Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj
Rasik Saint
Embodiment of the highest form of Radha Krishna Bhakti
Life History
THE SUPREME SPIRITUAL GURU OF THE WORLD
Early Life as a Paramhans(1922 - 1956)
Highlights:
Highlights
- Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj was born on the auspicious night of Sharad Poornima.
- He was highly intelligent as a young adult, earning several degrees within a short amount of time.
- Though he was never seen studying scriptures, he was exceptionally well-versed in them.
- In the 1940s and 1950s, he re-popularised the sankirtan movement with his euphoric kirtans of Shri Radha Krishna.
- By 1955, he had published his two principal works, ‘Prem Ras Siddhant’ and ‘Prem Ras Madira.’
Appearance, Childhood and Youth
5th October, 1922: Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj was born at midnight on the auspicious full moon night of Sharad Poornima, in Shri Kripalu Dham Mangarh, District Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.
This was the very night when Maharaas, the sweetest form of divine love and bliss was bestowed upon the deserving souls by Shri Radha Krishna 5000 years ago. He was named Ram Kripalu at birth by his mother, Bhagawati Devi and his father, Shri Lalita Prasad Tripathi.
1926-1931: He attended a local primary school in Mangarh.
1932-1934: Subsequently, he did his middle schooling from Kunda.
1933: As per the customs that were prevalent during that period, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj got married to Srimati Padma Devi.
Right from childhood, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj excelled effortlessly in his studies and astonished his teachers and fellow students with his intelligence and phenomenal memory.
Due to his ever-playful and fun loving nature, he was a popular child and was adored by his family, friends and teachers.
Education
1935: At 13 years of age, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj left his birthplace, Shri Kripalu Dham Mangarh, to attend Peeli Kothi Sanskrit School in Chitrakoot, where he completed his Intermediate Sanskrit Grammar examination.
1936: He completed his degree in Sanskrit Grammar (Vyakaranacharya) in Kashi.
1937: He went to Indore (Mahu) where he sat the intermediate examinations for Ayurveda at Ashtang Ayurvedic College.
1940: Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj went back for further studies, where he completed a poetry examination and received the degree of Kavyatirtha.
Due to his exceptional intelligence, Shri Maharaj Ji completed the equivalent of many years of study in just two and a half years, receiving the following additional degrees;
1943: Sanskrit Sahitya Acharya (Master of Sanskrit Literature) from Calcutta University.
1944: Vyakarancharya (Master in Sanskrit Grammar) from Cunes College, Kashi.
1945: Ayurved Acharya (Master in Ayurved) from Akhil Bharatiya Vidyapeeth, Delhi.
He also spent time in the ancient city of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh where he studied Jyotishacharya (Master in Astrology).
Throughout this entire period, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj never studied any scriptures. In fact, he was almost always surrounded by his devotees, yet no one has ever seen him study any of the scriptural texts at any point in his life.
In addition, he attained all of the degrees while he was giving a constant stream of four-day, fifteen-day, one-month and even four-month akhanda (non-stop) sankirtan programmes in places such as Mahu, Chhawani, Mandaleshwar, Maheshwar near Narmada River and Nrisimha Tekri.
Immersed in Devine Eestasy
1938: At the age of sixteen, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj stayed in the deep, dense forests near Sharbhang Ashram in Chitrakoot and then in the forests near Vanshivat, Vrindavan completely absorbed in ecstatic divine bliss of Shri Radha Krishna.
The overflow of all satvik emotions at the same time, as has been described in the scriptures, was a manifestation of his form as ‘Bhaktiyog-ras-avatar’ (descension of divine love and bliss), which, in fact, was one of the titles bestowed upon him by the Kashi Vidvat Parishad many years later.
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.
After two years, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj proceeded to Vrindavan. On his arrival, devotees recognised his transcendental personality, and realising their great fortune of meeting him, they requested him to impart his wisdom and guide them.
To continue his mission of propagating the true path of bhakti to the world and to grace the souls, he began to conceal and control the bliss of divine love that he was experiencing.
The Sankirtan Movement
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj has emphasised the importance of sankirtan to achieve the goal of God-realisation in the age of kaliyug. Whether it was by leading naam sankirtan immersed in divine bliss himself, or through several discourses and sadhana programmes, or by composing thousands upon thousands of kirtans, he continuously reiterated that sankirtan is an integral part of practical devotion.
In fact, he revealed this truth very early on as a child during his school days, when he would sing naam sankirtan (chanting of the divine name) amongst his friends and family.
The 1940s and 1950s was a very special and defining period for the sankirtan movement. During these two decades, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj would lead kirtans imbued with intense devotion, which would continue non-stop throughout the night for days, weeks and sometimes even months.
Once in the Gopal Mandir in Mahu Chhawani, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj conducted a six-month long continuous chanting of the divine name.
His sankirtan programmes of those days were like the vivid glow of Radha-Krishna 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 by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Ji for the first time in the last 5,000 years. The same expressions of divine love were seen in Shri Kripalu Maharaj Ji when he chanted “Hare Ram” and “Hari Bol” in ecstasy.
In the following decades, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj revealed thousands of verses of devotional chantings explaining the form, virtues, names, leelas and abodes of Radha Krishna, and in particular, he placed devotional emphasis on Shri Radha revealing Her to be the soul of Shri Krishna Himself (though They are two forms of the supreme divine love and one and the same).
Key Literary Works
1955: When he was only 32 years old, prior to receiving the title of ‘Jagadguru’, Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj had already published two of his principal literary works, “Prem Ras Siddhant” and “Prem Ras Madira”.
Prem Ras Siddhant, a book that presents his entire philosophy, reveals the absolute essence of the limitless divine knowledge found in the Vedas, Upanishads, Purans and the Darshan Shastras. It was written in the Hindi language in a simplified manner so that people of today can easily understand and follow the right path to God.
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj is the first Jagadguru to write his principal doctrine in a language other than Sanskrit, a language that only a limited number of people understand today. Prem Ras Siddhant was later translated and published in English, titled ‘The Philosophy of Divine Love’, as well as other languages – Bengali, Odiya, Telugu, Kannada and Nepali, so that more people from around India and across the globe can benefit from this treasure of Vedic knowledge.
Prem Ras Madira, the other principal composition written by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, consists of 1008 couplets. The 1008 couplets are based on the divine leelas (pastimes) that took place during the descension of Shri Radha Krishna 5000 years ago. The visual descriptiveness of the writing captivates the mind, and roopdhyan meditation becomes more free-flowing and dynamic.
Throughout his life, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj continued to compose various literary works – philosophical books, poetic compositions and sankirtan – to guide souls on the path of bhakti. Through these literary works, he re-established the true Vedic wisdom and guided devotees in the practical aspects of Bhaktiyog.
Learn more.
Life History
THE EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY FROM 1922-2013
Revealing Himself as 'Jagadguru'(1957)
Highlights:
Highlights
- In 1955-56, Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj brought together the saints and scholars of the Kashi Vidvat Parishad in historic religious conferences,
- where they declared him Jagadguruttam, the supreme teacher of the universe
- Bhaktiyog-ras-avatar, the embodiment of divine grace and devotion.
The Historic Event
1955: Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj organised a huge conference in Chitrakoot, which was attended by the most eminent scholars and saints from Kashi, and various other parts of India.
1956: As in 1955, a similarly large religious conference was organised in Kanpur in 1956.
It was during these conferences that Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s 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 Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s authoritative knowledge of all the scriptures, the Kashi Vidvat Parishad, 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).
In Kashi, the extraordinary series of discourses delivered by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj in classical Sanskrit to the scholars of Kashi Vidvat Parishad, combined with his divine personality, soaked in the bliss of divine love, left the learned gathering completely spellbound.
With profound admiration, the scholars accepted Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s knowledge to be deeper than the combined knowledge of all 500 of them put together. They unanimously acclaimed him as Jagadguru – the teacher (guru) of the universe (jagat, compounded as jagad-). This historic event took place on 14 January 1957. At the time, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj was only 34 years of age.
Bhaktiyog-Ras-Avatar
Upon listening to Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s unique and authoritative knowledge of all scriptures, along with his unparalleled reconciliation of the philosophies of the four prior Jagadgurus, the scholars of Kashi Vidvat Parishad honoured him as Jagadguruttam, ‘The Supreme amongst all Jagadgurus’.
The scholars of Kashi Vidvat Parishad who were so immensely impressed by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s divine knowledge then conferred on him his various other prestigious epithets, including Bhaktiyog-ras-avatar.
Life History
THE EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY FROM 1922-2013
Life as a Jagadguru(1957 - 1998)
Highlights:
Highlights
- After being declared Jagadguru, Shri Maharaj Ji began to travel and deliver extraordinary lectures to hundreds of thousands of people across India.
- He also began to train teachers (pracharaks) who began to spread his message throughout India and overseas.
- His Sadhana Shivirs, or meditation programmes, began in the 1960s and continue till today.
- Collections of his lectures and devotional songs continued to be published through the 1980s and 1990s.
- In 1997, his discourse was aired on national television for the first time, and they continue to be broadcast on various television channels (in India and abroad) till date.
After accepting the title of Jagadguru, Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj started travelling extensively all over India to deliver standalone lectures that revealed the philosophical secrets of our scriptures, while simultaneously providing detailed devotional guidelines to devotees.
1960s: It was also in this period, that he started to personally train teachers to spread his teachings all over India and overseas.
His public speeches were often attended by more than fifty thousand people at a time in the early days. As he became more well-known, the numbers increased to lakhs (100,000) and more. While giving public speeches, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj also distributed indescribable bliss through his enthralling sankirtans.
During this period, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj delivered many important series of talks including Pranadhan Jivan Kunja Bihari (10 speeches, 1981), Kamana Aur Upasana (14 speeches, 1984), Nishkam Prem (4 speeches, 1989), Narad Bhakti Darshan (11 speeches, 1990), and Raas Panchadhyayi (9 speeches, 1992).
14 September 1997: Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s discourse was aired on television for the very first time throughout India on Channel ATN.
Within a very short period of time, many prominent and reputable television channels within India, including many news channels, requested to telecast his discourses.
Devotional Sankirtans
In this period, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj also revealed thousands of bhajans and kirtans which continue to evoke deep devotional sentiments within the heart of a sincere seeker even today. His kirtans have been compared by scholars with those of Meerabai, Soordas, Tulsidas, and Ras Khan.
While his first editions of Prem Ras Siddhant and Prem Ras Madira were both published in 1955, his first book of philosophical couplets was Bhakti Shatak (1992), and the very first collection of sankirtans was Braj Ras Madhuri (1993).
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj continued to write and reveal ever-new devotional material in the next decade, while emphasising to devotees the importance of roopdhyan meditation to increase their love for Shri Radha Krishna.
Satsang and Devotional Programmes
1964: Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj held the first sadhana shivir (meditation programme) at Brahmand Ghat.
1966: The first sadhana shivir was held at Shri Bhakti Dham, Shri Kripalu Dham Mangarh, then known as Bhaktiyog Sadhana Shivir. The one-month long annual sadhana shivir continues even till today, providing devotees a platform to help with their practical devotion and spiritual growth.
In addition to the annual programmes, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj would also hold various shivirs in his other ashrams in Vrindavan and Barsana, as well as when he travelled to various towns and cities.
As the number of devotees attending the sadhana shivirs continued to grow each year, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj constructed large satsang bhawans (meditation halls) which can accommodate thousands of people at a time, so that the sincere seekers of God’s divine love could continue to benefit from his satsang and practise roopdhyan and sadhana for years to come.
Life History
THE EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY FROM 1922-2013
Ultimate Grace: The Final Chapter(1999-2013)
Highlights:
Highlights
- The Bhakti Movement, led by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj gained momentum in the last 15 years of his life.
- Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj traveled far and wide, both across India and the rest of the world, to spread the philosophy of Jagadguru Kripalu Tattvadarshan
- He revealed vasts amount of literature to the word so that generations to come would benefit from his works and gifted the world three unique divine monuments (temples)
Propagating Bhakti Worldwide
In the last 15 years of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s life, there was a widespread propagation of bhakti.
Jagadguru Shri Maharaj Ji continued to deliver discourses and gave satsang in numerous states across the length and breadth of India including Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
1999: To further his mission of propagating bhakti, Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj visited Nepal.
2005 – 2007: He also graced the souls living in other parts of the world with his divine presence. He delivered formal discourses and led informal satsang programmes with devotees in Canada, Hong Kong, Scotland, Singapore, Trinidad, The United Kingdom, and The United States of America.
Wherever he went, he won the hearts of many people from diverse backgrounds, who were drawn inexplicably to his magnetic personality, even though they did not understand Hindi. Captivated by his divine personality and profound knowledge, they came to understand the true purpose of human life.
In this period, to further his effort of propagating the path of bhakti, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj consented to additional broadcasts of his discourses on television networks in the late 1990s. The impact of television was phenomenal, especially from the early 2000s. Hundreds of thousands of people from towns and cities across India got introduced to his teachings, inspiring them to embark on the true path of bhakti and achieve their ultimate goal.
To complement his discourses and to shower devotees with the sweetness of his devotional writings, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj would often sit amongst his devotees within his spiritual centres at Shri Kripalu Dham Mangarh, Mussoorie, Vrindavan and Barsana, or at some historically significant site associated with the loving pastimes of Shri Radha Krishna, like Kusum Sarovar or Prem Sarovar and lead joyous and captivating sankirtans.
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj thus worked tirelessly for over nine decades to guide souls on the path of God-realisation. He delivered countless discourses, which continued up until his last day before his ascension. His final lecture, titled ‘Mana Karu Sumiran Radhe Rani Ke Charan’ is on the significance and importance of constantly remembering Shri Radha Rani’s lotus feet; a true pearl of wisdom and a reminder for all souls for ages to come.
Revealing Additional Literature
In this period, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj continued to publish more books elucidating the blissful pastimes of Shri Radha Krishna and glorifying Their divine forms, qualities, abodes and devotees followed:
- 1999: Yugal Madhuri
- 2000: Yugal Shatak, Yugal Ras and the incomparable Radha Govind Geet
- 2001: Braj Ras Madhuri Part 2, an encyclopaedia of 11,111 couplets
- 2003: Shyama Shyam Geet
- 2006: Shri Radha Trayodashi and Shri Krishna Dwadashi.
- 2012: His last sankirtan ‘Sumiran Kar Le Mana’ (Remember the Lord every moment) was published a year before his ascension.
His entire collection of many thousands of diverse kirtans of various sentiments, enliven and complement a devotees’ spiritual practice while sweetly reinforcing the timeless philosophy of the Vedas and Shastras.
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj also continued giving various discourses on theoretical knowledge as well as the practical aspects of bhakti.
2009-2011: One of his historical and longest lecture series, titled “Main Kaun? Mera Kaun?” (Who am I? Who is mine?) was delivered during this period.
Today, with the advancement in technology and the rise of social media, spiritual aspirants and devotees are easily able to take benefit of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s lectures and sankirtans from anywhere in the world, at any time. These factors have been a huge catalyst for the dramatic increase in the number of seekers of true divine knowledge revealed by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj even after his ascension.
Devotional Monuments
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj gifted the world with three temples: Bhakti Mandir, Prem Mandir and Kirti Mandir. These temples inspire spiritual seekers and play a significant role in motivating devotees on the path of Bhakti. For centuries to come, these temples will serve as monuments of bhakti and divine love – and will guide sincere seekers looking to achieve the ultimate goal of human life – God-realisation.
Bhakti Mandir
(Shri Kripalu Dham,Mangarh, UP India)
Prem Mandir
(Shri Vrindavan Dham,UP,India)
Kirti Mandir
(Shri Barsana Dham, UP, India)
October, 1996: Shri Maharaj Ji laid the foundation stone of Bhakti Mandir.
November, 2005: The temple was inaugurated.
