part 3 : sapta shringi mountain, nasik, maharashtra

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Part 3 : Sapta Shringi Mountain, Nasik, MaharashtraBy Dean Das

MIND-YOGA (AUST)

“Back in those days visitors

scrambled up the dry creek beds

for over 4 hours in order to take

the darshan (blessing) of the

18 Armed Temple Goddess,

(Nivasini Devi) ...”

For around 7 years, between the years, 1975 to 1982, I lived at the ashram of my Guru, Swami Prakashananada Saraswati (Babaji), atop the 4,500 foot, Sapta Shringi mountain. In the early 80’s, due to ill-health, Babaji left the harsh mountain climate for the city of Nasik, where he lived until he left his body in 1988 (mahasamadhi). In the time that I resided with Babaji at Shree Gurudev Ashram, Sapta Shringi, it was a busy, bustling ashram. Sixty children living in the ashram itself, and attending the school that Babaji built, and another 50 village children fed three times a day.

Within the ashram walls lived four or five swami’s (monks) or sadhus (yoga practitioner), and at any one time, two or three western devotees. When I first arrived, beside myself, there was a Canadian

sadhu, latterly known as Swami Devananda Saraswati. The Englishman, Harihar (Titus Foster), Babaji’s translator and author of his biography, ‘Agaram Bagaram Baba’, came later, becoming the longest residing western devotee. The ashram residents were engaged in what is called guruseva (working in service to the Guru or Self)).

Back in those days visitors scrambled up the dry creek beds for over 4 hours in order to take the darshan (blessing) of the 18 Armed Temple Goddess, (Nivasini Devi) ensconced within the sheer rock wall of the mountain, and to take darshan of the resident Siddha ( holy man), simply known as Babaji (honored father). Babaji spent his days sitting on a stone step in the blue-stone hall of the ashram, lungi (cloth)

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Part 3 : Sapta Shringi Mountain, Nasik, MaharashtraBy Dean Das (continued)

precariously tied around his ample waist, dispensing glasses of water, tea and biscuits to weary pilgrims, and engaging them with his humorous wisdom tales. The hall resounded with good-natured laughter, or when Babaji was in a pensive mood, it would be as quiet as a mid-week day at a country church.

Previous to this visit, the last time I was on the mountain was in 2002/2003. The sole occupant at that time was Babaji’s long-serving ‘right-hand man’, Swami Omananda Saraswati (Om Baba). Children no longer lived in the ashram, and the school had been handed over to the Education Department. Still, once a day, the village children would be fed in the precincts of the ashram. Though the ashram was no longer a vibrant center of activity, the visit of 2002/2003 allowed me to get to know my spiritual brother, Om Baba, a complex man notoriously difficult to get along with. In later years, Om Baba and myself became very close gurubhais (brother disciples). This loyal servant of Babaji left his body in the mid 2000’s.

So back to the present. In December, 2012, I arrived at Shree Gurudev Ashram, Sapta Shringi with uncertainty and trepidation in relation to the current circumstance of the ashram. We had spent the previous day in Nasik talking with the Dr’s Rajhan, whom Babaji lived with for the last five and one half years of his life, on the 3rd floor of the Rajhan’s residence and private hospital I could clearly understand why he chose the Rajhan’s. The Rajhan’s love for Babaji was humbling. We exchanged a lot of stories, and shared much laughter. They informed us that the ashram was in quite poor condition, as I had expected.

The taxi snaked its way up the road to the top of the mountain. I remembered that first climb, by foot, in 1975, clambering up dry creek beds for over 4 hours, following signs chalked onto large boulders.

Approaching Sapta Shring mountain

Upon arrival at the top, we joined swarms of pilgrims, literally thousands, mainly families, all there to visit the rock-mountain resident Goddess (Nivasini Devi). Shops and stalls of every kind lined the side of the main road for half a kilometer, up to, and beyond the steps to the Devi Temple. Side roads branched off the main road and were equally busy. Sapta Shringi had the appearance of a boom-time, shanty-town. Three large multi-storied buildings accommodated overnight pilgrims.

In the 70’s when I lived on the mountain, other than the few daubed mud huts belonging to the adivasi (jungle) peoples, there was one low-rise dharmasthala building (hostel for pilgrims), and a handful of street-side stalls. Now the village was a chat masala (a favourite Indian snack mixing sour and salty tastes). Stalls selling every conceivable item – food, plastic images of the Devi, puja knick-knacks, stuffed toys of Hanuman (the god monkey), necklaces, clothes, mountains of kum kum (red powder), and chai.

The air reverberated with the staccato beating of drums and roar of trumpets as lines of pilgrims accompanied by a chorus of drummers and trumpeters walked the dusty path to the stone steps leading to the Devi Temple. Bollywood music competed for airspace with popular Hindi religious music. The ground level tamasha (confusion) overlaid from above with the sound of taped bhajans (chants) (in honor of the Goddess)

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being played through distorted Temple speakers, the cacophonous sound reverberating off the sheer rock wall across the valley. Yes, this is India in its full glory!

Not being sure that anybody would even be living at Shree Gurudev Ashram, we booked into the Devi Trust building. We were kindly given the best room (including lounge-room) available for the princely sum of 750 rupees per night ($13). It was clean with a spectacular view of the Devi Temple.

View of Devi Temple.

After unpacking, we headed to the ashram. Due to the clutter of stalls and buildings that have sprung up in the past 10 years, I could hardly recognize the way to the ashram gate. With the influx of thousands of pilgrim ‘day-trippers’ to the Devi Temple, the small bluestone ashram at the base of the mountain has largely been forgotten. It is now surrounded by newly built double-storied, nouveau-riche, concrete ugliness.

I opened the very same wrought iron gates that I first walked through 38 years ago, the rusted hinges squeaking as they did way back then. To the right is a large hall that leads to Babaji’s Samadhi (burial place). In front of me was a vacant block of land. It took a moment or two for my brain to compute that the old blue-stone hall in which Babaji sat and gave darshan (blessings), the smoky kitchen, and the small temple were I first saw Guru, were no longer!

Beyond the vacant block was a new kitchen and eating hall.

I entered the large marble hall with Babaji’s Samadhi Shrine at the end. The hall was built by Om Baba in the middle 90’s, and has the capacity to sit 350 people (ironic in the fact that so few people currently visit the ashram).

Ashram Hall

I approached Babaji’s Samadhi shrine at the top of the hall. There sits the life-sized murti (statue) of Babaji, made of the 5 precious metals, sitting cross-legged, with his hand raised in a gesture of blessing (abhaya mudra). Below the statue is placed a pair of gold-plated, wooden padukas (shoes). The Samadhi shrine itself is built on the spot where Babaji’s small kutir (hut) was formerly positioned. Under Babaji’s bed within the kutir was a small cave, large enough to fit one person. Babaji’s body was interred inside the cave, and seated upright in a cross-legged sitting position (siddhasana).

Babaji’s Samadhi Statue


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During my time at the ashram, I was privileged to sleep on the verandah of Babaji’s kutir (hut), under his window (to the right of where the statue is now). I would meditate directly under Babaji’s window, on one occasion, he leaned toward the window and said, ‘Dean Das nirvikalpa samadhi (absorption in ‘pure consciousness’), me, nidra samadhi (absorption in normal sleep), and raucously laughed out-loud! This put paid to the rumors that he did not sleep! In the early mornings, I would be awakened by Babaji’s movements around the room, and then watch him, body slumped, in deep meditation, seated upon his bed.

Each morning and evening, Babaji’s statue is washed with scented milk, and draped in silk cloth. Garlands of fresh flowers are looped around the neck, and red hibiscus and yellow marigolds placed around the feet, and wooden padukas (shoes). The abhishek (ceremonial washing of the Babaji’s statue) is performed by the five resident ashram children in the company of two or three adults. Twice daily, the form of puja (worship) known as arati (the waving of lights) is carried out before Babaji’s statue by the children. The image comes to life in the form of spiritual power (shakti) at these times.

