Baba Balak Nath
Encyclopedia
Baba Balak Nath or Sidh Baba Balak Nath , is a Hindu deity
worshipped in the northern Indian states
of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh
. His shrine is known as "Deotsidh". It is 45 Kilometers from "Hamirpur"Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh
and is on the border of Hamirpur and Bilaspur
districts of Himachal Pradesh, India. Baba Balak Nath Temple is situated at the village of "Chakmoh
" in the district of Hamirpur
on the hill top, in a natural cave/"Gufa" carved in the hills, considered to be the abode of Baba. An Idol-Image of Baba is placed in the cave. The devotees offer Sweet Indian Flour Bread"Rot"(a bread made of raw sugar/"Gur"Jaggery mixed with wheat flour and cooked in Pure Buttrr Oil)at the altar of Baba, ( When pure clarified sugarcane juice is boiled, what is left as solid is called as Gur which is called jaggery also). Goats are also offered to Baba as a gesture for his love. Goats are not slaughtered though; rather they are being fed and taken care of. The entry of women devotees is prohibited in the cave. However, there is a raised platform just opposite to the cave from where the women can have Darshan of the Babaji's Idol. Just 6 (six) kilometers ahead of the "Deot-Sidh" Temple, there is a small town named "Shah-talai” where Babaji is said to have practiced penance. The ancient name of this place was Changer-Talai. Baba Balak Nath’s worship and grazing Mata Ratno’s cattle’s, later returning her mattress of Chach-it got famous by the name of Chahtalai which later turned to Shahtalai, where Baba is said to have practiced disambiguationDhyana
meditation.
His birth references among 84 proven & exacted Chaurasi Siddhas:We narrate the Lord Shiva’s Gospel of Immortality[Amar Katha] as the Ballads of devotion[Jana Srutis] in this context. Amar Katha is a Puranic[puranas] story about the origin of Baba. As told, a parrot nestling incidentally heard the Amar Katha Srimad Bhagavatam, The Gospel of Immortality, being narraated by "Lord Shiva
" to "Parvati
". Lord Shiva’s Trident ‘Trishul
’ followed parrot nestling. Parrot nestling hid in the stomach of the wife of Rishi
(Sage) Vyasa
and requested a promise of forgivness from Lord Shiva
for coming out. The promise was that when parrot nestling would come out in human form, it along with all the children born at that time might become eternal. Lord Shiva agreed for that and an extraordinary beautiful lad came out and vowed before Lord Shiva for blessing. This lad famed as ‘Sukdev Muni
’, later on. Baba Balak Nath was one of the nine ‘Nathas’ and eighty four ‘Sidhas’ born at that time
Emanation of Lord Shankra in ‘Dvapara Yuga’: According to ‘Lok Srutis’ Baba Ji reincarnates in every Time Frame that is termed as Yuga in Hindu Religious structure of time. He was known as ‘Skanda’ in ‘Sat Yuga’, ‘Kaul’ in ‘Treta Yuga’ and ‘Mahakaul’ and ‘Dvapra Yuga’. ‘Mahakaul’ of ‘Dvapra Yuga’, while visiting ‘Kailasha Parvata’, met an old woman on the way. The old lady asked of his mission and destination. After listening to him she advised ‘Mahakaul’ to meditate on the bank of ‘Mansarovar’ and request ‘Mother Parvati’ (who would come there for bathing on special occasions), help him in reaching ‘Lord Shiva’. ‘Mahakaul’ acted as told and became successful in his mission of reaching ‘Lord Shiva’. On seeing ‘Balayogi Mahakaul’, ‘Lord Shiva’ became very happy and blessed Baba to be the ‘Sidha symbol’ of worshipping for devotees in ‘Kaliyuga’ and his child-like image to remain forever.
of Lord Kartikeya son of Lord Shiva & Goddess Parvati
, born Sat-Yuga
(Time Frame in Hindu Scriptures) to annihilate demon Tarkasur
. Dear to Goddess Ganga & came on the Earthly Abode as the son of a Pandit (Name Prefix for Brahmins) Vishnu and Lakshmi, in Kathiawad Junagadh
, Gujarat.
The childless couple was granted a baby-boy as a Boon by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati for the meditation & medicated prayers performed by the couple, at Girnar
. The boy was named ‘Dev’. Dev later on became completely devoted to ‘Bhagvad devotion’. He got his formal education in Kashi
here he mastered & recited Vedas
. Back in Junagadh, He meditated on Lord Shiva. On a matter of marriage proposal, He left home to attain eternity & ‘Parma Sidhi’. Under the guidance of Guru Dattatreya
, he learnt the attained mastership in concept of ‘Sidhas’. On attaining the ‘Sidha’, Dev became popularly known as BABA BALAK NATH."jai babe di" (laddi garhshankar).
and Parvati
. While he left the house the peacock which is Lord Kartikeya’s Vahana (Celestial Mount) also wished to accompany him but was refused. Lord Shiva and Parvati could see that Their son Bal Shiva was sad and so appeared before him and gave Bal Shiva a Singhi which was none other than Lord Shiva's Dumroo (a small hand-held drum). They also blessed him with a boon to be always of 12 years of age.
, Bal Shiva went to Vrindavan
. Here he meditated to please Lord Shiva
. , Dattatreya
was visiting Vrindavan with his disciples. When he saw a divine child (Bal Shiva) meditating, he was impressed by the Child's dedication & faith he took child Shiva as his disciple. It was then Bal Shiva came to Dattatreya ashram at Girnar
.
Vipan Dhiman
(Ghori) in a duel, who had Kidnapped the old woman's child. Guru then renamed his favorite Disciple as Balak Nath.
Balak Nath Pursued his studies under Dattatreya for 12 years while travelling various places. Thereafter, Baba Balak Nath went to Haridwar
.
was also blessed by Ganga. BhartriHari on being enlightened that Baba Balak Nath was no ordinary Saint, accompanied Baba to Tijara
(Rajasthan
) from Haridwar
http://maps.google.co.in/mapdata?CxVCOMkBHWjVqAQgDwwLFRpsyAEd-gyoBCCQTgwLFX7OyQEdg0-pBCCQTgwtQjjJATVo1agEQKoCSNoBUgJVU8oBAmVu.
stayed at the house of a Kumhara (Potter). Satisfied and happy with the Potter's devotion, Baba blessed him with a huge amount of hidden gold, which Kumhara unearthed after Baba had left. The Kumhara realized the miracle and Babaji's blessings. After leaving Tijara, BhartriHari went to Ujjain
to meet his family.
and had his Dhoona (ever-burning Holy Fire). River Yamuna is also believed to have come to seek the blessings of Babaji.
left Kailash
and went to serve in the Vidhyapati's house. Also, Mata Parvati
, longing to see her son Balak Nath, stepped, as Luhari(Ironsmith) Ratno, on the land of Shahtalai http://maps.google.co.in/maps?f=q&gl=in&q=Shahtalai&hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=Shahtalai&hnear=New+Delhi,+Delhi&radius=15000&ll=31.409912,74.94873&spn=7.852776,14.128418&z=6http://hptdc.nic.in/cir0304.htm. On the other hand, Baba also wished to meet his Mother and decided to come to Shahtalai. It is a popular legend in Shahtalai that on reaching the village, Baba took rest under a tree, where a snake sheltered him from the scorching sun.This miracle was witnessed by all the villagers of Shahtalai. Chanting Alakh Niranjan
, Baba reached the House of Mata Ratno. He was pleased to reunite with his Mother, in form of Mata(Mother) Ratno. He requested her for a job at her place. She asked Babaji to take care of her cows. Thereafter, Babaji got the Name “Gopalak”(The Caretaker of the Cows) and is believed to be very dear to the cows.
(Chapati
) and Lassi
(made from churning curd
and water
) for him.
. The king Apprised him of the Divine Magical Powers of Bal Shiva Yogi with clouds rendering him service. Gorakh nath envisioned that this divine yogi is the same Balaknath, who escaped from him at Vrindavan
. He decided to test the powers of the Bal Shiva Yogi. Baba welcomed Guru Gorakh nath and his disciples. Gorakhnath asked Baba to fetch water from Mountain of Dhaulagiri
, and gave a vessel to Baba. Baba accepted his request and through his powers filled the Vessel with the Water. Baba discovered some magical power in the vessel that was trying to dissuade him, but by Shiva's grace, Baba saved himself from temptation.
On being ordered to serve milk to all his Devotees, Baba called on cow Sundari(Divine Cow), & gave them a fill of Appetite. Gorakhnath and his disciples were amazed.
Gorakhnath was still not convinced and to prove his superiority over Baba. He took tested Baba & tossed his deer skin high in the air. The deer skin went up high, sped away higher and disappeared. He then asked Baba to bring down the deer skin for him. Baba tossed his Chimta
up and it tore the deer skin, Guru Gorakhnath tossed-up, in two halves. Now Babaji asked Guru Gorakh nath to get the Chimta back, Guru Gorakhnath desperately failed to get the Chimta back.
