As Translated from: Smt.Ratan Fojdar’s write-up in Abhinandan Granth

Param-Vidushi and poetess Smt. Ratan Fojdar Behen having received the sharan(shelter) of Sadgurudev since 40 years is associated with the seva(service) of Guruji. She also remained in the seva of Gurudev during His foreign tours and has published the detailed Jeevan-Charitra of Shri Swamiji Maharaj by the name of “Yogeshwar Guru Gangeshwar” in three parts

Anant Shri Vibhushit Param Pujya Ved-murti, Sadgurudev Swami Shri Gangeshwaranandji Maharaj is from those divine Vibhutis which we call Eashwar’s Kala-Avtaar based on Shrimad Bhagwad Gita’s sentence “Yadya Dwibhutimat Satvam”.

Sadgurudev Maharaj is a unique Saint who has obtained Deeksha in the Udaseen Sampradaya of Sanatan-Sant-Parampara. Based on available words, the pravartan of this Sampradaya was done by Bhagwan Vishnu in the form of a Swan Avataar (Paramhans) and the Updesh of this Darshan was given to Shri Sanatkumar, Brahma’s Manasputra(son born out of mind).Muniraj Shri Sanatkumar gave the Updesh to Devarshi Shrautmuni Shri Narad who in turn promoted this Updesh amongst his disciples. Acharya Shri Chandra Bhagwan became an Avataar in the middle of the 16th century in the Shishya-Parampara of Narad-muni. ShriChandra Bhagwan is the son of Adhi-Dharma-Guru of Sikh Bandhus, Shri Nanakdev and is at the level of 165th generation from Shri SanatKumar. These Acharya-Charan have saved again the Udaseen Sampradaya , which was almost lost in time. Paramhans Udaseen-Sant-Shiromani Shri Ramanandji Maharaj who was at the level of 16th generation of ShriChandra Bhagwan’s Shishya-Parampara and whose position is also said to be 181st from the Mool-Purush. Our Aradhya Gurudev Shri Gangeshwaranandji Maharaj, is the disciple of Shri Ramanandji.

Swamiji’s Birth and Early Years

With the boon of Shri Ramanandji, our Sadgurudev came into this world on Paush Shukla 7, Tuesday, Samvat 1938 as a son of Shraut Karma-nishthh Pandit Shri Ramdutt and his wife Smt. Sarladevi in a village in Punjab. At the auspicious time Shrotriya Vidwans did the Jaat-Karma Sanskar and on the 11th day as per the Naam-Karan Vidhi, kept the name of the child as Chandreshwar. Hardly had the child completed one year when suddenly one day, a unique Sant Yogi became the guest of Panditji and after looking at the hand of the child, said, “He has a Brahma-Rekha, hence he will be a great Brahma-Rishi, great Tapaswi, Tejaswi, Bhagwad-Bhakt and Akshay Bhandar of Lakshmi and Saraswati. He will have a uniform sight for all beings and like Brahma will be the saviour of the Vedas. He is an avatar of some Maharshi. After saying this, the Saint disappeared. Panditji himself was a great-learned person and he also felt the same way after looking at Chandreshwar’s horoscope, and he then bcame involved in the upbringing of the child. But the child was hardly 2 or 3 years old when His mother who was affected by a non-curable disease passed away and the entire burden of his upbringing fell on Panditji. As soon as the child entered his 5th year, he knew by heart a few elementary books in Sanskrit.

Pandit Ramduttji also got the Yagyopaveet Sanskaar of the child done in an auspicious mahurat. On the occasion of putting on the Yagyopaveet by Chandreshwar, suddenly the Kul-Guru Swami Ramanandji Maharaj came and gave many Amogh blessings, inspiring him towards Bhagwad-Bhakti, to read the BhagwadGita and Vishnu-Sahasranam and gave him the Updesh of doing Jap of 12-letterMantra. Panditji also gave him the inspiration to do daily Sandhya 3 times a day, Gayatri Jap whereby the divine Sanskars accumulated in the previous birth automatically sprang up and he became a great devotee of Bhagwan in his childhood itself.

Many childhood incidents of the child Chandreshwar are famous with which this child’s divine avatar is proved. Pandit Ramduttji also accepted Him as a divine avatar and due to attachment considered Him as his son only and seeing his Bhagwad-Bhakti, used to tell Him regularly about special references of Shrimad Bhagwat and the divine leelas of Shri Krishna, Garg-Samhita and stories of Harivansh.

Krishna Darshan

Listening to the childhood leelas of Shri Krishna and the springing up of sanskaras of the previous birth; once, Chandreshwar thought of doing baal-hathh before his father of going to Vrindavan whence Ramduttji set out for Vrindavan along with his Krishna-premi son. In those days, tirth-yatra by foot was considered more important and they resumed journey by foot. Before the boundary of Braj-mandal started, they halted at the ashram of Shri Santram Baba Fal-aahari. This Baba was a Sidh Yogi. This Maharshi who could see the past, present and future with his Yog-bal. He visualized the past and future of Chandreshwar and knowing that this Baal-Yogi had taken re-birth for lok-kalyan, He requested both Father and Son to stay back, which they could not refuse.

One day, finding a suitable time when there was no one else around, the Sidh-Saint told Chandreshwar, “With Yog-bal, I have known everything, the purpose for which you are going to Vrindavan, will be fulfilled here only; Bhagwan Shri Krishna will give you the darshan here  and you need not go to Vrindavan. Now I am going into meditation and I will meet you after 4 days; remain alert here; keep your mind in the smaran of Bhagwan only.” Having said this, the Sant Yogishwar went inside his cottage and Chandreshwar spent 3 days without taking any food, by showing no interest in food due to stomach-ache, in the expectation of the darshan of Shri Krishna. Father was worried and the son was immersed in the bhaav of Krishna-Bhakti and was experiencing the divine Anand. On the 3rd day in the night, an event happened. The night was going to end, when suddenly as if a divine electrical current passed, and in a moment and existing inside his Man-Mandir, Jyotirmay Bhagwat-roop took a form in front of Him. Looking at his deity in form in front of Him, Chandreshwar seemed to enter into a Samadhi, then in a strange voice, he heard the Amrit-Vachan of Prabhu, “ Vattsa! With your previous birth’s accumulated Tapo-Bal, speciality of Bhakti and at the request of my Ananya Bhakt Sant-Yogi, I have appeared before you, Varam Bruhi (Ask a boon)”.

With the Prabhu’s Amrit-Vachan, the voice of that Baal-Yogi was articulated with the words of an aged Tapaswi. He said “Dayamaya(Kind) Prabho! I am looking at your Divine Appearance which is difficult for great Rishis and Munis; this itself is a boon for me; I should always be adhikari of these darshans; besides these darshans what do I have to see or left to be attained? I don’t have any desire”. With the satisfaction of this desire-less Bhakti of Chandreshwar, that same divine voice came forth from that Tejomay Prakash in the form of Shri Krishna, “Dear Vattsa! My darshan does not become fruit-less, you will always be in my presence; automatically you will get all the Siddhis and Vidya-Vibhutis and doing Lok-Kalyan only, in the end you will become Brahmleen.” With this clear sound that Jyotirmay Form merged in Chandreshwar and he went into a deep sleep.