Birth

Anantshri Swami Akhandanandji Saraswati (also spelled as Akhandananda Saraswati, he was known as "Maharajshri" to many of his followers) (1911–1987), was an exponent of 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...

 and a scholar of diverse spiritual traditions including 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...

, Bhakti

Bhakti

In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...

, and associated Shastras(scriptures). He was born on Friday, July 25, 1911 in Pushya

Pushya

Pushya is a nakshatra in Indian astronomy. It corresponds to γ, δ and θ Cancri, in the Cancer .-Naming practices:Under the traditional Hindu principle of naming individuals according to their birthstar , the following Sanskrit syllables correspond with this Nakshatra, and would belong at the...

 Nakshatra

Nakshatra

Nakshatra is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology. A nakshatra is one of 27 sectors along the ecliptic...

 (Shravana Amavasya v.s. 1968 per Vikram Calendar) in the village of Maharai in the district of Varanasi

Varanasi

-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...

. Maharajshri was born exactly nine months after his grandfather had prayed to Shri Shantanu Behari, the Lord of Vrindavan. According to the lunar calendar, it was the Amawasya of the month of Shravan, in the Samvat 1968. His Saryupaarine Brahmin family named him "Shantanu Behari", since he was born by the grace of the Lord Shantanu Bihari

Introduction to Spirituality

According to the introduction to Maharajshri given in the book "Shri Gita Rasa Ratnakar", famous and learned astrologers predicted at the time of his birth, that Maharajshri's lifespan was only nineteen years. Fear of death made Maharajshri move towards the path to spirituality. It has been held by great saints and sages that while they cannot save a person from his destined death, they can impart knowledge which could remove all fear of death forever. It is suggested that this is exactly what happened. The nectarine Brahman manifested in Maharajshri's heart, and the dark shadow of death was gone forever.

Maharajshri was ten years old when his grandfather made him read the original Bhagwat in Sanskrit. Since then the Shrimad Bhagwat stayed by him like a faithful companion.

Work on the editorial board of "Kalyan"

Prior to his Sanyas, from 1934 to 1942, Maharajshri was a member of the editorial board of "Kalyan" at the Gita Press

Gita Press

The Gita Press is one of the world's largest publishers of Hindu religious texts. It is located in Gorakhpur city of India's Uttar Pradesh state. It was founded in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyandka for promoting the principles of Sanatana Dharma. Hanuman Prasad Poddar was the founding and the lifetime...

 and published a number of books and articles. He translated 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...

 in Hindi for the Gita Press

Gita Press

The Gita Press is one of the world's largest publishers of Hindu religious texts. It is located in Gorakhpur city of India's Uttar Pradesh state. It was founded in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyandka for promoting the principles of Sanatana Dharma. Hanuman Prasad Poddar was the founding and the lifetime...

Initiation to "Sanyas" (monkhood)

In his youth, Maharajshri went to Jhusi, to meet Brahmachari Prabhudattaji, a saint of great renown. It was there that Maharajshri first saw Shri Udiyababaji Maharaj, and had the opportunity to discuss Vedanta. Maharajshri was captivated by Udiyababaji's conviction in the principle of non-dual reality, and by the unique, carefree bliss of this liverated soul. Shri Udiyababaji showered unstinted filial love on Maharajshri and it was by his inspiration that Maharajshri became a monk. Maharajshri received initiation for Sanyas (monkhood)from the Shankaracharya of Jyotishpeethadhishver, Swami Shri Brahmanandji Saraswati in February 1942, following which his name was changed from Pandit Shantanu-vihari Dwivedi to Swami Akhandananda Saraswati.

Following a path of spirituality since early age, Maharajshri was associated with many Saints and Mahatmas in the early twentieth century, including Udiya Baba, Hari Baba, and Anandmayi Ma.

During the 1960s, Maharajshri was elected President of the Bharat Sadhu Samaj, an Indian organization of monks.

