Manik Prabhu Maharaj was an Indian

Hindu saint There is no formal canonization process in Hinduism, but over time many men and women have reached the status of saints among their followers and among Hindus in general. Hindu saints have often renounced the world, and are variously called Gurus, s ...

, philosopher, poet and guru. He is also regarded as an incarnation of

Dattatreya Dattatreya ( sa, दत्तात्रेय, ), Dattā or Dattaguru, is a paradigmatic Sannyasi (monk) and one of the lords of yoga, venerated as a Hindu god. In Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Madhya ...

by the people of Datta Sampraday. Prabhu's philosophy, the Sakala mata Siddhanta rests on the principles of

Advaita Vedanta ''Advaita Vedanta'' (; sa, अद्वैत वेदान्त, ) is a Hinduism, Hindu sādhanā, a path of spiritual discipline and experience, and the oldest extant tradition of the Āstika and nāstika, orthodox Hindu school Ved ...

as propagated by

Adi Sankara Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...

Shri Shri (; , ) is a Sanskrit term denoting resplendence, wealth and prosperity, primarily used as an honorific. The word is widely used in South and Southeast Asian languages such as Marathi, Malay (including Indonesian and Malaysian), Javanese, ...

Prabhu strongly advocated the essential oneness of all religions. Prabhu's Muslim devotees revered him as an incarnation of Mehboob Subhani whereas his

Lingayat Lingayatism or Veera Saivism is a Hindu denomination based on Shaivism. Initially known as ''Veerashaivas'', since the 12th-century adherents of this faith are known as ''Lingayats''. The terms ''Lingayatism'' and '' Veerashaivism'' have been ...

devotees saw him as a form of

Basavanna Basaveshwara, colloquially known as Basavanna, was a 12th-century CE Indian statesman, philosopher, poet, Lingayat social reformer in the Shiva-focussed bhakti movement, and a Hindu Shaivite social reformer during the reign of the Kalyani Chalu ...

. Shri Prabhu composed numerous

bhajan Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' ...

s and padas in various languages such as

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

. Shri Prabhu was also associated with the First War of Indian Independence in 1857. Shri

Sai Baba Sai Baba or Saibaba ( hi, साईं , "Swami", and , " Baba") is an honorific term for ascetics in India. It may refer in particular to: People * Sai Baba of Shirdi (–1918), Indian guru * Sathya Sai Baba (1926–2011), born Sathya Narayana Ra ...

of Shirdi, Shri Swami Samarth of Akkalkot, Shri Bramhachaitanya of Gondavale and many other contemporary saints are believed to have visited Maniknagar to interact with Prabhu on matters of deep spiritual wisdom. Biographers refer to Shri Prabhu as a saint of great spirituality and mysticism. Shri Prabhu's teachings emphasize the path of

Bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...

. He also moralized on the vedantic truths concerning the spiritual unity of beings. Manik Nagar,

Humnabad Humnabad is a town and municipal council in the Bidar District of the Indian state of Karnataka. Humnabad is the headquarters of Humnabad taluk. Geography Humnabad is located at . It has an average elevation of 638 metres (2093 feet). ...

Bidar District Bidar district is the northernmost part of the Karnataka state in India. The administrative headquarters of district is Bidar city. Geographically, it resembles the "Crown of the State", occupying its northeastern end. It is bounded by Kamared ...

is the place where he took sanjeevani

samadhi ''Samadhi'' (Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yoga ...

. Shri Prabhu's samadhi at Maniknagar is the nucleus of Manik Nagar and acts as the spiritual center of the activities of Shri Manik Prabhu Samsthan.

Birth and early life

Manika Prabhu was born into Deshastha Rigvedi Bramhin family of Srivatsa gotra on 22 December 1817 (Margashirsha Pournima -

Datta Jayanti Datta Jayanti, also known as Dattatreya Jayanti, is a Hindu festival, commemorating the birth day celebration of the Hindu Deity Dattatreya (Datta), a combined form of the Hindu male divine trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It is celebrated ...

, Shaka 1739 Eashwara naama Samvatsara) in his grandmother's native Ladwanti near

Basavakalyana Basavakalyana is a city and municipal council in the Bidar District of the Indian state of Karnataka. History Before India's independence, Basavakalyan was called Kalyani. After independence and division of states on linguistic basis in 1956, ...

