A compact Biography of Shri Vasudevanand Saraswati Tembe Swami Maharaj

Loksangrah: Introduction


(Garnering of people, towards the divine). Shri Swami Maharaj was a Master, an Adept,a liberated and self-realized soul. He had no desires or aspirations of his own. His only motivation in life was to obey his Lord and Master Shri Dattatreya. All his actions were directed by His will. Inherently reserved and reclusive, he was forced to spend long periods of his life amongst crowds. Sometimes he deliberately chose to spend his Chaturmaas in remote inaccessible places like Narasi, Kurugaddi etc. However, people sought him out before long and gathered in large numbers. He thus used to be surrounded by people almost continuously with hardly any privacy. All people had equal access to him. There was no discrimination in spite of his personal strict code of purity. Only criterion was the sincerity of the visitor. People of all castes and even those following non-Vedic religions viz. Muslims, Parsis etc. were the recipients of the grace of Shri Swami Maharaj. He used to instruct them some practice or other consistent with their faith. For examples, Muslims were often asked to repeat the Quranic verses and benefited from it. Proselytisation was a word not found in his dictionary. Having realised the essence of all faiths, he only guided everyone on their respective predestined paths all of which he knew to lead to the one Reality. No one got a private audience or any special treatment. Even royalties had to mingle with ordinary folks while visiting him.
However, he was rather strict with Hindus, especially Brahmins. He expected to observe the minimum expected religious conduct and frowned upon those going wantonly astray. If a Brahmin sporting a crop cut instead of shikha-sutra or a widow wearing long hair did not get his audience. Only a suitable change in their demeanour after prescribed ablutions rendered them eligible to meet Shri Maharaj. Once a person repented and wanted to make amends, Shri Maharaj used to offer his personal guidance to him, teaching even the most elementary practices. No

Of course, there were those who either wanted to judge or in their erroneous thinking, expose Shri Swami Maharaj. He usually recognised their attitude in advance and totally ignored them. Once he told a personal secretary of a ruling Maharaja to go home and live happily and not waste time in this ‘gathering of lunatics’. If a person persisted in confronting him, he refused to speak. Once an Aryasamaji started arguing with him and finding no response from Shri Maharaj, began shouting at him. Shri Swami Maharaj quietly said “why are you so angry? If you wish to hit me, go head and satisfy your urge”. Further incensed, the fellow was about to slap Shri Maharaj when a lady devotee nearby screamed and the he ran away. Another such acolyte once entered into a similar one-sided argument, insulting Shri Maharaj in exasperation. A disciple of Shri Maharaj cast a spell making him speechless. After a while, taking pity on the fellow, Shri Swami Maharaj got him released from the spell.
Apart from caste or community, the people coming to Shri Swami Maharaj could be classified as: -

• Those seeking relief from some or the other distress in their lives.
• Those seeking the fulfilment of one wish or the other,
• The seekers of Truth beseeching his guidance, 
• Realized souls seeking only his company.

The first two categories are in reality one in the sense that both these relate to changing the circumstances of one’s life to one’s liking, whether by removing a painful one or by adding a desired one.

Relief to the distressed


Maximum number of people sought relief from some suffering or the other. If we even cursorily view the life of Shri Swami Maharaj, the amount of suffering he underwent is phenomenal. He never seemed to resist it at all. He himself was afflicted once by plague, thrice by cholera, twice by leprosy, once by leukoderma, twice by snakebite and lifelong by dysentery. However he never took any medicines and placed himself unreservedly at the disposal of Divine will. His family life was full of tensions and tribulations. He neither complained nor made any efforts to change it. In fact he utilized it to intensify his detachment. There are several events that illustrate his indifference to physical sufferance. Once, towards the conclusion of the Narasi Chaturmaas, after the ritual shave (IÉÉè®ú) , at the suggestion of a devotee the barber inspected the feet of Shri Swami Maharaj and removed twenty thorns stuck in it! Shri Swami Maharaj himself had never even given any indication of this. During one of his long stays at Brahmavart, Shri Maharaj used to stay in a hut on the bank of Ganges. That being the summer season, the river stream was thin and far receded from the bank. Because of dysentery, Shri Maharaj had to frequently relieve himself. Each time he used to take a bath, treading the 500 metre stretch of scorching hot sand to the stream, in the manner of a person walking in moonlight, and return in the same fashion afterwards. The Late Shirlolkar Swami, Shankaracharya of Karvir and Sankeshwar seats, who had watched Shri Maharaj then, used to express his sense of blessedness at having set eyes on such a holy person so totally immersed in the Divine and so unaffected by the physical.
In glaring contrast, Swami Maharaj was very sensitive to the suffering of the others. He not only listened sympathetically to the people bringing their sorrows and pain to his notice but also provided counsel which if followed would almost invariably relieve their suffering. According to the Vedic tradition all sufferings arise from three sources.

