Dr. Ram Bhosle
I first came to know about Shree Ram Bhosle in the 1990s. His life was nothing short of a mystery—almost like a sacred fairy tale. As a young schoolboy, he received the blessing of Bhagavan Nityananda, who foretold that he would one day become a doctor.
Dr. Ram Bhosle’s life bore the legendary imprint of that divine touch. He was a man who seemed to live many lives in one: a rebel, a healer, a yogi, a devoted servant of saints, and a true lover of humanity. Through the trials of war, the solitude of exile, the depth of renunciation, and the heights of spiritual mastery, he emerged as a radiant beacon of compassionate service.
His story is not only a testament to human resilience but also a celebration of the sacred power of healing, guided by divine grace.
Shree Ram Bhosle attained Mahasamadhi on 2nd June 1997.
Dr. Ram Bhosle: From Noble Lineage to Desperate Orphan
Wealth, power, and prestige graced the birth of Ramchandra Krishna Bhosle in 1918. He was born into the illustrious Bhosle family of Satara, the erstwhile capital of Maharashtra—a family proudly tracing its lineage to none other than Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the lionhearted Maratha warrior-king who carved out a sovereign Hindu kingdom in the Deccan. His father, General Krishna Bhosle, was a decorated war hero, awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry in France during World War I. A child born under such stars was expected to inherit not just name and estate, but also the honour and influence of his lineage.
But fate has its own designs, and destiny did not honour young Ram with the privileges that his birth might have promised.
Even as his first cries rang out in the Bhosle home, tragedy was already taking root. His mother passed away mere minutes after giving birth. Her absence created a void that nothing could ever fill. What followed was a series of brutal misfortunes. By the time Ram turned five, he had lost his only brother, his beloved sister, and most devastatingly, his father, General Krishna Bhosle himself. Within half a decade of his birth, Ram found himself orphaned, alone, and utterly unmoored.
An uncle took him to Nasik, assuming charge of the estate and guardianship. But instead of comfort, care, or education, young Ram found himself relegated to the role of a domestic servant in his own ancestral home. Books and schools were denied to him. Affection was absent. The child who bore the blood of royalty now lived in subjugation and silence.
At just five years old, the indignities became too much to bear. One morning, with no plan and no destination, Ram ran away into the noisy chaos of Nasik’s streets. Alone and penniless, he begged for food, slept in doorways, and wandered between temples and alleys, surviving on sheer will and the compassion of strangers.
But Nasik too proved unkind. The crush of the city and the weight of destitution were too much for a child of five. Desperate for safety, Ram left once again—this time on foot, following bullock carts heading south, walking over eighty-five miles of treacherous terrain, dusty roads, and jungled trails. That he survived this odyssey at such a tender age was nothing short of miraculous. Eventually, his little feet led him to Bhiwandi, a village on the outskirts of Bombay.
Here, life took a softer turn. Ram was finally admitted to a local school, where his natural intelligence, sharp memory, and gifted personality began to shine. He quickly distinguished himself, not just in academics, but also in music, dance, and humour. His ability to make others laugh and his rhythmic grace in dance made him popular among his peers. Though still battling poverty, his dreams took form: Ram wanted to become a surgeon.
A turning point came when he was offered a humble job at a nearby medical clinic. There, he served patients, cleaned beds, fetched medicine—but more importantly, he learned. He absorbed everything he saw like a sponge. The doctor noticed this keen boy and encouraged him to pursue formal studies.
Ram’s dedication to education was unwavering. Late nights, early mornings, and backbreaking labor went into his preparations for the Matriculation Examination—the gateway to higher education and ultimately, a medical degree.
But fate struck again.
When the exam approached, Ram discovered that he needed 15 rupees to register—a sum utterly beyond his reach. All the hope he had cultivated—of becoming a doctor, of escaping poverty, of fulfilling his potential—collapsed into despair. It was not just money that he lacked, but any sense of justice in the world he had been born into.
