Jagadguru Rāmabhadrācārya
Encyclopedia
Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Swami Rambhadracharya, born 14 January 1950 as Giridhar Mishra, is a Hindu
religious leader, educationist, Sanskrit
scholar, polyglot, poet, author, commentator
, philosopher, composer, singer, playwright
and Katha
artist based in Chitrakoot, India
. He is one of four incumbent Jagadguru Ramanandacharya,Leaders of the Ramananda monastic order
. and has held this title since 1988.
Rambhadracharya is the establisher and head of Tulsi Peeth, a religious and social service institution named after saint Tulsidas
, located in Chitrakoot. He is the founder and lifelong chancellor of the Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University
in Chitrakoot, which offers graduate and postgraduate courses exclusively to four types of disabled students. Rambhadracharya has been blind since the age of two months. He has never used Braille
or any other aid to learn or compose.
Rambhadracharya can speak 22 languages, and is a spontaneous poet,Ashukavi. and writer in Sanskrit, Hindi
, Awadhi
, Maithili
, and several other languages. He has composed more than 90 works, including four epic poems,Two each in Sanskrit
and Hindi. a Hindi commentary on Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas, a Sanskrit commentary in verse on the Ashtadhyayi, and Sanskrit commentaries on the Prasthanatrayi
scriptures. He is regarded as one of the greatest authorities on Tulsidas in India, and is the editor of a critical edition
of the Ramcharitmanas. He is Katha
artist for the Ramayana
and the Bhagavata
. His Katha programmes are held regularly in different cities in India and other countries, and are telecast on television channels like Sanskar TV
and Sanatan TV.
(lineage of the sage Vasishtha) in Shandikhurd village of Jaunpur district
, Uttar Pradesh
, India
. His birth took place at 10:34 pm on the Makar Sankranti day of Saturday, 14 January 1950 (Magha Krishna Ekadashi
) under the Anuradha
constellation. Born to mother Shachidevi and father Pandit Rajdev Mishra, he was named Giridhar by his grand aunt, a paternal cousin of his paternal grandfather, Pandit Suryabali Mishra. The grand aunt was a devotee of Mirabai, a female saint of the Bhakti era
in medieval India, who used the name Giridhar to address the god Krishna
in her compositions.
. There were no advanced facilities for treatment in the village. He was taken to an elderly woman in a nearby village who was known to cure trachoma boils to provide relief. The woman applied a paste of myrobalan to Giridhar's eyes to burst the lumps, but his eyes started bleeding, resulting in the loss of his eyesight. He was taken by his family to the King George Hospital in Lucknow
, where his eyes were treated for 21 days, but his sight could not be restored. Various Ayurvedic, Homeopathic, Allopathic, and alternate medicine physicians were approached in Sitapur
, Lucknow, and Bombay, but to no avail. Rambhadracharya has been without eyesight ever since. He cannot read or write, as he does not use the Braille
system; he learns by listening and composes by dictating to scribes.
Accident at a young age
In June 1953 Giridhar had a near-death experience. At a juggler's monkey dance show in the village, the children—including Giridhar—suddenly ran away when the monkey began to touch them. Giridhar fell in a small dry well, and was trapped for some time until a teenage girl rescued him. Giridhar's grandfather told him his life was saved because he had learned the following line of a verse in the Ramcharitmanas (1.192.4) from the episode of manifestation of the god Rama
:
यह चरित जे गावहिं हरिपद पावहिं ते न परहिं भवकूपा ॥
yaha carita je gāvahı̐ haripada pāvahı̐ te na parahı̐ bhavakūpā ॥
Giridhar's grandfather asked him to recite the verse always, and from then on, Giridhar started the practice of reciting the verse every time he takes water or food.
and Mahabharata
, and devotional works like Vishramsagar, Sukhsagar, Premsagar, and Brajvilas. At the age of three years, Giridhar composed his first piece of poetry—in Awadhi (a dialect of Hindi)—and recited it to his grandfather. In this verse, Krishna's foster mother Yashoda is fighting with a Gopi
(milkmaid) for hurting Krishna.
consisting of around 10,900 verses with chapter and verse numbers, in 60 days, assisted by his grandfather. On Rama Navami
day of 1957, he recited the entire epic while fasting. Later, Giridhar went on to memorize the Vedas, the Upanishads, works of Sanskrit grammar, the Bhagavata Purana
, all the works of Tulsidas, and many other works in Sanskrit
and Indian
literature.
Upanayana and Katha discourses
Giridhar's Upanayana
(sacred thread ceremony) was performed on Nirjala Ekadashi (the Ekadashi
falling in the bright half of the Jyeshtha lunar month) of 24 June 1961. On this day, besides being given the Gayatri Mantra
, he was initiated (given Diksha
) into the mantra
of Rama by Pandit Ishvardas Maharaj of Ayodhya. Having mastered the Bhagavad Gita and Ramcharitmanas at a very young age, Giridhar started visiting the Katha
programmes held near his village once every three years in the intercalary
Purushottama month. The third time he attended, he presented a Katha on Ramcharitmanas, which was acclaimed by several famous exponents of the Katha art.
Discrimination by family
When Giridhar was eleven, he was stopped from joining his family in a wedding procession. His family thought that his presence would be a bad omen for the occasion of marriage. This incident left a strong impression on Giridhar; he says at the beginning of his autobiography:
, and thought of sending him to a special school for blind students. Giridhar's mother refused to send him there, saying that blind children were not treated well at the school. On 7 July 1967 Giridhar joined the Adarsh Gaurishankar Sanskrit College in the nearby Sujanganj village of Jaunpur to study Sanskrit Vyakarana
(grammar) along with Hindi, English, Maths, History, and Geography. He recalls this day in his autobiography as the day when the Golden Journey of his life began. With an ability to memorize material by listening to it just once, Giridhar has not used Braille or other aids to study. In three months, he had memorized and mastered the entire Laghusiddhāntakaumudī of Varadaraja
. He topped his class for four years, and passed the Uttara Madhyama (higher secondary) examination in Sanskrit with first class and distinction.
First Sanskrit composition
At the Adarsh Gaurishankar Sanskrit College, Giridhar learnt the eight Ganas of Sanskrit prosody while studying Chandaprabhā, a work on Sanskrit prosody. The next day, he composed his first Sanskrit verse, in the Bhujaṅgaprayāta metre.
in Varanasi for higher studies in Vyakarana. He topped the final examination for the Shastri (Bachelor of Arts) degree in 1974, and then enrolled for the Acharya (Master of Arts) degree at the same institute. While pursuing his master's degree, he visited New Delhi
to participate in various national-level competitions at the All-India Sanskrit Conference, where he won five out of the eight gold medals—in Vyakarana, Samkhya
, Nyaya
, Vedanta
, and Sanskrit Antakshari
. The then Prime Minister of India
, Indira Gandhi
, awarded the five gold medals, along with the Chalvaijayanti trophy for Uttar Pradesh, to Giridhar. Impressed by his abilities, Gandhi offered to send him to the United States of America for treatment of his eyes from her own personal funds, but Giridhar turned down this offer by replying with an extemporaneously-composed Sanskrit verse –
In 1976 Giridhar topped the final Acharya examinations in Vyakarana, winning seven gold medals and the Chancellor's gold medal. In a rare achievement, although he had only enrolled for a master's degree in Vyakarana, he was declared Acharya of all subjects taught at the university on 30 April 1976.
(UGC) but faced financial hardship in the coming years. With great difficulty, he completed his Vidyavaridhi degree in Sanskrit grammar on 14 October 1981 from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. His dissertation was titled Adhyātmarāmāyaṇe Apāṇinīyaprayogānāṃ Vimarśaḥ, or Deliberation on the non-Paninian usages in the Adhyatma Ramayana
. On the completion of his doctorate, UGC appointed him as the head of the Vyakarana department of the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. However, Giridhar did not accept the offer; he decided to devote his life to the service of religion, society, and the disabled.
On 9 May 1997, Giridhar (now known as Rambhadracharya) was awarded the post-doctorate Vachaspati (DLitt) degree by Sampurnanand Sanskrit University for his Sanskrit dissertation Aṣṭādhyāyyāḥ Pratisūtraṃ Śābdabodhasamīkṣaṇam, or Investigation into verbal knowledge of every Sūtra
of the Ashtadhyayi. The degree was presented to him by the then President of India
, K. R. Narayanan
. In this work, he explained each aphorism of the grammar of Panini in Sanskrit verses.
. Swami Karpatri advised him not to marry, to stay a lifelong Brahmachari
(celibate bachelor) and to take initiation in a Vaishnava Sampradaya
(a sect worshipping Vishnu, Krishna, or Rama as the supreme God). Giridhar took Vairagi
(renouncer) initiation or Virakta Diksha in the Ramananda Sampradaya
on the Kartika
full-moon day of 19 November 1983 from Shri Ramcharandas Maharaj Phalahari. He now came to be known as Rambhadradas.
Six-month fasts
As per the following fifth verse of the Dohavali composed by Tulsidas, Rambhadradas observed a six-month Payovrata
, a diet of only milk and fruits, at Chitrakoot in 1979.
