Atmagnani Pujya Deepakbhai Desai
Pujya Deepakbhai was born on May 9, 1953 in Morbi, Saurashtra, Gujarat, India. He grew up in Vavania, the place where Gnani Purush Shrimad Rajchandra grew up. From the very childhood, he had a calm, simple disposition with minimal worldly attachments. He is the youngest amidst five brothers and sisters. His elder brother was keenly spiritual at a very young age and was seeking the path to final freedom and bliss. In this seeking he met Gnani Purush Dadashri.. He was deeply moved and taken by the amazing and practical scientific path to liberation of Dadashri. While he was a college student, his elder brother took him to Dadashri, saying, ‘your learning memory and concentration capacity will improve.’ On March 6, 1971, Deepakbhai received the knowledge of the Self—Atmagnan from Dadashri. Thus at a very young age, just like his brother, he came to the Atmagnani and his gift of Akram Vignan. For the youth who already had ascetic tendencies, Deepakbhai gained tremendous thrust in attaining the true goal of liberation through this Self-knowledge.
After meeting Dadashri, he continued his studies and attained a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After a small time in service, he commenced his own independent business as a Consulting Engineer. Armed with a deep knowledge of textile machinery he utilized his expertise and intuitive skills in helping many famous textile mills in India to function better in a cost effective and timely manner.
When he first joined this spiritual path, in the initial time period, his father was quite opposed to the idea and would often stop him from going further. However after nearly eight years, his father realized that his son was indeed on the right path, and told him, ‘you indeed are my true guru.’ Deepakbhai stayed with his father in such a way as to bring comfort and closure to all matters that bothered his father and took care of him till his departure from this world. In the final years he rendered lots of service to his father. In the last 4-5 hours of his life, the father told the entire family that had gathered around , ‘whatever work Deepak is doing is proper, and all of you are to support him in his goal. Do not obstruct him in going to satsang. Let him do the work of Dada.’ His brothers and sisters complied and have blessed and helped him stay away from worldly and family related matters with ease. Thus even as he lived amidst worldly beings, Pujya Deepakbhai has in a sense remained aloof and disconnected from worldly interactive matters.
In the initial years when there were hardly any spiritual seekers visiting Dadashri in satsang, Deepakbhai helped Pujya Niruma who was in service of Dadashri, in writing Gnanvani—the words of real knowledge—the words of the awakened One, distribution and publishing of books, arrangement of pre and post satsang programs and preparations, and other personal errands and service of Dadashri. His was the task of picking up the flowers that had fallen to the floor after the satsang, recollecting the books and taking them back, cleanup chores and he rendered all this service selflessly.
Around 35 years ago around 1970-1971 audio cassettes were rather rare, and he used to note down Dadashri’s words and speech. Later Pujya Niruma started recording Dadashri’s Gnanvani in audio cassettes in a tape recorder. Pujya Deepakbhai helped Niruma collect and compile various forthcoming topics for the Akram Vignan monthly magazine. Since 1995 ‘Dadavani’ magazine is being published monthly, and Deepakbhai has with great diligence and care, assumed and carried out the full responsibility for its timely publication, as an editor. In helping Pujya Niruma compiling and publishing books of Dadashri, no individual other than Deepakbhai can claim to have taken a greater role. Night and day with great diligence he has given a lion’s share of sacrifice so that these books may become tremendously helpful to the world.
Deepakbhai who by nature is very simple and calm, has performed his work with extreme devotion, never caring for public recognition or recognition by Dadashri of all the work that he has done. Never has he shown any sign of competitive jealousy in matters of service or satsang , with others who also were associates in the work.
Dadashri used to like giving solutions and satisfying answers to deeply probing questions from Deepakbhai related to Gnan—Self-knowledge. He had carried on detailed discussions relating to brahmacharya and gnanjagruti—awakened awareness of the Self-realized with Dadashri, and this has become very useful core material for publications in books on tattvagnan—elemental spiritual knowledge. In 1977 Dadashri had said about Deepakbhai that, ‘ this boy’s uninterrupted jagruti—awakened awareness—is such that he will light up the path of Lord Mahavira. Rarely has such awareness happened to anyone else in the last 2000 years.’ He was only 23 years old at that time!
In 1987 when his health was failing, Dadashri specially called for Deepakbhai to come to USA from India and for 45 days trained and molded him to become ready for satsang. For the ability to conduct satsang Dadashri performed a special Vidhi of Siddhi—special inner empowerment of spiritual nature. This led him to explain the Gnan of Dadashri to numerous small children through the vehicle of satsang.
