On the auspicious occasion of 61st Jagadguruttam Divas, a humble offering of poetic flowers at the lotus feet of my Gurudev, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj. Please click on the little triangle below to listen to this poetry. For the words and their meaning in Hindi and English, please scroll down.
कृपाल्वाष्टकम्
अवतीर्णः कलियुगेः, कृपामूर्तिः नरोत्तमः।
कृपाल्वाख्यस्द्विजश्रेष्ठो, ज्ञानमार्तंडभूतले॥१॥
कृपाल्वाख्यस्द्विजश्रेष्ठो, ज्ञानमार्तंडभूतले॥१॥
कृपा की साक्षात मूर्ति, नरश्रेष्ठ श्री कृपालु महाप्रभु उच्च कुलीन विप्र परिवार के सौभाग्य का वर्धन करते हुए ज्ञान के प्रचंड सूर्यवत् कलियुग में अवतरित हुए।
विद्वज्जनसमाजेन,श्रीकाश्यामभिनन्दितः।
जगद्गुरुत्तमविशेषेण,पद्यपुष्पेण अर्चितः ॥२॥
जगद्गुरुत्तमविशेषेण,पद्यपुष्पेण अर्चितः ॥२॥
विद्वज्जन समुदाय के द्वारा श्री काशी नगरी में इनका अभूतपूर्व अभिनंदन हुआ और काशीस्थ विद्वानों ने जगद्गुरुत्तम पद से इनकी अभ्यर्चना की।
अयं समन्वयाचार्यः, सर्वश्रेष्ठजगद्गुरुः।
पदवाक्यप्रमाणेषु, पारावारीणघोषितः ॥३॥
पदवाक्यप्रमाणेषु, पारावारीणघोषितः ॥३॥
यह समन्वयाचार्य हैं। हमारे श्री कृपालु गुरुदेव ने समस्त जगद्गुरुओं के मतों की सार्थकता को सिद्ध करते हुए उनका समन्वय किया व अपना मत भी प्रस्तुत किया । पूर्वर्ती चारों जगद्गुरुओं के मत में प्रतिलक्षित गहन मतभेद के होते हुए उनको परम चरम राद्धांत का ही साधन बताया व उन सब मतों की उपादेयता को आश्चर्यजनक रूप से सिद्ध किया। इसी कारण से यह सर्वश्रेष्ठ जगद्गुरु घोषित हुए। इनको काशी विद्वद् परिषत् द्वारा पद (व्याकरण), मीमांसा, न्याय, वैशेषिक, योग व सांख्य षड् दर्शनों में पारावारीण घोषित किया गया।
प्रवक्ता सर्वशास्त्राणां ,भक्तियोगप्रवर्तकः।
गोपीनां प्रेममर्मज्ञः, राधाकृष्णसमर्चकः ॥४॥
गोपीनां प्रेममर्मज्ञः, राधाकृष्णसमर्चकः ॥४॥
ये समस्त शास्त्रों के रहस्यों को सरलतम शब्दों में उद्घाटित करने में प्रवर, प्रकृष्ट प्रवचनकर्ता हैं। भक्ति के मूल अंड़्गों व उनके गूढ़तम् रहस्यों को प्रकाशित करते हुए उनको प्रयोगात्मक जीवन में उतारने के विज्ञान को बता कर इन्होंने संपूर्ण विश्व में बाह्याडंबरों से शून्य वास्तविक भक्ति का अभूतपूर्व प्रचार किया है। परम निष्काम अनन्य प्रेम की आचार्या, महाभावस्वरूपा श्री राधारानी की कायव्यूहरूपा ब्रजांड़्गनाओं के प्रेम के ये श्रेष्ठतम् मर्मज्ञ हैं। इनमें गोपी भाव संबद्धसात्विक भावों के उद्रेक का प्रायः प्रादुर्भाव होता था। इन्होंने श्री राधाकृष्ण की भक्ति का विश्वव्यापी प्रचार किया।
जन्ममनगढ़ग्रामे, प्राप्य भागवतिसुतः।
जनहितमहायज्ञे, तत्परोऽभूदहर्निशम् ॥५॥
जनहितमहायज्ञे, तत्परोऽभूदहर्निशम् ॥५॥
भगवती पुत्र श्री कृपालु महाप्रभु उत्तर प्रदेश के प्रतापगढ़ नगर के मनगढ़ ग्राम के में अवतरित हुए । और 16 वर्ष की अवस्था से ही जन कल्याण के महायज्ञ में आहर्निश संलग्न हो गए ।
महाकविर्गायकश्च, संतमंडलनायकः।
सहायकव दीनानां, भक्तयामृतप्रदायकः ॥६॥
सहायकव दीनानां, भक्तयामृतप्रदायकः ॥६॥