(now in the Bidar district of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

). His father name is Manohara Naik and mother name is Baya Devi. It is said that his parents, who celebrated Rama Navmi every year, had a divine vision of Lord

on the Ram Navami of 1817 before Prabhu's birth. It is believed that Dattatreya assured Manohar and Baya that he himself would take birth as their child on Datta Jayanti. Prabhu had an elder brother called Dadasaheb, a younger brother called Tatya Saheb and a sister called Chimanabai. Prabhu lost his father at an early age and thus grew up under the guardianship of his maternal uncle Shri Balwantrao Apparao Kulkarni, who was employed with the Nawab of Basavakalyana. While at Basavakalyana, he started collecting a group of his friends and roaming the hills and dales in the vicinity of the town. Young Manik behaved in such a carefree manner that the members of his family were concerned. He used to roam in the forests for days at a stretch and not return home, which led to the people of Basavakalyana calling him ''veda bhau'' (mad child). He never went to school and did not receive any formal education despite attempts by his family members. His childhood friends claimed that he performed many miracles in the jungles while they were playing together. On one occasion, his friend Govinda did not turn up for play. When he reached Govinda's house, he saw that Govinda had died due to snake bite and all his family members were mourning. Prabhu is believed to have miraculously brought Govinda back to life by his devotees. On another occasion, he is said to have given Darshan to Kalambhatta in the divine form of Lord

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

. From early in his childhood, Prabhu's fame as an ''Avatari Purusha'' quickly spread in the erstwhile Hyderabad state and beyond. His devotees have documented many such stories in which Prabhu solved the problems of his devotees, fulfilled people's wishes and helped common people in distress. He stayed with Bhalachandra Dikshit of Hallikhed (a Vedic Pundit) for a few months to learn some Vedic rites and rituals. As he grew older, his uncle tried to formally educate him, thinking that education would make him a breadwinner for the family, but in vain. On a hot summer afternoon, when Prabhu was taking a royal siesta on his uncle's bed, he got a strong reprimand from his uncle. This was reason enough for Prabhu to renounce all worldly ties and leave his hometown for his chosen mission. He composed his first pada or bhajan 'प्रभूविण कोण कुणाचा वाली' after leaving home.

Travel and Pilgrimage

After leaving home, Prabhu stayed and performed penance at Amrutkund - a holy place in the jungles near Manthal for six months. Devotees believe that Bhagawan

, disguised as a ''Bairagi'' once visited Prabhu at Amritkund and gave him ''Danda'', ''Deeksha'' and ''Jholi'', mandating his future journey as a wandering yogi and an itinerant messenger of truth. From here, he started travelling and visiting places of religious importance in the region. According to a legend, he once arrived at Chalakapur, a small village near

Bidar Bidar (/ biːd̪ər/) is a city in the north-eastern part of Karnataka state in India. It is the headquarters of Bidar district, which borders Maharashtra and Telangana. It is a rapidly urbanising city in the wider ''Bidar Metropolitan area ...

during his wanderings. The sun had already set and he had no place to stay at night. On the outskirts of the village, he saw a temple dedicated to

Hanuman Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...

. The people of this village did not visit this temple after nightfall due to the fear of

dacoits Dacoity is a term used for "banditry" in the Indian subcontinent. The spelling is the anglicised version of the Hindi word ''daaku''; "dacoit" is a colloquial Indian English word with this meaning and it appears in the ''Glossary of Colloquial ...

, thieves and wild animals. Prabhu arrived at this temple and planned to stay there for the night. He packed his clothes and other belongings in a cloth and safely deposited them on Shri Hanuman's Moorthi before sleeping in a corner of the temple. Next morning, the

poojari ''Poojari'' () is a 2007 Indian Kannada-language action drama film directed by Sharan and starring Adi Lokesh (in his lead debut) and Neethashree. The film was released alongside '' Arasu'' (2007) on Republic Day and was a box office failure de ...

