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Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj Biography: Age, Career, Family and M

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth5 October 1922

Age91 (at time of death)

BirthplaceVillage Mangarh, Uttar Pradesh

ProfessionSpiritual Guru

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpousePadma Devi

FamilyTwo sons: Ghanshyam Tripathi, Balkrishna Tripathi; Three daughters: Vishakha Tripathi, Krishna Tripathi, Shyama Tripathi

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj Biography

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj (born Ramkripalu Tripathi) was an Indian spiritual leader known for founding Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat and for being con

Early life and background

Ramkripalu Tripathi was born on 5 October 1922 in the village of Mangarh in Uttar Pradesh. From childhood he showed a strong leaning toward devotional practice: classmates and later devotees recalled him singing bhajans and taking part in kirtans for Radha and Krishna. At 16 he left home to pursue spiritual life, spending time in forests near Sharbhang Ashram in Chitrakoot and at Banshi Vat in Vrindavan.

His formal studies included attendance at several institutions, among them Shri Ram Sanskrit College in Chitrakoot, Calcutta University, Quines College in Varanasi, Ayurvedic Vidyalaya Sangh at the Brahmacharya Ashram in Indore, and All India Vidyapeeth in Delhi. He completed multiple Sanskrit and related qualifications during the early 1940s, including advanced study in Sanskrit grammar and literature and an Ayurvedic qualification.

Career

Adopting the name by which he became widely known, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj built a reputation as a teacher in the Bhakti yoga tradition associated with the lineage of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He believed many people were unfamiliar with the deeper meanings of devotional scriptures and worked to interpret and teach those texts to wider audiences.

In 1955 he organised significant conferences in Chitrakoot and Kashi to examine and discuss religious scriptures. Those gatherings attracted many Indian spiritual scholars, and his learning and presentations drew attention from the wider religious community. On 14 January 1957 the Kashi Vidvat Parishad, a body of Vedic scholars, conferred upon him the title of Jagadguru.

He founded Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, an organisation through which he offered teaching and organised events. Throughout his life he emphasised chanting, scripture study, and devotional practice. Devotees described experiences of intense devotional states and credited him with efforts to guide people away from material preoccupations toward spiritual life.

Public profile

Kripalu Ji Maharaj was regarded by followers as a prominent teacher and was identified by some as India’s fifth Jagadguru. He maintained a public presence through the Parishat and its activities. Physical descriptions recorded in available material list his height as approximately 178 cm (about 5'10"), with black eyes and salt-and-pepper hair.

His personal life included a long marriage to Padma Devi, and the couple had five children. Two sons, Ghanshyam Tripathi and Balkrishna Tripathi, and three daughters—Vishakha Tripathi, Krishna Tripathi and Shyama Tripathi—are listed among his immediate family; several of his children went on to hold leadership roles in spiritual work. His parents were Lalta Prasad Tripathi and Bhagwati Devi, and he had a brother named Ramnaresh Tripathi.

Controversies and incidents

Several legal and public controversies are recorded in the material. Multiple complaints and cases were filed over decades alleging improper conduct; some of these matters involved accusations made by former devotees. Reports indicate that cases from an earlier period were closed for lack of proof. In addition, a 2012 event at his ashram in Mangarh, organised to distribute food and utensils, became the scene of a fatal crowd crush after rumors of a bomb were spread; families of those who died raised concerns about crowd control and the handling of the event.

Later life and death

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj continued his spiritual work into advanced age. He passed away on 15 November 2013 at Fortis Hospital in Delhi at the age of 91. The cause of death is recorded as brain injury.

Latest updates

The material notes that one of his daughters, Vishakha Tripathi, is recorded with a date of death listed as 24 November 2024 in the source. Apart from family notices and ongoing references to the organisation he founded, the licensed material does not provide further recent projects or publications attributed to him posthumously.

Public image and legacy

Followers remember Kripalu Ji Maharaj for his scriptural scholarship, public discourses, and emphasis on devotional practice. His elevation by a council of scholars and the founding of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat are cited as major elements of his legacy. At the same time, the record includes contested episodes and legal complaints that have also shaped public discussion of his life and the institutions associated with him.
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Recent Work

Founder of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat

Established Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat to spread teachings in the Bhakti tradition and organise conferences, chanting events and charitable activities.

1950s
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Career Highlights

  1. Organised major scriptural conferences in Chitrakoot and Kashi (1955)
  2. Conferred the title of Jagadguru by the Kashi Vidvat Parishad (14 January 1957)
  3. Founder of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj born?

5 October 1922

What is Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj known for?

Spiritual Guru

What is Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s marital status?

Married

Who is Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj married to?

Padma Devi