Swami Kalyandev Ji Maharaj
India, abode of God, is a land of sages and seers. Mother India has been giving us great personalities from time to time. These great personalities always strived for the welfare and goodness of the living beings through their actions, sacrifice.
Swami Kalyan Dev Ji was a personality who dedicated his entire life for the upliftment of poorer, downtrodden and under priviledge people. In fact he was a sage of many revolutions. He was born in the year 1876 in village Kotana in the district Bagpat of Uttar Pradesh and brought up at his parental village Moondbhar in district Muzaffarnagar. Due to the religious sacrament family background, he had inclination towards religious activities from his very childhood. He left his home at an early age in search of reality and truth, wandering throughout India, meeting saints and seers in the Himalayas. He took initiation from Swami Poornanand Ji in the year 1900. His spiritual guru gave him the name Kalyan Dev.
Swami Kalyan Dev Ji had the bitter experiences as to the standard of social life during the British rule in India. So the thought to ameliorate the social life of the people and decided to set up many educational institutions, hospitals. He was of the firm opinion that in order to remove social evils, it is necessary that people should be healthy and literate. Making this as the goal of his life, he proceeded ahead step by step with the cooperation and financial support of many genius people.
He met Swami Vivekanand in the year 1902 and Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram in the year 1915. The thoughts and philosophy of these two intellectual and spiritual giants proved a turning point in the life of the young saint. It brought in change in his activities.
According to Swami ji, "Each man is essentially divine in nature. and service to humanity is service of the supreme (God)". He believed that mere philosophy and intellectual knowledge gained from various ancient scriptures can not transform the soul.
For a genuine and everlasting transformation, one must adopt a systematic approach for development of both, self and society. Setting of a goal in life and planning for the same is a must for achievement and realisation of success. Swamiji chose "Education" as his vehicle of transformation and upliftment of rural society. He was popularly known as "Shiksha Rishi".
Women play most important role in the development and transformation of any society, as "the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world." Swamiji laid special emphasis on education of women by establishing various women colleges and girls schools. He believed that material progress should stand on the broad base of finer aspects of human nature like art, culture and dharma for stability and harmony.
He helped in the establishment of many religious and cultural centres. He was a true 'karamyogi' living the philosophy of "karmanya va dhikaraste ma phalesu kadachanam" of Bhagwat Geeta. All forces of nature appear to be working at his beck and call for fulfilment of work undertaken by him. He was so attached to his mission that time itself had stood still in awe of this great saint. It seems that like the legendary "Bhishm Pitamah of Mahabharat", he instructed lady death to stand apart till his life's mission of freeing his children from the chain of ignorance, poverty and pain is fulfilled. His 129 years of life is testimony to that.
It is said that now and then, at long intervals of time, a ing finds his way to this planet who is unquestionably a wanderer from another world, who brings with him to this sorrowful world some of the glory, the power, the radiance of the GOD above. He walked among men and became one of them, yet remaining so far above all things material and earthly that he raised himself to the status of a saint, a Mahrishi in God's own manifestation.
He shared the life of those about him, lived like them, entered into their joys and sorrows, rejoiced with them, mourn with them, and yet remembered all the time 'the mission of his life', which remains "the betterment of human existence on this earth". He never forgot his humble beginning, his simple living, his love for humanity, and yet amongst all this he remained the great, glorious and the most majestic self. He knew that he was here to show to mankind a simple and loving path to life by becoming the living example of it. It would be presumptuous on anyone's part to think that he could ever put in words even a fraction of the great work done on this earth by this simple and majestic soul, Swami Kalyan Dev ji Maharaj.
He was beyond all comparison, for he transcends all ordinary standards and ideals. Others may be more learned in the worldly sense, wield more power, have access to greater resources, but none is so luminous, so imbued with the spirit of welfare of the ordinary people, that he himself became an icon for them. And the ordinary men and women saw him a divine soul that descended to this earth to rid them of their ignorance, poverty and sickness.
