Sri Upasni Maharaj is one of the Perfect Masters who have played an important part in sharing the spiritual burden of our times. He was born at Satane on 15th of May, 1870. He was the second child of his parents—Govinshastri and Rukminabai; and he was named Kashinath. His grandfather, Gopalashastri, was not only learned and saintly but had taken sanyas (renunciation) before his death; and Sri Upasni Maharaj had his early spiritual lessons from his grandfather.

According to the custom of that generation, the pressure of elders was responsible for the early marriage of Maharaj. But this was much against his own inclination; and he soon felt the routine of worldly life boring and left his home at the age of 14 or 15 to explore what life had in store for him. At the invitation of his grandfather, he again returned to Satane; and during his stay there, he lost his wife. The elders again intervened and got him married against his wishes. But this did not reconcile him to the family life. He pleaded the excuse of prosecuting his studies; and secured the permission of his elders to leave for Poona.

When he went to Poona he soon discovered that his heart was really in spiritual matters; and he left Poona on foot with the desire to find some suitable place where he could perform penance in search of God. In 1900, as he was resting in a temple about eight miles from Nasik, he sighted a cave in a mountain. He went to that cave and remained in it for days and nights, without food or water, utterly regardless of what would happen to his body, his only thought being of severe penance that would lead him God-ward. At the time of this penance Maharaj had just completed his thirtieth year. During this period, he had some occult experiences. When

Reprinted by special permission from Meher Baba Journal.