Shree Lalita Mauli

Life & Teachings of Shree Lalita Mauli

Part IV

“The Divine Obsession at the Threshold of Realisation”

The Inner Upheaval — The Call of the Self

As the years passed, Lalitadevi continued to live a life of remarkable balance—fulfilling her dharma as a wife, mother, and citizen, while dedicating herself to the service of God through selfless service to others. Through this constant alignment of action and devotion, her chitta shuddhi (purification of the mind) was taking place naturally and effortlessly.

Her vision too was transforming. What began as seeing the Divine in all, gradually deepened into the subtle experience of the One manifesting as all. This inner shift brought her closer to the threshold of spiritual awakening.

The period between 1940 and 1943 marked a phase of intense inner transformation. It was a time of profound spiritual upheaval. Lalitadevi found herself drawn increasingly inward—absorbed in deep contemplation and self-enquiry. Questions about life, existence, and the ultimate Truth arose within her one after another.

She did not know where to turn or what to do next.

Her food intake reduced, sleep became minimal, and even basic bodily needs began to fade into the background. There was a growing sense within her that something momentous was about to unfold. The longing for Self-realisation intensified to such an extent that it created a deep inner restlessness.

Outwardly, she continued to perform all her duties with precision and care. But inwardly, she had begun to withdraw. Her mind was constantly engaged in Atma-chintan (contemplation on the Self). Gradually, her attachment to worldly matters diminished, not out of neglect, but out of a deeper absorption in the inner quest.

The Strain of the Outer and the Pull of the Inner

Despite this intense inner state, her outer life remained demanding. Her household was large—children, relatives, and guests frequently filled the home. In addition, there were four to five cows in the cowshed that required daily care and attention.

Balancing these responsibilities with her declining physical strength became increasingly difficult. Her reduced appetite, continuous work, and deep inward absorption began to take a toll on her health.

Yet, this was also the period when Grace was silently preparing her for a great leap.

The Awakening — Meeting Shree Ramdas of Kanhangad

During this time, circumstances led Lalitadevi to meet a saint—Shree Ramdas of Kanhangad, lovingly known as Papa.

As she approached him and bowed down, touching his feet with her thumb, an extraordinary experience unfolded. She felt as though a powerful electric current surged through her entire body. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably. Waves of energy rose within her—her Kundalini had awakened.

The experience was so intense and unfamiliar that those around her became anxious. Tears flowed uncontrollably from her eyes, her body was covered in goosebumps, and she seemed completely absorbed in an inner state beyond ordinary awareness.

The lady accompanying her grew concerned at this sudden transformation. But Lalitadevi, in a state of wonder, softly remarked:

“I did not know that I would reach this state so early.”

She remained in this elevated state for nearly half an hour, and the after-effect of this awakening continued for three days, during which she was immersed in deep spiritual bliss. While others perceived it as unusual or even alarming, for Lalitadevi it was an experience of profound divine joy.

The Dialogue — Love and Knowledge as One

Lalitadevi was later granted a private audience with Shree Ramdas.

With deep humility and urgency, she expressed her heart:

“O Papa! I wish to attain liberation in this very life. However attractive this world may appear, it no longer holds me. I now see that it is fleeting, something that must be left behind one day. I long to know my true nature. I had once met Swami Nityananda, though I do not know where He is now. Yet, I feel all Masters are manifestations of the same One Essence.”

Papa smiled and replied gently:

“Yes, it is true. All Masters are bound by the One Essence. They differ only in their roles and expressions.”

Lalitadevi continued, revealing the depth of her aspiration:

“I seek not only Supreme Knowledge. I wish to experience Universal Love and Brotherhood. Without Divine Love, Knowledge feels dry and incomplete.”

Papa responded with a probing question:

“Do you then mean that you do not desire Knowledge?”

She replied with clarity and devotion:

“Let Love arise within me. Let me experience Shree Krishna in every being present here.”

At this, Papa laughed joyfully and declared a profound truth:

“Know this—Premaswaroop (the essence of Love) is Dnyanaswaroop (the essence of Knowledge), and Dnyanaswaroop is Premaswaroop. They are inseparable. He is Omnipresent, Omniscient—and You are none other than That.”

Hearing these words, Lalitadevi exclaimed in astonishment:

“Am I verily That?”

Overwhelmed, she walked out and sat under a tree. As she reflected upon this truth, she lost all body-consciousness and slipped into a deep state of absorption—a trance born of direct spiritual awakening.

Fountain of Wisdom

Lalitadevi returned to her home from Ramnagar after her transformative meeting with Swami Ramdas. She was no longer the same person. Something within her had shifted irrevocably. The intense longing that once created restlessness had now begun to blossom into inner experience.

She would often remain absorbed for hours in a state of deep trance, untouched by hunger or thirst. The body seemed secondary; the mind had turned inward, immersed in a subtle, luminous awareness.

