Paramhansa Abhayanand Ji of Gyanganj Ashram, Himalayas
In his previous life, His Holiness Mahatapasvi Shri Kumarswamiji was in Gyanganj (Jnanganj) Ashram in the Himalayas. His name was Swami Kshemananda then and his Guru was Paramhansa Swami Nemananda Ji. In Jnanganj Ashram there are two branches – Yoga and Science. Swami Kshemananda Ji was a student in Yoga branch. In this life, as Shri Kumarswamiji, he was in close and continuous contact with Gyanganj Ashram. Gyanganj Ashram has many adepts working for the benefit of mankind and the whole universe. To mention a few names of the adepts of Gyanganj Ashram – Paramhansa Maha Tapa Ji Maharaj, Paramhansa Bhrigu Rama Ji, Paramhansa Nemanand Ji, Paramhansa Abhayanand Ji, Paramhansa Jnana-nanda Ji, Paramhansa Vishuddhananda Ji. There are many Bhairavis (women adepts) too – Uma Bhairavi, Shama Bhairavi, Jnana Bhairavi etc. While Paramhansa MahaTapa Ji Maharaj is head of Jnangang Ashram, Uma Bhairavi is head of medical unit of Jnanganj Ashram.
Paramhansa Vishuddhanand Ji Gandhababa is His Holiness Shri Kumarswamiji’s Guru-bandhu (brother-disciple) from his past life. Towards the end of his this life, Shri Kumarswamiji consulted with his Gurudeva and the adepts from Gyanganj Ashram; for his Sadhana (penance and spiritual practices) in this life was not complete and asked them what should be next course of action therefore. The adepts asked Shri Kumarswamiji to build a temple with his own money and place the spiritual power which he had accumulated in his 50-years long penanace. At the mandate of the adepts from Gyanganj Ashram, Shri Kumarswamiji built Divya Devalaya, the Divine Temple in 1995 at Tapovan, Dharwad. The Divine Temple does not have any image or idol or deity. It has 7 mantras written on the wall which holds Shri Swamiji’s spiritual power. The adepts also told Shri Kumarswamiji that they would send one of their adepts (Siddha-purush) from Jnanganj to reside in the Divine Temple. Accordingly Shri Kumarswamiji’s elder Guru-bandhu, Paramhansa Shri Vishuddhanand Ji Gandhbaba has come to stay in the Divine Temple at Dharwad in his subtle body.
The Divine Temple is maintained in strict accordance with the rules laid by the adepts from Jnanganj ashram.
Gyanganj (Jnan-ganj) Yogashram in Tibet
The Gyanganj (Jnanganj) Yogashram – the ancient name of this Yogashram was ‘Indra Bhawan’. This ancient Ashram was renovated and restored to its pristine glory again by Swami Gyananand Paramahans, a disciple of Maharshi Mahatapa. Under his able administration and responsible management it started functioning properly once again under the new name Gyanganj.
Gyanganj is an extraordinary spiritual training centre. The Brahmacharis, Brahmacharinis and Paramahansas of this centre, after getting established in the state Aham-Brahmasmi, roam about in the universe as, when and where they like.
The Gyanganj (Jnanganj) Yogashram with a perimeter of about 16 kilometres, is situated in the western region of Tibet, an upland in the Himalayas to the north of India. This ancient Ashram was renovated and restored to its pristine glory once again by Swami Gyananand Paramhans, a disciple of Maharshi Mahatapa. Under his able administration and responsible management it started functioning properly once again under the new name of Gyanganj. All this renovation took place about seven hundred years earlier, i.e., say about 1225 A.D. Yogiraj Shri Vishuddhanand had eulogised about the eminence of Gyanganj Yogashram in brief at times about the supernatural experiences and powers of the Yogis of this Ashram.
About the name ‘Gyanganj’
Now ‘Gyan’ is a Sanskrit word and ‘Gan’j appears to be a Persian word. How come that the words of these two different languages have been joined up to form the word Gyan-ganj? In actual fact Ganj is a word, the root of which is Sanskrit and it travelled from Bharat (India) to Persia: Ganj : Gaji (Bhwadi ganiya Dhatu) + Yan (Pratyaya) The word ‘Ganj’ means ‘Treasury of Jewels’ so ‘Gyanganj’ literally means ‘Treasury of Knowledge of All Kinds’.
