Jagad Guru Shree Kripalu Ji Maharaj (Supreme acharya of this age )

Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj (sanskrit: जगदगुरु कृपालु जी महाराज) is a Hindu acharya (आचार्य). He is lovingly called Shree Maharajji by devotees and is the 5th original Jagadguru (मुल जगदगुरु), and the Supreme Acharya (जगदगरुततम) of the present age.

Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj was born in October 1922 in Mangarh Village India , in a highly respected brahmin family. At the age of fourteen, he was sent to Mahu Sanskrit College, Indore to study Sanskrit literature and grammar where it is believed that he mastered all the subjects within two years.

At the age of sixteen he went to the jungles of Chitrakoot, Sharbhang, Mahoba and Jhansi. For around two years he remained at those places. It was during this time that he is believed to have manifested his ecstatic form and absorption in divine love (महाभाव). Around 1940, he came to Vrindavan and started going to houses of devotees for Satsang. He would travel to the houses of various devotees in Agra, Mathura and Allahabad. On requests of devotees he started giving discourse on various aspects of Bhakti and also started Sankirtana.

Apart from Sankirtan, he also started singing leela pad (describing the loving pastimes of Radha and Krishna). In 1942, he came back to Mahu and started holding long, non-stop sankirtan sessions, sometimes stretching to four months. He frequently visited Mandaleshwar and Maheshwar where he would hold fortnight-long sessions.

Being honoured as the Supreme 'Jagadguru' of the present age: 

In 1955 Shree Kripaluji Maharaj organized a religious convention in which, prominent spiritual leaders of India gathered. Mahamahopadhyay Giridhar Sharma, President of the Kashi Vidvat Parishad had also come and was impressed by Kripaluji Maharaj's learning and scriptural knowledge. In another convention organized in Kanpur in 1956, Shree Raj Narain, Shat Shastree, the Chief Secretary of the Kashi Vidvat Parishad, happened to hear Kripaluji Maharaj's discourses. It would seem that he was impressed by the discourses, because after returning to Kashi, it is believed that he invited Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaj to give a spiritual discourse to the scholars of Kashi. Kripaluji Maharaj then went to Kashi in 1957.

The congregation had all the scholars of Vanarasi also many from all over the India. They are said to have been impressed by Kripaluji Maharaj's knowledge of all the scriptures ( which include: Vedas, Upanishads, Upvedas, Vedangas, Darshan Shastras, Puranas, Itihas, the philosophies of the other Jagadgurus and the Rasik saints, etc). After speeches which lasted for seven days, the learned scholars of Kashi, requested him to accept the title of Jagadguru. He is thus considered to be the fifth original Jagadguru, the last Jagadgurus being Adi Sankaracharya (509-477 B.C.), Nimbarkacharya (before 600 B.C.), Madhavacharya (13th century) and Ramanujacharya (1017-1137 A.D.).

Discourses of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj are broadcast every day throughout India and Nepal on TV Asia, Aastha TV, Nepal One channel and 'Aaj Tak' news channel, as well as in the USA.. His numerous creations include: 

Prem Ras Siddhant - Philosophy book. Prem Ras Madira 1008 devotional songs. 

Bhakti Shatak - One hundred couplets. Braj Ras Madhuri - Collection of over 300 chantings. Radha Govinda Geet - Eleven thousand one hundred and eleven couplets. Yugal Shatak - One hundred chantings of Barsane-wari Radha Rani and Krishn. Yugal Ras Chantings of Radha Krishn. 

Shree Krishn Dwadashi - Twelve songs in which he has fully described the beauty and the decorations of Krishna, and thirteen songs about the beauty and the decorations of Radha Rani.

Gautam Buddha ( Religious Figure )

Gautam Buddha means the enlightened one. And Gautam Buddha was one of the greatest religious preachers that the world has seen. His teachings expounded in Buddhism, are immensely popular in Burma, China, Japan and other South Eastern Countries.

Gautam Buddha was born in 563 B.C. as Siddhartha, as a son of Shuddhodana, the king of Kapilavastu in Nepal. His mother Mayadevi expired when he was just 7 days old and he was brought up by his stepmother Gautami. Siddhartha was made to lead a very splendid life as the astrologers had predicted that he would give up worldly pleasures to follow a different path. The King wanted to avoid this at all costs and so did not let him out of the palace. He hoped that Siddhartha would one day become King.