(priest) arrived and was enraged to see that a young person had kept his belongings on the holy idol's shoulders. He woke Shri Prabhu up and asked him why he had done so. Prabhu said "He who takes care of the whole world can easily take care of my belongings in this desolate place, therefore I kept it with the lord". The ''poojari'''s anger knew no bounds and he started beating Shri Prabhu with a stick. It is believed that blood started oozing out of the Hanuman idol when the ''poojari'' beat Prabhu. Seeing wounds appearing on Hanuman's idol, the ''poojari'' thought that Prabhu must be none other than Hanuman in human form and begged for his forgiveness. Prabhu forgave him and asked him never to be harsh with devotees. He stayed at Chalakapur for a few months and people started flocking to him for his d arshan. He arrived at Mailar near Bidar after leaving Chalakapur. It his here that he met Devi Venkamma or Madhumati Shyamala, his disciple (a

yogini A yogini (Sanskrit: योगिनी, IAST: ) is a female master practitioner of tantra and yoga, as well as a formal term of respect for female Hindu or Buddhist spiritual teachers in Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Greater Tibet. The ...

revered as a

devi Devī (; Sanskrit: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism. The conce ...

by Shri Manik Prabhu's devotees), for the first time. Prabhu stayed at Mailar for a few months and like Chalakapur, thousands of people started gathering to catch a glimpse of Shri Prabhu. After leaving Mailar, Prabhu proceeded to

Bhalki Bhalki is a town in Bidar district in the Indian state of Karnataka. History First mention of the town was made as "Bhallunke" in the vachanas of 12th century sharanas. The sharana Kumbara Gundaiah was from Bhalki who was part of Bhakthi moveme ...

. Prabhu is said to have performed penance in the jungles near Bhalki. Some accounts suggest that Prabhu taught Devi Venkamma ''samadhi'' and yoga in the jungles there. He then visited Chitguppa where he is said to have given ''darshan'' to his devotees in the divine form of Lord

Basaveshwara Basaveshwara, colloquially known as Basavanna, was a 12th-century CE Indian statesman, philosopher, poet, Lingayat social reformer in the Shiva-focussed bhakti movement, and a Hindu Shaivite social reformer during the reign of the Kalyani Chal ...

. Prabhu sent all his followers and shishyas to Kalyan and then set out for his spiritual journey across the country. Prabhu travelled on foot as a wandering yogi across the length and breadth of the country covering places of religious importance such as

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

Haridwar Haridwar (; ) is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district. The city is situated on the righ ...

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...

, Badri,

Puri Puri () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is als ...

Dwarka Dwarka () is a city and a municipality of Devbhumi Dwarka district in the state of Gujarat in Western India. It is located on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of the Gomti river at the mouth of the Gulf of Kut ...

, Girnar,

Tirupati Tirupati () is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirupati district. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and other historic temples and is refe ...

and Rameshwaram. Some of his Muslim devotees believe that he visited the shrine of Mehboob Subhani in

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

(Iraq) during his travels in North India. Prabhu also visited Pandharpur, Tuljapur, Ganagapur, Kolhapur and other major temples of the Deccan region. According to Ganesh Raghunath Kulkarni (Prabhu's official biographer), the river Chandrabhaga was flooded when he visited Pandharpur. Prabhu's devotees believe that Panduranga himself came in the form of a boatman and took Prabhu to the other side of the river and then disappeared. When he visited the Vitthala Temple, he had worn dirty and torn clothes. The pundits thought that he was a beggar and denied him entry to the temple. When he tried to forcefully enter the temple, the pundits beat him. It is believed that a floral garland came from Panduranga's idol and fell on Shri Prabhu. The pundits realised that Prabhu was a divine being and begged him for forgiveness. Prabhu took Lord Vitthala's ''darshan'' and stayed at Pandharpur for many days. While describing his Pandharpur visit, Prabhu himself says in an

abhang Abhanga () is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of the Hindu god Vitthal, also known as Vithoba. The word "abhang" comes from ''a'' for "non-" and ''bhang'' for "ending" or "interrupting", in other words, a flawless, continuous process, in ...

a (poem), 'कडकडोनि माणिकदास विट्ठलासी भेटले'. During his countrywide travel, he composed numerous ''bhajans'' in praise of various deities in Marathi, Kannada, Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit. These ''bhajans'' and ''abhangas'' are compiled in a book called ''Padyamala''. Prabhu also visited the Gottamgotti forest, Ketaki Sangam and Nyalkal among other places when he came back to his native land. The devotees of Bidar invited Prabhu to visit Bidar. On the way there, it is said that a yogi came in the form of a snake and led Prabhu to Jharani Narasimha cave. Prabhu's ancestors had performed penance at Jharani Narasimha. People of the Bidar region started to flock to Jharni for Prabhu's ''darshan''. Devotees of Bidar invited Prabhu to visit their homes. Prabhu assured everyone that he would visit their house at 12 noon the following day. According to Ganesh Raghunath Kulkarni, Prabhu is believed to have visited every devotee's home at the same time in a miraculous example of multilocation. According to the same account, when Muslim residents of Bidar tried to test him by giving him meat and wine for lunch, Prabhu is believed to have converted them into fruits and milk. Prabhu's devotees ascribe many such miracles to him.