Is it to be wondered at that nature itself rejoiced in such a birth in previous millenium, two centuries ago in 1876 when the heavens open and angels sing paeans of praises for such a soul descending on this earth. Blessed is the country and the region of Ganga-Yamuna Doaba where he was born, blessed are we all who lived on this earth and in this region at the same time, and thrice blessed are the many who sat at his feet. They took part of his work in small or big way.
It is nigh impossible to sketch out in words Swamiji's life of 129 years. Important role played in this epic saga has been by his Guru, Swami Poornanand ji Maharaj who initiated him in 1900. Meetings with Swami Vivekananda in 1902 and mahatma Gandhiji at Sabarmati Ashram in 1915 laid the foundation for his life's mission. The thoughts and philosophy of these two intellectual and spiritual giants proved a turning point in the life of the young saint. His life's mission for the upliftment of the rural poor villagers and spread of eduction to the illitrate masses commenced with his barefooted march from village to village.
His greatest contribution to humanity had been in the field of education, where he had stressed upon women's and technical education. His untiring efforts had bestowed upon the region of Western UttarPradesh, Uttranchal, Haryana, Himachal, Rajasthan and Punjab his bounty in terms of schools, colleges, technical institutions, medical facilities of all kinds, agricultural colleges and Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Sanskrit Vidayalyas, Polytechnics, engineering colleges, Hostels, libraries, Home for the disabled, and many more.
His quest for upliftment of the down trodden, the 'have nots', the suffering ones had taken him to all corners of India, and extensively through the Northern region. He was truly the saint in the true spirit of Guru Nanak Dev ji Maharaj, undertaking long and arduous journeys on foot. He had always felt that India lives in the villages and you can know real India only if you reach out to them at their level, 'on foot'.
All leaders of India had held Swamiji in great esteem. Late Pt Moti Lal Nehru, Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya, St Vinoba Bhave, Pt. Govind Vallabh Pant and Ma Anandmai spared their time to be in the company of Swami ji. Presidents of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Gyani Jail Singh, Neelam Sanjeev Reddy, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma and K.R. Narayanan and Prime Minister Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Ch Charan Singh. Babu Jagjeevan Ram, Sh Guljarilal Nanda and V.P. Singh held
high esteem postition and visited him to seek his blessings and inspiration.
He was the real messiah who had worked for the down trodden and the under-privileged. He remained the unsung Hero of real India, commonly called the "Shiksha Rishi" He loved 'Kisan, Mazdoor and Jawan.' as his real India lives in the peasants' cottages, in the huts of the fishermen, the cobbler and the 'Have Nots', and the 'soldier's hearts'. His contribution to the upliftment of our land in this span of two centuries was more than any other person could have ever made.
Swamiji had been conferred the honour of "Padam Shri" in the year 1982 and "Padam Bhushan" in 2001. In the year 1993 he was awarded Nanda Naitik Puruskar founded by Sh Guljari Lal Nanda. He was conferred the Degree of D.Litt. by Ch. Charan Singh University, Meerut in 2002.
People from various fields of life like industries, education and politics bow at the feet of Swamiji, but he remained as humble as dust. He was like a wandering cloud laden with water of compassion soaring over the peak and vallies of his personal pain and instead of giving his possessions, gave himself in the shape of downpour to quench thirst of knowledge and education, and put off fire of pain and agony of the rural masses of India.
Swami Kalyandevji takes eternal samadhi
Swamiji left for his heavenly abode on 14th July, 2004. His samadhi is being built at Shukrataal a sacred place. The samadhi is a source of inspiration for us.
Swamiji, before taking his eternal Samadhi, he gave all his responsibilites to Swami Omanand Brahmachari to continue his objectives of human welfare.
Swami Omanand Ji Maharaj
Swami Omanand Brahmchari Swami Kalyandev je before taking his eternal Samadhi, he gave all his responsibilites to Swami Omanand Brahmachari to continue his objectives of human welfare. The Bhagavata Peeth Shukdev Ashrama is now under the guidance of Swami Omanand Brahmachari has continue working in welfare of society. Omnand ji has opened many new educational institutions for poors and social backwards.
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