Maharishi Uttam Swami Ji, who was born at midnight on Janmashtami in 1976, faced numerous dangers and hardships from childhood but always considered them a part of his penance. At the age of one and a quarter, he was surrounded by a snake deity, and at the age of five, he was surrounded by bees, yet he remained unharmed. From a young age, Uttam Swami Ji became known in villages for solving even the toughest problems in just a few minutes. With the permission of his parents, he began his education at the Vaishnav Adinath Yogpeeth in Pandharpur. There, his Guru taught him the Bhagavad Gita by heart and also instructed him in scriptures, Puranas, and the lives of saints. Guruji also made him proficient in musical instruments, and he began delivering discourses with music, which led to his detachment from worldly life.
After some time, Guruji came into contact with a 151-year-old ascetic saint, Shri Ramdas Ji, in Rajnandgaon, who significantly changed the course of Maharishi Uttam Swami Ji’s life. He was taught spiritual education, meditation, yoga, pranayama, and samadhi, achieving spiritual powers. Shri Ramdas Ji imparted his full energy to Uttam Swami Ji through Shaktipat and gave him sannyasa (renunciation) education at the age of 19. Some time later, Guru Shri Ramdas Ji passed away to Vaikunthadham. After his Guru’s departure, Uttam Swami Ji felt lonely. One day, following inspiration and signals from his Guru in a dream, he left for Pune at 2:00 AM. Wandering and engaging in saintly gatherings and satsangs, he first reached Hoshangabad and then Amarajri, staying for some time at Tatambari Baba’s place in Amarajri, the holy abode of the ascetic Amraguru, Guru of Alha-Udal.
However, young Uttam Swami Ji had other plans in mind. One night, following his Guru’s orders, he left the ashram in adverse weather and conditions and began climbing a hill without any path. Exhausted from the climb, he sat down under a banyan tree, leaning against its trunk. At that moment, Guru Ramdas Ji signaled him in a dream to meditate. When he opened his eyes, he saw a five-headed serpent and a jewel-bearing serpent in the flash of lightning. In that desolate place, Uttam Swami Ji discarded his clothes and began his penance. Without meeting or contacting anyone, his period of meditation, pranayama, and samadhi started in the forest. During this time, he experienced self-realization, visions of invisible powers, and received orders.
Three years passed in his penance. Kishore Patel from Rehti received signals in a dream that a saint was meditating on the hill of Amarajri and that he should take food to him. At first, Kishore Patel did not believe it, but to follow the command received in the dream, he took food and set out for the hill. When Kishore Patel reached there, he found Swami Ji sleeping. He woke him up and offered him food. This news spread throughout the area, and devotees started flocking to the hill. For the welfare of the people, Guruji left the hill, and thus began the process of world welfare and guiding society in the right direction. Maharishi Uttam Swami Ji has conducted several yajnas (sacrificial rituals) for the welfare of the world. We have had the privilege of being in the presence of such a great personality through this program.
