one experince him truly you will learn the true meaning of Satya(truth) , saralta(simplicity) and Prem(love) and to forgive one who is making money on his name.Moreover even i have never seen his photos other then Hairakhan. one cant get them easily. Please if you know such shops do inform me i urgently need some.

Luv you Babaji bless us

luv you all

September 7, 2010 at 7:30 AM

ProfAshok said…

Anandita,

Thank you for your comment.

Anandita, a way to get a photo of Babaji easily is by ordering a book on Babaji from Amazon.com

the book Babaji:Message from the Himalayas by Maria Gabriele has some lovely pictures of Babaji (on the cover and inside). I checked and Amazon has a few copies. there are some other books on Babaji at Amazon that have photos on the cover and may have more inside for example - I am harmony.

may the spirit of Babaji fill your life and the life of those around you with love.

September 7, 2010 at 8:17 PM

Dr.Richard said…

I very much enjoyed reading this article and I agree that we cannot measure a spritual personality by everyday yardsticks. Sometimes people with a thought disorder will post, it is a waste of time to give them any of your energy. God Bless. Richard H. Pratt, Ph.D.

September 2, 2012 at 10:11 AM

ProfAshok said…

The response to something is more for others, as here, so that they are not mislead. Thanks for your nice comment.

September 6, 2012 at 8:58 AM

Unknown said…

Babaji said “If you come to doubt I will give you reason to doubt. If you come suspicious I’ll give you every

reason to be suspicious. But if you come seeking love I’ll show you more love than you have ever known.”

January 19, 2013 at 11:31 PM

Unknown said…

Babaji also said I AM NOT HERE TO CONVINCE YOU OF ANYTHING.

I AM NOT HERE TO BE RECOGNIZED.

I AM NOT A SHOW, NOT AN ENTERTAINMENT.

I AM ONLY HERE TO SERVE.

I AM ONLY HERE TO SHARE MY MESSAGE

OF TRUTH, SIMPLICITY, LOVE AND SERVICE.

So, I feel it is just a waste of time to give any explainations to such people who think that haidakhan is a fake place. NO ONE CAN EVER REALISE HIM WITHOUT FAITH.

January 19, 2013 at 11:36 PM

ProfAshok said…

Fully endorse what you say Ganga. Why waste time with this and that nonsense instead of focussing on the very simple and beautiful message of Babaji - a message of Love, Truth and Simplicity with service being an expression of that love.

January 20, 2013 at 10:22 PM

Unknown said…

Yes Ashok ji, though babaji said to spread his message we will continue doing it but we can't take the responsibility of convincing people and more over only those people will believe him whom he will wish to come closer to him.

January 24, 2013 at 11:22 PM

ProfAshok said…

Very well said Ganga ji. It is natural and worthy to spread the belief that one cherishes but belief is a personal and individual thing and it is best to let people believe what they will while not letting them impinge on ones own. Some differences are required in what to believe in most and what to practice between different persons just as different kinds of plants and trees require different amounts of water and types of nutrients.

But it is good to hear of each others belief because only out of that one discovers what is worthy and learns to hold on to the beliefs that one values.

January 25, 2013 at 4:37 PM

Time Traveler said…

I usually stay away from replying on such threads as in my opinion pondering over who was who is a complete waste of time and energy. The goal is to practice, practice and practice :-)

In my personal experience with this topic and Babaji, I believe that on most occasions people make their own assumptions and believe them to be either true or false, and even a direct experience fails to shake them at times.

Whether the Baba who appeared in Haidakhan Village was the "Old Haidakhandi Baba" returned - is a topic that's been discussed in a countless number of forums. In my readings, the 1970 Baba never directly said "I am the Haidakhandi Baba who disappeared at the junction of Kali and Gori rivers in 1922".

I actually find it funny as to why people get into the argument of finding out whether he was the same or not or whether he was Mahavatar Baba himself (which is another discussion point amongst curious seekers). There is a clear line between a curious seeker and a sincere seeker. A curious person will only try to find out facts to satisfy his/her curiosity instead of focussing on the real teachings.

Haidakhandi Baba is considered to be a manifestation of Ashwatthama and he on many occasions stated this himself. As many know, many saints of the time, the Baba who sat in Haidakhan Village from 1970 - 1984 was not accepted as Haidakhandi Baba, yet they admitted he was a man who must have some powers else he could not have been there.

Personally, I choose to not get into all this as there is no way anyone can prove/disprove this and secondly, you will get nothing out of it. I believe in practicing what the teacher taught and forgetting the identification parade.

Peace to all.

July 11, 2013 at 2:15 AM

ProfAshok said…

Thanks for your participation Himalayan Hermit. Do not mind my saying so that you are contradicting yourself in two parts of the same comment:

"I usually stay away from replying on such threads as in my opinion pondering over who was who is a complete waste of time and energy"

then you do that yourself by stating,

"Haidakhandi Baba is considered to be a manifestation of Ashwatthama and he on many occasions stated this himself."

Please do not mind if I say that A statement of your is not at all clear, Can you explain:

"The Baba who sat in Haidakhan Village from 1970 - 1984 was not accepted as Haidakhandi Baba"

He has to be Haidakhandi Baba if he sat at Haidakhan because that is what Haidakhandi Baba means, baba who was at Haidakhan. He cannot be London or New York baba if he sat at Haidakhan

Were there more than one Baba/evolved mystic who sat or lived or appeared at Haidakhan? Not to my knowledge. if there was please let me know who or when? If there was then there would be more than one Haidkhan/Haidakhandi baba but I am not aware of any other in recorded or known history at least. If there is please let me know.

