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I came to know from Autobiography of a Yogi, by Swami Yogananda that Babaji is an immortal. My questions are:
Birthdate of Mahavatar Babaji is not known, he is the immortal Siddha who is living since many centuries.
Babaji's disciples call him by the name of Sri Guru Babaji, the term "Mahavatar" was coined by Paramahansa Yogananda and due to his autobiography, the name "Mahavatar Babaji" got popular instead of "Sri Guru Babaji".
It is well known that Lahiri Mahasaya's guru was Mahavatar Babaji who revived the lost technique of Kriya Yoga which Sri Krishna mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita 5000 years ago:
apāne juhvati prāṇaṁ
prāṇe ’pānaṁ tathāpare
prāṇāpāna-gatī ruddhvā
prāṇāyāma-parāyaṇāḥ
apare niyatāhārāḥ
prāṇān prāṇeṣu juhvati [BG 4.29]
Meaning:- Still others, who are inclined to the process of breath restraint to remain in trance, practice by offering the movement of the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming breath into the outgoing, and thus at last remain in trance, stopping all breathing. Others, curtailing the eating process, offer the outgoing breath into itself as a sacrifice.
Babaji also had a disciple by the name of "Maheshwarnath Babaji" who himself is the guru of Sri M, a yogi who lives in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh. Sri M has written 2 autobiographies - the first one is "Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master" and the second one is "The Journey Continues".
Sri M's meetings with Mahavatar Babaji are recorded in both books. In the second book, a lot of information is available about Babaji. Sri M has mentioned about his past births, he was born as a girl 5000 years ago and met Sri Krishna who told him that he will send a great Siddha in his future life. In one of his future birth, Sri M was born in present day Jaisalmer, in that birth Sri M met Babaji for the first time. Jaisal Singh founded Jaisalmer in 1156 AD but Babaji is also known to give initiation to Adi Shankara who lived in the 8th century.
1) What is the birthdate of Mahavatar Babaji?
- No limiting facts about Babaji’s family or birthplace, dear to the annalist’s heart, have ever been discovered - Paramahansa Yogananda
2) What is the last account of babaji? I mean when he was last seen?
Babaji has never appeared in public but he is well known in yogic world. It is very much possible that while you are reading this line, someone somewhere is conversing face to face with Babaji. We'll never know as he never comes in public but many people in the past have met him like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Sri Yukteswar Giri, Paramahansa Yogananda and many more people.
Do babaji still give visit to some?
Yes. Call him with faith, he might come. Paramahansa Yogananda said:
Whenever anyone utters with reverence the name of Babaji, that devotee attracts an instant spiritual blessing.
There is a lot of fancy and myth surrounding mahavatar or Kriya baba. This became very famous from some of the books of Yogananda Paramahamsa and other monks.
However, Lahiri Mahashaya did not refer to his guru as "mahavatar" in his books. Further, there are 5-6 different people in recent times who claimed to have an encounter with kriya baba. Most likely it was either not true or they might have mistaken someone else as kriya baba.
Famous Yogi from bengal from the dual lineage of Lahiri mahashay who recently passed away had clarified this issues in this books.
if Lahiri Baba was all-pervasive, then what about his guru Mahavatar Babaji? Chatterjee dismisses Mahavtar Babaji completely. His logic is: when Lahiri Mahasaya said that he himself is God can there be anybody above him? “Nobody has seen Mahavtar Babaji. He was Lahiri Mahasaya’s guru. Mahavtar Babaji is none other than Lahiri Mahasaya. It’s a tradition in India that a disciple has to be initiated by a guru. Hence, in keeping with the tradition, Lahiri Mahasaya caused Babaji to appear from within him and then took diksha, initiation, from him,” says Chatterjee.
According to Chatterjee, the name Mahavatar is given by the Americans to Lahiri Mahasaya’s guru; Babaji Maharaj is the name Lahiri Mahasaya gave to his guru. Babaji Maharaj came and gave diksha and went away and met Lahiri Mahasaya only a few times after that. “Once Lahiri Mahasaya promised his friends that he can make them meet a genuinely powerful yogi — Babaji Maharaj. In a room, he invoked his guru; Babaji Maharaj appeared and blessed him and his friends. There cannot be a Mahavatar over an avatar,” says Ashoke Kumar Chatterjee.
It is to be understood that over time some many people have emerged as self proclaimed gurus in kriya and to attract more following they have created many fancy stories related to babaji. When someone claims that one has directly received initiation from babaji then it is not possible to verify for anybody.
The chronological age of the yogi referred to as " maha avatar babaji" is quoted as about 13,00 years. The book titled as " Autobiography of a Yogi" referring to the life events of shri Yogananda brought this yogi in limelight. It is pertinent to state that there is no reference of " maha avatar babaji" in any scripture , treatise, commentary, bhashya by any noted spiritual leaders or mystics prior to the meetings of the persons referred to in the " Autobiography of a Yogi" as the guru and guru's guru of shri Yogananda. In short for about 1150 -1200 years " maha avatar babaji" was away from human awareness / reports.
The lost scientific meditation practise of Kriya Yoga was brought back to life in this day and age by Mahavatar Babaji. The Northern Himalayan crags at Badrinarayan are still graced by the living presence of Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya's guru, who gave his student Kriya initiation. The reclusive master has survived for ages, if not millennia, in the same body. Read More about Babaji and His teachings on YSS of India.
