Baba Sri Chand is one of the greatest yogis who walked on the planet Earth. He was the eldest son of Guru Nanak.
Incarnation of Shiva
A long story short, Guru Nanak was long awaited to be born on the earth. Shiva wanted to serve the house of Nanak. And Shiva took the incarnation of Baba Sri Chand, the 16th incarnation of Shiva. Baba Sri Chand is the 16th incarnation of Shiva.
Baba Sri Chand is the protector of innocent seekers and is the holder of all yogic wisdom.
Baba Sri Chand was born in 1494 as the beloved elder son of Guru Nanak and Mata Sulakhani. A devotee to the path of Dharma and an extraordinary teacher, he selflessly offered his extended life in service to the light of Guru Nanak. From a young age, Baba Sri Chand received timeless wisdom from Guru Nanak and was initiated by him. Baba Sri Chand was crowned as a yogi by Guru Nanak.
He was given the task directly from Guru Nanak to take care of the corrupt yogis who were manipulating and bothering the householders with their occult powers. His responsibility to protect and elevate the householder led to a journey reaching as far as Tibet, Bhutan and Afghanistan that ultimately dispelled the negativity
and united the entire Sadhu Samaj (the different yogic sects of those times) under the universal message of “Ik Ongkaar” – One Universal Consciousness.
He was renowned during this time as a great Mystic and a figure of tremendous spiritual power and wisdom. A great Yogi in the most profound sense, he relied entirely upon the Infinite for his support. He was revered by people from all walks of life and interacted with the Sikh Gurus, embracing their sons when offered as sevadars to him.
While his own life was a continuous miracle, he never called attention to himself. Rather, he and his followers, known as Udasis, spread the message of Guru Nanak in a non-sectarian, universalist way, through meditation on the Divine Name, hard work, and service to those in need.
©ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Yogi Amandeep Singh 2017
The Udasi Lineage – The Renunciate Yogi
When Guru Nanak came back home after 22 years, Baba Sri Chand bowed at the feet of the Guru. And in that devotion when he bowed, Guru Nanak took off his robe that he used in his travels, and he gave it to him, to Baba Sri Chand. And he said, “Now you continue traveling, the way I traveled.”
Baba Sri Chand continued that– and with time– he became an authority on all 12 schools of Yoga and the 6 philosophical schools of India and he came to be recognized as one of the greatest masters.
He had a beautiful connection with all the Sikh Gurus. The second Guru offered his elder son to be initiated as a yogi. The 3rd Guru offered his elder son to Baba Sri Chand to be initiated as a yogi. Guru Ram Das offered his 2nd son to Baba Sri Chand to be initiated as a Yogi. The 6th Guru offered his elder son to Baba Sri Chand to be initiated as a yogi.
So, he was a very important personality. He held the throne of renunciates.
In the older Sikh traditions, this is how it is viewed. Guru Nanak had 2 thrones. One was the the Guru-ship, which went from Guru Nanak all the way to Guru Gobind Singh. This is the lineage of the householders, the Guru’s lineage. And the other throne was the Udasi lineage, which is the lineage of the renunciate yogi. So, after Guru Nanak, Baba Sri Chand held that throne.
When the 6th Guru, Guru Hargobind, came to visit, Baba Sri Chand asked, “What gift did you bring for me?” Guru Hargobind said, “I give you my elder son as a disciple.” Baba Sri Chand initiated him as a yogi, and made him the 3rd Teacher in the lineage of the Udasi tradition. Giving him the throne of the Udasis, of the Yogis, the renunciates, Baba Sri Chand himself walked towards the Chumba hills towards Kashmir, and up into the Amarnath caves, and he disappeared into that valley. According to the Udasi traditions, he is still sitting down there meditating. He sends his representatives, he sends his people to revive the Dharma, to revive the yogic path.
The Ageless Body
Baba Sri Chand attained the golden body. In the Tibetan tradition, it is called the rainbow body. The rainbow body or golden body is even mentioned by Guru Gobind Singh.
The golden body cannot be destroyed by any element, although the body may age with time.
Fire and no other element can dissolve it, the body. Usually when someone dies, the body is either buried or cremated – the body is absorbed into these elements.
Baba Sri Chand did not age. He looked youthful, about the age of 12, his whole adult life. Some say he lived until age 151. Others say he just disappeared.
©ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Yogi Amandeep Singh 2017