Need of Siddha Guru-Shishya Parampara
The necessity to understand the Siddha Guru-Shishya Parampara is significantly on the rise in the society where lots of crimes are becoming common news. However, this perceived need to know and understand the Siddha Guru-Shishya Parampara indicates the presence of dharm, the presence of various spiritual seekers all around the world. It is a matter of great joy for any saadhak when he or she becomes connected to authentic adhyaatmik knowledge for the purposes of their spiritual development. Most spiritual seekers will share experience of feeling the need to be connected to some visible direct form of spiritual authority. In the ancient Bharat Varsh i.e. modern day India, there already had been an advanced education system consisting of ‘Guru’ and ‘shishyas’.
What characteristics fell respectively under Guru and shishya were well-defined including the necessary behavioural protocols that helped to sustain the proper flow of knowledge and practices. In the tradition of the Himalayas, the knowledge is passed down in similar but distinct manner by the great MahaSiddhas to their disciples.
Origin and history
In the very beginning when the creation started, when Brahm manifested in the form of Bhagwaan Swacchand Bhairav ji, Swacchand Bhairav Shiva ji wanted that the knowledge be given to the entire universe. In the Himalayan tradition, it is told that Swacchand Bhairav Shiv ji initiated the formation of Kaulantak Peeth. He imparted various knowledge to his beloved consort, his Shakti, Bhagwati Kurukulla where he appears as the first Guru. By being the first Peethadheeshwar, he carved the opportunity for various Kaulantak Peethadheeshwars beginning with the 84 Pura Siddhas and the Saptrishis to propagate the eternal knowledge. Bhagwati Kurukulla is the first Peetadheeshwari of Kulant Peeth. She is also known as the Kula Devi and lovingly called as Kula Mai in the local dialect. When various kuls were formed by Bhagwati Kurukulla, various MahaSiddhas followed Bhagwati Kurukulla’s directions in imparting knowledge that they received to the people belonging to these different kuls. It is equally important to note the role of the Mahahimalayas here as the seat of this wisdom and knowledge traditions.
In order to protect people from bad forces and for the protection of dharm and spiritual knowledge, the devi devtas and the MahaSiddhas prayed. Then the visible Himalayas took its place on earth where different devi devtas began to reside. Different regions of the Himalayas developed distinct traditions based on the knowledge they received from the MahaSiddhas in these places including based on the local devi devtas.
Uniqueness of Siddha Guru-Shishya Parampara
The Siddha Guru-Shishya Parampara derives its uniqueness primarily from the Himalayan tradition. The Siddha Dharma is made of five pillars- 1) Dev Dharm 2) Vishuddha Dharm 3) Yujya Dharm 4) Pratigyan Dharm 5) Vishwaloki Dharm. Dev Dharm is widely popular for its unique tradition. Because it is traditional knowledge, the authenticity of the knowledge, the methods provided by the MahaSiddhas to conduct sadhna, the ways different rituals are performed, etc. are unique based on the worship of particular devi devtas. Under the Siddha Guru-Shishya tradition, there is Dev Parampara that holds majority significance. ITt is known that Devi devtas took different MahaSiddhas to their lok and gave them knowledge and such Devdharmi Siddhas further passed down this knowledge to the people in the society. In the local traditions of the Himalayas, the Dev Mandal is worshipped. The study of dev parampara gives the shishya a valuable experience of connecting to the various intricacies of the Siddha Guru-shishya Parampara in the Himalayas. The present head of Kulant Peeth or Kaulantak Peeth is MahaSiddha Ishaputra.
He studied extensively under 38 MahaSiddhas Gurus. Another unique quality of the knowledge passed down by the MahaSiddhas through the Siddha Guru-Shishya parampara is that the knowledge tradition has passed through layers of refinement, debates, experiences through experimentation mainly. In Kaulantak Peeth, there have been both ‘astik’ and ‘nastik’ MahaSiddhas; historically they progressed in their knowledge search and tradition respectively. Another important characteristic in the Siddha Guru-Shishya parampara is the requirement of the shishya to continually develop the ‘eligibility’ to receive the knowledge from the Guru. There are disciplinary codes of conduct for the saadhak in Kaulantak Peeth. Every male saadhak is referred to as Bhairav and every female saadhika or shishya is referred to as Bhairavi because the men and women are considered as the miniature versions of Bhagwaan Swacchand Shiv ji and Kurukulla Mata ji.
