Shri Mota Maharaj was a great soul and hailed from Gujarat. What makes it very special is that he had the grace of Shri Sai Baba and the Upasani Maharaj of Sakori.

Everyone called him "Shri Mota" but his real name was Shri Chunilal Asharam Bhagat and he was born in Savli village of erstwhile Baroda state on 4th September 1898. His father belonged to the Rangari caste. He matriculated in the year 1919 and studied at Baroda College in the year 1919-20. Since the family situation was very poor, he had to work at a young age. Therefore, his focus was more on supporting his family through business.

It is very interesting and surprising how he was drawn to spirituality a few years later and reached realization within 15 years.

In 1924, while he was in Nadiad, one of his relatives came and told him that a certain sadhu had come. The sadhu was sitting in the open field outside the village and was saying, "Call Chunilal Bhagat, bring Chunilal Bhagat here." Then Mota said, "What do I have to do with him? Why should I go to him? But after a few days, he realized “an unknown monk is calling him, so let's see why!" . With this thought, Mota went to meet the monk. The sadhu made Mota sit down and said, "My Guru, whose name is Dhuniwale Dada, has sent me to fetch you. So come along with me." Then the sadhu started feeding Mota with some sweets. Mota was amazed at how the monk produced so many sweets and how he could eat them. Mota also wished if he too had such power. However, after eating sweets, Mota refused to go with the sadhu and returned to the village.

A few months passed like this and one day, while Mota went and got the ticket to go to his village at the railway station and was about to board the train when he saw the same old sadhu on the platform. His name was Shribalyogi. When Mota stopped and greeted him, the sadhu said, "Return the ticket and take me to a bungalow near the lake in solitude. I have come to give you initiation." " Mota did not know what to do; where would he find such a bungalow and who would give it to a poor person like him? Nevertheless, he returned the ticket and went home. The same thought was going on about the bungalow in his mind. Look at the coincidence! Mota used to greet a Muslim gentlemen householder every day as he passed by the road. He forgot to greet him that day. Then the muslim gentlemen called Mota and asked, "What are you thinking today? You didn't greet me?" Mota told him about the morning's incident that happened at the station. Then the gentlemen householder said, "Oh, I have a bungalow near the lake. It is empty. Take this key." How happy Mota was! He took the keys from the muslim gentlemen and ran to the balyogi and took him to the bungalow. There, the balyogi actually initiated Mota in a ritualistic manner, and from then on, Mota's life totally changed. Mota’s spiritual life began. He began to seek solitude and practiced meditation.

Some time passed like this and one day while he was at Nadiad, Mota came to know that someone was sleeping under a tree in completely naked state. Mota thought “only two people could walk around completely naked - one is a complete beggar and the other is a drunkard. So, how could this not be a different kind of person? Let's see”. Thinking like this, Mota took milk and other eatables along with him and went near the tree and sat waiting for the naked person’s attention to come on him. After an hour and a half, the man looked up at Mota and said, "Take me to the Muslim's house." After the naked person said like that Mota had a question in mind as to where and how to find a Muslim and a person who would let such a naked person stay in his house. However, Mota decided to give a try. There was an old Muslim man in the village whom Mota knew. Hence, Mota asked him the favour, and the fat muslim man agreed to take this naked person to his house. The fat man also told him that he would come and do all the services for this person, such as removing feces and urine. Later, when the fat man said that the person was completely naked, the Muslim started to act like a joker. But the fat man said “I will take him by the leg” and he promised to bring a sack of rice wrapped around his waist while unloading. He agreed. In this way, Mota kept the man in the Muslim house for 11-12 days and served him in every way. Later, the man expressed his desire to return and told Mota to come along with him. But, Mota didn't want to leave behind the responsibility of supporting his mother and older brother's family.

After that person left, a day or two later, when the Muslim met Mota, he said, “ Mota! You are very lucky. That person was Upasani Maharaj of Sakori Himself. I came to know this truth easily while talking to him". Hearing this, Mota felt very sad. A few months passed like this and one day Upasani Maharaj suddenly appeared to Mota and asked why he was not coming to him. To which Mota said that if he gets money for paying the rent, he will come. The very next day, Mota got Rs. 45 after meeting him and as promised to Upasani Maharaj he immediately left for Sakori.