Wishing Peace. Love and Harmony for you and one of the ways to do it is less to bother about what others are doing or criticize their interests but focus on your own evolution instead.

Om Namah Shivai

July 11, 2013 at 6:43 AM

ProfAshok said…

There is folk lore of a divine angelic appearance on Mount Kailash that visited the village briefly in 1800. There is also folklore of a mystic disappearance 1n 1922 at the confluence of the rivers mentioned in the previous comments but that confluence is nowhere near Haidakahn but rather far away on the Nepalese border.

July 13, 2013 at 11:03 PM

Time Traveler said…

@ ashok

There is no contradiction if you read what I wrote :-)

"Haidakhandi Baba is considered to be a manifestation of Ashwatthama and he on many occasions stated this himself."

This is both the belief and faith of the people of Kumaun and attested to by old timer saints still alive who were blessed by Haidakhandi Baba before 1922.

""The Baba who sat in Haidakhan Village from 1970 - 1984 was not accepted as Haidakhandi Baba"

--Again this was just an observation that most people are aware of, not my personal statement :)

--Personally I've been blessed once by the Baba of 1970s, so I bow to him regardless of who he was.

"Wishing Peace. Love and Harmony for you and one of the ways to do it is less to bother about what others are doing or criticize their interests but focus on your own evolution instead."

--Exactly!!!

~Peace

July 15, 2013 at 11:32 PM

ProfAshok said…

Babaji did say on many occasions, "many will come to me but few will understand me"

You were mentioning about the people of Kumaon and old timers- you are talking to one - there is a lot more interesting stuff on the region in this blog if you were interested, just click on the links to the left.

May Peace be upon you.

July 16, 2013 at 5:29 AM

ProfAshok said…

I read your reply again today and was surprised to read you saying,

""The Baba who sat in Haidakhan Village from 1970 - 1984 was not accepted as Haidakhandi Baba"

As i had said Haidkhandi baba means who lives in haidkhan so there is no question of accepting or not accepting it. Your comment is absurd or nonsense. If the baba sat at Haidakhan he is Haidakhandi baba. He not just sat but walked around too and supervised the construction of a very nice Ashram there. Do visit if you get the chance if you have not visited it before.

July 24, 2013 at 8:33 PM

Bharat said…

Om Namah Shivaya,

Jai Ho Bhole Baba.

Baba ji has said that this is kalyuga. and one can say any thing and can say even more worse then this,his true follower knows the truth and can feel the presence of "Bhole Baba" there and every where.

Please Visit this enchanting place "Haidakhan Visva Maha Dham" at Nanital(UK,India) and at Chiliyanaula(UK,India) during March (Navratra's and October Navratra's) respectively.

and feel your self.

Om Namah Shivaya...

August 20, 2013 at 9:23 AM

ProfAshok said…

Om Namah Shivai

Thank you for your kind invitation Bharat. i shall certainly visit if I can make it. Hope you have read the other posts in this blog too.

Jai ho Bhole Baba ki

Om Namah Shivai.

August 20, 2013 at 11:03 AM

Jo said…

The similarities between the teachings of Babaji and Maha Sambodhi Darma Sangha are fascinating. Are they the same spiritual entities? I would be interested to hear the author's views.

October 29, 2014 at 9:45 AM

ProfAshok said…

Jo I am not familiar with the teachings of the Sangha but may I add that genuine spiritual teachings are similar in very many places around the world, the truth being one. The differences if any arise because of differences in languages and some by the interpretations of followers, Then Babaji is an ancient soul of the ancient Hiamalayn region who in my understanding has repeatedly taken birth in the central Himalayan region since ancient times spanning from Mansarovar lake in Tibet to Nainital district of Himalayas, regions where the same water flows perhaps.

October 30, 2014 at 6:07 AM

Jo said…

Thanks for the response Ashok. What I meant was, do you consider that the soul of Babaji could have been reincarnated in the body of the Maha Sambodhi Darma Sangha who is a guru meditating and teaching in the area of the Halkoriya forest near Ratanpur in Nepal. He came to public notice when he started meditating under a tree in the forest as a 15 year old. Discovery Channel did a documentary on this boy called The boy with divine powers" in 2005 which you can see on YouTube.5125

October 30, 2014 at 9:00 AM

Jo said…

Ashok,

A quote from a book published several years ago about Maha Sambodhi Darma Sangha, refers to a speech he made during or after a test by fire (video on YouTube) In this speech he refers to 20 years ago which would have been 1984 or 1985. As he was born in 1990 this seems to refer to a previous existence. Babaji dies in 1984 so you see my curiosity.

I apologise if this doesn't make sense to you or you feel its irrelevant to your article.

