Baba Lokenath: Total Divinity In Human Form

Baba Lokenath was born in 1730 in the remote village of Chourasi Chakla (north of Calcutta) in West Bengal. His father, Ram Narayan Ghosal, was a devout Brahmin, who spent much of his time meditating and studying the scriptures. His mother, Kamala Devi, was calm, quiet, serene and pure of heart. 

Sannyasin (the order of Hindu monks) in India have always been revered by all classes of society. Most Hindus of that time believed that if one member of a family renounced the world to become a sannyasin, then the entire family would be liberated from the wheel of incarnation. Ram Narayan, a staunch Hindu, had faith in this popular belief and told his wife that he wanted their first-born son to become a sannyasin. 

Kamala Devi, in the Hindu tradition of a faithful wife, silently accepted the wish of her husband. When the first son was born, however, although the wife had promised, the new mother could not keep her word. The convincing logic of Ram Narayan fell on deaf ears. Kamala Devi could not bring herself to abandon her precious child to a life that promised such austerity and uncertainty. 

Ram Narayan’s trust in the Divine Will was undeterred, even when Kamala Devi would not relinquish either of the two sons who followed. Taking refuge in the power of prayer, Ram Narayan continued to pray for the fulfillment of his intention. At last his prayers were heard. The time was ripe for his dream to come true. A fourth son was born. Those attending the birth reported signs of Grace from the very beginning of Baba’s life. A light shown all around the baby as he sat on Kamala Devi’s lap. Kamala Devi’s face radiated with a divine glow. Ram Narayan, standing on the threshold of the labor room, was lost in trance looking at the child. Drawn to Baba’s magnetic eyes, Ram Narayan felt a holy purpose in the child’s birth. Kamala Devi, with a sublime smile, gave her consent to surrender her newborn to the Divine. 

When Lord Krishna was born in prison, the iron gates opened by themselves and the guards fell unconscious. So, too, with the birth of Kamala Devi’s fourth child, the gates of attachment unlocked themselves. The bonds of Maya (illusion) were released. The holy mother rose above her attachment to the child and surrendered him for the redemption of the world. 

The mother who does not bind her child with the fetters of her own attachment, one who allows the child to follow its true path of spiritual awakening, is an ideal mother. In this sense, the Enlightened Ones are all mothers. They love their devotees as children, but they love without attachment. They love with a love that allows growth and transformation into the highest fulfillment of life. The surrender of her fourth baby elevated Kamala Devi to the state of a truly spiritual mother.

During Lokenath’s early youth, a Vedic scholar named Sri Bhagwan Ganguly lived in the neighboring village. Ganguly was a scholar of great repute who was revered as a householder sannyasin. Ganguly was sixty years old and was second to none in knowledge of the scriptures. In all conferences and debates on scriptural injunctions throughout India, Bhagwan Ganguly’s judgment was considered unexcelled and definitive. His knowledge of the scriptures was preeminent. 

Ram Narayan approached Bhagwan Ganguly and asked him to become the Acharya Guru (the guru who initiates the adolescent boy into the Gayatri Mahamantra at a sacred thread ceremony and then leads him toward the ultimate realization of the Self). 

Ganguly sensed a divine destiny in Lokenath when he heard the story of Ram Narayan’s implacable prayers for a spiritual son and Kamala Devi’s surrender of this, her fourth son. Bhagwan Ganguly intuited the immense potential with which Lokenath had come into the world — to manifest the truth, once again, that God exists in seed form in the human soul and that, with the practice of spiritual discipline, transcendent Divinity will blossom in the extraordinary seeker. 

Bhagwan Ganguly readily welcomed this unique opportunity. Through the sadhana of Lokenath, he could translate all of his theoretical knowledge of the shastras into practical reality. He could prove to the world the greatness and glory of brahmacharya , the practice of celibacy, and one-pointed devotion toward God. Ganguly was convinced that Lokenath was the proper soil in which to sow the seed of a yoga which combined Bhakti (the path of devotional surrender) and Jnana (the path of knowledge of the Will of the Divine).

