Tulas Amma – A Biography

 

The Life of Tulas Amma — A Biographical Narrative

Introduction

Bhagavan Nityananda of Kanhangad and Ganeshpuri had many devotees, each blessed with a distinct role in expressing different facets of His vast spiritual presence. On one occasion, when He was asked who would inherit His legacy and teachings, Bhagavan replied with unparalleled clarity:

“‘This One’ is beyond all desires. Only those with desires leave behind heirs. It is an Avadhoota state. ‘This One’ has no religion, sect, creed, pant or cult; no abbot, ashram, mutt, or abode. There is no Guru or disciple to ‘This One’. It is the seat of spiritual fire that will burn anyone who dares to occupy it.”

With these words, Bhagavan Nityananda declared that He had neither Guru nor disciples, nor did He belong to any school of philosophy. In truth, all scriptures originate from such a being. A Mahayogi like Nityananda is so deeply connected to the Universe that even without reading, if they wish, they can recall any scripture in an instant. They never speak from memory; they speak from the ever-present Truth. Therefore, what they utter is not information—it is wisdom.

Among Bhagavan’s devotees were several who were entrusted with specific responsibilities, suited to the diverse needs and inclinations of spiritual aspirants.

Shree Swami Janananda was the perfect embodiment of Karma Yoga—the Yoga of selfless action. In him, every movement, every word, every breath was an offering at the Lotus Feet of his Sadguru, Bhagavan Nityananda. His life did not contain devotion; his life was devotion. Service flowed from him as naturally as fragrance from a flower.

From the very beginning, Janananda Swami displayed extraordinary humility. He never considered himself a disciple with rights; he saw himself only as a servant with responsibilities. Whether it was sweeping the ashram grounds, preparing food for visiting devotees, or attending to Bhagavan’s personal needs, Swamiji worked tirelessly, silently, and without the slightest trace of ego. For him, service was worship, and work was meditation.

Recognising the purity of his heart and the steadfastness of his surrender, Bhagavan Nityananda entrusted him with a sacred duty.
He instructed Janananda Swami to take charge of the Kanhangad Ashram—to look after the caves, maintain the sanctity of the premises, and guide seekers who came there for refuge and spiritual upliftment.

Swami Janananda fulfilled this command with unparalleled dedication. He did not manage the ashram; he lived the ashram. He became the silent guardian of his Master’s sacred estate. For the thousands who visited Kanhangad, Janananda Swami was the living presence of the Guru’s compassion, patience, and grace.

In time, Bhagavan revealed a profound truth about him:
“Swami Janananda is a reincarnation of Lord Dattatreya.”

This declaration was not symbolic. It was an affirmation of Swamiji’s divine nature, his innate purity, and the extraordinary spiritual stature that lay hidden beneath his simple, unassuming exterior. Like Dattatreya, he walked the path of complete surrender, total service, and perfect inner freedom.

After a lifetime spent in tireless Guru-seva, Swami Janananda attained Mahasamadhi.
His sacred body rests within the Kanhangad Ashram itself—the very place he served with his whole being. Today, his Samadhi stands as a powerful centre of Shakti, radiating the subtle presence of Bhagavan Nityananda through the fragrance of Janananda Swami’s devotion.

To visit his Samadhi is to feel the living pulse of Karma Yoga,
the grace of service,
and the silent blessing of a saint who made his life a garland at his Guru’s feet.

Shree Swami Muktananda was the living embodiment of Raja Yoga—a perfected Yogi whose life reflected discipline, inner mastery, and total surrender to the Sadguru. Among all the devotees of Bhagavan Nityananda, it was Swami Muktananda who was blessed to remain in His physical presence for the longest period.

When Bhagavan settled in Ganeshpuri, He directed Muktananda Swami to live in the Gaondevi Temple, situated on the quiet outskirts of the village. This was not merely an instruction, but a divine ordinance—Bhagavan was preparing him for his life’s mission. The solitude and sanctity of the Gaondevi Temple became the ground where Swamiji’s inner yogic state blossomed under Bhagavan’s watchful grace.

Bhagavan Nityananda once revealed a profound truth about him:
“Saraswati resides on his tongue.”

This was not a metaphor. It was Bhagavan’s acknowledgment that divine wisdom, the spontaneous flow of Truth, and the power of the Mother of Speech operated through Swami Muktananda. Whatever he spoke carried the potency of Shakti and the authority of direct experience.

