Kripalu Ji Maharaj (

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

: ''K''ṛ''pālu''; 5 October 1922 – 15 November 2013) was an Indian spiritual

guru Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...

. He was the founder of Prem Mandir in Vrindavan, one of the ten largest Hindu temples in the world. He was also the founder of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP), a worldwide Hindu non-profit organization with five main

ashrams An ashram (, ) is a spiritual Hermitage (religious retreat), hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions, not including Buddhism. Etymology The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< Proto-Indo-European, PIE *' ...

,Walker, J.K. 2007. ''The Concise Guide to Today's Religions and Spirituality''. Harvest House Publishers. four in India and one in the United States. On Makar Sankranti, 14 January 1957, he received 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) from Kashi Vidvat Parishat. His book Prem Ras Siddhant contains his teachings called Jagadguru Kripalu Bhaktiyoga Tattvadarshan. It expounds "the philosophy of divine love" and the practical path to God realization. Jagadguru Kripalu Ji Maharaj was born on 5 October 1922 in the village of Kripalu Dham, Mangarh, Pratapgarh district,

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

. His mother was Bhagwati Devi and his father was Lalta Prasad Tripathi, a Brahmin.

Jagadguru philosophy and title

Jagadguru Kripalu Bhaktiyog Tattvadarshan

Jagadguru Kripalu Ji’s spiritual philosophy known as “Jagadguru Kripalu Bhaktiyoga Tattvadarshan” posits that the soul’s true goal is eternal divine bliss, found not in material objects, but only in

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

. Since the soul is a part of God, it naturally seeks Him. This bliss is attained through God's grace, received by the complete sharanagati (surrender) of the mind. Detachment from the material world, through understanding its impermanence, is key. As propagated by the saints of

bhakti movement The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of Bhakti, devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6t ...

, the path of bhakti (devotion) — selfless love for Radha

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

— is preferred over

karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...

(action) and gyan (knowledge) as it’s the most direct. It automatically brings divine knowledge and detachment. Bhaktiyog, involves loving remembrance of God (Roopdhyan meditation), even during daily duties ( karmayog). A true saint’s (

Guru Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...

) guidance and avoiding bad company (kusang) are essential to advance through this path.

Jagadguru title

In 1955, Jagadguru Kripalu Ji organized a religious convention for spiritual leaders in India. Mahamahopadhyay Giridhar Sharma, President of the Kashi Vidvat Parishat, attended the convention and was impressed by Kripalu's scriptural knowledge. In 1957, Kripalu Ji was invited to lecture for ten days on scripture philosophy at the Kashi Vidvat Parishat, a group of 500 scholars of Vedic literature. The congregation had scholars from

Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or 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 tradition of I ...

and other parts of India. Shri Maharaj Ji lectured for seven days about the Hindu scriptures. On 14 January 1957 the scholars honoured him with Jagadguru title. He was 34 years old when given the title, the fifth person ever to receive it. The Kashi Vidvat Parishat also conferred on him the titles ''Bhaktiyog-Ras-Avtar'' and ''Jagadguruttam'', as well as the title ''Samanvaya-Acharya'': he who analyses and reconciles the meaning of all the scriptures, the six philosophies and the teachings of other previous Jagadgurus.

Life after becoming Jagadguru

After accepting the title of Jagadguru, Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj traveled throughout India for around 14 years between 1957 and 1971. He delivered month-long discourses in various cities, lecturing to tens of thousands of people. In 1970, he established Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP), a charitable religious organization, to disseminate his teachings throughout the world. Shri Kripalu ji Maharaj composed thousands of bhajans and kirtans, including ''Prem Ras Madira'', a collection of 1008 devotional songs. His book on philosophy, ''Prem Ras Siddhant'', discusses the ultimate aim of the individual soul, the importance of attaining divine grace, and the indispensability of surrendering to a Saint. Shri Maharaj Ji's ''bhajan'' books include Braj Ras Madhuri, Yugal Madhuri, Yugal Shatak, Bhakti Shatak, Yugal Ras, Shyama Shyam Geet, Radha Govind Geet, Krishna Dwadashi and Radha Trayodashi. During his lifetime, he personally trained more than 50 Pracharaks, male and female monastic disciples. They continue to travel in India and around the world as his ordained representatives, spreading his teachings.

Temples

Jagadguru Kripalu Ji established three significant temples which serve as centers for bhakti,

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

, and charitable activities.

Prem Mandir, Vrindavan

Established on the sacred land of Vrindavan, Prem Mandir is among the biggest and most popular Hindu temples in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It witnesses a high footfall of devotees, with lakhs of visitors each day. Known for its white Italian carrara marble construction and intricate carvings, the temple is a prominent site for religious gatherings, devotional activities and a evening light and sound show. It makes news for its celebration of major festivals such as Krishna Janmashtami.

Bhakti Mandir, Mangarh

Bhakti Mandir is located at the birthplace of Jagadguru Kripalu Ji Maharaj, in Shri Kripalu Dham near

Prayagraj Prayagraj (, ; ISO 15919, ISO: ), formerly and colloquially known as Allahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi, Varanasi (Benar ...

. It was inaugurated in 2005 and is dedicated to Radha-Krishna and

Sita Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...

- Ram. Constructed using pink sandstone, white marble, and black granite, the temple sees a surge in visitors on Hindu festivals such as

Diwali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...

and Guru Purnima. Bhakti Mandir is managed by Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat.

Kirti Mandir, Barsana

Kirti Mandir is situated in Barsana, the birthplace of Radha rani. It is notable for being the only temple in the world dedicated to Kirti Maiya, Goddess Radha’s mother. A unique idol of baby Radha in her mother’s lap is the central attraction of the temple. Lakhs of devotees visit Kirti Mandir around Radhashtami, the birth anniversary of Radha rani. Alongside religious functions, the temple includes a charitable hospital and serves as a site for social welfare activities.

TV appearances

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj's discourses are broadcast daily on several religious TV channels, including DD India, Aastha TV, Sadhna TV, IBN 7, News24 and Sanskar TV. In the United States, his discourses are also broadcast everyday on TV Asia.

Works

Philosophical books

*'' Prem Rasa Siddhant'' () – 'Prem Ras Siddhant' or 'The Philosophy of Divine Love', a popular book written by Shri Maharaj Ji contains the gist of all the teachings of our scriptures.The philosophy of Divine love was first published (in Hindi) in 1955. It was later published in several other Indian languages. *''Bhakti Shatak'' () – The concise philosophy of the Upaniṣats, Gītā, Brahma sūtras and the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. *''Radha Govind Geet'' () – Printed in two volumes, with 11,111 couplets of Radha Krishna ''leelas'' and the devotional philosophy. *''Ras Panchadhyayi'' () – A series of discourses on the esoteric 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" describing the beauty and decorations of Krishna, and 13 "padas" about the beauty and decorations of Radha Rani. Renditions of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj's ''bhajans'' and ''kirtans'' have been recorded by singers such as Manna Dey and Anuradha Paudwal. Anup Jalota,

Women's Education

Jagadguru Kripalu Ji Maharaj established charitable educational institutions to encourage the education of girls. Kripalu Balika Primary School, Kripalu Balika Intermediate College and Kripalu Mahila Mahavidyalaya (degree college) are located in Kunda, Pratapgarh district,

. These institutions empower girls from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds by offering free, high-quality education.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kripaluji Maharaj 1922 births 2013 deaths 20th-century Hindu philosophers and theologians 21st-century Hindu philosophers and theologians 21st-century Indian theologians Hindi-language poets Hindu revivalists Devotees of Krishna Indian Vaishnavites 20th-century 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