Babajis Samadhi Statue with Author

Leaving the hallway through the side-door, some 15 meters to the right is a mound of hardened clay, the simple burial place of Babaji’s devoted lieutenant, the aforementioned, Omananda Swami. Arriving upon Sapta Shringi in 1956 with the intention to serve Babaji, he never left. The construction of a small mandir (temple) and murti (statue) of Om Baba will commence shortly. Om Baba is certainly deserving of such honor.

Om Baba’s Samadhi

I walked to the perimeter of the ashram grounds to visit the gupha (cave), Nagendra Cave, where Babaji lived for the first 7 years upon his 1955 arrival at Sapta Shringi. The cave is my favourite place within the ashram. Some newly placed tiles are in the process of being placed in concentric patterns surrounding the cave. Back in the old days, at night, I would sneak out of the ashram to meditate here. At times, I would sit inside the cave, and at other times, on the carved stone step at the entrance to the cave from which I could see the ghostly flicker of the Devi Temple lights high upon the sheer rock wall. Upon my nightly excursion being revealed, Babaji admonished me, warning me of the dangers of entering the jungle alone at night due to the (then) presence of roaming tigers and sleeping cobras!


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Babaji’s Cave

Currently residing at the ashram is a youngish man named Vasant, along with a delightful old devotee of Babaji, Datta Patil, two swamis, Sadashivananda, and another swami, and the five young boys, aged from 8 to 12 years. For me, a highlight was to once more catch up with the ashram perennials, the ‘jack-of-all trades’ and now cook, Bhagwan (his son is also employed in the ashram), and the ‘deaf and dumb’ young girl, now a beautiful, middle-aged woman, whom I refer to as Mataji (Holy Mother). Bhagwan and Mataji served both Babaji, and subsequently Om Baba, carrying out ashram duties since the early 70’s. Mataji is a local village girl who has worked within the ashram from 10 years of age.

Bhagwan & Ashram Mataji

The young man Vasant is effectively ‘the acting manager’, but prefers to refer to himself as engaging in ‘guruseva’ (work in dedication to the Guru or Self). Vasant is in the process of forging a relationship with the Devi Trust, and others, such as Swami Nityananda of Magod. On a Devi Trustee meeting night, with an eye for a political opportunism, Vasant introduced us to the Board of Trustees who kindly invited to share dinner with them and family members.

Vasant’s intention is to raise much-needed funds in order to repair the ashram bathroom and toilet plumbing system. Improved facilities will encourage visitors to stay within the ashram precincts rather than in the Devi Trust accommodation. A relationship with the wealthy Devi Trust makes for common interest and good financial sense.

Vasant (‘manager’)

The scripturally famous Markendeya mountain stands opposite to the Sapta Shringi mountain. Markendeya is a silent sentinel to the hoary history of Sapta Shringi. Mythological history has it that the sage Markendeya sat in meditation upon a flat rock, facing Sapta Shringi mountain, for 12 years (or in other versions, 12 cycles of cosmic ‘creation and dissolution’). Finally he was granted darshan


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(vision) of the Goddess, Nivasini Devi (19 Armed-Devi). Markendeya then walked across the deep valley that separates the sister mountains, and carved a replica of the Devi into the rock wall at the geographically location of the vision. It is said (by the temple Brahmins (priests), that the original stone image carved by Markendeya lies behind the large brightly painted, plaster-cast image of the Devi. It is only the elder Brahmin priests who are permitted to view the original image.