Maniknagar

Establishment of Maniknagar

After completing his spiritual journey across the country, Prabhu finally decided to settle on the banks of the rivulets Viraja and Guruganga in the year 1845 which later came to be known as Maniknagar (a place near Humnabad in Bidar District of Karnataka). He was on his way back to Kalyan when his

palkhi The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...

or ''palanquin'' got stuck in the jungle near Humnabad. Prabhu liked the area and decided to make it his permanent abode and also a center for the propagation of his philosophy of ''sakalamata siddhanta''. Prabhu stayed in a simple hut and ate only the ''madhukari bhiksha'' (alms) which his disciples would bring from the nearby villages. Usually, he dressed in very simple clothes and occasionally he even dressed in royal attire. Manik Prabhu established the ''gaadi'' (spiritual seat) of Lord

in the very hut where he used to reside. This ''gaadi'' is a symbol of Nirguna Bramha. He did not place any idol or spiritual icon on the ''gaadi'' and instead kept it empty. The idea behind it was that his devotees could visualise the

parabrahma ''Para Brahman'' ( sa, परब्रह्म, translit=parabrahma, translit-std=IAST) in Hindu philosophy is the "Supreme Brahman" that which is beyond all descriptions and conceptualisations. It is described as the formless (in the sense th ...

(supreme reality) in whatever form they liked and worship him accordingly. Initially When Prabhu made Maniknagar his abode, only his disciples and some bramhacharis stayed in small huts. Later on, Prabhu allowed people from all walks of life to stay at Maniknagar and the population started increasing steadily. Prabhu's mother Baya Devi and his brothers Tatya Saheb and Dada Saheb also came and settled in Maniknagar with their family.

Prabhu Darbar

The name and fame of Manik Prabhu spread quickly and people of all religions, sects and communities started flocking to Maniknagar. Prabhu used to hold a gathering everyday called ''darbar'' where thousands of people visited him and sought his blessings. Prabhu guided his devotees in spiritual matters and helped them overcome their material difficulties. Prabhu gave ''khairaat'' or alms to the needy and the poor. Hundreds of

Vedic scholars upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...

, Fakeers,

jangam The Jangam or Jangamaru (ಜಂಗಮರು) are a Shaiva order of religious monks. They are the priests or gurus of the Hindu Shaiva sect. Jangamas are also gurus of Veerashaiva' sect Jangamas are disciples of Lord Shiva as mentioned in Bas ...

s and other

mendicant A mendicant (from la, mendicans, "begging") is one who practices mendicancy, relying chiefly or exclusively on alms to survive. In principle, mendicant religious orders own little property, either individually or collectively, and in many inst ...

s came to Maniknagar to receive blessings and ''khairaat'' from Prabhu. It is said that leading musicians and artists of the time came to Maniknagar to perform ''seva'', selfless service, in Prabhu's ''darbar''. He was equally revered by all communities; while his Muslim followers thought him to be an incarnation of Mehboob Subhani (the

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

saint of Baghdad), his Lingayat devotees would worship him as Lord Basaveshwara and his Sikh followers saw him as in the form of

Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated wor ...

. It is said that the fifth

Nizam of Hyderabad The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...

, Mir Afzaluddaula sent his courtier Yashwantrao Arab to seek Shri Prabhu's blessings. Prabhu declined the

jagir A jagir ( fa, , translit=Jāgir), also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar (Zamindar) system. It developed during the Islamic rule era of the Indian subcontinent, start ...

or lands offered by the king and said, "The whole earth belongs to my lord, Datta Prabhu". He sent Prasada to the Nizam Afzaluddaula. Some devotees believe that the Nizam's son Mehboob Ali (the sixth Nizam) was named by Shri Manik Prabhu. Prabhu conducted a ''mahayajna'' (Vedic sacrifice) called ''sarvatomukha'' at Maniknagar. Leading scholars of the time are said to have attended this

yajna Yajna ( sa, यज्ञ, yajña, translit-std=IAST, sacrifice, devotion, worship, offering) refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras.SG Nigal (1986), Axiological Approach to the Vedas, Northern Book ...