A brief description of the Ashram
This extensive Yogashram, having a perimeter of 16 kilometres, is situated in the western part of the plateau of Tibet, surrounded by hill-ranges on all sides. It has a rampart all around it, with a deep ditch full of water, running all along the rampart on the outside, having arched bridges across it for purposes of communication. Every block of the Ashram is suitably furnished with all materials necessary for instruction in the particular discipline to be taught in that block. The arrangements for instruction in Yoga and Science are indeed exquisite. The two faculties are independent. The Yoga-faculty is under the charge of Swami Bhriguram Paramahansa and that of Science under Swami Shyamanand Paramahansa. The overall incharge or the Chief Executive is Swami Gyananand Paramahansa.
It seems appropriate to give here a brief description of some of the yogis intimately connected with this Ashram.
Maharshi Mahatapa
He is the Head of this organization. According to Swami Vishuddhanand he is over one thousand four hundred years old. His body is beyond material requirements of food, water and air and has become sublime and divine. He has transcended the limitations of time and space. He can travel unfettered to any ‘loka’ (world) as per his wish. He does not stay in the Ashram itself, but generally in a cave amongst the hills of Tibet. An idol of ‘Raj-Rajeshwari Devi’ is installed in that cave, and the cave is therefore known by the name of ‘Raj-Rajeshwari Math’. There are no hutments in the neighbourhood and the yogis who stay in the Math (monastery) have all transcended the necessity for doors or houses. In that part of the Himalayas there are many monasteries similar to Gyanganj Yogashram. All these are under the administrative jurisdiction of Raj-Rajeshwari Devi. Maharshi Mahatapa does not permanently stay in any particular monastery. He occasionally visits the Gyanganj Yogashram and sometimes he goes to Manohar-Tirtha to pay homage to his Gurumata ‘Kshepa-Mai’. He is all the time in a sort of trance and is not used to talking much. Amongst his disciples, who stay at the Gyanganj Yogashram, there are many over hundreds of years of age. The main ones are Paramanansas Swami Bhriguram, Nimanand, Shyamanand and Gyananand.
Swami Bhriguram Paramahansa
He is over five hundred years old and is the foremost disciple of Maharshi Mahatapa in the line of Yoga. He is the head of the faculty of Yoga in the Ashram. Swami Vishuddhanand got his Yoga training directly from him. He is the chief administrator of all the monasteries under the jurisdiction of Raj-Rajeshwari Devi. He is wholly and solely responsible for their upkeep, maintenance of law and order, inspection, conducting of examinations and supervision. The heartfelt prayer-waves from the distressed souls are caught by his ears immediately and he has the capability of instantly appearing before them in human form. Swami Bhriguram Paramahansa had unobstructed access to the innermost recesses of the mind of the disciples. His mode of travel is ‘flying through space’. His feet would not touch the ground. He is the only one Yogi on the face of this earth who can go upto ‘Surya-loka’. His body is no longer composed of the five elements nor of the six Koshas (Pranamaya, Gyanamaya etc.). It is a supernatural divine body.
Swami Nimanand Paramahansa
This great Swami’s insight was responsible for detecting the latent spiritual greatness in Bholanath and leading him up finally to become a Paramahansa. When Bholanath lost all hope of life and had excruciating pain due to the poison of a mad-dog-bite and had come one evening to the Hoogly river to get drowned, this was the Swami who had saved his life. Again after two years Bholanath and Haripada travelled all the way from Burdwan to Dacca and met him. When they entreated him and showed great keenness to tread the path of Yoga to become Yogis, it was he who brought them along to Gyanganj. Swami Nimanand Ji is also amongst the foremost disciples of Maharshi Mahatapa and is a realised Yogi endowed with supernatural powers. Paramhansa Swami Nemanand Ji is also Guru of Param Poojya Mahatapsvi Shri Kumarswamiji.
Swami Shyamanand Paramahansa
Swami Shyamanand is another disciple of Maharshi Mahatapa who excelled in the knowledge of Natural Sciences under the tutelage of the Maharshi. He is the Head of the faculty of Science in the Yogashram. He imparts training in Solar Science, Astronomy and Astrology, Etherial Science, Lunar Science etc. Solar Science is the most superior prime science amongst all these sciences. After attaining knowledge and proficiency in Solar Science, the other Sciences can be learnt comparatively easily. Swami Vishuddhanand learnt Surya-Vijnan (Solar Science) thoroughly under the direct tutelage of Swami Shyamanand Paramahansa. Swami Vishuddhanand was the first one to throw some light on Surya Vijnan and bring it to the notice of our world for the first time. Before this, nobody on this earth knew anything about Surya-Vijnan. Surya-Vijnan has a very close connection with Yoga. Only he, who is an adept at the Science of Yoga can attain full and comprehensive knowledge of Surya Vijnan. So you will now be able to get an idea of the depth of knowledge and high status of Swami Shyamanand Paramahansa who is also over five hundred years old.
Swami Gyananand Paramahansa
As aforesaid Swami Gyananand is one of the foremost disciples of Maharshi Mahatapa. It was through his efforts that almost seven hundred years earlier the ancient Indra-Bhawan was resurrected and named Gyanganj Yogashram. Swami Gyananand had already become Paramahansa before he resusciated Indra Bhawan. At that time he should have been over a hundred years old. So his present age will be anywhere over eight hundred years. Paramahansa Gyananand is the chief administrator in charge of Gyanganj Yogashram. He is endowed with supreme supernatural spiritual powers.
Swami Abhayananda Paramahansa
Paramhansa Abhayanand Ji pictured above at the top of this webpage
Paramhansa Abhayananad Ji, a brother-disciple (Guru-bandhu) of Paramhansa Vishuddhananda Ji is from Jnanganj ashram and disciple of Maha Tapa Ji Maharaj. He is currently in deep samadhi state undergoing spiritual penance.
Yogiraj Vishuddhanand Paramhansa deva
Paramhansa Vishuddhanand Ji Gandh-baba
Shri Vishuddhananda’s childhood name was Bholanath Chattopadhyaya. Siddha Yogi Swami Nimanand Paramahansa of the secret Gyanganj Yogashram in Tibet took Bholnath to Gyanganj ashram. Yogiraj Vishuddhanand Paramhansadeva was the first Yogi-Saint to introduce and propagate Surya-Vijnan, solar science, into the world for the first time. Up till then this science was confined to the precints of the ancient secrets of Yogashram at Gyanganj in the Himalayas in Tibet and was known only to the ancients. Baba stayed in Gyanganj Ashram for 12 years. Surya i.e., Sun or Savita means ‘source of creation’. According to Surya-Vijnan there are 360 rays of the sun which go to form the whole creation of the Universe. Baba converted cotton wool, flowers and leaves into stones, wood, etc. by the incidence of appropriate rays of the Sun. He demonstrated practically how minute particles of ingredients of various objects could be dispersed or assembled and destroyed or created through the proces of Surya-Vijnan. As a result of his adherence to the strict rules of the Brahmacharya period, Bholanath had freed himself from the influence of ego and had also developed the spirit of surrender to the will of the Supreme Power.
Matter is indestructible
Shri Baba demonstrated practically that matter is indestructible.
1st Instance
He asked Shri Gopinath to write something on a piece of paper, burn it and pulverize the ashes by his hands. Thereafter he resurrected from its ashes that very same paper with the sentences written on it by Gopinath.
2nd Instance
Another day, Baba had a pail full of milk thrown into the river Ganga in Varanasi at one Ghat. After a couple of days he reclaimed that pail-full of milk from the Ganga at another ghat of Varanasi.
3rd Instance
Even if a person passes away from the world of curse (Mrityulok) to heaven (Brahmalok), a yogi can bring him back in the world, through his yogic power. For example, Baba brought back his dead father in bodily into this world at Bondul at the earnest request of his elder brother Shri Bhutnath. This incident has been described later in chapter 6 of this book. The above proved beyond doubt that nothing is ever lost or destroyed in Nature.
