Maha Yogi Gorakhnath 

Pranams at the lotus feet of Gorakhnath Maharaj!

Chapter - 1

“Alak Niranjan’ is a term addressed to Nirguna Bramham which is beyond attributes.  One day a saint arrived in front of a house and pronounced “ Alak Niranjan”, a female voice answered, “ Babaji, kindly wait, I am coming.” She came out with the alms to Babaji, her face was dull and depressed.  Babaji asked “ Daughter, why are you so distressed? a lady  with an unhappy face should not give alms to a Saint.” The lady from the neighborhood answered, “ Babaji, she is married so long, but the couple has no children, so she is considered as inauspicious in the village, she is very much upset about it, therefore she has reduced to come out in the public.”  Babaji said “ Don’t worry daughter, consume this sacred ash, you will become a mother of a virtuous child with the grace of Lord Shiva,” Babaji blessed her and after giving ashes he left the place.  She stood out of the house holding sacred ashes in her hand,  her mind was full of joy.  The neighborhood lady said “ Do you think this sacred ash works wonders for you? he is a beggar living on alms, children are blessings of God, and nothing will work without his grace,”  She got frustrated, immediately threw away all the sacred ashes behind her house where there was a cow dung pit surrounded by dirt, she lost her faith in the sacred ashes given by Babaji.  

Years passed, the same Yogi arrived in front of her door and asked for alms, he had seen the same dull face of the female.  He was shocked and asked “ Daughter, where is your son? call him I wanted to meet him.” female stunned and said “ Son? I do not have any son.”  Babaji said " I have given sacred ashes some twelve years before to consume, and I have told you that you will have a virtuous son with the grace of Lord Shiva, Isn’t it?” she said, “ Forgive me Babaji, my neighbor discouraged me to consume, so I have washed it away.”  Babaji said “ Then take me the place where did you shove off the ashes.” she brought Babaji in the exact place where she left the sacred ashes some twelve years before, Babaji said “ Alak Niranjan” instantly a child of twelve years with fair complexion appeared from the heap of cow dung and bowed his head down before Babaji.   She was awestruck, before saying anything Babaji and the child vanished from her sight.

Yogiraj Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri Mahashay

Pranams at the lotus feet of Yogiraj!

Chapter – 31

Lahiri Mahashay, The King of Yogis was attained the highest of the spiritual state known as supreme bliss.  He proved that the Kriya Yoga /Raja Yoga, meditation is for all who want to achieve self-realization and the realization of God in them.   Mahashay affirms that every human on the Earth has the right to learn the supreme knowledge of self-realization, it does not matter whether the person belongs to Hindu, Muslim or Christian, it does not matter whether he is professional, non-professional, labor or ordinary men.  He performed the role of a husband to Kashimoni Devi, father to his children and a sincere Accountant in the British Military Engineering Department, and rose to the status of King of Yogis.  He taught the ordinary people how to nullify the balance sheet of Karma with the practice of Pranayama and meditation.  He immensely served the distressed people, saved many lives, with the peaceful tool of Kriya Yoga.  Yogiraj had gone through various troubles in the family life, one of his sons had the attack of insanity, one of his daughter married died of cholera, another daughter became widow at a young age and returned to home, but Yogiraj with firm determination performed service to humanity and spiritual practice, he had silently allowed himself to take up the Prarabdhakarma.  Lahiri Mahashay was born on 30^th September 1828, it was on the day of Dussehra one of the most auspicious days of worship of Goddess Durga in the village of Ghurni, West Bengal.  His mother died during his childhood days when he was not even five years old.  The family lost all its properties in the natural calamities when Jalangi River changed its watercourse.  Thus, King of Yogi proved to the entire world that steadfastness, intense faith, and devotion, are the essential requirements to reach the highest state of spirituality and achieve supreme bliss.   This great Yogi who was humility personified is inspiring us to follow the practice of meditation and Kriya Yoga in order to achieve union with the Bramham. 

Yogiraj was fallen severely ill  on September 26th, 1895, he was silently bearing all the sins of his disciples, he remembered the verdict of Mahapurusha Babaji Maharaj, which was conveyed by Yuktheshwarji after coming back from Allahabad Kumbha Mela “ Time is limited, energy is draining.” One day Panchanan Bhattacharya, the disciple of Mahashay saw his Gurudev standing before him and asking him to hurry to Kashi.   Swami Pranavanandh in Udaipur also received the same instruction from Yogiraj.  In this way, many disciples received the message from Yogiraj.  All the disciples arrived at the home of Yogiraj and saw he was reading scriptures and the recitation continued for several days,  One day he said “ I have finished my work, I am leaving to my home,” all the disciples started crying,  Yogiraj consoled them “ No need to cry, I am leaving this perishable body, but I will remain next to you always.” He seated in a Padmasana posture and in a few minutes he immersed in Mahasamadhi.  In the year 1895, September 26^th  Lahiri Mahashay attained Mahasamadhi, his mortal coil was cremated followed with elaborate Bhraminic rite at the Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi.

Yogiraj Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri Mahashay

Pranams at the lotus feet of Yogiraj!

Chapter – 30

During this period of time, Mahashay came to visit Thrailanga Swamiji who was known as living Lord of Kashi, people persistently talk about the supernatural powers of Swamiji.  One day Yogiraj with four of his disciples came to Panchaganga Ghat to meet Thrailanga Swamiji.  Seeing Mahashay coming closer, Thrailanga Swamiji rushed towards him and embraced him, he took Mahashay to his place. They discussed for a few minutes, and after that Yogiraj left the place.  One of the devotees who was assembled before Swamiji asked “ Maharaj, you are an eminent Yogi, surprising to note the way you have welcomed another noble-soul.  I did not understand anything.  Usually, people respect people of their own rank isn’t it?”  Thrailanga Swamiji said “He is not an ordinary soul, he is a renowned personality in Yogic practices, he is a Yogi of high rank, he achieved highest of the spiritual state as a Grihastha, I had to abandon even my loincloth in order to achieve that highest state, you cannot understand that.” Eventually, Mahashay’s fame spread across Kashi with the great admiration of Thrailanga Swamiji, people crowded to meet Mahashay.

Once a disciple asked Maharishi Angirass, “ Gurudev, how did humans get rid of the darkness of ignorance and purify his intellect?.”  Maharishi said “Son, It is easy to practice for the person who is steadfast and willing to follow, otherwise not.  The sincere practice of learning Upanishads and practice Upasana/worship, meditating upon the supreme Bhramam would remove the darkness of ignorance and leads to liberation from worldly existence.  The Universal spirit is supreme bliss, the spiritual seeker should learn from the qualified preceptor, never be suspicious about the preceptor and do not expect that the preceptor will show supreme spirit and he will take you to the highest state of spirituality.  A preceptor can guide a disciple; he cannot fulfill all the desires of the disciple.  The disciple should take sincere initiative to learn, the preceptor cannot quench his thirst to envision the supreme spirit, it is the responsibility of the disciple to put sincere effort and constant practice in search of it, earnestly follow the instructions of the preceptor, only truthful and righteous would attain the supreme bliss, eventually it will take the disciple to the state of liberation.  Whoever witnesses the supreme spirit with his divine sight would automatically leave the attachment to senses and worldly desires, he will not worry about the physical body, and ultimately the mind will remain calm and serene.  Once the illusion goes away from the mind, all the fickleness will destroy and all the Karma ends.  It is true that a Jeevathma cannot be a Bramham, but it can transform into a form of Bramham.  In this way, a soul attains supreme bliss.”