Adhyatmic


MAdhyatmic afflictions are those originating in the body. These consist of the thousands of ailments that human beings suffer from. Shri Swami Maharaj had a plethora of knowledge of herbal remedies and he cured literally thousands of patients. He not only prescribed the cures but also went to considerable trouble to make the herbs available. He did pass this knowledge to a few selected students like Shri Ganesh Satavalekar of Kolgaon, Shri Gangadharpant (Baba) Vaidya of Nisarpur and others. During epidemics, he used to organize mass production of the required medicines to be distributed to the needy.
In selected cases, he used to advise yogic practices to cure them. A Brahmin suffering from loss of appetite and pain in abdomen was asked to do the head-down position (viparitkarani). This not only relieved his pain but also improved his appetite so much as to make his wife find difficult to feed him. When she complained to Shri Maharaj, he asked the Brahmin to discontinue the practice that brought down his appetite to more manageable proportion. Once he made Shri Gulavani Maharaj practice peacock position (Mayurasan) to cure his fever.
After his Mahasamadhi (dissolution of physical body), an artisan working on the ongoing construction developed an infection of foot that disabled him completely. He was sorely disappointed at being unable to participate in the sacred work and was planning to return home. One morning, an ochre-robed monk appeared to him and pointed to a shrub to be crushed and applied to his sore foot. On complying with this, his foot got well the very next day and he could join his work. Later when shown the picture of Shri Swami Maharaj, he identified him as the Baba who pointed out the shrub!
Of course many an apparently physical illness are caused by supernatural beings and in such cases Shri Swami Maharaj used to advice the relevant remedies to be discussed later.

Adhidaivik


Adhidaivik misery is the one induced by the supernatural entities. This term is employed here to refer to the entities with superhuman powers viz. Dev, Asur, Rakshas, Gandharva, Yaksh, Naag, Kinnar and other spirits. These could be either evil or good. These are supposed to dwell in the higher spheres of Universe and are endowed with subtle bodies. Human beings acquire these forms of conscious beings depending upon their Karma. The Devatas are the benevolent spirits dwelling in Swargalok i.e. Heaven while Asuras, Rakshasas, Naagas dwell in the Patal and other netherworlds. Some sinful actions lead a person to the Pishacha Yoni or ghost entities, dwelling in the lower sphere Bhuvarlok near the mortal Bhulok. These entities are evil spirits with a strong link to humans in the form of some unfulfilled longing, a revengeful urge or a profound feeling of guilt etc, that blocks their way to further evolution to superior existence.

