Bhausaheb Maharaj

Bhausaheb Maharaj ( - c. 1914) was the founder of the Inchegeri Sampradaya, to which the well-known Indian guru Nisargadatta Maharaj belonged.

Biography

Background Bhausaheb Maharaj was born in 1843 as Venkatesh Khanderao Deshpande. Bhausaheb Maharaj belonged to the Deshastha Brahmin caste.

Spiritual life According to Kotnis, Bhausaheb Maharj was looked upon as the reincarnation of Sant Tukaram (1577–1650), a prominent Varkari Sant and spiritual poet of the Bhakti, who had taken birth again in the Neelwani Lingayat community to finish his work of spreading the knowledge of Self-realisation. He met his guru Sri Nimbargi at the age of fourteen. At the request of Nimbargi, received mantra initiation from Shri Raghunathpriya Sadhu Maharaj, "the Ant's way", while the teachings of his student Siddharameshwar Maharaj, and Siddharameshwar Maharaj's disciples Nisargadatta Maharaj and Ranjit Maharaj have been called Vihangam Marg, Ranjit Maharaj comments:

Nama-Yoga Bhausaheb Maharaj's teachings were collected in a book called Nama-Yoga, a term coined by the compilers and translators of the book, whereas Bhausaheb Maharaj himself called it Jnana Marga, just like Nimbargi Maharaj did. The editors wrote:

Lineage After his awakening he was authorized by Nimbargi to carry on the lineage, and established the Inchegeri Sampraday. Sri Bhausaheb Maharaj had many students, among which were: Sri Amburao Maharaj of Jigjivani (1857 Jigajevani - 1933 Inchgiri) Sri Gurudev Ranade of Nimbal Girimalleshwar Maharaj Sri Siddharameshwar Maharaj (1875-1936)