Bhakti Mandir is a truly unique monument, a temple filled with divine love and devotion. The charismatic Deities lure and captivate the mind. Devotees naturally get absorbed in feelings of devotion and sing the glories of Shri Radha Krishna and Shri Sita Ram.
January, 2001: Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj laid the foundation stone of Prem Mandir.
2012: The temple was inaugurated in a grand event attended by thousands of devotees from all over the world.
Located in the holy land of Vrindavan, Prem Mandir is a living form of the Bhagavat, the crest jewel of all Vedic scriptures.
The divine loving pastimes of Shri Radha Krishna depicted outside the temple and the beautiful life-size idols of Radha-Krishna and Sita-Ram makes every visitor’s heart fill with devotion and love. Its unique architecture and pristine marble stones makes it a one-of-its-kind monument.
2007: Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj laid the foundation stone of Kirti Mandir.
February, 2019: Kirti Mandir was inaugurated in February 2019 in a similarly huge event as Prem Mandir’s inauguration. The temple is built on the holy ground of Barsana near the Shri Ji Temple.
The temple is dedicated to Mother Kirti (Kirti Maiya) who is the divine Mother of Shri Radha Rani. Shri Radha Rani is the personification of divine love and is the soul of the Supreme Lord, Shri Krishna.
This temple is the first of its kind in the whole world. In this temple, Shri Radha Rani is seen in her child-like form sitting on the lap of Her mother, a beautiful sight to behold.
Philanthropic Contributions
The spiritual works undertaken by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj is certainly his greatest contribution to society. However, his philosophy concentrates on creating a balance in life by taking care of the body as well as nurturing the soul.
Recognising the need to take care of the physical body also, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj inspires devotees to engage in various humanitarian activities and practise selfless service.
Devotees who have been in Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s association over the decades have always bore witness to his benevolent nature. He organised many free distribution programmes and free medical aid events for the poor.
1970s: He established Sadhana Bhawan Trust to organise his increasing charitable activities, which is known as Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat today.
Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat is a non-profit, charitable, educational and spiritual organisation established in 2002. It currently runs under the guidance of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s three esteemed daughters, Dr. Vishakha Tripathi Ji, Dr. Shyama Tripathi Ji and Dr. Krishna Tripathi Ji, as the Presidents of the organisation. |
2000s: the scale of charitable activities conducted by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj increased massively.
November, 2003: Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj opened up the first free hospital, Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya, in Shri Kripalu Dham Mangarh, District Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.
January, 2007: Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj opened another free hospital in Barsana, District Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India.
He also initiated the construction of the third free hospital in Vrindavan, District Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, which was later inaugurated by the Presidents of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat in September 2016.
The three hospitals provide completely free medical care, diagnostic tests and medications, no questions asked. Additionally, they organise free medical camps multiple times a year to lead proactive medical care. |
Simultaneously in the same period, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj established free schools and a college for girls and women living in rural areas who were otherwise deprived of quality education.
1998: With the vision and inspiration of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, the first girls high school was established in Kunda, a rural village in District Pratapgarh, North India.
2005: Kripalu Mahila Mahavidyalay, a graduate and post graduate college, and Kripalu Balika Intermediate College, a high school, start operations.
2007: Kripalu Balika Primary school was inaugurated.
The college and schools provide completely free education to thousands of girls each year. |
Each year, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj also organised several free distribution programs for tens of thousands of widows, villagers and children living in rural areas in and around Mangarh, Vrindavan and Barsana. As humble as he was, he would personally attend and distribute various items of need at these distributions.
Whether it was patients from his hospitals, or students and teachers from his schools and college, or just a random person at one of his distributions, all of them had nothing but gratitude and praises for his generous, humble and merciful nature.
The Ascension
15th November 2013: Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj decided to bring his visible pastimes to a close and return to the divine abode of Shri Radha Krishna.
Today, although He is not physically present, the scriptures declare that the Guru never leaves a truly surrendered soul, as revealed by Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj in his lectures.
As long as a devotee has faith and continues on the path of bhakti, the Guru was, is, and will continue to remain their Guru, Divine Guide, and Divine Protector, not only for this life but until they reach their goal of attaining Shri Radha Krishna.
