Vishwadevanand Puri

Early life

Pujya Swami Vishwadevanand Puri was born as Kailash Nath Shukla in Naugava Village of Kanpur district of Uttra Pradesh on 26 January 1946 to Shri. Vishwanath Shukla’s house. He showed signs of fervor towards spirituality during his childhood. He read many Vedic scriptures in his childhood which progressively developed in him a resolve to lead a Sanyasi’s (A life of renunciation) life for the welfare of mankind.When he was sixteen, he left his house in the search of The Almighty God. He neither went back his home nor remain any contact with family. He met a true Sanyasi and great saint Pujya Swami Sadananda Paramhansa in Dariya Pur village near by Naimisharanya, Uttra Pradesh. He learnt a lot Sadhnas here and got enlightenment. He stayed here near about 5 or 6 years. He spent many years of life in intense penance and Sadhana (spiritual practices for self-realization) at many places in Himalayas including, Punjab, Gujarat forests Haridwar and Varanasi and on the banks of river Ganges.

Beginnings

Swami ji became interested in Vedanta (Vedanta known also as Upanishad, is a positional name for the wisdom contained in the end portion of the Vedas, the most ancient body of scriptural and religious knowledge known to humankind) In 1962 Swami ji took Sanyas Diksha from Param Tapasvi Anant shri Vibhushit Acharaya Mahamandleshwar Nirvan Pithadhishwar Swami Atulanand ji and became Paramhansa Privrajkacharya Swami Vishwadevanand ji Maharaj. In order to understand the plight of people and possible solutions for dispelling ignorance, he went on a pilgrimage to all the holy places in different parts of India. Later, he went for world tour to share his knowledge to people throughout the world. Guided by divine within, supported by Vedic knowledge and rich experiences of spirituality, he developed a very broad vision to serve the society based on the greatest dictum "Vasudev Kutumbkam" meaning "the whole world is one family of divine". That’s why he is The Founder of Vishwa Kalyan Foundation in Haridwar.

After 1962, with the permission of Swami Aulanand ji Maharaj he went to study in Sannyas Ashram Elise Bridge, Ahmedabad .He stayed in the feet of his Param Guru Acharaya Mahamandleshwar Nirvan Pithadhishwar Swami Krishnanand ji Maharaj shri .He helped Vishvadevanand ji to learn one thing clearly - that Vedanta is a ‘‘pramana’’ (means of knowledge) to know the truth of the Self. This resolved all my conflicts. My problems with Vedanta had been my mistaken notion that it was a system. Then to advance study he went Delhi. Here he passed his master's degree in English Language and literature from Delhi University.

Pithadhishwar of Mahanirvani Akhada

The saints of the Sanatan Dharma (Hindu Society) and a leading organization of millions of sadhus, the SHRI PANCHAYATI MAHANIRVANI AKHADA had designated him as PRIME SAINT in 1985 at the Haridwar Maha Kumbh. He has then been appointed as ACHARYA MAHAMANDLESHWAR i.e. the leader of all the saints of SHRI PANCHAYATI MAHANIRVANI AKHADA. As the Acharya Mahamandleshwar of the Akhada, Maharaj Shri is Chairman of various Ashrams situated at Haridwar, Varanasi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad etc.Maharaj Shri established The First Shri Yantra Mandir of world made by stone. This temple is situated in Kankhal, Haridwar, Uttrakhanda(Himalayas) India.

