Hari Om Tatsat

H.H. Sri Swami Narayan Dev Tirth Ji Maharaj

Param Guru Sri Swami Narayan Dev Tirth is well known as the redeemer and the rejuvenator of the lost and disappearing divine science of Kundalini Awakening through the Shaktipat Initiation. He was born in 1870 in a poor family of village (Mandrasar)Binotia in Bengal state of former East India, presently known as Bangla Desh. His father was Tarini Charan Gangopadhyay & mother’s name was Srimati Nav Durga Devi. According to the then prevailing customs, he was married at quite an early age, but he had keen inclination towards religious and spiritual quests. He possessed numerous spiritual qualities like detachment from all the worldly belongings, family, social matters & sensual pleasures. He was restless due to an acute thirst for spirituality and had an ardent desire to find out the real ways to highest spiritual achievements. Because many remarkable events were to take place in his future life, the young boy Kali Kishore strongly felt that it was not possible to fulfill his spiritual quests while remaining in the family life and a resolve to abandon his home and family flashed in his mind. He acted accordingly and renounced his family-life to become a wandering ascetic in search of some one who could show him the real path for spiritual advancements.

He ran to many places in search of God, listening to the discourses and talks of different religious heads. He rushed to each and every place he heard of in search of some one who could guide him properly. He visited many holy places, attended many religious gatherings, listened, talked and discussed with many persons in search of a competent guide. But he was not the least satisfied with their flowery and superficial talks, because they could not reveal the real path he was searching for. One day Kali Kishore met with a Brahmachaari who himself was an ardent spiritual seeker dedicated whole-heartedly to attain the highest state of spirituality. Kali Kishore talked to him about his search for a genuine Guru who could show him the real and sure path to higher spirituality and ultimately God-realization and salvation. That Bramachari told him about a saintly ascetic who lived all alone in a secluded place of the locality and was far away from name and fame. The Brahmachari told Kali Kishore that this great saint might assist him properly in his search and show him the sure way to attaining spiritual heights and supremacy. Knowing this, young Kali Kishore decided to accompany that Brahmachari to meet that Great saint.

At that time, a perfect Yogi and great saint Swami Gangadhar Tirth was living all alone in a small hut by the side of Chandan Talab (pond), then a pond near the town Puri in the state of Orissa. This place was just in the vicinity of a dense forest totally apart and secluded from the residential area. A humble devotee disciple used to beg and bring food for him daily from the nearby villages. He was the only person in contact with that saint and was the only mediator between the world and the saint. Nothing more is known about him except that he was the best disciple of one unknown divine saint H.H. Sri Mukund Dev Tirth Ji Maharaj.

Because of his rigorous sadhana and regular deep meditation, Swami Gangadhar Tirth mostly remained in the ecstatic state. As such, he was blessed with a unique super natural power to help the genuine spiritual seekers tremendously by infusing and transmitting that power in to him by mere resolve (Sankalpa). He had discovered an extraordinarily unique method of awakening the inner spiritual conscience of any deserving person and had mastered the same fully. His ascetic intellect had known clearly that an extremely tough and dark time of Kaliyug full of obstructions is prevailing, which, through its immense influence, will make it rather impossible to stay and progress in spiritual path without proper help and effective support to the spiritual seekers. The only restlessness for the liberated great souls in this world is that they become extremely moved, fill with pity and get overwhelmed by the sufferings of the disillusioned souls of this world. Thus the Swami also had deep sympathy for the spiritual seekers of this time and possessed its best and sure remedy also, but was feeling unable to help them himself directly because of his higher state of super knowledge i.e. Padaarthabhaavani Avasthaa : the sixth stage of salvation, in which he could not deal with many different names and forms. As such he was waiting for some one capable to come along for this purpose. And, just in the nick of time Kali Kishore appeared before him.

Young Kali Kishore prostrated flat before the Swami and prayed for his guidance, help and grace for spiritual advancement. Swami gazed at the face of the young man by his ascetic vision and learnt that he was the awaited worthy person to serve his purpose. Swami asked Kali Kishore about his family responsibilities and other worldly obligations. Kali Kishore lied before the Swami and said that he had no family and was free from all worldly duties and obligations. Swami, then, immediately agreed to initiate him the next day.

