The lives of Saints are brilliant beacons on that path to the infinite Divine Light. The light of wisdom emanating from these Saints, radiates for all on the journey to Self-realization. Their deeds, lilas  and teachings, reveal the Divine Truth and are an invaluable guide for the spiritual seeker. To unveil this all-embracing truth means to fulfil the purpose of our life while gaining inspiration from those exemplary spiritual models. In this fulfilment we are imparted Divine knowledge, which we use to transcend the illusory world of maya  and we come to know that our consciousness is really embodied in the kingdom of the Immortal.

Without this knowledge of God, our spirit aimlessly wanders in darkness. Divine knowledge is that nectar for which all souls thirst and it is only by God's grace that this thirst is quenched.

The life of His Holiness Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji is full of this Divine ambrosia. It was my blessed good fortune to spend my life in his benevolent care and to journey on this spiritual path under his direct guidance.

Innumerable devotees, inspired by Mahaprabhuji's words, protected through his compassion and supported in their spiritual effort by his loving-kindness, repeatedly requested that I write his life story for the benefit and welfare of others. It was also my own ardent desire to record the life and teachings of my Divine Master and to pass on the blessing of his wisdom to all mankind. However, for a long time Mahaprabhuji did not give his consent. In his modesty, being beyond all earthly concerns, he denied my request for more than twenty years. Free of all desires, he cared not for fame of his name or person. But this Saviour of all souls, to whom I am devoted with my whole heart, finally granted my wish. It is a spiritual truth that sooner or later God will fulfil the pure wishes of His devotees.

Early in 1963, I received a letter from Mahaprabhuji inviting me to visit him at Khatu Ashram as soon as possible. The morning after my arrival he called me to him and revealed to me something extraordinary: that he would depart this world at five o'clock on the morning of the 5th December that same year.

He concluded by saying, "I have called you here to tell you this and to grant whatever wish you may desire. For if I do not fulfil it, who will?"
I prostrated myself before him and repeated my oft-expressed request to be permitted to record the story of his life.
My gracious Master smiled and replied, "Let it be so."
My heart filled with joy. I felt like a beggar who had just received a treasure of immense value and I immediately got to work.

It is my pleasure to share with you these insights into the lives and deeds of Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji and his Master, Paramyogeshwar Sri Devpuriji. I have recorded many of my own experiences here and set down a few glimpses of the miracles I have witnessed. I have also presented the personal accounts of many other devotees and disciples of Mahaprabhuji.

These words are offered for the benefit of all spiritual seekers. May they inspire you in your spiritual efforts and strengthen your faith. As for others, Lord Krishna said in The Bhagavad Gita: "The sceptics seek their own destruction" (Ch. 4, V. 40).

Due to our limited human consciousness, the world that we naively comprehend as reality, is in truth only a transient vision. It is the work of maya — the power of illusion. However, That which is full of transcendent awareness, That which is eternal, unchanging, undivided, Omnipresent and Omniscient, without definition, attribute or form, That which is unbound, pure and perfect, which has no beginning and no end, this vibration or energy fills the whole universe and in the Vedas it is called: OM

OM is reality. OM is truth. OM is the pure consciousness upon which all wise men and yogis meditate. OM is liberation and perfection. OM is the Divine. OM is the ultimate power which creates and preserves the cosmos. With reverent salutations I make my obeisance to OM.

From time to time the formless Divine power of OM manifests, or incarnates in human form on earth, for the benefit of the world. Such manifestations are recorded in all Holy scriptures.

We may ask why a Divine incarnation appears in this world and the answer is this. Sometimes there is such an overwhelming increase of negative power that it is only by God's intervention that a remedy can be found. God takes human form to strengthen justice and honesty among men, to protect the survival of right belief and to drive out all evil. Many people believe that only Rama, Krishna or Jesus could be such a Divine incarnation but such is a limited belief, for God may be present on earth in human form at any time. The possibility for God to incarnate is not limited by space or time, nor by number. If fire is burning in one place, does this mean that fire cannot burn elsewhere at the same time? Like fire, God can appear anywhere at any time.

