Famous People with Name Athavale

Pandurang Shastri Vaijnath Athavale            Origin/Culture/Country: Indian

Pandurang Shastri Vaijnath Athavale: which literally translates as elder brother in Marathi was a philosopher who gave discourses on Srimad Bhagawad Gita and Upnishads. Pandurang Shastri was founder of Swadhyay Parivar.Param Pujya Pandurang Shastri Vaijnath Shastri Athavale was born on October 19, 1920 in the village of Roha near Mumbai. His grandfather, Laxman Rao, was a renowned scholar and brahmin in the area and regularly, against public opinion, visited Dalits to explain the Bhagavad Gita. Athavale, then age five, saw his grandfather taking a bath upon returning from such a trip . Athavale was surprised and posed the question that if in the Bhagavad Gita the Lord exclaims that God exists within all human hearts then how can anyone including the so-called 'untouchables' be considered inferior to anyone else? He became determined to see the God within others and from thenceforth became the proponent of "in-dwelling God."