|| Shreeram Samartha ||
My Experiences with Prof. K. V. Belsare
I first met Prof. K. V. Belsare – or “Baba”, as he was fondly called – in December of 1994. He had stopped over in Pune on his way to Gondavale, where he was heading for the annual “Punyatithi Utsav” of Shri Brahmachaitanya Maharaj Gondavalekar (Shri Maharaj).
I was a college student then – a free bird with no restrictions! Fascinated by Shri Maharaj’s biography (authored by Baba) – a book I had casually picked up from a friend just a few months earlier – I had boarded the bus to Gondavale one fine day to “check the place out”. No planning. No one knew. Pure sense of adventure. That sense had disappeared quickly on my return, as I had faced choice-words of my mother.
My mother called an emergency meeting with her mother – a disciple of Shri Maharaj – and the two wise ladies concurred that I needed to be in “safe hands”. My grandmother in turn called her close friends and neighbors – Mr. & Mrs. Patankar – at whose place Baba used to stay when in Pune. So here I was, back to the wall, the world conspiring against me, sitting in front of Baba – waiting to be reprimanded.
Baba gave a patient listening to my mother. He then turned to me, smiled and said “A student’s duty is to concentrate on studies. You can go to Gondavale whenever you wish, but if you neglect your studies, Shri Maharaj will not like it.” Turning to my mother, he said, “It’s fine for him to visit there once a month”. We both were happy. Baba had won us over in first meeting itself.
During those formative years of student life, I had a brief encounter with individuals who were proponents of Kundalini Yoga, which, according to them, was a timeless, powerful and fast-track approach to self-realization. These individuals belonged to the tradition of renowned yogis and had hundreds of disciples themselves. But they trivialized Naamsmaran (Contemplation of God by Devotion through chanting His Divine Name) – which is the path advised by Shri Maharaj. They were also quite dismissive of the “Anugraha” imparted at Gondavale on “Samadhi”, objecting that it was nothing more than a mere act of mental satisfaction, as Shri Maharaj was no longer physically present. I was confused. It was all diametrically opposite to Shri Maharaj’s teachings.
Predictably, my mother sent me to meet Baba again during his next trip to Pune. It was a pleasant summer morning and only Baba, Ti. Aai (Mrs. Belsare) and myself were present in the room. I narrated my dilemma to him. Baba told me calmly that Kundalini Yoga was a high-risk path with many pitfalls along the way, such as disproportionate awakening of one’s senses. Naamasmaran, on the other hand, was the safe path. He retorted strongly on hearing the negative comment about the Samadhi-based Anugraha at Gondavale. And he reassured me with substantiated counter examples of multiple Varkari Tradition Saints – such as Shri. Sonopant (Mama) Dandekar – that had received Anugraha on the Samadhi of Shri Dnyaneshwar Maharaj in Alandi. I was relieved. My faith in Shri Maharaj had solidified as a result.
There was something about Baba’s presence and his sphere of influence. A sense of instant calm used to prevail over you whenever you were in his company. I experienced it every time. Typically surrounded by many devotees, this time, I had him all to myself. So, although he had addressed my queries, I didn’t want to leave the place and I distinctly recall asking him the same questions over and over, just so the company wouldn’t end. Such was the rejoice and magnetism of his presence.
As I finally got ready to leave, Baba said (about Shri Maharaj), “It is rare to encounter such a compassionate and blessed soul (“Dayaalu Mahatma”)”, implying that I keep the faith in Shri Maharaj and follow his teachings.
To be sure, Baba was never against any path to self-realization – Kundalini or otherwise. He often spoke of multiple paths with great respect. But his principle for a Seeker (“Sadhak”) was simple – “Head as high as your please, feet always on ground”. In other words, the path you choose should pass the test of practicality, individual ability (physical, mental, spiritual), aptitude and steady, definitive progress. For most people in today’s times, this would boil down to the path of Naamsmaran.
On multiple subsequent occasions, Baba gave me extremely personal, specific and pointed advice. He once said to me “Discretion (“Vivek”) is superior to emotion. Emotion has a subordinate place in life”. This eternally important advice has helped me make the right choices in many difficult, emotionally charged situations.
Baba’s guidance soon brought about a transformation in me as I developed a strong resolve to follow his direction. Studies became my sole focus and my squandering academic performance improved to exceed my (and everyone else’s) wildest expectations. Having completed my Engineering degree a year later with the Top Rank in college, I was on cloud nine when I went to see him before heading to the US for further education. But Baba had a discerning eye. It didn’t take long for him to spot my over-excitement and big talk about super-specialization in certain subjects. Baba said to me, “Don’t be so adamant about learning specific subjects. Learn whatever you get to learn”.
Twenty years later, this is the single biggest piece of advice that has helped me immensely in my career. As a professional in Technology industry, where new replaces the old every passing day, a “thirst for knowledge” and an “attitude of flexibility in learning what comes my way” has proven to be a time-tested formula for survival and success.
In my last meeting with Baba in August of 1997 at his home in Mumbai, he gave his blessings for my further studies and reminded me to always stay connected to our Gondavale roots and culture, wherever I go.
The blessing sure came in handy soon! Four months later, on a quiet December afternoon, my much-beloved mother succumbed to a sudden cardiac arrest at our home in Pune. It was a bolt out of the blue and our extended family and friends were shaken to the core. With no medical history or anticipation of any ailment, the situation was unfathomable. My father, sister and myself were at the center of the storm and we found ourselves emotionally helpless. As for me, I had to bear the loss and shock all alone in the US, as my exam schedules did not permit me to visit India for the last rites. It was during these trying times that I truly experienced the real value and meaning of the constant companionship of Baba’s (and implicitly Shri Maharaj’s) teachings – some of which I had carried with me on audio tapes of Baba’s discourses. Baba’s many examples of Shri Maharaj’s renowned disciples – particularly, Shri Bhausaheb Ketkar – and how they had handled crises, his logical explanations of the philosophy of death and his down-to-earth tricks for practicing the presence of Shri Maharaj, gave our family the strength to handle the situation with poise.
Baba passed away barely four weeks after that. It was merely three years that I had known him before his passing. In just a few meetings of a few minutes each, he had transformed my life and the life of those around me. His teachings have helped our family maintain balance in the rough and tumble of life, avoid being petty in challenging situations, perform our duty to the best of our abilities and, of course, recall sweet memories of Shri Maharaj – the true glue that binds relationships together.
In summary, I feel like evoking an often-quoted line by Baba in his discourses – That I have been loved so immensely by Baba and Shri Maharaj is itself a matter of great satisfaction.
I will cherish these teachings, values and memories for the rest of my life.
– Mr. Bhaskar Dani