He ordered a forceful inquisition of Baba Balak Nath. when the followeres of Gorakhnath tore Baba's earlobe to put-on the ear-ring. Milk is said to have sprinkled out instead of blood. This miracle scared Guru Gorakhnath’s disciples. At the same time, Babaji escaped their grasp and hid in a secret cave, to avoid Guru Gorakhnath.
It is believed that Bhaironnath and Bhartriharinath were also disciples of Guru Gorakhnath and after this incident they paid salutations to Baba. All the disciples abandoned Guru Gorakhnath and he soon realized the eternal truths about Baba. He bowed to Baba and left with Bhaironnath. BhartriHari remained with Baba. Baba gave Bhartrihari a divine fruit and asked him to give it to one he loved the most. Bhartrihari left for Ujjain
with this divine fruit. Baba then went back to Shah-Talai and met Mata Ratno.
It is said that after this, Baba dug his ForkChimta
at the base of the tree, under which he used to meditate. The Chapattis served by Mata Ratno for 12 years came out. With another hit of Chimta(Fork), He bought out Lassi
. After this Baba straddled his Vahana
(Celestial Ride) Peacock and left for Dhaulagiri
.
. It is believed that Banarsi Das was the first one to have Darshan (Divine Appearance of the Lord to the Devotee) of Baba Balak Nath. Baba gave him Vibhuti
(The Sacred Ashes of the Holy Fire) from the Dhoona to remove the miseries of life.
Jai Baba di.
Baba Balak Nath ji is blessed by Lord Shiva that he will always remain 12 years old. That is why Baba Ji devotees remember him fom the name of Baba Balak Nath.
Hindu deities
Within Hinduism a large number of personal gods are worshipped as murtis. These beings are either aspects of the supreme Brahman, Avatars of the supreme being, or significantly powerful entities known as devas. The exact nature of belief in regards to each deity varies between differing Hindu...
worshipped in the northern Indian states
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
. His shrine is known as "Deotsidh". It is 45 Kilometers from "Hamirpur"Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh
Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh
Hamirpur is a town and the district headquarters of Hamirpur district in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Hamirpur is located in a relatively colder region in western Himachal Pradesh with a lower altitude as compared to the other districts of the state...
and is on the border of Hamirpur and Bilaspur
Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh
Hamirpur is a town and the district headquarters of Hamirpur district in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Hamirpur is located in a relatively colder region in western Himachal Pradesh with a lower altitude as compared to the other districts of the state...
districts of Himachal Pradesh, India. Baba Balak Nath Temple is situated at the village of "Chakmoh
Chakmoh
Chakmoh is a village in District Hamirpur of Himachal Pradesh. It is surrounded by the thick forests having various types of trees mostly Cheed. Baba Balak Nath Temple is also situated here. A lot of devotees come here every year to worship Baba Balak Nath Ji. Chakmoh is among the most large and...
" in the district of Hamirpur
Hamirpur District, Himachal Pradesh
Hamirpur district is one of the 12 districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The headquarters of the district is in the Hamirpur town...
on the hill top, in a natural cave/"Gufa" carved in the hills, considered to be the abode of Baba. An Idol-Image of Baba is placed in the cave. The devotees offer Sweet Indian Flour Bread"Rot"(a bread made of raw sugar/"Gur"Jaggery mixed with wheat flour and cooked in Pure Buttrr Oil)at the altar of Baba, ( When pure clarified sugarcane juice is boiled, what is left as solid is called as Gur which is called jaggery also). Goats are also offered to Baba as a gesture for his love. Goats are not slaughtered though; rather they are being fed and taken care of. The entry of women devotees is prohibited in the cave. However, there is a raised platform just opposite to the cave from where the women can have Darshan of the Babaji's Idol. Just 6 (six) kilometers ahead of the "Deot-Sidh" Temple, there is a small town named "Shah-talai” where Babaji is said to have practiced penance. The ancient name of this place was Changer-Talai. Baba Balak Nath’s worship and grazing Mata Ratno’s cattle’s, later returning her mattress of Chach-it got famous by the name of Chahtalai which later turned to Shahtalai, where Baba is said to have practiced disambiguationDhyana
Dhyana in Hinduism
According to the Hindu Yoga Sutra, written by Patanjali, dhyana is one of the eight limbs of Yoga, ....
meditation.
