Pandit Neelkanth Ji Sharma: A Saint Of All Times

Swami Neelkanth Sharma ji
Photo Courtesy: Koshur Samachar

Pt. Neelkanth Ji Sharma, the great grahasti saint and a poet of highest order possessed miraculous characteristics and an attractive personality. Born in a middle class Kashmiri Pandit family of Atri Bhargave Gotra, in 1888 AD was the most loved child of his parents. The family had a rich spiritual, religious and literally background. Pt. Neelkhant ji’s father Pt. Shankar Nath Ji Sharma and mother Smt. Sukhmali Devi were devotes of Shri Rama. Pandit ji in a way inherited Ramabhakti and spirituality from his parents. 

Pt. Shankarnath ji arranged the teachers to teach sanskrit language to his beloved son at home. After learning some basics of the language Neelkanth ji by his wonderful intelligence and his urge for learning mastered the language by his own efforts and hardworking. He not only mastered the language but also achieved great depth in Vedanta and Shaiva Philosophies. Besides he mastered some other languages like Persian, urdu and hindi of by his own. He studied thoroughly shastras including Jyotish shastra. He was an authority on phalit jyotish. His forecasts were always true. It is also said that he had attained vakhsidhi. 

Although he had not seen even the gates of any school or college still many scholars came to him to clear their doubts and to understand some most difficult problems of Philosophy. 

Neelkkanth ji had conquered kama, krodha and mohe since early years of his life. He was never seen angry with anybody not even with his children or family members.

Pt . Neelkanth ji performed his sadhana since his early boyhood. He himself was his Guru. He strongly believed that God is one and he is remembered by his countless names. You may call him Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Allah or God. God is sarva shaktiman so he can be sakara or nirakara. Pandit ji performed puja of clay-made shivalingam daily for three to four hours. Panditji composed 250 to 300 poems (Leelas) in Kashmiri in praise of Rama, Krishna, Shiva and Matabhavani. Also, he authored SHARMA RAMAYANA (KASHMIRI RAMAYAN), BHAKHTA JAIDEV CHRITA and a drama named BILWA MANGAL NATAK. Pandit ji was very good translator also. He translated Bhagwat Geeta in Kashmiri language and named it as SUDHA SINDHU. Great Sanskrit bhasa’s masterpiece SWAPNA VASAWADATTAM was also translated by him into beautiful Kashmiri prose and poetry. He was of the opinion that composing and singing of leelas was a part of one's sadhana. 

Pt. Neelkanth ji’s contemporary saints like Balji Kaw, Ashokananda, Nandlal Ji, Gopinath ji and Sidhmol Ji revered and respected him very much and discussed many spiritual problems with him. Sidhamol ji treated him like his guru. Even after the nirwana of Pandit ji Sidmol ji placed flowers on the photograph of Pandit ji whenever he visited Pandit ji's residence at Nursinghgarh Srinagar, Kashmir. Sidhmol ji did not even permit the children of Pandit ji to touch his feet.

After Neelkanth ji's Nirwana, in 1972 AD, when Sidhmol ji once was asked about the next janama of Pandit ji, he straight way said he is with Shri Rama. He has attained mukhti. This fact was later certified when Pandit ji's elder son Prof. J.N. Sharma was working as the Principal of Govt. Degree college Punch. Prof. Sharma was told that there is one person who has got power of calling Aatmas through his "Planchette". Prof. sahab contacted the person and requested him to call the soul. The person accepted the request and after performing some pooja tried to call the soul. The soul did not come then he called another noble man's soul and get him to contact Pandit ji's soul and get him there. After some time the noble man's soul wrote in urdu on the piece of paper placed on "planchette" with a pencil also kept on the machine, 'Aap Ko sad mubarak ho. Aap ne jis rooh ke bare main kaha voh bahut bahut oopar pahucha hai jahan jana hum jaise roohum ke liye bahut hi mushkil hai ...'

It was the most cherished wish of Pandit Neelkanth ji that he be a charana Sevaka of Shri Rama in the next world. He has expressed this in one of his Kashmiri shiloka thus: 

O Shri Rama, You are my father and Sita is my mother. Upbringing of mine is the responsibility of both of you. Till I am in this world, be helpful to me in another world. Kindly keep me always at your service as a servant.

Written by: Sh. P.N. Madhup, Jammu (Ph: 0191-2555168)

Submitted by: Vinod Kumar Handoo, New Delhi (Ph: 011-26241115, e-mail: vkhandoo@rediffmail.com)