Shri Brahmananda Maharaj - A Brief Biography-1

An humble effort has been made to write a brief biography of Sadguru Shri Brahmananda Maharaj. It will be published in parts.The Book 'Sri Sadguru Brahmananda Charitre' in Kannada by Shri Venkanna Bhatta Raghunatha Bhatta, is the main source of reference.

                                                      Sri Rama Samartha

                               Sadguru Shri Brahma Chaithanya Maharajaki Jai !

A brief biography of a Great Saint – Sri Brahmananda Maharaj

                                                     1                                     

Shri Bhayya Saheb Modaka , a devout person of Indore, visited the Maruthi Mandir near his house, as usual, in the evening. He noticed a youthful mendicant and spoke with him. He was amazed by the scholarship, detachment and the divine aspirations of the youth and invited him to his house.  At first, the youth refused to go to his house, but on the repeated request of the elderly man, he accompanied Shri Bhayya Saheb to his house. After attending to the mendicant, Bhayya Saheb left him in his house asking him to take rest, stating that he was going out to meet a saint who has come to Indore who would be delivering a lecture that evening.

The mendicant, feeling that he also should have gone to visit the saint, told Shri Bhayya Saheb, next morning, of his desire to meet the Saint. Shri Bhayya Saheb told the youth that the saint was Shri Brahmachaithanya Maharaj of Gondavale and took him to the place where the saint was staying. The mendicant saw to his dismay, that the saint was wearing only a loin-cloth (Koupeena) , and was sitting surrounded by women. Some of them were massaging his feet. The celibate mendicant could not understand how a person can be of a detached mind, though surrounded by women. Thinking that this person can not be his Guru, he did not go near the saint, but returned to his place of stay.

After lunch, he left Indore.

Sri Anantha Shastry, the mendicant, who was wandering in search of his Guru, was born of parents Sri Balambhatta Gadagoli and Smt Jevoo Bai, on Thursday 27-2-1859.in Jalihala, near Gadag, a district of the present Karnataka state. As the child grew older, he was very precautious. He was fast in learning having very good memory power. He learnt the lessons his teacher taught very fast, and then he had more time to play. His playful nature, his boyish pranks, seemed to have no bounds. But he had a very strong determination which can be understood by the following episode. Banashankari temple is only a few kilometers from Jalihala. During special occasions, there used to be processions and Maha Prasad (food offered to God and served for Lunch is called Maha Prasad) for everyone who attended. So, Anantha and some of his friends went to Banashankari. After taking food there, while returning, some of his friends felt tired to walk. At the same time, they noticed a bullock cart, which was passing by. Anantha, eldest in the group, asked the cart-man which way the cart was going? The cart-man said “Jalihala”. Then the boys said that they were also going to Jalihala, and jumped into the cart. But the cart-man said the Ox tied to the cart was new and un-trained. And it may be dangerous for the children to travel in the cart. But the boys were adamant and did not listen to his advice. So, the cart-man got angry, and hit the ox to go faster. This made the cart wobble. This shocked the children and they were afraid to continue to sit in it.. But the cart-man did not stop though the children begged him to stop. A few of them began to cry. So, Anantha, determined to stop the cart any way, put his leg in between the spokes of a wheel, which made the cart to stop. The cart-man noticing the cause of the sudden halt of the cart, got afraid about Anantha’s leg, and asked all the children to get down from the vehicle.

 All such rough nature of Anantha made his parents worry about him. They scolded him. This made Anantha very sorry. When he realized that his own parents were disgusted with him, he did not want to live any more. With the purpose of killing himself, he left his house, went to Banashankari, a sacred place, had the darshan of Shri Bana shankari Devi and took Prasadam there.. It was in a forest area. After sun-set, no one stayed there. So, all of the priests, assistants and devotees, left the temple well before sunset. One of the priests noticed this boy, Anantha, and asked him to accompany him. But Anantha refused to go with him. So, He was left alone in the temple in that forest area. He prayed to the Goddess that he intended not to live any more.  As darkness fell, he walked to the nearby Saraswathi river. When he tried to jump into the river, he felt some one holding him from behind. But, as no one was there, he again tried to fall in to the water. This time, there was a tremendous force, and he found himself forced towards the front of the temple, He was stunned and realized that the mother did not want him to kill himself.

So, he decided to pursue his studies, as per his parents wish, and went to Menasagi, a place which is not far off from Jalihala.

.He got his Vedic education under the tutorship of  Shri Dhondabhatta Dada Modak, a great scholar, in the town of Menasagi. After he finished the course, his spiritual desire took over him, and he declined to marry. White patches started to be seen on his skin, and stating that as the reason for not entering the domestic life, he started on a pilgrimage in search of his Sadguru. He visited all the pilgrimage centers, meeting many saints, in the north. On his return journey, he had come to Indore.