SHREE GANESHAYA NAMAHA SHREE SADAGURUVE NAMAHA

SHREE SIDHHANATAHA MAHADEVA'S BELOVED DEVOTEE GURUDEV

SHREE RATANDAS ALIAS SHREE BAVASAHEB'S

LIFE HISTORY

PUBLISHERS:

LATE MORARJI PURUSHOTTAM VARMA

HIMATBHAI MORARJI VARMA

BALDEV MORARJI VARMA

SHREE VEDA DHARMA RAKSHAK CHANDRAVANSHI YADAV KULOTAPPAN

SHREE BAVASAHEB THAKOR CHATURBHUJ

DEVASTHAN THRONE'S DESCENDENT AND WORKING MEMBER

OLPAD (DIST. SURAT)

YEAR 1963 (P.T.R.N. 797 A.SURAT)

DATE : 1.9.68

TRANSLATED : 8.4.94

PREFACE

In the district of Surat, the village of Olpad was blessed with the coming of Shree Siddhanath Mahadeva's param devotee Bhakta Ratandas Maharaj whose fame of miracles has spread and is known in the areas of Bharuch and Surat.

A collection of all these true stories was published in book form by my father in 1939. This book has remained unavailable after the publication for quite a number of years; it was the wish of Shree Gurudev and many devotees to re-publish in new form the life of Gurudev, miracles and history. Having been born in the family of Gurudev, I felt obliged to repay the ancestral debt. But due to financial circumstances this did not materialise, until the first edition...

Dharma Gurudeva's param devotee Shree Parbhubhai Vallabhbhai Chauhan by chance had arrived from Africa, to whom I suggested my wish. Shree Parbhubhai gladly accepted to do the necessary. Not only that, he took upon his head the trouble to undertake and process all the necessary tasks associated with the publication, and has given me the opportunity to repay the ancestral debt. After that, Shree Chhibabhai Patel undertook all the responsibilities of the second edition and those for the publication of this third edition have been borne by Shree Gurudev's devotee Shree Messrs. Patel Somila of Olpad - Kanjibhai Pachanbhai originally of Netra (Kutch).

It thus fills me with great joy to see and know the fulfilment of my ambition of making public devotee Shree Ratandas's miraculous life history.

FOREWORD

In December 1993, I had the occasion to visit Siddhanath Mahadev's temple with my wife and two children. I had heard a lot about the temple, the Yatra that takes place every year there and most of all about Shree Ratandas alias Bava Saheb. Some years ago, a book had been published in Gujarati on the life-story of Bava Saheb, which I had the fortune to read. It had created a deep impression in my mind at my then young age.

Our impression of the temple was that it was quite different from the many other temples we were subsequently to visit in India. It was very simple, no beggars, not "commercialised". In fact somebody had just got married at the temple that day with the people from the wedding party still present. The priests were very welcoming and friendly. I told them we were from the UK and that I had heard a lot about the temple from my parents. I also mentioned the book about Bava Saheb in Gujarati, which I had read, upon which they asked me if I could photocopy and send to them. I consented that if I could locate it I would certainly oblige. I took pictures with my camera of the temple, the Shiv lingam and the water pool at the side of the temple.

Upon return to the UK, from the nine films that I had used to take pictures in India, eight had failed due to improper loading of the films in the camera. Fortunately, the first film contained the photos of the temple!

I found a copy of the Gujarati edition of the life history of Bava Saheb from my sister. I was about to make a photocopy of the book when I had inspiration to translate the book into English for those not familiar with reading/writing Gujarati, especially like our children.

During the process of translation into English, I have obtained a deeper understanding of the life of Bava Saheb and I have felt very close to him. It is said that the advent of such saintly person in one's life comes at the appropriate time. I keep reminding myself of the stories and glories of Bava Saheb which were related to me by both my parents. At times my eyes have filled with tears reading about the devotion of Bava Saheb to the Lord, his utterly unselfish actions and all his deeds dedicated for the good of all. I am very grateful to his grace for giving me the vision, the intellect and the necessary ability/strength to carry out this translation. This small effort will be worthwhile if the English speaking/reading audience receives inspiration from it to enhance their understanding and devotion to such a saintly being, albeit the Lord himself, as at that point there remains no difference between the mortal being and the total divinity.

