Wer war er

Kalki Avatar

Shree embodied the characteristics of prophecies about the Divine Messenger for the last millenium – the Kalki Avatar.

The term “Avatar” is very old and translates as “Divine Descent.” “Kalki” means “pollution.“ Consequently, this denotes a Divine Messenger who, above all, brings help against pollution. This doesn’t refer only to the visible world but also to that of the mind.

Some of the prophecies about the Kalki Avatar are thousands of years old. Statements of amazing congruence can be found in several Puranas like the Vishnu-, Brahmanda- and Kalki-Purana, in the Shrimat Bhagavatam as well as in the Gitagovinda and the Mahabharata. All these are Holy Scriptures from ancient India which possess a similar significance there as the Bible does in the Western culture.

Let us briefly summarize the essential statements about the prophesied Divine Messenger:

The Lord of the World Vishnu, who represents the earthly passive aspect of God, shall incarnate 10 times to restore the world order.

Nine of these “Dash Avataras“ are known, among these being Ram (also called Rama), Krishna and Buddha. The last manifestation is expected to be the “Kalki Avatar,” namely at the transition point from Kali Yuga (the Dark Age or Iron Age) to Satya Yuga. The latter is also called the “Golden Age,“ when life will once again come to pass in harmony with the laws of creation. We currently go through this transitional phase.

It is prophesied in the Mahabharata that the Kalki Avatar will be born as a son of Brahmins in the lunar month of Vaishakha (approximately 21 April to 21 May). He will be instructed by Lord Parshuram, an eternal Avatar. He will marry and have two children.

In nearly all the prophecies, Kalki, the Lord of the Universe, is described as a powerful young man riding on a white horse (symbolic for purity and power) and with a shining sword in His hand (symbolic for the Light will and as a weapon to defeat the darkness). His eyes are glowing like fire. He will fight against the dark and re-establish the Eternal Religion (Satya Dharma) as it is laid down in the Vedas.

It is very astounding that the Revelations of the Bible foretell a stunningly similar fact:

"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire (…) and out of His mouth comes a sharp sword …”
(Revelations 19.11-21)

If you compare these statements with the life of Param Sadguru Shree Gajanan Maharaj, you will be more than surprised. A short general account of His life shall clarify this:

His parents, wealthy Brahmins, were both highly-realized yogis. Before His birth, His mother received 14 special dreams and visions, and she was foretold that she would give birth to the “Light of the Universe.” When Shree was born on 17 May in the lunar month of Vaishakha, His body showed 14 different symbols (already 12 of them indicate a Divine Being). One of those was the red nail of the right big toe, a feature that Buddha also had.

Even as a child, Shree dedicated His life to God. When He was only seven years old, He practiced intense spiritual exercises. At the age of twenty, He became head of the Guru Mandir in Akkalkot. A year later, He married; later two children were born.

From 1938 on, Shree was instructed by Lord Parshuram, who appeared to Him on several occasions and bestowed Divine powers on Him. In 1944, Shree took the vow before Lord Parashuram to resuscitate the Vedas whereupon the “Fivefold Path” was revealed to Him.

The “Fivefold Path” was given as a help for all people at our present time. The part called “Agnihotra” effectively counteracts the pollution of the environment and of the mind. Shree called this fire ceremony the weapon against the pollution of the mind and the atmosphere.

In 1941, it was revealed to Shree that He had already lived as Ram, Krishna and Buddha and was now incarnated as the Son of Man. In 1942, Divine Fire appeared in front of Him, in a similar way as Moses had experienced.

In the year 1969, for the first time after 2,500 years, Shree had a Somayaga performed. Similar to Agnihotra, on a larger scale, an incredibly efficient purification and elevation of subtle energies took place during this four-day fire ceremony.

In Shree’s life, the white horse should not be understood merely as a symbol of purity. In several dreams and visions, Shree was perceived with this horse, even by persons who knew Shree only from pictures and didn’t know anything of the horse as a symbol.

Shree's whole striving was to restore the Eternal Religion (Satya Dharma) as it is anchored in the Vedas:

Shree: “Resuscitation and rejuvenation of Satya Dharma
is the sole purpose of our spiritual exercises (Tapa).
There is no other desire whatsoever.“

The article is largely an extract from "Agnihotra - Ursprung, Praxis und Anwendungen" ³ (Agnihotra - origin, practice and applications) by Horst and Birgitt Heigl.

Son of Man

The first signs that a Divine being would be born were already given four years before Shree’s birth. In 1914, His mother, Sonamata, learned from a holy person that she would give life to the "Light of the Universe".

On 25 December 1941, it was revealed from Supreme Light to Shree that He had already lived and worked as Rama, Krishna and Buddha, and was now incarnated as the Son of Man

The term Son of Man is both found in the Bible and in ancient Sanskrit texts; there he is called Manava Putra. “Son of Man” is not another name or the epithet of a person; it designates the position that this person holds for the duration of an unbelievably high Divine task - an Avatar. All Divine powers are at His disposal. His consciousness has been so elevated at a given time that it is the same as if God works.^{1, p. 49}

In a letter which Shree wrote to Bhausaheb Peshkar in 1945, He used the term "Son of Man" several times and thus confirmed the revelation.