Maharajshri was an honorary board member of the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan - an honor he shared with many world leaders including Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...

, Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...

, Prince Charles; Presidents and Prime Ministers of India, including Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel; and other Indian spiritual leaders of the twentieth century: Swami Gangeshwarananda and Swami Chinmayananda. Maharajshri was regularly invited for delivering lectures at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan's Headquarters in Mumbai, as well as by other organizations around the country, including Prem Puri Adhyatma Bhavan (Mumbai), Birla House (Kolkata), Birla Temples (Delhi and other cities) and J.K. Temple (Kanpur).

Maharajshri has mentored past and present generations of Grihastha

Grihastha

Grihasthya refers to the second phase of an individual's life in the Vedic ashram system. It is often called 'the householders life' revolving as it does around the duties of maintaining a household and leading a family-centred life.-Usage:...

s, Sanyasi Mahatma

Mahatma

Mahatma is Sanskrit for "Great Soul". It is similar in usage to the modern Christian term saint. This epithet is commonly applied to prominent people like Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Jyotirao Phule and Branch Rickey...

s and Shankaracharyas. Maharajshri's insighful discourses on 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...

 were delivered in 4-6 hour sessions each day for over 7–30 days. These discourses were only for the serious students as a Parayana or Gyan

Gyan

GYAN or Gyan may refer to:* Gyan , a Sanskrit word that roughly translates to 'knowledge' in English.* Global Youth Action Network, a youth empowerment organization* Gyan , the debut album by Gyan EvansPeople named Gyan:...

 Yagna. His discourses were hosted by well-known Grihastha

Grihastha

Grihasthya refers to the second phase of an individual's life in the Vedic ashram system. It is often called 'the householders life' revolving as it does around the duties of maintaining a household and leading a family-centred life.-Usage:...

 families like Birla

Birla

Birla may refer to:* Birla family* Members of the Birla family:** Aditya Birla** Basant Kumar Birla** Ghanshyam Das Birla** Krishna Kumar Birla** Kumar Mangalam Birla...

, Singhania, Hindujas, Khatau

Khatau

Khatau Group of Companies is one of the oldest business conglomerates in India. The Khatau Group was founded in 1874 by Seth Khatau Makanji. This business family prospered into one of the leading industrial houses in mid twentieth century, with ventures in textiles, chemicals, shipping, cement,...

; and Mahatma

Mahatma

Mahatma is Sanskrit for "Great Soul". It is similar in usage to the modern Christian term saint. This epithet is commonly applied to prominent people like Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Jyotirao Phule and Branch Rickey...

s such as Bhikshu Shankrananda, Udiya Baba, Hari Baba, Anandmayi Ma, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, etc... He authored over 180 books which covered topics including 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...

, Bhagavat Geeta, Ram Charitra Manas, and Upnishads of the 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...

.

Anand Vrindavan Ashram

The Anand Vrindavan Ashram is located near Moti Jheel in Vrindavan, a town in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. The ashram was established by Maharajshri and is considered akin to the Teertharaj Prayak, where the three streams of Karma, Bhakti and Gnan are merged. The activities of the ashram include satsang, serving the Lord in temples, serving the cows, teaching the Vedas to young students, among other things. The ashram also runs a school and a charitable dispensary.

Swami Omkaranandji Saraswati "Mahantji" Maharaj guided the Anand Vrindavan Ashram and associated charitable trusts, from 1987 to 2008. Today, Swami Sachchidanandaji heads the Anand Vrindavan ashram and is continuing Maharajshri's traditions of service (Karma), devotion (Bhakti), and knowledge (Gyan).

"Samaadi" (a complete and unbroken union with the divine)

At about two am, the Brahmbela of November 19, 1987 (the Margasheersha Krishna Trayodashi of the lunar calendar) the individual space merged into the universal space and Maharajshri became all-pervading.

External links

• www.Akhandanand.org - An introduction to life and works of Swami Akhandanand-ji Saraswati.