{"id":45,"date":"2014-03-06T18:12:17","date_gmt":"2014-03-06T17:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/?page_id=45"},"modified":"2026-02-28T10:31:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T09:31:53","slug":"aghor-aghori-and-aughar","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/en\/aghor-aghori-and-aughar\/","title":{"rendered":"AGHOR, AGHORI AND AUGHAR"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/OM%20TAT%20SAT.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"255\" height=\"173\" \/><\/p>\n<h1><\/h1>\n<h1 style=\"color: #4b4b4b; text-align: center;\">Aghor, Aghori and Aughar<\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/WM-baba11-300%282%29.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"378\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/h1>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Shri Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ramji<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>\u201cO thou who wear the glory of Rudra<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"> <strong>From fruit-bearing Aghoris<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"> <strong>Shining with the brightness of stars<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"> <strong>From all the goddesses<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"> <strong>May everything be to thou<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"> <strong>The highest among the fruits.<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"> <strong>This supreme essence<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"> <strong>May we know<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"> <strong>In this immense splendour<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"> <strong>May we immerse ourselves<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"> <strong>This may Rudra bestows on us.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\">Aghor (a + ghor), a term usually rendered as absence of fear, dread, difficulty, is an inner state of being that can be gained through the spiritual discipline known as Aghor sadhana. The one who is instructed in this practice is known as Aghor, Aghori or Aughar. Aughar, (au + ghar) means \u201c The Other House\u201d. The apex of Aghor state is Aghoreshwar, Lord of Aghor, a title of Shiva in some scriptures. The Aghora Mantra is already in the Vedas.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/WM-babaRajeshwar-300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"383\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Baba Rajeshwar Ramji, Shri Aghoreshwar\u2019s Guru<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\">Aghor condition is obtained by the one who transcends the fourth state, Turiya, beyond the state of wakefulness, the state of dream and the state of deep sleep without dreams. The one who gains this condition is celebrated as Turiyatita, Avadhuta or Aghor. In his eyes nothing more is pure or impure because, transcending duality, he realized the Supreme Unity. He becomes like a dried seed, unable to produce karma.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/GB-Hariharpur-BW-WM.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4575\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/GB-Hariharpur-BW-WM.jpg\" alt=\"GB Hariharpur-BW-WM\" width=\"300\" height=\"337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/GB-Hariharpur-BW-WM.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/GB-Hariharpur-BW-WM-267x300.jpg 267w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Aughar Shri Guru Baba<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\">Aghor sadhana is considered by Aghoris the straight way for the fourth state because it is perfect (Siddha) and heroic (Vira). It is Guruvani, passed through the word from Master to disciple, in an immemorial continuum. Aghor sadhana is a sum of practices that nowadays survives mainly in India and in the nearest zones.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/WM-Anil%20Girnar-300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"441\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Baba Surya Dev Ramji \u2013 Sadhana in Girnar cave<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\">It is difficult to reconstruct Aghori\u2019s origin only through the quotations of critics and observers, the Aghori not having left any texts or chronicles. Their past before Aghoreshwar Baba Kina Ramji is completely shrouded in mystery and left to pure assumptions. These unknown sadhus didn\u2019t have residences and they wandered on mountains or into the jungles. They lived in crematory grounds and paid visit to the sacred places, bringing comfort and their knowledge (medical, psychological, spiritual) to the population.