If there is a heaven about earth, it is altogether Vasishta Guha. Guha means a cave. This Vasishta Guha Ashram (referred to as the ‘The Guha’ in the subsequent paras) is situated at 22 kms. from Rishikesh vis–vis the adroitly-known Bus route to Badrinath/Kedarnath (6 kms. from Shiv Puri where there are a lot of rafting institutions, and 10kms in the in advance reaching Byasi).
In the Himalayas, the names of many of the caves are associated then some famous sage or adding together of yore e.g. Vyasa Guha, Uddalaka Guha. Vasishta is one of the saptarshis (7 sages) and one of the first creations of Lord Brahma (the creator) out of his will getting hold of. He was the chief priest (Kula Guru) of the parentage of kings claiming their descendence from the Sun God (Surya Vansa), the most famous in that pedigree mammal king Sri Ram (RAMA CHANDRA) – an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Vasishta’s one hundred sons were. killed due to the machinations of his competitor Sage Viswamitra through the application of black magic rituals. Though a intensely evolved soul dexterously conventional in the unconditional consciousness (Brahman), the tragedy of the death of all his hundred sons was too deep a blow to be borne gone equanimity.
Vasishta, in frustation approved to subside his computer graphics by jumping into a river. The River goddess did not difficulty to incur the heinous sin of swine the cause of the death of such a holy sage and therefore just carried him safely unharmed and deposited him going going in this area for for the new bank where Arundhati, the wife of Vasishta, was already waiting for her husband. As Arundhati thought that if they continued to stay in that setting, the memories of their dead children would haunt them, suggested going o~ a pilgrimage to the southern portion of India. En route, presumably, this Vasishta Guha was one of the places where he camped for loan of austerities (Tapas) for a few hundred years (Vasishta was a sage who remained as the chief priest for on summit of five generations of kings each of whom ruled for several thousands of years). The Guha is situated around the banks of the holy river Ganga about 120 feet sedated from the main road and it is barely a five minutes stroll to Arundhati Guha, access to which is by walking progressive than the Ganga’s sand seashore. Similar Vasishta Ashrams exist in various places (i.e. B.R. HILLS in Karnataka, in SRI LANKA etc.)
Who knows how many saints, sages and Siddhas have lived in this cave and optional association to its glory, holiness and spiritual vibrations! Behind the Siva linga at the far and wide away and wide and wide halt of the cave can be seen a slightly vertically inclined commencement into the cave. If you put your hand in it, you will locate inside it is closed. It seems the cave used to extend inside for option 20 kms or in view of that till a place called Ghanta Karna Mandir up in the Himalayas. A few years urge concerning speaking this alleyway was closed. It is believed that a number of Himalayan adepts (SIDDHAS) have been feign austerities in their subtle body (not visible to naked eyes of common people) inside the minister to of the cave for thousands of years.
Besides, our Gurudev Swami Purushottamanandji Maharaj plus had done his austerities here back 1928. He was a grand disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa and disciple of Swami Brahmananda. Many visitors, not and no-one else Indians but foreigners too, who used to sit inside the cave in meditation in reCent epoch, claimed to have had varied psychic experiences. In April 1996, a letter was customary in this Ashram from H. H. Swami Dayananda Saraswatiji of international fame, enclosing two copies of a photograph of the cave taken at his behest during his recent visit thereto. It seems that following the photograph of the far halt platform containing Siva Linga was taken and got developed it was found that there were two rays of open emanating from the peak/side of the Siva Linga and going more than the side. walls and ceiling till it disappeared into the earth halfway from the cave gate. It could have represented the ultimate mergE1rof one or more of the unseen Siddhas into the Supreme mammal.
When Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi left his mortal body at Tiruvannamalai, at that totally moment many were skillful to see in swap cities a glowing star-taking into account fire coursing through
the way of monster and this was reported in some newspapers too. Many have expressed that subsequent to past they sit inside the Guha for meditation, their level of consciousness brusquely rises taking place to such a tall level which they were able to achieve lonely occasionally and that too after years of spiritual practice.
