His Divine Grace Kakaji Maharaj :- (12th June 1918 – 7th March 1986)
Fearless Reformer, Spiritual Visionary & Guiding Light of Gunatit Lineage
His Holiness Kakaji Maharaj was Supremely Realised Saint and a spiritual reformer in Swaminarayan faith, known for his deep insight and unwavering commitment to his Master His Divinity Shastriji Maharaj and His Divinity Yogiji Maharaj. He not only imbibed their divine vision of Akshar Purushottam Upasana but propagated it globally.
With a perfect blend of intellect and devotion, Kakaji Maharaj inspired countless seekers for Spiritual growth, and emphasized on the transformative power of Satsang in achieving the Highest spiritual knowledge along with Modern day goals.
Today, his life and work continue to guide individuals on the path of peace, purpose, and God-realization, leaving a lasting spiritual legacy that transcends generations.
A Life Rooted in Devotion:
He was born on 12th June 1918 at Nadiad and was named Dadubhai. His family roots were from Karamsad, a small town in Gujarat, which is well known, being the native place of Sardar Patel. He and his elder brother Babubhai (later known as Pappaji), both did schooling at Nadiad.
His unwavering integrity and love for God set him apart early on, preparing him for a life of divine purpose. At a young age of 7 years, he along with His brother Babubhai took a vow to bring heaven on this earth. Right from the childhood, His core belief was in Supremacy of Lord Swaminarayan, as realized through the Divine manifestation of Gurudev Shastriji Maharaj and later Yogiji Maharaj.
He completed B.Sc. Economics from London School of Economics and on the command of Shastriji Maharaj stayed in India and started business of Fertilizers. With His blessings he earned in millions but donated everything for Shastriji Maharaj’s cause.
Divine Intervention & Inspiration:
He maintained constant communion with Shastriji Maharaj. In 1951, while flying from Brussels to Paris, he had a divine vision of his guru, Shastriji Maharaj, warning him of impending danger on this flight. He convinced the pilot to evacuate the plane, and just after everyone got off, the plane caught fire due to a gas leak. Dadubhai credited his Guru's intuition for the timely warning, which not only saved him but all the passengers & crew members on that flight.
He attended a World Religions conference in Zurich, Switzerland, where he spoke about Shastriji Maharaj and the glory of Hinduism. When challenged to prove God's presence in India, Dadubhai demonstrated his guru's intuitive insight by accurately reading the thoughts of two representatives, leaving everyone impressed and applauding his faith.
He rendered selfless services to several fellow Satsangis & as per desire of His Master Yogiji Maharaj even abstained from his flourishing business to personally participate and manage the election campaign of Shri Gulzari Lal Nanda (who was Home Minister in the cabinet of Sh. Jawaharlal Nehru and twice officiating Prime Minister) in Sabarkantha, Gujrat, which he won.
Immensely pleased with such dedication & devotion, His Master Yogiji Maharaj blessed him in the form of 72 hours of ‘Samadhi’- Supreme Enlightenment on 3rd Feb. 1952 at Gondal Temple in Saurashtra, Gujarat. Thereafter, he proclaimed that Yogiji Maharaj was Living Embodiment of Lord Swaminarayan.
One of the spiritual heirs of His Divinity Yogiji Maharaj, he was Master of the Akshar-Purushottam doctrine. Without blindly following outdated rituals and dogmatic traditions, he remained continuously absorbed with Swaminarayan Mantra and became a living embodiment of the Mantra and its deity – the Supreme Lord, existing merely as an instrument of the God. He spent his whole life devoted to the Living Master Yogiji Maharaj and devotees at large.Top of Form
Guiding the Youth with Passion & Love:
Yogiji Maharaj desired to initiate 51 educated youth to sainthood. With divine vision and unmatched humility, Dadubhai fondly called as Kakaji nurtured a spiritual movement inspiring devoted youth and scholars to be initiated as Saints.
He also channelized the energies of young aspirants in Vidyanagar (Gujarat), guiding them to construct a hostel building as per desire of Yogiji Maharaj and later initiated them as Karmyogi Saints. Today, this enlightened group of Anoopam Mission, under leadership of Santbhagwant Sahebji, has flourished and is spreading the message of ‘Akshar-Purushottam Upasana’ to the world from several Spiritual Centres across the Globe.
