Mahayogi Baba Lokenath Bhramachari

Pranams at the lotus feet of Baba Lokenath Maharaj!

Chapter – 9

Once a few Bhramin priests were finding it difficult to remove the knots in the sacred thread which they were holding in their hands, Lokenathji arrived at this spot and looked at the sacred thread, soon the knots were removed effortlessly, the Bhramin priests fallen at the feet of Baba.  Lokenathji advised them to recite Gita on a regular basis, which could teach them how to remove the knots of worldly bondage and attain the supreme abode of Lord.

Lokenathji arrived in a village of Sonargaon, in Bengal, there was a pious young couple lived in this village.  The husband was wrongly charged in a murder case, he pleaded his wife not to believe all the rumors, and he sincerely prayed his Guruji and hoped he would do some miracle to relieve him from this trouble.  On the day of the verdict, he came out of the home with his advocate.  He saw a Baba sitting on the pathway in a Gomukh Yogasana posture, he waved and called out for the man and said: “The person who committed the crime will definitely get punished, you do not worry, you will be freed soon.”  He was surprised at his words but he did not pay much attention to Baba and hurried to court with his advocate.  Finally, the verdict was heard, he was released from the charge of crime which he was not committed. He rushed out of the courtroom and came running towards Baba, and fallen at his feet and wept bitterly. Babaji described the significance of the performance of righteousness; it was his Dharma saved him from the clutches of evil.  He became inconsolable, Babaji said, “ Go, go to your Badi/house, take rest for a while, you are emotionally drained.” He was not willing to move an inch from Babaji, he felt intense peace and serenity in his presence, and he does not want to leave Babaji and stayed at the feet of him. 

Mahayogi Baba Lokenath Bhramachari

Pranams at the lotus feet of Baba Lokenath Maharaj!

Chapter – 8

Once Lokenathj witnessed the forest fire engulfing the life of a Vaishnava saint who was in deep meditation in the wood of Chandranath hills, he put off the fire with his Manthrasiddhi and saved his life. It was Saint Bijoy Krishna Goswami who was saved from the forest fire.  When Goswamiji opened his eyes, he witnessed a saint in a white robe, grey matted hair locks,  and the effulgent face disappeared from his sight.  Bijoy Krishna Goswami conducted a rigorous search for the Yogi but he could not meet him.  Later he was initiated to Sanyasa and renamed as Sri Acchyuthananda Saraswathi.  Several years after that incident, one day he received an invitation from Lokenathji to meet in his Ashram, he hired a boat and arrived in Sonargaon with his disciple.  When he met Lokenathji, he was in a state of utter dismay and immediately recognized the Yogi who saved his life with his heroic and fearless acts from the forest fire.  He fallen at the feet of the Yogi, they embraced each other.  Bijoy Krishna Goswami found Baba Lokenathji was the younger brother to his great grandfather and he is above 156 years of age.

Once Lokenathji arrived in a village where there were a few Muslim villagers assembled, they received Lokenathji with great reverence and gave a seat.  He asked for something to drink, the Muslim people said that they are not supposed to give him anything to eat or drink, because they are not Hindus,  he is a Mahapurusha, he is a Bhramin, therefore they have no right to serve a Hindu saint.  Lokenathji said “What’s that Hindu or Muslim, we are one, we have no difference at all, I am Hindu, I am Muslim and Christian as well. I am beyond all the religion.” and he asked them to bring water.  He happily drank the water and blessed them.

Mahayogi Baba Lokenath Bhramachari

Pranams at the lotus feet of Baba Lokenath Maharaj!

Chapter – 7

After Mahasidhdhi of Ganguly Mahashay, they continued to stay with the Swamiji in Kashi.  Once they conducted spiritual journey to Badrinath and places close to Himalaya.  They have arrived in the Himalaya and conducted Tapasya.  One day while three saints were walking  in the borders of Tibet there were security men surrounded this three Sanyasin, one of the Tibetian soldier pointed gun at Lokenath, he got stunned after witnessing Lord Buddha in place of the saint, soon his gun slipped out of his hand.  They allowed the saintly men to cross the border with great reverence. 

Benimadhav revealed his desire to visit the Kamakhya shrine, Swamiji said: “you can go to Kamakhya.  May your trip brings an abundance of piousness to your spiritual life” Soon he rushed to Lokenath with tears overflowing and  hugged each other, the friends who have started spiritual journey as a young boys from the small village of Bengal,  after several years of togetherness for the first time Benimadhav leaving Lokenath in Himalaya, Swamiji said “ Sannyasin do not leave in tears, depart your ways with a smile.”  The two young ascetics with a courageous smile and great hope departed each other.   Swamiji blessed Benimadhav to be successful in his journey to Kamakdhya, soon Swamiji took leave from Lokenath.  Lokenath continued Tapasya in the rest of the days in a heavy downpour, thunderstorms, and extreme shower of snow in the icy cold mountain of Himalaya.  In this way, Lokenath continued his Tapasya for several years.

Mahayogi Baba Lokenath Brahmachari

Pranams at the lotus feet of Baba Lokenath Maharaj!

Chapter – 6

Lokenath and Benimadhav with his preceptor Ganguly Mahashay conducted journey to Himalaya, and further to Persia, Arabia, Israel and Mecca where they met the prophet and both of the preceptors of different religions embraced each other with great love.  Prophet blessed the young ascetics, he received them with great reverence, he requested them to teach lessons on scriptures, and in return, he would teach them Quran, in this way the great union of two religions ‘Puran and Quran’ took place.  The saints of two religions spent their days in learning scriptures and sacred text.

