SANT BALNATHJI
INTRODUCTION
Sri Balnathji was born in a village in Gujarat before few hundred years ago, in a low caste community, and he is considered as an incarnation of Lord Shiva. His Samadhi shrine is situated in Junagarh at Rajasthan. He lived a very simple life by eating fruits and greens, and he had few disciples and large number of followers. Through their help, he spread the Shiva Bhakti amongst the people. He also conducted discourses on Shiva Puran, at his ashram, and clarified the doubts of the people.
During his period, he performed many miracles in the lives of the devotees, healed their diseases, and blessed them to get courage, boldness and wisdom. He also revealed his true form to some of his devotees. It is believed that he never married, and dedicated his life for rendering service to Lord Shiva.
During his period, low class people were not allowed to enter into the temples. But he showed his divinity to them, and hence, he was allowed to worship the god inside the temple. He was against caste discrimination and he treated all the people as alike.
Once he burnt the temple lamps using water, and another time, through his miraculous powers, he supplied huge quantities of food to the poor devotees of Lord Shiva from an empty vessel. He also removed the evil spirits from the body of the people, removed the diseases and black magic and acted as a guardian to them.
It is believed that he lived up to 150 years, and it is believed that he still blesses his devotees from his Samadhi Shrine at Rajasthan.
Some of his valuable teachings are as follows:
- Consider Lord Shiva as the supreme deity, and offer your regular prayers to him.
- Only through your selfless devotion, you can attain the abode of the god.
- Life is a struggle for everybody in the world you have to make it as easier by concentrating your attention on Lord Shiva.
- Worldly pleasures would not last long, only spiritual pleasures would come with you even after your death.
- Chant the “NAMAH SHIVAYA” mantra regularly.
- Realise the purpose of your birth, and try to do lot of good things in your life like providing food to others, and helping the people who are in need of your help.
- Hear the spiritual discourses of the god, and keep the god in your soul, and build a temple for him in your soul.
- You can easily please Lord Shiva by offering him a small quantity of Bilva leaves.
- Enjoy your life by chanting the glories of the god.
“OM”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR
