HISTORY

Dattatreya, a divinity that includes the Trimurti, Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver) and Shiva (the Destroyer), is considered the founder of this school.

It is represented as an ascetic with the three heads of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva together with four dogs that represent the four Veda. He has in the hands some objects of spiritual meaning: kamandal  (water's pitcher); japa mala (rosary); damru (drum); trisul (trident); shankar (shell); sudarshan (disk). Damru and trisul are in association with Shiva, while the disk and the shell with Vishnu. Pitcher for the water and rosary are the few possessions of an ascetic.

Dattatreya's parents were a very devoted couple and practised many tapasyas (austerity) to get a very desired child. His mother wanted intensely her child to be the incarnation of the Nirguna Parabrahman (the Supreme Brahman without form).But since it was impossible that the without-form could take a form, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva granted her that her child would have been their child embodying all three the divinities.

Dattatreya is considered the highest expression of the ascetic, of the renouncer, since He has known how to draw from every thing the suggestion for the deepest meditations. Also something considered by everybody meaningless or negative, can teach us a lot. In his Avadhut Gita He said he had 24 Gurus: the earth, the water, the fire, the wind, various animals, an archer, etc. That's how he learned the various virtues, finding the spiritual education through these and other natural phenomenons.

"There are no sacred writings, there are no sacrifices, Gods, religions, there are no colors, there are no levels, there are no classes, there are no groups, there is neither some dark path nor some bright path, last reality is only the beauty of the spirit." (Avadhut Gita)

In reality is difficult to draw a historical map of the Aghori babas. There are no official figures. Few and veiled of mystery are the news on their account. The few news that we have come from Persian sources of 1500 D.C. and from English relationships of the XVIII century. Besides this philosophy of life trespasses sometimes on other mystical schools (as the Sufis for es.), taking some techniques of meditation of it and weaving them with others. Some Aghoris have also had muslim guru or of other faiths. Despite this, the Aghoris represent an ancient tradition and there have been periods in which this particular family of sadhu has been very numerous. Today the devotion to these babas is largely practiced among the Indian middle class.

The most greater center is the Kina Ram Ashram and in the fields of cremation to Varanasi (Benares), center of important pilgrimage for the devoted Aghoris. Kina Ram is a sadhu lived in the '700 and considered to be an incarnation of Shiva.

It has esteems that to the beginning of the '900 in all Varanasi there were not more than 300 Aghoris while to our days they esteem only an about twenty, in the whole India perhaps a hundred.

Kina Ram

Baba Kina Ram was one of the greatest saint in India. Born at Ramgarth village of Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh in a zamindar (official employed by the Mughals to collect taxes from peasants) family of Akbar Singh and Mansa Devi. He showed sign of divinity from the very beginning. He had no interest in mundane activities of day to day life but showed inclination towards renunciation and reclusive life style that really worried his parents who married him at an early age but the newlywed bride died before second marriage (Gavama). Baba Kina Ram left his house just after this incident and got himself initiated by Baba Shiva Ram. Later on he traveled throughout India and visited all the major pilgrimages.

He practiced severe sadhana at Baluchistan in the temple of Mata Hingalaj, who directed him to Girnar mountain in Gujarat  and thereafter he was told to proceed to Varanasi. At Girnar, he had darshan of Bhagwan Dattatreya and attained divine siddhi (power). Baba Kina Ram set a fire to Agneya Rudra at Krim Kund which had been burning for the last 400 years. Bija Ram and Ram Jeyawan were his famous disciples.

During Mughal rule the society was plagued with several iniquity. Baba Kina Ram opposed the tyranny of local rulers and taught people to rise above caste, creed and sectarian views. He showed miracles to prove that a true saint transcended human power and could not be cowed down by rulers or kings who led luxurious life. The stories of his miracles are very famous in North India. He was laid to rest in the lap of Mata Hingalaj at Krim Kund and thereafter the charge of ashram passed on to Bija Ram.

The 24 Natural Gurus Of DATTATREYA