Shree Sadhguru Shankar Maharaj Samadhi, Dhankawadi, Pune, Maharashtra

In appearance, Maharaj was physically deformed. He is often described as Ashtavakra (i.e. bent in eight places) and a man of great knowledge in Puranic times. He was short but was an ‘ajanubahu’, i.e. having long arms that reach below the knees. Most noticeable were his eyes – large and bright – and a childlike expression on his face. The traditional photograph of Maharaj depicts him with a beard, but towards his later years, he was clean-shaven. Many photographs and pictures of him, showing him adorned in different garments, may be seen at the Samadhi temple in Pune. He often carried a bottle of brandy in his hand and had a whip with him, both rather unusual for a yogi. He used to address people using swear words without meaning them. It was considered lucky for a person to be abused by Maharaj, as it was firmly believed that the abuse would rid that person from his past Karmas or future calamities. Though Maharaj was short and thin, he was enormously strong, and there have been instances when he showed his strength to remove the ego of an arrogant person.

Maharaj did not stay in any single place for long.  He moved from one town to another. He was fond of smoking Honeydew (popularly known as ‘Pila Hathi’) cigarettes. He also indulged in drinking hard liquor, especially brandy. But though he outwardly appeared to often be intoxicated, it was not so. He liked the attar of ‘Hina’ and loved music. He also cherished tea, khichadi, and onion bhajiya. While it appears odd for a Siddha yogi to take liquor, his is not a unique case.

Maharaj used to drink with a purpose, one of which was to keep unwanted people away. Only those who saw Maharaj beyond the external facade could come to him.  There are incidents when Maharaj would drink, and unexplainably another person nearby would be the one to get intoxicated. When Maharaj gave somebody a glass of brandy to drink, they would later say that it was not liquor but refreshing sherbet or coconut water.

Maharaj was fond of wearing rings and jewels, but he would give them away to others. He was also not particular about his attire. Sometimes he would dress royally, while on other occasions, he would wear the most ordinary clothes.  Surprisingly, any clothes would fit him. One time, he asked Mr. Pradhan to give him his coat. Though Mr. Pradhan was a well-built person, his coat fitted Maharaj perfectly. A collection of pictures of Maharaj in different garbs decorate the sanctum sanctorum of the Samadhi Mandir.

Maharaj once remembered having received Dakshina from Peshwa’s hands in Shaniwarwada in Pune, the seat of Peshwa’s rule. After the British took over Pune, he met a British Collector who developed faith in Maharaj and considered him his Spiritual guide. He took Maharaj to England, where Maharaj stayed for ten years teaching the yoga path to this British officer. Asked by Dr. Dhaneshwar whether this stay in England was the reason he could speak such good English, Maharaj said, ‘No, Doctor, a person who understands the principle which is beyond the source of all languages, and who becomes one with it, knows any language, even the language of animals and birds. He becomes the energy itself; therefore, he can decipher the vibration. I understand the English language perfectly. I have read complete Shakespeare. He had rich experiences of life. Among his plays, I like Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and Romeo-Juliet.’

Maharaj used to love the number 13 (called Tera in Hindi). He explained it as ‘सब कुछ तेरा, कुछ नही मेरा’, i.e. ‘Everything is yours and nothing is mine. So this life and all bonds are also yours. You are born with your past karmas, which you have to go through. Unless you are free from it, you won’t see God.’