Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj

In 1935, at the tender age of just 13 years, Shri Maharaj Ji left his village Mangarh to study Sanskrit at Mahu Chhawani, a cantonment in the district of Indore, Madhya Pradesh state where his eldest brother was a teacher. He stayed there for nearly 3 years.

Shri Maharaj Ji returned to his studies approximately 2 years later, when in July 1940 he enrolled himself at Ram Nam Sanskrit Vidyalaya, a Sanskrit college in the town of Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh. In 1943, he studied advanced Sanskrit, Vyakarancharya, in the holy city of Kashi situated on the banks of the Ganga River in Uttar Pradesh. Later that year he returned to Mahu Chhawani and stayed until 1945. Due to his exceptional ability, Shri Maharaj Ji completed the equivalent of many years of study in just 2 ½ years, receiving the following degrees:

• Sanskrit Sahitya Acharya (Master of Sanskrit Literature) from Calcutta University, 1943
• Vyakarancharya (Degree in Sanskrit Grammar) from Cunes College, Kashi in 1944
• Ayurved Acharya (Degree in Ayurved) from Akhil Bharatiya Vidyapeeth, Delhi in 1945

The most remarkable aspect of his recitation is that Shri Maharaj Ji never studied scripture. In addition, all this study was taking place while he was giving a constant stream of 4-day, 15-day, 1-month and even 6-month akhanda (non-stop) sankirtan programmes.

In 1938, at the age of 16, Shri Maharaj Ji retreated into the dense forests near Sharbhang Ashram in Chitrakoot and then to the forests near Vanshivat, Vrindavan. During this period, he remained deeply engrossed in the intense divine love of Shri Radha Krishna. Whosoever saw him in this state of trance was astonished and felt that he was an embodiment of love and bliss. Nobody would have thought that within him lay an unfathomable and immeasurably vast ocean of knowledge and wisdom.

Completely immersed in the ecstatic bliss of divine love, he would forget to pay attention to his own physical state and to the world around him, remaining unconscious for hours on end. Sometimes he would burst into unrestrained laughter or sometimes break into a roaring cry. Being unmindful, he would often go without food and water for days. Tears flowed freely from his eyes. While he wandered the forests in this state of trance, sometimes his clothing would become caught in thorny bushes and sometimes he would trip over a rock and fall. After approximately two years of moving about in this state, Shri Maharaj Ji was eventually discovered, and for the benefit of those people, he agreed to go with them. Thus began his need to conceal and control the bliss of divine love he was experiencing in order to propagate the bhakti of Shri Krishna to the people of the world.

A grand conference of Saints took place over 15 days from 16-31 October 1955, organised by Shri Maharaj Ji himself. The event was attended by approximately seventy-two scholars and spiritual personalities from across India, including Mahamahopadhyay Giridhar Sharma (Kashi) and Neel Meghacharya. Shri Maharaj Ji was the official welcoming committee, serving the Saintly scholars himself, even escorting them to their assigned rooms and fanning them. Who can serve anyone the way Shri Maharaj Ji served those Saints!

In his welcoming address Shri Maharaj Ji made a request to all the Saints to answer a few simple questions concerning the reconciliation of the apparent contradictory doctrines in Hindu scripture. None of the scholars present replied. In fact, all of them became annoyed and announced that Shri Maharaj Ji himself should speak, though his name was not listed as such. Hearing his name being called, Shri Maharaj Ji all of a sudden took the stage as a speaker. For the duration of the Conference, Shri Maharaj Ji addressed the gathering for three hours every day.

The knowledge Shri Maharaj Ji revealed to the assembly was unbelievable! He gave numerous quotations from the Vedas, Gita, Bhagavatam and from many other scriptures. People were astonished and spellbound at his profound and complete mastery of all the scriptures. The devotees who knew him before were amazed, as prior to this they had only seen him singing the glories of Lord Krishna, playing the dholak and shedding tears.

When Mahamahopadhyay Giridhar Sharma and Neel Meghacharya returned to Kashi, they highly praised Shri Maharaj Ji, but the other scholars could not believe that someone so young could have such knowledge. In fact, they interpreted such talk as mere exaggeration and decided that they should test Shri Maharaj Ji.

The following year, Shri Maharaj Ji organised another conference, this time for the scholars of Kanpur. This event took place from 5-19 October 1956.

The Chief Secretary of Kashi Vidvat Parishat, Shri Raj Narayan Shastri (a master in the six systems of philosophy and the most learned scholar amongst the 500 that constituted Kashi Vidvat Parishat) attended the Conference without notice, at the instigation of Mahamahopadhyay Giridhar Sharma and Neel Meghacharya.

