The Divine Life of
Sri Sri Balananda Brahmachari Maharaj Ji

The creation of the universe was initiated from a single cosmic sound – OM. This sacred syllable is not just one sound, it is actually three. The ‘Pranava’ (Om) comprises of three syllables, indicating the continuity of the past, the present and the future, and the one who has conquered all the three time frames (the Past, the Present and the Future – Tri Kaal), is known as Mahakaal. He is who was there before the creation of the universe, and he is who will be there, even after its destruction. He is whom we all worship, in the form of Adi Yogi – Mahadev, and he is who incarnated and came to us in form of our Param Pujaniya – Param Guru Maharaj Ji – Sri Sri Balananda Brahmachari.

Born in the holy land of Mahakaal, in Mahakaleswar, Ujjain, to divine parents, our Param Guru Maharaj Ji, made all aware of his divinity, from his early toddler years. His holy father was a revered priest at the Mahakaleswar temple. While his holy mother Sri Sri Narmada Maata, at the time when women hardly received education, was one of the most knowledgeable women in the province. Hers was such a plethora of divine knowledge, that eminent priests came to her council to clarify the varied nuances of Hindu scriptures. Lovingly, she called her child – Pitambar, and adored him dearly, with all her heart. However, the worry of her ecstatic child, worried her to the extremes. Sometimes, he was found meditating deeply in the cremation grounds, and sometimes he would go exploring haunted and ruined buildings, in search of spirits, and again he would be lost for days in the forest, and come back to tell her stories of his Shapoore Maa and Shapoore Baba. Pitambar’s tendency of often fleeing from home, in search of the Divine, in culmination with her fear of losing him forever, made her guard him even more closely. But who has ever been able to capture Mahadev? Who has been ever been able to contain and guard the divine in his own home, separated from the rest of the world? For Mahadev is boundless, timeless and it is beyond the power of anyone of containing him to oneself! Thereby, on the third day of his thread ceremony, at an early tender age of nine, Pitambar, renounced all mortal longings and desires, he left back all humanly relations, and walked onto the path of achieving supreme divinity. At an age, when children, cannot think of spending a moment without their mothers, he left back his birth mother, to walk into the arms of the divine mother. He left back one Naramada Maa to unite with his another Narmada Maa, the holy Narmada River.

Thus he embarked on his divine journey. He undertook severe penance and completed the Narmada Parikrama, during which, he encountered myriad mystical events. It is during this time, when he arrived in Gangonath, Gujarat, he came in the presence of his Guru – Sri Sri Brahmananda Brahmachari Maharaj, the great saint and revered yogi of Narmadakhand. Destined as it was, Sri Sri Brahmananda Brahmachari Maharaj Ji initiated our Param Guru Maharaj as a Naisthik Brahmachari. Thereafter, along with his holy companion Sri Sri Gourishankar Maharaj Ji, on the advice of his Guru, he completed the Narmada Parikrama and went onto become one with the divine, in the great Himalayas. He embarked on this pilgrimage on foot and spent most his years through severe and intense Sadhana with Yogkriya, at the extreme heights of the great Himalayas. During his stay in Bhagsunath, Himachal Pradesh, he made acquaintance with Sri Sri Manshagiri Maharaj, who received a divine direction and thereby, requested Sri Sri Param Guru Maharaj Ji to return to the plains, and become a means of peace and providence to a million troubled souls.

Therefore, Sri Sri Param Guru Maharaj Ji, came down from the Himalayas, and during his downhill journey, he visited Gomukh (origin of the holy River Ganga) and brought back with him the water from the holy Ganga, to perform Abhishek at one of the most holy Dwadash Jyotirlingas – Sri Sri Rameswaram, South India. He traveled all along the nation and offered his prayers at various Devasthalas. Finally, the divine destiny brought him to the holy lands of Sri Sri Baidyanath Dham, Deoghar. Here he spent numerous years in great Sadhana at the lotus feet of Sri Sri Taponath Mahadev, at Tapovan Hill. It is here, where he was once again reunited with his long lost birth mother, Sri Sri Narmada Maata. Thousands of devotees found their solace at his lotus feet, and he imparted divine knowledge to all. After years of persuasion by his devotees, he finally, came down from Tapovan Hill, and established Sri Sri Balananda Ashram, Karnibad, Deoghar. This too he agreed, because after the demise of his very first disciple, Sri Ramcharan Bose, his wife, Srimati Katyani Devi, who was herself a disciple of Sri Sri Param Guru Maharaj Ji, wanted to establish a ashram at Karnibad, Deoghar, for their Gurudev.

During the later years of his life, at Deoghar, Jharkhand, he established the Sankrit College and Ayurveda Hospital, for the preservation of the Sankrit language and to provide medical facilities to the people of Deoghar. He initiated several Brahmacharis, under his divine guidance, such as Sri Sri Purnananda Brahmachari, Sri Sri Tarananada Brahmachari, Sri Sri Krishnananda Brahmachari, Sri Sri Paramananda Brahmachari, Sri Sri Satyananda Brahmachari, Sri Sri Kebalananda Brahmachari, Sri Sri Mouja Giri, and many others. His most adored Brahmachari disciple, was our Guru Maharaj Ji – Sri Sri Mohanananda Brahmachari, whom he lovingly called – Mohan. He went on to transfer all responsibilities of the Ashram to our Guru Maharaj Ji. He anointed our Guru Maharaj Ji as the Sebayat and successor of Sri Sri Baleswari Maa and Sri Sri Balananda Ashram Deoghar. He established temples of Sri Sri Bala Tripura Sundari Maa – Sri Sri Baleswari Maa, and Sri Sri Baleswarnath Mahadev in the Ashram. He also constructed the holy Naramada Kund, in the ashram, in the holy memory of his mother. The divine and mystical occurrences of the life of Sri Sri Param Guru Maharaj Ji are myriad to pen down. He left for his heavenly abode in 1937, however, we ardently believe, and at all times feel, that he is still the Guardian of the Ashram, and is the protector of each one of us.

True to his divine life and persona, despite all the plethora of knowledge and greatness, he always stayed rooted to the grounds, and directed his disciples to follow the same path of humbleness. He often said “Manager Bano, Maalik Nahi”, thereby, establishing the fact, that we all are but nothing more than Managers, in the divine creation of God, who is the Maalik of us all, and during our stay in this world, we should do everything in our power to preserve and nurture this beautiful creation of God, all the while remembering, that everything that we have, and everything that we build, it is not ours, but that of the Supreme Being’s. Walking on the divine path, established by him, we aspire to honour him in every possible way, through our actions, out thoughts, and our speech. For, we are unto him, and for eternity, he is unto us – Our Spiritual Guide, our Guru, our Protector, our Mahakaal, and our Mahadev!