Shree Swāmi Vibhūtī Sākshātkār

In this manner we were spending our lives blissfully amongst devotees who were no less than “Gopa & Gopis” (cowherd boys and maids during Lord Krishna’s times who loved the Lord beyond their lives) but suddenly one day we got a phone call from “Sadhaka Ashram” of Aalandi. ‘Bhārat’ and ‘Shree Guruvarya Sakhare Maharaj’ had met with an accident. My brother ‘Bhagirath’, our friend ‘Vijay Tamhankar’ and myself immediately left by car… and we came to know that ‘Bharat’ had passed away. I felt that as if I had lost everything. I lost my best friend, my soul mate! Last 30 years he used to come regularly to the "Swāmipariwar" (Swāmi family) on 10^th of every month to give "Pravachan" (spiritual talks). My daughter ‘Pradnya’ said, “Baba henceforth on every happy occasion in our lives we will remember ‘Bhārat Kaka’ and miss him. Bharat used to tease 'Pradnya' saying “I shall be there for your marriage as your "Mama" (maternal uncle) to hand you over to the bridegroom!” (Considered as a normal practice amongst Maharashtrians). ‘Pradnya’ had lost her ‘Mama’ and my wife ‘Aparna’ had lost her brother. Our entire family was in a state of shock. ‘Aparna’ and myself fell ill after this sad event in our lives.

“Trikalvandaniya” (One who is revered at all times), a great ‘Gurubhakta’ ‘Bhārat Pandharinath Gope’ and myself were friends since childhood.

Every morning I used to follow a set programme, which was as follows; every “Ekādashi” (An auspicious lunar phase) I used to go to ‘Aalandi’ to take "Darshan" of “Shree Dnyāneshwar Māuli”. After taking “Māuli’s” "Darshan", I used to go to “Sadhakāshram” to meet ‘Shree Guruvarya Kisanmahārāj Sākhare’. There ‘Bhārat’ used to wait for me and we used to discuss many spiritual topics of common interest. While biding farewell ‘Bhārat’ used to accompany me for quite a distance. At that time both of us were college students. I was so upset after his death that I had to stop writing for quite some time, while writing this book. My heart was filled with deep sorrow and memories of ‘Bhārat’. I will never get a friend like him in my life again! Our “Shreeguruvarya Kisan Mahāraj’ lost two of his beloved disciples. We are indeed very fortunate for we could observe the lives of ‘Ti. Annā’ and ‘Bhārat’ who had tremendous faith and devotion for their Guru from very close quarters. ‘Annā’ and ‘Bhārat’s’ lives taught us many lessons in “Devotion towards one’s Guru”. ‘Bhārat’ in his lifetime had completed giving discourses on Dnyāneshwari” twice. After completing giving spiritual talks on “Amrutānubhav” and “Chāngadev-Pāsashthi”, (Two very great works of Shree ‘Dnyāneshwar Mahāraj’) he had started giving discourses on ‘Dnyāneshwari’, the third time and he was in the process of doing so when he died.