Other Depictions
The origin does have a confirmation also in:Sidh Baba in Jana Srutis: Innumberable Jana Srutis sing praises to the divinity of Baba Balak Nath:His birth references among 84 proven & exacted Chaurasi Siddhas:We narrate the Lord Shiva’s Gospel of Immortality[Amar Katha] as the Ballads of devotion[Jana Srutis] in this context. Amar Katha is a Puranic[puranas] story about the origin of Baba. As told, a parrot nestling incidentally heard the Amar Katha Srimad Bhagavatam, The Gospel of Immortality, being narraated by "Lord Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
" to "Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
". Lord Shiva’s Trident ‘Trishul
Trishula
A trishula is a type of Indian trident but also found in Southeast Asia. It is commonly used as a Hindu-Buddhist religious symbol. The word means "three spear" in Sanskrit and Pali....
’ followed parrot nestling. Parrot nestling hid in the stomach of the wife of Rishi
Rishi
Rishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...
(Sage) Vyasa
Vyasa
Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...
and requested a promise of forgivness from Lord Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
for coming out. The promise was that when parrot nestling would come out in human form, it along with all the children born at that time might become eternal. Lord Shiva agreed for that and an extraordinary beautiful lad came out and vowed before Lord Shiva for blessing. This lad famed as ‘Sukdev Muni
Suka
The Suka was a unique fiddle that was played vertically, on the knee or hanging from a strap, and the strings were stopped at the side with the fingernails; similar to the Gadulka. The body of the instrument was very similar to the modern violin, but the neck was very wide, and the pegbox was crude...
’, later on. Baba Balak Nath was one of the nine ‘Nathas’ and eighty four ‘Sidhas’ born at that time
Emanation of Lord Shankra in ‘Dvapara Yuga’: According to ‘Lok Srutis’ Baba Ji reincarnates in every Time Frame that is termed as Yuga in Hindu Religious structure of time. He was known as ‘Skanda’ in ‘Sat Yuga’, ‘Kaul’ in ‘Treta Yuga’ and ‘Mahakaul’ and ‘Dvapra Yuga’. ‘Mahakaul’ of ‘Dvapra Yuga’, while visiting ‘Kailasha Parvata’, met an old woman on the way. The old lady asked of his mission and destination. After listening to him she advised ‘Mahakaul’ to meditate on the bank of ‘Mansarovar’ and request ‘Mother Parvati’ (who would come there for bathing on special occasions), help him in reaching ‘Lord Shiva’. ‘Mahakaul’ acted as told and became successful in his mission of reaching ‘Lord Shiva’. On seeing ‘Balayogi Mahakaul’, ‘Lord Shiva’ became very happy and blessed Baba to be the ‘Sidha symbol’ of worshipping for devotees in ‘Kaliyuga’ and his child-like image to remain forever.
The Birth, the Education & the Boon of Lord Shiva to Baba Balak Nath
Baba Balak Nath is believed to be a Re-incarnationReincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
of Lord Kartikeya son of Lord Shiva & Goddess Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
, born Sat-Yuga
Satya Yuga
The Satya Yuga , also called Sat Yuga, Krta Yuga and Krita Yuga in Hinduism, is the "Yuga of Truth", when mankind is governed by gods, and every manifestation or work is close to the purest ideal and mankind will allow intrinsic goodness to rule supreme...
(Time Frame in Hindu Scriptures) to annihilate demon Tarkasur
Tarakasur
Tarakasur or Taraka was a powerful asura and the son of Vajranaka in Hindu belief. Tarakasur repeatedly defeated the gods until heaven was on the verge of collapse. Yet he had a clever boon that he could be defeated only by the son of Shiva, who was a complete yogi, given to severe austerities,...
. Dear to Goddess Ganga & came on the Earthly Abode as the son of a Pandit (Name Prefix for Brahmins) Vishnu and Lakshmi, in Kathiawad Junagadh
Junagadh district
Junagadh District is a district of the Indian state of Gujarat. Its administrative headquarters is the city of Junagadh.-Geography:The district is located on the Kathiawar peninsula in western Gujarat. It is surrounded by Rajkot District , Porbandar District , Amreli District...
, Gujarat.
The childless couple was granted a baby-boy as a Boon by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati for the meditation & medicated prayers performed by the couple, at Girnar
Girnar
Girnar is a collection of mountains in the Junagadh District of Gujarat, India, situated near Junagadh at a distance of 327 km from Ahmedabad. It is a holy place and an important pilgrimage for both Hindus and Jains. There are a number of temples located here. Amidst the lush green Gir...
