Was Prem Rawat Disowned and Disinherited by his Mother?

Yes, Prem Rawat's mother did disown and disinherit her youngest son and he did sue her and his eldest brother to gain control of his father's property and lost. They never met again, his children didn't meet their grandmother, he did not attend her funeral. The brothers' web sites do not mention each other.^1 2 3

On the surface that is a sordid story that would convince most people that Prem Rawat was a charlatan whose Knowledge was worthless in realising love and peace in a family or individual. But his followers believe it shows that the Knowledge of the Perfect Master is not a set of beliefs that one must learn but a living experience without which even the closest family members or the most devoted mother can understand the life of a Perfect Master. Prem Rawat has said he is always in God-consciousness but that his mother had religious beliefs.

Some expressions of love between Prem Rawat and his wife, Marolyn Johnson, that infuriated his mother.

Prem Rawat's father, the Perfect Master of his time married for the second time, late in his life to Raj Rajeshwari who became known as Mata Ji (Holy Mother) or Jagat Janani Mata Shri Raj Rajeshwari Devi and they had four sons. Until her husband and Satguru died, she tended to keep a low profile, but was nonetheless always busy, looking after her family, mahatmas, ashram residents and a steady stream of visitors. At the funeral, she exhorted her sons, mahatmas and devotees: "Come and join me in taking an oath to follow the path laid down by our beloved Master! Let us do our best, to dedicate our all to spread the spiritual knowledge in India and abroad. Our every breath will be spent for the sake of humanity and we will follow in Maharaj Ji's footsteps with faith and humility."

When Prem Rawat first came to the West his family was advertised as also having divine characteristics. They were called the Holy Family and all of them were claimed to be incarnations of aspects of the Divinity. Prem Rawat has since claimed that his family had never accepted him as the true Perfect Master despite their years of public satsang and worship.5  one of his closest followers, Glen Whittaker, claimed they were only interested in the money. However, Prem Rawat made no such public admissions while his family were publicly supporting him and this is another example of the culture of deceit and phony public relations of his organisations. Prem Rawat wrote a letter of apology to his mother but she rejected his explanation that he was just a puppet in his Guru Maharaji's power.5

For nearly a decade from 1966 Mata Ji had control of Divine Light Mission while her youngest son, Prem Rawat was still at school at St Joseph's Academy. At the first opportunity and in defiance of his mother, he concentrated all his energies in the West and was able to escape her control. She was angered when her second youngest son married a beautiful Western devotee. This marriage ended in divorce but has provided Hollywood with a successful, exotic young actress.

In May 1974, 16 year old Prem Rawat married 25 year old Marolyn Johnson, an American airline stewardess and premie. Not even have a double Hindu ceremony in India for both younger sons could assuage their mother's feelings. The bitter family dispute was now in the open with Mata Ji and two of Rawat's brothers rejecting him.5  Returning to India, Mata Ji crowned Bal Bhagwan Ji (now named Satpal Maharaj) as the new 'Guru Maharaj Ji', causing terrible publicity which ended DLM's expansion and caused distress in the premies. She rejected counselling.6

Most of the Indian premies and virtually all of the mahatmas obeyed Mata Ji and Bal Bhagwan Ji (who, after a protracted court case, won ownership of the name and property of Divine Light Mission in India). The young Maharaji had said the Indian premies "are lost in illusion" in his famous "Peace Bomb" Satsang. The young Western premies either rejected both sides or accepted they were witnessing a lila - literally 'game of God'.

Mata ji empowering her eldest son, Bal Bhagwan Ji, as the new Guru Maharaji or "Perfect Master" Satpal Ji.

Mata Ji in happier days with her little son, who she then claimed was the living Perfect Master, Prem Rawat.