Rambhadracharya

Jagadguru Rambhadracharya [जगद्गुरुरामभद्राचार्यः] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: Sanskrit (help) [जगद्गुरु रामभद्राचार्य] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: hindi (help)
Jagadguru Rambhadracharya delivering a sermon on 25 October 2009 in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Personal
Born	Giridhar Mishra (1950-01-14)14 January 1950 Shandikhurd, Jaunpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India
Sect	Ramanandi sect
Organization
Founder of	Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University Tulsi Peeth Tulasi School for the Blind Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Viklang Seva Sangh Kanch Mandir Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Viklang Shikshan Sansthan
Philosophy	Vishishtadvaita Vedanta
Senior posting
Guru	Pandit Ishvardas Maharaj
Honors	Dharmacakravartī, Mahāmahopādhyāya, Śrīcitrakūṭatulasīpīṭhādhīśvara, Jagadguru Rāmānandācārya, Mahākavi, Prasthānatrayībhāṣyakāra, and others

Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Swami Rambhadracharya, born 14 January 1950 as Giridhar Mishra, is a Hindu religious leader, educationist, Sanskrit scholar, polyglot, poet, author, commentator, philosopher, composer, singer, playwright and Katha artist based in Chitrakoot, India. He is one of four incumbent Jagadguru Ramanandacharya, and has held this title since 1988.

Rambhadracharya is the establisher and head of Tulsi Peeth, a religious and social service institution named after saint Tulsidas, located in Chitrakoot. He is the founder and lifelong chancellor of the Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University in Chitrakoot, which offers graduate and postgraduate courses exclusively to four types of disabled students. Rambhadracharya has been blind since the age of two months. He has never used Braille or any other aid to learn or compose.

Rambhadracharya can speak 22 languages, and is a spontaneous poet, and writer in Sanskrit, Hindi, Awadhi, Maithili, and several other languages. He has composed more than 90 works, including four epic poems, a Hindi commentary on Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas, a Sanskrit commentary in verse on the Ashtadhyayi, and Sanskrit commentaries on the Prasthanatrayi scriptures. He is regarded as one of the greatest authorities on Tulsidas in India, and is the editor of a critical edition of the Ramcharitmanas. He is Katha artist for the Ramayana and the Bhagavata. His Katha programmes are held regularly in different cities in India and other countries, and are telecast on television channels like Sanskar TV and Sanatan TV.

Birth and early life

Jagadguru Rambhadracharya was born in a Saryupareen Brahmin family of Vasishtha Gotra (lineage of the sage Vasishtha) in Shandikhurd village of Jaunpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India. His birth took place at 10:34 pm on the Makar Sankranti day of Saturday, 14 January 1950 (Magha Krishna Ekadashi) under the Anuradha constellation. Born to mother Shachidevi and father Pandit Rajdev Mishra, he was named Giridhar by his grand aunt, a paternal cousin of his paternal grandfather, Pandit Suryabali Mishra. The grand aunt was a devotee of Mirabai, a female saint of the Bhakti era in medieval India, who used the name Giridhar to address the god Krishna in her compositions.

Loss of eyesight

Giridhar lost his eyesight at the age of two months. On 24 March 1950, his eyes were infected by trachoma. There were no advanced facilities for treatment in the village. He was taken to an elderly woman in a nearby village who was known to cure trachoma boils to provide relief. The woman applied a paste of myrobalan to Giridhar's eyes to burst the lumps, but his eyes started bleeding, resulting in the loss of his eyesight. He was taken by his family to the King George Hospital in Lucknow, where his eyes were treated for 21 days, but his sight could not be restored. Various Ayurvedic, Homeopathic, Allopathic, and alternate medicine physicians were approached in Sitapur, Lucknow, and Bombay, but to no avail. Rambhadracharya has been without eyesight ever since. He cannot read or write, as he does not use the Braille system; he learns by listening and composes by dictating to scribes.

Accident at a young age

In June 1953 Giridhar had a near-death experience. At a juggler's monkey dance show in the village, the children—including Giridhar—suddenly ran away when the monkey began to touch them. Giridhar fell in a small dry well, and was trapped for some time until a teenage girl rescued him. Giridhar's grandfather told him his life was saved because he had learned the following line of a verse in the Ramcharitmanas (1.192.4) from the episode of manifestation of the god Rama:

यह चरित जे गावहिं हरिपद पावहिं ते न परहिं भवकूपा ॥
yaha carita je gāvahı̐ haripada pāvahı̐ te na parahı̐ bhavakūpā ॥

Those who sing this lay attain to the feet of Hari (Vishnu) and never fall into the well of birth and death.

Giridhar's grandfather asked him to recite the verse always, and from then on, Giridhar started the practice of reciting the verse every time he takes water or food.

First composition

Giridhar's initial education came from his paternal grandfather, as his father worked in Bombay. In the afternoons, his grandfather would narrate to him various episodes of the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, and devotional works like Vishramsagar, Sukhsagar, Premsagar, and Brajvilas. At the age of three years, Giridhar composed his first piece of poetry—in Awadhi (a dialect of Hindi)—and recited it to his grandfather. In this verse, Krishna's foster mother Yashoda is fighting with a Gopi (milkmaid) for hurting Krishna.