Women emancipation - A Life of Trials, A Legacy of Triumph:
The Swaminarayan faith traditionally didn't involve women as direct initiates for spiritual activities. His Divinity Yogiji Maharaj learnt that women devotees were also seeking spiritual dedication for redemption, so He ordained ‘what is wrong if Women aspirants choose a career of Spiritual Enhancement?’
As per His desire, Kakaji and his brother Pappaji (Babubhai) facilitated the initiation of women into sainthood, despite facing opposition. The first group of divine Sadhvis, including Jyotiben, Taraben, Hansaben, Deviben and others, began their spiritual journey under their guidance. Today, more than 700 divine Sadhvis from Gunatit Jyot, Vidyanagar; Bhakti Ashram, Sokhada; Gunatit Mahila Kendra, Powai, Mumbai; Aksharjyot, Sankarda & Aksharjyoti Mahila Kendra, Delhi are part of the Swaminarayan faith, working together to follow the path of enlightenment laid down by Lord Swaminarayan.
Founder of Gunatit Samaj:
Kakaji Maharaj’s vision was one of unity and spiritual upliftment for all. His selfless love, untiring efforts and single-minded devotion motivated many to imbibe Spirituality in their day-to-day life by developing and strengthening personal bond with the Spiritual Master. He and His Brother Pappaji are the founders of Gunatit Samaj, which comprises of devout Saints, Sadhvis, Karmyogi Saints and dedicated families, who work in a synchronized manner to propagate divine teachings of Lord Swaminarayan to promote harmony following the principles of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’ & Universal Brotherhood to please the Living Spiritual Master.
Beyond Boundaries: HDG Kakaji's Spiritual Legacy:
With Steadfast faith in his Master’s Plan and divine love, Kakaji travelled far and wide, planting seeds of Swaminarayan Satsang (spiritual fellowship) outside Gujarat to North India as well as overseas to continents of Africa, America, Europe etc.
HDG Kakaji founded Yogi Divine Society, with its mission to awaken divine consciousness and train real aspirants as a ‘Tantric Group’ of spiritual technicians by means of ‘Swaroop Ashtanga Yoga’ which is the synthesis of ‘Akshar-Purushottam Yoga’, enabling all to attain the supreme understanding, perfection and spiritual realization in this life and help others also to experience it here and now.
He advocated not blind faith, but spirituality based on investigation, analysis and synthesis. His basic tenet was that of ‘Suhradbhav’ – Spiritual Brotherhood and Friendliness. Despite being a dedicated saint in the Swaminarayan fold, Kakaji invested much energy to help other groups revealing his universal vision of seeing the working of God in all branches.
Revealing the secrets of Aksharpurushottam Upasana worldwide to guide countless souls to redemption, the founder, inspirer and mentor of Gunatit Samaj stayed in Mumbai and played a pivotal role in the formation of independent philanthropic organizations:
In India at:
& Overseas at:
Chicago, USA (Param Pujya Dinkarbhai)
Presently, these institutions are doing exemplary work for benefit of the masses without any distinction of caste, creed or color across many states in India and globally in UK, USA, France, Germany, New Zealand, Australia etc.
Literary Work:
HDG Kakaji wrote several articles and books on Spirituality and Tantra based on His own experiences and explained that spirituality had nothing to do with metaphysical powers and true aspirant should disregard them completely.
His published work includes ‘Lord Swaminarayan and Applied Brahm Gnan’, ‘The Divine Grace’, ‘Panch Yagna’, ‘The Real Essence of Tantra’ and numerous articles in different spiritual magazines like Swaminarayan Prakash, Akshardham, Bhagwat Kripa, Shri Aksharpurushottam Satsang Patrika, which enlighten and guide the society towards a revolutionary spiritual path.
His Legacy Lives On:
HDG Kakaji left for His abode in Akshardham on March 7, 1986. His legacy continues through Many temples across the globe, cultural projects, and the lives of devotees transformed by his example. The torch lit by Him continues to light the path of true aspirants through His successors – P.P. Guruji in Delhi, P.P. Dinkarbhai in Chicago, USA and P.P Bharatbhai & P.P. Vashibhai in Mumbai.
Honors and Recognitions:
