Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj (

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...

: '; 5 October 1922 – 15 November 2013) the fifth original Jagadguru in Indian history, the embodiment of the nectar of divine love, was one of the foremost rasik saints who showered the bliss of raganuga bhakti on souls the world over. Supreme Spiritual Master of the World, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj was the Descension of Divine Love and Bliss, Propounder of Eternal Vedic Philosophy and Reconciler of all Philosophies. He was the founder of

Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP), previously known as Sadhna Bhawan Trust, is a charitable religious organisation in India. It was established in 1970 by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj and continues to run today under his auspices, with th ...

(JKP), a worldwide Hindu non-profit organization with five main

ashram An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or a ...

s;Walker, J.K. 2007. ''The Concise Guide to Today's Religions and Spirituality''.

Harvest House Harvest House Publishers is a Christian publishing company founded in 1974 in Irvine, California, United States, and is now located in Eugene, Oregon. It publishes Christian fiction and non-fiction books, coming out with over 160 new books a y ...

Publishers. four in India and one in the United States.
Radha Madhav Dham
'. The Harvard Pluralism Project. He was awarded the title of

Jagadguru , literally meaning " of the universe", is a title used in . Traditionally, it has been bestowed upon or used for belonging to the school (among the six traditional schools of thought in Hinduism) who have written Sanskrit commentaries on the ...

(world teacher) at the age of 34 by Kashi Vidvat Parishat (Body of 500 topmost revered scholars of Vedic literature who collectively represented the seat of spiritual learning) on

Makar Sankranti Makar(a) Sankranti (), also referred to as Uttarayana, Maghi, or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of January 14 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sag ...

, 14 January 1957. After Jagadguru Shree Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Nimbarkacharya and Madhavacharya, Jagadguru Shree Kripalu Ji Maharaj was the fifth original Jagadguru. He delivered innumerable spiritual discourses throughout his life. His unique speeches enthralled everyone, leaving even devout scholars speechless. He revealed thousands of devotional songs that evoke intense sentiments of love for God. His literary works explain the philosophy of the Vedas and scriptures in a simple, practical, and logical manner inspiring countless people to traverse the path of selfless devotion He was God realised saint whose entire life was dedicated to inspiring souls to the path of devotion to God. He reconciled the apparent contradictions between the various Vedic scriptures, and the differences between the views of the previous Jagadgurus, to reveal the true path to God-realisation for the welfare of all humankind. He further presented the Sanatan Vedic Dharma in a manner which was uncomplicated and easy to follow for everyone.

Early life

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu ji Maharaj was born on auspicious night of

Sharad Purnima Sharad Purnima (also known as Kumara Purnima, Kojagari Purnima, Navanna Purnima, Kojagrat Purnima or Kaumudi Purnima) is a religious festival celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashvin (September to October), marking t ...

, the full moon on the month of Sharad (5 October 1922), in Mangarh district Pratapgarh, close to the holy city of Prayag (Allahabad), in India. He received his preliminary education in Hindi and Sanskrit in the local school. He went on to study advanced Sanskrit and ''Ayurved'' in Ashtang Ayurved College, Lokmanya Nagar,

Indore Indore () is the largest and most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is t ...

and

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

and spent a year or more around Chitrakoot. He completed much of his scholastic duties at the early age of 15, earning his degree in sanskrit literature & history as Vyakaranachrya (Master of Sanskrit Grammar). He had also been awarded the degree of Kavyatirtha in 1942, Also received his degree as Ayurved Acharya (Master of Ayurved) from Delhi Vidyapeet in 1943 and Sahitya Acharya (Master of History) from Calcutta Vidyapeet. After completing his formal education, at the age of 16, he entered into self-imposed ''vanvas''. He found his way to

Vrindavan Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance in Hinduism as Krishna spent most of his childho ...

and the next year he emerged as a Guru of the lineage of

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (; born Vishvambhar Mishra) was a 15th-century Indian saint who is considered to be the combined avatar of Radha and Krishna by his disciples and various scriptures. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krishna ...

(

Gaudiya Vaishnavism Gaudiya Vaishnavism (), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnava Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region of Bengal, with Vaishnavism meanin ...

), known affectionately as Shri Maharaj Ji. When he was 17 years old, he led a 6-month continuous chanting of the "''

Maha Mantra The Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to reverentially as the ("Great Mantra"), is a 16-word Vaishnava mantra which is mentioned in the Kali-Santarana Upanishad and which from the 15th century rose to importance in the Bhakti movement foll ...

''".

Jagadguru

In 1955, Kripalu Ji Maharaj organized a religious convention for prominent spiritual leaders in India. Mahamahopadhyay Giridhar Sharma, President of the Kashi Vidvat Parishat had also come and was impressed by Kripalu's scriptural knowledge. Kripalu was invited to give discourse at the Kashi Vidvat Parishat in 1957. The congregation had scholars from

and other parts of India. His speeches lasted for seven days, after which he was formally installed as the fifth

("world teacher"). He was 34 years old when given the title on 14 January 1957, by the Kashi Vidvat Parishat, a group of Hindu scholars. The Kashi Vidvat Parishat also conferred on him the titles ''Bhaktiyog-Ras-Avtar'' and ''Jagadguruttam''. Shri Kripalu Ji was given the title of Jagadguru in 1957, prior to him there were four original Jagadgurus i.e. Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya (788–820), Śrīpāda Rāmānujācārya (1017–1137), Śrī Nimbārkācārya and, Śrīpāda Madhvācārya (1239–1319), he was known as the "fifth original Jagadguru". He was also awarded, by the Kashi Vidvat Parishat, the title ''Samanvaya-Acharya'', i.e., He analyses and reconciles the meaning of all the scriptures, the six philosophies and the (seemingly contradictory) teachings of other previous Jagadgurus. After being awarded ''Jagadguruttam'' (the foremost among Jagadgurus), he spent most of the initial years in

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is ...

. ''Prem Ras Sidhhant'' and ''Prem Ras Madira'' were also written during that phase of his life, which extends from late 1950s to 1970s.

Accolades By Kashi Vidvat Parishat

Shrimatpadavakya - pramanaparavarina

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj not only validated His teachings and discourses to be the only true eternal philosophy of God by citing the Vedas and the Vedic Scriptures, but He also revealed and explained the facts and intricate secrets buried in these Divine Scriptures in the simplest manner through everyday examples experienced by individual souls, that would otherwise be incomprehensible for an ordinary person.

Vedmargpratisthapanacharya

The Vedas are the topmost treasure amongst all scriptures in the Hindu religion and are eternal, boundless and are in fact the Divine words of God Himself. Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj manifested the quintessence of all Vedic Scriptures by revealing and establishing the easiest path to God Realisation – the true goal of every individual soul.

Sanatanavaidikadharma - pratishthapanasatsampradaya - paramacharya

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj neither made any disciples nor did He form any ethnic group. With due respect to all existing philosophies and religions in the world today, He established selfless devotion to Radha-Krishna as the only true eternal path for the individual souls to attain the ultimate goal of life – God Realisation.

Nikhiladarshana - samanvayacharya

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj validated all existing philosophies of Spiritual Masters from the past, and at the same time, He presented His own philosophy in the simplest form, which reconciled all contradictory viewpoints and discrepancies found in the existing philosophies and scriptural teachings.

Bhaktiyogarasavatar

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj not only had complete authority over the Vedas and the Vedic Scriptures, but was also the embodiment of Divine Love Bliss, and hence was honoured with the title of “Bhaktiyogarasavatar”. In the current dark age (Kaliyuga), He made the Divine Love of Radha-Krishna flow into even the most sinful hearts, proving Him to be Bhaktiyogarasavatar (an embodiment of Divine Love Bliss).

Works

Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat

Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP) is a charitable religious organization in India. It was established in 1970 by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj. it works tirelessly to disseminate the teachings of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj throughout the world.

