Born Shri Beli Ram Ji, Shri Swami Swarupanand Ji Maharaj (1 February 1884 – 9 April 1936), was an Indian
Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
of Shri Paramhans Advait Mat lineage. He is also known as "Shri Nangli Niwasi Bhagwaan Ji", as "Hari Har Baba", as "Sadhgurudev Ji" and as "Second Guru". Born in village Teri in
Kohat
Kohat ( ps, کوهاټ; ur, ) is a city that serves as the capital of the Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is regarded as a centre of the Bangash tribe of Pashtuns, who have lived in the region since the late 15th centur ...
district, India (now in
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
), the young Beli Ram Ji was initiated into the
sanyasa
''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' ...
s in the early 1900s in Teri by Shri Paramhans Swami Advaitanand Ji, who named him Shri Swami Swarupanand Ji. During Swami Advaitanand ji's life, Swami Swarupanand ji created an order of ''sanyasis'' (or renunciates) in northern India and founded several centers with the purpose of disseminating his master's teachings.
Shri Swami Advaitanand Ji Maharaj asked him to meditate in Agra, with the object to preserve the spiritual power to be utilised in future as the reformer of the spiritual Age. Far away from town in a jungle under the Neem tree the Second Guru, absorbed in his own ecstasy, roamed in quite a different world in a gufa (a very tight cave 3–4 feet under the land). Many residents of Agra, who were totally unaware of his name and whereabouts, felt attracted by him and placed some eatables near his seat with a thought he might accept them. But the Yogeshwar, the Second Guru, had no affinity for eating/drinking. He used to eat only boiled neem leaves and as such his divine body reduced to skeleton after 14 years of meditation at that place. A temple has been made around the cave 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 ...
as is known as Tapobhoomi. Shri Paramhans Swami Advaitanand Ji declared Swami Swarupanand Ji Maharaj as his spiritual successor. Chakauri ashram, (now in Gujrat, Pakistan) a beautiful shrine of pilgrimage built in Punjab at the cost of lakhs of rupees remained the congregational headquarters of Swami Swarupanand Ji Maharaj.
In 1935, he announced his decision to leave Punjab and settle in Uttar Pradesh in the presence of 800 saffron clads Mahatmas and thousands of householder devotees which caused a wave of agony among the gathering. In 1936, he visited
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders wi ...
for the last time and stayed there for two months. Leaving behind large Ashrams in the Frontier, Sindh and Punjab, he moved to Nangli village, near
Meerut
Meerut (, IAST: ''Meraṭh'') is a city in Meerut district of the western part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city lies northeast of the national capital New Delhi, within the National Capital Region and west of the state capi ...
in March, 1936. He proclaimed : “I’ve got four ‘Rotis’ with me. One is meant for Punjab, another one for Gwalior and two for Nangli here, as this place is very close to my heart."
He left this world a year later on 9 April 1936 in the village of Nangli, near
Meerut
Meerut (, IAST: ''Meraṭh'') is a city in Meerut district of the western part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city lies northeast of the national capital New Delhi, within the National Capital Region and west of the state capi ...
. Shri Swami Nijatmanand Ji and Swami Abhedanand Ji gave Samadhi to the sacred body at Shri Nangli Sahib as per his testaments in which Sadgurudev Ji had expressed his wish to remain in Shri Nangli Sahib. At the time of his death, Shri Swami Swarupanand Ji Maharaj had more than 10,000 followers and more than 300
ashram
An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions.
Etymology
The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< Paramhans Satyarthi Mission .Paramhans Satyarthi Mission is a renowned institute that stands as an epitome of Gurudev’s sublime aura. The patron of this spiritual institute since 2 July 1985 is Swami Keshwanand Satyarthi Ji Maharaj, who was born as a younger son to Shri Swami Ramanand Satyarthi Ji Maharaj. One of the disciples of Shri Swarupanand Ji Maharaj was
Hans Ji Maharaj
Hans Rām Singh Rawat, called Shrī Hans Jī Mahārāj and by various other honorifics (8 November 1900 – 19 July 1966), was an Indian religious leader.
He was born in Gadh-ki-Sedhia, north-east of Haridwar in present-day Uttarakhand, India ...
, who went on to establish the
Divine Light Mission
The Divine Light Mission (''Divya Sandesh Parishad''; DLM) was an organization founded in 1960 by guru Hans Ji Maharaj for his following in northern India. During the 1970s, the DLM gained prominence in the West under the leadership of his fourth ...
. According to another account, Shri Swami Swarupanand Ji Maharaj was succeeded by Shri Swami Vairagya Anand Ji Maharaj, also known as the third master of Shri Anandpur.Pur, Anand, ''Paramhansa Advait Mat: A life sketch of the Illustrious Master of the Mat'' (1975), Shri Anandpur Trust (originally published in Hindi, date unknown)
Swami Swarupanand Ji Maharaj is sometimes confused with
Anand Swarup
Sir Anand Swarup, Kt. (6 August 1881 – 24 June 1937) also known as Param Guru Huzur Sahabji Maharaj was the founder of Dayalbagh. He was the fifth revered leader, or Sant Satguru, of the Dayalbagh branch of the Radha Soami sect, who succeeded ...
of the
Radha Soami
Radha Soami is a spiritual tradition founded by Shiv Dayal Singh in 1861 on Basant Panchami Day in Agra, India. p. 90 note 5, Quote: "The date of Seth Shiv Dayal's first public discourse is Basant Panchami Day, February 15, 1861"., Quote: ...