In appearance, Maharaj was physically deformed. He is often described as Ashtavakra (i.e. bent in eight places) and a man of great knowledge in Puranic times. He was short but was an ‘ajanubahu’, i.e. having long arms that reach below the knees. Most noticeable were his eyes – large and bright – and a childlike expression on his face. The traditional photograph of Maharaj depicts him with a beard, but towards his later years, he was clean-shaven. Many photographs and pictures of him, showing him adorned in different garments, may be seen at the Samadhi temple in Pune. He often carried a bottle of brandy in his hand and had a whip with him, both rather unusual for a yogi. He used to address people using swear words without meaning them. It was considered lucky for a person to be abused by Maharaj, as it was firmly believed that the abuse would rid that person from his past Karmas or future calamities. Though Maharaj was short and thin, he was enormously strong, and there have been instances when he showed his strength to remove the ego of an arrogant person.

Maharaj did not stay in any single place for long.  He moved from one town to another. He was fond of smoking Honeydew (popularly known as ‘Pila Hathi’) cigarettes. He also indulged in drinking hard liquor, especially brandy. But though he outwardly appeared to often be intoxicated, it was not so. He liked the attar of ‘Hina’ and loved music. He also cherished tea, khichadi, and onion bhajiya. While it appears odd for a Siddha yogi to take liquor, his is not a unique case.

Maharaj used to drink with a purpose, one of which was to keep unwanted people away. Only those who saw Maharaj beyond the external facade could come to him.  There are incidents when Maharaj would drink, and unexplainably another person nearby would be the one to get intoxicated. When Maharaj gave somebody a glass of brandy to drink, they would later say that it was not liquor but refreshing sherbet or coconut water.

Maharaj was fond of wearing rings and jewels, but he would give them away to others. He was also not particular about his attire. Sometimes he would dress royally, while on other occasions, he would wear the most ordinary clothes.  Surprisingly, any clothes would fit him. One time, he asked Mr. Pradhan to give him his coat. Though Mr. Pradhan was a well-built person, his coat fitted Maharaj perfectly. A collection of pictures of Maharaj in different garbs decorate the sanctum sanctorum of the Samadhi Mandir.

Maharaj once remembered having received Dakshina from Peshwa’s hands in Shaniwarwada in Pune, the seat of Peshwa’s rule. After the British took over Pune, he met a British Collector who developed faith in Maharaj and considered him his Spiritual guide. He took Maharaj to England, where Maharaj stayed for ten years teaching the yoga path to this British officer. Asked by Dr. Dhaneshwar whether this stay in England was the reason he could speak such good English, Maharaj said, ‘No, Doctor, a person who understands the principle which is beyond the source of all languages, and who becomes one with it, knows any language, even the language of animals and birds. He becomes the energy itself; therefore, he can decipher the vibration. I understand the English language perfectly. I have read complete Shakespeare. He had rich experiences of life. Among his plays, I like Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and Romeo-Juliet.’

Maharaj used to love the number 13 (called Tera in Hindi). He explained it as ‘सब कुछ तेरा, कुछ नही मेरा’, i.e. ‘Everything is yours and nothing is mine. So this life and all bonds are also yours. You are born with your past karmas, which you have to go through. Unless you are free from it, you won’t see God.’

BIRTH

There are three different versions of the account of his birth.

1. It is said that one Chimnaji from the Antapur village in Satana Taluka near Nashik was childless and prayed to Lord Shiva for a child. One day, he dreamt that he would find a baby in the bushes in the woods outside his village. Taking the dream to be a divine vision, he searched the local woods the next day and found a two-year-old boy. Chimnaji brought the boy home and named him Shankar, as he was considered a gift from Lord Shiva.  Even as a boy, Shankar used to go to the nearby woods for meditation and return safely at night. One day, he hinted to his foster parents that they would have their own child soon. This turned out to be accurate, and shortly after that, Shankar left home to go to the Himalayas in spiritual pursuit.
2. The second version is similar, but the location is a village that was in the Beed-Parbhani region of Marathwada. A childless woman used to worship Shiva in the temple with the hope of getting a son. After about eighteen years of this worship, an eight-year-old boy bent due to physical deformities came there and touched her chest. A miracle occurred, and her breasts filled with milk like a woman’s breast just after delivery. She said to the boy, ‘My breasts are now filled with milk by your touch. I consider you as my child. Please stay with me.’ The boy told her that she would soon beget twins, and until then, he would stay with her. The boy was named ‘Shankar’. As predicted, the woman gave birth to twins, and immediately after that, Shankar left for the Himalayas. As a corroboration of this story, after Maharaj took Samadhi, two men – twins aged about 80-90 years – came to the Samadhi and said that their elder brother had taken samadhi there. Many people remember this event. However, the corresponding timeline would bring Maharaj’s birth forward in time by some decades.
3. The third version is described in the biography of Maharaj’s principal disciple, Dr. Nagesh Dhaneshwar (1899-1980). It is ascribed to the information given by Maharaj himself to Dr. Dhaneshwar. Once, Dr. Dhaneshwar asked Maharaj about his age. Instead of answering the question, Maharaj asked the him to judge his age from a physical examination since Dr. Dhaneshwar was a medical doctor. After a thorough examination and taking note of the structure of joints, the length of the tongue, and the angles of the teeth, which indicate certain peculiar features after the age of 100, Dr. Dhaneshwar judged his age to be over 125 years.  Maharaj agreed with him and told him that he was born around 1800 at Mangalwedhe in a family named Upasani.