Bhagwan Ganguly agreed to perform the sacred thread ceremony when Lokenath reached the age of eleven. The most auspicious day was selected for the performance of the ceremony since it was decided that after the initiation, young Lokenath would start out on his journey with his teacher. Lokenath’s bosom friend, Benimadhav, whose sacred thread ceremony was also fixed on the same day, expressed his firm determination to leave home with Lokenath and Bhagwan Ganguly. 

Benimadhav’s parents, however, were not willing to let him go and tried their best to dissuade him. They attempted to get the boy to see the seriousness of his decision, which was no longer child’s play, by painting a dreadful picture of the lives of sannyasin , who must live in absolute uncertainty as far as the material demands of the body are concerned. The warnings of his elders went unheeded and Benimadhav, undeterred, stepped into his larger destiny as the companion of Lokenath in the search for the Absolute. 

The news about the two young boys leaving home under the guidance of such a renowned scholar and householder, who by then had reached the age of sixty, spread quickly. People assembled in large numbers at the residence of Lokenath to witness the ceremony. The entire ceremony was conducted by Bhagwan Ganguly in accordance with scriptural injunctions and reminded the people of a yajna , or sacred fire ceremony, which was performed in the ancient Vedic days.

A Brief History Of Kalighat And Calcutta

The history of Kalighat in Calcutta and how the Deity of the Divine Mother Kali came to be worshipped there is noteworthy. 

The story goes back more than a thousand years. At that time there were deep jungles at the bank of the Ganges before she merged into the Bay of Bengal. There were no roads. Only renounced monks, called sadhus , walked through these jungles on their way to the confluence of the Ganges and the Sea. This sacred mythological site is one of important place pilgrimage to millions of Hindus. Bathing, especially in the Ganges and Narmada Rivers, is a ritual of purification to all Hindus. Even westerners often come away stunned at the purifying and renewing power of bathing, or merely standing with their feet in the Ganges. And the Narmada purifies with only a glance. 

The sadhus moved in large numbers to ensure security from the dangerous animals of the jungle. In spite of the group protection, however, many sadhus were lost to the jaws of tigers and crocodiles. On this occasion, a small group of sadhus were traveling through the jungle, playing musical instruments and loudly singing the Holy Name of God to scare away animals and to strengthen their faith in the Divine. The group found a place to rest after a long day’s walk. The elder took a break under a big tree while others moved out in small groups to gather fruits, water, and wood for the night fire. One sadhu named Atmaran unknowingly moved deeper and deeper into the forest, away from his smaller group. Atmaram was a simple-hearted, true devotee. He found himself alone in a place which was incredibly peaceful, at a large lake with wonderful lotus flowers. Lost in the ecstatic fragrance of the lotus, he sat to meditate and  effortlessly went into trance. In deep meditation, he saw a corner of the lake become bright with light. The light assumed the form of a radiantly Divine young girl, who spoke to him, saying, “My child! I am the Divine Mother Kali.” 

In even more ancient times, during the incarnation of Lord Shiva (the “Destroyer” of the Hindu Trinity), King Daksha, who was the father of Mother Durga (another form of Divine Mother and the wife of Lord Shiva), performed a great fire ritual to appease the gods. Daksha, however, did not invite Durga’s husband, Lord Shiva, to attend the ceremony. Shiva — being a sannyasin — did not possess material wealth and Daksha did not approve of his ashen, unkempt and materially dispossessed son-in-law. Durga was deeply insulted. She fainted in the middle of the congregation. 

Shiva saw this while in meditation and instantly appeared at the yajna site. He was furious. Lifting the body of Durga onto His shoulder, Shiva moved through the worlds in a rage with his third eye open and shooting fire, destroying everything along the way. 