ये महाकवि हैं, महान् गायक हैं, साधन हीन दीन जनों की सहायता करते ये अघाते ही नहीं थे।
सैव सर्वगुणोपेतः, सर्ववंद्यश्च सर्वदा।
मधुरश्च मनोहरः, प्रियदर्शी प्रमोदकः ॥७॥
मधुरश्च मनोहरः, प्रियदर्शी प्रमोदकः ॥७॥
वही जो सर्वगुण संपन्न हैं, महान् संतों, विद्वानों आदि द्वारा भी वंदनीय हैं। जिनका व्यक्तित्व सबके मन को बरबस मोह लेने वाला है। जिनका दर्शन सुख राशि की वर्षा करता है । एवं जो विनोद प्रिय हैं ।
परंपूज्यो महादानी, सुखदः दीनवत्सलः।
सैव मम गुरुस्तस्मै,सहस्त्रधा नमाम्यहम ॥८॥
सैव मम गुरुस्तस्मै,सहस्त्रधा नमाम्यहम ॥८॥
जो सबके पूज्य हैं ,महादानी हैं, सुख देने वाले व दीनप्रिय हैं ।वही मेरे पूज्य गुरुदेव हैं। मेरा उनको कोटि-कोटि प्रणाम है।
In the age of Kaliyug, Jagadguruttam Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, the very embodiment of divine grace and sovereign personage, further enhanced the honor of a respectable Brahmin family, by descending in that house. In Kaliyug (see Kaal-Time), an age of ignorance, he is a dazzling sun of unlimited knowledge.
He was immensely cherished by the group of highly qualified spiritual scholars in Kashi in 1957. They glorified him with a composition of 7 Sanskrit verses, called padyaprasoonopahar (a gift of poetic flowers), and honored him by conferring the unprecedented title of Jagadguruttam, which means greatest of all Jagadgurus.
Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj reconciled philosophies of all four prior Jagadgurus. Jagadguru Shankaracharya propounded Dwait vad or non-Dualism, Jagadguru Nimbarkacharya propounded Dwaita-Dwait vad dualism and non-dualism. Jagadguru Vallabhacharya propagated Vishuddh Advait vad, or Pure Non-dualism. Jagadguru Madhavacharya propounded Dwait vad, or Dualism. Shri Maharaj Ji established the importance of the philosophies of all Jagadgurus. While reconciling all of them, Shri Maharaj Ji propounded his own philosophy. Shri Maharaj Ji established that even though the philosophies of prior Jagadgurus seem contradictory, yet they are paths of reaching the absolute truth. Therefore, he was pronounced the best of all the past Jagadgurus.
Kashi Vivad Parishat proclaimed him to be "beyond perfection" in all 6 schools of philosophy namely Vyakaran, Mimansa, Nyay, Vaisheshik, Yoga and Sankhya.
Vyakaran was promoted by saint Panini, Poorva Mimansa by Jaimini, Vaisheshik by Saint Kanad, Nyay by Gautam, Sankhya by Kapil and Vedanta by Ved Vyas. All of these personalities are the undisputed masters of their own scriptures. But, Shri Maharaj Ji is the source of all these scriptures and is beyond perfection. This is what the scholars of Kashi proclaimed to the world!