When Shri Mahraj Ji saw such a distinguished guest, he invited him to speak but he declined, requesting Shri Maharaj Ji to speak first and saying that he would speak later. With a pen and paper in his hand, he sat down with the intention to note down all the mistakes Shri Maharaj Ji was going to make in his discourse. To his amazement, his pen never moved!

The following day, Shri Raj Narayan Shastri announced that he would speak first, so Shri Maharaj Ji took his seat with pen in hand to note down his mistakes. However, Shri Maharaj Ji’s pen never moved either! Shri Raj Narayan Shastri gave no discourse; he just showered praise on Shri Maharaj Ji including,

"…while referring to all the philosophical schools, the unique way in which he established the path of devotion was transcendental, definitely divinely inspired. Such a speech could only be inspired by God Himself. No one can display such talent or knowledge of his own accord…"

In the end, Shri Maharaj Ji was invited to address the scholars of Kashi Vidvat Parishat, which he did the following year.

At the age of 34, Shri Maharaj Ji delivered a series of lectures to the 500 scholars of Kashi Vidvat Parishat. Shri Maharaj Ji spoke in classical Sanskrit, giving innumerable quotations from the Vedas, Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramayana, etc. He presented a unique reconciliation of the varying philosophies of the four Jagadgurus: Jagadguru Shri Shankaracharya, Jagadguru Shri Ramanujacharya, Jagadguru Shri Nimbarkacharya and Jagadguru Shri Madhavcharya.

Shri Maharaj Ji was thus honoured with the title of Jagadguru by Kashi Vidvat Parishat, the distinguished and exclusive organisation of 500 Vedic scholars, in the holy city of Kashi, on 14 January 1957. This title of Jagadguru was last granted more than 700 years ago, and is only awarded to a divine personality who possesses complete theoretical knowledge of all scriptures, as well as practical experience of God, and who brings about a spiritual revolution in the world.

Upon listening to Shri Maharaj Ji’s unique and authoritative knowledge of all scriptures, along with his astonishing reconciliation of the philosophies of the four Jagadgurus, the scholars of Kashi Vidvat Parishat were left with no option but to accept Shri Maharaj Ji as Jagadguruttam, 'Supreme amongst all Jagadgurus'.

So impressed were they by his divine presence, and seeing the nectar of divine love permeating his being, they also honoured him with the title of Bhaktiyogarasavatar, 'Descension of Divine Love and Bliss'.

Shri Maharaj Ji not only accepted the existing philosophies of all four previous Jagadgurus, but proved them to be true. To the utter amazement of those 500 scholars, in many cases each one being a master of a single scripture, he also miraculously reconciled their seeming contradictions. He proved the significance and supremacy of bhakti, devotion as being the essence of all Hindu scriptures, and the easiest path to God that is, in fact, the only path for this current age.

Shri Maharaj Ji composed thousands of bhajans and kirtans that evoke devotional sentiments within the heart. Many years ago he composed 1008 padas, devotional songs, collectively known as the scripture Prema Rasa Madira that has been highly praised by well-known poets of India.

Prema Rasa Siddhanta explains the ultimate aim of the individual soul, and sheds light on the importance of attaining divine grace and the indispensability of surrendering to a Saint. Shri Maharaj Ji takes the confusion out of Hindu scripture and gives lucid explanations of the Vedas, Puranas, Gita, Ramayana and other texts. Each chapter leads to the next and all are arranged in a logical sequence, taking the reader from the theoretical aspects of spirituality to practical aspects of devotion.

The wide variety of publications available not only explain the philosophy of the Vedas and Vedic scriptures in a very simple, practical and logical manner, but also complement a devotees' daily spiritual practice with beautiful devotional couplets, bhajans and kirtans that reinforce the philosophy. Even though Shri Maharaj Ji authored all his literature in Hindi, some have already been translated into other languages like English, Polish, Oriya, Telugu and Gujarati, etc.

Throughout his life, Shri Maharaj Ji strictly adhered to his daily routine, encouraging all to be disciplined in life by placing equal importance on looking after your body and your mind. His day started shortly after midnight, when during his morning walk, he was heard calling out the sweet name of Radhe, reminding all to remember Shri Radhe with every breath, be they awake or asleep. Before completing his walk, he often composed some new devotional poetry in praise of the greatness of Shri Radha's name. In this way, he encouraged all to begin their day in the loving remembrance of Shri Radha Krishna.