and sought Shri Prabhu's blessings. Prabhu celebrated Datta Jaynti Utsav every year at Maniknagar in a grand manner. Stories of his miracles and eyewitness accounts, which bear testimony to the manner in which he brought succor to the distressed and the sorrowing, to the afflicted and the wronged, who, ardently and with deep faith and devotion sought his spiritual intervention are available. He never claimed credit for any such incident and always said that it is "Datta Prabhu's '' leela''". He is also believed to have given ''darshan'' to a devotee in the divine form of Goddess Tulaja Bhavani and accepted the devotee's offerings. Many such stories are compiled in the official biography of Shri Manik Prabhu by Ganesh Raghunath Kulkarni.

Visits of spiritual personalities

Shri Swami Samarth is also believed to have visited Prabhu before settling at Akkalkot. According to Shri Manik Prabhu Charitra, Swami Maharaj stayed at Maniknagar for six months. Shri Manik Prabhu and Shri Swami Samarth used to sit under the holy audumbar tree and interact on matters of deep spiritual wisdom. Eyewitness accounts suggest that Shri Swami Samarth used to regard Shri Manik Prabhu as his brother. According to Shri Achyut Yashwant Dhond, Shri

Sai Baba of Shirdi Sai Baba of Shirdi (c. 1838? - died 15 October 1918), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian spiritual master and fakir, considered to be a saint, revered by both Hindu and Muslim devotees during and after his lifetime. According to a ...

visited Prabhu as a young Fakeer. According to the tale, Prabhu was sitting in his ''darbar'' when ''Sai Baba'' arrived. Sai asked Prabhu to fill his lota. Prabhu instructed Tatya Saheb, his brother who was sitting beside him, to fill the ''lota''. Tatya was busy with some academic discussions on Vedanta and tried to fill the ''lota'' while speaking to someone else. Even after putting hundreds of coins in it, the ''lota'' would not fill. Tatya was astonished and gave it to Prabhu. Prabhu put 5 ''khariks'' (dry dates) and some flowers in it. The ''lota'' filled immediately. Sai Baba took the dates and flowers and said that this was enough for him. He poured back the coins which were many times more than the original coins put in the ''lota'' by Tatya Saheb. Shri Bramha Chaitanya Maharaj of Gondavale also visited Prabhu at Maniknagar. The Shankaracharya of Sringeri at the time, Jagadguru Ugra Narasimha Bharati Swamiji paid a visit to Maniknagar during Prabhu's time. Prabhu welcomed the

Shankaracharya Shankaracharya ( sa, शङ्कराचार्य, , "Adi Shankara, Shankara-''acharya''") is a religious title used by the heads of amnaya monasteries called mathas in the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Hinduism. The title derives from Adi ...

with due honours and the Shankaracharya appreciated Prabhu's noble work.

Prabhu and the revolt of 1857

According to Ganesh Raghunath Kulkarni, Nanasaheb Peshwa of Bithur sent a letter to Prabhu seeking his blessings, guidance and support in 1857. A person called Rangrao carried Nanasaheb's letter to Prabhu. Prabhu gave

prasada 200px, Prasad thaal offered to Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad ">Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad">Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad Prasada (, Sanskrit: प्रसाद, ), Prasadam or Prasad is a religious offering in Hinduism. Most o ...

(dry dates) and some money to Rangrao for the national movement. Prabhu reportedly said to Rangrao, "Tell Nanasaheb that he has my support and blessings. There is a lot of time for the fulfillment of the goal (independence), but don't stop the efforts. Datta Prabhu will definitely bless you all". Prabhu gave yoga ''dandas'' or divine sticks to his followers and said that "these sticks will protect you from the dangers of the war". After the uprising, Prabhu took all the yoga ''dandas'' back and they are stored in a room at Maniknagar today.

Sanjivani Mahasamadhi

In 1865, Prabhu felt that it was time for him to take

mahasamadhi ''Samadhi'' (Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yoga ...

