The Unwavering Devotion of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj to his Mother and Motherland
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj always maintained a place of pride and respect for his mother, Bhagavati Ma, as well as his native land, Mangarh. The aarti of Bhagavati Ma is sung every morning as part of the daily prayers at every Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat throughout India and the world. Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj has always been very obedient to his mother and never once has he violated the instructions of her. Bhagavati Ma actually considered her son as her Guru and Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj had God-like reverence for his dear mother. Bhagavati Ma was always eager and thrilled to see her most worthy and extraordinary son. In fact, she often used to sing the following verses in His glory:
Guru is the very basis of my life. How do I describe his glory? I have no words to describe the glory of his forehead, adorned with a chandan tilak, How can I describe the glories of the Guru; I am totally incapable. Guru is the very basis of my life. How do I describe his glory? What to say of the beauty of his teeth when he chews betel leaves? I have no words to describe his beautiful hands, distributing mahaprasada to his devotees. It is beyond me to describe the glories of his feet when he walks in his intoxicating gait.
On several occasions, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, on the other hand, narrated this particular shloka and explained it’s meaning many times:
Shri Krishna is our supreme father and Shri Radha is our supreme mother. But the importance of a mother is a hundred times greater than father.
On One particular occasion, he had himself photographed with her and then wrote the following line under their photo:
“It is quite common for children to be spoiled and engage in sinful activities, but never ever has there been a mother who has been cruel to her son.”
Once, Bhagavati Ma advised Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Maharaj Ji to celebrate the festival of Holl in Mangarh every year. Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj strictly followed her instruction. Wherever he was, he would always return to Mangarh for Holi. In fact, he started conducting a sadhana program lasting three weeks, culminating in Holi, so that he would be forced to return to Mangarh for the program every year. In this way, never once did he violate the instructions of his mother.
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj always had a soft corner for the residents of his Motherland-Mangarh village. Even the villagers themselves considered him their true Samaritan. Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s door was always open for them. He always lived up to his name, Kripalu, and shared in their joys and sorrows wholeheartedly.
His love for the villagers manifested itself in numerous ways, including assisting families with the marriage of their daughters, or during times of sickness. He would frequently feed them and distribute life’s essentials such as suitable clothing, utensils, blankets, towels and bed sheets, etc. Feeling concerned for their general well-being and the deplorable conditions around them, he founded a modem hospital right there in the village itself. A hospital where any consultation, treatment received, or medicine given is provided absolutely free. Since its inception, the hospital sees close to 1000 people on any given day, and all patients receive medical care free of cost. Seeing a specific need, he then arranged for free cataract surgery and lens replacement services for the villagers to take place at the hospital periodically, In so doing, one can easily see that Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj left no stone unturned when it came to the healthcare of poor village communities
Therefore, villagers are now extremely saddened by his absence. They are already missing his closeness, his concern, and tender care.
Today, this tiny village situated in Kunda (Tehsil) County in the district of Pratapgarh has caught the attention of the world. Devotees of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj throughout India and abroad have established Ashrams, Temples, or centres for devotional practice with his blessing. However, our beloved Gurudeva never neglected his motherland. He nurtured it with such love and care that it has been transformed into an extraordinary icon of devotion, serving as a beacon of hope for the emancipation of humankind. Every particle in this sacred Dham is awash with the nectar of bhakti rasa. It is said, that wherever the Sankirtan of Shyama Shyam resonates, that place becomes divine, and where all pilgrimage sights congregate on their own.
‘जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी’
According to this shloka, mother, and motherland are even higher than the divine abode. Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Maharaj fully submitted himself in complete reverence to the wishes of his mother; he always obeyed her without any questioning. He had the most loving feelings for his motherland, the small village of Mangarh. Because of his hard efforts, this has taken the form of a well-developed town outwardly while holding all divinities inwardly. For we devotees, Bhakti Dham is the holiest of the holy place This is the veritable form of our beloved Shri Mahara. He appeared in this land and he departed from here Golok. We salute millions of times to this divine land Bhakti Dham.
By naming Mangarh Bhakti Dham, Shri Maharaj has revealed yet another divine secret, that the Goddess of Devotion, Bhakti Mahadevi, has appeared in this ha various forms. Jagadguruttam Bhakti-yoga-rasvat Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj is one of those forms. Similarly, there is Bhakti Mandir, Bhakti Bhavan, and Bhakti personified forms of Bhakti Mahadevi.
If Jagadguru had decided, he could have established Bhakti Dham anywhere in this world, but he chose to set up at the place of his appearance, His Motherland.
This text is a tribute to Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, who always had great respect and love for his mother, Bhagavati Ma, and his homeland, Mangarh. Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj had a God-like reverence for his mother, who was considered his Guru and never violated her instructions. He always celebrated the festival of Holi in Mangarh every year as per her advice. Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj was also deeply connected to the villagers of Mangarh, and he founded a modern hospital there to provide free medical care to poor village communities. He also arranged for free cataract surgery and lens replacement services for the villagers.
Today, Mangarh has become an extraordinary icon of devotion, serving as a beacon of hope for the emancipation of humankind. The text concludes with a tribute to Bhakti Dham, which is the holiest of the holy place for the devotees of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj.
