The life of Śrī Karapātri Swāmi is an amalgamation of practice, propagation, and principle of Dharma, Bhakti, and Advaita Jñāna with the power of tapas, Dēśa Bhakti, scholarship, and sacrifice It is the duty of every Bhāratīya to reminisce this great soul every morning.
Dispassion towards mundane and concern for Motherland
Born into the Ojha family replete with illustrious scholars on Sunday Śrāvaṇa Śuddha Vidiya in Batani on the banks of River Sarayu. Haranārāyaṇa (Given name before becoming a renunciate) demonstrated high intellectual capacity right from childhood. Though he was given admission into higher classes, he expressed interest to study Sanskrit, which the overjoyed father arranged. He had dispassion that arose out of pure discrimination towards the worldly aspects right from beginning.
Another aspect is his distress looking at fellow countrymen who were neither aware nor respectful towards the glorious culture and heritage of Bhāratadēśaṁ. He always wanted to transform the communities and inculcate veneration towards Dharma and love for Motherland.
Resolution to adapt Sanyāsa
A common thing during his childhood is running away from home with detachment and his father bringing him back after great search. After multiple such instances, his father married him to a noble woman named Mahā Dēvi thinking he would remain stable.
However, when he did not change even after marriage, his father told him to stay at home till the birth of at least one child. Thus, after the birth of one daughter, he took the permission of his father, mother, and wife and resolved to take Sanyāsa at the age of just 19 years.
Brahmacharya - Scholarship in scriptures
Having left home and roaming around many sacred places, he finally saw Śrī Brahmānanda Sarasvatī Swāmī in Vīrasimhapuraṁ in Madhya Pradesh and sought initiation into Sanyāsaṁ.
In order to attain even more pure intellect & obtain increase in thought process by comprehending the paths of many intellectuals along the path, Śrī Brahmānanda Sarasvatī sent him to the Gurukula of Jīvandutt in a place called Naravar where Rāmājñāyi Caturvēdi was the principal.
There, he took the name of Harahara Chaitanya and first learnt Vyākaraṇa in just eleven months, which otherwise would take four years, and all the six Darśanās from Viśvēśvara Āśram ji and later followed his Guru to Achyuta Muni to learn Vedanta.
Life as a Brahmacāri
In Gurukula, Harahara Chaitanya used to get alms using his hand as the bowl. He used to take only 5 handfuls from 5 homes! (That’s how he got the name as Kar+patri) He used write letters to Hanumān in Hanumān Gaḍi in Ayōdhya & leave the letters in river.
Adapting Sanyāsa at the age of 23 years
After performing austere spiritual practice in the Himālaya Mountains for 3 years, he came back to Vāraṇāsi pushed by the divine inspiration which he heard quite distinctly. On his way, at a place called Sikar, he took Sanyāsa.
Later, he went to his Guru Śrī Brahmānanda Sarasvatī, who formally initiated him and gave the Sanyāsa name ‘Hariharānanda Saraswati’.
Dharma Yōddha - Dharma Sāmrāṭ
Śrī Karapātri Swāmi began his travel across Bhāratadēśaṁ on foot. He observed the multiple differences existing in the society such as Hindu-Non-Hindu, Brahmin-Non-Brahmin, untouchability, religion, society, lower status of women vs men etc. He thought all these dual feelings would vanish if people were made aware of Dharma, the true Sanātana Dharma.
Further, he also thought Dharma should be the basis for polity & political administration. He noticed that Dharma in those days is hard hit in 5 ways (this is true even now!)
- Non-confirmation or rejection of Dharma
- A laid-back attitude without any concern for the happenings
- Indolence
- Opposing Dharma and acting against Dharma
- Changing the form of Dharma under the guise of ‘Reformation’.
He aspired for complete and true independence of ‘Bhāratīyata’, not just Bhāratadēśa, which then can really be termed as ‘Holistic Independence’.
He wanted to bring awareness in everyone about the grandeur, universal outlook, broadness and depth in thought existing in Bhāratīya Dharma. In 1938, he went to Mahā Kumbhamēla and aroused passion in many there with his scintillating speeches.
He met Śrī Kr̥ṣṇabōdha Āśram ji there, who later became his close associate.
