Punit Maharaj was a popular saint from Gujarat during the 20th century CE. His pre-monastic name was Balakrishna and was born as the son of Bhaishankara and his wife Lalitadevi in Junagadh, Gujarat. He was born on the second day of the dark half of the lunar month of Vaishakha in Vikram Samvat 1964, - May 19, 1908 CE.
The atmosphere of the house of Punit Maharaja was religious. His mother used to sing bhajanas, which created an everlasting impression on the mind of the young child. He lost his father at an early age and his widowed mother had to struggle even for a single meal. She could not perform even the sacred thread ceremony of the boy. But his maternal uncle did it at a later stage in his life.
Punit could hardly study up to matriculation. Before he could finish his schooling, he had to go to work. He had various stints as a peon, postman, porter at the Ahmedabad Railway Station, clerk, teacher, an editor of a newspaper, etc. For lack of money, he could not afford medical care of his ailing son, who died.
Due to this smoking habit, Punit developed tuberculosis, which reached the third stage. He heard from someone about the miraculous effect of the recitation of the name of Bhagvan. He started chanting the name and was cured of tuberculosis. His faith in the Almighty, especially in the form of Ranchodaraya of Dakor, credited with many miracles, increased.
Punit Maharaj wrote thousands of bhajans, which he rendered in his melodious voice. He is no less popular than Narasimha Mehta or Mirabai in Gujarat today. Jana Kalyana, a monthly magazine which he started, remains quite popular even today. He passed away on Friday, July 27, 1962.