The other gods, afraid Shiva would annihilate the entire universe, prayed to Lord Vishnu, the Sustainer, to stop Shiva. Vishnu threw his sudarshandisk and cut the body of Durga into pieces, stopping Shiva. Parts of Durga’s pure and chaste body fell at different places, all of which subsequently became the most powerful Shakti temples of Divine Mother. 

In Atmaram’s vision, Kali revealed that one of the toes of Durga’s right foot fell into this lake and had been preserved there ever since. Kali told Atmaran, “I want to manifest in this place as Dakshina Kali to bring all auspiciousness to the people of the world in this Kali Yuga. Right now I am in the Nilgiri Mountains in the loving care of my devotee, Brahmananda. Go there and tell him about my wish to be brought here and installed as deity.” 

Atmaram emerged from his meditative trance remembering this divine command. Inspired by Mother’s Vision he walked to the Nilgiri Mountains, where he found the great sage, Brahmananda, deep in meditation. Atmaram told Brahmananda about Mother Kali’s instructions. The huge stone on which Brahmananda sat for meditation became a flying disk which carried him and Atmaram to the side of the lake. Thoroughly searching the corner of the lake of Atmaram’s vision, they found the Divine Mother Durga’s toe, now in stone form. 

Mother Kali then came to Atmaram in another dream. She instructed him to carve the black stone on which they had flown from the mountains into a new form of the Deity, hiding the toe inside it, and to worship it as Mother Kali. Brahmananda and Atmaram took a long time and great care to carve a beautiful image of Mother Kali. 

A small cottage was built to install the Deity for regular worship. Brahmananda and Atmaram thus became instrumental in founding the Kali Temple and installing Mother Kali’s idol. The small triangular island on the lake, which became the energy field of Mother Kali, came to be known as Kalighat. Ghat refers to the bank of a river. Most of the merchants who passed by that way to go to the sea stopped there to offer their respects to the Mother. Because the Mother’s temple was situated at the bank of the Ganges, it became popularly known as Kalighat. Though no exact date or time could be said as to when this place first came to be known as Kalighat, research suggests that it was about a thousand years ago, during the Pal dynasty.

Towards the end of the Sixteenth Century AD, during the regime of Mughal Emperor Akbar, Abul Fazal wrote Ain E Akbari referring to the present area of Calcutta as ‘Kalikotta.’ In those days the area was only a jungle. The whole area was known as Kalighat — there was no separate name. (Baba corroborated this.) Abul Fazal, while writing ‘Kalighat’ in the Persian language, wrote it as ‘Kalikotta.’ Later, the same name uttered by the English traders took the form ‘Calcutta.’ Hence, the name ‘Calcutta’ was derived from ‘Kalighat.’

Baba Experiences His Previous Birth 

“In my inner mind I could see as if in a dream that the river Damodar was flowing through the district of Burdwan (West Bengal). On the bank of the river was a village of moderate size, Beruga by name. In that village, in the family of Bondopadhya, I was moving about as Sitanath Bondopadhya. When I told Gurudev about this experience, he immediately brought a pencil and instructed me to write all about it, in exact detail. I did so accordingly. Long after this episode, we three set out on foot and when we reached an unknown place by the side of a river, Gurudev pointed to the village on the bank of the river and asked, ‘Have you ever seen this place before?’ 

“I remembered all my visions during Masabrata and said, ‘I wrote once about the Damodar River. It appears to be that river.’ Then I recognized the village Beruga, as the three of us entered the village. I realized that the experience during Masabrata was not merely a dream but a flash of memories from my previous birth. 

“The elderly people of Beruga who were still alive talked specifically about the life of Sitanath Bondopadhya. The more they talked, the more memories of the past came afresh to my mind. All that I saw and recorded on the day of the experience regarding Sitanath’s father and about other members of his family was proven correct when the villagers also gave the same information on our inquiry.” 

