Param Pujya Shri Swami Satyanand Saraswati ji Maharaj, the apostle of godliness, selflessness, and humanitarianism was born on April 7, 1868 at village Mohra near Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan). He lost both his parents quite early in life leaving him to the care of his maternal grandparents. The destitute orphaned boy, then called Lakshman (and also Govind) at home, drifted towards spiritualism and began to follow the sages and the savants of his time. He became a Jain ascetic at the age of 19, studied Jainism under the tutelage of a Jain muni and impressed all and sundry with his phenomenal memory. He was to become the favorite of Jain monks and devotees. He could discourse on atheism, the main tenet of Jainism, at length. A small volume named Adhyatm Chikitsa however became a turning point in the life of Swami ji. The book advocated the idea of untreatable faith in the immutability of the Almighty and His omniscience. There was a total conflict between what He had been believing, practicing and proclaiming as a Jainism follower and what the volume taught and revealed. Soon He decided to renounce his faith in Jainism and made the decision known to the Jain monks. He was heaped with offers of material gains in future if He continued to be a Jain ascetic. But the divine call from God prompted Satyanand ji Maharaj to pursue Vedic literature, follow the revealed religion and take it to the masses. At the age of 30, He joined Arya Samaj and began to work with Mahatma Munshi Ram ji. Swami ji became a spirited seeker with a famous voice and continued to give discourses, write books and meditate for long hours. However, the spiritual hunger to know and experience the Lord continued to haunt Him. He went to several sages and sanyasis who could not help him realize the unknowable absolute. He finally decided to go into solitude at a peaceful place and meditate extensively. He selected Dalhousie for his hermitage and retired into deep Sadhna. It was here on July 7, 1925 on the day of Beas Purnima that the Lord blessed Him with a beatific experience. He heard Ram, Ram and the imperative command Ram Bhaj, Ram Bhaj, Ram Ram all around. The atmosphere around Him became enchanted and He wafted into a trance with the holy melody around reverberating within him.

Swami Satyanand ji Maharaj realized that Ram permeated all souls, all particles and all that is living. Know More

Param Pujya Shri Prem Nath ji Maharaj was one of those saintly persons whose life of selfless service, devotion to the well-being of others and perennial humility has been a model for all sadhakas to emulate. He was an embodiment of virtuous piety and self-effacement. Precious little is known about his life, except the fact that he was a disciple of Swami Satyanand Saraswati ji Maharaj and carried forward his message of peace and prosperity through Ram Jaap (name chanting). He was born on October 2, 1920 and worked as a central government employee at Delhi. Other than selfless service to the suffering masses around him, he initiated countless people into a life of purity, charity and spiritual values. After the Nirvana of Swami Satyanand Saraswati ji Maharaj, Pujya Shri Prem ji Maharaj, who had been nominated his spiritual descendant, carried forward the message and unfinished agenda of the former. He used his simplicity and spiritual power to ignite the flame of benevolence and humanitarianism in all those who came into touch with Him. He did sewa (service) at Shree Ram Sharnam Ashram which had been founded by Swami ji Maharaj in Delhi. The place has since become a popular spot of congregations and spiritual discourses. The job he took upon himself was an onerous one. It needed a single minded devotion to the cause. He successfully went about spreading the desired message of "Ram bhaj" and "Ram Jaap" all around the country. Pujya Shri Prem ji Maharaj advocated a life free from arrogance "aham" (ego and pride) in people especially in the saints and sanyasis. He believed that saints should not listen to excessive adulation as it might lead to the diminution of their spiritual powers. He led the simple life of a humble sewak (servant) of the Lord. Pujya Shri Prem ji Maharaj believed that the method of detachment for obtaining spiritual peace taught by His master was an ideal one. He also organized several Sadhna Satsangs at Haridwar. In these satsangs He preached inculcation of high moral and spiritual values in human beings. Shri Premnath ji’s ideas were generally modelled on the precepts and ideals dear to Swami Satyanand ji Maharaj.

