Bhaurao Patil was born to Paygonda Patil and Gangubai in Kumbhoj village, Kolhapur district, Maharashtra. After primary education, he came to the princely state of Kolhapur for English education. His courageous and rebellious spirit was further sharpened through his association with Shahu Maharaj. Molded by the Satyashodhak movement, Bhaurao founded the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha on 4 October 1919, under difficult pre-independence conditions, bringing the stream of education to the doorsteps of the rural masses through self-reliance.

Through the Satyashodhak movement, Bhaurao examined society's strengths and shortcomings, while through the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha he provided educational opportunities to the emerging rural youth. By establishing the Chhatrapati Shahu Boarding House in Satara for students of all castes and religions, he broke down barriers of caste and creed. He turned the stones of social ostracism hurled by orthodox society into the foundation of his institution. Trusting the generosity of the Rayat and his own determination, he established schools, hostels and colleges. Advocating self-reliant education alongside traditional education, he gave the guiding motto, 'Earn and Learn.' Through these hostels, he nurtured fearless, self-respecting and self-reliant Rayat Sevaks to carry forward his mission. Bhaurao and his wife, Laxmibai, dedicated themselves wholly to the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha.

In the first two decades of the twentieth century, when Maharashtra faced educational, social and economic constraints, Bhaurao opened pathways to knowledge for the masses through the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha. A progressive humanist and champion of social emancipation, Karmaveer Bhaurao dedicated his entire life to the educational upliftment of marginalized communities.