The influence of Visvanatha Baba
The
third epoch in the sect's history, the current epoch, is the one of the
Visvanatha Baba's influence. Visvanatha Baba joined the order at a very
young age. Already at the age of 13 years he received the Kaupina and
in 1925, when he was 21, he was initiated as Balkaladhari. The present
form of Balakaladhari group with its strict centralistic organisation
is deeply influenced by him. He saw to it that a stricter monastic discipline
was maintained and introduced new designations for the samnyasis: apara
"imperfect" for the Kaupina wearers, para "perfect"
for the Kumbhipatias. This special characterization of the subordination
of Kaupinadharis under the Kumbhipatias naturally aggravated the opposition
to the Kaupina group which probably as a reaction, also started organising
itself in a more uniform way.
The real significance of Visvanatha Baba lies in the fact that he systematized
the Mahima Dharma teachings for the first time. In doing so he, of course,
"Sanskritizes" them and remodeled in part vis-à-vis the
older texts. Where as the older scriptures, as well as the works of Bhima
Bhoi were composed in the style of medieval Bhakti literature and were
mainly circulated in the villages, the works of Visvanatha Baba were open
to their wider circles and also to those educated in the western way who,
in their search for a new understanding of their own tradition, reacted
to them positively to some extent. Thus two groups of followers of the
sect were formed: first, the properly initiated, other, a wider circle
of sympathizers who usually do not get initiated.
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