Kripalu Maharaj

Kripalu Maharaj
Born	Ram Kripalu Tripathi (1922-10-05)5 October 1922[1][2] Mangarh, Pratapgarh
Died	15 November 2013(2013-11-15) (aged 91)[1][2] New Delhi, Delhi, India
Nationality	Indian
Titles/honours	Jagadguru.

Kripaluji Maharaj (Hindi: जगदगुरु कृपालु जी महाराज) (5 October 1922 – 15 November 2013)^[3] was a Hindu spiritual leader, poet^[4] and Jagadguru from Allahabad, India.^[5][6][7]

He was the preceptor of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP), a worldwide Hindu non-profit organization with 5 main ashrams;^[8] four in India and one in the USA.^[9][10] JKP Radha Madhav Dham is one of the largest Hindu Temple complexes in the Western Hemisphere,^[9][11] and the largest in North America.^{[9][12][13][14]}

He received the title of Jagadguru (world teacher) at the age of 34 by Kashi Vidvat Parishad (the oldest and most recognised body of Varanasi's intellectuals) on Makar Sankranti day, 14 January 1957.^[5][15]

Birth and early life history

Kripaluji Maharaj was born on Sharad Purnima, the full moon on the month of Sharad (5 October 1922),^[1][2] as Ram Kripalu Tripathi in Mangarh district Pratapgarh, near Allahabad, in India.^[7][15] 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 and Varanasi and spent a year or more around Chitrakoot.^[5] After completing his formal education, at the age of 16, he entered into self-imposed vanvas.^[5] He found his way to Vrindavan and the next year he emerged as a Guru^[15] known affectionately as Shree Maharajji.^[15] When he was 17 years old, he led a 6-month continuous chanting of the "maha mantra".^[15]

Jagadguru

In 1955 Kripalu Maharaj organized a religious convention for prominent spiritual leaders in India.^[16][17] Mahamahopadhyay Giridhar Sharma, President of the Kashi Vidvat Parishad had also come and was impressed by Kripaluji Maharaj's scriptural knowledge.^[16][18] Kripalu Maharaj was invited to give discourse at the Kashi Vidvat Parishad in 1957.^[16][17][19]

The congregation had scholars from Varanasi and other parts of India.^[16][17] His speeches lasted for seven days, after which he was formally installed as the fifth Jagadguru ("world teacher").^[16][17][20] He was 34 years old when given the title on 14 January 1957, by the Kashi Vidvat Parishad, a group of Hindu scholars.^[15][20][21] The Kashi Vidvat Parishad also conferred on him the titles Bhaktiyog-Ras-Avtar and Jagadguruttam.^[22]

According to Kripalu Maharaj, "the desired goal of the soul is to attain the selfless Divine love of Radha Krishn who are eternally related to you".^[16] He taught that Radha Krishna are the supreme 'form' of God and the 'form' of Divine Love and are eternally related to us.^[15]

TV discourses

Kripalu Maharaj's discourses are broadcast daily on several religious TV channels, including Aastha TV, Sadhna TV, News 24 and Sanskar TV.^[23] In the United States, his discourses are also broadcast every weekday on TV Asia.^[24] In his TV discourses, Kripalu Maharaj quoted the chapter and verse of everything he cited.^[25]

Ashrams and temples

Kripaluji Maharaj was the founder and preceptor of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP), a worldwide Hindu 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).^[8] 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.^[26] The organization also publishes a Hindi magazine, Sadhan Sadhya, three times a year,^[27] as well as a monthly newsletter.^[28]

He also established four temples.^[29] - Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple, Austin;^[10] Bhakti Mandir, Mangarh; Prem Mandir, Vrindavan^[30][31]

Prem Mandir

For further information see: Prem Mandir Vrindavan

Prem Mandir is a religious and spiritual complex in Vrindavan. Construction of Prem Mandir began on January 2001 and the inauguration ceremony took place from 15 February to 17 February 2012. The temple was opened to public on 17 February. The cost was 150 crore rupees ($23 million).^[32] 30,000 tons of Italian marble, carved with specialized KUKA robotic machines, have been used in the construction. The presiding deity are Shri Radha Govind (Radha Krishn) and Shri Sita Ram.^[33] A 73,000 square feet, pillar-less, dome shaped satsang hall is being constructed next to Prem Mandir, which will accommodate 25,000 people at a time.^[31]

Philanthropic Activities

Kripalu Maharaj established two free hospitals.^{[5][34][35][36]} The Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalay, Mangarh and Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalay (Barsana) 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.^[37]

A secular educational Institution is being financed and run by Kripalu Maharaj's educational trust, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Education (JKP Education), which provides underprivileged women and girls free education up to post graduation level.^[38] JKP Education runs three colleges for girls in Kunda, Uttar Pradesh (Kripalu Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Kripalu Balika Primary School and Kripalu Balika Intermediate College).^[39][40]

Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat also donates money for disaster relief,^[38][41] 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.^[38] In May 2013, Kripalu Maharaj donated Rs.1 crore to the Chief Minister's Relief fund for the victims of the Uttarakhand floods.^[42]

In 2013, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Education president Vishakha Tripathi received the Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award,^[43] the Mother Teresa Excellence Award^[44] and the Nari Shakti Award^[44][45] for work providing free education to 5000 girls and women in rural India.^[44]

Bibliography

Philosophy Books^[16][46][47]

• Prem Ras 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 among others.
• Bhakti Shatak - The concise philosophy of the Upnishads, Gita, Brahm Sutra and the Bhagwatam in an easy to understand style
• Radha Govind Geet — Printed in two volumes, with eleven thousand one hundred and eleven couplets of Radha Krishn leelas and the devotional philosophy

Kirtan^[16][48]

• Prem Ras Madira - 1008 songs (pad) of Radha Krishn leelas, devotional philosophy and humbleness
• Yugal Shatak - One hundred kirtans of Radha Rani and Krishn
• Yugal Ras - Kirtans of Radha Krishn
• Shree Krishn Dwadashi and Shree Radha Trayodashi - Twelve pad in which he has fully described the beauty and the decorations of Krishn, and thirteen pad about the beauty and the decorations of Radha Rani

Renditions of Shree Maharajji's bhajans and kirtans have been recorded by singers such as Manna Dey^[49] and Anuradha Paudwal.^[50] Anup Jalota has also agreed to release several CDs of his compositions.^[51]

References

External links

• Official website of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat
• JKP Hospitals
• Universal Society of Bhakti Meditation, Australia