Shri Manik Prabhu was a great mystic saint and yogi is hailed as the fourth incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. He lived during in this world during the year 1817 to 1865. His contemporaries include Shri Saibaba of Shirdi, Shri Akkalkot Swami Maharaj and Shri Gondavalekar Maharaj and they had regular contact and discussions in matters related to spiritual wisdom. Shri Prabhu was associated with the first war of Indian independence in the year 1857 and his hailed as Bhaktakarya Kalpadruma. The teachings of Shri Prabhu lay stress on the Bhakti marg and he showed great sympathy towards the distressed and sorrowing people. He helped people with the spiritual guidance and helped people who sought spiritual intervention. Shri Prabhu also moralises the Vedanthic truths connected to the Spiritual Unity of the living beings. Shri Prabhu’s use of the theological platform to interpret and reason out the concept of Ultimate reality is worth remembering.
Shri Prabhu has created many poetic compositions and these are filled up with expressions of passionate devotion to the various expressions of Parabrahma. His teachings attracted people from all religions, caste and creed and his capacity to deal with all religions earned him the name ‘Sakalamatacharya’. Shri Prabhu was greatly attached to the hills around Manthal because the caves in the hills were cool and far from the maddening crowd. He selected this place because it was quiet and peaceful and favourable for spiritual union with the Supreme Self. Shri Prabhu used to spend many days together immersed in the blissful state of realisation and at times he would come down the hill and roam around in the town. There were many followers for Shri Prabhu and the wise ones recognised the greatness of the great yogi and honoured and worshipped him. But he was not bothered about anything and used to distribute the gifts received by him to the people assembled to meet him.
