Sri Raghavan posted a beautiful passage ~ A leaf from the life of Baba Shyam Churn Lahiri, on fb.
In the mornings He was just another man,
Adhering to the ways of the world He lived in,
Fulfilling His duties as a Father, Friend and Husband,
He lived unpretentiously, working and making a living,
But in the night, there was a great transformation of being,
This ordinary man would turn extra ordinary in a moment,
Glowing with an unearthly light of the heavens,
Floating in an ocean of uninterrupted bliss,
Once His dutiful wife, saw His room resplendent,
As if something bright and golden was shining,
She respectfully went in silently to see,
But She was too dazzled by the sight She'd seen,
Her husband was aloft and glowing in a ball of light surrounding Him,
As if it was morning and the Sun had already risen,
But She knew it was pitch dark outside, for it was still mid night,
He joined Her hands in supplication, mentally prayed for forgiveness,
For many a times, unintentionally, She had scolded Him nevertheless,
The Man gently opened His eyes and saw His wife before Him,
He slowly acknowledged Her benign presence in His room,
Blessed Her with the knowledge of attaining the Unknown,
Thus was the relationship between the wife and husband,
More than that they also shared the bond of a Disciple and a Guru.
The man was Lahiri Mahasaya. An account of Lahiri Mahasaya’s (Shama Churn Lahiree) first encounter with his guru Babaji is narrated by Lahiri’s grandson Satya Charan Lahiree to Dr. Ashoke Kumar Chatterjee in ‘PURANA PURUSHA YOGIRAJ SRI SHAMA CHURN LAHIREE’.
On 23rd November 1868, Shama Churn received the order for his transfer to Ranikhet. Leaving his family behind, he set out for Ranikhet which is situated in the Himalayas in northern India.One day Shama Churn, accompanied by armed guards and orderlies proceeding along the solitary hill path carrying official cash with him suddenly heard someone calling him by his name.“Shama Churn, come here”
The voice echoed in the mountain and reverberated in the ears of Shama Churn and he was amazed that who might call him by his name in this mountainous region filled with forests. Then he saw a Sanyasin at the top of the mountain calling his name. He proceeded towards the Sanyasin spell bound to find him bear a gentle smile on his face with fatherly affection in his eyes.The Sanyasin hastily came down the hill top and stood before him. The Sanyasin said, “Shama Churn, do not be afraid, I knew you would be coming by this path, I have been waiting for you. Complete your office task quickly and come to my hermitage at the top of the hill”.
Shama Churn brooded over this after his office work and at last decided to meet the Sanyasin. He walked along the lonely mountain path to find the hermitage after an exhaustive travel along the forest.Shama Churn bowed to the Sanyasin.
The Sanyasin asked him, “How strange Shama Churn, can’t you recognize me? Can you recollect having come here before? Can’t you recognize this tiger skin, this ascetic’s bowl also? Have you forgotten everything?”
Shama Churn failed to remember any of them and said – “I have never come here before. I cannot recognize them; they must belong to somebody else.”The Sanyasin stated, “Listen Shama Churn, all these are the play of illusion. It is this illusion which has made you forget all these things.” Saying this the Sanyasin lightly touched Shama Churn. An electric current traversed throughout his body. The whole universe evanesced from Shama Churn. This caused him to recollect his previous life of Sadhana and understood the great Sanyasin as his Guru in his previous birth. With tearful eyes, Shama Churn prostrated at the feet of the Sanyasin for he now retrieved the nearest one of all his births and rebirths.The Sanyasin continued, “You have practiced yoga Sadhana in your previous birth here. I have preserved your things with utmost care. Your life ended here and you were born as Gourmohan’s son and since then I have been observing all your aspects. I have arranged for your transfer here to impart initiation into yoga to you. I have been waiting for you here since last 40 years.”After this the great Sanyasin initiated him into Kriyayoga. Shama Churn attained the state of non-dynamism and became engrossed in Samadhi. A golden era of yoga culture in India commenced the very moment Shama Churn’s initiation into yoga occurred and this initiation roused His latent spiritual faculties and powers.From then onwards Shama Churn would daily finish his official duties early and engage Himself in the austere practice of Sadhana.After some time Babaji informed Him that he has to leave the cave and go elsewhere as the habitat was gradually becoming crowded rendering it unfit for Sadhana-oriented habitation. To Shama Churn who wanted to leave everything and follow Babaji, he replied that he will have to remain in the family ambit as a complete householder and practice austere Sadhana. Babaji Maharaja adorned Shama Churn with the esoteric essence of yoga Sadhana before sending him to the field of worldly action where the superficial aspect of the material world could not affect him in the least.
Since ages vexed householders have prayed to their respective deities, thus – “O God, show us such a path that will enable us to practice Sadhana by remaining within the family. Barring family life, we cannot practice Sadhana. O Bhagawan sends such a guide who being a family man himself, can show the true path to householders.”Shama Churn descended on the earth with a noble vow. He had pledged to householders that he would show them a mmarvelous skillful facile path of yoga. Now providence pulled Shama Churn towards the path he was destined to take.
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| Mahavatar Nagaraj Babaji. Picture courtesy of Saravanan Palanisamy. |