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/WMsadhana-300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"439\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Shava Sadhana<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\">Numerous are the theories proposed about Aghori\u2019s origins. The most famous is that they come from Kapalikas, a presumed extinct school. Some think that Aghoris are Buddhists merged with Hinduism after the religion\u2019s extinction from the Indian continent. In popular tales they were a non-vedic population or a tribe, probably established in the region of the rivers Narmada or Son. For still others, Aghoris may come from an archaic spiritual lineage now disappeared, maybe located in the heart of the ancient realm of Maghada, land of birth of modern Buddhism. Some say that it is possible that they come from other shaiva schools while others suggests that Kapalika, Sarbhanga, Brahmanishta, Avadhuta, Abhyadhar, Aghor and other names, used in different times and different places, are synonymous. Hindus regard Aghoris as coming directly from Shiva. In a study done in Kashi about organisations of sadhus shaiva, vaishnava and sadhus of minor factions, Aghoris aren\u2019t placed in any of these religious divisions.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/WM-dat-300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"281\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Shiva \u2013 Shakti<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\">The only original Aghori literature includes the works left by Baba Kina Ramji and the many volumes published under Baba Aghoreshwar Ramji\u2019s direction and a little more.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/WM-babaKinaram-300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"372\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Baba Kina Ramji<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\">Shri Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ramji, known as the last leader of modern Aghoris, said many times in his speeches: \u201cAghor is not Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shakta or Tantra. Aghor is the essence of all traditions.\u201d Regarding Kapalikas in one of his writings he simply describes them with an adjective: <em>Celestials<\/em>. Aghoreshwar is synonymous for Kapaleshwar.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/WM-Kapalika-Tucci.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"476\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Kapalika, Kathmandhu \u2013 G. Tucci 1952<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\">In accordance with mythology the first Kapalika is Shiva himself, in his terrific Bhairava form. The story, as told in Puranas, tells that He cut off one of Brahma\u2019s heads in a fit of rage. Guilty of the loathsome crime of brahmanicide, he was condemned to wander with the skull of his victim stuck to his hand and to use it as begging bowl and food bowl. After twelve years he arrived in Kashi (Varanasi) and the Kapal (skull) spontaneously came off his hand, falling in the place now known as Kapalamochana.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/WM-Aghor%20Ghanesh.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"403\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Aghor Ganesh<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\">The oldest mentions of Kapalikas have to be found in the Smritis (Yajnavalkya and Vishnu), written maybe few centuries before Christ. They appear in the writings of Jains and Buddhists too. The Buddhists were to be so deeply influenced by Kapalikas\u2019 as their practises began to impregnate Mahayana and the different tantric currents. The protagonists of some literary Indian works of the first millennium of the current era, described with a tone sometimes grotesque and sometimes sinister, have names that can be traced back to Aghor and Kapalikas ascetics. Quoted in many stories of Chinese, Arab and European travellers and chroniclers, it seems like if they were in great numbers until the Middle Ages. The ancient observers remarked that among the wandering ascetics many were bringing skulls (they were Kapalikas).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/WMkina-300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"410\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\">\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Baba Kalu Ramji, Baba Kina Ramji, Baba Bija Ramji, Baba Ram Jivan Ramji<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Krin Kund Sthal, Kashi<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\">An uncontaminated line survived invasions, persecutions, destructions, cultural absorption and flourished in the wonderful expression developed in Kashi by the extraordinary Baba Kalu Ramji and by the very high Baba Kina Ramji, beginning to be known as Aghori. Baba Kina Ramji became famous for the legendary feats of his existence, for the fights with rajas and nawabs of that time in sadhus\u2019 and poor people\u2019s favour, for having revived tradition and promoted dialogue among the main Hindu currents and among the religions but most of all thanks to the work for the weakest social classes and their defence.