Ganguly Mahashay along with Lokenath and Benimadhav visited Kashi.  Mahashay took the young saints to renowned Swamiji and formally introduced to him.   Once Ganguly Mahashay said his time to leave this world has arrived.   Lokenath could not bear the words of his preceptor, he wept bitterly.  That night Lokenath could not sleep, in the same night, he found his preceptor was missing.  He called Benimadhav that their preceptor is not in the chamber, they conducted a search through the twist and turns of the street of Kashi, finally, they arrived on the river bank of Ganga, they met Swamiji who was a close associate of his preceptor.  He was undertaking meditation on the river bank of Ganga; Lokenath worriedly enquired about his preceptor.  The Swamiji instructed them to check in Manikarnika Ghat, they rushed through the stairs, found their preceptor was sitting on the steps leading to Mahashmashana in Padmasana posture staring at the funeral pyre.  Lokenath and Benimadhav had immense relief seeing their preceptor; they embraced him, immediately they could realize that his preceptor had already attained union with Bramham.  They performed final rites of their preceptor in an elaborate manner.

Mahayogi Baba Lokenath Bhramachari

Pranams at the lotus feet of Baba Lokenath Maharaj!

Chapter – 5

Once Ganguly Mahashay took Lokenath and Benimadhav into the dense forest and instructed them to conduct Tapasya, there were too many nasty creatures like giant ants, worms, bees, scorpions, and snakes.  Benimadhav found it difficult to conduct meditation, Lokenathdha was soon entered into trans state, Benimadhav found honey bees crawling over the body of Lokenathdha, soon he cautioned Lokenathdha about it, he advised Benimadhav to follow the instructions of the preceptor and continued his meditation, but Benimadhav did not find any peace, when he opened his eyes saw a   scorpion crawling on the chest of Lokenathdha, he saw preceptor before him asking to keep quiet with gestures.   Benimadhav continued the meditation, he could hear a unique sound, it was a venomous serpent crawling all over the body of Lokenathdha but he was still under the transcendental state.  Preceptor was highly pleased with the dedication in the  practice of Lokenath and blessed him.

A person who takes up Sanyasa can return home before completing twelve years to meet his beloved people, after that he is not allowed to visit home in his life.  So Ganguly Mahashay took Lokenath and Benimadhav to their village to meet their parents.  All the villagers assembled to receive the Bhramacharis.   Lokenath embraced his mother and her joy has no bound, he met all the senior people of the village and conversed to them with great love.  He heard somebody weeping bitterly and calling “Lokenathdha”, it was his sister Madhavi, and she has become a widow.  She prostrates before Ganguly Mahashay, he blessed her “Daughter, God will give you the strength to bear the loss.”  While Lokenath was at home, Madhavi took great care of him; he meticulously served him with the meal, massaging his feet.  It was the time to leave the home for Lokenath, she wept bitterly and begged his brother and preceptor to take her for Sanyasa.  Lokenath advised her “ Madhavi, Tapasya is not easy, it is too difficult and impossible to achieve.  It needs lots of mental strength and physical stamina.” The whole villagers were assembled to wave good-bye to these two Bhramacharis.  Once again Madhavi and Kamala Devi wept bitterly at the separation of Lokenath.

Mahayogi Baba Lokenath Bhramachari

Pranams at the lotus feet of Baba Lokenath Maharaj!

Chapter – 4

At home, Lokenath’s sister and mother often discuss their beautiful days with Lokenath and shed tears of the pain of separation.  They have not heard anything about Lokenath all these years.  On the other side, Lokenath sits alone in the forest all depressed and rushing thoughts of mother and his little sister, Benimadhav pacifies him.  In this way, these two young men share their intimate thoughts with each other and became a support system for each other during the hours of emotional turbulence.  They divert their minds in meditation and prayers.  Lokenath mother was grieving at the separation from her son, she refused to take meals, she finds no taste in meals, she continued like that for three days, she cried out calling for her son.  Suddenly, Lokenath appeared before his mother and patted her affectionately; they embraced each other with extreme joy.  He said that he also did not take any meal for three days, she took him to the food served for her and fed him, they happily consumed the meal together, when she was about to finish the meal, she found Lokenath was missing.  She cried loud for Lokenath, soon the elder sons and their wives, daughter and her husband assembled before her with a confused look, she explained all that had happened, but none was ready to believe her.

Mahayogi Baba Lokenath Brahmachari

Pranams at the lotus feet of Baba Lokenath Maharaj!

Chapter – 3

 Lokenath and Benimadhav followed preceptor Ganguly Mahashay to Mahatheerth Kalighat, Kolkata.   Benimadhav’s father worriedly asked about their next destination and exclaimed that it is a dense forest; Guruji said that’s the perfect place for the children to begin the life of asceticism.   Those days, the famous shrine of Goddess Parvathi of Kalighat was surrounded by dense woods of wild animals, these areas where many ascetics take their meditation and Yogic practices.   Ganguly Mahashay explained the four states of Ashrama dharma to Lokenath and Benimadhav.  “There are four Ashramadharmas known as Bhramacharya, Grihastha, Sanyasa, and Vanaprastha.  The strict disciplines during the Brahmacharya Ashram would provide purity of mind and body."  Mahashay continued "The rules of Bhramacharya such as meditation, Yogic practices, and disciplines, the vow of celibacy and fast.   A Sannyasin should not have a desire towards any material possessions; they do not take pleasure in basic necessities of life.”    They undertook four years of intense meditation and Yogic practices in the dense wood.  Lokenath and Benimadhav learned all the Yogic practices and Hatha Yoga, observance of fast, and celibacy during this period.   On the auspicious days of Navrathri, these young ascetics undertake fast on nine days, in this way they have passed twelve years of ascetic life.