Premanand Govind Sharan | |
|---|---|
 Premanand maharaj in 2023 | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Aniruddha Kumar Pandey 30 March 1969 [1] [2] |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Sect | Radha Vallabha Sampradaya |
| Religious career | |
| Teacher | Gaurangi Sharan [3] |
| Website | Swami Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj |
Premanand Govind Sharan (born Aniruddh Kumar Pandey, 30 March 1969), [4] known to his followers as Premanand, is an Indian Hindu guru. [5] He belongs to the Radha Vallabh Sampradaya. [6] [7] [8]
Maharaj Ji was born in 1969 in the Akhri village, Sarsaul Block, near Kanpur [9] [1] to Rama Devi and Shambhu Pandey. At the age of 13 he left his ancestral home to become a sanyasi, following the footsteps of his grandfather. [10] [11]
Upon entering the path of a sanyasi, he was given the name Anandswaroop Brahmachari. [11] [12] After accepting the life as a sanyasi and the Mahavakya, he was named Swami Anandashram. [12] He lived most of his early life as a spiritual seeker on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi. While in Varanasi meditating beneath a peepal tree, a saint name Pandit Swami Shri Ram Sharma requested him repeatedly to watch Raas Leela the next day, which Premanand Ji Maharaj accepted reluctantly as god's will. [2] [13] [14] He initiated into the Radhavallabhi Sampradaya by attaining the "Sharanagati Mantra" and met Gaurangi Sharanji Maharaj or Bade Guruji. Bade Guruji gave him the nij mantra, which is the initiation of "Sahachari Bhava" and "Nitya Vihar Rasa," which let him enter the Rasik Saints. [15] [16]
A Radhavallabhi Goswami initiated Maharaj 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. [17] 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. [18] [2]
The Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj Trust Vrindavan is a non-profit organization founded in 2016. [19] The stated aim of the trust is to work for the betterment and upliftment of society and its people. It offers lodging, food, clothing, medical care, and other necessities to pilgrimages to Vrindavan Dham. [20] [21]
From early phase, he has stated to oppose the hierarchical life of the ashram. He discusses that spirituality is the essence of life, existence, and truth. [22] and emphasis that Guru has great importance in everyone's life. [3] Spiritual power maintains harmony in personal and social relationships. A negative character can be very dangerous; don't spoil your character. [23] Preserve the invaluable asset of celibacy (Brahmacharya), which greatly assists in leading a healthy, balanced, and spiritually oriented life. [24]
