Lokenath Brahmachari (Bengali: লোকনাথ ব্রহ্মচারী), who is called Baba Lokenath or simply Lokenath, was an 18th-century Hindu saint and philosopher in Bengal. Lokenath was born on 31 August 1730 (according to Bengali calendar 18th Bhadra, 1137) on the holy day of Krishna Janmashtami to a Brahmin family in Chakla village also known as Chaurashi Chakla in North 24 Parganas. An often repeated legend t
ells that Baba Lokenath was an avatar of Shiva, sent as a messiah to redeem the world of sin. His father was Ramnarayan Ghoshal and his mother was Kamala Devi. Both his parents were devotional. Baba Lokenath was born in West Bengal as the fourth son of Sri Ramnarayan Ghoshal and Kamaladevi. An idea within the Bengali Hindu culture during the 18th century was that if one in the family became a Brahmagnani, the family would be blessed and it would boost up the moskha spectrum for the whole generation. So, the child Baba Lokenath was the one chosen to become a Maha Rishi Brahmagani. As a father, Ramnaryan also wanted his son to become a Maha Rishi, after getting to Brahmato. He wanted the young boy to engage in the service of the Almighty, along with his childhood best friend Bendimadhav, under the tutelage of their spiritual master, Bhagavan Ganguly. After leaving everything behind, Child Lokenath and Bendimadhav with their spiritual master, Bhagavan Ganguly, went on many pilgrimages spanning the length and breadth of India. They then went to the Hindu temple, at Kalighat, the temple of Goddess Maha Kali. When traveling across the Hindu temples in India, Child Lokenath and Bendimadhav were very curious of the sages or Rishis, and would play pranks on them. Having had enough, the Rishis decided to complain to the Spiritual Master Bagavan Ganguly. The Master Bhagavan Ganguly then, told the Rishis that, “What goes around comes around. When someone makes fun of another, the person himself /herself will also be made fun of. If you make someone happy, you will be happy too. My spiritual students will also become like us, Rishis, and become great devotees of God Himself.” After visiting all of the Hindu Temples in India, The Spiritual Master Bhagavan Ganguly, and students Baba Lokenath and Bendimadhav went on meditating at the coldest area on Earth, The Himalayas. Also, they traveled to Siberia, Mecca, Medina and France to the Atlantic Ocean and to some holy places of India such as Varanasi and Kashi, meeting the Great Trailanga Swami. Bhagavan Ganguly treated Baba Lokenath and Bendimadhav as a mother would treat her sons. Bhagavan Ganguly asked for alms in the nearby villages at the foothills of the Himalayas. Then he would cook and feed Baba Lokenath and Bendimadhav. One day, Baba Lokenath asked Bhagavan Ganguly to teach them Vedic wisdom. The answer from Bhagavan Ganguly was, “Day by day, the wisdom I have will go inside in both of you students, and both of you will know what Vedic Wisdom is.” Soon after both students went on long hard Brahmagani. Bhagavan Ganguly continued to give them their food, slowly reducing the frequency to once a month, once a year, and so on. This was the way Bhagavan Ganguly taught them to meditate. He asked them not to move their bodies, or else they would feel hungrier. Baba Lokenath was okay with this, but Bendimadhav wasn’t. Soon after, Baba Lokenath made rice-milk, cradling the utensil, using his hip (in place of a stove) and offered it to Bhagavan Ganguly. This was his Brahmagani Exam. Then Bhagavan Ganguly taught both of the students how to meditate in a humid area. The Hot “Jog” was the Moon and the Sun together. When Baba Lokenath went on meditating, he lost track of seasons, not knowing whether it was summer or winter. Bhagavan Ganguly was shocked by how Lokenath meditated. The Latter then started crying and holding the feet of Bhagavan Ganguly, and said that “O Spiritual Master, I have become a Brahmagani, but you didn’t, and you are my Guru. A long time later, Baba Lokenath finished his meditations as he had attained Samadhi (highest meditation), and went to eastern part of India, and settled at a small town village called Barodi, near Dhaka in Bangladesh and started living at Dangu Kormokar’s house. Dangu Kormokar's was a poor family, but after Baba Lokenath's stay with them, the family became quite affluent. When Baba Lokenath was new to the village, he was taunted by the villagers; though not long time after they found out his spiritual mastery and became his devotees. From this time on, his name went sweeping over all parts of India. At the age of 160, on June 1, 1890 C.E., Baba Lokenath took his mahasamādhi (intentional withdrawal of life). As a self-realized master, he proclaims to the world, “I am eternal, I am deathless. After this body falls, do not think that everything will come to an end. I will live in the hearts of all living beings in my subtle astral form. Whoever will seek my refuge, will always receive my grace.”
Baba Lokenath said to his devotees “Whenever you are in danger, whether in war, forest, ocean or jungle, remember Me. I shall save you." https://www.facebook.com/groups/SaiLokenathSatsangSociety2000/