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/WM-Dattatreya%20YantraFull-300-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"385\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Mahasiddha Shri Dattatreya Yantra<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\">Baba Kina Ramji, during his long existence, visited the places linked to Girnar and the Himalaya but it\u2019s in Varanasi (Kashi), at Krin Kund Sthal, that He gets the final diksha to Aghor sadhana by the striking Baba Kalu Ramji. Both historical characters, they are the link of the modern Aghor expression to the ancient roots. This line of wandering and unknown sadhus got organized and entered local society, bringing an important contribution in those times of big difficulty.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/WM-dattatreya%281%29.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"460\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Shri Dattatreya Gurudev<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\">Shri Dattatreya is the Patron and ideal Master of Aghoris, and his symbolic abode is located on Girnar mountain. Between Shri Dattatreya\u2019s peak, with the Charan Paduka, footprints of the Master and Goraknath\u2019s peak, with his Karaon (the sandals) and Dhuni, rises Aghori\u2019s peak, Aghori Shila, dedicated to Baba Kina Ramji, bare, inhospitable and inaccessible. This essentiality without any representation is maybe symbolic of the Aghor state?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\">\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/WM-kina%20shila-300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"444\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Baba Kina Ram Aghori Shila, Girnar<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\">Their ancientness, the uninterrupted link with a remote spiritual knowledge of mankind, the practises considered bearers of incredible spiritual powers (Siddhis), their outwardly inaccessibility and isolation, contributed to generate stories and references most of the times imaginary. The absence of promotion through texts, the lack of interest in religious disputations, the rejection of the orthodox taboos and of the caste prejudice, then gave birth to a doubtful literature, often made by detractors, in which disgusting and aberrant behaviours are ascribed to the Aghoris. Ignorance, superstitions and popular beliefs, rumours, imitative behaviours played by disturbed or sly figures, moulded a stereotyped distorted image far removed from reality.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Readings:<\/strong><\/h5>\n<h5>Shri Sarveshwari Samooh Italia\u00a0 \u00a0Aghoreshwar Smriti<br \/>\nShri Sarveshwari Samooh Italia\u00a0 \u00a0I Segreti del Guru Aghor<br \/>\nShri Sarveshwari Samooh Italia\u00a0 \u00a0Aghoreshwar Il Compassionevole<br \/>\nShri Sarveshwari Samooh Italia\u00a0 \u00a0Le Navaratri degli Aghori<br \/>\nY. N. Chatturvedi\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Aughar Bhagwan Ram<br \/>\nShri Sarveshwari Samooh\u00a0\u00a0 Aghoreshwar Smrti Vachanamrit<br \/>\nShri Sarveshwari Samooh\u00a0\u00a0 Aghoreshwar Samvedan Sheel<br \/>\nShri Sarveshwari Samooh\u00a0\u00a0 Aghor Guru Guh<br \/>\nShri Sarveshwari Samooh\u00a0\u00a0 Aghor Ram Kina Katha<br \/>\nI. Cucoch\u00a0\u00a0 Il divino e pratico messaggio di Aghoreshwar (1985)<br \/>\nI. Cucoch\u00a0\u00a0 I discorsi di Baba Aghoreshwar (1996)<br \/>\nAkinchan Ram\u00a0\u00a0 Aghor Vachan Shastra<br \/>\nK. K. Verma\u00a0 \u00a0Two Worlds of Human Life: An Aghor Perspective<br \/>\nK. K. Verma\u00a0\u00a0 Aghor Tradition and an Aghor in India<br \/>\nH. Balfour\u00a0\u00a0 Life History of an Aghor Fakir<br \/>\nH.W. Barrow\u00a0\u00a0 On Aghoris and Aghoraphantis<br \/>\nD.N. Lorenzen\u00a0\u00a0 The Kapalikas and Kalamukhas<br \/>\nS. Sinha e B. Saraswati\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ascetics of Kashi<\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #4b4b4b;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/contenuto\/sections\/105\/Image\/Padhuka-150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"141\" align=\"middle\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aghor, Aghori and Aughar &nbsp; Shri Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ramji \u201cO thou who wear the glory of Rudra From fruit-bearing Aghoris Shining with the brightness of stars From all the goddesses May everything be to thou The highest among the fruits. This supreme essence May we know In this immense splendour May we immerse ourselves This [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-45","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/45","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45"}],"version-history":[{"count":70,"href":"https:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/45\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16461,"href":"https:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/45\/revisions\/16461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shriaghoreshwar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}