During this period, a remarkable phenomenon unfolded. Though she had earlier composed poems in Kannada and Hindi, she now began to spontaneously compose in Marathi—a language she had never formally learned. At times, expressions also flowed in English. It was as if language itself had become a mere instrument, while the source of expression lay far beyond the intellect.

A continuous stream of wisdom began to flow within her. From sunrise to sunset, her mind remained absorbed in insights that revealed deeper truths about life and existence. Even while engaged in household duties, she felt as though the Universe itself was speaking through her.

She later described this state as though her mind had become a living scripture—a book in which answers to the deepest questions of existence were spontaneously revealed. Mysteries that once troubled her now unfolded effortlessly within.

From this inner awakening arose compositions on Saguna and Nirguna Bhakti, aartis, and devotional songs—each one flowing naturally, without effort. It was as if a fountain of wisdom had burst forth from her heart, unceasing and pure.

A Spontaneous Nirguna Bhupali

One such composition was a Nirguna Bhupali, arising spontaneously from this state of realization:

Marathi

सुद्न्यानाचा दिवसाचा उदय झाला । स्वरूपलोचन उघडियला ॥
इंद्रिय नियम काम नाही । शमन करावया मनाची नाही ॥
अज्ञाननिद्रा हरपली पाही । चिन्मय प्रभा फाकली देही ॥
प्राण कोंडणे तेही नाही । योग, याग, तप तेही नाही ॥
स्नान करावया तीर्थच नाही । मळ धुवाया देहच नाही ॥
सुख दुःख भोग मिथ्याची पाही । भोगवया येथे विश्वाची नाही ॥
जगदंतरी सर्व ‘मी’च ‘मी’ पाही । मज वेगळा दुसरा नाही ॥
सर्वात व्यापून अलिप्त राही । कार्य कारण दोन्ही नाही ॥
ललितस्वरूपी जग विरले पाही । एकची निरंजन ‘मी’ पण नाही ॥

Transliteration

Sudnyānāchā divasāchā uday jhālā | Swarūp-lochan ughadiyālā ||
Indriya niyam kām nāhī | Shaman karāvayā manāchī nāhī ||
Ajnān-nidrā harapli pāhī | Chinmaya prabhā phānkali dehī ||
Prān kondne tehī nāhī | Yog, yāg, tap tehī nāhī ||
Snān karāvayā tīrthach nāhī | Mal dhuvayā dehach nāhī ||
Sukh-dukh bhog mithyāchī pāhī | Bhogavayā yethe vishvachī nāhī ||
Jagdāntarī sarva ‘mī’ch ‘mī’ pāhī | Maj vegalā dusrā nāhī ||
Sarvāt vyāpun alipt rāhī | Kārya-kāran donhī nāhī ||
Lalitswarūpī jag virle pāhī | Ekachī niranjan ‘mī’ pan nāhī ||

English Poetic Rendering

The dawn of True Knowledge has arisen,
The eye of the Self has opened within.

No more need to restrain the senses,
No effort remains to quiet the mind.

The sleep of ignorance has vanished,
The body is filled with the radiance of Consciousness.

No need to hold or control the breath,
No yoga, no rituals, no austerities remain.

No sacred waters required for purification,
For there is no body left to cleanse.

Pleasure and pain are seen as illusions,
The world no longer binds through experience.

Within the universe, all is ‘I’ alone,
There exists nothing separate from Me.

Pervading all, yet untouched and free,
Beyond cause and effect I remain.

In Lalit’s own Self, the world dissolves,
Even the ‘I’ fades into the stainless One.

The State of Her Mind

This Bhupali was not a product of intellectual effort or poetic imagination—it was a direct outpouring of realised experience.

Lalitadevi’s mind at this stage had transcended ordinary functioning. It was no longer engaged in thinking, but had become a channel for Truth. The usual distinctions—between seeker and sought, effort and attainment—had begun to dissolve.

She was experiencing:

  • The fading of body-consciousness
  • The disappearance of duality (Dvaita)
  • The spontaneous rise of non-dual awareness (Advaita)
  • A state where practice (sadhana) itself had become unnecessary, as the goal was being directly glimpsed

The lines of the Bhupali clearly reflect a state where:

  • Ignorance has ended
  • All spiritual practices have culminated
  • The Self alone shines as the only Reality

Her declaration that even the sense of “I” dissolves into the Niranjan (the stainless Absolute) indicates that she was standing at the very threshold of complete Self-realisation.

This was the stage where:
Bhakti had matured into Dnyana
Seeking had transformed into Seeing
The individual was dissolving into the Universal

The “fountain of wisdom” was nothing but the awakening of the inner Guru, preparing her for the final and complete transformation through the grace of her Sadguru.

