‘Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high!’ quote Rabindranath Tagore. Where humanity bows in reverence & people of all caste & creed find solace - there lie in various pockets around the world such tranquil abodes built by saints & their disciples which give peace, serenity & freedom from the daily turmoil of the human existence.

Balapure kaka is one such disciple of the great saint of Shegaon, ‘Shri Yogiraj Gajanan Maharaj. Shri Sudhakar Balapure is popularly addressed as ‘Kaka’, both respectfully & adoringly. A fountain of love, a child like enthusiasm, an instant smile and at times even a parent like sternness are some of the features of his multifaceted personality.

In the year 1942, at village ‘Kokarde’, Shri Sambhaji Balapure & Smt Sunderabai Balapure were blessed with a son who was named ‘Sudhakar’. It is said that the ancestors of Balapure family migrated to Balapur from ‘Kokarde’ and that the place where they settled was named as ‘Balapur’.

Incidentally, ‘Kokarde’ is the place where Shri Gadge Maharaj was born. Kaka, in his childhood, had an opportunity to be in the holy company of Shri Gadge Maharaj for about three years. Kaka, humbly acknowledges Shri Gadge Maharaj’s blessings and also teachings, in Kaka’s early age; which, eventually brought Kaka on a very broad spiritual path.

Balapur is the holy town blessed by the presence of Gajanan Maharaj, on the occasion of ‘Dasnavami’ day to bless the devotee couple of Swami Ramdas, Shri Balakrishna & Smt Putlabai as they were unable to make their yearly pilgrimage to ‘Sajjangad’, due to old age & declining health. Swami Ramdas had appeared in a dream, & asked Balakrishna to celebrate Dasnavmi in his home town Balapur where Swami would visit them and bless them.

On that day, Gajanan Maharaj appeared and Balakrishna saw the dual vision of Swami Ramdas and Gajanan Maharaj. Balakrishna at once understood the deception of the materialistic body form and witnessed the unison of the great soul-the divinity of life.

Sudhakar’s (kaka’s) childhood days and education were destined in the holy town of ‘Shegaon’ which Maharaj had treaded upon. Wasn’t this coincidence prophetic? Kaka lost his parents quite early. At a very early age of his life, he was thrown upon to face the challenges of life. But Kaka says that this was Shri Gajanan Maharaj’s way of teaching him the realities of life.

True. This must be the reason, why Kaka is moved deeply, whenever he comes across a person in difficulties.

Kaka’s elder brother Shri Mahadev Balapure decided to bring Kaka to Mumbai. In Mumbai, Kaka toiled hard and accomplished any task that came his way, so that he would meet the basic needs of life and in the spare time, meditate upon the holy name of Maharaj.

In the year 1968, Kaka went by foot on a pilgrimage from Mumbai to Shegaon. It was on this journey, that ‘Maharaj’ gave ‘darshan’ to Kaka in the form of an old man who said to Kaka “If you have such a deep longing for Maharaj, do not look behind, keep on moving ahead”. Soon after, the old man seemed to have disappeared. Maharaj showered his divine grace upon ‘Kaka’.

Kaka was employed in “Apco shipyard”. A few years later the company closed down. Based on his experience with “Apco”, kaka was reemployed as a ‘fitter’ with Patel Engineering works at Goregaon, Mumbai. Later, Kaka was promoted as a highly skilled fitter and subsequently group in-charge.

During this period, ‘Kaka’ married Yamukaki who hailed from the village ‘Shambhuchi takkar’ in Amravati district. Their married life commenced in a small tenement of one room measuring 10 x12 ft. Kaki also hailed from a family who were worshippers of Lord Shiva and devotees of Shri Gajanan Maharaj. She continued to offer her services at the feet of His Holiness, Swami Gajanan Maharaj.

