Thursday 3 July 2014

Naga Sadhu - a mysterious and secret follower, in search of supreme divine.


The news is - "Emergency calls of 'dharma yuddha' are ringing across the akharas of naga sadhus who have been asked to stand up now to protect the 'sanatan dharma'-Hindu religion. It all began recently when Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peeth, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, objected to the worship of 19th-century religious figure Sai Baba by the Hindus."

I don't know about Swami Swaroopanand Ji, I know little about Naga Sadhus and Sai baba is known in almost every home by his famous stories. And many of us are his followers too.

What clicked me here is Naga Sadhus called by Swamiji to protest. And who are these Naga Sadhus ??


The word 'Naga Sadhus' reminds me of my childhood incidence when I went to a temple with my family in my native place. There was a Naga Sadhu sitting above a high rock. People were going to him with offerings. Mine family too went with fruits to him. But he refused those fruits and said better give me 100 rs. I want 100 rs for my food and the food is chillam. So, my mom gave him 100 rs. I was bidding myself behind my aunt as his appearance was scary for me. I didn't understand his talk on chillam too. As I was a kid and didn't question on those things too to anyone.

Today, again those questions or the curiosity to know them arose and ended up on findings which I will like to share. These are just my understanding on the which I found from others. These facts might not be very true but can't not be totally ignored.

There are around ten lakhs or more naga Sadhus in India. Every year in kumbh Mela around 2 - 5 thousand people become naga Sadhus. To come to this stage to beck.e naga sadhu one has to go through three stages as below:

Devotee ---- Mahapurush ---- Sanyasi ---- Naga Sadhu

Who and how people come to choose this path of becoming Naga Sadhu. Well there are many families who have blessings from some gurus and in return they want their kids to serve them as devotee and become naga sadhu. Such families give their children to gurus as devotee. Then there are people who are old enough to take their own decision to leave the materialistic world and become sadhu. Such people search their gurus and become their devotee.

After being successful devotee for some months or Years their gurus ask them to become mahapurush. Then.Then these mahapush are asked to spend some years as sanyasi in forests or Himalayas or in any peaceful place to check if they can really spend a tough life of a naga sadhu for rest of their lives. Some of them really leave from this hard stage then remaining proves them strong to go forward.


When a sanyasi successfully spends his years in tapasya and return back during kumbh Mela or on some festival occasion to become Naga Sadhu. The sanyasi is asked for guru dakshina, which is jerk in his penis. Due to which it stops erecting.

On becoming Naga Sadhu, they willingly leave the materialistic life by being without clothes, never cutting hair , putting white ash on their bodies etc. And purpose or the sense of found all these is as below:

1. The guru dakshina or the Naga initiation ceremony called “Tanga-Toda Sanskara,” in which a guru gets a hold of an ascetic’s penis and the teacher then gives it three jerks as a means of telling the initiate/monk their sex organ was now out of order. And they can use the sexual energy arose in spritual purpose.

2. There being without clothes give closer connection with the natural divine. Also helps in keeping them away from the self-ego, pride and love for materialistic world.

3. Putting ash and sandlewood on their bodies bring them closer to regrneration and soil.

4. Not cutting hair instead curling hair makes them different from the worldly people which represents that they are not from this materialistic world but from another world of supernatural powers.

Once they are ready to survive their lives as Naga Sadhus, they move in groups to isolated places like jungle, river banks and Himalayas called Akharas. Howere these Akharas are also of many types according to their limitations and restrictions.

They live in isolated places and remain in meditation throughout the years. Only during kumbh Mela many of them in groups come down for ganga snan. There are many sadhus with some amazing powers and knowledge hidden in Himalayas and all over the India . Not all of them wants to be a part of such gathering and choose to be in hiding. So many sadhus even do not attend kumbh Mela or attend secrately.


In Mela some of them come with their weapons to show their strength. Some do activities and powerful miracle shows for earnings of their bread and butter.Then some of them will be found with chillam, charas and ganja.

According to them and their gurus having these drugs by them is valid and sensible. Its not good if a normal materialistic family man have these drugs. Its OK for sadhus to live on drugs as they need to fight cold weather and they are to focus on GOD throughout the life. And for the concentration these drugs are required.

People understand that not all naga sadhus are real. Some of them might be fake who attend kumbh mela to attract people to make money. But its not easy to find the real and the genuine sadhus. No where we will find perfection.


Once kumbh Mela is over these sadhus go back to there places for meditation. Most of the naga sadhus worship for lord Shiva and tries to resemble the god, the master of yogis. And this is one of the reason of their choosing such life for meditation. As Lord Shiva way of being the most powerful tapasvi is the non attachment to the world, using all powers in getting the supremacy the yogic power.

So naga sadhu are the followers of GOD with their chosen style of hard life for yogic powers which is above all powers and religious illumination and liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Different people have different stories and perceptions on them which are mixed opinions. For me after knowing a bit about them I respect all sadhus who are genuine and leading such hard life in search of GOD, the supreme power.





 

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