October 30, 2014 at 11:38 AM

Jo said…

Excerpt from Haber's book - the text of the translation of DS's Fire Video speech (translated by Steven McClerc). In my memories this is not the full .text he spoke. There was much more:

ds-speech-84-page.jpg

ds-speech-83-page.jpg

Sorry can't attach jpgs but the book is this one

Journey into the Forest : Seeking the Enigmatic 'Little Buddha' of Nepal / Daniel B. Haber, photos by Thomas L. Kelly. 1st ed. Varanasi, Pilgrims Publishing. (KK-79765)

October 30, 2014 at 11:45 AM

ProfAshok said…

Jo, it is possible. But as I said I do not know enough about the Babaji Maha Sambodhi to be of greater help in that direction. If you can find out the date of birth that will help. Babaji as Baba Haidakhan left the world in mid FEB 1984, so he the birth should be after mid NOV 1984. My own guess was that Babaji was reborn to a poor mason in Rajasthan, India in mid November 1984 and I have met the boy on few occasions before 2001.However Babaji has visited as a presence too but not clarified about his present physical whereabouts, neither confirming nor denying my suspicion. As you know he does not communicate more than necessary even to those very close to him, although he does laugh, joke, dance, smile etc. (His dancing can be vigorous to the tunes favorite to the ancient mystic Bhole Nath or Shiv Shankar himself even as a presence when he can occupy the body of a willing devotee or friend for brief moments but perhaps now I am revealing more than necessary), instead in moments when when not in a serious meditative state.

October 30, 2014 at 11:17 PM

Jo said…

Biography:

Maha Sambodhi Dharma Sangha (earlier Palden Dorje, born Ram Bahadur Bomjan) was born on April 9, 1990 between 2:25am and 4am in Ratanpur village, Bara district, Nepal.

Father and Mother of Ram Bahadur Bomjan Tamang Ram’s parents are farmers. His mother, Maya Devi was married at 12. She had 5 sons and 4 daughters. Ram was her third son. When she was in her pregnancy, she found she was unable to eat meat without becoming ill. The son, whom she named Ram, would not eat meat. He would leave the house for long intervals from an early age.

Birth House of Ram Bahadur Bomjan Tamang Ram was always pleased to see a lama or a holy person and fastidiously imitated them. He often seemed to be lost in thought and spoke little. Whenever someone spoke to him, he would reply with a smile and would treat people of all ages equally.

According to his family and neighbors, Ram Bomjan often acted differently from his childhood friends, frequently observing other people in worship and praying himself. He has been described as being born with a peaceful nature, and would never get into a fight or kill an animal. Beginning at the age of five he only took leftovers for food, and went hungry if there was nothing.

Check this boy out on YouTube if you have time. I'm sure there is something special about him.

October 31, 2014 at 1:49 AM

ProfAshok said…

Thanks for the additional info Jo. I have no doubt at all that Maha Sambodhi Baba is a reincarnation of a Himalayan Mystic Saint. But which one is difficult to say. There are several in the Himalayan belt and many also have some Tibetan births. Born in 1990 does not rule out Babaji because saints often spend some time in other realms before rebirth, but one thing makes it less than certain, if he was Babaji he would head for Nainital or Almora districts soon as he turns 16, 17 or 18 to be near his beloved Chota Kailash mountain as per my limited knowledge. Asking him would not help too because mystics are most cryptic about their origins, they may give a varying answer or just smile or say - who knows where the breeze comes from and where it goes? :)

October 31, 2014 at 5:21 AM

Jo said…

Thank you for your response Ashok, its good to have an independant, unbiased view - and often quite rare too.

October 31, 2014 at 5:33 AM

Reneesh said…

Hi my dear Friends,

I believe in Babaji and I believe all the people who truly follow him with love.

May God bless us all. Long live earthly people.

March 9, 2015 at 11:11 AM

ProfAshok said…

Thanks Reneesh. I second your sentiments.

March 9, 2015 at 1:10 PM

Reneesh said…

This comment has been removed by the author.

June 14, 2016 at 2:18 PM

Reneesh said…

Hi all,

My name is Reneesh. Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master - A Yogi's Autobiography written by Sri M. I have read this book and in the book, there is a talk about Nagaraj, nagalok and their space craft. Are these real? Any one has any idea about these beings? Please share the thoughts with me.

June 14, 2016 at 2:29 PM

Unknown said…

Just wanted know what's the difference between hariakhan baba and haidakhan baba please guide me

March 25, 2017 at 4:12 AM

ProfAshok said…

Both Haidakhan and Hairakhan are used alternatively and valid but not Hariakhan

This is as in ladka/larka (boy)The original sound in word does not exist in English and is approximated as r or d

March 25, 2017 at 12:01 PM

ProfAshok said…

This post on Babaji remains popular and visitors from.some corner or other of the globe continue to visit as I find from stats I check regularly. May Babaji's message continue to spread love in the world.

February 25, 2018 at 11:46 PM

ProfAshok said…

When I first wrote this post, it was a relatively quick job simply out of my love for Babaji. I had not expected many would visit and read, since this blog is not advertised anywhere. However, today when I checked the stats, I found it has generated much interest and many read it daily. I looked through it again. there were several typos that are not common in my scientific publications but common in blog, not because this content is less important than scientific one but simply because the publication in a reputed journal would not be accepted unless typos are removed. Mine can be found through google scholars. This one too had many and it is a shame really. May Babaji forgive. No wonder there is suffering in world. It is consequence of human shortcomings. Humans have much need of progress and evolution yet even if they happen to be some of the most educated one's of the planet like this blogger. My understanding suggests it is because we are young on the evolutionary scale. I have corrected a few typos in a hurry today, but shall return to it again when the Lord permits more time to look through again. Other duties call now as happens when a human continues to live in society. The one today for me is to get my internet plan renewed in a hurry or even this would not be possible.

