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YOGI NARAHARI NATH |
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YOGI NARAHARI NATH |
Death Of A Legend The departure of a devout
Hindu saint and scholar is a monumental loss to Nepal By A CORRESSPONDENT Had Yogi Narahari Nath not probed deep into
the life and times of King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great, the famous Dibya Upadesh would
have been lost in the recesses of history. Apart from bringing the wise counsels of the
unifier of the nation to full public view, the Yogi made immense contributions in the area
of Hindu religion and culture. A renowned scholar, Yogiji had a large
collection of books at his shelter home in Gorkhanath Temple in Pashupati area, where he
was buried after his death last week at the age of 92. During his long life, he hardly
used modern medicines, relying instead on herbal and traditional treatments. Yogiji was
taken to hospital during the final days of his life, when his health deteriorated. Yogi Narhari Nath studied the rulers of
Karnali region and revealed most important aspects of Nepali language and culture. On the
religious front, he spent most of his time adhering to and explicating divine injunctions. Yogiji always stood for the cause of Hindu
religion and preferred to see the monarch in his role as Vaidik King. In political terms,
Yogiji's comments were always controversial and invited bitter consequences. In an interview with Bimarsha weekly in
1987, Yogiji criticized King Birendra for not exercising the authority of monarch on his
own. He argued that the King should not be influenced by others. After the publication of
interview, the administration issued a notice to Yogiji and the editor. Yogiji never
compromised on his stand. A social worker, Yogiji also filed public
litigation cases in court with an aim to preserve heritage sites. On his petition, the
court issued an order to the government not to hand over any land in the Devghat area to
other institutions. In 1994, the Ministry of Education handed over thousands of acres of
public land on the banks of Narayani river to build a private medical college. A proponent of an active monarchy, Yogiji
always backed the institution whenever it found itself in crisis. As a follower of Lord
Gorkhanath, the main deity of the Shah dynasty, Yogiji spent most of his life visiting
different parts of the country. He traveled to almost all of Nepal's 75 districts on foot
and studied culture, religion and other aspects of society. Born in Kalikot district, in the remote
far-western region of Nepal, as Balbir Singh Thapa, he was inducted to the Gorakh Nath
sect at the age of 9. His commitment to Hindu religion remained firm; a few months ago, he
attended the Kotihom of Matihani despite his failing health. In a condolence message, King Gyanendra
described the Yogi as a person dedicated to Nepali nationalism and an adherent of Hindu
religion and culture who made notable contributions to the enrichment of history. "We
have lost a great historian, religious figure and scholar," said former prime
minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. "Yogiji was a man of integrity and
scholarship." Yogi Narahari Nath may have departed our
physical world, but his thoughts and contributions will continue to inspire the nation. |
Send your feedback to the
editor: spotligh@mos.com.np |
