Panchanan Bhattacharya - The first disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya authorized to teach Kriya yoga

Kriya yoga guru Pandit Panchanan Bhattacharya was born to Shri Thakurdas Bhattachrya and Smt Jagdamba Devi in a Brahmin family in Ahiritola area of Kolkata, West Bengal on 12.11.1853. Pandit Panchanan Bhattacharya as the chief disciple of Yogiraj devoted his entire life in dissemination of kriya yoga sadhana amongst ordinary householders after attaining self realisation through the practice of kriya yoga in which he was initiated by Yogiraj Lahiri Mahasaya. Panchanan Baba lost his father when he was just a child and could not therefore pursue higher studies due to financial hardship.

However his high intellect and command over languages evident in all his writings on spirituality indicate how learned and wise he was despite having not received higher education.Introvert since childhood, Panchanan Bhattacharya in his early phase of spiritual journey, decided to remain brahmachari and therefore abandoned his house and set out wandering the entire country. In the course of wandering he once went to Kashi and reached the residence of Lahiri Mahasaya to meet him. On showing interest for being initiated into kriya yoga Lahiri Mahasay directed him to give up the garb of brahmachari and become a householder that he readily obliged and received initiation into kriya yoga thereafter. With utmost devotion and surrender at the lotus feet of his holy master, Panchanan Bhattacharya practised deep kriya sadhana and attained self realisation and later on became the first disciple of Yogiraj to initiate others into Kriya Yoga.

The first wife of Panchanan Baba Smt Yuktewsari Devi was a devout spiritual lady and his second wife Smt Surdhuni Devi was a highly accomplished kriya sadhika. On the directions of Lahiri Mahasay, Panchanan Baba established the Aryya Mission Institution at Kolkata for publishing books related to kriya yoga and is also credited with compiling holy words of Lahiri Mahasay on Gita, Vedantas, Yoga Darshan and alike in the light of kriya besides authoring several other fundamental books on spirituality. In addition to these he also composed many devotional songs. Later Panchanan Baba made Bamanbigha in Deoghar, Bihar (now in Jharkhand) as his permanent place of residence wherein the Shivlinga in front of which Pancahana Baba used to initiate new disciples can still be found.

In his residence at Deogharh, Yogacharya Pancahana Baba left his earthly body and entered into mahasamadhi on 24.08.1919. However the presence and essence of Panchanan Baba in his subtle form is easily felt by sincere kriyabans during deep meditation. Amongst his disciples eminent have been Bamdev Banerjee, Netai Charan Banerjee, Shrischandra Mukherjee, Harimohan Banerjee, Bardacharan Majumder, Kumarnath Mukherjee, Jeevanlal Choudhury, Nagnedranath Choudhury and Shrilal Yadav.

WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE on Panchanan Baba