In 1983 he observed his second Payovrata beside the Sphatik Shila in Chitrakoot. The Payovrata has become a regular part of Rambhadradas' life. In his sixth Payovrata in 2002, he composed the Sanskrit epic Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam. He continues to observe Payovratas, the latest being his ninth Payovrata in 2010–2011.
Tulsi Peeth
In 1987 Rambhadradas established a religious and social service institution called Tulsi Peeth (The seat of Tulsi
) in Chitrakoot, where, according to the Ramayana, Rama had spent twelve out of his fourteen years of exile. As the founder of the seat, the title of Śrīcitrakūṭatulasīpīṭhādhīśvara (literally, the Lord of the Tulsi Peeth at Chitrakoot) was bestowed upon him by Sadhu
s and intellectuals. In the Tulsi Peeth, he arranged for a temple devoted to Rama and his consort Sita
to be constructed, which is known as Kanch Mandir (literally glass temple).
in Allahabad, the appointment was unanimously supported by the Mahant
s of the three Akhara
s, the four sub-Sampradayas, the Khalsas and saints of the Ramananda Sampradaya. On 1 August 1995 he was ritually anointed as the Jagadguru Ramanandacharya in Ayodhya by the Digambar Akhara. Thereafter he was known as Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Swami Rambhadracharya.
Deposition in the Ayodhya case
In July 2003 Rambhadracharya deposed as an expert witness for religious matters (OPW 16) in the Other Original Suit Number 5 of the Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid dispute case in the Allahabad High Court
. Some portions of his affidavit and cross examination are quoted in the final judgement by the High Court. In his affidavit, he cited the ancient Hindu scriptures including the Ramayana, Rāmatāpanīya Upaniṣad, Skanda Purana
, Yajurveda
, Atharvaveda
, and others describing Ayodhya as a city holy to Hindus and the birthplace of Rama. He cited verses from two works composed by Tulsidas which, in his opinion, talk about the dispute. The first citation consisted of eight verses from a work called Dohā Śataka, which describe the destruction of a temple and construction of a mosque at the disputed site in 1528 CE by Mughal ruler Babur
, who had ordered General Mir Baqui to destroy the Rama temple, which was a symbol of worship by infidels. The second citation was a verse from a work called Kavitāvalī, which mentions a mosque. In his cross examination, he described in some detail the history of the Ramananda sect, its Matha
s, rules regarding Mahants, formation and working of Akharas, and Tulsidas' works. Refuting the possibility of the original temple being to the north of the disputed area, as pleaded by the pro-mosque parties, he described the boundaries of the Janmabhoomi as mentioned in the Ayodhya Mahatmya section of Skanda Purana, which tallied with the present location of the disputed area, as noted by Justice Sudhir Agarwal. However, he stated that he has no knowledge of whether there was a Ram Chabootra (the Platform of Rama) outside the area that was locked from 1950 to 1985 and where the Chati Poojan Sthal was, and whether the idols of Rama, his brother Lakshmana
, and Sita were installed at Ram Chabootra outside the Janmabhoomi temple.
Multilingualism
Rambhadracharya is a polyglot, capable of speaking 22 languages including Sanskrit, Hindi, English, French
, Bhojpuri
, Maithili
, Oriya
, Gujarati
, Punjabi
, Marathi
, Magadhi, Awadhi, and Braj. He has composed poems and literary works in many Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, and Awadhi. He has translated many of his works of poetry and prose into other languages. He delivers Katha programmes in various languages, including Hindi, Bhojpuri, and Gujarati.
. The university plans to start offering courses in Ayurveda
and Medical Sciences from 2013. Admissions are restricted to the four types of disabled students – visually impaired, hearing impaired, mobility impaired, and mentally impaired – as defined by the Disability Act (1995) of the Government of India
. As per the Government of Uttar Pradesh, the university is among the chief educational institutes for Information Technology and Electronics in the state.
Rambhadracharya also founded an organisation called Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Viklang Seva Sangh, headquartered in Satna
, Madhya Pradesh
. Its goal is to create community awareness and initiate child development programs in rural India. Its primary objective is to supplement the education programs of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University, by helping disabled children get a good education. Aid is generally given in the form of facilities which enable easier access to education. Rambhadracharya also runs a hundred-bed hospital in Gujarat.
In November 2009 a controversy arose over this edition in Ayodhya, when the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad
and Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas
demanded an apology from Swami Rambhadracharya over the Tulsi Peeth edition, accusing him of tampering with the epic. Rambhadracharya responded by saying that he had merely edited extant copies of the epic and not modified the original epic, similar to what Nanda Dulare Vajpayee had done for the Gita Press edition, published in 1949. The dispute subsided when Rambhadracharya sent a letter to the Akhara Parishad, expressing regret over any annoyance or pain caused by the publication of Tulsi Peeth edition. In the letter, he requested the Akhara Parishad to consider older printed editions of the Ramcharitmanas as authentic, not others. A writ petition filed by Shiv Asray Asthana, publisher of the journal Prakhar Vichar, in 2008 seeking a seizure and forfeiture of the critical edition by Rambhadracharya was dismissed by the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court in May 2011.
Rambhadracharya enjoys a wide popularity in the Chitrakoot region. Atal Behari Vajpayee, the former prime minister of India, considered Rambhadracharya to be an "immensely learned person well versed in Vedic and Puranic literature besides the grammar", and commended his intelligence and memory. Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi
, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party
who was present at the inauguration of Kanch Mandir, said of Rambhadracharya that the "intense knowledge of the most revered is indeed adorable". Nanaji Deshmukh
, social activist and former leader of Bharatiya Jana Sangha, called Rambhadracharya "an astonishing gem of the country". Swami Kalyandev
, a social activist and Padma Bhushan
awardee, considered Rambhadracharya to be "an unprecedented intellectual and speaker, and an Acharya with great devotion". Somnath Chatterjee
, former Speaker of Lok Sabha
and leader of Communist Party of India (Marxist)
, called him a "celebrated Sanskrit scholar and educationist of great merit and achievement". He is considered as one of the greatest scholars on Tulsidas and Ramcharitmanas in India, and is cited as such. Rambhadracharya has been associated with Rajnath Singh
, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who, as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, was one of the first promoters of the Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University. He was presented with an honorary D Litt by Rambhadracharya on the third convocation of the university in 2011. Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Ram Prakash Gupta
and former speaker of Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly Keshari Nath Tripathi
praised him saying that he will continue to enrich the society with his contributions.
International recognition
In 1992 Rambhadracharya led the Indian delegation at the Ninth World Conference on Ramayana, held in Indonesia
. He has travelled to several countries, including England
, Mauritius
, Singapore
, and United States to deliver discourses on Hindu religion and peace. He has been profiled in the International Who's Who of Intellectuals.
Address at Millennium World Peace Summit
Rambhadracharya was one of the spiritual and religious Gurus from India at the Millennium World Peace Summit, organised by the United Nations
in New York City
from 28–31 August 2000. While addressing the gathering, he gave Sanskrit definitions for the words Bharata (the ancient name of India) and Hindu, and touched upon the Nirguna
and Saguna
aspects of God. In his speech on Peace, he called for developed and developing nations to come together to strive for the eradication of poverty, the fight against terrorism, and nuclear disarmament. At the end of his speech, he recited the Shanti Mantra
.
, Indira Gandhi. Several state governments, including that of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh
, and Himachal Pradesh
have conferred honours on him.
Before Vairagi initiation
After Vairagi initiation
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
religious leader, educationist, Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
scholar, polyglot, poet, author, commentator
Commentary (philology)
In philology, a commentary is a line-by-line or even word-by-word explication usually attached to an edition of a text in the same or an accompanying volume. It may draw on methodologies of close reading and literary criticism, but its primary purpose is to elucidate the language of the text and...
, philosopher, composer, singer, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and Katha
Katha (storytelling format)
Katha is an Indian style of religious storytelling, whose performances are a ritual event in Hinduism, and often involves professional storytellers called kathavahchak or vyas, who recite the Hindu religious texts, such as the Puranas, Ramayana or Bhagavata Purana, often followed by a commentary,...
artist based in Chitrakoot, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is one of four incumbent Jagadguru Ramanandacharya,Leaders of the Ramananda monastic order
Ramanandi sect
The Ramanandi sect is also called RAMAVAT sect and SHRI sect. This Vaishnava denomination has played an important role in shaping the social and spiritual climate of the populous Ganges valley. The Ramanandi movement owes its popularity to the saint Ramananda who lived in Varanasi in the 14th...
. and has held this title since 1988.
Rambhadracharya is the establisher and head of Tulsi Peeth, a religious and social service institution named after saint Tulsidas
Tulsidas
Tulsidas , was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion for the god Rama...
, located in Chitrakoot. He is the founder and lifelong chancellor of the Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University
Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University
Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University , is a private university located in Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh, India. This is the first university exclusively for the disabled in India and the world....
in Chitrakoot, which offers graduate and postgraduate courses exclusively to four types of disabled students. Rambhadracharya has been blind since the age of two months. He has never used Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
or any other aid to learn or compose.