May 1, 2019 at 8:36 PM

ProfAshok said…

HIMALAYAN HERMIT DESERVES AN APOLOGY FROM ME. HE COULD NOT BE GIVEN A FULL ANSWER BECAUSE DOING SO WOULD HAVE MEANT REVELING ONE OF THE MOST MYSTERIOUS OF LEELAS OF BABAJI. THE HOUR FOR IT WAS ORDAINED BY THE ALMIGHTY.IT WAS YESTERDAY. IT IS IN THE LINK AT THE END OF THE POST

June 6, 2019 at 6:04 AM

ProfAshok said…

June 6, 2019 at 6:05 AM

ProfAshok said…

Entered an update slowly iver 12 hours today 5pm to 5 am. Lot of intereference with W10 screen turning black etc, but what the Lord wills happens.y

June 21, 2019 at 7:44 PM

ProfAshok said…

Entered an update slowly iver 12 hours today 5pm to 5 am. Lot of intereference with W10 screen turning black etc, but what the Lord wills happens.y

June 21, 2019 at 7:45 PM

ProfAshok said…

Typos remain, those corrections too shall happen when the Lord wills. Praise Almighty, it is His world.

June 21, 2019 at 8:18 PM

GODS AND GODDESSES OF NAINITAL

Welcome to spiritual Himalayas and one of the most beautiful of its districts - Nainital

The Kriya Yoga as taught by Babaji or Baba Haidakhan

September 02, 2010

A view of the plains from the road to Haidakhan

NOTE: Some Modern Yoga practitioners have given the name Kriya Yoga to a different set of practices than its original meaning. Although these latter practices are perhaps beneficial, the author does not know much about them but is thoroughly aware about the original practices. It may be noted that there is no mention of Kriya Yoga in the Bhagavad Gita and that its first recorded mention is in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The Kriya yoga as advocated by Babaji conforms to its original unmodified definition as expounded by Patanjali. Modern students of yoga must become clear about the differences in order to avoid confusion or misdirection. For more on this see a separate blog post at:

http://ashokmalhotra.wordpress.com/2013/09/09/truth-about-yoga/

In an older post “Who was Baba Haidakhan” you may learn more about this holy personality of the Nainital Himalayan region of India. You will find that post as well as the comment and response to it enlightening. To reach it click older posts at the bottom of this blog and scroll down to it or you might find a link in the left side bar. This author is not a disciple of Baba Haidakhan in the traditional sense but has known him closely through an old family relationship of the Nainital region; therefore, there is more information in that post and comments than is generally known.

Baba Haidakhan spoke very little while he lived and certainly very little on spiritual matters. He believed there is no end to such discussions and there is more value in practice. Reverend Robert the principal of Sherwood College, the leading school of Nainital, who knew and associated with Babaji before his public ministry began, said,

"The Language of God is silence, Everything else is at best an approximation."

However any reader who is more interested in spiritual theory should check out my other blog at http://someitemshave.blogspot.com. It has some nice pictures too. Kriya yoga was defined very briefly by the ancient sage and leading exponent and founder of yoga – Patanjali in his treatise on yoga as consisting of three parts – tap, swadhyay and ishwar sharanagati. These are three Sanskrit terms that mean, work and discipline, knowing thyself and loving God by depending and submitting to Him. The treatise of Patanjali on yoga is one of the few ancient Sanskrit texts that has survived latter day interpolations and editing because of its brevity. However it is an advanced text not easily understood by most. It contains absolutely no reference or recommendation to rituals, gurus, caste, worship of numerous gods etc. as found in other Hindu literature.It is a work of pure spiritual science.

Babaji gave practical shape to these three aspects in the following manner. He discouraged idleness and one of the first lessons to disciples was to engage in work instead and follow the discipline of the ashram. Those at the ashram were involved in building works.As a means of self-knowing, babaji insisted on the cultivation of three virtues – Love, truth and simplicity. Any deviation from these virtues is the cause of ignorance in beings. That combined with meditative recitation of mantra were the means to self-knowing. His usual mantra advocated for all was “ Om Namah Shivai” But a disciple could choose another if he so preferred.

In the experience of this author as well as per recommendations of spiritual masters whatever the chosen word it is unsafe if it does not refer to God or a divine spirit, lest it leads to unholy possessions :) Moreover it must not interfere with even, slow and smooth breathing in its choice and pronunciation. Scientific studies that have shown that the choice of nonsense words are as effective are perhaps right - until the subject jumps over a cliff :)

Babaji advocated the love of God as a means of getting close to the Lord by remembering and chanting his name while depending and submitting to Him. He demonstrated Hindu rituals because he was born to a Hindu father for that but advised that a disciple could choose any ritual he was comfortable with (he organized rituals from other religions too at times in the Ashram for demonstration) or no ritual towards that end if he wished but focus on the almighty through Jap or chanting through chosen holy words and/or observation of breathing is a great aid.

To summarize the essential Kriya Yoga of Babaji put very briefly is this:

Embrace Love, truth and Simplicity to the extent possible; do your work and the right thing the best you can; love God and place your trust in Him.

