page_title: Nigamananda Paramahansa
section_title: Philosophy and teachings
hierarchical_section_title: Nigamananda Paramahansa / Philosophy and teachings
caption_attribution_description: English: Flower of Nelumbo nucifera, bean of India.
context_page_description: Swami Nigamananda Paramahansa is a Sadguru, Hindu yogi, guru and mystic well known in Eastern India. He is associated with the Shakta tradition and viewed as a perfect spiritual master of tantra, gyan, yoga and prema or bhakti. His followers idealized him as their worshipped and beloved thakura.
  Nigamananda was born into a Bengali Brahmin family in the hamlet of Kutabpur in Nadia district. He was a sannyasi from Adi Shankar's dashanami sampradaya. After his ordination as a sannyasi, he came to be known as Paribrajakacharya Paramahansa Srimat Swami Nigamananda Saraswati Deva.
  Nigamananda achieved siddhi in four different sadhanas: tantra, gyan, yoga and prema. Based on these experiences, he wrote five Bengali language books: Brahamcharya Sadhana, Yogi Guru, Gyani Guru, Tantrika Guru, and Premik Guru. Nigamananda reportedly experienced the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
  After retiring from Saraswata Matha, Nigamananda spent the last fourteen years of his life in Puri. Durga Charan Mohanty, a school student, met him at Nilachala Kutir in 1930 and recognized him as sadguru.
context_section_description: Nigamananda was a sanyasi of the Adi Shankara cult. He studied vedanta philosophy due to Shankaracharya after he was initiated as a sanyasi of that order.
  Nigamananda's core-teachings were that guru and istha are identical and that disciples should adopt ideals of Lord Shankar (i.e. the principles of gyan) and ideals of Lord Gaurang (i.e. the path of bhakti). He indicated that Shankar's disciplines were difficult and that Lord Gaurang offered an easier path. According to Nigamananda, Shankar and Gaurang provide a sweet combination of Gyan and Bhakti to lead the world in the right way.
  Nigamananda's philosophy and teachings as per Chetanananda Saraswati are explained here:
caption: Krishna had told Arjuna about the relationship between Guru and God during the course of His teaching. He had used the word "AHAM" when He meant Himself as Guru and "TAT" when He meant God. He mentioned God in the following verses: tat-prasadat param santim sthanam prapsyasi sasvatam (Bhagvad Gita 18.62).[77]
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