When he delivered a discourse, similar to those given by Shri Krishna (Gita) and Shukdeva Paramahansa (Bhagavatam), Shri Maharaj Ji eloquently recited the most difficult Sanskrit verses from the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Gita and other scriptures. When he explained their meaning, he did it in such a lucid manner that both the scholar and layperson was left spellbound.

During his life he personally trained more than 50 pracharaks, monastic disciples, both male and female. They continue to travel India and the world as his ordained representatives, spreading the most authentic divine wisdom contained in our scriptures as revealed and explained by Shri Maharaj Ji. Together with their discourses, and Shri Maharaj Ji's televised and online discourses, his teachings have spread all over the world.

The spiritual work undertaken by Shri Maharaj Ji was certainly his greatest contribution to society. However, his philosophy does promote the importance of maintaining a balance in life by looking after the body as well as the soul. Recognising this need, Shri Maharaj Ji inspired devotees to engage in various charitable activities. Thus, under the divine guidance of Shri Maharaj Ji, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP) was established and continues to flourish today in his honour.

The charitable institutions Shri Maharaj Ji founded are fully operational and serve ever growing numbers of poor and needy people every day. Hospitals built by JKP in various towns and villages that are maintained by dedicated devotees, continue to provide 100% free healthcare services to all patients within a range of medical disciplines.
For more information, please visit: www.jkphospitals.org

When JKP presidents visit one of these institutions their presence acts like a panacea, reminding all of Shri Maharaj Ji, and bringing joy on their faces and serenity in their hearts. As they walk through the corridors, greeting all as they pass by, they may pause for a moment and go into one of the rooms where some patients are resting. They may enquire into someone's medical condition; ask another how he is feeling and whether he needs anything more to be comfortable, all the while casting their soothing, beatific smiles on all. After their visit, the spirits of all those in recovery is boosted beyond words.

Shri Maharaj Ji always made sure that JKP served the neediest, such as people who are isolated or physically disadvantaged due to disability or age. His vision and inspiration is the driving force behind JKP's expanding charity work today. Much needed day-to-day necessities are distributed on mass to some of our country’s poorest – blankets, dining utensils, food, medicine, financial aid, etc. In times of tragedy, JKP has always been a generous donor of financial assistance, and will continue to be so.
For more information, please visit: www.jkp.org

In response to the needs of young people to have access to quality education in rural areas, Shri Maharaj Ji founded educational institutions, where poor and socially disadvantaged families can send their children, free of cost. These institutions are running as usual, giving hope and a future to approximately 3,000 female students.
For more information, please visit: www.jkpeducation.org

Since 1968, when the first satsang hall was completed in the small rural village of Mangarh, the birthplace of Shri Maharaj Ji, satsang halls have been established throughout India, providing venues for sincere spiritual aspirants to retreat from their worldly commitments and focus their minds on Shri Radha Krishna, 24 hours a day. Today these ashrams have expanded to cater for the growing number of people coming to learn about and practice bhaktiyoga, under the divine guidance of Shri Maharaj Ji and his teachings.

Throughout the year, special programmes (i.e. Holi, Ram Navami, Janmashtami, Radhastami etc.) are held at these ashrams and attended by many thousands of people. The most well-known is Shri Maharaj Ji’s month-long sadhana intensive that commences on the full moon night of October in Bhakti Dham, Mangarh. Shri Maharaj Ji personally gave this programme to the world from 1964 to 2013, the first being at Brahmand Ghat, then Agra in 1965 and in Mangarh since 1966.

Today, under the leadership of JKP's three presidents, these programmes continue to be attended by spiritual aspirants from across India and the world. Participants benefit from multimedia presentations of Shri Maharaj Ji's teachings and from being in his holy dhams. In this way, his presence and message continues to be deeply felt by practitioners at any one of the programmes conducted at any JKP centre.

In this age where people are judged by material success, the human soul yearning for peace and fulfilment finds soothing solace in Shri Maharaj Ji's teachings, that shine with divinity. His unique explanation of Vedic philosophy shatters doubt and spiritual confusion with ease, and effectively reveals a clear and practical path leading to God.

He is and will always be in the true sense of the word, a Jagadguru, the Guru for the entire world.

"The Greatest Scholar with Unsurpassed Knowledge of the Vedas and all Scriptures of the World."

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj was the unchallenged authority to interpret, reassert and validate the core postulates of spiritual philosophy for the benefit of the entire world. This astonishing attribute will forever remain abundantly evident in the form of his numerous discourses and pada sankirtans.