The message of Babaji was very simple because he is also known as Bhole Baba i.e the Simple Baba. if you are looking for something complex and impressive perhaps even to fool others or get fooled with yourself, or as an escape or magic from what really needs to be done for evolution and happiness, then you are knocking on the wrong door. It is as also another evolved saint Kabir has said in old Hindi:

Pothi Pothi pathat ke, Pandit Hoe na Koe

Dhai Akshar prem ke Pathe jo Pandit hoi

Which translates as:

By reading volumes upon volumes no one becomes a philosopher

Two and a half words of love if understood properly are more than enough

Babaji of Nainital

Aside from this teaching of Kriya Yoga through demonstration, Babaji taught very little and spoke very little. He was very human from time to time while he lived when not possessed by the Holy Spirit and what has been recorded, as his sayings are mostly his small talk as a human since his personal practice involved total silence when possessed by the Holy Spirit. If viewed from a Hindu perspective, this author regards Babaji in spiritual terms as a son of Lord Shiva, a Hindu visualization of the Heavenly Father and the Goddess of Nainital - Naini Mata whom he called Haidakhandeshwari ( goddess presiding over Haidakhan) because she led him to Haidakhan in Nainital District for his ministry amongst humans and mothered him there.While Babaji lived and even now after he has gone his disciples ascribed many characters to him, such as avatar, mahaavatar, reincarnations of other holy personalities etc. In the opinion of this author none understood his true nature. More on him has been written in an older post as already mentioned.

Just as soon as babaji's body as Baba Haidakhan began to age he decided to hop over to a new younger one in a new birth, to a younger body, an art known to many mystics. He left his present body in 1984 in the arms of a disciple and friend who used to cook for him often and who owns one of the grandest heritage mansions from British times on the road up the hill, just ahead of the Church, in nearby Bhowali in Nainital District where he lives with his family. A special room in his home with lovely pictures of Babaji is devoted to Babaji that I along with Babaji (??!!) visited in the summer of 2007 and sang songs in praise of our host while he fed us with with choice cashew nuts, almonds and raisins and he along with his wife and daughter requested us repeatedly to stay for dinner. It was a joyous occasion where everyone laughed and smiled. On the same visit Babaji also took me to the Haidakhan Ashram and kept me in Shatriji's old room for a few days. The spirit of Babaji lives on and is forever at the service of those who loved him, especially in times of dire need as one of the mystic instruments of the Almighty ever engaged in bringing solace to all life, perhaps just as the Bodhisattavas do for Buddhists or more.

Jai Baba ki!

Author's Personal Biographical Notes:

Nand Rani Malhotra, 1988, Jaipur

Reverend Robert Llewyln (http://www.light-for-the-journey.org/?page_id=91) mentioned in this note was a Christian Mystic given to visions who came from a family of Christian Mystics. He was well known to our family. I have hardly any memories of him but have known about him from my mother . At that time our father was posted away in nearby Nepal working for an Indo-Nepalese trans Nepal highway project and would visit only in vacations. We lived in the care of some army soldiers and a wonderful cook named Hira Lal who made the loveliest of mutton chops on earth that he had learned to make from the wife of a British Brigadier for whom he had worked earlier and who left for England soon after India was freed of British rule. We lived for

Deepak Malhotra, 2013, Spain

several years in a home on the hillside that had a full view of the lovely Naini lake and surrounding hills. I have honored Hira Lal by naming and modeling the cook in my recent novel on him. At the time Sherwood college situated in Nainital, one of the best known schools of India, admitted students as boarders only but when my mother (Nando, Nand Rani Malhotra) mentioned that she could not afford boarding fees for my elder brother (Deepak Malhotra), Reverend Robert as the Principal of Sherwood College made an exception to the rule and permitted my elder brother who has since lived in UK and now in Spain to join as a day scholar. A horse was hired to carry my brother and sister (Mrs. Kiran Chopra) to their schools everyday on the opposite hill.

Dr. Ashok Malhotra, 1986, Canada

One day when my uncle on a visit (who later became a Brig. in the army) was near the band stand on the flats he discovered that a baby show to select the healthiest and cutest baby of Nainital was on. He rushed home to grab me, even in dirty clothes (there was no time to change) and entered me in the competition, and this author, yours truly, was selected to get the first prize (a story often repeated by my uncle). Perhaps Rev. Llewyln had a hand ( hope not though)in that too. A photo of mine from 1986 is posted on the right. A recent one in a boat on Nainital lake is in a blog post as well as in my profile in the left side bar. All these are photos at home. Professional ones along with professional bios of me and my younger brother Anoop may be found by searching on wikipedia ( use search term Dr. Ashok Malhotra in google since there are several other ashok malhotra's). Deepak has been a wee bit busy with the ladies and an exploration of wine to get on to wikipedia yet.

