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SRIMAT TOTAPURI JI MAHARAJ (1780-1884)

Wandering monk by name Totapuri, under whose guidance Sri Ramakrishna attained Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the highest spiritual experience mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. Paramhansa Totapuri Ji was a Vedantic and Sanyasa Guru of Sri Ramakrishna.

Paramhansa Totapuri born and brought up near by Saraswati river in Kurukhetra, the region of North Westrn Province, near Ladana Villege in Kaithal. Kaithal was the western and North-Western portions of the district Karnal in British era. Before that it was laying (Princely states) Patiala State's territory now called Haryana. He was born last part of 18th century approximately 1780. The present Ladana village is located 800 years ago lying in ‘Ancient Trade Route’. There is also a secret named Baba ka Ladana, Baba Balaknath used to do penance here. Banjare used to rest here by taking shelter. He built two wells for drinking water is still here..'Banjare' who came to both sides of the village used to exchange their goods. Some people walked here and there, loading some goods. That is why it was named Ladana. (Ladna means loading).

Tota the name given him at his birth was sent to Rajpuri monastery at village Ladana when he was a mere child. Srimat Totapuri belong from Mahanirvani Akhada. The monastery has presented a galaxy of monks who amaze us with their brilliance. In the line the name of Mahant Totapuri who held the Mahantship of this Akhada for Six years stands at the top. He was a man of mercurial disposition.

Srimat Totapuri Ji was born presumably of a Sikh family. Tota was his monastic name and Puri the name of a Dashnami Sampradaya, he belonged to the Naga order of militant ascetics who believe in counter their opponents with sastra (weapon) as well as with sastra (scriptural debate). Nagas are organized around several monastic establishments called akharas. Tota Puri belonged to the Mahanirvani Akhara.

He obtain his initial training in the dera of Baba Raj Puri at Ladana, in Kaithal district of Haryana, where he was trained with meticulously by Gyan Puri ji maharaj. Acknowledgement came to him when he was elected in 1852, Sri Mahant or head of an executive body of eight (Ashtamurti) mahants for the management of the Mahanirvani Akhara, with its headquarters at Paryag (Allahabad). He was reelected to the office for another term of three years in 1855 to 1858. In 1861, he set out on a pilgrimage of holy places across the country. Tota Puri returned to Ladana and was chosen to be head of the dera after the death of Gyan Puri (V.S 1928 (1871 AD).

Date of death of Jnanpuri ji maharaj was 1871 and the same year Srimat Totapuri ji became a mahant of Ladana seat (Ladana in Kaithal District, Haryana, Punjab).. when Totapuri ji maharaj was about 26-27 (1812) year old Jnanapuri ji took him to region of South also called “Dakshin Ganga” (Narmada Region Village Karnali, Tahsil Chandond Baroda, there Totapuri ji spend about 40 year and gained Nirvikalpa Samadhi.. (1812 to 1852), Its also known as " Dakshini Prayag", because near to Chandod there is a "Triveni Sangam" occurs of Holy River Narmada, Holy River Aursanga (Orsang), Gupta Saraswati. People sail across the river by boat to Chanod-Karnali, which is the most important place of pilgrimage on the bank of the River Narmada. After that he went to Bhar (in British era Bhar was in Risod, Tahsil Washim District Akola, and region was Nagpur) from 1852-1853 to 1856-1857, here Totapuri Ji was one of the Panch Parmeshwar. After staying at Nagpur region he wandering towards eastern part of India and trevelled one place to another pilgrimage like Puri, Ganga Sagar Khetra and also visited Dakshineshwar Temple 1865 to 66). So Swami Saradananda wrote in his book Leela Parsang that “Desirous of bathing in the confluence of the sea and Ganga (Gangasagar), and of having the vision of Sri Jagannath at Puri, the itinerant teacher Totapuri came wadering at will from Central India to Bengal.

He was a tall, strong, muscular ascetic, who wore no clothing, and never slept under a roof, but kept up the use of the sacred fire. … The system of philosophy which he followed was the monistic Vedanta, as taught by Sankaracharya.

Baba Totapuri, when he attained the post of Mahant here (Ladana, Baba Rajpuri Math) in the later period, started the recitation and worship of Durga Saptashati in the Sharadiya Navratras on the tradition of Durga Puja, according to the feeling of the impersonality of the power received from Dakshineshwar.

