Baba Balaknath

                                    Baba Balak Nath

Baba Balak Nath

About

Temple View

Sidh Baba Balak Nath, also known as Paunahari or Dudhadhari, is a Hindu deity known as the most gracious deity in Hinduism. He is known as the incarnation of Lord Shiva in Kali Yuga.

Baba Balak Nath ji has a great following in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and other parts of India.

History

Baba Balaknath is amongst the most famous temples of Himachal Pradesh. The temple is situated in Chakmoh district about 45kms from Hamirpur. It is a cave temple that has been carved of a rock. The cave is reckoned to be the abode of Baba Balaknath. A sizable population of devotees throngs this temple: however, the entry of females is restricted here. The best time to visit this temple is during the Holi festival when a fair is organized here.

Early Life(Birth Story)

The most popular story about the birth of Baba Balak Nath as 'sidh-purush' is associated with the Amar Katha of Lord Shiva. It is said that Lord Shiva was sharing the Amar Katha with Goddess Parvati in the cave of Amarnath, and Goddess Parvati fell asleep. A kid-parrot was there in the cave and he was listening the entire story and was making noise of 'yes' ("hmm.."). When the story finished, Lord Shiva found Goddess Parwati sleeping and so he understood that someone else had heard the story. He became very angry and threw his Trishul on the kid-parrot. The kid-parrot escaped from there to save his life and Trishul followed him. In the way, the wife of Rishi Vyasa was yawning. The kid-parrot entered her stomach through her mouth. The Trishul stopped, as it was unreligious to kill a lady. When Lord Shiva knew all this he also came there and narrated his problem to Rishi Vyas. Rishi Vyas told him that he should wait there and as the kid-parrot would come out, he could kill him. Lord Shiva stood there for a very long time but the kid-parrot did not come out. As Lord Shiva stood there, the whole universe got disordered. Then all the Lords met Sage Narada and requested him to request Lord Shiva to save the world. Then Narada came to Lord Shiva and prayed him to leave his anger as the child had already heard the Amar Katha.and so now he had become immortal and now nobody could kill him. Listening to this, Lord Shiva told the kid-parrot to come out and in return the kid-parrot demanded a blessing from him. Lord Shiva accepted that and the kid-parrot prayed that as he comes out as a man, any other child who gets birth at the same time would be granted all kind of knowledge and would be immortal. As Lord Shiva accepted this, a divine baby come out from the mouth of Rishi Vyas. He prayed Lord Shiva and got his blessings. This divine baby was called Sukhdev Muni later. The other babies who got birth at that time were famous as Navnatha and eighty-four Siddhas (Chaurasi Sidh). One of them was Baba Balak Nath.

Connection with Lord Shiva in Dwapara Yuga: It is believed about Baba Balak Nath that he takes birth in every age (yug). He appeared as "Skanda" in Satya Yuga, as "Kaul" in Treta and as "Mahakaul" in Dwapara. In Dwapar age Baba Balak Nath was on the way to Kailash Dham with a wish to meet Lord Shiva. In the way, he met with an old lady. The lady asked him where he is going. Then Baba Balak Nath who was Mahakaul told her that he is praying Lord Shiva since last three births but he had not been blessed by Lord Shiva with his appearance and so he was moving towards Kailash Dham with this very wish. The old lady told Baba that it was not easy to have a live appearance of Lord Shiva. You have to do something extraordinary. When Baba asked her what he should do, she told that Baba should stand in the foothills of the Kailash near Mansarovar and pray there. Mata Parvati used to come there on some occasions for a bath. When Mata Parwati comes there he should pray her to fulfil her wish. Mata Parwati will surely try to give him something else but he should insist on his wish only. Baba Balak Nath stood for twelve gharis with the old lady and moved towards the Man Sarovar. He did the same as the old lady had advised him and finally, Lord Shiva was pleased and blessed him to be Paramsidh in Kaliyug that he would remain as Balak (young) and age would not affect him. MahaKaul of Dwapar age got birth in Kaliyug at Kathiyawad in the house of Narayan Vishnu and Laxmi. A parent named him as "Dev". Dev was very religious from his childhood and he used to pray all the times. His parents then tried to marry him so that he cannot leave the home. Dev was not ready for this. When he was so much under pressure for marriage he left home and moved towards Girnar Parwat in the search of Paramsiddhi. In Junagarh, he met with Swami Dattatreya. Here at the ashram of Swami Dattatreya, he got divine knowledge and emerged as Sidh. As Lord Shiva had blessed him that age will not affect him he remained as a child and called "Balak Nath".

Miracle

Miracle in Shah Talai: It is believed that Babaji came to Bachhretu Mahadev from Kurukshetra where he had come with saints at the time of Solar Eclipse. Thereafter Babaji came to ShahTalai and met "Ratno Mai" - the epitome of "Dwapra's old woman, who had guided "Mahakaul Babaji". Thus Babaji was to compensate what that old woman had done for him in "Viagra Yuga". So Babaji took the most inconvenient work of RatniMai, that was cow-grazing. Babaji made his shelter under a Banyan Tree. He told RatniMai he would meditate below Banyan Tree and graze the cows side by side. He asked her to leave the bread and "Lassi" for him there for taking after meditation. Babaji committed with RatniMai to work for her as long she would remain satisfied. Everything remained smooth till twelve years. People started complaining the damage to crop field by the cows by the end of 12th year. RatniMai used to ignore such complaints but the complaint of village headman broke the patience of RatniMai and she started rebuking Babaji. So Babaji took RatniMai and village headman to the field and miraculously there was no damage to the crops at all. Everybody was awestruck by this miracle. Babaji came back to his place of worship and asked RatniMai to take back her cows and let him go his way. RatniMai out of motherly affection tried to persuade Babaji to stay back and reminded him of her providing bread and Lassi for 12 years. Babaji responded that it had been coincidental and further affirmed that he had kept all the bread and Lassi safely as he never consumed them. By saying that Babaji threw his "Chimata" on the stem of a banyan tree and the bread supplied for 12 years came out. He further struck the same "Chimata" on the earth and a spring of Lassi started coming out taking the shape of a pond and the place came to be known as "Shaha Talai". On Babaji's stance for going away from Shaha Talai, RatniMai repented for her ignorance. On seeing all this, Babaji lovingly told RatniMai that he would worship in forestland and she could see him there. He established His "Dhuna" below a "Garna Jhari" (a thorny bush) about a half kilometre from Shah Talai. A half hollow structure has been prepared to symbolize the "Hollow of Banyan Tree". Nearby is a temple having the images of Baba Balak Nath, Gugga Chauhan and Nahar Singh Ji. The soil of this place is used as anti-worm for cattle-foot diseases.