. The boy was named ‘Dev’. Dev later on became completely devoted to ‘Bhagvad devotion’. He got his formal education in Kashi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
here he mastered & recited Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
. Back in Junagadh, He meditated on Lord Shiva. On a matter of marriage proposal, He left home to attain eternity & ‘Parma Sidhi’. Under the guidance of Guru Dattatreya
Dattatreya
Dattatreya or Datta is a Hindu deity encompassing the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, collectively known as Trimurti. The name Dattatreya can be divided into two words - "Datta" and "Atreya" referring to the sage Atri, his physical father.Various Hindu sects worship him differently...
, he learnt the attained mastership in concept of ‘Sidhas’. On attaining the ‘Sidha’, Dev became popularly known as BABA BALAK NATH."jai babe di" (laddi garhshankar).
Another Narration regarding BABA in Locale
Another narration goes as: The Child was named "Bal Shiva" by Pandit Vishnu and Lakshmi. Bal Shiva was no ordinary child and was very dear to Vishnu and Lakshmi. At an age of 5 yrs however, other parents started complaining about him and one day Lakshmi could not bear it and slapped him. After this incident, during the night Bal Shiva left the house and decided to go back to his eternal parents Lord ShivaShiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
. While he left the house the peacock which is Lord Kartikeya’s Vahana (Celestial Mount) also wished to accompany him but was refused. Lord Shiva and Parvati could see that Their son Bal Shiva was sad and so appeared before him and gave Bal Shiva a Singhi which was none other than Lord Shiva's Dumroo (a small hand-held drum). They also blessed him with a boon to be always of 12 years of age.
Meeting Guru Dattatreya
After leaving JunagadhJunagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
, Bal Shiva went to Vrindavan
Vrindavan
Vrindavan also known as Vraj is a town in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India...
. Here he meditated to please Lord Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. , Dattatreya
Dattatreya
Dattatreya or Datta is a Hindu deity encompassing the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, collectively known as Trimurti. The name Dattatreya can be divided into two words - "Datta" and "Atreya" referring to the sage Atri, his physical father.Various Hindu sects worship him differently...
was visiting Vrindavan with his disciples. When he saw a divine child (Bal Shiva) meditating, he was impressed by the Child's dedication & faith he took child Shiva as his disciple. It was then Bal Shiva came to Dattatreya ashram at Girnar
Girnar
Girnar is a collection of mountains in the Junagadh District of Gujarat, India, situated near Junagadh at a distance of 327 km from Ahmedabad. It is a holy place and an important pilgrimage for both Hindus and Jains. There are a number of temples located here. Amidst the lush green Gir...
.
Vipan Dhiman
A strange episode at Dattatreya Ashram
It is said that once an old woman came to Dattatreya's ashram, wailing and looking for her lost child. She requested Guru to help her locate and find her child. Moved by her pathetic condition Guru promised her to get back the child unharmed, and asked of his disciples to find the child. All the disciples Looked around for the Child, with the aid of their Divine Powers, but were unable to locate the child. Then Guru asked of Bal Shiva to go & find the child, which he duly did & found the Child soon. In fact, He killed the demonDemon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
(Ghori) in a duel, who had Kidnapped the old woman's child. Guru then renamed his favorite Disciple as Balak Nath.
Balak Nath Pursued his studies under Dattatreya for 12 years while travelling various places. Thereafter, Baba Balak Nath went to Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
.
King Bhartrihari & Temptation of Guru Gorakhnath
At Haridwar Babaji meditated to please Goddess Ganga. On being satisfied with his meditation, Goddess appeared before Baba Balak Nath to bless him. BhartriHariBharthari
Stories of Bharthari and his nephew King Gopi Chand of Bengal , who are considered Nath panth yogis, abound in the Indian folklore of Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and West Bengal....
was also blessed by Ganga. BhartriHari on being enlightened that Baba Balak Nath was no ordinary Saint, accompanied Baba to Tijara
Tijara
Tijara is a city and a municipality in Alwar district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Tijara is situated 48 km to the north east of Alwar, the nearest Railwau station is Khairthal. It was founded by Tajpala, Raja of Sarahata, 6 km from Tijara. A scion of Yadav family, he built palaces at...
(Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
) from Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
http://maps.google.co.in/mapdata?CxVCOMkBHWjVqAQgDwwLFRpsyAEd-gyoBCCQTgwLFX7OyQEdg0-pBCCQTgwtQjjJATVo1agEQKoCSNoBUgJVU8oBAmVu.
Baba in Tijara
Baba and King BhartriHariBharthari
Stories of Bharthari and his nephew King Gopi Chand of Bengal , who are considered Nath panth yogis, abound in the Indian folklore of Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and West Bengal....
stayed at the house of a Kumhara (Potter). Satisfied and happy with the Potter's devotion, Baba blessed him with a huge amount of hidden gold, which Kumhara unearthed after Baba had left. The Kumhara realized the miracle and Babaji's blessings. After leaving Tijara, BhartriHari went to Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
to meet his family.
Episode of Vrindavan
Babaji went to Vrindavan and sat in Samadhi (disambiguation). Meditating in deep Dhyana seeking the blessings of Lord Shiva. Being in Samadhi (disambiguation) for many years together, he was covered with the Soil (forming a mound on him). At this juncture Guru Gorakhnath visited Vrindavan with his disciples. He saw a divine child in Samadhi (disambiguation) and realized that he was no ordinary child. He was incited with a deep and strong desire temptation to convert the child into his disciple, as having a disciple as this child would fetch him great fame. Babaji, during Samadhi, could sense the plans of Guru Gorakhnath. Already having Dattatreya as guru, he could not accept Gorakhnath as his Guru. He disappeared from Vrindavan and re-appeared in Delhi using his celestial powers to avoid Guru Gorakhnath. “Since Babaji is none other than Kartikeya, he has Kankaneta (a goat as a ride) which can travel at the speed of mind.” In Delhi, Baba is believed to have sat in Samadhi on the banks of river YamunaYamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
and had his Dhoona (ever-burning Holy Fire). River Yamuna is also believed to have come to seek the blessings of Babaji.
Meeting Mata Ratno in ShahTalai
It is said a Vidhyapati (Scholar Teacher) once deeply meditated on Lord Shiva. On being pleased Lord ShivaShiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
left Kailash
Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash is a peak in the Gangdisê Mountains, which are part of the Himalayas in Tibet...
and went to serve in the Vidhyapati's house. Also, Mata Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
, longing to see her son Balak Nath, stepped, as Luhari(Ironsmith) Ratno, on the land of Shahtalai http://maps.google.co.in/maps?f=q&gl=in&q=Shahtalai&hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=Shahtalai&hnear=New+Delhi,+Delhi&radius=15000&ll=31.409912,74.94873&spn=7.852776,14.128418&z=6http://hptdc.nic.in/cir0304.htm. On the other hand, Baba also wished to meet his Mother and decided to come to Shahtalai. It is a popular legend in Shahtalai that on reaching the village, Baba took rest under a tree, where a snake sheltered him from the scorching sun.This miracle was witnessed by all the villagers of Shahtalai. Chanting Alakh Niranjan
Alakh Niranjan
Alakh Niranjan is a term in Hinduism and Sikhism where it is used a synonym for Creator, and to describe the characteristics of God and the Self, known as the Atman. Alakh means "sightless" and niranjan means "spotfree"...
, Baba reached the House of Mata Ratno. He was pleased to reunite with his Mother, in form of Mata(Mother) Ratno. He requested her for a job at her place. She asked Babaji to take care of her cows. Thereafter, Babaji got the Name “Gopalak”(The Caretaker of the Cows) and is believed to be very dear to the cows.
The Miracles at Shahtalai
There is also the description of the miracle that in Shahtalai, Baba bought rains to help the farmers in the dry season. In fact the King of Bilaspur http://maps.google.co.in/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=G23&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=bilaspur+himachal+pradesh&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Bilaspur,+Himachal+Pradesh&gl=in&ei=ZNTFS-CgDoy0rAeV65yVDg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA also sought the blessings of the Bal Shiva Yogi after he heard about Baba. It is a popular folklore, wherever the Bala Yogi walked a cloud went along sheltering him. The King of Bilaspur was amazed to see the clouds rendering service to Baba. People in Shah-talai became devotees of the Bal Yogi. Mata Ratno was very happy to have her son in service. Whenever she sees Babaji in meditation, she used to bring RotiRoti
Roti is generally a South Asian bread made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta flour, that originated and is consumed in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is also consumed in parts of the Southern Caribbean, particularly in Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and...
(Chapati
Chapati
Chapati or Chapatti or Chapathi is an unleavened flatbread from the Indian subcontinent. Versions of it are found in Turkmenistan and in East African countries Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania...