Lt. General Anoop Malhotra, 2013

When my younger brother, Anoop Malhotra (now a general) was born in Nainital the Reverend Robert Llewyln gave special blessings. When he heard that the new baby was born as a blue baby with a cord around his neck, he mentioned that Julius Caeser too was born that way and the baby would one day be a General Anoop Malhotra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anoop_Malhotra). The power to prophecy is as common a symptom of mystic infection as a high body temperature is of a viral one, so that the most evolved of the lot have been termed as prophets in some parts of the world. It was this author who convinced father, who usually tended to be obstinate like a bull but gave in this time, that Anoop be permitted to follow his destiny by joining the army rather than a medical doctor that the father wished for instead. Anoop, although not spiritually inclined, had a great fear of spirits and ghosts and this author in his younger days used to have great fun by covering himself in a white sheet and yelling BOO like Casper the little ghost and seeing his younger brother squeal and scream with fright as he yelled out for Mama :)

Reverend Robert's great grandmother was a friend of Queen Victoria. Both secretly shared mystical interests, some of it due to the Mystic Dame Julian of Norwich, the first female to become an author in the English language. She regarded God not just as a male Father but also a female Mother. Dame Julian also did not uphold the existing Christian interpretation of eternal hell for non-believers, regarding suffering as something that was self limiting in time (as through reincarnation) eventually ending in the good of all souls - All shall be well. There are posts on the Nainital connection of Queen Victoria in this blog. Babaji's spirituality does not call for a change of religion by anyone but demonstrated how spirituality can be restored to it while ignoring the unnecessary latter day additions in that religion. Robert returned to England for good to be by the side of his beloved Dame Norwich in his last days in his present reincarnation, some time after Babaji left for Haidakhan. Books by Robert on mysticism composed in Christian metaphors are available at amazon and other online locations.

The blessings of the gods and goddesses of Nainital continue to this day for this author. During 2009- 2010, this author spent as a director of an educational institute in the wooded foothills of Nainital. Any weekend the opportunity arose, he would visit Nainital driven comfortably by his driver Shankar provided by the Institute. the first visit would be to the temple of Naini Mata. After that due to Her blessings and through the medium of the senior most official of the region a serviced accomodation would be arranged for this author at a guest room of the most prestigious location not just in Nainital but in all of Kumaon (or at one time in all of the Northern province of India) i.e at Raj Bhavan. The pictures on the cover of this blog show the temple to the left and me standing in front of the Raj Bhavan to the right with the Naini lake in the middle.

The only book on Naini Mata in English has been authored by this blogger. it is available at most major online retailers worldwide, that will show up in a google search with the title 'Naini mata'. The relationship of Baba Haidakhan to Naini Mata has been described in posts on him in this blog. She was his spiritual mother.

LABELS: AUTHOR'S BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE BABAJI KRIYA YOGA

Comments

Unknown said…

Jai ho babaji.

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May 29, 2016 at 1:48 AM

The Goddesses Nanda and Sunanda of Kumaon

October 17, 2012

1 COMMENT

Who was Babaji or Baba Haidakhan?

July 31, 2008

Article Updated May 6 , 2019 If one were to select a likely abode of Gods on our planet, it would likely be highest mountains on the planet, Himalayas- including its greener hills, valleys and caves in lower ranges fed by pristine waters of melting snows of the highest peaks and lakes. Here the air is fresh, cool and crisp and because it is relatively close to equatorial regions, not so cold as to be inhospitable even in the depths of winter. Indeed, fresh air, pure water to drink, green fields, wild flowers and groves of Oak or Pine have created areas within these vast ranges that might be most akin to what one might imagine of heaven. However, over centuries, even the Himalayas have not remained untouched by greed and lust with its associated evils. It is a process that seems to have been set in motion several thousands years ago. Just as it is in the nature of humans to begin forgetting God and goodness with prosperity so it is with civilizations made up of them. As

41 COMMENTS

Jai Shiv Shankar – Spiritual Mantra from the Himalayas

July 29, 2018

About Me

My photo

ProfAshok

Jaiour, Delhi and Nainital, India

Theme images by merrymoonmary

GODS AND GODDESSES OF NAINITAL

Welcome to spiritual Himalayas and one of the most beautiful of its districts - Nainital

The Goddesses Nanda and Sunanda of Kumaon

October 17, 2012

“Also, Srutadeva, Uddhava and others, Nanda, Sunanda and other leaders of liberated souls who are constant companions of the Lord” Canto 1 Chapter 14

According to this verse, Nanda and Sunanda are close to the eternal lord with the same position as the highest of Angels of the Lord and amongst the leaders of liberated souls that are constantly engaged in serving God. A story in chapter 12 of the same text about King Dhruva tells more about one ancient mission of Nanda and Sunanda while also describing them. Following is an extract From Canto 4, Chapter 12 about King Dhruva,

“King Dhruva realized that this universe consisting of God’s external energy was just like a dream. He considered everything created comprising his body, his wives, children, friends, his influence, riches, the pleasure grounds, the facilities for his women and the beauty of the earth with its oceans, as something transient and for that reason he left for the Himalayan forest. There he purified his body, bathing in pure water and in yoga postures, controlled the breathing process by withdrawing the mind from his physical senses. Concentrating on the Lord he constantly kept in mind, he thus became fully absorbed in the Lord. Constantly engaged in his devotion for Lord, the Supreme Personality he attained everlasting bliss and again and again overcome by a stream of tears that made his heart melt and all the hairs of his body stand on end. He no longer remembered that he had a body and was thus liberated being materially bound.