Markendeya Mountain

The great 9th Century A.D Siddha (God-Realized yogi), Matsyendranatha (Lord of the Fish), resided upon ‘Sapto Shringa’ mountain -- ‘I do not know when this wisdom (esoteric Yogic Lore) was communicated by the god Shiva to the ear of Parvati by the shore of the Milky Ocean, but it was found by him (Matsyendranath) who lay concealed in the womb of a fish in the waves of that ocean. On the mountain of Saptoshringa that Matsyendranatha met the crippled Chaurangi (9 broken-limbed), who at once became whole in all his limbs. This secret wisdom was then conveyed by Matsyendranatha to Gorakshanatha, who had a great desire to enjoy undisturbed contemplation. The great Matsyendranatha enthroned on the highest place of contemplation Gorakshanatha, who was like a lake of lotuses in the form of yoga and valiant in the destruction of sensual desires. Then Gorakshanatha transmitted to Shri Gahinanatha the glory of that incomparable joy

with all its power, received from Shankara. When he saw that Kali was persecuting all creatures, Gahinanatha gave this command to Nivrittinatha (the Guru and brother of the currently quoted author, Jnaneshvar). That teaching has come down to us from Shankara, the Great Guru, through the tradition of his disciples’.( refer ‘Jnaneshvari’, A Song-Sermon on the BhagavadGita Vol.2, verses 1730 – 1737, author, Jnaneshvar).

Jnaneshvar himself was a great 13th Century Siddha who lived in the small village of Alandi, a short distance from Sapta Shringi. Jnanesvar composed his great epic poem ‘Jnaneshvari’ (‘the path of Knowledge’) at the precociously young age of 19 years, and once completed, entered into meditation, and voluntarily left his body (‘live’ samadhi).

Statue of Jnaneshvar & his sister, Muktabai, Alandi

All of the above Siddhas connected with Markendeya and Sapta Shringi mountains belong to the 9th Century, Siddha/Nath yogic lineage. This is the lineage of the author, Dean Das.

Before leaving Sapta Shringi, I wished to find a woman sadhvini (female yogi) called Mataji. In 1975 she took up residence in an old 14th Century, Shiva Temple, down hill from the ashram. I last caught up with her on the 2002/2003 visit. When she arrived atop the mountain back in the mid 70’s, she was a stunningly beautiful woman in her late 20’s. Upon arrival, she set to work on repairing and revitalizing the decrepit Shiva temple. Mataji


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cleared out the decades of assorted rubbish – cigarette packets, soft-drink bottles, the bats and rats, and their droppings, swallows and snakes.

Mataji’s Shiva Temple Image - Inside

Employing the use of powerful mantras (sacred word-sounds) in combination with purificatory rites (pujas) Mataji cleaned, washed and ‘re-energized’ the black Shiva Lingam (the phallic-shaped stone pillar representing the god Siva’s creative aspect). Mataji relit the sacred fire (dhuni), and drew protective yantras (sacred geometric diagrams) around the temple’s outer perimeter.

Shiva Temple - Outside

Many years ago, Mataji showed me a photograph of her only son who died of a disease when 10 years of age. This was the impetus for her to turn away from the maya (illusion) of family life. One another occasion a male sadhu sexually harassed her (a common experience for a female sadhvini (yogi), and I was glad to be of assistance via a burly western Swami brought up in Melbourne, whose grasp of colloquial Hindi was far more fluid and colorful than mine! Ashort discussion ensued, and the offending sadhu was never to be seen in the area again.

Mataji became a ‘feminist icon’ for the village women, leading them each evening on pradikshina (ritual circumambulation) of the village. Unfortunately this did not make her popular with the male elders of the village. Mataji soon found her food supply was cut-off in an attempt to starve her out of the village. Ever aware of the presence of village ‘politics’, Babaji surreptitiously sent food to Mataji on a daily basis, over a number of years. She was forever grateful to her ‘big baba’.

So, 37 years later here is Mataji – smaller, older, and greyer, yet eyes twinkling bright, and grace still intact. Jai Gurudev to you brave Mataji!

Mataji (‘Holy Mother’)


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Further down the path from the ashram, by the washing kund (lake), where I would walk Babaji’s awesomely powerful dog Kahlia (black dog, Destroyer of Time), is another old 14th Century Shiva Temple. The resident old baba has been here since the early 70’s. Nice sitting with him, in silence, without the interruption of language.

