35 Facts About Bhagwan Gopinath

Bhagwan Gopinath, born Gopinath Bhan, called Bhagwan Gopinath Ji, was a mystic saint of early 20th century Kashmir in India.

Bhagwan Gopinath has been called a jivanmukta and his spiritual state has been described as Shambhavi avastha.

Bhagwan Gopinath considered lust and ego as impediments in one's spiritual development and extolled the virtues of honesty and truthfulness.

Bhagwan Gopinath wouldn't differentiate between religions and regarded Hindus and Muslims to be one and the same.

Bhagwan Gopinath was born in a Kashmiri Hindu family of Bhans, in a locality called Bhan Mohalla, in the city of Srinagar in Kashmir, on Friday 3 July 1898, which corresponds to Ashad, Shuklapaksh, Dvadashi per Hindu lunar calendar.

Bhagwan Gopinath's grandfather, Pandit Lachhman Joo Bhan was a wazir wazarat of revenue department in the Dogra regime of the then-princely state of Kashmir.

Bhagwan Gopinath is known to have donated all his ancestral inheritance to his step-mother.

Bhagwan Gopinath's mother, Haar Maal, was the daughter of Pandit Prasad Joo Parimoo who was an initiated disciple of a local saint.

Bhagwan Gopinath's mother died when he was 12 years old and his father died when he was around 30 years old.

Bhagwan Gopinath completed his education till middle grade from a local Christian missionary school called Tyndale Biscoe School, which used to be situated at Fateh Kadal locality of Srinagar back then.

Bhagwan Gopinath ran the grocery store for ten years till about 1925 before taking to his spiritual pursuits full-time.

Bhagwan Gopinath had memorised all these texts probably in his younger years.

Bhagwan Gopinath would visit Swami Narayan Joo Bhan of Bodhgeer locality in Kashmir.

From his younger years, Bhagwan Gopinath would devote much of his time attending religious gatherings of singers singing glories of God and deities of Kheer Bhawani and Hari Parbat shrines.

Bhagwan Gopinath would attend religious plays and gatherings of religious men discussing spiritual topics.

Bhagwan Gopinath was often found meditating for long hours at the shrine courtyard while smoking his pipe.

Bhagwan Gopinath is said to have had a vision of the deity of the shrine of Hari Parbat, Mata Sharika Bhawani, at the age of 25.

Bhagwan Gopinath did not allow very many people in his room during this period.

Bhagwan Gopinath started the practice of blowing air at live charcoals in his fire pot sometimes for hours together.

Bhagwan Gopinath was found talking to and directing invisible people at times.

Bhagwan Gopinath spiritually initiated a Sikh disciple who had come to see him from some other state and lived at his home for 3 months.

Bhagwan Gopinath initiated Pandit Maheshwar Nath Zutshi of Mallapore locality of Srinagar by offering him his pipe.

Bhagwan Gopinath started the practice of transfixing his gaze on water filled in a tumbler kept inside a brass basin filled with water.

Bhagwan Gopinath regularly visited the shrines of the deities of Mata Sharika Bhagwati and Mata Ragnya Bhawani during this period.

Bhagwan Gopinath, being an introvert, was a man of few words and had a straightforward demeanor.

Bhagwan Gopinath is known to have always shunned publicity and covered himself with anonymity.

Bhagwan Gopinath would keep incense sticks burning in flames instead of letting them smoulder as he had an affinity for light sources.

Bhagwan Gopinath would refer to his legs as mere "logs of wood" and the body as "food" for the God of death and as such didn't consider physical body as the end-all be-all of human existence.

Bhagwan Gopinath wouldn't advise anyone to give up one's family and household in pursuit of self-realisation but guided people only if they practised celibacy.

Bhagwan Gopinath is known to have sent one of his devotees, Mr Zadoo, to convey greetings to the Saptarishi cluster of rocks on the hillside of Hari Parbat.

Bhagwan Gopinath is not known to have made any formal disciples although he is said to have spiritually initiated a few seekers that would come to him seeking his spiritual tutelage.

Bhagwan Gopinath is known to have guided seekers based on their spiritual aptitude and receptivity in worshipping either saguna Brahman or nirguna Brahman and sometimes help them choose their ideal of worship or veer them towards worshipping guru as Parabrahma.

Swami Kash Kak, a contemporary saint of Kashmir during his times, is said to have remarked that Bhagwan Gopinath was the recipient of special grace of Mata Sharika Bhagwati, the deity of Hari Parbat shrine in Kashmir and Swami Nand Bab, yet another contemporary saint of his times, is said to have described him as the shahanshah of saints of Kashmir.

Bhagwan Gopinath used to give alms to these visiting sadhus who, on their journey to Amarnath shrine, would stop-over at his place.

Bhagwan Gopinath is said to have predicted Bhagwan Gopinath's death a week in advance.