Baba added further, “The spontaneous recollection of the memories of the previous birth was enhanced when I stayed in Beruga for a few days. As I focused my mind more on the memories of the past, more facts about my previous birth returned to the surface of the conscious plane, much like the memories from the earlier days of this birth.” 

After further questioning, Baba said, “I could clearly remember in detail all that I did as Sitanath Bondopadhya during his life and after his death until I once again took birth from my mother’s womb in this present birth.” 

Usually those who are Jatishmara (persons remembering past lives) by birth remember all of their past lives spontaneously. This was not so in Baba’s case. Baba knew nothing about this until that day while in samadhi during his second Masabrata. In the 18th Sutra of Vibhutipada in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, this aspect of spiritual experience is expressed thus, “Samskara sakshat karanat pruvajati jnanena.” Through the practice of dharana, dhyana and samadhi, the yogi can attain knowledge of past births from the memories of the deeper mind. The experience which Baba achieved during his sadhana is a practical demonstration of this sutra. 

After confirming the truth of Lokenath’s remembrance of his previous birth, Guru Bhagwan left Beruga and took shelter in the nearby jungle. The brahmacharins were once again deeply absorbed in their spiritual quest. 

Self-Realization 

Traversing the diverse paths and disciplines of yoga, Lokenath reached the pinnacle of Realization. He attained the Self, the state of being one with the absolute ground of reality, at one with the Beloved. Transcending all duality and multiplicity, he became established in the non-dual ground of pure energy and pure being — a fully conscious witness to the Divine Play in all its myriad forms in the ecstatic dance of creation, preservation and annihilation. 

To whom could Baba speak about this unique state of his mind? Who would understand his language of the beyond? At times, though, Baba did make the attempt. “Words are such poor vehicles to express the inner experience. Any attempt to reduce it to words only belittles the Ultimate Truth. It is like a mute trying to express the taste of nectar.” Talking to his intimate devotees, Baba once said, “When I am talking about that, I am not able to stay in touch with my body. When I think of that, I become that. I am detached from body consciousness. It is impossible to express this, the deepest feeling of ecstatic bliss, in human language. 

“Everything that exists in infinite creation exists within me. The whole universe is in me. I am existence beyond space, time, and causation. My existence is without beginning or end. I exist in eternal expansion. These words are not to be shared. That is the reason you see me spending time with householders, granting their mundane demands. Do not think that when I am busy with you in worldly matters that I lose touch with that blissful state. No. Whoever achieves that state can never fall from there. Nothing can ever again be seen in isolation. Everything is seen as an expression of the One. In variety is the taste of Unity. 

“Because I eat, drink, attend to the call of nature, and live like any one of you, you think of me as one like you. Your greatest mistake is to think of me as a body. How am I to explain who I am? Everyone is so involved in the fulfillment of small desires, unconscious, so forgetful of their true ‘I’.” 

Baba Lokenath’s expression of identification with Ultimate Truth flows like Divine music from the world beyond. It echoes the words of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita , “Ignorant people seeing Me in human form mistake Me for an ordinary human. They fail to realize that I am the Paramatman (God).” (Gita, 9.11) 

There is also a Vedic text which explains Baba’s state of yoga: “The One Divine Being is hidden in all beings. He is omnipresent, the Indwelling Self of all beings, the witness, the one who imparts consciousness, unconditioned and without qualities.” (Svetasvatara Upanishad. 6.11) Recalling the days in the Himalayas, Baba Lokenath often said, “For more than a half century, my Gurudev took me through the most intense disciplines of yoga. With humble surrender I followed his instructions, traversing the diverse paths of yoga. If I ever had any doubt, he would guide me like the most patient and loving mother through the subtle problem to a higher experience. With deepest faith in him I easily moved along the path toward the goal. I passed through the most difficult stages of yoga practices only by his grace and able guidance. Drowned in the ocean of eternal bliss in the state of samadhi, I did not have any awareness of the time. 

