Satsang Gopalrao Mukund Butti

Satsang Gopalrao Mukund Butti

Gopalrao Mukund Butti
Date Of Birth—1873 Date Of Samadhi 1927

Samadhi
It is only befitting to write about Gopalrao Mukund Butti during the month of Ashwin as devotees around the world are celebrating Dussera and Baba’s Maha Samadhi; on Vijay Dashami(Which usually falls between late September and October).

The Samadhi Mandir will be kept open day and night for the devotees to take darshan. I for one humbly thank Butti for giving us [Baba’s devotees] the Samadhi Mandir. Very little is written about this great devotee.

His ancestors lived in Bardi;. Their surname was Ghazaale. Legend has it that Gopalrao’s grandfather was a shrewd but kind businessman and worked for the Bhosale royal family. When Raghuji Raje Bhosale died, the British seized and annihilated their regime. Their enormous wealth gold, precious stones along with elephants, horses and bulls were then auctioned off at a pittance. Sadashiv bought a lot of the gold and gems. And further enhanced the wealth that, the family already owned. Thus he earned the name Booty which in English stands for loot.

The family business was mainly money lending and banking. Though they were wealthy and business minded; they did a lot of philanthropic work. They had just and cordial relations with the rich and the poor. Especially Butti’s father Mukund Rao who was very spiritual and religious. Their Ista Devta was Gopal Krishna and all the religious festivals were celebrated with a great deal of pomp and show. Mukund Rao’s Guru was Gajanan Maharaj of Shehgaon’ and the Maharaj often visited their home.

They were Charak Bhramin of the Shandilya Gothra. The annals [puranas] of Charak Brahmins has featured their family tree very prominently. Vivid descriptions of their philanthropic and social deeds are mentioned. They built Dharamshalas, Gowshalas, Schools and Dispensaries and gave monetary help to poets, writers and pundits.

Gopalrao was born in 1873 in Bardi; and was the youngest of three brothers. His father had a great influence on him. At the tender age of 15 or 16 he would return from school and after washing his hands and feet, he would take darshan of Gajanan Maharaj when he visited their home thus Gopalrao was very cultured. Highly educated [he studied in Manchester .U.K for sometime] he had a love for poetry, reading and was fond of saints.

He married a girl from the Khandwalkar family who was cultured and educated. They had three sons. Gopalrao and his wife were good minded and did their share of philanthrophic deeds.

Gopalrao helped the historian Neelkanth S. Hode Kadam and published his books on Indian history and the commentary of Shri Krishna Leela Amrit. Naryan Vaman Tilik was a poet and they welcomed him to stay in their home and gave him a portion of their Haveli [Manson] so he could carry on his writing undisturbed.

Shakaram B. Dhumal took Butti to Shirdi around 1908. Butti was overwhelmed by Baba’s divine personality and was changed for life. He made frequent visits to Shirdi.

(Source Shri Sai Leela Magazine)