TURNING PEOPLE’S ATTENTION TO GOD

Maharaj did not have any fixed headquarters, no Math. He was his own headquarters. Neither did he have any possessions. He never stayed in one place for long. His disciples always welcomed him, and their homes were his home; it did not matter whether it was a palace or a hut. He moved mainly between Bombay, Pune, Ahmednagar (Nagar), Solapur, Nashik, and Akluj (Malinagar Sugar factory), where he had numerous disciples and devotees.

Maharaj travelled widely to visit his devotees, for whom it was a privilege to have Maharaj live with them.  Wherever Maharaj went, he inspired his devotees to organise festivals or programs of Bhajans, discourses (Kirtan), and reading of religious-philosophical texts (Parayan) like Dnyaneshwari, Dasbodh (the spiritual and practical guide by Samarth Ramdas), Gurucharitra (the chronicle of the two avatars of Shri Dattatreya, Shripad Shrivallabha and Shri Narasimha Saraswati) and Bhagwat (a Purana depicting the glory of Lord Vishnu). This way, he turned people’s minds towards God. Maharaj did not give discourses himself because of his lisped speech. But he motivated his disciples to provide lessons on Dnyaneshwari.

From published information, we know that he frequently visited three significant pilgrimage places for devotees of Shri Dattatreya, namely Oudumbar, Narasobawadi, and Ganagapur, made famous by Shri Narasimha Saraswati. In addition, he visited Shrishailam in Andhra Pradesh, famous for the temple of Lord Shiva, and Mahur, the place known for the temple of Shri Renukadevi, one of the four main centres of Goddess Durga. Mahur is also known as the place where Shri Dattatreya visits at night to sleep.

MAHARAJ COMES TO MAHARASHTRA

After getting initiated by Swami Samarth of Akkalkot, he undertook a pilgrimage to the Himalayas upon Swami’s instructions. Sometime after 1878 (the year when Shri Swami Samarth took samadhi), Maharaj returned to Maharashtra. Thus, some seven decades must have passed between him leaving for the Himalayas and appearing in Maharashtra. 

Maharaj said that he was known by other names elsewhere. In Kashi, he is called Khichdi Baba and has a mandir there. In the Gwalior region, he was known as Gourishankar and took samadhi there. He once said that he had been at Raver in the Khandesh region where he was known as Kunwarswami and that his samadhi temple is at a place called Waghoda, where he took samadhi in 1878. (This was also the year when his Guru Shri Swami Samarth of Akkalkot took samadhi). The puzzling thing is that Maharaj left samadhis in these places and appeared in the body as Shankar Maharaj in Maharashtra. Shri Swami Samarth taught him various aspects of the yoga and tantra systems and then authorised him to have his own disciples. Another piece of information received from Maharaj himself was that he spent some time with famous singers and Pakhavaj (a two-sided percussion instrument) players and became himself a talented singer and Pakhavaj player, but gave up these activities after Shri Swami Samarth told him not to waste his time on such pursuits.

On returning to Maharashtra, Maharaj came to Shubharai Math in Solapur and stayed there with Janardanbuva, one of the foremost disciples of Maharaj and the chief of the Math. Then, he visited the Samadhi of his Guru – Shri Swami Samarth, at Akkalkot, about 30 kilometres away from Solapur. Swami Samarth had stayed in Solapur from 1857 until his samadhi in 1878.

