Jagadguru Shri Kripaluji Maharaj

About Jagadguru Shri Kripaluji Maharaj

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, founder of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, was a God Realised Saint whose entire life was dedicated to inspiring souls on the path of devotion to God. Through enlightening discourses and chanting of the holy name, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj (lovingly called Shri Maharaj Ji by His devotees) made unceasing efforts to reveal the true philosophy from the Vedic scriptures to mankind in the simplest form possible so that they may attain their true goal of God Realisation. Mankind was privileged to have his physical association on this planet earth from 1922 to 2013.

Honoured with titles such as ‘The Supreme Spiritual Master of the World’, ‘Descension of Divine Love and Bliss’, ‘Eminent Propounder of Eternal Vedic Religion’ and ‘Reconciler of all Seemingly Contradictory Philosophical Views of the World’, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj truly was the personified form of divine love. His natural scholarliness inspired trust in even the greatest intellectuals, while his tremendous love, causeless grace and endless compassion melted the hearts and inspired devotional love in all who came near him. His satsang was divinely exhilarating and unbelievably joyous.

Shri Maharaj Ji made no distinction of caste, creed, colour or race. With His infinite love and compassion, He gathered all into the purity of His divine embrace.

His tall, stately and regal, yet childlike personality, had an indefinable attraction that drew all to Him, whether young or old, men or women, and of any country or language. The all-satisfying love that emanated from Him made each person feel the affection of a parent, friend and teacher, all in one.

His divine effulgence shined through all He said, all He did and all He was. Each and every seeker was amazed to see how approachable He was and enjoyed the special privilege of receiving individual attention from Him. Thus, He made each person feel that they belonged to Him. True to His name “Kripalu”, He was the very “Ocean of Grace”.

Shri Maharaj Ji’s Life History

1922-1940 

Birth, Childhood & Youth

HIS APPEARANCE

Jagadguru Kripalu Ji Maharaj appeared in a small village called Mangarh, near Allahabad, in India, on the auspicious night of Sharat Purnima in October 1922. His mother, Bhagvati Devi, and father, Lalita Prasad, named Him Ram Kripalu at birth. From the very first day, He delighted the hearts of everyone around Him with His sweet smile and serene look.

MIRACULOUS CHILDHOOD

Since His childhood, His extraordinary virtues were noticed by people around Him. He spent His childhood in youthful fun, but at the same time, He excelled effortlessly in His studies and astonished His teachers and fellow students by His extraordinary intelligence and phenomenal memory. According to the tradition at that time, His parents got him married when he was 11 years old.

HIS STUDIES

He completed His schooling in a very short span of time, followed by the study of Sanskrit grammar, literature and Ayurveda. He received the degree of Vyakaranacharya in 1936, Ayurved Acharya in 1943 and Sahitya Acharya (Master of Literature) in 1944. This brief period of study did not include study of the scriptures.

DIVINE SUBMERSION

At around the age of sixteen, He suddenly gave up His studies and resumed His natural divine nature and remained engrossed in Divine Love as He disappeared into the dense forest near Sharbhang ashram in Chitrakoot, and then into the forests near Vanshivat in Vrindavan. During this period, He graced the deserving souls who got to see a glimpse of the true form of Radha-Krishna love appearing in its fullest charm and highest ecstatic excitement. He remained totally immersed in the ecstasy of Divine Love, oblivious to the outer world. He forgot to pay attention to His physical state and the world around Him, remaining unconscious for hours on end.

SERVICE TO SOULS

After approximately two years of moving about in this state of divine ecstasy, Shri Maharaj Ji was eventually discovered, and for the benefit of those people, he decided to conceal and control the bliss of divine love he was experiencing in order to propagate bhakti of Shri Krishna. Shri Maharaj Ji started revealing His divine wisdom and knowledge of the scriptures through His informal discourses. He also started immersing devotees in powerful waves of Divine Love and Bliss with this heart-melting chantings.

1940-1955 

Satsang – True Association

SATSANG

In the 1940s and 1950s, Shri Maharaj Ji started conducting satsangs that brought about a revolution of Bhakti (devotion). He would lead kirtans (divine chantings) imbued with intense devotion, which would continue throughout the night. These kirtans, which He wrote himself, have been compared by scholars with those of Meerabai, Soordas, Tulsidas, and Ras Khan.

RADHA KRISHNA LOVE

His sankirtan programs of those days were like the vivid glow of Radha-Krishn love that touched every heart, inspired everyone who was there and thrilled every soul who desired love of Radha-Krishna. Quite often He revealed the most amazing ecstatic state of divine love. According to the known history of Rasik Saints, these eminent states of Radha-Krishna love were revealed on the earth planet by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Ji for the first time in the last 5,000 years. The same expressions of divine love were seen in Shri Maharaj Ji when he chanted “Hare Ram” and “Hari Bol” in ecstasy.

INFORMAL DISCOURSES

During His satsangs Shri Maharaj Ji used to give informal discourses where he explained the concepts of devotion in a very simple language such that even an illiterate would grasp it. He would speak for several hours at a time oblivious of who came and who went home. His prime goal was to educate everyone about the knowledge given in our scriptures.

