The Life Journey of Śrīmat P. P. Vāsudevānandasarasvatī Svāmimahārāja: From 1909 to 1914.

Svāmimahārāja observed the Cāturmāsa of 1909 at Pavni. Initially, the people of Pavni caused him considerable trouble, but Svāmimahārāja endured it calmly. As news of the Cāturmāsa at Pavni spread, thousands of people began flocking to the town. Eventually, the residents of Pavni realized their mistakes and begged for his forgiveness.

The Cāturmāsa proceeded as usual. A notable event was Gulawani Maharaj receiving anugraha. As was customary, the Wadi pujaris came to Pavni. One day, they created a scene during lunch and pleaded with Svāmimahārāja to return to Wadi. He agreed, though he was displeased by their behavior.

Ukidwe sought permission to perform Svāhākar of Dwisahasri Gurucharitra. The response given by Svāmimahārāja is of great significance. He stated that performing Svāhākar of texts composed by humans is against the Shastras. It is noteworthy that the Dwisahasri was composed by him, yet he adhered strictly to this principle. During the Cāturmāsa, activities such as Pārāyan, Laghu Rudra, and Maharudra were performed at Pavni. The conclusion of the Cāturmāsa was celebrated on a grand scale, after which Svāmimahārāja departed from Pavni.

The destination was Wadi. Datta Maharaj had ordered him not to go to Wadi, but he did not comply, as he had promised the Pujaris of Wadi to visit. His health deteriorated, yet he continued his travels and eventually reached Wadi. The people of Wadi were delighted. Vaidikas performed Samhita Svāhākar, and people began flocking to Wadi to seek solutions to their problems.

Dattushastri Sadhale of Barshi, a devotee of Swami Samarth of Akkalkot, sought permission from Svāmimahārāja to perform a Somayaga at Wadi. He was planning to take Sanyasa afterward. Svāmimahārāja replied, “At Wadi, Datta Maharaj is present in Sanyasi form; hence, it is not appropriate to perform Pashuyaga here. Swami Samarth of Akkalkot is a Datta Avatar. Seek his permission.”

Soon, his stay in Wadi came to an end. Datta Maharaj ordered him to visit Sringeri. Traveling through Gurlhosur and Dharwad, he reached Havnur, where he observed the Cāturmāsa of 1910. Gulawani Maharaj stayed with him for eight to ten days during this period.

After concluding the Cāturmāsa, he departed for Sringeri. Upon reaching Sringeri, he found that Shankaracharya was not present. He bowed before the seat of Shankaracharya and offered his praises. Subsequently, he traveled to Gokarna, where he delivered discourses on the Rigveda and Vasudevmanan. Once again, he resumed his travels.

The Cāturmāsa of 1911 was observed at Kuravpur, the tapobhumi of Sripada Srivallabha. Svāmimahārāja established and organized dharmik affairs at Kuruguddi. Soon, the Cāturmāsa concluded, and Svāmimahārāja resumed his travels. He journeyed to Parli Vaijnath and attended the Maharudra Svāhākar there. Subsequently, he proceeded to Rajur, where Sitarambuwa performed the Samhita Svāhākar. In that region, Svāmimahārāja guided twenty Svāhākars, oversaw two Cāturmāsa yajnas of Agnihotris, and consecrated Datta Paduka at two locations.

The travels resumed, and Svāmimahārāja taught the Aranyaka to Appadev and Annadev at Gond. He journeyed through Gunj and Manjirath before reaching Paithan, where he praised Eknath Maharaj. From there, he traveled to Verul. Before the Cāturmāsa of 1912 commenced, he arrived at Chikhalda and chose to observe the Cāturmāsa there, staying for six to seven months. Afterward, he departed for Garudeshwar. During his journey, in the forest of Shulpani, Ashwathama gave darshana.

Svāmimahārāja spent his final years at Garudeshwar. Initially, the place was secluded, but news of his arrival spread like wildfire, drawing people to Garudeshwar. During his stay, he composed two Prakrit texts: Atmanatmavichar and Chittasadbodhnakshtramala. Svāmimahārāja also resolved issues related to the marriage of Indira Talchelkar, who married the king of Indore, Sawai Tukojirao Holkar, and became Queen Indira Holkar. A devoted follower of Svāmimahārāja, she facilitated the construction of a temple and other buildings at Mangaon and other locations.

Days passed. One day, Svāmimahārāja delivered a discourse summarizing his speeches and writings as follows:

“The principal aim of human life is to attain Mukti. The first step toward this is stabilizing the mind. To achieve mental stability, one should strictly adhere to the conduct prescribed by varnashrama dharma and engage in śravaṇa (listening), manana (contemplation), and nididhyāsana of Vedanta, with primary emphasis on śravaṇa. This leads to detachment. Human progress is possible only through sāttvic behavior, which is cultivated through a good, moderate, and pious diet.

When the following conduct is reflected in our day-to-day behavior—firm faith in svadharma, daily bath and sandhya, devpuja, performing panchmahayajnya on time, hospitality to guests, serving cows, listening to katha, kirtan, bhajan, and purana, speaking sweetly to everyone, behaving in such a way that the other person is not harmed, serving parents, and women serving their in-laws, other elders, and husbands, etc.—it means our behavior is Satvik.

Even if you are engaged in trade, farming, a job, or any other business for livelihood, one should not abandon Vaidik karma or disobey the Guru. The mind becomes pure by performing Svakarma. Upasana becomes stable when the mind is pure. The mind becomes calm when upasana is stable. Once the chaos in the mind is stopped, one gains self-knowledge (Ātmajñāna) and attains Mukti.”

After this, Svāmimahārāja also explained the seven dnyanabhimkas. In the end, he said that whoever behaves in this way will attain complete happiness.

In May 1914, Svāmimahārāja fell severely ill. For a month, his health continued to deteriorate. He was constantly in Dhyana and spoke only five to ten sentences. He asked Datta Maharaj about Dattamurti, and Datta Maharaj ordered him to keep the Murti in Garudeshwar. A five-member committee was established by Bramhananda Swami to regulate affairs at Garudeshwar.

People requested Svāmimahārāja to take medicine. He replied that he was about to leave his body, so there was no need for medicine. On 24th June 1914, at 11 pm, he sat in front of the Murti in Siddhasana and left his body by chanting deep Pranav. The devotees were in extreme grief. The next day, a Puja was performed for his body. Purusha Sukta, Pavman, and Rudra Abhishekas were offered. Finally, after completing the appropriate rituals, his body was immersed in the Narmada.

This concludes the life journey of Svāmimahārāja. In the next and final article, we will explore the legacy, impact, and teachings of Svāmimahārāja.

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