) and Lassi
Lassi
Lassi is a popular and traditional yogurt-based drink of the Indian Subcontinent. It is made by blending yogurt with water and Indian spices...
(made from churning curd
Curd
Curds are a dairy product obtained by curdling milk with rennet or an edible acidic substance such as lemon juice or vinegar, and then draining off the liquid portion. The increased acidity causes the milk proteins to tangle into solid masses, or curds. The remaining liquid, which contains only...
and water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
) for him.
The Duel between Baba & Guru Gorakhnath again
Guru Gorakhnath came with 125,000 disciples and stayed with the king of Bilaspur Bilaspur, Himachal PradeshBilaspur, Himachal Pradesh
Bilaspur is a city and a municipal council in Bilaspur district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.-Geography:Bilaspur is located at . It has an average elevation of 673 metres . It is hot in summer and cold in winters. It rains mostly in July to august .It lies near the reservoir of...
. The king Apprised him of the Divine Magical Powers of Bal Shiva Yogi with clouds rendering him service. Gorakh nath envisioned that this divine yogi is the same Balaknath, who escaped from him at Vrindavan
Vrindavan
Vrindavan also known as Vraj is a town in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India...
. He decided to test the powers of the Bal Shiva Yogi. Baba welcomed Guru Gorakh nath and his disciples. Gorakhnath asked Baba to fetch water from Mountain of Dhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri is Earth's seventh highest mountain at ; one of fourteen over eight thousand metres. Dhaulagiri was first climbed May 13, 1960 by a Swiss/Austrian expedition....
, and gave a vessel to Baba. Baba accepted his request and through his powers filled the Vessel with the Water. Baba discovered some magical power in the vessel that was trying to dissuade him, but by Shiva's grace, Baba saved himself from temptation.
On being ordered to serve milk to all his Devotees, Baba called on cow Sundari(Divine Cow), & gave them a fill of Appetite. Gorakhnath and his disciples were amazed.
Gorakhnath was still not convinced and to prove his superiority over Baba. He took tested Baba & tossed his deer skin high in the air. The deer skin went up high, sped away higher and disappeared. He then asked Baba to bring down the deer skin for him. Baba tossed his Chimta
Chimta
A Chimta literally means tongs. Over time it has evolved into a traditional percussion instrument of South Asia by the permanent addition of small brass jingles...
up and it tore the deer skin, Guru Gorakhnath tossed-up, in two halves. Now Babaji asked Guru Gorakh nath to get the Chimta back, Guru Gorakhnath desperately failed to get the Chimta back.
He ordered a forceful inquisition of Baba Balak Nath. when the followeres of Gorakhnath tore Baba's earlobe to put-on the ear-ring. Milk is said to have sprinkled out instead of blood. This miracle scared Guru Gorakhnath’s disciples. At the same time, Babaji escaped their grasp and hid in a secret cave, to avoid Guru Gorakhnath.
It is believed that Bhaironnath and Bhartriharinath were also disciples of Guru Gorakhnath and after this incident they paid salutations to Baba. All the disciples abandoned Guru Gorakhnath and he soon realized the eternal truths about Baba. He bowed to Baba and left with Bhaironnath. BhartriHari remained with Baba. Baba gave Bhartrihari a divine fruit and asked him to give it to one he loved the most. Bhartrihari left for Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
with this divine fruit. Baba then went back to Shah-Talai and met Mata Ratno.
Babaji takes a Leave from Mother Ratno
Baba came back to Shah-talai and meditated again deep on Lord Shiva. Meanwhile, the cows he used to take care, were left unattended for sometime. One day the cows ravaged fields of the village and villagers complained to Ratno demanding the compensation. Ratno came with the villagers to tree where Baba was meditating and asked for money in lieu of the food ((Indian Flour Cake)Roti and Lassi(mix of Churned Curd & water)), she had given him for 12 years, as compoensation for the damage to the villagers. But that was again a miracle which the villagers witnessed, that fields were in unharmed state, which they were, before being ravaged by the cows.It is said that after this, Baba dug his ForkChimta
Chimta
A Chimta literally means tongs. Over time it has evolved into a traditional percussion instrument of South Asia by the permanent addition of small brass jingles...
at the base of the tree, under which he used to meditate. The Chapattis served by Mata Ratno for 12 years came out. With another hit of Chimta(Fork), He bought out Lassi
Lassi
Lassi is a popular and traditional yogurt-based drink of the Indian Subcontinent. It is made by blending yogurt with water and Indian spices...
