Shri Gurudev, my Eternal Companion,
Shri Krishna
"He is my Sadguru, the lord of my Soul,
Beautiful in the name of Shri Krishna,
The eternal support of the cowherds,
Compassionate, loving and merciful to his devotees."
— Saint Baba Maharaj
Shri Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar was a great Krishna devotee of the Nath tradition in modern times. In the prime of his youth, this saint set out from Arvi, and upon reaching the sacred land of Vrindavan, he was utterly consumed by Krishna’s divine love. The sweet, entrancing melody of Krishna’s flute, echoing through the rippling waters of the Yamuna and the narrow lanes of Vrindavan, left him spellbound. In this land of love, the thousand streams of pure devotion bathed Saint Baba’s soul completely!
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"Show me my beloved Shyam, without him, I am but a beggar in this world. This torment of separation is unbearable, the agony of fate is venomous!"
— Saint Baba (a translated quote)
With a heart overflowing with Krishna’s love, he wandered for a long time, intoxicated in devotion within the divine embrace of Vrindavan. Here is how Saint Baba describes his Vrindavan journey:
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"I set out to have the darshan of Vrindavan’s Lord. My mind was steady, my gaze unwavering, yet my heart was restless. I walked, but neither knew the path I took nor the destination ahead. Immersed in a state beyond thought, with tear-filled eyes, I kept chanting his name in deep remembrance. What now? No coming, no going, no acquaintance, no familiar bonds—only him and me, the two of us alone.
In the vast expanse of the sky, the dawn of divine auspiciousness was awakening Shri Ghanashyam, while within me, the morning of love was slowly kindling the flames of separation with its cool, fragrant breezes of memory. My mind, unbridled, galloped like a wild steed. From the depths of my eyes, a lone rider scoured the horizon for his beloved.
There he was—the enchanting, playful, ever-charming Shyamsundar—dancing and frolicking amidst the bowers with the Gopis. The blossoming groves of Vrindavan were as new to me as love’s courtyard is ever-new to a lover’s heart. Closer and closer I drew to that divine playground of the bewitching Natwar.
Look! Along the roadside, the towering Kadamba trees stretch their longing arms skyward, yearning to embrace their beloved Shri Hari. The merciful eyes of Gopis seem eager to adorn Radharaman, Mukunda with the pollen of their love-lit lotus hearts. In the sacred lakes of their minds, they have already plucked the blue lotuses of devotion, waiting in silent worship for their Giridhari, the son of Nanda.
The gentle bowing creepers, adorned with fresh blossoms, await in hushed anticipation of Shyam’s arrival. The birds of the sky take flight, their joyous cries echoing through the air as they seek the divine son of Devaki. And when they sense his presence, the entire forest bursts into jubilant song!
See how the rugged mountain crevices, having once known union, now sit lost in luminous meditation upon their beloved Madhusudan. Behold the Gopis! With pitchers balanced upon their heads and voices ringing with Gopal’s name, these doe-eyed maidens seem barely able to withstand the blazing fire of separation. Their eyes hold longing, their hearts tremble with restlessness, their faces are pale with sorrow, and their steps falter with the weight of love. Yet, love itself carries them forward, as though their very souls are running to meet their lord.
The entire universe seems restless, unsteady, yearning for a glimpse of Gopal. Is it not true? For love to be real, must it not ache with longing? Love’s destiny is to dissolve endlessly in love itself—never breaking, never reaching completion, never withering, never disfiguring, but ever blooming like the fresh bud of a lotus.
Look at these forlorn cows! Their eyes glisten with nothing but the light of love and the burning thirst for reunion with Hari. It seems as if their eyes alone have become the instruments of their longing sighs! With tearful eyes, they sit in their sheds, shedding silent drops of love.
Ah, Mohan! What magic have you cast upon these souls?
Madhava! What spell have you woven around these tender beings?
The whole world seems spellbound, enchanted by the honeyed love of Madhukar. Lost in the depths of these memories, my heart overflows, and tears begin to fall."
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(A translated version of the original message written by Saint Baba.)
