It is a matter of great pleasure for me to present this English translation of Shri Guruji’s biography, which was originally written in Marathi and later rendered into Hindi. A small biography of Pujaniya Shri Guruji had been brought out in 1956 on the occasion of his fifty-first birthday. Shri Guruji strongly felt it improper to publicise any personal particulars about him. Consequently, no full-fledged biography could be written during his lifetime. The seven volume tome titled ‘Shri Guruji Samagra Darshan’ was the result of the extensive source material collected after he passed away. However, this work contains very little biographical information about Shri Guruji, and whatever little there is, is scattered over seven volumes. For anyone desirous of knowing about Shri Guruji’s life and achievements, it is not easy to go through so many volumes. Shri C. P. Bhishikar had made a name for himself with his biography of Pujaniya Dr. Hedgewar, titled ‘Keshav: Sangh Nirmata’. With Pujaniya Sri Balasaheb Deoras’ encouragement he had published a biography of Shri Guruji also in the year 1982. Later, adding fresh material to it, he brought out a full biography in Marathi. Had some friends in Nagpur not rendered it into Hindi it would have been a loss for Hindi readers. Further, some senior R.S.S. workers helped in making the Hindi version more authentic and comprehensive by adding and at a few places rectifying the matter in the original Marathi book. It is this final version in Hindi that has now been rendered into English by Shri Sudhakar Raje, the well known ‘Satiricus’ whose untiring efforts have made this present publication available to the vast English reading readership in our country and abroad also.
I am sure that all those devoted to the Cause of Hindu Renaissance in general and more so the Sangh Swayamsevaks will be inspired by Pujaniya Shri Guruji’s life and role during those critical days – both in the life of the Sangh and the nation. And more, this will also prove as a guiding light to them to find right solutions to the many crucial challenges implied in the process of total transformation that our nation is going through, especially in the background of the conflict-ridden phase of the world situation.
Many thanks to all those who wrote, translated and published this excellent book.