. Both of his brothers, Dadasaheb and Tatyasaheb, and his mother Baya Devi had passed away before Prabhu's ''mahasamadhi''. Devi Venkamma too attained ''samadhi'' a couple of years before Shri Prabhu. Prabhu decided the holy day Mokshada Ekadashi (''Geeta Jayanti - Margashirsha Shuddha Ekadashi, Shaka'' 1787), Tuesday 29 November 1865 would be the ideal date for ''mahasamadhi''. He instructed his close aides to construct a walled pit in his hut but under total secrecy. His plan was known only to 4 or 5 of his close disciples. The annual ''Datta Jayanti Utsav'' had already begun. On the night of

Dashami Dashami is the Sanskrit word for "ten", and is the tenth day in the lunar fortnight ('' Paksha'') of the Hindu calendar. Each month has two Dashami days, being the tenth day of the "bright" (''Shukla'') and of the "dark" (''Krishna'') fortnights res ...

(28 Nov 1865), Prabhu distributed ''khairaat'' (alms) to Fakeers and the poor as coincidentally it was the day of Gyarahvi Shareef (anniversary of the death of Mehboob Subhani, famous Sufi saint of Baghdad). On the early morning of Ekadashi, Prabhu retired to his hut and took ''

sanyasa ''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' As ...

deeksha'' according to the scriptures under total secrecy. He called both of his nephews, Manohara and Martanda to the hut and accepted their pooja. Prabhu gave the ''mantra deeksha'' and ''kharik prasada'/ Karjura or Uttatti' to his elder nephew Manohara Prabhu and appointed him as the successor to his holy ''peetha''. Then he sat in the pit of the ''samadhi'' and asked his aides to close the pit from all sides. Prabhu attained ''Sanjivani

'', a state of meditative blissful consciousness. Eyewitness accounts suggest that Prabhu left his physical body by the yogic way of ''Samadhi'' on the evening of

Ekadashi Ekadashi () is the eleventh lunar day (''tithi'') of each of the two lunar phases which occur in an Vedic calendar month - the '' Shukla Pakṣa'' (the period of the brightening moon also known as the waxing phase) and the ''Kṛṣṇa Pakṣa ...

around 5 PM. Prabhu's devotees believe that he is sitting in the ''SANJEEVAN SAMAADHI'' and answering their prayers even to this day. Other examples of saints who took ''Sanjeevan Samadhi'' are Santa

Dnyaneshwar Sant Dnyaneshwar (Marathi pronunciation: ̪ɲaːn̪eʃʋəɾ, also referred to as Jnaneshwar, Jnanadeva, Dnyandev or Mauli or Dnyaneshwar Vitthal Kulkarni (1275–1296), was a 13th-century Indian Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and yogi of ...

of Alandi and Shri

Raghavendra Swami Raghavendra Tirtha () (1595 – 1671) was a Hindu scholar, theologian and saint. He was also known as Sudha Parimalacharya (). His diverse oeuvre include commentaries on the works of Madhva, Jayatirtha and Vyasatirtha, interpretation of the ...

of Mantralaya. The news of Prabhu's Samadhi was broken to the public on the day of

(4 days later) after the ''Mahapooja'' and ''Jayanti'' celebrations.

Guru Parampara

Maniknagar is a ''Datta-Peetha'' where a Guru-Parampara exists for the spiritual guidance of the devotees. Shri Prabhu's mission was ably carried forward by his successors who contributed in their own ways in spreading the message of Shri Prabhu and enriching and enhancing the glory of the institution established by him. *Shri Manohar Manik Prabhu (birth: 1858, Peetharohan: 1865, Mahasamadhi: 1877), Shri Manik Prabhu's nephew, was the immediate successor to him. He became the Peethadhipati at the tender age of 7 years. He acquired mastery over the Sanskrit language and the scriptures and went on to lay down the Upasana Paddhati (principles of worship) of the Sakalamata Sampradaya. Like his Guru, he too composed numerous Vedantic compositions in various languages and Stotras in Sanskrit. Within a very short stint as the Peethadhipati of the Samsthan he completed the important task of construction of the Samadhi Mandir (main temple) of Shri Manik Prabhu. Like his Guru Shri Manik Prabhu, he too attained Sanjeevani Mahasamadhi. *Shri Martand Manik Prabhu (birth: 1860, Peetharohan: 1877, Mahasamadhi:1936), younger brother of Shri Manohar Prabhu and Nephew of Shri Manik Prabhu, was the third Peethadhipati of the Samsthan. During his 60 year long stint as the head of the Samsthan, He developed the institution into an important spiritual centre. He spread Prabhu's message far and wide and a great many people came to be associated with the Samsthan, becoming his ardent disciples and continuing their devotion for generations to come. He is credited for opening the doors of Vedanta to the common man through his simple yet impactful writing, elucidating the most difficult Vedantic principles in the language of the masses. He was a prolific composer in Marathi, Urdu, Hindi, Sanskrit and Kannada. The Pundits and Scholars of Varanasi conferred on him the title of 'Abhinava Shankaracharya' for his bold and independent views on Advaita Philosophy in his magnum opus 'Gnyan Martanda'. He was also a musicologist who worked on the scientific relation of music with spirituality. Musical Stalwarts of his time such as Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar and