Sadguru
Mauli, Dnyanaai
At Machnur, Saint Baba was nurtured in the boundless love for his Guru Dnyanadev and was completely immersed in the infinite devotion of Krishna’s companionship. The vast, sky-embracing love he experienced there, he meticulously recorded in his writings for future generations. Saint Baba elaborated extensively on the unique philosophy of devotion expressed by Saint Dnyaneshwar, overflowing with Krishna’s love.
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"Dnyanadev is the motherly embrace of the sky,
The ceaseless, gushing river of love in this world,
The heart-comforting, love-knotted refuge of sorrow-laden souls,
The very essence of life itself, gathered in one divine form!"
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"Even the word 'Mauli' (Mother) finds solace in him,
If the glory of the Universal Mother shines through her compassion,
Then the radiance of my Dnyanai cannot be captured,
Even by the countless rays of the sun!"
— Saint Baba (translated versions of the quotes)
Saint Baba would often visit Alandi. On one such visit, he was accompanied by a few disciples from Machnur. Around the same time, an American, disillusioned by the materialism of his scientific world, had renounced it all, shaved his head like an ascetic, donned saffron robes, and traveled to India. In Mumbai, someone had told him about Saint Dnyaneshwar, filling him with deep curiosity. Eager to learn more, he spent two days in Pune, inquiring about Saint Dnyaneshwar, before finally reaching Alandi. Someone in Pune had informed him that Saint Baba Maharaj had recently arrived and would be able to provide him with profound insights into Saint Dnyaneshwar's life.
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As soon as the foreigner arrived, Saint Baba stepped forward to welcome him, and they conversed for some time. The man expressed his longing to know more about Saint Dnyaneshwar, to which Baba replied, "You and I both stand before Dnyaneshwar today. Stay here for eight to ten days, engage in spiritual practice, and Dnyaneshwar himself will reveal his truth to you." (translated) With that, Saint Baba left for Mumbai, giving the visitor his address.
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The American diligently practiced his spiritual discipline, yet after ten days, he felt he had not grasped the essence of Dnyaneshwar. Frustrated, he traveled to Mumbai to meet Saint Baba again. When he rang the bell, Saint Baba once again came to receive him. The moment the visitor laid eyes on Baba Maharaj, he saw not just Baba, but Saint Dnyaneshwar himself before him. In astonishment, he blinked and looked again—only to see Shri Baba Maharaj once more. This happened three or four times until he was overcome with emotion, bursting into uncontrollable tears. Shri Baba Maharaj gently comforted him and inquired about his distress. Through his choked voice, the man humbly replied, "Why do you tease me so, when you yourself are Dnyaneshwar? Reveal to me your true self."
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With great compassion, Saint Baba then recounted to him the exalted life, the divine mission, and the profound legacy of Saint Dnyaneshwar's Dnyaneshwari.
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Saint Baba’s masterpiece, Divyamritdhara, is a priceless scripture—a verse-by-verse commentary on the twelfth chapter of Dnyaneshwari. Just as Dnyaneshwari is a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, Divyamritdhara is the first and only verse-by-verse elucidation of Dnyaneshwari's twelfth chapter. Until then, no one had even conceived that such a detailed commentary on Dnyaneshwari was necessary.
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Every verse of Dnyaneshwari carries profound significance, each with a purpose, fulfilling its role with absolute precision. To claim such a thing may seem unbelievable at first, but when one reads Divyamritdhara, the truth becomes evident.
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In this sacred text, Saint Baba writes:
"The nectar of the Gita is already a divine elixir,
But Dnyaneshwari—it is the very essence of that nectar, an immortal elixir of life!
The Gita touched only the threshold of scholars,
Bound within the fortress of Sanskrit.
Yet Dnyaneshwari—she flowed freely,
Even through the barren, parched lands of Maharashtra,
And wherever she flowed, she turned desolation into lush, verdant paradise.
She bathed all in the cooling moonlight of unshaken faith,
Elevating all souls onto the same plane of divine realization.
To have been blessed with the opportunity to glorify
The radiant banner of Dnyaneshwar's divine devotion—
This alone is my greatest fortune!"
(translated from Marathi)