His Holiness
swami kripaluSwami Kripalu’s extraordinary life is chronicled here to serve as homage to his legacy and as inspiration to those who aspire to learn from enlightened this master of supreme consciousness.
A rare being considered to be one of a handful of Indian saints who lived during the 20th century. His very presence was a privileged opportunity for those who had the fortune to know him.
A renowned master of Kundalini Yoga, he received early training from his guru, Swami Pranavanandji (later revealed as Lord Lakulish, the 28th incarnation of Lord Shiva and affectionately referred to as Dadaji) and sannyas initiation from Swami Shantanandji Maharaj.
After training the young Kripalu intensively for 15 months, Dadaji mysteriously disappeared. Kripalu went back to his previous life, but eventually renounced his worldly attachments to became a swami, immersing himself in the study of scriptures and giving lectures as he wandered Gujarat.
A renowned master of yoga
After an absence of 17 years, Dadaji reappeared and guided Kripalu in his formal yoga sadhana and instructed him to rebuild the ancient Tirtha Seva Samaj at Kayavarohan, now a sacred pilgrimage destination.
In 1947, Swami Kripalu was lecturing on the Bhagavad Gita in the small town of Halol. It was there that 16-year-old Amrit Desai became enamored of his teachings and was privileged to serve him closely. Later, Yogi Desai brought the teachings of the Lakulish Lineage to the West in 1960. Swami Kripalu’s other close disciples, Rajarshi Muni, Ashutosh Muni, Vinit Muni and Yogeshwar Muni (Vinit and Yogeshwar are now deceased) also continued the Lineage.
Kripalu’s early years
At only seven years old, Kripalu (whose given name was Saraswatichandra but was called Narayan) lost his father. The year was 1920 and the already impoverished family of nine children was thrown into financial turmoil.
Years later, he could still sadly recall seeing all their possessions piled in the street when their home was taken from them. Despite being a brilliant student and avid reader, he was forced to leave formal schooling in the seventh grade to help support his mother and sisters. Over the years he held a variety of low-paying jobs, but his talents always led him to work as a dramatist, poet and composer. His plays and musical compositions were of such high caliber, he decided to move to the bustling city of Bombay at 18 to seek his fortune.
Things did not go well in the big city and by his 19th birthday, Kripalu was out of money and in the depths of despair. His depression was so deep he felt the only resolution was to end his life. Wandering the streets for an entire day, he eventually found himself at the door of the temple that was dearest to his heart. The evening arti had already begun at the Divine Mother Shrine as he knelt before the statue, tears streaming down his cheeks. Peering at this divine being, his vision shifted to a nearby bridge close to the beach. In his mind’s eye, he saw an electric train approaching the station just as his body fell from the bridge onto the tracks below. As he envisioned his body crushed by the train, he convulsed into sobs and entreated, “Oh Mother, I don’t want to live such a futile and loveless life. Let me kill myself.” It was not the first time he had contemplated suicide in the past discouraging year. In fact, he had considered it three times before…
videos of kripalu
asana & mudra
Rare images of Kundalini Master deeply immersed in spontaneous, dynamic meditation.
This glimpse into Swami Kripalu’s private kundalini sadhana is what Yogi Amrit Desai would have seen as a 16-year-old boy when invited to witness his spontaneous posture flow.