Rambhadracharya can speak 22 languages, and is a spontaneous poet,Ashukavi. and writer in Sanskrit, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Awadhi
Awadhi language
Awadhi is an Indo-Aryan language, part of the Hindi-Urdu continuum. It is spoken chiefly in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh, although its speakers are also found in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Nepal. Furthermore, the Fiji Hindi dialect spoken by Indo-Fijians is considered a variant of Awadhi,...
, Maithili
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
, and several other languages. He has composed more than 90 works, including four epic poems,Two each in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Hindi. a Hindi commentary on Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas, a Sanskrit commentary in verse on the Ashtadhyayi, and Sanskrit commentaries on the Prasthanatrayi
Prasthanatrayi
Prasthanatrayi , literally, three points of departure, refers to the three canonical texts of Hindu philosophy, especially of the Vedanta schools...
scriptures. He is regarded as one of the greatest authorities on Tulsidas in India, and is the editor of a critical edition
Textual criticism
Textual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...
of the Ramcharitmanas. He is Katha
Katha (storytelling format)
Katha is an Indian style of religious storytelling, whose performances are a ritual event in Hinduism, and often involves professional storytellers called kathavahchak or vyas, who recite the Hindu religious texts, such as the Puranas, Ramayana or Bhagavata Purana, often followed by a commentary,...
artist for the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and the Bhagavata
Bhagavata purana
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
. His Katha programmes are held regularly in different cities in India and other countries, and are telecast on television channels like Sanskar TV
Sanskar TV
Sanskar TV is an Indian television channel that is primarily dedicated to broadcasting Hindu spiritual programmes....
and Sanatan TV.
Birth and early life
Jagadguru Rambhadracharya was born in a Saryupareen Brahmin family of Vasishtha GotraGotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
(lineage of the sage Vasishtha) in Shandikhurd village of Jaunpur district
Jaunpur District
Jaunpur is a district in the Varanasi Division of Uttar Pradesh state in India. Jaunpur serves as the district headquarters.-Geography:The district of Jaunpur is situated in the North-West part of Varanasi Division. Its land area extends from 24.240N to 26.120N latitude and between 82.70E and...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His birth took place at 10:34 pm on the Makar Sankranti day of Saturday, 14 January 1950 (Magha Krishna Ekadashi
Ekadashi
Ekadashi , also spelled as Ekadasi, is the eleventh lunar day of the shukla or krishna paksha of every lunar month in the Hindu calendar . In Hinduism and Jainism it is considered a spiritually beneficial day...
) under the Anuradha
Anuradha
Anuradha may be:*A disciple and a cousin of Gautama Buddha, see Anuruddha*a lunar mansion in Hindu astrology, see Anuradha *a film, see Anuradha...
constellation. Born to mother Shachidevi and father Pandit Rajdev Mishra, he was named Giridhar by his grand aunt, a paternal cousin of his paternal grandfather, Pandit Suryabali Mishra. The grand aunt was a devotee of Mirabai, a female saint of the Bhakti era
Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement is a Hindu religious movement in which the main spiritual practice is loving devotion among the Shaivite and Vaishnava saints. The Bhakti movement originated in ancient Tamil Nadu and began to spread to the north during the late medieval ages when north India was under Islamic...
in medieval India, who used the name Giridhar to address the god Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
in her compositions.
Loss of eyesight
Giridhar lost his eyesight at the age of two months. On 24 March 1950, his eyes were infected by trachomaTrachoma
Trachoma is an infectious disease causing a characteristic roughening of the inner surface of the eyelids. Also called granular conjunctivitis and Egyptian ophthalmia, it is the leading cause of infectious blindness in the world...
. There were no advanced facilities for treatment in the village. He was taken to an elderly woman in a nearby village who was known to cure trachoma boils to provide relief. The woman applied a paste of myrobalan to Giridhar's eyes to burst the lumps, but his eyes started bleeding, resulting in the loss of his eyesight. He was taken by his family to the King George Hospital in Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, where his eyes were treated for 21 days, but his sight could not be restored. Various Ayurvedic, Homeopathic, Allopathic, and alternate medicine physicians were approached in Sitapur
Sitapur
Sitapur formerly spelled as Citapore is a town and a municipal board in Sitapur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is in the Lucknow Division of Uttar Pradesh...
, Lucknow, and Bombay, but to no avail. Rambhadracharya has been without eyesight ever since. He cannot read or write, as he does not use the Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
system; he learns by listening and composes by dictating to scribes.
Accident at a young age
In June 1953 Giridhar had a near-death experience. At a juggler's monkey dance show in the village, the children—including Giridhar—suddenly ran away when the monkey began to touch them. Giridhar fell in a small dry well, and was trapped for some time until a teenage girl rescued him. Giridhar's grandfather told him his life was saved because he had learned the following line of a verse in the Ramcharitmanas (1.192.4) from the episode of manifestation of the god Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
:
यह चरित जे गावहिं हरिपद पावहिं ते न परहिं भवकूपा ॥
yaha carita je gāvahı̐ haripada pāvahı̐ te na parahı̐ bhavakūpā ॥
Giridhar's grandfather asked him to recite the verse always, and from then on, Giridhar started the practice of reciting the verse every time he takes water or food.
First composition
Giridhar's initial education came from his paternal grandfather, as his father worked in Bombay. In the afternoons, his grandfather would narrate to him various episodes of the Hindu epics RamayanaRamayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, and devotional works like Vishramsagar, Sukhsagar, Premsagar, and Brajvilas. At the age of three years, Giridhar composed his first piece of poetry—in Awadhi (a dialect of Hindi)—and recited it to his grandfather. In this verse, Krishna's foster mother Yashoda is fighting with a Gopi
Gopi
Gopi is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning 'cow-herd girl'. In Hinduism specifically the name gopi is used more commonly to refer to the group of cow herding girls famous within Vaishnava Theology for their unconditional devotion to Krishna as described in the stories of Bhagavata Purana and...
(milkmaid) for hurting Krishna.
Devanagari Devanagari Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal... मेरे गिरिधारी जी से काहे लरी। तुम तरुणी मेरो गिरिधर बालक काहे भुजा पकरी॥ सुसुकि सुसुकि मेरो गिरिधर रोवत तू मुसुकात खरी॥ तू अहिरिन अतिसय झगराऊ बरबस आय खरी॥ गिरिधर कर गहि कहत जसोदा आँचर ओट करी॥ |
IAST IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a transliteration scheme that allows a lossless romanization of Indic scripts as employed by the Sanskrit language.-Popularity:... mere giridhārī jī se kāhe larī। tuma taruṇī mero giridhara bālaka kāhe bhujā pakarī॥ susuki susuki mero giridhara rovata tū musukāta kharī॥ tū ahirina atisaya jhagarāū barabasa āya kharī॥ giridhara kara gahi kahata jasodā ā̐cara oṭa karī॥ |
Mastering Gita and Ramcharitmanas
Possessing a remarkable memory, Giridhar memorized the entire Bhagavad Gita consisting of around 700 verses with chapter and verse numbers, in 15 days at the age of five years, with the help of his neighbour, Pandit Murlidhar Mishra. On the Janmashtami day in 1955, he recited the entire Bhagavad Gita. He released the first Braille version of the scripture, with the original Sanskrit text and a Hindi commentary, at New Delhi on 30 November 2007, 52 years after memorizing the Gita. When Giridhar was seven years old, he memorized the entire Ramcharitmanas of TulsidasTulsidas
Tulsidas , was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion for the god Rama...
consisting of around 10,900 verses with chapter and verse numbers, in 60 days, assisted by his grandfather. On Rama Navami
Rama Navami
Ram Navami also known as Sri Ram Navami is a Hindu festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya of Ayodhya. Ram is the 7th incarnation of the Dashavatara of Vishnu. Years later Lord Rama was married to Sita on the...
day of 1957, he recited the entire epic while fasting. Later, Giridhar went on to memorize the Vedas, the Upanishads, works of Sanskrit grammar, the Bhagavata Purana
Bhagavata purana
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
, all the works of Tulsidas, and many other works in Sanskrit
Sanskrit literature
Literature in Sanskrit begins with the Vedas, and continues with the Sanskrit Epics of Iron Age India; the golden age of Classical Sanskrit literature dates to late Antiquity . Literary production saw a late bloom in the 11th century before declining after 1100 AD...
and Indian
Indian literature
Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Republic of India has 22 officially recognized languages....
literature.
Upanayana and Katha discourses
Giridhar's Upanayana
Upanayana
Upanayana is the initiation ritual by which initiates are invested with a sacred thread, to symbolize the transference of spiritual knowledge .- Significance of the sacred thread :...
