In spite of all these turmoils it has one advantage to provide – it can bring opportunities for realization of God and self Shaivism/Tantra/Nath New movements Kashmir Shaivism Gaudapada Adi Shankara Advaita-Yoga Nath Kashmir Shaivism Neo-Vedanta Inchegeri Sampradaya Contemporary Shaivism/Tantra/Nath Neo-Advaita Hinduism Buddhism Modern Advaita Vedanta Neo-Vedanta Traditional Swami Nigamananda Paramahansa (born Nalinikanta Chattopadhyay; 18 August 1880[1] – 29 November 1935[2]) was an Indian yogi, guru and mystic in Eastern India.

[2] Nigamananda achieved siddhi (perfection) in four different sadhanas (spiritual disciplines): tantra, gyan, yoga, and prema.

His discussions at the society led him to search for a yogi who could fulfill his desire to meet his dead wife and educate him in the true philosophy of "life after death".

It is therefore very importance that a blessing of guru is very essential for success in spiritual sadhana - SWAMI NIGAMANANDA[28][29][30] One night, Nalinikanta dreamed of a sadhu with an aura.

[36] Satchidananda directed Nigamananda to undertake pilgrimages to the four institutions (Char Dham) of religious seats and to realize the significance of each, as the Hindus held these places of worship sacred.

On his arrival at the ashram, Sachidananda reviewed Nigamananda's pilgrimages and stated: "My boy, you have travelled widely and seen the religious places and acquired knowledge and experience.

In 1903, he met a "yogi guru" (yoga master), whom he called "Sumeru Dasji" (otherwise known as Koot Hoomi Lal Singh or Kuthumi).

Soon after Nigamananda desired to experience the state of Nirvikalpa, an advanced yogic samadhis at Kamakshya, Guwahati Assam (Nilachal Hill).

Assam Governor Janaki Ballav Patnaik inaugurated the Nirbikalpa Sidhi Sthal of Swami Nigamananda at Nilachal Hills in Kamakhya Dham, Guwahati on 20 December 2012.

[46][47]) In 1904, he was in Kashi (now known as Varanasi), when Goddess Annapurna appeared in a dream and stated that[48] his knowledge was limited to formless god and not gone beyond that, hence he was still incomplete.

Gouri devi accepted him as a disciple and taught him bhakti or prem (eternal nature of divine love play) to understand the physical world as the transformation of god in bhava sadhana.

[52][53][54] In 1904, Nigamananda went to Allahabad to see kumbha mela and learned that his master Sachidandand was in the area, staying with Shankaracharya of Sringeri Matha.

[60] Jagadguru conferred him with the title "Paramahamsa" and was known as "Paribrajakacharay Paramahansa Shree Mad Swami Nigamananda Saraswati Deva" (परिब्राजकचार्य परमहंस श्री मद स्वामी निगमानंद सरस्वती देव).

[71][72] To achieve the above objectives, he initiated thousands of interested men and women of all walks of life and taught them his spiritual practices.

He encouraged his disciples to meet periodically in groups (sangha) of three or more to offer prayer and worship to the guru, to exchange spiritual experiences and to chant "jayaguru" (जयगुरु ଜୟଗୁରୁ),[73] a non-sectarian word he invented, meaning "Glory of, by, and for the Master".

Nigamananda wanted to be treated as a Sadguru (a perfect spiritual Master) who, on account of his quest over a succession of births and deaths, attained the knowledge of his Swaroop स्वरुप (true or potential nature, i.e., supreme universal consciousness).

The expansions can be practiced only by the competent among the aspirant sanyasis by means of intellectual inquiry, analysis and meditation, although service to the Master is the key to success in such pursuits as well.

Rendering personal service to the Master and invoking his grace through prayers, chanting and simple meditation are the modes of spiritual practice for them.

In order to broaden that path, Nigamananda suggested taking the master as an embodiment of Sri Krishna (or any other deity whom the aspirant loved), in which case the guide himself becomes the goal.

In this way, Nigamananda reconciled the two contradictory creeds of Shankaracharya and Gauranga who advocated the principle and practice of apparent duality between the devotee and God.

In the former case, the devotee's individuality is reduced to a trifle, overpowered by personal god-consciousness, whereas in the latter the aspirant loses his self-consciousness in the ocean of impersonal universal consciousness.

Similarly, whereas Christianity emphasizes service and surrender as means to God realization, the Indian philosophy of Poorva Mimamsa prescribes various rituals for the attainment of personal and collective happiness despite cycles of birth and death.

By means of a Jnanachakra (ज्ञानचक्र)[91] chart (the spheres of spiritual cosmology) which he presented in a pictorial form, Nigamananda identified different layers of consciousness inter-woven in the microcosm (body) and the macrocosm (the universe) and pointed out the levels that aspirants ultimately attain.

He took a plot of land of Jorhat in Sibsagar district and founded this ashram there on Akshaya Tritiya, in the month of Baishakh (in 1319 BS according to Bengal calendar).

[citation needed] Nigamananda established Guru Brahama Ashrams (गुरु ब्रह्म आश्रम) where people from any faith can come and pray in their own ways.

[135] Nigamananda installed Jagat Gurus Ashan (जगत गुरु आसन), in 1915 at Kokilamukh, Jorhat, Assam[136] and established many ashrams and made thousands of disciples in the guru-shishya tradition.

These are Brahmacharya Sadhan (ब्रह्मचर्य साधन), Yogiguru (योगिगुरु), Tantrikguru (तांत्रिकगुरु), Jnaniguru (ज्ञानीगुरु), and Premikguru (प्रेमिकगुरु) which dealt with the fundamentals of almost all modes of sadhana (spiritual practice) prevalent in Sanatan Dharma.

[142] Nigamananda also published Arya Darpan (आर्य दर्पण),[143][144] a monthly magazine on sanatana dharma, intended for disseminating non-sectarian spiritual knowledge among the masses.

[149] This was formed to strengthen prayer groups, discuss the importance of having a guru, review the well-being of sanyasis living in the ashrams, help solve problems as a whole, provide welfare, such as schools, communities and to hold lectures by enlightened speakers on public spiritual life.

[152] The first "Pradeshika Bhakta Sammilani" was held in 1947 by Nilachala Saraswata Sangha, Puri at Ankoli in the district of Ganjam during full moon day of maagha.