Broken and defeated, Ram wandered into the surrounding jungles. Alone in the deep silence of the forest, amid the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of wild animals, he decided to end his life.
He saw no future, no family, and no reason to go on. The jungle would absorb his body, and perhaps—he believed—release his soul from the torment of this cruel world.
But destiny, it seems, was not done with Dr. Ram Bhosle.
The Turning Point: Ram Bhosle’s First Encounter with Grace
Haunted by thoughts of suicide, Ram resolved to surrender himself to the wilderness, imagining that wild beasts would bring a swift end to his pain. He ventured deep into the forest of Tungareshwar—thick, untamed, and unknown. There, amid the solitude and silence of nature, he waited. Hours passed, but no wild animal came. Alone and exhausted, both physically and mentally, he eventually fell asleep under the shade of a large tree.
When he awoke, he was overcome by thirst and stumbled toward a nearby stream. As he bent down to drink, he suddenly heard a soft voice, speaking in Sanskrit: “Swāgatam, āgato’si me—Welcome, dear guest!”
Startled, he looked around to find a tall, dark man clad only in a loincloth standing nearby. Ram felt uneasy and even irritated by the stranger’s unexpected appearance in such a remote place. Little did he know that this unassuming figure was none other than Bhagavan Nityananda, who had chosen this moment to reveal Himself.
Ram, at that time, had neither heard of Bhagavan Nityananda nor recognised His divine presence. Yet Baba spoke to him with great tenderness, gently dissuading him from the thought of ending his life. With great clarity and compassion, Baba told him that he was destined for a bright future—that he would one day go abroad and become successful, particularly in the field of medicine.
Ram couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at this seemingly absurd prophecy. Here he was, unable to even afford a humble sum of Rs. 15 to appear for his matriculation exam, and this stranger was talking of foreign travel and higher studies? The idea seemed not only far-fetched but absurdly out of place in his current reality.
Yet, in that surreal moment of doubt and despair, something about Baba’s calm conviction planted a seed of trust in Ram’s heart. This unexpected encounter in the dense forest, born out of suffering, marked the beginning of a profound spiritual journey—one that would lead Ram Bhosle to discover the unimaginable grace and transformative power of the Master who had found him when he had lost all hope.
The Cobra Encounter in Ganeshpuri
Dr. Ram Bhosle, the renowned healer and close devotee of Bhagwan Nityananda, once had a chilling encounter that became a testament to the divine grace that protected him throughout his life. On one of his visits to Ganeshpuri, Dr. Bhosle arrived late in the evening and went directly to seek darshan of Baba Nityananda. After exchanging a few words with Baba and meeting his dear friend Swami Muktananda, Ram felt a strong pull toward the wilderness that surrounded Ganeshpuri. With Baba’s silent blessings, he wandered into the nearby jungle alone, absorbed in thought and wonder, as the sun quietly disappeared behind the Western Ghats.
As the forest darkened, Ram remained unaware of the fading light, enjoying the natural solitude and stillness of the evening. Suddenly, the stillness was shattered. Just below his feet, he noticed a large yellow cobra coiled and hissing fiercely, its hood spread wide and menacing. He had unknowingly stepped into its domain, and now there was no space or time to escape.
Fear surged through Ram, but instinctively he bent forward to grapple with the snake, hoping to fling it away before it struck. However, the cobra was quicker. With lightning speed, it sank its fangs deep into his flesh, injecting its venom. A struggle ensued—man and serpent locked in a life-and-death battle. As the venom coursed through his body, Ram felt his strength drain rapidly. His muscles weakened, sweat poured down his face, and darkness began to close in. Eventually, he collapsed beside the cobra—both motionless, both appearing dead.
Hours passed. Concern grew back at the ashram when devotees noticed Ram had not returned. Swami Muktananda, sensing something amiss, alerted a search party. With torches and prayerful hearts, they ventured into the forest. After a tense search, they found Ram lying unconscious, with the massive cobra lying lifeless beside him. They quickly carried his body back to the ashram and laid him before Bhagwan Nityananda.