(sacred thread ceremony) was performed on Nirjala Ekadashi (the Ekadashi
Ekadashi
Ekadashi , also spelled as Ekadasi, is the eleventh lunar day of the shukla or krishna paksha of every lunar month in the Hindu calendar . In Hinduism and Jainism it is considered a spiritually beneficial day...
falling in the bright half of the Jyeshtha lunar month) of 24 June 1961. On this day, besides being given the Gayatri Mantra
Gayatri Mantra
The Gāyatrī Mantra is a highly revered mantra, based on a Vedic Sanskrit verse from a hymn of the Rigveda , attributed to the rishi . The mantra is named for its vedic gāyatrī metre. As the verse can be interpreted to invoke the deva Savitr, it is often called Sāvitrī...
, he was initiated (given Diksha
Diksha
Diksa also spelled deeksha or deeksa in common usage, translated as a "preparation or consecration for a religious ceremony", is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism...
) into the mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
of Rama by Pandit Ishvardas Maharaj of Ayodhya. Having mastered the Bhagavad Gita and Ramcharitmanas at a very young age, Giridhar started visiting the Katha
Katha (storytelling format)
Katha is an Indian style of religious storytelling, whose performances are a ritual event in Hinduism, and often involves professional storytellers called kathavahchak or vyas, who recite the Hindu religious texts, such as the Puranas, Ramayana or Bhagavata Purana, often followed by a commentary,...
programmes held near his village once every three years in the intercalary
Intercalation
Intercalation is the insertion of a leap day, week or month into some calendar years to make the calendar follow the seasons or moon phases. Lunisolar calendars may require intercalations of both days and months.- Solar calendars :...
Purushottama month. The third time he attended, he presented a Katha on Ramcharitmanas, which was acclaimed by several famous exponents of the Katha art.
Discrimination by family
When Giridhar was eleven, he was stopped from joining his family in a wedding procession. His family thought that his presence would be a bad omen for the occasion of marriage. This incident left a strong impression on Giridhar; he says at the beginning of his autobiography:
Schooling
Although Giridhar did not have any formal schooling, his learning was rare for children of his age. His family wished him to become a Kathavachak (a Katha artist) but Giridhar wished to pursue his studies. His father explored possibilities for his education in VaranasiVaranasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, and thought of sending him to a special school for blind students. Giridhar's mother refused to send him there, saying that blind children were not treated well at the school. On 7 July 1967 Giridhar joined the Adarsh Gaurishankar Sanskrit College in the nearby Sujanganj village of Jaunpur to study Sanskrit Vyakarana
Vyakarana
The Sanskrit grammatical tradition of ' is one of the six Vedanga disciplines. It has its roots in late Vedic India, and includes the famous work, The Sanskrit grammatical tradition of ' is one of the six Vedanga disciplines. It has its roots in late Vedic India, and includes the famous work, ...
(grammar) along with Hindi, English, Maths, History, and Geography. He recalls this day in his autobiography as the day when the Golden Journey of his life began. With an ability to memorize material by listening to it just once, Giridhar has not used Braille or other aids to study. In three months, he had memorized and mastered the entire Laghusiddhāntakaumudī of Varadaraja
Varadaraja
Varadarāja was a 17th century Sanskrit grammarian. He compiled an abridgement of the work of his master, the Siddhānta Kaumudī of Bhaṭṭoji Dīkṣita, in three versions, referred to as madhya "middle", laghu "short" and sāra "substance, quintessence" versions of the Siddhāntakaumudī, the latter...
. He topped his class for four years, and passed the Uttara Madhyama (higher secondary) examination in Sanskrit with first class and distinction.
First Sanskrit composition
At the Adarsh Gaurishankar Sanskrit College, Giridhar learnt the eight Ganas of Sanskrit prosody while studying Chandaprabhā, a work on Sanskrit prosody. The next day, he composed his first Sanskrit verse, in the Bhujaṅgaprayāta metre.
Devanagari Devanagari Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal... महाघोरशोकाग्निनातप्यमानं पतन्तं निरासारसंसारसिन्धौ । अनाथं जडं मोहपाशेन बद्धं प्रभो पाहि मां सेवकक्लेशहर्त्तः ॥ |
IAST mahāghoraśokāgninātapyamānaṃ patantaṃ nirāsārasaṃsārasindhau । nāthaṃ jaḍaṃ mohapāśena baddhaṃ prabho pāhi māṃ sevakakleśaharttaḥ ॥ |
Graduation and masters
In 1971 Giridhar enrolled at the Sampurnanand Sanskrit UniversitySampurnanand Sanskrit University
Sampurnanand Sanskrit University is an institution of higher learning in Asian learning, Sanskrit allied areas, etc. that is located in Benares , Uttar Pradesh, India.- History :...
in Varanasi for higher studies in Vyakarana. He topped the final examination for the Shastri (Bachelor of Arts) degree in 1974, and then enrolled for the Acharya (Master of Arts) degree at the same institute. While pursuing his master's degree, he visited New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
to participate in various national-level competitions at the All-India Sanskrit Conference, where he won five out of the eight gold medals—in Vyakarana, Samkhya
Samkhya
Samkhya, also Sankhya, Sāṃkhya, or Sāṅkhya is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy and classical Indian philosophy. Sage Kapila is traditionally considered as the founder of the Samkhya school, although no historical verification is possible...
, Nyaya
Nyaya
' is the name given to one of the six orthodox or astika schools of Hindu philosophy—specifically the school of logic...
, Vedanta
Vedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
, and Sanskrit Antakshari
Antakshari
Antakshri is a spoken parlor game played in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Each contestant sings the first verse of a movie song that begins with the Hindi or Urdu consonant on which the previous contestant's song selection ended.-Etymology:The word is derived from two Hindi words:#Ant meaning...
. The then Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
, Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
, awarded the five gold medals, along with the Chalvaijayanti trophy for Uttar Pradesh, to Giridhar. Impressed by his abilities, Gandhi offered to send him to the United States of America for treatment of his eyes from her own personal funds, but Giridhar turned down this offer by replying with an extemporaneously-composed Sanskrit verse –
Devanagari किं दृष्टव्यं पतितजगति व्याप्तदोषेऽप्यसत्ये मायाचाराव्रततनुभृतां पापराजद्विचारे । दृष्टव्योऽसौ चिकुरनिकुरैः पूर्णवक्त्रारविन्दः पूर्णानन्दो धृतशिशुतनुः रामचन्द्रो मुकुन्दः ॥ |
IAST kiṃ dṛṣṭavyaṃ patitajagati vyāptadoṣe'pyasatye māyācārāvratatanubhṛtāṃ pāparājadvicāre । dṛṣṭavyo'sau cikuranikuraiḥ pūrṇavaktrāravindaḥ pūrṇānando dhṛtaśiśutanuḥ rāmacandro mukundaḥ ॥ |
In 1976 Giridhar topped the final Acharya examinations in Vyakarana, winning seven gold medals and the Chancellor's gold medal. In a rare achievement, although he had only enrolled for a master's degree in Vyakarana, he was declared Acharya of all subjects taught at the university on 30 April 1976.
Doctorate and post-doctorate
After completing his master's degree, Giridhar enrolled for the doctoral Vidyavaridhi (PhD) degree at the same institute, under Pandit Ramprasad Tripathi. He received a research fellowship from the University Grants CommissionUniversity Grants Commission (India)
The University Grants Commission of India is a statutory organisation set up by Union government in 1956, for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education. It provides recognition for universities in India, and provides funds for government-recognised...
(UGC) but faced financial hardship in the coming years. With great difficulty, he completed his Vidyavaridhi degree in Sanskrit grammar on 14 October 1981 from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. His dissertation was titled Adhyātmarāmāyaṇe Apāṇinīyaprayogānāṃ Vimarśaḥ, or Deliberation on the non-Paninian usages in the Adhyatma Ramayana
Adhyatma Ramayana
Adhyatma Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit work extolling the spiritual virtues of the story of Ramayana. It comprises around 4200 double verses embedded in the latter portion of Brahmānda Purana and is traditionally believed to be authored by Vyasa...
. On the completion of his doctorate, UGC appointed him as the head of the Vyakarana department of the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. However, Giridhar did not accept the offer; he decided to devote his life to the service of religion, society, and the disabled.
On 9 May 1997, Giridhar (now known as Rambhadracharya) was awarded the post-doctorate Vachaspati (DLitt) degree by Sampurnanand Sanskrit University for his Sanskrit dissertation Aṣṭādhyāyyāḥ Pratisūtraṃ Śābdabodhasamīkṣaṇam, or Investigation into verbal knowledge of every Sūtra
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
of the Ashtadhyayi. The degree was presented to him by the then President of India
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
, K. R. Narayanan
K. R. Narayanan
Kocheril Raman Narayanan , also known as K. R. Narayanan, was the tenth President of India. He was the first Dalit, and the first Malayali, to have been President....
. In this work, he explained each aphorism of the grammar of Panini in Sanskrit verses.
Virakta Diksha
In 1976 Giridhar narrated a Katha on Ramcharitmanas to Swami KarpatriSwami Karpatri
Swami Karpatri was a monk in the Hindu dashanami monastic tradition. His ordained name as a monk was Hariharananda Saraswati, but he was popularly known by the name Karpatri Swami. He was married and the father of a baby daughter when he left home at age 17 to seek ordination as a sannyasi...
