Shree Sadguru Kaka Maharaj

It is with tremendous zeal and efficiency, the parallel of which cannot be found anywhere, Shree Kaka Maharaj also known as Ashok Kaka, shouldered this responsibility and has carried out the enormous task left behind by his preceptor, Shree Maharaj.

Shri Ashok Kaka alias Kaka Maharaj was born in a religious and spiritually oriented family in a village Khanumath of Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra State, Western India. His father Raghunathrao was blessed by Shree Maharaj as well as by Shree Nana Maharaj of Dabhol, Shree Bhalchandra Maharaj of Kankavli ( Devgad ) and by Rahul Maharaj of Kudal.

Hence the childhood of Shree Ashok Kaka has been influenced by the association of the saints with his family.

When he attained the age of 7-8 years, very often during his sleep, he used to experience the explosion of brilliant and illuminated spark in his head. As a result he used to get up and cry. Since this experience continued Shree Maharaj advised Shree Ashok Kaka to worship Lord Maruti.

During 1954, when Ashok Kaka attained the age of 10 years, Shree Maharaj initiated him as his disciple.

During school and college days till he joined the town planning department in Kolhapur Shree Ashok Kaka was blessed by Shree Sadguru Tembe Maharaj, who predicted and told the future happenings in advance to Shree Ashok Kaka.

After his transfer to Pune city, Pune District, Maharashtra State, Western India, Shree Ashok Kaka came directly under the association of Shree Maharaj.

During his stay in Pune, Lord Maruti, came in his dream for three consecutive days ordering Shree Ashok Kaka to go to Himalayas for worshipping Shree Prabhu Ram. He was not allowed to go by Shree Maharaj as he had dependant aged parents, wife and children.

Since 1976, Shree Ashok Kaka started visiting the Pune temple-shrine (Muth) regularly. He also left the government job and joined Shree Samarth Development Corporation run by Shri Walwalkar.

Further, on the advice of Shree Maharaj, Shree Ashok Kaka started staying permanently in Pune to carry out civil works pertaining to the Temple-shrine (Muth). This also enabled him to render service to his preceptor, Shree Maharaj. This could be conveniently done by Shree Ashok Kaka entirely due to full support of his wife who stayed in Mumbai (Bombay) and shouldered all family responsibilities.

Shree Ashok Kaka has been from the beginning, sincere, honest, fearless and without any feeling of greed or attachment for the material things. He also made fast progress on the spiritual side. Due to his exceptional capacity to work for 16-18 hours a day, Shree Maharaj had alloted all the important responsibilities of the temple-shrine (Muth) in addition to the building work to Shree Ashok Kaka.

The relationship between Shree Maharaj and Shree Ashok Kaka was based upon lofty sentiment and was on a very higher spiritual plane.

Shree Sadguru Digambardas Maharaj, before leaving his mortal body, to clear all the doubts, declared in the presence of some devotees "Ashok himself is my son. He will shoulder all the responsibilities after me. I myself will continue to carry all the works on his behalf."

Later when Shree Maharaj attained Mahasamadhi [the last conscious communion with God] on May 21, 1989, the question of who would succeed him arose. After a lot of discussion with the devotees and entreaties and persuasion on their part and mainly to honour Shree Maharaj’s wishes, Shree Ashok Kaka started to manage the affairs of the temple-shrine. To the self illuminated personality of Shree Ashok Kaka, was then added the resplendence of his superhuman capability.

Later on, within a short period Shree Ashok Kaka built the exquisitely beautiful temple-shrine of Shree Baba Maharaj and Shree Maharaj at Pune, marvelous Shree Swami Samarth temple at Swami Samarth Nagar, Andheri (West), Mumbai and beautiful Shree Samarth Udyan at Shree Kshetra Dervan.

He arranged for "Akhand Namasmaran" (non-stop or continuous chanting of the name of God) namely "Shree Swami Samarth Jay Jay Swami Samarth" at temple-shrines of Shree Baba Maharaj of Pune and Shree Sant Seetarambua of Dervan respectively.

Further Shree Ashok Kaka (Kaka Maharaj) also treats all devotees with transcendental affection and engages himself day and night in his task working out their material as well as spiritual well being.

During January 1992, at Pune temple-shrine, with utmost ease, he arranged the performance of "Lakshachandi Yadnya" – a sacrifice for the benefit of the entire humanity. It is to be noted here that, during the last fifty years, this Yadnya (sacrifice) was never performed either in Maharashtra or entire India as only virtuous personalities of tremendous eminence can get performed this sacrifice (yadnya) whose performance is considered to be very difficult due to the complicated and stupendous scale of the religious rituals involved in it.

The yadnya (sacrifice) was conducted during January 08, 1992 and went on for 17 days till January 24, 1992 during which 980 brahmins from various corners of India had come to Pune. The rituals connected with the sacrifice would begin at 06:30 AM and continue upto 04:00 - 05:00 PM. Then there would be prasad [a sweet dish distributed at a religious place] in the form of meals. All the senior brahmins gathered in the Yadnya remarked in unanimous voice:

" Never in our lifetime had we ever seen a sacrifice of such magnitude performed with such discipline and we really doubt whether even in future we would be able to witness the performance of such sacrifice. It would become possible only if Shree Ashok Kaka himself again decides to perform such a sacrifice."

After witnessing that Yadnya (sacrifice) all the devotees were convinced that, Shree Ashok Kaka (Shree Kaka Maharaj) was not an ordinary human being but some great divine power .