Shri Vasudevanand Saraswati Tembe Swami Maharaj

A compact Biography.

• Shri Shantashram Swami 
  In those days, there used to stay a great Sanyasi in Benares by the name Shri Shantashram Swami. Hailing from Karad in Maharashtra, he had performed weekly revisions (Parayan) of Shrimad Bhgawat Puran continuously for 40 years in Kashi. By his constant austerities and the devoted study of Bhgawat, he had attained communion with the God. It is said when on occasions he overslept and did not wake up at the usual hour of 4 a.m. in the morning, the Lord of Kashi himself used to knock at his door to wake him up! Though not formally educated in either Sanskrit or the Scriptures himself, he used to be consulted by the highest authorities in Kashi for the interpretations of certain abstruse passages in Bhgawat Puran. He had heard about Shri Maharaj, then staying at Brahmavart (1913 AD), for three continuous years, and was looking forward to seeing him in Kashi. When in spite of several requests of different persons from Kashi, Shri Maharaj did not visit Kashi, Shri Shantashram Swami decided to visit Brahmavart himself. When the two saints met, it is recorded that both of them were so overwhelmed with Love that tears of joy started flowing incessantly from their eyes! Shri Shantashram Swami was so enchanted by the ambience of the place and the various religious services, discourses etc. going on there, that he stayed there for four months. 
  Shri Kevalyashram Swami of Gurlhosur also admired Shri Maharaj and used to make him stay at Gurlhosur for weeks.