Pavhari Baba (1798–1898) was a Hindu ascetic and saint.^[3][4] He was born in Premapur, Jaunpur in a Brahmin family. In his childhood he went to Ghazipur to study under the tutelage of his uncle who was a follower of Ramanuja or Shri sect . After finishing his studies he travelled to many places. At Girnar in Kathiawar he was initiated into Yoga.^[1]

He then came back to Ghazipur and built an underground hermitage in his house where he used to practise meditation and Yoga for days.^[1][3] He was noted for his humility, politeness and spirit of welfare. One night a thief entered his hermitage. When the thief ran away leaving the stolen things behind, as Pavhari Baba had woken up from sleep, he chased the thief and offered him the things he stole from his house. The incident had deep impact on the thief who later became a monk and a follower of Pavhari Baba.

In 1890 Swami Vivekananda went to Ghazipur and met him.^[5] According to Sister Nivedita, Baba died by burning in 1898, which is considered as self-immolation.^[1]

Early life

Pavhari Baba gained popularity as a yogi, yet his life is shrouded with mystery. He was born in village Premapur, Jaunpur in a Brahmin family. In his childhood he was taken to Ghazipur to study and there he lived in his uncle's house. His uncle was a Naishthika Brahmachari^{[lower-alpha 1]} and a follower of Ramanuja or Shri sect.^{[lower-alpha 2]} He owned a piece of land in Ghazipur which Pavhari Baba got in inheritance. He was a diligent student of Vyākaraṇa and Nyaya and had demonstrated mastery in many branches of Hindu philosophy in his youth.^[1][6]

Initiation into Yoga

In his youth, he visited many pilgrimages as a Brahmachari. He acquired knowledge of Dravidian languages. He had also acquaintance with the Vaishnavas of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's order. At Girnar in Kathiawar, he was first initiated into Yoga. He also became a disciple of a Sannyasi and from him he learned Advaita Vedanta.^[6]

Ascetic life at Ghazipur

After finishing his studies and travels, Pavhari Baba came back to Ghazipur, the place where he was brought up. Pavhari Baba renounced the world, worldly way of life, and built an underground hermitage (cave) where he used to stay alone with his followers one Cobra and mongoose.The cobra keeps his mani on his own head which gives bright light in the caves for study the saint. Vivekananda related this act of Pavhari Baba with the practice of Hindu yogi's who choose cave or similar spots to practice yoga where temperature is even and where there is not any distracting sound.^[6]

In this cave he meditated for days. Thus he became known by the sobriquet Pavhari Baba which means pav(pawan means air, ahaari means food "air-eating holy man". People from far and wide sought to visit Baba. It is said he used to communicate with visitors from behind a wall as no one's shadow should fall on him as he was bal bramachari.^[1][6] Once he did not come out of his hermitage for five years and people thought he had died. But, later he came out from his place.^[7]

Swami Vivekananda's visit

Swami Vivekananda met Pabhari Baba in Ghazipur in January–February, 1890.

In January 1890, Swami Vivekananda^{[lower-alpha 3]} went to Ghazipur to meet Pavhari Baba. In a letter dated 21 January 1890, Vivekananda wrote—^[11]

I reached Ghazipur three days ago... I again had a great mind to go over to Kashi, but the object of my coming here, namely, an interview with the Babâji (Pavhari Baba, the great saint), has not yet been realised, and. hence the delay of a few days becomes necessary.

In the next letter dated 31 January 1890, Vivekananda wrote about Baba's unwillingness to meet people.^[12] In the very next letter written just four days later, on 4 February 1890, Vivekananda informed that he had met Baba. In that letter Vivekananda wrote:^[13]

...through supreme good fortune, I have obtained an interview with Babaji. A great sage indeed! — It is all very wonderful, and in this atheistic age, a towering representation of marvellous power born of Bhakti and Yoga!

Death

In the book The Master as I saw Him, Sister Nivedita wrote tha Pavhari Baba died by burning in 1898.^[15] He did not come out of his hermitage for several days and then one day people noticed smoke coming out of his hermitage and also got smell of burning flesh.^[1] This was described as self-immolation.^[16] According to Swami Nikhilananda:^[1]

...the saint, having come to realize the approaching end of his earthly life, had offered his body as the last oblation to the Lord, in an act of supreme sacrifice.

Vivekananda was staying at Almora when he learned of Pavhari Baba's death.^[17]

Legacy

References