Uttarakaula Lineage

There has been much dis-information posted on the Internet about the Uttarakaula tradition line that descended from Pagalababa of Ranchi, which has been copied into books and sites, so it seems necessary to set records straight:

Uttarakaula Lineage

Shri Dadaji Gurudev Mahendranath [1911-1991] became the first European to receive Indian Sannyasi initiation, when he arrived in India in 1953, from Shri Lokanath Maharaj into the Adi Nath Sampradaya, who claim descent from Matseyendranath.

Pagalababa

Further travels to Bihar and Bengal led to initiation into the Uttarakaula Tantrik Tradition by Pagalababa of Ranchi. At a time when communications were less well developed than in the 21^st century Dadaji thought that Pagalababa was the last guru of that tradition, and when he died he thought the lineage would become extinct in India, as would the Adi Nath line, although the Nath Acara is a vast network of sub sects based on the teachings of Goraksnath, a pupil of Matseyendranath. Goraksnaths ideas were designed for the development of monastic disciplines, unlike those of his teacher.

Sri Gurudeva Dadaji Mahendranath

So Dadaji had made plans for international groups to carry the lines forward because of the effects of Westernisation on the Indian population. He did initiate a native Indian into Adi Nath line: now Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath, as well as Westerners, to spread the Nath principles worldwide. What he did not know because of poor communications in India was that Thakar Kalachand, who had received initiation in the Uttara line from Pagal Haranath had not only initiated Pagalababa but also a female guru, Maheshwari Ma, who in turn, had initiated Kulavadhut of Sikkim, and who is still alive and well in 2015.

Kulavadhut 

 Therefore the native Indian lineage did not die with Mahendranath, but instead thrives, alongside the international group that Dadaji began. Any decision on Dadaji's part to fuse Adi Nath and Uttarakaula traditions was not therefore within the scope of decision making available to him, and neither of the native lines did become extinct with his death.

It seems highly likely that there are other branches of the Uttara tree that Dadaji was unaware of too, as is seen in the two branches created by Thakar Kalachand in Pagalababa and Maheshwari Ma, that reveal that in the tradition there is not necessarily a history of having to have an absolute solitary guru figure.

Maheshwari Ma

 © 2015 John Power/ Vilasanath - Guru of the Fellowship of the Uttara Circles of Kaulas

first appeared on the noticeboard for the Western branch of the Uttara Kaula tradition