Aghor Baba Pinakin Baba ji had meditated at the confluence of Rudraprayag and Devprayag for many years before moving to the gufa (cave) near Koteshwara temple. Finally settling in the divine beautiful place of Muktinath
Explaining Baba is like trying to explain the Pancha Mahabhuta. Out of the Pancha Bhuta only two are visible to human eyes (earth and fire) rest can only be felt or sensed like Water, Air and Ether. All of them can be broken down into molecular format yet it is not possible to talk about it in clear terms. In layman terms it becomes all the more difficult for most of the times I have tried to talk about the divine self, I have more or less become metaphorical or poetical in nature.
It becomes all the more difficult when you are addressing someone who is eternal and has already achieved the state of deathlessness. Few people have been blessed to see the deathless Shiva swaroopa Satguru. He who has been around for thousands of years, shows up as divine multiple forms, creating so much mystical stories under various names, taking forms in most easiest manner, agelessly he lives on, changing lives of many by sorting their problems, issues and finally showing them the way to liberation. He who is flowing throughout the whole of creation itself rides on the sunbeams spreading happiness and solutions. His plays are unique and childlike, unlike the seriousness thought of by the average people about enlightened beings. Many a times his ways have broken the norms as the logical mind has been trained to see or perceive or even accept.
His living presence has been felt by many and he has retained his form through the time and known by many names Batara Guru, Maharaja Deva, Shveta Muni, Lokakshi Muni, Rishabha Muni, Mundishwara Maharishi, Sahishnu, Pinakadrika, Aghora baba, Vedashirsha Muni, Gohavasi Rishi, Baba Jatamali, LakulisaRishi, Pasupatindra, Attahasha Muni, Kapaleeswara Swamy, Velleshwara Swamy, Karaneshwara Swamy, Virubatcheeswara Swamy, Malleshwara Swamy, Theerthabaleshwara Swamy.
He had gained darshan of Lord Dattatreya ji and was given the name Pinakahaste Avadhuta(Pinaka means bow of Lord Shiva, Haste means hand and Avadhuta who travels without bondage), Lord Kapaleshwara (Ugra Form of Lord Shiva) had given him the name Aghor Pinakadrik(Aghor= Ag+hor= meaning one who is near to fire), Sage Agasthya had blessed him, Siddhar Bhoganathar and Siddhar Karuvoorar had showed him the way of the Siddha padhiti. Siddhar Nandi Devar and Siddhar Sattamuni were his Guru Sakhas.
So many names so many forms I have seen him. Sometimes as a old person who is there to guide, sometimes as a friend he plays with me, sometimes as a child protects this body and shows the ways of life. I can only call him Shiva-amsha incarnation of Lord Shiva who has been eternally been there to guide protect and show the way of the life for everyone. The vision of mankind is so shadowed that it cannot pierce the transcendental star. Many seek to know and realise his attainment yet all in vain, it can be conceived.
Lord Adi Shankaracharya had elucidated the life of a Jivanmukta who in his own physical body gets the opportunity to lead a life of liberated soul. This is the state after the Apara state where the ultimate goal is achieved through the inner communion and oneness with the Supreme, the inescapable truth is that we live in this world where Maya has a very strong influence on us Jivas. Once the communion happens the jiva (living being) becomes mukta i.e. liberated for it shatters all the avarna (layers) leading one to the lifting the veil of Maya. Jivamukta state is one where the jiva is liberated yet has a bondage with the forms of rituals becomes one with it such a soul is known as Paraapara mukta. The next state is of Para mukta where he even leaves those behind to merge with divine and even then he is able to come back as avarata but in state of Parapramaataa there is no difference between the Lord and Jiva.
Parama Pujaniya Aghor Baba Pinakadrik ji has reached a state of Parapramaataa where he is free from all the debts of nature. His ways are unique and from the knowledge I gained I could understand this much that he has been here still for providing a way to mankind to lead a life of Dharma(Righteousness) through a process of self cleansing, self purification and attainment of the state of the divya gyanam so that a progress in the right way and manner is taken place for realizing the divine in his purest form. His forms and ways to know is difficult for great siddhars who can I be to even read out in length on his glory.