While quoting canto, chapter and verse from the Vedas, Shastras or any other scripture, it appeared as though he was physically leafing through an entire collection of scriptures that lay before him. His oeuvre, whether in prose or poetry, propounded the most esoteric mysteries of the Vedas and Shastras in an absolutely simple and interesting manner. Every one of his literary works, being in agreement with the Vedas and other scriptures, are indirectly a commentary on the Brahma Sutra.

The vast array of literature he revealed contains a profusion of scriptural knowledge. In fact, his body of work is a veritable ocean of divine love, delving deep into which makes even the coldest and most unfeeling person overwhelmed with brajarasa, filling the heart with an insatiable love for Shri Radha Krishna, and an intense longing to have Their divine vision.

"The Eminent Propounder of Eternal Vedic Philosophy."

The combination of Shri Maharaj Ji's resplendent divine personality and the way he delivered his discourses couched in highly literary and then classical Vedic Sanskrit, with all the appropriate quotations from all the Shastras and Vedas, left the 500 scholars of Kashi Vidvat Parishat spellbound. The President, Vice President and all other leading scholars present spoke in one voice that his extraordinary authoritative and profound knowledge was out of this world. They had considered it impossible for any human being at that age (or any age) to possess complete knowledge of the Shastras and Vedas, and the ability to impart that knowledge so judiciously.

In this way, Shri Maharaj Ji captured the hearts and minds of all the learned scholars of Kashi Vidvat Parishat. Considering the notion of challenging him to scriptural debate futile, and even before he had delivered the number of discourses they had initially instructed him to give, Kashi Vidvat Parishat prepared an elaborate reverential tribute entitled Padyaprasoonophaar that they presented to him on 14 January 1957, that included the following:

The discourse of Shri Kripalu Ji is like the thunderous sound of new clouds. It dispels the agony of a mind suffering from the scourge of atheism. When one listens to his discourses, divine knowledge begins to sprout from the woodland of one's mind and heart. The words of Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj work like an elixir-like medicine to protect the people whose minds have been vitiated by sophistry and malace. Praise be to him till eternity.

"The Reconciler of all the Seemingly Contradictory Philosophical Views of the World."

The four preceding Jagadgurus all focused on a particular branch of Vedic knowledge, and they propagated and established that particular school of thought. Jagadguru Shankaracharya exclusively propagated Advaita or the philosophy of non-dualism. Jagadguru Ramanujacharya propagated the philosophy of Vishishtadvaita or qualified non-dualism, Jagadguru Nimbarkacharaya Dvaitadvaita or dualism-non-dualism and Jagadguru Madhavcharya Dvaita or dualism. Having done so, they then wrote commentaries to establish their respective philosophy.

As the fifth original Jagadguru, Shri Maharaj Ji was the first who welcomed the views of the other four original Jagadgurus, as well as renowned Saints like Shri Vallabhacharya and Jeev Gosvami in equal measure. Through his compelling discourses, full of evidence sourced from the Vedas and Shastras, he authenticated the significance of all the above philosophies, going even further by reconciling their apparent divergent views, and then explaining their relevance. He accomplished such a momentous task so effortlessly, making things absolutely clear and thereby opening the eyes of common people.

"The Supreme Spiritual Master who has revealed the Eternal Vedic Principles that lead one to their Ultimate Goal."

Whenever great Saints descend on Earth, their purpose is to reform the distorted nature of dharma or duties as prescribed by scripture, in order to re-establish the path for the spiritual welfare of all people. Seeing the prevalence of sectarianism in society and the amount of confusion it had generated, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj rejected the age-old tradition of sampradayavad or disciplic lineage in order to end all quarrels and disputes. He then showed that Shri Krishna was in fact the first-ever Guru of all lineages, and so what was the need for bickering? Without mentioning any names or movements, Shri Maharaj Ji explained how selfless devotion to Shri Radha Krishna is the surest and most accessible way to one’s true welfare. He said:

All an individual should do is dispense with the religious rituals in his devotional practice, and without depending on any other means or without getting into the complications of the conditions of karma (action) and jnana (knowledge), treat God as your all and surrender to Him completely like an innocent child, and the all-merciful Lord will grace you. Like a mother, He too does not expect anything from an individual soul and ignores all his faults. He instantly takes him into His fold.

This is the foundation of tattva jnana bhakti or devotion with spiritual knowledge.

The path revealed by Shri Maharaj Ji is therefore in agreement with our scriptures, and at the same time, is free from any ceremony. In this way, the path specified by him is the fastest and easiest, while at the same time being in tune with the needs of modern times.

"Descension of Divine Love and Bliss."

