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{{Short description|Indian guru}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{notability|Bio|date=January 2019}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2019}}
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{{Use Indian English|date=November 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox Hindu leader
|name= Sadguru Ganapatrao Maharaj Kannur
|image= S S Maharaj.jpg
|caption= Kannur in 1989
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
|birth_date= {{birth date|1909|9|18|df=y}}
|birth_place=Kannur
|birth_name= Ganapatrao Shivrampant Kannur
|death_date= {{death date and age|2004|9|20|1909|9|18|df=y}}
|death_place= [[Kannur House, Bijapur]]
|guru= [[Siddharameshwar Maharaj|Sri Siddharameshwar Maharaj]]
|philosophy=
|honors=
|footnotes=
}}
{{quote box|width=22em|title=Quotation|quote=Love everyone & Live in Happiness.}}
'''Shri Samartha Sadaguru Ganapatrao Maharaj Kannur''' (1909–2004) was an Indian [[guru]] in the [[Inchegeri Sampradaya]].

==Biography==
===Early years===
Kannur was born on 18 September 1909 on the day of [[Ganesh Chaturthi]] (Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi), in a [[Deshastha Brahmin]] family{{sfn|Dabade|1998|p=99}} of Smt Saraswatibai & Shrimant Shivrampant Kannur, in the small village Kannur,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.shantikuteer.org/page.php?pi=3 |title=Biography |access-date=14 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712145353/http://www.shantikuteer.org/page.php?pi=3 |archive-date=12 July 2009 |url-status=usurped |df=dmy-all }}</ref> located in the [[Bijapur district, Karnataka|Bijapur district]] of Karnataka, India.

He had his primary and high-school education in [[Bijapur, Karnataka|Bijapur]]. He graduated in 1932, earning a B.Sc. (mathematics and physics) degree from Fergusson College, Pune.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sri Ganapatrao Maharaj |url=https://www.nodualidad.info/maestros/ganapatrao-maharaj.html |access-date=25 February 2026 |website=Nodualidad.info |language=es}}</ref>

===Sri Siddharameshwar Maharaj===
Since his early childhood days, Kannur had a great inclination towards spirituality. At the age of 13 he was blessed and initiated by [[Siddharameshwar Maharaj|Sri S.S. Siddharameshwar Maharaj]], who also accepted him as his disciple and guided him to the path of self attainment.

Maharaj had given stringent directives to few of his selfless disciples: to wear ochre robes, to be devoted towards ''[[sadhana]]'' and make it the sole objective of life, not to touch money, and live with only bare minimum necessities. The disciples chose the bank of river Krishna at Audumbar<ref name=Shree>[http://www.shreeswami.org/about-sri-nrisimha-narasimha-saraswati.htm Audumbar Sri Narasimha Saraswati], Shreeswami.org</ref> and carried out ''[[tapas]]'' (penance) for a year, strictly as instructed.

===Further study===
Even being a graduate he decided not to take any service or job and wowed for the bow of celibacy throughout his life as not to get entangled in materialistic life. Maharaj died in 1936. After his death, Shri Ganapatrao Maharaj became firmly rooted in his doctrines, and studied the ''Shrimad Dasbodh'', [[Bhagavata]], [[Bhagavad-Gita]] ''[[Upanishads]]'' and other holy texts to attain the highest goal of his life - self liberation and self attainment.

===Teaching others===
He carried on the mantle passed to him by his [[Sadguru]], and strived for the uplifting of common people for 60 years. To carry forward his spiritual work he founded the Shanti Kuteer Ashram.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.shantikuteer.org/page.php?pi=3 |title=Biography of Shri S S Ganapatrao Maharaj Kannur |access-date=14 February 2009 |archive-date=12 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712145353/http://www.shantikuteer.org/page.php?pi=3 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> At the age of 95, on Monday 20 September 2004, he died in Kannur House, Bijapur.

==Shanti Kuteer Ashram==
[[File:Shanti Kuteer Mahadvar.JPG|thumb|right|Shanti Kuteer Ashram]]
Shanti Kuteer is a hermitage founded by Maharaj.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.shantikuteer.org/page.php?pi=3 |title=Biography of Shri S.S. Ganapatrao Maharaj Kannur |access-date=14 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712145353/http://www.shantikuteer.org/page.php?pi=3 |archive-date=12 July 2009 |url-status=usurped |df=dmy-all }}</ref> It is located near the village of Kannur, 25 km from Bijapur. This ashram was set up in 1951 and has gradually grown to consist of over 100 rooms for accommodation of the disciples. A temple of Lord Shree Dattatreya is located on the premises.<ref name=Shree/>

==Events and saptah==
Various ''saptahs'' (spiritual fests) are held at Shanti Kuteer Kannur in a calendar year.
* Chaitra Saptah (from Chaitra Shuddha Pratipada - Gudi padwa to Ramnavami) was started in 1974 and is for nine days.
* Shravan - Ganesh Chaturthi Saptah (celebrated from Shravan Vadya Trayodashi to Ganesh Chaturthi) is celebrated at Shanti Kuteer for the past 34 years{{when|date=January 2019}}.
* Datta Jayanti (from Margashirshya Shuddha Trayodashi till Datta Jayanti) was started after the Shri Dattatraya temple was constructed at Shanti Kuteer in 1984 and is for three days.

