Nilkanth Varni - Badrivan
Excerpt from Nilkanth Varni: An Epic Pilgrimage of a Child-Yogi (Page 319 +)
With reference to stories from the Purans, Badrivan is a land where Nar-NarayanRishi performs austerities. Since it is a divine region, beyond human perception, it is impossible for a mortal to visit it. Despite this, according to descriptions in the Purans, Badrivan has been geographically identified and marked by researchers. Badrivan is a region in the Himalayas. The references given are interesting and wor-thy of note.
According to the publication, The Himalayan Heritage, Badrivan or Badrikashram is the region from Kanva Ashram (that is above Nandprayag) toMt. Satopanth (which lies 27 km northwest of Badrinath). In a special issue of the monthly Kalyan magazine one finds details about the location of Nar-Narayan Rishi’s ashram. It says that on the mountain behind Badrinath Mandir lies the Urvashikund (tank of water). It is difficult and treacherous to reach this place. Further ahead lies Kurma Tirth, and beyond itlies the land of Nar-Narayan’s ashram. The magazine further adds that this pathis unreachable for ordinary mortals. Shri Haricharitramrut Sagaralso describes that no ordinary mortal can reach the ashram of Nar-Narayan.
At this juncture it is worthy to take note of another point regarding Badrivan. On studying the mountain range between Badrinath and Kedarnath, Mt. Satopanth lies northwest of Badrinath Mandir. The mountains Nar and Narayan lie near Mt. Satopanth. And behind these two mountains, to its west lies Mt. Kedarnath, rising to22,700 ft. To reach the ashram of Nar-Narayan (or Badrikashram), the less well known and dangerous path passes near Mt. Kedarnath. The river Arva passes by this mountain towards Badrinath.
Bearing this geographical account in mind let us see Nilkanth’s pilgrimage as described in Shri Haricharitramrut Sagar. When Nilkanth Varni arrived at Badrivan or Badrikashram, Nar-Narayan Rishi spoke to him, “No human can reach this place. Only if Kedarnath (the human form of Mt. Kedar) brings someone can a person reach here.
From this we can infer that there is some geographical relation or connection between Mt. Kedarnath and Nar-Narayan Rishi’s ashram.
In another reference the region called ‘Bharat-khand’ lies 10 miles west of Mt. Satopanth in the Himalayas. With relation to scriptures of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and the Purans, Nar-Narayan Rishi is known as the king of ‘Bharatkhand’. Swami Siddhanandmuni (also known as Adharanand Swami), a paramhansa of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, describes the ashram of Nar-Narayan Rishi in the chapter on Nilkanth’s arrival, “There is no other ashram like this in the region of ‘Bharatkhand.
From all the geographical references it is clear that Nilkanth’s visit to Nar-Narayan Rishi’s ashram in Badrivan is the region that lies between the mountains of Nar-Narayan, which is near Mt. Satopanth that lies 23 km northwest of Badrinath. So it is in this divine, spiritual plane, unseen to mortals, that Nar-Narayan Rishi is engaged in austerities.
On leaving Joshimath, Nilkanth reached Nar-Narayan Rishi’s ashram at Badrivan on 7 November 1792 (Kartak vad8). The Shri Haricharitramrut Sagar, states that Nilkanth performed austerities for three months31in the ashram ofNar-Narayan Rishi. Then in the first week of February Nilkanth departed towards Mansarovar. Now the question is which path did Nilkanth take?