Pujya Deepakbhai has stayed with Pujya Niruma since 1971. Pujya Niruma has reared Deepakbhai just like a child. This motherly love for Niruma has remained constantly with Deepakbhai. Along with Pujya Niruma, in Dadashri’s presence he would obtain solutions to matters of brahmacharya and elemental knowledge and thus get set in Gnan. He has maintained the param vinay—absolute humility—towards Pujya Niruma till the very end and remained subservient to Her until the end . Pujya Niruma considered him as the right heir to Gnan—the right one to conduct the Work of Akram Vignan—and continued to make him ready for it. In 2003 she gave Her extra blessing to proceed and become ready to give Atmagnan to people. Pujya Deepakbhai was always there at the side of Pujya Niruma to help her conduct spiritual retreats of satsang, satsang parayan—thorough reading of new scriptures—Aptavani—of Dadashri, pran pratishtha—enlivening the presence of current Lords in images, and other special occasions and programs. Already endowed with a deep understanding of spiritual and Gnan matters, Deepakbhai was given many Gnanchavis—knowledge keys to tackle worldly interaction problems by Pujya Niruma in her final years. He has gained tremendous rajipo—inner satisfaction of the Gnani, and blessings of the Gnani. He is a lifelong brahmachari—celibate. He had gained the vow of akhand—uninterrupted brahmacharya from Dadashri. As such he is well known as one of the initiated Aptaputras—absolutely trustworthy sons—of Dadashri.
With the ever present flowing smile on his face, just like Pujya Niruma, in individual interaction or amidst large numbers of seekers in satsang, Pujya Deepakbhai is resolving the individual and personal questions of all.
As a consequence of the Gnansiddhi of Dadashri—special inner empowerment by the Gnani for the one who will continue to give Gnan—Pujya Niruma used to conduct satsang and people used to experience that it was indeed Dadashri speaking through her medium. A similar experience is evident to people nowadays as they hear Pujya Deepakbhai in satsang. It is as if Dadashri and Niruma are talking, that is the experience of the people nowadays in the satsang with Pujya Deepakbhai. With the goal of final liberation of the people suffering from complexity of worldly interaction Deepakbhai has been giving the right and true answers to how their burning issues may be resolved, and for this he moves from village to village and from one country to another. He has conducted satsang in the UK, USA, Canada, Africa, Dubai and Singapore.
He arranges periodic special brahmacharya topic related spiritual retreats for young men to take up the supporting role of the work of Dadashri of salvation of the world by becoming absolutely celibate like him. In these retreats many a young men come to take up the right path in this life in an environment which is otherwise filled with the ravages of sexuality. He also gives an amazing extraordinary understanding to married men in brahmacharya retreats and thereby makes them steadfast in brahmacharya—celibacy through knowledge.
He is very keenly aware of not abusing or wasting any funds of the organization or other people’s money or things, and warns all who have joined in the seva—service of Dadashri’s work of salvation of the world—to keep this awareness. Just like Dadashri and Pujya Niruma, he has used his own earned money to take care of his worldly needs. He is used to living with much simplicity.
Pujya Deepakbhai’s satsang programs are becoming increasingly viewed on Indian television channels, namely Doordarshan, Zee alpha Gujarati, Aastha; in London on ATN etc. Currently on Doordarshan DD11 these are being presented every night between 9 to 9:30 PM.
After the worldly departure of Pujya Niruma, according to her wishes, he immediately commenced satsang programs in a precise and orderly manner. Likewise in following her Agna, the Gurupurnima of the Gnani Purush Dadashri will be celebrated in Houston USA during July 6 through 11, 2006, followed by the same in London and at Adalaj, India, in his company and presence.
After the worldly departure of Pujya Dadashri, mahatmas who had received Atmagnan understood the critical importance and gravity of the live presence of Pujya Niruma for further spiritual progress and therefore they stayed in close touch with her. In the same manner, after the worldly departure of Pujya Niruma, those who have joined and followed the Akram Path, now recognize and understand the critical importance of the live presence of Pujya Deepakbhai as the sole support for their spiritual progress. These followers recognize the need to take advantage of his living presence. For this they love him very dearly and they are showing their eagerness to proceed further spiritually without any wastage of time.
The spiritually hungry population of the entire world, that yearns to escape the ravages of recurrent entry into life cycles of birth and death and thereby enter the path of eternal bliss and freedom, still has an opportunity to attain Atmagnan through the Dadai—of Dadashri—link through Pujya Deepakbhai which is now available. It is really worthwhile to join in this link and conclude the the work of infinite life times. May the Akram Vignan of the absolutely revered Dadashri spread bliss in the life of all human beings of this world and then grant them ultimate liberation. That is the prayer.
Jai Sat Chit Anand
Current Programs of Pujya Deepakbhai