Jagadguru Kripalu Ji Maharaj
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Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaj, is considered to be the 5th Jagadguru of the present age and 1st in the last 700 years by followers. Adi Sankaracharya (509-477 B.C.), Nimbarkacharya (before 600 B.C.), Ramanujacharya (1017-1137 A.D.) and Madhavacharya (13th century) are considered the four original foundational Jagudgurus who preceded him.
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[edit] Birth and early life history
Popularly known as Kripaluji Maharaj, or "Maharajji" among his devotees {Not the same person and not to be confused with Prem Rawat (a.k.a. Maharaji); or Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (of the TM movement); or Yogi Amrit Desai (Amrit Yoga Institute and formally associated with Kripalu Center for Yoga)}, Ram Kripalu Tripathi was born in the small village of Mangarh in Uttar Pradesh in a brahmin family. According to the Hindu Calendar, he was born on the night when Krishna performed the celestial dance (Ras Leela) with the Gopis (famous for their supreme Nishkaam Prem or selfless love to Krishna as described in the stories of Shrimad Bhagavatam), some 5000 years ago. This day falls in October 1922.
At the age of fourteen, he was sent to Mahu Sanskrit College, Indore to study Sanskrit literature and grammar.He mastered all subjects within two years to the amazement of the teachers of the institution .Few others have been able to accomplish this in the past.
At the age of sixteen he went to Chitrakoot, Sharbhang, Mahoba and Jhansi. For around two years he remained in the jungles of these places. There,he remained in state of loving remeberance of Radha and Krishn day and night.Around 1940, Ram Kripalu Tripathi came to Vrindavan and started going to houses of devotees for Satsang. He would travel to the houses of various devotees in Agra, Mathura and Allahabad. In these places on the urge of devotees he started giving discourse on various aspects of Bhakti and also started Sankirtana.
Apart from Sankirtana, he also started singing leela pad (describing te loving leelas f Radha and Krishn . In 1942, he came back to Mahu and started holding long, non-stop sankirtan sessions, sometimes stretching to four months. He frequently visited Mandaleshwar and Maheshwar where he would hold fortnight-long sessions.
[edit] Being honored as the Supreme Jagadguru of the present age
According to the recountal, Kripaluji organized a religious convention in Agra in 1955, in which many spiritual leaders of India gathered. Being the organizer, Kripaluji gave an inaugural speech in which he put forward a few questions in front of saints. Mahamahopadhyay Giridhar Sharma, President of Kashi Vidvat Parishad (a unit of religious heads, which had 500 saints and scholars of Hindu scriptures at that time as its members) had also attended this convention.
They announced his names during the convention. His speech in the convention, his philosophy and knowledge impressed everyone as he was only 33 years old. Few people had ever seen someone with the knowledge which Kripalu Ji had at such a young age.
Mahamahopadhyay Giridhar Sharma, while hearing his discourses, was captivated and mesmerized by the eloquent speech and profound depth that he experienced in the scriptural knowledge of Kripaluji.
Next year, that is, in 1956 another convention was organised in Kanpur. This time, the chief secretary of Kashi Vidvat Parishad and a scholarly figure, Raj Narayan Shat Shastri happened to listen to Kripaluji's speech. He too was left unanswered and hypnotized by his unparalleled knowledge. Once the convention was over, he went back home at Varanasi also known as Kashi, and talked about Kripaluji, upon which the Kashi Vidvat Parishad unanimously decided to invite him to Varanasi.
So, in 1957, Kripaluji visited Varanasi to orate his discourses to the scholars and the pandits of Varanasi. The congregation had almost all the scholars of Varanasi and also many others who came from other provinces of India. His speech went on for seven days.He was amazingly well versed in all of the scriptures (Vedas, Upnishads, Sutras, Upvedas, Vedangas, Darshan Shastras, Puranas, Itihas, the philosophies of the Jagadgurus and the writings of the rasik Saints etc.). It is said that during the last day of his speech he spoke in Vedic Sanskrit which was accessible for only hand full of scholars. After speeches were complete, the scholars of Kashi asked Kripaluji to accept the title of Jagadguru.
Thus, on 14 January, 1957 at the age of 35, Kripalu was awarded the title Jagadguru. Shree Kripalu Maharaj is the Fifth Jagadguru in the history of India following Sankaracharya, Nimbarkacharya, Madhavacharya and Ramanujacharya as the other four.
[edit] Philosophy and Teachings
Kripaluji generally holds to the Hindu philosophy and believes that Bhagwatam is the complete and final scriptural authority. He also accepts Shat Sandarbh teachings of Jiva Goswami. His devotees believe that he has reconciled the differences that appeared in the philosophies of the other Jagadgurus and the Darshan Shastras. For this work, the learned pandits of Kashi conferred upon him the title of Nikhildarshansamanvayacharya (meaning the Acharya who has reconciled the philosophies of all the Darshan Shastras).
His major teaching includes the axiom that the desired goal of a soul is to receive the selfless Divine love of Radha Krishn, who are the Soul of our soul and are eternally related to us. Knowing this, one must develop a deep desire to selflessly serve Them and love Them and strengthen one's faith in Them. This axiom is definitive in describing Kripaluji's teachings.
[edit] Books and compositions
Kripaluji, unlike the previous Jagadgurus chose to write in Hindi as Sanskrit was no longer the common language. His numerous creations include
- Prem Ras Siddhant
- Prem Ras Madira
- Bhakti Shatak
- Braj Ras Madhuri
- Radha Govinda Geet
- Yugal Shatak
- Yugal Ras
- Shree Krishn Dwadashi
