The great mystic saint and yogi Shri Manik Prabhu Maharaj (1817–1865) is revered as the fourth incarnation of Lord Dattatreya and commands an enormous following across India. His contemporaries included Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi, Shri Akkalkot Swami Maharaj, and Shri Gondavalekar Maharaj, with whom he shared profound discussions on spiritual wisdom. Shri Prabhu is also believed to have been associated with the First War of Indian Independence (1857).
All biographers describe Shri Prabhu as a saint of extraordinary spirituality and mysticism, hailed as Bhaktakārya Kalpadruma—the wish-fulfilling tree for his devotees. Numerous accounts record his miraculous interventions and the solace he offered to those in distress—lifting the sorrowful, healing the afflicted, and protecting the wronged—whenever they sought his divine grace with faith and devotion.
At the heart of Shri Prabhu’s teaching lies the path of Bhakti (devotion). Yet, alongside devotion, he masterfully interprets and moralises upon Vedāntic truths concerning the spiritual unity of all beings. He uses his theological insight to unfold and reason out the concept of the Ultimate Reality (Parabrahma). His poetic compositions, full of luminous devotion, glorify the diverse manifestations of the Supreme. Ultimately, Shri Prabhu enjoins humanity to foster fellowship and brotherhood, transcending barriers of religion, caste, and creed.
Such a universal vision earned him messianic reverence across communities, and he was revered as the “Sakalamatachārya”—the Preceptor of All Faiths. The Sakalamata Sampradāya, founded by him, is not a cult or sect but a holistic, all-embracing school of philosophy resting upon the realisation of a Supreme Soul pervading the universe. It recognises the spiritual oneness of humanity and upholds equality amidst the world’s diverse religions and cultures.
This noble philosophy, emphasising harmony, inclusiveness, and divine unity, resonated deeply with people of every faith and station in life—rich and poor alike—and continues to inspire seekers even today.
