Guru Parampara
- Param Pujya Gajanan Atak Maharaj -
The Guru–Shishya tradition, or Parampara, denotes a succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Vedic culture and religion of Hinduism.
Param Pujya Gajanan Atak Maharaj is Shantai’s guru. He was born on Aug 27th, 1937, in Malvan, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra. He studied in Khalsa college in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. This is where he met his guru Param Pujya Mamasaheb Dandekar, who was a professor at the college. Param Pujya Mamasaheb Dandekar blessed Atak Maharaj with self-realization that he is an incarnation of Saint Muktai from the 1200 century. He received his initiation into the bhakti marga, a path followed by the Varkari Sampradaya. Mamasaheb Dandekar’s guru, Param Pujya Jog Maharaj established the first Varkari school - Warkari Shikshan Sanstha in Alandi in 1917. and asked Mamasaheb Dandekar to look after school. Even to date, there are several learned kirtankars, this school has offered the world and thereby spreading the knowledge of spirituality and attainment of the eternal bliss.
Atak Maharaj studied at this school for four years and attained the degree to become a kirtankar but more importantly, he decided to take an oath that he will spend the rest of his life to light the flame of spirituality, in every heart that he touches.
With his guru’s blessings, Atak Maharaj started a center of spirituality called “Vaishnav Sanskar Kendra in a village called Tamnath, 4-5 km from Karjat, Maharashtra, India. Atak Maharaj is the one who found out a very ancient Vedamata mandir in Karjat in the year 1984. It is believed that a very powerful and well-known saint named Samarth Ramdas had established this Vedmata Shaktipeet some 300 years ago. Since its restoration, Atak Maharaj conducted spiritual discourses and discussions with his disciples at this temple, especially on a full moon night.
On the auspicious occasion of the 700th Memorial for Saint Dnyaneswar Maharaj, the Government of Maharashtra had requested articles from the leaders of the spiritual community, and Atak Maharaj’s article was published in the magazine called ‘Lokrajya’. You can read the article in Marathi for now on the Teachings and reflections page, in due course we will have the English translation ready.
Atak Maharaj left this world on 15th Jul 1994, but his legacy will always remain and grow in the form of Shantai’s blessings to the world!
All the devotees are like one big happy family, Shantai Pariwar! (Pariwar is Family in the Marathi language, native to Maharashtra, India) Shantai has been following the footsteps of her guru and ensuring that the Shantai Pariwar participates in the yearly procession to Pandharpur (Magh Vari) of the Varkari Pantha and thereby fulfilling her guru’s orders and teachings.
Aai is a homeopathy doctor by profession, and under the direction from her guru has been running a homeopathy clinic on a charity basis in the village of Karjat (Guru Atak Maharaj’s Karma Bhoomi) since 1994. She has cured several patients with varied medical problems in these years. Even to date, she attends to all patients.
In 2006, as per Atak Maharaj’s wish, Shantai established an ashram called Shanta Prasad in Khopoli, around 80 km from Mumbai. There is a 6-foot tall hand-made portrait of Shanta Durga goddess that is at the center stage of this Ashram and has become the latest Shakti Peeth (seat of spiritual power) of the goddess Durga. Every Friday, at 1:00 PM there is aarti (devotional songs and shlokas) followed by darshan for devotees to get advice/guidance from Shantai.