In 1976 Shree was asked by Horst Heigl who He was. Shree waited several days until He answered: "And now to your question,

I am the Light of the Universe.".

Shree

Whoever had the opportunity to meet Shree was usually deeply touched by His sublime charisma. His appearance was rather simple, which was not just because of His clothing. Shree's face radiated freshness and youthfulness, as did His movements. Nevertheless, approaching Him, one almost fell to one´s knees. How could that be?

Horst Heigl said this about his first encounter, "When I met Shree, I saw Him translucent and was overwhelmed by His radiance and majesty. Love and humility seemed to flow from every fiber of His being.^{" 3, p. 19}

Some people also perceived such a luminous power that they had never before experienced before.

In general, Shree spoke very little. His statements were usually short and concise. He told some of the people in His immediate circles about some experiences of His life so that the memory about it would not get completely lost.

Shree did not make a big fuss about His body, but He was extremely clean and punctual. For several years one could always see Him with a wristwatch in His hand, perhaps to show us that He wasted no second of His life. His whole being was dedicated to His great task.

Shree: “Whatever the Almighty expects from me He will certainly get it done by me. I have totally surrendered my existence to His Will. Hence I am confident that the One who has made me realise my duties will also provide me the necessary ability to fulfill them.

I never propound or treat with difference any particular religion. The regard with which I will expound the Hindu religion, or the views belonging to the Hindu religion, in the same way and with the same regard I will do so for the Bible and the Koran too.

I have told many, in no uncertain words, not to take me as a Guru but some of them have unnecessarily identified me with the Guru sentiment. Many people might have experienced wonderful miracles or superhuman powers inhabited in my being, but even so, I am not the doer of all of that. I am just an observer and not a doer of those divine occurrences. I have given up ownership of my body and have completely handed it over to the Almighty. He then began using it in this way.” ^{4, p. 136, 137}

Shree met all people with the same love. Origin, religious affiliation, social status, caste etc. --all this did not matter to Him. He accepted the religious customs of His environment, but sometimes He tried to reduce the strong veneration of His person. He said that true worship is to help the poor and the needy, and to follow the teachings given.

In the long evolution of man there are seven hierarchies. Shree confirmed that He was in the seventh and thus highest hierarchy. This enabled Him to set in motion the highest Divine powers in order to reestablish the Eternal Religion on earth. However, as Shree explained to one of His close devotees, Mr. Mahanubhav Madhavji Potdar (Potdarsaheb), the practical work is made by people who are not beyond the fifth hierarchy, or are temporarily stepping down into the fifth plane for a particular task.^{4, p 253}

Shree gave the knowledge; He even showed it with His hand what the vessel to perform Agnihotra should look like. Others then took over the application and dissemination. Thus, the first Agnihotra, in the short form known today, was performed by a priest named Shri Hiralal Sharma, on the orders of Potdarsaheb, on 22 February 1963. Potdarsaheb also published the first books on the Fivefold Path and energetically began to spread it.

Shri Vasant Paranjpe (1921 - 2008) started to distribute it around the world. Shree had instructed him to pass on His words to all the people of the world. Shri Vasant travelled to every continent in the world, from 1972 onwards to practically his life’s end, always with the aim of spreading the Fivefold Path. In doing so, he could experience the constant and continuous guidance of Shree, which is not bound by space and time.

Many times a day, Shree was seen sitting in His room in deep Samadhi (state of union with God). Many visitors encountered Him like that. Nevertheless, Shree took care to convey the feeling of closeness to others. In a letter dated 16 June, 1944, He wrote:

Shree: "The path ordained by me is based on self-experience. It is not mere bookish knowledge. Have faith in it. Maintain your love for me and be self-attuned. Consider me as one of your family members. Do not deem me as an outsider, for I am not. Say, I belong to you and you are mine."

Shree also conveyed that no one should feel too small or unimportant to reach for the highest goal.

Shree: "It is not necessary to be as vast as an ocean to hold the reflection of the sky.
Even a small drop of water can reflect the entire sky.” ^{5, p. 65}

Again and again Shree emphasized the great necessity of charity. For Him even an inanimate object or a temporary absence of well-being was “thy neighbor." There was nothing to which He would react with reluctance. He repeated the goal to be achieved in various words and on different occasions:

Total surrender to the Supreme Light to become an instrument for the Divine Will
Every spiritual exercise culminates in this. All Divine messengers and prophets have expressed this.

Another common feature of all of God's messengers is the lived example of forgiveness. Shree explained how far this can go with the example of Jesus Christ:

"Even those who touched Him (Jesus) with the intention of crucifying Him
were also liberated due to His Holy touch.
This is Forgiveness." ^{5, p. 140}