While Kaka was in service, he had to leave for work at 5.00 a. m. Maharaj ensured that Kaka’s dream of spreading the teaching of Gajanan Maharaj and devotion to him be fulfilled. Kaki offered her services by doing the puja and archana. Kaki used to fall ill often, and then through a divine intervention, she decided to offer ‘jhunka-bhakri’ as prasad every Thursday.

‘Jhunka-Bhakri’, the very basic diet in Vidharba and was a favourite of Maharaj, it was eaten with relish. Maharaj does not ask for laddoos, sweetmeats, or elaborate meals but a simple and nutritious diet. Kaki soon regained her health and vigour and till date the ‘Jhunka-Bhakri’ naivedyam is the holy offering placed every Thursday for Maharaj.


Kaka is empowered with a vision that truly values devotion, respect and sanctity of the divine, and service to mankind. That the teachings of Shri Gajanan Maharaj live on in this great state and consequently the nation and the world at large. Kaka respects other spiritual leaders too, calls on them on utsavs, occasion and felicitates them. Kaka is also invited to functions organized by other congregations which he accepts and need be, contributes too humbly. The give and take of spirituality flows free and benefits the disciples.

But what drives Kaka is his unheeded devotion and bhakti to Shri Gajanan Maharaj and service to mankind. ‘Kaka’ would like to spread the message of Maharaj’s undying love for humanity and the social, environmental lessons which Maharaj conveyed through his actions (mentioned in the ‘pothi’ of Maharaj) be remembered in every household and that people pay obiescence to the holy picture of Shri Gajanan Maharaj.

Blessed by Shri Gajanan Maharaj, Kaka is selflessly working for the happiness of the mankind. Many troubled people came to him with their problems, in this very ‘Math’. With Kaka’s good wishes and Maharaj’s blessings, their problems were resolved and they regained peace of mind. Some of them never came back again, but Kaka still prays for them.

That’s the way Kaka is! Tomorrow, even if Kaka will be left alone, he will still be praying for the well being of mankind. Thousands of men, women & children come searching for solutions to their day to day problems, but Kaka tirelessly consoles, encourages & assures them that Maharaj would never let them down. A photo of Maharaj, a stotra, a jaap, application of Maharaj’s vibhuti &/or Maharaj’s pothi are handed over to the devotees at the initial stages, by which Kaka initiates the devotees to the Bhakti marg.

Slowly the devotee feels and experiences the divine grace. Thus through the intervention of ‘Kaka’ the unquenching path of ‘Bhakti’ unfolds for the devotee to tread on.

Undoubtedly ‘Kaka’ gains a special place in the hearts of all the devotees in the form of a spiritual mother, guru, friend, philosopher and guide.



An Article by Prof. (Mrs.) Nilima Prabhu

Gajanan Maharaj Shegaon

The teachings of SHRI GAJANAN MAHARAJ [SHEGAON]

Preamble

Spirituality and religion are conditioning factors of the family or the surroundings in which we grow. Over a period of time, the choice of ones profession and decision on how he/she wants to lead his/her life leads the person to draw inspiration, basis of life plan, rationalization from these conditioning experiences. Exposure to different ways of life and an openness of mind makes one realize the uniformity of teachings in many religions.

Most renowned spiritual leaders have reemphasized that basic tenets in most religions are the same. Of prime importance was the belief in being good individuals. Subsequently based on their experiences followers started forming institutions to spread their Masters’ word. Infact, never was the intention of the spiritual leaders to become cult leaders or spiritual leaders. They believed that they took mortal form to shoulder a task and when they felt that they had achieved what they had set out to do they returned to their cosmic form. The life and teachings of Shree Gajanan Maharaj epitomizes some such universal truths.