From there, Maharaj went to Triambakeshwar near Nashik, where one of the twelve Jyotirlingas is located.  Here, where he stayed with Mr. Rambhau Akolkar, a lawyer, Maharaj performed a miracle. The Akolkar family had a cow that was not giving milk. When Maharaj asked them to milk the cow, she started giving milk. (There is a matching story given in Gurucharitra in which Shri Narasimha Sarawati performed a similar miracle around 1400 A.D.).

HIS DISCIPLES AND DEVOTEES

Maharaj had many disciples and an innumerable number of devotees who met and gathered around him wherever he went. Some well-known devotees mentioned in the literature are:

Nagar: Sardar Mirikar of erstwhile Miri State near Nagar, Dr. Nagesh R.  Dhaneshwar, Major Ganesh Abhyankar and his son Dattatreya Abhyankar, Raobahadur Navale, and Annasaheb Thorat.

Pune:  Raosaheb Mehendale and his wife Taisaheb Mehendale, Mama Dhekne, Mr. Vasudeo M. Pandit, Mr. Dnyananath or Bapu Ranade, Mr. Appa Gosavi or Gosavi Maharaj, Baburao Rudra, the singer Yellubai Mane, Prof Bhalchandra Deo, Mr. Rambhau Ranade, and Mr. S. B. Patwardhan.

Akluj and Bombay: Mr. G.K. Pradhan, Mr. Keshavbhai Asher, Mr. Girme, Mr. V. K. Kulkarni, Mr. Tatya Sahasrabuddhe, Mr. Ganapatrao Pathare and Mr. Dada Fulari. Mr. V.K. Kulkarni was originally at Akluj, working under M/s Asher and Pradhan, but later moved to Kolhapur.

Solapur: Shri Janardanbua of the Shubharaya Math of Solapur, Mr. Omkarnath Bhasme, Mr. Rambhau Korad (Rammaster), and Mr. Purushottam Devasthali.

Dr Khare from Washim, Shri Digambar Saraswati Rajayogi from Shantikunj in Maharashtra state. Acharya P. K. Atre, the well-known writer of social dramas, film producer, and king of humour, and Balgangharva, the famous actor-singer, were also his devotees. 

The grace of Maharaj was not limited to Hindus. He had Muslim devotees as well. One of his devotees in Pune was Khansaheb, who owned a watch company in Pune. Another was Mr. Nuri from Bombay, a friend of Raosaheb Mehendale. Many other Muslims took advice from Maharaj. He used to answer to their difficulties by quoting excerpts from the holy Koran. He used to say that Islam means peace. Prophet Mohammed preached peace, advised not to kill, steal, tell lies, spend time idly in luxury, not charge interest on a loan, etc. He told Muslim devotees that the real mosque is found in a pure heart. The true teaching of Islam is to keep infinite faith in God and that God is love.

MAHARAJ COMES TO PUNE 

From Nashik, Maharaj came to Pune. The earliest accounts about him in the Pune region date back to when Dr. Dhaneshwar met him in the garb of a fakir at Nagar (around 1908) and then in 1927, at Daund near Pune. Memories of Maharaj from Pune proper are from 1938 onwards after Yogi Dnyananath met him. Maharaj already had many disciples in Pune at that time. He stayed in Pune for prolonged periods and chose it for samadhi in 1947 in Mama Dhekne’s house.

Maharaj knew many other saints well. He and J. Krishnamurthi knew each other and had met briefly at the Pune Railway station when the latter was in transit. A female fakir named Hazarat Babajan and a male fakir called Fakirbaba in Pune are two more luminaries whom Maharaj visited often. Like his Guru Shri Swami Samarth, Maharaj was not an orthodox person. He never bothered about the external formalities like caste barriers, untouchability, etc.

INITIATION OF TAISAHEB & TRANSFORMATION OF CHUNILAL 

The main center of activity in Pune used to be Mehendalewada at the Appa Balwant Chowk, the ancestral home of Raosaheb Mehendale and Taisaheb Mehendale. One time Raosaheb took his wife Taisaheb to meet Maharaj. Maharaj scrutinised her and fixed his eyes on her. He touched her throat with his ring finger, and her body became full of divine vibrations. Then, Maharaj initiated Taisaheb and asked her to give discourses on Dnyaneshwari (an exposition on the Geeta). These discourses from Taisaheb used to impart deep bliss to the listeners, and they used to feel that the meaning of their life was being unfolded. It was as if Shri Shankar Maharaj was speaking through her, for he had already told her that ‘I myself cannot give discourses. I need some intelligent person with a pure mind.’