Philosophical books

*''Prem Rasa Siddhant'' () – The philosophy of Divine love. It was first published (in Hindi) in 1955. Later, it was published is several other languages of India. It has been described as an "incredible book" by

Swami Sivananda Sivananda Saraswati (or Swami Sivananda; 8 September 1887 – 14 July 1963) was a yoga guru, a Hindu spiritual teacher, and a proponent of Vedanta. Sivananda was born Kuppuswami in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. He stu ...

among others. *''Bhakti Shatak'' () – The concise philosophy of the Upaniṣats, Gītā, Brahma sūtras and the

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in Sa ...

in an easy to understand style. *''Radha Govind Geet'' () – Printed in two volumes, with eleven thousand one hundred and eleven couplets of Radha Krishna ''leelas'' and the devotional philosophy. *''Ras Panchadhyayi'' () – Represents a series of discourses given on the esoteric of subject of Raas Leela.

Kirtans

*''Prem Ras Madira'' () – 1008 songs ("pad") of Radha-Krishna ''Leelas'', Devotional Philosophy and humility. *''Braj Ras Madhuri'' (Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 ) – Printed in four parts, hundreds of kirtans dedicated to Radha-Krishna, Sita-Ram, and others. *''Yugal Shatak'' () – One hundred "kirtans" of Radha Rani and Krishna. *''Yugal Rasa'' () – ''Kirtans'' of Radha Krishna. *''Shri Krishna Dwadashi'' () and ''Shri Radha Trayodashi'' () – Twelve "padas" which fully describe the beauty and the decorations of Krishna. And thirteen "padas" about the beauty and the decorations of Radha Rani.

Teachings

According to Jagadguru Shri Kripalu ji Maharaj, "the desired goal of the soul is to attain the selfless Divine love of

Radha Krishna Radha-Krishna (IAST , sa, राधा कृष्ण) are collectively known within Hinduism as the combined forms of feminine as well as the masculine realities of God. Krishna and Radha are the primeval forms of God and his pleasure potenc ...

who are eternally related to you". He taught that

are the supreme 'form' of God and the 'form' of Divine Love and are eternally related to us.

TV discourses

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj's discourses are broadcast daily on several religious TV channels, including

DD India DD India is an international state-owned English language news and current affairs channel from India. The service is also aimed at the overseas market, similar to WION, CNN International, BBC World News, DW, TV5Monde, VOA, NHK World, Arirang, ...

Aastha TV Aastha is a spiritual TV network in India. Established in 2000, it is owned by Aastha Broadcasting Network Ltd., which is listed at Bombay Stock Exchange(BSE). The network's directors are Santosh Kumar Jain and Prabhat Kumar Jain. In 2005, th ...

, Sadhna TV,

IBN 7 News18 India is an Indian Media television channel owned by Network 18. It was launched in 2005 as Channel 7 by Jagran Prakashan Limited and acquired in 2006 by Network 18 and rebranded IBN7. In 2016 it took its current name. In 2013, News18 ...

, News24 and

Sanskar TV Sanskar is an Indian television channel dedicated to broadcasting programs on the "''Indian philosophy, religion, spiritual solidarity, and culture''" and focuses more on devotion than spiritualism. The channel started broadcasting in June 20 ...

. In

the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, his discourses are also broadcast everyday on

TV Asia TV Asia was the first Asian TV channel to be founded in the UK. Launched in 1990, and originally broadcasting overnights during Sky One's downtime, it was Europe's first entertainment and information channel for the South Asian community from ...

. In his TV discourses, Kripalu ji quotes the chapter and verse of almost everything he cites from the scriptures.

