Biography I: Early Years

As was custom, the elders of Ram Kripalu Tripathi's village arranged his marriage at an early age. Then, in Ram Kripalu's sixteenth year, he travelled to Mahu (a town in Madhya Pradesh) where he began studies in Sanskrit. To the astonishment of his classmates and teachers, he completed the education in only two years. These studies are often found difficult to accomplish even in twenty years, and thus his Divine greatness was made manifest to the public. Even the lecturers of that Sanskrit college—some of the most renown scholars of their kind—had come under the influence and learning of this Divine personality and henceforth acknowledged his Divinity.
Upon his departure from the college in Mahu, Ram Kripalu Tripathi went in search of his Divine love form. It was in the woods of Chitrakoot and Sharbhang that he dwelled in the deep ecstatic states of Mahabhao. Only on rare and special occasions did he Grace his devotees, ever numerous, with Krishn love. Very little is known about his Divine manifestations in those days because his deep ecstasy absorbed his energy. It is certain, however, that all who laid eyes upon him glimpsed the highest form of Radha Krishn love, a love charmed by these high states of Mahabhao.

Steadfastly engrossed in the ecstatic states of Radha Bhao, it was naturally difficult to communicate with people. In 1942 some devotees saw Shree Maharajji wandering in Vrindaban and approached him with the request that he come to their town. Thus, for the good of all who wished to learn from him, he exited the divine state in order to offer sankirtan programs at the houses of the devotees. He ministered to those who sought his knowledge with great humility and love. Because devotees witnessed the supreme Bhao of Radha Rani’s love in him he became called “Mahaprabhu”.

His sankirtan programs of those days caused the vivid glow of Radha Krishn love to overtake him. This love touched and inspired the hearts of all who had come to see him. Each soul that desired the experience of this love was thrilled by the vision of Shree Maharaji. Shree Maharajji showered the true nectar of nam sankirtan continuously. The blissfulness of the nam sankirtan was of such intensity and wonder that many compared his devotional chants to the Divine nam sankirtan of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, given nearly 500 years prior to the acts of Shree Maharajji.