1955-1957 

Jagadguru Title

ORGANISED SPIRITUAL CONFERENCES

Shri Maharaj Ji observed that people were misguided and totally ignorant of the actual essence of the scriptures, and the true form of devotional practice. To rectify this dismal spiritual state of mankind, in the year 1955, He organised a huge conference in Chitrakoot, which was attended by the most eminent scholars and Saints from Kashi, and various other parts of India. Another religious conference of a similar scale was organised by Him in 1956 in Kanpur. It was during these conferences that His scriptural omniscience was revealed to the world, and even the most learned scholars of Kashi who attended the conference were lost in amazement.

HONOURED WITH JAGADGURU TITLE

Impressed by Shri Maharaj Ji’s extraordinary authoritative knowledge of all the scriptures, the Kashi Vidvat Parishat, a prestigious and exclusive body of 500 of the most revered Vedic scholars, who collectively represented the foremost seat of spiritual learning in India, invited him to Kashi (Varanasi). Shri Maharaj Ji delivered a series of discourses in Sanskrit, which left all of them spellbound and speechless. With profound admiration, the scholars accepted Shri Maharaj Ji’s knowledge to be deeper than the combined knowledge of all 500 of them put together. They unanimously acclaimed him as “Jagadguru” (Spiritual Master of the whole world). This historic event took place on 14 January 1957. At the time, He was only 34 years of age.

HONOURED AS JAGADGURUTTAM

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 prior Jagadgurus, the scholars of Kashi Vidvat Parishat gladly honoured Shri Maharaj Ji as Jagadguruttam, ‘Supreme amongst all Jagadgurus’.

1957-1971 

Scriptural Discourses

TRAVELLED THROUGHOUT INDIA

After accepting the title of Jagadguru, Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj travelled throughout India continuously for around fourteen years. He delivered month-long discourses in various cities, in which He revealed the mysteries of the scriptures before tens of thousands of people. Masses gathered at the venue for a glimpse of this extraordinary scholar and Saint whose words left them spellbound.

SPREAD KNOWLEDGE THROUGH DISCOURSES

Since that time, He continued to spread the knowledge and shower the nectar of Divine Love and Bliss. Shri Maharaj Ji’s lectures tantalized the masses with knowledge, humour, everyday examples and practical instructions, and delighted people of any age, language or country. It was a unique experience as He made the deepest scriptural truths accessible to everyone in the simplest language. His penetrative words had such divine power that even an atheist’s heart melted when Shri Maharaj Ji described the nature of the ultimate and absolute truth.

1971-2013 

His writings and Charity

DEVOTIONAL LITERATURE

Shri Maharaj Ji composed thousands of bhajans and kirtans that evoke devotional sentiments within the heart. Topmost amongst them is ‘Prem Ras Madira’, a collection of 1008 devotional songs that has been highly praised by well-known poets of India. His book on philosophy, ‘Prem Ras Siddhant’ 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 has graced us with several other bhajan books such as Braj Ras Madhuri, Yugal Madhuri, Yugal Shatak, Bhakti Shatak, Yugal Ras, Shyama Shyam Geet, Radha Govind Geet, Krishna Dwadashi and Radha Trayodashi.

TRAINED PREACHERS

During his life, he personally trained more than fifty pracharaks, monastic disciples, both male and female. They continue to travel throughout 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.

CHARITABLE WORKS

To help the poor and the needy, Shri Maharaj Ji started three 100% free charitable hospitals in Mangarh, Vrindavan and Barsana that continues to provide medical treatment to the poor at no cost. He also established an educational institution that provides free education to girls from class 1 to post graduation. Much needed day-to-day necessities are distributed en-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.

ASCENSION TO THE DIVINE ABODE

On November 15, 2013, Shri Maharaj Ji brought His visible pastimes to a close and returned to the divine abode of Shri Radha Krishna. His spiritual and charitable works are now being carried forward by the three Presidents of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat appointed by Him – Sushree Dr. Vishakha Tripathi, Sushree Dr. Shyama Tripathi and Sushree Dr. Krishna Tripathi.

Entire Life –

Unlimited Grace on the Souls

RADHA KRISHNA LOVE

Shri Maharaj Ji’s entire life was dedicated to distributing Radha Krishna love to souls who associated with Him. From the time He woke up until the time He went to bed, Shri Maharaj Ji used to be amongst the devotees showering nectar of Divine Bliss.

SHRI MAHARAJ JI’S ASSOCIATION

Shri Maharaj Ji mostly resided in His ashrams in Mangarh, Barsana, Vrindavan and Delhi. Thousands of people visited these centres to have Shri Maharaj Ji’s association and to participate in ecstatic chanting programs and celebrations. Sometimes Shri Maharaj Ji visited different cities and towns to enlighten the hearts and minds of huge audiences that gathered to hear His explanations of the divine philosophy. His vivid descriptions of Radha Krishna pastimes and virtues thrilled the audience with the experience of Krishna love.

GURU OF THE ENTIRE WORLD

Each and every individual soul who naturally yearned for the attainment of happiness, found solace in Shri Maharaj Ji. He shined with divinity and worked tirelessly to uplift humanity. He dispelled all doubts of spiritual confusion with great ease and effectively revealed a clear and practical path leading to God. He was, in the true sense of the word, a Jagadguru, Guru of the entire world.

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