. Swami Karpatri advised him not to marry, to stay a lifelong Brahmachari
Brahmacharya
Brahmacharya is one of the four stages of life in an age-based social system as laid out in the Manu Smrti and later Classical Sanskrit texts in Hinduism. It refers to an educational period of 14–20 years which starts before the age of puberty. During this time the traditional vedic sciences are...
(celibate bachelor) and to take initiation in a Vaishnava Sampradaya
Sampradaya
In Hinduism, a sampradaya can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’, although the word commands much more respect and power in the Indian context than its translations in English does...
(a sect worshipping Vishnu, Krishna, or Rama as the supreme God). Giridhar took Vairagi
Sannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...
(renouncer) initiation or Virakta Diksha in the Ramananda Sampradaya
Ramanandi sect
The Ramanandi sect is also called RAMAVAT sect and SHRI sect. This Vaishnava denomination has played an important role in shaping the social and spiritual climate of the populous Ganges valley. The Ramanandi movement owes its popularity to the saint Ramananda who lived in Varanasi in the 14th...
on the Kartika
Kartika
Kartika or Karthika may refer to:* alternative transliteration of Kartik** Kartikeya, the son of Shiva in the Indian mythology* alternative transliteration of Karthika, a feminine name in Indian languages** Kartika Rane, Indian actress...
full-moon day of 19 November 1983 from Shri Ramcharandas Maharaj Phalahari. He now came to be known as Rambhadradas.
Six-month fasts
As per the following fifth verse of the Dohavali composed by Tulsidas, Rambhadradas observed a six-month Payovrata
Payovrata
Payovrata is the vrata or penance observed by Goddess Aditi to propitiate Lord Vishnu.-Ritual Activity:It is usually observed for 12 days, and during that time the devotee subsists on a diet of milk alone...
, a diet of only milk and fruits, at Chitrakoot in 1979.
Devanagari पय अहार फल खाइ जपु राम नाम षट मास । सकल सुमंगल सिद्धि सब करतल तुलसीदास ॥ |
IAST paya ahāra phala khāi japu rāma nāma ṣaṭa māsa । sakala sumaṃgala siddhi saba karatala tulasīdāsa ॥ |
In 1983 he observed his second Payovrata beside the Sphatik Shila in Chitrakoot. The Payovrata has become a regular part of Rambhadradas' life. In his sixth Payovrata in 2002, he composed the Sanskrit epic Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam. He continues to observe Payovratas, the latest being his ninth Payovrata in 2010–2011.
Tulsi Peeth
In 1987 Rambhadradas established a religious and social service institution called Tulsi Peeth (The seat of Tulsi
Tulsi
Ocimum tenuiflorum Ocimum tenuiflorum Ocimum tenuiflorum (also tulsi, tulasī, or Holy Basil is an aromatic plant in the family Lamiaceae which is native throughout the Old World tropics and widespread as a cultivated plant and an escaped weed. It is an erect, much branched subshrub 30–60 cm...
) in Chitrakoot, where, according to the Ramayana, Rama had spent twelve out of his fourteen years of exile. As the founder of the seat, the title of Śrīcitrakūṭatulasīpīṭhādhīśvara (literally, the Lord of the Tulsi Peeth at Chitrakoot) was bestowed upon him by Sadhu
Sadhu
In Hinduism, sādhu denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa , the fourth and final aśrama , through meditation and contemplation of brahman...
s and intellectuals. In the Tulsi Peeth, he arranged for a temple devoted to Rama and his consort Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
to be constructed, which is known as Kanch Mandir (literally glass temple).
Post of Jagadguru Ramanandacharya
Rambhadradas was chosen as the Jagadguru Ramanandacharya seated at the Tulsi Peeth by the Kashi Vidwat Parishad in Varanasi on 24 June 1988. On 3 February 1989, at the Kumbh MelaKumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage in which Hindus gather at the Ganges river.The normal Kumbh Mela is celebrated every 3 years, the Ardh Kumbh Mela is celebrated every six years at Haridwar and Prayag, the Purna Kumbh takes place every twelve years, at four places Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain,...
in Allahabad, the appointment was unanimously supported by the Mahant
Mahant
A mahant is a religious superior, in particular the chief priest of a temple or the head of a monastery. The Hindi word mahant is from Prakrit mahanta-, from Sanskrit mahat "great". The priest, pundit, gyani, or pastor of any well-known religious place would be a mahant...
s of the three Akhara
Akhara
In Hinduism, Akhara is an organization of the different sects of Sadhus Vairaghis yogis or Hindu Renunciates....
s, the four sub-Sampradayas, the Khalsas and saints of the Ramananda Sampradaya. On 1 August 1995 he was ritually anointed as the Jagadguru Ramanandacharya in Ayodhya by the Digambar Akhara. Thereafter he was known as Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Swami Rambhadracharya.
Deposition in the Ayodhya case
In July 2003 Rambhadracharya deposed as an expert witness for religious matters (OPW 16) in the Other Original Suit Number 5 of the Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid dispute case in the Allahabad High Court
Allahabad High Court
The Allahabad High Court or the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad is a high court having jurisdiction over the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh since 1950...
. Some portions of his affidavit and cross examination are quoted in the final judgement by the High Court. In his affidavit, he cited the ancient Hindu scriptures including the Ramayana, Rāmatāpanīya Upaniṣad, Skanda Purana
Skanda Purana
The Skanda Purana is the largest Mahapurana, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text is devoted mainly to the lilas of Kartikeya , a son of Shiva and Parvati. It also contains a number of legends about Shiva, and the holy places associated with him...
, Yajurveda
Yajurveda
The Yajurveda, a tatpurusha compound of "sacrificial formula', + ) is the third of the four canonical texts of Hinduism, the Vedas. By some, it is estimated to have been composed between 1400 and 1000 BC, the Yajurveda 'Samhita', or 'compilation', contains the liturgy needed to perform the...
, Atharvaveda
Atharvaveda
The Atharvaveda is a sacred text of Hinduism and one of the four Vedas, often called the "fourth Veda"....
, and others describing Ayodhya as a city holy to Hindus and the birthplace of Rama. He cited verses from two works composed by Tulsidas which, in his opinion, talk about the dispute. The first citation consisted of eight verses from a work called Dohā Śataka, which describe the destruction of a temple and construction of a mosque at the disputed site in 1528 CE by Mughal ruler Babur
Babur
Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty of South Asia. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his mother...
, who had ordered General Mir Baqui to destroy the Rama temple, which was a symbol of worship by infidels. The second citation was a verse from a work called Kavitāvalī, which mentions a mosque. In his cross examination, he described in some detail the history of the Ramananda sect, its Matha
Matha
A matha ) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of Hinduism and Jainism. A matha is usually more formal, hierarchical, and rule-based than an ashram.-Advaita Mathas:...
s, rules regarding Mahants, formation and working of Akharas, and Tulsidas' works. Refuting the possibility of the original temple being to the north of the disputed area, as pleaded by the pro-mosque parties, he described the boundaries of the Janmabhoomi as mentioned in the Ayodhya Mahatmya section of Skanda Purana, which tallied with the present location of the disputed area, as noted by Justice Sudhir Agarwal. However, he stated that he has no knowledge of whether there was a Ram Chabootra (the Platform of Rama) outside the area that was locked from 1950 to 1985 and where the Chati Poojan Sthal was, and whether the idols of Rama, his brother Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
, and Sita were installed at Ram Chabootra outside the Janmabhoomi temple.
Multilingualism
Rambhadracharya is a polyglot, capable of speaking 22 languages including Sanskrit, Hindi, English, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Bhojpuri
Bhojpuri language
Bhojpuri is a language spoken in parts of north-central and eastern India. It is spoken in the western part of state of Bihar, the northwestern part of Jharkhand, and the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh , as well as adjoining parts of the Nepal Terai. Bhojpuri is also spoken in Guyana,...
, Maithili
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
, Oriya
Oriya language
Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...
, Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
, Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, Magadhi, Awadhi, and Braj. He has composed poems and literary works in many Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, and Awadhi. He has translated many of his works of poetry and prose into other languages. He delivers Katha programmes in various languages, including Hindi, Bhojpuri, and Gujarati.
Institutes for the disabled
On 23 August 1996 Swami Rambhadracharya established the Tulsi School for the Blind in Chitrakoot. He founded the Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University—an institution of higher learning solely for disabled students—on 27 September 2001 in Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh. This is the first university in the world exclusively for the disabled. The university was created by an ordinance of the Uttar Pradesh Government, which was later passed as the Uttar Pradesh State Act 32 (2001) by the Uttar Pradesh legislature. The act appointed Swami Rambhadracharya as the lifelong chancellor of the university. The university offers graduate, post-graduate, and doctorate degrees in various streams, including Sanskrit, Hindi, English, Sociology, Psychology, Music, Drawing and Painting, Fine Arts, Special Education, Education, History, Culture and Archeology, Computer and Information Sciences, Vocational Education, Law, Economics, and Prosthetics and OrthoticsOrthotics
Orthotics is a specialty within the medical field concerned with the design, manufacture and application of orthoses. An orthosis is an orthopedic device that supports or corrects the function of a limb or the torso...
