Baba Balak Nath Temple, Deotsidh
A
cave shrine of Baba Balak Nath on a hillside at Deoth Sidh is an
important pilgrimage center which is visited by many, especially in
March/April every year. The place has kept a ‘light of truth’ burning
for centuries as believers consider the flame sacred because it was
first lit by the boy sage about 500 years ago. For thanksgiving,
devotees offer Rota, a sweetened bread, at the altar. There is a
specially constructed platform inside the cave temple which is used by
women to make their offerings and seek blessings.
Baba Balak Nath is 44 km for Hamirpur, 60 km for Bilaspur and 64 km for Una.
Sidh Bawa Balak Nath, also known as Paunahari or Dudhadhari, is a
Hindu deity known as the most gracious god in Hinduism. He is known as the incarnation of
Lord Shiva in
Kali Yuga.
Sidh Bawa Balak Nath is known as the "merciful (one who forgives
all the sins)" god incarnated in Kali Yuga. He is the follower of Nath
Sect
Early life
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 in 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 Parwati used to come there on some occasions for
bath. When Mata Parwati comes there he should pray her to fulfill 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. 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
Kurushetra 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 "Dvapra Yuga".
So Babaji took the most inconvenient work of RatniMai, that was
cow-grazing.
Babaji made his shelter below 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 Ratno Mai 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. Ratno Mai used to ignore such complaints but the
complaint of village headman broke the patience of Ratno Mai 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. Ratno Mai out of motherly affection tried to persuade BabaJi to
stay back and reminded him about 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 banyan tree and
the breads 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 half
kilometer 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.
Interaction with Guru Gorakh Nath
Guru
Gorakhnath
wanted Babaji to join his sect and tried his best to do so. Babaji was
not willing for that. One day Guru Gorakh Nath along with his 300
disciples and asked Babaji to provide them seating. Babaji spread his
towel and surprisingly a portion of that remained unoccupied even after
accommodating Guru Gorakh Nath along with his all disciples. Then Gorakh
Nath asked Babaji to bring some water in a bowl from a nearby
hill-bauli.
Babaji found some
magic
in the bowl when he filled it with water. Thus he understood the
intention of Guru Gorakh Nath. Babaji made that bauli disappear by his
Sidhi and told Gorakh Nath about the non-existence of the bauli. Gorakh
Nath asked his disciple Bhartrihari to accompany Babaji to verify the
fact. Bhartrihari was taken aback by the non-existence of the bauli.
Babaji told Bhartrihari the factual position and further emphasized the
imprudence of Gorakh Nath for shunning the workship of "Lord Shiva" and
in its place recommending his own adoration.
Bhartrihari understood the whole game and offered his devotion to Lord
Shiva. This time also, BabaJi returned without water. Then Gorakh Nath
sent
Bhaironath to bring
Bhartrihari
back along with water. Bhairon Nath too couldn't spot the water and
returned empty handed without water and Bhartrihari. Thereafter Gorakh
Nath asked Babaji to serve them milk. Babaji called a non-milking barren
cow and patted her. The cow started milking and everybody took milk.
Amazingly there was still lot of milk in the bowl. Gorakh Nath threw his
worshipping skin to sky and asked Babaji to bring back to the earth.
Babaji aimed the skin with his "Chimata" and pieces of skin fell on
earth. At this, Babaji tempted Gorakh Nath to bring Babaji's "Chimata"
back to the earth. Gorakh Nath asked Bhairon to do the same, which
Bhairon couldn't.
Reaching to Deoth Sidh and Cave Dwelling :
After getting defeat in every feat, Gorakh Nath directed his disciples
to forcibly put rings in the ears of BabaJi. Every disciple became faint
before doing so, During that struggle BabaJi made a loud cry and
reached a place where "Charan Paduka" temple is situated. From "Charan
Paduka", BabaJi went to a cave on the hill. A demon came out of the Cave
and warned BabaJi to go away. Babaji, by his "sidh-
shakti"
forced the demon to vacate the cave for BabaJi's meditation.
The demon understood the state of affairs and went away. Then BabaJi
settled there for meditation. Bhartrihari also settled for meditation
near that cave. One day, a Brahmin named as "Banarasi" from the nearby
village
Chakmoh
came to that area for grazing his cows. BabaJi appeared before him and
interacted. Brahmin told Babaji about his barren cows. Babaji asked
where his cows were. Surprisingly only lions and tigers were there.
After seeing the stunning posture of Brahmin, Babaji asked him to call
his cows. Astonishingly, as the Brahmin called, his cows surrounded him.
Seeing the miracle, Brahmin became the devotee of Babaji. Brahmin
continued to see Babaji. One day Babaji told him that he would disappear
one day and asked the Brahmin to continue the tradition of "Dhuna" and
worshipping. Brahmin followed the point and maintained the tradition. A
lamp remained lighted near Babaji whose light spread away in the nearby
villages. Thus people had started calling Babaji as "Baba Deoth Sidh"
and later on the place became famous as "Baba Deoth Sidh".
