Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar (1906–1973), affectionately known as “Guruji”, served as the second Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He transformed the Sangh into a pan-India force of self-discipline, cultural pride, and national consciousness. His leadership shaped the Sangh's ideology, organisation, and resilience for generations, and is looked up to with great respect by Swayamsevaks even today.
Born on February 19, 1906, in Ramtek near Nagpur, young Madhavrao grew up in a well-educated Marathi family. His father was a teacher, who later also became school headmaster.
He obtained first-class in Msc Zoology from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Madhavrao was academically brilliant and at the same time was also drawn towards spirituality and bhakti. He even briefly embraced sanyas at Belur Math under Swami Akhandananda, a disciple of Swami Vivekananda.
In 1931, he met RSS founder Dr. K. B. Hedgewar, who recognized his organizational capability and requested him to join full-time seva. Soon, he became Karyavah (secretary) in Nagpur, and later head of the Officers’ Training Camp. Recognizing his calling, Golwalkar Guruji abandoned legal practice and monastic life to dedicate himself fully to the Sangh.
Upon Hedgewar’s passing in 1940, Golwalkar Guruji was appointed Sarsanghchalak.
This appointment was done by none other than Dr Hedgewar. Over the next 33 years, he traveled across India, visiting every region, to strengthen the Sangh’s grassroots structure and form new affiliates. Under his leadership, organisations like Bharatiya Jana Sangh and Vidya Bharati were founded, deepening Sangh’s societal reach.
Guruji emphasized Sangh discipline as a form of spiritual growth. He referred to the shakha as the “laboratory” of character-building, and insisted that civic action begin with inner resolve and societal dedication. His well-known analogy of comparing the shakha’s transformative power to ‘penicillin derived from decay’, emphasized that even tough environments can yield greatness if skillfully organized.
In 1939, Golwalkar Guruji authored ‘We or Our Nationhood Defined’, where he explored Hindutva as a cultural nationhood distinct from modern political nationalism. He strongly upheld the belief that India’s identity is fundamentally spiritual and civilizational, rooted in shared values.
While acknowledging threats from external ideologies like Communism and internal fragmentation, Guruji warned that India's unity stemmed from internal strength, discipline (dharma), and cultural cohesion. He was a guiding force behind the formation of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which was formed in 1966. He ensured passage of a resolution against untouchability in VHP convention and championed for equality.
Under Golwalkar Guruji, the RSS responded calmly to major national crises. When banned after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in 1948, Guruji called for a peaceful Satyagrah to lift the ban and promised allegiance to India’s constitutional framework.
During the crisis over Kashmir’s accession post-Partition, Guruji personally traveled to Srinagar to encourage Maharaja Hari Singh to join India.
This decisive action of Guruji is counted as significant in Maharaja Hari Singh’s decision towards the merger of Jammu & Kashmir in independent India.
Being a spiritual person,Golwalkar Guruji was widely known for his compassion.This attitude was reflected even in his small actions. Golwalkar Guruji’s leadership transformed RSS into a nationwide movement rooted in character, cultural pride, and self-discipline. Over 83,000 shakhas and decades of seva projects bear his imprint.
Guruji’s life serves as an ideal followed by the youngest of swayamsevaks even today as it is strong in character, clear in purpose, rooted in tradition, and daring in service. His belief that “personal transformation, through self discipline, learning, and seva, can uplift society”, resonates deeply with India’s youth that is seeking purpose-driven life.
M. S. Golwalkar, through intellect, compassion, and unwavering discipline, built the Sangh into an ethical force ready for modern challenges.
He believed that Dharma protects the nation, that service creates unity, and that character builds civilizations. Whether in times of turmoil or peace, Guruji stood firm in his conviction: “The Sangh must prepare individuals capable of sacrificing personal ambition for national awakening.”
As RSS celebrates over a century, Guruji’s vision remains alive in every shakha, every swayamsevak molded to serve Bharat with strength, clarity, and humility. ‘एषः पन्थाः’ is the path he showed. And generations follow.