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The Nath-yogi community is looked down upon by the people of
other communities, particularly of Hindu society mostly in Tripura, West Bengal
and even in Bangladesh. This hatred Prevails equally among the rich and the
poor, the illiterate and the so called educated elite. This is obviously due to
their lacking of study about the community and its glories past and heritage. It
might be the outcome of traditional concept that originated and has been going
on since the time of Ballal sen, the infamous or notorious ruler of Bengal. The
tyranic and outrageous King in connivance with his greedy opportunistic Brahmin
‘purohits,’ outcast his nath-guru after being failed to compel him to accept the
offerings consisting of gold, money and other materials offered ritually on the
occasion of his father’s shraddhra rituals. Because the Nath-gurus were
reluctant to worldly wealth and were only the worshippers of Shiva and hankered
after only spiritual wealth. The outrageous tyrant and oppressor did not end his
revenge there. He outcast the entire community and threatened other communities
like the ‘Baniks’ with dire consequences if anybody came forward to help the
outcast people of nath-yogi sampradaya. |
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Thousands of people of this
community were butchered ruthlessly and sometimes beheaded. The innocent people
of this community were compelled to flee away for fear of death and took refuge
in the jungles away from the communities. This brought about their abysmal
poverty, sorrows and sufferings that beggar description. Circumstances obliged
them to undertake weaving, cultivation and other professions to earn their
bread. Many of them accepted Islam, Buddhism or become Vaishnabas to escape the
punishment or hatred.
This is why most of the Vaishnabas were originally
from Nath-yogi Sampradaya .Later on they forgot their own culture, religion and
heritage and subsequently became the disciples of ignorant Vaishnaba gurus or,
Ramthukur, Swarupananda and Anukulthakur. The affluent and so called elite took
pride in being the followers of Ramakrishna.
The following ideas are borrowed and adapted from
a booklet written by principal Akshaya kr. Banerjee, who happened to visit
Gorakhpur, and being well conversant of the Gorakh philosophy, accepted ‘Nath’
or ‘Yoga’ dharma after being initiated by Yogiraj Gambhirnath, the outstanding
and famous Yogi. Swami Pranabananda Maharaj, the founder of world famous ‘Bharat
Sevashran’ was also initiated by Gambhirnathji.
Shri Banerjee began with Adinath, Matsyendranath
and Gorakhnath-the most universally adored gurus (spiritual teacher) and sources
of spiritual inspiration among the Nath-yogi sampradaya, which is also known as
siddha-yogi or Avadhuta-yogi sampradaya. The nomenclature can hardly be deserved
by the present generation who degraded themselves by discarding their own
entity.
Of the three gurus mentioned above, Adinath is
worshipped by all eternally perfect Mahayogishwara who is eternally free from
all sorts of bondage and limitations, eternally untouched by ignorance and sense
of ego and attachment and aversion, eternally possessed of infinite wisdom and
knowledge and power as well as infinite love mercy. He is believed to be with
out birth and death and an eternal master of all phenomenal existence. He is the
‘Ishwara of patanjali’s Yoga shutras and upanishadas. He is the supreme
spiritual personality, eternally enjoying absolute bliss in His transcendent
nature, eternally manifesting His infinite power and glories in various orders
of phenomenal existences in the magnificent cosmic system and eternally
showering His blessings upon all sincere and earnest seekers of truth, peace,
beauty, goodness and self fulfillment. He is conceived as the First guru of the
Yogi Sampradaya. He is believed to have himself been the Revealer of the
Absolute Truth and the universal yoga System of truth- realization at the
earliest spiritual attainment. He was the original author of the ‘Agamas’ which
are the scriptural bases of the Yoga-system.
By-
Mr. Ramani Mohan Nath
(Retired Teacher)
(To be
continued...) |