When Siddhartha had grown into an intelligent young man, he travelled out of his palace one day and chanced on a few sights that changed the course of his life. He first saw a very old man who could hardly walk, a sick man who was suffering from pain and lastly, a corpse (dead body). He had never been felt such pain before and so these sights had a deep effect on him. His servant explained that pain and death are inevitable.

This made Siddhartha very sad and he started to re think his life and began to try to find the reasons behind the grief and sorrows. Seeing him so thoughtful, his father decided to get him married and get his mind off such serious topics. He was married to a princess called Yashodhara who soon gave birth to a son, Rahul.

Despite this, Siddhartha found no happiness in materialistic pleasures an so left the palace in search of Salvation-‘Mokshya’. He was only 29 years old. He roamed the country, meeting various sadhus and saints in search of inner peace. He lived the life of a hermit and underwent continuous ‘tapasya’ to achieve his purpose, but still could not understand the meaning of reason for life and death.

Finally, one day he reached Bodh Gaya. He was very tired and so sat under the shade of a tree. He shut his eyes and was blessed with a divine light. This was the turning point, as he realized the truth is within every human being. The search outside was pointless. After this, he was as ‘Buddha’ or the enlightened one.

For 45 years, Buddha spread his message of a spiritual life. He did not believe in rituals but pointed to 8-fold paths towards salvation- that of right speech, understanding, determination, deeds, efforts, awareness, thinking and living. According to Buddhism by following this path one could overcome desires, which were the root cause of grief and misery.

The Gautam Buddha died in 483 B.C at the rip age of 80 years, after successfully spreading his massage to the world. Buddhism still lives and has a strong following in various Asian countries.

       

Rabindranath Tagore ( Literary Figure )

Even though, Rabindranath Tagore was most famous as a poet, he was also an artist, novelist, play wright, philosopher and freedom fighter. Or simply, the writer of songs fulfilled with love. His poetry covered a vast range of topics from nature to patriotism.

He has born on 8^th May 1861 in Calcutta to Maharsishi Devendranath, who himself came from a family of nobility, he was the youngest of 14 children. The family was addressed by the honourable title ‘Thakur’ which was later changed to Tagore.

His mother Sharadadevi expired when he was still young and his father rarely spent much quality time with him. As a result, he grew up extremely sensitive and non-conventional. He could not tolerate any kind of authority and so, his schooling suffered. But he made up for all this, with the beautiful, mystical poems that he wrote, right from childhood.

Tagore wrote numerous stories, songs, dramas, letters, diaries and essays on a variety of subjects ranging from religion to science, music to politics, education and social reform. Whatever he attempted had a distinctive style of its own. Even his works of arts are nothing short of masterpieces.

He received the Novel Prize in literature on Nov. 13, 1913, for his most famous work- ‘Gitanjali9is’. This is a collection of poems that talk about life and death, love and its connection to the sprit. His well known novels written in Bengali are Gora, Vibha Raja aur Rani, Nauka Dubi and Binodini.

He expired on August8, 1941, but is immortalised by his work and the love in the hearts of the people of India.

  

  

Rani Lakshmi Bai (Lady Warrior )

Rani Lakshmi Bai was the queen of the princely state of Jhansi, which is located on the northern side of India. She was one of the most leading personalities of the first war of India’s independence that started in 1857. In this article, we will present with the biography of Rani Laxmibai, who was an epitome of bravery and courage.

She was born to a Maharashtra family at Kashi (now Varanasi) in the year 1828. During her childhood, she was called by the name Manikarnika. Affectionately, her family members called her manu.

In the yearly 1853, Gangadhar Rao fell sick and became very weak. So, the couple decided to adopt a child. To ensure that the British do not raise an issue over the adoption, Lakshmibai got this adoption witnessed by the local British representives. On 21^st November 1853, Maharaja Gangadhar Rao died.

Jhansi became the focal point of upspring. Rani of Jhansi began to strength her position. By seeking the support of others, she formed a volunteer army. The army not just consisted of the men folk, but the women were also actively involved. Women were also given military training to fight a battle. 

She took refuge in Kalpi, where she meets Tatya tope, a great warrior. She died on 17^th June, during the battle for Gwalior. It is believed that, when she was lying unconscious in the battle field, a Brahmin found her and brought to an ashram, where she died. For her immense effort, she is referred to as the ‘Icon of the Indian Nationalist Movement’.

       

Mother Teresa ( Social Worker )

About 20 years before India gained its freedom, Christian missionaries from Yugoslavia came to India to render humanitarian services. They were extremely affected by the conditions of poverty spreading in India and so invited people from their country to serve here. Amongst these was a special girl called Agnes Goxa Bojaxiu, who is today know Mother Teresa.

Agnes Goxa Bojaxiu was born on August 27, 1910 and was just 19 years when she came to Calcutta on January 6, 1929. And she never left this country. Her aim in life was to serve the sick and the poor and she dedicated her full life towards this purpose. She would roam the dangerous dark and dirty streets of Calcutta at night, covering the cold and offering food and shelter to the por. When she first arrived in Calcutta, she had just Rs.5.00, and was helped by a priest. She lived in a small room for 9 years, where she nursed the ill back to health. Compassion, dignity and sympathy marked here every action.

Through her efforts she managed to open several institutions e.g. ‘Missionaries of Charity’, ‘Niraml Hariday’ and ‘Shishu Bhavan’ a house for the mentally and physically challenged children to help the downtrodden. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1979 and the Bharat Ratna in 1980. Besides these, she also received the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International peace (1972), Ramon Magsaysay Award (1962) and the Templeton Foundation Award (1973). As the Mother- General of the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa has a thousand Missionary institutions working under her.

Despite all the public acclaim, national and international honours, Mother Teresa remained humble, kind and generous till the end. The Florence Nightingale of India passed away in September 1997.

      

Mahavir ( Religous Person )

Mahavir is the profounder of one of the popular religions in India-Jainism, who was Born in 599 BC in a village called Kunda in Bihar. His father Siddhartha was an important nobleman from the Kshatriya dynasty. His mother’s name was Trishala. Mahavir was named Vardhaman by his parents and showed signs of spiritualism from his early days. At the age of 5 years, he was sent to a Gurukul to study Sanskrit and became a great scholar.

As on obedient son he married the girl of his parent’s choice- Yashodhara who consequently gave birth to a daughter. But martial ties could not blind him, as he was thirsty for something more. His search compelled him to leave home, with his elder brother’s permission, to understanding the true purpose and meaning if life.

He traveled far and wide, expanding his knowledge and subsequently his perceptions of the world at large. And then, one day he attained ‘Kaivalaya’ or enlightenment while sitting under a tree on the banks of a river. Henceforth, he was to be known as Mahavir, as he was freed from the boundaries of sadness and joy, pain and pleasure.

His teachings were greatly appreciated in North India for 30 years and had in its following, the King of Magadha. He preached that truth and clean living were the priorities in life, as was non-violence. Till today, Janis do not even harm a fly or a mosquito. True Jains tie a cloth around their nose, so as not to breathe in or destroy living organisms in the atmosphere.He died in 527 BC at Parapuri in Bihar. 

Adolf Hitler

Born April 20, 1889, Braunau am Inn, Austria, Adolf Hitler was leader of the Nazi Party 1920-1921 and Fuehrer of Germany 1933-1945. His rise to power began when German president Hindenburg appointed him chancellor of a Nazi in 1932. During World War II, Hitler orchestrated the Nazi's Holocaust under the Third Reich. He died of possible suicide in 1945 in the wake of Germany's defeat.

Hitler's father, Alois (born 1837), was illegitimate. For a time he bore his mother's name, Schicklgruber, but by 1876 he had established his family claim to the surname Hitler. Adolf never used any other surname.

After his father's retirement from the state customs service, Adolf Hitler spent most of his childhood in Linz, the capital of Upper Austria. It remained his favorite city throughout his life, and he expressed his wish to be buried there. Alois Hitler died in 1903 but left an adequate pension and savings to support his wife and children. Although Hitler feared and disliked his father, he was a devoted son to his mother, who died after much suffering in 1907. With a mixed record as a student, Hitler never advanced beyond a secondary education. After leaving school, he visited Vienna, and then returned to Linz, where he dreamed of becoming an artist. Later, he used the small allowance he continued to draw to maintain himself in Vienna. He wished to study art, for which he had some faculties, but he twice failed to secure entry to the Academy of Fine Arts. For some years he lived a lonely and isolated life, earning a precarious livelihood by painting postcards and advertisements and drifting from one municipal hostel to another. Hitler already showed traits that characterized his later life: loneliness and secretiveness, a bohemian mode of everyday existence, and hatred of cosmopolitanism and of the multinational character of Vienna.

In 1913 Hitler moved to Munich. Screened for Austrian military service in February 1914, he was classified as unfit because of inadequate physical vigour; but when World War I broke out he immediately volunteered for the German army and joined the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment. He served throughout the war, was wounded in October 1916, and was gassed two years later. He was hospitalized when the conflict ended. During the war, he was continuously in the front line as a headquarters runner; his bravery in action was rewarded with the Iron Cross, Second Class, in December 1914, and the Iron Cross, First Class (a rare decoration for a corporal), in August 1918. He greeted the war with enthusiasm, as a great relief from the frustration and aimlessness of civilian life. He found discipline and comradeship satisfying and was confirmed in his belief in the heroic virtues of war.

Dr. Baburam Bhattarai ( Politican )

Dr. Baburam Bhattarai born in 1954 as a son to Bhoj Prasad Bhattarai and Dharma Kumari Bhattarai at Khoplang of Gorkha District was intelligent child since beginning. Inspired with his maternal uncle he developed and anti-king motive from those early days. The young boy gradually educated himself in politics and not only began to hate monarchy but also actively involved in the movement against it. Now he has proved himself as an intellectual leader of our time and earned the name of the architect of economy of Nepal being first finance minister of the government of republic of Nepal.

Bhattarai has got his early education in local school with Gurukul schooling system and later from mission school. He stood first shattering nation’s previous records as a regular student in S.L.C board. His achievement was exceptional in the sense that he broke the tradition of only the rich urban kids in the cities scoring top results in S.L.C board. Then, he joined Amrit Science Campus for I.sc. as to institutionalize his aim to be a medical doctor. But despite the doctor of human anatomy he achieved the doctor of philosophy in economy to solve the growing economic status of nation.

Due to the greatest interest in mathematics, Bhattarai was attracted to “architectural engineering”. He completed his bachelor degree in architectural engineering from Chandigarh in India. But, he realized that the theoretical knowledge is no more important until it is used in practice. His inner sense haunts him that it would not be possible to reconstruct the Nepalese society only having degrees. Then his early impression of monarchical rule in Nepal began to disturb his mind. He thought no clear about what else would be the alternative to monarchy, but was firmly republicanism.

While studying in India, he established and became the first president of All Nepal India students Union, which had intellectual circles of his time against the Panchayat system in Nepal. Along within he came to be known to Nepalese political leaders of contemporary time. Meantime, in 1980, he happened to meet with Prachanda had a distinct personality with enduring organizational experience. Even though they continue their underground movement for republic Nepal since 2052 B.S.

Bhattarai always took the soft line in party and become famous as soft-liner in party. Different political critics analyzed the relation of Bhattarai with Prachanda widening the opposite relation. But he got favour of many because of his influential role in policy making in the party. It was the policy of Bhattarai in Chunwang conference that leads the party towards soft-liner.

Angelina Joile ( Actress )

Angelina Joile is an American actress who is an renowned for her exotic looks, full lips, wild child image, numerous tattoos and humanitarian work with refugees as for her acting ability. She is a respected artist and has received three Golden Globes as well as an Acadamy Award for her performance as Lisa Rowe in the movie Girl, interrupted. Additionally,Joile has starred om five student movies, all of which were directed by her brother Jmaes Haven.

As of July 2005, Joile became the third actress to join the coveted “$20 Million Club” after Julia Roberts and Cameroon Diaz, when she signed to do Mr and Mrs Smith ( 2005 ) for that amount.

Joile is the daughter of actor Jon Voght and Marcheline Bertrand. She is of Czech, French-Candian, and Iroquois descent. As a child she dreamed of becoming a sucessful director. She attended the lee Strasberg Theatre Institute from the age of 11, later attending Beverly Hills High School.