The paragon who was born on the auspicious eve of Makar Sankranti and named Narayan—an incarnation of lord Vishnu—would later be named Skandadas in the Madhuradwait Sect; he would carry forward his Guru’s madhuradwait heritage to new heights. Skandadas Maharaj, the second preceptor of the Madhuradwait Sect, is better known to many as Babaji Maharaj Pandit.

Narayan Paikaji Pandit—as he signed his correspondences—, was born in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district in the then stately constituency of Vidarbha. Son of father Paikaji and mother Vishakha, young Narayan developed an interest in pious affairs at a fairly early age. While still in college, he had already recited the Guru Charitra, a holy Hindu manuscript, many times over.

His brother-in-law and good friend Bhausaheb alias Dattatraya Khapre shared similar interests; the young duo was desperately seeking their Guru (spiritual mentor) to obtain the Guru Mantra (wise counsel). One morning, Bhausaheb got to hear of a congenitally blind sage of high stature who had arrived in the city of Nagpur. He immediately rushed to his good friend Narayan and hurried over to Nagpur. The sage, Gulabrao Maharaj, though he let them attend his lectures, seemed to be rather distancing. Young Narayan was floored by Gulabrao Maharaj’s prodigious knowledge of metaphysics and his insurmountable devotion and fidelity towards Lord Krishna and Saint Dnyaneshwara—he knew it immediately that his search was over, he had found his beloved Guru!

After testing his perseverance and adjudicating his deep devotion, Gulabrao Maharaj accepted Narayan and permitted him to accompany him wherever he would go. In shelter of Gulabrao Maharaj, young Narayan would perform any and every task that came his way without second thoughts, he would even wash clothes of Maharaj’s other disciples. Always diligent, he never exhibited even a trace of tiredness or regret; he would also take dictations-from and read-books-to Maharaj regularly. As he would later preach, the young Narayan was practising and setting-an-unparalleled-example-of his teachings—“seva mhanje samarpan (service is submission)”. On account of his diligence, obedience, piousness and of course submission, his guru Gulabrao Maharaj had once confessed: “me Panditala vash jhaloy (I have been becharmed by Pandit)”—!

Gulabrao Maharaj left the material world in the year 1915 A.C. As per Hindu customs, his asthi (ashes and remains) were carried to Prayaag and immersed in the Holy Ganges by his dear disciple Pandit. That day, Gulabrao Maharaj visited Narayan in his dream and handed him a packet of Holy Ashes. He instructed Narayan to consume these ashes regularly, and told him that they would enable him to understand all of his works (books and dictations). When he woke-up, Narayan indeed found that packet of ashes by his pillow. Needless to say, he diligently followed his Guru’s orders and was handsomely blessed with supreme knowledge and consciousness.

Meanwhile, the trustees of the Madhuradwait Sampradaya were clueless as to who was to succeed Gulabrao Maharaj as the second Madhuradwaitacharya. It was settled that the disciple who can most proficiently deliver a discourse on one of Gulabrao Maharaj’s toughest commentaries—Nigamanta Patha Sandeepak—, the guiding light to the Vedas (ancient holy scriptures of Hinduism), would be deemed the successor. However, none of the disciples felt confident enough to come forward and take-up that Herculean task; when everyone was asked personally, Narayan Pandit was the only one who not only said yes, but said confidently so.

Most people were awestruck, some even frowned at the thought of Pandit, the lad who had done nothing more than daily chores all this while, could even dream of giving a discourse on anything written by his learned Guru, let alone this arduous one. But all went hush and mum once Gulabrao Maharaj’s Pandit started the lecture, it felt as if they were listening to Maharaj himself. Everyone was stunned, to say the least; those who were awestruck at his ‘yes’, were struck further at this ‘discourse’! One of the disciples at the time, Tai, recalled what Gulabrao Maharaj used to say, “majhaa janma Panditakarta aahe (I have taken birth for Pandit)”.

After that discourse, everyone had discovered a new-found-respect for Narayan Pandit. That day was the last he was ever referred to by his given name or surname—everyone would now address to him as Babaji Maharaj, out of love and respect.

Babaji Maharaj has written commentaries on this grand preceptor, Saint Dnyaneshwara’s long-familiar metaphysical masterpieces such as Haripaath, Dnyaneshwari, and Anrutanubhava. These three works are known as the Prasthaana Trayi of the Varkari sect. Babaji Maharaj wrote commentaries on them by the names of Haripaath Rahasya, Amrutanubhava Kaumudi and Dnyaneshwari Goodhaartha Deepika respectively. These commentaries, apart from being incomparably insightful and lucid, are the only ones to interpret the Chidvilaaswaada present in the Dnyaneshwari in light of Aadi Shankarachaarya’s monism (and to reconcile them with estimable logic). These works have been highly appreciated, and rightly so, by distinguished academicians and scholars time and again.

Besides his literary contributins, Babaji Maharaj used to give pravachanas (sermons) on entire books and scriptures of the likes of those written by his dear Guru and the Bhaagwata, Naarada Bhakti Sutra, Panchadashi, Tripura Rahasya, et cetera.

Babaji Maharaj was also a poet and a trained classical singer; he has written several abhangas (spiritual lyrics). He would compose these in various melodious ragas and present them to the almighty during the bhajana (devotional singing)sessions.

Every year at midnight, on the eve of Krishnaashtami (the natal day of Lord Krishna), Babaji Maharaj would enact the scene of Lord Krishna’s birth and himself play the role of Gaargaachaarya and recite a prophecy of the Lord to his father and mother—Nandaraaj and Yashodaa. During these discourses, he would explain in intricate yet apprehensible details, the ways of devotion, key to material detachment, how one could achieve the supreme union, finding the spiritual truth and the ultimate knowledge, et cetera.