Brahma Chaitanya
Encyclopedia
Shri Brahma Chaitanya (Marathi
, श्री ब्रह्मचैतन्य गोंदावलेकर महाराज) born on 'Maagha Shuddha Dwadashi' (माघ शु. द्वादशी) (refer to Hindu Calendar for details of Shuddha and Dwadashi) of 'Shake 1766' (शके १७६६) (refer to Shalivahana calendar for details of shake) (year 1845) in Gondavale (also spelled as Gondawale) Budruk, Taluka Maan, District Satara
.
A Hindu
saint who resided in the taluka of Maan at Gondavale Budruk in Satara District of Maharashtra
in India, approximately 40 miles (or 64 kilometers) from Satara on the Satara–Pandharpur
Road. His pre-sainthood name was Ganapati (गणु). Brahma Chaitanya was a devotee of the Hindu god Rama
and signed his name as Brahma Chaitanya Ramdasi.
He left his home in search of a spiritual 'Guru
' when he was just 9 years old. After knowing his whereabouts, his father brought him back from Kolhapur. He got married when he was 11 years old, and again left home in search of a 'Guru'. He went to Yehalegaon in Nanded
district and became a disciple of Shri Tukamai. Shri Tukamai gave him the nickname of Brahmachaitanya.
He spent a lifetime teaching the importance of peace with oneself over the material creature comforts alone. He advocated the continued remembrance of GOD as a means of happiness, contentment and peace. Family life is not incompatible with the attainment of ultimate peace. One does not have to be a sage living outside the social bounds. It is how one leads one's life that will determine the self. Key to the ultimate peace is in the regularity of prayers to Rama without expecting anything in return. With unrestricted love and in total faith should be the way in which one ought to say the revered name.
He showed path of devotion of Lord Rama to thousands of devotees in Maharashtra, Karnataka
and parts of North India. Most of the devotees were from the middle class income group. He discouraged people from bad habits, bad behaviour, etc. He made extensive use of 'Pravachan
s', 'Bhajan
s', Vaidik Anushthans etc. for encouraging people to follow the path of devotion. He taught people to achieve perfect balance between prapancha and paramartha
by doing extensive nama japa. He taught people the Mantra
' Shri Ram Jay Ram Jay Jay Ram'. ।।श्रीराम जयराम जय जय राम।।. This Mantra has 13 letters (Alphabets in Marathi language). Each letter has its own meaning and Shri Maharaj has written 13 different 'Abhangas' on each of this letter. "||श्रीराम म्हणा मुखी राम म्हणा मुखी। तेणे सर्व सुखी होशील तू||". Shri Maharaj says that this Mantra was given by Lord Shri Ram to his wife Sita. Shri Maharaj says that this Mantra implies that Lord Shri Ram is our Teacher and is in our heart and takes care for all of us. Shri Maharaj believes that each and everything that happens in our life is as per the will of Lord Shri Ram. Shri Maharaj has opened the meaning of this Mantra and says that we should always be in the Mantra.
As per the teachings of Shri Maharaj, the one who always stays and repeats this Mantra, will be always happy and satisfied in the whole life and this is the Truth.
After the death of his first wife, he married a girl who was blind since birth. He helped the poor, those suffering from drought
. He taught Gorakshan, Annadan, Nama japa, Bhajan
s, Teertha yatra
s.
He took samadhi on Margashirsh Vadya Dashmi of shake 1835 (22 December 1913) in Gondavale.
The life of Brahma Chaitanya is described in detail in the book The Saint of Gondawale by Prof. K V Belsare.
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, श्री ब्रह्मचैतन्य गोंदावलेकर महाराज) born on 'Maagha Shuddha Dwadashi' (माघ शु. द्वादशी) (refer to Hindu Calendar for details of Shuddha and Dwadashi) of 'Shake 1766' (शके १७६६) (refer to Shalivahana calendar for details of shake) (year 1845) in Gondavale (also spelled as Gondawale) Budruk, Taluka Maan, District Satara
Satara
Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...
