Left Europe to be a CAVE MASTER

His Holiness Baba Bramachari Narmadashankar ji

Author: kapil kumar
Venue: Bhawali, Uttrakhand

"I feel home whenever I m in a cave", Baba Narmadashankar. 

I received an internet call - the mobile screen showed 'NARMADASHANKAR CALLING"......

I picked up the call and the before I could say hello the voice on the other side said in a very soothing tone "NARMADE HAR - OM NAMAH SHIVAYA - I am Narmadashankar speaking - how r u?

After exchanging the pleasantries baba said I am coming to Delhi to visit Austrian embassy Can you meet me ?  I said Ok we will meet. We had been Facebook friends and he liked my creative works but we never met personally. Perhaps, this would be the first time we would meet. So I gave him my phone number and asked him to call me whenever he was in town.

Baba Naramdashankar enjoying some time in a city

After a month a received a call from him saying I am in town can you come to meet me. I was ready and reached the address. It was secretariat of SUPREME COURT OF INDIA. A civil servant and a top officer of the secretariat had call him for a cup of tea. He was a big fan of baba Narmadashankar's deep knowledge and simplicity. The civil servant politely asked me if I can accommodate him for a day or two. I said it's a honor to live with a yogi who belongs to Narmada Caves. 

While driving back to my Guest House I was reluctant to ask him a question but foolishly asked him " Are you and Indian:

"Off course - but born to Austrian Parents", he answered. 

Gurudev Naramadashankar in our house

But there were more and more surprises coming our way. During our course of discussion I got to know that he was a Mechanical Engineer in Austria and his father a scientist. But Destiny had other designs and from Austria he was shifted to India to shun everything and live a hermit's life. 

Everyone present in the room were zapped just because a learned man - right from Europe came to India only to be called by his Guru telepathically and become an Astang YOGI.... 

Just as a curious child I asked him Babaji do you do Omkar Kriya. He smiled and kept quite for a while. But his simplicity and egoless personality allowed us to ask such childish questions. But he was benevolent enough. He sat straight for a while - closed his eyes and started OMKAR vibrations - My God I haven't heard such thunderous OMKAR sound in my life..... we all were sitting next to him and the way he changed his aura - we all sat on the floor realising our mistake that we challegned a MASTER..... 

After finishing OMKAR kriya he said can I ask you something. We said anything baba maharaj. 

"Just a CUP of tea is enough to satisfy me".

Truth, Simplicity & Love

Born in a scientist family in Austria, Europe Baba Narmadashankar had a normal good life. Being a bright student and acquiring a Mechanical Engineers degree was all his family wanted. But his hidden Guru in India has some other designs. 

One day out of the blues the young Narmadashankar told his parents that he wanted to visit Sabarmati Ashram in India where Mahatma Gandhi lived. His father agreed to it. He came to India and while he was in Sabarmati Ashram he saw a picture of OMKARESHWAR. He asked the receptionist which is that place - she replied OMKARESHWAR a place where people worship Lord Shiva. He immediately took a ticket of a train and left for the place.

Now this was the TURNING POINT in a young mechanical engineers life. Good jobs in automobile sector might have been waiting for him but he took a train to Omkareshwar. On reaching the place he saw life with a different perspective. Not being so rich the people were truthful and sincere - he understood that this simplicity of life is a direct result of spirituality in this part of the world. 

Without having any knowledge of the are and even the language the young man decided to  life some more time in Omkareshwar. He was looking for a GURU now. 

Gurudev Narmadashankar with his guru bhai Baba Kishen Das ji 

Searching for a right Guru lead Gurudev Naramadashankar to a young fierce yogi Baba kishen Das ji who was known for his anger but soft heart. Baba Kishen Das ji offered Narmada baba a place in his CAVE up in the mountains near the banks of Narmada river. Yogis try to avoid too much contact with city people. Now, young Narmada baba was a CAVEMAN.

Never Baba Kishen Das discussed his yogic paths with him but Narmada Baba sooner realised that around 4 am in the morning an OLD MONK comes down and baba Kishen Das follows him without fail. They both reach Narmada river and take baths and discuss holy things. That was his first glimpse of his Gurudev Baba 1008 Shri Raghunath ji Maharaj who followed Mother Gayatri's path which is the most difficult when it comes to discipline and yogi kris. 

Guru Maharaj 1008 Shri Raghunath ji Maharaj 

Life was tough for the young lad now. Gurudev Raghunath ji Maharaj accepted him as his disciple - but the road was too tough.

1. he could not get married throughout life as he will remain Bramachari 
2. He follows very strict disciplines of Gayatri way of life
3. he follows the Astang Yog

Gurudev Raghunath ji Maharaj named him Brahmachari Naramdashankar after the holy river Maa Narmada. He was assigned a cave where he had to spent next 12 yrs of his life. It was like attaining a degree in spiritual life. There are 64 ways of meditation in Astang Yog - he chose the UNNAMANI KRIYA - now his life is all about YAM, NIYAM, ASANA, PRATYAHARA, PRANAYAMA, DHYAN, DHARANA & SAMADHI - 

Cutting the materialistic world - controlling the breathes- controlling the mind- eating whatever nature provides - facing tigers, snakes, lizard and harsh weather was all part of his syllabus.

Mastering the Gorakhasana  the most difficult one

Completing his first degree in cave after 12 years - baba Narmadashankar returned to his guru and asked his permission to do Narmada parikrma. it takes 3 yrs and 9 months to complete one circle of Narmada parikrama - a yogi has to walk alone - barefoot - without money. He completed that as well.  Now, he teaches Unnamani Kriya free to people who really want to walk on the path of enlightenment. 

teaching Unnamani Kriya to kids on banks of Mother Ganga

He became too simple and egoless sometimes if becomes hard to digest that a man can become so simple in his ways. Once he was going back to Europe to meet his parents. He came to Delhi and saw a Rolls Royce showroom - the Mechanical Engineer inside woke up and the Monk wanted to go inside. But the guard at the door wasn't allowing him. The Manager allowed him to come inside and told him 

Manager : baba this is RR - top of luxury car

Baba - Yes this is Phantom series I know

The Manager was taken by surprise as baba described the entire Engine design to him. Perhaps he even did not know the full capacity of the engine. 

Manager - Your knowledge is super but this is not for Babas

baba - Do u know Osho

Manager - Who doesn't know him 

Baba - How many RR did he have

Manager - don't know the number

Baba - 95

The manager immediately opened the door of the RR and asked Baba Narmadashankar to have a look. 

me enjoying talks between baba Balak das and Baba Naramashankar