Old Baba

A less known place upon Sapta Shringi is the Gorakhshanath gupha (Gorakshanath’s cave). A quarter way up the Devi Temple steps, and to the side of the path, lies an unprepossessing single rock cave. Only recently has the Devi Trust paid it any attention. Now there are plans to ‘develop it’ (which has its down-side).

One hot afternoon in the 70’s, whilst descending the temple steps, I was drawn to a large rock with a naturally formed narrow entrance. I scurried across the steep slope, and on hands and knees, entered the entrance into the coolness of the cave. For some time, I peacefully sat in meditation. Upon arrival back at the ashram, I mentioned the cave to firstly Om Baba, and then to Babaji, and both confirmed that the cave is the place attributed to where the Siddha Gorakhshanath resided at Sapta Shring.

Babaji told me that at one time a small mandir (temple) had been built upon this spot, and for centuries it was this Gorakshanath Temple drawing pilgrims to the mountain with the Devi Temple playing a secondary role. At a point in time, a large round rock broke loose from the rock wall, and rolled on top of the temple, fully burying the

temple, and a huge bell underground. Over the proceeding centuries, the Gorakshanath’s rock cave was forgotten. A female sadhvini is currently the sole resident.

Gorakshanath Image at entrance to Cave

Upon leaving Sapta Shringi mountain, we visited Swami Umananda of Wonni village. Umanandaji resided at Shree Gurudev Ashram, Sapta Shringi during the 1970’s and 1980’s (15 years in total). In the early 80’s when Babaji permanently departed from Sapta Shringi to live in Nasik City, Babaji appointed Om Baba and Umanandaji as joint heads of Shree Gurudev Ashram. It didn’t take long for a ‘falling-out’ to take place between the stern ex-Army Sergeant, Om Baba, and the youthfully gregarious Umanandaji. Babaji was left with no choice but to tell Umanandaji to vacate the ashram, and to find his own kutir (hut) to continue his sadhana (inner spiritual work). Umanandaji followed his Guru’s instructions.

So 35 years later, here is the ever-youthful 70 years old, Swami Umananda living in a small village nearby to Sapta Shringi mountain. Prior to meeting after 35 years, I had sent a couple of western students to stay with Swamiji at Wonni. They reported him exactly as I knew him to be – warm, generous, laughing with good-natured humor, and most importantly, now content within himself. Swami Umananda’s command of English had always been excellent, and that coupled with his tall, good looks and natural grace, made him a sure fire bet to get carted-off to the west by western devotees. But remarkably, this was not to be his karma! In recent years, Umanandaji had been


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approached to consider returning to take over Shree Gurudev Ashram, Sapta Shringi. He politely declined, citing ‘ill-health’, saying to me ‘the people of Wonni have accepted me with great love, and I have accepted them likewise’. Of the record, he made it clear that he had no need for ‘ashram politics’.

Swami Umananda Saraswati

So Swami Umananda will live out his life contentedly in a simple two-room house contained within the temple complex of the sister Goddess to the nearby Sapta Shringi Devi. At irregular intervals visitors arrive for his darshan (blessing), and leave full of laughter and love. With caring typical of his nature, Umananadaji insisted that I regularly speak to him on his mobile whilst

travelling in India. I was happy to comply. Jai Ho, smiling Umanandaji!

In closing, I wish to express my everlasting gratitude to the Devi of Sapta Shringi for having blessed me with Her presence, and for providing the opportunity to serve Her loyal servant, Swami Prakashananda Saraswati (Babaji). My birth place is Melbourne, Australia. My spiritual home is Sapta Shringi mountain.

To be continued – Episode 4 – Ganeshpuri, Maharashtra.


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DEAN DAS is a Master

Meditation Teacher.

DEAN DAS is the founder of Mind-Yoga (Aust),

Melbourne.www.meditationclassesmelbourne.com

http://www.meditationclassesmelbourne.com

http://www.meditationclassesmelbourne.com

part 3 : sapta shringi mountain, nasik, maharashtra

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