God's willingness to incarnate for the benefit of His devotees is expressed in The Bhagavad Gita: "Although I am not born and am Myself immortal, although I am the Lord of all that exists, yet by My own will and power do I manifest myself. Whenever spirituality declines and evil is rampant, I incarnate myself. To strengthen and protect goodness and justice and to eliminate evil, I am reborn from age to age. Who in truth recognises my Divine birth and Divine works will not reincarnate on leaving their body, but will become one with me." (Ch. 4, V. 6-9).

Therefore we sing the mantra :

OM GURUR BRAHMA GURUR VISHNU
GURUR DEVO MAHESHWARAH
GURUH SAKSHAT PARABRAHMA
TASMAI SRI GURUVE NAMAH

This mantra means that the Supreme Being, the "All-Self" present in every creature, adopts the form of Brahma  to create the world. The same Almighty One manifests in the form of Vishnu, the protector and preserver of the universe and is born as man to rescue human dharma . The same God also takes the form of Maheshwara (Shiva), the Liberator, who ultimately dissolves the cosmos into Himself again. For those who seek spiritual liberation this power or Divine will appears on earth as the Satguru (the true Master). Therefore I bow to the Divine Master.

But how is it possible for us to recognise such a wonderful event? The answer is very simple, at least in theory. A true messenger of God embodies in himself, all human virtues in their purest form. It is this perfection that signifies a true messenger of God.

The Divine incarnation is distinguished by unwavering loving-kindness, mercy and universal love. Selflessly serving the highest truth, he effects good for all creatures without judgement of race, nationality, gender, caste or status. The radiance of his light rescues the devotee from ignorance and attachment. A spark is kindled even in those of a callous or malicious character. Their consciousness is turned from the limits of time and space to the unlimited Divine Play.

The one in whom God is manifest comes to this world as a perfect being. From birth he is the Master of all that for which the seeker must labour. He is devoid of all fault or weakness. Admittedly, he has a body made up of physical elements, but he is beyond such matter and possesses all might and power over the laws of the cosmos.

As already mentioned, theoretically it may be easy to identify a Saint, Satguru or Avatar . However, in practice it is only those who have acquired good karma in former lives who can find such a Master. Only they are the true seekers and only they recognize the Divine Light.

In The Bhagavad Gita, it is said: "At the end of many lives that one who is full of wisdom will unite in Me with the knowledge that Vasudeva (God) is everything. Such a great soul is hard to find." (Ch. 7, V. 9)

The great Indian Saint, Sunderdas, expressed this truth in the following poem:

"The Satguru is the Supreme, he is God
But the disciple only sees the human form,
How can there be perfection
Where there exists such ignorance?"

The great and Holy poet Tulsidas, says in his epic poem, The Ramayana:

"I worship my Satguru as God in human form,
He is an ocean of blessing!
His words are as clear and powerful as the Sun,
They drive away the darkness of illusion.”

The Holy scriptures reveal to us the basic truth about the Satguru in this mantra:

DHYANA MULAM GURU MURTI
PUJA MULAM GURU PADAM
MANTRA MULAM GURU VAKYAM
MOKSHA MULAM GURU KRIPA

"The essence of meditation is the transcendent form of the Guru.
The essence of ceremonies is reverence for the Guru's lotus feet.
The essence of mantra is the word of the Guru.
The essence of liberation is the grace of the Guru."

For one who is blessed by the Satguru the impossible becomes possible. Those paralysed by ignorance reach the peak of knowledge. The blind who wander in the darkness of illusion see reality and those who have fallen silent through ignorance, speak the words of wisdom.

My Satguru, the Liberator of all souls, my Protector full of grace and love, is His Holiness, Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji. I will now attempt to describe his life.

Paramhans Swami Madhavananda

Next: Ode to Mahaprabhuji