“While in samadhi, heaps of snow would cover my body and would melt away. In that sublime state, I had no feeling of the existence of my body. I was in that state of samadhi (Cosmic Consciousness) for a long time. Finally, the effortless state of the Ultimate Truth was revealed. In that state of consciousness, there was no separation between me and any other Cosmic manifestation. The inner and the outer all merged into each other as an expression of ultimate bliss, absolute joy. There is no state beyond this to be achieved in human life through total effort and Divine grace.” 

When Baba Lokenath merged into One Divine, the whole of nature celebrated. It takes a long time for Mother Nature to bring the Divine seed to full bloom. Baba was ninety years old. His Guru was a grand old man of one hundred and fifty years. However nature may have celebrated, there was one exception who did not, and that was Buddha Lokenath himself.

Disciple And Guru: A Mirror of Love 

As Lokenath wept, he gazed up at the one who had led him to ultimate perfection. For the first time, he realized the true glory of his Guru. This great soul had not been concerned about his own liberation. He had sacrificed his life for the enlightenment of his disciples! Overwhelmed by this realization, Baba exclaimed, “Oh, Gurudev! I have crossed the ocean of this Mayic (illusive) creation, only to find you still in the middle. You have withstood so much pain for me. As a result, I have been liberated, while you remain in the same state. I am not patient! I am concerned about when you will be freed.” 

The state of no-mind, which the seeker experiences as Nirvikalpa samadhi, is a state beyond vibrations of good or bad, pure or impure, pain or pleasure, praise or insult, virtue or vice. Those who practice intense austerities for the sake of their own salvation do not return to body consciousness once they reach ultimate union. 

For those with the seeds of compassion and love in their hearts, all dormant seeds of desire and tendencies dissolve and disappear in the state of no-mind. Only love and compassion remain. Jagad Guru, the Lord of the Universe, ordains these embodiments of love and compassion to redeem suffering humanity. The seeds of sexual energy are transformed into all-encompassing, overflowing love. The instinct of anger transmutes into the sanctifying Divine energy of Compassion. The Lord manifests this transformation in the Satguru’s Divinized body only to prove the unique and ultimate possibility of the human soul to the world. As Meister Eckhart says, “The seed of God is in us. Given an intelligent and hard working farmer, it will thrive and grow up to God, whose seed it is, and accordingly its fruits will be God-natured. Pear seeds grow into pear trees, nut seeds into nut trees, God-seed into God.” 

Guru Bhagwan had identified the excellent farmer in Lokenath. By nurturing the God-seed that flowered into the enlightened Lokenath, he knew that when Lokenath attained the Ultimate, great rivers of love and compassion would flow in every direction to sustain and transform the physical and spiritual lives of many. In the success of his disciple, Guru Bhagwan could foresee the emancipation and redemption of millions of suffering souls all over the world for ages to come. That was his greatest fulfillment as Guru. What more could the Guru desire or expect? That is why Guru Bhagwan worked so hard through his life for Lokenath. He felt privileged that his selfless efforts could bring those blessings to the world. 

With motherly love, Guru Bhagwan lifted and embraced the tall, naked body of Lokenath, with its long, matted hair and every cell vibrating with Divine energy. In the Guru’s eyes, Lokenath remained the small child of eleven years old who took his hand and started out from the village on the day of the sacred thread ceremony. He said to Lokenath, “Don’t cry. Your unparalleled success has opened my eyes. I could see in you the practical demonstration of attainment from blending the paths of Jnana (discriminating knowledge) and Bhakti (devotional surrender) which Lord Krishna taught in the Gita. Seeking the Ultimate through discriminating intelligence is a dry path. I could forge in you the grandest combination of head and heart. You could reach the pinnacle only because you had such innocent surrender to your Guru and deepest faith in yourself and in God. Don’t worry about me. We will soon go to Varanasi. There, I shall give up this old, worn out body and come in my next incarnation to you. Then it will be your responsibility to recognize me and put me on the path of this grand synthesis of yoga from the beginning. Make sure I don’t commit the mistake again. Through you, the doors of eternal freedom will open to me.” 

