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{{Short description|Hindu Yogi}}
]'''Mahavatar Babaji''' is a legendary ] ], ], and ] first described by ] in his best-selling ]. Yogananda describes ] as the ] of ]. Yogananda wrote that Mahavatar Babaji is responsible for the revival, in ], of a spiritual technique known as ], which is claimed to accelerate the ] aspirant's evolution. Yogananda also said that Babaji was Krishna in a former lifetime, and he often prayed out loud to "Babaji-Krishna".
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{{Infobox Hindu leader
| name = Mahavatar Babaji
| image = Babaji-transparent.png
| alt =
| caption = Mahavatar Babaji ] in the ] – a drawing from ''Autobiography of a Yogi'', commissioned by Paramahansa Yogananda and based on his own meeting with Babaji
| religion = ]
| relatives =
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| known_for = ]
| school = ]
| disciples = ]
| influenced = ], ], ], ], ], ],<ref name=beatles/> ], ]
| birth_date =
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'''Mahavatar Babaji''' ({{IAST3|Mahāvatāra Bābājī}}; {{literal translation|Great ] ]}}) is the Himalayan ] and ] who taught ] to ] (1828–1895).<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Timothy |url=http://archive.org/details/americasalternat00mill |title=America's alternative religions |date=1995 |publisher=Albany : State University of New York Press |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-7914-2397-4 |pages=178}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Constance |url=http://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofhi0000jone_r9k7 |title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism |date=2008 |publisher=New York : Checkmark Books, an imprint of Infobase Publishing |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-8160-7336-8 |pages=61}}</ref>{{efn|Babaji's other names include ''Mahamuni Babaji Maharaj'' (Supreme Ecstatic Master), ''Maha Yogi'' (Great Yogi), and ''Trambak Baba'' or ''Shiva Baba'' (incarnations of ]).<ref name=":0" />}} Babaji first became recognized through the writings of ], who devoted a chapter of his '']'' to Babaji and founded ], a modern yoga movement that Babaji is associated with.<ref name=":0" /> The cave where Babaji met Lahiri Mahasaya, located near ], is now a tourist attraction and place of pilgrimage in India.<ref name=":2" />{{Rp|page=170}}


==In popular culture==
From ], by ]:


Mahavatar Babaji was on the cover of ]' 1967 album '']''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tillery |first=Gary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ajhTvx3NQPYC |title=Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison |publisher=Quest |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-8356-0900-5 |page=81 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="beatles">cnn.com {{cite news |title=How the 'Sgt. Pepper' cover might have looked today |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/31/entertainment/sgt-pepper-cover-anniversary-trnd/index.html |access-date=2017-08-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Who Are All Those People in SGT Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band - Spacious Planet |url=http://www.spaciousplanet.com/world/guide/who-are-all-those-people-in-sgt-peppers-lonely-hearts-club-band |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111024180614/http://www.spaciousplanet.com/world/guide/who-are-all-those-people-in-sgt-peppers-lonely-hearts-club-band |archive-date=24 October 2011 |access-date=2011-11-28 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> He can also be seen on the cover of ]'s 1974 album '']''. Songwriter ] of English rock band ] composed a song called "]" in reference to Mahavatar Babaji. This song was recorded and released on their 1977 album '']''<ref name="supertramp">{{Cite book |last=Melhuish |first=Martin |title=The Supertramp Book |publisher=] |year=1986 |isbn=0-7119-0787-0 |pages=124–126}}</ref> In Book 3 of '']'' (1998), by ], it is mentioned that Babaji may at one time have resurrected himself from the dead, like ].<ref>Walsch, Neale Donald, ''Conversations with God: an uncommon dialog (Book #3)'', page 95.</ref>
:''The northern Himalayan crags near Badrinarayan are still blessed by the living presence of Babaji, guru of Lahiri Mahasaya. The secluded master has retained his physical form for centuries, perhaps for millenniums. The deathless Babaji is an avatara. This Sanskrit word means “descent”; its roots are ava, “down,” and tri, “to pass.” In the Hindu scriptures, avatara signifies the descent of Divinity into flesh.''


The 2002 film '']'' featured a fictional encounter with Mahavatar Babaji.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Virk |first=Rizwan |title=Wisdom of a Yogi |publisher=Bayview Books |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-954872-10-3 |pages=}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=235, 314}} The film was produced by ], a devotee of Babaji.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chaubey |first=Santosh |date=16 March 2018 |title=Here's how Rajinikanth became a devotee of Mahavatar Babaji |work=India Today |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/what-s-hot/story/here-s-how-rajinikanth-became-a-devotee-of-mahavatar-babaji-1191001-2018-03-16}}</ref>
:''Babaji's spiritual state is beyond human comprehension," Sri Yukteswar explained to me. "The dwarfed vision of men cannot pierce to his transcendental star. One attempts in vain even to picture the avatar's attainment. It is inconceivable.''

More from ], on Mahavatar Babaji's life and role:

:''The Mahavatar is in constant communion with Christ; together they send out vibrations of redemption, and have planned the spiritual technique of salvation for this age. The work of these two fully-illumined masters–one with the body, and one without it–is to inspire the nations to forsake suicidal wars, race hatreds, religious sectarianism, and the boomerang-evils of materialism. Babaji is well aware of the trend of modern times, especially of the influence and complexities of Western civilization, and realizes the necessity of spreading the self-liberations of yoga equally in the West and in the East.''