With this divine sanction, Swami Muktananda became the chosen instrument to spread the name, glory, and teachings of Bhagavan Nityananda across the world.
Through his discourses, writings, and ceaseless travels, he brought to countless seekers the light of meditation, mantra, Kundalini awakening, and the compassionate presence of his Guru.

Everywhere he went, he carried only one message:
“The Guru is the Light. The Guru is the Truth. The Guru is the Self.”

It was thus that Swami Muktananda fulfilled the sacred work entrusted to him by Bhagavan Nityananda—
to take the name of his Sadguru from a small village in India to the hearts of devotees across the globe.

Shaligram Swami was a radiant embodiment of Hatha Yoga, a saint of immense inner fire and discipline. Bhagavan Nityananda chose him with a divine purpose—to demonstrate openly how a human being, through sincere sadhana and unwavering tapas, can rise from the state of Nar (ordinary human) to Narayan (the Divine).

Swamiji’s life itself became a living scripture. His austerity was intense, his discipline unwavering, and his inner purity remarkable. Those who came into his presence felt an immediate upliftment. He possessed a magnetic charm—gentle yet powerful, humble yet extraordinarily radiant. Behind his calm exterior burned a tremendous spiritual force.

Bhagavan Nityananda saw this blazing shakti within him and affectionately called him Agni, the God of Fire.
This was not just a metaphor—it was an acknowledgement of the transformative fire of yoga that Shaligram Swami carried in his very being.

On one occasion, Bhagavan made a profound declaration before devotees:

“Shaligram is so powerful that even ‘This One’ cannot undo what he has ordained.”

Such a statement, coming from Bhagavan Himself, reveals the unparalleled spiritual stature Shaligram Swami had attained. His sankalpa carried the authority of the Divine.

Recognising his yogic attainment, Bhagavan conferred upon him the status of Lord Shiva and often addressed him as Neelkanth—the blue-throated One who consumed the poison of the world. This title reflected not only Shaligram Swami’s mastery of Hatha Yoga but also his capacity to absorb and transform the suffering of those who sought refuge in him.

Shaligram Swami’s ashram was located in Mahul, where he guided seekers with compassion and clarity, inspiring them to pursue inner transformation. His Samadhi now rests in Ganeshpuri, behind Kailash Bhuvan—a serene and powerful spot that continues to radiate his fire-like presence.

To remember Shaligram Swami is to remember the possibility of total transformation—
to rise, through sadhana,
from the limitations of the human
into the boundlessness of the Divine.

To exemplify Vairagya and Nishkama Bhakti, Bhagavan Nityananda chose Tulas Amma. She was a fountain of renunciation and pure, unconditional devotion—so much so that in her later years she attained the state of nityānanda itself. Although each devotee of Bhagavan had a unique role, Tulas Amma stood apart in a class of her own. At the time of her Mahasamadhi, Bhagavan declared, “Tulas Amma has merged with the Sun.”
Here, the “Sun” symbolizes the Self, the radiant Satchidananda. In other words, Bhagavan affirmed that she had attained the eternal, blissful state.

It was Tulas Amma who lovingly collected and recorded the teachings of Bhagavan Nityananda, compiling them into what we know today as the Chidakasha Geeta. She first published it in Kannada, and it was later translated into Marathi and English. The Chidakasha Geeta presents the essence of Self-realisation in a simple, direct, and experiential form. Being a highly advanced aspirant herself, Tulas Amma could intuitively decipher the profound utterances of Bhagavan and render them in a manner accessible to sincere seekers. The preface to the Chidakasha Geeta was composed by Bhagavan Nityananda Himself.

However, Tulas Amma—who was a harmonious confluence of Dwaita and Advaita, Jñāna and Bhakti—knew that not all aspirants walked the same path. For those naturally inclined toward devotion, she composed hymns and bhajans celebrating the Guru, compiling them in Sadguru Sthavan and in her devotional work Atmaspuran.
Atmaspuran, literally “the spontaneous outpouring of the Soul,” is a collection of bhajans inspired by the eternal Self. It contains not only her compositions but also those of four of her disciples who were elevated and inspired through her presence.

Tulas Amma belonged to an era in which the concepts of copyright, personal ownership of spiritual writings, and treating divine insight as private property were foreign to Indian culture. Wisdom received from God or Guru was considered sacred, universal, and free. Everything belonged to the Divine:
“By God, for God, and of God.”
One possessed nothing—not even one’s own thoughts or creations. As the saint Kabir sings:
“Mera Mujhmein Kuch Nahi, Jo Kuch So Hai Tera;
Tera Tujhko Somp Diya, Kya Lage Mera.”
(There is nothing in me that is mine; all that exists is Yours. When everything is offered back to You, what remains for me to call my own?)