Lokenath was delighted to hear his Guru’s instruction. This was the opportunity for him to repay the rich debt he owed his Guru. All through his spiritual journey he had only received the loving care and service of his Guru. He could never offer anything back. He fell again at the feet of his Gurudev and praised him, saying, “I am yours and I shall remain yours. You will work out your own liberation through this body of your disciple. I will be too happy to serve you any way you want.” 

According to the scriptures, the Guru cannot surrender at the feet of the disciple while existing in the same body. The Guru, whether enlightened or not, is the Guru, the embodiment of Existence Consciousness-Bliss Absolute. For the disciple either to disobey the Guru or to grant spiritual shelter to the Guru would not be in keeping with the spiritual guidelines set forth in the ancient Vedic scriptures — even if the disciple, as in the case of Baba Lokenath, is Yoga-Siddha, the Awakened One. Therefore, Guru Bhagwan had to return in the next life if he wished to receive enlightenment from Lokenath. Guru Bhagwan could have easily attained that state in the same life under the guidance of another Guru if he had wished to do so. Both Guru Bhagwan and Lokenath honored the authority of the scriptural injunctions which required Guru Bhagwan to come back with a new body and attain Self-Realization. This is an episode unique in spiritual history. 

There is no bond stronger or more incomprehensible than the bond between the Guru and disciple. The relationship may change throughout many lifetimes, but the bond which is forged in the fires of the soul can never be broken. The Guru and disciple will always recognize each other. Thus, Guru Bhagwan knew that he would find Lokenath in his next life This episode in the Divine life of Lokenath teaches us a silent lesson. Even if the Guru is unenlightened, by the grace of God working through the Guru, the faithful disciple — who practices the path shown by the Guru with unquestioning dedication — can attain Self-Realization. As the disciple benefits from the Guru’s Self-Realization, the Guru is also showered with unlimited grace through the pure vehicle of the enlightened disciple. The Guru is ‘One Without the Second,’ the Lord of the Universe.

The Author’s Experience At Baradi

It seems appropriate to share my personal experience when visiting Baradi, 35 kilometers from Dacca, in 1994: 

Today, the ashram remains a pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Muslims. On auspicious occasions like Baba’s mahasamadhi celebrations, millions of people visit the ashram. 

When I arrived, I was deeply touched to see a large number of Muslim brothers sitting in the ashram under the old mango trees, with their Hindu brothers beside them. An old Muslim man came forward to welcome me with tears in his eyes. He embraced me, trembling with ecstasy. 

That night, a young Muslim man of 30 came to me and said, “In this ashram, Baba is very much alive. We can feel his divine energy. No Muslim can ever destroy this temple of Baba. Here, no violence or evil energy will work. For Baba is supreme here.” He said, “I told my mother, ‘When you die, I will take the dust of this ashram of Baba and put it in your grave and you will rest in eternal peace by the grace of Baba.’” 

I woke up early the next morning after a couple of hours of the most peaceful sleep of my life. I saw many Muslim women in black robes, with their faces covered, coming to the ashram with lit candles and offerings to Baba. They have such deep faith in Baba, that whatever they want from Baba is granted. 

In the evening, at the Arati (a devotional offering of a lighted oil lamp at the altar) to Baba in the temple, I was invited to sing and speak about the glory of Satguru Lokenath. I was filled with ecstasy to see such a large gathering of Hindu and Muslim brothers and sisters in the same place, sharing the vibrations of Universal Unity. 