“The Vision of Oneness”

In the midst of her intense inner transformation, Lalitadevi’s daily life continued to unfold in the simplest of settings—yet even these ordinary moments became gateways to profound realisation.

She had a few cows and buffaloes at home, and a servant was entrusted with their care and milking. However, one particular cow named Sumati would not allow anyone else to milk her. She would yield only to Lalitadevi. Thus, this task naturally became Lalitadevi’s responsibility.

One day, as Lalitadevi sat quietly in the cowshed, gently milking Sumati, a melodious and enchanting voice suddenly filled the space:

“नाना वर्ण गाई | एक वर्ण दूध ॥”

(Nāna varṇa gāī | Eka varṇa dūdh)
“Cows of many colours, yet the milk is of one colour.”

The beauty and depth of the voice were so captivating that Lalitadevi’s hands stopped mid-action. She looked around in wonder. The cowshed was empty—there was no one present except the animals and herself.

She gazed at the cows and buffaloes, searching for the source of the voice. But there was none.

A deep question arose within her:

“From where did this voice emerge? Was it external… or did it arise from within me?”

She sat absorbed, reflecting deeply on the meaning of the words. Gradually, the truth revealed itself—not as thought, but as direct inner understanding:

It is One Essence that pervades all.

The forms may differ—varying in colour, shape, name, caste, religion, or gender—but the essence remains one and the same.

Just as milk is of one nature despite cows of many colours, so too the Self (Atman) is one, undivided, and beyond all distinctions. The apparent diversity belongs only to the outer form; the inner Reality is One Supreme Consciousness.

This was no longer a concept for Lalitadevi—it was a living experience unfolding within her awareness.

The Inner Ramayana — A Living Truth

Around this time, her young son Ramanand, who was exceptionally intelligent and inquisitive, posed a question that became yet another doorway for the expression of her inner realisation.

One day, he asked his mother with innocent curiosity:

“Is the story of Rama true? Did Rakshasas really exist? Did Ravana truly have ten heads?”

These questions did not remain mere intellectual inquiries. They stirred something deeper within Lalitadevi.

Inspired, she began to narrate what may be called the “Antarātma Rāmāyana”—the inner Ramayana. As she spoke, Ramanand carefully wrote down her words, preserving them for posterity.

She explained:

“The Ramayana is not merely a story of the past. It is a living drama that unfolds within each one of us.”

  • Ravana, with his ten heads, represents the ego and the many-headed desires that dominate the mind.
  • Sita represents the pure Self or inner purity.
  • Rama is the Atmaram—the Divine Self within.

She continued:

“The Jeeva must conquer this inner Ravana—the ego—and rediscover its true nature as Atmaram. Until this inner victory is achieved, the Ramayana continues to play out within every human being.”

Thus, through simple yet profound words, Lalitadevi transformed a traditional epic into a map of inner spiritual evolution.

The Vision Deepens

These incidents reveal the depth of Lalitadevi’s inner state:

  • The external world was becoming a mirror of inner Truth
  • Everyday experiences were turning into vehicles of realization
  • Knowledge was no longer acquired—it was unfolding from within

She was now seeing:
Unity in diversity
The Divine in all beings
Spiritual truths reflected in ordinary life

This was the natural flowering of her earlier state—the fountain of wisdom was now expressing itself through direct perception and spontaneous teaching.

The seeker had nearly dissolved; what remained was a living instrument of Truth.

Before Darshan: The Guru’s Invisible Hand

By the year 1945, Lalitadevi’s physical condition had become increasingly fragile. She suffered from severe pain in the hip, had grown very weak, and was frequently afflicted by high fever. Even standing upright had become difficult. Those around her were deeply concerned.

Her cousin, Shri Ramesh Kalyanpur, who was living in Mumbai, suggested that a change of climate and access to better medical treatment might help her recovery. It was therefore decided that she should travel to Mumbai for consultation with reputed specialists.

Outwardly, the reason for this journey was illness.

But inwardly, Destiny was arranging something far greater.

For Lalitadevi knew that Bhagavan Nityananda, her long-awaited Sadguru, was then in and around Mumbai. Hidden beneath the practical reason of medical treatment was a silent flame of hope within her heart—that perhaps this journey might finally grant her the blessed Darshan of Bhagavan.

Thus, what appeared to the world as a journey for health was in truth the beginning of a journey of Guru Krupa.

When Human Remedies End

Ramesh Kalyanpur lovingly took her to many well-known doctors and specialists in Mumbai. The best medical advice available was sought. Yet nothing brought relief. Her pain continued to worsen, and her body remained bent from the hip ailment.

Finally, with the certainty born of faith, Lalitadevi said to her cousin:

“We have consulted the finest doctors. But my true Doctor is far greater and more advanced than all of them. Take me to Ganeshpuri. There, my Swami Nityananda will give the right treatment. Enough now of these worldly physicians.”

