Damodar K. Mavalankar

Damodar K. Mavalankar

Damodar K. Mavalankar (born September 1857 in Ahmedabad) was an Indian Theosophist and a chela of Mahatma Koot Hoomi.

Early life

He was born in the family of the Karhâda Mahârashtra caste of Brâhmanas, a wealthy Indian family. Apart from learning the tenets of his religion by his father from an early age, he also received a very good English education. When he was ill as a child, he met his guru Koot Hoomi who promised to take him under his protection. The name Mavalankar is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, but no accent is necessary.

Association with Theosophical Society

In 1879 he met H. S. Olcott and H. P. Blavatsky in Bombay, after they had just established the Theosophical Society's temporary Indian headquarters there. Damodar joined the Society on August 3, 1879, giving up his caste. In 1880, he officially became a Buddhist while in Sri Lanka, taking Pancha Sila along with Col. Olcott and Madame Blavatsky. His actions displeased his family and led to conflict, due to them desiring him to return home and live with his wife who was betrothen to him in his childhood, or face the consequences of being cut out of his will. In response to this, Damodar gave up an income of 50,000 Indian rupees to provide for the future of his would-be wife, and continued to live and work with the Theosophical founders. "After meeting H. P. B. his interior vision gradually opened and again he knew the Guru of his childhood vision, his Master K. H., which sealed his devotion to theosophy. His remarkable psychic powers made him the centre of many phenomena. Between 25-27 Nov. '83 he visited the ashram of his master to undergo certian training. From frail, timid, deferential, he returned bronzed, robust, bold, energetic."

Damodar wrote a number of excellent articles for The Theosophist, which were compiled by Sven Eek in Damodar: The Writings of a Hindu Chela. The compilation also includes some very interesting correspondence with William Quan Judge, A. P. Sinnett, and Mrs. Josephine W. Cables, of Rochester, New York, and various reports and other documents. All are dated in the range 1879-1886.

He continued his work in this way until on February 23, 1885, when he went to Tibet to join his Master. Wearing Tibetan disguise he was brought to the frontier by his escort. Confirmation was sent by the ashram in June 1886 stating that Damodar was alive and safe.

Demonstrations of psychic ability

Damodar was involved in demonstrations of psychic phenomena offered by Colonel Olcott to members of the Society for Psychical Research.

Damodar is Secretary to the Theosophical Society, and a Brahmin of high caste. At Moradabad, on the evening of the 10th November, 1882, he announced apropos of a decision by Colonel Olcott, that he would go in the double or phantasm to the Headquarters of the Society, more than 1,000 miles away, and obtain a modification of it. He shut himself up in his room, came out in a few minutes and gave a message purporting to come from Headquarters, situate at Adyar, a suburb of Madras. The message was taken down and attested by several witnesses. He then added that a confirmation of it would come by telegram, and this actually occurred the next morning...

The other Damodar case is of a similar character; he announced an accident to Madame Blavatsky which was only made known by telegram the next day and which he could not have possibly ascertained in the ordinary way.

Mahatma Letters

Damodar's signature on Mahatma Letter No. 142b (Barker no. 14b)

Under the direction of his master Koot Hoomi, Damodar wrote to A. P. Sinnett. His letters appear in The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett as number 142a (Barker no. 14a) and number 142b (Barker no. 14b). He provided information to Mr. Sinnett about the existence of the Mahatmas, and about initiation fees for members of the Theosophical Society.

He was mentioned in Mahatma Letter No. 65 as a person who could convey papers from Sinnett and Hume to the Mahatmas.

Writings

These are some of the articles written for The Theosophist. They are available online at the Theosophical University Press online:

• "The Swami of Akalkot" January, 1880.
• "Castes in India" May, 1880.
• "The Vedantasara" September, 1883.
• "Vedantism and Buddhism" August, 1884. Comment by "An Enquirer" on "The Vedantasara" with Damodar's Note appended.
• "Kavya Dosha Vivechana" October, 1883.
• "The Work of the Branches" Supplement to The Theosophist, January, 1884.
• "The Work of the Branches" Supplement to The Theosophist, March, 1884.
• "Oxford Mission Shots at Occultism" Supplement to The Theosophist, January, 1884.
• "White and Black Magic" Supplement to The Theosophist, February, 1884.
• "Contemplation" February, 1884.
• "Contemplation" April, 1884. Comments on previous article by "F. T. S." with Damodar's Note appended.
• "Contemplation - II" August, 1884.
• "The Philosophy and Science of Vedantic Raja Yoga" March, 1884. Edited by Babu Siris Chandra Vasu, B. A., F. T. S.
• "The Metaphysical Basis of 'Esoteric Buddhism' May, 1884.
• "The 'Occult World' and the 'Spiritualist' August, 1881.
• "Pert Questions and Plain Answers" May, 1882.
• "Answer to * * * 's Misconceptions" May, 1882.
• "Seeing Bright Light with Closed Eyes" Supplement to The Theosophist, September, 1883.
• "Can Females Become Adepts?" October, 1883.
• "'Phenomena'" Supplement to The Theosophist, April, 1884.
• "The Best Food for Man" April, 1884.
• "Esoteric Buddhism and Hinduism" June, 1884.
• "The Astral Body" January, 1885.
• "Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott" Supplement to The Theosophist, December, 1881.
• "The Work of the Theosophical Society" Supplement to The Theosophist, March, 1882.

Online resources

Articles

• 'Damodar K. Mavalankar' by Sri Raghavan Iyer
• Testimony Concerning the Mahatmas by Damodar K. Mavalankar

Books

• Damodar, The Writings of a Hindu Chela compiled by Sven Eek. See also Biographical notes.