- sent what he called the Anoopam Mission to
the United States. Its success was due to the dedi-
cation of a young man named Jashbhai, born on
March 23, 1940 in Sokhada, Gujarat, who had as
a young college student crossed paths with Yogiji
Maharaj. Yogiji was so impressed with the young
man that he called him Saheb, a term of great
respect. Saheb organized meetings and recruited
his peers onto the path of bhakti, especially as
expressed through the lineage of Yogiji Maharaj.
He encouraged the young men to live a life based
on spirituality, service to others, and positive assis-
tance in their community.
Those attracted to his teachings developed a
new way to live as SADHUS. They did not renounce
the world but accepted it. They did not take vows
of chastity, obedience, and poverty; instead they
had families and participated in life on an every-
day level but focused on a mission of service to
others. Their aim was to integrate the life of holy
people with that of lay people.
Saheb was expelled from the larger movement
in 1965, after a dispute with conservatives who did
not want women to become sadhus. He and his fol-
lowers established the Brahmajyoti (light of God), in
Mogri, Gujarat, which became the new movement’s
international headquarters. Groups developed in
the surrounding countryside and areas adjacent to
the mother organization, with similar institutions
set up for community service. Followers began to
migrate to the United States in the 1960s, and Saheb
traveled to visit them in 1973.
The Anoopam Mission in the United States
encourages members to live frugally in a commu-
nity atmosphere. The excess income they make in
their careers is saved to enhance and carry forth
the obligations of the mission. Over 100 American
members (called sadhaks) engage as a group to
work with devotees toward spiritual goals.
Sadhaks are distinguished by attire that reveals
their commitment. Blue shirts and cream colored
slacks are worn by the men. Cream is the symbol
of the Earth; blue is symbolic of the sky and the
greatest of spiritual attainments, which is to unite
with God into the bliss of Oneness. These colors
reflect the transformation of each person’s mission
from Earth-bound to spiritual-bound.
Members also wear a saffron and white badge
showing an eight-spoked wheel. The hub of the
wheel represents Saheb, while the spokes are the
internal purification rituals required in the move-
ment. The spokes also represent eight brothers
who were blessed by Yogiji Maharaj as the leaders
of the mission.
Saheb has continued to extend the mission to
25 countries throughout the world. After begin-
ning in India, the United Kingdom, the United
States, and Australia, the mission now has centers
in several countries in Europe, Africa, and the
Far East. The mission now sponsors educational
institutions, health-care organizations, social wel-
fare programs, and relief programs for assistance
in floods, earthquakes, and water conservation.
The international headquarters remains in Mogri,
Gujarat, India.Further reading: Saheb—Profile of a Guru and His Mis-
sion (Uxbridge, England: Anoopam Mission, 1989).anumana
In Indian philosophies anumana or inference is
almost universally recognized as one of the valid
means for gaining knowledge. Buddhism and
VAISHESHIKA accepted only two valid means—anu-
mana and direct perception (PRATYAKSHA). The
SAMKHYA school recognized direct perception,
inference, and verbal testimony (shabda). NYAYA
added a fourth: analogy (upamana). In JAINISM,
anumana is admitted as valid under the wider
category of “non perceptual” knowledge, which
includes other elements such as memory. Only
the CHARVAKAs or materialist philosophers denied
the validity of anumana, thinking truth could be
gained only by direct perception.Further reading: S. N. Dasgupta, A History of Indian Phi-
losophy, 5 vols. (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1975); KarlK 40 anumana