Rang Avadhoot: Difference between revisions

|literary_works = ''Datta Bavani''

Rang Avadhoot was born Pandurang Vitthalapant Valame on 21 November 1898  (Kartika Sud 9 according to [[Hindu calendar]]) in [[Godhra]] in a Marathi Brahmin family of Vitthalpant Jairam Valame and Rukmini ([[née]] Kashi).<ref name=":c" /><ref name="sam" /><ref name=":0">{{cite thesis |last=Godbole |first=Gyanesh |date=2010 |title=રંગ અવધૂતના સાહિત્યમાં વ્યક્ત થતું ચિંતન |script-title=gu:Rang Avadhootna Sahityama Vyakta Thatu Chintan|trans-title=Philosophy emerging in the literature of Rang Avadhoot |type=PhD |chapter=4. રંગ અવધૂતની જીવન ઝરમર |publisher= Department of Education, [[Veer Narmad South Gujarat University]] |url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/18022 |access-date=2019-05-02|language=gu|hdl=10603/18022|pages=85-122}}</ref> His family belonged to Devle village (now in [[Sangameshwar|Sangameshwar taluka]] of [[Ratnagiri district]] in [[Maharashtra]]). His father moved to Godhra as a caretaker ([[pujari]]) of Viththal temple. His father died in a plague in 1902. He had a brother named Narayan. He had met his spiritual teacher ([[guru]]) [[Vasudevanand Saraswati]] (Tembe Swami) in 1905.<ref name=":0" />

He was religiously inclined since his childhood. He received his school education in Godhra and [[matriculated]] in 1917 from Telang Highschool, Godhra. For higher studies, he joined [[Gujarat College]] in [[Ahmedabad]] and completed his first year there. He moved to Baroda College in [[Baroda]] for the second year. Influenced by [[Mahatma Gandhi]], he left studies for the participation in the [[non-cooperation movement]] in 1920. When [[Gujarat Vidyapith]] was founded, he joined and graduated among its first batch of the students in 1921. He befriended Amritlal Modi and Ambalal Vyas there.<ref name=":c" /><ref name=":0" /> In [[Panchmahal district|Panchmahal]] region, he participated in the independence movement activities with his friends and others.<ref name=":c" /> He briefly worked with [[Swami Anand]] at the [[Navajivan Trust|Navjivan]] trust. He later joined the Rashtriya Adarsh Vinaymandir school in Ahmedabad as the teacher of Sanskrit in 1921.<ref name=":c" /><ref name=":0" /> In 1922, he decided to never marry and became involved in social work and politics.<ref name="Samraj2004">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W0GasoU5dfAC&pg=PA746|title=The Knee of Listening: The Divine Ordeal of the Avataric Incarnation of Conscious Light : the Spiritual Autobiography of the Ruchira Avatar, Adi Da Samraj|author=Adi Da Samraj|publisher=North Atlantic Books|year=2004|isbn=978-1-57097-167-9|pages=746–747}}</ref><ref name=":c" />

Under pen name of Ganjeri, he started writing columns on the contemporary issues in dailies. Between 1918 and 1925, he wrote and translated several works. He translated [[Ernest Howard Crosby]]'s ''Tolstoy as a Schoolmaster'' as ''Tolstoy Ane Shikshan'' (1924) in Gujarati''.'' ''Upanishadni Vato'' (1924) and ''Vishnupuranni Varta'' (1924) are his works on [[Upanishads]] and [[Vishnu Purana]]. ''Girvahbhasha Pravesh'' 1-2 (1924) is a work on Sanskrit grammar which he prepared for students when he taught Sanskrit in a school. ''Sadbodhshatakam-Balbodhini'' (1924) is a commentary on [[shloka]]s (verses) selected by [[Kaka Kalelkar]] from [[Bhartṛhari]]'s [[Śatakatraya]] and dedicated to the students. He also co-translated [[Leo Tolstoy]]'s ''[[What Is to Be Done? (Tolstoy)|What Shall We Do Then?]]''{{efn-ua|''[[What Is to Be Done?]]'' is the most common English translation title. ''What Shall We Do Then?'' is another title used.}} as ''Tyare Karishu Shu?'' (1928) in Gujarati with [[Narhari Parikh]]. His other works during this period include ''Rentiyanu Rahasya'', ''Swaraj-Kirtan'', ''Ahinsa Etle Shu?'', columns published under title of ''Bhangno Loto.''<ref name=":c" /><ref name=":0" />

After accepting asceticism, he wrote about 45 works mostly focused on spirituality and devotion to [[Dattatreya]]. He wrote [[Bhajan]]s (devotional songs) collected under the title ''Avadhooti Anand'' (1931). ''Ranghridayam'' (1932) has [[stotra]]s (hymns) on knowledge and devotion. His ''Shri Guruleelamrit'' (1934–36) contains more than 19,005 [[Doha (poetry)|dohras]] (couplets) divided in three volumes and 148 chapters. He composed ''Dattabavani'' (1935), a 52 stanza poem dedicated to Dattatreya which is popular in Gujarat. ''Patrageeta'' (1939) is a collection of 16 letters about spirituality addressed to his friend Amrutlal Modi. ''Rangtarang'' (1951) is a collection of Marathi Abhang Bhajans. Amar Adesh (1955) is a collection of his various lectures. ''Shrirang Patramanjusha 1-2'' (1975, 1986) is a collection of letters addressed to friends and relatives. ''Sangeetgeeta'' is original verse translation of [[Bhagavad Gita|Bhagwad Geeta]] in Gujarati.<ref name=":c" /><ref name=":0" />