Dharmabhaskar PP Sadgurudas Maharaj, also known as Shivkathakar Vijayrao Deshmukh, passed away on Wednesday evening at the age of 84 following a heart attack. He was undergoing treatment at Dharmabhaskar Viveka Hospital. Maharaj resided at Gurumandir in Jayprakash Nagar.
His funeral procession will begin from his residence at 3 pm on Thursday, and the last rites will be performed at Sahakarnagar Ghat. He is survived by his son Ajey Deshmukh, three daughters and extended family members. His demise has left his followers and devotees in deep mourning.
Born on January 28, 1942, in Gadegaon village of Akola district, Vijayrao Deshmukh came from a farming family. After completing his education, he earned an M.A. degree from Nagpur University. He had a deep interest in Marathi literature, history, Sanskrit and historical research.
He dedicated his life to spreading the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from the age of 19 and delivered over 10,000 lectures across the country, reaching more than six lakh devotees. Through the Nagpur-based Shri Gurumandir, he established over 500 spiritual centres, including six temples in Maharashtra and Telangana. He also organised large-scale religious events attended by thousands of devotees.
Maharaj was a prolific author. Over 30,000 copies of his two-volume biography of Shivaji Maharaj, “Shakkarte Shivray,” were published. His other notable historical works include Raja Shambhu Chhatrapati, Maharajanchya Mulkhat, Maharathi Mati, and Simhasanadhishwar. His spiritual writings include Suryaputra, Kirtan Kaustubh, Pravachan Parimal, Sahaj Bolne Hitopadesh, Samarth Smaran, and Hanuman Chalisa – Ek Chintan.
In 2022, he was conferred the title of “Dharmabhaskar” by the Shankaracharya of Sankeshwar Peeth. He also received several prestigious honours, including the Prabodhratna Award, Dharmaveer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Award, Rajratna Award, Shiv Sant Award, Vidarbha Gaurav Samman, Raigad Smruti Award and Swatantryaveer Savarkar Award.
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