My meeting with Baba was like that. Like all people who sought knowledge I had learned from many and all are still very much reverent to me. But the quest for gaining the true knowledge and true realisation fro one who can show me the way was the quest. The more I met great saints and wandering Sadhu I learned from them but none were ready to become my Guru.
Once I remember I met a Sufi Saint Baba Budan Giri and under him I learned one day he said, that time has come for making me a Chela. The day was fixed and when I went to him to become one he said, ‘Allah ki raza kutch aur hai. Tera Guru tera intezar kar raha hai who tujhe jaldi milega- the desire and command of Supreme Lord Allah is different. Your Guru is waiting for you, he shall meet you soon’. That was the last time I met Baba Budan Giri ji.
Matang Baba came in my dream and said Baba is waiting for you, meet soon at Tughlakabad fort in morning. I still remember the day 21 march 1996, morning I woke up with a jolt it was 4 am, took bath and started the two-wheeler and went to the place. The distance was some 24 k.m from the residence, I just felt like saying goodbye to mother, touched her feet and moved out. Something told me that I may not return back
Throughout the whole journey my heart was beating anticipation, desire, expectation and many other thoughts just racing through the mind. Then as I was nearing the location in a blink of an eye, I felt tremendous pull on the third eye, I felt nothing but the experience showed me that I have reached my goal. The whole was shaking, my body was trembling, I knew not how but I managed to park the vehicle then it was as if the whole world was trembling and shaking like a earthquake. I could not walk straight, neither my body was supporting nor my brain able to control the limb movement. Within the body I felt as if millions of volcanoes erupting and breaking the walls of the stomach churning the bile to reach its peak, my body I felt as if it is going to fall sick, breathless I became, I felt something moving out of my eyes, ears, nose and mouth, it was like whole life just breaking away from the body then everything suddenly calmed down and the shaking also stopped I can say that I never felt so rejuvenated in my life. The internal body was becoming more calm and quiet, I could hear subtle sounds of unknown language it had no tie with the world as such, nothing was worldly in it, only subtle essence flowed. In front of eyes I saw all my previous births and the ways of journeys it had taken, I could see from where I had started and where it all will end, something had destroyed all that was within me to create a new sense of purity.
I was running towards the rampart and the whole body mind and heart was filled with joy which is inexplicable. There on top I saw two figures, one was Acharya Gurudev Matang Baba ji and second Ācharyagüru Swami Shri Chidananda Bharati ji and another one figure I could not understand for nothing except light I could see, maybe sunrise was the reason mind said.
Finally I was on the top of the rampart of Tughlakabad fort, sun was rising indeed, here I saw for the first time Shivaswarupa Aghor Baba Pinakin Baba ji. I had no words; he was seated with a biksha patra (bowl) in his right hand, holding the wooden staff with the other, the face itself I could not see for it was like the second sun-bright with piercing eyes. I remember one thing and that even without doing pranams to both Acharya Gurudev I just fell at his feet and wept like a child who has seen his father.
Baba ji without even a response to my state just looked at Acharya Gurudev and said, ‘no I cannot take him now, not in his present state’
His voice pierced through my heart he was speaking yet his lips did not move, words were said in Hindi yet I felt as if it was vibrating in many other language.
I could not see what to say or do, I felt as if my life was drained out from me, nothing-nothing mattered now. My master has forsaken me. It really devastated me, something in me said ‘there is no use of this life now’.
At that moment I never knew his name only ‘Baba’ came and till now I call him that only.
‘Baba, if you say that I am worth nothing then this life is useless, when I left home I felt I would not come back. Amma could not understand why I took her blessings for she believes I have gone for the duty. I will just jump off this rampart to end my life’. I donot know why I said that what was my mind set then.
Without even a expression or feeling he said ‘jao kudo..kudo-go ahead jump’.
It was I felt abandoned, I still remember I had looked Acharya Gurudev for support. Both of them were looking at me but said nothing, nothing in support or denial. Mentally I prayed and did pranams and jumped.
I don’t know what happened after that, for it was as if I was struck with lightening and my whole body felt as if the whole energy was just churning in circles and I woke up.
