H.H Dr Bageeshwari Devi was born in Mysore. At the tender age of ten she was attracted by the divine personality, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj. Unknown to her at that time, Shri Maharaj Ji had chosen this devoted and blessed child as His “ambassador” to the world for awakening Selfless Divine Love in seeking souls.
Didi Ji, as she is affectionately called, has a distinguished academic career. Graduating from Bombay University, she got her Ph.D. degree in English Literature from the University of Agra, India.
At the enviable end of her academic life, Didi Ji sat at the sacred feet of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj to learn. Ordained into sanyaas by His Divine Grace, she set out explaining and expounding her Spiritual Master’s message to the world at large. Her mission has taken her to different lands and people.
Music is Didi Ji’s forte. She has the gift of a celestial voice and the ability to transport her audience to the Divine abode, on the wings of her Spiritual Master’s devotional songs.
Didi Ji has been kindling spiritual longing for the Supreme Lord in the hearts of numerous people in different countries since 1988. She delivers discourses on the essence of Religion in a logical and interesting manner, which appeals both to head and heart.
She formed Radha Madhav Society (UK), then called International Bhakti Yoga Sadhana Society, in 1988. Her meaningful presentation of her Master’s message in the context of the modern time has greatly inspired and benefited thousands around the world.
Siddheshvari Devi Ji , addressed as Didi Ji (respected sister), was born in the state of Punjab in Northern India and spent her formative years in Canada, graduating from York University in Toronto with a degree in linguistics. Even in early childhood, she was drawn to temples and drew great solace from visiting places of worship. While other children were lost in play, she was looking within and contemplating the purpose of life and the phenomenon of death. Internally guided by God, she felt intuitively that life has a much higher purpose than merely eating, sleeping and accumulating wealth. The promise of a financially rewarding career did not hold any appeal for her.
After graduating university, Didi Ji’s spiritual quest led her to Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, who is only the fifth personality in the past 5,000 years to be recognized as Jagadguru, i.e. Guru of the world. Didi Ji made a pilgrimage to India, spent two years in the Ashram and learned directly from Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj the intricate mysteries of the Vedas and other scriptures. Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj declared in the very first visit that He would grant her the service of preaching His message to the West. She began performing this service in 1987.
Didi Ji is the founder of Radha Madhav Society (US), a non-profit charitable organization in America, Canada and Trinidad, functioning under the auspices of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat. She is continuously striving to spread the deep spiritual teachings of Hinduism and dispel the myths and misconceptions related to it. An eloquent speaker, her mission is to simplify the eternal message of the Vedas and Shastras and awaken love for God within the hearts of seeking souls. Didi Ji’s preaching is concentrated in the US, UK, Canada, the West Indies, Singapore and Malaysia. She has inspired and transformed the lives of thousands.
With a mixture of eastern background and western upbringing, Didi Ji inspires adults, teens and children alike through her lectures, satsangs and devotional retreats in various parts of the U.S. and the world. She is a vibrant speaker, a melodious singer, compassionate by nature and extremely approachable.
Swami Nikhilanand Ji is a Canadian born Hindu spiritual leader based in Austin, Texas. He is a sanyasi disciple and pracharak of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.
Attracted to the teachings of Hinduism from a young age, Swami Nikhilanand eventually let his deep spiritual longing lead him to India, where he was most fortunate to come under the guidance of Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. Thereafter, living in the ashrams of JKP, he extensively studied Hindi, the philosophy of the prime Sanskrit scriptures (Vedas, Darshan Shastras, Gita, Bhagwatam), and practiced meditation in the tradition of raganuga bhakti.
In 2003, he was given sanyas. Now, with the blessings of his Guruji, he offers satsang programs throughout America, engaging audiences with his clear explanations of Hindu philosophy coupled with inspired chanting of Sanskrit mantras and shlokas and charming nam sankirtan. His informative and compelling speeches provide practical insight into how to adopt the teachings of Sanatan Dharm into our daily lives, and inspire us to awaken our inner spiritual potential. To stay in touch with Swami Nikhilanand, you can like Swami Nikhilanand ji’s facebook page.
Overflowing with the sweetest form of transcendental bliss makes Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s Shyama Shyam Geet an extraordinary devotional composition. From the pen of this great free-spirited wordsmith comes 1008 melodious couplets that bring to light the most intimate of all loving pastimes of the Divine Couple, Shyama Shyam. Each verse is suffused with an all-enchanting sentiment of divine love. The evocative nature of these depictions simply inundate the heart, while the smattering of doctrinal verses have a deeply soothing effect on the mind.
