Sri Sri Thakur

Thakur Sitaramdas Omkarnath Dev

A lean sadhu of godly appearance with matted hair, bearing wooden sandals of

his Guru on the chest was singing Naam with a large band of followers at Jaganath Puri. Some local inhabitants had foreknowledge of his coming and had already publicized his itinerary in a pamphlet that made a prediction by a companion of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu four hundred years back! It told of the coming of a sadhu who would be preaching the Mahamantra or Naam of sixteen words. The sadhu described was Sitaramdas Omkarnath, the founder of the Akhil Bharat Jaiguru Sampradaya.

Birth Place: Keota Village ( Maternal Uncle’s residence ), Hooghly district, West Bengal

Birth Information: 6^th Falgun, 1298 (English1892), Krishna Panchami Tithi, Wednesday, at 8:01 am

Parents: Sri Pranhari Chatopadhyay (Father)

                  Smt. Mallabati Devi (Mother), Second Mother- Giribala devi

Ancestral home: Sri Brajanath Niketan ‘, Dumurdaha Village, Hooghly district, West Bengal.

Lord Shiva Darshan in Childhood:  while lying down with his father at‘Brajanath Niketan’ when he was 6 years old.

Guru: Sri Dasarathidev Yogeswar of Digsui Village.

Marriage: With Siddheswari Devi (Who was introduced by Thakur as our ‘Kamala – Ma’ )

Philosophy of Thakur Sitaramdas Omkarnath Dev

Sitaram[Prabodh Chandra] was born in the Bengali year 1298 (Eng. 1892), 6th Phalgun, in Krishna Panchami in the village Keota beside the

holy river Ganges. After birth ,oneday during “Nam Kirtan”, he became unconscious and did not respond to treatment. One pious man said that he was in “Samadhi” i.e. alignment with GOD, let all chant the “Name of God”; then he became normal and came back. Prabodh started studies in 1306 (Eng.1899), later came to the Church school, in Bandel, but used to come back for learning Sanskrit. Finally he came to his Guru Shri Dasrathi Deb’s place in Digsui for studying Sanskrit. Shri Dasrathi Dev became both his educational Guru and also his religious Guru. Guruji desired and gave his marriage with his relative Kumari Sidheswari Debi during 1323 (Eng.1916). In the year 1324, 23rd Poush (Eng.1917, 7th Jan, Monday), at 12:00 mid night, during meditation Lord Shiva appeared. On asking Lord Shiva said, “I came to you at your young age when you could not recognize me, I am your Guru”. Prabodh said if you are my Guru, show me my “Istha”. Lord Shiva with five heads while chanting the name of Prabodh’s “Istha” had from His shoulder came down the Mother. Later, Mother gave Prabodh “Istha Mantra” in his ear. When Lord Shiva appeared, & WHEN SITARAM craved for ISTA DARSAN... SHIVA SHIVA ENCIRCLED HIM CHANTING RAM RAM... Oneday,  Prabodh closed the door and sat for meditation and on the Saraswati Puja day, vision of a famous devotee of Mother Kali appeared. He said “Mother you did not give me liberation in this birth also”. His meditation got interrupted. Later he had his Guru, Guru Ma and wife standing in the cowshed. They all shivered, Sitaram’s right hand went up and all of them got vision of their “Istha Devota”. Later his Guru wanted more[Viswarup]  and had ‘Darshan’ again through Sitaram and was fully satisfied.

The Guru then wrote to Sitaram “Who are you, my Guru or my disciple, I do not know, but I know that you are mine and I am yours. If you are my Guru, take my salutation ‘Pranam’, guide and liberate me and if you are my disciple please reveal who you are and what are you made up off”. Sitaram told his wife “ I will not tell everything to you, you are to learn by doing ‘Japam’, but know that we two are the divine lights which came down to teach the world spiritual persuasion that continues along with family life.” Later in 1337 (1930), 13th Baisath, his wife Smt Kamala Devi left for her heavenly abode, leaving behind her two sons and a daughter and soon the young son also expired. Smt. Kamala Devi used to make Sitaram sit on “Asana” and did puja of Him. This is the origin of the present day “Sati-Sangha”... Thakur started observing silence in Shri Ramasharm during 1340 (Eng.1933), both “Brahmi mantra” and a Divine Voice asking him for spread of ‘Nam’. But he was not satisfied with the divine dictum thus went to Puri (Orissa) and continued silence and meditation. On 10th Baisak, Lord Jagannath appeared amidst light and ordered “Ja Ja Nam Dige Ja”, meaning “Go and spread the Name” on 1344 ( Eng. Date 22/23rd April, 1937 ) . Spread of “Nam” started thereafter in full spirit~!  THAKUR SITARAMDAS OMKARNATH is a new dimension in history. An important aspect of His Leela is evident in the numerous books composed by Him. His spiritiual  literature is not just vast and exhaustive, every message is his realized truth. His compositions encompass all shastras and form the eternal nectar gifted to human race for generations to come.

Sri Thakur spread the easy way of realizing God… Harinam. Swami Chidananda, President of Divine Life Society, has very aptly referred to Thakur as NAMAVATAAR.

Thakur’s universal love was a platform for everyone to unite, including saints and sinners, religious leaders and prisoners, ministers and commoners-- everyone. The Master graced the world with vast spiritual literature and eternal words of Truth. After completion of an enigmatic worldly leela , He fell sick and left for His heavenly abode on 19th Agrahyan 1389 (Eng.1982).

 His Leela ended physically but continues even today, and is still blessing and guiding us..

Stages of Spiritual Journey : 

   v Shiv- Darshan again at His youth, when the Divine-Mother took Thakur’s soul in Her lap and uttered‘Ishta-mantra’... and Shiva encircled   Thakur chanting 'RamRam'.

   v Vision of past-life (a renowned Kali-sadhak ) on Saraswati Puja at Digsui.

   v Ultimate spiritualattainment on Dol Purnima at Brajanath-Niketan.

   v ‘Ishta Darshan’ to Kamala Ma, Gurudev and Guru-Mata at Digsui.

   v Showing ‘Vishwa-rup’(Universal divine form ) to his Gurudev.