He was the first Jagadguru to occupy the topmost position in the knowledge of, and spiritual guidance in, divine love. While singing sankirtan he was completely immersed in its blissfulness, and while expounding scriptural science regarding the enjoyment of the bliss of Shri Radha Krishna’s divine pastimes, he practically showed how one can relish that bliss to the extent possible.

Widely acclaimed all over the world for his phenomenal knowledge of scripture, Shri Maharaj Ji explained for more than half a century the highly abstruse mysteries within raganuga bhakti. He guided spiritual aspirants towards the attainment of supremely selfless devotion and service to Shri Radha Krishna. Frequently in his holy body there was an upsurge of the eight sattvic sentiments of love. When overwhelmed by this divine love, he was elevated into a state of ecstatic trance. There may be an uninterrupted flow of tears from his eyes; suddenly he may start to sway and dance in a frenzied style; sometimes he muttered something indistinct; sometimes he started to sing or laugh uncontrollably, and sometimes he became unconscious and fell down. On such occasions, an amazing aura of divine love permeated all around. Even the most ordinary devotee could feel their heart being suffused with so much love that they were moved to tears.

When Shri Maharaj Ji came back from this exalted state and regained consciousness, wiping the tears from his eyes that were still heavy with elation, he would look around with bewilderment, as if he had just landed in some distasteful world. His devotees remained ever eager to see him in these elevated states of trance.

"The Most Revered Divine Personality, Supreme among all Jagadgurus."

In honouring Shri Maharaj Ji as Jagadguruttam, the learned scholars of Kashi Vidvat Parishat acclaimed that he was the repository of the essence, as well as the final conclusion on, all varying philosophies of the previous four Jagadgurus. His supremacy amongst them is further highlighted by the fact that prior to him, all individuals awarded with the title of Jagadguru had first defeated their competitors in rigorous scriptural debate.

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj earned the title of Jagadguruttam without having to contest in any scriptural debate, as no one came forward to do so. All these stoic scholars of the Vedas and Shastras just bowed their heads before him when they heard his scholarly discourses.

Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj has the most brilliant intellect and wisdom in India . . . he deserves the highest accolade. The highest title of "Jagadguruttam" is being conferred on him.

Shri Maharaj Ji’s scriptural omniscience is probably best illustrated by the words of Acharya Shri Raj Narayan Shatshastri, Chief Secretary of Kashi Vidvat Parishat. A leading luminary in the field of scriptural debate, a master in the six systems of philosophy, the universally recognised and foremost philosopher of India and the most learned scholar amongst the 500 that constituted Kashi Vidvat Parishat, witnessed Shri Maharaj Ji’s discourses in Kanpur. What he said to the assembly on 19 October 1956 appears below translated into English:

A Landmark Event in the History of the World

When Shri Maharaj Ji began his first one and a half hour discourse in scholarly Sanskrit to the members of Kashi Vidvat Parishat, they had mixed feelings. Some were curious, some were full of admiration and others were anxious. However, by the time of its conclusion, serenity had prevailed in the hall. The discourse covered critical topics of the Bhashyas and the Brahma Sutra that invariably coordinate with the tenets of the Gita, Upanishads and the Darshan Shastras.

The next day, even the elderly pundits who seldom went to listen to anyone’s discourse, arrived early to ensure they got a better seat and thus, the hall was full even before Shri Maharaj Ji arrived. Shri Maharaj Ji’s spoke on six more days in literary and classical Sanskrit.

On the seventh day, Shri Maharaj Ji summarised the main topics of the previous days, before delivering an extraordinary reconciliation of the philosophies of the four original Jagadgurus. He concluded by presenting the theme of bhakti yoga, which is explicitly and beautifully described in the Bhagavatam and is the integral message and very soul of all scriptures.

The congregation of scholars had never heard anything like it before, delivered effortlessly by such a divine personality, so well-versed in the Vedas, Upanishads, Sutras, Upvedas, Vedangas, Darshan Shastras, Puranas, Itihas, the philosophies of the four original Jagadgurus and the writings of the Rasika Saints, etc. Watching him, they were astounded at his humility and kindness; so absorbed was he in the bhava of Shri Radha Krishna that it radiated through his personality.

His resplendent and divine personality left the scholars of Kashi Vidvat Parishat spellbound. The President, Vice President and all other leading scholars spoke in unison that Shri Maharaj Ji’s extraordinarily profound and authoritative knowledge was out of this world. They believed it to be impossible for a human being to possess such complete knowledge of all the Shastras and Vedas, along with the ability to use it so judiciously.