The highest and most relishable level of divine bliss is brajarasa, the unique bliss of divine love experienced by the great Rasika Saints during the last descension of Shyama Shyam. This is the core content of the text. In a beautiful poetical style we read elaborations on the oneness and simultaneous separateness of Shyama Shyam, due to Shyama being the personified form of the highest stage of divine love that causes Shyam to be completely fascinated for and subservient to Her love. We learn about the exclusive qualities of the love of the gopis, those topmost selfless lovers of Shyam and many other useful things for enriching our devotional practice.
The subjects presented in Shyama Shyam Geet are in complete agreement with the teachings of the Vedas, Puranas and other scriptures, as well as the writings of various Saints.
Radha Govind Geet is an encyclopedia of divine knowledge. These 11,111 devotional couplets revealed by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj overflow with the essence of the philosophy of the Vedas and other authoritative texts, presented in a very clear and comprehensible style.
The nature of the individual soul, maya and God and the differences between the three, the nature of Brahm, Paramatma and Bhagavan, the importance of the human body, the ultimate goal of the living being, the methods of attaining that goal, elaborate explanations of the paths of karma, jnana and bhakti, the characteristic traits of a genuine Saint, the nature of this world, the nature of God’s grace, the secret behind the process of surrender to God, the means of practicing devotion to Shri Radha Krishna and the nature of the goal – divine love, the practical form of devotional practice, insights into the divine entities know as Shri Radha and Shri Krishna, the ornamentation of Shri Radha Krishna, the importance of the holy name of God, the infant, childhood and adolescent pastimes of the Divine Couple, and various other topics have been clearly elaborated upon.
The principles enunciated in these poetic verses are eternal, and their relevance and validity will always remain. The true value of Radha Govind Geet as a devotional archive is therefore incalculable, ensuring it remains a splendid source of philosophy, devotion and grace for generations to come.
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj encapsulates the entire ocean of Vedic knowledge in a very succinct lyrical manner in Bhakti Shatak. Describing the principles of the path of bhakti, these one hundred devotional couplets are gems of wisdom for any aspirant who desires to progress along the path of love and devotion. The inclusion of Shri Maharaj Ji’s own written explanations gives tremendous insight into the profundity of these well-articulated verses.
The text begins by establishing Shri Radha as the Supreme Entity and the very Soul of the Supreme Soul, Shri Krishna. All aspects of God are delineated, including His innumerable energies and attributes, in such a masterly way that even a newcomer to spiritual concepts will find himself interested in loving the Lord. The text culminates to reveal that the Supreme Lord is bound by love, and it is through love alone that He can be attained. The only path to know Him – the path of bhakti – is beautifully described in the simplest possible manner.
The Vedas and all other scriptures unanimously declare that the ultimate aim of every living being is the attainment of infinite, everlasting bliss. This infinite and eternal bliss is the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna, as established by scriptural statements such as raso vai sah, “He alone is bliss”. And yet that same Shri Krishna, the very abode of infinite bliss, is bound by His own most intimate power, a divine entity known as prema or divine love. Prema Rasa Madira has therefore been written from the perspective of attaining divine love, the supreme goal of every living being.
The extraordinary range of unique divine pastimes that took place during Shri Krishna’s last descension 5000 years ago form the basis of these 1008 devotional songs. The emotive depictions of the sweetness permeating the sacred abode of God, divine love, devotional humility, love in separation, love in union and the child and adolescent pastimes of Shri Radha and Shri Krishna, etc. are in accordance with the narrations of the Vedas, other scriptures and the writings of the Rasika Saints.
Sumptuously presented over two volumes, Prema Rasa Madira – Volume 1-2 includes explanations intended to assist readers to deepen their understanding of the sentiments expressed.
Every living being desires and seeks happiness. But what is true happiness and how can it be attained? There have been many authorities on Hinduism who have written various books in an attempt to answer these questions. Writing from their own experience, these different books appear to contradict each other. Reading them, no one is able to arrive at any decisive conclusion. In fact, most people become even more confused than they were to begin with. One of the remarkabilities of Prema Rasa Siddhanta is that it reconciles all these seemingly contradictory philosophies with such clarity that the profoundest spiritual wisdom becomes accessible to everyone.
Even though knowledge of the divine science is limitless, in this little book Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj has revealed the subtlest aspects of subjects such as The Aim of Human Life, The Nature of God, The Grace of God, The Soul, Material World and Detachment and The Paths to Attain God, etc. with such simplicity that even a newcomer to spiritual philosophy can understand them. His lucid exposition of the Impersonal, Personal God and the Secret of Descension is most unique, and he has laid special emphasis upon the science of karmayoga, because every individual soul has to pursue his goal of attaining divine bliss while performing all his worldly duties.
The subject matter is so comprehensive that all fundamental spiritual questions are answered and all doubts are dispelled. Besides quoting extensively from the Vedas and other scriptures, Shri Maharaj Ji uses practical everyday examples in order to benefit people from all walks of life. The resulting ease with which his directions are applicable to daily life is amazing.