Thus, Maharaj transformed the life of the Mehendale couple into spirituality. They left Bombay and settled in Pune in their ancestral Mehendalewada. Spiritual programs like discourses, bhajans and kirtans started and became an integral part of their life. Mehendalewada became a center of solace for people needing relief from frustrations in life. As a result, the number of visitors to the Wada increased.

On the instructions from Maharaj, Taisaheb started celebrating the festival of Gokulashtami on a big scale from 1941 onwards. Raosaheb Mehendale passed away in 1958; Taisaheb much later. The Gokulashtami celebrations continued until 1972 for thirty-two years. 

Sir Chunilal, once a Council member of the Bombay Presidency in the British Raj and even a Governor, was one of the close friends of Raosaheb Mehendale. He lived in Bombay but had a bungalow in Pune too. He used to come to Pune to meet the Mehendale couple and attend Dnyaneshwari discourses at Mehendalewada. One day Raosaheb suggested he should come half an hour before the evening discourse on the next day to meet a great Avadhut. They went to Mama Dhekne’s house where Maharaj was staying at that time. Maharaj was in his usual pose, reclining on a cushion, laughing and talking to himself. Maharaj fixed his eyes on Sir Chunilal, who instantly went into a deep trance and started rocking. Tears started flowing from his eyes. Automatically, he started reciting Purushsukta, a hymn from the Rigveda. The recitation stopped, and with that, the tears. The pupils of his eyes started shining with bluish light. Lady Mehta was also in a similar condition. According to what was later retold by Sir Chunilal, Lord Vishnu had appeared before him in all his splendour. When everybody returned to the Wada, Sir Chunilal was still in a trance. His wife was worried, but was assured by Raosaheb that Maharaj would look after everything and that now the feeling of incompleteness had left Sir Chunilal.

DR. NAGESH R. DHANESHWAR (APPA)

Dr. Dhaneshwar is the only one among the disciples of Maharaj whose complete biography, written by his son, is available. Dr. Nagesh Dhaneshwar (known as Appa in his close circles) was the son of Ramchandra Dhaneshwar, a teacher in the American Mission School at Nagar. Appa was born on November 8, 1899. When Appa was returning from school, Shankar Maharaj gave him and his friend darshan in the form of a fakir under an Audumbar tree. The Audumbar tree is associated with the presence of Lord Dattatreya. The fakir called a huge ape, Maruti, or Hanuman of Ramayana fame, which descended from the tree. The fakir then asked them to do namaskar (obeisance) to Maruti.  

The fakir continued visiting them daily for about a month and sat near them under that tree. One day he taught Appa a siddhi. When Appa mastered it, he patted him on the back and said it was Ramkathi (Rama’s stick). When Rama’s name was mentioned, the boys suddenly remembered Maruti. When called by the fakir, Maruti again appeared there in a huge form. After exposing a glimpse of the supernatural, the fakir left, and they did not see him there again. 

After passing his medical degree exam at Grant Medical College Bombay in 1927, Appa decided to return to Nagar and serve people instead of doing post-graduate studies. 

En route to Nagar, one would have to change trains at Daund, and the stationmaster of Daund suggested that Appa should halt for the night and meet a yogi visiting his house. The yogi was Shri Shankar Maharaj.  Appa had never heard of Shri Shankar Maharaj before but agreed to stay over. He found there an ordinary-looking person sitting on a mattress reclining against a cushion. He liked his laughter that seemed vaguely familiar. As he was trying to remember where he had heard that laughter before, the stationmaster introduced him to Maharaj. Maharaj said, ‘I know him. I know him for a long time.’ Then he asked Appa whether he had forgotten Ramkathi. Appa immediately recalled his boyhood incident, the vision of Maruti, and the Ramkathi siddhi taught by a fakir. Appa did namaskar (obeisance with folded hands) to Maharaj.

Maharaj lovingly drew him close and asked him questions about medicine and yoga. It was as if Maharaj was testing his knowledge about the workings of the human body, and he gave him many valuable tips on the subject. Maharaj gifted him the power to see the workings of the body. Appa used this technique later in complex cases. There was no diagnostic equipment apart from a stethoscope in those days, and even the X-ray techniques were not advanced.

Maharaj helped Appa by collecting a thousand rupees (which was a lot of money in those days) from his devotees for his dispensary. One of the devotees provided a place for the dispensary. At the time of its inauguration, Maharaj advised Appa that medical practice was not a business. It was a service for the people. Appa faithfully followed this advice and practiced medicine as a service to people. He never amassed wealth even if it meant financial strain for his family. 

