His Holiness Sant Keshavadas

Sadguru Sant Keshavadas was born in Bhadragiri, a small southern Indian village in Karnataka State near Bangalore, India, on July 22nd, 1934, a holy day of the Lord Panduranga who is the manifestation of white light or Truth. At the age of 11, he had a mystical and illuminating vision of God in the dilapidated temple of his native place. God told him, "Sing my name". Since then he tirelessly spread the loving word of God or "Sanatana Vishwa Dharma," the ancient wisdom of the Himalayas, throughout India and abroad.

 

Before beginning his world tours he earned a BA from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College in 1956 and an LLB. from Udipi Law College in 1958. Sad Guru Keshavadas began his worldwide mission in 1966 when the famous Babaji of Yogananda met him at the Khumba Mela, a holy festival in India, and told him to go to the West to spread the cosmic, eternal religion--the eternal word of God to unite all religions of the world in one religion of universal love.

 

Since that time Sant Keshavadas visited many countries in all hemispheres, had a meeting with the Pope Vl and many meetings with Mother Theresa to discuss the harmony of all world religions in an ongoing effort to transform the Brotherhood of Man from dream to reality. During his lifetime Sad Guru Keshavadas traveled through India 57 times and around the world 37 times.

 

Sant Keshavadas belonged to a long tradition in India of married saints. Guru Mata, the devoted wife of Sant Keshavadas, assisted her husband in his universal mission since their marriage in 1951. Her sincerity and purity radiate peace and divine love wherever she goes. She has traveled around the globe numerous times with her husband and has brought much love and peace to the devotees. They were blessed with three children who all live in the U.S.A.

 

Sadguru Sant Keshavadas firmly believed that the future world religion would be "mysticism" or the divine communion with God. Through his musical compositions and teachings he takes his hearers to the realm of God experience and fills the soul with the love of God. Discrimination, dispassion, devotion, and dedication are his keywords. His main teaching was "Love born of wisdom can solve all problems", and "Truth is one; many are the names. God is one; paths are many.” Guruji taught that the path to enlightenment in the Kaliyuga (current era) is the repetition of the holy name of God. Not only did he teach this through his countless lectures around the world, but also his very presence of pure love inspired devotees to realize the God within them.

 

Sadguru Sant Keshavadas was a soul of innumerable talents: he spoke eight languages, was the author of more than 50 books, composer of 6,000 kirtans or songs of God realization, superb singer and story-teller, eloquent speaker, and a realized Bhakti yogi (yogi of Divine Love) backed by the full knowledge of jnana or wisdom. His unique style of teaching harmonized old and new, East and West, through lectures conducted in the traditional Harikatha method: words of wisdom mingled with stories, philosophy, music and humor in a manner that delights the senses, illumines the mind and uplifts the spirit.

 

Due to his inner knowledge of the scriptures, he wrote commentaries to many great books including, The Bhagavad-Gita and the Bible, which unites the two great religions--Hinduism and Christianity through the essential teaching of love and wisdom. Other books include Healing Techniques of the Holy East, Self-Realization, This is Wisdom, Garland of Prayers, Cosmic Shakti Kundalini and Liberation from Karma and Rebirth.

 

In the West Sant Keshavadas’ organization was known as the Temple of Cosmic Religion. His world headquarters was established near Bangalore, India at Vishwa Shanti Ashram or World Peace Ashram. With donations from the East and West he constructed an extraordinarily beautiful temple there known as the Bhagavad-gita Mandir. All 700 stanzas of the Bhagavad-gita are carved in the black marble slabs and translated into four languages--English, Sanskrit, Hindi and Kannada. A remarkable 37-foot statue of the smiling universal form of God Panduranga, the light of Truth, presides over the ashram, attracting thousands of visitors.

 

December 4, 1997 saw the passing of this great soul and living saint, Sadguru Sant Keshavadas at age 63, while giving a lecture series in Vishakapatnam, India. Until the very last moment of his life, he was fully devoted to his mission of achieving world peace through his teachings.

 

Swami Ramakrishnananda met Sant Keshavadas in 1990. In that sacred encounter, Swami Ramakrishnananda received a flower directly from the hands of the great Hindu saint. This instant produced a profound communion between the two. Since then, Gurudev sees His Holiness Sant Keshavadas as a fountain of inspiration as well as an instructing spiritual master in the path of bhakti.