YouTube channel

Two of his longest lecture series are available on the official

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channel, JKP Vedic: *''Brahm Jeev Maya Tattva Gyan'' *''Main Kaun Mera Kaun'' *''Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj - Official''

Ashrams and temples

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj was the founder and preceptor of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP), a worldwide

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

non-profit religious organization with four main ashrams in India, ( Rangeeli Mahal, Barsana; Bhakti Dham, Mangarh; Shyama Shyam Dham, Vrindavan and Jagadguru Dham, Vrindavan) and one in the USA (Radha Madhav Dham, Austin). Besides these 5 main ashrams, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat has established a number of teacher centres in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Fiji Island, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Nepal, Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, Trinidad, West Indies, United Kingdom and in many cities throughout India and USA. The organization also publishes a Hindi magazine, ''Sadhan Sadhya'', three times a year, as well as a monthly newsletter. He also established three temples. – Shri Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple, Austin; Bhakti Mandir, Mangarh;

Prem Mandir, Vrindavan Prem Mandir (lit. The Temple of Love) is a Hindu temple in Vrindavan, Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is nearly holy city Mathura. It is maintained by Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, an international non-profit, educational, spiritua ...

Singhal, A. 1 March 2011.
Foundation stone of renowned Satsang Bhawan laid by Jagadguru Kripalu ji Maharaj
'. Indlive.com. Retrieved 15 December 2011.

Bhakti Mandir Mangarh

Bhakti Mandir Mangarh Bhakti Mandir is a Hindu Temple located in Kunda, India. This temple is situated on the Sai River.This divine temple was established by the world's fifth original Jagadguru ( Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj) in November 2005. It is mainta ...

is a Hindu Temple located in tehsil Kunda district Pratapgarh.This divine temple was established by the Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj in November 2005. It is maintained by Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, a non-profit, charitable, educational and spiritual organisation.

Prem Mandir

Prem Mandir is a religious and spiritual complex in Vrindavan. Construction of Prem Mandir began in January 2001 and the inauguration ceremony took place from 15 to 17 February 2012. The temple was opened to public on 17 February 2012. The cost was 150 crore rupees ($23 million). 30,000 tons of Italian marble, carved with specialized

KUKA KUKA is a German manufacturer of industrial robots and systems for factory automation. It has been predominantly owned by the Chinese company Midea Group since 2016. The KUKA Robotics Corporation has 25 subsidiaries, mostly sales and servic ...

robotic machines, have been used in the construction. The presiding deity are Shri Radha Govind (Radha Krishna) and Shri Sita Ram. A 73,000 square feet, pillar-less, dome shaped

satsang A satsanga (), also rendered satsang, refers to the practice of gathering in the company of good people for the performance of devotional activities. It also refers to an audience with a Satguru for yogic instruction. Satsangas are group events, o ...

hall is being constructed next to Prem Mandir, which will accommodate 25,000 people at a time.

Kirti Mandir Barsana

Kirti Mandir is dedicated to Divine mother of Shri Radharani, Kirti Mayia Mandir is unique in its own way located at Barsana, the only temple on the world having the glimpses of Shri Radharani in the lap of Kirti Mother. The temple is constructed under the guidance of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj.

Radha Madhav Dham

JKP

Radha Madhav Dham Radha Madhav Dham, originally called Barsana DhamKurien, P.A. 2007. ''A Place at the Multicultural Table: The Development of an American Hinduism''. NJ: Rutgers University Press. is the main U.S. center of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, a nonprofi ...

is one of the largest Hindu Temple complexes in the

Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the term We ...

,
Vedic Foundation Inaugurated at Barsana Dham, Austin
. Retrieved 15 December 2011. and the largest in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

.Ciment, J. 2001. ''Encyclopedia of American Immigration''. Michigan:

M.E. Sharpe M. E. Sharpe, Inc., an academic publisher, was founded by Myron Sharpe in 1958 with the original purpose of publishing translations from Russian in the social sciences and humanities. These translations were published in a series of journals, the ...

Hylton, H. & Rosie, C. 2006. ''Insiders' Guide to Austin''.

Globe Pequot Press Globe Pequot is a book publisher and distributor of outdoor recreation and leisure titles that publishes 500 new titles. Globe Pequot was acquired by Morris Communications Morris Communications, headquartered in Augusta, Georgia, is a privat ...

