Swami Lakshman Joo

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Swami Lakshman Joo Sanskrit: स्वामी लक्ष्मण जू(May 9 1907 – September 27 1991) was a famed mystic and scholar. According to Kashmir Shaivastic lore, he was also a fully-realized saint.

Birth and Family Bio-Sketch

Lal Sahib, affectionately called by his immediate family, friends, welcomed one and all, rich or poor, people from all religions and race came to him, as any student seeking the "truth" would.^{[citation needed]}

Swami Lakshman joo was born into a progressive and ancient noble Rajanaka Kashmiri Pandit family of Pandit Bhawani Prasad Razdan/ Bhoon Razdan(early 1800s) an accomplished scholar of persian language/culture, also grand father to Narain Dass Raina/ Nav Narain (pioneering the invention of the Kashmiri Houseboat, its inventor). Whose younger brother moved to Lahore, and generations later this branch of the family gave us Diwan Anand Kumar (Vice Chancellor of Undivided Punjab University) and also Tapishwar Narain Raina, Chief of Indian Army staff and High Commissioner to Canada.

Pandit Narain Dass Raina (father) and Srimati Arnya Mal Raina nee Katij Ded Kaul (mother) had 4 sons, namely Pt. Maheshwar Nath Raina, Pt. Sarwanand Raina, Swami Lakshman joo Raina/ Lal Sahib and Pt. Neel Kanth Raina. Lal sahib, had no children of his own, however he inspired his favorite nephew, s/o Pt. Neel Kanth, Maharaj Krishan Raina, who in later years, true to his socially adopted "karmic" father Lal Sahib, made him proud by doing his Phd (gold medalist, economics, 1965) at Calcutta University, and continued the tradition of wisdom and excellence in a modern, societally responsible sense. Later, Swami Lakshman joo lay to rest at his "karmic" son's Dr.M.K. Raina residence at Noida (Delhi, India) with Pt. Neel Kanth Raina at his bedside. Swami ji had laid the foundation stone of his other house at Greater Kailash 2, where he would stay whilst visiting Delhi. Srimati Krishna ji Kilam (niece) continued his tradition of sunday prayer meet in Delhi, now at Gurgaon/DLF. Shri I.K. Raina managing the Ishwar Ashram Trust, Sarita Vihar etc. To honour its ancestors, The Family has maintained Noida Home, as a spiritual family Prayer Home Shrine till date.

A family of Pioneers, Pt. Bhoon Razdan, grand father to Pt. Narain Dass Raina, and Pt. Narain Dass, grand father to Dr. M. K. Raina (1936-)(Indian paper manufacturing industry guru & economist).

His parents, Pandit Narain Dass Raina (father) and Srimati Arnyamal (mother) were ardent devotees of their family priest and guru, Swami Ram. After giving birth to a son and three daughters, the parents approached their guru and asked his blessing for another son. Swami Ram blessed a single almond and gave it to Swamiji's mother to eat. Nine months later, a boy was born. As soon as Swami Ram heard news of the birth, he became ecstatic and approached Swamiji's parents, proclaiming, "I am Ram; let the child be called Lakshman", in reference to the brothers Ram and Lakshman, whose story is told in the Ramayana.

Lineage

Swami Ram acted as Swamiji's guru until Swamiji turned eight, at which point Swami Ram entrusted Swamiji to the tutelage of his chief disciple, Swami Mahatab Kak. It is believed that the lineage of gurus and shishyas that Swami Ram belonged to, which includes the illustrious Abhinavagupta, originated from Siva himself. It was Shiva in the form of Srikanthanatha who initiated Durvasa Rishi at the beginning of Kali Yuga. By the grace of Shiva and the watchful eye of the great Rishi Durvasa, this lineage shall remain unbroken till the end of this era.

Publications

Throughout his life "Rajanaka" Swami Lakshman Joo was involved in active teaching of Kashmirian Saiva texts. He translated into both Hindi and English what he considered to be the most important texts of his tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. To the earnest seeker he gave freely of his time, asking nothing in return. The following are a list of publications available through the Ishwar Ashram Trust in India and the Universal Shaiva Fellowship in the USA.

1933 - Sanskrit Gitartha Samgraha (Abhinavgupta's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita)
1943 - Hindi translation of Sambpanchashika
1958 - Dvadaskali (12 forms of Shaiva Yoga)
1958 - Sri Kramanayadipika (Hindi) on the 12 Kali's
1964 - Hindi translation of Utpaladeva's Shivastotravali
1982 - Lectures on practice and discipline in Kashmir Shaivism
1985 - Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme, edited by John Hughes (the essence of the first fifteen chapters of Abhinavagupta's Tantraloka
1986 - Hindi commentary by Swami Lakshmanjoo on Abhinavagupta's Gitartha Samgraha
1987 - Hindi translation of Panchastavi
1994 - Self Realization in Kashmir Shaivism, edited by John Hughes
2002 - Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme, edited by John Hughes
2002 - English translation of Shiva Sutras of Vasugupta along with original audio recordings of these lectures given in 1975)

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