Devanagari मेरे गिरिधारी जी से काहे लरी। तुम तरुणी मेरो गिरिधर बालक काहे भुजा पकरी॥ सुसुकि सुसुकि मेरो गिरिधर रोवत तू मुसुकात खरी॥ तू अहिरिन अतिसय झगराऊ बरबस आय खरी॥ गिरिधर कर गहि कहत जसोदा आँचर ओट करी॥

IAST mere giridhārī jī se kāhe larī। tuma taruṇī mero giridhara bālaka kāhe bhujā pakarī॥ susuki susuki mero giridhara rovata tū musukāta kharī॥ tū ahirina atisaya jhagarāū barabasa āya kharī॥ giridhara kara gahi kahata jasodā ā̐cara oṭa karī॥

Why did you fight with my Giridhara (Krishna)? You are a young maiden, and my Giridhara (Krishna) is but a child, why did you hold his arm? My Giridhara (Krishna) is crying, sobbing repeatedly, and you stand [looking at him] smirkingly! O Ahir lady (cowherd girl), you are excessively inclined to quarrel, and come and stand here uninvited." Giridhara (the poet) sings – so says Yashoda, holding on to the hand of Giridhara (Krishna) and covering [her face] with the end of her Sari.

Mastering Gita and Ramcharitmanas

Possessing a remarkable memory, Giridhar memorized the entire Bhagavad Gita consisting of around 700 verses with chapter and verse numbers, in 15 days at the age of five years, with the help of his neighbour, Pandit Murlidhar Mishra. On the Janmashtami day in 1955, he recited the entire Bhagavad Gita. He released the first Braille version of the scripture, with the original Sanskrit text and a Hindi commentary, at New Delhi on 30 November 2007, 52 years after memorizing the Gita. When Giridhar was seven years old, he memorized the entire Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas consisting of around 10,900 verses with chapter and verse numbers, in 60 days, assisted by his grandfather. On Rama Navami day of 1957, he recited the entire epic while fasting. Later, Giridhar went on to memorize the Vedas, the Upanishads, works of Sanskrit grammar, the Bhagavata Purana, all the works of Tulsidas, and many other works in Sanskrit and Indian literature.

Upanayana and Katha discourses

Giridhar's Upanayana (sacred thread ceremony) was performed on Nirjala Ekadashi (the Ekadashi falling in the bright half of the Jyeshtha lunar month) of 24 June 1961. On this day, besides being given the Gayatri Mantra, he was initiated (given Diksha) into the mantra of Rama by Pandit Ishvardas Maharaj of Ayodhya. Having mastered the Bhagavad Gita and Ramcharitmanas at a very young age, Giridhar started visiting the Katha programmes held near his village once every three years in the intercalary Purushottama month. The third time he attended, he presented a Katha on Ramcharitmanas, which was acclaimed by several famous exponents of the Katha art.

Discrimination by family

When Giridhar was eleven, he was stopped from joining his family in a wedding procession. His family thought that his presence would be a bad omen for the occasion of marriage. This incident left a strong impression on Giridhar; he says at the beginning of his autobiography:

I am the same person who was considered to be inauspicious for accompanying a marriage party. ... I am the same person who currently inaugurates the biggest of marriage parties or welfare ceremonies. What is all this? It is all due to the grace of God which turns a straw into a Vajra and a Vajra into a straw.

Formal education

Schooling

A young Giridhar Mishra in an undated photo

Although Giridhar did not have any formal schooling, his learning was rare for children of his age. His family wished him to become a Kathavachak (a Katha artist) but Giridhar wished to pursue his studies. His father explored possibilities for his education in Varanasi, and thought of sending him to a special school for blind students. Giridhar's mother refused to send him there, saying that blind children were not treated well at the school. On 7 July 1967 Giridhar joined the Adarsh Gaurishankar Sanskrit College in the nearby Sujanganj village of Jaunpur to study Sanskrit Vyakarana (grammar) along with Hindi, English, Maths, History, and Geography. He recalls this day in his autobiography as the day when the Golden Journey of his life began. With an ability to memorize material by listening to it just once, Giridhar has not used Braille or other aids to study. In three months, he had memorized and mastered the entire Laghusiddhāntakaumudī of Varadaraja. He topped his class for four years, and passed the Uttara Madhyama (higher secondary) examination in Sanskrit with first class and distinction.

First Sanskrit composition

At the Adarsh Gaurishankar Sanskrit College, Giridhar learnt the eight Ganas of Sanskrit prosody while studying Chandaprabhā, a work on Sanskrit prosody. The next day, he composed his first Sanskrit verse, in the Bhujaṅgaprayāta metre.

Devanagari महाघोरशोकाग्निनातप्यमानं पतन्तं निरासारसंसारसिन्धौ । अनाथं जडं मोहपाशेन बद्धं प्रभो पाहि मां सेवकक्लेशहर्त्तः ॥	IAST mahāghoraśokāgninātapyamānaṃ patantaṃ nirāsārasaṃsārasindhau । nāthaṃ jaḍaṃ mohapāśena baddhaṃ prabho pāhi māṃ sevakakleśaharttaḥ ॥
O the omnipotent Lord, the remover of the distress of your worshippers! Protect me, who is being consumed by the extremely dreadful fire of sorrows, who is helplessly falling in the ocean of the mundane world, who is without any protector, who is ignorant, and who is bonded by the shackles of delusion.

