Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj | |
---|---|
Personal | |
Born | Aniruddha Kumar Pandey 1972 |
Religion | Hinduism |
Nationality | Indian |
Sect | Radha Vallabha Sampradaya |
Religious career | |
Teacher | Shri Hit Gaurangi Sharanji Maharaj |
Website | Swami Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj |
Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj[1] popularly known as Premanand Maharaj is an Indian Hindu spiritual guru, saint, and philosopher.[2] He is a worshipper of Radha Krishna.[3] His Ashram is Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj in Vrindavan. He has gained an iconic social media presence due to his aversion to publicity and refusal to treat his celebrity devotees different from others.[4][5]
His satsangs and private conversations are known for their simplicity and spiritual subtlety. Premanand Maharaj belongs to the Radhavallabh Sect.[6][7][8][9]
Premanand Govind Sharan Maharaj was born in 1972 in the Akhri village, Sarsaul Block, near Kanpur.[10][11] Premananda Maharaj's earlier name was Aniruddh Kumar Pandey. His mother's name was Smt. Rama Devi and father's name was Shambhu Pandey. At the age of 13 he left his ancestral home and took sannyasa.[12]
That marked the beginning of the spiritual journey. Anandswaroop Brahmachari was the name given to Maharaj ji after he was initiated into Naishtik celibacy and thereafter accepted Sannyasa. On accepting the Mahavakya, he was named Swami Anandashram. Maharaj Ji never accepted the hierarchical life of the ashram, thus he lived most of his life as a spiritual seeker on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi. Through the blessing of Shri Shyama-shyam, he was drawn to the splendor of Vrindavan one day while meditating beneath a massive peepal tree in Banaras. Then, a saint requested him to watch Raas Leela the very next day. That saint persisted despite Maharaj ji's repeated refusals, and eventually Maharaj ji accepted it as God's will and left.[13][14]
Shri Hit Mohit Maral Goswami ji initiated Maharaj Ji into the Radhavallabhi sect through the "Sharanagati Mantra." A few days later, at Pujya Shri Goswami Ji's insistence, Maharaj Ji met his current Sadgurudev, Pujya Shri Hit Gaurangi Sharanji Maharaj, also called Bade Guruji, one of the most revered and well-known Saints of Sahachari Bhava. Pujya Shri Hit Gaurangi Sharanji Maharaj gave him the "Niz Mantra," which is the initiation of "Sahachari Bhava" and "Nitya Vihar Rasa," i.e. Thus, Pujya Maharaj ji has entered the Rasik Saints.[15]