Such was the attitude of a true disciple. Through complete surrender, the disciple dissolves into the Guru’s Consciousness, leaving no room for personal claim or ownership. Hence, copyright and authorship never occupied the mind of a genuine devotee. Their writings were treated as seva, not as personal achievements. Spiritual knowledge was a gift of the Guru—meant to be shared without restriction. Just as God gives nature freely and without pride, a devotee offers what arises from Consciousness to all, without expectation.

Picture of Tulas Amma on the altar of the Shenoy family

Our Shenoy family were among her devoted followers—not only because of biological ties but also because Bhagavan Nityananda Himself advised us to sing the bhajans composed by her. Her picture was placed on our family altar beside Bhagavan Nityananda, and she has been part of our daily worship for generations—a tradition that continues to this day. She often visited our home, and we accompanied her on many visits to Ganeshpuri. Everything shared about her here comes from the words of our elders.

The life of Tulas Amma, as recorded today, may not be chronologically exact in every detail. Yet the available accounts offer a clear and moving portrait of her early childhood, the turmoil she endured as a young widow, her sacred encounter with her Master Bhagavan Nityananda, her emergence as a spiritual guide who initiated many women on the path of Shakti, her profound literary contributions, and finally, her ascent into the supreme state of Consciousness.

Early Life and Family Background

Kartik Poornima

Tulas Amma was born around 20 November 1882, Monday (Kartik Sudha Dashami) in Katpadi, a village in Udupi Taluka of South Kanara. On 25 November, it was Kartik Poornima. She belonged to a Gowda Saraswat Brahmin family of Nayaks. Her father, Shri Ram (Timappa) Nayak, was a learned and devout man—a Pandit well-versed in scriptures, deeply devoted to his Kashi Math Guru, Shree Bhuvanendra Swami. He practised Ayurveda and ran an Ayurvedic clinic named in honour of his Guru, “Bhuvanendra Enterprises.”

Shree Bhyvanendra Teerth Swami of Kashi Math

As the first child—and with no brothers—Ram Nayak raised her like a son, giving her freedom, strength of character, and rigorous spiritual grounding. Every day, he narrated the Ramayana, emphasising the supreme spiritual discipline of Namasmaran, the chanting of Lord Rama’s name. His core message to her was:

“In this world, only the holy Name of Lord Rama gives eternal joy. There is no spiritual practice greater than chanting. Never abandon it.”

These words carved themselves into her young heart, and the atmosphere of her childhood was one of devotion, discipline, and sacred values.

Marriage, Turmoil, and Widowhood

In those days, child marriage was a common custom, and at the age of twelve, Tulas was married to Dass Kamath of nearby Kundapur—a boy from a wealthy family. Unfortunately, wealth and privilege had damaged his character. Falling into bad company and sensual habits, he squandered the family fortune and even sold the gold ornaments given to Tulas by her father.

Raised in the ideals of noble Hindu women like Anusuya and Savitri, she bore this suffering silently, continuing to serve her husband with unwavering loyalty and purity—anchored only in her Rama-Nama.

Soon, Dass Kamath contracted a grave illness and passed away when Tulas was only nineteen. The condition of a Hindu widow in those days was pitiable—shaved head, white sari, social isolation, and endless humiliation. Her father immediately brought her home and shielded her with affection and wisdom. He restored her emotional balance and guided her into deeper spiritual practices—Sandhyavandan thrice daily, chanting of Rama-Nama, and disciplined observance of rituals.

Education and Spiritual Awakening

In 1906, hearing of Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve’s pioneering institution for widows at Hingne, Pune (later Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Samstha), Ram Nayak sent Tulas Amma there to study Marathi and Sanskrit. She lived in the hostel for five years, completing her matriculation in 1912 and returning to Mangalore to support herself by teaching girls.

Maharshi Karve receiving India’s highest civilian award – Bharat Ratna

Her father passed away during this period, and her sister’s home in Mangalore became her refuge. She cared for her sister’s children, tutored them, and devoted the rest of her time to intense spiritual pursuit. Now equipped with Marathi and Sanskrit, she immersed herself in Dnyaneshwari, Dasbodh, Atmaram, Yogavashistha, and other scriptures. A powerful longing arose within her:

“To progress spiritually, I must receive the grace of a Sadguru.”