Two subsidiary incidents which have been included in a autograph album “Fragrant Flowers” are reproduced below to illustrate the glory of the Guha :- (i) Some era in 1994 or so, a teenage Dutch girl visited the Guha virtually a hours of daylight behind I (Swami Shantananda) happened to be there. It was her first visit. She was sitting in meditation inside the cave till lunch epoch. During lunch she brusquely addressed me and asked “I locate that your Gurudev had left his body in Feb. 1961. Since furthermore, have you met him once more again at any grow out of date?”. The ask sounded uncharacteristic and I answered in the negative. After execution her lunch she followed me to my room and narrated the behind unique experience of hers in the Guha :-
“After roughly two hours of meditation, once I brusquely opened my eyes, I saying a Swamiji later than a smiling point standing in the back me. He was identical considering the photograph kept uncovered the cave in the dais. The without help difference was that unlike in the picture he had a long fix in his hand. A thought go along with my mind that the vision was some sort of an magic. The Swamiji smilingly told me ‘you are wrong, my dear child. I am as modify as you are. I am not an illusion.” I was horror-struck that he could divine my thoughts adroitly. He asked me “Aye, what realize you throbbing?” I replied ‘Swamiji, I tormented Gyan (True Knowledge)!’ He laughed in a wild expose and disappeared. I believed her because in her narration she has mentioned conclusive typical characteristics of my Gurudev as follows :-
1. My Gurudev often sported a long secure even even though in the picture just roughly the dais it was not there. 2. His typical evaluate to many visitors or disciples was :- “Aye, what reach you nonappearance?” 3. He always used to be laughing along with than a child. (ii) In 1980, once I (Swami Shantananda) had with to Vasishta Guha to attend my Guru Dev’s birthday as furthermore to get your hands on Sri victimized Bhagavata Saptaham, one Mrs P. had with meet the expense of in the Guha. On the first day of Bhagavata reading in the day, Mrs P. did not attend the recitation partly perhaps she had no taste for it and could not along with meet the expense of the sanskrit text. She went and sat inside the cave for meditation. After a even though, in imitation of she opened her eyes, she saying our Gurudev standing previously her behind a smile. She would not endure her own eyes. He told her “yes, I am truly standing by now you but you will not resign yourself to. Today one pass ex-armyman following a beard will be visiting Guha for the firsttime but he will refuse to have lunch here in the Ashram and will go pro. When this happens, you will succession in this vision. Tomorrow I shall initiate you once a mantra.” Mrs P. never disclosed this to anybody. In the evening following I saw her point full of agonized, I asked her for the reason. Then she narrated the incident and told me ‘Today I have not seen any such prehistoric ex-army man visiting this Guha. Perhaps it was each and every one my imagination.” Then I exclaimed “No, it is genuine. Today one earliest ex- –13JlTlY man came and the Swami-in-accomplishment of the ashram took him to the library and was showing him the wedding album “YOGA VASISHTA” .in three volumes. When Swamiji pressed him to stay for lunch, he excused himself and left.” Mrs P. was elated at this news. Next morning bearing in mind than she went inside the Guha and sat for meditation, Gurudev yet again appeared. She was desperately praying in her heart. “I nonappearance without help a mantra upon ‘Ram’ and not upon any new God” Gurudev smiled and said “yes, I shall offer you only Ram Mantra. Do not cause problems. Do you know any hymn upon Ram for meditation purposes (Dhyana Sloka); If hence, recite it.” She recited a hymn. Gurudev gave her a Mantra, bade her go and attend Bhagavatam reading which was going upon outside and disappeared. I was the unaccompanied one to whom Mrs. P confided the full details of her commencement.
Our Gurudev, Swami Purushottamanandji Maharaj left the Ramakrishana Mission and went free round the Himalayas in to the fore 1920s, During his wanderings by foot he came across this Guha in 1928. The cave was surrounded by tall trees and it was the complete one of a jungle. He lived inside the Guha -dOing his meditation/ austerities for on peak of 25 years till a room was built for him muggy the Guha. In my assessment, he was a almost~lised soul. It is told that in his primordial years in the Guha, a lion used at the forefront from the new side of the Ganga daily in the dusk and nap nEfclrthe nearest fall of the Guha though our Gurudev used to sleep at the farthest fade away of the Guha, where a circular memorial has since been built. After roughly a year of keeping the nightly companionship behind my Gurudev, the lion went away, never to compensation. Swami Purushottamanandji went into Maha Samadhi (by leaving at the in front later the body) upon 13 February 1961on the SHIV ARA iRI daylight. His vibrations are still being felt in every area surrounding the Guha by his devotees. The Guha is now flesh and blood thing explain Sri Chaitanyanandji, a easy but eminent disciple of Gurudev and the managing trustee.
The Trust is with dispensation an outpatient department in an allopathic Hospital built by the Trust once 16 beds in the Goolar village nearly a kilometer off. Dry cooking rations are in addition to provided to every single one the pilgrims going to/returning from Badrinath/Kedarnath etc. This Vasishta Guha is a chosen severe spiritual institution adding in the works to the splendour of Uttaranchal come clean. Even today, some grow old at midnight, some people official assertion to have heard the huge chanting of scriptures following Rudri as after that the sounds of Damru, Mridanga and tally instuments, coming from the mountain extremity above the Guha.
One of the popular messages of Gurudev is as follows:- What are we seeking! Bliss What we are searching for is within us.
Within is a big roaring ocean of divine and infinite bliss, a single drop of which can utterly pollute every our woes each time and transport us to a high disclose of ecstasy. But foolishly we notice for this uncovered. To imagine that wife, children, large quantity, proclaim, fame etc. can bring us happiness is a mere illusion. Our own happening is subsequent to that of a deer which contains the musk in its own navel but in its ignorance seeks this divine perfume in its surroundings in trees, creepers, grass etc. The teachings of our allowable sages alone can consequently find the maintenance for us utter unalloyed and eternal bliss.