Chronology of Srimat Paramhansa Totapuri 1/ Born-                                       1780, In Kaithal District Punjab India 2/ Entered Baba Raj Puri Math at Ladana        1785, In Kaithal District Kurukhetra, Punjab 3/ Training at Rajpuri Math Ladana from        1785 to 1812 4/ Went to Narmada, (also called River Rewa p.55) Saraswati, Ore Sangam,Village *Chandod, (Kapil Muni Narmada Temple, p.59)             1812 to 1852 With his Guru Jnanapuri Mj. p.55 lived there 40 yr gained Nirvikalp Samadhi, fr ‘Haryana Ki Vedant Parampara Aur Baba Totapuri” *Village Chandod, Tahsil Karnali, Dist. Baroda Gujrat. p60/96 5/ Took Naga Sanyas diksha yr                  1852 Ardha Kumbha Mela Prayag Raj and become Mahant (fr the book “Dasnami Naga Sanyasi avam Panchayati Akhada Mahanirvani”) 6/ Srimat Totapuri was from                    1852 to 1856 the Ashtmurti Parishad Mahant in Nagpur & Bhar p.56 from (from the book ‘Haryana Ki Vedant Parampara Aur Baba Totapuri” ) *2 7/ Become Mahant in the year                   1855. In Hardwar Kumbha (Though Totapuri Maharaj was selected as a Mahant so he visited various Mahanirvani Akhada/Math and also accepted mahantship of Kumbha.) (p.122 fr the book “Dasnami Naga Sanyasi evam Panchayati Akhada Mahanirvani”, Bhar Book) 8/ Again Totapuri Maharaj present at Nagpur 1856 (P.68 fr the book ‘Haryana Ki Vedant Parampara Aur Baba Totapuri” 9/ Seated as a Sri Mahant in the year          1858 in Prayagraj Purna Kumbha. (p.123 fr the book “Dasnami Naga Sanyasi avam Panchayati Akhada Mahanirvani”, Bhar Book) 10/ Seated as a mahant                          1859-1861 (Mahantship term of three years) in Baba Ladana Rajpuri Math. (p.123 fr the book “Dasnami Naga Sanyasi avam Panchayati Akhada Mahanirvani”, Bhar Book)

11/ He set out on a pilgrimage of holy places ACROSS THE COUNTRY, reached Puri, GangaSagar and Dakshineshwara aprox                       1862 to 1866 He (Totapuri) had been visiting the estuary (Comment: मुहाना गंगोत्री) of the Ganges. On his return journey along the bank of the sacred river, led by the inscrutable Divine Will, he stopped at Dakshineswar. From “Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna”

(Comment: after 40 years of sadhana in Karnali, Tahsil Chandod, Dist. Baroda, Gujrat, Totapuri became Mahant and then his head quarter was Nagpur from 1852 to 1859 and he performed duty in various Kumbh and Ardh Kumba Mela so Swami Saradananda wrote in his book Leela Parsang that “Desirous of bathing in the confluence of the sea and Ganga (Gangasagar), and of having the vision of Sri Jagannath at Puri, the itinerant teacher TOTA CAME, WANDERING AT WILL, FROM CENTRAL INDIA TO BENGAL. (From The Great Master Page no 345) At that time the center of the Akhada was “Bhar” Tahsil Risod, Dist Washim, near Akola, Berar Central Province now is Prayagraj. p.56 fr. “Haryana ki Vedanta Parampara aur Baba Totapuri” The name “Bhar” is derived from the Sage Bhardwaj and Washim another name Vatsgulam derived from Sage Vatsa. 12/ Reached Dakshineshwar & Leave                1865 to 1866 (Great Master) 13/ Return Ladana Seat                          1871 Haryana Ki..Parampara..Totapuri p.53, and was chosen again to be head of the Ladana Math after the death of Jnanapuri Ji maharaj (V.S 1928 (1871 AD). 14/ Deh Tyag                                    1884  p.46/53/60/61 as per Karnali Record (Zilla (District) Record room) “Haryana ki Vedanta Parampara aur Baba Totapuri”

Sri Totapuri Maharaj was a Sanyasa and Vedantic Guru of Sri Ramakrishna. Comment: As per “Haryana ki Vedanta Parampara aur Baba Totapuri” The writer Vaidya Vanmali Datt Sharma wrote that “Jnanapuri Maharaj was a Mahant before (V.S 1840-42) 1783 AD. (‘Haryana Ki Vedant Parampara Aur Baba Totapuri” P.52/54) ,Srimat Totapuri came to Baba Rajpuri Ladana Math then he was about five year old, we observe the years happening of his rest of life minutely we conclud that year of birth was last part of 18th century that was aproximatlly 1780.

