Devotion to Bhagwan Shree Dattatreya has been a family tradition for most of my life of about sixty-five years and we have prayed to Him regularly by chanting His name and performing rituals of His worship. Perhaps, as a fruit of those karmas, I was initiated by His Holiness Sadguru Shree Gulavani Maharaj (“Gulavani Maharaj”),… Continue reading Divine Memories
While living the life of a highly successful lawyer, Anant had a natural inclination towards spirituality and was in search of a spiritual master. His lawyer’s mind, however, made him skeptical and over analytical. So, when he met His Holiness Sadguru Shree Mama Maharaj (Mama), Anant was in two minds. On the one hand, he… Continue reading The Ultimate Mindreader
In 1954, His Holiness Shree Mama Maharaj Deshpande (“Mama”) was granted deeksha, as well as deeksha granting rights, by His Holiness Shree Gulavani Maharaj, one of the foremost spiritual authorities of the ShreeDatta lineage. Mama was so humble, however, that He would never grant deeksha to others on His own initiative out of respect for… Continue reading Mama: The Spiritual Successor of His Holiness Shree Gulavani Maharaj
Dr. Sane was a mere child when he first met Her Holiness Sadguru Matuhshree Parvati Devi Deshpande and His Holiness Shree Mama Maharaj Deshpande (“Mama”). Mama was only 18 or 19 years old at that time and Dr. Sane knew him as just a ‘family friend’. Later, the two families lost touch and it was… Continue reading Mama: Friend, Philosopher and Guide
My earliest memories as a 2-3 year old child are a source of great joy to me. I remember our small cozy home in the famous Ranade Wada in Pune, my loving family and equally loving neighbors. I particularly remember our neighbor Parvatibai (Her Holiness Sadguru Matushree Parvati Devi Deshpande) who, despite being busy, would… Continue reading The Familiar Sanyasi
Some people focus solely on material happiness, while others also seek spiritual upliftment. The latter always try to find a suitable Guru or spiritual master who can help them achieve liberation of their soul from the circle of life and death. Then there are some souls, who may not be interested in spirituality at all… Continue reading Mama: Friend, Philosopher, Guide and Sadguru
The following took place sometime between 1961 and 1964. My mother had just returned home after a wari to Pandharpur. She seemed very excited. “Guess whom I saw during the wari? Well, it was our very own Bagaram! You remember him, don’t you?”, she gushed. “It seems that our Bagaram has become a great saint.… Continue reading Parvatibai and Bagaram
Anant Shende is a renowned lawyer from Mumbai. In some part, due to the nature of his profession, he had developed a habit of overly criticizing and analyzing everything and everyone he came in contact with. His first visit to Mauli was no exception. His Holiness P P Shree Mama Maharaj (Mama) was busy performing… Continue reading Multi faceted Personality
I owe my first meeting with His Holiness Sadguru Shree Mama (“Mama”) to my sister. In 1981, I accompanied my sister to the Shrāvaṇ anuṣhṭhān at Sangli, a city 75 km from Karad, where we lived. Although it was the first time I met with Him, I immediately felt a strong connection as though I… Continue reading The watchful eye of a father
It was the 15th of March, 1990, when His Holiness Sadguru Shree Mama Maharaj (Mama) came to visit Mr. Ashtekar and Mr. Sanglikar. In the midst of a conversation Mr. Ashtekar asked, “Mama, I wanted to understand what exactly is the difference between the state of death and the state of samadhi (the state of… Continue reading Practical Philosopher
