Shri Brahmrishi Gurudev: Through the eyes of his devotees

Do you consider him your guru? What does he teach? How did you benefit from following him? Ravinder Raj and Darshan Chopra muse about this charismatic guru who ties his turban in the style of Swami Vivekananda and was on a Scandinavian tour in June.  

What constitutes the magnetic appeal of spiritual gurus? As Shri Brahmrishi Gurudev embarks on a three-nation Scandinavian tour, we spoke to a couple of key people who have enjoyed close contact with this charismatic guru.

“Gurudev is full of love and innocence,” says Ravinder Raj, a Sweden-based entrepreneur who is organizing the Indian guru’s tour in June 2023, and co-hosting the programs in Stockholm and Goteborg.

“From his on-stage persona when he is delivering his thunderous orations about his pet subject (love and simple living) to his off-stage persona, where he can change from being like an innocent child to a person who knows the latest developments in technology, telling stories that are relevant to what is going on in the life of who is listening to him at that moment, he is a bundle of joy to be with. Being in his presence is a reward itself and is full of magical moments,” says Ravi.

According to his official biography, Shri Gurudev is a living master of the ancient Vedic tradition. “He was awakened to his calling from an early age. After completing and excelling in academics in engineering, he studied under highly realized masters. He was finally ‘touched’ and initiated through Deoraha Baba, a mystic saint of the highest order who is believed to have lived to the age of 190 years before leaving his body in 1990. Generations of people have seen Baba living upon a thatched platform in Vrindavan near the banks of the river Yamuna.”

The biography goes on to say that Shri Gurudev has achieved the highest state of consciousness, “He has spent long periods of time in samadhi. He has awakened several long-lost mantras and has the ability to collapse space-time, as narrated by some of those who come in his presence.”

This guru surely has a majestic presence. His flowing robes and headgear will remind you of Swami Vivekananda who first brought Hinduism and Vedanta to the Western world.

Darshan Chopra, a former Indian army officer and lawyer who went on to set up a successful business in Canada, narrates his encounter with the mystic man’s miracles, “I met Gurudev for the first time in Brampton near Toronto. A friend introduced me as one with a peculiar twist on the idea of faith. Guruji took a good look at me and advised me to keep my mind straight and that I needed Lord Shiva’s third eye for this purpose. He then stood up, chanted some Sanskrit mantras, and manifested a Shiva symbol. Next, he told me that I have heart problems. I confirmed that I had undergone triple bypass surgery and 6-7 angioplasties.

“Chanting some mantras again he manifested a few one-faced Rudraksha beads for me. Wearing the Rudraksha mala would ensure that I would never die of a heart attack, he told me. I was so moved that tears rolled down my eyes. Guruji also manifested for me a Navratna Yantra to wear with a golden ring for protection. For the past eight years, I have kept with me all three items he gave me and am still alive and kicking at age 80.”

Chopra confesses that even as his family has become devoted followers of Gurudev, he remains conflicted, “While I have witnessed his magical powers and manifestations, they do not align with my scientific temper, knowledge, and logic. My search and curiosity about him and his powers continue.”
The manifestations Gurudev does is for those who need a demonstration that there is something more to life than meets the eye. But as soon as a person comes close to him and discovers him for who he is, that is when true ascension of the devotee can begin, his followers assert.

Gurudev has a sprawling ashram in the temple town of Tirupati in south India. But you will find him traversing the continents year after year, under the aegis of Vishwa Dharma Chetana Manch (World Spiritual Awareness Forum). He goes everywhere to touch the lives of people with his magic of love and joy, resolving their issues big and small, and unlocking abundance in every life. His singular mission is to make people aware of their true spiritual nature. 

When asked, do you consider him your guru, Ravi says, “A guru is someone who inspires you to start on your own inner journey. He will not walk it for you but hold your hand and show you the way. A true guru will inspire devotion since love and devotion are the only qualities that can free you from the shackles of the mind. A guru has unconditional love for all and accepts you for who you are. Gurudev checks all boxes for me.” 

Shri Gurudev brings together the varied streams of world religions into a unifying flow. He strongly advocates that “Religion does not bind us, but rather frees us from all bondages of karma”. His call to all spiritual teachers is that they must not build a cult around their personality but rather enable their students and followers to experience liberation from all limitations of religion and social conditioning.

Ravinder Raj, Sweden-based entrepreneur, is organizing Gurudev’s Scandinavian tour, and (right) Darshan Chopra, retired Indian army officer now based in Toronto, planning to attend Guruji’s programs in Sweden.

Ravi elaborates that Gurudev teaches the essence of Sanatan Dharma in simple terms and truisms. “The nursery rhyme ‘The time to be happy is now…’ is often quoted by him and encapsulates his teachings quite well. He meets everyone on their personal level, which is why his teaching ranges from simple homilies to advanced yogic practices.”

People who come in contact with Shri Gurudev and start following him, invariably report dramatic, positive changes in their lives. Some devotees claim they benefitted financially, some regained health, and some others advance spiritually.  

For Ravi, something shifted after his second meeting with Gurudev. He recalls, “A certain circumstance was created (Gurudev has a loving way of teaching) when I discovered the extent of my anger issues and ego entanglements I had to deal with if I were to start my inner journey. I give him full credit for the beginning of my spiritual journey.”

Ravi has helped develop a Hindu temple in Goteborg, a city on Sweden’s west coast. The temple will be consecrated on July 1.  

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Gurudev’s favorite mantra is the famous nursery rhyme by Robert G. Ingersol (1833-1899), popularly known as the Great Agnostic:

The time to be happy is now,

and the place to be happy is here,

and the way to be happy

is to make someone happy

and make a little heaven right here…

and make a little heaven right here.

To learn more about Sri Brahmrishi Gurudev and his organization: www.sribrahmrishiashram.org

For Gurudev’s Scandinavian tour (Goteborg, Sweden: June 17; Denmark: June 18;  Norway: June 24; Stockholm, Sweden: June 25,  contact: Ravinder Raj  +46 709 909920. More details at https://indiapoint.se/events