Maharshi Ved Vyas Pratishthan : His Holiness Swami Govind Dev Giriji Seva for Sanatan Dharma

• HH Swami Govind Dev Giri (Kishor Madangopal Vyas) was born in 1949 in a pious, Brahmin family that was settled down in Belapur, a small village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.

• He inherited the legacy of study of ancient spiritual sciences, devotion and committed religiosity from his parents through a long family tradition.

• After completing primary education in his native village, he joined Tatvadnyan Vidyapeeth founded by HH Pandurang Shastri Aathavale, who launched revolutionary socio-religious movement called Swadhyaya.

• Under Pandurang Shastri’s attentive guidance and with his kind blessings young Swami Govind Dev Giri (Kishorji) earned the B.A. degree in philosophy.

• Later on, he went to Varanasi, the spiritual capital of India, for further studies and accomplished the coveted degree of ‘Darshanacharya’. While studying in Varanasi, he was fortunate to receive guidance from none other than renowned Vedic scholar, vedamoorti Dr. Vishwanathji Dev.

• Furthering the 120 years old family tradition, he first rendered a religious discourse on Srimad Bhagavat in his own native village. At that time, he was barely 17.

• After completing his studies, he has been giving discourses since then for the last 30 years on Srimad Bhagavat, Ramayan, Mahabharat, Dnyaneshwari, Dasbodh, Yoga Vasishtha and other precious and ancient books of spiritual literature that form the foundation of Indian culture.

• His discourses are held continuously not only in India but also in several foreign countries including Nepal, Canada, United States, Great Britain etc.

• Impressed by his enchanting and captivating elocution, Late Thakur Jaidev Singh had showered laurels on him while Paramacharya (head-priest) of Kanchi Kamakoti Peeth blessed him with a remark that he would be the spiritual successor of HH late Dongareji Maharaj.

• Inspired by the life of Swami Vivekananda, Acharyashri sees himself as a strong spokesman of this nation, its culture and religion and a sentinel and guardian of a person’s spiritual emancipation. Devotion to God as well as love for human beings is the source of energy for his relentlessly carried out Karmayoga (dutiful deeds).

• He is the closest initiated disciple of HH Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamkoti Peeth. Since he is a committed celibate, he does not have his own family.

• Donations and endowments received during programmes of his discourses are spent for the benefit of the society through the medium of various undertakings and institutions that he had founded.

• HH Swami Govind Dev Giri (Acharya Kishorji Vyas receives initiation of ‘Paramhansa Sanyas’
• (Renouncement of the highest spiritual order) at the auspicious hands of HH Swami Satyamitrananda Giriji at the holy place of Haridwar on the banks of river Ganga on Sunday, April 30, 2006. Following his Sanyas initiation he adorned a new name, Shri Govind Dev Giriji Maharaj. This initiation ceremony was held with the blessings of HH Shri Jayendra Saraswatiji, the chief of Kanchi Kamkoti Peeth.

• The Pratishthan provides grant to 50 Vedic schools in 14 states of India and has offered scholarship to more than 2500 Vedic students. More than 350 students get Vedic education in 12 Vedic schools affiliated to the trust.

• So far, nine Vedic workshops have been organized by the trust in various stated of the country while 25 old Vedic scholars have been given pensions.

• For this noble work, so far, more than Rs. 5 crore has been well-spent as a result of which a large, massive group of Vedic scholars has been created who have learnt the Vedas by heart. Many of these students are engaged in further studies while others are busy working as teachers.

• Conservation of Vedas by the Vedic scholars is the foundation of this work. Now that this work has been well stabilized, the Pratishthan is readying for another ambitious project in the making, ‘Vedashri Tapovan’ that will be engaged in mass communication, coordination and publishing of books.

Geeta Parivar

• Motivated by Acharyashri, Geeta Parivar was founded in Sangamner (Ahmednagar district) in 1986 which started setting up ‘Bal Sanskara Kendra’ (Cultural Centre for children) and organizing ‘Bal Sanskara Shibir’ (Workshop for imbibing Indian culture among children).

• This work is going on for the last 20 years and now has spread to several states in India. Simultaneously, an important work of training volunteers wanting to work in the area of conditioning children according to Indian culture.

Directive Principle

• He offered a five-point program for the volunteers to carry out in the society.

The Objective

• To encourage students to study Sanskrit and our own traditional culture.
• To organize Sanskar Shibirs (workshops ).
• To run Sanskar Vargas (classes and courses ) in as many places as possible.
• To produce literature and audio / video material useful for this mission.
• To convince children of the importance and significance of Indian culture and to make them aware of dangerous and bad effects of lifestyles emanating from western culture.

• This is the latest manifestation of HH Acharyashri’s extra-ordinary and matured intelligence.

• This Gurukul is another trust, which is committed to meeting the spiritual requirements of the ever-growing family of disciples, which is spreading in all parts of the world.

• Work of this trust has already commenced which involves personal correspondence, producing and distributing guidance material, organizing spiritual workshops etc.

• Since HH Acharyashri considers himself and all his disciples to be the disciples of Saint Dnyaneshwar, the trust is named after the great poet and Saint in Maharashtra of 12th century.

• Food is provided to about 60 students of Varkari sect in the Gurukul set up in Alandi where Saint Dnyaneshwar lived and which has now become a nerve centre of all the spiritual activities of HH Acharyashri. By setting up its branch in Canada, Santa Shri Dnyaneshwar Gurukul’s work is being expanded all over the universe.

Shri Krishna Seva Nidhi

This is the first trust founded by HH Acharyaji, which since more than last 17 years is engaged in the work of providing succor to the needy. The funds in this trust is spent for providing education to poor but deserving students in the society, providing medical aid to the needy, making arrangements for the education of tribal children, restoration and renovation of old temples etc.

Dharmashree Publication

• Motivated by HH Acharyashri ‘Dharmashree Prakashan (Publication)’, an undertaking for publishing books, was launched in view of extending encouragement and support to the literature that is pious and provoking noble thoughts.

• Its objective is to reach as many people as possible, the ancient literature of India, which is the true manifestation of Indian culture, literature created by saints as well as that literature which would inspire patriotism and that too with an appropriate and affordable price tag.

• So far, about 40 books and more than 100 cassettes have been published by Dharmashree Prakashan. Thanks to the overwhelming response now, a scheme for expanding this work is being chalked out.

Samanwaya Parivar

Under the leadership of HH Acharyashri, this undertaking was established last year. Under this banner a five-day ‘Vishwa Ved Sammelan’ (Universal Ved Convention) was organized in New Delhi in December ’98. Hundreds of Vedic scholars, students as well as Vedic erudite participated in the convention. Several schemes aimed at initiating service to the Vedas in a disciplined manner and on global level went underway in this convention. As a result, a special campaign for conservation of Vedas in a state like Uttar Pradesh was launched. Creation of Vedic schools and a blitz by Vedic campaigners are part of this campaign.Vishwa Veda Sansthan

Santakripa Pratishthan

• For the last 25 years, this trust, active in Pune, is engaged in various spiritual activities aimed at rendering service to the Indian culture, including publication of a monthly, ‘Santakripa’, publication of original works of several saints and making them available to readers at appropriate price, publication of biographies of over 80 ancient as well as contemporary saints. HH Acharyashri is working in this trust as its director trustee for the last 10 years and during this tenure, he ensured extensive popular support and financial support to the trust’s activities. About 25 students learning literature of saints are given scholarships while pious litterateurs are honored with ‘Saint Dnyaneshwar Award’ by the trust.

Courtesy : http://dharmashree.org/