Rambhadracharya

Rambhadracharya Biography

Rambhadracharya is a Hindu religious leader, educator, Sanskrit scholar, Philosopher and composer. He is also prolific in playwright and Katha artist who performs in Ramayana and the Bhagavata. He is a spontaneous poet as well. He is one of four incumbent Jagadguru Ramanandacharya and has held this title since 1988. Rambhadracharya is the founder and head of Tulsi Peeth. His full name is Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Swami Rambhadracharya and birth name is Giridhar Mishra. He was born on 14 January 1950 in Shandikhurd, UP. He is the founder and lifelong chancellor of the Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University in Chitrakoot which offers degree and PG courses for handicapped students. He is regarded as one of the greatest authorities on Tulsidas in India and is the editor of a critical edition of the Ramcharitmanas written by Tulsidas.

Rambhadracharya has been blind since 2 months and he has not any received any formal education. In 1967 Giridhar joined the Adarsh Gaurishankar Sanskrit College in the nearby Sujanganj village of Jaunpur to have formal education when he was 17. His eyes were infected by trachoma and treatment by a woman of the village resulted in permanent damage of his eyes. There was no advanced treatment in his village then. He has never used Braille or any other aid to learn or compose. He can speak in 22 languages and a spontaneous poet also. He has authored more than 100 books and 50 papers including four epic poems. He is a scholar in Sanskrit grammar, Nyaya and Vedanta also. His Katha programmes are shown in are Sanskar TV and Sanatan TV and he has performed in India cities as well as abroad. He learns by listening and composes by dictating to scribes.

Giridhar's initial education came from his paternal grandfather who used to narrate to him various episodes of the Hindu epics and other devotional works. Giridhar composed his first piece of poetry in Awadhi at the age of 3. At the age of five, Giridhar memorised the entire Bhagavad Gita, consisting of around 700 verses. On Janmashtami day in 1955, he recited the entire Bhagavad Gita. He released the first Braille version of the scripture on 30 November 2007. Giridhar quotes, “Once I was stopped from joining the family for a wedding procession as everyone felt than I am a bad omen. But I am the same person who currently inaugurates the biggest of marriage parties or welfare ceremonies.”

In 1967, he joined college to learn Sanskrit, History and other language subjects. In 1971 Giridhar joined Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi for higher studies in Grammar where he became the topper in 1974. He participated in various national competitions at the All-India Sanskrit Conference where he won 5 of the gold medals. Impressed by his ability, Indira Gandhi, who gave away the prizes promised to send him to foreign country for treatment. But he denied the offer, replying in a Sanskrit verse. In 1976 Giridhar topped the final Acharya examinations in Vyakarana, winning seven gold medals and he was declared Acharya of all subjects taught at the university on 30 April 1976. Giridhar enrolled for the doctoral Vidyavaridhi (PhD) and completed it and achieved the title – Adhyatmaramayane paniniyaprayoganam Vimarsah. On 9 May 1997, Giridhar was awarded the post-doctorate Vachaspati (DLitt) degree by Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. Giridhar took vairagi initiation on 19 November 1983 and came to be known as Rambhadradas thereafter.

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Updated: January 28, 2014