The Immortal One said, "I have no image of myself. Whatever you see, it is not I. But I operate through my disciple. So if you have seen him, you have seen Me, through your own eyes..."
~ Babaji on Ram Charan Lahari Mahasaya.
Srinath Raghavan posted the above on FB. Beautifully said.
It is said that Ramalinga Adigal's image too could not be caught on film (photographed).
Agathiyar too takes us to task for portraying him and the gods to our liking as revealed through the Jeeva Nadi in Sitthan Arul. Agathiyar asks the Jeeva Nadi Guru of Chennai to start immediately to Kanjamalai and points out to him a statue of him. With regret Agathiyar says, that he has been portrayed with a big pot belly and old. Lobhamudra, on the other hand, has been potrayed as an 18 year old. Agathiyar says he is been ridiculed by man. He points to yet another statue of him and tells the Jeeva Nadi Guru that he is been portrayed as a 90 year old. "It looks like I have to remind mankind that I am not this", he quips. "Looks like man will give form to the gods as and how they like and change these forms according to their whims and wishes."
"God goes beyond forms", says Agathiyar.
In my Nadi reading on 17.10.2010, Agathiyar talks about how it is possible to achieve all the benefits of practicing Hatha Yoga through conducting prayers. He talks about performing charity too. Then he surprises me saying that from this point on (the reading), he was relaying the messages from Ganapati Dasar. Ganapati was pleased that I had assumed Agathiyar as Ganapati and performed the prayers (Puja), libation (Abhisegam) and the fire ritual (Homam) for him (Ganapati) on his Chathurthi.
"This is the truth and how it is. We are all one", he says. Agathiyar reveals that just as all of creation is within him, he too is within all creation. Agathiyar says he shall take on the form of whoever we chose to see.
"This is the truth and how it is. We are all one", he says. Agathiyar reveals that just as all of creation is within him, he too is within all creation. Agathiyar says he shall take on the form of whoever we chose to see.
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| 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 was done 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 evanescence 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.
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| A painting of Babaji |
From then onward 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 send 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 marvelous, skillful facile path of yoga.
Now providence pulled Shama Churn towards the path he was destined to take.
If we just saw a moment ago how Babaji came to remind his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya of their previous bond so did Bhogar reveal to his student Babaji of his bond with Agathiyar. After spending time under the tutorship of his Guru Sidha Bhogar at Kathirgamam in Ceylon, Bhogar told Babaji to seek out Agathiyar at Pothigai Hills. Babaji left Kathirgamam for the Pothigai Hills.
Yogi S A A Ramaiah in his book BABAJI GITA, writes,
Yogi S A A Ramaiah in his book BABAJI GITA, writes,
At the end of his training, Boganathar blessed Babaji Nagaraj, "My son! I'm not your Pranayam Guru. You'll have to search and find your destined Siddha Pranayam Guru Agasthiar, who will teach you Kriya Kundalini Pranayam to attain Soruba Samadi, the goal of Tamil Siddhantha".
On arrival at Courtallam, Babaji adamantly went into penance until Agathiyar appeared in front of him and conferred on him siddhis.
Ramaiah mentions that this meeting between the Guru and the disciple took place at the site of the present day Shenbaga Devi Amman temple at Courtallam which is also the exact spot where Agathiyar appeared to initiate his disciple Maha Avatar Babaji into Kriya Kundalini Pranayam.
Babaji was then directed to Badrinath.