Shri Premnath ji Maharaj breathed his last on July 29, 1993.He is adored by Amritvaani and Ramsharnam devotees as a man Know More

Swami Nalinanand Giri ji was initiated into sanyas ( renunciation) by Mahamandleshwar Swami Brahmanand Giri ji maharaj, who was the 10th Peethadhiswar (President) of Suratgiri Bangla Kankhal Haridwar. Swami Brahmananad Giri ji maharaj who in his early years had undertaken the arduous journey on foot to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet, later settled in Varanasi for 12 years to study Vedanta and Nayaya. Eventually he established a Sanskrit College in Haridwar, a Temple at his birth place in Jotana, Gujarat and a new Ashram Mangal Seva Dham in Dakore, Gujarat in the Memory of his Guru Ji Swami Maheswaranand Giri Ji Maharaj. On 10th May 1995 Swami Brahmanand Giri ji maharaj handed over the responsibilities of the Ashram to Swami Vishveshwaranand Giri Ji Maharaj and honored him with the title of Mahakmandleshwar in the presence of other saints and mahatmas. Swami Vishveshwaranand is currently the eleventh President of Suratgiri Bangla, Haridwar as also the President of Sanyas Ashram Vile Parle, Mumbai which oversees the onerous task of spreading awareness about vedic religion through spiritual lectures and cultural programs in India & abroad. He also manages ten other ashrams and coordinates with many others religious and social organizations engaged in welfare activities.

Swami Nalinanand Giri ji maharaj was in search for a divinely inspired and spiritually blessed guru, one who was ordained Know More

Kathopanishad says that learn from the one who is ananya or one with God- one who is no different than Him "Brahamvid brahmev bhavati (Brahmsutra)" Brahamvid brahmev bhavati (Brahmsutra) i.e. One who knows God becomes one with him. Narayan ke jo jan sa narayan jaan (in Bhakti Prakash). Shri Swami Satyanand Saraswati ji Maharaj in one of his lectures (recorded copy and transcript available on website for download) speaks from the 18th and concluding chapter of Gita about the way to worship and attain and experience God and His knowledge. It states that "Swakarmana tabyaarchy siddhim vindati manavah" i.e. doing one’s duty and believing, at the same time, that my duty is the worship of God and then offering these flowers to God is the way to attaining oneness with The Perfect and The Infinite. He gave illustrations and references from Hindu scriptures like Mahabharata, Upanishads, Bhagwat Puran to bring home this point in one of his wonderfully great book Bhakti Prakash. He then goes on to give references of Kaushik who went on to take lessons on Brahma Gyan from an ordinary housewife. As Kaushik is in the process of receiving the Brahma Gyan, the housewife says "I learnt all this while doing my duties towards my husband.” Swami Satyanand ji Maharaj further gives reference about another ascetic, Jajli who was inspired by Divine voice to go and seek the way to attain God from a trader and householder Tuladhaar. The householder Tuladhaar teaches him and says “I learnt this science and attained the divine knowledge while serving my parents and selling timber.” Another example is of King Janak and how he attained the ultimate - after knowing Him, nothing remains to be known. And he too attained this while taking care of his day to day duties as the king. Swami ji goes on further to say that Banda Bairagi and Maharana Pratap achieved Him while doing their duties towards their countrymen and by making the supreme sacrifice. He postulated the eternal and perennial Vedic truth that Bhakti and Sadhna in no way isolate one from the society or the family. He described how a seeker should worship God as part of his daily duties and thoughts. "Parmatma ko poojiye, ghat mein dhar kar dhyaan, Mann ko mandir maaniye, jo hai param mahaan" Swami Satyanand ji asks us to worship Almighty Shri Ram in our body and to seat the Lord inside our mind and heart. He describes body as the highest temple of the Lord. Since this is the highest temple, He goes on to describe in detail Kayak-e-Sadhna or the means to make the body fit and worthy of being the temple of the Lord. He further explains how to do breathing exercise and Pranayama and instructs us to learn them from a well-qualified expert in this field. This is why Swami Nalinanand ji has kept a very important place for walks, exercises and physical fitness as regimen for a healthy body for all His followers on this divine path. Swami Satyanand Saraswati ji Maharaj then details the means of training the mind and on how to discipline it. He then goes on to say "man ke jeete jeet hai" meaning the true victory is the victory over the mind. This is very much in accordance with Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Gita. The Isha Upanishad guides one to "have a wish to Live for 100 years in a healthy body and sound mind (Jijivishet).

Those with a fit body and mind become worthy and good instruments of God when they progress in bhakti and surrender their ego to God- the Almighty Shri Ram. know More