Devatas or the benevolent entities function as deputies of the supreme God carrying out well-defined functions and endowed with divine powers. The interaction of Devatas with human beings are dictated by the Karmic chart of the individual, the Devatas thus dispensing ill-effects of sins and the rewards of good deeds, impartially. Thus an individual will suffer a particular defect in his life, for example poverty, because of his Karmic deficiency. The respective Devata dispenses this defect (in this case poverty). The individual can, within limits, mitigate such blemish in his life by propitiating the particular Devata. Since all Devatas are manifestations of the One Supreme Being (God if you please), propitiating Him in the form family deity (Kul Devata) or personal Deity will also benefit the person. However, most people are not aware of the reasons of their miseries and even if they could guess these, they would not know the remedy. If by some stroke of luck, they somehow deduced the way, ordinary human beings will find it near impossible to tread the path. That is where the role of saints like Shri Swami Maharaj comes. They not only clearly visualize the causes of the particular imperfections in the human life, but also know the way/s to remedy those and have the capacity to help the people towards it. It is indeed the great good fortune to come into contact with such a saint! People with chronic and incurable diseases, men facing ruin in their life because of career or financial problems, women with marital problems, infertility, abortions or stillbirths, parents of handicapped children, in short all imaginable difficulties in human life, came to Shri Swami Maharaj.
In those cases where he perceived the problem to be mainly of Adhidaivik origin, he would advise the individual/s to some form of prayers or services to propitiate the particular deity. These services could be a specified worship, jap (verbal or mental repetition of a specific mantra), Saptah (seven-day service consisting of the ritual reading of a particular sacred book) of Shri Gurucharitra, circumambulation of the sacred Audumbar tree( Ficus glomerata) or a temple or sacred book. The duration and magnitude of practices were related to the severity of affliction. A gentleman from Savantwadi once came to Shri Maharaj at Chikhalada. He could not hold food in his stomach and had as a result become very weak. Shri Maharaj told him that this is the consequence discontinuation of the services to Kul Devata and gave him Datta Mantra and Devi Mantra for Jap and also some medicine.
During his last stay at Narsobawadi (1910), Shri Swami Maharaj directed the priests there to offer Abhishek (ritual shower accompanied by Vedic chants) to the Padukas as measure to restrain an imminent epidemic of cholera. When people asked him, “how does Abhishek help prevent an epidemic?” Shri Maharaj explained, “ death is also a manifestation of the God and the epidemics are his Shaktis (powers or consorts). By mollifying God through the services prescribed in scriptures, his Shaktis are also appeased.” Accordingly the Abhishek was performed and the epidemic averted.

One Shri Vasudeo Thakur of Indore came to Wadi and sought the help of Shri Maharaj regarding his wife’s health. Shri Maharaj told him that this was the consequence of the Samadhi (memorial) of his saintly ancestor being neglected. Shri Thakur went his hometown and sought out the Samadhi and made arrangements for its upkeep and regular worship. This brought about the improvement in his wife’s health. Similarly a visitor whose offspring did not survive, had thriving issues after he followed Shri Maharaja’s advice to perform Mangal (Mars) Vrat (propitiatory fast).

Devatas


Devatas or the benevolent entities function as deputies of the supreme God carrying out well-defined functions and endowed with divine powers. The interaction of Devatas with human beings are dictated by the Karmic chart of the individual, the Devatas thus dispensing ill-effects of sins and the rewards of good deeds, impartially. Thus an individual will suffer a particular defect in his life, for example poverty, because of his Karmic deficiency. The respective Devata dispenses this defect (in this case poverty). The individual can, within limits, mitigate such blemish in his life by propitiating the particular Devata. Since all Devatas are manifestations of the One Supreme Being (God if you please), propitiating Him in the form family deity (Kul Devata) or personal Deity will also benefit the person. However, most people are not aware of the reasons of their miseries and even if they could guess these, they would not know the remedy. If by some stroke of luck, they somehow deduced the way, ordinary human beings will find it near impossible to tread the path. That is where the role of saints like Shri Swami Maharaj comes. They not only clearly visualize the causes of the particular imperfections in the human life, but also know the way/s to remedy those and have the capacity to help the people towards it. It is indeed the great good fortune to come into contact with such a saint! People with chronic and incurable diseases, men facing ruin in their life because of career or financial problems, women with marital problems, infertility, abortions or stillbirths, parents of handicapped children, in short all imaginable difficulties in human life, came to Shri Swami Maharaj. In those cases where he perceived the problem to be mainly of Adhidaivik origin, he would advise the individual/s to some form of prayers or services to propitiate the particular deity. These services could be a specified worship, jap (verbal or mental repetition of a specific mantra), Saptah (seven-day service consisting of the ritual reading of a particular sacred book) of Shri Gurucharitra, circumambulation of the sacred Audumbar tree( Ficus glomerata) or a temple or sacred book. The duration and magnitude of practices were related to the severity of affliction. A gentleman from Savantwadi once came to Shri Maharaj at Chikhalada. He could not hold food in his stomach and had as a result become very weak. Shri Maharaj told him that this is the consequence discontinuation of the services to Kul Devata and gave him Datta Mantra and Devi Mantra for Jap and also some medicine.
During his last stay at Narsobawadi (1910), Shri Swami Maharaj directed the priests there to offer Abhishek (ritual shower accompanied by Vedic chants) to the Padukas as measure to restrain an imminent epidemic of cholera. When people asked him, “how does Abhishek help prevent an epidemic?” Shri Maharaj explained, “ death is also a manifestation of the God and the epidemics are his Shaktis (powers or consorts). By mollifying God through the services prescribed in scriptures, his Shaktis are also appeased.” Accordingly the Abhishek was performed and the epidemic averted.
One Shri Vasudeo Thakur of Indore came to Wadi and sought the help of Shri Maharaj regarding his wife’s health. Shri Maharaj told him that this was the consequence of the Samadhi (memorial) of his saintly ancestor being neglected. Shri Thakur went his hometown and sought out the Samadhi and made arrangements for its upkeep and regular worship. This brought about the improvement in his wife’s health. Similarly a visitor whose offspring did not survive, had thriving issues after he followed Shri Maharaja’s advice to perform Mangal (Mars) Vrat (propitiatory fast).