TOTAL SURRENDER

Maharaj visited Appa frequently. But Appa used to get annoyed by the eccentric behaviour of Maharaj. Once, Maharaj scattered some crucial articles in Appa’s room here and there. Appa was quick-tempered and also under pressure due to some personal worries. He became outraged and pushed Maharaj out of the rom. Maharaj fell down the stairs. But instead of feeling concerned, Appa slammed the door shut. As a result of the outburst, Appa himself fell unconscious. When he recovered consciousness, he found his head was on somebody’s lap, and that person was gently fondling him and caressing his head with the love of a mother. Then he opened his eyes and saw that it was Maharaj, whom he had just pushed down the stairs. At that moment, he suddenly understood the true nature of Maharaj and his love. He realised that a Guru’s love is even deeper than a mother’s. From that moment on, Appa surrendered to Maharaj completely.

SPIRITUAL TRAINING

Maharaj visited Nagar often. He had many disciples there, including Appa and his father, as well as Mr. Shrotri, Mr. Parkhe and Mr. Karkhanis (all lawyers by profession), Janubhau Mirikar (Sardar Mirikar’s brother), and Capt. Sheikh Hussein, a Muslim gentleman. But he used to live either with Mirikar or with the Dhaneshwar family. When Maharaj was around, they all used to gather in the hall at Appa’s house. But Maharaj did not permit Appa to be present there during Appa’s dispensary hours. He said that Appa’s duty had to take priority. But after Appa returned from work and had taken his meals, both of them used to sit for hours during the night, often without a word.

One time Maharaj stayed in Nagar for nearly six months. During this period, Maharaj taught Appa all siddhis. But after mastering each ability, Appa used to cast it aside as useless. Appa used to master in just a week techniques that for others would take years. He believed that having been born as a human being, one must face one’s problems as a human being without taking the help of the supernatural siddhis.

Maharaj made Dr. Dhaneshwar study Dnyaneshwari in depth. Intelligent though he was, Appa sometimes took a day to understand the meaning of a single Ovi (i.e. a quartet).  And then Maharaj used to analyze the Ovi and explain the meaning correctly. Step by step, Appa progressed spiritually under the guidance of Maharaj, who trained and tested his disciple thoroughly.  

EVIDENCE OF NATH PANTH BACKGROUND

Vriddheshwar, situated about forty kilometres from Nagar, is an important center for the Nath Panthis. Here is where the nine Naths had performed the yajna and where, as the legend goes, Lord Shiva or Adinath himself presided. The fire for the yajna, initially lit by Machindranath, has still been kept burning here over the years. The Vriddheshwar temple is located in a canyon between two hills. This region has many caves where great Siddhas, including many who were Nath yogis, did their tapas. One time Maharaj took Appa around to these caves. In one cave, he showed Appa the place where Gahininath used to sit for meditation. His disciples also used to sit around that place. Through constant sitting, the stones were worn out according to the body shape. Maharaj remarked that Appa was also among them. Appa sat on each stone and found the one that fit him perfectly. Maharaj asked Appa whether he was now convinced about his being a Nath Panthi. Maharaj added that once a Master from Nath Panth initiates a person, he never forsakes him. He remains in the Nath Panth in all births.

MAHARAJ POSTPONES SAMADHI

In 1930, Maharaj expressed his desire to take samadhi.  The combination of the planetary positions excellent for samadhi was approaching, and Maharaj wanted to make use of that. But at the request of Appa, whom Maharaj had promised to teach all knowledge, Maharaj postponed the event by seventeen years when the planetary conditions would recur. Seventeen years passed, and the year 1947 arrived. Maharaj came to Nagar and reminded Appa about samadhi. He stayed with Appa for nearly a month and taught him whatever was left. He even offered to teach him the medicine practiced by Naths, who were experts in that knowledge. But Appa said that his present knowledge was sufficient to serve the public. Before leaving, Maharaj removed the diamond necklace from his neck and put it around Appa’s neck, asking him to keep it as his memory. But Appa removed the necklace and placed it at Maharaj’s feet, saying that he did not need these stones to remember him since Maharaj would always be in his heart. Maharaj smiled. He now knew that his disciple had withstood all tests.

Appa was in Nagar when Maharaj took samadhi in Pune. As soon as he received the telegram about it, he left everything and rushed to Pune. The thought that the physical presence would not be there anymore made him sad. It took some time before he overcame his grief. He began spending more and more of his time in the study of the Dnyaneshwari. After the death of his wife, Appa came to live in Pune with his elder son, Narayandatta, in 1973. After some illness, Appa or Dr. Dhaneshwar left his body on January 13th, 1980 in Pune. When the word of Appa’s death spread, people flocked to his house and then to the cremation ground. Thus ended the earthly life of a great Siddha yogi and companion of Maharaj for many lifetimes.