The management of Akhara is on Panchayat system, The Chief executive consists of Eight Mahants and eight karbaris. They are elected every sixth year at the time of Kumbh and Ardha Kumbha and about two thousand monks partake in the elections. The Chief executive resides with a troop of monks which is known as Jamat. This Jamat tours eight months in a year and during rainy season encamps either at Baroda or Udaipur etc. where they are privileged to have all essential amenities. The chief executive enjoys the right of appointment and dismissal of any authority in the centre or branches of the monastery. There is a Thanapati or secretary to look after the property of the monastery and its’ management. ( History of Dasnami Naga Sanyasi)

References 1/  Hindi book “Haryana Ki Vedant Parampara Aur Baba Totapuri” by Vaidya Vanmali Dutt Sharma 2/  “Dasnami Naga Sanyasi avam Panchayati Akhada Mahanirvani” Lalpuri Ji Maharaj Published by Prayag Kumbh. 3/   Goswami Raja to Goswami Cast in Hyderabad. 4/   Evolution of Monastic Ideal Vedanta Kesari Dec 1990 5/   Prabuddha Bharata, January 2016 6/   Paramhans Totapuri Jivan Vikas, March 2011 7/   Sri Ramakrishna and His Disciple by Sister Devmata-1928 8/   Ambala District Gazetteer 1883- 84 9/   Dasnami Sannyasis As Ascetics And Warriors   Ananda Bhattacharia 10/  1883-84 Karnal District Gazetteer 11/  The Dasanam Samnyas The Integration of Ascetic Lineages into an Order by Matthew James Clark 12/  Ramakrishna And His Disciples by Chritopher Isserwood 13/  Kaithal Dist Gazetteer 1883 84 14/  Wandering-With-Sadhus -Sondra L Hausner 15/  The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India 16/  1911 - Central Provinces and Berar - Vol I 17/   Sri Ramakrishna The Great Master – Swami Saradananda 18/  Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna-“M” Mahendranath Gupta 19/  Gazetteer of Baroda State 1923 20/  The first biography on Sri Ramakrishna named “Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa Deber Jibanvritanta” in Bengali – Ramchandra Dutta 21/  History Of Ramakrishna Math and Mission – Swami Gambhirananda-1957 22/  “The Way to God” as taught by Sri Ramakrishna, by Swami Lokeswarananda, first edition 1992 23/  A History Of Dasnami Naga Sanyasis” By Sarkar, Jadunath 24/  “The Social Renaissance in India”” by, K. C. Vyas, M.A. (U.S.A.) Ph.D, (1957) 25/  A-Seminar-On-Saints -1960 26/  Ramakrishna Punthi by Akshay Kumar Sen 27/  Swami Saradananda” Ramakrishna Math Nagpur Math, Hindi 28/  Vedanta Kesari artical October and November 2011 issue, with the title “Western Ghats Shrines in Karnataka A Pilgrimage” by By Swami Atmashraddhananda. 29/  Evolution of Monastic Ideal in Hinduism” Vedant Kesari 1990, December 30/  Thus Spake Shankara' Published by Sri Ramarishna Math, Chennai 31/  “Shankara Biography” by Dr. Narinder Sharma 32/  More about Ramakrishna by Swami Prabhananda 33/  Census of India 2001, series7, Haryana, District Census Handbook part A & B 34/   The Imperial Gazetteer Of India Vol Xvi 1908 35/  The Imperial Gazetteer Of India - VOLUME – XIV 36/  The imperial gazetteer of India by Hunter, William Wilson 1886 37/  The Math Belong to the Guru Of Srimat Totapuri, Swami Alokananda article published in Prabuddha Bharata magazine, in November, 1977 38/  A Pilgrimage to the monestry of Sri Totapuriji-Dera Baba Ladana in Haryana article published in Vedeant Kesari, July 2016 issue, by Swami Atmashradhananda 39/  Sree Sree Digambar Baba: Popularly Known as Totapuri by Monika Mitra but Chronology of Srimat Paramhansa Totapuri not match with this book.