. The university plans to start offering courses in Ayurveda
Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
and Medical Sciences from 2013. Admissions are restricted to the four types of disabled students – visually impaired, hearing impaired, mobility impaired, and mentally impaired – as defined by the Disability Act (1995) of the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. As per the Government of Uttar Pradesh, the university is among the chief educational institutes for Information Technology and Electronics in the state.
Rambhadracharya also founded an organisation called Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Viklang Seva Sangh, headquartered in Satna
Satna
Satna is a city in central India and a municipal corporation in Satna district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Satna District. Satna is a border city of the state and is touched by the borders of the state of UttarPradesh.-History:Satna got its name...
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
. Its goal is to create community awareness and initiate child development programs in rural India. Its primary objective is to supplement the education programs of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University, by helping disabled children get a good education. Aid is generally given in the form of facilities which enable easier access to education. Rambhadracharya also runs a hundred-bed hospital in Gujarat.
Critical edition of Ramcharitmanas
The Ramcharitmanas was composed by Tulsidas in the late sixteenth century. It has been extremely popular in northern India over the last four hundred years, and is often referred to as the "Bible of northern India" by Western Indologists. Rambhadracharya produced a critical edition of the Ramcharitmanas. This edition was published as the Tulsi Peeth edition. Apart from the original text, for which Rambhadracharya has relied extensively on older manuscripts, there are differences in spelling, grammar, and prosodic conventions between this edition and contemporary editions of the Ramcharitmanas as follows.- Several current-day editions, including the one by Gita Press, consider one Chaupai verse to be a unit of 64 instants in two lines wherein each line in turn consists of two parts of 16 instants each. Some other scholars count one Chaupai verse as a unit of 32 instants only. Rambhadracharya has considered a Chaupai of 32 instants in one line, citing the examples of Hanuman ChalisaHanuman ChalisaHanuman Chalisa |Forty chaupai]]s on Hanuman") is a devotional song based on Lord Hanuman as the model devotee. It is a poem written by Tulsidas in the Awadhi language, and is his best known Hindu text apart from the Ramcharitmanas...
and the critique of PadmavatPadmavatPadmavat or Padmawat is an epic poem written in 1540 by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in the Awadhi language. It is the first important work in Awadhi.- Theme :...
by Ramchandra Shukla in support. He says that the Chaupai still has four feet due to the ceasura after every eighth instant. - Apart from some exceptions, for example when needed to satisfy the prosodic constraints, the Tulsi Peeth edition does not have words in nominative and accusative case ending in the rounded vowel (Unicode , IPA /u/) as seen in current-day editions. Rambhadracharya considers the endings to be artefacts in the manuscripts, calling such endings unnatural in Awadhi. Most of the corresponding words in the text of Tulsi Peeth edition end in the central vowel (Unicode , IPA /ɐ/)
- The Tulsi Peeth edition does not use nasalised vowels (Anunasika) to indicate case endings. As per Rambhadracharya, this is the same as older editions, where the use of Anunasika for case endings is absent.
- In place of the conjunct nasal-fricative consonants nh (Unicode , IPA /n̪ɦ/) and mh (Unicode , IPA /mɦ/) seen in accusative plural and second person pronoun usages in contemporary editions, the Tulsi Peeth edition has the single nasal consonants n (Unicode , IPA /n̪/) and m (Unicode , IPA /m/) respectively.
- For TadbhavaTadbhava' is one of three etymological classes defined by native grammarians of middle Indo-Aryan languages. A "tadbhava" is a word which had been borrowed from Sanskrit, but which had changed to fit the phonology of the Prakrit or Apabhramsa in question...
words, the Tulsi Peeth edition uses the dental fricative s (Unicode , IPA /s̪/) instead of the palatal fricative ś (Unicode , IPA /ɕ/) in the corresponding TatsamaTatsamaTatsama are Sanskrit loanwords in modern Indic languages like Bengali, Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Sinhala and Central Dravidian language Telugu. They belong to a higher and more erudite register than common words. That register can be compared to the use of words of Greek origin in English Tatsama...
form selectively, only at places where the replacement does not result in a faux pas. For example, the dental fricative is used in the word सोभा (sobhā, from Sanskrit śobhā, meaning splendour or brilliance) but the palatal fricative is unchanged in शंकर (Śaṃkara, a name for ShivaShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
) where the replacement would result in संकर (Śaṃkara), which means a mixed offspring from promiscuous cohabitation. Contemporary editions use the dental fricative throughout.
In November 2009 a controversy arose over this edition in Ayodhya, when the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad
The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad is the apex organisation of Hindu Sants and Sadhus in India. The ABAP is composed of 14 Akharas, or organisations of Hindu sants and sadhus.-Organisation:...
and Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas
Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas
Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas is an organisation formed as a trust to promote and oversee the construction of a temple in Ayodhya, India at the Ram Janmabhoomi, the reputed site of the birth of Rama, the seventh and one of the most popular Avatars of Hindu God Vishnu...
demanded an apology from Swami Rambhadracharya over the Tulsi Peeth edition, accusing him of tampering with the epic. Rambhadracharya responded by saying that he had merely edited extant copies of the epic and not modified the original epic, similar to what Nanda Dulare Vajpayee had done for the Gita Press edition, published in 1949. The dispute subsided when Rambhadracharya sent a letter to the Akhara Parishad, expressing regret over any annoyance or pain caused by the publication of Tulsi Peeth edition. In the letter, he requested the Akhara Parishad to consider older printed editions of the Ramcharitmanas as authentic, not others. A writ petition filed by Shiv Asray Asthana, publisher of the journal Prakhar Vichar, in 2008 seeking a seizure and forfeiture of the critical edition by Rambhadracharya was dismissed by the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court in May 2011.
Works
Rambhadracharya has authored more than 90 works, including published books and unpublished manuscripts. Various audio and video recordings have also been released. His major literary and musical compositions, grouped by genre, are listed below.Poetry and plays
- (1980) Kākā Vidura (काका विदुर) – Hindi minor poem.
- (1980) Mukundasmaraṇam (मुकुन्दस्मरणम्) – Sanskrit minor poem.
- (1982) Mā̐ Śabarī (मा̐ शबरी) – Hindi minor poem.
- (1987) Śrījānakīkṛpākaṭākṣastotram (श्रीजानकीकृपाकटाक्षस्तोत्रम्) – Sanskrit hymn of praise.
- (1991) Rāghavagītaguñjana (राघवगीतगुञ्जन) – Hindi lyrical poem.
- (1992) Śrīrāmavallabhāstotram (श्रीरामवल्लभास्तोत्रम्) – Sanskrit hymn of praise.
- (1993) Bhaktigītasudhā (भक्तिगीतसुधा) – Hindi lyrical poem.
- (1994) ArundhatīArundhati (epic)Arundhatī is a Hindi epic poem composed by Jagadguru Rambhadracharya in the year 1994. It consists of 1279 verses in 15 cantos . The poem presents the narrative of the couple Arundhatī and Vasiṣṭha which is found in various Hindu scriptures. As per the poet, the narration of the epic is...
(अरुन्धती) – Hindi epic poem. - (1994) Śrīgaṅgāmahimnastotram (श्रीगङ्गामहिम्नस्तोत्रम्) – Sanskrit hymn of praise.
- (1995) Śrīcitrakūṭavihāryaṣṭakam (श्रीचित्रकूटविहार्यष्टकम्) – Sanskrit hymn of praise.
- (1996) Ājādacandraśekharacaritam (आजादचन्द्रशेखरचरितम्) – Sanskrit minor poem.
- (1996) Śrīrāghavābhyudayam (श्रीराघवाभ्युदयम्) – Single-act Sanskrit play-poem.
- (1997) Aṣṭādhyāyyāḥ Pratisūtraṃ Śābdabodhasamīkṣaṇam (अष्टाध्याय्याः प्रतिसूत्रं शाब्दबोधसमीक्षणम्) – Sanskrit commentary in verse on the Sutras of the Ashtadhyayi.
- (1997) Śrīrāmabhaktisarvasvam (श्रीरामभक्तिसर्वस्वम्) – Sanskrit poem of one hundred verses.
- (2000) Sarayūlaharī (सरयूलहरी) – Sanskrit minor poem.
- (2001) Laghuraghuvaram (लघुरघुवरम्) – Sanskrit minor poem.
- (2002) ŚrībhārgavarāghavīyamSribhargavaraghaviyamŚrībhārgavarāghavīyam , literally Of Paraśurāma and Rāma, is a Sanskrit epic poem composed by Jagadguru Rambhadracharya in the year 2002. It consists of 2121 verses in 40 Sanskrit and Prakrit metres and is divided into 21 cantos of 101 verses each...
(श्रीभार्गवराघवीयम्) – Sanskrit epic poem. The poet was awarded the 2004 Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit for the epic. - (2002) Śrīrāghavabhāvadarśanam (श्रीराघवभावदर्शनम्) – Sanskrit minor poem.
- (2003) Kubjāpatram (कुब्जापत्रम्) – Sanskrit letter poem.