His works for Human kind

Pujya Maharaj Shri delivered religious discourses for the last thirty years, as a preacher of the Sanatan Dharma. In India, Pujya Maharaj Shri attracted huge audiences. His simple, scientific and interesting presentation of the philosophy is so powerful that it has changed the lives of thousands of people. He often tours outside India as well. He has inspired thousands of people in Singapore, Malaysia and England, Canada, America where his visit is always anxiously awaited. Pujya Maharaj Shri visited USA several times and evoked a tremendous response in every city that he visited. His lectures cover the teachings of the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavatam, Puranas, Bhagavad Geeta, Ramayana, and other Eastern and Western philosophies. Like the true disciple of a true master, Pujya Maharaj Shri masterfully quotes from scriptures of different religions that have the ability to satisfy even the most discerning of knowledge seekers. He also reveals the simple and straightforward way of God-realization which can be practiced by anyone. Another special feature about his lectures is that he establishes every spiritual truth through scriptural quotations, irrefutable logic and humorous real-life illustrations. His wisdom filled anecdotes, humorous stories and clarity has the audience both enthralled and entertained for the entire duration of his lecture! Pujya Maharaj Shri’s warmth and humility touch all those who have the fortune to have his association. In fact, his very presence radiates Grace and Bliss. Pujya Maharaj Shri is a Great Philosopher – a great thinker. Science is not the end for him. Science can only create a better world bereft of poverty, illness and unfair disparities. He thinks beyond science. He creates a world of universal oneness – integrated with religion, science and art. He is the ‘confluence’ in which many streams converge and reflect an individual’s quest for meaning. Pujya Maharaj Shri is an honorable member of the Vishva Hindu Prishad. Maharaj Shri was honored by Chief Guest of Rashtriya Savayam Sevak Sangh (R.S.S.) many times.

Institutions

Educational Institutes- The first College for Sanyasis was Sanyansi College, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). It was established in 1907. More than 1000 Sanyasis have been passed out from this college. The founder of this college was Brahmlin Nirvana Pithadhishwar Acharya Mahamandleshwar Shri 108 Swami Jayendra Puri ji Maharaj. More than 300 books have been published from here since 1907. Shri Kashi Vishvanath Sanskrit Mahavidyalya, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It is located in Elis Bridge on the bank of river Sabarmati. It was also established by Brahmlin Nirvana Pithadhishwar Acharya Mahamandleshwar Shri 108 Swami Shri Jayendra Puri ji in 1933.

Charitable Hospitals

Mahamandelshwar Shri Krishananda Ji Ayurvedic & Homeopathic Charitable Hospital, Bara Bazar, Kolkata.

Mahamandelshwar Shri Krishananda Ji Ayurvedic Hospital Elis Bridge, Ahmedabad.

Goshalas (Cow Shelters)

There are a big Goshala in our Sanyas Ashram, Elis Bridge (Ahmedabad). Near about 70 cows are in it. The milk of our cows newer be sold; it is only for Puja. Pujya Maharaj Shri always says that we should have do service of mother cow. The cow is not animal it’s our mother in our Indian mythology.

Vishvakalyan Sadhanayatan (Shri Yantra Mandir)

Vishvakalyan Sadhanayatan (Shri Yantra Mandir) was founded in 1991 by Nirvana Pithadhishwar Acharya Mahamandleshwar Swami Shri Vishwadevanand ji. Accommodation is available.

Temple and Sharda Ghat

There is a well-known Shri Yantra Mandir in this Ashram. The ashram has other Temples also around the Shree Yantra Mandir on the banks of the holy river Ganga where daily morning prayers are performed followed by Yagna, the fire ritual. We also do an evening Aarti. Special Pujas, such as Rudrabhishek and Ganga Puja, are conducted from time to time. The Temple houses a Shiva lingam, along with altars to Ganesha, Parvati, Lord Narayan with Laxmi, Surya Narayan (the Sun God), and Hanuman. The ashram celebrates all Hindu festivals as well as spiritual holidays of other faiths.

Contributions to Global Spiritual Harmony

Pujya Maharaj shri was a consistent and steadfast proponent of true freedom of religious pursuit. In his words, "The freedom to practice one’s religion is not negotiable." According to him, religious freedom includes not just the right to choose, practice and propagate one’s religion, but the very important right to have those freedoms protected from an unsolicited attempt, and especially, a coercive attempt, to supplant one’s religion. He describes religious choice to be a complete freedom of letting all religions and correspondingly, the religious and spiritual pursuits of the people who are the followers of each one of these religions, coexist. He emphasizes that important message with a degree of clarity that is powerful enough to ward off religious conflicts and promote religious harmony. He advocated that "religious harmony is closely dependent on the freedom each religion grants to the other."

Death

Pujya Maharaj ji took samadhi in Hariwar on 7 May 2013. Unfortunately his car got an accident while he was returning to his Ashram from Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun. It was a great loss for all humanity.