Sitaramdas Omkarnath: Difference between revisions

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{{cite web | title=Shri Shri Sitaramdas Omkarnath Thakur « Shri Somnath Mahadev  | url=http://www.somnathmahadev.com/en/shri-swami-ganeshanandji/shri-shri-sitaramdas-omkarnath-thakur/ | accessdate=2015-04-05}}</ref>

| death_place  = India

'''Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath''' (17 February 1892 – 6 December 1982) was an Indian spiritual master. Addressed as Sri Sri Thakur Sitaramdas Omkarnath, where "Omkar" signifies the supreme cosmic enlightenment and attaining supreme consciousnes, he was heralded as the Divine Incarnate (Avatar) of ''[[Kali Yuga]]'' and espoused the doctrines of Sanatan Dharma and Vedic spiritual path to countless devotees from across the world, with central theme and paramount importance on the beneficence of Divine Chanting [[Nāma|Naam]] of Hare Krishna Hare Ram - regarded as the omnipotent "Tarak Brahma Naam" the chant of soul deliverance in ''Kali Yuga'' and "Moksha" liberation from cycle of birth and death. As such, his disciples continue to worship him as an incarnation of the Lord himself and is verily regarded as an eternal source of spiritual enlightenment and soul succour to all seekers.<ref>{{cite news |first=Sanjib|last=Chattopadhyay |title=Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath Shivthakurer kache ki Mantra peyechilen |page=12 |newspaper=[[Bartaman]] Patrika (Bengali: বর্তমান) |date=19 February 2011 }}</ref> because his life had been predicted in a manuscript of [[Achyutananda]] Dasa.  Sitaramdas Omkarnath wrote more than 150 books to promote the essence of Indian scriptures, built more than 60 temples and ashrams all across India, and founded His spiritual organisation Akhil Bharat Jaiguru Sampradaya,<ref name="Omkar Math Omkareshwar">{{cite web |title=Omkar Math Omkareshwar |url=http://omkareshwar.org/omkar-math/# |accessdate=2015-04-07}}</ref> established many groups, temples, mutts, both within and outside the [[Sampradaya]]— and was also the initiator of multiple magazines like ''Pather Alo'', ''Devjan'', ''JaiGuru'', ''Arya Nari'', ''Paramananda'', and ''The Mother''.

Omkarnath was born in an uncle's house at Keota village in [[Hooghly district]], [[West Bengal]], on 6 [[Falgun]] 1892. His given name was Probodh Chandra Chattopadhyay, and his parents were Pranhari Chattopadhyay and Mallabati Devi. Pranhari was a pious [[Brahmin]] and worked as a village physician in Dumurdaha, Hooghly district.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} The ''[[kuladevata]]'' (family deity) was Brajanath ([[Krishna]]).<ref name=Petsche>{{cite journal|last1=Petsche|first1=Johana J.M.|title=The Divine Life of Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath, by C. Varadarajan, fourth edition|journal=International Journal for the Study of New Religions|date=29 July 2014|volume=5|issue=1|pages=106–107|doi=10.1558/ijsnr.v5i1.106|url=https://www.academia.edu/5838367|accessdate=21 May 2015}}</ref>

In 1896, his mother Malyavati Devi died. His father then married Giribala Devi, and himself died in 1912.<ref>{{cite news |first=Sanjib|last=Chattopadhyay |title=Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath Shivthakurer kache ki Mantra peyechilen  |page=12 |newspaper=[[Bartaman]] Patrika (Bengali: বর্তমান) |date=19 February 2011 }}</ref>

Omkarnath attended a village school but then determined that Dasarathidev Yogeswar of Digsui village should be his [[guru]].<ref name="Omkar Math Omkareshwar"/><ref name=Gurus>{{cite book |last=Singh Uban |first=Sujan |title=Gurus of India |year=1977 |publisher=East-West Publications (U.K.) Ltd |isbn=978-0-85692-004-2}}</ref>{{rp|133}}Though he was admitted to the Bandel Church School for a quite of time to pursue Western Education, he left that school for is earnest interest in Indian Sankritised Education system.  Thereafter he studied at Yogeswar's house, where he undertook daily chores as well as spiritual education. In 1918, Probodh was meditating at about midnight when he visualised the god [[Shiva]] along with the [[Durga|Durga, the Divine Mother]].<ref name="THE MOUNTAIN PATH">{{cite journal| title=THAKUR SRI SRI SITARAMDAS OMKARNATH MAHARAJ BY PROF. S. BANERJEE| url=http://www.ramana-maharshi.info/m_path/1965_3/july_1965_frameset.htm|  accessdate=21 May 2015}}</ref>