When Mota reached Sakori, he saw Upasani Maharaj sitting inside a cage. Mota greeted Upasani from outside and sat staring at him. After some time, Mota felt the urge to urinate and started to get up, but he couldn't get up. Mota thought his legs must be stiff, but later he realized that his feet were stuck to the ground. Despite trying hard, he could not move, so he finally urinated there itself. Later, he could not even move to defecate and the area around him became dirty. However, Mota's mind was focused on Upasani Maharaj only. The people around started scolding Mota for making Upasani dirty and started throwing stones at him, but Mota did not care a bit. At that time, however, a girl aged about 13-14 years who was present there was requesting everyone not to kill Mota. That girl was none other than poojya Shri Godavari Mataji of today's Sakori Ashram. Anyways, Mota sat in front of Upasani Maharaj like this for 11 days. Then he noticed that one of his feet was coming off the ground. He immediately got up. First, he cleaned all the places, washed them with water. He perfumed them with rose water etc. and after taking a good bath himself, he came back and sat near Upasani Maharaj and bowed down to Him. Then Upasani Maharaj blessed him and said, "Now you can return to Nadiad. Your spiritual status will remain the same."

Later, in the year 1938, Mota was in Karachi. Once, while he was walking on the sea, Shri Sai Baba appeared to him and told him to walk in the sea. Mota immediately walked from the shore into the sea. Slowly the water level reached from his chest to his neck. However, as per Baba’s order, he continued to walk on the sea. He did not know what happened once the water went over his head. Mota was thrown back to the shore and when he became conscious, his clothes were dry as if nothing has happened. This clearly shows that Mota was unconscious for many hours.

Later again, while in Karachi, Mota was inspired to go and offer prayers along with Muslims on the day of Bakrid. His relatives told him not to act like a madman. They told him that when he went there wearing a dhoti and a cap, the Muslims would beat him up. However, Mota went to the ground and joined the crowd and finished the prayer. What a surprise! Shri Sai Baba appeared before him and patted him on the shoulder and said, "Well done, son! But now take off all your clothes here and go home naked." Mota did not know what to do after hearing this strange orders from Baba. He knew that to walk on the streets of Karachi in this way was inviting trouble. At the same time, If he did not go, he would fail in Guru's examination, and his spiritual awakening would be ruined. Such an opportunity would probably never come again in life. Finally, Mota decided to do as Baba had ordered. He went to and met a friend who knew more about spiritual matters. Mota went and explained everything to him and his friend said to Mota take off his clothes right in front of him. Mota told his friend to take his bicycle and reach his home and wait there and that he will reach there somehow. Mota also told his friend not to worry.

Later, Mota took off his clothes and told his friend how happy he was. Mota says that he himself was not aware of where he was in that happiness. He also did not understand how he managed to run 6-7 miles through the streets of Karachi in broad daylight and in the middle of a crowd. He only remembers that when a sergeant (then a police sub-inspector) tried to block his path, he shouted very loudly. Hearing that, the sergeant stepped aside and said loudly, "Sai Baba! Eid Mubarak!!"

Anyways, this was Mota's final test. After that, Mota's spiritual progress increased very rapidly and soon bore fruit. In the beginning, Baba gave him Saguna Brahma experience. He had a revelation and had darshan of Lord Krishna 2-3 times. Finally, on 29th March 1939, on the day of Ram Navami, he had the revelation of Advaita at Shrikshetra Kashi and from then on Mota attained realization.

Thus, Pujya Shri Mota entered the state of realization in just 15 years from a simple worldly life. His real Guru was Shri Ghunibale Dada of Saikheda near Jabalpur. But his Guru used to call himself as Sai Baba. He used to say “ I am Tajuddin. I am Upasani Maharaj. I am Akkalkot Swami”. Therefore, Mota addressed all of them as Guru, as they were all one. It is believed that Shri Sai Baba gave final touches to Mota’s spiritual progress.

During his spiritual sadhana, Mota had stayed in Shirdi for a month. In Shirdi, he stayed on the floor in front of the Samadhi Mandir and was also close to Abdul Baba. Upon seeing him, Abdul Baba welcomed him with the words, "Oh! This is one of our own person."

After attaining realization, Mota spent his time exclusively in spreading religious awareness and promoting social welfare. He established Hari Om Ashrams on the banks of holy rivers in 3 places in India and provided silent meditation temples (dhyan mandirs) for seekers. He had such a sense of identification with his devotees that he suffered from many of their diseases at the same time, such as spinal cord disease, kidney disease, insomnia, haemorrhoids, diabetes, asthma, etc., yet he was always smiling and happy.

After 1962, he collected crores of rupees and spent them on the movement for the educational, physical and moral upliftment of all the people in the society. Finally, in 1976, when he passed away at the age of 78 years on the banks of the Maddi River in Gujarat, after giving instructions to some of his special devotees, he himself did not keep a single penny with him. Not only that. He had cautioned his close devotees that no one should build a Samadhi or memorial to him, and that if any money was collected, it should be spent only for the betterment of the society.

My sincere salutations to such a great saint!!

(Source: Shri Sai Leela Magazine - July - August 1980 issue by By - Lt. Col. M. B. Nimbalkar (Retd) 1/14, Five Star Apartments, Bund Garden Road, - Pune 411 001)