About Gurudev

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Birth and Early Life

Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya was born on 20 September 1911, to Pandit Roop Kishore Sharma and Mata Daan Kunwari Devi in Aanwalkheda village, near Agra in Uttar Pradesh, India.His father Roop Kishore Sharma was a scholar of the Bhagavata Purana (also known as the Srimad Bhagavatam) and he traveled widely to give religious discourses on the Bhagavatam. Roop Kishore was also the classmate and close associate of Indian educationist, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya who founded the Banaras Hindu University.[3] Later, when Shriram became eight years of age, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya solemnized Shriram’s sacred thread ceremony (Yagyopaveet) and initiated him in the Gayatri Mantra. Shriram completed his elementary education from the primary school in his village, and his father taught him Sanskrit Grammar on the basis of Laghu Kaumudi and Sidhanta Kaumudi. Traveling with his father, as the latter visited various Princes and Maharajahs, and listening to his father impart religious discourses in their courts, Shriram achieved proficiency in the Bhagavata Purana too. Shriram visited the Himalayas four times for higher spiritual attainments and took active part in Indian freedom movement and was sent to jail three times.

In 1943, he married Bhagavati Devi Sharma,who assisted her husband in running the Gayatri Parivar and took over its running upon his death in 1990.

First Meeting With His Guru

According to Shriram Sharma when he was fifteen years of age, he had an encounter with Sri Sarveshwarananda, a Yogi who resided in an astral body. Describing this encounter Shriram writes.It was the day of Basant Panchami Parva. While I was engrossed in worship in my room during the small hours of the morning (brahma-muhurta) I saw an aura of light. An astral body of a Yogi emerged in the middle of that aura of light. It was astral in the sense that his figure was visible although it was hanging in empty space with an envelop of light all around it. I was wondering as to who he was. The apparition said, “I have been linked with you and have been guiding you during your past several lives. Probably you have no recollection of your past lives and so you are frightened and amazed. See the events of your past birth and remove your doubts.” His grace descended on me and I had a cinematographic view of actual events of my several past births. The figure who was enveloped by an aura of light further said, “These are critical times and there are great chances of mankind being grievously harmed and overwhelmed by the forces of darkness. I want to make you a medium to help solve the problems bedeviling humanity. It is for this purpose that I have come to you.” On that day, I wholeheartedly and completely surrendered myself to Gurudev. The instructions that Gurudev gave that day were (i) performance of twenty-four Mahapurascaranas of Gayatri in twenty-four years; (ii) installation of an uninterruptedly lighted lamp (Akhand Deep); and (iii) visiting his retreat in the Himalayas four times as per his calls, and living there for intensive spiritual pursuits (Sadhana) under his direct guidance. All these instructions have been followed throughout my life and all that has been accomplished in my life is the result of Gurudev’s grace.

Participation in Indian Freedom Movement

Shriram Sharma on a 1991 stamp of India

 
 
 

Fellow freedom fighters nicknamed him “Matta” (the Intoxicated, obsessed, completely devoted to the idea of a Free India) on account of his dedication and devotion. Much of his writing and poetry were published in the Hindi newspaper Sainik (soldier) under the nickname of Matta.He was arrested for breaking prohibitory orders in April 1931 in Agra but released shortly afterwards. Undeterred, he announced a flag procession in the village of Parakhi near his home village Awalkhera. The government again issued prohibitory orders and the police force attacked the procession with batons. Shriram was struck unconscious and carried to a nearby hospital.

In 1933, he left for Kolkata to attend the Rashtriya Adhivation (national meeting) of Congress, but was arrested and sent to Asansol jail with other national leaders such as Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya, Swaruparani Nehru, Devdas Gandhi, Rafi Ahmad Kidwai etc