Balgandharva Narayan Shripad Rajhans, popularly known as Bal Gandharva, (26 June 1888 – 15 July 1967) was a famous Marathi language, Marathi singer and a stage actor. He was known for his roles in female characters in Marathi plays, since women were not ...

sought his guidance and blessings. The erstwhile Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan and the Prime Minister of Hyderabad State Maharaja Kishan Pershad Bahadur were among his followers. He toured extensively throughout the erstwhile Hyderabad, Bombay and Madras states to propagate the message of Sakalamata. He attained Mahasamadhi in the year 1936. *Shri Shankar Manik Prabhu (birth: 1895, Peetharohan: 1936, Mahasamadhi: 1945), nephew of Shri Martand Prabhu, was the fourth Peethadhipati of the Samsthan. Before ascending the holy seat of Shri Prabhu, he served as the Secretary of the Samsthan for several years under the guidance of his Guru and maternal uncle Shri Martand Prabhu. His modern education (he was a law graduate from the Osmania University) helped him in systematizing the administrative setup of the Samsthan and giving it a modern social outlook. He started the first educational institution of Maniknagar called Manik Vidyalaya in the year 1940. His essays on Advaita Vedanta were published in some of the leading spiritual journals of his time which are today compiled in the book Dnyana Shankari. He attained Mahasamadhi in the year 1945. *Shri Siddharaj Manik Prabhu, (birth: 1939, Peetharohan: 1945, Mahasamadhi: 2009) was the only son of Shri Shankar Manik Prabhu and the fifth successor of the Peetha. The responsibility of carrying forward Shri Prabhu's spiritual mission fell upon Shri Siddharaj Manik Prabhu at the tender age of 6 years. He was sent to the famous Scindia School of Gwalior for his formal education. He took over the affairs of the Samsthan after completing his school education in the year 1956. Shri Siddharaj Manik Prabhu is credited for transforming a tiny hamlet called Maniknagar into a throbbing centre of spiritual and Social activities. He toured all over the country to propagate the message of Sakalamata as propounded by Shri Prabhu. He founded a number of educational and charitable institutions at Maniknagar for the benefit of public at large. He was also a sports enthusiast who strongly believed in making games and sports an integral part of an individual's growth and development. He took special interest in Indian Classical music. Musical stalwarts such as Bharatratna Bheemsen Joshi, Bharatratna Lata Mangeshkar, Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur among many others visited Maniknagar to seek his blessings. He composed a number of Bhajans and Abhangas in Hindi, Marathi and Kannada, which are very popular among his followers. He attained Mahasamadhi in the year 2009. *Shri Dnyanraj Manik Prabhu (birth: 1958, Peetharohan: 2009), elder son of Shri Siddharaj Prabhu, is the present Peethadhipati of Shri Manik Prabhu Samsthan. Like his father and Guru Shri Siddharaj Prabhu, he too was sent to the Scindia School - Gwalior for his formal education. While at school, he secured the All India 1st rank for Economics in the CBSE examinations of 1975 and was awarded the 'President of India's gold medal for the Best Scindian - 1974-75' by the School. After returning from School, he took charge as the Secretary of Shri Manik Prabhu Samsthan in 1975. During his 34 year long stint as Secretary of the Samsthan, he assisted his Father in the all-round development of the Samsthan. He introduced modern technology in the administration of the Samsthan and renovated many old structures in Maniknagar. He ascended the holy Peetha of Shri Prabhu after the Mahasamadhi of his father and Guru Shri Siddharaj Prabhu in the year 2009. He is a prolific writer in Hindi, Urdu and Marathi and has composed numerous Bhajans, Kavitas, Abhangas etc. in these languages. He has studied the Upanishadas, Bhagawatgeeta and other Vedantic texts and has written a number of books on these subjects. Shri Dnyanraj Prabhu is known for his discourses on Advaita Vedanta all over the country and abroad. Many of his discourses have been aired on leading spiritual TV channels of India. He is credited for taking Shri Prabhu's message beyond the shores of India. He has been awarded the honorary D.Litt. (doctorate) by the Gulbarga University. He has also been awarded with 'Sadhana Shankar' and 'Adi Shankaracharya' awards by leading spiritual institutions of the country. He is credited for successfully organising many Mahotsavas like Shri Manik Dwishatabdi Mahotsava at Maniknagar.

