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Moraya Gosavi

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Moraya Gosavi

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Śrīman Mahasadhu Śrī Moraya Gosavi Maharaj

There is a village called Śālī in Bidar district, in Karnataka. A couple named Vāmanabhaṭa Śālīgrāma and his wife Pārvatī Bai were living peacefully there. Vāmanabhaṭa was a Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin of Haritasa gotra, well versed in Vedas; while his wife who was a pious and Devotee. But he was depressed for being childless for half of his life and therefore to get rid of this misery he went on a pilgrimage along with his wife. In the year 1324 AD he reached Morgaon with his wife. Morgaon is called Bhūsvānaṁda. Śrī Vāmanabhaṭa decided to perform austere penance to please Mayureśvara and begot a child as his grace. His penance lasted for 48 years. One day Lord Mayureśvara appeared before him and said, “Dear Vamana, I am pleased with your Devotion. I know your desire to have a child. I will take a birth as your child and will emancipate people in the world.” They were happy and felt blessed to get Mayureśvara himself as a child.  And as per God’s blessings they were blessed with a boy on Māgha Shuddha Chaturthi

(Fourth day of Bright half of the Māgha month) Friday, Revati Nakshtra at noon In Vidhataru Samvatsara Shaka era 1297 I.e 1375 AD. He was named Moreśvara, being Mayureśvara himself. People fondly called him Moraya.

Śrī Moraya Gosavi’s upanayana samskara (Sacred thread ceremony) was performed when he was 8 yrs old, and there onwards he engaged himself in Daily rituals like Sandhya, Japa, Worship of Agni and Surya etc. He decided to go on pilgrimage to Aṣṭavināyakaa (8 sacred Shrines of Gaṇeśa). He used to perform penance at each Aṣṭavināyaka place and retain the sacred subtle form of each Gaṇeśa in his heart. By doing so he was intending for Gaṇeśa Devotees to have a Darśana of Aṣṭavināyaka at one place. Moraya Gosavi was an incarnation of Lord Gaṇeśa and Gaṇeśa appeared in subtle form in his subsequent seven generations. After the Aṣṭavināyakaa pilgrimage he met his guru Śrī Nayanabhāratī Gosavi. Śrī Nayanabhāratī Gosavi presented him with Kafani (a sort of a cloak), Garland of Rudraksha, Kamandalu (a water-pot of a ascetic) and initiated Śrī Moraya into the Nath Panth sect by preaching sacred spells-mantras.

People began to refer to him as ‘Gosavi’. He possessed Eight Supreme Divine Powers. Soon after, Śrī Mayureśvara appeared in a divine vision and said, “Dear Moraya, now you should go to Chinchwad, a village on the bank of the Pavana river, and come to Morgaon every month on Vinayaki Chaturthi (the fourth day of the bright half).” Moraya arrived in Chinchwad on the orders of Gaṇeśa and stayed at the Kejubai temple in Tathawade. Every month, Śrī Moraya Gosavi Maharaj began a pilgrimage from Chinchwad to Morgaon.

Later, as per the order of Śrī Chiṁtāmaṇī of Theur, Śrī Moraya Maharaj accepted Gṛhasthasrama (householder stage) and got married at the age of 96. His wife was named Uma. Further, as blessed by Śrī Theur’s Chiṁtāmaṇī, at the age of 104 Śrī Moraya Maharaj and Uma mata begot a child, Śrī Chiṁtāmaṇī. Till the age of 117 years Śrīman Mahasadhu Moraya Gosavi was doing pilgrimage to Morgaon to worship Mayureśvara every month.

Once in a rainy season on the Chaturthi crossing all the watercourses, trampling through the mud Śrī Maharaj reached Morgaon but the priest left by shutting down the temple doors. Being agonized with the fact that even after reaching here with great efforts I am unable to see my beloved Mayureśvara Śrī Moraya Gosavi Maharaj sat under the Tarati tree (Name of a thorny plant) with tears in his eyes. With a great amount of grief he praised the Mayureśvara with a words “तुझीये भेटीची बहू आस रे मोरया, देखीता बहुत झाले दिवस रे मोरया” meaning I am hopeful to see you (Mayureśvara), It has been a long time since I have seen you.

Mayureśvara got pleased with this invocation and appeared before Moraya Gosavi. He said why are you suffering with sorrow for not seeing me? There is no difference between you and me. We are one! Oh Dear, You are aged henceforth there is no need to visit morgaon because I am coming with you to Chinchwad.”

On the next day while giving Arghya (oblation of water) to Sun in Karha river Śrī Moraya Gosavi Maharaj blessed with an idol in his hand of Mayurewshwara in the form of Tāṁdalā (a rude stone smeared with red lead and used as an idol) and voice from the skies echoed, “ Dear Moraya I am pleased with your Devotion. I give you a blessing that in future people will cheer your name immediately after my name.” Since then people extol the name Maṁgalamūrtī Moraya.

Śrī Moraya Gosavi Maharaj was an incarnation of Śrī Mayureśvara, hence he is considered to be the propagator of the Gāṇapatya Sampradaya (cult) that is seen today in Maharashtra.

Chinchwad became the significant place of Gaṇeśa worship. Śrī Moraya Gosavi gave great importance to Anna daan (serving food). Various activities like Annasatras (Mass distribution of food), Yātrā (pilgrimages), festivals, worship etc increased in Chinchwad. The continuous interaction with people was becoming the hurdle in Śrī Moraya Gosavi Maharaj’s spiritual journey. Accordingly, he asked Mayureśvara for permission of Sanjivan Samadhi. Mayureśvara gave him permission. As per his order Śrī Moraya Gosavi Maharaj took Samadhi on the sixth day of Mārgaśīrṣa month in the year 1561 AD on the bank of Pavana at Chinchwad. Maharaj was 186 years old at that time. The bank of Pavana was purified. People flocked in Chinchwad for reverence.

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