Mahavatar Babaji

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Mahavatar Babaji - a drawing from Autobiography of a Yogi, commissioned by Yogananda and based on his own meeting with Babaji
Mahavatar Babaji - a drawing from Autobiography of a Yogi, commissioned by Yogananda and based on his own meeting with Babaji

Mahavatar Babaji is the name given to an Indian yogi and holy man by Lahiri Mahasaya and several of his disciples[1] who met Mahavatar Babaji between 1861 and 1935. Some of these meetings were described by Paramahansa Yogananda in his book Autobiography of a Yogi, including a first hand telling of Yogananda’s own meeting with Mahavatar Babaji.[2] Another first hand account was given by Sri Yukteswar Giri in his book The Holy Science.[3] All of these accounts, along with additional meetings with Mahavatar Babaji, are described in various biographies[4][5][6] of those mentioned by Yogananda.

Mahavatar Babaji’s real name and date of birth are not known, so those who met him during that period all called him by the title first given to him by Lahiri Mahasaya.[2][6] ‘Mahavatar’ means ‘great avatar’, and ‘Babaji’ simply means ‘revered father’. Some of the encounters included two or more witnesses — discussions between those who met Mahavatar Babaji indicate that they all met the same person.[2][5][4]

Since Yogananda’s accounts first appeared in his autobiography, published in 1946, many people have claimed visions or encounters with a person who they believed was the same Mahavatar Babaji. There is no way to confirm if these meetings were actually with the same person described by the witnesses between 1861 and 1935.

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[edit] Meetings with Mahavatar Babaji, 1861-1935

[edit] Lahiri Mahasaya

The first reported encounter with Mahavatar Babaji was in 1861, when Lahiri Mahasaya was posted to Ranikhet in his work as an accountant for the British government. One day while walking in the hills above Ranikhet, he heard a voice calling his name. Following the voice up the mountain, he met a “tall, divinely radiant sadhu.”[6] He was amazed to find that the sadhu knew his name.[6][2] This sadhu was Mahavatar Babaji.

Mahavatar Babaji told Lahiri Mahasaya that he was his Guru from the past, then initiated him into Kriya Yoga, and instructed Lahiri to initiate others. Lahiri wanted to remain with Mahavatar Babaji, who told him instead that he must return to the world to teach Kriya Yoga, and that “Kriya Yoga sadhana would spread through the people of the world through his (Lahiri’s) presence in the world.”[6]

Lahiri Mahasaya reported that Mahavatar Babaji did not give his name or background, so Lahiri gave him the title “Mahavatar Babaji.” Many sadhus in India are called Babaji, and sometimes even “Babaji Maharaj”, which has caused confusion between Mahavatar Babaji and other sadhus with similar names.[6]

Lahiri Mahasaya had many meetings with Mahavatar Babaji, recounted in several books, including Paramhahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi,[2] Yogiraj Shyama Charan Lahiri Mahasaya (Lahiri’s biography)[6], and Purana Purusha: Yogiraj Sri Shama Churn Lahiree,[7] among others.

[edit] Disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya

Several disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya also met Babaji. Through discussion with each other, and the fact that some of these encounters included two or more witnesses, they confirmed that the person they saw was the same sadhu that Lahiri called Mahavatar Babaji.[6][2][8]

In 1894, at the Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, Sri Yukteswar Giri, a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya, met Mahavatar Babaji. He was surprised by the striking resemblance between Lahiri Mahasaya and Mahavatar Babaji.[5][2] Others who met Babaji also commented on the resemblance.[6] It was at this meeting that Mahavatar Babaji instructed Sri Yukteswar to write the book that was to become Kaivalya Darshanam, or The Holy Science.[3] Sri Yukteswar had two more meetings with Mahavatar Babaji, including one in the presence of Lahiri Mahasaya.[6][2][5]

Swami Pranabananda Giri, another disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya, also met Mahavatar Babaji in the presence of Lahiri Mahasaya, at Lahiri’s home. Pranabananda asked Mahavatar Babaji his age. Mahavatar Babaji responded that he was about 500 years old at that time.[4]

Swami Keshabananda Giri, a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya, tells of meeting Mahavatar Babaji in the mountains near Badrinath around 1935, after he became lost wandering in the mountains.[2] At that meeting, Pranabananda reported that Babaji gave him a message for Yogananda, that “I won’t see him this time, as he is eagerly hoping; but I shall see him on some other occasion.”[2]

Other disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya who reported meetings with Mahavatar Babaji include Swami Kebalananda Giri[9] and Ram Gopal Muzumdar, who recounted meeting Mahavatar Babaji and his sister, whom he called Mataji.[2][6] In addition, a woman disciple of Trailanga Swami, Shankari Mata (also called Shankari Mai Jiew) met Mahavatar Babaji while visiting Lahiri Mahasaya.[6][2]

[edit] Legends about Mahavatar Babaji

Legendary powers and age have been attributed to Mahavatar Babaji—by the disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya, and by additional unconfirmed stories told in modern times. These stories have led many to believe that Mahavatar Babaji is a legendary person, rather than a real sadhu that was seen by numerous witnesses from 1861-1935.

