Grandson:
Grandpa, who was that person dressed in black who came to see you?
Grandfather:
Yes, he is from the Aghori community. I have been unwell for the last three or four days, and he is my disciple. He performed a Hom (fire ritual) for three consecutive days for my recovery. After finishing the ritual, he came here to apply a tika (ceremonial mark) on my forehead. That is their tradition.
Grandfather:
We often hear many negative things about the Aghoris, but that is not always the case. Aghoris also do good work. As I heard, he performed the fire ritual for three hours and then came to apply the tika. He placed the Vibhuti (sacred ash) on my forehead and rubbed it on my hands and body. He told me that I would recover soon because of it.
Grandfather:
Aghoris perform their work based on their spiritual lineage. They invoke their gurus one by one—starting from Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath—making offerings (Ahuti) in their names. They also make offerings to the Naga (saints) and all the high-ranking tantric gurus of the Aghori community. After the three-hour ritual, they must feed eleven people. I saw that preparations were made for that as well.
Grandfather:
This is a significant aspect of the Aghori community: if their guru falls ill, they would even sacrifice their own lives to protect him. This is their way of life. The Aghoris we usually see in places like Tarapith are very different from these individuals. These Aghoris do not engage in anything harmful. Instead, they focus on their devotion.
Grandfather:
He performed the ritual for three days straight. One night, he came at midnight to give me the sacred ash. Today, he came in the evening; before that, I was in the prayer room, and he gave it to me there. Today was the final day of the ritual performed in my name. He mentioned that they would not eat until they had fed eleven people first.
Grandfather:
I didn't initially realize he was such a high-ranking Aghori tantric. It became clear to me later. They wear black and perform their rituals, but they don't do any harm. Seeing that his guru was ill, he gave up everything, including food, to focus on my recovery. It might seem surprising to common people, but there is a vast difference between different groups of Aghoris.
Grandfather:
These individuals are disciples of Bamdeb Baba, Nibhananda Saraswati, and Nigamananda Saraswati. This lineage follows strict traditions. Because I am unwell, they couldn't stay still; they stopped eating and sleeping to focus entirely on the rituals. I was truly amazed by their dedication. Their rituals are quite different from what is commonly seen. Their devotion is immense; they won't eat until the guru is healthy.
Grandfather:
Since there is no one else around today, Sanket is recording this video himself. He saw the person in black and was a bit unsure. But as I said, people shouldn't be afraid of them. They follow a deep tradition of guru-devotion. They offer individual sacrifices to each of their gurus. After applying the tika to the guru and feeding the people, only then do they eat. Their priority is always the guru. I was very moved by this.
Grandfather:
Anyway, it felt good to see such devotion. Pranam (Respects).