Environment and other creatures on this planet

Maharaja’s appeal to mother earth to address the water scarcity seems an echo of what today’s environmentalist fear to be the next cause of the third world war. Water, food, Air are going to be the critical factors that will be impacted due to mankind’s habits. Use of cars is what is already hinted at in one of the episodes. His ability to quiten the cow and the horse speak for the immense sensitivity he had to each an every living form. In some places there is a Homa Farm cult associated with another Gajanan Maharaj (of Akkalkot). I am not sure what the connection between the two is. But Desk research has revealed that the homa farms are proving to be effective mechanisms for addressing climate change. As they say droplets make an ocean! When Pitamber is able to sprout leaves on a barren tree, Maharaj probably is implying the possibilities of the future. Science will have to harness to balance mother earth. Humanities will have to sensitize mankind to the art of balanced living.

Communal harmony

The kind of affection each of them had for one another be it Shri Saibaba, Narsinghji, Gomaji, Swami Samarth, Mehtabsha should put us to shame…. Those who are trying to make a parochial world. Maharaj refused to be the only guest invited and made sure that Mehetabsha too was called for dinner. He also foresaw the problems that aggressiveness in any religion can bring about and sent Mehetabsha to spread the message of fellowship in what today is outlined as Pakistan.

Dress code

The dress code of Maharaj became a matter of legal jurisdiction. While some understood that clothes are an external form and not to be the basis on which a person is to be judged… there were others who were exacting on this matter. Maharaj through his stance set about a debate and today’s moral police are still keeping that debate alive. In today’s times there are many who have their own functional preferences about the kind of clothes that they wear…. Be it a two piece attire or absolutely studded with gold and silver. Maharaj made his preferences clear. He leaves us to make ours with a fore-warning that you should be ready to pay the price for what you do.

Woman as the core unit in a family.

No woman can escape the primary responsibility of being the nurturer of the family. Earlier, the role of a woman was to be the home maker.

Through some of the instances Maharaj continues to guide the modern women to know the importance of cooking, the right quantity of food, storing an adequate amount, regularity and discipline required in preparing some recipes, not to mention the skill. Maharaj never harped on elimination of onions and garlic….a family man cannot have such restrictions, certainly not the farmers of Vidharbha. What he stressed on was proper time of eating as well right quantity of eating…… no scope for bingeing.

To me preparing a Bhakri seemed an impossible task…… I admired any one who could make it and I would watch my mom and many others within the family. Rural women on my various tours, laborers in the slums of Mumbai make it, but never felt that I was capable of making one. Same was the case regarding Modaks and puran polis. Achieving the skill was not only a personal achievement but a discipline that helped in improving my family’s health status. Staying in service apartments, being out for long hours one is tempted to order food from restaurants but a commitment made to your guru provides an opportunity to compulsorily cook at home.

In case, you are ignorant of rules & regulations of the society, may be even very common and trifle ones, followed in some of our rituals, Maharaj comes to your help. On one such occasions, Maharaj guided me thru’ honorable Shri Balapure Kaka, when I was unaware of certain rituals. I learnt my lesson that if one sets out to do something be thorough in your doing as u are responsible for your actions. Therefore I started to pay special attention to the prescribed combination of certain days & the recommended food. Don’t we hear nutritionists talk about each ones requirements being different….depending on age, ailments and energy requirements.

Relationships

For all the strict countenance that Maharaj always wears, my most cherished image is when he reveals teary eyed his love for his followers as he tells Hari Patil that he shall be giving up this mortal form. Maharaj had a deep understanding about human relationships…be it when he expressed to Pitambar the need to leave the ashram and start spreading the word. He knew that rivalry, jealousy exist and can become factors that hinder the work that one sets out to do. By sending Pitamber he was also encouraging decentralization of institutions, for he knew that absolute power corrupts. The bond shown between Bankatlal and his father too is worth noting. The role of the mother has been the theme of many a literary works but by talking about the bond between the father and son, Maharaj redefines the role that a father plays in the growth of his children. His visual appearance for the sake of Pundalika and the religious and devout couple from Balapur is an example of rewards for true bhakti. My readings are limited with regard to the other saints, but in the Baijabai narrative, we are reminded by Maharaj that gender issues will remain, people will have malicious things to say, but if there is no sin in the heart good actions will yield good results. That society will have fertility issues and sexual issues to confront and that these are matters of sensitive handling is the subtle message that Maharaj sends to all of us.