MAHARAJ CALLS FOR MAJOR’S SON DATTA (ANNA)

Major Ganesh Abhyankar was a Major in the British army posted in Nagar. One day an older man came to him and said that Datta of Gangapur had sent him. He referred to Lord Dattatreya, whose second avatar, Shri Narasimha Saraswati (1378 – 1458 A.D.), lived for many years in Gangapur near the Gulbarga State Karnataka.  The Major allowed him to visit. Then he reminded him that in 1914 (during the First World War), his troops had dug a hole in the fort wall, managed to escape under enemy fire, and joined the British forces some distance away. He saw that his trousers’ legs had been virtually turned into a sieve by bullets, but his legs were not hit. He used to regularly read the Gurucharitra and other books even when he was on the battlefield. That is why he escaped the bullets. The older man then showed his legs, which had bullet marks on them. The Major at once prostrated before him and touched his feet. The old man introduced himself as Shankar Maharaj and asked if he remembered why his boy was named Datta and told him he had come to meet him. Datta, short for Dattatreya, whom we are calling Anna here, was seven years old at the time.

About eight years earlier, the Major had made a pilgrimage to Gangapur and had performed a Saptaha. A Saptaha is reading of the sacred book Gurucharitra highly venerated by Dattatreya worshippers. It is the biography of the two avatars of Lord Dattatreya:  Shri Shripad Shrivallabha and Shri Narasimha Saraswati, written in verse by Saraswati Gangadhar.  The book has fifty-two chapters. The reading of the entire book has to be finished in seven days, a certain prescribed number of chapters every day.  When one undertakes a Saptaha, he has to observe certain disciplines. One restriction is that every morning, once the reader has taken his bath and sits for the reading, he should not get up until the day’s chapters are finished. It means continuous reading aloud for two to three hours daily. There are other restrictions on diet, sleep and sex, and general behaviour. A performance of Saptaha is known to produce much spiritual upliftment.

It is customary for all pilgrims to Ganagapur to beg for food in five Brahmin houses and consume it. This is called madhukari. All local Brahmins cook food specifically for donating it in this way. The food is fresh and good quality, for it is believed that Lord Dattatreya himself comes for the alms. That day, after the Saptaha, when the Major had gone for madhukari, he met a fakir who asked him for food. The Major gave his madhukari to the fakir. The fakir then told him that his wife was pregnant and a son will be born. He told him to name him Dattatreya. 

DATTA ACCOMPANIES MAHARAJ ON TRIPS

Maharaj rarely remained in one place for long. He used to move from devotee to devotee, place to place. Because of his lisping speech even blessings sounded like curse words, and people used to get annoyed, which embarrassed Datta. When Datta protested, Maharaj used to shut him up. Later Anna (Datta) realised the reasons for the lisp. Maharaj had an unusually long tongue. He could touch the vertex of his head with it. It had a Shivalinga on it and a mark of ten, as is seen on a cobra hood.

Anna was very dear to Maharaj. He used to take him to many holy places, especially those connected with Lord Dattatreya.  Maharaj had a large number of disciples and devotees in Nagar who gladly provided transport for these trips.  One memorable visit was to Mahur (about a four hour road journey from Nagpur) in Kinwat Taluka, Nanded District in Marathwada. It is said that Lord Dattatreya sleeps at Mahur, bathes at Benares, asks for alms at Kolhapur 500 kilometres away, and takes his meals at noon at Panchaleshwar, going over to these distances by yogic powers.

One day Maharaj took Datta to Girnar. Mount Girnar is near Junagadh in the State of Gujarat. It is a place of pilgrimage for Jains and Hindus. Steps have been constructed for climbing up the path. Ashrams (shelters) are established along the route where pilgrims can rest and refresh themselves. Girnar is a place very dear to worshippers of Lord Dattatreya, including Nath Panthis.

The small boy was unable to climb the mountain, so Maharaj took him on his shoulders. They reached the mountain top at about half-past midnight. Imagine the yogic powers of Maharaj, though himself deformed, carrying a seven-year-old boy on shoulders up a steep hill about three thousand feet high with thousands of steps.

