Pavhari Baba
| Pavhari Baba | |
|---|---|
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Philosophy | Hatha yoga |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Born | Varanasi |
| Died | 1898 Ghazipur |
| Influenced | Swami Vivekananda |
Pavhari Baba (died 1898) was an Indian ascetic and saint. He was born near Varanasi in a Brahmin family. In his childhood he went to Ghazipur to study under the tutelage of his uncle who was a follower of Ramanuja or Shri sect . After finishing his studies he travelled to many places. At Girnar in Kathiawar he was initiated into Yoga.
He then came back to Ghazipur and built an underground hermitage in his house where he used to practise meditation and Yoga for days. He was noted for his humility, politeness and spirit of welfare. One night a thief entered his hermitage. When the thief ran away leaving the stolen things behind, as Pavhari Baba had woken up from sleep, he chased the thief and offered him the things he stole from his house. The incident had deep impact on the thief who later became a monk and a follower of Pavhari Baba.
In 1890 Swami Vivekananda went to Ghazipur and met him. According to Sister Nivedita, Baba died by burning in 1898, which is considered as self-immolation.
Though Pavhari Baba gained popularity as a yogi, his life is shrouded with mystery. He was born in village premapur,post-premapur,District Jaunpur, Jaunpur in a Brahmin family. In his childhood he was taken to Ghazipur to study and there he lived in his uncle's house. His uncle was a Naishthika Brahmachari and a follower of Ramanuja or Shri sect. He owned a piece of land in Ghazipur which Pavhari Baba got in inheritance. He was a diligent student of Vyākaraṇa and Nyaya and had demonstrated mastery in many branches of Hindu philosophy in his youth.
In his youth, he visited many pilgrimages as a Brahmachari. He acquired knowledge of Dravidian languages. He had also acquaintance with the Vaishnavas of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's order. At Girnar in Kathiawar, he was first initiated into Yoga. He also became a disciple of a Sannyasi and from him he learned Advaita Vedanta.
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