Materialization of the Dead Father in Physical Form
Once Bhootnath told Vishuddhanand, ”Bholanath! I have heard that through spiritual practice you have acquired extraordinary powers. For a long time I have a yet unfulfilled desire in my heart. If you could fulfil the same, I will consider myself blessed. I want to see our late father in physical form just for once, I hear that the soul is eternal though man is mortal. The changes take place only in the physical form of the body. But the yogi, through his yogic powers, can resurrect the soul in its physical bodily form. The yogi, through his yogic powers, can resurrect the same as it were in the past at any time. I know you can fulfil my desire if you so wish. I have no other wish.” Bholanath said, ”Dear brother, what you have stated is quite true. There is nothing that cannot be accomplished by yogic power or super-science. After the battle of Mahabharat at Kurukshetra, Maharshi Vyasadeva had resurrected, her dead relatives before the very eyes of the grief-stricken Gandhari, in fulfilment of her wish. A yogi can do this through his will-power. The same can also be accomplished by the application of super-science. But, dear brother, what will you gain by simply seeing our late father? Only know that the soul never dies. Death only changes the form. You will not be able to keep your equanimity at seeing our dead father now, in his old physical form. Therefore, it will be better that you accept the will of God in whatever has already come to pass and do not press to see our late father in phyiscal form now.” But Bhootnath persisted and pressed his wish. Bholanath was well aware that anybody, on seeing his dead relative, cannot normally keep his sanity intact and develops insanity. Hence he tried very hard indeed to dissuade his brother, but Bhootnath was insistent. In the end, Bholanath acceeded to his request. A room was set as per instructions of Bholanath. In it a cot was placed and on it a new bedding was spread. At the appointed hour, their late father appeared in his usual physical form and took his seat on the bed. He even replied to the questions put to him. He stayed thus for about fifteen minutes and then departed. But the sight in bodily form of the late father left a deep harmful impact on the mind of Bhootnath.
Pre-Knowledge of Future Events
Bholanath (now Swami Vishuddhanand) used to visit Burdwan now and then. Once he found his elder brother Bhootnath suffering from a chronic disease. The treatment there was giving him no relief. Bholanath cured him by his yogic power, just by a sheer gaze at him. But before leaving, he told Bhootnath in no uncertain terms that he was not ever to take onions or eggs. He also impressed this point on Bhootnath’s wife and warned her of the consequences. But Bhootnath was never a person to follow rules or restrictions for any length of time. He started taking onions and eggs again. After some time, the disease reappeared in Bhootnath in a virulent form. He became worse day by day and no medicine was able to provide him any relief. You can imagine the feelings of the mother under such circumstances. Although Bholanath was at that time in a very distant place, even there he could get the inkling of his brother’s condition and the state of mental agony of his mother. For a yogi, distance is of no consequence and Vishuddhanand appeared instantly at his village Bondul. There he explicitly explained to his mother that Bhootnath, having disobeyed the instructions, could not be cured anymore. Simultaneously he indicated the date and time of the death of Bhootnath to the mother and disappeared. Needless to say that Bhootnath died exactly on the same day and time as had been prophecised by Bholanath. The mother became miserably grief stricken. Bholanath again appeared on the scene. He relieved the mother of the grief by a simple touch of his hand. Swami Vishuddhanand had acquired many supernatural powers through the constant practice of Mantra Jap (meditation), Tapasya (penance) and Samadhi (superconsciousness). But he used to utilize these Siddhis only for the benefit of mankind. Whenever requested, he used to provide relief to all relatives or non-relatives in their bodily and mental sufferings and all kinds of troubles. Many people suffering from chronic and virulent diseases were cured just by a single benevolent gaze from his or by exercise of his will-power. There was no end to his yogic powers and it is impossible to comprehend, leave alone describe all of them.
The above information is taken from the book – “Yogirajadhiraj Swami VISHUDDHANAND PARAMAHANSADEVA, Life & Philosophy” by Nand Lal Gupta, an ardent disciple of Shri Babaji for the benefit of Babaji’s devotees across the world.