Her words were not spoken in defiance of medicine, but in the complete confidence of one who knew where the ultimate refuge lay.

Ramesh, occupied with his responsibilities, arranged for a young relative, Raghuvir, a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years, to accompany her to Ganeshpuri.

And so, the unseen hand of grace moved the next piece into place.

The Devotee’s Resolve

The very next day, preparations were made for the journey. Fruits and other offerings were purchased from the market. There were also some mangoes in the house, and Lalitadevi suggested that they too be taken as an offering to Swami Nityananda.

Her relative responded practically:

“What is the use of taking mangoes to a monk? He will not eat them. He will only distribute them to children.”

She further added:

“You may not even get coffee in Ganeshpuri. Milk is scarce there. I shall pack some snacks for you.”

Lalitadevi quietly replied:

“Then please give me some coffee powder and sugar. Let us see.”

There was no argument in her words—only faith.

Rain Cannot Stop Grace

The next morning, Lalitadevi and young Raghuvir left for the station. As they neared it, sudden heavy rain began to pour. Both were drenched within moments.

Seeing her weak condition, Raghuvir said anxiously:

“Sister, let us return home. You are soaked. Your fever will worsen.”

But Lalitadevi answered with fierce devotion:

“My child, even if I die, it does not matter. No matter what happens, I shall have Darshan of my Sadguru.”

Bent in body, feverish, and drenched by rain, she moved onward.

This was not stubbornness. It was Bhakti in its purest form—the soul that has recognized its refuge and will not turn back.

The Fruits of Faith

When they reached Vasai station, Lalitadevi noticed fruit vendors nearby and wished to buy fruits to offer Bhagavan. But a bus to Vajreshwari was about to depart, and she feared missing it.

She requested a young man already seated on the bus:

“Please buy the fruits for me. I shall hold the bus until you return.”

The boy refused flatly.

She noticed that his arm bore the tattoo “Shree Swami Nityananda.” She was surprised that one who carried Bhagavan’s name would refuse to help with an offering meant for Him.

At that very moment, the conductor entered and announced:

“This bus will not leave. It has broken down. Please get down and wait for the next bus.”

Lalitadevi and Raghuvir alighted. When the next bus arrived, they found only two seats remaining. They boarded immediately, and soon the bus departed.

What seemed like a delay was actually an arrangement.

Grace Provides Before the Need Arises

In those days, buses did not go directly to Ganeshpuri. Passengers bound there had to alight at the crossroads now known as Shivaji Chowk, and then walk inward.

Lalitadevi did not know this.

She was seated in the last row beside two women. One of them, carrying a child, accidentally dropped some coins. Lalitadevi bent down to help retrieve them.

As she did so, she noticed several rows ahead a large can of milk. A milk vendor was carrying it to Vajreshwari for sale.

She immediately approached him and purchased some milk.

Thus, the very concern raised earlier—that milk would not be available for coffee in Ganeshpuri—was quietly resolved by grace itself.

Bhagavan had arranged the milk before she even reached Him.

Guided Every Step of the Way

Soon the two women beside her rose to get down. Lalitadevi asked where they were going.

They replied:

“We are going to Ganeshpuri. This is the stop where one must get off.”

At once, Lalitadevi and Raghuvir descended with them.

The roads leading from the main junction to Ganeshpuri were rough in those days, unfamiliar to newcomers and not easy for a weak and bent woman to navigate alone.

Yet Bhagavan’s grace had already arranged two escorts to guide her safely to His abode.

The Silent Working of Guru Krupa

Thus, even before she had Darshan of Bhagavan Nityananda, the touch of His grace was already everywhere:

  • He drew her from illness to pilgrimage
  • He strengthened her resolve through rain and pain
  • He delayed one bus and secured seats in another
  • He provided milk where scarcity was feared
  • He arranged companions to lead her safely onward

Before the disciple reaches the Guru, the Guru has already begun the work.

Lalitadevi was not merely travelling to Ganeshpuri.

She was being carried there by Guru Krupa.

Reference: Shree LalitaMauli by Smt Lila R Joshi, Shree Nityananda Nilay Gurukul, Panvel 

I am deeply grateful to Shri Vinay Masurkar, Smt. Lilatai Joshi and the many devoted followers of Shree Lalita Mauli who have lovingly shared and preserved the fragrance of her grace.

In particular, Smt. Lilatai Joshi, through her remarkable work Shree Lalita Mauli, written in Marathi, has played a significant role in bringing Mauli’s life and teachings closer to countless devotees of Bhagavan Nityananda. Her dedicated effort has ensured that the spiritual legacy of Shree Lalita Mauli continues to inspire seekers and devotees across generations.

Note:

“Images shared in this article are in good faith for spiritual purposes.
Credit unknown. Will acknowledge/remove if required.”