A Brief Life History Eternally liberated divine personalities descend on earth from time to time for the welfare of humankind. Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj is one such divine personality. He is lovingly called Shri Maharaj Ji by His devotees. Through enlightening discourses and chanting of the holy name, He has been making unceasing efforts to reveal the true philosophy from the Vedic scriptures to mankind in the simplest form possible so that they can attain their true goal of God Realisation.
Shri Maharaj Ji makes no distinction of caste, creed, colour or race. With His infinite love and compassion, He gathers all into the purity of His divine embrace. His divine effulgence shines through all He says, all He does and all He is. Each and every seeker is amazed to see how approachable He is and enjoys the special privilege of receiving individual attention from Him. Thus, He makes each person feel that they belong to Him. His tall, stately and regal, yet childlike personality, have an indefinable attraction that draws all to Him, whether young or old, men or women or of any country or language. The all-satisfying love that emanates from Him makes each person feel the affection of a parent, friend and teacher, all in one. It is very easy to become a recipient because there is no other giver like Shri Maharaj Ji. True to His name "Kripalu", He is the very "Ocean of Grace".
Birth, Childhood and Youth
Jagadguru Kripalu Ji Maharaj appeared in a village called Mangarh, near Allahabad, 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. 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. He completed His schooling in a very short span of time, followed by the study of Sanskrit grammar, literature and Ayurveda. This brief period of study did not include study of the scriptures.
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. He gradually controlled and concealed this supreme bliss and completely devoted Himself to gracing the souls by revealing His divine wisdom and knowledge of the scriptures and with His sublime chanting, which spread powerful waves of Divine Love and Bliss, inspiring devotion in even the most stone-hearted.
Jagadguru Title
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.
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 represent 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.
Furthermore, the Kashi Vidvat Parishat honoured Him with a special title of "Jagadguruttam" (Supreme amongst all Jagadgurus).
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj is the only Saint of this age who has been honoured with the title of "Jagadguru", the highest authority amongst all Hindu Vedic Saints and scholars. This title is given only to that Saint who brings about a spiritual revolution in the world through His divine teachings. Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj is the supreme exponent of Sanatan Dharm, the eternal Vedic religion, and His reconciliation of all philosophies and faiths is unparalleled.
Scriptural Discourses
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 an extraordinary scholar and a Saint whose words left them spellbound.
Since that time, He has continued to spread the knowledge and shower the nectar of Divine Love and Bliss. Shri Maharaj Ji's lectures tantalize the masses with humour, everyday examples and practical instructions, delighting people of any age, language or country. It is a unique experience as He makes the deepest scriptural truths accessible to everyone in the simplest language. His penetrative words have such divine power that even an atheist's heart can melt when Shri Maharaj Ji describes the nature of the ultimate and absolute truth.
Satsang – True Association
In the 1940s and 1950s, Shri Maharaj Ji started conducting satsang (true association) that brought about a revolution of Bhakti (devotion) in the states of UP and Rajasthan. 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.
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.
Shri Maharaj Ji's divine kirtans have secured a place for themselves in the hearts of sincere devotees across the globe, who have understood the divine greatness of Shri Maharaj Ji's Satsang and the extent of graciousness which He is showering upon all the souls.
Unlimited Grace on the Souls
Shri Maharaj Ji's entire life is the revelation of the state of Radha Krishna love. From the time He wakes up until the time He goes to bed, Shri Maharaj Ji is amongst the devotees showering nectar of Divine Bliss.
Shri Maharaj Ji mostly resides in His ashrams in Mangarh, Barsana, Vrindavan and Delhi. Thousands of people visit these divine centers to have Shri Maharaj Ji's association and to participate in ecstatic chanting programs and celebrations. Sometimes Shri Maharaj Ji visits different cities and towns to enlighten the hearts and minds of huge audiences that gather to hear His explanations of the divine philosophy. His vivid descriptions of Radha Krishna pastimes and virtues thrill the audience with the experience of Krishna love.
Each and every individual soul who is naturally yearning for the attainment of happiness, finds solace in Shri Maharaj Ji. He shines with divinity and has been working tirelessly to uplift humanity. He dispels all doubts of spiritual confusion with great ease & effectively reveals a clear and practical path leading to God. He is, in true sense of the word, a Jagadguru, Guru of the entire world.
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