Later, Omkarnath saw his previous birth on the day of [[Saraswati]] [[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]]. Through this he came to believe that he was a famous worshipper of the goddess [[Kali]] in previous life.<ref name="The Mother Divine">{{cite web |title=Impression of Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath|url= http://www.themotherdivine.com/sponsor_founder.shtml |accessdate=2015-05-26 |publisher=[The Mother Divine]}}</ref>

Guru Dasarathidev had named him ''Sitaram'', the name ''Omkarnath'' was a divine revelation which was later formally conferred by Swami Dhruvananda Giri. Thus, Probodh came to be known as Sitaramdas Omkarnath. He had heard the ''Hare Krishna'' [[Hare Krishna (mantra)|MahaMantra]] as a Divine Sound during his austere meditation in a cave at Ramashram, Dumurdaha, Hooghly. Later, he heard a divine voice say "O Sage, dive in". Still Sitaram was not ready for giving spiritual initiation to masses, and he waited for direct command. At [[Puri]], [[Orissa, India|Orissa]], Sitaram visualised [[Jagannath]] in a halo<ref>{{cite web |title=Pather Alo- Thakur |url=http://patheralo.org/aboutus.html|accessdate=2015-05-21 }}</ref> and Jagannath gave the instruction — "Go, Go, Go and give the Name".<ref name="Gurus"/>{{rp|134}} Thereafter, Sitaram started spreading the Lord's name on a mass scale.<ref name="Gurus"/>{{rp|136}}

{{Quote| ''Nama'' meant ''Nama'' of God; [[Rama]], Krishna, Shiva, Durga; but ''Nama'' had to be repeated constantly. ''Nama'' could reach the [[Sadhaka]] to ''[[Nāda yoga|Nada]]'' and ''Jyoti'' (Divine Sounds and Lights); ...and ultimately Name could bring ''[[Om|Onkar]]'', the Anahat sound one could hear inside. So what the [[Rishis]] of the old days could not gain even after hundred of years of [[Tapasya]] in jungles, Nama could achieve even when a person lived his normal life and did his every day work.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Banerjee |first=R. K. |date=January 1993 |title=Shree Shree Sitaramdas Omkarnath |url=http://www.anandamayi.org/anandavarta/Vol40No1.pdf|journal=Ananda Varta |volume=40 |issue=1 |page=1 |accessdate=2015-04-08}}</ref>}}

Sitaramdas Omkarnath's spiritual philosophy encompassed [[Bhakti]], [[Jnana]], [[Karma Yoga]], [[Kriya Yoga]] and all segments of ancient Indian religion, with emphasis on Nam [Lord's Name]. Sitaramdas did not promote conversion, but guided all seekers on the path of their respective religion. He said- 'The paths may differ, but HE is not different.' By holding onto the Holy Name of Lord, and by performing the duties prescribed by religion of oneself, everybody can attain the Supreme Truth.<ref name="Ramanuja">{{cite journal |first=Vithal|last=Ramanuja|title=Bishesh Sraddharghya |newspaper=[[Bartaman]] Patrika (Bengali: বর্তমান) |date= August 2016 }}</ref>

The teachings of Omkarnath derive from his personal experiences, revealed in the course of a lifelong and continual spiritual practice. His teachings were compiled by Kinkar Omananda (alias Madhav Swamiji), one of his closest monastic disciple.<ref name="Cloudburst"/>{{rp|at=c.Introduction¶.17}}

*The writer [[Nabaneeta Dev Sen]] wrote of a 'medical miracle' she had seen. Her father, Naren Dev, was in coma for several days but when Omkarnath came and touched him, he opened his eyes and talked and within a week had begun walking.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Devsen |first1=Nabanita |title=Bhraman Samagra |publisher=Dey's Publishing | isbn=978-81-295-0902-4}}</ref>

Omkarnath died in the early hours of 6 December 1982. His body was placed at Sri Ramashram, Dumurdaha, so that people could pay their respects. He was cremated on a [[sandalwood]] pyre on 8 December.<ref>{{cite web |title=Full text of "s.v.u.oriental journal"

|url=https://archive.org/stream/svuorientaljourn015517mbp/svuorientaljourn015517mbp_djvu.txt |accessdate=2015-04-05}}</ref>

 

===Works cited===