Saints And Mahatmas of India

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Saints and Mahatmas are the 'beloveds' of God; they are His true children and reflect different shades of His Mercy. The Mahamantra Thy Will Be Done' forms the very core of their existence. They are the flowers of God's garden, who bloom and spread their fragrance to bring peace, contentment and happiness in the lives of people without discrimination of caste, creed or status. The present book 'Saints and Mahatmas of India' gives a glimpse of the lives of some of the most renowned saints and Mahatmas of India, starting from Devrishi Narad and covers especially those, who have been the fountainhead of some of the most popular sects in India. The book. includes saints and Mahatmas from almost all parts of the country, all traditions and all strata of the society; from the most elite to the most humble. It made no difference to them, as they all left behind all that belonged to them and surrendered themselves at the feet of the Divine. They have all contributed a lot to the richness of the Indian spiritual and cultural heritage.

R.K.Gupta is a disciple of Param Sant Thakur Ram Singhji of Jagatpura, Manoharpuria, Jaipur, a great Sufi saint of his time. Thakur Ram Singhji was a living scripture, whose life left a deep impression on all those, who had an opportunity to spend some time at his lotus feet. A man of few words, Thakur Ram Singhji used to melt the hearts of the seekers, by a mere sight, which is the specialty of Naqshbandi Sufis; they transmit the spiritual vitality from heart-to-heart. The author had the fortune of spending the formative years of his youth at his lotus feet and thereafter at the feet of his father Dr. Chandra Gupta and elder brother Shri Krishna Kumar Gupta, both of whom were also Sufi saints. Some of the other books written by the author on related subjects are: "Yogis in Silence The Great Sufi Masters', 'Sufism Beyond Religion', 'Prem Pravartak Sufis', 'Science and Philosophy of Spirituality', 'Sufi-Sant Mat Darshan aur Vigyan' and 'Autobiography of a Sufi'. The author has also translated the three main scriptures of the three most renowned religions of the world, i.e. Srimadbhagvatgita, the Holy Qur'an and the Holy Bible in common men's language in poem form in Hindi.

Hari Anant Hari Katha Ananta - The Lord is Infinite and so are His attributes and the stories related to Him. Saints and Mahatmas are an expression of His glory ad attributes and, therefore, they are also indescribable. Yet an attempt has been made in this book to present a glimpse into the lives of some of His Saints and Mahatmas, especially those, who have been the fountainhead of various sects in India, e.g. Mahatma Buddha, Mahavir Swami, Acharya Nimbark, Guru Goraknath, Sant Kabir, Chaitnya Mahaprabhu, Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya, Guru Nanak, Sand Dadu Dayal, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Ramakrishna Paramhans, Shirdi Sai Baba, Yogiraj Shyamacharan Lahiri, Sahajanand Swami and Swamiji Maharaj-Shivdayal Singhji. If one asks as to what the saints and Mahatmas do for the society, the answer is that they are like the trees, the spiritual trees. As the trees standing at their own places purify the at mosphere and help bringing rains, the saints and Mahatmas purify the minds of people through their prayers and channelise the grace of the God, at times even raising storm in the Ocean of Mercy of the Almighty. Their presence is a symbol of auspi ciousness for all. It is well said: 'Ek Ghari, Adhi Ghari, Adhe Se Bhi Adh; Tulsi Sangat Sadhu Ki, Koti Kate Apradh.' - meaning thereby that the company of Sadhus (satsang), even for a moment, brings auspiciousness in one's life. In my humble opinion reading about saints and Mahatmas also is like spend ing time in their company ad I am sure this also would bring auspiciousness in the life of readers. The material in this book for compiling the life stories of saints and Mahatmas of India has been taken mainly from 'Bhakt- Mal' by Mahatma Nabhadas; 'Bharat Ke Sant Mahatma' by Ramlal; 'Bhakt-Charitank' published by Gita Press, Gorakhpur; 'Bharat Ke Yogi' by Dr. Bhagwan Sharan Bhardwaj Pradee and various websites. Besides, some anecdotes relating to them have also been included, as heard from great saints. I must hasten to add that many authors have written about various saints and Mahatmas but that does not make the sub ject stale. Every time one reads about them, a new dimension of their life and devotion comes to fore, a new understanding is developed. In any case, it is like offering flowers at the feet of the Lord. I have also, therefore, dared to offer this garland of flowers at the feet of the Lord picking up some of the most fragrant flowers from the Lord's own garden. In order to contain the size of the boook I have resticted mystelf to mention only important incidences relatin to msot of the saints and Mahatmas and in this effort I might have left some other important aspects of their lives untouched. I seek forgiveness of the wise readers for the same. It is the grace of my Guru Bhagwan Param Sant Thakur Ram Singhji that this book was conceived and completed. I am extremely thankful to my entire family and friends, who have helped me from time to time in gathering the maerial and in timely completion of the work.

**Contents and Sample Pages**