A visit to Baradi is the transforming experience of a lifetime. The presence of this Compassionate Buddha, who lived there continuously for 26 years, has energized each particle of dust to a high level of spiritual power. Thousands of people pour in every day, getting their wishes fulfilled by the powerful Presence of Baba Lokenath. The doors of this universal temple to living Divinity are open to the whole of humankind, without any barriers, religious or otherwise — not only for the fulfillment of mundane desires, but to give seekers entrance to the Higher life of their Spirit. The intensity of Baba’s Presence spontaneously awakens seekers who come to the true purpose of our human birth, while opening the way to attain it. 

On his way from Mecca to Medina through the desert, Lokenath met a yogi of very high attainment. Abdul Gaffar, as he was popularly known, was four hundred years old. Although he primarily remained silent, the spiritual attainment and powers of this yogi were known to all. When Lokenath took his seat before him, Abdul Gaffar asked Lokenath, “Who are you?” Lokenath replied, “I have come to you to learn who I am.” Pleased with this reply, the yogi took Lokenath in his arms and hugged him. Abdul Gaffar asked him again, “How many days old are you?” 

Lokenath paused for a moment, deeply contemplating the significance of the question. Understanding that the yogi was inquiring about his memory of previous incarnations, Lokenath replied, “I am of two days,” indicating that he could remember all about his two previous incarnations. Abdul Gaffar said, ”I am of four days. I remember the experiences of my last four incarnations.” 

The two seers of Truth shared their individual experiences of the highest spiritual plane with each other. The meeting was a historic one. In the course of his talks with Lokenath, Abdul Gaffar expressed his respect for Guru Bhagwan, saying, “You have reached such a high state only through the grace and able guidance of your Guru. I did not get the guidance of such a competent master in my life.” 

In later years at Baradi, Baba Lokenath taught the world about the universality of all religions. The subtle way in which he chose to impart his wisdom is difficult to understand. He surprised his devotees by calling himself a ‘Mussalman’ (Muslim), though he was a Hindu by birth. Asked why he had called himself a Mussalman, Baba said, “The word Mussalman is derived from ‘Mussalam Imaan,’ which means one in whom there is total Divinity.” In the same spirit of universality, Baba said, “I have traveled extensively all over the world and have found only three Brahmins: Abdul Gaffar, Trailangya Swami and myself.” A Brahmin according to Baba is the Knower of Brahman, the Supreme Truth, rather than a person born into a family of the traditional Brahmin caste. Though Abdul Gaffar was Muslim by faith, he was a Brahmin in the purest sense as the Knower of Brahman, Absolute Reality. 

Baba’s statement, “I am Mussalman,” and his reference to Abdul Gaffar as a Brahmin have deep spiritual significance. He made these bold and controversial statements when religious dogmatism was at a peak to establish that an individual can reach beyond human limitations by sincere spiritual practice, despite conditioning imposed by sects of Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. 

After leaving Mecca, Guru Bhagwan decided that the time had come to give up his old, worn out body. As the day approached, he told Lokenath and Benimadhav that he wished to proceed to Kashi (Varanasi), the holy pilgrimage site on the bank of the Mother Ganges. On their way to Varanasi, they met a great yogi called Hithlal Mishra, who was popularly known in Varanasi as Trailangya Swami, the Living Shiva. He lived for more than two hundred and fifty years and could recollect the experiences of his last three births. Guru Bhagwan was relieved to meet Trailangya Swami because he had been worried about the care of his young children. 

Over the decades, he had developed the tender love of a mother toward Lokenath and Benimadhav. He could not think of them as more than his children, though they were a hundred years old at the time. He felt confident that Trailangya Swami was the right person to assume the responsibility for their care. One day he placed the hands of both Lokenath and Benimadhav into the hands of Hithlal. With tears in his eyes, he said, “Today, I have placed the responsibility of these two young boys of mine into your able hands. From this day forward, you will be their guardian.” Trailangya Swami agreed in silence. 

Soon after this, Guru Bhagwan went to Manikarnika Ghat on the bank of the holy Ganges and left his physical body while sitting in meditation. Lokenath knew that his beloved Gurudev was no more, so he gently touched the body and it fell to the ground. As the most devoted son and disciple, Baba Lokenath performed the last ceremonial rites, observing all the prescribed spiritual injunctions. 

