Prem Ras Siddhant

Prem Ras Siddhant

Author	Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj
Language	Hindi (original), also translated into English, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Gujarati, Bengali
Genre	Philosophy of God, Spirituality, Bhakti Yoga
Published	1955
Publisher	Radha Govind Samiti
Media type	Hardcover & E-book
Pages	300+

Prem Ras Siddhant (प्रेम रस सिद्धांत), meaning "The Philosophy of Divine Love," is a book on philosophy and spirituality authored by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj. First published in Hindi in 1955, the book presents a comprehensive explanation of God, the soul, and the world, aiming to answer fundamental questions about life and the path to eternal happiness. It emphasizes the importance of devotion (Bhakti Yoga) and the grace of a genuine spiritual guru for attaining God-realisation.

Overview

Written by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj

Prem Ras Siddhant seeks to reconcile the teachings of various Hindu scriptures, including the Vedas, Puranas, and Upanishads, presenting their essence in simple Hindi. Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj addresses core existential questions such as "Who am I?", "Why am I here?", "Who is God?", and "How am I related to Him?". The book aims to clear doubts and guide individuals towards the path of spiritual upliftment, regardless of their age, religion, or background.

Prem Ras Siddhant's purpose is to explain the ultimate goal of the individual soul and the means to achieve it. While emphasizing the necessity of a genuine guru's guidance for ultimate attainment, it serves as a beneficial guide for those yet to find such a guru.

Historical Context and Significance

Prem Ras Siddhant was first published in 1955, less than a decade after India's independence. In a time when people sought answers to existential questions and spiritual guidance, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj presented this book in simple Hindi to make profound spiritual truths accessible to the common person.

Notably, while previous Jagadgurus had written their philosophies in Sanskrit, Kripalu Ji Maharaj chose to write in the vernacular, ensuring its wider reach and understanding. Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj reconciled the philosophies of his four predecessors: Adi Jagadguru Shri Shankaracharya, the proponent of Advaita Vedanta, Jagadguru Shri Ramanujacharya, the proponent of Vishishtadvaita, Jagadguru Shri Madhvacharya, the proponent of Dvaita and Jagadguru Shri Nimbarkacharya, the proponent of Dvaitadvaita, along with the philosophies of other prominent bhakti saints.

In 1957, at the age of 34, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj was conferred the title of Jagadguruttam ("Supreme Jagadguru") by the Kashi Vidvat Parishad, a prestigious council of learned scholars in Varanasi. Prem Ras Siddhant is considered a significant work through which he presented his philosophy of Bhakti Yoga.

The 70th anniversary of the book's first publication is being celebrated in 2025. The book has guided millions of people worldwide on their spiritual paths and resolved their spiritual doubts.

Chapters and Themes

Prem Ras Siddhant stands as a definitive summary of Sanatan Vedic Dharma, as the book cites extensive references from the Vedas, Upanishads, Brahma Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavatam, Ramayan, and other prominent scriptures. Through the following chapters, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj explains the ultimate truth and the path to attaining it based entirely on scriptural authority.

• The Ultimate Goal of All Living Beings - Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj explains, citing the Vedas, that the inherent pursuit of bliss drives all individual souls to believe in God, even those who oppose Him. He emphasizes that true, eternal freedom from sorrow and suffering, culminating in divine bliss, is solely attained through God's grace. Temporary worldly happiness, even ruling the entire earth, is negligible compared to this ultimate goal, reinforcing that the deepest aspiration of all beings is the infinite bliss of God.
• The Nature of God - God is the origin, sustainer, and form of the world. He is beyond material perception and comprehension, even for celestial beings (devatas). Scriptures show Brahm has three aspects: enjoyer (souls), enjoyable (maya), and inspirer (God). Though impartial, God is subservient to devotees. His divine body appears differently based on perception. Forms like Rama and Krishna are the same Supreme Personality, manifesting Their powers as needed.
• Surrender - God's grace is the key to eternal bliss, but it is conditional upon surrender. Taking complete shelter in God is the sole means to cross His divine power, maya. This act of surrender leads the individual soul to the divine abode and everlasting peace, making it the indispensable condition for attaining God's grace.
• The Saint - Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj highlights the vital role of a genuine Saint or Guru for spiritual knowledge and guidance, citing scriptures like Upanishads, Gita, Bhagavatam, and Ramayana. A true saint is one who has thorough knowledge of the scriptures (shrotriya) and has attained God or is firmly established in Brahm (brahmanisht). Saints act in the world through divine power to help others. Their actions are divine and not to be imitated blindly. External appearance is irrelevant; a saint's deep scriptural knowledge and experience remove doubts. Attaining the ultimate goal is impossible without spiritual discipline under such a Guru's guidance.
• Paths to Attain God - The author definitively states that based on the fundamental natures of Brahm and the individual soul, there are only three paths to God. These paths are Karma (action), Gyan (knowledge), and Bhakti (devotion), directly correlating to Brahm's three personal powers: Sat, Chit, and Ananda. He clarifies that any other methods described in spiritual traditions are ultimately encompassed within these three primary paths.
• Karma - Performing ritualistic actions alone does not lead to liberation or God, only temporary material results. True karma, as defined in scriptures like Bhagavatam and Ramayana, is action performed to please God. Karmayoga, the performance of duties with devotion, is highly praised and recommended. While scriptures prescribe duties, devotion to God (para dharma) is superior to performing duties without devotion (apara dharma). For a devotee, surrender transcends the obligations of mere ritualistic duties.
• Gyan and Gyanyoga - Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj contrasts theoretical and practical spiritual knowledge, stating that mere theoretical knowledge without devotion is insufficient for God-realization. The knowledge of the self attained through Gyan is perfected only through devotion to God's Personal Form. Bhakti is essential even on the path of Gyan. God is known intimately only through single-minded devotion. The path of devotion naturally bestows both knowledge and detachment upon the practitioner.
• Gyan and Bhakti - Various philosophical views on God, soul, and the world, including Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita, and Shuddhadvaita are discussed. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's emphasis on selfless devotion and Sankirtana is highlighted. While philosophies differ, most saints emphasise dualistic devotion; even Shankaracharya, though teaching Advaita, practiced devotion to Shri Krishna. Scriptures reveal God manifests as Brahm, Paramatma, and Bhagavan, with devotion to Bhagavan being the most intimate path.
• Bhaktiyoga - Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, citing scriptures, declares bhakti to be the ultimate goal, attained through divine grace and sadhana. True devotion is defined as being free from all material and liberation desires, independent of Karma or Gyan, and involves actively serving God with favorable feelings (anukul bhav). Different devotional sentiments or relationships (shanta, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhurya) represent progressive intimacy. The most intimate is madhurya bhava, exemplified by the gopis' selfless amorous love, which makes God Himself subservient.
• Karmayoga, the Practical Sadhana - Karmayoga means to constantly remember God while performing necessary duties, distinguishing actions with mere mental engagement from those with attachment. Worshiping God alone satisfies all entities, akin to watering the root of a tree. Single-minded devotion and surrender are crucial for crossing maya and attaining eternal bliss. Divine descensions like Rama and Krishna are one personality, manifesting powers according to need. Practical devotion involves daily chanting and remembrance (Roopdhyan) of Shri Radha Krishna, dedicating all actions to God, and maintaining constant awareness.
• Kusanga - Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj warns against harmful associations (kusanga), primarily attempting to understand scriptures independently without a saint's guidance, which causes confusion due to material intellect. Critiquing others' faults is a serious kusanga, fostering vanity and contaminating one's intellect. Revealing divine secrets to the unqualified or exhibiting pride in one's devotion are also forms of kusanga. Understanding higher spiritual truths requires a saint's guidance and experience, as material intellect is limited; scriptural understanding is reserved for the eligible.

Translations

Due to its widespread appeal and benefit, Prem Ras Siddhant has been translated into several languages, including:

• English
• Marathi
• Nepali
• Odia
• Gujarati
• Bengali

The profound knowledge contained in the book has also been the subject of doctoral theses.

Author's Perspective

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, affectionately known as "Shri Maharaj Ji," considered Prem Ras Siddhant a concise yet comprehensive guide to spiritual understanding. He stated that repeated reading of the book would reveal new insights each time. He emphasized that the book contains the essence of his teachings and encouraged readers to delve into it deeply.

See also

• Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj
• Kashi Vidvat Parishad
• Roopdhyan Meditation
• Prem Mandir, Vrindavan
• Bhakti Mandir Mangarh
• Kirti Mandir, Barsana