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Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

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

Quick Info

Date of birth12 January 1917

Age91 Years (at time of death)

BirthplaceJabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India

ProfessionIndian Spiritual Leader, Meditation Teacher

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Sri Ram Prasad

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Biography

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was an Indian spiritual leader who popularized Transcendental Meditation worldwide. Educated in Allahabad, he trained under a Hindu大师

Early life and background

Mahesh Prasad Varma, later known to the world as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, was born on 12 January 1917 in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. He grew up in a family whose father, Sri Ram Prasad, worked as a local tax official in Uttar Pradesh. After completing his secondary education, he attended Allahabad University where he earned a bachelor’s degree and went on to receive a master’s degree in physics in 1942.

While at university he began practising yoga and studying Sanskrit under Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, a teacher widely referred to as Guru Dev. He became a disciple of Guru Dev in 1941 and adopted the devotional name Bal Bramhachari Mahesh. After a period working outside the spiritual life, he returned to Guru Dev and trained under him for more than a decade. When his teacher died in 1953, Mahesh spent two years in meditation in the Himalayas at Uttarkashi.

Career

Emerging from the Himalayas in 1955, he committed himself to sharing the meditation practice he had learned from Guru Dev. He took the name Maharishi, which translates as “great soul,” and reframed his teachings as Transcendental Meditation (TM). Over the late 1950s he toured India and, by 1958, had established multiple Spiritual Regeneration Movement centres and announced a worldwide movement for spiritual revival through TM.

Maharishi began international teaching in 1959, spending much of that year in the United States and delivering lectures and instruction across major cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, New York and London. He launched the first Transcendental Meditation Teacher Training Course in Rishikesh in April 1961 and continued to expand institutional structures: he founded the SRM Foundation in 1963, established the Student International Meditation Society in 1965, and opened the first International Academy of Meditation in Rishikesh in 1966.

A central idea he proposed was the “Maharishi Effect,” a hypothesis that a small, dedicated group practising TM could influence broader societal measures of wellbeing. He first articulated the effect around 1960 and related research supporting measurable group effects appeared in later years.

Maharishi also authored a substantial body of writing on meditation and spiritual life. Notable publications from the 1960s included The Science of Being and the Art of Living (1963), an English translation and commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita (completed 1965), and Meditations of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1968). Over his life he authored more than twenty books on Transcendental Meditation.

Public profile

Maharishi became an internationally recognisable figure in the 1960s and 1970s. He is widely remembered for his association with high-profile students and celebrities. On 24 August 1967 the Beatles attended his lecture in London and requested private instruction; the following year several members of the band travelled to his ashram in Rishikesh, which attracted significant media attention and shaped public awareness of TM. Other public figures who learned TM from Maharishi included members of the Beach Boys, actress Mia Farrow, and filmmaker David Lynch.

His public recognition included awards and honours from a variety of organisations and municipalities. During the 1970s he received honours such as the Man of Hope Award from the City of Hope Foundation and a gold medal from the city of Delphi. He also appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1975. In 2019 the Indian government issued a commemorative stamp in his honour.

Controversies and legal matters

Maharishi’s career was not without controversy. His relationship with the Beatles deteriorated amid competing accounts of events at Rishikesh, and various allegations and disputes involving former followers and organisations associated with TM drew media attention over the years. In 1985 a lawsuit alleging fraud and emotional injury was brought against him and associated institutions; Maharishi was removed from the case on procedural grounds. In 1988 Indian tax authorities conducted raids on properties connected to his establishments amid allegations of financial irregularities. After his death in 2008 disagreements among nephews and followers over control of assets also became public.

Personal life and death

Maharishi remained unmarried and devoted much of his life to teaching and organizational work. He maintained vegetarian habits and practiced the Hindu spiritual tradition. He died of natural causes on 5 February 2008 in Vlodrop, a town in the Netherlands, at the age of 91.

Latest updates

Maharishi’s influence endures through the global spread of Transcendental Meditation, the institutions he founded, and the continued interest in his teachings and writings. Posthumous recognitions have included government honours and ongoing discussion of his contributions to popularising meditation in the West.
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Recent Work

The Science of Being and Art of Living

Book presenting the Maharishi’s teachings on meditation and daily life.

1963
English translation and commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita

Completed an English translation and commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita.

1965
Meditations of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Collection of meditative guidance and teachings.

1968
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Career Highlights

  1. Founded the Transcendental Meditation technique and movement
  2. Introduced TM to Western audiences through world tours beginning in 1959
  3. Proposed the Maharishi Effect linking group meditation to measurable societal benefits
  4. Taught and influenced prominent public figures including The Beatles
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Maharishi Mahesh Yogi born?

12 January 1917

What is Maharishi Mahesh Yogi known for?

Indian Spiritual Leader, Meditation Teacher

What is Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s marital status?

Unmarried