I am convinced that my very short visit to Siddhanath Mahadev's temple at the end of 1993 was due to Bava Saheb's grace. My father, mother and uncle all used to sing :

" Samaru sandhya pahelo,

baluda rammat melo,

chogada Siddhanath tamane samaru sandhya pahelo"

Such devotional songs, which I heard in the prime of my life and helped me with the spiritual progress, were further enhanced by this translation of Bava Saheb's life-story. During this work, I have through out felt his sublime presence. His grace was ever showering! My wish is that he guides me through this spiritual path and gracefully lead me to the eventual goal of all life forms. To Bava Saheb, my endless prostrations. Glory to the master Bava Saheb! May he bless all!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To my wife and children who had the patience while this translation was carried out.

TRUE FAITH

MY MIRACLE EXPERIENCES AND TRUE HAPPENINGS

By having true faith, man certainly experiences success. When a direct divine miracle happens, man acquires great faith in God or a saint. The following is such a direct miracle experience of Olpad's Ratandas Bava Saheb and true happenings. Hope the readers will get appropriate guidance from it.

My mother held great faith in Olpad's Ratandas Bava Saheb. She repeatedly used to relate to me on various occasions the past happenings. On a morning of savant 1990, I was driving a cart full of Juwar, pulled by two very strong bulls. Unfortunately, while climbing the incline of the Kim River, one of the bulls faltered and passed blood. I became very worried when he lost strength to pull the cart. At that time I remembered my mother's sayings and I faithfully chanted Ratandas Bava Saheb's name, joined the bull to the cart and began driving forward. I thought I would release my oxen at my friend's house enroute and join his fresh pair. But due to unforeseen circumstances, his oxen were not at his home. With great despondency, I put all my faith in Ratandas BavaSaheb and chanting his name, I started again with my own oxen. As the cart neared Olpad, the oxen seemed to gain more strength to pull the cart as if nothing had happened to them. I was astonished when we reached Olpad at 10 O'clock. After that event, my faith in Ratandas Saheb was bolstered and I thereafter used to send every year 1q sher Juwar ponk before consuming any myself. Thereafter, I further took upon myself to send every year 1q sher cotton and 1q sher of Juwar. Today, most of the people in village have faith in Ratandas BavaSaheb and about 25 people send gift as per their means and faith to Olpad temple.

On another occasion, my experience was in Samvant 1995. As opposed to my normal rule, due to carelessness and laziness I did not send 1q sher of ponk of Juwar to the temple for which I experienced the consequences. I had already gathered the ponk from a plot of my farm. The plot was affected by disease and whereas I would get 2 cartloads of Juwar from the plot, I managed to obtain only 1 cartload. I was very disappointed and felt that I should not diverge from this rule. The next year, another plot was suddenly affected by disease. I promptly vowed to Gurudev. The disease stopped immediately at that point with no further damage and the harvest was greater than expected.

My third experience was in Samvant 2022. That concerned an ox I had bought. He had bad habit of sitting down. To stop this affecting the farming, I vowed to get him to kneel to RatanSaheb and not to give him any green Juwar to eat until the vow was completed. The ox gave up his bad habit and I have relieved myself from the vow during this year. These are really my experiences of true events. There is no outward pretence or hypocrisy, my absolute faith in him continues. I hope the readers will take account of the events narrated and will have faith chanting his name whereupon Ratandas BavaSaheb will come to help. With this wish I end this narration of true events.

Author :

HARISINH NATHUSINH SOLANKI

AT. POST PANJROLI

ST. KOSAMBA (R.S.)