Meeting the Master — Bhagavan Nityananda

Around 1921, news spread in Mangalore of a mysterious young Avadhoota—Kala Sadhu, later known as Bhagavan Nityananda. He was a wandering ascetic—lanky, bare-footed, unpredictable, often climbing trees, distributing sweets to children, or roaming the streets in divine abandon. Though many dismissed him as mad, crowds flocked to him, drawn to his unique radiance.

The moment Tulas Amma beheld him, she was struck by his divine glow—his piercing eyes, his spontaneous words of wisdom, and the unmistakable aura of a Self-realised being. Her father had trained her to recognise genuine saints, and she instantly knew:

“He is the Master I have been seeking.”

With total, unconditional surrender, she accepted him as her Sadguru.

Initiation and Rapid Spiritual Transformation

Tracking Bhagavan was never easy—he rarely stayed in one place. Yet he instructed her to reside in a rented home of Basti Shanbhaugh, where he eventually initiated her through Netra Diksha—the transmission of shakti through the eyes—and gave her spiritual instructions (Bodh).

Her foundation was already firm:
• deep renunciation
• lifelong practice of Rama-Nama
• innate surrender
• purity of mind

This made her a perfect vessel for the Master’s Grace. Even without frequent physical contact, Bhagavan—being a Mahavatar—guided her subtle body and awakened her inner spiritual power.

Society, however, was unkind. A widow seeking a Guru was scandalised as immoral. Relatives opposed her. People whispered behind her back. But her determination never wavered; her faith only grew stronger.

Formation of Anand Mutt and Life as a Guide

Tulas Amma gathered women seekers and guided them in spiritual practices. Seeing her maturity, Bhagavan granted her a rare privilege—permission to initiate disciples. Among all devotees, only she was allowed to do this.

When she requested permission to establish an ashram for women, Bhagavan initially discouraged her with a warning:

“Running an ashram is like keeping lice in your head—you will be scratching with both hands all day!”

Yet she pleaded:

“For women, wandering without shelter is unsafe. Please grant us a place.”

Bhagavan relented and instructed her to establish an ashram at Managudda Hill, naming it Anand Mutt. He taught her the principles of Ashram Dharma—discipline, study, satsang, yogabhyas, and spiritual responsibility. He imposed a vow of silence for a year—during which she remained absorbed in meditation, austerities, and deep introspection.

During this time, she began composing poems, hymns, bhajans, and her brilliant compilation of Chidakasha Geeta.

Through the Master’s Yogic power, her Kundalini was guided upward, merging Shakti with Shiva, leading her to the state of supreme spiritual fulfilment. Bhagavan gave her the name “Anandi”, signifying her attainment of the highest bliss-state.

Tulas Amma now had the authority and ability to transmit shakti to seekers—and yet she remained utterly humble, forever a child before her Guru.

Her Literary Legacy — Bhajans, Aratis, and Atmaspuran

Tulas Amma composed numerous hymns describing the supreme spiritual state of Bhagavan Nityananda. She portrayed him not as a saint among saints but as:

• Supreme Consciousness

• Universal Self

• Atmaram

• Nityananda — Eternal Bliss Itself

Her compositions poured forth spontaneously from direct experience—hence the title Atmaspuran, “that which wells up from the Soul.”

Later, a group of five close women devotees compiled her bhajans and published them as Atmaspuran, but never revealed their identities. Tulas Amma herself always signed as Anandi.

Her Transmission of the Raj Yoga–Shakti Path

Among her initiated disciples were Subhadra, Saraswatibai, and many others. I personally met late Saraswatibai and her daughter Sunanda. Saraswatibai was initiated by Tulas Amma, and Sunanda by her mother.

Their description of the practice is remarkable. Tulas Amma taught a refined form of Raj Yoga centered on the control of prana. Unlike classical Kundalini Yoga that begins at Muladhara (which carries risks), she taught:

• to anchor awareness in Ajna Chakra,

• and then draw prana upward from Muladhara

• like pulling water from a well using a rope and pulley.

In this analogy:
Ajna = pulley
Breath = rope
Prana = water bucket

This method is safe and effective, enabling Kundalini to rise to Sahasrara under the Guru’s grace. Thus Guru Krupa becomes the key to success and protection.

