Nisargadatta Maharaj- Biography and Life Story- - Part 2

Starting a Business in Mumbai

When Maruti arrived in Bombay, he was just one of countless migrants seeking a better future. The city was a sprawling, chaotic place, teeming with people from all walks of life. It was intimidating, but Maruti wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. He quickly adapted to the urban environment and found work as a small businessman.

He started a modest business selling handmade cigarettes, known as beedis. This wasn’t a glamorous occupation, but it was practical and provided a steady income. Maruti was hardworking and resourceful, and his business eventually became stable enough to support his growing family.

Marriage and Family Life

While building his business, Maruti also started a family of his own. He got married and had children, taking on the role of a husband and father with the same sense of responsibility that he had shown in his youth.

Balancing work and family life wasn’t easy, especially in a city as demanding as Bombay. Maruti worked long hours to ensure that his children had a better life than he had. Yet, amidst the busyness of his daily responsibilities, there was always a sense of restlessness within him—a subtle but persistent feeling that life was meant for something more.

Signs of Inner Restlessness

Even as Nisargadatta Maharaj settled into his role as a businessman and family man, there were moments when he felt a deeper longing stirring within him. He wasn’t dissatisfied with his life in a conventional sense—he was grateful for his family and his work—but there was a sense of incompleteness that he couldn’t ignore.

This restlessness wasn’t something he could explain to others, nor was it something he fully understood himself at the time. It was more of an intuitive feeling, a quiet call to look beyond the surface of life.

Though he didn’t actively pursue spiritual teachings during these years, the foundation for his later awakening was already being laid. His exposure to traditional Hindu practices and the resilience he had developed through life’s challenges were preparing him for the transformative journey that lay ahead.

Building a Life While Questioning Its Purpose

One of the most fascinating aspects of Nisargadatta Maharaj’s early adult years is how he managed to balance the demands of everyday life with an underlying search for meaning. He wasn’t consciously seeking enlightenment or diving into religious studies, but he was questioning the nature of existence in his own quiet way.

In many ways, these years mirrored the lives of countless people who feel torn between their responsibilities and a yearning for something deeper. Maruti’s ability to navigate this tension with grace and determination is a testament to his character. It also makes his later teachings particularly relatable—he knew firsthand what it meant to juggle worldly duties while searching for truth.

Lessons from Work and Responsibility

Nisargadatta Maharaj’s early work and responsibilities taught him invaluable lessons that would later influence his spiritual teachings. Running a small business required discipline, patience, and an ability to deal with uncertainty—qualities that would serve him well during his intense spiritual practices.

It also gave him a firsthand understanding of the struggles and desires that drive most people. He knew what it meant to work hard, to provide for a family, and to face the ups and downs of life. This practical wisdom made his teachings especially grounded and accessible. When he spoke about detachment and self-realisation, he wasn’t speaking from an ivory tower; he was speaking as someone who had lived the life of an ordinary man.

The early years of Nisargadatta Maharaj’s life were marked by a delicate balance between responsibility and an unspoken longing for something more. His childhood in Kandalgaon taught him the value of simplicity and resilience, while his move to Bombay introduced him to the complexities of urban life.

These formative experiences shaped the man he would become. They gave him a deep appreciation for the struggles of ordinary people and an intuitive understanding of life’s impermanence. While he may not have realised it at the time, the lessons he learned during these years were laying the groundwork for his eventual transformation into one of the most profound spiritual teachers of his time.

Life in Mumbai: The Shift to City Living

Moving to Bombay (now Mumbai) wasn’t just a change in location for Nisargadatta Maharaj; it was a leap into an entirely new way of life. From the quiet, close-knit rhythms of Kandalgaon, Maruti found himself in the chaos of a rapidly growing metropolis. The bustling streets, the constant hum of activity, and the sheer size of the city must have felt overwhelming at first. But as was typical of Maruti, he didn’t let this intimidate him.

The city’s energy pulled him in, and with his characteristic grit, he quickly adapted. Bombay in the early 20th century was a hub of opportunities, especially for those willing to work hard. For Maruti, the city represented a chance to not only support his family back home but also carve out a life for himself. He wasn’t looking for luxury—just stability and the means to fulfil his responsibilities.

Starting From Scratch

When Nisargadatta Maharaj arrived in Bombay, he didn’t have much to his name. Like many migrants, he started at the bottom, taking whatever work came his way. It wasn’t glamorous or easy, but Maruti had never been afraid of hard work. His upbringing had taught him that nothing comes without effort, and he approached his new life in the city with the same practicality he had learned in the village.

Eventually, Maruti started a small business selling beedis, handmade cigarettes rolled from dried leaves. It wasn’t the kind of work that attracted attention or respect, but it was steady. He set up a small shop and worked tirelessly to build a customer base. The income was modest, but it was enough to make ends meet.

Running the shop wasn’t just a job—it was an education in human behaviour. Maruti dealt with all kinds of people, from daily wage labourers to office workers. He observed their struggles, their desires, and their ways of coping with life’s challenges. This exposure gave him an understanding of people that would later inform his teachings.

