PRESIDENT – The Divine Life Society

H.H. Sri Swami Yogaswarupanandaji Maharaj

His Holiness Sri Swami Yogaswarupanandaji Maharaj, a senior monk of the Sivananda Ashram Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, has been elected as the chairman Of the Divine Life Trust Society and ex-officio President of the Divine Life Society with effect from 7th July 2019.

Sri Swamiji was born in Channai and was known as Krishnamurthy in his pre-monastic life. After completing his education, he worked for a brief period. During that time, he read an abridged edition of mahabharata. After this reading, a desire to lead spiritual life in the Himalayan region arose in his heart. He left hearth and home and came to Rishikesh in 1964. But, to his much disappointment, he could hardly find thick and dense forests, thatched huts or snow-capped mountains, as he had envisaged in his mind. The grace of God brought him to Sivananda Ashram, the sacred abode of Sri Gurudev. He was 25 years old at that time.

Pujya Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj was glad to take Sri Krishnamurthy into his fold. Pujya Swamiji Maharaj asked Krishnamurthy to assist him with correspondence work in the morning hours and help Sri Swami Sharadanandaji Maharaj in the afternoons at the Sivananda Publication League. It was Sri Swami Sharadanandaji Maharaj who introduced him into the Science of Yoga and taught him Yogasanas and Pranayamas in a systematic way. In the evenings, he used to attend Bhagavad Gita classes conducted by Sri Swami Hridayananda Mataji.

Eventually, Sri Krishnamurthy started conducting Ashram’s Morning Prayer and Meditation Session from 4.30 to 5.30 and Yoga Classes from 6.00 to 7.00 at the Bhajan Hall. Later on, from the year 1966 to 1968, he received regular personal guidance from Worshipful Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj on Yoga, Pranayama and other spiritual matters. His daily routine during the initial years in the Ashram was to conduct Morning Prayer and Meditation Session followed by Yoga classes, assist Pujya Sri Swami Krislananandaji Maharaj in the morning office hours, serve in the SPL in the afternoons and then attend Gita classes in the evenings. Over the years, he became an adept in the subjects of Yoga and Srimad Bhagavad Gita. He was initiated into the holy order of Sannyas by Worshipful Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj on the Sivaratri Day of the year 1979 and was given the monastic name Swami Yogaswarupananda Saraswati.

In 1973, Worshipful Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj deputed Swamiji to conduct Yoga classes for the IAS Trainees at the prestigious institute, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussorie. Before sending him for this noble Seva, Swamiji Maharaj called him and gave abundant blessings and also detailed guidance regarding conducting the Yoga classes, Swarmiji used to conduct 9 courses in a year, each course lasting for 3 weeks. This honorary Seva of Swamiji, done in the name of Sri Gurudev, continued for 30 years, i.e. till the yew 2003.

Revered Swami Hridayananda Mataji the direct disciple of Sri Gurudev, who had settled in Holland, invited Swamiji to visit Holland in 1983. With the blessings of Worshipful Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj, Swamiji embarked on his foreign tour. Pujya Swamiji Maharaj himself took him around and introduced him to various devotees and Centres in Europe and also guided him to conduct Satsang. Following that, Swamiji travelled extensively in the coming years and has been travelling regularly to many countries in Europe, South America, USA, Canada, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, etc to conduct Yoga classes, spiritual seminars and conferences and to give personal guidance to the devotees as well.

In the year 2002, Worshipful Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharij entrusted Swamiji with the new responsibilities by nominating him as a Trustee of the Divine Life Trust Society. In the following years, Annual General Body Meeting, Swamiji was formally elected as the Vice President of the Divine Life Society. Sri Swamiji continued this Seva till he became the President of the Divine Life Society.

Swamiji Maharaj once again seeks blessings of Sri Gurudev and conveys his heartiest greetings to all the devotees and members of the Divine Life Society.

VICE-PRESIDENT – The Divine Life Society

H. H. Sri Swami Padmanabhanandaji Maharaj

Sri Swami Padmanabhanandaji, born in 1935, in an orthodox Brahmin family to pious parents in Kottayam, Kerala, is a disciple of Brahamaleen Parama Pujya Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj, Past President, The Divine Life Society (Headquarters).

An Engineer in the Government of Kerala, he renounced his career and took to life of renunciation to qualify himself for ministering to the Soul of man. He studied Vedanta (Prastanatrayi) and Scriptures in typical Gurukula Samparadaya under a great Master in a Gurukula on the bank of Kaveri River, Tamil Nadu.

Swamiji is a scholar in Vedic Scriptures as well as in Puranic texts. His deep knowledge and lucid exposition of Srimad Bhagavata,Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Narada Bhakti Sutra and Patanjali Yoga Sutras and other Scriptural texts has made him a popular guide to Spiritual aspirants. He has been conducting classes on Upanishads and Gita with Sankara Bhasya to the inmates of the Ashram and in the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy and also guides on Meditation and Stress Management in Corporates. He has been contributing articles on scriptures to well known magazines. His simplicity, transparent deep faith in the Divine force and surrender to the Supreme has made him a combination of Jnana, Bhakti and Vairagya.

Swamiji is doing his Seva to his Master after elected by the Trust as the Vide-President of the Divine Life Society Headquarters, Shivanandanagar, Rishikesh since 04-01-2024.

A senior monk of the Divine life Society under the leadership of the present President, Sri Swami Yogaswarupanandaji Maharaj, Sri Swami Padmanabhanandaji continues to work vigorously to spread the Divine Life Gospel, summed up by the Grand Master, Sri Swami Sivanandaji in six succinct words:“Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realize.”

VICE-PRESIDENT – The Divine Life Society

H.H. Sri Swami Nirliptanandaji Maharaj

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GENERAL SECRETARY – The Divine Life Society

H.H. Sri Swami Advaitanandaji Maharaj

TREASURER – The Divine Life Society

H.H. Sri Swami Sadasivanandaji Maharaj

-Devotional India

PRESIDENT – The Divine Life Society