Compilation of Chidakasha Geeta — Her Greatest Contribution

Bhagavan frequently spoke in parables and short, cryptic sentences—rich in Yoga-Vedantic wisdom but difficult to grasp. Two young Konkani boys, Gopal Bhel and Dr Kombarbail, used to stroll near the famous Krishna Temple in Udupi. They were drawn to a thin young Sadhu who stood out amongst the various sanyasis standing near the outer walls of the temple. Some strange force drew them to him. They asked him; his name was in Tullu, the language prevalent in that area. Since the Sadhu did not give any reply. They asked him in Kannada, Konkani, Hindi and English. To their surprise, He replied in all four languages – Nityananda, Nityananda, Nityananda. They were perplexed, whether it was His state or his name! From that day, both Gopal Bhel and Dr Kombarbail followed Him and noted whatever they could. During such divine moods, He spoke in chaste Kannada, never giving formal discourses. His teachings were spontaneous, unstructured, arising anywhere and anytime. Bhagavan often spoke in trance—cryptic, profound, yogic, Vedantic utterances. These two young Konkani-speaking boys, Gopal Bhel and Dr Bhail, followed him and noted down whatever they could.

He would frequently call out,
“Arjuna, come! Listen to what Grandfather Krishna says!”
as if signalling that divine wisdom was about to flow.

His words were scattered, unstructured, and difficult for listeners to fully understand. But Tulas Amma, in her advanced state, gathered the notes, added her own observations, arranged them systematically, and wrote lucid commentaries explaining each aphorism.

She presented the manuscript to Bhagavan. He approved it, named it Chidakasha Geeta, and guided her in writing its preface.

Thus, one of the most authentic records of Bhagavan Nityananda’s teachings came into being—a priceless gift to posterity, owing entirely to the devotion, clarity, and spiritual genius of Tulas Amma.

The Mahasamadhi of Shree Tulas Amma

For nearly fifteen years, Tulas Amma travelled widely—giving discourses, guiding women seekers, and quietly uplifting countless aspirants. As the years passed, her spiritual state grew ever more exalted. She lived increasingly in an unbroken trance, absorbed in the inner radiance of her Guru. For her, all distinctions had dissolved; everything—animate or inanimate—appeared as Nityananda alone. The entire cosmos had become the formless play of her Beloved Guru.

By this time, Bhagavan Nityananda had moved to Ganeshpuri. Tulas Amma visited him often, drawn again and again to the Presence from which her own spiritual life had blossomed. Her journey, however, was moving toward its divine consummation.

Ashadi Ekadashi – The Day of Her Divine Union

Ashadi Ekadashi marks the Punyatithi of Shree Tulas Amma, a blessed soul whose life was a continuous offering of devotion, austerity, and Guru-seva. On this sacred Ekadashi on Sunday, 2 July 1944, she gently laid aside her mortal body, dissolving into the Infinite as effortlessly as a river merges into the ocean.

Years of intense sadhana and complete self-effacement had purified her body and mind to such an extent that they could no longer contain the vastness of her realised state. She had become Nityanandamayee—utterly absorbed in the essence of Bhagavan Nityananda. The dualities of the world had vanished for her; she lived in the luminous awareness of Advaita, seeing only Nityananda everywhere.

Her Mahasamadhi was not an ending. It was fulfilment.
It was a return.
It was merging.

“Tulas Amma has merged in the Sun.”

At the very moment of her Mahasamadhi, Bhagavan Nityananda in Ganeshpuri suddenly declared:

“Tulas Amma has merged with the Sun.”

Those around him did not immediately grasp the profundity of his words. Later, Bhagavan explained to Raghunath Shenoy:

“Tulas Amma has seen the Sun.”

This was not a poetic metaphor—it was a spiritual proclamation.
“The Sun” referred to the Supreme Self, the blazing essence of Satchidananda.
To “see the Sun” was to attain the highest awakening of Kundalini, the complete realisation of the Absolute.

Thus ended her earthly journey—
not in silence,
but in radiance.

Her life flowed toward her Guru, and at the moment of dissolution,
she became one with the Light from which she had sprung.

Role of Tulas Amma in this lineage

Tulas Amma—Anandi—remains one of the most radiant feminine pillars of Bhagavan Nityananda’s lineage. Her life is a testament to:

• the transformative power of Nama,

• the grace of the Sadguru,

• the strength of a woman’s devotion,

• and the heights of Consciousness that surrender can unveil.

Through her bhajans, teachings, disciples, and—above all—Chidakasha Geeta, she continues to guide seekers even today.