- (2004) BhṛṅgadūtamBhrngadutamBhṛṅgadūtam , literally The bumblebee messenger, is a Sanskrit minor poem of the Dūtakāvya genre composed by Jagadguru Rāmabhadrācārya . The poem consists of 501 verses in the Mandakrāntā metre divided in two parts...
(भृङ्गदूतम्) – Sanskrit minor poem of the Dūtakāvya (messenger-poem) category. - (2008) ŚrīsītārāmakelikaumudīSrisitaramakelikaumudiŚrīsītārāmakelikaumudī , literally The moonlight for the [childhood] pastimes of Sītā and Rāma, is a minor poem in the Braja dialect of Hindi belonging to the Rītikāvya genre. It was composed by Jagadguru Rambhadracharya in the years 2007 and 2008...
(श्रीसीतारामकेलिकौमुदी) – Hindi Rītikāvya (procedural-era Hindi poem). - (2009) ŚrīsītārāmasuprabhātamSrisitaramasuprabhatamŚrīsītārāmasuprabhātam , literally The beautiful dawn of Sītā and Rāma, is a Saṃskṛta minor poem of the Suprabhātakāvya genre composed by Jagadguru Rāmabhadrācārya in the year 2008...
(श्रीसीतारामसुप्रभातम्) – A Sanskrit suprabhatamSuprabhatamSuprabhātam , literally auspicious dawn is a Sanskrit poem of the Suprabhātakāvya genre. It is a collection of hymns or verses recited early morning to awaken the deity in Hinduism. The metre chosen for a Suprabhātam poem is usually Vasantatilakā....
. - (2010) AṣṭāvakraAshtavakra (epic)Aṣṭāvakra is a Hindi epic poem composed by Jagadguru Rambhadracharya in the year 2009. It consists of 864 verses in 8 cantos of 108 verses each. The poem presents the narrative of the Ṛṣi Aṣṭāvakra which is found in the Hindu scriptures of the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata...
(अष्टावक्र) – Hindi epic poem. - (2011) GītarāmāyaṇamGitaramayanamGītarāmāyaṇam , literally The Rāmāyaṇa in songs, is a Sanskrit epic poem of the Gītakāvya genre, composed by Jagadguru Rāmabhadrācārya in the years 2009 and 2010. It consists of 1008 songs in Sanskrit which are divided into seven Kāṇḍas , every Kāṇḍa being sub-divided into one or more Sargas...
(गीतरामायणम्) – Sanskrit lyrical epic poem. - (2011) Avadha Kai Ajoriyā (अवध कै अजोरिया) – Awadhi lyrical poem.
- (2011) Śrīsītāsudhānidhiḥ (श्रीसीतासुधानिधिः) – Sanskrit minor poem of the Stotraprabandhakāvya category.
Prose
Sanskrit commentaries on Prasthanatrayi
Rambhadracharya composed Sanskrit commentaries titled Śrīrāghavakṛpābhāṣyam on the Prasthanatrayi – the Brahma Sutra, the Bhagavad Gita, and eleven Upanishads. These commentaries were released on 10 April 1998 by the then Prime Minister of India, Atal Behari Vajpayee. He composed Śrīrāghavakṛpābhāṣyam on Narada Bhakti Sutra in 1991. Rambhadracharya thus revived—after five hundred years—the tradition of Sanskrit commentaries on the Prasthanatrayi. He also gave the Ramananda Sampradaya its second commentary on Prasthanatrayi in Sanskrit, the first being the Ānandabhāṣyam, composed by Ramananda himself. Rambhadracharya's commentary in Sanskrit on the Prasthanatrayi was the first written in almost 500 years.Other prose works
- (1980) Bharata Mahimā (भरत महिमा) – Hindi discourse.
- (1981) Adhyātmarāmāyaṇe Apāṇinīyaprayogānāṃ Vimarśaḥ (अध्यात्मरामायणे अपाणिनीयप्रयोगानां विमर्शः) – Sanskrit dissertation (PhD thesis).
- (1982) Mānasa Me̐ Tāpasa Prasaṅga (मानस में तापस प्रसंग) – Hindi deliberation.
- (1983) Mahavīrī (महावीरी) – Hindi commentary on Hanuman Chalisa.
- (1985) Sugrīva Kā Agha Aura Vibhīṣaṇa Kī Karatūti (सुग्रीव का अघ और विभीषण की करतूति) – Hindi discourse.
- (1985) Śrīgītātātparya (श्रीगीतातात्पर्य) – Hindi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita.
- (1988) Sanātanadharma Kī Vigrahasvarūpa Gomātā (सनातनधर्म की विग्रहस्वरूप गोमाता) – Hindi deliberation.
- (1988) Śrītulasīsāhitya me̐ Kṛṣṇa Kathā (श्रीतुलसीसाहित्य में कृष्णकथा) – Hindi investigative research.
- (1989) Mānasa me̐ Sumitrā (मानस में सुमित्रा) – Hindi discourse.
- (1990) Sīta Nirvāsana Nahī̐ (सीता निर्वासन नहीं) – Hindi critique.
- (1991) Śrīnāradabhaktisūtreṣu Śrīrāghavakṛpābhāṣyam (श्रीनारदभक्तिसूत्रेषु श्रीराघवकृपाभाष्यम्) – Sanskrit commentary on the Narada Bhakti Sutra.
- (1992) Prabhu Kari Kṛpā Pā̐varī Dīnhī (प्रभु करि कृपा पाँवरी दीन्ही) – Hindi discourse.
- (1993) Parama Baḍabhāgī Jaṭāyu (परम बड़भागी जटायु) – Hindi discourse.
- (2001) Śrīrāmastavarājastotre Śrīrāghavakṛpābhāṣyam (श्रीरामस्तवराजस्तोत्रे श्रीराघवकृपाभाष्यम्) – Sanskrit commentary on the Rāmastavarājastotra.
- (2001) Śrī Sītārāma Vivāha Darśana (श्री सीताराम विवाह दर्शन) – Hindi discourse.
- (2004) Tuma Pāvaka Ma̐ha Karahu Nivāsā (तुम पावक मँह करहु निवासा) – Hindi discourse.
- (2005) Bhāvārthabodhinī (भावार्थबोधिनी) – Hindi commentary on the Ramcharitmanas.
- (2007) Śrīrāsapañcādhyāyīvimarśaḥ (श्रीरासपञ्चाध्यायीविमर्शः) – Hindi deliberation on Rāsapañcādhyāyī.
- (2006) Ahalyoddhāra (अहल्योद्धार) – Hindi discourse .
- (2008) Hara Te Bhe Hanumāna (हर ते भे हनुमान) – Hindi discourse.
Audio and video
- (2001) Bhajana Sarayū (भजन सरयू) – Audio CD with eight BhajanBhajanA Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
s (devotional hymns) in Hindi devoted to Rama. Composed, set to music, and sung by Rambhadracharya. Released by Yuki Cassettes, Delhi. - (2001) Bhajana Yamunā (भजन यमुना) – Audio CD with seven Bhajans in Hindi devoted to Krishna. Composed, set to music, and sung by Rambhadracharya. Released by Yuki Cassettes, Delhi.
- (2009) Śrī Hanumat Bhakti (श्री हनुमत् भक्ति) – Audio CD with six Bhajans in Hindi devoted to Hanuman, and composed by Tulsidas. Set to music and sung by Rambhadracharya. Released by Kuber Music, New Delhi.
- (2009) Śrīsītārāmasuprabhātam (श्रीसीतारामसुप्रभातम्) – Audio CD of Śrīsītārāmasuprabhātam, a Sanskrit Suprabhata poem. Composed, set to music, and sung in the Vairagi RagaRagaA raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
by Rambhadracharya. Released by Yuki Cassettes, Delhi. - (2009) Sundara Kāṇḍa (सुन्दर काण्ड) – DVD with a musical rendition of and commentary on the Sundar Kand of Ramcharitmanas. Spoken, set to music, and sung by Rambhadracharya. Released by Yuki Cassettes, Delhi.
Recognition
Recognition in IndiaRambhadracharya enjoys a wide popularity in the Chitrakoot region. Atal Behari Vajpayee, the former prime minister of India, considered Rambhadracharya to be an "immensely learned person well versed in Vedic and Puranic literature besides the grammar", and commended his intelligence and memory. Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi
Murli Manohar Joshi
Murli Manohar Joshi was the Union Human Resources Development minister of India in the NDA government. Joshi is a leading member of the Bharatiya Janata Party...
, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
who was present at the inauguration of Kanch Mandir, said of Rambhadracharya that the "intense knowledge of the most revered is indeed adorable". Nanaji Deshmukh
Nanaji Deshmukh
Chandikadas Amritrao Deshmukh aka Nanaji Deshmukha was a social activist in Bharat/India. He did exemplary work in the field of education, health and rural self-reliance and has been honored with Padma Vibhushan title by the Government of India...
, social activist and former leader of Bharatiya Jana Sangha, called Rambhadracharya "an astonishing gem of the country". Swami Kalyandev
Swami kalyandev
Swami Kalyandev was an ascetic who was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in India, for his years of social work in the villages of India.-Biography:...
