Biography
Shri Samartha Sadaguru Ganapatrao Maharaj Kannur was born on 18 September 1909 on the auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi - Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi to a pious Brahmin family of Smt Saraswatibai & Shrimant Shivrampant Kannur, in a small village Kannur located in the Bijapur district of Karnataka, India. He had his primary and high-school education in Bijapur. He graduated in 1932 A.D., earning a B.Sc. (Mathematics & Physics) Degree from most revered Fergusson college, Pune. Since his early childhood days young Ganapati had a great inclination towards spirituality. At the age of 13 he was blessed and initiated by Sri S S Siddharameshwar Maharaj, who also accepted him as his disciple and guided him to the path of self attainment. At a very young age of 23, after completion of his graduation, he obtained the high status of a liberated soul which was an outcome of the devotion towards Sri Siddharameshwar Maharaj. Who had given stringent directives to few of his selfless disciples, the directives were to wear ochre robes, to be devoted towards sadhana (Spiritual practice) and make it the sole objective of life, not to touch money, and live with only bare minimum necessities. The disciples chose the bank of river Krishna at Audumbar and carried out tapas (penance) for a year, strictly as instructed. Shri Ganapatrao Maharaj followed these commands sincerely and came out an emancipated personality.
Even being a graduate he decided not to take any service or job and wowed for the bow of celibacy throughout his life as not to get entangled in materialistic life. Sri S S Siddhrameshwar Maharaj left for heavenly abode in 1936 and after his demise Shri Ganapatrao Maharaj became firmly rooted in his doctrines and studied the Shrimad Dasbodh, Bhagavata, Bhagavad-Gita, Upanishads and other holy texts to attain the highest goal of his life - self liberation & self attainment.
The motto of his life was to propagate the principles Advait and preach the importance of gaining Liberation - Mukti in this birth itself and showing the path of self realization - Atmanubhuti to all who came to him. He was an individual with high intellect and who had a very simple lifestyle and had the immense ability of Loving all eternal humans without any differentiation of Religion, caste or creed. People were instantly attracted by his loving, peaceful nature and enlightening discourses those who all came in his contact were very much impressed with his simplicity, selfless state & divine aura, which earned him the reverence as “Shanti Bramha”. The small trickle of devotees gradually turned into a stream and later into an ocean. He carried on the mantle passed to him by his Sadaguru and strived for the upliftment of common people for a span of six decades. In common mans language he was Sagun Parabramha a Walking Talking God. To carry forward his spiritual work he founded the Shanti Kuteer Sampraday. At the age of 95 years on Monday the 20th September 2004 Shri Samartha Sadaguru Ganapatrao Maharaj dissolved his materialistic body.
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