Maharaj took him to the Dattatreya point on the mountain. Two huge tigers came out to meet Maharaj. Fearful, Datta hid in the nearby Ashram of the sadhus and started watching. He saw the tigers playing like pups with Maharaj. Maharaj told Datta that even wild creatures forget their nature in those surroundings and that he need not fear. But Datta refused to come near. The tigers went away after playing for some time.

After staying in the Ashram for three days, Maharaj told Datta that he had some work up the mountain and that he would be back in a couple of minutes. He left Datta in the care of Shantihari, the Mahant (Chief) of the Ashram. A couple of minutes turned into eight days before Maharaj returned. He had instructed Shantihari not to give Datta any food except milk, nuts, and some morning prasad, i.e. part of offerings during the daily worship of Lord Dattatreya. Whenever he asked for food, he was told in Hindi that the Avadhut had instructed Shantihari not to give him food. 

The sadhus used to refer to Maharaj as Avadhut. Thus, Datta was made to fast for eight days without his realising it.  These are the processes sometimes used to prepare a disciple for the spiritual path. After eight days of starvation for Datta, Maharaj came to take him. 

SAMADHI

Maharaj had expressed the desire to take Samadhi in 1930 itself but had postponed it by seventeen years at the request of Dr. Dhaneshwar. A few months before his Samadhi, he had chosen the site. The site was located on farmland owned by one Mr. Malpani, about a kilometre from the Padmavati temple. Maharaj had obtained assurance from Mr. Malpani, the landowner, to give him three gunthas of land (1 acre = 40 gunthas). In 1947, the place was a jungle with the danger of robbery and wild animals. 

In 1946, Maharaj, accompanied by a group of devotees, went by car to Padmavati temple and the farmland owned by Mr. Malpani, who also accompanied them. He stood at the present location of the samadhi quietly and after some time said that he liked the place, which was near Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, near Padmavati and away from town. So he decided to have his samadhi there. Everyone was shocked. Then Maharaj left for Bombay.

He returned from Bombay to Mama Dhekne’s house. The year was 1947. One day he told Raosaheb, who was among the devotees who had gathered there, ‘Rau, these clothes have become old. They must be discarded.’ Everybody realised, all being from a spiritual circle, that he was referring to his body and not real clothes. He then asked them to gather there after four days and that he would make khichadi for them.  Then he left for the house of another disciple, Mr. Buva Wandekar.

That day, Wandekar had performed Satyanarayan Puja on Maharaj’s instructions. He had also prepared meals for about a hundred invitees. Because of Maharaj’s presence, the attendance swelled enormously. Some people even stayed over for meals. Wandekar was nervous at the flood of people staying behind for meals. But Maharaj signaled him not to worry and to go ahead with serving. About twelve hundred people took meals that day with the food sufficient for only about a hundred people. Wandekar was relieved and surprised. Maharaj asked him whether everybody had eaten and whether he was satisfied. Wandekar did the only thing he could do. He threw himself at his feet.

After the meal, Maharaj suddenly got up and asked Yavatkar, another devotee, ‘Take me on the back seat on your motorcycle and leave me near Kaka Halwai Datta temple [situated a couple of hundred meters from Mama Dhekne’s house]. And look, this coat of mine has become old. I must get a new one.’ Yavatkar did not understand the implication of these remarks. He said, ‘Oh yes, Maharaj, let us do so.’ And he took measurements. Later, he was told what Maharaj had meant.

LAST KHICHADI

Four days later, all gathered at Mama Dhekne’s house as instructed by Maharaj. Khichadi was being cooked in a large pot. Maharaj was stirring it. He was refusing all help. When khichadi was ready, it was distributed in cups made of leaves (Drona). All were instructed to eat it there itself. Maharaj loved Dnyaneshwari, the commentary on Gita in contemporary Marathi language. Then Maharaj said, ‘The Dnyaneshwari is not just to be read. One must live by it. This world has been saved only by the advice of saints and Dnyaneshwari. He who fills his life with Dnyaneshwari will surely have a happy life. I have nothing more to say.’ And with that, he bid goodbye to those who had gathered, except Dr. Dhaneshwar, Appa Gosavi, Dnyananath, the Mehendale couple, Mama, and Mami Dhekne. He caressed the faces and bodies of all of them and said, ‘For yogis and liberated persons, samadhi should be taken at an auspicious time. Such a time is coming on Vaishakh Shuddha Ashtami. I am going to deposit this material body in the ground that day.’ He referred to the eighth day in the bright fortnight of the second lunar month, which occurs sometime in April.  

