The Living Bhairava: Bama Khepa and the Eternal Khyapa Parampara

Introduction: The Lineage of Bama Khepa

Today's subject is my Param Guru (the Guru of my Guru), Shri Bama Khepa (Bamdev). I have never been someone who takes the help or support of an exceptional bloodline to progress in my own Sadhana (spiritual practice) path. My gurus have always been gupta (hidden), and I have never spoken about them. Throughout different stages of my life, I have taken deeksha (initiation) and bowed my head to various teachers for specific periods, but I then walked out.

However, there is only one lineage of Gurus that I accept and take as my own: the lineage of Bamdev (Bama Khepa). Between Bamdev and myself, there is a Guru in a physical body who gave me deeksha. I will not talk about him now, but to understand the rise of Ma Adya Kali, you must understand two specific forces: Bama Khepa and the triad of Shri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, and Anand Thakur.

Baba Bama Khepa - Mahakala Bhairava of Tarapith

The Hierarchy of Forms: From Tripura Sundari to Ma Kali

We must understand the progression of Devi’s forms. It is a journey from the royal to the raw, from the poised to the primal.

• Ma Tripura Sundari: She represents the cosmically highest state of Rajoguna (activity/passion). She is envisioned as the Queen of Queens, adorned with the most expensive sarees and jewels.
• Ma Tarini (Tara): Above her is Tara. It is not that she is superior, but rather that Tripura Sundari is a projection of Ma Kali for minds that can only accept Devi in a royal, poised form.
• Ma Kali: Suddenly, Devi throws away the grandeur. She stands in the rawest form, tongue flowing, in the Smashana (cremation ground). She pushes you toward the Tamasic Guna because this is the quality that society does not understand.

Ma Tarini acts as the bridge. She holds the blue lotus because she is the greatest teacher. She slowly pushes you from the royal form of Tripura Sundari toward the raw reality of Ma Kali. And her greatest son is Tara Putra Bama Khepa.

The Meaning of "Khepa": Divine Insanity

Bamdev belongs to the Khepa tradition. What is Khepa? It means "divinely insane." To a socially normal person, a Khepa looks abnormal; someone who refuses to meet people, who gives their entire life to Devi, and who rejects social norms. But in reality, it is the society that is "normal," and he is the one who has attained the highest state. To attain oneness with Devi, you must embody this madness.

Bama Khepa: The Embodiment of "Procedural Collapse"

Bamdev was born into an exceptional Brahmin family that was financially very poor but rich in dhana (knowledge). However, Bamdev was considered a "reject." He could not memorize the Vedas or Shastras. Society called him stupid or mad.

From a young age, he would steal the idols of his neighbors to perform sadhana. He was unfit for education or work. Why did Devi make him like this? It was to ensure his family had no choice but to throw him into the service of the temple.

This represents Procedural Collapse. In the Kali Yuga, as Shri Krishna prophesied, temples and lineages will be infiltrated by the weak. Therefore, only Nama Japa (chanting the name) will save you. Bamdev could not recite scriptures, but the moment he uttered "Ma Tara," he would flip into the highest state of Samadhi. He proved that knowledge of the texts is not required to reach the Divine.

The Lesson of the Left Hand: Non-Duality

Bama Khepa rose beyond the Shastras. He taught the highest states of Tamasic Guna—the understanding that "dirty" is a concept of the mind.

I recently saw a famous guru scold a devotee for having "Mahadev" written on his left hand, claiming the left hand is for cleaning and therefore impure. This guru has not understood Ma Tara. If he understood Her, he would realize:

• The hand is Mahadev.
• The act of cleaning is Mahadev.
• The water used is Mahadev.
• The digestion of food is Mahadev.

Sarvam Shivamayam (Everything is Shiva). To think one hand is holy and the other is not is to remain trapped in duality.

The Names of Tara and the Acceptance of Disgust

To understand Adya Kali, you must understand her connection to Tara. Three specific names of Tara reveal this path:

• Sukshma Tara (241st Name): The one who gives you understanding of your mind, body, and biochemical reactions. She teaches the subtlety of thought.
• Ugra Tara (634th Name): The highest state of fear and intensity. She teaches that fear is also a form of Devi.
• Ghara Tara (76th Name): This name teaches you to make peace with what is disgusting. You do not have to consume it, but you must accept that the feeling of disgust is also Devi communicating with you. You must be at peace within that disgust.

Breaking the Rituals

Bama Khepa is the Param Guru of the path where rituals break. He would sit in the Smashana (cremation ground) with dogs. As burning bodies were snatched by dogs, he would sit next to them and eat, sharing his food with the dogs, calling them his children and fellow sadhakas.

This is the message: Rituals must eventually break. If you think merely performing rituals or sitting in a cremation ground makes you close to Tara, you will waste lifetimes. She has the ability to invoke the Smashana inside your house and bring you to realization without you moving an inch.

Conclusion: Becoming Bhairava

My Guru, a disciple of Bama Khepa, carries this same energy. When I told him my form was Adya Kali, he did not restrict me to his own specific form of worship. He said, "Aatma hai (It is the soul), do it." That confidence is why I accepted him.

Bama Khepa was an avatar of Bhairava. Bhairava is not just a form you see in a temple; Bhairava is a state you must attain. You must seat Bhairava within you. This is the "Procedural Collapse" where born into a Brahmin family, unable to read scriptures, urinating on the idol of Devi, one becomes the Pithadipathi (head of the spiritual seat).

When Devi takes fondness for you, she breaks everything; societal norms, scriptures, and identity until nothing exists but you and Her. That is the message of my Param Guru, Shri Bama Khepa.

Prepared by Kaliputra-Ashish

Jai Ma.