Baba and both Acharya Gurudev were there, I could see the rampart far above me.
Baba was smiling ‘ab tu mera hai-now you are mine. Girnar jaldi aana- come to Girnar soon’.
It was short meeting but it had transformed me. All of them just merged with nature around. I was all alone yet I could feel presence of Baba around me, the bridge that connects to the cycle of rebirths was completely destroyed and the infinite cycle had been broken, once and for all. Was I dreaming No I was not my whole body was shivering, blinding lights all round. It took sometime for regaining composure. Surely I was not returning home the way I left it.
Girnar the paradise was waiting.
My days at home and office went through a different ways lot of surge of energy was there many divine visions appeared and the moment was coming close when the final door to the eternal bliss would open up. Mind was travelling from one place to another, and then the vision for the temple and the divine Dharmakeshtram came and finally on the wee morning of 24 March 1996 I got the name ‘Atma Sadhana Kendra and Soul Searchers’ which has become a part of me till now and has helped bring in more divine people to the realisation of the divine plan.
In the month of second week of April I had an official tour programme coming for Gujarat, divines will was working. The tour covered most parts of Gujarat on 19th I was at Junagarh and on 20-April I reached Girnar afternoon. It is wonderful place with many mountains covering the place. The tallest I believe would be really high may be 3500 feet. Somehow my reaching the place and the official work lost its relevance for me. So many temples on the five mountain top it is a wonderful site. It was evening time when I started the climb of the nearly 8000 steps.
At the foot of the Mountain itself was Damodar Kund, took bath and there I saw Acharya Gurudev Matang Baba ji, he was smiling, I was so enamoured by seeing him there, I ran and fell at his feet. He directed me to go to Damodarji Temple situated towards the northern direction of the Kund. It was divine to walk with Acharya Gurudev Matang Baba ji , my heart was filled with same kind bliss and happiness which I had experienced at Tughlakabad fort.
After darshan at the temple which was build by Vajranabha the grandson of Lord Krishna, we moved towards the Ashwatthama parvat, there on one of the small rocks Baba ji was sitting. I just ran like a kid to him and then after seeing him I just stood there in trance. His voice shook me out of the trance.
After doing the pranams, I sat near his feet, he guided to follow him and from there we went to Bhavnath temple, Baba ji did not come into the temple and stood outside smiling. Inside after the darshan while coming out I felt as if Baba ji is in the Garbha graham and there he was.
We walked up the hill and I saw that though the climb was steep and arduous but I was not feeling tired. On the top Baba ji stopped and showed me the two feet impressions on the mountain.
‘Mahaprabhu Dattatreya ji ke kadam hai, pranam karo. Ashirwad lo, aaj tumhara diksha hai- do pranams to the feet of lord Dattatreya, take his blessing, it is your diksha day’
I did pranams and suddenly I felt very light and felt Baba ji touch my forehead and back of neck. The whole world was spinning only words were from mouth of Baba ji and I was seeing Lord Shiva dancing the Tandava. His face was serene, abhaya mudra and he was in ananda.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Baba jin front of me doing the dance. Mesmerized I sat, two damru were in his hand one was big and another small and the way his feet moved, I did not know what happened, how much time we had spend there. I could see the night was just ending and Baba ji sat down in Dhyana. After sometime he opened his eyes and said ‘Rudrabhayananda yehi naam hoga tumahara aaj se.- from today you will be known as Rudrabhayananda’
From then on I had four diksha and my final Diksha happened on 23 May 1996 at Rudraprayag and from then on I have been on the grace and blessing of Baba ji. rom the day of first Diksha i.e. 21 March till my completion of Diksha I had many visions where I able to realise the true form divinity.
Soul Searchers intends to raise the consciousness of people and to help create a turning point on this planet—a world where people are in tune with their inner-selves, living healthy and creative lives and are no longer swayed by religious dogma or politics. The purpose is to bring the state of righteousness (dharma) back again in current state of political turmoil and selfishly motivated people. We believe the truth can be known and realised through guided and workable ways. Thousands have benefited from the process of initiation and share them with your friends and family and together we’ll touch and transform lives.
Maitreya Wisdom 