A student is able to avail monthly deekshas and become acquainted with the ancient knowledge of the MahaSiddhas—be it in yog, the different kalas, the yuddh vidya, knowledge of any particular devi devta, rasaayan, tantra, etc. The student also learns various rituals like giving ‘patadis’ for the yoginis, making sweet ‘Bhairav rot’, learning distinct Dev Kulachar rituals, mudras, Dev Kulachar pranaam, etc. Knowing the MahaSiddhas associated with any particular knowledge is equally important as they are the essence of all respective knowledge tradition. So, any shishya must know that taking the knowledge only while leaving out the MahaSiddhas connected to that knowledge can be faulty.
The knowledge falls in a particular system of tradition including the system of the Siddha lineages. The MahaSiddhas are highly developed adhyaatmik consciousness who are able to connect any seeker or saadhak or Bhairav at various present level of consciousness to that higher adhyaatmik state just as the modern telescopes like James Webb telescope are important in helping human beings connect with the star objects in outer space. Because we are unable to see stars with our eyes, we use the aid of telescopes, similarly in Siddh Guru-shishya parampara, the shishya takes the support of the Siddh Guru to help himself/herself reach an understanding about oneself and other things in adhyaatam and to attain the highest level in adhyaatam.
Significance of Siddha Guru-Shishya Parampara in modern times
As a result of modern educational infrastructure, the modern youth may not understand the discipline involved within the Guru-shishya parampara. There is need to understand the tradition, and not just the knowledge. The MahaSiddhas tell us about our connection to the devi devtas. Today too, the people in the Himachal Pradesh possess such love and reverence for the devi devtas. The respect for the traditions associated with the devi devtas is generations old within the families. It is embedded deeply within their house architecture, the temples, the clothes and cooking traditions, their speech, etc. The sight of the devi devtas moving in their rath during special times of the years and during festivals in the open fills the environment with divinity.
For the person who is living in the cities and in the other areas of the world, access to such experiences are difficult, but not impossible. Through the Siddha Guru-Shishya parampara, it is possible to not only come to know about the devi devtas, but through various deekshas to learn how to connect with them. Additionally, the commitment of the shishya within the Guru-shishya parampara to acquire knowledge as per tradition, to retain it within one’s memory as it is and also to practice the knowledge in the form of sadhna is important. People following the Siddha Guru-Shishya parampara can respond to its significance in modern times as mentioned in the beginning. When people are faced with difficult situations, and they feel lost at deeper levels within themselves, or when people feel they too are losing their moral compass because of the different ways the current society is shaping them in the times of Kaliyug and where they feel they have to succumb to the situation, that is indeed the time when some of these very people with strong devotion will go in search for solutions…yes, this search for knowledge that can attract solutions to people’s problem becomes the starting point.
The great MahaSiddhas did penance and their own sadhnas and provided the society with various practical solutions. The color of those solutions was always dharm. Hence in modern times, the Siddha Guru-Shishya Parampara becomes very valuable. It is very important to stress here that the MahaSiddhas never propagated leaving Maya as mostly people keep such understanding. The MahaSiddhas are perfected beings. They do not fear Maya because they know how to live in Maya. To know how to live in Maya means to know oneself in the conditions of Maya. Even after reaching the perfected state, the great MahaSiddhas help the people in the society showing them the path to reach that perfected state itself, as well as for the preservation of the ever-growing knowledge in cosmos.
Ultimate goal of the Siddha Guru-Shishya Parampara
The original purpose for the formation of Kaulantak Peeth was to spread and preserve the eternal knowledge imparted by Swacchand Bhairav Shiv ji to Kurukulla Bhagwati ji and the 64 Pura Siddhas. When Bhagwati Kurukulla assumed the responsibility for the fulfilment of the purpose of Kaulantak Peeth, the Siddh Guru-Shishya Parampara progressed.
As Kaulantak Nath, MahaSiddh Ishaputra has revealed couple times, the Himalayas send MahaSiddhas to the society after giving them education to help the people in their adhyaatmik advancement. The continually changing society presents novel complex situations for people but we are thankful to the Siddha Guru-shishya parampara that continues to this day to provide the adhyaatmik energy as per time.
The knowledge of the Siddha Guru-Shishya parampara helps people to remain in touch with their tradition, reminds them to never lose focus on their purpose of existence, and motivates them on the path of the Siddhas -to reach the higher state of consciousness.