==Sampradaja==
{{Navnath Sampradaya – Inchegiri Sampradaya}}
[[File:Sri Bhausaheb Maharaj.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Shri Samartha Sadaguru Bhausaheb Maharaj]]
[[File:Siddharamphoto.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Shri Samartha Sadaguru Siddharameshwar Maharaj]]
[[File:S S Maharaj.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Sri Samartha Sadaguru Ganapatrao Maharaj Kannur]]
{{See also|Guru-shishya tradition}}

===Navnath===
{{Main|Navnath}}
Maharaj traces his ''sampradaya'' to the [[Navnath|Navanath Sampraday]].<ref>Cathy Boucher, [http://nisargadatta.net/lineage.html "The Navnath Sampradaya and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj"] {{unreliable source?|date=January 2019}}<br />- R D Ranade, ''Mysticism In Maharashtra Indian Mysticism'', PBISBN 8121510945, 2003</ref> It was started by [[Dattatreya|Adiguru Shri Dattatreya]], and was further carried by the [[Navnath|Navanaths]], the Holy Nine Gurus.<ref>[http://www.realization.org/page/topics/nisargadatta.htm Siddharameshwar Maharaj photograph at realization.org]</ref>

One of those Navnaths was Adiguru Sri Revanatah, who initiated Kaadasiddheshwar Swami Maharaj. Kaadasiddheshwar founded the Kaneri Ashram in the 13th century, which became a Dnyan Peeth. Many solace seekers were initiated for centuries.

===Nimbargi sampraday===
In the mid-19th century, the then Shri Kaadasiddheshwar Swami Maharaj initiated Shri Gurulingajangam Maharaj, also known as "Nimbarji Maharaj". He founded the ''Nimbargi sampraday'' and initiated Shri Raghunathpriya Sadhu Maharaj.

Shri Raghunathpriya Sadhu Maharaj initiated Shri Samartha Sadaguru Bhausaheb Maharaj Deshpande, who was an ardent follower and a devoted disciple of Shri Gurulingajangam Maharaj.<ref>R.D. Ranade (1982), ''Mysticism In Maharashtra''</ref>

===Inchegeri sampraday===
Shri Bhausaheb Maharaj established the [[Inchegeri Sampradaya]]. He preached the principle of [[Advaita|non-dualness]], ''advait tatva'', and used to give discourses on Srimad Dasbodh.

Sri Bhausaheb Maharaj had many followers, many of which further rose to the state of Gurupad, and practised and preached the Principles of Vedant and Advait throughout India.

[[Siddharameshwar Maharaj|Sri Siddharameshwar Maharaj]] was his disciple and ardent follower. Siddharameshwar professed the knowledge and basics of self-realization to the masses and became one of the most followed Guru of Inchegeri sampraday. Shri Maharaj was blessed and initiated by Siddharameshwar at the age of thirteen.

==Publications==
Maharaji's words came from the depth of his own experience. The acceptance of one being supreme and being one with the universe was the core of his discourses. Maharaj was ever vigilant about the welfare of his disciples, specifically about their spiritual progress. Hence he wrote a number of texts on the different aspects of spirituality. He also founded the publication ''Adhyatma Bhandar'' and all the books are published by it.
Amongst them are:
* ''Atmadnyanachi Gurukilli''
* ''Srimad Dasbodh'' – Kannada translation
* ''Atmadnyanand Rasaduta'' / ''Atmadnyananachi Panchapakwanne''
* ''Adhyatmada Anagayinelli'' / ''Adhyatmacha Deepstambha''
* ''Anubhava Jnana''
* ''Yashashvi Jeevan Darshan''
* ''Sulabh Atmajnana'' (Easy steps to self-realisation).
* ''Shantikuteer Sandesh''

''Shantikuteer Sandesh'' is a quarterly periodical published by Shantikuteer Trust. The periodical is available in the Kannada and Marathi languages.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Citation | last =Dabade | first =K.B. | year =1998 | title =Sociology of Religion: A Case Study of Nimbargi Sampradaya|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XoDXAAAAMAAJ | publisher =Mangala Publications}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Ganapatrao Maharaj Kannur}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090711191346/http://www.shantikuteer.org/ The Shanti Kuteer Sampraday]}}
* [http://www.dasbodh.org Shrimad Dasbodh] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725220436/http://www.dasbodh.org/ |date=25 July 2011 }}

{{Indian Philosophy}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kannur, Ganapatrao Maharaj}}
[[Category:1909 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian philosophers]]
[[Category:Advait Mat]]
[[Category:Advaitin philosophers]]
[[Category:20th-century Hindu philosophers and theologians]]
[[Category:Indian religious writers]]
[[Category:Vedanta]]
[[Category:Inchagiri Sampradaya]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Indian male writers]]
[[Category:Writers from Karnataka]]
[[Category:People from Dakshina Kannada district]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Rajyotsava Award 2014]]
[[Category:Marathi Hindu saints]]

[[hi:दासबोध]]
[[mr:दासबोध]]

Ganapatrao Maharaj Kannur - Revision history

Brotherhoodbo at 07:27, 18 April 2026