Leadership

Most management gospels who are worth their salt underline a dictum that genuine leadership is essentially supportive and not dictatorial. Maharaj was a living example of this. He lived what he preached. His choice of selecting followers as well as handing over the administration of the math also spoke of the values and skills that are required of an effective leader. His acceptance of the chides of Patil brothers and then their subsequent humbling elicits that there are some attitudinal behavior patterns that are expected of the executive cadre of society…..mind you he clearly distinguishes between the intelligentsia and the executive cadre. Where he expresses remorse is over the fact that these two groups together are loosing the ability to have a vision… the second most effective quality of a leader.

Individual temperament

Hypocrisy is an abhorred trait and has no place in any relationship. Personal as well as professional. The Gosavi chillum incident highlights the fact that substance abuse will be a huge temptation, they may be forced upon or offered, but it is ones individual option to accept and so also to be addicted to it.

Another important insight is the fact that it’s human instinct to crave for a family and to live a worldly life but its Maharajas advice that we should not forget the spiritual growth aspect. His act of giving some money to Hari Jakhade, who intended to marry and his merciful act of helping Bandutatya find the pot of gold in his farm are Maharajas’ ways of saying that money is necessary for those who aspire for family life… Nane astil upyogache, tumchya sarkhya prapanchikya sathi……mala tyacha kay upyog…..I am looking out for bhakti.

A very profound and absorbing philosophy has been expressed by Maharaj when he tells us about the three paths that exist for the liberation of the soul. Bhakti marg, Yoga marg, Karma marg thus restating the fact that each individual is temperamentally made differently.

Nationalism

Even at a time when nationalism was thick in the air, Maharaj knew that with impending globalization, the future generations concept of nationality would differ. By being present on the dais during Lokmanya Tilak,s speech he expressed support in having a government that would be representative of its own people . But he knew that a higher value was the enlightenment of the soul and that is what he meant when he states that Lokmanya Tilak will go on to perform a feat that will go beyond geographical liberation. Today there are so many challenges that need to be addressed and no nation can handle it alone. We need to come together and only enlightened souls will be able to lead us to a more amicable world… a world that we should be able to pass on to our future generations not as Indian to an Indian alone, but as a global citizen to another global citizen.

Education

In his life time Maharaj had proved that he was a Vedic scholar par excellence. He castigated those who professed to be literary only for the purpose of providing for themselves. A truly educated person must be able to encourage larger good of society. He also hinted at the brain drain that India would be witnessing when he dissuades one of his followers from going abroad. The country needs its brains and it is important to provide an atmosphere and the opportunity to ensure that the expertise helps India to grow.

Modernization of Life after all, is a flowing river. The inevitability of mechanization and modernization is something Maharaj expressed a hundred years ago. Great souls like him have mastered the ability to rise above matter and traverse thousands of kilometers, provide cures and perform many other feats. The stress on yoga was his way of telling us that Yoga is the miracle science. It deals with abstracts and as such is provided only to those who work hard towards obtaining it. In spite of it, there were demons such as ravan, kansa, kauravs who misused it. But then they were less in number. Imagine what happens when most of these products are now purchasable commodities! There is always the fear of misuse. He expresses his fear that society will loose its balance if people pursue only material gains and forget that spiritual growth is equally important. Charity both in kind and cash with the right attitude is therefore necessary. The ability to give when you take is the only way to balance this world

In conclusion, each one of us can find our “guru”, if we desperately desire one. My search ended with honourable Balapure kaka serving as a medium for achieving it. In Balapure kaka one finds forthrightness handholded by well wishes for the community at large. His service is driven by love and service for Maharaj. In him I see an epitome of service. May we all be able to carry on this service under his fair and able leadership. Volunteer your skills and support to further the work.