, a social activist and Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
awardee, considered Rambhadracharya to be "an unprecedented intellectual and speaker, and an Acharya with great devotion". Somnath Chatterjee
Somnath Chatterjee
Somnath Chatterjee is an Indian politician who had been associated with the Communist Party of India for most of his life, though he is currently an independent...
, former Speaker of Lok Sabha
Speaker of Lok Sabha
The Speaker is the presiding officer of the lower house of Parliament of India. His/her role is similar to that of Speakers elsewhere in other countries that use the Westminster system of government....
and leader of Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
, called him a "celebrated Sanskrit scholar and educationist of great merit and achievement". He is considered as one of the greatest scholars on Tulsidas and Ramcharitmanas in India, and is cited as such. Rambhadracharya has been associated with Rajnath Singh
Rajnath Singh
Rajnath Singh is a prominent Indian politician and who has served the country in many capacities. He was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, a Cabinet Minister in the NDA regime and became the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is the single largest Opposition party in India...
, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who, as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, was one of the first promoters of the Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University. He was presented with an honorary D Litt by Rambhadracharya on the third convocation of the university in 2011. Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Ram Prakash Gupta
Ram Prakash Gupta
Ram Prakash Gupta was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and governor of Madhya Pradesh.He was a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party ....
and former speaker of Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly Keshari Nath Tripathi
Keshari Nath Tripathi
Keshari Nath Tripathi is a former speaker of Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly and president of Uttar Pradesh state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party....
praised him saying that he will continue to enrich the society with his contributions.
International recognition
In 1992 Rambhadracharya led the Indian delegation at the Ninth World Conference on Ramayana, held in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. He has travelled to several countries, including England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and United States to deliver discourses on Hindu religion and peace. He has been profiled in the International Who's Who of Intellectuals.
Address at Millennium World Peace Summit
Rambhadracharya was one of the spiritual and religious Gurus from India at the Millennium World Peace Summit, organised by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
from 28–31 August 2000. While addressing the gathering, he gave Sanskrit definitions for the words Bharata (the ancient name of India) and Hindu, and touched upon the Nirguna
Nirguna Brahman
Nirguna Brahman, signifies in Hindu philosophy the Brahman that pervades the Universe, considered without form , as in the Advaita school or else as without material form, as in Dvaita schools of philosophy.-Advaita:According to Adi Shankara, the famous reviver of Advaita...
and Saguna
Saguna brahman
Saguna Brahman came from the Sanskrit "with qualities" and Brahman "The Absolute".-Advaita:...
aspects of God. In his speech on Peace, he called for developed and developing nations to come together to strive for the eradication of poverty, the fight against terrorism, and nuclear disarmament. At the end of his speech, he recited the Shanti Mantra
Shanti Mantra
The Shanti Mantras or "Peace Mantras" are Hindu prayers for Peace from the Vedas.Generally they are recited at the beginning and end of religious rituals and discourses....
.
Awards and honours
Rambhadracharya has been honoured by several leaders and politicians, including A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Somnath Chatterjee, Shilendra Kumar SinghShilendra Kumar Singh
Shilendra Kumar Singh or S.K. Singh ,24 January 1932 – 1 December 2009) was an Indian politician. He was Governor of Arunachal Pradesh from December 2004 to September 2007 and Governor of Rajasthan from September 2007 until he died in office in December 2009.Singh was Indian Foreign Secretary from...
, Indira Gandhi. Several state governments, including that of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, and Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
have conferred honours on him.
Before Vairagi initiation
- 1974. Five gold medals at the Akhila Bharatiya Sanskrit Adhiveshan (All India Sanskrit Conference), New Delhi. Presented by Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India.
- 1974. Gold Medal, Shastri (Bachelor of Arts) examination, by the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi.
- 1976. Gold medal for standing first in all-India Sanskrit debate competition. Presented by M. Channa ReddyMarri Chenna ReddyMarri Channa Reddy was an Indian politician active in several states. He was the governor of Uttar Pradesh , governor of Punjab , governor of Rajasthan from February 1992 to May 1993, and governor of Tamil Nadu from 1993 until his death. He was a leader of Indian National Congress Party...
, the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh. - 1976. Cancellor's Gold Medal by the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi.
- 1976. Seven gold medals, Acharya(Master of Arts) examination, by the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi.
After Vairagi initiation
- 1998. Dharmachakravarti, by the World Religious Parliament, New Delhi. In recognition of meritorious contribution to world development.
- 1999. Kaviraj Vidya Narayan Shastri Archana-Samman Award by the Kaviraj Vidya Narayan Shastri Archana-Samman Committee, Bhagalpur, Bihar. For contributions to the Sanskrit language.
- 1999. Mahakavi, by the Akhil Bharatiya Hindi Bhasha Sammelan, Bhagalpur, Bihar. For invaluable contributions to the popularisation and enrichment of Hindi language, literature, and culture.
- 2000. Vishishta Puraskar, by the Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Samsthana, Lucknow.
- 2000. Mahamahopadhyay, by the Lal Bahadur ShastriLal Bahadur ShastriLal Bahadur Srivastava Shastri was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of India and a significant figure in the Indian independence movement.-Early life:...
Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi. - 2002. Kavikularatna by Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi.
- 2003. Rajshekhar Samman, by the Madhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
Sanskrit Academy, Bhopal. For the Śrīrāghavakṛpābhāṣyam commentary on the Prasthanatrayi. - 2003. Bhaurao Deoras Award by the Bhaurao Deoras Seva Nyas, Lucknow.
- 2003. Diwaliben Award for Progress in Religion by the Dewaliben Mehta Charitable Trust, Mumbai. Presented by P. N. BhagwatiPrafullachandra Natwarlal BhagwatiPrafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati shortly P. N. Bhagwati was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India from 12-July-1985 until his retirement on December 20, 1986. He was awarded India's second highest civilian honour Padma Vibhushan in 2007...
, former Chief Justice of India. - 2003. Ativishishta Puraskar, by the Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Samsthana, Lucknow.
- 2004. Awadh Ratna, by the Awadh Vikas Parishad, Allahabad.
- 2004. Badarayana Puraskar. Presented by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the then President of IndiaPresident of IndiaThe President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
. - 2005. Sahitya Akademi Award in Sanskrit for the epic Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam.
- 2006. Sanskrit Mahamahopadhyay, by the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayag.
- 2006. Shreevani Alankaran, by the Jaydayal Dalmiya Shri Vani Trust for the epic Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam. Presented by Somnath ChatterjeeSomnath ChatterjeeSomnath Chatterjee is an Indian politician who had been associated with the Communist Party of India for most of his life, though he is currently an independent...
, the then Speaker of the Lok Sabha. - 2006. BanabhattaBanabhattaBāṇabhaṭṭa , also known as Bāṇa, was a Sanskrit scholar and poet of India. He was the Asthana Kavi in the court of King Harshavardhana, who reigned in the years c. 606–647 CE in north India...
Award by Madhya Pradesh Sanskrit Board, Bhopal, for the epic Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam. - 2007. Goswami Tulsidas Samarchan Samman, by the Tulsi Research Institute, Municipal Corporation, AllahabadAllahabadAllahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
. Presented by Ramesh Chandra LahotiRamesh Chandra LahotiRamesh Chandra Lahoti was the 35th Chief Justice of India, serving from June 1, 2004 to November 1, 2005.-Education and early career:...
, former Chief Justice of IndiaChief Justice of IndiaThe Chief Justice of India is the highest-ranking judge in the Supreme Court of India, and thus holds the highest judicial position in India. As well as presiding in the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice also head its administrative functions....
. - 2007. Vachaspati Award, by the K. K. Birla FoundationK. K. Birla FoundationThe K.K. Birla Foundation was established in 1991 by Krishna Kumar Birla. Its mission is to promote literature and the arts, as well as education and social work...
, New Delhi, for the epic Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam. Presented by S. K. SinghShilendra Kumar SinghShilendra Kumar Singh or S.K. Singh ,24 January 1932 – 1 December 2009) was an Indian politician. He was Governor of Arunachal Pradesh from December 2004 to September 2007 and Governor of Rajasthan from September 2007 until he died in office in December 2009.Singh was Indian Foreign Secretary from...
, the then Governor of RajasthanRajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. - 2011. Tulsi Award 2011 by Morari BapuMorari BapuMorari Bapu , who has been giving 9 day-long sermons in both Gujarati and Hindi all over the world—including in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea, and on an airplane travelling the world—since the...
on the eve of Tulsi Jayanti, birth anniversary of Tulsidas. - 2011. Dev Bhumi Award by the Government of Himachal PradeshHimachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
, ShimlaShimlaShimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
. Presented by Joseph Kurien, the then Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court.
See also
- List of Hindu gurus and saints – List of other noteworthy gurus and saints of Hinduism.
- List of Sahitya Akademi Award winners for Sanskrit – List of Sanskrit language writers who have won the Sahitya Akademi Award.
Works cited
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
External links
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-