Paramhansa Yogananda, in his Autobiography, described Mahavatar Babaji’s role on earth:

The Mahavatar is in constant communion with Christ; together they send out vibrations of redemption, and have planned the spiritual technique of salvation for this age. The work of these two fully-illumined masters–one with the body, and one without it–is to inspire the nations to forsake suicidal wars, race hatreds, religious sectarianism, and the boomerang-evils of materialism. Babaji is well aware of the trend of modern times, especially of the influence and complexities of Western civilization, and realizes the necessity of spreading the self-liberations of yoga equally in the West and in the East.

In addition, Babaji is reputed to be ageless, according to some accounts, and about 500 years old around the late 1800’s, according to Swami Pranabananda.[4] Yogananda reports that, according to the disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya, nobody knows Babaji’s age, family, place of birth, true name, or other details “dear to the annalist’s heart.”[2]

[edit] Mahavatar Babaji as Krishna

Lahiri Mahasaya wrote in his diary that Mahavatar Babaji was Lord Krishna.[7] Two disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda report that he also stated Mahavatar Babaji was Krishna in a former lifetime.[10][11] Yogananda also frequently prayed out loud to "Babaji-Krishna."[12]

[edit] Modern claims and legends

Since the publication of Autobiography of a Yogi in 1946, many people have claimed that they had visions of Mahavatar Babaji. Some of these people offered more background about Babaji. Several of these stories conflict with the details told by the disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya, and some contradict each other. There is no way to confirm whether these stories refer to the same sadhu, Mahavatar Babaji, sighted between 1861 and 1935.

Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition by M. Govindan, claims to build upon the story of Mahavatar Babaji by giving new details, such as Mahavatar Babaji's birthdate (30th of November 203 A.D.), birthplace (Parangipettai, Tamil Nadu), youth, and attainment of the highest goal of physical immortality under the guidance of two great Siddha Masters of South India - Agastyar and Bogar. The claimed date of birth directly contradicts one of the original witnesses of Mahavatar Babaji.[4] Govindan claims to have met Babaji in person.

Another saint who is often identified with Mahavatar Babaji is Hariakhan Baba, a teacher who lived and taught from 1861 through 1924. This Babaji is discussed in the book Hariakhan Baba: Known and Unknown by Baba Hari Dasa. Several accounts were also written by an Indian holy man named Mahendra Baba, who identified him as being the same person as Mahavatar Babaji. Roy Eugene Davis, a direct personal disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and former minister of the Self-Realization Fellowship Phoenix Temple, expressed a similar conclusion in his book Life Surrendered in God: The Philosophy and Practices of Kriya Yoga.

Another teacher who is mistakenly identified with Mahavatar Babaji has a confusingly similar name, Haidakhan Babaji. He lived in northern India and taught publicly from 1970 to 1984. The spiritual teacher Leonard Orr wrote about his encounters with Haidakhan Babaji in many of his books, including Babaji: The Angel of the Lord and, together with Sondra Ray, promoted him as being Mahavatar Babaji. This 'Babaji' died in 1984, which contradicts the testimony of one of the original witnesses, who quoted Mahavatar Babaji as saying, "I will never leave my physical body".[13] 'Babaji' is a common name for saints and teachers in India - thus the frequent confusion about the many different 'Babajis'.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, Ram Gopal Muzumdar, Swami Kebalananda, Swami Pranabananda Giri
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Yogananda, Paramahansa, Autobiography of a Yogi, 2005. ISBN 978-1565892125.
  3. ^ a b Yukteswar Giri, Sri, The Holy Science. Yogoda Satsanga Society, 1949
  4. ^ a b c d e Mukhopadyay, Sri Jnananedranath, Srimad Swami Prananabananda Giri, Sri Jnananedranath Mukhopadyay Property Trust, 2001.
  5. ^ a b c d Satyananda Giri, Swami, Swami Sri Yukteshvar Giri Maharaj, from A Collection of Biographies of 4 Kriya Yoga Gurus, iUniverse Inc. 2006. ISBN 978-0595386758.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Satyananda Giri, Swami, Yogiraj Shyama Charan Lahiri Mahasay, from A Collection of Biographies of 4 Kriya Yoga Gurus, iUniverse Inc. 2006. ISBN 978-0595386758.
  7. ^ a b Chatterjee, Ashoke Kumar, Purana Purusha: Yogiraj Sri Shama Churn Lahiri. Yogiraj Publications, 2004. ISBN 81-87563-01-X.
  8. ^ Satyananda, Swami, Yogacharya Shastri Mahasaya: A Short Biographical Sketch of Hamsaswami Kebalanandaji Maharaj.Yoganiketan, 2004.
  9. ^ Satyananda, Swami, Yogacharya Shastri Mahasaya: A Short Biographical Sketch of Hamsaswami Kebalanandaji Maharaj.Yoganiketan, 2004
  10. ^ Kriyananda, Swami: Conversations with Yogananda, page 347. Crystal Clarity Publishers, 2003. ISBN 156589202X
  11. ^ Sri Durga Mata: A Paramhansa Yogananda Trilogy of Divine Love, page 50, copyright Joan Wight, 1992. ISBN 0963583808
  12. ^ Yogananda, Paramahansa: various articles (Praecepta Lessons, Volume 1, by Swami Yogananda, 1934) and recordings (One Life Versus Reincarnation [CD]. ISBN 0876124392).
  13. ^ Autobiography of a Yogi, chapter 33

His real name is Nagaraj.(refer link.www.kriyayoga.org)

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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