The Balance of Work and Family

During this time, Nisargadatta Maharaj got married and started a family of his own. Becoming a husband and father added new dimensions to his life. He wasn’t just working for himself anymore—he had others depending on him. This sense of responsibility drove him to work even harder, often putting his own needs and desires on hold.

Still, there was a part of him that felt disconnected. Even though he loved his family and took pride in his work, there was a nagging feeling that something was missing. It wasn’t dissatisfaction in the traditional sense—he wasn’t unhappy—but there was a quiet restlessness within him, a sense that life had more to offer than what he was experiencing.

A Longing for Something More

Despite the love and fulfilment he found in his family, Nisargadatta Maharaj couldn’t shake the sense of incompleteness that had followed him since his youth. It wasn’t a dramatic or overwhelming feeling—it was more like a soft whisper in the background of his mind.

This subtle restlessness wasn’t rooted in dissatisfaction with his circumstances. Nisargadatta Maharaj wasn’t one to complain or dwell on what he didn’t have. Instead, it came from a deeper place, a part of him that was searching for meaning beyond the surface of life.

At the time, Nisargadatta  didn’t have the language or framework to articulate what he was feeling. He hadn’t yet encountered the spiritual teachings that would later define his life. But the longing was there, shaping his thoughts and quietly preparing him for the transformation that lay ahead.

A Quiet Foundation for Transformation

Looking back, it’s clear that these years in Bombay were a time of quiet preparation for Maruti. On the surface, he was just another hardworking businessman trying to make a life for his family. But beneath that exterior, something was brewing.

The challenges he faced, the people he interacted with, and the moments of stillness he experienced—all of it was laying the groundwork for the spiritual awakening that would later transform him into Nisargadatta Maharaj.

While he may not have realised it at the time, every experience was shaping him, helping him shed the layers of identity that bound him. The restlessness he felt wasn’t a problem to be solved—it was a call to something greater, a call that would eventually lead him to his Guru and the truth of who he really was.

Nisargadatta Maharaj’s life in Mumbai was far from extraordinary, yet it held the seeds of transformation. His journey during these years reminds us that even the most mundane aspects of life can serve as a preparation for something profound. It’s not about where you are or what you’re doing—it’s about how open you are to the lessons life is offering. For Maruti, every moment, every challenge, and every quiet reflection was part of a larger story—a story that was just beginning to unfold.

Seeds of Spiritual Awakening

By the time Nisargadatta was in his thirties, his life seemed stable from the outside. He had a family to care for, a business to run, and a steady rhythm of responsibilities that filled his days. Yet, underneath this veneer of normalcy, something profound was stirring within him.

The restlessness that had quietly followed him since childhood began to intensify. This wasn’t a dissatisfaction with his work or family life—he remained devoted to his loved ones and diligent in his efforts to provide for them. But there was a growing sense that the life he was living, however fulfilling in practical terms, wasn’t the entirety of what existence had to offer.

He began asking himself deeper questions: Who am I, really? What is the purpose of this life? Why does everything feel so transient, so impermanent? These weren’t idle musings—they struck at the core of his being, unsettling him in a way he couldn’t ignore.

A Spiritual Landscape in Transition

Bombay in the early 20th century was a city of contrasts. It was a hub of commerce and industry, but it was also steeped in the spiritual traditions of India. Temples, wandering ascetics, and spiritual gatherings were common sights amidst the urban chaos. While Maruti hadn’t actively pursued a spiritual path up to this point, he couldn’t help but absorb the undercurrent of faith and devotion that surrounded him.

He occasionally attended religious gatherings and heard teachings from various swamis and pandits. These experiences were inspiring but didn’t fully satisfy the yearning within him. The rituals and philosophies were interesting, but they felt removed from his lived reality. He wanted something direct, something that spoke to the heart of his questions without unnecessary embellishment.

The Role of Devotion and Daily Practices

Like many Indians of his time, Maruti engaged in simple acts of devotion. He performed daily prayers, visited temples, and observed traditional festivals with his family. These practices weren’t overly formal or rigid; they were a natural extension of the faith he had inherited from his parents.

Though he approached these rituals with sincerity, they didn’t quell his deeper longing. Instead, they seemed to amplify it, as though reminding him that the divine he was worshipping externally must somehow also exist within.

Meeting Siddharameshwar Maharaj

Life has a way of guiding us to the right people at the right time, even when we don’t know we’re looking for them. For Maruti Shivrampant Kambli—who the world would come to know as Nisargadatta Maharaj—that fateful meeting happened in 1933. At the time, Maruti wasn’t actively searching for a spiritual teacher. He was a hardworking man, focused on providing for his family, running his cigarette shop, and navigating the hustle and bustle of Bombay.

But deep down, something was missing. That subtle restlessness that had followed him since his youth—the quiet longing for something beyond the surface of life—was still there, though unspoken. He didn’t have the words for it yet, but it was like a low, persistent hum in the background of his existence. And it was this unnameable pull that eventually led him to his Guru, Siddharameshwar Maharaj.

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