TALUKA ANKALESHWAR

DIST. BHARUCH

GRATITUDE AND THANKS

I feel it is only right to express my gratitude to all the ladies and gentlemen who have helped in the publication of this booklet.

Hoping that all great devotees will make use of this booklet and extend the same to others, I take leave.

Yours to serve,

Baldevbhai Morarji Varma

MY FAITH

MESSRS PATEL SAW MILLS

TIMBER MERCHANTS

PROP. KANJIBHAI PACHANBHAI

AT. NETRA (KUTCH)

PRESENTLY AT OLPAD

NEAR BRIDGE

DIST. SURAT

I am originally resident of Netra (Kutch). Presently I am residing in Olpad engaged in timber business called Messrs Patel Saw Mills. Initially when I started, my business was very low. Once I attended Maha Shivratri at Bava faria where faith lit in me for Bava Saheb. I decided to donate to charity a certain percentage of all my purchases. Within one year, my business began to expand and became profitable. Within that year I earned excellent revenue due to Bava Saheb. Due to floods thereafter, most of my stocks were washed away. Nevertheless, due to Bava Saheb's grace I found lot of the stock and business again commenced.

On 6.8.1968 due to great floods, my father and a worker were stranded hungry for 70 hours. Bava Saheb saved them. At that time 3 big snakes remained with them as close as 1p feet from them for 30 hours and no harm came to them, after which they disappeared. I have great feeling towards Bava Saheb, he immediately gives sight (darshan) upon worshipping him. He is a divine being, such experience is the first in my life.

MIRACLE DISPLAYED BY SHREE GURUDEV RATANDAS MAHARAJ

During the floods of 6.8.1968, Gurudeva's temple was under 3 feet of water. His bed in the temple is 1p feet high, covered with quilt and bed cover sheet. Books are also kept there. Worship - Puja is done there everyday. 1p feet of water passed over it. Nevertheless, 4 days after the floods when the doors to the temple were re-opened, the bed and all the contents including bed quilt, sheet, books and flowers that had been offered for the puja were not in the least touched by the flood water. Next to the bed on a 3 feet high table, his photograph and books were placed. None of the items were touched by floodwaters. This was an inexplicable event.

After receding of the floodwaters, 5 families from different villages had to take refuge in the temple. Because of the pollution by the floodwaters, the well water was not fit for consumption. During that period, the wells in the temple compound which had been washed over and salted by 7 to 8 feet of water during 1959 floods immediately became fit for consumption. 50 people were consuming this water for a month without difficulty. This can be viewed as Gurudev's mirarcle.

RATANDAS BHAKTA

It is midnight. The air is still. The waters in the Tapi river are also still. At that time, a young boy of seventeen carrying a yoke across his shoulders is walking away on the unpopulated empty road. He is chanting away " Shiv, Shiv".

By the shore of the Tapi River, at the ghat (platform) of Kurukshetra the boy stops. The cemetery ghat does not frighten him. Someone's cremation's extinguishing coals hold no fright for him. The moon of the dark half has just risen, coming out from behind the trees on the edge of the river; but the boy has no time to view. Not only is his mouth chanting "Shiv, Shiv,", his whole body was filled with Bhagwan Shankar, and was chanting the jap of Bhagwan Shankar.

In the peaceful waters of the river a pitcher drowns. The ripples created by it fade away. After filling the yoke, he chants again "Shiv, Shiv.."and quickly began walking on the empty road. The road is long. The path is fearsome. But his mind does not know fear. The one who is looked after by the almighty, what worry can he have? Who does he fear?

Almost the whole night he walks. Three quarters of the way, dawn breaks. The moon and the stars are shining even brighter. The cool breeze of the early morning is blowing. The youth walks, chanting "Shiv, Shiv...".

At the first rays of the morning sun, he is seen doing abhishek (pouring water) on the head of Siddhanath Mahadev with the pure auspicious water of the Tapi

SHREE SIDDHANATHA MAHADEVA'S BELOVED DEVOTEE GURUDEV

BAVASAHEB'S