That was the auspicious day of AKSHAYA TRITIYA, then falling on 25th April 1889. Kali Kishore bathed properly in Chandan Taalaab and appeared before his Gurudev for initiation empty handed, without any offering. He was a very poor wanderer and had nothing to offer as required according to the prescribed systems. But such offerings had no importance for Swami Gangadhar Tirth and he initiated his first known disciple Kali Kishore activating his internal divine power through transmission of his own spiritual energy. Kali Kishore instantly experienced the awakening of the Kundalini Shakti with in him and started shaking, trembling, jumping, crying, laughing and had many other physical and breathy movements automatically. He was filled with extreme joy and remained in the highest stages of awareness for three days. But during this all, Swami had a perplexing vision in his meditation that Kali Kishore has parents, wife, sisters and brothers in his family. He is not free from worldly duties and obligations and has told a white lie to him. When scolded and questioned, Kali Kishore accepted this fact and prayed: “I have gained your blessings because of this lie only, otherwise, had I told you the truth, you might not have accepted me as your disciple.” Swami was pleased with this reply.

Then Gurudeva ordered Kali Kishore: “Go back to your home and fulfill all your duties and obligations to your best ability considering them the service to the Lord..This transmission of divine power will remain suspended for 12 years. You need not search and find me any more. After the said period, this divine power will automatically resume its due course. I have knotted the divine spark in your garb which will become a blazing spiritual fire in due course of time and will spread to many parts of the world.” Kali Kishore obeyed his Guru, returned home and did the job for the maintenance of his family. He was a bit disappointed because of this unexpected slip of the goal. Although he continued to sit in meditation, but all the signs and experiences of the power transmission and Kundalini Awakening were disappearing. Just after the said period of 12 years, one day when he sat down for his meditation, suddenly all the signs and experiences appeared automatically. He felt an ecstatic flow of divine power with in him. The words of his Guru had become true. He had fulfilled all his duties and obligations by now and was almost free to renounce for spiritual advancement and to fulfill the last words of his Guru.

He left his job for earning, settled the necessary matters of the family and constructed a small cottage away from his home for living in seclusion and deep meditation. He attained a steady rapturous state very soon. One day while gazing at the statue of Goddess Kali during that state, all of a sudden he had an urge to clean that. He picked up the statue and rubbing softly wiped it well. Suddenly the statue began to shine with a brilliant and dazzling light and he immediately felt a divine flash in his mind indicating his duty to impart the same brilliance to the hearts of the worldly persons suffering from the darkness of illusion and thus to fulfill the words of his Guru. He cast off his family-life clothes, put on the colored garb of a Sannyasin and adopted the name of Swami Narayan Dev Tirth. Thus a family man Kali Kiahore had become now a renunciate Swami Narayan Dev Tirth.

He founded a meditation center in Madaripur, district Faridpur, East Bengal (now Bangla Desh) and began initiating others through Shaktipat. He was very strict to his disciples about their regular and systematic Sadhana for a spiritual goal with simple living and high thinking. He always inspired and pressed them to remain fully aware of the divine power without the least interference in its divine activities and play remaining a mere witness to them all. He was deadly against the extravagancies of the gifts of the infinite and omni-powerful Mother Nature and used to scold such person very harshly. He initiated Swami Purushottam Tirth and young Brahmachari Dayaa, alias Yoganand Brahmachari, now well known as Sri Yogendra Vigyani Ji Maharaj, who are the originators of our present lineage. He also initiated Sri Swami SwayamJyoti Tirth and Sharat Brahmachari of Rishikesh who became Swami Poornanand after renunciation and founded Bengali Shaivalaya in Rishikesh. Swami Narayan Dev Tirthji visited Rishikesh & stayed with Sri Yoganand Brahmachari in Swargashram for a month or so. He relinquished his mortal body for the heavenly abode in April1935 at the age of 65 years after establishing well a most effective and sure way of Kundalini Awakening through Shatipat Initiation leading to salvation for the genuine and deserving aspirants.

At present also he appears in his same divine form (Aativaahak Shareer) before his real and deserving devotees and helps them in all their difficulties and miseries. He appeared before the under singed writer for the first time on 24th November,1938, Thursday at 4/5 a.m. and blessed him with initiation called dream-initiation. (Swapna Deekshaa). After that also he appeared several times and redeemed him from total upsets and dire calamities. The undersigned due to his ardent desire, tried his best to visit Madaripur, district Faridpur, in 1947, while he was staying in a village Bhatshala, district Faridpur, the maternal and birth place of Srimati Laxmi Devi alias Annapoorna Devi (Sri Yogendra Vigyaniji Maharaj’s wife) but could not get the required permit from the Pakistan Government which was necessary for visiting the desired destination.

May our Param Guru bless us all the aspirants treading the path of Shaktipat Initiation for achieving the supreme goal of salvation in this very birth. ITI OM.