Thus passed Guru Bhagwan Ganguly. He was an illustrious son of Mother India who had dedicated his entire life to the making of a Godman, who was in turn destined to shelter the world like a mighty Banyan tree. As he lost himself in service in this life, Guru Bhagwan would be rewarded with his own Realization in the next, as Baba Lokenath had promised.

Baba Comes To Baradi

Leaving China, Lokenath and Benimadhav passed through the Tibetan borders to the foothills of the Himalayas. A long arduous walk over the Himalayan regions and the plains brought them to the hills of Chandranath in eastern India. 

A fascinating incident occurred during their stay in this area. One day, Lokenath was sitting under a tree in the jungle. The wild roar of a tiger suddenly broke the silence. Sensing pain, Baba meditated on the source of the animal’s trouble and soon realized that it was a tigress who had just given birth to several handsome cubs. She was extremely anxious about leaving the cubs unprotected in order to search for food and was roaring in helplessness and frustration. Feeling deep compassion for her, Baba Lokenath appeared before the frantic mother to assure her of his protection of the cubs. Relieved that she could leave the cubs in his care, she went in search of food. 

A rare bond of love and trust was forged, with the tigress routinely leaving the cubs behind with Baba while she went hunting. After the cubs had grown a bit, Baba thought himself free of responsibility and started out again on his travels with Benimadhav. After going only a short distance, however, the tigress was roaring again. Baba knew it was a call from her. Understanding that the tigress did not feel the cubs were ready to be left on their own, Lokenath had no choice but to grant the prayer of the mother. He remained for a period of two to three more months until the cubs had grown enough to accompany their mother on her hunts. 

As they were preparing to leave again, Benimadhav, Baba’s trusted boyhood friend and spiritual companion, expressed a desire to visit the holy shrine of the Divine Mother at Kamakshya in Assam. The time to part had arrived. Lokenath gave his consent and promised he would always bless Benimhadhav with his subtle presence and help whenever and wherever Benimadhav called upon him. They said farewell and Benimadhav left for Kamakshya. Not much is authentically known about Benimadhav after this physical separation. Many devotees of various saints claimed that their Guru was Baba’s companion Benimadhav, but there is no way to authenticate any of those claims. 

Lokenath started toward the plains. Coming down from the hills and jungles of Chandranath, he encountered a terrible wildfire. While birds flew to safety, for most of the panic stricken animals, there was no escape. They were engulfed in raging flames. 

One of the great saints of Bengal, Prabhupada Vijaya Krishna Goswami, had been meditating under a tree when the fire broke out. Disturbed from meditation by the wild cries of the animals and birds, he looked up to discover himself in a circle of flames. Death seemed imminent, but he did not feel fear. With his heart utterly surrendered to the Divine, Vijaya prayed for God’s help. When he opened his eyes, he saw an extremely tall, totally naked and brilliant human figure approaching him through the flames. Vijaya assumed it was a vision, but the luminous being with long matted locks lifted Vijaya in his arms, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him effortlessly through the fire. When Vijaya returned to his senses, he found himself lying in a safe place with no trace of his mysterious savior.

Years later, when Vijaya Krishna Goswami met Baba at his Baradi ashram, Baba asked him who had saved him from the wildfire in the Chandranath hills. Vijaya Krishna Goswami immediately recognized Baba and prostrated himself at Baba’s feet. Vijaya Krishna Goswami became Baba Lokenath’s most ardent devotee. Vijaya lavishly praised Baba and his spiritual powers and attainment, spreading the word of Baba wherever Goswamiji went. Though Vijaya Krishna Goswami had a great mission of his own as a spiritual preceptor, it was through him that thousands of people throughout Bengal came to know about Baba Lokenath and began flooding to Baba’s ashram at Baradi.