Bhagawan Gopi Nath Ji of Kashmir

The Saint of All Times

By: B.Revti

The Book “Bhagawan Gopi Nath Ji of Kashmir—The Saint of All Times’’ (Vol II) is a wonderful book worth reading.  Written by Prof Kashi Nath Dhar, the then Director Shri Parmananda Research Institute, Srinagar in April 1981, the Book is based on 175 pages with interesting anecdotes. The  author has tried to project Bhagawan Ji as he was. Prof Dhar  has  also tried to prove a mirror to Bhagwan Ji’s seraphic personality.  

Bhagawan Ji is first saint having influenced Indian masses

Though Kashmir has been the home of many exalted Saints, strangely enough none seems to have produced any impact on the Indian masses; they were hardly known outside Kashmir except Lalleshwari whose Vakhs are extant in some parts of India. It can safely be recorded that the magnetic personality of Kashmiri Saints and their message did not at all cross the mountain-barriers of their land of birth, Prof  Dhar mentions that  Bhagwan Gopi Nath Ji is  in fact the first  Saint of Kashmir who is influencing the Indian masses and in whose sacred memory centres have  being established in India. The first Centre was established in Prayagraj (Allahabad) during the Kumbh Mela in 1977, followed by another Spiritual Centre in the vast domain of Aghoreshwara in Kreem Kund Varanasi, besides smaller Centres in other places, including two in the Union Capital.

Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ram whose mention has been made in this  book while   speaking to an audience of about 10,000 people in January 1979  said that Bhagwan Gopi Nath Ji was a Mahapursha. In his speech delivered at Bhagwan Gopi Nath Ji’s “Shivar” at the Vishwa Hindu Sammelan, he is quoted as having said that  that he had his first  acquaintance with Bhagwan Ji by reading “Bhagwan Gopi Nath Ji special number’’ in the “Chandi” Journal of all India fame, and since that time he has been so dominated by him that wherever in meditation he concentrated on his Guru or Ista Deva (titular deity) the image of Bhagwan Ji with a Kashmiri style turban on, appears before his vision.

The Book mentions about the Vishwa Hindu Sammelan, where some Kashmiris had requested Bhagwan Ram to help them out of their worldly difficulties. His reply was  that Bhagwan Gopi Nath  Ji was a potent Spiritual force working in higher Spiritual planes and that he alone could solve their problems and advised them to invoke only his (Bhagwan Ji’s) grace. Maharaj Gagan Giri Baba of Kolhapur (who has an Ashram in Khapoli as well), the most famous mystic Saint of Maharashtra- a highly evolved Soul mentions in the book that Bhagwan Ji was a Mahat — the  one in harmony with universal Consciousness.

Bhagawan Ji’s Australian devotees

The Book mentions about Australian devotees of Bhagwan Gopi Nath Ji, who had started a Bhagwan Gopi Nath Ji Centre in Winmalee N.S.W. (Australia) to propagate “Bhagwan Consciousness”. The foreign devotees believe that it will be Superior to that mission undertaken by Kashmir Bikhshus of Mahayana Buddhism, which they carried to Central Asia and Tibet some thousand years back, and will show surprising results.

Though Bhagwan Ji’s Australian devotees have had first contacts with Bhagwan Gopi Nath Ji Ashram in 1975 only, he has been very kind to them and has kindled Tattva Gyana in them (vide Chapter V-Exchange of letters).

Theories about religious processes followed by Bhagawan Ji.

The Book makes a mention about different theories regarding the religious creed and religious processes followed by Bhagwan Ji. Some say that he was in Shambhav Awastha (mentioned in Shaivism). Others say that he was a Vaishnava! Yet others say that he was a Shakta. Some people call him an Aghoreshwar, others an Avadhoot, a Jeewan Mukhta, or a Videha.

The Book makes it categorically clear  that none is qualified to say about the state (Avastha) Bhagwan Ji was in, unless one is himself a realized Soul. He has himself defined the state he was in, when he recited Shloka 6. Chapter XV of Bhagawad Gita in response to a query in this connection (vide page 92 of Bhagwan Ji’s Biography Vol. I). Only those in an advanced state of Consciousness may be able to divine the depths of Spirituality of Bhagwan Ji.

 The author of the Book—Prof Kashi Nath Dhar has researched well to produce the treatise full of content and meaning. The Book carries some rare photographs as well. Kashmir Rechords is reproducing some of  them here.

Those interested can know more about the contents of the Book by contacting us at kashmirrechords@gmail.com or support@kashmir-rechords.com