Guidance given by Paratpar Guru to Sadguru (Mrs.) Anjali Gadgil, from time to time regarding sangeet (Music) sadhana

1. Teaching the importance of having less ego while doing sadhana
by citing examples of the renowned singers Tansen and Baiju Bavara

‘Once I had gone to Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale to seek His guidance concerning sangeet. At that time He said, “Tansen could lit up the hall because he was singing ‘Deep’ raag. But later when he suffered tremendous heat in the body he had to sing raag Meghmalhar to alleviate the heat by the cooling effect of raag Meghmalhar. As Tansen was a court singer, he was proud of his singing talent; hence he suffered; but the singer, Baiju Bavra had very less ego; hence he did not suffer while singing ‘Deep’ raag.”

2. Sadguru (Mrs.) Gadgil thinking, ‘Experiencing only Chaitanya in the sangeet forgetting the song, is real sangeet’ and understanding that Guru was leading Her to the basic Divine Principle by teaching sadhana

Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale asked me to do sangeet sadhana in the year 2002. At that time I used to feel. ‘I have to progress spiritually through sangeet only’. In the year 2008 I started feeling, ‘Forgetting the song, to experience the Chaitanya in it, is sangeet.’ From this we can understand, how the Guru while making a seeker progress step by step in sadhana, takes him/her to the basic Divine Principle in it. Now I enjoy more bliss in experiencing the Chaitanya in the music rather than just listening to it.’

–  Sadguru (Mrs.) Anjali Gadgil, Sanatan Ashram, Ramnathi, Goa.

‘When an artist jiva (Embodied soul) is born, it is endowed with something more by God than other jivas. Without the grace of God it is impossible to know any art. When an artist makes use of this Divine benediction for realising God, then life’s purpose will be fulfilled.

There is no one to tell today, ‘How to realize God through the medium of art ?’ Therefore artists are not aware of sadhana. With a view to make artists do sadhana, Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale has provided the guidance of doing sadhana through various arts by establishing ‘Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwavidyalay’. In this article we are going to learn how Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale is making seekers do sadhana through the art of music.

1. Due to the resolve of Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale,
renowned artists from the field of music agreeing to guide seekers

1 A. First programme of Geet Ramayan organised by the Music
department of Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwavidyaly being held in Ramnathi ashram

First programme of Geetramayan was organised on behalf of the Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwavidyaly’s department of music on 3.6.2016. H.H. Aba Upadhye, a Saint from Pune was present on this occasion. His son Mr. Udaykumar Upadhye sang some songs from Geetramayan. Mrs. Shreya Sane, Mrs. Sayli Karandikar and I from the department had participated in the programme. With grace of Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale and in His august presence we seekers got the invaluable opportunity to sing 2 songs, ‘Guruvin nahi duja adhar’ and ‘Tuj magto mi ata’.

1 B. Guidance by H.H. Aba Upadhye to seekers in Music department

H.H. Aba Upadhye gave a lecture to seekers in Music department on 4.6.2016 about various aspects of music and musical instruments. He also demonstrated how to utter ‘Omkar’ touching all Shrutis in music ?

1 C. Mr. Ramakant Devpujari from Amaravati,
trained in Gwalior Gharana giving guidance about sadhana through music

When I had gone to Amaravati in December 2016, I met Mr. Ramakant Devpujari. Ramakant Devpujari kaka, personally sings as a seeker doing sadhana and teaches his disciples music as ‘Sadhana’. Due to the grace of Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale I got the opportunity to learn and experience his uniqueness. He represents Gwalior Gharana through his singing. Devpujari kaka has donated all his music possessions to Adhyatma Vishwavidyalay. Since he appeared to be spiritually evolved, we felt that, ‘Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale, made us associate with music teacher teaching with Divine consciousness.’

1 D. H.H. Vinayakanandswamiji and H.H. Devbaba from
Udupi giving guidance mainly in dance and music respectively

H.H. Vinayakanandswamiji and H.H. Devbaba from Udupi had paid a visit to Ramnathi ashram in February 2017. At that time they guided me and Mrs, Savitri Ichalkaranjikar in music and dance. Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale was speaking to both of them on music and dance only. Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale was telling both of them very intensely, “The next generation has to be trained in these art forms, namely dance and music as sadhana. You only help us in preparing its syllabus.” From Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale’s talk, we experienced His tremendous yearning for expediting the printing of Holy texts giving the direction to the humanity to do sadhana through these art forms, as the time at our disposal is very less. Due to the earnest desire of Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale, both the Saints have invited us to their ashram to take further training.

Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale remaining aloof despite doing everything !

When one by one was coming into our contact like this, once Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale sent me a message, “God is connecting every link of music step by step ! ‘I had the desire since long to ‘write Holy texts based on music’. God is now fulfilling that desire through the medium of all of you.”

Hearing His words my gratitude bhav was awakened. I felt then, ‘How fortunate we are that we are getting this opportunity of doing sadhana through music as per the direction of the actual incarnation of Srimatnarayan Himself. We have no words to express our gratitude for His making us the medium.’ (It is the seeker’s personal bhav that Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale is the incarnation of Srimatnarayan. It is stated in the Naadi –reading that Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale is the incarnation of Srimatnarayan. – Compiler)

3. Coming into contact with renowned personalities in music field

Due to the resolve of ‘Sadhana through art’ of Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale many in society are inquiring, saying, ‘We are also wishing to do sadhana through music, what should we do ?’

We happened to meet Mr. Pradeep Chitnis from Thane, who gives treatment through music. He said, ‘I want to do sadhana for God-realisation’.

Mr. Manoj Sahasrabuddhe, a sitar player from Sangali gave a sitar recital in Ramnathi ashram in January 2017. He was very curious to know how to do sadhana through sitar ? At that time Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale said, “We are getting this experience that, when we take 1 step forward, God takes 9.”

4.Due to the resolve of Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale,
we are getting the knowledge regarding music and other art forms

Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale had said, ‘We need to go from known to unknown, that means, we have to give people the information about music which they do not know. Due to His resolve, since June 2016 God is giving us through Mr. Ram Honap the knowledge not available anywhere in the world concerning ‘How to progress spiritually through the medium of music and other art forms’.

– Ms. Tejal Patrikar, Sanatan ashram, Goa.

Note. : We are grateful at the lotus feet of Bhagvan Shrikrushna and Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale for Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale could remain present in the programmes organised in the ashram in the presence of various Saints and He could give guidance to seekers regarding music despite His vital energy being very low. – Compiler