One facet of his life...

Born into a Vaishnav family, Vinayakrao Trivedi was a noble soul; a man with a simple lifestyle, strong principles and discipline. At the start of the 20th century, born into a nation of little gender equality and poor public education, Vinayakrao shone through to make a mark in history. Educated in Sanskrit, English and French, Vinayakrao established himself as a scholar and respectable individual. He dreamt of opening a private school. Despite his poor financial conditions, in 1914, Vinayakrao initiated the creation of a secondary school and opened Tutorial High School the following year. Students began to pour in as his belief of educating girls came to fruition. He also opened an all girls secondary school a few years later. He was a man of high expectations but never failed at practicing what he preached. Long after students retired for the day, he would read through student essays, speeches and tests and respond with inspirational remarks and constructive criticism to boost their self-confidence. Full of great achievements, humility and selflessness, Vinayakrao was truly a hero amongst his students, colleagues and family members.

Turning point in his life...
1932, Radhu
Continually doing vicharan from one town to another, Shastriji Maharaj arrived at the town of Radhu. At this time, Khengarjibhai Chauhan, who was a teacher in Vinayakrao’s school brought Vinayakrao to see Shastriji Maharaj. For many months, Vinayakrao had been suffering from insomnia. Khengarjibhai was a devotee and was sure Shastriji Maharaj would cure his problem. When Shastriji Maharaj came to know of this, he casually said, “Sleep is hiding under your bed. Join this Satsang family, and read the Vachanamrut; you will surely be able to sleep!” A little doubtful, Vinayakrao hesitantly advised an assistant to read the Vachanamrut to him and just after three Vachanamruts were read, he fell asleep for eight full hours. He was really amazed and realized that Shastriji Maharaj is a true saint. He offered himself at the divine feet of Shastriji Maharaj. As an educated Sanskrit scholar, Vinayakrao recognized Shastriji Maharaj’s true form as the living embodiment of all that is prescribed in spiritual texts. In many of his writings, he gives credit to Shastriji Maharaj for all his achievements. It was through Shastriji Maharaj that he learned the real glory of Akshar-Purushottam. His meeting with Shastriji Maharaj not only filled his life with spirituality, but also carved out a new purpose for him to fulfil – to please Shastriji Maharaj.

 A simple, humble devotee...
With Shastriji Maharaj’s ashirvad, Vinayakrao opened the Yagnapurush High School, an institution that not only educated individuals but also instilled in them spiritual and cultural values. Behind all of his worldly achievements was a simple, dedicated and humble devotee; one who talked about his guru’s glory with great enthusiasm. Perhaps, a real hero is not only the one who saves others from difficulties but also one who looks beyond the difficulties and leads a life centred around Satsang.