The Silent Scribe of the Eternal

Among her many contributions, the most priceless is her role as the compiler of Chidakasha Geeta, the distilled essence of Bhagavan Nityananda’s mystical utterances. She was no ordinary chronicler. Her mind, purified by austerity and anchored in devotion, reflected Bhagavan’s words like a still lake reflects the moon.

Only such a consciousness could decipher the subtle, symbolic, and often cryptic expressions of an Avadhuta. Tulas Amma listened not with the intellect but with shraddha (sacred reverence) and bhava (inner intuition). That is why the Chidakasha Geeta carries an unusual clarity—simple enough for the sincere, yet deep enough for the learned.

Originally compiled in Kannada, the book was later translated into Marathi and English. Remarkably, Bhagavan Nityananda himself wrote its preface—a rare occurrence, and a silent acknowledgement of the sacredness of both the text and its scribe.

Without Tulas Amma, this treasure of Nityananda Tattva would have been lost to time.

A Saint Beyond Labels

Tulas Amma cannot be placed into a neat spiritual category.
She was:

• a jnani, for her grasp of Vedantic truth was deep and intuitive

• a bhakta, for her heart rested at her Guru’s feet in perpetual love

• an advaitin inwardly, a dvaitin outwardly

• a mystic, a poet, a silent yogini

She lived the perfect harmony of Jnana and Bhakti, of Dwaita and Advaita. Her surrender was so complete that identity, ambition, and self-assertion dissolved into pure Consciousness. What remained was only seva, love, and silence.

A Life Hidden in Silence, Revealed Through Devotion

Because she lived without self-promotion, very little about her is documented. Most of what survives today comes from oral accounts—whispers of gratitude from those who walked with her, sat with her, or felt her presence.

Yet her influence is vast, for through her the Chidakasha Geeta survives, and through her songs, the path of Guru-bhakti continues to flow.

Her Living Presence in the Shenoy Family

For our own Shenoy family, Tulas Amma is not a historical figure—she is a living, intimate presence.

• Bhagavan Nityananda himself directed our family to sing her bhajans.

• Her picture is placed on our family altar beside Bhagavan, worshipped daily to this day.

• She often visited our home.

• We accompanied her on several visits to Ganeshpuri.

• Our elders preserved her stories as sacred inheritances, not written records.

We were blessed to know her not through books, but through living contact—her simplicity, her insight, her unwavering surrender, and her gentle blessings.

Later, in the early 1980s, we also met Smt. Saraswatibai Kamath, her direct disciple, and her daughter Sunanda. Saraswatibai was the stepmother of the late Mangalore Sanjeeva Kamath, the first person to translate Chidakasha Geeta into English. He was our neighbour, yet in the tradition of Tulas Amma, he too did not put his name on his work.

Such was the lineage she inspired: devotion without ownership, contribution without claim.

“Tulas Amma has merged with the Sun.”

These were the words Bhagavan Nityananda uttered at the time of her Mahasamadhi.

The “Sun” he spoke of was not the physical orb in the sky, but the radiance of the Supreme Self—Satchidananda. To merge with the Sun is to dissolve into absolute Consciousness, beyond birth and death, beyond form and individuality.

Tulas Amma lived as a flame of devotion.
She left as a blaze of pure Light.

Translation of Bhajans into English

For many years, I longed to have them translated into English so that devotees worldwide could experience the fragrance of her devotion.

By Bhagavan’s grace, I met Smt. Hemlata Sudhakar Joshi (Hematai)—a scholar of Marathi, Sanskrit, and English; a prolific writer; a descendant of the illustrious Nimonkar family mentioned in Sai Satcharita; and a devotee of many saints. She undertook this seva with great love and completed the English translation, which we then offered at the Lotus Feet of Gurudeva.

Smt Hemlata Joshi holding the book and with the Ramnavami Flag at Shirdi

On 1 October 2016, Hematai merged into the Sadguru, leaving behind a treasure of spiritual literature and a legacy of devotion.

Her Life, Her Message

If her journey could be distilled into a few truths, they would be:

• Live in silence.

• Love without desire.

• Serve without pride.

• Surrender without end.

Through her anonymous works, her immortal songs, her self-effacing purity, and her unwavering Guru-bhakti, Tulas Amma left behind a legacy more powerful than monuments—
a legacy of inner transformation.

She did not ask to be remembered.
And yet, by the grace of Bhagavan,
she can never be forgotten.

Note:

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