:''That there is no historical reference to Babaji need not surprise us. The great guru has never openly appeared in any century; the misinterpreting glare of publicity has no place in his millennial plans. Like the Creator, the sole but silent Power, Babaji works in a humble obscurity.''

:''No limiting facts about Babaji’s family or birthplace, dear to the annalist’s heart, have ever been discovered. His speech is generally in Hindi, but he converses easily in any language. He has adopted the simple name of Babaji (revered father); other titles of respect given him by Lahiri Mahasaya’s disciples are Mahamuni Babaji Maharaj (supreme ecstatic saint), Maha Yogi (greatest of yogis), Trambak Baba and Shiva Baba (titles of avatars of Shiva). Does it matter that we know not the patronymic of an earth-released master?''

==Writings About Mahavatar Babaji Since the Publication of Autobiography of a Yogi==
Since the publication of Autobiography of a Yogi in 1946, several teachers have claimed a direct connection to Mahavatar Babaji, and offered more background stories about Babaji. Some of these stories conflict with the details in Autobiography of a Yogi, and some contradict each other. There are different opinions on whether these stories refer to the Mahavatar Babaji that Yogananda wrote about.

''Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition'' by M. Govindan, builds upon Yogananda's description of Babaji by giving new details, such as Babaji's birthdate (30th of November ] A.D.), youth, and attainment of the highest goal of physical ] under the guidance of two great ] Masters of South ] - ] and ]. Govindan claims to have met Babaji in person.

Several accounts were also written by an Indian Holyman named Mahendra Brahmacari, a long term desciple of Hariakhan Baba. Babaji is also discussed in the book "Hariakhan Baba, Known and Unknown" by Baba Hari Dasa.

From ] through ], a teacher lived and taught in the North India who many claimed was the same Babaji as described above. Spiritual teacher ], wrote about his encounters in many of his books, including ''Babaji &mdash; Angel of the Lord''. Since this 'Babaji' passed away in 1984, it's unlikely to be the same Babaji from Autobiography of a Yogi, who said, "I will never leave my physical body. It will always remain visible to at least a small number of people on this earth." (from Autobiography of a Yogi, Chapter 33)


==See also== ==See also==
* ]
* ] – a teacher who appeared in northern India and taught publicly from 1970 to 1984

* ] – founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1917
by

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]
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== Notes ==
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==References==
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==External links==
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Latest revision as of 16:41, 5 November 2024

Hindu Yogi

Mahavatar Babaji
Mahavatar Babaji meditating in the lotus position – a drawing from Autobiography of a Yogi, commissioned by Paramahansa Yogananda and based on his own meeting with Babaji
Personal life
Known forKriya Yoga
Religious life
ReligionHinduism
SchoolYoga
Religious career
Disciples
Influenced

Mahavatar Babaji (IAST: Mahāvatāra Bābājī; lit. 'Great Avatar (Revered) Father') is the Himalayan yogi and guru who taught Kriya Yoga to Lahiri Mahasaya (1828–1895). Babaji first became recognized through the writings of Paramahansa Yogananda, who devoted a chapter of his Autobiography of a Yogi to Babaji and founded Self-Realization Fellowship, a modern yoga movement that Babaji is associated with. The cave where Babaji met Lahiri Mahasaya, located near Ranikhet, is now a tourist attraction and place of pilgrimage in India.

In popular culture

Mahavatar Babaji was on the cover of The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. He can also be seen on the cover of George Harrison's 1974 album Dark Horse. Songwriter Roger Hodgson of English rock band Supertramp composed a song called "Babaji" in reference to Mahavatar Babaji. This song was recorded and released on their 1977 album Even in the Quietest Moments... In Book 3 of Conversations with God (1998), by Neale Donald Walsch, it is mentioned that Babaji may at one time have resurrected himself from the dead, like Jesus.

The 2002 film Baba featured a fictional encounter with Mahavatar Babaji. The film was produced by Rajinikanth, a devotee of Babaji.

See also

Notes

  1. Babaji's other names include Mahamuni Babaji Maharaj (Supreme Ecstatic Master), Maha Yogi (Great Yogi), and Trambak Baba or Shiva Baba (incarnations of Shiva).

References

  1. ^ cnn.com "How the 'Sgt. Pepper' cover might have looked today". Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  2. Miller, Timothy (1995). America's alternative religions. Internet Archive. Albany : State University of New York Press. p. 178. ISBN 978-0-7914-2397-4.
  3. ^ Jones, Constance (2008). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Internet Archive. New York : Checkmark Books, an imprint of Infobase Publishing. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-8160-7336-8.
  4. ^ Virk, Rizwan (2023). Wisdom of a Yogi. Bayview Books. ISBN 978-1-954872-10-3.
  5. Tillery, Gary (2011). Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison. Quest. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-8356-0900-5.
  6. "Who Are All Those People in SGT Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band - Spacious Planet". Archived from the original on 24 October 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  7. Melhuish, Martin (1986). The Supertramp Book. Omnibus Press. pp. 124–126. ISBN 0-7119-0787-0.
  8. Walsch, Neale Donald, Conversations with God: an uncommon dialog (Book #3), page 95.
  9. Chaubey, Santosh (16 March 2018). "Here's how Rajinikanth became a devotee of Mahavatar Babaji". India Today.

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