Baba, calm as ever, instructed them to revive him. After persistent effort, Ram regained consciousness. The story of the deadly cobra and Ram’s miraculous survival stunned all who heard it. When devotees expressed their astonishment that he had survived such a lethal bite, Baba simply smiled and said, “Poison has killed the poison.”
No antidote was administered, and no medical aid was needed. It was the touch of divine will that had neutralised death itself. Ram, once again, had been saved by the unseen hand of his Guru.
The Gambling Incident at Vajreshwari
In gratitude for the miraculous transformation Baba Nityananda had brought into his life, from a destitute youth on the verge of suicide to an internationally renowned healer, Dr. Ram Bhosle set up a modest dispensary in Vajreshwari. There, amidst humble surroundings, he offered free treatment to the villagers using the powerful ancient massage technique known as Samvahan, a healing art he had refined through spiritual discipline and direct guidance from saints and siddhas.
On weekends or during breaks from his international commitments, Dr. Bhosle would often retreat to Vajreshwari. He not only treated the locals but also lived among them, sleeping in their simple huts, sharing meals, and bonding with them as one of their own. The villagers, simple and rustic in nature, found pleasure in playing cards—particularly teen patti, a form of gambling that was both a pastime and a release from the toil of daily life.
Ram would often join them, not for the thrill of the game, but with a quiet intent. He would deliberately lose large sums of money, never letting them know it was his way of compensating them for their selfless help at the dispensary. They never accepted payment directly, but through this playful route, Ram ensured they were rewarded without their pride being hurt.
One night, as Ram and a few villagers played cards inside a dimly lit hut, a sharp knock echoed through the silence. Panic struck the group—gambling was illegal, and the first thought was that it must be a police raid. The villagers, terrified, pleaded with Ram to answer the door. Ram rose, unbothered, and opened it.
Standing there was not a policeman.
It was Bhagwan Nityananda himself.
Baba’s towering form stood in the doorway, his eyes blazing with divine fury. The moment their eyes met, he thundered, “How dare you gamble with these poor people? Is this the way to make money? If money is what you want—take this!”
As Ram followed Baba’s pointed finger, he saw, to his utter shock, a heap of currency manifesting on the ground. The others were speechless, caught between awe and guilt.
Ram immediately fell at Baba’s feet, tears streaming down his face. He cried, “Swamiji, I don’t want any money. You know very well that these villagers serve me all day without expecting anything in return. They refuse any payment. The only way I can give them something is through this game, so I always lose deliberately. This is not for greed—it is for them.”
Baba looked at him with a softened expression, the divine sternness giving way to a quiet smile. “I was just testing you,” he said.
These two stories reflect the depth of Dr. Ram Bhosle’s transformation. From surviving a cobra bite with divine intervention to being tested for his purity of intention by Baba himself, Ram’s life illustrates how grace, faith, and selfless service form the foundation of true spiritual healing. His art of Samvahan, rooted in ancient vibrational healing, was only the outer expression of an inner alignment—a life anchored in surrender to the Guru, and service to humanity.
Ram Bhosle lived not just as a healer of bodies, but as a bridge between the mystical and the medical, between east and west, between devotion and action. His life, marked by Baba Nityananda’s blessings, continues to inspire those walking the path of seva and sadhana.
There are 2 comments on this post
Utterly fascinating! Thank you.
Dear David,
One's life should be such that those who hear about it they should feel that it is a fairy tale or a fiction. Such was the life of Maratha King Shree Shivaji maharaj and Dr. Ram Bhosle. If you get to read the book 'Divine Touch', you shall undestand what I am saying. His life had been a roller coaster ride where divine Hand was holding him when it was sliding down and pulling him up to much higher plane than where he was before. I have shared it briefly here on my blog.
In His Prem,
Gopalkrshna