. After this Baba straddled his Vahana
Vahana
Vāhana denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical entity, a particular deva is said to use as a vehicle. In this capacity, the vāhana is often called the deity's mount. Upon the partnership between the deva and his vāhana is woven much iconography and mythology...
(Celestial Ride) Peacock and left for Dhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri is Earth's seventh highest mountain at ; one of fourteen over eight thousand metres. Dhaulagiri was first climbed May 13, 1960 by a Swiss/Austrian expedition....
.
BhartriHari's realisation of the Eternal truth with the divine fruit
King Bhartrihari realized the divine and eternal truth with the divine fruit, given to him by Baba. ” No-one except the Lord Almighty was Lord of all and the Eternal Truth Thereof.” He came back to ShahTalai in search of Baba. Unable to find him there, he felt depressed and started praying for forgiveness. Babaji gave Darshan (divine appearance) to Bhartrihari and they both meditated at DhaulagiriDhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri is Earth's seventh highest mountain at ; one of fourteen over eight thousand metres. Dhaulagiri was first climbed May 13, 1960 by a Swiss/Austrian expedition....
. It is believed that Banarsi Das was the first one to have Darshan (Divine Appearance of the Lord to the Devotee) of Baba Balak Nath. Baba gave him Vibhuti
Vibhuti
Vibhuti is a word that has several meanings in Hinduism.-Sacred ash:Vibhuti is the sacred ash used in religious worship in Hinduism. The main ingredient of Vibuthi is a special kind of wood, but several other substances, such as milk and ghee, prescribed in scriptures are also added...
(The Sacred Ashes of the Holy Fire) from the Dhoona to remove the miseries of life.
Jai Baba di.
Some Facts about Baba Balak Nath
- Guru Guru GorakhnathGorakhnath could not win over Baba as Baba Balak Nath is none other than Kartikeya Kartikeya. Gorakhnath is a Navnath and was an incarnation of Hari Narayan. Dattatreya is the guru of Nath Sampradaya (Commune) and Baba Balak Nath was his disciple. Baba Balak Nath is not any of the Navnath. Baba Balak Nath is above Navanatha and all Navanatha come under him.
- Kudnu (goat), offered at the temples of Babaji is none other than Kankaneta which can travel at the speed of mind. VarunVarunVarun is an Indian name. It refers to Varuna, the god of the sky and rain, of waters and of the celestial ocean, as well as a god of law and of the underworld, who is mentioned in Vedas. He is one of the oldest Hindu deities. Unlike Indra, whose birth was described as the product of a union...
gave it to Kartikeya, when he killed Tarakasur. The Kudnu is just offered (not killed) in Baba Balak Nath's temple. - Female Devotees are prohibited from entering the interiors of Baba Balak Nath temple. It is said that once Mata "Mother"ParvatiParvatiParvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
, missing his son Kartikeya, took a form of cat and visited Junagarh to meet Bala Shiva. Bala Shiva played a lot with the cat. The cat left after sometime. After 1–2 days when Babaji missed Mata Parvati, he came to KailashMount KailashMount Kailash is a peak in the Gangdisê Mountains, which are part of the Himalayas in Tibet...
to meet her and saw scratches on Mata Parvati's face. Babaji enquired Mata about this, to which Mata informed that she had taken the form of cat to meet Babaji and he gave her (as a cat) the scratches through his hands. Babaji soon realized that ladies are very delicate and Baba is coarse like stone. So he prohibited women from entering his durbar. This has been mentioned by Ramakrishna Paramhansa in his book Jyoti. - Peacock as a VahanaVahanaVāhana denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical entity, a particular deva is said to use as a vehicle. In this capacity, the vāhana is often called the deity's mount. Upon the partnership between the deva and his vāhana is woven much iconography and mythology...
was gifted to Kartikeya by RishiRishiRishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...
(Sage) Garuna. The peacock was Rishi Garuna's son Chitravarhana.
Baba Balak Nath ji is blessed by Lord Shiva that he will always remain 12 years old. That is why Baba Ji devotees remember him fom the name of Baba Balak Nath.
Sidh Baba Balak Nath Temple Trust
- Temple has a trust namely ‘Sidh Baba Balak Nath Temple Trust’ that keeps a watch on the functioning of the temple. ‘Mela’s are organized during Holi festival. Every Sunday is considered auspicious day of Babaji and consequently attracts huge devotees on this day.Food becomes available for public at about 11 a.m. Food in ‘Langar’ can also be had in evening after the prayer.