The Life Journey of Śrīmat P. P. Vāsudevānandasarasvatī Svāmimahārāja: From 1900 to 1906.

Svāmimahārāja observed the Cāturmāsa of 1900 at Chikhalda. Afterward, he proceeded to Mandleshwar, where he stayed for four to five months and taught Vedanta to the renowned Nyaya scholar Sakharamshastri Tillu.

During his time in Mandleshwar, four Brahmins from Sawantwadi visited him, among whom was Shankar Sapre, an Agnihotri, who later published many of Svāmimahārāja’s works. Another visitor, Ganesh Satavalekar, received teachings on Vedanta from Svāmimahārāja and was graced with a darshana of Datta Maharaj.

Svāmimahārāja left Mandleshwar upon hearing of his Guru's illness. He traveled to Ujjain via Indore, where he stayed for 18 days, teaching Sarvanukram and Gayatribhasya. Upon reaching Ujjain, he attended to his Guru’s health and delivered lectures on Srimad Bhagwat. Once his Guru recovered, Svāmimahārāja departed from Ujjain and continued his journey to Mahatpur.

Svāmimahārāja observed the Cāturmāsa of 1901 at Mahatpur, where he stayed for six months. During his time there, he composed Dattamahatma in Marathi and Trishati Gurucharitra in Sanskrit. After Kartik Purnima, he departed from Mahatpur and traveled to Bhelsha via Aalot and Sarangpur. At Bhelsha, he taught Yoga to Govindrao Pandit. From there, he proceeded to Jalvan, where he imparted teachings on the Aranyaka and Upanishads. Many people received his anugraha, and Datta Upasana was initiated in Jalvan. Following this, Svāmimahārāja left Jalvan and continued his journey to Brahmavarta.

The stay at Brahmavarta was a prolonged one, lasting two and a half years. During this time, Svāmimahārāja observed three consecutive Cāturmāsas and resided in the Ram Mandir. He dedicated himself to teaching various texts, including the Upanishads, commentaries, Panchadaśī, Jīvanmuktiviveka, Manusmṛti, and others.

In addition to this, he taught Sandhyā and Kāvya to younger children, while Vedic Brahmins studied Padapāṭha under his guidance. Some disciples also learned Yoga and Vaidyaki (medicine) from him. He was known to solve people's problems using his Siddhis. Every afternoon, he delivered lectures on the eleventh chapter of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Despite his health deteriorating during this time, Svāmimahārāja remained committed to fulfilling his duties.

During the stay, Sitarambuwa Tembye, the younger brother of Svāmimahārāja, visited him. Svāmimahārāja instructed him to perform one Gāyatrī Puraścaraṇa. He composed numerous devotional poems, hymns, and other works. Additionally, he trained Kīrtankārs and Paurāṇiks.

Shankarrao Kulkarni also visited Brahmavarta to seek his blessings. Svāmimahārāja taught him Yoga and directed him to Narayanshastri Eksmabekar for learning the Vedas and Śāstras. Later, Shankarrao proceeded to Sringeri, where he studied Nyāya and Vedānta. Svāmimahārāja gave him a handwritten copy of the commentary on the Brahmasūtra.

During his previous stay, Gopalshastri of Gwalior had taken darśana of Svāmimahārāja. This time, one of his disciples visited. During a discourse on the Purāṇas, the disciple interrupted and attempted to point out a grammatical mistake. However, Svāmimahārāja calmly explained his perspective, and the disciple conceded.

Later that night, while Svāmimahārāja was sitting alone, Gopalshastri’s disciple approached him with a significant question. He inquired why, as a sannyāsī, Svāmimahārāja practiced mūrti pūjā. He added that he himself performed Gāyatrījapa but did not believe in mūrti pūjā. Svāmimahārāja responded, “The mūrti does not leave me”. The disciple suggested that he should leave the mūrti. Svāmimahārāja complied and, one day, took the disciple with him for a bath in the Ganga. There, he placed the mūrti in the river, and both returned. However, upon their return, the mūrti had already reached back! Witnessing this miraculous event, Gopalshastri’s disciple underwent a transformation and began practicing mūrti pūjā.

The plague struck the region, and Svāmimahārāja was afflicted by it. During this time, Datta Maharaj instructed him to write a Samshloki Gurucharitra. Remarkably, he completed the work within 45 days. That same year, his mother passed away. His brother, Haribhat, visited him and informed him of her demise. Svāmimahārāja advised Haribhat to relinquish all the family property, warning that it was cursed. However, Haribhat did not comply, which ultimately led to the end of the Tembye family.

Svāmimahārāja’s fame spread across northern Bharat. A renowned Sanyasi, Shantashramswami, visited him and stayed for four months. During this time, Svāmimahārāja composed the Saptashati Gurucharitra, a Marathi text summarizing the Gurucharitra. Eventually, Datta Maharaj instructed him to leave Brahmavarta and return to Wadi. Obeying the divine command, Svāmimahārāja traveled back to Wadi.

This time, Svāmimahārāja stayed in Wadi for two months. His daily routine was as rigorous as always. He conferred Dandsanyas upon his favorite disciple, Dixitswami. One day, he summoned all the pujaris and scolded them for their misconduct, prompting them to apologize. During this stay, Svāmimahārāja’s first photograph was taken at Wadi. Before leaving, he imposed strict regulations on the pujaris of Wadi. When the time came for him to depart, the people of Wadi were bereft, saddened, and desolate. They gave Svāmimahārāja a heartfelt farewell, with tears in their eyes.

Svāmimahārāja traveled to Shirol, Miraj, Akkalkot, and then reached Gangapur, where he composed Krishnalahari. Following this, he journeyed through Parali, Mahur, Hingoli, and finally arrived at Narsi, where he observed the Cāturmāsa of 1905. During his stay, he composed Dattachampu while continuing his routine of teaching and addressing people’s problems. After completing the Cāturmāsa, he traveled to Karanja via Washim. Karanja, being the birthplace of P.P. Nrusimhasaraswati Maharaj, held special significance. From there, he visited Amravati and traveled to Chitrakut and Hoshangabad, celebrating Datta Jayanti at Bhelsha. Subsequently, he resumed his travels and once again reached Brahmavarta.

Many people had received the anugraha of Svāmimahārāja, and wherever he traveled, his disciples would gather around him. While at Brahmavarta, a Paramhansa visited him. From there, he journeyed to Kashi via Prayag, where scholars eagerly awaited his arrival. In Kashi, a Sanyasi named Swayamprakashswami, who had observed 40 Cāturmāsas, prostrated before Svāmimahārāja. Additionally, two hundred Sanyasis of Kashi bowed in reverence to him. Following an order from Datta Maharaj, he began his journey back to Wadi. During his travels, he taught Brahmakarma to a Brahmin at Omkareshwar.

He left Omkareshwar and traveled to Badhwai. In the next article, we will explore his life after this period.

Reference: Brahmashri Dattamaharaj Kavishwar. (2020). Shri Gurudev Charitra (13th ed.). Shri Vasudev Niwas. (Original work in Marathi).