Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj - Icon Profile | Alexandria
Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897-1981) was a pivotal Indian spiritual teacher and philosopher of Advaita Vedanta who emerged from humble beginnings as a Mumbai tobacco shop owner to become one of the 20th century's most influential non-dual masters. Born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli in Bombay (now Mumbai), he received his name Nisargadatta from his guru Siddharameshwar Maharaj, reflecting his natural (nisarga) state of self-realization.
In the bustling landscape of pre-independence India, Maharaj's early life was marked by conventional religious practices until a fateful encounter with his guru in 1933 transformed his understanding of reality. Following intense spiritual practice and the realization of his true nature, he began sharing teachings from his modest loft above a small shop in Mumbai's Khetwadi neighborhood, where the pungent smell of bidis (hand-rolled cigarettes) mixed with the profound wisdom of ancient Vedanta.
The publication of "I Am That" (1973), a series of translated dialogues between Maharaj and visitors, catapulted his teachings to international prominence. His radical approach eschewed traditional religious terminology in favor of direct pointing to the nature of consciousness and being. Unlike many contemporary spiritual teachers, Maharaj's method was remarkably stripped of cultural ornamentation, focusing instead on the immediate experience of one's own existence—the sense "I am" which he considered the gateway to ultimate truth.
Maharaj's legacy continues to influence modern spiritual discourse through his uncompromising emphasis on direct self-investigation and his unique ability to express ancient Vedantic truths in the language of modern experience. His teachings have inspired numerous contemporary authors and teachers, while his small Mumbai residence remains a pilgrimage site for seekers worldwide. The apparent paradox of his life—a simple shopkeeper who articulated some of the most sophisticated philosophical insights of our time—continues to challenge conventional notions about the nature of spiritual awakening and the relationship between ordinary life and transcendent wisdom.
Though he departed in 1981, Maharaj's central question still reverberates: "What were you before you were born?" This inquiry, characteristic of his teaching style, continues to guide seekers toward the timeless truth he embodied.