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Rishi Prabhakar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 14, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth30 August 1948

Age66 Years (at time of death)

BirthplaceChikkabalapur, Karnataka

ProfessionSpiritual Leader, Yogi, Philosophizer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseArundhati Rishi Prabhakar (Smita Ubale)

FamilySon - Siddhant Rishi Prabhakar; Mother - Ramadevi Amma (deceased); Raised by grandparents;

Rishi Prabhakar Biography

Rishi Prabhakar (Prabhakar Raghavendra Rao) was an Indian spiritual teacher best known for founding Siddha Samadhi Yoga (SSY) and the charitable trust RSVK

Early life and background

Prabhakar Raghavendra Rao was born on 30 August 1948 in Chikkabalapur, Karnataka. Raised largely by his grandparents, he discovered in childhood that the woman he had believed to be his sister was actually his mother. He was described as an intelligent and principled boy who drew inspiration from the writings of Swami Vivekananda.

Prabhakar pursued higher education in India and abroad. He completed pre-university studies and a Bachelor of Engineering in Bengaluru and later earned a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering and an MBA. A scholarship from the Government of India supported his initial engineering studies, and a Canadian government scholarship enabled him to continue his education in Ottawa. He later acquired Canadian citizenship and worked as a consultant for Canadian government departments.

Career

In the mid-1970s Prabhakar’s spiritual path accelerated after an introduction to Transcendental Meditation. He spent time at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Switzerland headquarters as an international director and returned to India to travel and deepen his practice. In 1977 he established Siddha Samadhi Yoga (SSY), a program he refined under the guidance of his childhood teacher Sri Bhagawan Visweswariah.

Prabhakar developed several courses and techniques associated with SSY, including Kaya Kalp Kriya (also named Yog Samruddhi Sadhana or Life Longevity Programme), Rapid Comprehension and Review Technique (RCRT), Bhava Samadhi Training, Advanced Meditation Course, Infant Siddha Program, and Inspirational Leadership in Rural Development. He described periods of focused training and advanced work on enlightenment in the early 1980s, and attended other transformational trainings such as EST in California, which he regarded as influential.

In 1982 he and others founded Rishi Samskruti Vidya Kendra (RSVK), a not-for-profit trust registered under Indian law to work on human welfare and societal development. RSVK grew to operate in several Indian cities and internationally, and SSY established a global presence with centres and activities in countries including the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Japan, the United States, Australia, Singapore, Kenya, and Brazil.

Prabhakar promoted educational projects alongside spiritual training. He supported pre-school and school initiatives called Rishi Gurukulams in locations such as Bengaluru, Vishakhapatnam, and Pune, and worked on techniques intended to make learning more efficient through RCRT. His son later helped launch a digital version of RCRT.

Public profile

Prabhakar became known as Guruji Rishi Prabhakar and was associated with a substantial network of ashrams and centres; at the time of his passing he was reported to be overseeing around 100 ashrams and 700 centres worldwide. He served on the board of an interfaith body and advocated an inclusive approach to religion, encouraging practices that fostered unity among different faith traditions within his organisation.

He lived simply and was described as maintaining minimal personal possessions. His organisation engaged in social campaigns such as cleanliness initiatives and village development projects, and SSY volunteers worked on water management and social reform projects in collaboration with other public figures and movements.

Prabhakar is also noted in accounts as one of the early teachers of Jaggi Vasudev (Sadhguru), who learned SSY practices from him in the 1980s.

Personal life and death

Prabhakar married Smita Ubale, later known as Arundhati Rishi Prabhakar or Arundhati Ma, in 1999. The couple had one son, Siddhant Rishi Prabhakar, who has continued involvement in organisations associated with his father, including founding a not-for-profit company in 2019 with his mother.

In later years Prabhakar developed a serious health condition that was diagnosed as aplastic anemia. He was admitted to Narayana Hospital in Bengaluru and passed away on 16 February 2014, at the age of 66. He is survived by his wife and son, and by the organisations and programmes he established.

Latest updates

After his passing, his family and followers have continued to carry forward several of his initiatives. His son and wife launched a digital learning platform based on the RCRT method, and his wife published a book dedicated to him in 2015. His mother, who had been a trustee of RSVK, passed away in 2021.

Career highlights

Rishi Prabhakar founded Siddha Samadhi Yoga (SSY) in 1977 and the Rishi Samskruti Vidya Kendra (RSVK) in 1982. He developed programs such as Kaya Kalp Kriya and RCRT, helped establish Rishi Gurukulams for education, and oversaw a network of ashrams and centres across multiple countries.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Rishi Prabhakar, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

RCRT (Rapid Comprehension and Review Technique) / Digital RCRT

A learning technique developed by Rishi Prabhakar; later launched as an online platform by his son and wife.

2020
Rishi Prabhakar International Foundation

Not-for-profit organisation founded by his son in 2019 to continue aspects of his work.

2019
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Career Highlights

  1. Founded Siddha Samadhi Yoga (SSY) in 1977
  2. Founded Rishi Samskruti Vidya Kendra (RSVK) in 1982
  3. Developed Kaya Kalp Kriya (Yog Samruddhi Sadhana / Life Longevity Programme)
  4. Created the Rapid Comprehension and Review Technique (RCRT)
  5. Established Rishi Gurukulams and educational projects in India
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Rishi Prabhakar born?

Rishi Prabhakar was born on 30 August 1948.

What is Rishi Prabhakar known for?

Rishi Prabhakar is known for spiritual Leader, Yogi, Philosophizer.

What is Rishi Prabhakar’s marital status?

Rishi Prabhakar's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Rishi Prabhakar married to?

Rishi Prabhakar is publicly listed as married to Arundhati Rishi Prabhakar (Smita Ubale).