| Kaadsiddheshwar | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 23, 1905 Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India |
| Died | August 16, 2001 (aged 96) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Philosopher, guru |
Shri Samarth Muppin Kaadsiddheswar Maharaj was a disciple of Shri Samarth Siddharameshwar Maharaj,[1] who was in turn the disciple of Shri Samarth Bhausaheb Maharaj.[2] He was the disciple of Shri Gurulingajangam Maharaj (Shri Nimbargi Maharaj).[3][4][5][6] He was in turn the disciple of the Twenty Second Shri Samarth Muppin Kaadsiddheswar Maharaj. These great Gurus are a part of the Navnath tradition of Hindu Philosophy.
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Shri Muppin Kaadsiddheswar Maharaj was born on 23 April 1905 (Chaitra Sankashti day) in the Linganoor Village, Kolhapur district, Maharashtra state in India. His father's name was Shri Shaigauda Patil. He was named 'Jaigauda Patil'. He was formally adopted by the Twenthy-Fifth Virupaksha Kaadeshwar of the Kaneri Math, Lingayat Parampara and invested as the Twenty Sixth Mathadheepati of the (Siddhagiri) Kaneri Math, Lingayat Parampara in 1922 at the age of 17. He was a master in Yog (Sanskrit योग,) and was known to have mastered all the difficult asans like the Kumbhak, which he could maintain for 9 minutes. He would mediate for over 10 hours a day and from the period between 1922 to 1935, he mastered all the aspects of the Hindu spiritual tradition and philosophy. However, he met his philosophical and spiritual Guru, Shri Samarth Siddharameshwar Maharaj in 1935. He was given a new outlook on the deep philosophical concepts, and attained self-realization, or Gyan Drishti. He always taught that concepts of sects and religions are an illusion and everything is unified. To realize this unity is the simplest form of Vidnyani Avastha.
Shri Samarth Revannath 1112 AD (approximate date) is a part of the Navnath Parampara (The Nine Teachers), in the Indian Guru-Shishya Parampara (Teacher-Disciple Tradition). He is considered the founder and the first Kaadsiddheshwar. He established the Kaadsiddheshwar Temple and Math at Kanheri Village in Karveer Tehsil, Kolhapur District, Maharashtra State, India.[7] The Kaadsiddheshwar Peeth is also the main Kuldaivat (Dynastic Gods/Teachers) of the Lingayat Shaiva community. Shri Muppin Kaadsiddheswar Maharaj was the Twenty Sixth Mathaadheepati of this tradition from 1922 to 2001.[8]
The Siddhagiri Math was established around the Moola-Kaadsiddheswar Shiva Temple in the Shaiva-Lingayat tradition. It is a vast campus with the Central Shiva temple, Adhyatmik Center, and a complex of Halls for discourses, residential hostels for devotees, and adjacent farms. About 1200 villages in the area are devoted to the Kaadsiddheswar Parampara.[9][10]
Shri Satguru Muppin Kaadsiddheswar Maharaj was known for his extensive activities with the poor laborers and farmer classes. He gave extensive discourses on Hindu Philosophy and the right way to live, which would lead him to Gyan Drishti and Vignayni Avastha. His main focus was to live his life to the fullest and at the same time to realize that the world is an illusion, or Maya. Realizing this is considered Gyan Drishti, literally knowledge and vision, and living in this concept is to be in Vignayni Avastha.
He renovated the Kaneri Math and re-named it Siddhagiri Math. He constructed a 42ft tall idol of a meditating Shiva with an equally massive Nandi, he built halls and several hostels for devotees and started a school with hostel facility for poor underprivileged students in the Math campus. He had also started an Old-Age home here.
He revitalized the Pravachans (Discourses) organized in the Siddhagiri Math. These were organized on every Full Moon (Purnima) and on every major religious occasion on the Hindu Traditions, like the [Sharavan Month, the Navratri and Ramnavmi. However, the largest Pravachans were organized on the 3-day festival around the Maha Shivarati day (February–March), where over 50,000 lakh devotees have been recorded to have attended at the Siddhagiri Math.
He also established several Maths in Mumbai, Mahabaleshwar, Khopi-Pedambe, Amurteshwar-Satara, Pune, etc. Discourses (Pravachans) were also organized in these centers of Philosophy at regular intervals. These discourses were delivered in the Marathi language and were very simple to understand. They mainly focused on the concept of "Aham Brahmasmi", "I am Brahma". Brahma is a complex word with several layers of meanings including 'Universe', 'Soul', "Eternity', 'Timelessness', 'Nothingness', etc. His constant teaching was "Ghabru Nakos" ("Do not fear" - Marathi language) and "Soham", meaning that "That Itself is Me". He propagated the "Shrimad Dasbodh", a book by Shri Samarth Ramdas Maharaj as the basic and simplest Book on philosophy. During His discourses, he would often quote the Mahāvākyas viz, Ayam Atma Brahma - "This Self (Atman) is Brahman" (Mandukya Upanishad 1.2 of the Atharva Veda), Tat Tvam Asi - "Thou art That" (Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 of the Sama Veda), Aham Brahmasmi - "I am Brahman" (Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 of the Yajur Veda)
His biggest contribution however, remains the millions of devotees whose lives he has touched and to whom he has shown the Right Way to live Life, with the Right Vision and to finally leave illusion behind and attain Self-Realization.
He mainly wrote in the Marathi Language,
- Aachar va Parmartha (Behavior and The Right Way)
- Parmartha va Japanustha (The Right way and the Chanting of Mantras)
- Parmartha va Satkarma (The Right Way and Correct Actions)
- Parmartha va Swadharma (The Right Way and Self Philosophy)
- Dharma Parampara, Rudhi va Parmartha (The tradition of Right, Traditions and The Right Way)
- Maza Europe cha Daura – (My Travels to Europe)
- Several Essays on Philosophy mainly published in the quarterly magazine 'Siddhagiri Sandesh' (Message from Siddhagiri) published from 1964 onwards till date.