Aniruddha Bapu - My Mentor (सद्‍गुरु)

When I met Aniruddha Bapu (Dr. Aniruddha Joshi) for the first time in the year 1985, one of the first things that he impressed upon me was setting my priorities in life – what I want to achieve and attain in life. It was he who ingrained in my mind the true meaning of the term progress – that which gives contentment (trupti) and satisfaction (samadhaan).

As I then knew Him (only as a doctor and my elder brother, Suchit Dada’s teacher), His personality was indeed awe inspiring – there was seemingly nothing that he had not mastered. His repertoire as an individual ranged from being a MD Doctor, to having a deep and intricate knowledge of sports and dramatics, knowledge and liking of music, and inter-personal relations. Beneath his calm demeanour and a loving and caring nature lay a person who did not tolerate any injustice towards the poor and helpless. It was he who ingrained in me the basic truth of our lives – Purity is the only decisive norm (Paavitrya Hech Pramaan).

Although I had been reading the Shri Sai Satcharita regularly, it was Aniruddha Bapu who initiated me into an altogether different approach of reading the Shri Sai Satcharita. His lectures on Shri Sai Satcharita during the Panchasheel Practicals were a veritable treasure trove. His discourses on Shri Sai Satcharita open up facets that one could never have thought about. 

The transition from Mentor to Sadguru occurred without even my realizing it; in the year 1997, on the occasion of Guru Purnima, when I performed the paadya poojan of my Sadguru Param Poojya Aniruddha Bapu. It was indeed an unforgettable moment of my life.

'You and I firm together, nothing can stand in the way ever' – the promise given by my Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu, is a continuing source of inspiration for me; a beacon light that has always guided me and will continue to guide me at all times.