FINAL HOURS

During the next ten days or so, Maharaj had broken all contact with the world, other than the usual group who continued to visit him. Not a word was spoken. Nor did he leave Mama Dhekne’s house. On the Saptami day, which was the day before the samadhi, Maharaj told Mami, ‘Give me just a cup of tea. No cigarettes. Spread a small mattress and keep a cushion inside the shelf. I am going to take a bath and sit there. I don’t want to speak a word nor meet anyone. The door should not be opened.’ And he did accordingly. Mama and Mami were sitting the whole night in front of the shelf, keeping watch. At four o’clock in the morning, a voice came from inside the shelf: ‘Make further arrangements. Take care of this material body. This flame of Dnyanadeo is now leaving it.’

Bapu was on Parvati hill for his daily spiritual routine. As soon as he came to know about Maharaj leaving the body, he rushed down and went to Maharshi Vinod with Raosaheb. Maharshi Vinod already had sensed it. The trio went to take a last look at Maharaj at Dhekne’s house. Maharshi had taken a long copper wire with him. He took Maharaj’s head in his lap, held one end of the copper wire at the heart of the body and the other in his ears. Shortly he started uttering words, which Raosaheb noted down as the message from Maharaj in verse form:  

‘The flame that is Shankar was lighted for a short time. It did not matter whether it became steady, increased, or extinguished. The objectives of Naths have been brought to people by bringing the thumb-size spark of his soul into the body (i.e. by his taking birth on this Earth). In the early morning hours, he has returned to where Chauranginath and Gorakshanath are present, showering blessings on his children, touched by good fortune. A holy life created auspicious clouds, causing a surge of the five Pranas through the seven Chakras, and the root of all karmas was washed away with the opening of the Sahasrar Chakra in those touched by good fortune. The sound of Aum inspired hearts; Gorakshanath and Dnyaneshwar Maharaj showered blessings of happiness over all. Let us attain equanimity through priceless meditation, speak the subtle meanings of the Shrutis, and sway intoxicated by devotion. Let us dissolve all inequalities in devotion, bury dwaita (dualism) into Adwaita, and let the body brighten by the light of knowledge. These are the prayers for the three worlds.’

Word spread that Maharaj had left the body. It was Monday, April 28th, 1947. People gathered to have a last sight of the body. The body was taken the next day in procession by the predetermined route near Padmavati, which Maharaj had indicated. A hole was dug in the ground at the indicated location. However, some trouble arose. The elder Mr. Malpani (who had promised the site for the samadhi) was no more. His sons were quibbling over giving away the land and wanted to shift the location. Finally, some people decided to call Malimaharaj, a local saint from Padmavati. Malimaharaj came with his disciples. But by that time somebody had called the local police as well and an inquiry had started.

Malimaharaj came and touched the body. Immediately the body started looking like Hanuman. He then called the policeman, made him sit by his side, and his entire group began singing loud praises of Lord Shiva, ‘Bm Bm Bholenath.’ The mood changed. At about five o’clock in the evening, the body was lowered into the ground in a stone casket, and in no time, only a mound of earth covered with garlands was all that could be seen. Everybody returned from that lonely jungle except Mr. Baburao Rudra. Stage by stage, a brick structure was built at the site, followed by a wall, then a tin roof.

ANNA & BABURAO’S DUTY AT SAMADHI 

Baburao Rudrakar became the Supreme Servant of Shankarguru’s Samadhi. Today one can see the Dhankawadi Samadhi temple because of him. Maharaj appeared from Samadhi and took him for pradakshina (circumambulation) around the Earth. After Maharaj’s Samadhi, he served unconditionally for twenty-five years. He passed away in 1985, and a Trust took over.

After his samadhi, Anna was contacted by Maharaj and instructed to sleep at the Samadhi daily from 12:30 at night until morning during the period 1949-62. Maharaj did not let him sleep if he tried to avoid this duty on any day. Anna was also close to Shri Chile Maharaj of Kolhapur, who considered himself the spiritual younger brother of Shri Shankar Maharaj. In the morning, he and Baburao Rudra used to serve at the Samadhi full time. On August 10th, 1996, he passed away at Virpur in Saurashtra while he was offering his respects to the Saint Jalarambapa in the temple there. He was cremated in Pune.

APPEARANCES AFTER SAMADHI 

The uniqueness of Maharaj is that he helps his devotees not only through visions but also through the medium of different people. Maharaj has been using Dinesh Kulkarni as a medium, initially off and on, but almost continuously later for many years.

We have seen how the Supreme Power does look after the welfare of the Earth and its creatures through saints like Maharaj. As long as these great saints are born to guide humanity, we can keep profound hope in its future.