Adhibhoutik distress


This is the one caused by five elements of nature, Space (Akash), Wind (Vayu), Light (Tej, Agni), Water (Aap) and Earth (Prithvi). Some of the examples are, earthquakes, floods, fires, lightening, storms etc. One lady devotee of Shri Swami Maharaj, deserted by her husband, was living by tending a small farm. Once, when the harvest was reaped and stored in a heap out in the open, off-season rainstorm threatened to wash her produce, which was her only source of livelihood. She had treasured the dust from the feet of Shri Maharaj in a small container. She sprinkled the dust around the harvest and prayed to Shri Maharaj to protect her food promising to serve meal to priests in Wadi in return. A heavy rainstorm did follow but not a drop fell on her grain.
Other devotees have noted such miracles. During his last Chaturmaas at Garudeshvar, Shri Swami Maharaj and hundreds of devotees were celebrating Gokulashtami (Lord Shrikrishna’s birth anniversary) and singing Bhajans on the bank of Narmada. Suddenly the sky was filled with dark clouds and a rainstorm burst out on the other bank of the river. Shri Maharaj reassured the devotees to carry on with the Bhajans and not to worry about the storm. The Bhajans proceeded uninterrupted till midnight. On conclusion of the ceremonies, everyone came indoors, the storm burst out in vengeance. Shri Maharaj commented, “that is the storm we escaped!”

At Mangaon, in his householder days, on a Gurudwadashi day, just as hundreds of people were to sit for Prasad (meal), a heavy rain threatened to disrupt the arrangement. Shri Maharaj instructed his disciples to give a large offering (naivedya) to the rain, remarking, and “he has also come for the Prasad like you!” Accordingly, a large plateful of food was served and offered to the rain God. The meal went of unhindered even as heavy rains lashed the surrounding area. Similar incidents have taken place at least twice more in the life of Shri Swami Maharaj.
Again at Garudeshvar, once the only large cooking pot slipped from hands while washing in the river Narmada and started floating away. When the worried ladies apprised Shri Maharaj, he went to the riverside and touched the water with his sceptre, saying. “ What would Mother Narmada want the pot for? Why will she hamper the nourishment of her children?” As soon as Shri Maharaj said this, the large metal pot now flowing down the river stream, started moving towards the bank and was recovered safely. A self-realized soul, the scriptures say, becomes one with the nature and enjoys their amity.

