Sri R. K. Bhagwat: A Memoir

Born on 16 August 1879, Sri Ramchandra Keshav Bhagwat qualified for Government service by passing the Entrance examination of the University of Bombay, but he could not proceed to Collegiate education, owing to the limited means of his parents. Entering service in his teens, by dint of honest and diligent work, he rose from the clerical level to a position of high responsibility in the Revenue Department of the then Bombay Presidency. He held various posts carrying heavy administrative and executive responsibilities, and retired in 1935 as Deputy Collector after a meritorious career extending over 35 years.

Before long he was persuaded to be the Diwan of JAMKHANDI, a Princely State, in view of his rich experience. Here too he maintained the reputation of being a true public servant, and in recognition of his eminent services both in British India and in the Princely State, the Government of India conferred upon him the title of Rao Bahadur in 1937 and of Diwan Bahadur in 1943. He retired as Diwan of Jamkhandi in 1943 and settled down in his home town of Pune.

How he came to know of Sant Jnaneshwar Maharaj and how the idea of translating his Bhavartha Dipika took shape in his mind, gathering strength over the years, has been explained by Sri Bhagwat in his introduction. After his retirement, he dedicated himself heart and soul to the noble task of translating Jnaneshwari into English. This labour of love engaged him for over five years, and he had the satisfaction of seeing the publication of his rendering—the first complete English translation of the great Marathi Classic—in two volumes in 1952 and 1954.

Known for his regular and simple way of life, Sri Bhagwat continued to be healthy and cheerful until he breathed his last suddenly on 26 January 1956, the Republic Day, at the age of 76.