Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak – the great social reformist

Adi Shankaracharya achieved title of Jagadguru (teacher of the world). He wrote commentaries on core scriptures of Sanatana dharma. In his short 32 years of life he travelled throughout India to remind people about core principles of Sanatana dharma. Lord Krishna incarnated 5000 years back to establish righteousness. Through Arjuna he gave the world the divine message of Srimad Bhagwad Gita. 2500 years passed after Lord Krishna left his earthly body and again the cultural system started collapsing due to the rise of non-adherence to eternal code of ethics. This was the time when Shankaracharya was born to protect the system. It is because of his efforts that people of Indian continent again started realizing the importance of teachings of Bhagwad Gita.

So also did Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the great social reformist of Maharashtra. He fought for the freedom, not just for geographical boundaries, but for core Indian cultural system that was going in doldrums due to the influence of British rule. Through his writings he reminded people about their original duty of preserving the core ethical values prescribed by scriptures of Sanatana dharma.

Even saints praised the work of Tilak and supported him in all his endeavors. Once when Dadasaheb Khaparde, another social reformist who worked closely with Tilak, went to Gajanan Maharaj to invite him as a guest for the event where Tilak was to speak on the occasion of birthday of Chatrapati Shivaji, Gajanan Maharaj happily accepted invitation praising Bal Gangadhar as the most appropriate person for uplifting the nation. Because of his selfless service to the nation people wholeheartedly gave Bal Gangadhar Tilak a title of Lokmanya i.e. accepted by public as a leader.

When British government summoned Lokmanya Tilak under act 124 for his writing which British government considered as sedition, a close associate of Lokmanya Tilak, Kolhatkar, upon request of Dadasaheb Khaparde, went to Shri Gajanan Maharaj for his spiritual help and guidance. Gajanan Maharaj remained silent in sleeping position for almost three days. Kolhatkar showed a tremendous patience by remaining at the feet of Gajanan Maharaj. When on fourth day Gajanan Maharaj spoke up, he indicated to Kolhatkar that going of Lokmanya Tilak to jail was inevitable.

Gajanan Maharaj gave a piece of bread (bhakari) to Kolhatkar to be partaken by Tilak and told him that by eating this bhakari Tilak will do great work while in jail. 

When Bal Gangadhar Tilak received bhakari as a prasad (consecrated food) through Kolhatkar, he was much pleased to know that he was destined to do a great work. He consoled his co-workers saying "sadhus and saints are the people who know everything about past, present and future. If Maharaj has told that some great work is going to happen through me, it will. Lets see what it will be." He had a strong faith in saints and sadhus. He faithfully ate that prasad of bhakari even when due to age he was unable to eat. While in jail Tilak wrote a great commentary on Bhagwad Gita which eventually came to be known as “Gitarahasya” i.e. secrets of Bhagwad Gita. This was the great work that was indicated to him by Shri Gajanan Maharaj. Due to this work Lokmanya Tilak achieved a status of a teacher of the world - Jagadguru.

The best way to respect the great work of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak is to attentively read Gitarahasya.