.
A Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
saint who resided in the taluka of Maan at Gondavale Budruk in Satara District of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
in India, approximately 40 miles (or 64 kilometers) from Satara on the Satara–Pandharpur
Pandharpur
Pandharpur is an important pilgrimage city on the Bhimā river in Solāpur district, Maharashtra, India. The Vithoba temple attracts about half a million Hindu pilgrims during the major yātrā in the month of Ashadh ....
Road. His pre-sainthood name was Ganapati (गणु). Brahma Chaitanya was a devotee of the Hindu god Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
and signed his name as Brahma Chaitanya Ramdasi.
He left his home in search of a spiritual 'Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
' when he was just 9 years old. After knowing his whereabouts, his father brought him back from Kolhapur. He got married when he was 11 years old, and again left home in search of a 'Guru'. He went to Yehalegaon in Nanded
Nanded
Nanded is the second largest city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India. It is also headquarters of Nanded district in the Marathwada Division of the state. It is an important holy place for the Sikh faith and is famous for the Hazur Sahib Gurudwara. It is the district headquarters once...
district and became a disciple of Shri Tukamai. Shri Tukamai gave him the nickname of Brahmachaitanya.
He spent a lifetime teaching the importance of peace with oneself over the material creature comforts alone. He advocated the continued remembrance of GOD as a means of happiness, contentment and peace. Family life is not incompatible with the attainment of ultimate peace. One does not have to be a sage living outside the social bounds. It is how one leads one's life that will determine the self. Key to the ultimate peace is in the regularity of prayers to Rama without expecting anything in return. With unrestricted love and in total faith should be the way in which one ought to say the revered name.
He showed path of devotion of Lord Rama to thousands of devotees in Maharashtra, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and parts of North India. Most of the devotees were from the middle class income group. He discouraged people from bad habits, bad behaviour, etc. He made extensive use of 'Pravachan
Pravachan
Pravachan is a form of Hindu religious discourse, which are lectures on scriptures. A Pravachana Pandit becomes a religious and spiritual interpreter of these Scriptures....
s', 'Bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
s', Vaidik Anushthans etc. for encouraging people to follow the path of devotion. He taught people to achieve perfect balance between prapancha and paramartha
Paramartha
Paramārtha was an Indian monk from Ujjain in central India, who is best known for his prolific Chinese translations which include Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakośa...
by doing extensive nama japa. He taught people the Mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
' Shri Ram Jay Ram Jay Jay Ram'. ।।श्रीराम जयराम जय जय राम।।. This Mantra has 13 letters (Alphabets in Marathi language). Each letter has its own meaning and Shri Maharaj has written 13 different 'Abhangas' on each of this letter. "||श्रीराम म्हणा मुखी राम म्हणा मुखी। तेणे सर्व सुखी होशील तू||". Shri Maharaj says that this Mantra was given by Lord Shri Ram to his wife Sita. Shri Maharaj says that this Mantra implies that Lord Shri Ram is our Teacher and is in our heart and takes care for all of us. Shri Maharaj believes that each and everything that happens in our life is as per the will of Lord Shri Ram. Shri Maharaj has opened the meaning of this Mantra and says that we should always be in the Mantra.
As per the teachings of Shri Maharaj, the one who always stays and repeats this Mantra, will be always happy and satisfied in the whole life and this is the Truth.
After the death of his first wife, he married a girl who was blind since birth. He helped the poor, those suffering from drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
. He taught Gorakshan, Annadan, Nama japa, Bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
s, Teertha yatra
Yatra
' , in Hinduism and other Indian religions, generally means pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, places associated with Hindu epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and other sacred pilgrimage sites. Tīrtha-yātrā refers to a pilgrimage to a holy site, and is...
s.
He took samadhi on Margashirsh Vadya Dashmi of shake 1835 (22 December 1913) in Gondavale.
The life of Brahma Chaitanya is described in detail in the book The Saint of Gondawale by Prof. K V Belsare.