Dhruva then saw a very beautiful heavenly vehicle descending from the sky that illumined him and the ten directions as if the full moon itself had appeared. Therein he discerned two beautiful demigods with four arms, a blackish skin, being quite young and with eyes as pink as a lotus flower. They held clubs and were attractively dressed and decorated with helmets, bracelets, necklaces and earrings. Understanding them to be two Angels of the Lord, he stood up, respectfully joined his hands offering his respects while Nanda and Sunanda, the two angels of the One smilingly approached and addressed him. Nanda and Sunanda said, “Oh best of kings! All good fortune to you! Listen attentively to our words. You are the one who greatly satisfied God by doing penance. You have achieved the world of the Lord that is so difficult to achieve that not even the greatest of enlightenment could reach there. Come and see the supreme abode around the moon, the sun, the other planets and the stars are rotating. Then in having paid his obeisance to the two associates, whose form shone with golden effulgence Dhruva got on board”

It may be noted here that Nanda and Sunanda are not described clearly as male or female. This is explained in another Sanskrit text about the Maha Devi and it may be the case here too as regards the highest angels of the Lord. It refers to Shakti, an entity without body, who is neither male nor female, and whose energy can give life to any divine representations. Her definition is given in the Devi Bhagavata Purana as follows,

“I am Manifest Divinity, Unmanifest Divinity, and Transcendent Divinity. I am Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, Lakshmi and Parvati. I am the Sun and I am the Stars, and I am also the Moon. I am all animals and birds, and I am the outcaste as well, and the thief. I am the low person of dreadful deeds, and the great person of excellent deeds. I am female. I am male. I am neuter.”

Aside from such references in Sanskrit texts we have historical evidence from other parts of World where the Great Goddess was worshiped under the names that could be variations of the name Nanda - Nana, Naini, Naina, Nainia etc. She was widely worshipped in the ancient area corresponding to Afghanistan, Ninevah, Turkmenistan, and Northwest India. She can be seen on seals of the Bactria-Margiana Complex, dating to 2500-1500 BC. She was typically depicted as a seated martial goddess, escorted by a lion. The Kushanas to India apparently introduced her as apparent from their coinage samples that still survive. Depictions of her are known from Afghanistan as late as the 5-6th century and it appears that she is worshiped even today in Baluchistan and Afghanistan under the name "Bibi Nani"

Kushanas

On their arrival in India, the Kushanas realized that the goddess they worshiped as Nana was being worshiped under the name of Goddess Durga. According to a narrative in Devi Mahatmya story of Markandeya Purana, Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight an asura (an inhuman force/demon) named Mahishasura. Brahma had given Mahishasura the power not to be defeated by a male. Mahishasura had unleashed a reign of terror on Earth, heavens and the nether worlds. Any man or god, anywhere could not defeat him. The gods were helpless. Shiva, realizing that no man or male god can defeat Mahishasura, made a request to his wife Parvati to take the role of a female goddess warrior in order to slay the demon. All of the gods emitted beams of fierce light from their bodies. The blinding sea of light reached Parvati at the Ashram of the priest Katyayannd. Durga emerged from this pool of light. She introduced herself in the language of the Rig-Veda, saying she was a form of the supreme female aspect of Brahman (the male aspect being Shiva) who had created all gods. Now she had come to fight the demon to save the gods. When Mahishasur the demon had half emerged into his buffalo form, extreme light emitting from the goddess’s body paralyzed him. The goddess then resounded with laughter before cutting Mahishasur's head down with her sword. Thus Durga slew Mahishasur hence, Mata Durga is also known as the slayer of Mahishasur.

When reading ancient literature some mystics believe that the stories are metaphorical but contain deep mystical truths that cannot be described in ordinary language. If this is so or not is left to the reader.

If Goddess Durga is a supreme aspect of Brahma and goddesses Nanda and Sunanda leading associates of Brahma as per Veda Vyasa, some spiritualists may draw a subtle distinction between the two goddesses. However for ordinary mortals as well as mystics who see everything as a facet (one of the infinite faces of the Ultimate Reality) of Ultimate Reality, this distinction may not be meaningful or influence their worship in any manner. However, this point has been mentioned by this author in his novel "Nude besides the Lake" ( can be found easily by search tool at amazon.com or Google search; use ‘besides’ in search keywords not ‘beside’) while speculating on the hypothesis of Queen Victoria too being regarded as an avatar of the goddess Nanda.

It seems, Kanishka I the Kushana King who arrived in India from Persia and who was devoted to the Persian goddess Nana recognized both Nana and Durga as the same goddess with two different names merged in the same image of the goddess with lion. It was the ancient Kushanas or Kassites who appear to have established the worship of Goddess first in the Kumaon region as per archeological evidence. The goddess Nana worshiped by them appears to have been referred to as Nanda Devi as well as Kassar Devi i.e. the Goddess of the Kassars or Kassites.

Nanda and Sunanda

It appears that the Katyuri kings of Kumaon and later the Chand Dynasty that came to rule the region adopted worship of the goddess and made her their Patron Goddess. They called her by the name Nanda. Nanda was considered to be the daughter of Himalaya and Nanda Devi Peak as her residence as goddess goddess Parvati (of the mountains). Nanda is worshiped both in her warrior form as Durga as well as her benign compassionate form. In Kumaon, temples of Nanda Devi are situated in Nainital, Almora, Ranikhet, Ranchoola, Malla Danpur and at many places in Garhwal.