He is a proficient speaker capable of revealing the secrets of all scriptures in a very simple language. He is also skilled at unveiling the utmost depths of devotion and the science of its implementation in daily life. Thus, he put pure devotion in the spotlight. The maidens of Braj are the embodiment of Shri Radha Rani’s ideology of unadulterated selfless love. He is intimately familiar with enigma of that love. All the 8 symptoms of love are often exhibited in his body. Not only that, some of those symptoms can be seen in the bodies of his devotees as well. All over the world, He propagated true devotion to Shri Radha and Krishna.
Son of Mother Bhagavati, Shri Kripalu Mahaprabhu ascended in the village of Mangarh. Since the age of 16 years, Shri Maharaj Ji has strived day and night for the welfare of the public.
My Guru is one who is endowed with all virtues, one who is respected by great saints and scholars, whose personality naturally besots everyone’s mind, beholding whose vision showers endless bliss, who has a jovial nature, who is respected by all, and who is the greatest philanthropist. I offer uncountable obeisances to such an astounding personality who is my Gurudev.
He was immensely cherished by the group of highly qualified spiritual scholars in Kashi in 1957. They glorified him with a composition of 7 Sanskrit verses, called padyaprasoonopahar (a gift of poetic flowers), and honored him by conferring the unprecedented title of Jagadguruttam, which means greatest of all Jagadgurus.
Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj reconciled philosophies of all four prior Jagadgurus. Jagadguru Shankaracharya propounded Dwait vad or non-Dualism, Jagadguru Nimbarkacharya propounded Dwaita-Dwait vad dualism and non-dualism. Jagadguru Vallabhacharya propagated Vishuddh Advait vad, or Pure Non-dualism. Jagadguru Madhavacharya propounded Dwait vad, or Dualism. Shri Maharaj Ji established the importance of the philosophies of all Jagadgurus. While reconciling all of them, Shri Maharaj Ji propounded his own philosophy. Shri Maharaj Ji established that even though the philosophies of prior Jagadgurus seem contradictory, yet they are paths of reaching the absolute truth. Therefore, he was pronounced the best of all the past Jagadgurus.
Kashi Vivad Parishat proclaimed him to be "beyond perfection" in all 6 schools of philosophy namely Vyakaran, Mimansa, Nyay, Vaisheshik, Yoga and Sankhya.
Vyakaran was promoted by saint Panini, Poorva Mimansa by Jaimini, Vaisheshik by Saint Kanad, Nyay by Gautam, Sankhya by Kapil and Vedanta by Ved Vyas. All of these personalities are the undisputed masters of their own scriptures. But, Shri Maharaj Ji is the source of all these scriptures and is beyond perfection. This is what the scholars of Kashi proclaimed to the world!
He is a proficient speaker capable of revealing the secrets of all scriptures in a very simple language. He is also skilled at unveiling the utmost depths of devotion and the science of its implementation in daily life. Thus, he put pure devotion in the spotlight. The maidens of Braj are the embodiment of Shri Radha Rani’s ideology of unadulterated selfless love. He is intimately familiar with enigma of that love. All the 8 symptoms of love are often exhibited in his body. Not only that, some of those symptoms can be seen in the bodies of his devotees as well. All over the world, He propagated true devotion to Shri Radha and Krishna.
Son of Mother Bhagavati, Shri Kripalu Mahaprabhu ascended in the village of Mangarh. Since the age of 16 years, Shri Maharaj Ji has strived day and night for the welfare of the public.
My Guru is one who is endowed with all virtues, one who is respected by great saints and scholars, whose personality naturally besots everyone’s mind, beholding whose vision showers endless bliss, who has a jovial nature, who is respected by all, and who is the greatest philanthropist. I offer uncountable obeisances to such an astounding personality who is my Gurudev.
- A particle of dust of His Lotus Feet
Braj Banchary
Braj Banchary