How a medical doctor became KHAPTAD BABA

Photo credit: khaptadswami.com.np

 How a Medical Doctor Became KHAPTAD BABA

By LB Thapa

Since time immemorial, the Himalayas and the mountains of Nepal have been the home of many Yogis and Mahatma who meditated here and attained enlightenment. The Himalayan region is the first choice of saints for meditation and penance. According to the holy Hindu scriptures, the Himalayas are the abode of Lord Shiva, one of the prominent Hindu gods. 

In this article, I am going to write about a great saint who was born in Kashmir, India, and worked there as a medical doctor. But something happened in his life that brought a sea change to his life. Now the question is: what had happened to him that made him renounce everything and become a sanyasi (mendicant)? After taking sannyasa, he extensively traveled to many parts of India and Nepal and finally decided to reside permanently in Khaptad. He lived in Khaptad for fifty years and became known to the world as Khaptad Swami. Let’s know more about him. I am sure his life story can motivate you to understand the transient value of a materialistic life. 

Photo credit: khaptadswami.com.np

Baba Ji, a young man, had his MBBS degree from Calcutta Medical College. Later, he went to the UK to attend London University. At this university, he completed a Master of Surgery. After that, he returned to his hometown and joined Jammu Military Hospital to work as a senior surgeon. 

Then one day, an incident happened in the hospital, and for that, the young doctor was not prepared at all. That incident changed his entire course of life. The young doctor had performed surgery on a patient who had been brought there for immediate surgery on his appendix. The surgery had been performed well, but the patient remained unconscious for hours. The young doctor was very perplexed when the patient didn’t regain consciousness for several hours. The operation was a success, but the patient was still in a state of unconsciousness. The young doctor applied all his medical knowledge, but to no avail. The patient’s condition was continuously deteriorating with every passing day. The relatives of the patient became very agitated and held the doctor responsible for his negligence during the operation.  

On the seventh day, the anger of the villagers burst out at the young doctor, and they wanted the police to arrest the doctor for his negligence. A big crowd surrounded the hospital and demanded action against the young doctor. The helpless doctor could do nothing for the patient, as he had already applied all his medical knowledge to bring the patient back to consciousness. When there was no hope, the doctor prayed to God and asked for his mercy to save the life of the patient. 

In the meantime, the young doctor saw a sadhu wading through the crowd and came inside the room, where the patient lay unconscious. The sadhu asked permission to revive the patient from unconsciousness. The helpless doctor immediately nodded in affirmation. The sadhu took out a root, dipped it into a glass of water, and put some water into the mouth of the patient. Not everyone there could believe in their eyes as the patient regained consciousness and was physically fit and fine. The young doctor wanted to give his respect to the Sadhu, but there was no sign of the Sadhu. No one in the crowd had any idea of the Sadhu. 

This incident had a huge impact on the young doctor. He immediately decided to take sannyasa and devote his life to studying the power of herbs and treating needy people. He went to the Srinagar ashram and received a religious ordinance from Gurudev Shree 1008 Swami Gyanasramaji. He was given a new name, Swami Sachhinananda Saraswati.

The early house where Khaptad swami lived. Photo credit: khaptadswami.com.np

After taking sannyasa, he left his hometown and began traveling. He widely traveled to far-flung places, lived there, and had discourses with religious masters. He studied the Vedas, the Upanishads, and other holy scriptures. He continuously wandered from one ashram to another in search of spiritual knowledge. 

He was 60 years old when he realized that he should stay in one place permanently. Then he started looking for a secluded place. He set out on an arduous journey to find a place that was suitable for meditation and penance. He walked through several places, but when he reached Khaptad, his journey stopped. The aesthetic beauty of Khaptad won his heart, and he immediately decided to settle there. He made a small hut and started living there. 

The hut where Khaptad Baba lived is situated within the area of Khaptad National Park, which spreads over an area of 225 square kilometers. The Nepal government declared this area a National Park in 1984. 

Rich in flora and fauna, Khaptad is more like a piece of paradise on earth. Many nature lovers and spiritually motivated people regularly visit the Khaptad area. There are certain places in the Khaptad area that visitors should take notice of. They are Siddhivinayak Temple, Nag Dhunga, Buki Daha, Khaptad Daha, Sajhghat, and a few others. 

Triveni is considered a highly religious place for the Hindus in Khaptad. This place is at a distance of 30 minutes’ walk from Khaptad Ashram. The pilgrims to this place take a dip in the water and wash away all their sins. It takes another three hours to walk to Sahasraling. Here lies Siddhi Vinayak Temple. The Khaptad area has also earned a popular name for skiing and sightings of the beautiful mountain range of the Saipal. 

Late King Birendra was a great admirer of Khaptad Swami. Photo credit: khaptadswami.com.np

It is believed that when Khaptad Baba first came to this place, he was already 60 years old. He lived here for the next five decades, continued meditation and penance, and occasionally entertained the visitors. To benefit the people with his knowledge, he would answer their queries. He also wrote some famous books. Among others, The Science of Yoga and The Science of Thought are his bestselling books. 

Due to his medical background, he naturally took an interest in curing people with the help of herbs. He thoroughly examined the healing properties of many herbs and used them to cure the various ailments of the people who visited him. Khaptad Baba would occasionally meet people and tell them how to live a balanced life. His immense stock of spiritual knowledge helped many people follow the right path in their lives. 

Those who had the opportunity to meet Khaptad Baba said that Baba had attained some supernatural power through penance and meditation. They said that Khaptad Baba could leave his body and travel with his astral body wherever he wished. 

“Separating the soul from the body and traveling around with the astral body may sound bizarre to many. And according to modern science, it is next to impossible as well. But through the combination of meditation and penance, a sadhak can achieve this state of ability, where one can leave his physical body and travel to far-flung areas. In this way, they can also meet and help needy people through their astral bodies," said Swami Akhilesheswor Maharaj, currently living in the forest near Narayanghat. 

Khaptad Baba always welcomed people who went to his ashram to get spiritual knowledge. But he never liked to speak about his life before he took sannyasa. He abhorred any kind of attention. But the spiritual energy radiating from him kept on growing. It spread far and wide, and he became popular in Nepal and abroad. 

When King Birendra Shah learned about Khaptad Baba and his spiritual superiority, he could not stop himself and decided to meet the Baba. Finally, in 1982, King Birendra and his wife Aishwarya arrived in the ashram of Khaptad Baba and received his blessings. King Birendra was so impressed with the Baba that he even made a beautiful ashram at Budhanilkantha. It is learned that from time to time, Khaptad Baba used to spend his time at the Budhanilkantha ashram. 

Photo credit: khaptadswami.com.np

One day, suddenly, Khaptad Baba fell ill, and when King Birendra came to know about his illness, he immediately sent a chopper to bring Khaptad Baba to Kathmandu for treatment. But Khaptad Baba breathed his last before the chopper could land in Kathmandu. He passed away on May 9, 1996. It is said that at the time Khaptad Baba died, he was 130 years old. 

Many people who are in the quest of realizing God will find Khaptad Baba’s ashram a gateway to heaven. Spiritual people can still feel the presence of Khaptad Baba. Khaptad Baba’s astral body still lives in the ashram and guides his disciples to attain enlightenment. 

In the recent past, to attract more tourists to Khaptad, a three-day Yoga camp was organized, which was attended by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, Acharya Bal Krishna, General Secretary of Patanjali Yogpeeth and Shiddha Baba Krishna Das. The Yoga camp was attended by over 150 people. The camp was organized by Sudurpaschim Province and the Khaptad Region Tourism Development and Management Committee.

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