Gurudeo Ranade Jamkhandi

In the year 1913 when we were talking about friendship with the young Gurudeo, he referred to Aristotle and suggested that there were three types of friends 1) friendship on principle, (2) on pleasure and (3) on profit. The first type is best as the friendship is based on common ideal. In the absence of common ideal, the friendship is undesirable. I was a bit upset but the argument of Gurudeo was convincing. But then I said to Gurudeo, "the old friends have a claim on our goodness. He replied 'Yes' they have claims on our goodness, so has the world." This reply had a deep impression in my heart. After reading his book in 1964 on Pathway to God in Hindi Literature, I realised that the two seeds of thoughts were latent in his casual expressions in 191 3. The first principle is that without the company of saints the spiritual progress is impossible. Hence, we have to avoid the company of the ungodly people. So, the friendship on principle should be friendship for common ideal. The ideal of Gurudeo was self-realisation. So the friendship should be for this ideal only. Secondly the spiritual aspirant has to develop and nourish the qualities of compassion, piety and helpfulness. After self-realisation, these good qualities get spontaneously identified with the nature of the saints. This is exactly what Gurudeo wanted to drive at in his suggestions that the world has a claim upon our goodness. The compassion and pity for all but the friendship must be with saintly persons is the upshot of Gurudeo's suggestion.

Again in 1931 I asked Gurudeo if for self-realisation and spiritual experiences, meditation on the name of God is necessary and for good meditation, the virtues must be developed. What should be done for the development of virtues? What do you do in this regard? Gurudeo replied 'I do not do anything for the growth of virtues. I was confused at this reply. Then cheerfully Gurudeo smiled and replied. Why do I meditate on the name of God? As a result of meditation on the Divine Name along with spiritual experiences there is also the growth of virtues'. Then I began to think on these lines and I was convinced about it. He has expounded all these principles in full details in his "Pathway to God in Hindi Literature."

Once in 191 4 when I had gone to Gurudeo he was just going out for a few minutes, so he opened a page of, Jnyaneshwari and gave it to me to read. On reading that page I found the exposition of saint Jnyaneshwar on Raj Vidya in Chapter 9 Verse 2 of Bhagawad Geeta. At every step on the spiritual path there is the experience of happiness for the Devotee. I was happy to read this and felt relieved. Till then I was under the impression that we have to traverse for long on desolate path full of renunciation and detachment and finally at the end we may enjoy bliss. On reading the above lines from Jnyaneshwari I was much relieved and care free. In the meanwhile, Gurudeo returned. I showed him the passage of Jnyaneshwari. We have to climb to God realisation on the steps of happiness. Is it true that we experience happiness on these steps? Certainly, we experience happiness at every step, otherwise, who would take to this desolate and dreary path? His reply was full of compassion and innocence. On reading his books I came to know that the spiritual bliss is the axle of his wisdom and philosophical knowledge. Gurudeo has said that the Upanishads contain the ocean of bliss. Similar is the case with Jnyaneshwari and the books of Gurudeo.

The daily book of prayers and Bhajans ' Nitya Nemavali' was arranged by Gurudeo at the instance of his spiritual master - Shri. Bhausaheb Maharaj in 1910. He has written a long preface to it. In 1911 I made use of the book of, daily prayers but never knew that the preface was written by Gurudeo. When I learnt the same I read it many times and understood it partially, Because it contains some minute principles of self-realisation, which he has elaborated in his later books. When later I read his books, I came to know this. The distinction between intellectual knowledge and spiritual wisdom could be known only after getting the sprouting 'Sabija Nama' duly initiated by a spiritual preceptor and a constant meditation on it. And the process of Self-realisation is like the mingling of the Jeeva with the Spiritual Bliss and achieves the Spiritual form of Brahman. All these ideas have been mentioned in the preface of 'Nitya Nemavali'.

When Gurudeo was only 24 years of his age, all these details of spiritual process were quite clear before him. When I asked him whether the basic skeleton of his future spiritual Pathway was potentially present in his preface to Nitya Nemavali, he said that there is nothing wrong in saying like that.