During the period of Chand Kings, Nanda Devi worship took the shape of a Fair. Prior to this Nanda Devi was being worshiped, but at that time only an idol of Nanda Devi used to be worshiped. The custom to make two idols started from period of Baj Bahadur Chand. Even today only one idol is prepared in remote villages. The reason for this addition appears to because it appears that the goddesses Nanda and Sunanda took birth together as princesses in the royal family and to mark this new reincarnation, the practice of celebrating a festival for both sisters together was introduced. A story from their life is enacted - while walking in the forest a bull chased them. They hid themselves behind a banana tree and some bushes. A goat came there and ate away the banana leaves with the result Nanda and Sunanda became visible to the bull, which killed both the sisters. This is the reason that a goat and bull are sacrificed during the celebrations. Some say that this departure due to a buffalo was necessary to complete the earlier karmic debt when Ma Durga had slain the demon as a buffalo.

The Gurkhas and British

In early 1790, Gurkhas invaded Kumaon hills and Almora, under their powerful chief Prithvi Narayan. The Chand Raja, was driven to the Bhabhar and finally expelled. The Nepalese rule lasted for a ruthless twenty-four years and the end came because of their repeated intrusion into the British territories in the Tarai since early 1800. Lord Moira, the Governor-General of India, decided to attack Almora in December 1814. This marked the beginning of the Anglo-Nepalese War. After the British won the war, the region came under British rule.

During British rule many British too became devotees of the goddess. Some believe that the Goddess Nanda then took birth as the British Queen Victoria in order to ensure that British ruled her Kumaon subjects with justice and fairness while also developing the region with the help of their technical skills. There is a story that during British period the then Kumaon Commissioner, Mr. Trail lost his eyes during Nanda Kot Yatra. After reaching Almora, he shifted the Nanda Idol from Malla Mahal to Udyot Chandeshwar Temple and arranged worshipping of the Nanda Devi. With the blessings of Nanda Devi, he got back his eyes.

The graceful peak of Nanda Devi along with her companion Sunanda Devi, is visible from almost everywhere in Kumaon. Nanda Devi who is believed to be the reincarnation of Parvati is said to represent the icy, unmoving form of Parvati in endless meditation on her spiritual consort, Lord Shiva.

Nanda Devi and Sunanda Devi: Main and East Summits (photo: Alex Moran) From http://www.moran-mountain.co.uk/moran-mountaineering/Nanda%20Devi%20East.htm

Nanda Devi is a two-peaked massif oriented east-west. The west summit is higher, and the eastern summit is called Nanda Devi East. Together the peaks are referred to as the twin peaks of the goddess Nanda. However, this author in his novel, ‘Nude besides the lake” that has the Nainital region as its backdrop first revealed the name of Nanda Devi East as Sunanda Devi in published literature and since then that usage has widely replaced the European nomenclature of Nanda Devi East in several recent published sources. There is a seperate detailed post on that in this blog - The rightful recognition of Nanda Devi east as Sunanda Devi - at this link (http://nainitalgoddess.blogspot.in/2012/11/the-rightful-recognition-of-nanda-devi.html)

Willi Unsoeld, one of the most accomplished American climbers of his generation, first set eyes on Nanda Devi, the highest mountain in India and a peak of legendary beauty, he so fell in love with it that he vowed that should he ever have a daughter, he would name her after it. A few years later, he was indeed blessed with a baby girl and named her Nanda Devi. In 1976, he returned to the mountain along with his daughter when a tragedy took place. In his words,

“Andy and Devi had now been at 24,000 feet for nearly five days. We packed for departure when at 11:45 Devi was suddenly stricken. She had time only to say with great calm, “I am going to die,” when she lapsed into unconsciousness. We tried mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR, but with no sign of success. Within fifteen minutes I felt her lips growing cold against mine and I knew that we had lost her. As our faculties gradually returned to us, we discussed what was to be done. We agreed that it would be most fitting for Devi’s body to be committed to the snows of the mountain for which she had come to feel such a deep attachment. Andy, Peter and I knelt in a circle in the snow and grasped hands while each chanted a broken farewell to the comrade who had so recently filled such a vivid place in our lives. My final prayer was one of thanksgiving for a world filled with the sublimity of the high places, for the sheer beauty of the mountains and for the surpassing miracle that we should be so formed as to respond with ecstasy to such beauty, and for the constant element of danger without which the mountain experience would not exercise such a grip on our sensibilities. We then laid the body to rest in its icy tomb, at rest on the breast of the Bliss Giving Goddess Nanda.”

NOTE:

Much more about the lovely goddesses full of love and blessings can be found in a book by the author:

Naini Mata, Goddess of Nainital

The book can be found at Amazon

Photo adapted from Mt Nanda Devi 23rd Highest peak by Anirban C8 taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nanda_devi.jpg

LABELS: NANDA DEVI SUNANDA DEVI

Comments

ProfAshok said…

This note on Bibi Nani is worth reading

http://odysseuslahori.blogspot.in/2014/04/bibi-nani.html?m=1

Although much has been lost through time and many different stories of the Mother Goddess exist in different parts of the world, all agree that she is the Supreme form of the universal mother goddess and although her forms and names may not be fully known her love can be sensed in the heart with devotion.

December 12, 2017 at 8:49 AM