The Jagadguru Upadhi

Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj spent his childhood in youthful fun, playing games, and frolicking with his young friends. But at the same time, he would display intense gravity and excel effortlessly in his studies. At the age of fourteen, he left his village and attended three Universities. Kashi, Chitrakoot, and Indore. During his study, he completed the study of Sanskrit, literature, and philosophy in the space of just two-and-a-half years.

At the young age of sixteen, Shree Kripalu Ji Maharaj suddenly gave up his studies and entered the dense forests of Chitrakoot. Situated in the highest state of Samadhi, Maha-bhav devotion, he spent his time absorbed in intense love for Radha Krishna. Often he would lose all external consciousness and go without eating and drinking for many days at a stretch. For long intervals, he would remain in mahabhav, the highest stage of devotion that manifests in Radha Rani. The very same manifestation of mahabhav love was last seen in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, about 500 years ago. Finally, he subdued his devotional trance to descend to bodily consciousness, and begin his lifetime of work of guiding souls on the path of divine love.

After accepting the title of Jagadguru, Kripalu Ji Maharaj traveled throughout the country for fourteen years. He would deliver month-long discourses in each city, in which he would unravel the mysteries of the divine scriptures like the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayan, Bhagwatam and many others, to an enraptured audience of tens of thousands of people, who would throng the venue for a glimpse of this extraordinary scholar and Saint whose words left them spellbound. Shree Maharajji’s lectures tantalize the masses with humor, worldly examples, practical instructions, and playful chastisement, much to the delight of the crowd. It was a unique experience as he made the deepest scriptural truths accessible to everyone in the simplest language. As a cut runs deep, his penetrative words have such divine power that even an atheist’s heart can melt when Shree Maharajji describes the nature of the ultimate and Absolute Truth.

Jagadguru Shree Kripalu Ji Maharaj has written thousands of inspiring verses revealing the Divine pastimes of Radha Krishna. His style of writing is unique in the entire history of saints: First, he begins the chanting of a pada or kirtan, and as the kirtan progresses, he keeps adding lines to it, bringing it to a consummate close. In glorification of Shree Radha Krishna Devotion, he has named one of his principal creations as “Prem Ras Madira”, or “Divine Love Intoxicant”. A literal (verbatim) translation of the name of one of the greatest treasures of a devotee is a naïve and futile attempt. One is lost for words to describe the intensity, poetic brilliance, and greatness of the pads and kirtans written by Shree Maharaj Ji.

It is only by singing the inebriating kirtans that we can get a glimpse of the unfathomable divine love that pours out from the heart of a true devotee of Shree Radha Krishna.

The kirtans conducted by Shree Kripaluji Maharaj are famous the world over for the fervent intensity of devotion that they create in the minds and hearts of the sincere follower, forever binding him or her to the path of God-realization. Whenever Shree Maharaj Ji graces the prayer and Sadhana hall, the kirtans reach a feverish pitch as the lord’s innumerable names and pastimes are sung in unison by ecstatic voices across the floor.

It is a sight to behold and participate in these highly charged kirtans that mesmerize even the most phlegmatic of people, drawing them ever closer to Shree Radha Krishna.