Reach da Unreachable

4 Steps to Reach the Unreachable

Renunciation spells their existence and a severe lifestyle makes them unique. Rest from the West might see them as creatures of entertainment but do you really think this is all they are about?

This was probably the first time that my eyes took notice of a detailed expression of one of India’s biggest spiritual extravaganza if I may say so in black and white. Am actually surprised by myself that I had not been affected or bothered to know the historic significance of the Maha Kumbh Mela which is one of the biggest events in the Indian Religious Calendar.  To many it might sound silly while to others it would be outrageously annoying that I came to notice the importance of this event through an advertisement stuck across the rear of a BEST runner. But nothing is stranger than truth and that is what I accept completely today. Lacs of followers , spiritual gurus , sadhus, Travellers from across the globe, and mixed caste and creed flock with deep rooted passion and respect for the creator only with a aim of taking a holy dip in the chilly waters of the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswasti.  But this is not what made me think deeper and surprised my core. It’s the very unique sect of religious torch bearers better known called Naga Sadhus which really made me gorge onto the pages in history and dig out the life cycle and seed of existence of these greatly different kind of humans or maybe a level higher.

These are those men who give up a basic human form of life and take a very rough road to knock the doors of Moksha or what many may call Heaven. They can be anyone from amongst the passing crowd today but what makes them unique is their extreme lifestyle. They attain this aura by putting an end to their own existence and reach for the stage of life which is beyond life. Complicated as it may sound but truth lies in the caves which are their homes. It was a shock for me to know that in order to attain the final stage of Naga sadhus they need to attend their own funeral. A spine chilling revelation which makes me think if this is why our country is still seen with a raised eye brow. A nation which is the hot bed of economic boom, technical up gradation and eyed by the global investors is still bathing in a dark glory of extremist thoughts and practices.  A country of 100 crores plus and still we have such deaths which are a door to new life of enlightenment. Unbelievable but true. It starts with a person who leaves his family, celebrates his own death rather death of his body in search of his soul. They have to complete their journey across 4 stages and only if they are able to do so, can they reach the beyond. We can trace their existence to the 4 Peeths established by Adi Shankaracharya in the AD 8^th century but the exact lineage cannot be traced to certainty. Bhrahmacharya stage is all about renunciation of the earthly life and serving the guru in the Akharas, followed by evolution into a Mahapurush, and Avdhoot and the finally a Naga.

Its very strange that this penance is followed only to reach the God who has created us.  If God has created this body from nothing but the soil as written in our scriptures do you think he would be pleased if we put the same body through extreme pain? This question still remains unanswered or maybe a real Naga Sadhu can only throw some light to it. They start a quest for the ultimate stage to human renunciation and Moksha by leading the life of the Dead. Unclothed , intoxicated , unfed, praying for years together , living away from any human civilization they are indeed very intriguing to a normal human like me. Everything about them is intimidating and hence many of us flock to the Maha Kumbh Mela to just catch a glimpse of these greatly extraordinary men who go far beyond human existence and cross the most difficult 4 steps to reach what is actually unreachable. If there is a God, if there is a creator who is the divine super power, do you think a life created by accepting one’s own death will get us close to this creator? Well this will remain a puzzle to me as I am yet to accept the thought that renunciation is the final stage of human life. Maybe many of us rush through the vast miles and face the pull and push of millions just to take a dip in the holy Ganges and touch the feet of the Nagas only to solve this puzzle and reach the unreachable which it is!!!!!