Evil spirits


They are Known as Pishacha, the ghosts are responsible of some of the worst suffering to humanity. These evil spirits usually afflict subjects that are related to them and are directly or indirectly responsible for their condition. They, because of their superhuman powers are capable of causing a variety of troubles that can be very difficult to recognise. Only men or women with special powers can recognise and deal with these spirits.
One common manifestation, of course is physical ailments. At Havnur, a young married lady, suffering from stiff joints and loss of sight, was brought on a stretcher by her brother to Shri Maharaj. As Shri Maharaj sprinkled some water in his Kamandalu, and asked his brother to apply it to her head and feet, the spirit started shouting that it was ready to leave the lady. With an assurance from Shri Maharaj of release from the evil state, it left the lady and she got up and walked to her home, apparently cured of all her ailments. Such miracles took place in several other places also.

In another instance, a rich man was told by Shri Maharaj to spend the money owed by his forefathers to the spirit on feeding Brahmins, which released his wife from that malady. At Banvasi, in Karnataka, a man complained that every time he builds a house, an evil spirit destroys after forewarning him. On carrying out some religious services as advise by to Shri Maharaj, he succeeded in building the house.

One Shripad Shastri Iyer brought his sister to Shri Maharaj with complaints of recurrent fainting, which was not amenable to any treatment. When to Shri Maharaj diagnosed her case as Pishacha affliction, the Shastri doubted it saying he believed in the existence of ghosts but did not think they could interact with human beings. Shri Maharaj suggested an experiment. He gave Shastriji a brick with a mantra inscribed on it and asked Shastriji to recite the mantra 21 times a day burning some incense in front of it. As predicted by to Shri Maharaj, the ghost started speaking through the sister after 21 days, stating the reasons for his getting the Pishacha yoni and troubling Shastriji’s sister. It finally conceded his inability to further stand the assault by to Shri Maharaj and left resulting in the curing of Shastriji’s sister.

The evil spirits often interfere with conception and even cause abortions and stillbirths. One Bhairav Prasad from Mandalamahapur had lost five sons when he came to seek the grace to Shri Maharaj. He was advised to carry out the last rites of the spirit (Narayanbali), read Shri Vishnusahasranam regularly and perform some atonement rituals.

Sometimes, people failed to carry out the advise of to Shri Maharaj or in some transgressed the prescribed code of conduct. This resulted in their misfortune. The evil spirits are wily and always try to divert their victims from the virtuous paths. Those who are steadfast succeed in getting rid of the spirit whereas the unfortunate ones, who willingly or unwillingly, are led astray, succumb.

Rationale


Thus, it is that Shri Maharaj, in a selfless, indiscriminate and unreserved exercise of all his knowledge and powers, strived to mitigate the sufferings of all supplicants and brought happiness and fulfilment to their lives. Only a few representative events have been narrated here. Throughout his life and even after the dissolution of his physical shell, thousands of such episodes have been recorded. This appears a bit puzzling to some people. Why should a Sanyasi who has renounced the world, having realized the ephemeral nature of life and having grown out of all desires and aspirations of his own, should care so much for the little joys and sorrows of fellow human beings? Shouldn’t he impress upon them the need to follow his example and strive to detach themselves from the petty and illusory pleasures, rather than pandering to them? In fact, one accomplished Vedanta scholar whom Shri Maharaj also regarded highly, Shri Eksambekar, asked him as much. Shri Maharaj practically evaded directly answering the query. However, we do find an explanation of this conduct of Shri Maharaj, in his major work, "Shri Gurucharitam" also known as "Dvisahasri" the Sanskrit rendering of the Marathi "Gurucharitra".

" Such popular (favouring the devotees) acts are performed (by the Lord) for establishing the path of devotion, the purpose thereto being to inspire faith amongst people and make them somehow (by love or by temptation) seek me (Shri Guru); for unless they come to me, there will be no release from this recurring cycle of life and death and consequent chain of suffering. As the people engrossed in sensual pleasures do not have any inclination to the Path of God, the Lord, sensing their grateful disposition, performs the miracles to make them happy. This will induce them to strive for His Grace and follow the path of Devotion which alone can purify their souls of the dross accumulated over the endless series of lives and engender the intense urge to liberate themselves." These stanzas are followed by the sequential progress of such an aspirant to Self-realization. Thus, it becomes clear that the main purpose of these exertions of Shri Swami Maharaj, to improve the worldly lives of the supplicants, was to induce in them a faith in God and build it into loving relationship and eventually to Self-realization.