24. Story of Morya Govasi -1

The story of Moraya Gosavi (Moroba) dates back to fourteen century. He is the most renowned saint of Ganapatya sect.

Part 1 - Birth of Morya 

The story of  Moraya Gosavi begans from the village of Shali located in Bidar district of Karnataka, where a Brahmin named Vaman Bhat Shaligram lived with his wife Parvati Bai. The story dates back to 1330.

Vaman Bhat was a Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin. He hailed from Haritasa clan (gotra) and was well versed in Vedas. He was an ardent believer of Grihasth Arshrama, as a way of life. However, Vamanbhat was childless.

Vaman and his wife worshipped Lord Ganesha. Yearning for a child, one day they decided to pay homage to Mayureshwara form of Lord Ganesha who was instilled in form of a stone in the village called Morgaon. Morgaon is located near Pune (70 kilometers approx) in the state of Maharashtra.

Thus, one day Vaman left his house in Shali with his wife and reached Morgoan. Here they worshipped Lord Ganesha as Mayureshwara. At this time, Lord Ganesha was believed to have disguised as a standing stone (karhe pathar). The stone was placed under a tree where it was worshipped as Mayureshwar.

Intuitively, Vaman and his wife felt that Lord Ganesha would hear their prayers for child. Thus, the couple began severe austerities to please Lord Ganesha by worshipping the stone under the said tree. Indeed, it happened - Lord Ganesha was pleased and blessed them with a boy. The boy was named after his bestower - Morya.

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Part 2 - The Onset of Spiritual Journey 

2.1 Worship of Mayureshwara, Morgaon  

Once as a child Morya fell critically ill. His body raged with extremes of temperatures and no Vedic or herbal remedy seemed to help him. His parents were very worried. They remembered Lord Ganesha asking him to take care of Morya. 

The turn of events was surprising and faith instilling...

A vedic priest (Govasi by clan) named Naryana Bharti Govasi came to the village of Morgaon. He was a great devotee of Lord Ganesha who was known for processing spiritual powers (Sidhdha Yogiraj). When Morya's father came to know about the saint, he visited  him and pleaded him to bless his son Morya. Naryan Bharti visited the ailing Morya and cured him. He blessed Morya and later became his preceptor. 

Morya began his education at the age of eight after his upanayana samskara was performed. 

Morya was influenced by both by his parents and his preceptor who were devotees of Lord Ganesha. He  ardently began worshipping Lord Ganesha in form of Kharaphathar which was believed to be Mayureshwar himself. 

2. Pleasing Chintamani and Gain of Astha Siddhis (From Morgaon to Theur)

Morya fell in devitional love with Lord Ganesha. He came to have an unbending desire to see Lord Chintamani when he came under the guidance of Nayan Bharati Gosavi. 

Lord Chintamani was another form of Lord Ganesha instilled in the temple of Theur. Later his guru advised Moraya to meditate deeply upon Lord Chintamani. Thus following his guru, Morya went to Theur and performed penance to please/invoke Lord Chintamani. Now this place of Morya's penance is called Tapasya Sthana (it is near the main Temple of Chintamani).

The village Theur is surrounded by Mula-Mutha river on three sides. The river is also known as ‘Kadamb Tirtha’ or ‘Chintamani Tirtha’. Morya began rigorous penance to invoke  Chintamani on the banks of this river Mula Mutha. Here he underwent a severe anusthana (fasting). After 42 days Morya had divine revelations. Lord Chintamani appeared before Moraya in form of two tigers and bestowed him with Astha Siddis or the eight natural superpowers.

After attainment of Siddhis, Morya was confronted with the title of Gosavi (meaning one who acquires complete control of senses or one who serves the God) by his preceptor Naryana Bharti. Thus Morya came to be known as Morya Govasi. 

The Temple of Chintamani was built by the descendants to commemorate attainment of Astha Siddhi by Morya Gosavi. The temple hall was built 100 years later by Madhavrao Peshva. A boulder near the temple of Chintamani is believed to the tiger form of Ganesha who blessed Morya Govasi with Siddhis. This stone is still worshipped.