Sakalamata Sampradaya

The

sampradaya ''Sampradaya'' ( sa, सम्प्रदाय; ), in Indian origin religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, can be translated as 'tradition', 'spiritual lineage', 'sect', or 'religious system'. To ensure continuity and ...

is called ''sakalamata'' as it involves and assimilates all sects and creeds.http://www.manikprabhu.org/Philosophy It is not at all antagonistic to them but only means to supplement them. Shri Prabhu was considered to be a 'Raja Yogi' by his followers. This sampradaya has three types of ''upasanas'' (ways of worship). The first is 'Adhyatmic Upasana', in which Chaitanya Dev (Bramhan) is the main deity. The second is 'Adhidaivik Upasana' in which Manik Prabhu is worshiped as the fourth incarnation of lord

. The third is 'Adhibhautik Upasana' in which Manik Prabhu is worshiped in the Sadguru roopa. The philosophy of this tradition is that there is no resistance to any kind of religious faiths in the world. All faiths are believed to give the ultimate godliness to its followers. This tradition was started by Shri Manik Prabhu of Maniknagar. There is no distinction made on the basis of caste, creed, religion or gender. The Sampradaya is firmly based on Adi Sankara's

adwaita Adwaita (meaning "one and only" in Sanskrit) (c. 1750 – 22 March 2006), also spelled Addwaita, was a male Aldabra giant tortoise that lived in the Alipore Zoological Gardens of Kolkata, India. At the time of his death in 2006, Adwaita was bel ...

philosophy.

Datta Jayanti

Manik Prabhu is a saint in Datta Sampradaya who was born on Datta Jayanti (Margashirsha Pournima, Tuesday 22 December 1817). Prabhu's birth anniversary is celebrated in Manik nagar as an annual 7-day Mahotsava called Datta Jayanti mahotsava. It is a religious and cultural extravaganza in which hundreds of vedic Pundits, Musicians, Folk artists along with thousands of devotees assemble in Maniknagar to pay their tributes to the Samadhi of Manik Prabhu. *Shri Prabhu Punyatithi: The Utsava starts with the Punyatithi of Shri Prabhu on Margasheersha Ekadashi or Gita Jayanti. Rajopachar Mahapooja and Aradhana of Shri Prabhu is performed on this day. *Shri Prabhu Dwadashi: Viraja-Guruganga Sangam Snaan and Rajopaxhar Mahapooja to Shri Prabhu's Samadhi are performed on this day *Dakshina Darbar or Trayodashi: Dakshina or Khairaat is given to the needy and the poor on this day. *Guru Poojan or Chaturdashi: The Sampradayik Shishyas perform Guru Poojan to their Guru, the Peethadhipati (successor) of Shri Manik Prabhu on this day. *Prabhu Jayanti, Datta Jayanti or Pournima: This is the main day of the Utsava. Rajopachar Mahapooja is performed to the holy Samadhi of Shri Prabhu on this day. Lakhs of devotees congregate on this day to take the Darshan of Shri Prabhu Samadhi and partake the Mahaprasada. *Prabhu Darbar: The Utsava concludes with The Jayanti Darbar or Prabhu Darbar. This is a nightlong event. On this day, the ''Peethadhipati'' sits on the holy ''simhasana'' of Shri Manik Prabhu and gives Darshan and Prasad to the devotees while musicians and artists perform their Seva in front of the Simhasana. The Janma of Shri Prabhu is celebrated after the aarati. Thousands of devotees take Darshan and Prasada in the Darbar. A Shobhayatra is held on the next day on conclusion of the Darbar and the Utsava.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Prabhu, Manik 19th-century Hindu religious leaders 1817 births 1865 deaths