Swami Har Kak Ji

Param Gyani Shri Swami Har Kak ji Maharaj of Bamhama (Kupwara), Kashmir alias Shri Swami Hari Ram ji Dhar was affectionaley called as Swami Har Bab ji by the simple masses of Northern Kashmir. Swami ji was born in a village Bamhama in Kupwara district in B. Samat 1960 on Asuj Krishna Pakshi Triyadashi (1903 B.C.) in a common Kashmiri Pandit gharana of Dhar - his father being a farmer who served as an ordinary employee of PWD.

Swami Harkak ji

Swami ji's path of Parmarth started at a very early age of 5-6 years. It so happened that cholera epidemic struck Kashmir and swami ji at this tender early age of 5 years was also affected by the epidemic. Since there was no reliable treatment of the disease at that time, Swami ji was left on God's mercy. One day, swami Shiv ji Putoo of Sopore, a renowned saint of those times and a relative of the family, visited them. Swami ji's father who had lost all the hopes of his recovery requested the saint to whisper some mantras which would provide eternal peace to the poor soul of the dying child. The revered saint whispered some mantra to swami ji and asked him to repeat it without any break and assured him of his recovery. Swami ji did as directed and chanted his mantra throughout the day and night. It so happened that swami ji recovered miraculously. Swami ji continued chanting the same mantra thereafter. After a year or so, swami ji came across the same saint and narrated his progress to him. The saint was surprised and pleased on hearing his progress in the line at such a young age. He was thereafter adopted properly by the saint as his disciple.

Swami Har Kak ji Maharaj with his intense tapasya attained the grace of Bhagwati Mahamaya and he became poorna yogi at very young age of 18 years, and as per Kashmiriyat heritage he was conferred the title "Illaqadhari" (Illaqadhari was a mutual spiritual bondage of all the saints, rishis, sufis, mastanas, farzanas of Kashmir without any caste, creed or religion).

Swami ji's guru belonged to the Mushkhil Kusha Shree Rashpeer Maharaj heritage. He hailed from Sopore and was a great scholar of Hindu philosophy, especially Shaivism. Swami Har Bab ji Maharaj remained out of limelight in the early period of his life, but as per the wishes of Jagatshree Mahamaya the great saint of Kashmir Mastana Shri Kash Kak ji Maharaj of Manigam started to direct the needy people to him so much so that in the year 1960-61 Shri Kash Kak ji Maharaj sent a message to Swami ji to his house at Manigam on Magh Shukala Chutra Dashi. Kash Kak ji Maharaj was ill due to paralytic stroke. How Shri Har Bab ji reached Manigam when it was snowing heavily in the whole valley conttinously for three days was a miracle in itself. Anyway Shri Kash Kak ji Maharaj handed over his charge of Illaqadhari to Shri Har Kak ji Maharaj. SOon after Shri Kash Kak ji Maharaj attained nirvana.

Swami Har Kak ji's teachings were so simple in Kashmiri language that his art of narration would leave the audiences spell bound for hours together without any break. We have been in his Satsang for nights together. It used to be so sweet and convincing that even a hard-core atheist got moulded. He has satsang of great saints like Swami Nand Lal ji, Swami Sadmolu, Swami Aftaab, Ram ji, Baba ji of Chandigam, Swami Agast Muni of Gofbal, Swami Shri Dayal Gobind Koul of Vanpoh, Shree Aima Sahib Yaaru, Shri Qadir Sahib of Hiri, Kupwara and other spirituals of Kashmir.

Swami Har Kak ji Maharaj attained Nirvana on 4th April, 1975 (Chaitra Krishna Paksha Saptami, 2032). He was a grehasti saint and did not approve an ashram in his name and considered his house at Bamhama as an ashram for all his disciples. His jayanti and yagnaya were previously performed at Bamhama and now in Jammu an Asthapan in his name has come up at Priya Darshani Lane No. 3, Talab Tillo, Jammu. For any details, refer to Shri Madhu Sudan Pandit, House No. 309, Hazuri Bagh, Talab Tillo, Jammu, J&K State, India (Phone: 0191-2553853).

Courtesy: Sudhir Rangroo