Graduation and masters

In 1971 Giridhar enrolled at the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi for higher studies in Vyakarana. He topped the final examination for the Shastri (Bachelor of Arts) degree in 1974, and then enrolled for the Acharya (Master of Arts) degree at the same institute. While pursuing his master's degree, he visited New Delhi to participate in various national-level competitions at the All-India Sanskrit Conference, where he won five out of the eight gold medals—in Vyakarana, Samkhya, Nyaya, Vedanta, and Sanskrit Antakshari. The then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, awarded the five gold medals, along with the Chalvaijayanti trophy for Uttar Pradesh, to Giridhar. Impressed by his abilities, Gandhi offered to send him to the United States of America for treatment of his eyes from her own personal funds, but Giridhar turned down this offer by replying with an extemporaneously-composed Sanskrit verse –

Devanagari किं दृष्टव्यं पतितजगति व्याप्तदोषेऽप्यसत्ये मायाचाराव्रततनुभृतां पापराजद्विचारे । दृष्टव्योऽसौ चिकुरनिकुरैः पूर्णवक्त्रारविन्दः पूर्णानन्दो धृतशिशुतनुः रामचन्द्रो मुकुन्दः ॥	IAST kiṃ dṛṣṭavyaṃ patitajagati vyāptadoṣe'pyasatye māyācārāvratatanubhṛtāṃ pāparājadvicāre । dṛṣṭavyo'sau cikuranikuraiḥ pūrṇavaktrāravindaḥ pūrṇānando dhṛtaśiśutanuḥ rāmacandro mukundaḥ ॥
What is to be seen in this fallen world, which is false and filled with vices, is full of disputes and is governed by the sins of deceitful and wicked humans? Only Rama is worth seeing, whose flocks of hair cover his lotus-like face, who is completely blissful, who has the form of a child, and who is the giver of liberation.

In 1976 Giridhar topped the final Acharya examinations in Vyakarana, winning seven gold medals and the Chancellor's gold medal. In a rare achievement, although he had only enrolled for a master's degree in Vyakarana, he was declared Acharya of all subjects taught at the university on 30 April 1976.

Doctorate and post-doctorate

Rambhadracharya meditating on the banks of Mandakini river during a Payovrata. He is seated in the Sukhasana pose with fingers folded in the Chin Mudra.

After completing his master's degree, Giridhar enrolled for the doctoral Vidyavaridhi (PhD) degree at the same institute, under Pandit Ramprasad Tripathi. He received a research fellowship from the University Grants Commission (UGC) but faced financial hardship in the coming years. With great difficulty, he completed his Vidyavaridhi degree in Sanskrit grammar on 14 October 1981 from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. His dissertation was titled Adhyātmarāmāyaṇe Apāṇinīyaprayogānāṃ Vimarśaḥ, or Deliberation on the non-Paninian usages in the Adhyatma Ramayana. On the completion of his doctorate, UGC appointed him as the head of the Vyakarana department of the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. However, Giridhar did not accept the offer; he decided to devote his life to the service of religion, society, and the disabled.

On 9 May 1997, Giridhar (now known as Rambhadracharya) was awarded the post-doctorate Vachaspati (DLitt) degree by Sampurnanand Sanskrit University for his Sanskrit dissertation Aṣṭādhyāyyāḥ Pratisūtraṃ Śābdabodhasamīkṣaṇam, or Investigation into verbal knowledge of every Sūtra of the Ashtadhyayi. The degree was presented to him by the then President of India, K. R. Narayanan. In this work, he explained each aphorism of the grammar of Panini in Sanskrit verses.

Later life

Virakta Diksha

In 1976 Giridhar narrated a Katha on Ramcharitmanas to Swami Karpatri. Swami Karpatri advised him not to marry, to stay a lifelong Brahmachari (celibate bachelor) and to take initiation in a Vaishnava Sampradaya (a sect worshipping Vishnu, Krishna, or Rama as the supreme God). Giridhar took Vairagi (renouncer) initiation or Virakta Diksha in the Ramananda Sampradaya on the Kartika full-moon day of 19 November 1983 from Shri Ramcharandas Maharaj Phalahari. He now came to be known as Rambhadradas.

Six-month fasts

As per the following fifth verse of the Dohavali composed by Tulsidas, Rambhadradas observed a six-month Payovrata, a diet of only milk and fruits, at Chitrakoot in 1979.

Devanagari पय अहार फल खाइ जपु राम नाम षट मास । सकल सुमंगल सिद्धि सब करतल तुलसीदास ॥	IAST paya ahāra phala khāi japu rāma nāma ṣaṭa māsa । sakala sumaṃgala siddhi saba karatala tulasīdāsa ॥
Chant the name of Rama subsisting on a diet of milk and fruits for six months. Says Tulsidas, on doing thus, all the auspiciousness and accomplishments will be in one's hand.

In 1983 he observed his second Payovrata beside the Sphatik Shila in Chitrakoot. The Payovrata has become a regular part of Rambhadradas' life. In his sixth Payovrata in 2002, he composed the Sanskrit epic Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam. He continues to observe Payovratas, the latest being his ninth Payovrata in 2010–2011.

Tulsi Peeth

Rambhadracharya garlanding a statue of Tulsidas at Tulsi Peeth, Chitrakoot, India, on 25 October 2009

In 1987 Rambhadradas established a religious and social service institution called Tulsi Peeth (The seat of Tulsi) in Chitrakoot, where, according to the Ramayana, Rama had spent twelve out of his fourteen years of exile. As the founder of the seat, the title of Śrīcitrakūṭatulasīpīṭhādhīśvara (literally, the Lord of the Tulsi Peeth at Chitrakoot) was bestowed upon him by Sadhus and intellectuals. In the Tulsi Peeth, he arranged for a temple devoted to Rama and his consort Sita to be constructed, which is known as Kanch Mandir (literally glass temple).

Post of Jagadguru Ramanandacharya

Rambhadradas was chosen as the Jagadguru Ramanandacharya seated at the Tulsi Peeth by the Kashi Vidwat Parishad in Varanasi on 24 June 1988. On 3 February 1989, at the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, the appointment was unanimously supported by the Mahants of the three Akharas, the four sub-Sampradayas, the Khalsas and saints of the Ramananda Sampradaya. On 1 August 1995 he was ritually anointed as the Jagadguru Ramanandacharya in Ayodhya by the Digambar Akhara. Thereafter he was known as Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Swami Rambhadracharya.

Deposition in the Ayodhya case

In July 2003 Rambhadracharya deposed as an expert witness for religious matters (OPW 16) in the Other Original Suit Number 5 of the Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid dispute case in the Allahabad High Court. Some portions of his affidavit and cross examination are quoted in the final judgement by the High Court. In his affidavit, he cited the ancient Hindu scriptures including the Ramayana, Rāmatāpanīya Upaniṣad, Skanda Purana, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda, and others describing Ayodhya as a city holy to Hindus and the birthplace of Rama. He cited verses from two works composed by Tulsidas which, in his opinion, talk about the dispute. The first citation consisted of eight verses from a work called Dohā Śataka, which describe the destruction of a temple and construction of a mosque at the disputed site in 1528 CE by Mughal ruler Babur, who had ordered General Mir Baqui to destroy the Rama temple, which was a symbol of worship by infidels. The second citation was a verse from a work called Kavitāvalī, which mentions a mosque. In his cross examination, he described in some detail the history of the Ramananda sect, its Mathas, rules regarding Mahants, formation and working of Akharas, and Tulsidas' works. Refuting the possibility of the original temple being to the north of the disputed area, as pleaded by the pro-mosque parties, he described the boundaries of the Janmabhoomi as mentioned in the Ayodhya Mahatmya section of Skanda Purana, which tallied with the present location of the disputed area, as noted by Justice Sudhir Agarwal. However, he stated that he has no knowledge of whether there was a Ram Chabootra (the Platform of Rama) outside the area that was locked from 1950 to 1985 and where the Chati Poojan Sthal was, and whether the idols of Rama, his brother Lakshmana, and Sita were installed at Ram Chabootra outside the Janmabhoomi temple.

Multilingualism

Rambhadracharya is a polyglot, capable of speaking 22 languages. Some of them are Sanskrit, Hindi, English, French, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Oriya, Gujarati, Punjabi, Marathi, Magadhi, Awadhi, and Braj. He has composed poems and literary works in many Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, and Awadhi. He has translated many of his works of poetry and prose into other languages. He delivers Katha programmes in various languages, including Hindi, Bhojpuri, and Gujarati.

Institutes for the disabled

See also: Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University

Rambhadracharya with mobility-impaired students in front of the main building of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University on 2 January 2005

On 23 August 1996 Swami Rambhadracharya established the Tulsi School for the Blind in Chitrakoot. He founded the Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University—an institution of higher learning solely for disabled students—on 27 September 2001 in Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh. This is the first university in the world exclusively for the disabled. The university was created by an ordinance of the Uttar Pradesh Government, which was later passed as the Uttar Pradesh State Act 32 (2001) by the Uttar Pradesh legislature. The act appointed Swami Rambhadracharya as the lifelong chancellor of the university. The university offers graduate, post-graduate, and doctorate degrees in various streams, including Sanskrit, Hindi, English, Sociology, Psychology, Music, Drawing and Painting, Fine Arts, Special Education, Education, History, Culture and Archeology, Computer and Information Sciences, Vocational Education, Law, Economics, and Prosthetics and Orthotics. The university plans to start offering courses in Ayurveda and Medical Sciences from 2013. Admissions are restricted to the four types of disabled students – visually impaired, hearing impaired, mobility impaired, and mentally impaired – as defined by the Disability Act (1995) of the Government of India. As per the Government of Uttar Pradesh, the university is among the chief educational institutes for Information Technology and Electronics in the state.

Rambhadracharya also founded an organisation called Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Viklang Seva Sangh, headquartered in Satna, Madhya Pradesh. Its goal is to create community awareness and initiate child development programs in rural India. Its primary objective is to supplement the education programs of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University, by helping disabled children get a good education. Aid is generally given in the form of facilities which enable easier access to education. Rambhadracharya also runs a hundred-bed hospital in Gujarat.

Critical edition of Ramcharitmanas

Rambhadracharya (right) presenting the critical edition of Ramcharitmanas edited by him to the president of India, Pratibha Patil (left)

The Ramcharitmanas was composed by Tulsidas in the late sixteenth century. It has been extremely popular in northern India over the last four hundred years, and is often referred to as the "Bible of northern India" by Western Indologists. Rambhadracharya, who had done more than four thousand recitations of the entire Ramcharitmanas since childhood until 2006, produced a critical edition of the Ramcharitmanas after studying fifty different editions during eight years of research. This edition was published as the Tulsi Peeth edition. Apart from the original text, for which Rambhadracharya has relied extensively on older manuscripts, there are differences in spelling, grammar, and prosodic conventions between this edition and contemporary editions of the Ramcharitmanas as follows.

1. Several current-day editions, including the one by Gita Press, consider one Chaupai verse to be a unit of 64 instants in two lines wherein each line in turn consists of two parts of 16 instants each. Some other scholars count one Chaupai verse as a unit of 32 instants only. Rambhadracharya has considered a Chaupai of 32 instants in one line, citing the examples of Hanuman Chalisa and the critique of Padmavat by Ramchandra Shukla in support. He says that the Chaupai still has four feet due to the ceasura after every eighth instant.
2. Apart from some exceptions, for example when needed to satisfy the prosodic constraints, the Tulsi Peeth edition does not have words in nominative and accusative case ending in the rounded vowel (Unicode उ, IPA /u/) as seen in current-day editions. Rambhadracharya considers the endings to be artefacts in the manuscripts, calling such endings unnatural in Awadhi. Most of the corresponding words in the text of Tulsi Peeth edition end in the central vowel (Unicode अ, IPA /ɐ/)
3. The Tulsi Peeth edition does not use nasalised vowels (Anunasika) to indicate case endings. As per Rambhadracharya, this is the same as older editions, where the use of Anunasika for case endings is absent.
4. In place of the conjunct nasal-fricative consonants nh (Unicode न्ह्, IPA /n̪ɦ/) and mh (Unicode म्ह्, IPA /mɦ/) seen in accusative plural and second person pronoun usages in contemporary editions, the Tulsi Peeth edition has the single nasal consonants n (Unicode न्, IPA /n̪/) and m (Unicode म्, IPA /m/) respectively.
5. For Tadbhava words, the Tulsi Peeth edition uses the dental fricative s (Unicode स्, IPA /s̪/) instead of the palatal fricative ś (Unicode श्, IPA /ɕ/) in the corresponding Tatsama form selectively, only at places where the replacement does not result in a faux pas. For example, the dental fricative is used in the word सोभा (sobhā, from Sanskrit śobhā, meaning splendour or brilliance) but the palatal fricative is unchanged in शंकर (Śaṃkara, a name for Shiva) where the replacement would result in संकर (Śaṃkara), which means a mixed offspring from promiscuous cohabitation. Contemporary editions use the dental fricative throughout.

In November 2009 a controversy arose over this edition in Ayodhya, when the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad and Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas demanded an apology from Swami Rambhadracharya over the Tulsi Peeth edition, accusing him of tampering with the epic. Rambhadracharya responded by saying that he had merely edited extant copies of the epic and not modified the original epic, similar to what Nanda Dulare Vajpayee had done for the Gita Press edition, published in 1949. The dispute subsided when Rambhadracharya sent a letter to the Akhara Parishad, expressing regret over any annoyance or pain caused by the publication of Tulsi Peeth edition. In the letter, he requested the Akhara Parishad to consider older printed editions of the Ramcharitmanas as authentic, not others. A writ petition filed by Shiv Asray Asthana, publisher of the journal Prakhar Vichar, in 2008 seeking a seizure and forfeiture of the critical edition by Rambhadracharya was dismissed by the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court in May 2011.

Works

Śrībhārgavarāghaviyam, being released by Atal Behari Vajpayee (centre) in 2002. Rambhadracharya is to the left.

Main article: Works of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya

Rambhadracharya has authored more than 90 works, including published books and unpublished manuscripts. Various audio and video recordings have also been released. His major literary and musical compositions, grouped by genre, are listed below.

Poetry and plays

Main article: Poems by Jagadguru Rambhadracharya

• (1980) Kākā Vidura (काका विदुर) – Hindi minor poem.
• (1980) Mukundasmaraṇam (मुकुन्दस्मरणम्) – Sanskrit minor poem.
• (1982) Mā̐ Śabarī (मा̐ शबरी) – Hindi minor poem.
• (1987) Śrījānakīkṛpākaṭākṣastotram (श्रीजानकीकृपाकटाक्षस्तोत्रम्) – Sanskrit hymn of praise.
• (1991) Rāghavagītaguñjana (राघवगीतगुञ्जन) – Hindi lyrical poem.
• (1992) Śrīrāmavallabhāstotram (श्रीरामवल्लभास्तोत्रम्) – Sanskrit hymn of praise.
• (1993) Bhaktigītasudhā (भक्तिगीतसुधा) – Hindi lyrical poem.
• (1994) Arundhatī (अरुन्धती) – Hindi epic poem.
• (1994) Śrīgaṅgāmahimnastotram (श्रीगङ्गामहिम्नस्तोत्रम्) – Sanskrit hymn of praise.
• (1995) Śrīcitrakūṭavihāryaṣṭakam (श्रीचित्रकूटविहार्यष्टकम्) – Sanskrit hymn of praise.
• (1996) Ājādacandraśekharacaritam (आजादचन्द्रशेखरचरितम्) – Sanskrit minor poem.
• (1996) Śrīrāghavābhyudayam (श्रीराघवाभ्युदयम्) – Single-act Sanskrit play-poem.
• (1997) Aṣṭādhyāyyāḥ Pratisūtraṃ Śābdabodhasamīkṣaṇam (अष्टाध्याय्याः प्रतिसूत्रं शाब्दबोधसमीक्षणम्) – Sanskrit commentary in verse on the Sutras of the Ashtadhyayi.
• (1997) Śrīrāmabhaktisarvasvam (श्रीरामभक्तिसर्वस्वम्) – Sanskrit poem of one hundred verses.
• (2000) Sarayūlaharī (सरयूलहरी) – Sanskrit minor poem.
• (2001) Laghuraghuvaram (लघुरघुवरम्) – Sanskrit minor poem.
• (2002) Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam (श्रीभार्गवराघवीयम्)  – Sanskrit epic poem. The poet was awarded the 2004 Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit for the epic.
• (2002) Śrīrāghavabhāvadarśanam (श्रीराघवभावदर्शनम्) – Sanskrit minor poem.
• (2003) Kubjāpatram (कुब्जापत्रम्) – Sanskrit letter poem.
• (2004) Bhṛṅgadūtam (भृङ्गदूतम्) – Sanskrit minor poem of the Dūtakāvya (messenger-poem) category.
• (2008) Śrīsītārāmakelikaumudī (श्रीसीतारामकेलिकौमुदी) – Hindi Rītikāvya (procedural-era Hindi poem).
• (2009) Śrīsītārāmasuprabhātam (श्रीसीतारामसुप्रभातम्) – A Sanskrit suprabhatam.
• (2010) Aṣṭāvakra (अष्टावक्र) – Hindi epic poem.
• (2011) Gītarāmāyaṇam (गीतरामायणम्) – Sanskrit lyrical epic poem.
• (2011) Avadha Kai Ajoriyā (अवध कै अजोरिया) – Awadhi lyrical poem.
• (2011) Śrīsītāsudhānidhiḥ (श्रीसीतासुधानिधिः) – Sanskrit minor poem of the Stotraprabandhakāvya category.

Prose

Covers of some books edited or authored by Rambhadracharya.

Sanskrit commentaries on Prasthanatrayi

Rambhadracharya composed Sanskrit commentaries titled Śrīrāghavakṛpābhāṣyam on the the Prasthanatrayi – the Brahma Sutra, the Bhagavad Gita, and eleven Upanishads. These commentaries were released on 10 April 1998 by the then Prime Minister of India, Atal Behari Vajpayee. He composed Śrīrāghavakṛpābhāṣyam on Narada Bhakti Sutra in 1991. Rambhadracharya thus revived—after five hundred years—the tradition of Sanskrit commentaries on the Prasthanatrayi. He also gave the Ramananda Sampradaya its second commentary on Prasthanatrayi in Sanskrit, the first being the Ānandabhāṣyam, composed by Ramananda himself. Rambhadracharya's commentary in Sanskrit on the Prasthanatrayi was the first written in almost 500 years.

Other prose works

• (1980) Bharata Mahimā (भरत महिमा) – Hindi discourse.
• (1981) Adhyātmarāmāyaṇe Apāṇinīyaprayogānāṃ Vimarśaḥ (अध्यात्मरामायणे अपाणिनीयप्रयोगानां विमर्शः) – Sanskrit dissertation (PhD thesis).
• (1982) Mānasa Me̐ Tāpasa Prasaṅga (मानस में तापस प्रसंग) – Hindi deliberation.
• (1983) Mahavīrī (महावीरी) – Hindi commentary on Hanuman Chalisa.
• (1985) Sugrīva Kā Agha Aura Vibhīṣaṇa Kī Karatūti (सुग्रीव का अघ और विभीषण की करतूति) – Hindi discourse.
• (1985) Śrīgītātātparya (श्रीगीतातात्पर्य) – Hindi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita.
• (1988) Sanātanadharma Kī Vigrahasvarūpa Gomātā (सनातनधर्म की विग्रहस्वरूप गोमाता) – Hindi deliberation.
• (1988) Śrītulasīsāhitya me̐ Kṛṣṇa Kathā (श्रीतुलसीसाहित्य में कृष्णकथा) – Hindi investigative research.
• (1989) Mānasa me̐ Sumitrā (मानस में सुमित्रा) – Hindi discourse.
• (1990) Sīta Nirvāsana Nahī̐ (सीता निर्वासन नहीं) – Hindi critique.
• (1991) Śrīnāradabhaktisūtreṣu Śrīrāghavakṛpābhāṣyam (श्रीनारदभक्तिसूत्रेषु श्रीराघवकृपाभाष्यम्) – Sanskrit commentary on the Narada Bhakti Sutra.
• (1992) Prabhu Kari Kṛpā Pā̐varī Dīnhī (प्रभु करि कृपा पाँवरी दीन्ही) – Hindi discourse.
• (1993) Parama Baḍabhāgī Jaṭāyu (परम बड़भागी जटायु) – Hindi discourse.
• (2001) Śrīrāmastavarājastotre Śrīrāghavakṛpābhāṣyam (श्रीरामस्तवराजस्तोत्रे श्रीराघवकृपाभाष्यम्) – Sanskrit commentary on the Rāmastavarājastotra.
• (2001) Śrī Sītārāma Vivāha Darśana (श्री सीताराम विवाह दर्शन) – Hindi discourse.
• (2004) Tuma Pāvaka Ma̐ha Karahu Nivāsā (तुम पावक मँह करहु निवासा) – Hindi discourse.
• (2005) Bhāvārthabodhinī (भावार्थबोधिनी) – Hindi commentary on the Ramcharitmanas.
• (2007) Śrīrāsapañcādhyāyīvimarśaḥ (श्रीरासपञ्चाध्यायीविमर्शः) – Hindi deliberation on Rāsapañcādhyāyī.
• (2006) Ahalyoddhāra (अहल्योद्धार) – Hindi discourse .
• (2008) Hara Te Bhe Hanumāna (हर ते भे हनुमान) – Hindi discourse.

Audio and video

• (2001) Bhajana Sarayū (भजन सरयू) – Audio CD with eight Bhajans (devotional hymns) in Hindi devoted to Rama. Composed, set to music, and sung by Rambhadracharya. Released by Yuki Cassettes, Delhi.
• (2001) Bhajana Yamunā (भजन यमुना) – Audio CD with seven Bhajans in Hindi devoted to Krishna. Composed, set to music, and sung by Rambhadracharya. Released by Yuki Cassettes, Delhi.
• (2009) Śrī Hanumat Bhakti (श्री हनुमत् भक्ति) – Audio CD with six Bhajans in Hindi devoted to Hanuman, and composed by Tulsidas. Set to music and sung by Rambhadracharya. Released by Kuber Music, New Delhi.
• (2009) Śrīsītārāmasuprabhātam (श्रीसीतारामसुप्रभातम्) – Audio CD of Śrīsītārāmasuprabhātam, a Sanskrit Suprabhata poem. Composed, set to music, and sung in the Vairagi Raga by Rambhadracharya. Released by Yuki Cassettes, Delhi.
• (2009) Sundara Kāṇḍa (सुन्दर काण्ड) – DVD with a musical rendition of and commentary on the Sundar Kand of Ramcharitmanas. Spoken, set to music, and sung by Rambhadracharya. Released by Yuki Cassettes, Delhi.

Recognition, awards and honours

Recognition

Recognition in India

Rambhadracharya (third from right) with Rajnath Singh (extreme right) at the third convocation of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University held on 14 January 2011

Rambhadracharya enjoys a wide popularity in the Chitrakoot region. Atal Behari Vajpayee, the former prime minister of India, considered Rambhadracharya to be an "immensely learned person well versed in Vedic and Puranic literature besides the grammar", and commended his intelligence and memory. Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party who was present at the inauguration of Kanch Mandir, said of Rambhadracharya that the "intense knowledge of the most revered is indeed adorable". Nanaji Deshmukh, social activist and former leader of Bharatiya Jana Sangha, called Rambhadracharya "an astonishing gem of the country". Swami Kalyandev, a social activist and Padma Bhushan awardee, considered Rambhadracharya to be "an unprecedented intellectual and speaker, and an Acharya with great devotion". Somnath Chatterjee, former Speaker of Lok Sabha and leader of Communist Party of India (Marxist), called him a "celebrated Sanskrit scholar and educationist of great merit and achievement". He is considered as one of the greatest scholars on Tulsidas and Ramcharitmanas in India, and is cited as such. Rambhadracharya has been associated with Rajnath Singh, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who, as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, was one of the first promoters of the Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University. He was presented with an honorary D Litt by Rambhadracharya on the third convocation of the university in 2011. Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Ram Prakash Gupta and former speaker of Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly Keshari Nath Tripathi praised him saying that he will continue to enrich the society with his contributions.

International recognition

In 1992 Rambhadracharya led the Indian delegation at the Ninth World Conference on Ramayana, held in Indonesia. He has travelled to several countries, including England, Mauritius, Singapore, and United States to deliver discourses on Hindu religion and peace. He has been profiled in the International Who's Who of Intellectuals.

Address at Millennium World Peace Summit

Rambhadracharya was one of the spiritual and religious Gurus from India at the Millennium World Peace Summit, organised by the United Nations in New York City from 28–31 August 2000. While addressing the gathering, he gave Sanskrit definitions for the words Bharata (the ancient name of India) and Hindu, and touched upon the Nirguna and Saguna aspects of God. In his speech on Peace, he called for developed and developing nations to come together to strive for the eradication of poverty, the fight against terrorism, and nuclear disarmament. At the end of his speech, he recited the Shanti Mantra.

Awards and honours

Rambhadracharya (left) being presented the Vani Alankarana Puraskara by Somnath Chatterjee (right) in 2006

Rambhadracharya has been honoured by several leaders and politicians, including A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Somnath Chatterjee, Shilendra Kumar Singh, Indira Gandhi. Several state governments, including that of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh have conferred honours on him.

Before Vairagi initiation

• 1974. Five gold medals at the Akhila Bharatiya Sanskrit Adhiveshan (All India Sanskrit Conference), New Delhi. Presented by Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India.
• 1974. Gold Medal, Shastri (Bachelor of Arts) examination, by the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi.
• 1976. Gold medal for standing first in all-India Sanskrit debate competition. Presented by M. Channa Reddy, the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh.
• 1976. Cancellor's Gold Medal by the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi.
• 1976. Seven gold medals, Acharya(Master of Arts) examination, by the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi.

After Vairagi initiation

• 1998. Dharmachakravarti, by the World Religious Parliament, New Delhi. In recognition of meritorious contribution to world development.
• 1999. Kaviraj Vidya Narayan Shastri Archana-Samman Award by the Kaviraj Vidya Narayan Shastri Archana-Samman Committee, Bhagalpur, Bihar. For contributions to the Sanskrit language.
• 1999. Mahakavi, by the Akhil Bharatiya Hindi Bhasha Sammelan, Bhagalpur, Bihar. For invaluable contributions to the popularisation and enrichment of Hindi language, literature, and culture.
• 2000. Vishishta Puraskar, by the Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Samsthana, Lucknow.
• 2000. Mahamahopadhyay, by the Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi.
• 2001. Maharshi Badryan Puruskar.
• 2002. Kavikularatna by Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi.
• 2003. Rajshekhar Samman, by the Madhya Pradesh Sanskrit Academy, Bhopal.
• 2003. Bhaurao Deoras Award by the Bhaurao Deoras Seva Nyas, Lucknow.
• 2003. Diwaliben Award for Progress in Religion by the Dewaliben Mehta Charitable Trust, Mumbai. Presented by P. N. Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of India.
• 2003. Ativishishta Puraskar, by the Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Samsthana, Lucknow.
• 2004. Badarayana Puraskar. Presented by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the then President of India.
• 2005. Sahitya Akademi Award in Sanskrit for the epic Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam.
• 2006. Sanskrit Mahamahopadhyay, by the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayag.
• 2006. Shreevani Alankaran, by the Jaydayal Dalmiya Shri Vani Trust for the epic Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam. Presented by Somnath Chatterjee, the then Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• 2006. Banabhatta Award by Madhya Pradesh Sanskrit Board, Bhopal, for the epic Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam.
• 2007. Goswami Tulsidas Samarchan Samman, by the Tulsi Research Institute, Municipal Corporation, Allahabad. Presented by Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, former Chief Justice of India.
• 2007. Vachaspati Award, by the K. K. Birla Foundation, New Delhi, for the epic Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam. Presented by S. K. Singh, the then Governor of Rajasthan.
• 2011. Tulsi Award 2011 by Morari Bapu on the eve of Tulsi Jayanti, birth anniversary of Tulsidas.
• 2011. Dev Bhumi Award by the Government of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla. Presented by Joseph Kurien, the then Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court.

Bibliography

• Agarwal, Sudhir J. (30 September 2010). "Consolidated Judgment in OOS No. 1 of 1989, OOS No. 3 of 1989, OOS No. 4 of 1989 & OOS No. 5 of 1989" (Document). Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India: Allahabad High CourtTemplate:Inconsistent citations {{cite document}}: Unknown parameter |accessdate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |url= ignored (help)CS1 maint: postscript (link)
• Aneja, Mukta (2005). "Shri Ram Bhadracharyaji – A Religious Head With A Vision". In Kaul, J. K.; Abraham, George (eds.). Abilities Redefined – Forty Life Stories Of Courage And Accomplishment (PDF). Delhi, India: All India Confederation of the Blind. pp. 66–68. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
• Bhuyan, Devajit (2002). Multiple Career Choices. New Delhi: Pustak Mahal. ISBN 9788122307795. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
• Dinkar, Dr. Vagish (2008). श्रीभार्गवराघवीयम् मीमांसा (in Hindi). Delhi, India: Deshbharti Prakashan. ISBN 9788190827669. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Dwivedi, Gyanendra Kumar (2008). Analysis and Design of Algorithm. New Delhi: Laxmi Publications. ISBN 9788131801161.
• Gupta, Amita; Kumar, Ashish (6 July 2006). Handbook of Universities. New Delhi, India: Atlantic Publishers and Distributors. ISBN 9788126906086. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
• Lochtefeld, James G. (2001). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z. Rosen Publishing Group. ISBN 9780823931804.
• Macfie, J. M. (2004). "Preface". The Ramayan of Tulsidas or the Bible of Northern India. Whitefish, Montana: Kessinger. ISBN 9781417914982. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
• Nagar, Shanti Lal (2002). Sharma, Acharya Divakar; Goyal, Siva Kumar; Susila, Surendra Sharma (eds.). The Holy Journey of a Divine Saint: Being the English Rendering of Swarnayatra Abhinandan Granth (First, Hardback ed.). New Delhi, India: B. R. Publishing Corporation. ISBN 8176462888.
• Pandey, Ram Ganesh (2008) [First edition 2003]. तुलसी जन्म भूमि: शोध समीक्षा (in Hindi) (Corrected and extended ed.). Chitrakuta: Bharati Bhavan Publication. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Poddar, Hanuman Prasad (1996). Dohāvalī (in Hindi). Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India: Gita Press.
• Prasad, Ram Chandra (1999) [First published 1991]. Sri Ramacaritamanasa The Holy Lake Of The Acts Of Rama (Illustrated, reprint ed.). Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 8120807626.
• Rambhadracharya, Jagadguru, ed. (30 March 2006). श्रीरामचरितमानस – मूल गुटका (तुलसीपीठ संस्करण) (in Hindi) (4th ed.). Chitrakuta, Uttar Pradesh, India: Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Sharma, Dharam Veer (30 September 2010). "Judgment in OOS No. 4 of 1989" (Document). Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India: Allahabad High Court. {{cite document}}: Unknown parameter |accessdate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |url= ignored (help)
• Sharma, Dharam Veer (30 September 2010). "Annexure V" (Document). Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India: Allahabad High Court. {{cite document}}: Unknown parameter |accessdate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |url= ignored (help)

See also

• List of Hindu gurus and saints - List of other noteworthy gurus and saints of Hinduism.
• List of Sahitya Akademi Award winners for Sanskrit - List of Sanskrit language writers who have won the Sahitya Akademi Award.

External links

• Official Website of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya
• Critical edition of Ramcharitmanas edited by Jagadguru Rambhadracharya, with a Hindi commentary
• Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University
• Youtube channel with information and discourses of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya
• Template:Worldcat id