Dharma Sanga - Chatussūtri
Many commoners as well as intellectuals were inspired by the stimulating speeches of Śrī Karapātri Swāmi and thus began ‘Dharma Sanga’ in 1940. The symbol of Dharma Sanga is ‘Swastik’. Its title song is in Sanskrit and very distinct.
Four cardinal principles are the basis of Dharma Sanga -
- Dharmasya Jayōstu
- Adharmasya Nāshōstu
- Prāṇiṣu Sadbhāvanōstu
- Vishwasya Kaḷyāṇamastu (A fifth one was added later)
Along with the propagation of Dharma, he also organized Japās, Pārāyaṇās, worship services etc. to invoke the power of God.
Yajñās organized by Dharma Sanga
Being well versed in many scriptures and completely knowledgeable about what Yajñās should be organized for the welfare of the country, he organized many Yajñās in various places -
- • Rudra Yāga - Sonipat, Uttar Pradesh
- • Sahasra Chaṇḍī Yāga - Gaḍa Muktēśvar, Meerut
- • Śatamakha Kōṭi Hōmātmaka Mahā Yajña - Delhi & Kanpur
- • Ēkavinśatyuttara Śatamukha Rudra Mahā Yajña - Vāraṇāsi
- • Āyuta Chaṇḍī Yāga (Ten thousand Chaṇḍī Yāga) - Bikaner.
Never did he begin all the Yajñās with sufficient funds. They were just begun. Funds came in without any effort.
Establishment of Educational Institutions:
In Delhi, where 10 lakh people participated, a large amount was left unused after the Yajña. With that remaining funds, Karapātri ji established an educational institution in a place called Nigamabodhaghat, which is running even today.
Later, he also established many educational institutions in Vāraṇāsi, Brindavan, Hissar, Vittur, Muzaffarpur etc.
Books of Śrī Karapātri Swāmi
- • Saṅkīrtana Mīmāmsa - This contains how one should do Saṅkīrtana and other related details.
- • Bhakti Rasārṇavaṁ
- • Varṇāśrama Maryāda - This explains the code of conduct for each Varṇa and Āśrama and how to co-exist without any differences leading to the progress of the nation.
- Vicāraṇa Pīyuṣaṁ - This expounds the true traditions enshrined in Vedas.
- • Vēdasvarūpa Vimarśanaṁ
- • ‘Marxism - Rāma Rājyaṁ’ - Rebutting Marxism & explaining the greatness of Rāma Rājyaṁ.
- • ‘Rahul ji ki Bhranti’ (The hallucination of Rahul ji)- Rebutting the criticism of his above book
- • Cāturvarṇa Sanskr̥tī Vimarśanaṁ
- • Vēda Svarūpa - Prāmāṇya
- • Śrī Bhagavattatvaṁ
- • Śaṅkara Siddhānta Samādhānaṁ
- • Rādha Sudha
- • Bhakti Sudha
- • Rāmāyaṇa Mīmāmsa
- • Vēdārtha Pārijātaṁ - His magnum opus
- • Vēdārtha Bhūmika - Voluminous explanation of about 2300 pages expounding all the four Vedas
- • Śulka Yajurvēda Sanhitā Bhāṣyaṁ
- • Sambhōgaṁ Samādhiyā - Rebutting the vulgar depiction of Sanatana Dharma by a Westerner
Magazines and Articles of Śrī Karapātri Swāmi :
- • Rebuttal on the scandalous article on ‘Śrī Ādi Śaṅkara’, which was not published by the original magazine.
- Śrī Karapātri Swāmi himself got it printed and circulated widely, after which he was called ‘Abhinava Śaṅkara’.
- • A monthly Hindi magazine ‘Sanmārg’ - To provide information about Sanātana Dharma.
- • A weekly magazine ‘Siddhānth’ - Inquiry about Sanātana Dharma with articles on nature, form, and subtleties of Hindu Dharma.
- • ‘Dharma Jyoti’ - Emphasizing that polity and Dharma should not be separated.
Protection of Cows
While the country was about to obtain independence, a Hindu Law Committee was formed under the chairmanship of a Christian and inclusion of other members who were not fully versed with the Hindu scriptures, Dharma subtleties, & other profound concepts of Sanātana Dharma. Śrī Karapātri Swāmi opposed this move by collecting lakhs of signatures and sending lakhs of telegrams.
Still, there were no efforts in the direction of protection of cows. Then, Śrī Karapātri Swāmi added another cardinal principle to the above four - ‘Gavām sanrakṣaṇamastu’ i.e., Cows should be protected. He wrote many articles about the significance of cow mentioned in Vedas and its importance to the entire society and got them circulated them extensively. When many tried to misinterpret the statements in Vedas, Śrī Karapātri Swāmi shut their mouths with authentic references in public debates.
When devotees and followers wanted to carry out victory processions and facilitate him, Śrī Karapātri Swāmi always used to say that scholarship is only to establish the truth but never to insult others. Such was his nobility and generosity!
Many participated in the multiple movements he raised for the protection of cows. He pressurized the Govt with his speeches, essays, and multiple letters in which he mentioned -
- • The interest of Dharma should be protected always
- • No bill against Dharma should be introduced
- • Bhāratadēśa should attain complete independence and Pakistan formation should not happen.
- • Killing of cows should be banned
- • Cows should be protected
- • The interests of farm workers should be protected.
Current generations should know the true history of Bhārat:
He was arrested in 1946 in Bangladesh when he went there to oppose the massacre of Hindus by the goons of Pakistan. He traveled all over the place, constructed colonies, fed 2000 people per day, motivated them to do the chanting of ‘Rāma’ name, and converted many back into Hinduism with Ganga Jal and Rāma Nāma.
Later, in 1947 also, he was arrested again but was released later bowing to public pressure. But many of his intimate associates such as Goswami Lakshmanacharya, Krishnanda Swami, Mukundasrama ji lost their lives.
Current generations do not even know this history.
Śrī Karapātri Swāmi cried at the time of partition of Bhārat:
Another aspect that deeply hurt Śrī Karapātri Swāmi was partition of the country. He was far-sighted. In fact, in 1940 itself, Śrī Karapātri Swāmi told that the danger of breaking the country is looming due to many so-called leaders who are against Dharma.
He also brought awareness about the wrong theories such as Aryan-Dravidian etc. which these pseudo-intellectuals have been propagating with vicious intentions. At the time when the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru was signing the partition, Śrī Karapātri Swāmi was put in jail. He wept bitterly in the jail for his motherland.
Śrī Karapātri Swāmi arrested in independent Bhārat:
After Bhārat attained independence, in 1957, when Śrī Karapātri Swāmi performed Satyagraha for the closure of four cow slaughter houses in Madhura, he was arrested and kept in jail for 6 months because he refused to stop the protest & leave the place. Later, the district collector had to bow to public pressure & Satyagraha of his disciples and devotees. With tremendous pressure, Government had to close 13 cow slaughter houses following which many municipalities and Zilla Parishads in Uttar Pradesh also banned the killing of cow.
He was again arrested on November 7, 1966, for protesting against the killing of cows and was taken to jail hitting and dragging all the way to jail. Whenever Śrī Karapātri Swāmi was in jail, he brought transformation in the inmates also & infused devotion and patriotism in them. Later, under the banner of ‘Rāmarājya parishad’, his group also contested elections, but lost in many places except in some places in Rajasthan & MP.
Merger into the Divine
After lecturing only for 5 out of 9 days on ‘Rāsa Pañcādhyāyi’ in Kanpur, He returned to Vāraṇāsi & remained in that state of Brahman for 21 days. He asked everyone coming to see him to chant Śrī Viṣṇu Sahasranāma, Chaṇḍi Saptaśati, Rāmāyaṇa etc.
On February 8, 1982, he had all the gods he worshipped on his chest, sipped little ganga water mixed with Tulasi, and merged into the Supreme chanting ‘Śiva’ three times. Lakhs of people came to see his mortal coil which was later dissolved in the waters of River Ganga.
वन्दे शङ्कर किङ्करं ह्यभिनव-श्री-शङ्करं-सद्गुरुम् ।
वन्दे गोकुल-रक्षणं हरिहरानन्द-प्रभाभासुरं ।
वन्दे नैगम-भाष्यकारमनघं वन्दे परिव्राण्मणिं
वन्दे श्री-करपात्रि-सन्यमि-वरं वन्दे तपः-श्रीधरं ॥