Written By: Pavitra Sampath | Published : December 8, 2014 3:35 PM IST
Baba Ashutosh Maharaj, a saint with a large number of followers, has reportedly gone into Samadhi and his followers had kept his body on ice for nearly a year in order to preserve the higher state of being the saint is in. While doctors, police and courts have declared that the baba is indeed dead and his remains must be cremated, his ardent followers refuse to accept this fact and claim that Baba Ashutosh Maharaj is actually in a state of deep meditation and will soon regain consciousness. But what is a samadhi and is the baba really dead? Here is all you need to know about the practice. (Read: Life after death a reality, says study)
Samadhi, according to various scriptures, is a state where a person transcends into a higher state of consciousness. He is no more said to be connected the world and all its happenings and can see life in a clearer light. Thought to be a spiritual state of consciousness, Samadhi is attained by meditation. According to Sadguru, when you reach an equanimous state of intellect, it is known as Samadhi. He adds that there are broadly two types of Samadhis -- savikalpa and nirvikalpa. The former being a state of blissfulness while the latter is a state that is above the good and the bad.
In nirvikalpa samadhi, the person is highly susceptible to being distracted and can be brought out of his state with disturbance caused by loud sound or even a pin prick. Thought to be a significant step in one's spiritual evolution, Samadhi is not the ultimate phase.
Apart from this there is something known as the mahasamadhi, where the person disconnects from his body as it is thought of as a limitation. Here the person chooses to leave his body with full awareness and sheds the body as a sign of complete liberation.
That being said, according to the Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Samadhi is a state of rest that one consciously allows himself to transcend into. This form of yoga divides samadhi into eight types namely; vitarkanugama samadhi, vicharanugama samadhi, anandnugama samadhi and asmitanugama samadhi. Collectively all the four states are known as sampragnatha.
What happens to the body
In Savikalp samadhi, the state may be maintained for a few hours or days but those who attain nirvikalpa samadhi find it difficult to come back down into their bodies and function as human beings. In fact if a person is in this state for a period longer than 21 days it is said that the soul leaves the body, never to return. By definition, this can be called death. In such a state the person's body no more has life and can be considered dead. By this definition, Baba Ashutosh Maharaj's body, too, has no life and should be clinically declared dead.
If the body is preserved for longer in this state, it begins to decay. In the case of Balak Brahmchari in West Bengal, who after attaining samadhi, had maggots all over the body, finally prompted the police to cremate him despite opposition from his followers.
Other instances
Apart from Baba Ashutosh Maharaj and Balak Branchari, there have been quite a number of other saints who have reportedly voluntarily taken Samadhi. According to Sadguru, many of Gautam Buddha's followers took Samadhi and did not come out of it for years. Apart from that, Sant Shri Gajanan Maharaj from Maharashtra is also said to have taken samadhi and the date is celebrated as an auspicious day by his followers. Before him, saint Dyaneshwar is said to have taken Samadhi at the age of 21.
Image source: zeenews.india.com
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