Mahavatar Babaji

Mahavatar Babaji; this picture was commissioned by Yogananda and created based on his information.

Mahavatar Babaji Maharaj is a mythological sadhu believed to have existed in the Himalayas for many centuries . He is said to have been born on November 30, 203 AD in Tamil Nadu and named Nagaraj by his parents. Followers consider him a Maha-Avatar (great avatar ). He is commonly known by the name Babaji , an honorary title, translatable as 'most revered father': Baba ('father') is the form of address for a monk in Hindi, and the suffix -ji is meant to express special veneration.

Reports

The first known report about an encounter comes from the Hindu guru Lahiri Mahasaya (1828–1895), who met Babaji several times from 1861 and is said to have been initiated into Kriya Yoga by him "for the good of all humanity" . Thereupon Lahiri Mahasaya revived this meanwhile forgotten teaching on behalf of his guru . Also Yukteswar (1855-1936), the foremost disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya, Mahavatar Babaji is supposed to be from 1894 appeared repeatedly physically. Yukteswar's best-known book The Holy Science was written at the express request of his paramaguru ("guru of his guru") . Lahiri Mahasaya had already announced that this doctrine would later also be spread in the West by subsequent lineage holders.

From 1920, Paramahansa Yogananda also reported physical encounters with Mahavatar Babaji, who first became known to a broader public in the West through his book Autobiography of a Yogi (1946). According to Yogananda Babaji had before Lahiri Mahasaya and Yukteswar already Shankara of the 15th century (an important Hindu philosopher of the 8th century) and the Indian mystic Kabir initiated into Kriya Yoga. Babaji's mission is to help prophets fulfill their destiny.

According to Yogananda and the gurus cited by him, Babaji had achieved immortality in the body, that is, he could materialize at any time in any place. However, it only shows itself to very advanced yogis, and also very rarely to them. The same applies to his sister, called Mataji, which means most honored mother .

See also

Haidakhan Babaji (viewed by his followers as the Avatar of Mahavatar Babaji)

literature

• Paramahansa Yogananda : Autobiography of a Yogi , e.g. B. Self-Realization Fellowship, 1998, reprint 2002. ISBN 0-87612-087-7 ,
  or: Hans-Nietsch-Verlag, Freiburg 2006. ISBN 3-934647-94-4
  or: Public domain first edition, USA 1946: per wikisource (English)
• Marshall Govindan: Babaji. Kriya Yoga and the 18 Siddhas . Hans-Nietsch-Verlag Freiburg. ISBN 3-929475-32-4

Web links

Commons : Mahavatar Babaji  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Autobiography of a Yogi - From Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi, the following chapters on Babaji, Wikisource , English:
  • Autobiography of a Yogi , Chapter 33: Babaji, the Yogi-Christ of Modern India
  • Autobiography of a Yogi , Chapter 34: Materializing a Palace in the Himalayas
  • Autobiography of a Yogi , Chapter 36: Babaji's Interest in the West

References and comments

1. ↑ This is what the current lineage holder of Kriya Yoga since 2003, Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, calls him. Maharadj means great king .
2. ↑ M. Govindan, Babaji, Kryia Yoga und die 18 Siddhas, Emmendingen 2010, p. 32.
3. ↑ See, for example, Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi.