Shri N.V. Gunaji was an eminent scholar who wrote over twenty eight books on various people and issues. He was avidly interested in the spiritual teachings of Sai Baba, Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa. He wrote and translated the Bhagwad Gita, the Bhagwat, etc. He has written the life of Sri Paramhans Ramakrishna as well as that of Sri Ramana Maharshi in Marathi and several books on the teaching of Swami Ramtirth. He also translated Booker T. Washington's biography which he called "Atmoddhar".

Born in Belgaum in July 1873 in a Saraswat Brahmin family he did his school education in Belgaum, in Sardar High School and later graduated from Mumbai's Wilson College. He studied in the Government Law College in Mumbai and passed his LLB examination. Soon after, he returned to Belgaum to take up the practice of law. After practising law for several years Shri N.V. Gunaji also joined the Belgaum Municipality as Chief Executive Officer. Throughout his life he was an avid reader and translated several books in English or Marathi. Shri Gunaji was also keenly interested in naturopathy and published two books on "Scientific and Efficient Breathing" and "Anti T.B. & Anti Heart Failure". He would treat patients through naturopathy and scientific massage. He also had the good fortune of treating Mahatma Gandhi by his scientific massage techniques when Gandhiji visited Belgaum several times. Shri Gunaji also treated Sri Ramana Maharshi when he visited the spiritual leader in Arunachalam.

Shri N.V. Gunaji adapted and translated Shri Hemand Pant Dabholkar's "Sri Sai Satcharita" into English and donated the entire proceeds to the Sai Sansthan Trust. The book has reached out to thousands of devotees and people over the last forty five years who have read it and have had their faith and Shraddha in Baba reinforced. Many devotees use this book to read it as a 'Saptah'. Shri N.V. Gunaji passed away in 1963, a few months before his ninetieth year.

(Source: Shri Sai Satcharitra published by Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi)