Shri Samarth Yogabhyanand Vyankatanath Maharaj lived mainly in Nagpur, where their old seat (gadi) at Dharampeth, Zenda Chowk became a centre of divine presence. Devotees from the region visited daily, and even when Maharaj was not physically in Nagpur, his living presence was strongly felt at the gadi. Even today, nearly three decades after his samadhi, countless seekers still experience his power the moment they step inside.
Gopalrao Kolte, one of Maharaj’s closest disciples, was a highly accomplished writer, poet and principal of a college. His books and poems were widely admired, and as his devotion deepened, he felt an inner inspiration: he wanted to write devotional songs (bhajans) describing Maharaj’s greatness, divine qualities and spiritual teachings. Proud of his literary ability, he went to Maharaj and expressed his wish. Maharaj smiled and simply said, “If this is your wish, start writing.”
The next day Gopalrao began. But every time he wrote half a page, the words felt lifeless, wrong and empty. He would tear the paper and throw it away. This happened every day for fifteen days. The confident writer who had authored several books suddenly found himself unable to write even a single devotional verse. Sad and humbled, he went back to Maharaj and admitted his defeat: “Maharaj, I tried for fifteen days. I wrote and tore everything. I now realise I had spoken with ego. I thought I was a great writer—that was my mistake.” Maharaj gently reminded him of his earlier confidence, and encouraged him to try again peacefully. But Gopalrao now felt completely empty. He bowed and said, “Without your grace, this book will never happen. Only you can make this work possible.”
At that moment, a woman arrived for darshan and offered a rose flower on Maharaj’s head. Maharaj took the flower, gave it to Gopalrao and said, “Take this home. Tomorrow before dawn, sit for writing. Prepare two small platforms: one for your writing, and one beside it for a seat. Whoever must bless you will come and sit there. Begin your work in this way.”
Early next morning, he arranged everything exactly as instructed. He began writing—but again felt restless, and again tore the paper. Desperate, he closed his eyes and prayed deeply for Maharaj’s grace. When he opened them, he saw a matted-haired saint in saffron robes sitting calmly on the second platform. Gopalrao bowed. The saint said, “Child, begin writing.” Immediately, words, ideas and verses began flowing like an unbroken river. It felt as though the saint dictated each line and Gopalrao simply wrote. Every dawn the saint appeared, remained for an hour, guided the writing, and disappeared.
Gopalrao designed the book so that each day of the week had its own unique bhajan sequence, and on Thursdays, bhajans from all seven days were sung together. Each day followed a clear structure:
A special structure was created for the early morning Kakada Aarti, containing six songs, two Kakada Aarti pieces, a general aarti and floral offering.
All seven days of bhajans were written in this divine manner. The first bhajan on Friday introduced Vyankatanath Maharaj as the Lord of infinite universes, and each verse expressed his spiritual power, Nath lineage mission and profound teachings. These bhajans are truly *prasadik*. Each day’s melody is set according to classical musical principles, and their spiritual fruit is clearly described in Wednesday’s bhajan—a fruit experienced even today.
When devotees come together and perform these bhajans, their collective voices transform the atmosphere. A disturbed or restless mind becomes peaceful by the end of the bhajan. This transformative power has been observed continuously for over thirty years in Nath Shaktipeeth gatherings. These bhajans dissolve obstacles, clarify the mind, deepen devotion and stabilise the heart. One listening is enough to sense their divine energy.
What makes them unique is that they were not composed by a poet—not even by Gopalrao. Every word was dictated by the mysterious saint, and written exactly as he spoke. This is the rare miracle of the Nath tradition.
For the past fifty years, Narendra Nath Maharaj’s home has hosted these bhajans every Thursday without interruption. The first edition of the *Swanand* Bhajan Book was published in 1959.