.Mugno, M. & Rafferty, R.R. 1998. ''Texas Monthly Guidebook to Texas''. Gulf Pub. Co. ''

Philanthropic activities

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj established three free hospitals.
Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya
''. 25 July 2011. Aaj Ki Khabar. Retrieved 15 December 2011. The Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya, Mangarh, the Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya (Barsana), and the Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya (Vrindavan) are serving rural populations of 1,000,000 within their catchment radius of 80–100 km each and each treating 600–700 patients daily. The expenses are all borne by Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat. A secular educational Institution is being financed and run by Kripalu's educational trust, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Education (JKP Education), which provides underprivileged women and girls free education up to post graduation level. JKP Education runs three colleges for girls in Kunda,

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

(Kripalu Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Kripalu Balika Primary School and Kripalu Balika Intermediate College).Sinha, L. 5 December 2011.
Utthan 2011: Annual Function at Kripalu Mahila Mahavidyalaya
'' Pranam India. Retrieved 16 December 2011. Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat also donates money for disaster relief,
Trust donates Rs one crore for Uttarakhand victims
'. 26 June 2013.

Sahara Samay Sahara India Pariwar (''pariwar'' being Hindi for "family") is an Indian conglomerate headquartered in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The group operates business sectors such as finance, infrastructure & housing, real estate, sports, power, ma ...

including Rs. 10 lacs for the aid of Bhuj earthquake victims in 2001, Rs. 25 Lacs for tsunami victims in 2004 and again Rs. 2 Crore for Bihar flood victims in 2008. In May 2013, Kripalu donated Rs.1 crore to the Chief Minister's Relief fund for the victims of the Uttarakhand floods. In 2013, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Education president Vishakha Tripathi received the Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award, the Mother Teresa Excellence Award
Trust honoured for educating the girl child
''.

IANS Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. It was founded in 1986 by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the "India Abroad News Service" and later renamed. Their main offices are located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The ser ...

. 2 September 2013 and the Nari Shakti Award for work providing free education to 5000 girls and women in rural India.

Renditions

Renditions of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj's ''bhajans'' and ''kirtans'' have been recorded by singers such as

Manna Dey Prabodh Chandra Dey (May 1, 1919 − October 24, 2013), known by his stage name Manna Dey, was an internationally acclaimed and celebrated Indian playback singer, music director, and a musician. As a classical vocalist, he belonged to the Bhen ...

and

Anuradha Paudwal Anuradha Paudwal (born 27 October 1954) is an Indian playback singer who works predominantly in Hindi cinema. She has been described in media as one of the most prominent Bhajan singer and also as one of the most successful playback singers ...

Anup Jalota Anup Jalota, (born 29 July 1953) is an Indian singer, musician and actor, best known for his contributions to the Bhajan genre of Indian Music. He is popularly known as the "Bhajan Samraat" (Emperor of Bhajans).Rang De with Anup Jalota at Radha Madhav Dham, Austin
''. 20 October 2011. Indo-American News. Retrieved 15 December 2011.

Suresh Wadkar Suresh Ishwar Wadkar (born 7 August 1955) is an Indian playback singer. He performs in both Hindi and Marathi films. He has sung songs in some Bhojpuri films, Odia albums and bhajans and in Konkani films. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Aka ...

Kavita Krishnamurthy Sharada Krishnamurthy, popularly known as Kavita Krishnamurthy or Kavita Subramaniam, is an Indian playback and classical singer. She has recorded 50,000 songs in 45 various Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Rajasthani, Bhojp ...

have also agreed to release several CDs of his compositions.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kripaluji Maharaj 1922 births 2013 deaths 20th-century Hindu philosophers and theologians 21st-century Hindu philosophers and theologians Hindi-language poets Hindu revivalists Devotees of Krishna Indian Vaishnavites Indian theologians Indian Hindu religious leaders 21st-century Hindu religious leaders Gaudiya religious leaders New Age spiritual leaders Presidents of religious organizations Scholars from Allahabad 21st-century Indian scholars 20th-century Indian scholars